35 Years of Camping Shawl aka EZ Camping Shawl

35th Anniversary Camping Shawl

Close Up

A few mistakes but lots of fun, except blocking. Back breaking and wasn't sure how to block out the little scalloped edges.

It took up my entire dining room table, and then some.

Here's a bargain. If you live near a Wal~mart RUN and get some. They were only $5.00!  They are 12" square and there's 9 squares. I figured that was a great amount for blocking scarves, small items like socks, cowls, mittens, etc. 

I also found crochet hooks in the smaller sizes (B, C, D, E) for $1.28, also at Walmart!  Fun shopping trip today.

That's my measuring tape. It measured 39" long and the wing span is approximately 71". I used 228 pins and 8 blocking wires.  Took me a long, long, long time to bock it.  Now, what to do with it.

Happy Knitting!

I'm a Once A Month Blogger!

I can't believe it was May 23rd when I blogged last.  Well, lots has been going on and I've been either busy, sick, or busy.  Actually, I haven't been that busy, except I consider my knitting being busy. I've just been diagnosed with Thryoid Disease, which isn't a bad thing because I thought I must be dying a slow death of something mysterious that no-one could figure out.  I've had no, and I mean NO, ambition, never feel good, tired beyond tired, major weight gain, depressed, all kinds of things.  So, my youngest and my Mom insisted I go and have a blood test to check my T3-T4 and TSH (?), which are thyroid hormones.  Well, they came back high, I'm on thyroid meds and HOPING they make me feel more like myself instead of an 80 year old woman on her last leg!  'nough said.


The Baby Girl, her fiance' and her best friend are in Africa again.  This is Alex's 3rd trip and she'll be gone for 6 weeks, then back 8 days and then her wedding.  My oh my that child has a lot on her plate and flew away to Africa.  Now I'm getting e-mails that "I forgot to do this, I forgot to that," so I have things to do besides knit. They are having a blast and I'm looking forward to my 3rd skein of "African Yarn."

Jeck Sock  One down, one to go

Add captionWendy's Mystery shawlette KAL

My little Japanese Bear to help Japan rebuild

Wendy's Mystery Shawl before blocking

Made this for one of Alex's friends in Africa.

Saroyan for Africa

Annis in Lotus Blossom Aurora

Citron

Knit One, Crochet Too Crock-O-Dye Wendy's Mystery Shawl KAL

I also finished my EZ Shawl that I started last summer around our 35th Anniversay, since it was 8/9/10 and EZ's 100th Birthday was the same day. Only took 10 months!!! I am now finishing up the Goddess Knits Anniversary Shawl. If you look on my projects page (ScrappyKnitter on Ravelry) you'll see that took a whole lot longer!

The cute model showing off all my knitting is my youngest granddaughter Lyssa (nick name Baby Jane). She loves to model, even in this hot weather. Notice she has on a shrug? Ick! Too hot for that. Thanks Baby Jane!

Off to knit. Hope it's cool where you are because here there's nothing else to do this summer but sit in the a/c. It's even too hot to get in our pool. Had 4 days this week over 100, with the heat index up around 104. Too hot for this Northerner!

Happy Knitting!

Knitting, Wedding Parties, Family and Camping

 Because Sonja put this on her blog, and I read it, I decided it was time for me to do another KAL (knit a-long).  The first one I ever did was with Wendy at Wendyknits.  This is the Summer Mystery Shawl.

 The Baby Girl had a camp out with her wedding party, Mom (me) and Dad, Libby and Maggi (the puppies), her Big Sister, Big Brother and niece Lyssa and nephew Jay.  We had 3 tents and 1 camper (Mom and Dad's) all lined up. 14 people and lots of site seeing around the park, campfires, roasted marshmallow's, hikes in the woods and card games.

 Actually got my 'son-in-law to be' to hold up my Jeck sock.

 Then, his groomsman, Ben got a turn (notice him looking?).

Then it was Neal's turn.  Now, Neal didn't want to just hold it for a picture, he wanted to know how the "heck you make a sock?"  So, he studied it real hard, I showed him how to knit one stitch and that was it.  That's the Baby Girl looking, and laughing. She can't figure out how I make them either (magic, right?) but she sure likes wearing them. She didn't even ask if this one was for her.

Happy Knitting!

To Knit? To Ravelry? Which?

I feel as though I do nothing but knit, but after lots of thought on the subject, I've come to the conclusion that I do a lot of surfing on Ravelry, perusing knitting magazines and thinking about all the things I wish I could knit but just never get around to actually knitting because I spend so much time doing all of the above.  Vicious cycle.

Saroyan for the Baby Girl to take with her on her trip to Africa this year.

This is me! I had a lesson in shooting a 22 semi-automatic handgun. Fun, I enjoyed it but I can't see me doing that for anything but target practice.  By the time I remembered where to put my left hand, where to put my right hand, where to put my feet, how to lean, the bad guy would have been there and gone.  Not so sure I could shoot a person anyway, no matter how bad they were.  I had NO trouble shooting my "paper man target" though.  I was given 50 bullets and that bugger had 49 bullet holes in him, most through the heart and the head. YAY ME!

I think this cute little guy is some type of Warbler. It's so tiny! It comes to the feeder twice a day but we only see one at a time. My Grandmother and my Mom have always loved birdwatching. I thought it was for "old people." Well, I've been enjoying watching birds for about 25+ years now so I guess I was wrong, or I'm old. NOT!!!

This was a very fun, enjoyable, fast knit. After reading the Rainey Sisters blog on the Herbert Niebling Doily I thought I should try a simpler one and loved it. I've said before that my Great Grandmother crocheted with very thin crochet cotton, things like bedspreads, wedding bells on all our pillowcases she gave to her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and I think I have her love for thread. I loved this project.The Queen's Lace, Piecework Magazine, Lace Special

The middle, or beginning, is the hardest part of the whole thing.

Bath Time

Uh, dropped a stitch, which turned into 5 stitches. Well, guess I'll fix it later.

Put a knitting needle into the 5 stitches to deal with later.

Love the middle but don't look too close. This was a fun knit but boring at times and there's a few mistakes.

This is the Insignia scarf by Cecily Glowick MacDonald. I'm doing it in Banana Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece.  Kind of a relaxing knit since it's all garter stitch.  I love garter stitch and will save this for the "Wedding Parties" camping trip next weekend.  I'm looking forward to that, and as of right now all 3 of my kids and 2 of the grandkids will be there, along with lots of young, energetic friends of my daughters and her future husbands. I'll need knitting for 4 glorious days in the sun!  Yeah!!!!

                                                                                                          

Carolina Wrens  Not too old as they thought this was the nest and just laid there and rested.  I took 10 pictures of these 2 cute little things. 

This is a Beach bag from Lion Brand Yarn on Ravelry I started last night. I had the urge to crochet and had some crochet cotton (and might have bought a few colors to add to it.)

My new sock Jeck, free from Ravelry. My Sunshine holds my stitch markers. Isn't he cute?

And, the Nantucket basket my father made for me is just the right size to hold a skein of sock yarn so it doesn't roll on the floor and get covered in bright white pug hair!

Back to knitting/Ravelry/NCIS - oh, that's my Knitting Show.  I bought every season from the beginning and Gibbs and the gang keep me company while I knit, check out Ravelry or read a knitting magazine.  Being a retired SAHM is kind of boring so I have to have company.............

Happy Knitting!

A Mother's Day!

My day has been amazing.  My youngest came home with her finance' for the weekend, my oldest were here with the grandkids, my Mom sent me a beautiful card and my son also sent me a great card.  My son's card said I could sit in bubbles and drink bubbles all day.  That would have been great but instead I was treated to hamburgers on the grill, a chocolate cake with white frosting, a small heart shaped cake for my breakfast tomorrow (I love chocolate cake in the morning), and a little pink bag filled with goodies to keep in Ruby.  I had a pedicure, I gave a pedicure, I talked to my oldest granddaughter on the phone, had a great conversation with my Mom and I'm sure will have a conversation with my son before the day is over.  It was a great Mother's Day weekend for this Mom.  I hope all of my Blogger and Ravelry friends also had a great Mother's Day!

Happy Knitting!

Spring + Flowering Shrubs + Trees = Pollen! aaaacchhhhuuuuu

I've been knitting - but not much.  I'm trying to finish up the back on the sweater I started for the wedding.  I have so many projects started I wonder which one will be done first. I'm a great starter and terrible at finishing.
I don't really have anything new to show so I'm going to hunt through my pictures and stick one a few in here so you'll have something to look at.  Until next time, enjoy the sunshine, I hope the pollen isn't getting to you! I'll be sneezing and blowing my nose and hoping it ends soon so I can look down to knit without....................well, you know.
Happy Knitting!

Japanese Magnolia

Camellia Tree

Tybee last year. Can't wait to go back!

Spring Has Sprung!

This is The Briar Rose Wrap by Melanie Gibbons, aka Pink Lemon. I've done several of her patterns and love them. This is Louisa Harding Cashmere DK in the prettiest lavender. Soft and squishy!







Spring Fling, free at Knitty. This has been in my favorites for awhile and I thought it was a good choice for the festivities at the wedding but even in 100% cotton I don't think it'll work. It is VERY hot in Alabama in August! I might just buy one of the little lacy sweater thingy's (I wouldn't call them sweaters, but not a bolero either, so whatever it is). I've been told I have to wear a sundress, so MUST have something to cover..................... 

First sleeve is all done.  I did a sleeve first so I could get the pattern in my head so I wouldn't have to dig out the pattern when I have 10 minutes to work on it. It's very easy once you get the pattern figured out.


 My grandson spent the day with his Grandfather last fall and he planted 150 daffodil bulbs.  They are coming up now and are so beautiful! I love daffodils and can remember going to my Grandmother's each spring and cleaning the branches and such that had fallen into her garden of daffodils. So many memories. Now I have daffodils. Thanks Jay!

Happy Knitting!

Happy 6th Blogaversary to ScrappyKnitter!

Terrible picture but I wanted to put a cake on here. Hubby made this for me on my last birthday and gave it to me for breakfast. :o) He also used a votive candle. Gotta love him.

I can't believe it's been 6 years! I've learned a lot in those 6 years of blogging. I've learned a lot about knitting in those 6 years too.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be able to figure out how to read a lace chart. I took a class and figured it out.  Never thought I'd figure out how to knit a sock, but I did, following all those links that bloggers put in their blog pages. I've been knitting since I was 6 and never knew there was so much to learn and love about my favorite hobby.  My "therapy."  My Mom used to ride horses. She always told me it was her therapy but I never knew what she meant. I do now.

Thanks for reading my blog, thanks for keeping me company all these years, and thanks for stopping by.

Happy Knitting!

Wedding Bells will be Ringing!

February 22, 2011
Our youngest, the Baby Girl, got engaged last night to her Prince Charming, Knight in Shining Armor, Lucas. Wedding bells will be ringing in Alabama in a few months. That is her engagement ring. Thank goodness for text messaging, Facebooking and e-mail or I'd feel totally disconnected from this whole thing. She keeps me updated minute by minute! Thanks Alex. I love you!

I had to share this little guys picture again. This morning he came to the feeder right outside my sunroom/knitting room window. I must have taken 25 pictures before he sat still to get this one. Isn't he beautiful? You can see his backside colors over in my side bar.  He's taking off from the feeder below, perfect timing.  These birds have gone through 40 pounds of sunflower seed in less than 2 weeks.  Time for them to clean up the ground for a day or so, then we'll refill all 20 feeders again.  They empty them in less than 24 hours! P....I....G....S!

This is my Martha Cowl that I made awhile ago but never posted.  For some reason the girl who wrote the pattern took it off of Ravelry.  It was very easy and fast and crocheted but I used 1824 Cotton and it is not at all stretchy so it's not as big as I'd like it to be.  I do love that flower though. I'll just add it to the basket with all the others. ;o)

Adding the ribbing to the Elbow Room Sweater  last night at 11:30 when I was too excited over the engagement to sleep. This is 1 inch of ribbing.

It was supposed to have 5 inches of ribbing but with the one skein of yarn I had left I was only able to get 2 3/4 inches. I need to wash it, block it and then sew the side seams and it'll be done.  This came out beautiful but when I make it again (and I hope I do) I will have enough yarn for the 5" ribbing and I won't use this yarn. I have the sorest armpits in the world from working on it! Don't ask me why armpits, but that's where it gets me.

Saroyan and my cute sunflower man. I only work on Saroyan when I don't feel like thinking or reading instructions, charts or directions so it's slow going. I'm on the 3rd straight piece.
I got this cute sunflower man while at a festival in Gainesville (Mule Camp Market Festival) with my son, Nick. I love it and it reminds me of an old man. It's great to keep all my cute little stitch markers in.

The beginning of Mom's Nantucket Jacket!  Finally.  Going to work on this today and then some socks.  I'm enjoying having my 3 projects going at a time. My hands seem to be getting stiff when working with small sock needles (age? Lord!) so when I start making mistakes I know it's time to switch to something else.  Fun, get to blog a lot so that it seems like I'm a Bionic Knitter! NOT.






Happy Knitting!