Waiting.......

Well, my surgery for disc replacement in my neck has been postponed until next week. Everything happens for a reason so I'm trying to be patient. In the meantime, I started a new project. It's the Leaf T-Shirt by Melissa DeBarre. Haven't had much success with raglan sleeves but this is a dream cause it's knit top down. Best of all it's seamless.



With any luck, I'll complete the tee before next week. I still have two WIPs that need to get finished: the Tempest cardigan by Ann Weaver has always been one of my favorites and I'm pairing Miss Babs Swing Yarn (Chocolate Roses) with Creatively Dyed Yarn (Beaches) for a pink/brown combo. Lovin it.....the finished style is shown on the right.










My other WIP is a pair of socks that I began during the Olympics (hangs her head in shame). By the end of the games I had "second sock syndrome" so they've been lounging in the WIP pile ever since. Yarn is the Monsoon colorway from Socks That Rock from a swap with my cuz.


In the quest to finish what I start in 2010, these WILL be finished before I start another new project. By the way, hope all you frugal knitters have discovered that Tuesday Morning now carries discontinued yarns. Limited quantities, but nice stuff - and the inventory changes weekly. My latest great find was the Elsebeth Lavold Silky Cashmere......

Whoosh!

That's the sound of dust being blown off this blog.

As usual, work & life have kept me away. For the next 4 to 6 weeks that will change since I'll be homebound after disc-replacement surgery for my neck.

This past weekend was my last chance to kick up the heels for awhile & what better location then Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Aunt Eunice flew in from Ohio and Cousin Jen came from Illinois. Knitsis Debbie was kind enough to chauffer but Ava was feeling under the weather. Stood in an early line at Starbucks and waited in another line of traffic to enter the fairground but it was all worth it. Here are a couple pics (thanks to Jen & Facebook) of our adventure.






The heat was unbelievable but so were the deals. Tilli Thomas yarns have been calling my name (but not my pocketbook) since last year's Stitches expo. The great deals on the discontinued colors were worth the wait. I know I missed out on alot by the Ravelry reviews, but there's always next year. My mission was complete after getting my Signature circs. Here's the goodies.....



I'll post again soon after the surgery - send me lots of good vibes please.

Valentine Love

I just love Lola.........

What a Difference a Day Makes

Hi-five to all the young men who shoveled out the neighborhood driveways yesterday. Still waiting on the snowplows to semi-clear the street but it's great to see the sunshine today. What a difference a day makes:


This whole situation is a great testiment to tele-commuting. With the office closed for the last 4 days, I haven't seen my co-workers but we're still functioning via blackberry, the internet, and telephone to ensure things aren't falling too far behind. But enough of that stuff - on to the knitting........

No second sock syndrome here. Expect to finish the second "Yummy" today and making great progress to finish daughter's Every Way Wrap. It was supposed to be a Christmas present but with her birthday right around the corner, it's time to get it done.

Tomorrow starts the Olympics of Ravelry - aka Ravelympics 2010. I'm entering the Sock Hockey event. I'll be starting a new sock project during the Opening Ceremony and commit to having it completed by Closing Ceremony. Stay tuned for my pattern & yarn choices.

Happy Knitting!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Day 4 of the 2010 East Coast Snowdown. A girl could get used to this...... It's actually been a beautiful snow (from the living room window, of course). Yes, we've been without power for 7 - 8 hour stretches and I'm sad that we lost this tree in the backyard.



The good news is that my knitting is thriving. Thank goodness for stash (for all you non-believers - hah!) and thank goodness I can knit by touch.....well only with stockinette. I'm alternating projects - finishing the Every Way Wrap for my daughter when the power is on & working these Top Down socks when the power's out. I'm using the Miss Babs Yummy Superwash yarn. This is only my second time knitting socks & I'm still trying to get the whole gusset-thing downpat before I more on to a more challenging pattern. Love the colorway.

Right before the storm, my favorite man - the postman - dropped off these goodies. He must have known the storm was coming strong & I'd need lots of backup (lol). Actually there were some great year-end online sales at Webs, Knit Picks & Little Knits that I couldn't resist.





I must be entering my "green" period. Happy Knitting!

Merry Knitmas to All

Here's the view from the front door (cause that's as far as I'm going today). We had a blizzard this past weekend that left us with about 2 feet of snow. Now that I'm home, I can enjoy it's beauty. Getting home from New Jersey was quite the adventure that involved me, mom, brother & sis-in-law stuck on the interstate and finally stranded overnight in a Delaware hotel. Even though it could have been a nightmare - the kindness of strangers made everything bearable. Of course, I'll never see those folks again but I'd like to put the good karma out there.

- To the fellow driver who helped shovel out the exit that the plows had blocked with snow......... thank you for the extra muscle. I'm sure the other 4 cars that sped by once we finished were just as grateful.

- To the 2 young samaritans that shoveled & ultimately pulled the car out of the snowbank to the end of the ramp: Much is written & broadcast about the negative image of young, black men. You are evidence to the contrary. The gratuity you refused will be used to "pay it forward" and help someone else in need. As we pulled into the hotel, we saw you helping others on the highway. Bless you.

- To the hotel clerk who had been stranded there himself long after quitting time: thanks for your efficiency & cheerfulness in a time of stress (oh yeah & the late checkout).

- Lastly, to the 3 enterprising young men who shoveled, sanded & salted all the driveways, sidewalks, & porches on the block: Trump has nothing on y'all - kudos for finding a financial opportunity in this rescession.

I'm back home now & using up my vacation time until the first of the year. Enjoying a bit of shopping, some holiday decorating, & the last minute flourish of holiday knitting. A last minute request for the Every Way Wrap has me speed knitting to get this finished by Friday. If not, it will make a lovely entrance into the New Year.



Merry Christmas to All!!!!

Weekend Knitting

My Fetching fingerless gloves were perfect last week when the cold spell hit D.C but I was missing a very important factor - a hat. So Friday, I started the Cabled Beret designed by Ashley Hasse. It was a really quick knit with beautiful cables and a nice slouch. The Bernat Cashmere Natural Blends that I used for the Fetchings is really warm. So now I have a hat & glove set just perfect for commuting to work.


OK - back to my holiday knitting..........

Holiday Knitting - Part I

Finished the Shale Pleated Scarf designed by Kirsten Hipsky. Quick knit with great texture. Used up the balance of Patons Classic Wool Merino from my stash. Had previously finished the Purl Arrows Hat that makes a nice companion piece.

North Porch Hat

Hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Mine was great & followed up by an early morning "Black Friday" visit to Fibre Space. High five to the shop....... no better way to get into the spirit of holiday gift knitting than surrounded by others enjoying yarny goodness on sale (lol). Although I only went to pick up a size 9 circ needle (yeah...right) - the Miss Babs yarn was screaming my name the minute I entered the store.

That's Lilac Laceweight (Yet) and Cadet Superwash (Yummy). Speaking of gift knitting, here's my first gift completion - the North Porch Hat by Kim Wagner Only one skein of Handpainted Misti Alpaca/Silk and two days of knitting........Wahoo!

Still Walkin' & Knittin'

This morning was a beautiful day for the "Help the Homeless" 5k walkathon here in D.C. It is one of my favorite annual walks. The sponsors estimate that over the course of a year, 2.5 to 3.5 million people will experience at least one night of homelessness. How devastating! What warms my heart is that each year there are more & more participants (aka more donations) and all along the route there are young performers - singers, theater students, cheerleaders, quartets, bands, etc that perform for the passing crowds. How refreshing to see young'uns take part/interest in such a worthy cause.

On the knitting front, I'm making great progress on my Cap Sleeve Cable Cardi. It's knit from the bottom-up & I'm at the arm holes. Can't say enough about how utterly delicious this yarn feels. Hope to finish in time to model it at Thanksgiving dinner. Here's a sneak peak:
Y'all know how much I love Tuesday Morning - especially their discounted knitting books. Today I was wandering the clearance aisles and found this really cool glass bowl that will be my yarn bowl. I've been stalking Etsy in search of a bowl to hold my yarn cakes (and keep them from rolling when I'm sitting watching TV. This is perfect......

Well must get things in order for the big dinner this week as well as my strategy for shopping the Black Friday sales. I'm excited that this year my newest LYS (Fibre Space) is opening at 6 am (lol). You know I'll be there........

Happy Veterans Day

Salute & hi-five to all our veterans. Thanks for all you do in service to our country. Today starts 5 days of the knitting zone for me. Plan to put in some dedicated knitting time; attend Thursday night's "Knit in Space" at Fibre Space; and knit/shop until midnight at A Tangled Skein's "Friday the 13th" knitting event. Finished the Baktus Scarf. Although the pattern was all garter stitch - the Kauni color strands kept it very interesting. Have already ordered another colorway of Kauni from Little Knits. Meanwhile, on to the next cable project (love cables!). It's the Asymmetrical Cabled Cardi by Yahaira Ferreira. Gorgeous cable band, high collar & cap sleeves.


I'm using Mirasol's Miski yarn that I bought from Webs at Stitches Midwest. The yarn is 100% baby llama and super-soft. Have completed a couple cable repeats and really like how the cables pop. Have a great holiday & happy knitting.......

AWBC: In It To End It

We interrupt our regularly scheduled "knitty goodness" for a recap of the recent Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Charlotte, NC on October 24 & 25. The walk had 1,100 participants and raised $2.3 million to advance access to care and find a cure for breast cancer.

This was my 7th Avon Walk. Many folks ask why I continue to walk and I can only quote my latest walker-pin: "I walk because I cannot walk away". You've heard all the stats & hopefully you know the importance of early detection, so I'll jump right into the highlights of the weekend. I walked with my friends Sharon (2nd walk from New York), Priscilla (2nd walk from Durham, NC) & Pat (1st walk from Miami, FL). Priscilla & Pat are twins who registered as Team Double Trouble and developed a cult-like following during the walk. We were also joined by their friend, Darryl (2nd year of walk support). Darryl holds a place of honor cause he has shadowed us along the entire route, taking pics, lightening our load by carrying coats, raingear & extra sneakers & ensuring we're always ok (Thanks Darryl, you rock!).

Opening ceremony started in darkness but with a promise of warm temps and of course rain. I am officially the rain-magnet since it has rained during every walkathon I have done (lol). The inspirational speakers did their job well to send us on our way with pep in our step. It was a sobering moment when Sharon & I came upon the group of young ladies who had pushed their Mom in a wheelchair last year. This year's wheelchair was empty with a sign posted on the back "We Miss You Mom!"

Sun quickly turned to rain but we were prepared - keeping a good pace, stopping at quick stops for hydration & snacks (the peanut-butter graham crackers remain everyone's favorite). Just for luck, I got my picture at Mile 7 to celebrate my 7th year. Mile 10 was lunch and I pulled ahead of the ladies for awhile because of my tendency to hit the wall at Mile 20 or 21. Sure enough, I slowed to nearly a crawl. Luckily, Sharon waited for me at Mile 24 and we finished Day 1 together. Pat & Priscilla entered the Wellness Village with a smile. My feet felt like the size of that giant Reebok sneaker (lol).

After a hot shower (in the heaven-sent trailer), a hot meal, & an Icy-Hot rubdown, I threw on the thermals & tucked into the sleeping bag for the night. We all were able to crawl out of the tents on the morning of Day 2, enjoy breakfast & begin the final 13 miles. The day was rather chilly but no rain. Pat & Priscilla must have eaten their Wheaties - they pulled ahead & met Sharon and I at the finish line. Yes, that is a look of wonder on my face, as well as a look of realization that the hotel was just around the corner. I'll finish this recap with a shout-out to the wonderful Avon crews that keep us going and laughing every year. With folks like the Moo Cow guy, Captain Cleavage, & our own Richard Simmons - who could think about the discomfort. Oh yeah - and blisters don't need chemo! How very blessed we are!

It's A Wrap!

Every Way Wrap by Okmin Park
Elle Merino Tweed (6 skeins)
Started: Aug 22/Finished: October 14
Definitely one of my favorite projects. Had hopes of wearing it to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival (Rhinebeck)over the weekend but the rain & threat of snow kept me tucked away in the warm comfort of home (lol).

Taking a quick break from the Einstein Coat, I cast on this quick & easy Baktus scarf using the Kauni yarn purchased at the Ruhama's booth at Stitches Midwest.

Aren't the colors gorgeous? The principle is to knit a triangle using your exact amount of available yarn. It works with any kind of yarn, but the color strands in this Kauni are really special. (Note to self: must get more of this yarn....)

Next weekend I'll be heading to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Charlotte, NC. Two days & 39 miles. This is my 7th year & I'll be joined by 2 of my WeightWatcher sistahs - Sharon & Cilla. Wish us luck (& sturdy feet)!

Happy knitting......

In a Gray Mood

My favorite colors are earth tone. Probably why my hair turned gray so early (lol). Currently finishing up the Every Way Wrap (gray tweed). What a great pattern & perfect for those who are cable & chart-challenged like me.


Feeling like a cable semi-pro now so it's time to move on to the next project. Have admired the Einstein Coat in Sally Melville's Book 1: The Knitting Experience. It's a whole lotta garter stitch but beautiful in it's simplicity. Two guesses on the color I selected....... It's a mohair mix from my stash & it's paired with a darker gray cotton that I hope will give the sweater coat a little more stability.



I promise to spice up my next project....... Have some beautiful hand dyed wool with plenty of red & orange undertones. Happy Knitting!

Where Did September Go?

Can't believe it's the end of the month already! What a busy month.....Had a wonderful time at Stitches Midwest in Schaumburg, IL. Was bummed that they moved Stitches East from Baltimore to Hartford, CT - but this made up for it. Met up with my Aunt E & Cousin J for a wonderful weekend. Lots of yarny goodness, great food & fun times. Was able to stop at all my favorite booths: Signature Needles, Miss Babs, Webs, & Creatively Dyed Yarns. J officially dubbed me "crazy" for all my knitting madness - like waking up knitting:














Shopping at the expo in my "Where My Stitches At?" shirt:
And of course, hauling back the new stash:

I've made great strides on the Every Way Wrap - in fact only 2 more repeats & I'm done!!! Just in time to wear it to the Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival in a couple weeks....... Happy Knitting!

Every Way Wrap

The fall issue of Interweave has some gorgeous patterns. But my favorite by far - and the one that had me running to my stash bin was the Every Way Wrap designed by Okmin Park. It's a simple rectangle that converts into a wrap, a shrug, a vest, and a shawl collared cardigan. I had a granite-color tweed merino bought from Little Knits in a bag sale.....perfect.
Joined a Knit-A-Long with my local knitsistahs as well as an online Ravelry group. I've frogged a few times (first major cable project & first major chart project), but the results are well worth it. The weather here in northern VA turned breezy today - making me more excited to get this one finished - just in time for fall. Happy Knitting!

Space Cadet

OK - I went back to Fibre Space today. That Miss Babs sockyarn was haunting me (lol). But could I just walk in, grab the sockyarn & go?

Of course not! That's the Miss Babs "Yummy" sockyarn in Plum; 4 skeins of The Fibre Company Terra (alpaca, wool, & silk - YUM); a Fibre Girl tshirt and my Fibre Space tote bag (free with purchase). The Terra will become a Springtime Bandit scarf. The scarf was on display & immediately caught me eye. Will look great with jeans.

Sock Bandwagon

I knit my first pair of socks last year. Loved the finished product - didn't catch sock fever...... Well, it's a year later & after a couple of false starts, I'm knitting up my next pair of socks.
It's the twin rib pattern from the Sensational Knitted Socks book - my sock bible. The yarn is Trekking XXL & a wonderful colorway of blues, grays and a tinge of red. My knitsis, Deb, was kind enough to give me a refresher in the Heel Turn & Gusset (totally forgot the process & somehow the instructions weren't clicking). Well I may now have caught the sock bug cause I'm shooting to finish these this weekend so I can start another pair.

Of course the "bug" was helped along by a visit to the Grand Opening of "Fibre Space" in Old Town Alexandria. It's a wonderful shop with friendly staff and a unique inventory of yarn. Fell in love with the Miss Babs line of lace & sock yarn (hence my motivation to finish the current socks). I am definitely blessed to have a choice of LYS in this area.... In Stitches, Knit Happens, A Tangled Skein, Stitch DC - the list goes on & on. Fibre Space will see me often because 1)they sell pretty yarn; 2)they're on my route home everyday; 3)they sell soft yarn; and 4)I'm a yarnaholic.

BTW - DD didn't like the neckline of the striped tank so it's hibernating right now (that'll teach her......)

Knitty Goodness

Dang - can't believe I left my current knitting project on my desk at work. I carry my projects with me cause I knit daily - in the car or on the metro, on my lunch hour & again on the trip home. But yesterday was the end to such a hellified work week, that I literally ran out the building....... Oh well, what better reason than to start a new project.

I've taken advantage (again) of Knit Pick's great 40% off Summer Sale. My BFF - the mailman - left these goodies for me last week:







Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I've also found a unique way to store my needles - straights & circulars:



Hilarious! It's a wooden button scupture I found in Marshall's clearance aisle. You know you are a knit-a-holic when you spot something like this & immediately envision a knitting needle holder. The sales clerk asked me what I was using it for & I did not hesitate. The look I got from him.......priceless!