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Fireman rarely slows down for me to take a picture. This one was taken on the fly.....the other day. NO WAY am I climbing that thing. Some of us will never be Firemen...... And No way am I making those beautiful Koigu socks I told you to hold me to. I got through both cuffs in a 3 x1 rib. Then...I ...just ...couldnt ....bear to keep going. All that stuff: the heel flap, the turning, the gusset, the body, the .blah blah blah. Im too preoccupied with stuff while I am knitting lately to think..... SO I did the next best thing: I frogged the cuffs and gave the Koigu to Al. She loves her some koigu. She thinks it is baby colors. She is right. She knows about a million pregnant people right now...so she's thinking booties. THey'll be awesome booties. Dont forget to enter my super simple contest and leave a comment on the previous post by midnoc 6.1.11 I WOULD LOVE YOU TO LEAVE A COMMENT>

thank you Charles M. Schulz Last summer was very very rough here. I am looking forward to the joys of summer this year. I want to make up for all I missed last year and more. It is also about time I gave away a gift to my blog friends. So, let's have a contest shall we? Rules are super simple: Give me a title: of a pattern or of a recipe, or of a book that I might look into this summer. Just the title, unless you so kindly wish to send me an enitre recipe or post the recipe on your blog. If you send me a pattern to knit up, and it is nice and simple, you get two points for the drawing. All entries must follow THIS post. Comment on this post, so I dont have to go looking through a few days of comments. Summertime, and the blogging is easy... I will open the contest now and run it through June 1st. On June 2nd I'll pick a winner. The prize? A wonderful summery shawl pin with a lovely dragon fly on it from Knitpicks OR a jar full of lightening bugs....y...

My sister's blanket is nearly finished. I have the ends to weave. She isn't one for fringe, so I won't be doing that. Seems I should do something. Maybe crochet a border? Maybe put 4 big tassells on the four corners. Any ideas? It is big and drapey and very soft. The yarn is SMART superwash. Made by: SandnesGarn. The Pattern is the Cape Cod Shawl from the Prayer Shawl Companion book. Easy peasy 3x3 ribs on big needles. The cost of the project, around 130.00. My sister bought the yarn. I tried to talk her into something less costly, but she was set on getting the yarn then and there. It is really going to be a snuggly soft blanket for her. Besides the finishing ,there is the transport to Minnesota costs. Any ideas for cost - saving here? I may have to wait until someone is driving up to see her, to get it there. I imagine cost will be pretty pricey whether USPS or UPS or Fed Ex. Hmmmm. Thoughts? Ideas??? THANKS. ( I will be announcing a contest sometim...

If they say you should surround yourself with great people and you'll be a better person for it, I have all my knit pals to thank. Carol in the first picture, is knitting a Berocco Suede Shawl. Joany B. in the next image is knitting a entrelac dishcloth. The stories we tell as we knit, are complex pieces of who we are. It is good for me to hear their stories. It is good for me to tell mine. This is the real meaning of knitting together. Sometimes, Joany B., says it is the Bloody Mary talking, but we listen anyhow. Sometimes we laugh to the point of snorts, and sometimes we puddle up and sniffle together. But it is all good. I wish my pretend friends could knit together under the sunshine......

and yes this is a double post day!!! Here are my favorite 10 catalogs mail order...... 1. JC Penney. Fireman makes me pick up the order at the store, but I still love their sales. 2. Sundance .....I only allow myself the clearance items. 3. Neuske's ... oh yes I have ...... 4. Fannie May candies...ditto 5. Seas candies...ditto 6. simplysocks 7. In the Company of Dogs 8. Hanes 9. Campmor 10. Title Nine.....i love their stuff, but have never ordered....

Joany was working on the collar of her zippered sweater vest one minute and the next thing I know, she's needlepointing the Chicago Water Tower. My sister in Minnesota, painted the Water Tower in watercolors in High School. It is now a lovely part of her home. I always thought the Water Tower was lovely. A bit of research, however, taught me that it has been criticized for it's lack of beauty! It is the second oldest Water Tower in the United States. (The oldest is in Lousiville) It is one of a few buildings that survived the 1871 famous Chicago Fire. And, just so I sound so know it all......it is built of yellowing Joliet limestone. The funniest thing I learned about the Chicago Water Tower, which is located at 806 North Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile, is that it apparently has inspired the White Castle Restaurant buildings. Sliders....and all. It now serves as part of the Chicago Office of Tourism. There you have it. I actually taught something...

Kathy and Karen are behind those Bloody Mary's. What a day. What fun friends. What a knit together. Kathy is working on a dishcloth that is a basketweave pattern. She about finished it today while we laughed together. Karen is knitting an incredible sweater for herself. She's hiding behind it. I'll be showing you more friends and their needleworks tomorrow. I brought my sister's blanket. It is getting to be nearly too big to lug around. So in the interest of diversity, and wrist health, I cast on... a pair of socks today. I know. I haven't completed (Or cast on ) a pair of socks this year at all. It is nearly June. I tried to tell myself that the Koigu I bought in Minnesota should be a cowl or another TOAST pair of fingerless.. but the Sock Spirit is lurking. Somehow I've cast on. I plan to knit two socks side by side ....I don't do the magic circle or whatever it is called. I have enough trouble with lines, let alone circles. S...

My sister choose the yarns for her blanket. I am marathon knitting it while off this weekend. Someday lace.....today ribbing Someday cherry tomatoes, ....today seedlings Someday champagne....today Coke Someday boating....today porch sitting Someday swimming...today walking Someday camping...today campfire how about your somedays?

Fireman commented that I hadn't had a guest blogger in a long while. So, without further ado: Here is the clerk at Fit and Frisky Pet supply in Evanston, Illinois. He didn't mind a bit. If you can make out the knit up, it is my sister's new blanket. I am knitting this behemoth on the needles that one of you so generously sent me from your Stitch N Pitch giveaway. These needles make BIG stitches. I guess the supposed Rapture made me think I had to knit this fast for my sister. I am sorry to join the Rapture for blog fodder, but it is just too irresistible. Just in case the world was ending, I had my favorite dinner: Homemade bread and sweet unsalted butter. Accompanied by a glass of chardonnay. The thought occurred to me that if indeed, we were all going, I'd get to see my Huck again and there was comfort in that. I fully expect us to reunite someday in a joyous round of tail wagging and hugging.

\ Here are more.....and my new purse/backpack: iwasknittogetherinmymotherswomb.typepad.com lansingerland.blogspot.com evergreenknits.blogspot.com wyomingbreezes.blogspot.com knittingonthego.blogspot.com handeyecrafts.wordpress.com chanknits.wordpress.com kniterrant.blogspot.com and there are more...

Karen and Dee I am certainly leaving some out. Not intentionally dear pretend friends. Nancy, the linky thing overwhelms me. You can google them pretty easily I think. Sorry. For instance, go to Skeins, Dee and her blog will pop up in Google. :) Good luck. I love all of these blogs and more! Nancy do you have a button? Almost all of my reads are people who comment on irisheyes so you can hit their comment names and go to them that way too. :)

Carole Knits and Dawn's Knitting at Skein Im having trouble loading Ling at Musing and Doing Beverly at Fiberitis Chan Knits and Allison at Perknitious but they are great reads and knitters as well.

I'm going to try to show you where I head to in cyberspace nearly daily. This endeavor will take a few posts. This is just the beginnning. I once had a button...I need to get it back... Quiet Life Yarn Miracle Stitches of Violet Major Knitter

*Rosalyn and UFO Sister Blanket *Back Porch Open *First mosquito bite *Garden planted *Radar on my lap! *summer backpack: Jc Penney *Pedometer: fell off, lost... *Stitchesofviolet.blogspot.com :send a hug

Let's play shall we? True or False...... *I'd prefer to know if there is going to be a BUMP AHEAD *I planted a flower for a current Chicago Bulls Guard *I am knitting on the biggest needles now, in my knitting history. *I am knitting to American Idol, The Chicago Bulls game and the Weather channel....all at once. *I am not working this weekend at all. *I dont' "get" the MARCEL commercials. *I love the hamster Kea commercials .. *I love Steven Tyler.... *I am ready for a swap...again *I would have kept the kitten, Carter over the others *I wore false eyelashes on 5/6 for the first time..and took them off shortly thereafter. *I remember I LOVE LUCY shows with Lucy's false eyelashes falling off, and laughing hysterically over them. *I've been to Nashville *I've never been to Niagra Falls, but my parents honeymooned there.. *I have double pierced ears *I have over a hundred double point and straight needles that just fell like Pi...

These lovelies were captured on my walk today. If only everything was as easy to photograph as flowers. It is almost cheating to publish these images. How can you miss? I used my Sony digital camera. It is safe to say that my old Fuji camera was my favorite. It didn't know how to take a bad picture. I am still learning about this Sony. I have to say that the storm cloud images from Minnesota last week, were all due to the Landscape feature on my Sony. I'll give it credit for those. Overall, however, I wish my old Fuji was still operable. Which leads me to my news. Karen was over knitting with me this morning. She singlehandedly, (the knit hand that is) saved a loose stitch from my shawlette, taught me the Bee Stitch for potential use with my sister's blanket, and mentioned the class at the coming Lake County Fiber Fest.... Franklin, of IT ITCHES, fame, is teaching the class. It is a photography class. Now, Donna Boucher, I still have a goal to take one...

When blogger went DOWN on us last week, I think my heart skipped a beat...or two. Serious PVC pauses were happening...... What.... no blogger? No way to post? No way to read my pretend friend's thoughts??? It felt a bit alarming. Didn't it???? Here's a little secret: I LOVE TO POST. Yup. I love it. Makes my day. Every time. Today's little post picture is the hat I am almost finished knitting. It needs a tassel. A simple tassel. THis single simple finishing touch will take me weeks to finish. I am certain of it. As much as I love to post, I hate to finish. I am just not good at finishing skills and they are crucial to the final knit project. I don't sew buttons on well, I don't do zippers, I have barely mastered a mattress stitch and I three needle bind off whenever I can. The knitting part, I adore. The finishing.... not so much.. How about YOU?

Honestly, I had no idea. When Fireman and I visited Stillwater Minnesota yesterday, we found a find. We intended to sight see around White Bear Lake and Stillwater to give my sister some time to catch up on work without us around. I had no idea there was an incredible knit shop in the tiny tourist town of Stillwater Minnesota. Darn. Knit. Anyway. That is the name of this quaint and lovely store. The owners could not have been nicer. They were laughing and blowing up balloons for evening festivities at the shop. They showed me to the sale yarn with smiles. The wound my yarn with smiles. They found a mitten shop pattern for me, with smiles. They directed us to a walleye sandwich in town, with smiles. All genuine. Then they suggested I needle felt with the roving I have at home. I love this idea. I am not ready to learn to spin. I think I can needle felt. Who knows if I really can, but I have this feeling that I can. They were certain I could. Can I ?? Have y...

Hi from up here in Minnesota!! Charles M. Schultz is from Minnesota! If you walk through the streets of The Twin Cities, you will see various statues of Snoopy etc. This one is outside a veterinary hospital that is situated in an old house. I love it. The Yarnery is a favorite shop I like to go to when I visit my sister. We bought her yarn so that I can knit a blanket for her. Then I bought some Koigu..... that was on sale! 35% OFF. I Love the colorway. Hmmmm, socks? a Cowl? hmmmmm a bandanna shawlette? I was displeased, I have to say in one little way. After spending nearly 200 dollars on yarn, they would not wind two tiny skeins of Koigu. Their policy. Not because it was on sale. They weren't busy with classes or clients. They just don't wind. I want yarn shops to wind. All of the shops in my Chicago area wind. You may have to wait, but they wind and they do it with a smile. Does your shop wind? Finally, last night I was treated to Mammatu...

We are in Minnesota! We are visiting my sister and her husband and furr children this week. There was a whole lotta car knitting on the way Up. On with the shawl. I am calling my own pattern the Pretend Friend Shawl. IN honor of you all. You folks. Here's the thing.. We arrived and marveled at the hummingbirds at my sister's feeder. After a garden tour, that was amazing and included: lung wort, or pulmonaria Dead nettle or lamium spider wort Astible river birch Maggie Daley astilbe or false spirea and on and on.... well, so we get back to the porch and there are 2 male hummers on the ground. One is nearly dead and one is most sincerely dead. Okay all you buddies, give us some blah blah about circle of life or it being some rare great sign........we were mortified. ..... Do male hummers fight? They were right in front of a large picture window..... So we sent fireman out to assess. The nearly dead took off! The sincerley dead did not. So he got 3 b...

Happy Mother's Day weekend to you all. Mom's, aunts, sisters, grandma's, everybody. Hope you feel love and loving. Finally some knitting to show. My Haven shawl is just started but I love the colors. It feels right while I knit it. That is a good thing. I know when my knitting feels right. I will be knitting it in Minnesota next week on the car ride up. I think I may cast another one on, if I finish this one on the way up. I have some neat dark blue yarn that Al discarded about a year ago. It would be a lovely dark shawl. I like to knit the same thing twice often, I found. Two TOASTS, two pairs socks, two easy cowls.....I guess I like to repeat. We pulled off a 50th surprise party for Fireman last night. So much fun. I have some lovely gifts from Fireman and my kids for MOm's day. Two dozen red roses from Fireman for having his kids...awwww. A lovely necklace from my friend Ann's site. The silver heart and pearl necklace. Al and Pete and Zach g...

that we have baby bunnies... in the compost pile.... at the top.... Fireman decided to take a hand trowel to the compost pile this morning... He was using a thingy with tines on it...and he heard a squeak... and noticed the fur on top of the pile. Yes this wabbit momma somehow climbs to the top of a 4 foot compost pile and has her babies... I may have to go grab that wabbit fur and learn to spin this weekend.....

Today was the day the kitties went back to the shelter to get adopted. Someone is going to be oh so lucky to have those two darlings. I loved being a foster cat mom. Even Fireman ended up enjoying the role of foster. There is a whole lot of extra loving on Rosalyn and Radar today! So the kittens are gone.... My pedometer was almost gone too. I think it falls off too often. I recall this issue with my other pedometers. Yesterday's number was 6891. I think I am taking more steps than that, but I never set the stride thingy ma bob. Oh well. All that matters is that my numbers are going up. Taking it in stride...thanks for all the shoe thoughts. I appreciate them. I am settled on Haven yarn for a shawl. I had knit up some of the Batkus pattern and didn't like it. So I have settled for my own very easy pattern. I am mostly garter stitching the shawl. Every whenever I feel like it, I throw in a row of Knit 2 togethers followed by a Yarn over. I promise an image, b...

Fireman thinks I overpronate... I have short fat feet wide ones do you love your walking shoes?????

I hate to boast but this is another Toast post. I love this pattern, and this roast: (I'll bet it isnt' new to most....) Primary colors veggie Roast 1 Package Good seasons garlic and herb dry dressing 3 T. olive oil Cubed Green peppers Red peppers Yellow Peppers Carrots ......cut into very thin rounds Sweet onions....nice big curls of them zucchini....keep the skin on Toss the veggies with the oil and dressing mix. Roast at 400 degrees on a cookie sheet for 40 minutes

I think they are the cat's meow.....these No Button Baby Booties on Ravelry by MixtapeMemories. I asked Karen, my teach, to knit up a pair and figure them out for me. I have some car knitting ahead of me.....I hope to knit these booties up then! Have you knitted them??? Aren't they clever? For all of you playing along with Caroleknits and her bird lists: i have one word: LOON. Carole's tuesdays lists are clever..... Birdsong is pretty darn clever too. She has been at burrobird.typepad.com and I love her slant on things. She is so darn natural and organic. She's starting a dye club. Go read about her new venture at: naturescauldronfarm.com . You could get in on the ground floor. Do you dye? I wonder if I will dye or spin first in my life??? What do you think? Dye....spin.....dye....spin....I think I am supposed to pluck petals off a flower while I say this...dye...spin...dye...spin. Why yes I am drinking champagne at 3 15. We all lead different lives a...

I love Stephen West's designs. Someday I'll be brave and knit one. Have you tried his patterns? They look logical and easy to follow. Are they? The shawl shown is not a West, but I still love it. I found it on Ravelry awhile ago. I think the loops might throw me off. I love how the ends have buttons on them...silver ones. THis week I plan to shawl knit with the Barking Dog Yarn in Haven. A simple garter shawl. This week the kittens go up for adoption. This week Fireman turns 50! I WOULD LOVE YOU TO LEAVE A COMMENT>