An update in the life

I was able to pass on some of my dads wisdom today and it felt really good when I was thanked for it; in return, thank you dad. Dad always inspired me in life and he continues to do so after pasing.

I have been working on several projects and am at a point at which, I have to decide to get queued projects in process finished or do something different. The hard thing is when gifts get added and although I try to keep them simple, my newest one is going to take some effort. it's a wrap that will be 31" x 74", using a DK weight yarn. Better bust a move!

I completed a fair isle hat called Sheep Heid in a knit-a-long with Linden Hills Yarns. I believe the knit-a-long goes through the end of March, so plenty of time for anyone wishing to join in to get a kit. I get sucked into the "kool-aid" there easily at times. If nothing else I have a great gift finished.

As for gifts, I am going to keep them simple and have a couple of Quick No-Purl Keyhole Scarves made. I found this fast and simple little scarf by: Saralyn on Ravelry; it takes an hour or two to make and hey, quick gift.

The above was the key hole scarf in progress.
I knit and grafted a couple of cowls, they are so fast and easy to make and I have become good at working the ribbed Kitchener graft. So what used to take me three or four hours, now happens in about an hour or so, but definitely under two.

My niece TLM is having a baby at the end of March and the new project I picked up this week is for her. I am making a wrap using WOOL BAM BOO from Classic Elite. This is a dk yarn that is supposed to get 5.5 sts to the inch and I'm right on for gauge, so going to cast on tonight.

This is part of my gauge.
I think the pattern will be very lovely.

Time to cast on to Lost in Space and Star Trek reruns.

Happy Stitching Trails To all
Stitchinghermit

A Great Day at Yarn Over 2009 and more

This morning KP, CF, JW and I went to Yarn Over 2009, which is being held at Hopkins Senior high School in Minnetonka. There were several vendors available, from local and not so local yarn shops. Some patterns were given away free, I purchased some clearance Louisa Harding yarn for a hat I want to make, (maybe as soon as I finish my summer lace tee); there was yarn from the March Hare, great stuff, one of our fellow knitters who used to go to sock club, maintains the Etsy store. My friend CF bout me a mug I had thought about buying, it says "knit one sip one" and "if I knit fast enough will I loose weight" a great coffee mug and a great friend. The scents of soap, cedar and perfumes were starting to get too be too much and I retreated to a seating area, where as I was getting ready to put on my whisper shawl, to combat the air conditioning, a woman came toward me and asked if I made the shawl, I did, and she recognized it as Suri Elegance yarn, for which she had created some designs, to my delight, I was meeting Sharon Winsauer, designer of among other things, The Dragon Shawl. She had just finished teaching a class on her snowflake shawl ( a pattern I have, but not the yarn), and would be soon teaching "Taming The Dragon", to go over the specialty stitches. Will have to give her a call when I finally purchase pattern and yarn for this, I have loved it from afar for a long time. Sharon has Alpacas and has an Etsy store, where she sells her wares. Lunch was at Fudruckers, CF and I split a meal, it was plenty of food. The burger was good, and it worked well, as it turns out, CF and I are kind of sympatical in our food likes and dislikes.











As posted prior to this date, I have finished my Fair Isle cardigan and have shown it over and over again to fellow knitters this past week, of course the real fianle was at knit knight when I was applauded for my efforts; a most proud momment in time. More detailed pictures were requested, so I am attempting to show just that in this post (Photography is not my forte). Happiness is a finished project or object, AKA FO. Last Saturday I began my summer project, a lace tee made with sprout cotton yarn from Classic Elite yarns, I am happy to say I am about two thirds the way to completion, my new goal is to be finished in about three days, Tuesday the 21st. Pics to come on completion of that project, of course I have a full queue of projects, so I will NOT die of boredom. Sweaters, cardigans, hats, oh my. I am working on a Blue cable and raglan Cardigan , I want to make the hat I bought the Louisa Harding yarn for, it will go fast. Socks are on my agenda, at least finishing a few pairs up that I have on needles, oh thngs to do, things to do, have to go knit now.

Happy stitches to all.

Challenge update and sox

Okay, so here it is almost March and my sweater has a neck steek and neck decreases. Weigh-ins need to be done by March 7th at the latest, the weight will determine the chances of winning. I still don't know if I will weigh-in, but I am excited about my progress; soon I will be placing back neck stitches on holders and adding a back neck steek. Yeah me!

Next bit of great news is.................drum roll please...................................dadadaada.....

the wining socks for think outside the sox will be chosen this coming Saturday, at stitches west in California. I hope the link works, you can go look at the amazing entries.
http://KniTalk.com/SOX/

My socks are (shameless self-promotion) number 103. At this point I am not getting a lot of votes, but I am hopeful. I have a friend in the contest as well, her number is 237.

I am so excited about the sox contest, and I look forward to the results.

Happy stitches

Weigh-ins start today

Weigh-ins start today at Linden Hills for the Fair Isle Challenge. I am about 10 rounds from the neck steeks on my sweater and I would normally go to Linden Hills on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning, so I will not be weighing in today and Put a few more rounds on my sweater.
This challenge for me has been more about making this gorgeous sweater for me, than it is about entering to win. I rarely win, I could be one of two names in a drawing and not win. No, no feeling sorry, just knowing reality.
thoughts of not entering the drawing to win have gone through my head, those thoughts are being replaced by push to get to the sleeves. I know I am a good knitter and not really slow, but I am having an insurgence of the green envy monster when I see others who knit much faster.

I keep thinking of all the sweaters I have on needles and waiting to be on needles, some are for summer. I hope the creation of this lovely sweater gives me the compulsion to push forward with those sweaters and finish them.

One of my sweaters on needles is my version of something I saw and I am looking forward to making progress on that sweater as well.

I have some dog designs to put to needles and create, I am not sure if one of them will end up on a crochet hook or not, but the idea is pretty well formed, its just down to needles or hook.

I am so fortunate to have people in my life that are encouraging my creativity and and give me valuable help with my ideas, I encourage them as well, they are very talented individuals and I do believe that we enjoy creating together.

Need to stitch and make more progress on my sweater, want to get to the neck.

Happy Stitches

My Sunset cardigan

I am knitting away on my Winter Sunset Cardigan, and wanted to post a few pictures. The sweater is about 20 rounds from the neck and I am looking forward to being able to wear it.














I am obviously not a photographer, and my blogging abilities are questionable as well, but nonetheless I plod along. I would like to speed up with my kitting, but I am a fairly good knitter if I do say so myself.

The Fair Isle challenge at Linden Hills Weighs in by the 7th of March, I believe, so I need to make as much progress as possible in the mean time, if I go in to weigh and enter formally. I really am motivated to just have the sweater.

My arm steeks are in place, you can't see them, but they exist none the less. I will definitely have to write about how teh cutting of the steeks goes, keeping my fingers crossed. Wish me luck.

And Happy Stitches