knittinggenes.blogspot.com

Al, your tank is so cute. And doesn't bamboo have the nicest drape? Once you've blocked it, that is. I didn't like mine the whole time I was working on it (made it in a variegated yellow) but after I blocked and tried on I liked it enough to make it again with 3/4 sleeves in an orange/pink hue. But I think bamboo just wants to be knitted - you have to keep the lace and fancy stitching minimal. Finished my spencer jacket in cotton classic 2 - liked it so much I'm making another in karabella aurora 8 (my new favorite yarn - I'll be buying it in every color at the stitches market!). I'm also plugging away at my kidsilk haze wrap sweater - with beads!

So it's been WEEKS since I've been tagged - here goes ... 1. I have over 1000 books in my house and that's a conservative guess. 2. The book I just finished reading was Freakonomics - a very cool and quick read in which the authors (an economist and a writer) look at the world through the eyes of the economist i.e. using data and statistics to determine what really goes on in the world. Written in an entertaining and conversational style. Their motto is "morality tells us how the world SHOULD work; economics tells us how it DOES work". I'm currently working my way through an Alfred Hitchcock collection of mysteries (my weakness), and the book Candy Freak by Steve Almond, which is very funny - he tells the story of his chocolate addiction and his study of the candy industry. (He also has a great description of the perfect love affair as being one in which lots of time is spent laying in bed together eating chocolate and having sex. So he's on my short...

This a the nest of the elusive spring migrating Meansilk. Although it looks as though it has been haphazardly thrown into an evergreen by a blister fingered wrist weary knitblogger, look closer. Clearly the blogger would have given up by now. Only the Meanbird could wrestle the unforgiving silks into this wonderful shape. Stay tuned for possible sightings. Now to answer a few post questions: Cece asks if she can participate in Worldwide KIP day contest altho not from Illinois. WHY of course Cece. I will be donating a dollar for every KIP photo sent to my email at Harpnut@gmail.com by 6/13. to this worthy cause. See May 24th post. Irisheyes Lynn, ahem, recent birthday girl, asks what pattern Al and I are using for our knitalong and our yarn choices: We are using Vogue Knitting's Seed Stitch Shell Pattern with Blue Sky cotton. Gauge is 13sts and 23 rows = 4" using size 101/2s. June 11th is worldwide knit in public day! ...

This is the felted bag I've been working on for the ISCU raffle. I used the Sophie pattern from MagKnits and Cascade 220 doubled. This is a great pattern, quick and easy. 

You are officially invited to Knit In Public day June 11th. I'll donate a dollar to Illinois Burn Camp for every photo sent to my email:harpnut@gmail.com of you participating. I will choose a winner and there will be some fun prizes. Illinois Firefighters send many kids to camp in our area each summer. Great cause, great fun. Nona's in. Anyone else?????? June 11th is worldwide knit in public day! Contest info. posted 5/24

Al's lace shell. I think this one fits her, she hasnt offered it to me! Nor should she, she looks great in it. I dared Lynn not to read any blogs or email on her Nashville trip this weekend. Can she? My last email from her stated she had 3! yarn stores to check out in Nashville. I really hope she got to meet Pam Butler of Angelhairyarns. I Have decided to run an irisiheyes contest. Since Worldwide Knit in Public Day is June 11th, I will offer a prize to the best KIP on June 11th photo sent to HARPNUT@gmail.com. THe prizes will be announced this week, to motivate you lurkers out there! You must be knitting on June 11th , in public , of course to enter.  

Al and I have chosen our yarn for our sleeveless summer tops in moss stitch , knitalong. I'm green, she's sand. We are not quite ready to start. Any joiners welcome.  

Okay, thanks, many thanks to Lynn and Al, and my sweater is finally done. I was thrilled that the weather was cool today! I'll post a better photo of the color sometime. It is so comfortable. Still, it will be a long long time before I knit anything with seams again. I dont like to rely on others for help and the seaming process just isn't something I want to work on right now as a skill. Irisheyes Maureen says, "you are the boss of your knitting." Yippee, I am.  

The green vase that came with the roses for Mothers Day is so neat. I love it. The ghiradelli chocolates that came with the roses are a dream come true. Long story; flowers lost somewhere for Mothers Day. They came tuesday and I love them and the effort. A thoughts for the weekend: 1) Lynn finished my seams. She will be richly rewarded. I know this is cheating, but its better than a UFO causing me distress. Now the buttons and collar..... 2) Closest YS, NOT favorite LYS made some predictions I overheard whilst shopping the dollar pattern sale made up mostly of 1980's patterns: Fall Colors are copper, black and brown... Class Instructor for the Stitches event we Irisheyesknitters have already signed up for is not a favorite at all of the yarn shop owner. Since her taste and manner leave much to be desired, I don't think we should wor...

My sister can have the baby now. I sent this little seamless yoked sweater to PA yesterday. I enjoyed knitting it. No seams no stress. I used Manos Cotton Stria, a pure Peruvian Cotton Kettle Dye. Al choose the yarn. We also sent the little purple Ugg booties al made this winter. Hurry up babygirl! 

Here is a closer look at those little elephant buttons. Trunks up!  

Nona needed 2 volunteers to be willing to be tagged. SO....... 1) How many book are in my home? Over 500. And the public library is a block away.....aren't I lucky!!!!!!!!!!!! 2) What is the last book I bought? A Complete History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson. 3) What is the last book I read? Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd 4) 5 of my favorite books: Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner Pigs In Heaven, by Barbara Kingsolver Pack of Two, by Caroline Knapp Traveling Mercies, by Anne Lammott and the 5th, is Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie 5) Who will you tag and why? Why I'll tag Al and Maureen!

Here's the little robin's egg found on our sidewalk ...there is something about that color that is not inorganically reproduceable if you ask me...... I thought that by giving my sweater to Lynn for finishing, (she is going to be richly rewarded) that my knitting stress level would return to baseline. I felt complete and total freedom as I handed it hastily to her husband Rob at their front door the other night. I really thought about the ding dong ditch move......see? The finishing element colors my thought processes. It is something I plan to master later.......... I felt an immediate euphoria when it was out of my hands..... Why then did I dream that I brought my baby sweater to work and lost it! I was crying in my dream! Has anyone ever dreamed about their knitting? ...

Below is the darling baby bonnet Al is going to knit for her new cousin. ( Babygirl number 4 for my sister Patti Ann. ) She's using baby pink and blue Lorna s Lace mix. The price on the STORE COPY was 4.00. It was the only one left. I was charged 1.50 for the pattern to be copied. Fine. Then I was told I had to buy yarn from that store, or the copy could not be mine. Policies are policies, I know. So I found some sock yarn and went on my way. My favorite LYS, the one my daughter works for, does not require any of this. She has a great business. If you want some yarn, you buy it. If you want a pattern, you buy it. If you want to take a class you take it. No mandatory requirements that you purchase anything other than the class. In this day and age of on-line yarn access, I would think more stores would conduct their business like 3 Bags Full, my favorite yarn shop. Unfortunately the Policy Police shop is only a block from my back porch....so that's the Baby Bonne...

The Baby Bonnet Pattern Lesson. 

Its a knitty.com Soliel cake baked by Al. Lynn, Maureen remember the yarn Al strongly suggested I buy for her at the little shop in Burlington? It was 220 yards so I did it, well I really like how its turning out! ***** The candy on top is a gift from my friend Marta whose husband works for Peerless Made Candy in Chicago. Wonder of wonders, my Nana, after coming from Ireland, worked at Peerless. **** My sweater is on hold, until I can finish the baby sweater for my sister Patti Ann, being induced May 18th. **** Happy May to all.  

Lucky before I seamed it