knittinggenes.blogspot.com

 I have to say this foot scraper is fantastic.  Really keeps your soles in shape.  Dr. Scholl's done it again. Yes we talking about foot scraping here at irisheyes.....  This Is a little can you put NEXT to your rib eyes on your grill top.  It gives them a hickory smoked flavor....Truth is, I haven't used it yet.  It comes highly recommended from the Spice House, so it's a sure thing  Have you seen the newest hummingbird feeders?  It is a foil bag that you simply add water to, and hang....it is supposed to stay fresh for days.  I'm waiting for takers.....here little hummingbird, here... Karen taught  me this corn dog trick.  Kids love it.  You make cornbread and cut hotdogs or turkey dogs or the like into slices.  Mix the dogs and bread together and bake it.  Voila!  Corndogs in a bowl.   Finally I fell in love with this little baby girl shrug at 3 Bags Full.  It is a Knitting Pure and Sim...

I am a little late from Caroles Ten on Tuesday Topic but here goes:  1-fly on an airplane, to Yosemite and Sequoia National 2-Have a summer dinner party.  3-Make time to go for a pedicure. Sit there....don't be anxious about having to sit there.  4-Spruce up the Screened Poch 5-Ride that bicycle...everyday but Sunday and Monday, the workend 6-See the Fireworks on a blanket with friends 7-Leave more comments on blogs that need them. Encourage knit bloggers with a less than 20 audience  8-Make Gazpacho 9-Eat more vegetables than meat. 10- Sleep overnight on the porch....

 Sue W-H was kind enough to send me an image of her Comment Cap knitted up.  Darling, Sue!  I ran into my friend Diane at 3 Bags Full today.  She is knitting this fabulous Furrows Shawl.  It is gorgeous. I think she said you cast on a million stitches.  Isn't it gorgeous?????  I picked this Berrocco yarn in a very unusual for me orange color way.  I am knitting up a simple cowl I found on Ravelry in my favorites.  It is a simple 2x2 rib folded and sewn into a comfy cowl.  I thought it would look great with a brown, white, or yellow toned shirt/top in the fall. Somehow I have 5 projects going at once.  This is, for me, unheard of.  My prediction is that I will finish the 2x2 cowl first even though it is the last cast on...... Whats on your needles??

Well I have to say my camera still takes better shots than I do.  Using the manual mode gets crazy results. I do, however, keep trying from time to time.  This is my one and only poppy ; I love this flower. Friends had us over for dinner before the workend Friday night.  This is one of two aliens that grace their deck.  Hystercial eh? I have some knitting to show tomorrow. I have serious startitis. This is very unusual for me.  On the needles, another Life is Good shawl in a yarn I've saved for over a year, and the Lorna's laces sock.  I plan on starting a new cowl today.  Just because. So, I'll have lots to choose from as I sit and porch knit today.  Glad the workend is over.  The kittens are growing and getting very social..   Hooray! I have to keep reminding myself it is TUESDAY due to the holiday....... so it's TUesday, it's Tuesday, it's Tuesday if you need a reminder too 

Have you ever lost your knitting mojo? I'm happy to say that hasn't happened in a very long time for me. But here are somethings to think about if you feel uninspired but want to get back to your knitting with gusto as they say: *Do you need someone to knit for? Sometimes knowing we are giving a gift is stimulus enough to get back to the stitches. *Do you need to knit for yourself?  I know one knitter who is magnificent, and has never ever knit for anyone other than herself.  As long as she is knitting, good for her.  Maybe we should knit a bit more for ourselves.. We are certainly most appreciative of our handwork right? *Did someone dishearten you?  I used to get very defensive if someone pointed out a flaw in my work.  I would deem it a failure, in my mind, when a comment got to me.  No more.  The person was rarely a knitter and I gave up perfection knitting a long time ago.  If a mistake is glaring, I now have the skills to fix ...

Be passionate about something, anything....just be passionate it beats being bored.  If you think you talked too much, you probably did.  Listening is skill, keep working at it.  Have financial goals or your money will get pissed away. Make it a point to see old friends. Stop what your doing,even when your family interrupts you, and look them in the eye when they are telling you something.  THey deserve  your attention more than the computer/TV/Email.   Praying for others IS doing something for them.  Find what grows for you and make it flourish.  Walk away if you feel like you are being abused.   Protect you.   Be nice to you.  If you feel scattered, you most likely are.   Focus is a choice.   Change your font from time to time.  Knit anywhere, knit everywhere. Mental health is worth working for.  There are storms we cannot weather. Call go...

What does this mean?

"Mike Teavee..." The most important thing we've learned, So far as children are concerned, Is never, NEVER, NEVER let Them near your television set -- Or better still, just don't install The idiotic thing at all. Yesterday was self-proclaimed no TV no radio day for me. Ahhhhhh. I sat on the porch in silence and knitted. Heaven, I tell you, it was like Heaven. I felt so calm. So quiet. I need no TV no Radio no iPod days. I love T.V and always have, but sometimes a break is so refreshing. When we go on vacation and there is no TV I remember the goodness of it. So here is my Lorna's laces sale yarn sock coming right along. And here is dear sweet Puddy, who survived. I'm so glad he did. He is, if you look closely, missing many whiskers. Turns out fellow kittens eat the others whiskers when they are bored or food is clinging to them. Puddy has only stubs. Babka's whiskers are Fine and dandy.....Babka is a beauty and may be a l...

I give you: AL's Emma Shrug lace sleeve number one in Quince and Company. And for all of those in love, especially Grace's daughter who will be wed in 3 days: The Longly-Weds Know by Leah Furnas That it isn't about the Golden Anniversary at all, But about all the unremarkable years that Hallmark doesn't even make a card for IT's about the 2nd anniversary when they were surprised to find they cared for each other more than the last year And the 4th when both kids had the chickenpox and she threw her shoe at him for no real reason And the 6th when he accidentally got drunk on the way home from work because being a husband and a father was so damn hard Its about the 11th and 12th and 13th years when they discovered they could survive a crises And the 22nd anniversary when they looked at each other across the empty nest, and found it good. Its about the 37th years when she finally decided she could never change him And the 38th when...

First fire pit fire of the season the other night .... very peaceful. No bugs, no bats, no coyotes. We have had many coyote attacks in nearby towns this spring. We see coyotes in town from time to time; I think they are beautiful. The attacks unfortunately were on dogs both big and small. We are far from the ranches of the wild wild west, but we have been warned to keep our pets on leash and be watchful. The most recent Life Is Good Shawlette was completed the other night. Now don't fall over, but I have cast on for socks. This is by no means, the end of the shawlettes, just a pause.... Al and I are going to knit at a favorite patio establishment today. Hackneys On Harms. Have you ever been in our area and eaten at Hackney's? They were featured on Diners Drive ins and Dives. Hackneys is famous for it's deep friend onion rings that come out in a brick shape..... I usually have to take TUMS before I indulge in them.....I will take pictures of Al...

Rosalyn seems to be guarding my Life Is Good knitting. We are all ON GUARD it seems for the NATO summit in Chicago this weekend. It is as if the media wants a news story to break at any moment. I'm just hoping for peace..... I am nearly finished with the Berroco Denim Life Is Good. I'll show it to you next post... Here's something to crow about.....we have some Crows in our neighborhood. I love them. We lost many of them to West Nile Virus a few years back. I love their smarts, their flight and their Native American Lore. Seems if a crow comes into your life you are in flux. They are the harbingers of change. You are to get out of your current nest and look about. . "If crow flies into your life, get out of your familiar nest, look beyond your present range of vision, listen to its caw and act accordingly" I love metaphors. I have been in the midst of change since March. Good change. I'm glad to see the Crow (s) around again. I hope they...

Foodie Friday Fun: tonight is Macaroni in the Skillet Dinner. I love to make dinner in the morning and be done with it. This Mac N Cheese is made entirely in the skillet. It contains crispy crumbled bacon, green onions and Bread crumbs. C'mon over. THere's plenty. FOUND: I found the Berrocco Denim Silk I had stashed away from Last years local Yarn shop closing sale. The drape is really lovely. Ill be sitting on the screened porch knitting for the next many hours.... FIGURED OUT: Well, Elaine is now Puddy. Yup, she's a boy. Babka is a girl. THey are starting to frolic like healthy kittens should. It is so good to see. FUN at the OLD BALL Park: or Free for ALL The White Sox will most definitely Beat the Cubs in the cross-town classic starting today. We are only a few innings in and both benches have been warned......you can't be fun at the old ball yard. FIREPIT plans for this evening. Feel free to follow up with Friday fun For...

I tried to combine these two yarns in a number of ways.. You'd think that with the touch of pink in the yellow based yarn, they'd jive...but not so much. I tried knitting them together, knitting a few stands of each, but I did not try fair isle...Perhaps that would have been perfect....well another day. I bought a few shirts at our local resale shop a few weeks ago. Good thing, because I have used so darn much bleach in this house what with the sick kittens, that I splashed some bleach on one of the shirts. It hurts so much less when I know I paid well, not so much. I have been motivated by many of you who are out burning calories now that our weather has improved. I've gotten back on my bicycle. I'm hoping I can still eat fun things and, by just riding my bike, drops some weight... What do you think??? Not so much???

My baby hat model doesn't really fit into the hat, but it'll do for now. If any of you want my Comment Cap pattern, just let me know. Some of you have asked for it and I'm thrilled to share it. Just try to send me a picture when it's finished. The kitten babies are of course, Elaine and Babka. Elaine is still not 100% but her tummy seems to have some good days...She likes the tiny kitten blanket in acrylic bulky so she knows how to flatter me. Baby steps, baby steps. SO true and so funny in What About Bob. Baby teeth: I kept them. Did you keep your kids' baby teeth? Baby dolls: always loved when I could wear that style pajamas..... Baby It's Cold Outside, is a favorite Holiday song ..... BABE....That'll do pig. Babe, I got YOU Babe

Well, yes it is another shawlette. Life IS Good Pattern has taken over my knit life.....A great friend commented she loved the colors, so it's hers when I finish. I did knit something else over the weekend, while at the movies. I had a feeling I couldn't sit still for a whole movie without needles in my hands. I dug out some big fat needles and some acrylic bulky for the job. I know this is cheating. I knit a 2x2 rib mini blanket for the kittens, Elaine and Babka. It is not like I knit lace in a dark theatre..... We saw Dark Shadows. It was very fun. Pure entertainment. I was in a stupor by sundown last night...the post night shift stupor. But, the light was pretty so I crawled off the couch and took some pictures in my yard. Hence, the Columbine. I love how all their little heads are in unison facing the sunset. Todays Ten on Tuesday is my own: Ten Things I Knit Over and Over: 1. socks 2. Life is Good Shawlette 3. Baby hats: HEy go see Ch...

First things first: Here's adorable Babka. Elaine deserves as lovely a picture, so I am still working on her Blog debut. I think it is nearly safe to say they will both make it. Thanks for all the kind words, it was a rough go round. Hope your Mother's Day was lovely. Mine was so nice in many respects. I'm a lucky mom. So do you KnitPick? I got their catalogue today. I am always wow'ed by their color way choices. I ordered a machine was sock yarn from them years ago, and it felted anyhow. Soured me a bit. Have they gotten better? Their prices are so good, but not if they don't deliver in quality. Has anyone had good success? Maybe my experience was a fluke.... Gorgeous outside today. IM up from nightshift sleep in time to enjoy the porch and go water the newly planted marigolds and coleus. My roses are finally opening up. My peonies are closed but not so tightly. My astilbe is sending up shoots. The iris have buds.....what a glorious time of...

I am kidding. I will, however, list a few if you are so inclined to read them this morning! The Tin Man was out shining in all his glory in Lincoln Park . (at Oz Park yesterday when we went to get Zach from DePaul.) If I only had a heart..... *I love the Wizard of Oz. I lose it every time the Scarecrow and Dorothy say GOODBYE . *I knit this little hat in Berroco Comfort leftovers for a friends Charity hat drive. I did a seed stitch 2x2 brim, then a simple stockinette in the round, juxtaposed by a row of purling every so often, and topped off with a umbilical cord top. *I could probably vacation the rest of my life in Wisconsin and be content. *I am the 4th of 6 children. Middle girl. *My favorite knit patterns are the simplest. *I'm not a fan of KNITTING WITHOUT TEARS. (gasp!) *I have a cell phone that I almost never answer.... *I've never conquered my coca-cola addiction. *When I want to relax before falling asleep I think about knitt...

This is my great nephew Jaxson wearing the blanket I knit for his big brother 5 years ago. His mom is TERRIFIC at thanking us for hand knits. I think I need to knit him something else soon. His mom is married to my dear nephew Ryan. Her mom, Barb, fought and has beaten ovarian cancer. Yes you read that one right. She had innovative therapy and she's several years out doing great! Their family really knows how to survive a struggle with grace. It is a joy to have them in our lives....and of course, they appreciate knit gifts. I have to thank you all for comments. I went over 10,000 comments since this little blog began in 2004. I just went over. I will find a prize and award it for this milestone. A thousand, well no, ten thousand thanks. Speaking of comments, have you been asked to subscribe to my blog?? I am being asked to subscribe to many of your blogs...I read them all daily anyhow, so I don't' think its necessary. I wonder why this is happenin...

Nor dread nor hope attend a dying animal; a man awaits his end dreading and hoping all. William Butler Yeats The little black and white, Kramer died this weekend. (along with George) Elaine sitting with him, nearly left us yesterday but she is staring to improve a bit... I did hold Kramer in my hand when the sun shine crept into the room that day, so he could nap in the sun like any good cat will. Keep those good thoughts/vibes coming for Elaine and Babka. I'm thinking of knitting this Patchwork Throw from Catherine Tough's book, Easy knits for Little kids. Hmmm. I must work up the yarn cost first. It is knit in 3 panels. Straight stockinete.....MY FAVORITE. Then again, I might lose interest...... I'll keep pondering this for a few days before I jump in and buy yarn. Here is the delicious yarn that Emily Ivey from Yarn Miracle sent me. She had a contest and good old random number generator picked me. The yarn is bamboo and gorgeous green. My favor...

I happen to be a huge Rob Lowe fan;his character Chris Traeger on Parks and Rec is flawless. I so love to watch him play this ever optimistic, glass half-full, sliver-lining guy. The show has really taken off in my mind in the last 2 years. Just Sayin! Here are some blue bells from my walk yesterday. I love them. They bloom now and only now in our Chicago area. Do you ......blue bell?? So, I'm watching Parks and Rec I'm walking again and I'm reading the Knitting Pocket Bible by Mimi Hill. One of the websites that was new to me, in her book, is: Blacksheepwools.com. Give the site a look see if you have never. I'm potato chip knitting the Life is Good Shawl in Lorna's Laces. I'm a bit less tired. This is huge news. What a little steak and normal sleep cycles will do is amazing. With my new found energy I shall tidy up the humble abode today. I have strewn just about everything, just about everywhere in the last week. A final thou...

I give you more flowers from last week's botanic gardens walk. I also give you the unfinished Life Is Good Shawl in the 10 year old yarn. I could hunker down and finish it today.... but I'd rather cast on a new one in beautiful mixed berry colored Lorna's laces yarn. I cannot give you the baby hat I worked on the past few days as I've dropped a stitch and it was naughty and ran way down the hat.... It was heavenly to only work one night this weekend. Fireman's birthday was good. I was inspired by another TED talk yesterday. Do you Ted Talk? I sure do. This one was by Doris Joyce Kearwin (Gosh I have spelled her name wrong but I m in a hurry and will correct it later.) She is a presidential historian and a wonderful speaker. If you want a great 20 minute listen this morning...google it under TEd Talks. ' Very sad kitten foster news but more on that later. We lost one yesterday and another is so sickly. Hard stuff to watch. But some surv...

big old full moon this weekend

Some of us start early with the weekend festivities. Fireman's birthday is tomorrow, Sunday. The storm clouds were brewing and they delivered. I'm knitting a soft baby beret. I had no intention of knitting this right now, but it just morphed. I was planning on another Life IS Good Shawlette, but I did not like the way the yarn was evolving in garter rows. I can always use another baby gift...the look of the yarn in stockinette is lovely. I guess you could say I'm going with the flow. This is good for me. I need to go with the flow more.

Meg is making necklaces. She's teaching herself from a book titled, Betsy Beads. Isn't her white beaded choker lovely?? Meg is a fearless crafter/creator. Then there's me; I'm currently knitting a baby hat. Here are a few things I've been thinking about this week, just because: *I stopped at a lemonade stand in my neighborhood yesterday. It was hot, it was humid. The lemonade was...well sub par. Why? Because it had nutrasweet in it. The kids in my neighborhood are so accustomed to drinking beverages with Nutrasweet, that when I asked about it they were baffled. We all have our THINGS. I would not allow my kids to eat nutrasweet. Ever. I also wouldn't let them drink from drinking fountains, but they now tell me they did it all the time! A mother can try.... I have great thoughts on a new bra. What does this have to do with knitting? Well you need to be comfortable while knitting right? The Playtex 18 hour wire free maximum shoulder...

So we have a picture heavy post today. Flowers thanks to the Chicago Botanic Gardens cotton hats for Haiti thanks to Kathy C. Our little knit group committed to making more yesterday. FO! Another Life is Good Shawlette. I'm going to cast on for another Life is Good Today with Lorna's Laces in a color way I'd call Huckleberries. I'm going to bathe 4 new foster kittens today that are a bit shy.... I'm going to run off to spay neuter clinic now.... I'm going to have my neighbors for fried fish tonight... I'm going to fit in a good nap this afternoon.. I'm going to thoroughly enjoy the 80 degree weather and storms today. I think my day will be full of wonder and fun. How about you? Any wonder? Any fun?

the garden centers can come up with something new, like these colorful cages, every year? I wasn't even going to plant tomatoes this year, and these cages have me pondering beefsteak vs. roma.... Why is it- *mischievous little statues are so appealing and so expensive? *if the weatherman promises warmth and it doesn't arrive on a spring day, I'm nearly devastated. *I can knit and knit these shawlettes and not drop a stitch, but if I need to stay on count with a pattern I cannot. Seems everyone is reading the trashy Shades of Grey book. If it was a yarn color book on shades of grey, I'd already have ordered it...

Yes, still knitting the Life Is Good Scarfettes. I really love how they look when you pull the end through the buttonhole slit and you don't have to TIE a knot or use a shawl pin to get it to STAY. This one will be gifted. I love the forest-like color way: String Theory's Cedar. The stitch definition is wonderful. Fireman caught a nice size bass last week. He caught it right off the pier. We also caught about 30 crappie. Our friend Larry has a great recipe for fried crappie. Fireman made them for the firehouse on Saturday night. The batter has Ritz crackers in it. I have to say eating the crappie was like eating potato chips.....I could not stop at one. The workend was kind of brutal from a sleep deprivation stand point. Sometimes, I wonder why I work that shift. I am still tired and it is Tuesday morning. Oh well, coffee and a good nap today and I'll be reset. This begs the questions: Can you ever sleep too much? Can you ever knit too muc...