Sweater Progress

I thought I would show you the sweater for November. It is from stash yarn and the yarn Catherine sent me in September. It is a top down raglan. Yeah, no seaming! And is working out very nicely. I am on the second sleeve and should be done before the end of the month. This sweater has been my computer knitting, because there is lots of stockinette stitches. I think that is why it is getting done so quickly.

There hasn't been much happening around here lately. I haven't heard back from any of the jobs I've applied for yet. I haven't gotten the Christmas shopping done yet and I haven't finished the Christmas knitting yet. So, not much getting done.

I did have fun last night at knitting night. I really like going and seeing what everyone is working on. Last night I took the Hitchhiker with me to get some spinning done. I got almost a whole bobbin spun and everyone liked the roving. Judy does a good job with her dyes. They are always a joy to spin with, although this that I am spinning now has a little of the purple dye bleed while spinning. Not too bad though.

Well, off to get something accomplished. Happy knitting & spinning.

Wedding Shawl Pictures

Yesterday, Sheryl and I headed to Baltimore to the Stitches East market. It was a very fun day. We spent a number of hours in the market wandering around and looking at all the fun sweaters, shawls, fiber, yarn and books. We both bought plenty of everything. I'll show pictures in the next couple of days or so. The best part for me, was sitting at the same table as Alison and getting her to sign my book. She had three friends with her and all of them had on shawls that Alison had made. It was a memory I hope to remember for a while.

Speaking of shawls, I thought I would show you my Adamas shawl that I made to wear to the kids wedding reception.
Here it is blocking and then with me wearing it that night. I wore the shawl tied behind me, because I didn't own a shawl pin at that time. It is a fun shawl and turned out really well, in my opinion. But then I like all my shawls.

(If you click on the picture, it should make it bigger so you can see the pattern.)

My sweater is progressing, as are the socks currently in progress. I am working at least four rows a day on the sweater and will spend more time on it in the next day or two. After attending Stitches, there are so many things I want to make and spin. Now there definitely isn't enough time in the day.

Happy knitting & spinning.

"K's" Shawl and Upcoming Plans

The leaf pattern shawl done in the Brown Sheep Cotton Fine modeled by my new DIL, "K". She was very gracious in receiving this shawl. Don't know if she will wear it often, but it would be great for taking to church when the chapel is a little chilly. The color looks good with her blond coloring, to add to the appeal.

Last night at knit night Sheryl and I arranged to attend the Stitches East market on Saturday. This will be the last time it, Stitches, is held in Baltimore. We would like to go and Sheryl has never been to a market before. I've never been to Stitches, but I've been to SOAR. We are leaving early Saturday, so we can get lost without any worries about being too late. Neither one of us has been to Baltimore, that I know of, so this should be interesting. I'm taking the GPS just in case.

My sweater is progressing very nicely. It's a top-down raglan and I'm past the arm divide. I still like how it is coming out, but now I am to the boring stockinette stitches which sometimes takes forever.

I went for a job interview yesterday, but the lady doing the interview had to leave on a family emergency. Don't know when that will be rescheduled. Can I tell you? I hate looking for a job that I will like and I'm not very good at talking about my achievements and good points. Oh well, the search will go on.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Great Falls Pictures and Catching Up

This is "C" and I the day we went to Great Falls to wander around and do some spinning with Esther. You can read her account of the day here. My account of the day is here. I just didn't have my camera when I wrote that account and I had a few other things on my mind. So here are a couple of the pictures. They also show my hair when it was long. While I was in Idaho a couple of weeks ago I got it cut.

Here is not the most flattering of pictures, but it shows my hair shorter. I got to spend some much needed time with Master "B" while in Idaho. Here he is wearing an outfit that his daddy wore over 20 years ago. Yes, for my siblings, I do have some of Mom's tendencies to keep stuff! That little outfit was fun to see again and getting good use. Master "B" is now a little over 10 pounds and is such a cutie.


When I got home a week ago, I had a package in the mail. It was from Vicky and I couldn't imagine what was in there. I opened it to find my new favorite t-shirt in just the colors I like. This shirt has already seen a bit or wearing time. Thanks, Vicky, I love it! Vicky is a very talented lady.

My sweater for the NaKnitSweMo is coming along nicely. I'm still liking the way it is working up and the colors. I have found that my left thumb is hurting a little on the knitting of this sweater, so I have changed needles. I'm hoping this will work, but only time will tell.

I have the pictures of the two shawls I completed. That will be the next post. I got a couple of good pictures with "K" in her's and I have some of me in my shawl.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Back with Pictures

Seeing as how this is the first post with pictures in such a long time, I thought I would show you my recent purchases. The most recent is the book which I got from Nature's Yarn. This yarn store is pretty close and is open on Wednesday nights for knitting. Guess where I spent a couple of hours last night? I picked the book up yesterday, also. There are a number of patterns in this book that I would like to knit up. While reading through the book, I saw that I knew one of the test knitters. I have even taken a class from her at the fiber fair in Idaho Falls many years ago.


The purchase before the book are these three skeins of Mountain Colors Bearfoot in the color-way Moccasin Trail. I believe there will be enough to make a shawl to go with my dress for the wedding in October. This fiber is s-o-o-o-o soft. The colors aren't really true, go check out the website for more accurate colors.


This bright orange is my purchase from Brown Sheep Wool Company from when "C" and I visited their place on our trip across the country. I purchased two skeins of Cotton Fine in this color, because I thought it would make a pretty shawl for "J" and "K's" wedding in October (this is one of "K's" colors that she had chosen for decorations and flowers). She now wants the Mothers in the maroon, so that's why I get the Bearfoot now. "K" is going to get the orange shawl to remind her of the wedding day.

The adjustment to the DC area has been gradual. I am learning new things every time I go out. I can find a few places without the GPS system all the time, but I keep it handy just in case. I think that once I get a job that will help also.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Moving and Socks

Just a quick post to let you know things are going on around here. There is moving! The moving room is very dark now. You can't see the windows anymore. Only one real week left to get everything packed. The trailer to move stuff will be here on the 25th.


The second bit of news is, I finished another pair of socks. I really like this pair. They are done with Fixation on size 1 needles, a size up from most of my sock knitting. They took approximately ten days to finish.

Need to run. "J-b" became engaged this week and I am having breakfast with "K's" parents today.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Granny Square

I don't know if you remember when I posted about my summer knitting goals. It was in this post and the one right after it. Well, I have one of those goals completed!! It is the Granny Square afghan that I made for the baby with some of my stash acrylic yarn.

I picked the colors before I knew for sure what sex the baby would be. It was a good thing there is a lot of blue in there. And I am glad that I like to save left over skeins, because this afghan was made with a lot of left overs.

I like how the afghan turned out and "Au" likes it also. I told her it would need to be washed before she used it for the baby, but that is a small price to pay.

I enjoyed making this afghan, but it sure doesn't help the carpal tunnel at all. My thumbs have been acting up for a couple of weeks now and probably not just from the crocheting.


I have also been knitting a pair of socks. Since this picture was taken, this sock has been completed and the other sock almost knit down to the heel. Sock knitting is taking place when I get tired of packing.

This is the last main week to get the packing done. ES says he will be home next week to get the rest finished up and get us on the road. It will be interesting to see how much I can get done before he gets home.

Off to do some more packing. Happy knitting & spinning.

The Names are all on the Tablecloth

I have a finished project! Nothing exciting, just finished embroidering the names and year on the Thanksgiving tablecloth. No it doesn't look like Thanksgiving, but I had this tablecloth when I started this tradition and I didn't want to get a new one. I should count how many names are on there, but I haven't ever done that. I like the adding on of the names, but it takes me a long time to get them embroidered. I started the tablecloth tradition in 1999 so there are eight years of signatures. Some years there are only two or three names and other years there are ten or more.

I have also worked on my socks I'm knitting with Fixation. I actually like working with Fixation which I didn't think I would like. I might even make a pair for myself with some Fixation that I have in my stash (when I get it all unpacked). I'll get a picture of the first sock when I get it done. I am making this pair not in my usual manner. I am working them on double point needles cuff down one sock at a time! I don't do that very often because I end up with Second Sock Syndrome. I do most socks toe up so I can try them on as I go.

Today has been a busy social day also. I went to lunch with the Birthday lunch group. There was only one other lady that showed up. We had a good hour of talking and visiting. It was really fun and relaxing. Tonight my boss and his wife had a barbecue for all the pharmacy. It was a going away social because I leave in two weeks. The staff pharmacist also announced Friday that she was leaving the same day as me to take another job. Poor Alan! He's going to have two new hires to deal with.

This is the moving room today. I got more boxes packed last night and today. "Au" says it looks as if it is getting fuller and it is. I got quite a bit out of my bedroom and that room is finally looking as if I am moving. The kitchen has been attacked and most of the livingroom is done. Still a lot left to do and only two weeks to do it in!

Happy knitting & spinning.

Moving Update

Even though I haven't posted lately, I have been busy. I finally wound this "Dark Lagoon" fiber into a skein. It came out really nice for a 2-ply. I do not know how much is there, because I got tired of winding onto the niddy-noddy and I kept losing track of what I had counted. I also have done some other plying and will have that to show soon.



I have been busy working on this little sweater. I had hoped to get it done before last night. I hosted a baby shower for "Au" and had hoped to give her this along with her other gifts. I thought I did fairly well. I only have the sleeves to finish and I started it Thursday night after work, so about 9 pm. I will have it done sometime in the next week or so, so they will get it before I leave also.


When my sister, Paula, came to the house last night, for the baby shower, her first comment was, "I want to see the moving room!" I guess she has been following the updates on the blog and I haven't posted a moving shot lately. So on Tuesday's (I know it's not Tuesday--it got away from me!), I will post pictures for the next two weeks of the moving rooms. Mainly to show Paula that I am making progress with this move which has to be done by three weeks from today.

The second moving room is mainly for the furniture. I have two dressers and two desks in there, along with two beds and their frames. I still have a-l-o-t to get done. The good news is that I have had some interest in the renting our house! So maybe that won't be such a worry now.

Well, off to get today going. Happy knitting & spinning.

What Flavor Gum? Do you know?

While reading on this blog, I found this quiz. I thought it was kind of interesting seeing as how I don't really like fruit flavored gum.

You Are Fruit Flavored Gum

You are quirky and independent. You don't tend to follow any one style or rule book. You are a mix and match type of person, and you draw inspiration from many sources. While you're definitely a bit unusual, you get along well with other people. You're eager to welcome anyone into your world. You are not judgmental at all. You form close bonds with your friends, and your relationships tend to be very secure. You hold firm to your beliefs and values, and you don't let anyone talk you into compromising them.

What flavor gum are you?

Knitting:
I have Mr Greenjeans blocked. I still need to sew the button on, but it will be ready to wear tomorrow to spinners. I'll have pictures to share on Sunday.

I have been diligently working on the spinning challenge. I have spun all the silk so far. Now onto other elements of the challenge. It will be interesting to see how everything works out and to see what everyone will make with their challenge fiber.

Happy knitting & spinning. Enjoy the weekend.

Mid-Week Knitting

I have to show you what I found yesterday as I was checking out the plants in the sun-room. Susan was such a beauty that I thought I would share my copy of Susan also. This is the third year in a row that she has bloomed. It always amazes me that this amaryllis continues to bloom year after year. It must like the sunshine in the corner of the sun-room.

I got out for a bit tonight and attended UFO night at the LYS. I haven't ever done this before, but it was fun and I got a chance to catch up with a couple of people that I haven't seen in a while. Four people were working on socks, Tish was working on a baby hat, one lady was working on an Aran design and one girl was trying out a stitch pattern. Me, I was working on the third (in a month) baby sweater. It is almost done. I am really liking how the yarn is working up. I will bring it to spinners on Saturday to show it off. Along with Mr Greenjeans.

Last night I packed more boxes. J-g's old room is beginning to look like a storage unit! I still have a lot to go, but I can see some progress. I need to get the stuff in A-g's room packed before she gets home in two weeks. Her stuff is already packed from when she went to Bolivia. The stuff in her room is extra clothes, blankets and so on.

Well, I still need to do my spinning requirement for today. The silk is working up fairly quickly now. There's still one divided ball left to spin, so it shouldn't take very long. A couple of hours maybe.

Happy knitting & spinning.

What do I do with broken DPN?

I thought I had taken some pictures for the blog. But all I took were pictures of the silk challenge. I think I like how my dye turned out. I'll know for sure when I start spinning it. I will show all the pictures of the silk challenge about the middle of May.

The skein of Moab Desert ending up being 561 yards. Including the first skein, I now have over 700 yards for my project. And I still have 4 ozs. to spin! If I could get another 500 yards, I might have enough for a small pi shawl.

This morning as I was heading to work, I set my knitting down and then promptly leaned on it with my palm. Yep, you guessed it! I broke a bamboo needle. No not just one! I broke all five of them. I couldn't believe that happened. I had to go at lunch time and buy another set of size 0 bamboo needles to finish my toe up Railroad Rib socks. I didn't lose any stitches which was very good, because then I would have had to rip the toe out and start again. And I don't know if I could have done that today, or tomorrow, or the next day. I have never broken a needle before, let alone five at one time. I have bent a few in my knitting experiences though.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Early Morning Good-byes

This isn't the best picture! ES was trying to set the timer so we could get a picture of the two of us, before he flew back to DC this morning. I am talking, of course. I was telling ES he needed to bend down or his face wouldn't be in the picture. Yes, it was really cold and the car was nice and warm. I miss him already. He says he didn't get everything done he wanted to do. He will be back in about six weeks, so he can get more done then. I'm not really this short, I had bent down to get in the picture. I usually hit ES at his shoulder.

The flu bug has bitten at our house. C has had a fever since Sunday morning. I thought it was strep-throat, because he had the strep smell. But he has definitely been down and out with the flu. His fever has finally broken this evening, I think. He may spend another night sleeping by the sun-room heater.

My January sock club package came in the mail today. That really brightened up my day. I have been looking and looking for the package to come. I must be the last one to have received my package. I love the colors of the yarn. I don't know for sure what I will make with them, if I will follow the pattern or not, but they will sure be pretty.

In other sock knitting news--I have turned the heel of the second button sock. I could have these done by the end of the week. That would be good and I would even be done before I needed the needles for the next class. That class is still two Saturdays away.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Thanks Phyllis

We had a very good time at Phyllis'. We spent Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning talking, knitting, spinning, reading, shopping, and occasionally sleeping.

This is the view of the Tetons Saturday morning as the sun was coming up. I missed the color by just a few moments.


This picture of the Tetons was taken just a few hours later before the clouds moved in. In the afternoon you couldn't see them. Then Saturday night it snowed, so I didn't get a picture Sunday morning. They were covered in clouds.

This is Lyn and Phyllis talking Saturday morning. They were up early. Like before 6 am!


Lyn is showing off her new fashion accessory. It is a skien she bought while at the yarn store in Driggs. It has silk and mohair and Lyn just wants to "pet" and admire it for a while before deciding to use it in a project.


This is Meg. She is finishing up a baby boys hat before bed Saturday night. She had already done a girls hat and wanted this one completed also. She is using some cotton yarn she picked up during our shopping trip to the yarn store, bead store and book store.

This is a group photo before we all left Sunday morning. Meg is missing from this picture, because she took the picture. Thanks to all who attended. They are memories I will treasure for a long, long time.

Tomorrow I'll show my haul from the yarn store and what I accomplished while in Driggs.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Proof

Here's proof that I actually am getting some knitting done. Granted, I haven't done any spinning since Sunday night, but the knitting is coming along nicely. I only get about an hour nightly, or so. The blue yarn is the waste yarn for the sleeves. And this is only my first skien of yarn! I have about three more inches until the pattern says to put all the stitches on waste yarn and see how it fits. Maybe I can get that done before this weekend when I start my sock of the month class.

Well, off to my knitting. Happy knitting & spinning.

No knitting

Last night should have been a watch tv, knit night, but on the way home from work I picked up "R" and decided he needed to go to the "Doc in the box" instead. I asked him who "jumped" him. He said he wrecked on the bicycle. Doesn't he look wonderful? This was four hours after the fact with ice and ibuprofen. Today he doesn't look nearly as bad and his eye doesn't seem to be as swollen either.
On the knitting front: I am working on a shawl which will be a Christmas present. I think I have to start now to get everything finished before the end of December. I have numerous things to knit on the "list", lots of little things that won't take very long, but really do end up taking forever.

Thought there'd be pictures

Well, I thought there would be pictures today, but the little dokicky thing is missing still.

I am over half done on the baby sweater and should be done this weekend. It is the fiber guild meeting tomorrow, so the sweater will make a good project to take along, as well as the Hitchhiker. The plying of the Angel's Landing is coming along also. I ply for a while and then go onto something else. Eight oz. of lace weight is an awful lot to ply!

Tonight, after work, ES and I get to go to dinner with some friends. Cami and I have birthdays two days apart, so we are having dinner together to celebrate! I'll let you know how the new restaurant at county line road is.

Well, off to get ready for work. Happy knitting & spinning

Baby Sweater

I did take a pictures of the baby sweater I've been working on for the past few days. But I can't post it because ES took the thingymcbob that transfers the pictures to work with him. I will post the pictures later. Maybe I need to get a thingymcbob also!

It has finally cooled off a few degrees and I can spin without the fans blowing directly on me. I picked another fiber from my stash to spin. This is fiber that has been in the stash for ten years! I will get pictures of it for the next post also. This blog has been a great motivator to spin more of the stash and accomplish more knitting.

Happy knitting & spinning!