Re-cap

Well, I survived another Christmas........barely. Now all that's left is a ton of leftovers and a slowly dying tree.

Even though we kept gifts at a minimum this year, the kids seemed to enjoy what they got (even though some of it hasn't arrived yet - damn Fed Ex and snow). Hubby did surprise me with my own digital camera; even after I told him he didn't really need to get me anything. Still, it was a nice giftie, and a wonderful surprise.

Finally got all my holiday knitting done....OK, so it was three days AFTER Christmas, but my nieces and nephews will be enjoying their handknit goodies before the end of the week.

A recap:
Hat for Nephew Hans...


Hat for his twin, Evan.

Mitts for their big sister, Chelsea.




Mitts for Niece Heather.

Mitts for Niece Hailey (they're actually done, now).






And last but not least, a hat for Nephew Drew....which I gave to the recipient before I thought to get a picture of the hat. But he loved it. Which is kind of funny, because he was the one who said "I don't need a hat....you made me one last year." Silly boy.

Next year, I plan on starting my holiday knitting, BEFORE Thanksgiving!


I've even started two new projects, which I need to have completed before January 9 (why do I do this to myself?)

You will note from the above list of holiday productivity, that there is nothing for my own sweet DH (OK, don't laugh, I'm in a good mood today, and he's not here), or any of my own sweet sons (good mood splashover, sorry). I do owe all of them pairs of socks, at the very least. I also owe #2 son a sweater I started for him last year, and a graduation afghan - due in June. Actually, I still owe #1 son his graduation afghan (he graduated from high school in 2005 - do you think I can get it done before he graduates from college in May?). But I am 3/4 done with #1 son's afghan. OK, so it's been that way for 3 years. But hope springs eternal.

I'm considering a New Year's Resolution. I tend to be a dismal failure at these things - but it is something I really want. The only trick is to make the resolution managable. Small changes, big results. More on this later....when I get up enough guts to talk about it.

Dateline.....Christmas Eve 2008

Two Pumpkin Pies?......................Check
Cheesecake?............................Check
Veggie Pot Pie?........................Check
Mushroom Pie?..........................Check
Christmas Morning Monkey Bread?........Check
Jello Salad?...........................Check
Fresh Baked Dinner Rolls?..............Check


OK, so the cooking is done, but there are NO presents wrapped, two knitted presents yet to be finished, two presents apparently caught in the black hole that is Fed Ex delivery after the worst snow storms (plural) that Washington State has seen in nearly 20 years, and it's 50/50 that we'll be able to pick my mom up from the nursing home for Christmas, because of the weather (who the hell puts a nursing home at the bottom of a steep - and now icy - hill?).

And my 11 year old has been bouncing off the walls all day (all week....all the time....)

The Good News......we weren't going anywhere special for Christmas.

The Bad News.......we weren't going anywhere WARM for Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Eid, Merry Solstice, and Best Wishes for a much happier New Year.

My Martha Moment

Well, the company Holiday party is this Wednesday. So late Saturday afternoon, I decided I should take a peek at the holiday decorations liberated from my MIL's to see what I had for centerpieces. Guess what there was for centerpieces? Jack-flippin'-shit! My Mother-in-law, the queen of "name that party theme" had given me a huge box of mis-matched random holiday crap. Nothing at all that would create a coherent group of centerpieces. Now, really, I know what you're thinking. "So your MIL didn't have any centerpiece decorations, what's the big deal?" The big deal is that this woman has multiple sets of Christmas decorations in multiple color schemes - and all she was willing to part with was a box of random stuff. Lord knows I wasn't planning on keeping it - cutesy just isn't my thing.

So there was a mad dash to my local craft store to come up with a centerpiece idea times 12, for the tables at the party. After of nearly an hour and a half of putting this and that together to come up with some kind of idea; this is what I left with:

2 cans of translucent spray paint in "MacIntosh" color - $7.99 each
12 large red plastic charger plates - $3.99 each
12 sets of battery powered Christmas lights - $2.49 each
12 pillar-type clear glass vases - $5.99 each
14 random picks of little Christmas ornaments in various designs, white and clear - $1.99 each
6 2-ounce packages of "fake" snow - $1.22 each.

I spray painted the vases with the translucent paint, creating red pillars, instead of clear......let them dry - thouroughly - placed a string of little lights in each pillar; placed a pillar on each charger; and decoratively sprinkled fake snow and a few ornaments around the pillar on the plate. And viola! A Centerpiece to make Martha Stewart envious!



Well, at least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself.

Two!

I finished my second holiday knitting project the other day. A pair of fingerless mitts for one of my nieces.
Sorry it's a picture of only one. There really are two of them, but I can't take a picture and model with both hands at the same time. They are Bee-YOU-tee-ful! And so wonderfully soft.

Started another pair for another niece right away, not much to show for it, yet, using a Knitspot pattern called Wiggle Mitts. Hoping these will come out as nice.

I guess I'm going to have to sit down and think about what I want to do for the other 'Phews and my own boys. How many knitting days before Christmas?

Lame....

Yes, I have been Lame. My content has been next to nothing lately....(did you try the recipe?) And my determination to successfully navagate my first NaNoWriMo came to naught. Please explain how first time novelists with kids, and husbands, and jobs, and REAL lives, ever get that first book down on paper?

I have been knitting, however. I have some finished projects, some half-finished projects, and some really good starts to show off.

In finished projects, I present the first of my holiday knitting. A hat for my nephew Evan. We visited Ravelry together and he fell in love with this Snowboarder Hat That Rocks pattern.
It worked up pretty quickly pulling two skeins of Cascade 220 Superwash. Nice hat, nice result, and happy teenaged boy at Christmas. Such a deal.

Also finished (about a month ago, sorry) is my Hey Teach sweater. I've been holding off taking picks of it because I need to wash it again, or the light is bad, or I'm not wearing the right top to show it off properly. If I wait for all the conditions to be right, it will never have it's own picture. So here it is.
Really, I love this sweater, Easy to make, fun to wear, and it goes with tons of stuff. I plan on making another one in cotton for the spring.

In half-finished, I have half a pair of socks for me done. Those will be going on the "Let It Wait" pile until after Christmas. Also on the "Let It Wait" pile will be my February Lady sweater. I wish I could get this done in time for the holidays....I love it already, but knitting for others always comes before knitting for self...right? When am I going to get over that bull-crap thinking?

On the starting block is a pair of fingerless mitts for my niece, Heather. It's a pretty straightforward knit. With this one, it's the yarn that makes the piece. This soft, "heathery" blue is perfect for my petite niece (pleeze, a light breeze could knock her over - but she's not afraid to shoo her mom out of the kitchen when there's baking to be done!)

I have a couple other small holiday projects on the horizon for the various "Phews" and "Ieces," even a couple for my own kids perhaps.

I also have a felting project due for an auction, but not until early January. That will be my "holiday break" knitting.

What, you don't plan knitting especially for vacations?

Sorry I've been away for so long.....but....well, life interferes---constantly.

For about three months I have been attempting to be vegetarian. I have been toying with this idea, off and on for a couple years now. It's been going pretty well, overall. Except for a long weekend trip to Kansas, where "beef" is apparently considered a vegetable. I'm not a uber-strict vegetarian (I eat fish, sometimes). I am not vegan (too much work). But I prefer to eat vegetarian meals, and have found some immediate health benefits - lower blood pressure....yeah! I don't think vegetarianism will save the earth, or that folks who eat meat are killers. I just think eating veggies is a healthier way to go. And for me, it works. End of philisophical discussion about vegetarianism.

Since I am the only vegetarian in a house full of "carnivores," I am often confronted with the problem of cooking two different meals so everybody can eat. But once in a while, I find I can convert one of the family favorites into vegetarian meal that the whole family enjoys. This is one of them.......

Veggie Sloppy Joes

2 - 12 ounce packages Quorn Grounds
1 good-sized onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup Catsup (or Ketchup)
2 TBSP prepared yellow mustard
2 tsp chili powder
1-1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 - 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
1 - 15 ounce can black bean, drained and rinsed
1 - 14 ounce can diced tomatoes (drained or undrained, your choice)
1 - 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 package hamburger buns of your choice

In a dutch oven, saute garlic, onion and green pepper until soft. Add the remaining ingredients (except hamburger buns), stir and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Serve on the hamburger buns.

Now this makes a ton, but it can easily be portioned out and frozen for future use. I use the Gladware 1-3/4 containers for this kind of thing for portions just for me.

This is an adaptation of an old Cooking Light Sloppy Joe recipe, but it adapts great. I love it, the kids love it, the hub loves it - and I only have to make one main dish.

I have tons of knitting content to slap on here, but not today. Eat a veggie today.

Busted!!

Yesterday, after literally YEARS of doing the stupidest/coolest thing a knitter can do, I got busted.

I had to drive up to Whatcom county yesterday for what turned out to be a wasted trip, and of course, my knitting came with me. It's my closest and bestest friend, after all.

On the way back down, (after a stop in Bellingham for perhaps the best poppy-seed bagel and scallion schmear this side of New Yawk), I had driven though the little mountain pass, past all the outlet malls, and was on my third episode of Lime N'Violet before my fingers started to get a little itchy....... I mean what's the harm, a little sock knitting, really vanilla stuff, while driving 74 mph on the I-5.

Well, there was this brown minivan at first beside me, and then behind me - I thought nothing of it. I try very hard to ignore mini-vans at all costs. They make me itch. Suddenly, the brown van sprouted flashing lights! Busted! It was a frickin' County Sheriff's vehicle. What's up with that? County Mounties driving crappy, early 2000's minivans! Talk about sneaky! So I pulled over, and carefully dropped the offending sock and needles into the back seat (without trying to look like I was dropping anything into my back seat - I've seen "Cops.") The kindly deputy walked up to my passenger side window, and intead of asking, "do you know how fast you were going?" he asks, "were you knitting?"

OK, so the innocent doe-eyed thing doesn't work for me. I'm more the blank-dumbfounded-stare type, really. Finally, I admitted I was, without really saying I was - the Alford plea of knitting. I was already calculating what the ticket was going to cost me, and how big the hit on my brand, shiny, new auto insurance policy was going to be - and just what Snohomish County's finest was going to charge me with, anyway..."wreckless knitting?"...when he asked me kindly to stop knitting while driving, told me to have a good day........and let me off the hook.

I have not told my husband about this little adventure, and I will not. He accuses me of knitting while driving when I have both hands on the wheel! Will I knit while driving again? Yes. Will I knit while driving in Snohomish County again? Not if I see any crap-brown minivans around!

Happy Birthday.....to Me!

Last week was my fourty-mumphth birthday. We are not precise with numbers when we are taking about my age, pleeze!. Hubby was out of town, kids were at school, so it was me and the dogs. I spent the beginning of the week thinking of all the things I was going to do on my "ME Day." Shopping, wandering, lunching, knitting, maybe trying out the new kick spindle.....so what did I do? I knit little fishes! I know, what's up with that? But I was just hit with a big bag of entropy and all I could do was knit and watch the boob-tube all day.

It's not depression. It was just the joy (or absolute shock, I'm not sure which) of having a day where no one expected anything of me. Really, I should have done something active and enjoyable, but I just didn't want to.

I've been working on my Hey Teach Sweater pretty steadily. I just have the sleeve decreases and the button band to go and I'm done with that. I really want it done by the end of this week. I hope I'll make it. I always seem to slow to a snail's pace as I get to the end of a project - especially if that project is for me. But I picked up buttons for it last week, so when I'm done, I'll be done. No endless search for the perfect buttons.

In other knitting news......... I'm taking another stab at knitting toe-up socks. Actually the socks are much farther along than this now - considering I sat in the emergency room with my mom for much of the day today. She has another broken bone - the second one this year - the second one that will require major surgery to repair - the second one that will require a stint in rehab (a polite word for nursing home). Enough bitching about that. I have a rather large amount of emotions to process about this, and I'm not quite ready for it. Besides, I try to keep the griping down to a minimum here.....well, at least if I can't make fun of myself or my hubby at the same time.

I'm working on the heel of this sock. That's where the last attempt shot me down. I'm hoping I do a better job on this one.

Every Day is a Little Gift!

This week has been a goodie-filled one at my house. Fun Stuff that I ordered, and swapped for started arriving. A couple weeks ago, I discovered the concept of Kick Spindles. I look at a Kick Spindle as a logical step between a Drop Spindle and an all-out Spinning Wheel. I've had a hankering to learn to spin for a while, and even tried to learn to drop spindle. But I discovered I have a lingering rotator cuff injury that makes learning to drop spindle painfully illogical. Still, my desire to learn to spin has not waned. Tried to convince the DH that a nice traveling wheel would be a fine gift for me, but he saw it as just feeding my obsession with fiber. (OK, so the $1000 fly fishing trip - where he brings home NO FISH - and the $4000 hunting club membership don't feed HIS obsessions) But once I found the Kick Spindle, it seemed to solve a number of problems.....inexpensive (less than $60), compact, and the spinning method does not involve my right hand over shoulder-height for inordinate amounts of time. So.....thanks to the Internet, I located and ordered a Little Meggie, from Heavenlyhandknits.com.



I haven't had a chance to sit down and try this little sweetie out, but plan to soon. I have been watching Youtube Little Meggie instructional videos intently trying to suss out the mysteries of the Kick Spindle.

It was also a fun day when my copy of Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside The Lines came to my door through the kind auspices of Amazon.com and my friendly (he really is) neighborhood UPS man. The first M-D Knitting book was fun....this one....AWESOME and as my Ravelry friends say "Full of WIN!" There are at least four patterns in the new book that my life will not be complete without. Even better, I already have the yarn for some of them!!

And a couple of weeks ago, I swapped a copy of Favorite Socks with a Ravelry friend of mine who had lost almost her entire knitting book collection in a move (may the Gods curse moving men to wear machine knit socks their entire lives!). She in turn sent me a skein of recycled sari silk yarn. (PIC HERE) I have been coveting this yarn for quite a while, although I have never had guts enough to pick up a skein "just because." Now I have one lucious skein of the stuff. Probably only enough to do a scarf. But I will spend the next six months dreaming of the possibilities.

On the Knitting Front, I have been working deligently on my Hey Teach sweater. I'm hoping to have it done in time to wear to a professional thing on October 5th...hey and the Yarn Harlot's book signing the night before!. Only the right front and the (thankfully) short sleeves to go. I just may get it done. Keep your fingers crossed.

The professional thing I have to go to is a REALTOR's Education Conference. Two days of classes. Read that two days of blessed knitting time, while pretending to be learning something about the Real Estate Profession. Actually, I do pick up quite a bit knitting and listening to these classes. If I didn't have the knitting to keep me occupied, the blind screaming fidgets would kill me at these things. I plan on adding to my knitted hat and glove collection. I'm getting quite a collection going now. But between chairty donations, and Adopt-a-Crew donations, the hats and goodies will not go to waste. Here are a few I forgot to post before. A Fake Isle Hat made from Cascade 220 in Forest Green and a random skein of Noro Kureon.

And Cigar Gloves, made for one of #2 son's friends, bound for college in Montana (Go Montana State University!)

I haven't even begun to wrap my mind around Christmas knitting for this year. We're half-way through September and I haven't even given this a minute's thought.......I'm screwed!

One more thing.....just because I think it's cool. For those of you with a Post-It Note fixation......have fun!


EepyBird's Sticky Note experiment from Eepybird on Vimeo.

News Update.......

The first day of Middle School was just fine for Son#3. He came home smiling, happy he did well on his summer reading quiz (all of Mom's nagging paid off!), and declaring that all his teachers were "way cool."

Another developmental milestone in the books!

Free At Last!

After an additional TWO WEEKS of summer vacation, my kids are headed back to the salt mi.....ah school, tomorrow! Thanks to the Bellevue Teacher's Strike, my kids have be underfoot, at each others throats, and workin' my last nerve for the last fourteen days!

The oldest has been back at college for three weeks at this point. His last year in college.....I should be sad. He's not my baby any more. But no. I've been excited to see how he will turn out as a person for quite a while now. The first real glimpses of the man he is becoming are just starting to show through. It's exciting.

Hey! maybe I'll try to get his high school graduation blanket done for his college graduation!

Number Two Son is starting his senior year of high school.......late, as usual. Can't pick on the kid, too much, though. He has been getting up to get to school an hour early for a special 6:30am welding class for more than a year. My boys love their welding! It's about the only thing the older boys would ever get up early for.

The Baby is starting his first day of middle school today. I thought he was cool with everything and then I heard some snuffling behind me. He's my emotional one.....my worrier....my nervous wreck! He'll be OK though. He doesn't realize, yet, that about a third of the kids there today are just as nervous as he is. And when he sees all the kids he already knows there (only one of his elementary school friends will be going to middle school with him), he'll calm right down. He has older friends there, sibs of some of his brothers' friends, baseball teammates. He'll be fine.........Still, I think I'll make sure I'm home when he gets home. Should I have brownies or rice krispie squares waiting for him?

On the knitting front, things have been getting done.....some little projects..... Hats.........and Fetching fingelesss mitts

I've also started a sweater for me......Hey Teach. No pics of my own, yet. My first experience with shaping lace in a garment. A bit challenging in spots, but I will survive. My hope is to have this done by the end of September, so I can wear it to a professional event at the beginning of October. Pushing it, I know, but I want something no one else will be wearing. I have a reputation for my hand-knits to uphold. There are also a couple pair of socks wandering around here, too. They get a few stitches when I get the chance.

Right now, I feel all adrift, suddenly. No kids arguing underfoot, my days are (kind of) my own again........OK, so NOW what do I do?

One more time....with feeling

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to try adopting a vegetarian lifestyle.....AGAIN. I say again, because I have made a couple of false starts over the last couple of years, but have been getting closer and closer to success with each try. Did some research last year, got some good information....did well for about a week, then dropped it. Decided to try again about three weeks ago....and so far, so good. I am not the poster child for Vegetarianism, by ANY means....but I'm liking what I'm doing, and at this point, that's all that matters. I suppose for the purists out there, I plan on being a "pescitarian." I will eat fish. Mostly because some social situations make being a vegetarian a hassle, and I have social obligations that make being real strict about it difficult. If pressed, I'll even eat meat, but usually there is a compromise situation somewhere....I just have to find it.

I've noticed that eating vegetarian is starting to release my creativity in the kitchen again. And my kitchen creativity has been taking a long-long nap. Take last night's dinner for example.......

I just took a flyer last night and made an awesome dinnner. I was planning to make Swimming Rama for dinner....Chicken for the kids, tofu for me (am NOT making the family go veg - that would result in Mutiny and my being forced fed a Big Mac). Pulled out my recipe for peanut sauce....and decided I didn't feel like measuring. Took brown sugar, peanut butter, some unsalted peanuts I had, half a purple onion, soy sauce, lemon juice, veg broth and siracha sauce, and blended it up with my immersion blender until I thought it tasted right. Threw it in a saucepan and put it on low to thicken it. Pressed and cut up some tofu and browned it. Browned some chicken breast slices. #2 son decided he wanted broccoli instead of spinach with the rama, so I sent him to the store for broccoli. Made rice, steamed the broccoli in the microwave, and then presented it all on separate plates on the table, so that the fam could mix together what they wanted. Everyone loved it!!
I think my old peanut sauce recipe is going to take permanent retirement in my recipe file. I don't need no Stinkin' Recipe!

On the knitting front, I have been working diligently on my Ravelympics Sweater Sprint project......Until yesterday, that is. I've got the body done, and about 2/3 of one of the sleeves done. Only the other sleeve and the button band left to do. Even stopped by one of my fav LYS' (Great Yarns! in Everett) to pick out the perfect button for the sweater. But then my mind wandered.....I started thinking about hats, "fake isle" hats to be specific. So two skeins of Noro Kureyon and two skeins of Cascase 220, came home with me, and I cast on for one of the hats last night. I didn't mean to be unfaithful to the sweater, but....but....I've been with that sweater for nearly two weeks straight! A knitter needs a bit of variety! So I might not get my sweater done by the time the Olympic torch is extinguished on the 24th...but I will have it done for my Mom's birthday in November, and that was my real goal.

Knitting the sweater has reminded me that sweater knitting is fun, and that was something I had almost forgotten. Between the ton of socks and the miles of shawls, I had forgotten that some people knit nothing but sweaters and lead full, rich knitting lives. Rich lives despite never holding a pair of Addi Turbo Lace needles in their hands, or contemplating the joy of a skein of Koigu turned into a pair of socks. Middle son will eventually enjoy this revelation. I have about half a sweater for him started somewhere. He might actually get to wear it before he graduates from high school next June.

Making Progress, slowly......

Despite my wounded state, I have gotten a few things done over the past couple of weeks. These nifty baby booties were the last thing I did on small needles (US 0, I believe) And it's gonna be the last little needle project for a while.
And this dandy hat, done in SWS natural geranium. Finally something I like made with this yarn. I've always liked the colorway, but for some reason it only fits with certain patterns (at least for me). This "Hat Fit for a Boyfriend" was made for the Doctor Who Adopt-a-Crew project. A group of us want to show our love for the crew of Doctor Who by keeping them warm while they work creating our favorite show. What?? Wales is really cold in the winter!










This doily was a warm up project from a new book I got....Knitted Lace by Sonja Esbensen and Anna Rasmussen. I didn't want to embark on a big lace project from my new absolute favorite lace book until I tried something more manageable. At first glance, the charts are different and intimidating. But a few rounds of working the pattern and the charts are actually pretty easy to understand.














This is the project that is going to suffer. My latest sock project is just a bit too much on the old thumb. A few minutes and my thumb aches and it feels like someone stabbed with a DPN in the palm of my hand. This really kills me, as I have some awesomesauce sock yarn I want to play with, and I can't right now.





But tomorrow the Ravelympics begin. I have most of the day off, my projects all picked out, and all four series Doctor Who and both series of Torchwood DVD's to Knit along to. Dodgy thumb or not, I am starting the Sweater Sprint tomorrow with Mr. Greenjeans, and some Knitpicks Claret Merino Heather. Shhhhhhh, don't tell my Mom. It's her birthday present!

Wounded

Wounded...I'm woooounded......battered and broken and bruised.......

Like the song says, I'm wounded. Seems like I have developed tendonitis in my thumb. Yeah, I said it, my THUMB! Didn't think thumbs were so important in knitting. Heck, I didn't think thumbs were that important at all! But try to hold a US 1 knitting needle for an hour, hit the spacebar on the computer, or twist the lid off a jar without using your left thumb. The doctor and the occupational therapist both say I shouldn't knit at all for up to four weeks, wear the black brace from hell, and try to not use that thumb at all (except for gentle flexibility exercises). Yeah, right. Ravelympics start on August 8th and I'm signed up for the Sweater Sprint.

I have gotten a few things done, however.....a pair of baby booties (no baby to go into them, just booties....)




And half a pair of socks.....



A bunch of other stuff on the needles, but nothing significant. I'm stuck in a knitting space warp. I knit and knit an seem to get nowhere fast. But I'm itchin' to do another big lace. Seems like the only thing that makes me happy these days.

The Long Goodbye

Last pic of the Wedding Lace. It certainly wins the "most photographed project" prize around my house. I love this to death - and of course, it goes to it's new home on Sunday. Isn't that the way a knitter's life goes? The things we love the most never stay. We have to say goodbye to them.




Now this next stuff is my latest find, and I love it! It's called Flat Feet. It's a machine knit flat piece of superwash merino fingering weight. It's knitted undyed and then dyed after it has been knitted flat. THEN, you knit right off the flat and into your sock. The result is a hand-dyed sock yarn that is a total surprise until it comes out. Grab-bag knitting at it's finest. Knitpicks offers the pre-knitted blanks, so you the hand-dyers among you can do this yourself. After I finish playing with at least one of my Flat Feet "skeins" (would you really call them skeins?). I might try my hand at dyeing a couple of the Knitpicks blanks. Do I detect a new obsession looming?




I'm knitting a top secret project that has been bandied about on a couple Ravelry boards, and puttering around with a sock in Maizy, too. This is a wonderful non-wool sock yarn.




That's about it on the knitting front. My DH's insistence that I become more involved in the family business, and a flare-up of tendonitis (or arthritis, Dr. doesn't know which) has slowed my knitting progress considerably. The Doctor wanted to know if I could lay off the knitting entirely for a few weeks....yeah, right. Silly Doctor.

Big Wedding Lace

This is some Big Wedding Lace! I love it when I plan a knitted gift and I get it done a FULL WEEK before the big event.



This bit of loveliness is based on the Egeblad doily pattern from YarnOver. Whomever is responsible for the patterns found on Yarnover is a genius! And their love for finding and recreating vintage/antique lace patterns is evident in everything they do. I wish I had half their talent!

I've said it before and I'll say it again....this is not the last big lace I will do. It's about time I do a big lace for the daughter of the woman who I inherited all this lovely yarn from. And I just learned today that they are undertaking a big remodeling project in their house. So a big lace piece will be a perfect housewarming gift once their remodel is done.

Bits and Pieces

Check out the latest issue of Craft. Knitted Chucks!



I held the magazine in my hands for a good 10 minutes, trying to legitimize the $15.00 cover price for ONE pattern. But checking the website, you can now get a year’s digital only subscription for $26.95. That’s about $7.50 an issue, and it’s environmentally sound!…..(wanders off to check my credit card balance again).

I have a number of things on the verge of completion. Will do a pictorial when I get them done.

Just a taste for now.....The Diamond Brocade baby blanket is done.




Loved the pattern, hated how I finished it. A quick check on Ravelry showed that others have done what I am thinking about doing next time.....Knitting the blanket and foregoing the embroidery and lining. I would do the lining again, but I think I would do something like quilting the diamonds together with the lining, so they stay together. The embroidery? Heck no! I hate embroidering on knitting! You have seen my first and last attempt!

Had to add this bit of video loveliness. I don't know who holluwoodgrrl is, but he/she/it is an amazing video editor.

Freakin' Fantastic Big Lace - Done!

Just browsing my Blogger and noticed that I had not published the finished pictures of my Big Hemlock Ring Lapghan. I love it. I love it so much, that I'am adapting this concept to other patterns, and making a list of other projects, too. I'm within 20 rows of finishing my second lapghan. A gift for some friends getting married next month. I've already got lace lapghan #3 planned out.




This is a great way to use up the "Joan Beardsley Memorial Yarn Stash." Oops! That reminds me......gotta knit one of these beauties for her daughter. The woman who generously gave me all this yummy bulky yarn! Jennifer, you don't know it yet, but yours is in the works, too!

Big Freakin' Lace!

In my active attempt at stash reduction, I took a dive into the "Joan Beardsley Memorial Stash" to hunt for some yummy wool to try the Hemlock Ring Blanket from Brooklyn Tweed's blog. Started on Thursday June 5, ripped out to row 26 on June 8th and am on the bind-off today. The bind-off may take a couple of days, honestly. It's a lot of stitches to bind off....a LOT of stitches. But I gotta say, Big Freakin' Lace is FUN!

Here's the beginning.....



























And this is the home stretch..... Only 7 more sections of the lace to do.

Birthday Boy

The youngest boy is 11 years old today. At 2:13 pm, eleven years ago, I gave birth to our third, and final, baby. A BIG baby....9lb., 13oz.



Now, normally, I wouldn't publish pictures of my kids on the net - but let's face it......nobody is really going to notice my boy standing next to the loveliness that is "Heidi The Seagal." Heidi is one of my son's many girlfriends - he is "the Playa."


Dad is out of town at the moment, but when he is back, boy has declared that his birthday dinner must be at Hooters (I told ya he was a Playa.) I will break my picture rule for that,too, because little boys surrounded by hot girls in tight orange shorts is just hilarious!

On the knitting front, I am about 3/4 the way through a second new pair of socks for boy. Did a little stashbusting to do these, and I'm really liking my find.


I also pulled out a half-completed Diamond Fantasy shawl to finish yesterday. I forgot how fun, and EASY this pattern is! After languishing in my UFOs for months, just picked this up and started it up without any futtering about on figuring out where I was.
I mentioned that I love this shawl, right?

I'm really developing a severe shawl jones again, so I have to get a few done and try to deplete my yarn stash just a bit (yeah, right!).

Happy Birthday Boy!

Late Update

Finished these socks a couple of weeks ago for #3 son. Scares me that, at 10, his feet are nearly as large as mine (and I'm not a dainty-feet kind of girl). On the other hand, it makes knitting socks for him a breeze. Just act like I'm casting on for me, and make 'em a little bit shorter.

The cold is better, although the cough lingers (and how). I became a hazard to traffic safety yesterday when I was stricken with a coughing fit on the freeway. No water in the car, no tissues, eyes watering, and coughing my head off. So fun. I was actually so sick that I didn't knit for THREE DAYS! Ye Gods, did the world come to an end??

Looking through my old posts I found a couple of drafts that I never published. One is still relevant:

A bunch of my Doctor Who Ravelry friends and I, have gone completely insane and are going to knit a bias square Charity Blanket, a la Oliver's Blanket over at Mason-Dixon Knitting (page down to see these girls great work) When it's done, it will be auctioned off on Ebay to benefit Doctors Without Borders. Doctor Who....Doctors Without Borders....get it??

I had a few squares started........



But I've knitted a few more besides,



and am anxiously awaiting the packages from my friends to arrive, so I can start playing with everyone's squares and see what we all can come up with. Actually there are plans for two blankets - a North American and a European blanket. That way, my international friends don't have to pay an arm and a leg in shipping costs to get those squares over on my side of the pond. Thanks to Merrypippin for volunteering to take up the assembly chores on the European blanket. I'll be posting about progress on this once in a while. Plan on clearing out some space on those credit cards so you can bid on these beauties when they come up for auction.

And although the squares are fun, I needed to create more leftover sock yarn, so I started a new pair of socks for #3.

Did a little stash-diving and came up with this Sockotta yarn that makes a pretty good "guy-sock." Like the colorway so much, I have to keep reminding myself that the socks are not for ME!

Lots of baseball games in my future, so expect the socks to come pretty fast and furious for a while.