Whoops...there it is

Time flies when you're having fun!!! Frankly, I'm not even sure how time gets away from me most of the time! But there is it...I was MIA again.

It was craft show time so a little trip to Huntly with my SIL was in order for this amazing craft show at some old peoples Over 55 community. It was really quite amazing. This community center of theirs provided all kinds of activities for the, erm, retired? Any there was tons of unique pottery, some beautiful sewn items, very cleverly crafted items as well as the usual, knit and crochet stuff. Lots of old men crafting. Very interesting and fun day...topped with a trip to the outlet mall!

I realize Halloween (samhain for those Celtic folk) kinda came and went with no noticeable activity in my house. Usually Raine and I have a scary day date but this year my partner in ghoul had other plans...REALLY???

She had her own gruesome twosome this year-I guess that means my baby is growing up :(

Sarah did carve a jack for me and Brodie -complete with candle and cinnamon :)

And she did send this picture to me on my phone...to prove that my girl was in the zone...( oh I really didn't mean to rhyme) and it did scare the bejeezes out of me when it popped up on the screen. ( I wasn't expected...OK)

A special project, this brown and pink baby blanket made to order. My SIL needed a gift for one of the gals at her school and she had "colors". This is my favorite baby gift pattern, however I usually prefer to do it in baby yarn. This one was done in Vanna's Choice since I couldn't find her colors in baby yarn. Still I am happy with how it turned out and the recipient was excited.

I finally finished this one up too...it has been on the needles since...Feb 2009??? Ended up going to Sarahs friend who just had a baby.

Selfish knitting alert!

This scarf is for ME! I know, not exactly a news flash is it. Gathered Scarf fun and easy knit. I made it from a beautiful natural alpaca I picked up at Stitches Midwest this year. New Era Fiber's out of Tennessee, Dawn. I really enjoyed chatting with them when I was at Stitches too. It was a little on the pricey side but well worth it! I got the scarf, and also completed a headband ( no pic yet) and I think I should have enough for some fingerless too (maybe).

I have been working on Traveling Women but I am struggling for some reason with Chart B. *shrug*. I only have 5 or 6 rows and I am done... soon..I promise. In the meatime - or rather in between times, I sneak in a few rows on the shawl that Raine wants.

I've been in scarf mode again!

Because a girl can't have too many scarves right??

Recently completed - Curly Q Scarf . I had some Knit Picks Simple Stripes sock yarn that had been laying around for ever, so I figured it would work well for this pattern, Curly Whirly. The pattern for this scarf was very loosely written, so if you are not a crocheter, it would be impossible to follow I think. Easy enough inspite of that and quick to complete and a fun little piece. I used 2 skeins of sock yarn. I think it would look great done in a mohair.

A fun scarf, and I thought it looked pretty cool how it curled around itself to lay almost flat.

My friend Amy modeled this one for me - just your basic red ( a girl always needs a red one- or several) done in chunky Jiffy.

And another done in purple heather. And Rose for Raine, with a hat to follow. She always needs extras since she is forever leaving them at school in her cubby.

Now this one was special... I actually did this one while on my blogging hiatus - 2 skeins Mystery yarn bought at Stitches Midwest made Slanted Sparkle. I did not realize that it had no label until I was winding the yarn. I know that it is wool and has sequins woven into it... and that is pretty much it, besides the fact that it is the prettiest sea foam green. I am guessing the skeins were maybe 150 yards. The pattern for this one seemed perfect for this yarn, Diagonal Lace. Once I got the hang of the repeats I was even able to watch TV while I knit it.

I'm thinkin' anyone of these would make a great accessory to a cute little red Vespa...doncha think? Oh yah... I'm definately in scarf mode again... with another one on the needles.

You guys all probably think I am excessive with my scarves, and I do have a lot of them and like a variety of choices, but the reality is many of what you see here end up being donated...either to charity or my daughters household...they seem to misplace them on a regular basis!

I think I need a Vespa!

Ms Golightly here! She kinda looks like an optical illusion dosen't she. Really it is a complicated series of intricate stitches.. Yah Right! I am full of it and you all know it.

Super simple pattern - Once I figured out how the pattern was supposed to have been written... slight error in the writing. I did have to Google the zigzag lace stitch pattern for the missing instruction. I did notice while writing this today the pattern author Lucinda Campbell posted the errata on her pattern page.

I did this in MacKintosh sock yarn called Witching Hour...I really just bought it for the name ;)

Love the color too..I think it is appropriate for this project don't you? It did end up being a great TV project too. See...I am getting the hang of that whole lace knitting thingy.

Pretty hot looking isn't she!! Yep...NOT that I have worn it yet, just waiting for the right ...erm ...weather, or...accessory?

Moving right along...

Moving forward, a couple more projects I completed while I was MIA.

Katy Scarf was a kit I purchased last year at Stitches, started and put away because it is beaded and beads get heavy to work with and I got lazy. On this one the beads had to be strung onto ribbon yarn. Of course I was constantly pushing the beads back because obviously, you use more beads than yarn.. low and behold...then damn yarn broke. So it sat for quite a while NOT being worked on. I finally started the whole thing over because I also discovered a dropped stitch somewhere along the line...grrrr , then realized somewhere in the move...(yup that is how long this one has been in the works,) I lost half the directions.

This scarf should be called Calamity, not Katy! It all turned out in the end, after I figured out how to make the end of the scarf look like the beginning part, one would never know I lost part deux of the directions. Which I naturally found about two weeks after I finished the scarf! Go Figure!

But...in any case, she is finally finished...and I will probably never do another ribbon yarn project again.

I enjoyed making the blue shawl so much that I tried my had at another one. This one is one skein of Knit Picks Shimmer. Loved this yarn! I used the basic shawl start from Clara's pattern and threw in some repeats of yo's and basically knit until I ran out of yarn. I did add a crochet border after the fact.

You can almost see the border in this picture.

Until next time...

I got the "Where are you?"

TN Dawn very nicely prompted me with a "Where have you been?" note recently. I do tend to lose track of time being on the graveyard shift. Not really a good thing I know, but I also just kinda didn't have anything to talk about. I hadn't done much knitting, or living, and frankly work has been boring as hell, so hence my absence. I have no idea how CA Dawn can write daily. I can barely function some days. ;)

Here is what I've been up to the last few weeks:

Mark's afghan is finally done the right way...It only took me three tries to get that final strip crocheted in the correct order! He is a patient man when it comes to stuff like this ( the only thing he is patient about...LOL) and his birthday surprise was only a month late!

Project scoop:

Pattern - Simple Squares - Double crocheted- loosely based on every other block afghan in the world.

Yarn- Lion Brand Jiffy

Hook - K

Size - 50 x 70

Mark had a tragedy during our last snow storm- I got this call

"Mary- (he calls me Mary) guess what I put around my neck this morning?"

"Umm - I dunno- what?" It's like 7:30 am on my Monday- I can't answer these trick questions!

" A rug"

"A rug?!?"

" Yah... A Rug"

So in real people speak- he accidentally washed his alpaca scarf with his jackets and, yup - you guessed it- It felted! And boy-hidy was he pissed!!

Naturally he asks- "How quick can you make me another one? By 4 o'clock today?"

Riiight!

Well since I had to order his yarn - more alpaca since that is now his favorite, I made the Emergency Muffler. It did only take me a day, however it was not that day but the next.

Project Scoop

Pattern- Marks Emergency Muffler- Simple garter stitch.

Yarn- Left over Lion Brand Jiffy from the afghan

Needle- Size 9

Since I didn't measure it I can't give you that- I just hurried it over to the boy's house since he was whining about having to buy a cheap scarf from the store. This from the man who would never wear one because real men don't wear scarves.

My ever-changing view

From my deck, I get to look at this view every day. I can't tell you how soothing it is. Just a little to the left or right, houses spoil the illusion that there is nothing else out there. But this draws my eye every time.

Twice now in the last two weeks I told myself I would take off for a day trip to Starved Rock that never happened. I used to make this small pilgrimage several times a year, but in the last few years I let work get in the way of that. Which is a shame since it is one of all time my favorite places to visit.

Last week work got in the way because I had worked so many extra hours, and I was just too tired to go anywhere- translate to- I slept away my days off. This week again work got in the way- shift changes equaled one real day off, which I spent cleaning...blah! Next week for sure I am going! I'm worried if I wait too long I will miss the color changes. Nothing more beautiful than the arrival of fall in my mind.

My Noro striped scarf is finished. I am not one for blocking a scarf so I draped it on the deck rail to dry, soon realized that if I left it there I risked having it blow away so I had to move it indoors.

I'm still plugging away at my sock and occasionally my wimple, but my mind is racing head to a matching hat.

You move your car first!

I rarely do this, but at the Mall the other day I found a parking spot right up front in the second row in front of Bed Bath and Beyond. Generally speaking I park as far away from other people as possible. Having spent so many years living with a man that always parks in the back 40, it is pretty much second nature to me to hike my way through the parking lot.

This particular day, however I whipped into a closer-and more crowded spot. I really don't like when other people park next to me, I am not a big fan of door dings you see and I find most people are ignorant in public places. Coming out of the store with my cart full of my sale bounty I run into a couple who was trying to force a baby carriage through the barricade opening. Really??Laughing at the dad I tell him "hey, if you just walk 10 feet that way it will fit". But no, He was trying to prove a point... What ?? that he was too lazy to walk the 10 feet?? I'm thinking.

As I walk to my car the parking lot sharks are circling...I take my time and stow everything into the trunk, as a car waits for my spot, looking at me like I am wasting her time. Now that really tweaks me! I turn around, give the driver my best disparaging look and continue to sloooowly rearrange my trunk, muttering to myself.

Really?? You can't drive you lazy ass over two freakin rows?? and you're going to look at me like I am wasting you're time??? Piss off!

( I understand now how it is I hear so many altercation calls at the Mall over the police band) I take my time putting the cart way ( it is my day off after all, and shopping is my therapy), and leisurely get into my car, make my self comfortable and turn to back out and that lazy biotch is too close for me to get out!

Are you kidding me??? I put my car in park and waited.

Naturally we have the stare down, and eventually she backs up to give me room ( I got all day honey). Don't mess with me today, it's been a baaad week at work and I am not in the mood for your ignorance!

I slowly drive out of the parking lot and back to my sanctuary.

Given the ugliness of my work week, it is no wonder I did so much knitting! My Noro Stripe scarf seems to be growing by leaps and bounds and is nearly finished. I have to agree with TNDawn, it is not a comfortable yarn to with, definitely on the scratchy side, but the end results are worth it. And it does wash up very soft. I find that using two Noro colors is a bit of a pain however, they like to grab onto each other and I am constantly untangling them.

But like I say, the end result is worth it!

My lace wimple is even growing! I am taking my time with this one since I am not a lace knitter and really need to pay attention to what I am doing...

This is my favorite this week. I dug out a ball of yarn I bought early in the year, from Zen Garden, Artwalk sock club. You might remember this one, Petunia. I couldn't find a sock pattern I liked for this yarn so I improvised. Ya'll know how I like to improvise. Not that I am a pattern designer or anything like that, But I am really pleased with how this sock turned out. I think the slip stitch pattern is just enough to shake up the colorway so.

Hope everyone had a Happy Gobble Gobble Day

Thanksgiving was wonderful. It was so nice to finally have everyone together again, It has been way too many years. Nephew Mike made the best pumpkin pie ever!! Of course the turkey was excellant as always. Every year Sarah brings me a plate of food since I always work on Thanksgiving, and I always tell her make sure you bring me some of Allie's cranberry sauce. This year as the cranberry dish was being passed, I looked at my niece Allie and said " Al..did you make the sauce?" She gives me this stunned look then quicky masked it and "yes!"... Hmmm Methinks she tells Auntie a big fat fib! Of course her brother immediately rats her out to say Allie hasn't made the cranberry sauce in four years. WHAT!!! I have bamboozeled??  Well Ocean Spray was tastey but just not the same.  Cheeky kids!

Naturally I took some fantastic grainy pictures with my wonderful camera phone.

Why my camera phone you ask?? Well because I charged my camera battery, cleared the memory card and promptly left it sitting on the desk. And it seems I was not the only one who forgot their camera. Sarah forgot hers too. Infact no-one took pictures. 

Yup... that was it... I got one of Raine, everyone sitting and the dark family room watching a movie, and nephew Bill looking very thirsty at the table.  I only had enough room on my phone for those three pictures because the memory was too full...Oh yah! I was sooo prepared!

I know-I know I was the one that said  don't forget to charge your camera batteries...well I didn't forget to charge it, just take the damn thing with me.

I had plenty of battery to take this picture of my finished boot socks today. Washed-dried and ready for the snow fall we are supposed to have on Sunday.

And doesn't Baby Brodie look cute in Mark's Mossy Muffler???  (I just loved all those M's)

I finished this tonite while I sat at Kelps  house watching them decorate the Christmas tree. I now have it washed and laid out to dry.

I don't plan on having a tree this year, Brodie is too young and since I gave my big ass tree to the Kelp n Twig, I decided to give my big ornaments to Sarah, so No Black Friday crap for me...nuh huh... no way, no how! Sarah and I went through Christmas decorations instead and I got to make more room in my closets :) 

I could sure go for some Taco Bell right about now, I think it might be safe to go out now.

Double The Fun

My boot socks are almost done. I finished the first one the other night and even managed to talk myself through the kitchener stitch with out help from the book. It only took me a dozen pairs of socks to make it stick in my head. Yes that firs sock is a little stretched out from my fat foot, and yes it is a little on the big side. I am thinking maybe the next pair I might have to use fewer stitches. This one was 52 on size 3's, but I think 48 would be a better fit since the yarn is a much bigger gauge than I usually use for socks. (Gauge??? Who checks gauge???)

And since I have sooo much of this yarn, and since the boy asked me if I had his scarf, which I probably do and can't find, I decided to make him a new scarf - apparently he now sees the wisdom in scarf wearing after all these years. This one should make for a nice toasty scarf for Bingo walking.

Simple moss stitch with double stranded Andean Treasure

Size 10 1/2 needles
Last year I weeded out my closet and gave my winter coats to the homeless shelter intending to buy a new coat this year. I found myself freezing my patutie off these last couple of weeks walking Brodie. Yesterday I was on a quest to find a super warm coat. I finally found one at Kohls last night, 50% off plus another 10% off that...Life is good!!! Unfortunately they did not have any warm coats that covered my butt, but at least the wind doesn't go through it (the coat not my butt) and it sure beats that little windbreaker thing I've been wearing.  Brodie however seems to think the hood is some kind of new toy because he keeps trying to grab the fur.

Oh yeah... and I did finally find Kelpy's birthday present. I started with the unlikely places and found it in the linen closet...of all places. I must have hid it there when she was coming over...LOL

I bought this at an Esty shop and it is absolutely even more beautiful in person. The wood is so smooth it is like glass. I think I am going to get one for myself too.

Brodie got a new toy too yesterday. Auntie Kelpy and Uncle Twiggy bought him a new stuffy to play with and it's not even Christmas yet. A little white wooly puppy dog from Milkbone. These things are so well made that their dogs haven't unstuffed them yet and they've had them for a year. Right now his running all over the house with his new baby in his mouth.

See... I am not the only one that spoils him.

Did you know...

That Doctor Oz says dark chocolate is good for you skin? So I looked it up on Web MD and they didn't say anything about making your skin look good but they did say that dark chocolate can reduce high blood pressure (ya know - one of those double blind study things). And not to leave it at that I also checked Diabetes Heath and they said it helps control blood glucose levels as well as reducing cholesterol! SWEET! Guilt free chocolate!!! Diabetics Rejoice!

I did wonder why it was that I could have a piece of dark chocolate and have no ill effects from it but any other candy (like my favorite gummy bears) make me want to crawl right back into bed. 

...just thought I'd share that.

Brodie tried to help me with this scarf and I had to re-weave the whole thing! Since I had been procrastinating on the sewing segment of this project, I guess I deserved that one. Once I had it woven again, I sewed elastic thread through the cords to hold it together. This one is now in the hand wash pile!

I finished my Alien Scarf too while I was off. It isn't a very long one like I usually make, but since I bought the yarn over a year ago I figured getting the same dye lot would be impossible. Especially since a Raveler contacted me about buying what I had in my stash. it is wide enough and long enough to tie around my neck so allgood. 

Having finished that alien was enough to give me leave to finally start my jacket kit that I bought from Philosophers Wool. I have to say, their directions leave a lot to be desired. They give you this great photo of a completed set, you buy it because you really like the colors, then they give you bare basic directions and no color schematics! WHAT THE HELL! 

So here I am with 8 different colors and have to figure out my own color scheme. I am not what you'd call a math wizard. but I am opting for the Fibonacci method of striping and hoping it works out ok.