I Was Knit Together In My Mother's Womb

I'm moving right along on my intarsia pillow project. Last year, I did a very simple scarf from VK, in which I used Noro Kureyon. The first skein was separated into single colored skeins. The little solid-colored mini-skeins were used to do the very simple intarsia block pattern, and another complete skein was used for the edge and the body of the scarf.

For that project, I experimented with clothespins as bobbins, and found them very awkward. I did purchase the plastic bobbins and I really found that awkward as well, with all those bobbins dangling around. It really discouraged me from doing more intarsia.

When deciding to do the pillow from Weekend Knits, I began to research different techniques, and I found this bit of information

http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/tips/fassett.htm

So my pillow top is coming along very nicely, and I do love the freedom from bobbins!

Yes, you have many very long strands of yarn at the back of your work, but I find it so much more manageable. I'm sure that the fact that there are few color changes makes this technique do-able! You just pull up the strand of yarn that you will use at the color change.

  It does look like a mess, doesn't it?

I knit with the Lockport girls this weekend...sharing this technique. We also decided on some future projects, including a lace shawl. I found a very lovely, yet edgy lace shawl by Meg Swansen in the Fall 2005 VK.  Not too fussy, and I think a simple enough pattern in the body of the shawl to practice chart reading and lace knitting. Then we would move on to the borders, which are a bit more complicated.

At first, I wasn't sure about the contrast border, but the more I look at it, the more I love it...I think it's the feature that makes it a bit more modern. Of course, it would be just as nice with the same color border as body of the shawl. So I am excited to find some lace yarn and get this going...perhaps I should have chosen this for the Knitting Olympics!

I played around with the chunky cabled clutch purse that is everywhere, and found a wonderful link with the pattern. I jumped right on that cable car and went for a ride! My bag, without the ribbon:

If you live in New York State, this week is tax-free clothing week, which includes yarn!

So if I return the suit I JUST BOUGHT yesterday, I can get the tax money back and buy the yarn for the Meg Swansen shawl...tax free!

You guys!!! I can cram alot of yarn into a container! How else do you think I can sneak a sweater's worth of yarn into my house in my purse?  (Just kidding, JR!)

 

Thirty three skeins!!! 33 skeins!

And if you happen to be Julia, from a very cool site, you are getting your own knitting bag!

You know what makes this so much fun? Aside from getting to share something I've created with someone I know will appreciate it... aside from just loving to bless someone's day....

I love that so many of you *de-lurked* to take a guess! Now I have many new blog Friends to get to know!

Are we getting excited yet? Less than six hours to go.

I'm telling you, it's almost like Christmas, or the Prom, or your wedding day! Or...waiting for the opening of the Superbowl! (well, for me, more like the excitement of a Superbowl Sunday Yarn Sale)

I can't wait to share the winner of a knitting bag!

(I will also have more bags to put up over the weekend that are so very cool.)

I have more knitting bags up for sale!  Many of them are one of a kind...check 'em out in the sidebar photo album and email me for details!

I read today that a British psychologist named Dr. Cliff Arnall has developed a formula to determine what would be the worst day of the year. He factors in many things, including the time elapsed since Christmas (when holiday excitement gives way to the holiday bills), Gloomy gray winter weather, shortened hours of sunlight, failure to keep our New Years Resolutions! So, according to Dr. Arnall, last year, January 24 was the "most depressing day of the year."

So, how about a little pick me up for today? I was thinking to myself, "I wonder how many skeins of yarn will fit into one of my knitting bags?" And then I thought, "Lynne, you should give one away."

So, we have another "GUESS HOW MANY SKEINS" contest...

Leave your guess by Friday midnight, and I will draw a name from the correct answers...then I will send you your own knitting bag, made as especially as I can, personally, for you!

Go on, now...take a guess! Let it be your day!

Thank you all for the wonderful words about Josephine...I've said it before, a girl knows where she can always count on a compliment.

Marriage...after many years, the wonder of finding out something new about your spouse...from a sweet surprise to utter disbelief, we have those moments when our husbands are like brand new.

This weekend, we had no other plans other than doing a bit of house work and then laying around watching movies. Imagine the sweet surprise when JR actually agreed to watch  the A&E version of "Pride and Prejudice!"  AND the even sweeter surprise when in the middle of our day, he said, "Hey, how about we take a ride to New York Knits?"

Utter disbelief? When he then said, "Just Kidding! I only wanted to see what you would do!"

Just kidding? How's this for kidding? How about I tie you up with Big Kureyon (relax, JR, I don't mean that) and jam knitting needles up your nose! Huh, Mr. Funny Guy? I've been working on a cabled purse all weekend and had to rip the entire finished project out because it was ugly! I was ready to go buy an entire new project! Imagine, he was "Just kidding."

So, purse aside, I'm contemplating my next sweater after coming off the high of Josephine. Will it be

Bubbles?

  or Lizzy...   or perhaps Tubey (sans stripes)...

  Let me know what you think...

I'm also in training for the Knitting Olympics.  I've selected my project, have the book to order from my local library, and I am going to be on the

  I have chosen a lovely scarf from "Alterknits" in which I will have to perfect not only lace but cables as well. It will require great concentration, flawless execution, and a really cute outfit to go with it.

   The cool thing about this pattern is that you can knit one section and it is a scarf, knit two sections and it becomes a wrap, or three sections for a throw... I'll just do the scarf for the Olympics. I have my yarn chosen...a yummy ivory merino, angora and wool blend.

Josephine

is

finished

at

last.

Josephine, from Knitty...

Knit Picks Sierra, size 10 1/2 needles, sweater size XL.

And, I love it.

I even fondled all of my brown yarn...that's how bad the craving for chocolate was...

It must be that time of month...or it was walking down the Valentine isles at Target...or far too many references to chocolate on the nightly news. Perhaps it was having George the puppy come to visit. I had such a craving I scoured the offices yesterday, searching every candy jar in the place. There were fruit flavored Skittles, Dum-Dums, Starbursts, Mike and Ikes...is everyone on a health kick these days? I even found fruit shaped hard candies! Then, I remembered the  M&M jar (shaped like an M&M) on the corner of John's desk)...as I picked it up, I heard the tinkle of two mini M&M's against ceramic.  They weren't even full sized M&M's! But I ate them... let them melt on my tongue, actually, just to make them last longer.

I made it through the night, survived the bind off on my knit-two-at-a-time-Josephine-sleeves, even though I ended with one sleeve shorter than the other.

No chocolate at work today...and then after dinner, 7pm to be exact, I couldn't bear it any longer. With JR and I both in our lounging clothes, I knew trying to get him to go to Julbilee was not happening. SO, I found what I needed to make the best chocolate dessert ever. (remember, there is not a sweet in the house...not so much as a brownie mix for this dieter) I had some milk, heavy cream, unsweetened chocolate, butter, egg yolks and sugar...

and I whipped up my old standby pot de cremes

with real cream. That satisfied my craving for a good long time.

Thursday Knit Night at "A Knitter's Corner."  Three afghans were planned

 

(for the life of me, I can't imagine knitting an afghan when my Josephine sleeves seem to be going agonizingly slow)

Some finished projects shown about

and gauge issues were discussed...

Is Christine going to felt these mittens? Noooooo...

She's going to stuff them full of goodies next Christmas a la "the Christmas stocking.'

And will I be felting these Jaywalkers?  Noooooo....

I spent my Knit Night  starting over. Funny how the gauge thing works. Well, not exactly funny unless you happen to be dead on with your gauge. Funny also how these Jaywalkers seem to be tight on everyone else, and loose on me!

With an unexpected day off Friday to go with my parents to the Emergency Room, I knit back to where I left off with smaller needles. I am much more comfortable with them now. We were at the ER...knitting... with my Dad from 8am until close to 4pm...he was having some breathing difficulties, and with a history of heart disease and lung disease,  you get him to the hospital when he says he can't breath. But Dad is okay after some treatment in the hospital and some antibiotics for a nasty case of bronchitis.

  I wonder about this size, now, too.... the perils of Jaywalking. Maybe I'll switch back to number 2 needles to do the heel area? Then the top won't be loose, and I'll get it over my heel more comfortably? Would that work?

We had a surprise visit this past weekend.

Meet George, Ben's new chocolate lab puppy.

  George saw Moses.

Moses saw George.

  Moses didn't extend a very hospitable welcome. He didn't think George was at all cute.

As I try to live my healthier lifestyle, I'm glad I have an extra conscience in the house to catch me in the act (thanks, JR)...

and a dog in the house to catch my crumbs.

And, by the way, if George were really made out of chocolate, he wouldn't have lasted two  minutes in my presence this week.

A fabulous weekend to knit! I needed something to bring me out of the knitting doldrums...or the doldrums in general, I should say. But nothing can revive you like some new projects, and  the three minutes of sunshine we finally experienced in WNY yesterday.

As inspiration, I watched "Big Fish" again, pausing on the screens of Josephine, wearing her Josephine. After ripping back most of the collar, I re-worked it and got half of my sleeves knit (two at a time, of course)

I'm getting so excited to finish! I reworked the collar because in the pattern, the designer does a knit and turn for the shaping , and it left me with gaping holes.  When I saw the real Josephine, I knew I couldn't settle for a holey collar, and I did wrap and turn shaping instead.  I'd also like to do something along the bottom...any suggestions to make it hang a bit better? It starts right off with cabling, and seems to need a firmer edge to it. I could pick up and knit something, I suppose, but what?  Help me knitters!

In my Josphine excitement, I did, however break the "No Hang" rule.

  Not sure what that's about. But I guess I'm busted now that  there is evidence of the crime.

Let's see, more projects?

How about an intarsia pillow from "Weekend Knits..."

 

and some Jaywalker socks?

Cherry Tree Hill Sock yarn, from my stash. Fun, fun, fun pattern.

I cast on one sock, couldn't stop myself, and the mail came on Saturday with my two 24" Addi's to do two socks at a time! I'm not ripping this out, though. I'll just have to hold on the Addi's.

AND...I woke this morning to my SP7 info... and a very nice email from my spoiler. Looks like another nice round of gifting will begin. What a lovely way to begin a Monday!