I really am in Paradise!

Key West, Duval Street, Mile Marker 0, Beginning of Rt. 1. This is Paradise and I'm loving every minute of it! And I found the yarn shop, Knit Wits!

Happy Knitting!
Edited - I don't normally look so glum but I was trying to tell BTB how to take the picture and instead of saying "okay" he just clicked it. So, I'm not smiling. Actually, I look quite mad, but I wasn't, just wishing he'd hurry with the picture.

I'm Outta Here!

Okay, last post for awhile. I'm outta here! I'm so excited, this is like my dream vacation. 2 whole weeks, on a beach, with my honey and all the knitting you could possibly cram into a vehicle! Here's some pictures for you.
I got this from Dave at Cabin Cove Merchantile. It's called Kaleidascope and it's going to become some Dave's Florida Keys Socks! I'm thinking a simple pattern so those beautiful colors pop!
My Bistrow sweater, finally put together and not orangy red, it's fire engine red . I'm not sure about this. I love the pattern, love the yarn, but for some reason everything I keep knitting seems too loose, like it was someone else's and got all stretched out. Might be the yarn, I did it with Lion Brands Cotton Ease. I'm not too fond of wool and besides, when do you need wool in the South? It's blocking, I'm pouting and I'll try it on when I get home. It's not going, I won't need it, it's 80 degrees down there.
This is what's going with me! Not the little Bearista, he's staying home with the Ponchette Bear to watch over my stash. The multi stripe bag has all the essentials. My KP circulars (should have bought that big bag they have!), stitch markers, stitch holders, scissors, you know, all that stuff you can't leave home without! The small white and green LL Bean bag is my car knitting for the trip down. That will become (I hope) a pair of Anemoi mittens in black and white. (Just looked up her web page and jeesh, she's got a pair someone made in red and black! May go change my colors, or take both, I love red and black!) Oh, and the straw looking bag, in front, is the other Lantern Moon bag I was supposed to show you a week ago that I also got at Little Knits (seems she's out of them). It's beautiful and has a really pretty green silk lining. Here's another picture of it. That'll be a shawl made with silk/wool yarn that's the size of dental floss. It's Shaefer yarns Trenna in the Water Lily colorway. I ordered it from Little Knits which is fast and has some great sales! And, last but not least, the pug bag holds my Chinese Vest from Folk Vests. Might work on it, might not. I'm going to stick with little things for awhile, and lace, gotta have some lace going. So, that's my stash that's going on vacation. Wanna know what it's all going in?
Our home away from home! We take Libby and Maggi so we have to travel by camper, which is so much fun and our campsite is right on the ocean! We'll get up in the morning and watch the sun come up and get to see the sun set at night on the other side of the camper. Can't beat that. The kitties will be taken care of by the Baby Girl and the Oldest Baby Girl so they'll be happy.

I'm not sure I'll be blogging while I'm gone but I'll be reading blogs when I have a chance. When you're married to someone who gets up at 4:30 a.m. you learn to keep yourself busy after 9:30 every night, so I'll have plenty of time then to keep up with what you're all doing. Get lots of knitting done and have a great two weeks. I know I will! I'm outta here!

Happy Knitting!

New Yarn Shop-ping and I Met My 1st Blogger!

Yesterday BTB took me to Charleston and we found Knit (no web site), a yarn shop that has so much yarn, so many books, needles, you name it, it has it. I thought I was in knitters heaven. And, who do you suppose I happened to see/meet/shake hands with? It was Vera! She is the first blogger that I've actually met in person! And here I thought it would be one of you gals up in/near Atlanta that I'd meet first. Well, you just never know!

Did I buy anything? I sure did, but no yarn. I'm trying really hard not to buy any, atleast until my trip to the Keys (one more week!). Here's what I got. Alice Starmore's book, The Celtic Collection
It's got some beautiful sweaters in it and it's got great pictures. If nothing else, it's a fun book to look thru and read.
Adrienne Vittadini Yarns
A very fancy name for some beautiful knittted sweaters!
The knitting needles are Bryson, made of rosewood. Hey, I'm knitting from stash only (right this minute anyway), but needles/books/accessories don't count. They were so pretty, and I don't have any, so they needed to come home with me. The other needles, the circular ones, are from Crystal Palace and it says it's a new design on the front. I'd never tried them either, so of course, I had to get them. I like coming out of LYS's with something, I think if nothing else it helps their business a little bit. And, did you see, right on top of the girls forehead on the Celtic book? I finally found my bee measuring tape. I'm trying really hard not to buy these on-line but in yarn shops and I was really getting worried I wouldn't get the bee. I found my bee! I can't wait to go back to Knit, I loved it. Two hours isn't that far to go for(touching) some beautiful yarn, and a day in Charleston, right?

I'm going to go do the last 1/2 inch of my vest before starting the decreases. We're getting really excitedabout our trip and keep checking the weather reports. 82 today and the water temp is 83! Not bad, but it's still in the 70's here and we thought we'd be freezing and going down there to warm up. Oh well, I'm going AND, I just found a new yarn shop that is beautiful down there. BTB says to print out the maps and that I did, it's in the folder.

Happy Knitting!

So Much to Say!

1st! Happy Birthday to my first born granddaughter, Alexis Breanna! She's 11 today - a "between ager" already. I love you Lexie Pooh! Have fun tomorrow building your buddy!

2nd I'm sorry for not sending out any e-mails from my last blog comments but, well, it's been a little crazy around here and my broadband service hasn't worked in 2 days. But, I got them all and I read them all and I love hearing from all of you. Did anyone notice I had a new commenter? She's the Oldest, what I used to call the Oldest Baby Girl but caught heck from the Baby Girl for calling her that so now she's going to be my Oldest Child I guess.

3rd. Sitting down? This is SO awesome! Went for my stress eccocardiogram on Monday (NOT a stress test, which I was told was simple) and well, (sitting?) I passed with flying colors. Well, my heart passed with flying colors, the rest of me needs a little work. He said anyone looking at my heart would never know I had a heart attack and that whatever it was I was doing to keep at it. So, my new way of eating (no fat, fried or fast food) and, well, something none of you knew, and not something I would have written on here unless I'd been asked, I quit smoking the day of the heart attack and I've been walking. So, I guess those 3 things are working cause my heart has no damage from the attack and all looks SUPER! I was told though, that I was VERY out of shape (no kidding) and that I needed to continue to lose weight and exercise (no kidding!). And, he doesn't want to see me again until spring! I had an appointment for the 1st week in Feb but he said I didn't need to keep it, he just said "see you in the spring." YAHOO!!!!

Did you notice my ticker up at the top? I know it says 10 days but that's wrong, we only have 9 days and I for one am getting VERY excited. 14 wonderful, warm days on a beach, in the sand in tropical paradise! WHOO HOO! Been buying some clothes (some of my "old" clothes are getting too big) and last night got a pair of sandles that were on sale cause BTB liked them (imagine that!). So, I'm getting ready and I even had clearance from the Doc to take my bike, so we'll be riding around down there in the sunny Keys.

Okay, here's a picture.

One of my other gift baskets to myself! Hey, I quit smoking, I quit eating food that tastes good and I'm walking so I decided I had to have some gifts, so, here is the other. Here it is opened:This one is also from Lantern Moons and I love it. This is the one I ordered first and they accidently sent me the 3 tier basket in my last post. How could you refuse either of them? I have one more but I'll save that for next time. I also got myself something else, not a basket, but something to take on our trip that I've wanted for awhile, to use for blogging. Want to see it? Yeah, I know you can't wait. Okay, here's my newest toy:
I wanted a camera small enough to fit in my pocket or purse and this one fit the bill. And, it is tiny! I love it and can't wait to try it out in the Keys (did I mention, only 9 more days?). My other camera will go, that one takes great close ups and pictures of the scenery.

I've got 10 inches done on my vest that I showed in the last post. 4 more inches to go and I start the armhole decreases. I was hoping to finish it before our trip but not too sure. Might make it.

I had lunch with Both Baby Girls yesterday and the Baby Girls best friend. Daughter the Oldest started college on Monday and got internet access on Tuesday so she's a happy camper! Imagine having 3 little kids, 2 with special needs, and going to college full time? She'll do it too, she's got her fathers spunk for learning. I love hearing from the 2 of them now, they tell me about meeting up with each other between classes, having lunch together and Daughter the Oldest sitting with the Baby Girl so she can help her with her math. Little sisters aren't all bad! Actually, WE ROCK!

I'm done. Whew, long winded me. Just wanted to update everything and I think that covers it. BTB and I are off to Charleston tomorrow with friends so if I find the yarn shop I'll let you all know. :o)

Happy Knitting!

My Bearista, Basket and Vest

Isn't she cute? Her hat is crocheted, her sweater and scarf are knit and she even has a crocheted flower on her hat. This is my Starbucks Bearista! She was on sale so how could I pass her up?Remember when I said I was buying myself something every week? Well, I only did it a few times (I'm not that greedy, really) and this is one of my purchases. This is the Lantern Moon 3 tier basket that I was sent by mistake but it was a GREAT mistake. I love it and so does BTB. I'm so glad I decided to keep it and not return it. Yes, I paid for it, and I think she was surprised when I said "can you add it to my credit card?" [Excuse the shoe on my Grandma's desk, Libby decided to grab it and run, hoping we'd chase her. We did and this is where we caught her and the shoe.]

This is my newest knit although I just started it yesterday so it's not more than a few inches above this. It's the Ribby Shell from Chicknits. I'm doing it one size bigger than I need so I can wear it on cool days more as a vest, like Bonne Marie is doing with her other shell. The yarn is so pretty and soft - it's Knitpicks Salishan in Rose. I'm loving it.

Tomorrow is my stress test at the Cardiologist, then I see him right after it. If he FINALLY tells me I can start Cardiac Rehab I might join the 100 mile walk thing that's going around blogland. If not, I'll go nutty and will start walking around my yard a few times a day. I'm getting tired of sitting around!!!! Maybe it's cause I've lost enough weight now to make everything feel better. I'm eating like a bird but really not missing anything but my chocolate fix every once in awhile. After having a heart attack I'm scared to death to eat anything with much fat in it and hate eating anything with cholesterol, so, I don't. I'm allowed 20 grams of fat a day (I probably eat about 1/2 that), 300 mg of cholesterol (I don't think I eat any in a day) and 1500 calories. Shoot, when you can't have fat you don't get many calories! I'm not complaining, just making note of it all. I wouldn't change it, I'm here to tell about it and that makes me very happy!

The baby girl went back to school yesterday and the house is back to being really, really quiet. But, we're taking her and her roommate/best friend on a trip. I'll tell you more about that next time and I have another picture of another gift to myself.

Have a great week and Happy Knitting!

Quick Post

This is the newest member of my sheep collection! The Baby Girl gave me the YARN and the pattern for Christmas and I wanted to knit her right up, so, here she is. She looks bug eyed but if I put black buttons on her she'd have looked eyeless. I love it. Real wool yarn too! There is no name or anything on the pattern so I can't share all that but I love it. The Baby Girl gets an A+ for Christmas gift giving to her Mom this year!

Those are the socks that I started when we went to the Pugfest. I bought the yarn at one of my favorite yarn shops in Lawrencville. It's Regia Silk, color #0189 and so nice on the feet! The pattern is just simple knitting - st st - from Kate Gilbert's site. I have them on as I type and my feet are warm and very happy!

The Baby Girl only has 2 more days to spend with us before she heads back to college (2nd semester already!) so she and I are going to spend the day together shopping (back to school stuff AGAIN!), my latte at Starbucks and whatever else we can come up with.

For my own info a year from now when I look back at my blog, I've lost another 3 pounds so I'm now down 13 pounds. YAHOO! It'll be confirmed (I hope) on Tuesday when I go back to my Cardiologist. With less than 3 weeks to go till my big vacation with my Sweetie, another 6 pounds could be possible.

Happy Knitting! More pictures tomorrow of Christmas gifts to myself!

Clean As New Fallen Snow!

I'm glad the new year is here. To me it's like a big snow storm in that it cleans everything up. Time to make new plans, try new things. So, for 2007 here's some of my ideas.

1. I won't be joining any "Knit from Stash" alongs but I'm going to try to only work from my stash. It's getting way out of hand and it makes me really nutty having all that in there and I don't need to keep buying. So, no new yarn in 2007 unless I think I really need it, or I run out, whichever comes first. haha
2. Finish things! I'm great for starting but not so great at finishing. Example: I knit a vest from a magazine and it's laid around so long waiting to be put together I can't remember the magazine or where said magazine is. I HAVE GOT TO FINISH MY PROJECTS!
3. Get better about blogging about said finished objects. I have so many things that I have knit that never make it to this blog. It's either because I don't feel like staging it all, don't feel like finding the camera, no sunshine, you know, a million excuses. I'll try to do better.
4. Pay more attention to my knitting. Usually I'm sick of whatever I'm working on by the time I get to the end, that's when I make mistakes. So, PAY MORE ATTENTION!
5. Continue to eat no fat, no fried, no fast foods and exercise, exercise, exercise! I hate exercise! But, I love music, I love to sing and dance, so might just find a dancing class. I'll have to dance alone though, BTB isn't a dancer (or a singer). There will probably be a little more about my health in this blog, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum!

I was looking back over my blogs last night and I'm up to about 8 commenters (the most I've ever gotten) this year. The first year I was lucky to get 1. So, to all my new readers out there (and you old ones;o), thank you for your comments, thank you for reading Scrappy Knitter and thank you for being a part of my life. I hope you have lots of health and happiness in 2007.
Happy New Year to all you kitties and puppy dogs out there in blog land. Hope it's a year filled with Greenies, Milk Bones and a few other adventures.
Libby
Happy Knitting!