Happy Halloween

From the Statue of Liberty

And Little Red Riding Hood, who did not go near the big bad wolf!

2007 World Champions!

CONGRATULATIONS BOSTON RED SOX

2007 WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!

Switch Knitter

In spite of all of the years that I have been knitting, I have never learned to knit Continental style - I'm a thrower and I like it that way - gets rid of a lot of aggression! Another thing I've never done is Fair Isle or stranded knitting, always preferring to cross-stitch the design on a plain stockinette background. But today......I have become a two handed knitter! I'm making the Christmas Rose Gift Bag from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and after reading up on some Fair Isle techniques decided to give it a go. One suggestion for two color Fair Isle was to knit one color with the right hand and one with the left hand - yeah right! But it didn't hurt to try, and it wasn't long before I was throwing one color with my right hand and knitting continental with the other. The two colors don't get all twisted up, the design repeats enough so I can carry the yarn across the back, and I'm reall enjoying this! I have no idea if I am doing this correctly - but here's what I have so far.

Knitting on to Victory!

While staying up way too late and watching the Sox win their way to the world series I've been getting some knitting done too. I finished this felted bag for my granddaughter's chiropractor. She has scoliosis and goes to Nichole three times a week, so they have become good friends! She admired a bag I had made for my DD, so I was commissioned to make her one for Christmas. I happened to have the colors she wanted in my stash, so I just knit the basic Booga Bag, added a pocket to the inside and braided the handles instead of i-cord.

Talk to the Sock

These "Cell Socks" are really cute and a great way to use up that leftover sock yarn. I think they would go over very well with the teen set! This one was knit with some leftover Knitpicks Parade.

Unraveling Ravelry

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about Ravelry. After all, there are so many knitting communities on the internet - how could this one be so different. And then, seeing there were thousands ahead of me on the list to get in - I just didn't get it. But now that I'm in - I'm starting to!

I have a lot more to learn about Ravelry - but here are some of the things I love about it. "Friends" - just click on this and there you all are! I can click on you and find your pages, see what you are knitting and what you are planning to knit. I can even send you a message. I can click on "Friends Blogs" and there you are again - with one glance I can tell if you have a new entry on your blog and head on over there to read it.

Another favorite is my 'queue'. This is how I justify all of the time I spend on Revelry. It's where I can enter all of those projects I want to make, and.. this is the best part...where I can find them when I'm ready.
I can't tell you how many hours I have spent searching for a pattern that I remember seeing someplace - looking through all of my knitting books, knitting magazines, notebooks, and internet sites. From now on, whenever I see something I want to make someday - I will enter it in my queue, and will forever more know where to find that pattern! There is still so much more to explore on Ravelry, but I know that I am hooked!
See you all on Ravelry!

Christmas Knitting

That ticker on the top of my page is beginning to scare me! I haven't made a lot of progress on my Christmas knitting so I decided to start knitting for the kids on my list this weekend.

I used the inspiration on the cover of this book to knit this toddler hat and mitten set. It's for the youngest member of our family - my sister's first grandchild, who will be 8 months old by Christmas. They knit up quickly with Bernat Softee Chunky. Gotta use a washable yarn when it's for a toddler, and it's really quite soft.

The Poet Goes to Fenway

The poet goes to Fenway
By Mary Oliver October 13, 2007

In the language of baseball
I am 3 and 2,
and not so nimble
as I was once
and the game,
at the moment,
is indecisive.
There are many poets
who love baseball
which is, after all,
a metaphor
for many things
that happen when there isn't a game.
The ball gleams forth,
and high,
and maybe it's a hit
or maybe the runner is out.
Nothing is certain
except the way
the old players hang onto their smarts,
their prowess, as long as they can
while the luminous young
keep showing up,
so swift, so quick,
with such light in their eyes
and such beautiful swings.

Knitting Needle Knitting Bag

Here is my first completed bag from the Bag Style KAL. Since I don't have my book yet (on it's way from Amazon) this is the sneak peek pattern from Knitting Daily for the Knitting Needle Knitting Bag. It was a quick, easy knit, and the knitting needle handles really make it unique (except that all of you will have one too of course!) I found the lining material in my stash left over from my sewing days - before I developed OCKS (obsessive compulsive knitting syndrome). I would make more of these -great gifts for knitters - in different patterns. Maybe a cable pattern, or even just plain garter in a multi-colored yarn.

Sweep

A Knitter is Born!

The knitting gene missed a generation in my family. I was never able to interest my daughter in knitting (although she is very happy to receive the results of my knitting!). I taught my oldest granddaughter to knit a couple of years ago. But the first couple of times I tried to teach my youngest to knit she really wasn't very interested. Today she said "I think I can knit now". So I handed her some size 10 needles and some bulky yarn, cast on for her and showed her what to do - then walked away......

After a short while I heard the words "I did it!"

Getting pretty comfortable here! I've never actually tried to knit in this position, but it seems to work for her!

A Knitter is Born!

Ravelry and Stash Management

As I wander around Ravelry I'm discovering a lot of things! I've decided there is no way to put all of my FOs on there - so I'm just adding a few of the latest ones and then I'll add new ones as I start them. Cataloging my yarn stash is indeed eye-opening! There, I've decided there is no sense uploading pictures of each skein of yarn and posting them, since they are all right here in my house, just the name, weight, color, # of skeins, etc. will do it , but - it's where they are stored that is amazing me.

So far the answer to that question about various skeins of yarn I have entered are- 'in the plastic tote in my bedroom' 'in the magazine rack' 'in the hat box' 'in the basket that I won in the Chinese Auction' ' in the basket on my night stand' - wow - am I in need of some serious stash management! I've been looking for an excuse to put in my retirement papers, and this may be it! Last night I tried to start entering items in my "Queue" - ideas for future projects...up until now I have just been stuffing them in notebooks...and you know - that's really not such a bad idea!

I'll leave you with a couple of photos - maybe they will help you feel better about your stash organization. Of course you realize this is just temporary storage - I'm going to get it all organized as soon as Ravelry lets me upload the actual stash to my notebook instead of just photos of it.
My hatbox stash:


My magazine rack stash:

Manny being.....

A walk-off home run hero!

KTC Fall Swap & The Yarn Harlot

The Fall KTC Swap was a children's book swap and my pal, Amy sent me a copy of Shell Silverstein's "The Missing Piece" which will be a great addition to my children's book collection. She also sent some LB Moonlight Mohair and some Sugar n' Cream yarn - both will be put to good use! And, as an extra surprise there was an autographed copy of The Yarn Harlot's "At Knit's End". I love this passage (which I think is okay to share, as a review of the book)
"It is some kind of miracle that all knitting is constructed of only two stitches: knit and purl. Sure, you throw in some yarn overs, and sometimes you knit the stitches out of order, but when it really comes down to it, knitting is simplicity. The most incredible gossamer lace shawl...the trickiest aran...a humble sock...each just made with knit and purl. Know these two stitches; Rule the world."

Treats from Ireland

I received my Whoduknit fall 'trick or treat' package from Fiadhnat today! And I really got treated! Just look at all of my goodies. For the swap we were to send a book with a Halloween theme, yarn in a fall color and a pattern to go with it, and a trick and a treat.

The book is The Fires and the Shadows - which looks very spooky - perfect for Halloween reading. It is really of treasury of short stories from some of the best mystery writers, Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, among others. I can't wait to read it. The other book was actually her 'trick'. It's a book of short stories by Irish women writers with a portion of the profits going to the aid of Tsunami victims. Another real treasury of famous authors including one of my favorites - Maeve Binchy. The trick is that about half way through the book, there are about 140 upside down pages! See that chocolate? One of those candy bars is gone already (and I haven't even had my dinner yet). The little magnetic recipe book is so cute - and actually has some great recipes in it that I am hoping my DH will 'treat' me to. The little lamb is actually soap, which I really don't want to melt down in the shower because he smells so good. Right now he is sitting next to my computer. And the yarn! It is a gorgeous ribbon yarn called Organza by Sirdar in a beautiful golden fall color. She also included a pattern for a "Knot a Scarf" which is kind of a necklace scarf. And...best of all, she included a picture of herself wearing a scarf she had made from the pattern. I'm not posting that picture without her permission, but I can tell you she has red hair (are you surprised) and is holding two beautiful red-headed children in the pictures! (Actually, I think we are related VBG) Thank you so much Fiadhnat - I love my trick or treat package!