knittinggenes.blogspot.com

This King Cake was at Tag's bakery in Evanston, Ill. I know that Al and Maureen of Irisheyes both love purple and green combos for knitting. If they were the knit- a -cake sort, they'd probably knit a King Cake. ( Have you ever been the one to find the baby in the cake? ) I'm not a food knitter at this point in my life. Food is for eating, not knitting. And, food is helpful when knitting. Especially when someone else prepares it while I am knitting. Are you someone who knits food? If I were to forced to knit food, it would be the cupcake hat for a child that was making the blogs awhile back. Now, that's worth knitting.

This is the quickest photo blogger could take of the Schaefer yarn sweater Al made. See the picot edge. (again, a statement) Boy did that soften up the look of this great handknit. Sometimes the blogger must risk the rage of the photographed in order to get the shot. Sometimes the blogger just has to get the shot even if she knows it will upset the subject. Why? Because the blogger is committed to providing photos on the blog. She doesn't really even read many blogs without images. She doesn't like the link system. She's very visual. If the blogger were truly good at cyberworld, she would have colored the other half of the sweater in crayonlike fashion with a handpaint program to be funny and complete the look. The blogger is not good at cyberworld...yet. The blogger has been capturing images in advance for the blog. Her prized digital camera is going to the Grand Canyon and the Cub opener in Mesa without her. Its not the camera's fault that they blogger

more fingerless gloves. The second pair I've made for myself. I splurged, bought, Modella, a Laines Du Nord . It's a little bit poly, and a little bit viscose, and some.....you guessed it, kid mohair. These are 22.00 fingerless gloves. I've got a good little bit left to work into my blues collection. The little crochet piping is from some llama wool I purchased in Northern Wisconsin at least 10 years ago. I have this seasonal desire to get a kitten when its cold and boring out. Sanity prevents me from adding anymore to our home, and the fact that my husband, a village fireman, would die if we had a call at our house and it was crawling with cats. There is a sort of implication by non-cat lovers that people with more than one cat are a little loony. Ha! Anyhow, in order to satisfy my need for a littel something furry, I made these gloves. Next up on the needles are Montana Woolies lace socks. The pattern was a gift. The yarn was a gift. They will be practical

I couldn't just give it one blogpost!

Isn't this baby blanket amazing. (That's a statement, it doesn't need a question mark, for the punctuation police out there.) Nell, who gives me a knitters massage from time to time, took Safari Parade pattern by Barbara at Woodsmoke Woolworks and adapted it a bit. I will post a closeup of the monkeys, my favorite another time. She added the names of the children in the family, who happen to be adorable twin girls, to one bottom panel. Lyra and Simone. She is giving the parents this blanket with some extra yarn to add names of other children and grandchildren when the time comes. Nell doesn't get online much, but she is such a sport. She was only too nice about calling me when she finished the blanket so I could share it with all of you. Thanks Nell. Knitters inspire me. You are one of them.

Al can wear her cap sleeve sweater vest in Arizona next week. She'll probably need her Chicago winter jacket while at the Grand Canyon, don't you think? She can wear her cute cap sleeve to the Cub opener in Mesa I hope. Ahhhh baseball and green grass, I'll be happy just thinking of them while listening to Ron and Pat do a little preseason play by play here at home. (Ron Santo/ Pat Hughes for those unfamiliar to the Cubbie routine) Jennifer at MajorKnitter asked me to explain some premie things to anyone who likes to knit for Neonatal patients. 1. If the baby who needs a hat is considerably premature the hat should not have any ties or snuggness at the brim. The sides of the head are generally flattened; the head does not develop the shape it would have if the baby stayed in mom in a fluid filled womb. Avoid tall hats. Rounder caps work much better. 2. Use washable fibers. Most hospitals wash your gift before it is used. It will go through a regular washer and drye

This is AL's newest project. She is not making a shrug, but altering the pattern a bit to be a full sweater. It is called ISIS and it was in Interweave. The designer is another KATHLEEN. This is the 3rd time Al's yarn from last summer vacation is trying to be a garment. It's a Brown Sheep Cotton. I was in some pain watching her frog the cabled sweater knit in the round, to reuse the yarn for this. As I always say, oh well, knitter's choice. I had a little problem with my tooth last week. I was limited to a self-imposed liquid diet since it broke; today was the first day I could see the dentist. Well, it wasn't quite a liquid diet; the vending machine at work had a Dove bar in it and some ramen noodles. Both soft foods. I picked the Dove bar. After 3 days of soups and chocolates that melt in your mouth, I felt I needed some protein from the ice cream..... I had no time to knit due to long shifts at work since Thursday, and I was getting edgy. My friend Di

The knit bag was made by Knittogether's Lynne as mentioned in the last post. WE love it. Who knew that carrying around one's knitting would be part of the fun as well. I was given a tote bag from Botham's of Whitby in London. My neighbor gave it to me with some wonderful teas as a gift. I love to put my knitting in it. It has a brown pen and ink drawing. What's your favorite thing to carry your knitting in? Send me a picture to my email and I'll post it. Thanks. Harpnut@gmail.com or just post it on your own blog and leave me a comment so I can enjoy it there!

Lynette the owner of 3 Bags Full, our FLYS, showed me her beautiful bag in progress. She is following a Sally Melville pattern using 2 types of Kureyon for fairisle effect. This is a great idea that I want to try. She took 2 different colorways and used them as the 2 strands throughout the fairisle pattern. Because the colors change throughout the Noro yarn, much of the work is already done. This lovely work is part of the class she is currently teaching at her store in Northbrook, Illinois. Al received the purse she asked Lynne at KnitTogetherinMyMothersWomb to make for her. I'll post its picture tomorrow. Lynne, you did a wonderful job and Al is delighted that you found more of the fabric she loved. I personally thank you for making the day! If you want to see a darling knitted bear, head over to marioknitte.blogspot.com.

I indulged in a knitter's massage about a week ago. Nell, the therapist, is a knitter. I always ask for her knitter's massage. She knows what I mean: the shoulders, the fingers the neck and the arms. When she was working on my arms, she told me she would have thought I was a bricklayer by the size of the muscles in my forearms. Hmmmmmm, could it be the blogging? Anyhow, I am making this sleeveless top for summer. The pattern is simple enough and my favorite part will be the neckline. What I'd like to do is get my upper arms in shape for wearing sleeveless this summer. I read something about lifting full milk jugs whenever you peek in the fridge. This sounds about my speed. No workout clothes needed, no gym memberships......I'm going to give this a whirl. Any other tips out there for getting rid of flabby arm?

Al made this cute mitten....and frogged it. Just not working out to her liking. She did not like how the Encore white yarn knitted up. The cuffs are so soft; Lynn gave Al this yarn for a gift. I think the new plan is to knit up some mittens in just the cuff yarn from Lynn. Knitters liscence. Great knitting television tonight. Olympics, Westminster, and U Conn Vs. Villanova game. I'll show you my sleeveless top when the back is finished. The yarn is fall colors and its killing me to knit with earthy tones right now. I would love to switch over to some knitpicks yarn and whip up some socks for Al in a cheery color.

But aren't these crocheted wheels cute? I found them in a thrift shop. They were part of an unfinished afgan. I repaired the afgan and gave it away. These little cuties, I kept. I think I'll have to go over to my LYS this week and see the crochet genious Susie. She'll have some marvelous way to make good use of them. Any ideas? I feel like taking a class soon. Do you ever get in the class mindset? I should retap my crocheting skills. Then I could mix the knitting and crochet better. I'm stuck in the picot edge world. It's dull but it sure is purty!

Irisheyes Lynn and I met for some catching up and knitting yesterday. She is making these sweet mittens for her daughter Katie. She's using Debbie Bliss cashmarino I think; a strand of black and a strand of red makeup the colorway. Speaking of Valentine's day, I think I could rewrite some of those Brach conversation hearts for knitters. Growing up we always were a little grossed out about the whole Mrs. Brach murder. She lived nearby and to this day there are questions about her disappearance. As kids, whenever we would eat Brach's candy someone would shout out "Mrs. Brach Mrs. Brach, she could be in that candy!" Anyhow, I prefer the Brach's Conversation Hearts. I understand the candy is now made in Tennessee. Well, here are my candie conversations hearts for my fellow kntiters. Now envision them printed on the little chalky sweet hearts: Knit 4 U We R KTog Blog girl Heart (the symbol) Felt Sweet on Ewe Stash luv socks rock Lacey lady I know I'm

It's my dog's 8th birthday. Happy Birthday Huck. We are so incredibly lucky to call him our dog. Here he is enjoying his new bunny. It small and soft, the way he likes them. It squeaks and is easy to carry around. We'll be getting him an icecream cone later today. In none Huck birthday news, I found a little blog I like: legwarmeralong.blogspot.com. There's some cute photos on that blog! Lynn and I met today and she showed me her socks that rock yarn. It was really a beautiful colorway of blues and aquas. She had to go to Marengo to get them, but it was worth it, I'd say. Road trip!

I'm making gauge. Aren't they the words you love to say? I've been swatching on and off for a week to get it perfect. Last night, after our knit GROUP, I finally did what Al suggested a week ago. I doubled up my yarn and made gauge for my ballerina sleeveless top. This was yarn I bought at STITCHES two years ago for my birthday. It's time. The post photo is Al's newest sweater. A cardigan for her trip to the Grand Canyon. She will also be spending a day at a Cubs Spring Training game. That's almost enough to make me give in and fly again. Back to our knit group last night. I am going to have to start a project just for those two nights a month. Something completely mindless. I have yet to be knit productive whenever I have gone. I learn things from others. I love to see what they are knitting. In terms of actual knitting, which is why I want to go, it just isn't working out. Tomorrow is my dear dog's 8th birthday. Be forewarned!

This is the almost never photographed elusive floral frog. She didn't like the sock colors. There's been an awful lot of frogging going on around here. She's right on this one. The cabled sock is going to be recast tonight and done in ONE color as it should be. Al just frogged her pretty cable v -neck that she began on vacation last July. I hurt watching her rip it. I frog when the knitting looks bad. She frogs if the knitting is....boring. I LOVE boring knitting. It's so ....soothing for me. When do you frog? (I also cut my bangs today. Somedays it is best not to have a scissors in the house... oh well. )

Here is my latest pair of socks knit with my favorite toe: the round toe. When you elect to use the round toe, you don't knit very far between gusset and toe shaping. This works best for those of us who do not have elegant skinny feet. Three of the irisheyesknitters, quite by happenstance, saw WICKED at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago yesterday. One irisheyed knitter noticed the crochet cap that Elshaba wore in her opening scene. This knitter also brought her binoculars and found fingerless gloves of all sorts amongst the chorus/dance performers. She also thinks Bok's silver hat was definitely a knitted roll brim in a silvered yarn. Oh I'd love to knit for theatre like some knitters have done. Few things keep me from my knitting. One is work. The other was WICKED.

MajorKnitter Jen believes in finishing fridays. Jen, Al's playing along this time. She is seaming a lovely sweater she made. She's been at this patiently all after noon. She and I are Coke devotees. See the can on the hearth? Is it all in my head, or do I knit better with Coca-cola? I believe I am already in the spirit of the Olympic games. Although I am not joining all the great knitbloggers in their Olympics, I am the self-proclaimed fan in the village, so to speak. I think I am going to offer the : AGONY OF DEFEAT MEDAL to a knitter or blogger during the games. If you would like to nominate an Olympic knitter just let me know. I'll include the nominees in my posts. As a knitting nurse, I'll take into consideration pain, strain, bodily injury and flu's and viruses. (Oh knitting during pregnancy or labor are good for points as well) I sincerely hope steroids will not be a factor. I consider myself the Commissioner on that one too. The decision will

This is a hog on the ground. Happy Groundhog Day to all. Whether or not the critters see their shadows tomorrow, this is know: There will be 6 more weeks of hats, mittens, socks and gloves, fingerless and fingerfull. The wind blows off Lake Michigan forever in our part of town and while those a bit west of us meet spring earlier, we need the warmth of wools for the better part of the year here. We can change to spring colors with the rest of you, but longsleeves are a must for me well into May. Sleeves require seaming, which leads me to this: I heard today that 70% of people have broken their New years Resolution by Feb 1 each year. I have until the end of the year to knit something with seams.....so I am still in. How are you doing with your resolutions?

The Mother Daughter Bag was changed a bit by Allison. It is too big for her liking....she's giving it to me. I LOVE the snowflakes. I also love the extensive list of Illinois and Missouri knitting events listed in Hillside Fiber News letter. a a