update

I have been out of sorts lately due to my IBS flareups. I've been fatigued and lethargic. I force myself to function despite my foggy mind, but its frustrating. It keeps me from doing things like updating my blogs. I am afraid of blogging unclear and confused thoughts.
I have been unable to attend any of the SnB meetings because of work. It makes me very unhappy, especially because I have a project that needs the professional insight of my fellow knitters. I was unable to finish all of my christmas projects this season, probably because I contiously added people to my list. I am working steady to finish hats and scarves. My family needs them.
Speaking of family, my cousin came home from the Navy for the holidays. I asked my grandfather to give his "too small beanie" to my cousin. My grandfather was chaffed by the idea, despite the fact that it was to small for him. I reminded him of the new beanie that I am knitting and he still huffed. Oh well, what more can I do?
My nephew loved his hat and scarf set. I was so surprised by his excitement. I Had left my camera at my moms house so I was unable to take a picture of him. I will get a picture later. I don't want to offend my nephews vainity. He looked unkept from being in bed for two days after surgery. The scarf was in the washroom drying from being blocked anyway. Speaking of my mom, while at the hospital waiting room, I decided to teach my mom how to knit. I came tho find out she already knew how to knit. Previously, she told me she didn't know how, and that she only crocheted. My shock turned imediately into anger. She lied to me. She didn't wan't to knit her own poncho so she influenced me knit it. That's OK. Her poncho goes to the bottom of the list. If she wants it sooner, she will just have to knit it herself!
I am unraveling the sparkle hat from the SnB book. I knitted the crown wrong. That's why it look too round at the top. DUH!
gotta go buh bye!

beanie bummer

Well My grandfather was gracious enough to model the beanie I sent him. Too bad it doesn't fit. He did say, "It was a nice hat tho' but how about two more inches?" Oh well, back to the yarn store :(

My best friend the Mailman

My Lana Grossa yarn came in the mail November 28th. It took a long time to get to me because it was sent from Germany. It's not what I expected but it's beautiful anyway. I will probably buy from them again in the future. They sent the Basic pattern book also. It's in German. I need to find a translator. My pattern was sent with a translation. It's still hard to understand. I will have to concentrate. Here is what I got Lana Grossa Model .
Here is where I got it Ebay
Here is the website. WWW.WollFactory.de
I can't upload pictures because my internet is down. I will have new project pics and soon as I am able.

Greetings!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Maji's Ski Cap

One down and three to go!

Update

I've been away for a few days. I've been too busy to use my work teminal to update entries and my home computer was not functioning properly. I had to reinstal windows. It's very time consuming. I have to download all of my programs and general settings. I am not able to upload any new pictures until I download my camera programs. I also have to pack all my stuff, so I finally move this Saturday. But amazingly, I still find time to knit. I am working on a new beanie. I wanted to start on my poncho but I packed my knitting instructional video tape. It will have to wait until after the move. Here are a few new pics that I uploaded last week. Pictures

Work Table

Here is the work table that I need. My cooworker Jeff and I will make it. I got the plans from Ebay. SPACE SAVING SEWING TABLE PLAN

Double Thursday

I finished my niece's ski hat and scarf set. It was difficult to block the scarf flat due to the fact that I used stockinette ST. It turned out OK. I know she will love it. I made her a bracelet and I need to finish the charm for her necklace. Then I will ship it. It is about 62 degrees in KC today so, it's not too cold yet. I have a little more time.
I almost finished my grandfather's beanie last night. I was decreasing the crown when I noticed a patch of loose stitches that turned out to be an error. I unraveled it halfway down. I will probably finish it at work today. I don't think he will like it. It's the beanie from the SnB book. It's a younger, less sophisticated style of beanie that covers the ear. My grandfather likes ball caps, Kangol Fedoras, and Billy hats. However, I think he will wear my beanie because I made it and because he's partial to warm wooly things. I still haven't gotten my grey wool military blanket back. He better be glad I can knit myself a new blanket! SHoot!
Anyway, I will knit my nephew's ski hat and scarf set next, while finishing other projects. My mom is still waiting for and orange poncho. **SIGH** I guess I will start looking for orange yarn on ebay. Thank goodness, my sister just wants a heating pad for Christmas! Her beaded charm bracelet and difusser oils, that she also asked for, are already packaged for shipping.

I finished the Sparkle hat from The SnB book. I don't like it. It doesn't look like the hat in the book. The hat in the book must be a slighly different pattern. I am sorely dissapointed. I will probably give it away, so It doesn't constantly remind me of how much I'm unhappy with it. **SIGH AGAIN**

Sashay Shante'

I got this from Aromatherapy For Dummies. I think it's a nice recipe for my yarn bin. I just have to reaquaint myself with the scent of Lavender. I need to get a few things from Lotions and Potions anyway.


Sashay Away Moth "Balls"

As a safe alternative to mothballs, you can make your own herbal sachets to fend off clothes moths. (Commercial mothballs have an unpleasant odor and can discolor the very clothing they protect. Even worse, they contain some very potent — and potentially poisonous — chemicals, naphthalene and Para dichlorobenzene.)
Toss these sachets into your storage chest or drawers and hang them on ribbons from your clothes hangers:
Sashay Away Moth "Balls"
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 moth repellent sachets
1/4 cup dried lavender flowers
10 drops lavender oil
10 drops Cedar-wood oil
8 fabric squares, each about 6 inches square
8 pieces of string (or ribbon), 8 inches long
1. Add the essential oils to the lavender flowers.
2. Place the scented lavender in a glass jar for a day or so to give the scents from the essential oils time to permeate them.
3. Lay out the 6 fabric squares with the design (or outside) facing down.
4. Place a heaping teaspoon of the scented lavender on each piece.
5. Bring the edges of the fabric together and tie with the string.
6. Place your "moth balls" in with your woolens.

DREAMLAND

I had a really creepy dream last night about bugs. I fell asleep watching Stargate SG1 which probably didn't help. I went like this ---> I was on living another planet when it was suddenly swarmed by insects. They had narrow stick like black bodies with long black dragonfly wings. They had long black needle like protrusion where a nose would be. They chased me around the metropolis area as I tried to evacuate and save other people. After the last person was sent away, It was time for me (and a conspicuous partner)to leave the planet. I was climbing into the vehicle when I made a horrifying discovery. I was infected with bug eggs. They were under my skin in three neat little rows of tiny black eggs. It looked like sideways norplant or sideways barcode. The bugs weren't poisonous. They were just a major nuisance. My arm itched like crazy and I tried to scrape out the eggs with a pocket knife. But anyway, that's when I woke up. I would have rather dreamed of being a crazed knitter loose in this yarn shop. PURLSOHO.COM
**SIGH**

pictures

I'm still sleepy. But I manage to get a few things done. I updated my picture page on my website. It needs improvement, but it's a start. Pictures

This is duplicate entry.Away so long. I don't know where to start. I am on a double shift today and it's getting hard to stay awake. UGH!I found a new apartment near the Biltmore area. It is 1,026 square feet, has two bedrooms two baths, garage, fireplace, pool and spa on the property. I am so happy! The second bedroom will be my office/workroom. I can't wait. I have so many projects to complete. Best of all, I get away from my moronic roommate. I had to tell her a few things again this weekend. I had to tell her not to use me to agitate her friends. I don't want to be in the middle of her psycho antics. I had to remind her to keep the front door locked at all times and to be a little quieter after nine PM. I wake up at 0400 to get ready for work. She totally disregarded my concerns. But that's ok. The next time she leaves the door unlocked, she will have to find another place to sleep for the night. I will lock her out, by butting a chair under the doorknob. Halloween was fun. I was a Martini. I wanted to be the sexy Strawberry Shortcake but the costume was sold out everywhere. Anyway, I went to Jessica's Knits, in Scottsdale, for the first time on Friday. Sandra drove as I navigated the Yahoo map. It was a 34min drive, but we didn't get lost. The shop is charming and delightful. I wanted to stay and see everything. I bought a few skeins of Brown Sheep Bulky and two sets of DPNs. I gotta get back to work. Pics later.

UGH!

I have medicine head from overdosing on Nyquil last night. Thursday I felt myself coming down with a cold, so on the way home I stopped and pick up Nyquil. It worked. It got rid of my sore throat and body chills. But I have medicine head. All I want to do now is sleep. Too bad I'm at work.
I haven't added the buckle to my belt yet. Maybe I'll do that after work today. I was debating on hand sewing or machine. Machine will do nicely. I will get a nice line like other belts.
All of my other projects are coming along nicely.
I got my yarn yesterday from Serendipity. It's really nice. You won't believe the colors. I also got my Boye needle set. I don't know if I like them. I should've kept the package they came in just in case I didn't like them. I could put them up for auction on Ebay. I think I like the Denise needle set better anyway. Ebay seems to have competitive prices for Denise and Boye. We will see.
What I really need is a DPN set. I finally took a picture of my finished scarf. I am proud of this scarf. I was able to construct it quickly without any errors. I am satisfied with its design. Good, it stays. It took about 75 yards of yarn. I used Red Heart Classic in black. And Joann's brand eyelash in plum? Joann's eyelash comes only in a few colors.

Funny. It doesn't feel like TGIF

I had a good time (as usual) at the SnB meeting last night. I wish that I could have stayed longer. I was glad that Brooke's mom was there she gave me a few pointers on beginning a quilt. I was so pleasantly surprised. I probably should have pulled out my pen and took notes but I was in shock and awe. Everything she gave me made sense, so I doubt that I will forget it. But in the off chance that I will forget, I will just write it down here. She told me to be mindful of my seam allowances so my quilt squares will be even. I should press all of my seams toward the same square color, which means pressing them inward. I should only cut a few squares at a time, just in case I make a mistake on the size. This will prevent wasting material. But she stressed the importance of gauging the exact seam allowance for every square. She even suggested basting the squares together before machine sewing. She was very helpful. I am very grateful.
Yesterday Shannon Let me use her car. It helped a lot. I was able to get to the SnB meeting in a timely fashion. I'm very short on time these days. I was frustrated yesterday because Joann's didn't have the double d-rings for my belt. They had the wrong size and the wrong tone. It was a relief that Judy had just seen double d-rings at Michael's. I was just there before the SnB meeting and never thought to look for them. I just assumed Joann's would have them. I went by Michael's after the meetings and sure-nuf they were there, just the ones I needed. I am happy. I can finish my belt now. HEHE!
Back to work now.

OK...... I guess

I woke up this morning without much difficulty. I was able to take my time getting ready for work, but I still managed to put my underwear on inside out. I've decided to unravel the shrug. I will make it wider and shorter in ST st. I will need to decorate the edges. I am still thinking of a crochet edge along the neckline. I can't wait to undo it. I finished the Embrace scarf. I also finish and eylash scarf. It's a deep purple knitted with black worsted weight yarn. It turned out great. I will add a pic later. Here is the Embrace scarf modeled by me.

Whoa Nelly!

I just spent a lot of money today on yarn. I have spent about one hundred dollars on ebay. I will probably spend about thirty more. It will probably be enough for awhile. I think(Shrugs). I'm starting to wonder about my sanity. I have never spent so much money on any other hobby. I haven't gone shoe shopping although I really need a few pairs. I haven't made one purchase toward beefing up my fall wardrobe. I am having money withdrawn from my pay going towards savings. Thank goodness for that. But, I could use a little more going into my 401k. Sigh! I'm not done yet. This is probably the nail in my insanity coffin. I gave Shannon my Visa, so she could pick up more yarn for me today. What was I thinking? Well, I just hope she doesn't call me and give me the play by play at the yarn store. I'll be in real trouble if she uses the camera phone. Sigh! It's OK. I'll be alright. I just won't eat next week. I be too busy knitting to eat anyway!

MWAH! HA! HA!

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting
and do it all the time. While finishing a piece
is the plan, you still love the process, and
can't imagine a day going by without giving
some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation
involves leaving ample space for the stash and
supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn
ends and you begin.
marniemaclean.com


What Kind of Knitter Are You?
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Again HUH?

You are "turbo" charged.
Fast moving and classy, you get things done with
power and grace. Your expensive tastes can be
deceiving, since what you really value is
quality and efficiency. As you're careening
around those corners in life, finishing a dozen
knitted objects each month, stop and smell the
roses. Don't miss the beauty of process!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
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HUH?

I like this image better. I am using my own bandwidth at least.

You may not be a granny, but you've got the
mentality. Hard work and artistic vision lead
to your beautiful knitted results.


Are you a knitter?
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Quiz time

What Color is Your Brain?
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fth! fth!

I went to Phoenix Knitting and Needlepoint yesterday. I didn't know it closed so early. I was helping Sandra find yarn for her beginners project. We ended up at Joann's. They have a sparse collection. Empty handed and on the way out, we passed a yarn rack outside of the aisle. It just happened to be Joann's own yarn label. I was surprised. It's called Joann's Sensations. It's not bad. I found a nice plum eyelash and Sandra found a coupla bundles. We are making scarves.

Duh!

Last night on the way home from work, I re-read The Kitchener Stitch part in the SnB book. It says "when a pattern tells you to bind off your pieces, don't do it. Instead, put them on a stitch holder so you can graft them later." Well, I should have followed this advice when I made my Embrace Scarf. I did a horrible job joining the seams together trying to mattress stitch. Thank goodness the nubby yarn hides my bad stitches. I will not bind off a seam ever again. I will use the three-needle method to join seams together. It just makes more sense.

Quilt

I finally decided on my quilt pattern. It's going to be a snowball n' nine photo memory quilt. I cut the templates out already. I need to cut the clothes, sort the pieces and buy coordinating quilt fabric. In that order.

Patterns

I just bought the capelet pattern from NeedFul Yarns. I had to call Canada (toll free) and order direct. I also ordered a patternbook. They have a pattern that will need a special striping cotton yarn. I might have to pickup another overtime shift so I can afford the yarn. It should arrive next week. Canada has Thanksgiving Holiday next week so I hope it doesn't get here to late. I can't wait.

Capelet Galore

So many patterns, so little time. I wanna! I wanna! I wanna!

More capelet patterns: Knit Capelet with Crochet Trim (I gotta learn to crochet),
Round the Capelet, Needful Yarns Capelet

Where do I start?

Idea

I was thing about the caplet Valerie brought to the sNb meet on Monday. What if you use a poncho pattern and crop it? I have a poncho pattern on my project list. It should be easy to convert it to a capelet. Openwork Knit Poncho
Or maybe I will just look for a lacy caplet pattern. DUH!
OK, I have a better idea. Here is a lacy capelet pattern. I love this website. The projects are fun and easy to do. The example Valerie showed me had bigger holes and the yarn was fuzzy aran weight wool, but it's still less complicated than modifying a poncho pattern. I will keep looking.

Hum Drum

I wish I had my knitting in my hand right now. I am work but, I'd rather be knitting. Well I can at least shop online for yarn. YaY!

Tube Shrug

(Singing"Somewhere yarno ver the rain-bow I am Done!")



I like it , but not on me. My shoulders are too broad. It makes me look fat or should I say wide? I think it's the fold-over. The "doubled-ness" adds bulk. I tried to adjust the look by unrolling the fold-over. I looks better this way. But if I were to wear it without the fold-over, it would need a little embellishments around the top opening. HMnn.........Maybe a crochet ruffle in a contrasting texture and color?

Embrace Scarf

My scarf was not going well when these pictures where snapped. The pattern called for stockinette but I didn't like how it curled around the edges. So I stared over using garter stitch. It looks a lot better.
Now it's almost finished. I will post the final product tomorrow.

Stockinette and Garter

UGH!

I have been trying to blog all morning. I can't save template changes or comment on other blogs. This probably won't post either. SHOOT!

UGH!

I am trying to save the template changes to my blog, but it won't load. I can't comment on anyone else's blog either. I guess that I should updated my own blog. SHOOT!

UGH!

Daft!

I didn't leave enough yarn to bind-off my shrug. I have about 2inches to finish. I will try to use a bit of left over yarn to fix it. I feel like and idiot! My version of the Embrace Scarf is not going well. The stockinette stitch is not working. It curls along the edges. I restarted knitting it in garter and it looks ten times better. Pictures later.

Stitch marker

This is the result of my attemp to make an ornate stitch marker. It used to be a dangle earring. I redesigned it into a stitch marker. It needs a lot of improvement. I need a heavier wire gauge.

Notice

I don't actually use Blogger. I am a Livejournal user. I have had my Journal for about three years. I'd like to convert to Blogger, but I don't want to leave my LiveJournal family . So, click here to view my journal. Ginean.