Thursday, September 30, 2010

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

 
Today, or should I say yesterday, I went to visit a friend who had retired earlier this year and had not heard from in awhile. She was a budding knitter after being a master crocheter for many years, and a few medical issues had side lined her new love. Well she's back on her feet and has an impressive stash of yarn, needles and knitting accessories that would tweak your envy zone. In other words she has become addicted to the fiber world. My mission is complete. I am an enabler and I have enabled mightily!! -smiles- Yes, yarn is "crack" to knitters and we are in sooooo deep, but loving it. She is a good friend and surprised me with a gift that is still making my head reel. She gifted me with "Signatures Needles" and I've been giggling every since. I've been lusting after those needles for a very long time and was trying to find a way to drop hints to my family that would be a little bit more subtle than spray paint on their mirrors, however Yvonne has surprised me with the beautiful needles, yarn, and other assorted Signature goodies. I now know where Santa lives and he's a she! -smiles-

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Finally I Finished Something!!

Feeling like a star 'cause I finally finished something, wohoo! Took an embarrassing few weeks (I plead injury!) but its good to go...well go and get blocked. As you can probably tell, I'm feeling good and motivated to finish other stuff. (probably after a good nights sleep, I'll think differently -smiles-)
The weather is starting to get cooler and thoughts of woolens are dancing in my head. Eying a few hat, gloves and scarf  patterns.  Going for the more portable items so I can knit on the trolleys to work. My problem is that I am becoming (OK I am)  a yarn snob. Love those beautiful wools, silks and alpaca blends, but not the "hand wash lay flat to dry". Not all super wash wools are nice against the skin, so I'm in a bit of a quandary. I can do super wash for my hands, but don't know about the rest of me. Sock yarns are great, but it's those little, tiny needles that's giving me pause. Until I can find a reasonable solution for my hand problem (time machine maybe???) I prefer bigger needles, but don't like bigger stitches...sigh... dilemmas, dilemmas...

Sunday, September 12, 2010

I Am So Trying To Keep Up

I am getting out of practice keeping up with this blog. Didn't realized it's been 7 days. I kept hearing this ticking sound in the back of my mind, but it hadn't occurred to me it was for this. (what you don't have mind clocks??) My memory is not what is use to be so some things will slip by without my notice. I will try to remember next time. (re-read beginning of blog again -smiles-)

My Pink Chinook has come to a halt. Ran out of yarn. Am waiting for another skein to arrive. Let's just say when a suggestion to weigh the yarn to make sure both are of equal weight, follow the suggestion or you too could be waiting for a rescue yarn to arrive. Have I learned my lesson??? Nope! Have started another Chinook this time in gray and it will be all garter stitch with the exception of the Icord edge, but this time will leave a longer join just in case. Yep just prove the crazy theory. If you keep doing the same thing and expect different results, you may be crazy.-smiles-

For right now, I'm sticking with the easy quick patterns because my hands have been giving me a little trouble. If I keep my projects quick and light, I may be able to finish knitting all the yarn I have by at least 3010. I have reasonable goals....lol

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Labor Day Cometh

Its that time again. The aroma of  burning coal and lighter fluid scents the air, supermarkets are packed with people buying items to set on fire (OK cooked until charred) and the package stores (beer distributors) are selling out like it's Labor Day (smiles) Salads of every kind are made, even the salad with lots of mayo that a certain old Auntie makes every year and no one eats 'cause salmonella is her best friend, but we love her anyway and have forgiven her, (but oh we have not forgotten) Little parades march through the streets in every little neighborhood, flags are waving,  children run in frenzied circles and teens lounged about ('cause teens know their duty is to do nothing but disdain), because they know their summer fun has run out. Parents on the other hand are cavorting in the streets, their houses and any place else they find themselves. Happy in the knowledge that school starts the day after Labor Day, (for the northern areas-the southern parents are already joyful), and parents can enjoy some no so quiet time together without interruption. (its been a very long summer! -smiles-)
Tomorrow we celebrate the work force that can make or break a country. The day of rest for laborers that work relentlessly through the year and to remember those that lost their life on the job before regulations and laws enforced a safer work place. Have a wonderful Labor Day.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

I've Returned!!! (please no applause) Hey, who booed!?!?

I know, I've been gone for abit, but I have reasons only hard brown liquor and bluesy jazz singers will get out of me. Let's just say BB King and Lucille said is best, "The thrill is gone", but it's back again. I was feeling a little dishearten at the slow progress of my knitting and wasn't enjoying it any longer. I had a severe case of 'Raverly Envy" (when you see the speed at which folks can whip out everything), my ADD lace disease (why must I always lose count!), and the visit by the dreaded arthritis fairy (the hag took up resident in my thumbs and wrist) was a triple threat that  just made me a little depressed. OK maybe not a little, ( hence the hard brown liquor), but I've seen the fibery light of goodness. Advil (gotta love it) is working for me so I can continue to knit and it's perked me up from the depths of despair. My mantra now is "Slow and steady finishes the project." Yeah, doesn't really fit me, but I'm trying my best to be upbeat and not sneak into knitters houses and unravel their projects...Hey work in progress here! -smiles-

I have started two new projects (I'm still mad at the old projects so they are in the time out, I hate you  I hate you, bin) and have decided to keep new projects light and small. So why am I knitting a blanket? I have issues people. I always need a challenge and my time out bin still has room. You do the math. -smiles-


The pretty pink is the Chinook-Scarf  a very easy pattern and it looks good. Im making progress on it and its making me happy. Must be the pink color or the fact that I cant'st screw this up but so much. Its easy on the hands too so Im happy about that. The yarn is Tahki Classic Cotton  Lite in  bubble gum pink. This yarn is a pleasure to work with and it has a beautiful shine. Plan on doing this scarf again in dark grey cotton but in garter stitch. Im not a fan of purling, but Im getting better at accepting the fact I will have to do it for some projects Im eyeing. Im a garter girl in a stockinette world! Found out that lingere washing bags make great project bags. Keeps the air circulating. Dont know if I would do that for wool, but the holes look small enought that a moth might pass it by. Lets hope!

The 2nd bright project The Princess Squares Blanket done in red, white and blue. Easy and one square at a time. Such a cheerful little blanket and getting heavy by the row. It's no longer a practical portable project until it gets cooler. This little blanket holds heat! The yarn is Wintok-discountinued and I picked it up for a steal. Only wish I had make the sale sooner.

I've spent most of my time reading blogs and getting entertained by the many craft bloggers out there. Everyone writes rather well and most are laugh out loud funny. Reading the blogs have helped to push me back to doing my own and trying to keep up with it all. A few have published lovely patterns while a certain blogger has started an empire on etsy. Check out Steph Cuddles etsy shop and blog. Im sure you will be as entertained.


I must be the only knitter left who does not own a copy of "Knitting Workshop" by Elizabeth Zimmerman, so I decided to go to the library and rent it. I am now in the works to own my own copy. Now I see why this should be owned by everyone who knits. She was an extraordinary woman with a lovely sense of whit and humour. A master of her craft and she makes you feel that knitting is not hard, it's just one row at a time and that you can design as you knit whatever you knit. She's a confidence builder and I will have her in my collection soon, along with the several hundred books and DVDs that now occupy any given room in my home. (can you say pack rat??-smiles-)
I'll try to keep my blogging regular, but progress will be slow (reread beginning of blog and linger around the hard liquor part) but consistent (insert smirk here)