Tomorrow should be the day!

There are now 201 people ahead of me on the Ravelry list. So by tomorrow I expect I'll receive my invite. I'm still on vacation in Cape Cod so I probably won't be able to explore too much until I get home.

Here is what you do on a Sunday afternoon in late September when on Cape Cod. This is Scott and I sitting on Nauset Beach in Orleans, Massachusetts.



This is the view we are looking at from our beach seats.



And this is Scott not being amused that we are asking him to stop reading again so we can take yet another picture. I decided to give him a little pinch to liven him up. I don't think it worked.



I have visited a couple of yarn shops and purchased 3 patterns, US 1 bamboo double points (Plymouth), US 2 double points (Chia Goo), a skein of Austermann Step, 2 skeins of Plymouth Encore and two skeins of Utopia worsted weight.

One of the patterns was for a cute baby earflap hat that I started in the Plymouth Encore. It's for the new grandson of a friend. The other patterns were both sweater patterns for children.

Tomorrow is our last full day here. We'll do a little more sightseeing, a little more shopping, and start to gather up all our belongings. It's been fun but I'll be glad to get home. Four couples in one house gets to be a little confining after a week.

I have more pictures but I don't know if I'll get them posted before we leave for home. Catch you later.

Center Harbor, NH

Do you know what is located in Center Harbor, New Hampshire?

Can you read the sign above my head? That's right! Patternworks!! I'm standing on the wooden walkway of Senter's Marketplace preparing to go down the stairs and to my left to get here (click on the picture to enlarge it):

They have a sign right as you walk in the door asking that you not take any pictures of the inside of the shop. And I respect that so I'll just have to tell you what I found inside.

Immediately to my left was a corner filled with sock making supplies - needles, books, and yarns. I picked up a set of Crystal Palace 6" double points in US size 3. I was a little surprised that they didn't carry any dpns in the 5" length. They had 4" Addis and 7" Brittanys and the 6" Crystal Palace but no 5's. As for sock yarn, I saw Regia 4 fach, Tofutsies, Jawoll, and a few others that I forget right now.

The store is set up in several rooms and each room seems to have a general theme. There was worsted weight yarns in the first room to the right. This room also held Addis in all sizes. I went through this room to a little hallway that held chunky weight yarn. I was looking for Encore Chunky to make the Oregon Vest by Oat Couture. I found 5 skeins of a pretty garnet color but I needed at least 6. I asked one of the 3 sales clerks if there was any more of that color. She went upstairs to check for me and came down with two more skeins. I decided to take all seven skeins to be safe.

The room after the chunky hallway seemed to be DK, sport, and baby yarns. There was a lot of different cottons and cotton blends in there. Each room also had books and patterns that went along with the yarns. From the sport weight room, I went back to the first room which, in addition to the sock yarn, had a corner devoted to felting, some lace weight yarns, and another display of yarn that I forget.

While I was waiting for the clerk to bring down the Encore, I noticed a very pretty teapot cozy sitting on display. Next to it was a copy of One Skein Wonders. I asked another clerk if the cozy pattern was in this book. Sure enough it was. It was done in Knit One, Crochet Too "Paint Box" in a very pretty muted colorway. The clerk took me to the worsted room and showed me the display of "Paint Box" and I picked up a skein in a brown, rust colorway. I have a copy of One Skein Wonders at home and I'll make the teapot cozy for my daughter.

All throughout the store there are baskets and shelves of sale yarns. I restrained myself quite well but I did pick up a pretty pink/white marl in Plymouth "Galway" to use for charity mittens.

And that was the extent of my purchases at Patternworks. Mainly because my husband was waiting outside the store and I didn't want overdo it. The store was a little smaller than I expected but was still a good size. The displays are neat and well organized, the rooms are very bright and not cluttered, and the sales staff was very friendly and helpful.

I haven't taken any pictures of the yarn I bought yet. The campsite is a little shady and it was pouring the day we went to Center Harbor. I'd like to go back before we leave and if we do, I'll take pictures of the whole marketplace area. Keepsake Quilting is there and a rather large cross-stitch/needlework store that I didn't even go into.

MDK Miters

Here's a picture of my latest project. It's a mitered square from Mason-Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Meador Shayne.




It's knit from Lion Brand Wool Ease in Cranberry and Mushroom. I also have one finished in Forest Green Heather and Mushroom. I only need 78 more blocks to make this blanket.



I decided on Wool Ease for a couple of reasons. One is that I have a plastic tote full of various colors and the other is that Wool Ease can be machine washed and (hopefully) dried. I don't expect to get this blanket done anytime soon. It's more of a project to do when I want something easy to knit. I don't find it totally mindless but it's very easy to do.

There is a problem with the pattern, though, and I can't seem to find any errata on it. I end up with one extra stitch which throws off the bind off. I'm going to reread the pattern to be sure I didn't miss something and if I don't find the problem, I'll ask one of the online knitting groups.

Saturday Sue and I went to Remsen to Wool Haven Yarn Shop. We had a nice visit with the shop owner (unfortunately I don't know her name). She has lots of great finished projects all through the shop. I got to see a Tomten jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann and an Einstein jacket by Sally Melville. The samples made me want to make both of them. Well, except for the fact that they are both all garter stitch. I don't know if I can do that much garter stitch.

I bought enough Plymouth Encore to make a Knitting Pure and Simple cardigan vest and a couple skeins of Lopi for felted slippers. I also got a copy of Vivian Hoxboro's Domino Knitting. Mitered squares seem to be my thing lately.

I've been working on prayer shawls but I haven't finished one yet. I have to write up a short presentation for the Missions Committee at church. I hope there's enough interest to start a prayer shawl group.

Okay. Enough from me for today. I need to get back to work. Take care!

Knitting beginnings

I think I first learned to knit around age 8 or 9. I'm not completely sure but it must have been somewhere around then. And I'm not sure if my mother or my maternal grandmother taught me but it was one or both of them. But all they taught me was how to knit and purl. I'm not even sure how long I continued to knit after I first learned but I suspect it wasn't long. Fast forward to me after I was married but before I had children. That would put me between the ages of 23 and 26. I remember wanting to make Barbie doll clothes for my husband's nieces but I didn't know how to increase or decrease. Decreasing was a no brainer but I had to find a knitting how-to book and decipher the written directions on knitting into the front and back of a stitch. The great thing about doll clothes is that they are very small so if you goof up, you can rip back and start over without too much angst. I did learn how to K f&b and to decrease. And I made quite a few doll clothes for the nieces. Now those nieces have little girls of their own. And I still have those pattern books from almost 30 years ago.

All this came to mind when I was trying to think of something quick to make for the Palm Sunday charity auction at church last week. I only had a week and wanted something I could work up quickly. I had recently purchased two American School of Needlework pattern books of fashion doll clothes and wanted to try some of the patterns. So I went to A. C. Moore and picked up a couple of inexpensive fashion dolls and made some clothes for them.

The evening gown pattern and the burgundy blouse pattern were in the new pattern books. The burgundy skirt was from one of my old pattern books. The tube top and the two dresses were patterns I found online. And the scarves and the multicolored skirt I made up. The multicolored skirt is crocheted as is the scarf/shawl that matches it. I thought they all turned out well. I bought two canvas bags to hold the dolls and clothes. A little girl at church now has two dolls and several outfits to play with and I had fun making them.

I have good news to report on my sock. As you can see, I managed to find the right place in the yarn pattern to start after undoing the knot. This picture shows the sock a couple rows into the heel flap. In real time, the heel flap is done and it's time to turn the heel now.

I have also been working on a prayer shawl. I'm going to try and start a prayer shawl group at church. I can't remember the name of the shawl pattern I'm using and since I'm at work, I'll have to post it at another time. I am using Plymouth Encore Colours in a gray/lt. blue/white colorway. Updates and photos on this project will be in a future post.

Thank you to everyone who commiserated with me on the knot in the yarn. And I thankfully don't have any unhappy medical news, Amy, but thank you for your concern.

Happy Face, Sad Face

I have some happy things to share and some not so happy things to share. The first thing that makes me happy is this pair of cardinals. (Click on the picture for a close up) His color is so bright and cheery in the otherwise drab landscape.
And even though Mama Cardinal isn't as bright, she's just as beautiful with her more subtle coloring.

The next thing to make me happy is I finished the first Hugs & Kisses Ponchette for my niece's twin daughters. I used Red Heart Super Saver acrylic in the Bon Bon Print. It took just over a skein of yarn. The pattern is from the July 2005 issue of Creative Knitting. I changed the pattern a little. I did purl 1, 4 cable back, purl 1 instead of the purl 2, cable twist, purl 2 written in the pattern. I don't like doing twists. I'd much rather do a regular cable. Other than that, I followed the pattern exactly. I still have to weave in ends and wash it. I think I might put a tassel on the point of the hood. It seems to call for it.

I've started the second one in Red Heart Super Saver Bikini. Very bright colors in both of these yarns. Katie won't lose sight of the twins in these ponchettes! The 100% acrylic yarn was a necessary choice as I know she won't have the time or inclination to hand wash or block them.

Now for the not so happy part. Here is the latest picture of my second 56 stitch sock. Do you see that? The part where the yarn is separated? I found a knot in the yarn. This (as you can imagine) did not make me very happy. I untied it and decided to just knit the two ends together for a couple of stitches so I could continue on my merry way. After a few stitches I knew the stripes would be off by maybe an inch. And I had matched the stripes perfectly! They were spot on as far as the stripes go. ARGGHH! I am in the process of tinking back to where the turquoise stripe starts. Then I'll find where the next turquoise stripe starts in the skein of yarn. Not a hard fix but annoying all the same. And as you can see, I have more than enough yarn left to accomplish this task.

I really want to finish this second sock before the end of March as I joined the Sock A Month Kal 3. You can see the button on my sidebar. You knit a pair of socks a month from February until July. Of course, I won't have a pair for February but I'd like to try to get the other 5 pairs done. Even though I started the 56 stitch pair before I joined, they are still eligible if I finish the second one in March. This will be a good incentive for me to finish some socks.

After all the sub zero temperatures we've had in March, this week has been balmy in comparison. Yesterday was in the high 50's. But when you have warm temps, a couple feet of snow, and then the temps begin to drop again, you get snow fog!

Pretty cool, huh? Not so cool for driving home from work in, though. There were times when I couldn't see more than a hundred feet in front of me. Luckily my drive home is only 6 minutes. And the fog was thick only in some places. Today it's doing some kind of rain/snow thing and the whole area is under a flood watch. Plus the weather people don't know what the nor'easter coming up the coast is going to dump on us. It might not dump anything but we don't usually have that kind of luck. The warm temperatures did take out a lot of snow, though. Of course, that's why we have flood warnings. You can't win around here, weatherwise.

Oh, and that cold I mentioned coming on last week? It was a doozy! Today is the first day I don't feel like my head is stuffed with cotton wool. I'm still coughing and my nose is still a little drippy but I'm feeling human again. I went home from work on Friday and only left the house once until I went back to work on Tuesday. And I didn't even go to my knitting group on Tuesday night because I didn't want to cough all over everyone there. I'm sure they would not have appreciated being exposed to this crud.

Time to wrap this post up and get ready for work. Until next time, knit happy!

In like a lion?

I took this picture just a few minutes ago. The sun is shining and the temperature is 14 degrees F. It looks like March is coming in like a lamb but it's not. By 5 p.m. tonight we're supposed to get snow, sleet, and freezing rain. So if you don't hear anything from me, you know we lost power at some point. I'm hoping that doesn't happen but it's a possibility.


Amy S - this snow picture is for you!

I think I may have turned into a sock addict! Remember the sock I started Saturday night? Here is where I am on it now.


The heel is turned and the gussets are done! Now I'm doing the foot and will hopefully have it done by Saturday. Then I can start the next one. The last pair of socks that I made in this weight yarn took me 2 years to finish. But I like wearing them so much that I really want to get these done. And I think they will fit me fine.

I am also working on ponchettes for my niece's twin girls. The twins are 6 months old now but I'm making the 18 month size. Knowing how I am with setting projects down and knowing that I have to make 2 of them, I figured the bigger size was a good bet. I'll post pictures and details at another time.

I'm very excited! We made camping reservations at a campground in New Hampshire for August. I did a map quest search and found out that the campground is around 11 miles from Patternworks! Since we camp with Sue and her family, we are both looking forward to visiting Patternworks. I may have to start saving up now!!

And with that news, it's time for me to get ready for work. At least it's almost the weekend!

Regrets?

There are times when I wish I didn't have such a large stash of yarn and needles. Don't get me wrong, I love all the yarns I have. But when I see a new yarn or a great color in a favorite yarn, I feel guilty buying it. And I love buying yarn, so I hate the guilt!

I spent a good part of the day wading through the pile in my front closet. That's where I keep all my knitting magazines, knitting bags, newly purchased yarn, and projects I am currently working on. Or should I say, projects I started, worked on until I got bored, and then abandoned for the next fun thing to come my way. I now have an XXL Ziploc bag of yarns that need to be hauled down cellar and put in the appropriate Rubbermaid totes. There are also a few projects that need to be frogged so I can use the yarn for something else. The small zippered bag is my stash of Lamb's Pride Worsted.

Some day I'll take a photograph of the pile of totes and plastic drawer sets under the cellar stairs that house my stash. Maybe. If I'm feeling brave.

I finished the Calorimetry that I was making in the Plassard "Symphony" to match my multidirectional scarf. I'm not very happy since this one is too loose, also. I'm giving up on this pattern. Hopefully I can find someone who will like the colors and the way it fits. It's too bad since it looks nice with the scarf.

I haven't given up on making a headband of some sort so I started making a Panta. I don't know the link that will take you directly to the pattern. It seems to me that I googled it and had to search around a bit to get the pattern that I finally printed out.

I'm making the first one in Lion Brand WoolEase in white. It's for Ariane's friend, Ashley. I was going to make her a Calorimetry but for the above named reason, I'm doing the Panta. I just started the decrease rows so it's over half done. Ariane would like one in black and I am going to make myself one in the Plassard. The next one I do, I think I'll use a provisional cast on so I can graft the ends together.

The needles I'm using are my only set of Bryspuns. When we were camping in Lake Placid in September, I stopped in Adirondack Yarns to buy a set of size 5 needles. The only ones she had were these Bryspuns. I needed them for a pair of two needle mittens I was making. The pattern called for worsted weight yarn used double on size 5's. It made too tight a fabric for the flexible Bryspuns so I put them aside and haven't used them since. Actually, I put the pattern aside, too. I can't work with that tight a fabric. I decided to try the needles for the Panta with the single strand of WoolEase and I love them. I like how pointy they are and the flex makes them easy on the hands.

Now for the latest weather report from upstate New York - the low temperature for tonight will be -10 degrees F. And a nor'easter is moving up the coast and is going to hit us late Tuesday night and into Wednesday. I just love February.

Enough already!

I think we have plenty of snow, now. Thanks, but it can stop anytime! It has snowed every day for the past week and it's supposed to snow every day for the next week. Normally it's only a few flurries but today the lake effect snow band has moved over us. We live an hour to an hour and a half away from Lake Ontario but we are in the direct path of the lake effect snow band. At least we aren't up in the northern part of the state which has received almost 6 feet of snow in the past week and is supposed to get more! Alek is glad he's not in Oswego this year since they will probably end up with close to 8 feet of snow.

These pictures were taken from my front door looking down at the road and the high school across the street. And I have to go out and drive in that mess in a little while. I love the 4 wheel drive on my new KIA Sportage!



As far as knitting goes, there isn't much to report. I did finish a baby hat out of some clearance yarn I found at JoAnn's Fabrics. It's JoAnn's brand and it's called Smania. It is a cotton/nylon blend. If you double click on the picture of the ball of yarn, you can see how the yarn has sort of a mesh tube around it. It knit up nicely but since it is cotton, it bothered my hands a little. I love the rainbow sherbet colors in it!






I don't normally buy novelty yarn like this but it only cost me $.75 a skein! I got two skeins of the Smania, two skeins of Camelia, and two skeins of Petalo. I'll show you pictures of the other two yarns later sometime.

Now I have to get ready for work or I will be later than normal. Happy knitting and stay warm!