Knitting and Reading

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I am trying to get motivated to do more knitting, it is a struggle.  I don't want to be working on the same project month after month.  There is supposed to be progress, right? :)

This month I needed success in getting something, anything finished.  To that end I knit two Top This Hat.  These were quick easy knits.  The black and white was a toddler size and the pink is a small adult.  These were fun little knits and satisfied my need to finally get something done.

These were knit on size 9-16 inch circular and then double point needles.  

Circular Needles:  Yarnology Brand purchased at Hobby Lobby

Double Point:  Crystal Palace Bamboo Needles.

The current project I am working on is a baby blanket for a boy that is going to be born way sooner than I am ready for him to be here, but time does not wait for knitters to finish their projects so I need to kick it in gear.  

It is a gradient Blanket. 

Yarn:  Feza Hand-dyed Baby Yarn purchased from Yarnology in Winona, MN

Needles:  Addi Turbo Lace, Size US 3, 24 inch.

I love the look on this blanket but I can't say I love the yarn. It is not a tight ply so is very difficult not to have the threads split.  I was going back and fixing all the split yarn but decided unless it was really noticeable to just fore go this, it was just taking far too long.  When you have a yarn that splits as much as this one did you have to have extremely sharp needles like lace needles.

As for reading I am currently reading A Higher Loyalty by James Comey.  I am keeping an open mind, trying to evaluate what he is putting down in context of how our government should perform and reality. 

The other book I am trying to finish but am having a little difficulty because it just hasn't grabbed me like some other books do is The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George.  I know it has been a bestseller in other countries for quite some time,  I want to finish as I am over halfway done.  The struggle is real with this book.  Amazon has it at a price that is really inexpensive.  

Orchids

I am a huge lover of orchids, not that I live in the right climate, or that I have a lot of variety of orchids available.  For the longest time I would purchase them at various places, Wal-Mart or grocery store, with blooms, the blooms would fall off and then.....nothing.  That has all changed I am excited to say.  Apparently when it got really cold here, -40 type cold, the orchids went dormant and now are reblooming.  Super excited.  I need to do a little more research as I am keeping them by a window which gets the afternoon light but is still a little chilly.  When we went to Key West this past summer orchids were perched in the trees which was amazing. 

Another plant  has three shoots with buds on it so that one will be loaded.

Waiting for spring, getting seed and flower catalogs in the mail which makes you yearn for warmth and color.  Soon, I keep telling myself.

Knitting on a baby blanket.  My niece is having a little boy so I hope to get this done before he goes to college.  Should be able to it is an easy enough knit.  Will show a picture when it is done.

Woodworking

Sam ordered a lathe about 5 days ago and it finally got here. He doesn't know it yet as he is working. I went to bring it in the house as UPS only puts it on the steps. It's so heavy I can't lift it so it is going to get snowed on (actually I'll put a bag over it).  The weather is beautiful today but is snowing, the weather yesterday was nasty but no snow. I guess we can't have it both ways. When we were talking the other night he was lamenting the fact that he wished he would have spent more time with my dad working on the lathe. You try to tell them when they are teenagers but they seem to know everything and are too busy for the things that really matter.

Finished the book Rescue last night, it was pretty good, not fantastic.  Listed it on e-bay this morning.  Next book to read is The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer.

Tomorrow I am supposed to be paid, we'll see if that happens. They hold our checks until we have turned in all our equipment. I sent mine last Friday, they definitely should have it by now.

Yesterday I finished a sock and started the second one. Pictures will come later when they are both done.

I ordered The Tasha Tudor Cookbook, received it this week and made pancakes this morning. The kids loved them. There are many great recipes so it will be fun to experiment with them.

Yarn Along and Book

This week I'm joining Ginny for her weekly Yarn Along in the hope of keeping myself motivated.  I am really trying to finish up some UFOs before starting new projects but at the same time trying not to buy a whole lot of yarn as I have so much, too much.

Last night I finished a quickie washcloth. Today I hope to finish the toes on this sock (generic pattern) and start the 2nd one. The sock will either be for Dan or for a Christmas present.  Rescue so far as been a great book, will finish tonight and then list on E-bay.  Finally I am finally to the point of getting rid of books right after I'm done with them rather than shelving them.  Plus getting a little money back to buy another book is always nice.

Washcloth:
Yarn:  Cotton Ease; Color: Maize
Needles:  Fiddle head Glass Needles; Size 6

The coordinator of our department called today. It took all I had to be civil to her.  I guess I am still a little miffed.

Unemployed

Welcome to 2011. Although I am still in my sarcastic state of mind about having my job outsourced it really is okay. Living in North Dakota has the benefit of having jobs available, many jobs. I find it ironic that employers think you are going to be fantastically eager to go work for the company that is helping to eliminate your job, especially when they pay 1/2, you heard right, 1/2 of what you are currently making. I think it is time to look for a different career, maybe go back to school, we'll see. I knew it was coming, gut instinct, so am really not surprised. Truly thought I would be more upset and angry. Honestly my thoughts are with my coworkers who do not have the options North Dakota brings.  Florida and Georgia are not great states to be looking for a job. The biggest hassle is insurance. Insurance runs through the end of the month so baby it is time to get it done. Meds filled, teeth cleaned, any dental work done, eyes checked, new glasses  or contacts, no problem it is covered.

Danielle got his wisdom teeth pulled today and is doing well. She is a little swollen and groggy from the "good meds".

The rest of the week is supposed to be beautiful in the 30s. We deserve it after having -30, -40, etc for about a week. It is brutal.  This has already been a really hard winter and the typically hardest months are still to come.

One more day of work and I'm done. My typical way of coping is to make plans on what I want to get done shortly after the change. The list is made and we'll see what develops. I may have the cleanest house in town. Actually with a 2 year old in the house I'm sure that is not going to be the case! Maybe I'll even get some knitting done.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

What an eventful week. New grandson is home and doing well, as is mama.  Tina said he sleeps more during the daytime than at night, so we'll see how that goes.

We are having a horribly rainy day which we are hoping beyond belief will not turn into any of the snow the Midwest has gotten. Mom, you guys can keep it. I have traveling coming up!!

Spent about 4 hours last night knitting Chris a hat for Christmas, about 2/3rds done.  When finished I will take a picture with my new handy dandy Canon. It has been fun trying the different settings and learning what to do. Still would love to take a class and get better.

Finally It Looks Like Christmas

Finally, finally, finally we got some snow.

I love New England stone fences.

I love how the house looks all decorated with snow.  The tracks in the driveway are mine, I shoveled the whole darn thing.  Took two hours. Who needs the gym? It is snowing again tonight so tomorrow may be a repeat.

Our lane in the quiet of the morning when the sun was trying to rise.

Okay, last picture.... (of snow)

Lots of hungry little birds. I had already scared some away unfortunately.

Finally finished one of Alex's gifts (Tina's unborn)

Kind of silly but I had fun with it. The mitten pattern was actually from a WorkBasket magazine from the 1960s.  Since they are in Florida I made this out of sock yarn so it wouldn't be too warm.  The baby sleeper has 3 buttons sewn on but I need to go back to JoAnn's and get more of the bigger buttons. I made the buttonholes to large so rather than sew them partly shut I just decided to use bigger buttons. It looks cute.

Danielle is winding down school, two weeks left. She will then have to take a class starting at the end of January, on-line, and will receive her diploma in May. I am so pleased she decided to do this.  AJ, her husband, is coming on Thursday and they are all leaving a week from Friday to spend the holidays in North Carolina.  Then I have to clean like a crazy person to get the house ready.

Treasures - Now what to do with them.

A couple of weeks go Danielle and I went to an estate sale of a gentleman who was going into an assisted living facility. He was a quilter. It was the second day of the same and they were up for bargaining so I offered $20 after some negotiating for a table full of fabric and three buckets full. Tonight I went through the smallest bucket. It was interesting to say the least.  The following are some of the "treasures" I found.

I love this fabric. I thought I only had this little piece but it turns out I have about a yard.  I was thinking some neat pillows but Danielle suggested an apron. That would be perfect.

Mom (or anyone actually) this is the sleeper for Tina's baby. What color buttons?  The lighter flecks are almost a blue-purple, there is yellow, there is black, there is an olive green -- any ideas? This was not in the estate sale find.

I really like this but there is not really enough to do anything with. I want to google and find out about the Schumacher brand.

This fabric isn't anything special, a heavy cotton but I thought it was interesting that it had the date purchased. June 1956. I wasn't even born yet.  I wonder how much it cost, there was no receipt.

The is a rug hooking design. I'll pass this on as I really don't want to get into rug hooking, weaving yes, hooking no.  It is very detailed and very big.

Homemade tatted lace (I think) and buttons that are really unusual. They just look like pearlized buttons but they are really heavy and have very small cuts in the outer circle.  They of course are fabulous as is the lace.

Stencils, I'm not sure what for. Are they for quilting?

Embroidery table runner. I'll probably finish this. The DMC floss is with it so I have the colors that it was started with. It is long and has the same pattern on the other end. One side is a little discolored but I'm hoping that will come out with some special soap.

and Last but not least:

Of course blogger or my picture is giving me trouble. The last picture was a big bag full of various embroidery thread (I think), not DMC but almost thin cording. Some of it feels like cotton, some feels like linen. Also there are 5 spools of heavy cotton thread that I will be able to use for weaving rugs, mostly in white but also a tan and purple cone.

Danielle doesn't have school tomorrow night due to Veteran's Day being observed so will go to knitting and sew up the baby hat, it ended up being great. When I have it sewn and the flowers attached I'll take a picture. The yarn was fabulous to work with.

Working Day

The weather was beautiful today so Danielle and I worked outside while John slept. She stacked wood for the next cold evening so we can build a fire. I worked in the garage getting things back on the shelving units and off the floor. Also am continuing to go through boxes and have 6 boxes of donation stuff. There never seems to be an end to the sorting and pitching. So much waste it is pitiful.

Yesterday was a cooking day. Baked Spaghetti squash, made applesauce muffins, bisquits and cookies. For supper we had chicken pot pie which was a hit except it takes forever for John to eat when he has to pick out all the green and orange vegetables. He is meticulous with his separating out of all vegetables. Crazy kid.  He loves V8 fusion which are his vegetable servings. 

Listed 5 items on E-bay. I need to get going with that again. I'd like my PayPal account to get $200 in it again so I can transfer it to savings. 

Finished Alexander (Tina's unborn) bunting sleeper and it is so cute. I am washing it and blocking tonight, hopefully will have pictures (it still needs buttons but all the knitting is done). Also finished A.J.'s grandmother's scarf for Christmas, a pair of brown mittens for John and a dishcloth. Now I need to hurry and get our minister's baby sweater and hat done, she is due in 9 days. I'm positive it will not get done in time but will still be usable when she does get it. 

Dan said it was in the 60s in ND today, was probably in the 50s here in CT. I'm ready to get home. This has been a good productive time but it has been long enough.

A couple weeks ago I got the best book, The Backyard Homestead. Fabulous reference book and exactly the type of lifestyle I want. Now I just have to convince my husband, surprisingly it probably won't be that difficult.

Rhinebeck

Had a great time at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival this year (Rhinebeck).  Worked on Saturday with a friend and went back on Sunday to view the booths and animals.

I love this one. How in the world can he see.

It was lunch time, so hay in the hair.  

There faces are so soft. This one let me pet him.

I tell you they are so cute, I want one as a pet.

Taking a walk through the crowd.

Now onto the treasures.

This is really pretty yarn, the picture stinks. It is white with blue shades and silver metallic thread running through it. These socks are for me.  Ice Bear Holiday Yarns

Again, picture not great but I have wanted this kit for the longest time. Again, these socks are for me.

Kitri Check it out here much better picture. The beading on the black is what I really like.

You can never have too many sheep coffee mugs.

and finally,

These are glass needles, they are beautiful. I saw them 3 years ago and really wanted a pair then. I love the fiddlehead on the end. They are a dream to knit with.  Knitting Needle Company Super nice people also.

That is enough to show. I promised mom I wouldn't go overboard, so what she doesn't know about is probably a good thing.

Anyway had a good time, hopefully it won't be my last. In two weeks is Stitches East in Hartford, another big shopping event for which I "need" nothing. Next weekend Danielle, John and I are going to the CT Renaissance Faire. Hope we have great weather, it is kind of it and miss lately. Today was beautiful and was in the 70s, perfect day to be walking around the fair grounds. I think the next weekend we will just crash. We have wood to clean up from a tree we had cut down, yard to mow, the house needs cleaning, etc, but the running around is so much more tempting.

The one good thing about events like this is the motivation to start all kinds of new projects. Actually I'm not quite so sure if that is good or not, for me it is all good.

Great Thrifty Finds

This was the find of the weekend. A Martha Pullen Pleater for $7. They are $160 new. I'm not sure it has ever been used. Now I have to find some books and information and learn how. I love the magazine Sew Beautiful, they always have beautiful pleated children's wear.

Not sure what happened here but there are 4 balls of the blue and 3 balls of the black/white yarn. It is cotton, it was soft, it was only $.50 each so got it. I'm sure what to do with it yet, any suggestions?

Christmas knitting has begun as well as baby knitting. Tina is due in about a month, as is my minister's wife, as is a friend from North Dakota. Found out this week that the assistant minister's wife just found out she is expecting.

Last night's pictures

So last night came and went. I need to stop saying when I will post stuff as it never happens.

Here is the woven scarf.

Yarns used: Nature Spun in Black and Fleece Artist Hand dyed in Nyoni. There is enough of the hand dyed to do a pair of socks for John or one of the new babies on the way.

And the dishcloth

Needles: Size 4 bamboo
Yarn: Ugly left over Sugar & Cream

The garden was tilled today so will have to rake out any clumps and any weeds that got ground up.  Hopefully will get some stuff planted too. I'm going to wait until the sun goes down a bit, pretty warm right now.

Tomorrow the seniors are honored at Church and we have a potluck afterwards. I'm making a 7-layer salad and a rhubarb cake dessert. I haven't make the cake before but they are always good people to experiment with new recipes. Later that night we have the banquet for the seniors which is really the parents doing skits about their kids. It is kind of goofy.

Finishing

It always feels so good to finish something, doesn't really matter what but after you have put in time, it is nice to be done. If you are a list person you understand. I have a daily list, a monthly list, a yearly list and list to be done by the time I'm 50 (which is coming fast). Some lists have the same things on them so it is a double or triple cross-off, those are great.  Just crossing it off gives you a feeling of accomplishment.

I am done with school. My last grade posted for Composition and it was an A, so my GPA is a 4.0 and has been for a while. This really makes me feel good. This is a 3 list accomplishment, month, year, and 50. I have also finished weaving my second scarf, (pictures tonight, right now it had a bath and needs to dry) and I really like it. There is still work to do be done to be more consistent on the edges but I'm getting better. This is on the month and year list.  Also I finished and dishcloth that was on the monthly list.  My sock is coming right along, I am working on the heel although I seriously doubt I will get it done this weekend.

Tonight Dan is staying in Bismarck after a meeting in Fargo. He is tired. Sam is going to work. One of the banks in town is have a 100th anniversary. I need to make an appearance, besides it will be a good time.

Last night I went to quilting for the first time in probably a year, it was fun. It is nice to just pick up as if you never had left the group. Also was talking to a friend who lives two doors down from quilting and she is pregnant, third child. So now Tina is due December 1st, minister's wife (Kate)  around Thanksgiving, and Sandy is due beginning of November. Knitting baby stuff is fun so I'm happy.

The weather is perfect, mid 70s, sunny, slight breeze. Honestly could not be better.

Have a great weekend.

Hat done

John's hat is done and turned out pretty cute. Hopefully he will still have time to wear it.

I need a baby to try things on, a lamp just isn't the same. This little one would do, she is gorgeous (go to January 7th entry).

Finished shopping for Audrey and John's Easter baskets, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, trucks, Zuzu pets, jelly beans. I miss my kids being little, I want a do over.

Today was beautiful, warm, sunny, water running and dripping everywhere. It is wonderful.

This weekend will be full of studying, writing papers, ironing work shirts, laundry and cleaning. Only about 7 weeks left.

Weaving weekend

This weekend of weaving was wonderful. This is the scarf I finished during the class. Sam claimed this as soon as I showed it to him.

Close-up of weave.

Warp: Merino 2/6 Fleece Artist (hand dyed)
Weft: Nature Spun, Blueberry

After this was done I warped for another scarf.

The warp colors are green/black varigated and I am going to weft with black. The yarn that is woven at this point is waste  yarn. The look is a Beka loom that the owners of the Yarnery make and obviously sell at their store. (Don't look at the floor, it is horrible)

Some other goodies purchased on this trip:

This is Crazy Zauberball sock yarn. It will be fun to see how it knits up. Sorry for the blur.

Also:

 This is Cotton Ease in Maize. The picture looks more orange than yellow but in actuality the color is more yellow than orange. I thought it would make a stuffed duck for John for Easter.  We'll see if it gets done in time. Okay somehow this got totally screwed up. Hate when that happens.

This is what I won at the Rowan 30th Anniversary at the Textile Center. It was a great time. Met some really nice people and Kris met me for the presentation. (four skeins of Kidsilk Aura, plus the bag -- I love bags).

03/02/2010

I am really trying not to buy yarn but had a coupon, so went to Hobby Lobby and bought some wool.  What can I say I am weak.  Anyway, John is getting a hat and mittens from it.  So far the hat is done except for the ties, it is washed and is blocking in the picture below.

The tweedy look is fabulous.

Specs:
Pattern: Basic Earflap Hat - www.heyjulie.wordpress.com
Yarn: Fishermen's Wool (Hobby Lobby)
Needles: Addi Turbo 16" Size US 7; Susan Bates, Metal, Size 7 double points

Today the mail was great, we got the new Midwest Living and the new Piecework magazine. There is an article about  the Weave-It loom. Mom gave me one of these probably about 38 or so years ago and being the pack-rat that I am it is still in my cache of crafty things. I love this magazine, love the history of the pieces.

Finished another yearly goal - Savings goal reached locally at the Credit Union. I have a savings account that is on-line and my investment accounts but wanted to have some cash locally. This was saved from miscellaneous sources, not paychecks, i.e. E-bay sales, rebates, that kind of stuff.  Yeah - another one goal reached.

Happy March

Sam finally got home from a basketball game, we won. We have pretty good teams in a lot of sports.

Happy March !!.  It is supposed to warm up this week, in the 40s and then snow maybe this weekend. It can't snow I have to drive to St. Paul for my weaving class. So excited.

I don't know why it has taken so long for the birds to find our feeders this year. But finally they have arrived.

This woodpecker was huge and yes I went out and filled the other bird feeder.

On the knitting front here are two pictures of a blanket I sent to John about a year ago. It was so squishy soft.

Obviously one side patchwork and one side has stripes. The pink is a darker rose color.  Unfortunately I don't remember any of the specs for this one.  Anyway I hope he liked it.

Not much today but another washcloth

Finished this today. I enjoy beginning to see some spaces in my storage containers from finishing up projects.

The color is most correct in the 2nd picture.

Specifications:
Pattern: Monthly Dishcloth Group
Yarn: Either Peaches N Cream or Sugar N Cream - Light Blue
Needles: Size 6 metal.

I did get my paper done finally. I hate writing papers. Only 10 more weeks of school until I have my Associates Degree, can't wait.