knittinggenes.blogspot.com

First things first...... Sorry I have not left comments on my blog friends posts this week.    I have very limited Internet capabilities.  I love reading your knit thoughts and your goings on.   Ill leave you a few hints as to my silence..... Hint I've knitted up a storm of squares this week due to some passenger knitting  g I prepared the 3 posts this week last week ..knowing I would be away from my computer An incredible wish came true for me .....hint......yogi and boo boo I spent time with lurker Kath from high school.....I adore her You can rest assured I didn't see one mouse this week Normal posting and comment Ing to return this week end

I adore this image that I copied off Pinterest Boards.  It is hysterical to me.  I think hot dogs are going to be the end of my vegetarianism some day.  I love a charred hot dog.... Did I make you smile? Do you Canoe?  Do you KayaK?  I love a quiet canoe on a still little lake in the early morning of summer. I canoed the Boundary Waters in high school and it had a profound affect on  me. How to tie this to knitting?  Well, how's this for you: I'd like to find a yarn named Boundary Waters....so far no luck!

Doesn't this darling dog look like she's smiling?  I think she is.  I found her on a ordinary walk around my neighborhood.  She didnt get up and bark, she just sat and let me photograph her.  Look at those ears!!! Dog photos and cat photos on blogs are ever pleasers eh?  I love to see your pets. I never thought we'd be without a dog.  Never.  Life's funny that way.  The cats are so pleasant and cuddly in our house.  Our long work shifts just don't mesh with a dog's potty needs.   Beatles is as affectionate as a dog.  He cries when I walk to the end of the yard or leave the house. I must knit him a sweater.  Beatles is leash trained.  If you can call it that.  It took time and patience but he now can walk the backyard on a leash with me.   I imagine him doing it in the snowy winter with a knitted coat on... I don't think Bea is imagining that... perhaps the coat God gave him will have to do!

 Well the cupcakes are not too bad for you because they are bite sized.  My friend received this wonderful gift of miniature cupcakes as a thank you.  They were chilled on arrival in a silver cooler envelope.  I promptly took one, as offered, and ate it in two bites.  I picked the red velvet in the top right hand corner. The Mitered squares joins are not bad either.   The problem is not with the crocheted join; it is with the business of this yarn.  I will continue to knit the squares and give them to a busy busy baby as a blanket someday.   I will finish the blanket off with a lovely crocheted edge in a boring white.  Maybe I should call it a calming white... As a wrap up for the week I have a few other things to tell you. I Joined the site Fitocracy.  It helps me log each and every calorie burned....even if I only get a few tiny points a day.  It is fun.  Working out is not fun. I have a least a hundred black cherr...

Perhaps because our winter's are harsh,  I hate to see the sunsetting earlier now that it is August. The Cicada's are screaming in the trees.  They drown out my favorite sound, of crickets.  Our neighborhood kids have already gone back to school.  It isnt even Labor Day. I knit for all seasons.  I have to have my needles going to be content.   I know many people get a new knit urge when the days get cooler and more crisp.   I just want to buy new yarn then.  In chocolate colors and oranges and greys and rust. We have amazing colors in Chicago in the fall.  Even in a bad fall we have leaf colors that take your breath away.  I have a favorite street in town for leaf color watching .  do you? I noticed Grace uses Shabby Blog for her backrounds .   I dont know how to do this yet, but I will learn.   This is a shabby blog frame.  Do you shabby blog? I think its not too shabby!!

This is what I had in mind when I began the new blue mitered squares baby blanket.  I envisioned 3 or 4 different blocks spaced out like this one.  I found this one on Ravelry of course.  I have only 3 colors so far.  I must add a fourth.  I will crochet a border around the finished blanket.   All the squares are simply going to be mitered.  No hearts or such.  If I get bored perhaps I'll make a few squares different but that's not the PLAN. I don't mind crocheting the blocks together. I enjoy knitting them individually and not connecting as I go along. It gets too heavy that way. My goal is to have this done by mid September. Do you have a goal by mid September?

#1  Zach is writing blog posts while he is studying abroad.  He'd love a comment or two. His photographs are wonderful and his writing is magical.  Head over to http://inmersoleon.blogspot.com  and tell him his Mama sent you!   #2 The Take and Replace Pattern Swap has started. YIPPEE.    I mailed the envelope to Kim yesterday. One thing :  Celia, from SapphireBlue, I need your mailing address to put you into the rotation. Please email me: harpnut@gmail.com #3 Now for the knitting content: I am going to try to seam some mitered squares together today.  My plan is to crochet them together. I watched a video or two on line and the tutorials were good.  I think I need more coffee before I attempt this - I'm preparing for some car knitting next week.  Mitered squares seem to be the choice at this juncture.  We'll see what I think after I seam the above mentioned squares together today. After knitting one bookmark I ...

 There was Plymouth Encore  an amazing Sky and a gift of a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. And it was all good.

 I am having a ball knitting up my swap bookmark.  This is a 4 row repeat pattern and it is just interesting enough for me to stick with it.   There is a world of bookmarks out there if you look around in cyberspace.  So many people have Kindles and Nooks, but we still have paper books and thus, a bookmark is still useful.   I am thinking about knitting a bunch for holiday gifts.. ..... I bought this foot jewelry for a friend.  I found it on Etsy.   Isn't it cute stuff?  I have only had one Etsy purchase that was a disappoint over the years.   Now that I have Al on the coast, I'm paying attention to all hurricane season events.   We live in an area where tornadoes and snowstorms are the biggest threats.  There has not been an actual tornado in our area ever, just plenty of watches.   Snowstorms are usually manageable.    Hurricanes, earthquakes, flash floods, and tsunami's are not part of our lives.  My wo...

 Here are the two books fellow knit friends have loaned me lately.  I'm into this mitered thing, in a BIG way.   I love how fast the squares knit up, how you start with a big number and decrease decrease decrease till you are done!  I haven't tackled the seaming yet, so my joy might burst, but I hope not.  I don't mind crocheting so I intend to seam with the crochet hook. I was looking for this new GOODY brush for weeks.  AL found one for me in her Target in Virginia Beach.  This brush has soft blue towellike material between the bristles.  It really and truly dried my hair faster than ever.   This ad tells the truth.  I have a head of thick thick hair that is a pain to dry. I  have to tell you that I returned to comment moderation.  I have had too much spam and unwanted comments mostly in different languages, to leave it off.   Comment moderation does work, and I realize it is a pain, so I apologize in advance for ...

This is one of my great nieces ......Eva.  Looking at this image I took of her, makes me happy.... Katherine, Kim, Grace, and Jennifer and I are going to partake in the Pattern and Bookmark Take and Replace Swap.  Is anyone else interested before I make the route for the package? I'm reading Domino Knitting by VIvian Hoxbro and 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton.  Both books were loaned to me by yarn friends yesterday .  Seems all I had to do was show them  a mitered square and the books appeared.   It is the workend.....I'm bringing a big can o p'nuts to share with everyone.  My goal is to drink lots of water throughout the shift, watch my back, stretch once an hour,  and remind myself that I choose to work the graveyard shift right now.   Happy Knitting to you

My marigolds are finally popping with color.   All summer they lagged behind the other flowers in the neighborhood.    Now the coleus and the marigolds are lovely.  I don't feel I need to buy any mums for fall color.   I have fallen in love with mitered squares.  The yarn, once knit to a nearly finished vest, then ripped and knitted in garter row after garter row, then ripped out again when it got too heavy to work with .... is now cute little mitered squares.  Do you think I should crochet them together with a solid color? Which solid color.  Pink?  Green?  Purple???  It has to go to a baby girl.... I am still thinking of the details for the pattern take and replace swap.  IF you want to participate I think I'll ask you to knit a bookmark for the next swapper.  This way it will be remain a flat envelope to mail and the swappers can look forward to a little gift. The swap will start next week.   Are you in...

 Knit earrings from Al....I love em Sock yarn from Beverly's stash bust sale....even better in person Neighbors tomatoes.....ripe and ready for the salsa, soup, sandwich and salad. Turning 52 has me thinking: *I have to start moving and working out again.  Let's face it, since Huck died I hung up my shoes.  I hate working out.  I always have.  I love when it is over for the day.  I'm crabby if I can't work out first thing and move on.  I hate to sweat.  I hate to change outfits all the time.   Even if I work out, I wont be a size 8. * I used to have a treadmill and I made myself get on it almost daily for 11 years after Zach was born. *The ipod should make working out more tolerable. *I hate the workout but I'll like myself more. Turning 52 has me thinking.....I can give it a half hour a day.... But it aint gonna be pretty.....

 This Is Kathy C's Bag....  This Is Karen's bag.....  This is Kathy Cs Kate Middleton Shawl based on the Milkrun Shawl.  Kathy used Alice Starmore's Hebridean 3 ply yarn .   She knit this beauty in just 3 weeks. She did a variation on the theme.  I love it -  The colors are washed out in this last image....the image taken in the shade is true.   She knitted with a luxury yarn and the cost of the shawl is about 70 dollars.  It is thick and warm and Kathy will wear it until it is worn out.  She loves it.   I am always always inspired when I knit with others.   A friend to knit with is a real joy.   When I think about the clicking of the needles, the pulling up the yarn from the skein, the  pauses in knitting and the pauses in talking it humors me.  We cannot talk to one another while we are on our computers, while we are watching television intently, or when we are reading a book.   We can, howev...

 I am pretty sure that no one loves their Birthday more than I.  We were on vacation once, for my birthday, so I had a piece of cake in every state we drove through.   Only once, the year I turned 50, was I very sick and didn't celebrate the day at all.   Otherwise I love the day, my day.   I'm so grateful for my renewed health and my boring, wonderful life.   Grace knitted the above scarf for me and surprised me with it today.  Even Fireman was awed by it. It will keep me warm all the long chilly winter.  It is way long and way wrappable!! Thank you dear Grace.  A workend pal brought me a COACH key chain from Vegas.   This was a total surpise, I was unaware she even knew of my birthday.  The coolest thing is it holds two tiny pictures inside..... hmmm must find tiny images of Al and Zach..... These are 3 of the 4 squares I'm knitting into a baby blanket.  The wonderful thing for me about squares is that they are ea...

I offered to help a nurse in my doctor's office finish her baby blanket.  She wanted an edge crocheted and she didn't' know how to crochet.  She always comes out to the waiting room to see what I am knitting.  She's a young girl about Al's age. So on Tuesday I ran over and helped her out. She was so sweet, so grateful.  She grabbed her blackberry and vidoetaped my simple edging.   She had knitted two blankets, one for each of her new twin nieces.  Her sister lives in Ireland now and she's off to meet and visit the new babies this coming week.   I did one blanket, and she called to tell me that night, that she mastered the other. Last night, when I finished a second baby blanket square, I felt like crocheting the next square.  I  was reminded how fast crochet is compared to knit...it is fun to know how to do both.... The teacup in my garden is a gift from my sister in law, Barb.   I'm still working on the pattern swap details. ...

 Lake Michigan is busy today.   Row after row of big waves splash the summer sandy shore.  There are rip tide warnings being issued.  Lake Michigan is nothing to fool with whether swimming or boating. I have a healthy fear of the Lake.   Healthy fears....is that an oxymoron? My first square is completed.  I left a long tail for weaving the sqaures together. I"m open to lazy suggestions of other square stitch patterns.  I like row after row of simple knitting.  Your suggestion need not be garter. I'm thinking of a pattern swap.  Anyone interested?   I may do a take and replace pattern swap. I"ll put my patterns in a box and then we take and replace..... Let me know if you want to swap patterns.  You have to be open to any kind of pattern.  If you have purchased a pattern and you fell out of love with it, pass it on.  If you find a pattern or create one that you love, you can pass that on.  I think this would ...

Someone brought a box o''possums into the shelter today.  You wouldn't catch me touching these critters.  I think they should be in Granny's possum stew myself... This one was starting to hiss already.  A local wildlife refuge worker  was on his way to pick them up when we took  this picture.   It is absolutely true that you never know what you are going to get when you come to this blog.... Random Thursday we'll call this one...... *I started a new baby blanket last night.  No, I didn't' finish the other one.  I think I'm going to make a blanket of 9 inch squares... The other blanket is just so heavy on my hands, I feel like I'm wrestling the yarn around the needle... When I knit the square (S) I can use my favorite red plastic needles and I don't' fight with the yarn one bit. *BABY LOVE Knitted Booties for Tiny Feet looks like a fun new knit book.  My LYS is offering a class with patterns from this book.  Hmmm, I wonder if...

 The baby blanket is on the straightway.......I hope to reach the decreases section tonight.  This yarn is so busy it gets tired after awhile.  I have to put it down for naps.  I think it can only be and was only meant to be: a baby blankie... Oh Hello.  Did someone say BE? Beatles is never camera shy.  Tank is very camera shy.  We are all about changing it up around here today so Bea might get a bath.  Yes, I bathe my cats on occasion.   Here's some things I hope to BE today: *be relaxed...this is harder than you think for me.. I concoct all ways of getting wound up....but today I'm going to drop my shoulders and breathe....every hour on the hour. *be vegetarian....its been a few weeks now. I feel great without beef, chicken, pork and most cheese.  why am i doing this? *BE cause my stomach was upset all time and I have increasing cholesterol levels.... *Be generous.....I hope to stop in at the Carmelite Monastery with ...

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/07/13162177-after-blistering-vatican-report-nuns-gather- I've mentioned before I was educated by nuns of many orders in my schooling.  Almost all of them were amazing women.  They asked us to be amazing women too.  American Sisters are nothing to fear, I can assure all the men of the Vatican.   Just ask those of us who were raised by the Sisters of the 70s....surely we saw They Had  heard a Higher Calling. Strong women are nothing to fear.  Strong women are in Matriarchal and Patriarchal societies.  Women find "WAYS" to succeed even when oppressed.  (Harriet Tubman, Sally Ride, Nora Ephron, and so many others)  We are KNIT Together by our collective gender.  We love good men.  We raise happy boys.  (or so we hope!) Oh my where did this post come from? Sometimes we even teach our boys to knit, because they ASK to learn.  My boy, now a grown man, can knit a scarf with the best ...

This humble blog rejoices in the ordinary on a daily basis.  If I can knit a garter blanket to completion, and give it to  a little babe I'm pretty satisfied  If I can share a thought or a recipe or image with  some friends I'll be content If friends leave a thought back, even the more content I become Yet when man puts a robot on Mars,  I wonder.....should I aim a little higher? Or is that for others'  Is that their work? Today I marvel at NASA again and again I marvel at the hundreds of thousands of steps from  thought to landing,  that make a walk from Earth to Mars complete. Grand stuff alright grand stuff......

Have you tried the new hybrid corn?  SU, SE and SH2  genes were brought together for an amazing sweet corn.   Being a NICU nurse I see genetics in line and out of line and the like.  I wish we had a genetically engineered nurse.  She would stay awake easier, always look to families compassionately, and be able to see veins with a single glance.   The Cheese Table at the Northfield Illinois Farmers' Market is already perfection. Blue Moon goat cheese, how I love thee.   My baby blanket is a breeze.  I will show it to you after the Workend.  Garter stitch galore. (If any of you want to follow Zach's blog while he is in Mexico, I'll send you a link)  He has the writing gene......

I am pretty sure I smile when I knit.  I'm going to think about that today when I pick up the baby blanket in progress.  I am also pretty sure I cry when I knit; well, not really.  I have shed some tears over the years but they were way back.  I surely scowl when I drop a stitch.   A time lapse of knitters' faces would be interesting enough .... Tank, aka Helo, is starting to smile around here.  Just look into those aqua eyes......they make me smile all the time. He is half Siamese and all gorgeous. "I was not talented enough to run and smile at the same time"  - Emil Zatopek (champion Czechoslovakian distance runner, when asked about unusual facial expression when running)

 What's old is new.   All the young girls in their 30s thought I invented rainbow jello.   I have to say I think I outdid myself with the jello.  Pride goeth before a fall, but how far can one fall from Jello?  Flowers from my nephew's wife Heather.  Yarn is for the baby blanket cast on....today . The Piñata activity was a hit.  Pun intended.  My great nieces and nephew had a good time whacking at the flip flop.  No one got hurt.....there's that catastrophizing I'm trying to stop. I am going to make up for lost knit time the next two days.  I'm ready to have a knit marathon.  There will be a nap between events.  I get all jumpy when I haven't had my knit time in a few days... knitting forces me to sit down and breathe..... it makes me happy to be with myself.... it puts me in the present... what does it do for you?

Next up: Family barbecue. Fireman found this fun piñata for the barbecue tonight.  Don't you just love whimsy?  The little kids need a fun game at a family event, don't you think?   My jello rainbow came out AWESOME. When I cut it I'll take a picture.  Wow, I'm bragging about JELLO.  Next Up: I am casting on for a baby afghan with some yarn that decided it didn't want to be a vest.  I want to alternate between the afghan and the Mult. Shawl.  Karen gave me this book to browse through and a suggestion for which one to choose.  She's so smart about colors and yarn and what goes great together.   I will listen to her and make the easy peasy garter baby blanket. Karen is knitting her second SUMMER FLIES Lace shawl.  She tells me she takes a few rows forward and a few rows back this time, but I think she's fabricating to be humble. I don't' think she knows how to make a knit mistake... Next Up: Cleaning the house a bit for the party...