I Goofed!

In yesterday's blog I mentioned that this was the LL yarn (Somerset) that I got at the yarn shop on Friday and I had already wound it on the ball winder. Well, I didn't wind it on the ball winder, my DGD did when she came over on Sunday. Shame on me! She loves winding my yarn for me and I let her at it. I have about 4 or 5 more balls that need wound and she's coming tonight to stay with me so guess what she wants to do? Yup, wind yarn. But, she doesn't call it winding yarn, she calls it "choking hanks." I told her they were called hanks when they came in a, um, a hank and she said "oh, so we're choking hanks?" and it stuck. So, this is the Lorna's Laces Sheppard sock yarn in Somerset that Lexie Pooh wound for me (or choked, however you want to look at it).

I painted 3 of my sunroom windows this morning, 2 more to go. I guess it's an age thing, or an out of shape thing, but 3 was all I could handle. The sunroom is bascially done but all the windows needed another coat of paint and since we finally got all of BTB tools out of here from when he remodeled the kitchen and laundry room, I decided to get the place liveable. I've been spending evenings out here and all afternoon and it's wonderful! The birds are all out there chirping, the sun beats in this room and we all just love it. Maybe pictures later this week if I remember. Took some today of the Gold Finches at my feeder. Wanna see?



Aren't they beautiful? They're getting brighter and brighter every day and are eating like PIGS! My Baby Boy went out and filled the feeders for me again this morning and we just filled them on Sunday.

I also have lots of cardinals (like in flocks, not like up North where we were excited to have a pair or 2), chickadees (and they're different looking than their Northern relatives), martins, a few bluejays, which is odd, I haven't seen too many of them since moving down south. Anyway, I've got lots of birds in the yard and they're very noisy. When I'm outside talking on the phone everyone knows I'm out there because they are very loud, or, they hear the train going by and that's even louder, and much more annoying.

Not much knitting today, although I did another few inches on my vest this morning. I'm thinking I'm not liking it much, the design doesn't show up as well as in the picture, but, I'll keep plugging along cause Christmas is coming and if I don't like it I know someone it'll fit that'll like it.

Happy Knitting

More Yarn!?

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This is my newest yarn aquisition. It's really hard getting the colors right, even with the sunshine, but they are yum.

BTB and I went to River Street on Friday for lunch and we walked (yes WALKED) to my favorite LYS in the Historic Distric , about 4 or 5 blocks away. It was such a great day for walking and when we walked to the yarn shop, well, it made the day perfect. I didn't really need anything, but wanted to look to see if she still had Lorna's Laces sock yarn, and she did! That's the multi colored yarn you see that I've already wound on the ball winder. It's called Somerset and I can't wait to start on a pair of socks with it. I love the colors, although this picture doesn't really show just how pretty it is. BTB picked them out for me, said the color made him think of me. Awwww

The top hank of yarn is the Berrocco Denim Silk I got on sale at my other favorite LYS. I got 8 skeins on sale and am on the lookout for a vest or short sleeve pattern. Can't resist a good sale!

The pink, which doesn't show up well at all, is another bargain I got last week. It's evita, from Zitron, and although I'd never heard of it, it was such a pretty, pale shade of pink and 1/2 off, I couldn't resist it. I have 7 skeins of this one. It has a tiny little strand of a clear, or maybe light silver running thru it.

And today, I got this in the mail. It's a skein of Socks that Rock from Blue Moon. The color is called Carbon Dating. It goes from a teal blue, to a dark grey to a greensih, then yellow/green, to maroon to a dark grey again. It is so pretty. I think I've caught the sock bug! And I could never understand why everyone made socks. After finishing my Jaywalker socks and actually wearing them, I now know why you all knit socks. They are so comfie!

I got a lot done on my Embossed Leaves Sock this weekend and turned the heel and am now working my way to the toes. It's a fun pattern, and doesn't bore me to tears, but I'm wondering what all those "embossed leaves" are going to feel like with shoes on. I'm like the Princess and the Pea. I am really fussy about my socks and how they feel. Stay tuned, I'll let you know.

I also finished the left front of my Latigo vest and have about 4 inches done on the right front. I'll try to get pictures of it later this week, but right now I have bacon cooking for supper. Guess what we're having? BLT's of course! It's Monday, I've had a busy weekend, I did alot of housework today and laundry and there's nothing better than BLT's on a busy Monday. Oh, and BTB loves BLT's!

Happy Knitting

Gauge and Getting Things Done (or not)

I'm terrible at doing gauge swatches. I hate them, they seem like a waste of time, waste of yarn and mostly, when I want to knit something I want to get with it. Well, I have never made anything that fits, actually, lately, seems like I don't make anything, but more of that later. So, I decide to do a gauge swatch for the vest in Folk Vests. I started out using some Elann Peruvian Wool, which is aran weight with the suggested needles. Gauge isn't right, so I go up a needle size. Gauge still isn't right. So, I go up another needle size, which is now a size 9, and it still isn't right. I tried putting 2 strands together, just to see, and it comes out to gauge, but I hate the stiffness of the fabric, so I rip it out. I decide to order the yarn the pattern cals for, K1C2 , start with the needle size called for, not right. Go up another needle size, still not right. By the time it's pretty close, but still not right, the fabric is so loose and sloppy I hate the stuff. I gave up. Maybe this is why I never make stuff to fit; sweaters, vests, etc. What is the secret about getting gauge? Why is it so hard for me to knit something to the gauge called for? Is there some big, deep dark secret no-one's telling?

About getting things done. I think I've decided I waste too much time climbing thru blogland looking for new posts (I do love reading blogs!). I can sit here all day and just go from one to the next, and if they're old posts, I usually click on a link and then find something there, then go to the next...........you get the idea. Before I know it a 1/2 day has gone by, no knitting has gotten done and I'm mad cause all these wonderful bloggers get SO much done. So, today I'm going to sign up for bloglines, or one of them, so they can tell ME when someone has posted something new. I really need to start finishing things and knitting instead of reading (can't do both at the same time unless it's just st. st.) cause I have all this yarn I keep buying and just can't seem to knit it all up fast enough.

I started the Embossed Leaves Socks from Interweave Knits Winter 2006 yesterday and am still on the cuff, so don't have pictures. I had started several socks, but ripped them all out for one reason or another, one of which was that I used the wrong size needle. I did finish the left front of my Latigo Vest in Knitters Magazine, Summer 05. The back is done, so starting the right front today. I'm just hoping my gauge hasn't changed, but I evidently can't figure gauge worth a crap.

Bought some Berrocco Denim Silk at my favorite not so LYS last week when the Baby Girl and I went shopping on the island. Wow, it was on the mark down table and I bought all she had, which was only 6 skeins. Any ideas on what to make? I also bought some really pretty, soft pink yarn that was made in Germany but I can't remember the name, but, believe me, it's pretty and has a little silver thread running down thru the pink. All marked down - less than $4.00 a skein! Got 8 of that one, so will start looking around for patterns, and a gauge swatch!!!!

Tonights my "virtual" knitting SnB at 7:30, I'm looking forward to that. When you're as far out in the boonies as I am, it's nice to have a group to sit and talk with, even if it is only a "virtual" group. It's at Yarnpaths blog, so see you there!

I'd like to thank all the folks that have stopped by and left me comments! Wow!!!! You guys sure rock! I had never had comments before (except maybe one here and there) and last week I got bunches. I'll be posting about that soon, when I get my head together and their names and blogs. But, just know (and you know who you are) is was VERY MUCH appreciated!

Knit On

Wow! I had Comments!

First, I'd like to thank Catherine at www.knittycath.blogspot.com for all her wonderful comments about my blog and sending some folks this way to read it. WOW! I've never had that many comments in a month, never mind in one day. Thank you so much Catherine, you sure made my day!


This is my granddaughter having her first knitting lesson! She has always been the one that could sit next to me while I was knitting and watch for hours. Last time we got out the knitting bag (I gave her her very own) she had about 6 inches done on it. It's a little wonky, but it's pretty good for a first try. It made for a very quiet Sunday afternoon. Her sister gave it a try too, but I think her patience level is much lower than her little sisters, so we'll give it awhile and then see if she wants to pick it up again.

This is Squirt. About 5 or 6 weeks ago she just showed up on our deck while my Baby Boy and I were out there talking. She wasn't more than a couple of weeks old and so adorable, and hungry and dirty, so of course we all fell in love and she's now part of the family. It took a long time to come up with a name but my Baby Boy kept calling her Squirt (which he calls everything smaller than him) and it stuck. So, this is Squirt, a very long haired kitty. We also have Morris and Bear, our 9 year old cats and of course, Libby and Maggi. So, our animal population is really crazy, but they're all worth the trouble and the ton of food it seems like I'm always buying.

On the knitting scene I'm still working on the vest in the Knitters Magazine (summer 2005). I'm using Berroco Softwist I got on sale several summers ago and it's really looking good but I get bored easy so have been working on other things. I started a Teddy Bear this morning for the collection that Wendy (www.wendyknits.net) mentions on her blog for Phyl. I have enough acrylic yarn to make a truck load but I think I'll make one or two for now. I also finished this scarf for a friend of mine that I'm hoping to send up to her one of these days. She loves scarves but this one came out kind of wide so she might have to save it for winter weather. It's done in a variegated lace weight fuzzy yarn and Knit Picks Shimmer in Lilac, so it's as light as a breeze.

Hope you all have a great weekend and a fun St. Patrick's Day! Don't forget to have corned beef and cabbage sometime this weekend! We're having ours on Monday so the Baby Boy can share in the feast with us.

Great Weekend and Biggest Yarn Aquisition Yet!

I went to my Baby Boys for the weekend up near Atlanta and had a BLAST! First stop, before we even got to his apartment? The Yarn Garden in Lawrenceville. They had alot of yarns I hadn't seen "in person" before and several marked down to make room for the new spring colors. I think I almost emptied out their sale bin. After 2 hours in there we went to his place and I couldn't wait to dig into it all and see what I got.

This is the whole stash. Yum! Patterns, yarn, needles, even 2 crochet hooks!


























Alpaca from Big Sky SWTC 100% Cotton Worsted Beyond in DK weight

I took several other pictures but blogger is too slow so I'll save them for another day.

Happy Knitting!

Sewing Sweaters Together

isn't much fun! Here's the low tech sweater I made during out trip up north at Christmas. It's been done awhile but sewing it all together takes forever, only because I don't really enjoy it, and I'm not real good at it. This is it blocking. I've gotten the sides, sleeves and the button hole band done but now have to do the other front band and the neck. I didn't want the hood so will figure out how to do either a collar or maybe just finish it with some seed stitch - which is what I did on the ribbing, sleeves and button bands.

I did a pair of Jaywalker socks. Hey, this is an accomplishment because I usually don't enjoy doing socks and I never get the second one done. After reading several blogs I came to the conclusion that you have to cast on for the second sock as soon as you finish the first. So, 2 Jaywalker socks in less than 2 weeks. They've been washed and are now drying. Not sure if I'll wear them, but they sure are pretty. I used Lorna's Laces yarn, but I've had it for a long time and have no idea of the stats.

My grandkids came over last Sunday and since it was about 70 we spent most of the day outside. They decided to make "Yard Pies" out of anything they could find in the yard and put them in my plant saucers. We have mud, pecans, flowers from the camelia trees, some twigs - all in all, very "delicious" pies. Their brother spent the day picking up sticks for his Grandfather and since it included using his wheel barrow, he was in his glory. I'm ready for spring, these 70 degree days are a tease!

I'm heading to Atlanta for a long weekend with my Baby Boy and a good friend that moved up there a little over a year ago. Our first stop? The Yarn Garden Yarn shop in Lawrenceville! I love that place and have only been able to go once. BTB took me back but it was a Monday and they're closed on Monday, so tonight I get to do double damage! Watch for yarn aquisitions next week!

Have a great weekend and happy knitting.