knittinggenes.blogspot.com

Al's been fairisling. After an agonizing decision about which Koigu yarns to mix, she decided on this combo. SOME people felt the two colors wouldn't mesh well. I think she followed her instincts and they are lovely together. Al is a most devoted Koigu knitter. (today's her birthday too.......) As her mom I still relive the day. We were watching the Winter Olympics after my epidural kicked in..... 1988. It was a leap year. She should have been born on 2/29 because she doesn't like her birthday! She clearly is missing my gene on that one!

This wonderful WICK yarn by knitonecrochettoo was a gift from my friend Diane. This yarn is wonderful. Not only is it wonderfully cheering "spring spring spring!" it has some "spring" to it as well. I mean the yarn has some stretch which is great for my wrists. I'm going to check out their site for other colors. More socks WILL be made with this yarn. It is softer than fixation, for socks. It is a soy/poly blend. I also love my pink pony pearls, as many of you know. The pink needles compliment the yarn, don't you think? Spring will come. I know because I've seen the chocolate bunnies in Target. Have you seen a chocolate bunny yet?

I'm practically speechless. .......... I'd like to thank my LYS' Julie for the fine finishing work. The pocket seams and zipper look great. For twenty dollars I avoided the process I fear most. I'd like to thank Oat Couture Natural Knitting for the fine inspiration. To all the people at Misty Alpaca, from the spinners to the llama cleaner uppers, I love you. To my knitting mentors: Deb V. ,Madelon, Diane, Joanie, irisheyeslynn, Jan, Jen, oh there are so many to thank...who am I forgetting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALLISON. Thank you Allison for your pattern rewrite. No wait, just a few more..... to my blog friends for their unfailing optimism in my times of frogging, to my husband for finding the yarn shop sale in the middle of the NorthWoods last summer, when, in 100 degree heat and humidity I was purchasing Alpaca, to my parents and son, and finally finally, to my irish and hungarian relatives who left me their genes, calves and all! Thank you thank you thank you.....

I finished my sweater. I'm supposed to broken-record blog. I forgot who, but a blogger I read asked that we keep telling what yarn, what pattern etc. because the reader may not want to go back and find the information at the start. So, here's my broken record : Knitting Pure and Simple Top Down Raglan Yarn: Jaeger extra fine merino chunky. Shade: 013. Can you see the little blue flecks amidst the cream color? Ahhh knitting in the round. My favorite. I did knit while watching the cars go around and around yesterday at the Daytona 500. What a finish, for me and Harvick!

I've been afraid to switch to Bloggers new format. I really feared losing my archives. So, I waited until Blogger told me I had to change. This morning I held my breath and pressed some buttons. PHEW. The blog is still here. I have nothing to show you knitwise, hence my gnome. I miss him. He is tucked away in the garden shed. Maybe I'll bring him out the first of March. Maybe just to the screen porch. I do have some websites I've found that you may like: angelhairyarn.com has a free pattern for a "false entrelac scarf." The cheater in me really wants to try this. Simplesockyarn.typepad.com hasa the newest Opal sock collection in Rainforest II. My favorite: schmettering get-a-round.blogspot.com is Joeli's blog. She described herself in Knitty as a seamless knitter. That did it for me. She has a nice fair isle mitten pattern in Knitty. Al wants to make them. This blog amused me: floknit.blogspot.com. (The life and times of Florence Knitingale) I lo...

The farm in town had let the cows out today. It is still very cold and the wind chill in Chicago makes it worse. Plenty of sweater knitting left to go. I have to finish one sleeve and the neck of my top down raglan. I do like trying it on as I knit. I have to string a safety line across the bottom stitches in order to fit it over my shoulders while it is still on the circulars. This allows some of the live stitches to slip off the needle without worry. I knit to both nights of Westminster. Did you watch? As I'm knitting round and round, (you all were great about giving me even more round foods to think of, by the way) I'm thinking about my next project. In the running are spring socks, using up the purples in the stash, and another top-down but for an infant. I'm still waiting for my One Piece knits book to arrive..... Please leave me your email or blog so I can thank you for your comment.

I know some say knitting is the process, but to me, knitting is also, very much, the end result. Hence my return to knitting in the round. I'm not going to be disappointed. I'm not going to feel badly about the money spent. Top down raglans just make sense to me. I save money because I don't have to pay anyone to finish for me. Someday I'll learn to seam well. (maybe!) The cream and blue yarn is Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Chunky. Someday I'll learn to think spacially. Right now, I'm just going round and round and round. Maybe this is why I cannot seem to get donuts off my mind. Bagels too for that matter. Pizza.......chocolate pie... Please leave me your email or blog so I can thank you for your comment.

This Charlotte's Web shawl in Koigu is so spectacular on the wall at Three Bags Full, my LYS. Purples and oranges playing off each other. It is even lovelier to view at the store. I wondered, would it be less beautiful when worn? or more? I'm going to calculate the cost just to ruin the fun. Stay tuned. I watched another KNITTY GRITTY episode today. The woman who wrote the Hooray For Me Fingerless glove pattern was featured. She taught the viewers how to make her glove. I learned a few things. I didn't know if you cast off in rib your stockinette edge won't roll. I learned how she knit in the round on two needles. I would have to watch it again, when I was knitting myself, to really feel like I could do it. I liked how they used bigger needles and yarn for teaching so you could really see what the knitter was doing. In short, the second show impressed me more than the first. I'll tune in again........ My alpaca vest is finished with the pocket seamin...

Well despite putting our best face forward, (RADAR's) the Bears lost. There was plenty of quiet at our little party from the 3rd quarter on. I didn't drop one stitch. I knitted throughout the game, did you? A friend told me that Knitty Gritty has come to our HGTV channel. I tuned in this morning. Have you watched it? I only caught the beginning of today's show. I'll watch a few more times and reserve judgement until then. Baseball starts in under 60 days! Please leave me your email or blog so I can thank you for your comment.

1. Tackling: General term used by knitters to describe item being knit for a Christmas gift on or about December 23rd. 2. Special Teams: Those who do finishing work at my LYS. 3. Punt: Innovative knitting usually brought on by refusal to admit mistake and fear of ripping. Not always successful. 4. Safety: The string on stitches used in lace knitting for the inevitable rip back after knitting without complete focus and concentration for at least one minute which often leads to UFOs. 5. False start: Often encountered when one hasn't read the pattern in it's entirety at least 3 times before forging ahead with new delicious yarn that one cannot resist casting on with immediately after purchase. 6. Tight end: Too few stitches stretching across one's backside because the pattern was knit for a model who can fit in a size 4 anything and you cannot. Can be remedied by complicated mathematical process described in Stitches Class and since forgotten. 7. Blocking: Term which b...