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When five year olds come to town to celebrate a birthday...they know how to do it right!
Who? Jon J
What? His Fifth Birthday
When? Saturday night
Where? Ray and Katie's house
ps....it's dress-up! 
It was a Happy Birthday. And, of course, we love any opportunity to dress up as our repressed desires....
It's day four of Josephine.
This is how I spent my four days "knitting" Josephine.
And, indeed, I have progress!
I did do some modifications. Instead of knitting the one "snake" up the middle of the back, I decided to do some ribbing rows instead...more as a design element to have a bit more consistency with the ribbed sleeves. I expect this to move along pretty quickly with the KnitPicks Sierra and size 10 1/2 needles. I do have to say, though, when you are not an experienced cable chart knitter, the instructions can be a bit confusing. But, now that I am un-confused...it's a go!
Leave it to Lisa, however, to find a Knit a Long for Josephine! So, I'm in!
You know what else I happened across? If you are a longing for knit-a-long-ing, and don't know what to do...check out
http://knitting.xaviermusketeer.com/2005knitalongs.html
Be a joiner! Knit along with someone!
And, as a hint for my next post...
It's all black
and white
One Debbie Bliss Wrap Cardigan complete....
One Josephine ready to go.
Debbie Bliss Wrap Cardigan from VK Fall issue...knit with Cashmarino Astrakhan. I think it's one of my favorite sweaters ever. It is snuggly and warm, the fabric is wonderful, and I love the style...A bit swingy and flirty. I think I'm going to try to find some suede for the ties, as the pattern originally states. One thing you should know...this sweater seemed to run large. I ended up knitting a medium, which I never do, and it's stilll plenty roomy.
Now I move on to Josephine. I started last night, ripped out, cast on, frogged, cast on, left it til morning, tried again. I'm either stupid, or I'm just not getting the chart. I tried emailing Melissa, the designer, and it gets bounced back to me. Here's the thing, you chart knitters:
If you look at the chart,
is it showing just the right side rows? Or , should the key read
"Knit on right side, purl on wrong side"
and
"Purl on right side, knit on wrong side"
Because, otherwise you'd end up with alot of garter stitch, and the photographs certainly don't look like garter stitch between the cables. I have to figure this out, and quick, because I promised Lisa that we could do this sweater, and that we would have no trouble with it! HELP!!!!
Ladies, you know how it can go...you come home on Friday, after a long week at work, making meals, the bed, cleaning the house, to look forward to the weekend, when you can do laundry, clean the house some more, cook for the week ahead....
This is what I found posted to my refrigerator at 5:35pm on Friday.
Let's have closer look...wouldn't want you to miss any special tips on how to be the best wife you can be....
Go ahead....click on it and read. There are some real treasures in there. And of course, when I questioned my loving husband about it, he said I was never supposed to question him!
So, remember JR's vest?
Let me tell you who wears the vest in this family now!
I hated that vest anyway.
Out of the mouths of babettes...
Erin, the daughter of one of my Lockport girls, often comes to knitting class with her mom. Naturally, sweet little Erin picks up on the knitting lingo.
She observed the other night that we would need to knit "G Strings" for our project!
I believe Erin meant I- Cords.
Secret Pal of Mine, Secret Pal of Mine,
I love the gift you've sent me...it is just divine.
Two skeins of yarn, some Halloween treats,
A lovely book and candle for when I put up my feet.
Packaged together in a lovely silver tray...
Secret Pal of Mine, THANK YOU for making my day!
**************************************
Over the weekend, I cleaned and cleaned my house...if I had left it, I would have had enough spider webs for Halloween. Since the screened porch is being put away for the season, I had to create another little knitting niche. Accomplished.
Maggie likes the knitting niche.
]
Move it on over, dog.
And, I love fall in my yard.
I need to get some pumpkins. Should I knit some pumpkins? Lisa led me to the new Knitty surprises..... aren't these the cutest things?
Today is National "No Beard" Day. SO I got out my
and my 
so that I could properly celebrate the holiday. What is it about facial hair? About five or six years ago, my husband so kindly pointed out a pop-out on my chin that I had not even noticed. Let hair removal begin! As the years have passed, I've waxed at home and at the salon. I've had my husband pluck, my kids pluck, and now I carry tweezers in my car at all times....in the bathroom at all times....in my purse, too. A few years ago, my Mom, in her oh-so-subtle way, brought me a little "gift" when she returned from wintering in Florida. Was it a plastic flamingo? A seashell necklace? A Micky Mouse snow globe? Noooooooo. It was one of this delicate little personal "hair removal" groomers...with it's own plastic discreet carrying case. I refused to use it. I threw it in my sock drawer with the promise that I would never actually shave my face. Personal hair remover.
A few days ago, I sent my husband into my sock drawer to look for something. ( I keep alot of things in my sock drawer) He found what he was looking for, and yes, he found
IT. And left it on top of my dresser!
Later that day...much later....
me...."do we have any double A batteries around?"
***********************************************
Can I confess, Mom? Although I have never properly thanked you, I've got to tell you, that was the best gift I've ever gotten!
You will never be able to call me the
You can, however, call me the "Beaded Lady."
From Last Minute Knitted Gifts, knit with DB Baby Cashmarino, studded with some lovely clear glass beads with silver linings.
Della, my Best Friend. She may not be a Babe, but aren't old friends the best friends?
Best Friends have been around for awhile... Summer 2002 Interweave Knits premiered the pattern, but it is a classic, for sure.
Della is ready for the Autumn days ahead, and wears a basic sweater, knit with Noro Kureyon... and a trendy pair of Acid Green flared trousers in Debbie Bliss Cashmarino Aran. That bit of bling is a lovely stitch marker charm from my SP 5.
She sports a darling do, all tousled and tied, cropped with a fun little bang to frame her face.
Oh, is that a wink I see there?
It's October, and it's plainly time to think of sparkly pretty things for the holidays, right?
Particularly when all I am working on these days is the Debbie Bliss Sweater in Black Cashmarino Astrakhan and JR's vest in a lovely shade of Charcoal.
This is my take on the "Knitted Gifts" drawstring bag.
Silvery, shimmery with beads. What a perfect little gift bag. I'm thinking of embellishing the drawstring with something exquisite and interesting...some little knitted balls or beads perhaps...I'll just have to let my imagination run wild.
I'm also working on a Best Friends Doll from IK...She's naked and armless, but I'm sure to have a wonderful description of her attire as she makes her modeling debut in a day or two.
You wonder how to have fun on a budget? Share the IPOD and put on your dancing shoes!
You know what I'm flat out embarassingly coveting?
The new Melanie Falick book "Handknit Holidays" and the new Debbie Bliss "Simply Soft."
My husband has been asking and asking about his vest that I started last year. So, we struck up a deal. My passenger knitting in the car was going to be his vest and only his vest. Since it's only stockinette, which has it's many virtues (many of which Margene was so aptly able to draw from her readers), I figured, I'd finish that darn vest by Thanksgiving, which is my deadline. (I'm not exactly sure what the consequences of not knitting it by then are.....)
So, anyway, to make a long story even longer, he gave me a waiver on the vest knitting so I could complete my capelet. I was so close....little did I know it would take me two days of knitting 2X2 ribbing to finish it...so I knit on the way to church, on the way home from church, for two and a half hours on a train, for two hours in front of the TV last night, and for two hours while I watched a movie this morning. Now, it is finished.
My capelet, Wandering Aran Fields, from Wrap Style is complete. And, it's kind of cute.
love it, love it, love it.
cute, cute, cute. 
I knit this capelet from good old Plymouth Galway Wool, from my local yarn store.
As you can see, I also got my new glasses this weekend, and joined Lisa and my Mom for the First Annual Leaf Peep and Purl.
Enjoying a day off, gotta go see what's on Oprah today.
