This is the result of those two skeins of purple Knitpicks Merino. It's the Felted Evening Bag from One Skein Wonders (love that book!) (Sox got swept by the Tigers, but I finished the bag). Before felting it was 10 1/2 x 9 - flap 6 1/2.

After felting - 8 1/2 x 6 - 4 1/2" flap. The pattern calls for ribbon embroidery on the flap, but I will probably do some needlefelting on it. I need to spend a whole day just working on embellishing my finished bags.

Next OTN - a mobius using a technique I saw on Knitty Gritty today. I'm using some of my Knitpicks kool-aid dyed yarn and I am loving this project!

Hello KVVS Pal!

And welcome to my blog! It's good to hear from you. I really am having a lot of fun with this swap. The BINGO game is lots of fun and I've actually got 13 already including the free space. BINGO (Called BEANO here in Downeast Maine - for what reason I don't know, except I'm guessing it has something to do with Bean suppers) is very popular here - I know people who go 5 nights a week! I'm not into it at all - but this virtual BINGO - well, that's a lot of fun. I'm also having a lot of fun collecting things for my downstream pal's package and planning a virtual Downeast Maine vacation for her. Thanks for stopping by KVVSP - come back soon!

Sun-less Sunday

My tribbles are multiplying, so I'm going to give myself credit for another skein of yarn! All I need now is a good sale at Bath & Body on shower gel, and I will have all of my co-worker, girlfriend, etc. gifts for Christmas.
I still haven't heard from my upstream partner in the Knitter's Virtual Vacation Swap .....but, curiously, I have been getting e-mails every day advertising vacations all over the world. Do you supposed my pal signed me up?
I've got a nasty cold and we are having nasty summer weather, so I think I'll take this opportunity to read, knit, and watch baseball today. I didn't make it for all 13 innings last night - and it's just as well, since 13 was not lucky for the sox and they ended up losing it 3-2. Jopel, if you are reading this, thanks for your comments. I haven't been able to find your blog or an e-mail to reply to you.

Yarn Diet

Okay, that's it. I'm going on a yarn diet - no more new yarn until I use up what I have! Except for swaps of course, can't expect my pal to go without just because I'm on a yarn diet. And gifts of course. And really, really, good sales. But that's it! I have a handy, dandy, little tracker on top of my blog now - do you see it? No more new yarn until it gets to the end. The big problem is that most of my yarn stash is in single skeins and partial skeins - so there are going to be a lot of one-skein projects. Here is my first - The Clutch you'll never give up from the One Skein Book. I knit it from some bulky Fleece Peace yarn that I've had for a few years now. I finished off the skein by knitting a rectangle to felt and use for leaves for felted flowers. It took me only 7 innings to knit (Sox were losing so I went to bed). It's drying now, and still needs embellishing - but this skein of yarn is gone from my stash! These two skeins of knitpicks Merino Style are next. Depending on how the Sox do tonight - I may be able to update my ticker tomorrow!

Bet you can't make just one!

I was organizing my yarn the other day, (or trying to) and came across a bag of small balls of leftover dishcloth yarn. It reminded me of a pattern I saw on Abigails' blog for these scrubbies or 'bath poufs'. She calls them Tribbles because like the Tribbles in the Star Trek episode, they multiply. I still have slow dial up service (DSL has still not come to my part of town) so I keep a knitting project next to my computer while I'm waiting for pages to load. These are perfect little projects for computer knitting! And, along with handmade soap, or shower gel, they will make nice little gifts. Bet you can't make just one!!!


My ITEIV tote package is ready to mail out. I hope my partner enjoys it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. I love the Pursenality Plus book that I won in the last ITE swap so much, I'm sending my pal a copy, along with some other goodies.
And....yes, I've been dyeing with kool-aid again - got to start knitting something with this yarn!
I'm also collecting things for my downstream pal in the Knitters Virtual Vacation Swap. I won't say where she is from, just in case she comes across my blog, but we've been e-mailing back and forth and she's so friendly that I'm having trouble trying to stay anonymous! I haven't heard from my upstram pal yet - so if you are reading this - HI! I'd love to hear from you!

Happy Independance Day

Have a Safe and Happy 4th!

Back from Vacation

My daughter, three grandchildren and I drove down to NJ to visit family and friends there. The main reason for our trip was to take 13 year-old Jordyn to her quarterly check-up at the Scoliosis Center in NYC. She is in an innovative new program which uses a soft brace instead of a hard one and involves exercise and chiropractic manipulation to train the spine to straighten, or at least not to curve anymore. This time, her 7 year old sister was examined and her spine is also beginning to curve, so she is now in the program too and wearing a soft brace.
Anyway, since school was out, we took the opportunity to turn the trip into a vacation. We spent a few days at the beautiful Mineral Springs Resort in Vernon NJ

Spent a day with some cousins - and the newest baby in the family
. Visited my sister and brother-in-law at their home on beautiful Lake Hopatcong (New Jersey isn't all shopping centers!)
My sisters and me (yup - I'm in the middle)
Survived a 100 degree day in NYC
Where my sister met Harrison Ford (well, not really, he's a wax statue in Madame Tussauds wax museum, which was absolutely incredible - they all looked so real, and like they were looking right at you. And saw Mary Poppins on Broadway Which was great - amazing special effects!

I didn't do much knitting on this vacation, but did buy some yarn at a Rag Shop that was going out of business- some Moda Dea Sassy Stripes sock yarn and some Patons white yarn (for dying). I also picked up some purse handles, which turned out will be perfect for this "Ms. Poppins Bag" that I found on Knitting Daily. How's that for a coincidence!

Most amazing of all, my DD and I did all this without making one wrong turn - quite an accomplishment for us!

On Vacation

This blog is on vacation! Be back June 30!

School's Out for the Summer!

Yesterday was the last day of school. We have a tradition at our school -on the last day the whole staff goes out and waves goodbye to the kids on the buses as they leave the schoolyard. As soon as they are out of sight, a big cheer goes up! Yup, we are just as happy as the kids are that school is out for the summer! Then we had a district-wide lunch for staff. It was bitter-sweet, as some much loved co-workers were retiring - lots of tears among the laughter.

So, now on the the lazy, hazy, days of summer and some FOs and WIPs:

My "Jayne's AP" bag. 10" wide, 4" deep, and 4 1/2" tall.

I added a cell phone pocket to the inside before felting and a strap from an old bag. I'm not crazy about the strap and will probably change it when I find something I like better.
This is my ITEIV bag #1. It's 10" wide by 11" tall and the flowers are needlefelted. The zippered pouch is 9 1/2" wide by 4" tall and will go with the bag, filled with goodies. They are both made with Patons Classic Wool in the same blue, but for some reason the colors look different in the picture.
And this is my ITEIV Bag #2. It's a larger version of the Jayne's AP bag and pre-felted it is 15" wide, 7" deep, and 21" tall from the top of the flap to the bottom of the bag. I'm going to put two pockets inside and an adjustable knit strap.
After it is felted, you can help me decide which one to send to my partner!

The Graduates

These are the same kids who were on the boat yesterday - they clean up nicely - don't they? Can't believe they will be in high school next year!

Launching the Gemini

On a near perfect day on the coast of Maine, Jacob and Jordyn launched their new lobster boat appropriately named "Gemini". Jacob has his lobster license and Jordyn will be his sternman - or sterngirl, or whatever this summer. Into Frenchman's Bay, and off on a smooth start to it's mooring at the Winter Harbor Co-op.
Proud new boat owners!
Of course little sister had to get in on the act, and their best friends, Haley and Caleb, another Gemini pair, were on hand, along with grandparents, uncles, and friends, to help celebrate the launch.

Hat or Bowl?

You may have noticed that I don't often post pictures of myself (you probably thought that was me in the rocking chair knitting?) There's a reason for that. You see, I have this weird camera, and it adds 20 years and 50 pounds to my pictures - not everyone else's - just mine! But I'm making an exception today to show you how my hat turned into a bowl.
I was planning to make this hat for my Maisie Dobb's (whoduknit) project - at the beginning of the book when she is first introduced she is wearing a cloche, and I also wanted a hat to match the intrelac scarf I made awhile back. The pattern is from Nicky Epstein's knitted flowers, and it has a felted flower embellishment on it. I admit I didn't use the Trendsetter yarn called for - but it seemed to be the same weight as the Noro I was using - so I knit up this huge hat:


Yup - that's me! I felted it and it turned into this:

Which looks much better as a bowl.
It's a beautiful bowl - but what do you do with a felted bowl that matches your scarf? I think I'll fill it full of balls of beautiful hand-dyed yarn!

The flavors of Kool-aid

Lemon-lime, Berry Blue, and Cherry

I reall have to learn how to wind them up into neater skeins - but they are pretty, aren't they?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mine is growing with kool-aid dyed yarn, tote bags, and a hat that turned into a bowl (more about that later!)


I tried something new with the kool-aid dyeing this morning. I wanted to use a single color, but make it in variegated shades. So I mixed up the kool-aid in a pitcher and lowered 1/3 of the yarn into it for 5 minutes, than another 1/3 for a few more minutes,

then the rest of it for just a few seconds. Then I transferred it to an oblong pyrex baking dish that would fit in the microwave and microwaved as usual. I love the variation on the blue and green. The red is variegated but you can't see it as much.

A Blank Canvas

I finished knitting the tote for my ITEIV Pal, gave it a bath And now it's drying. I know it doesn't look like much right now, but just think of it as a blank canvas just waiting to be embellished! I was going to embellish with sewn on felted flowers, but now it's just calling out to me to be needle felted. While it's drying I started another bag - just in case this one doesn't turn out like the picture in my head! I'm making "Jayne's AP Bag" in colors that my pal says she likes. When they are both done I'll decide which one I think she will like the best - maybe I will let you all vote on it?

Virtual Vacation Swap Button

Knitters Virtual Vacation Swap

Knitter's Virtual Vacation Swap Questionnaire

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
1. If you could visit any state in the US, which would it be? Alaska - I've always wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise. My sister and her husband went on one and had a great time - the pictures looked fascinating.
2. If you could visit any country in the world, other than your own, which would it be and why? Ireland. My ancestry is Irish. I love the history, the old castles, and of course the Irish yarn!
3. Have you ever driven across several states/providence/countries? I've driven from Maine to New Jersey many times, across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada, and across Morocco and Spain many years ago.
4. Have you ever visited someplace you consider exotic? Yes
Where was it? I would have to say Morocco - but it really wasn't a visit as I lived there for two years when my husband was stationed there.

5. What was your favorite "travel" vacation? I think I'd have to say a trip with my husband to Nova Scotia. It was a very relaxed trip with no schedule or deadlines, and the scenery was breathtaking, especially in Cape Breton.
6. Have you ever played tourist in your own home city/state (if international, country)? Oh yes! Explain. My sister is an avid traveler and when she travels, she wants to see everything there is to see. So whenever she visits in Maine, we find someplace we have never been before and 'play tourist'. One of my favorite places to play tourist is just across the bay from me in Bar Harbor.
7. Are you a museum visitor, beach comer or an amusement seeker? A little bit of each.

8. What's your favorite type of yarn? I love them all! I'm really not a yarn snob. I seem to use Cascade, Galway, Noro a lot, but I love to try new and different yarns.
9. What's your least favorite type of yarn? Red Heart Super Saver :)
10. What items do you like to knit/crochet? Mostly, I love to make felted items - bags, hats, slippers, etc. I also knit scarves, socks, washcloths, baby items, shawls (but not lace).
11. What do you pack, knit/crochet wise when you go on vacation? Small projects like socks or washcloths.

12. What other crafts do you do/would like to do other than Knit/Crochet? I've loved crafts all my life - but right now, other than knitting, it's mostly scrapbooking, card making, and some beading.
13. Are you allergic to anything? (Yarn wise or treat wise) Not yarn or treats, but smoke, perfume and cats.
14. What is your favorite color? Blue
Least Favorite? I really like all colors - but if I have to pick one, guess it would be yellow.
15. Sweet or Savory (Treat not personality)? Sweet!!!
16. Anything else we are forgetting to ask that you think your partner desperately needs to know. The best part of any swap is getting to know your pal, so I hope that you will be in touch often. Other than that - have fun!

Swaps

I'm participating in two fun swaps right now. The first one is the Whoduknit Mystery Bottle Swap. The bottle swap is a lot of fun. You have to stuff as much as you can into a 2 liter bottle and mail it to your secret pal. The mystery part is - how do you get all of this

into this....

Well, the answer is ...you can't. But I got most of it in and my bottle is ready to mail - that's right, you just put a mailing label on it and send the bottle through the mail.

The second swap is the International Tote Exchange IV. I did ITEII and ITEIII and they were both great swaps with great pals that I still keep in touch with. This time around I am a hostess, which means I have a group of ladies that I had to match up and be responsible for during the swap. After reading my pal's questionnaire, asking her a lot of questions, and looking through every knitting book, magazine, and on-line site I have bookmarked, I finally decided on a pattern and yarn for the tote that I am going to make. The yarn is a little dark in the picture - it's actually a little lighter than that. And I'm making it in a solid color - then embellishing it either with needle-felting, or felted flowers.

I've been resisting other swaps because too many can get confusing (and expensive) - but when I came across this one..well... I just couldn't resist! Besides, the other two will be finished by the time this one needs to be mailed - and no actual knitting is involved. It's a Virtual Vacation swap - you've got to check this one out!

When Good Yarn Goes Bad!

It's not a pretty sight! I was trying to make a plum color. My first try resulted in a faded blue look, so re-dyed and tried adding some 'berry punch'. It actually looks a lot worse than it does in the picture. Do they make black kool-aid?

Kool-Aid Dyeing Progress

It's 84 degrees and sunny out - everyone else in town is out planting gardens, mowing lawns, etc. But not me.....I'm dyeing yarn! This is so easy, I just couldn't believe it. Especially with Vigdis' wonderful tutorial which you can find here . (Directions are in Norwegian and English - click on the first picture to begin) I admit I didn't follow her directions to the letter. First of all, I didn't have any plastic gloves, so I used plastic bags on my hands - hey it worked, I only have a few stains on my fingers! I didn't use the vinegar because I didn't have any plain and didn't think balsamic would work! But that didn't seem to matter. And... I didn't take her advice about starting with only two colors - I tried, but couldn't resist adding a third. I used Knitpicks 'bare' yarn 100% wool, and Berry Blue, Watermelon Cherry and Grape Kool-aid. I tried to dye two skeins the same so I would have enough for a large scarf or shawl. The small skein is some leftover white Cascade wool that I died with the Watermelon Cherry. It should dry fast in the sun and warm breeze that's blowing (see the pretty dandelions growing in my yard? :)

Oh, and one more thing I ignored Vigdis' warning about - dyeing yarn with kool-aid can become addicting.....off to buy some more kool-aid!

And the finished product - dry and rewound.

MEME

I've come across this MEME on several blogs and decided to try it, although I did change a couple of things.

Mark with bold the things you have knit at least once, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.


Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens:
Cuff-upMittens
Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a weddingHousehold items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) using magic loop
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/feltingKnitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
EntrelacKnitting
purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linenKnitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories

Dyed in Kool-Aid

My friend Vigdis in Norway has become addicted to Kool-aid! She doesn't drink it though - she dyes yarn with it. The problem is that she can't get Kool-aid in Norway. So her friends on Whoduknit have been sending it to her by the planeload! I sent her a bunch - and look what I got in the mail today - isn't it beautiful! And with her own label too. Can you believe that was dyed with kool-aid in her kitchen! she has the directions on her blog.





Do you know what the wooden thing in the picture is? Well, I have to admit I didn't either until I asked - isn't this just the greatest idea? And Vigdis makes these too!

I'm inspired to attemped my own dyeing, and have my supplies all ready. Just have to find the time to do it!

Beautiful Day!

Today was a beautiful day! We went out for breakfast with my daughter and her family. It was a buffet, and the easiest thing to do with the kids, since they don't have to wait and can eat as much as they want. They gave me a gift certificate to the Dress Barn - it will be fun to shop for some summer clothes. I gave her a gift certificate to Victoria Secret, as she is a pretty sexy daughter and the mother of my beautiful grandchildren!
Then home to watch the Red Sox game. The Orioles were on top 5-0 in the 9th, and the Sox came back and scored 6 runs to win the game! My son called from Texas to tell me that he had arranged that for my Mother's Day gift. (in other words he was too broke to send flowers LOL) While I watched the game I knit my own flowers from Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flower's book, which I bought with my 50% off A.C.Moore coupon - a Mother's Day gift to myself.

Now DH is cooking dinner - something involving pork and pears. And tonight - the Survivor Finale. You see, it really doesn't take much to make me happy :)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

For my mom, who has been gone for 15 years, but lives on in the hearts of all of us who loved her,

...... and for all mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in
their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry
Kool-Aid saying, "It's alright honey, Mommy's here."

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who
can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair
and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.
For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween
costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And
the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes. And for the
mothers who lost their baby in that precious 9 months that they will never
get to watch grow on earth but one day will be reunited with in Heaven!

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on
their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at
football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their
cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could
say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat. For
all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And
then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their
shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted
for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their
daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little
voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring
are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach
aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get
calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them
up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the
words to reach them.

This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or
children, and gave their time, attention, and love... sometimes totally
unappreciated!

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their
14-year-olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the
mothers of those who did the shooting.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad
hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a
shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you
feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street,
walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you
from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the
back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2
A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are
safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and
hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child
dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young
mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation... And
mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all.

For all of us.

Hang in there.

In the end we can only do the best we can.

Tell them every day that we love them.

And pray.

Please pass along to all the Moms in your life.

"Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall."