Sip Happens

My oldest daughter lives in southwest Virginia - in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I love to take Amtrak (prime knitting time) and this holiday weekend was the perfect time for a visit. We spent Friday evening enjoying her homemade pound cake & sangria then headed out to Peaks of Otter Winery & Orchard on Saturday afternoon. What a blast! We sampled their many different fruit wines and blends with names like "Blackberry Cobbler", "Vino Colada", "Strawberry Shortcake", and "Pumpkin Pie". The tasting ends with a challenge to try the "Kiss the Devil" Chili Pepper wine. Made from 30 varieties of peppers, it's really made for cooking but what the heck........
That's my face right after the tasting; my Kiss-the-Devil sticker that I'll wear as a badge of honor; and us with the official Wine Devil. The grounds were absolutely beautiful, filled with plums, apples, and blackberries. After picking a few plums, we headed back up the road.

Independence Day was also wonderful at the Music for Americans event sponsored by The Roanoke Times. We grabbed a sno cone & funnel cake & found a great jam with the Sway Katz & enjoy the fireworks.

Of course weekends aren't perfect without knitting so mine was with me every step of the way. Last week I started Kirsten Johnstone's Paper Crane Cardi using some laceweight cotton stash yarn purchased from Old Mill Yarns last year at Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. It's a very interesting color that's difficult to capture in a picture - a blue/purple mix. The project is perfect for a road-trip cause it's miles and miles of stockinette using size 2 needles. Finally seeing some progress
and plan to have it finished in time to wear to Stitches Midwest.

Home again, home again........ and back to work tomorrow. Happy Knitting!

Back in the Real World

My 30-days medical leave is over. Physically I'm feeling pretty good. The only lingering side effects are infrequent muscle spasms in the shoulders & back. I use them as my indicator when I've done too much - and quickly rachet it back. I'm back at work now & missing my lazy afternoons & evenings of knitting.

My wallet is breathing a sigh that I'm back to my day job to support my knitting habit (lol). The stash grew quite a bit over the last month as I enjoyed sales at Webs, kpixie, and elann. Finally took advantage of the "Hurt Book Sale" at Interweave to stock up on some titles that I didn't want to pay full price for. The books are fantastic, with no sign of flaws. The shipping costs were equivalent to a book price but didn't kill the deal. In the past month I finished the socks for DD#2 as well as the cotton tee.


















Have made great progress on the Oriel Lace Cardigan by Kristen Hipsky. A really fun & interesting pattern that keeps your interest between the raglan shaping and lace pattern. I'm modifying it quite a bit - first by using a heavier alpaca/silk yarn perfect for the fall. Also have decided to finish it with 3/4 length sleeves and a crocheted edging instead of the knitted buttonband and collar. Here's my "in progress" pic:



Committed to finishing it up over the 4th of July weekend so I can start on the next project. Haven't quite decided what that will be. If you haven't seen the Vogue Early Fall issue - check it out........gorgeous selections.

Happy Knitting!

Road to Recovery

It's been two weeks since my surgery to replace a disc in my neck that was pressing on a nerve bundle and causing lots of pain. In addition to the replacement, doctors fused the spine to ensure the new disc stays in place.
Getting lots of rest with the help of the family (my girls are awesome). No more pain in the right arm - just some soreness/stiffness in the back & shoulder muscles. Today was my first follow-up with the orthopedic surgeon who took these cool pics:






Still waiting on the return of my voice and of course all this came with some hardware (aka neck jewelry) that just begs for the "beadazzler":








I am blessed that none of this deters the avid knitter in me (lol) so I'm finally at a point where I can pick up the ole knitting needles. Here's the progress on Raglan Leaf T-shirt:

With a couple more weeks of recuperation, I look forward to clearing out the WIPs. Happy knitting everyone!

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!