Road trip and needle progress

My needles have been clicking away and have managed to.......... complete a washcloth, begin the second half of the Lisa Lloyd sister scarf I am making, start a second slipper for my Niece Bri, make progress on my secret sock (I know Jen, it's a secret).

This past Wednesday, I spent a few hours at The Linden Hills Yarn shop in Linden Hills. I had a lovely time visiting with a few of the regulars, some of whom are on Ravelry, and Jan the owner. I picked up a lovely skein of Malabrigo lace yarn in a yellow called Cadmium, Love it! I could not stop touching it for a while, it had called my name for a few hours before I gave in and bought it. I Believe it wants to become a Swallow tail shawl, the project is in my cue and the pattern is ready.

I think I would like to pick up a self patterning yarn that looked as though it was a worsted weight, for a hat or two for Christmas presents. It looked pretty good, oh, and I could find some yarn to make the sock monkey hat.

I had a very nice time at Linden Hills yarn and plan on going a bit more frequently, everyone was friendly and engaging. The Malabrigo lace yarn is dangerous for me though, eeeee, all teh yarn is dangerous. Oh the things we must suffer and the dangers at hand!

Perhaps another road trip like the one I took yesterday would help me complete some of the above projects and more. A group of friends and I decided to take a road trip to Rochester yesterday. to visit a couple of shops there.

If you have spent any time at the Mayo clinic or St. Marys hospital (where I practically grew up), you will find a couple of nice places to divert your attention and uplift your spirits. I am grateful I do not have a reason to hang out around there now, but a visit now and then is a happy way to spend a day.

Both shops are within walking distance of St. Mary's Hospital, Kristen Knits is on Second Street which runs in front of St. Mary's, perhaps two blocks to past going East on Second st, on the North side of the road.

Kristen's is having a sale, 25% off, because they no longer have a lease. Rochester is planning a new project in the area and displacing a few shops temporarily or permanently. Kristen needs to be out by September 1st, I hope she relocates and remains available to the knitting public, and those who only have a few minutes to run over from the hospital.

Just A little Something is on 6th Street about four blocks behind St Mary's, where they offer choices in quilting on the first floor and yarn on the second floor.

This is the historic house and shop, where you will find "Just A Little Something."


In the past I was always in more of a daze, taking a break from surgery waiting, post op, or intensive care when my Dad was in the hospital. I have to say that I enjoyed yesterdays visit much more, no stress or worry.

I did manage to add to my stash, of course. I picked up three skeins of ella rae for making winter bed socks aka. slippers at Kristens, and at JALS, I picked up three skeins of Cascade "The Heathers", in Periwinkle. I was seeing scarf and hat for a Christmas present with this.

Happy stitches everyone, hope your stitches are all going well.

Secret

I have a stitching secret (insert musical notes here). I am making a pair of secret socks, these socks are coming along well, I am making them to enter in the "think outside the sox" sock contest. No pictures, because it is secret for now.

The socks are a cuff down fair isle and, I am working down the foot of the first sock, after which I will of course make the second sock. I had not knitted a lot of fair isle in the past, however I was very inspired to do this sock. This is my first sock design and I am so excited about it.

I am now thinking of a pair for breast cancer or donation. I have been inspired for this one by another blogger and fellow Raveler M. M is dedicated to the cause and helping out, which I like.

Completed:

Diamond lace set, head band, hand warmers and scarf (to be available on Ravelry soon.)

Hundertwasser knit-a-long hand warmers, I like these a lot and have decided they are for me.









Bottoms up tea pot cozy, I will add a picture later.(don't have one yet)


This lovely purple piece is the back of my baby doll top. I am making slow progress, I add a few rows a day on this but focus more on other items, like my secret sock, yeah.









Have fabulous fiber fun.

Patterns created

I am working on publishing some knit patterns that I have created in the past couple of years. A couple of years ago I designed and knitted a headband for my sister Heidi. I have knitted another head band and have created a matching pair of hand warmers and scarf as well. I am putting them on Ravelry and hope that everyone likes them. These are quick and easy patterns to knit using a worsted weight yarn.

The hand warmers and headband ear warmer are the same yarn, the pictures do seem to look different. I will have pictures of the scarf soon, I am finishing up knitting that one.

I am in the process of adding them to Ravelry, this is a new process for me so... hopefully I will be finished soon.












Now back to the Linden Hill Yarns Hundertwasser knit along, One hand warmer complete, the second one is on needles and coming along nicely.

They will not quite match in color pattern, because I did not pull the yarn up to the same starting pint as the first one. I like the changes in the coloring of the yarn.

I am truley not the best photographer and have so much to learn, but still you are able to see abit of the patterning and the color changes.

projects and family

The fourth was hard on Sadie, my little poodle. All those fireworks made her tremble until they were over; she tried to become more a part of me than usual during the noise. As soon as the fireworks were over, she decided it was time to go out.

I did not hear as many fireworks around the neighborhood, like as in years past. There were many festivities in Richfield for the Fourth of July, including a Veterans memorial dedication at Soldiers Field.

I am working on a lace pattern for a matching headband, scarf and hand warmers, which I would like to put on Ravelry. I need to finish the scarf and convert the pattern into PDF format for publishing. I created the headband pattern a couple of years ago for as a Christmas gift for one of my sisters;I have added the matching pair of hand warmers and scarf. I have pictures of the head band, but need pictures of the other pieces. The other pattern I am working on getting on Ravelry is a baby doll top and pantie set I made for Sadie, I have pictures of that now, so I just need to put it into PDF format.

My latest finished object is a pair of lace hand warmers; which is a collaborative with Tamara of DelSonno Enterprises, to be sold on the clickity sticks website. They hand warmers do need to be blocked, but are still pretty. Perhaps a head band to go with them (like I need another project), hmmm, I don't think I have enough yarn, but if I do I will publish it.










I have been trying to work a couple of rows on each project that I have going, each day as well as applying a bit more focus on one of them. Hopefully this will help me make progress and finish a few things I have on needles.


I joined the Hunderwasser knit along at Linden Hills Yarn & Textile Design Ltd. You can make whatever you want, using the Opal yarn Hundertwasser colorway called Road to Socialism. Being a Socialist is not a requisite, you just need to use the colorway mentioned in the sock yarn. The project needs to be finished by the end of the 2008 olympics to have your name entered in the drawing. I had a crisis of faith with the pattern I am using, but I did get over it and move forward. I am on the wrist of the first hand warmer (definitely a pattern here)and the colorway is turning out like a happy walk through bright colors. I should keep these, they will be cheerful this winter.
the unevenness of the lines as they are coming our in the fabric, lovely and unique. I am looking forward to the finished pair. A cool scarf to go with them would be fun, I wonder if the colorway will ever be made in a heavier weight yarn?

I have been thinking of my Dad and missing him a lot again, I don't stop missing him, the feeling comes in heavier waves from time to time. This was the time of year he would start water fights with us, he was very spontaneous with things like that. He would begin with a sneak attack using a little water gun, which would progress and escalate into a full fledged drenching of each other and the water hose. He was a funny guy, one time he dropped against the kitchen door frame at grandpa and grandmas, and began to talk the words to bullet in my shoulder, one of his sisters was mad at him.

Like many in he and his parents generations, he used to say "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing well." I remember his dad saying that as well.

When we were little, our families would go to my dad's parent's house to celebrate the Fourth of July, we would have sparklers and the adults would light firecrackers, have a picnic and watch fireworks at the lake. I remember sitting on blankets watching fireworks across the lake, those night were lovely and simple, not complicated by adulthood and life.

Funny memory of my grandfather, when I was young our house caught fire, my family was split up a bit during the renovations and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa. one night I remember him sitting at the dining room table; this was where he sat and drank coffee, which was a beverage he drank throughout the day. Grandpa had a teaspoon and a bottle of ketchup; he filled the teaspoon with ketchup and ate it. I had never seen anyone do that, so I asked him what he was doing, he said, "eating ketchup" and offered me some. This habit was not for me, I declined not seeing any reason to eat plain ketchup. He was probably teasing me, like our uncle did with snuff, only that was worse. I had seen my Dad's brother in law uncle Bill, chew snuff and spit it out, eew. I witnessed him offer the substance to kids, everyone fell for it. When asked, he would say he was chewing candy and offer the asking child a bit of it from the tin, the offending substance was always spit back out right away. It was awful, what was the point, why chew something that tasted so bad? He did eventually drop the habit of chewing snuff, as well as offering it to kids; I think he got into a bit of trouble offering it to kids.

My Dad's mom used to knit, although she did not teach us how, I remember she knitted some sweaters. My Dad's sister Zelma crochets, she sewed and quilted as well; I do not know if she ever knitted. I would go to visit her and stitched while visiting, I enjoyed it a lot.

Here's to project completion.

Monday of FO's

I finished a few items, quick knits all.

First, hand warmers with a bracelet knitted in to them. Kits and pattern for these will be available through Clickitysticks.com
I used Jitterbug sock yarn and a metallic yarn. accenting the bracelet with beads.

I think these will be a gift, one of my sisters admired them and there is always Christmas. Or just because! I think they are going to Stitches first though. At least that was the plan.



Next, bed socks. Soft, warm and cozy bed socks. The pattern is called winter socks by Bev Galeskas and can be found in the Fiber Trends booklet #2013 The Magic Loop. I used a lovely acrylic wool blend yarn by Ella Rae called Amity. Both the yarn and booklet were purchased at Knitter's Palette in Lakeville.



These went very quickly, can be done in two or three days for the pair.

I want to make another pair before winter, maybe add some fair isle work to it.



My most recent FO is a cute little coin purse called "Change your socks" I purchased the kit by CiDesigns at Knitter's Palette and I used Noro Kureyon from my stash to make the little sock. So cute, so quick and gratifying.

Oh, knit this up in a few hours. perfect little last minute gift.

I was so excited, I had to put coins in right away. I could make a few more pairs with this skein of Noro. These would make cute gifts, I htink the next one will drop a needle size, I did get the guage for the ribbing, but the sockseems a bit larger than the samples that were at Knitter's Palette.

Happy Stitching

Projects and musings

Musings

I was thinking the other day and I don't think I believe the old saying, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." Of course it is meant to let us know that, we always like or want what we do not have, better than what we do. I would not trade places with someone in a third world country, my grass really does look greener than the neighbors, and I have to purge belongings. Yes, some things could be better in life, but I am fortunate in a lot of ways, God has blessed me with a clear thought path, knowledge to be wise enough to check myself first and evaluate my life on going. That does not mean I am perfect, I do, as we all do, critique those and things around me, but if I do not say it, do not assume I am thinking it. I am outspoken and will give my opinion when I feel it matters and it is my business if you throw your drama in front of me in life; if yo are not trying to fix it and are just whining, I will say something, if only to say I do not want to hear it because it has been cycled through so many times before.
I could have it worse in life; I have a friend in the hospital with congestive heart failure, this on top of a laundry list of aliments, Lupus, Parkinson, Heart disease, Diabetes, wow am I thankful! Her brother is in a coma, lost his colon and is in rough shape. These things are real, not like the drama some like to perpetuate in their lives, I guess I am having a lot of trouble understanding why one would want to perpetuate drama, life is too short and riddled with things that can go wrong for real, I just want to enjoy and be thankful for everything that is good.
There are crops being lost and peoples lives being up heaved by the floods in the Midwest, I have not been flooded, I know people who are and have been and I have to say it is so humbling. I have been in a flood, your life is changed, you have to pick up and in many cases start again. I know they are called acts of God, but I do not believe God has anything to do with it or allows it. These are the dark forces of nature that can and do take periodic hold on our planet. I commend all the effort that is given unselfishly to help others during these crises.

Projects

I am making progress on my sock contest sock, deciding changes as I go along and keeping track in writing. I am very excited about this project, I truly would like to if not win something, have my pattern published. There are so many talented people in the world of needlework, so the competition is going to be quite steep. I am making the effort and my results are something I am proud of, even if I don't win or get printed. Even though I would like one or both of the preceding to happen.
I began bed socks earlier in the month and then left them to hibernate, I took them with me to the hospital Tuesday when I called an ambulance for my friend. One bed sock finished and the second one is ready for the heel flap. these are going to be great and I would like to make at least one more pair by this fall or winter.
I am working on lace hand warmers and will focus on those for a while. I do not retain heat well, because of my thyroid problems and it is hard for me to get warm again once I am chilled, so it is important to have warm things.
I am actually going to work on two pairs of lace hand warmers, one is a demo Clickity Sticks design I am knitting for her, the other is a pattern I found on Ravelry, it is by Whitney Van Nes.
I have been a bit remis in taking and uploading pictures, but I will need to get more pictures of projects etc.
My shawls are hibernating at the moment, but I intend to pull them out soon, to get going and finish the two I have on needles up. I have more to get going on with patterns and yarn at the ready.
I hope to make a bit of Progress today, I wold like to start the lace panel on the hand of the Clickity Sticks hand warmer, and finish that as well as my last bed sock by the end of the week. I am starting the ones by Whitney Van Nes today as well.
So much to do, so little time.
Speaking of time, its time to go switch the laundry.
Happy stitches.

junk email, handwarmers and socks and more

So I wonder, does anyone think that forward emails require a response? Do they constitute real communication? I have often wondered if people really think that way.

I do not much care for forwarded emails, and know may people who feel the same, I for the most part just delete them. I have never understood why, if you really care for someone you would send them an email, full of love and blessings, which then tells you that if you do not r=forward it, all sorts of awful things can and will happen. Hello, talk about passive aggressive. I would rather delete and have the bad luck/karma end with me than to send it on to someone I care about. I’m just saying, do people really understand what they are sending?

I do not count forward emails as legitimate communication, write something simple, what is wrong with Hi, how are you? If you are thinking of me and really care, then write something, otherwise I see it as you are just using me as someone to dump you forward junk mail on.

Okay, enough of that, I am finishing up a pair of hand warmers, which is a co-operative design created with two other people. Tamara of clickitysticks.com added a bracelet piece and will be selling it on her web site and patterns will be available at The Yarn Garage in Rosemount, MN.

I have decided to design a sock, for the Think Outside the Sox Contest, I am very excited, I am working down the leg of the first sock and I just love them! I of course am prejudice on that point.