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Al finished this vest last night. She says she started out with an Interweave Sweater Pattern and changed the whole thing. I love the result. She bought the yarn in Marengo about a month ago. She has an eye for seeing yarn as it will be. I wish I had this talent. I thought the yarn was pretty ugly when she bought it. Now.....I love it. I also just love the collar on this vest. For anyone who's keeping track, her Valentine sweater is still giving her problems. I think it was a pattern from the Knitting Garden? I'll show it to you when she prevails. I've signed up for Stitches in August. What do you think I signed up for? Any guesses? Al's taking Overcoming Fear of Cutting, steeks class. Remember last year I sat next to the woman from the FBI who had learned to knit the week before and was following our Chart reading class like it was a remedial reading class......Al kept encouraging me not to "shut down." You know I'm basically innumerate, sp...

I am crocheting a shawl. I love the colors of the Claudia handpaint linen. Summer summer summer. I know, can't I just be content with spring right now? It was inspired by a Sweat Pea Shawl from the Happy Hooker Stitch n'Bitch Crochet book. I am not making it a triangle shape. I am not really even making anything close to that pattern. This is a breakthrough for me. For some reason, with only one live stitch, I see the pattern coming alive before me. I don't need to write row repeats down or count. I tried at least 5 lace knit patterns before I tossed and turned and the light came on: I could crochet a summer shawl with this yarn. The ergonomically correct F hook is okay. My wrist hurts from all the work I did last night, and I do not usually get wrist pain when I knit. The yarn is well, splitty. It hides well with crochet but I wouldn't want to knit with this yarn. The yarn is not soft yet, but Lynnette at 3 Bags says it washes up soft. So that is what I a...

Another little baby Koigu leftover sock. Another March madness. Friday during the games, I dropped stitches and a crochet hook. The hook was gone. Swallowed into the chair never to be found again. That chair is a Bermuda triangle of sorts. We got a flashlight, turned the chair upside down and backwards, got on our hands and knees, got out the maglight, but to no avail. So I bought a new crochet hook. It is ergonomically friendly. I'll show it to you this week and I'll show you how this Knitter who cannot conquer lace fights back with her crochet hook. Go Florida.

Al finished her cardigan. It was the cabled cardigan in the most recent issue of Vogue. She opted not to cable the sleeves. She used Jaeger extra fine merino in this springy green. I should have shown a back view as well. The cables are up the back as well. I'm a proud mama. She had no patterns troubles. The yarn was good to her.

The winner is......Kim, from knitswithasilentk.blogspot.com. Congratulations Kim. Thank you to all of you who entered. Contests are fun! Your STR Jewel of the Nile will be on the way as soon as you send me your snail mail address. :) The beautiful baby hats were donated to the ISCU by Margot from Winnetka. We appreciate all donations. These springy beauties will make some families very happy. What a lovely thing to do, Margot. I am ready to have a few projects going at once.......The original plans for the wrap are history. I am working on something else with the Claudia handpaints....stay tuned. I still have some baby socks going. What will the other project be?????????????????????? What are YOU working on?

Snowdrops in my yarn, I mean yard Countdown to the Cubs opener...April fools that we are.... Smell of skunks ...it is their mating season around here Thoughts turn to spring haircuts Thoughts turn to spring purse Thoughts turn to spring yarn Butter lambs Orion turning away chalk drawings on the sidewalks hoping for a thunderstorm the roadbike will be out of the living room soon and much much more

Okay, this was really just an excuse to show off my pedicure since it has gotten cold again and it doesn't look like anyone else will get to see it. However, the Fixation that I got for my birthday is making some very nice spring-y socks to remind me that the warmer weather is coming. Today I saw a spring robin and some tulips sprouting up out of the cold ground, sure signs of Spring. It is not too long now!

I am playing with little leftover bits of yarn. These little socks are knit from Cabin Fever's Bright Blocks for Kids #158. I purchased this pattern at Stitches last summer. They were fun to knit. So fast. What isn't going so fast is my Swirly Wrap designed by Farmhouse Knits and sold by Blue Moon Fiber Arts. There is a pattern error and I cannot figure it out. I think I am going to knit a wrap in feather and fan instead. Easy 4 row repeat. What do you think? You still have time to leave me a comment about spring in order to win the Socks That Rock Jewel of the Nile yarn. I am really enjoying reading all the spring thoughts. Monica asks, what is a butter burger? A butter burger is a high fat delicious thing made by Culver's fast food chain. I don't know if it is fried in butter or infused with butter or some such thing. Maybe you just look like you've had a lot of butter if you eat them. You are missing out Monica. :(

My nephew was in Japan last week. I emailed him to ask if he could possibly pick up a Knitting Mag. while he was there. This college boy actually took time out from his spring break trip, to grant my wish. This simple act says so much to me. He's a grown up now. He knows how be thoughtful. I remember his love of the Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtles when he was growing up. They are making a comeback I understand. Good vs. Evil. Turtles on the Half shell, Turtle power! Clearly the cover deserves a better image on the blog. So when it is in our hot little hands, soon, we'll share. Al the chart knitter will be able to decipher the patterns. How clever of the Japanese knitters.

Time for a contest. Irisheyes Lynn, Kathy and Al took a fieldtrip today. We picked a Socks That Rock skein as the prize. Jewel of the Nile it is named. All you have to do to enter to win this lovely sock yarn............leave us a comment about a sign of spring. I'm coming up to our 600th post and it could co-incide with March 20th, the first day of spring. The contest will end on March 20th. Any sign will do. We are easy to amuse. Now, about our fieldtrip. We went out to The Fold in Marengo Illinois. SOMEONE had already been there once (named Lynn). The three of us spent an hour and a half choosing yarns and patterns. I have decided that too many STR's together make for staggering decision-making for me. Al chose a beauty: Lynn chose two beauties, one of which is County Clare. I chose mohair. Please do not ask why. Cotton candy pink Bluemoon Kidmo. You'll be hearing more about the wrap I'm going to make using it. Then I almost choose a 30.00 skein...

Al is knitting From Vogue's Winter 06/07 patterns. She is make #15 Cabled Cardigan using Jaeger extra fine merino. She's on break so she is delighted to have lots of time to knit. I making simple baby socks. Using up some stash. I am using a Cabin Fever pattern purchased at Stitches last summer. So cute. I'll show them soon. Al asked me to ask: Does anyone know of an inexpensive angora? Or is that an oxymoron?

This cowboy has been knitting a lace shawl between go-rounds. His advice is to keep doing those finger and wrist reps to prevent fatigue. He uses Superman lotion from Sephora to keep his hands soft. This keeps the laceweight from snagging on his skin. These cowboys on cellphones are calling in their orders for hand-dyed yarn at Acornbud's new etsy site. Clearly they are competing for her superwash wools. Their socks get mighty dirty from the bull s--- all around them. Finally this cowboy does occasionally put down his knitting for a ride. It only takes 8 seconds or so and then it is back to the knitting. What fun this knitter had at the Professional Championship Bull Riding event in Chicago last night. :)

This gentlemen, Dan, is a photographer for The Daily Herald. Long story, ironic. He was on assignment to photograph my Irish dining room table. I turned the tables on him! He checked out my finished sock while I snapped this shot. I want his camera! Guess what? His mom, Bonnie, was a knitter. She knit them sweaters and they all have Christmas stockings that were made by her. Funny that my Strong Hungarian pride wasn't the focus! Ah, I love my Irish side too. There is NOTHING on my needles today!! I think my next knit will be a spring purse..... I have a Two old Bags pattern that I bought last summer with sale yarn. Then the weather got cold and I lost interest in making it. It is currently thundering here in chicago. Yeah. Spring will come. I will want that purse.......