knittinggenes.blogspot.com

  1*  My new purse insert is a)fantastic... b)so wonderful it is hard to imagine life without it c)bought on ETSY d)all of the above.  This SOCKITTOME chart was a)a gift from Katherine b)created by Kathy b c)free with a purchase from Hanes Her Way Undies  *3 Last night I figured out why I was anxious.  It was because: a) I wasn't knitting socks b) Despite my best efforts there were fruitflies  in the kitchen c) I had not had a Coke in 2 months d)all of the above *4 If you want to try to get rid of fruit flies in your kitchen  you can a) spray them with hairspray while they fly in the air  b)stop eating fruit c)put some cider vinegar in a jar and add a paper funnel to it d)look them up and realize they live for over 40 days so you cannot just ignore them e)all of the above *5 Twenty minutes after getting up to an alarm I had already a) poured a cup of coffee before the pot was full b)had the only ...

  The vest has begun.  I'm doing a daisy stitch.  This is as far as I got after ripping out the daisy stitches twice.  It is going to be a very very very slow go- why? Because after just 2 days my right wrist hurts... Socks never hurt my hands...never...never ever   AL's looking for a cute boy baby hat pattern.  She has 4 friends who are having boys this fall.  I LOVE the little cap above.  It is from the  Vintage Knits for Modern Babies book. I bet that stitch would hurt my wrists too-   All my images are from my iphone today.  They come out small on the blogaroo This is great nephew RJ showing us how he climbs the walls.  My kids did the exact same thing growing up. I had to send Al a photo of RJ. to remind her of her antics.   You do strange things in the winters in the Midwest when you cannot get outside to climb around!  Finally, thank you ALL who confessed to night time ...

  Uncle Tank is very busy these days.  He takes it upon himself to babysit Pie. If I want to know where little Pie is, I look for Big Tank. Isn't he gorgeous?  Now that I have given up soda, I need to change another thing about my diet.   I eat at night.  I rarely eat breakfast..... I know I know it is the worst way to eat ...THEY say. So how do I change when I'm hungry?  Do you have this issue? Knitting used to keep my hands busy at night, but I've learned to snack while I knit.... it isn't hard.... Knit purl knit purl grab some m and m's  Knit purl knit purl take a bite of a cookie Knit purl knit purl leave the house and go get some ice cream Thoughts?  Techniques?  Scoldings?

First the finish:  Katherine had sent me some AMAZING by Lion Brand. Amazing it is.  It is no where near the price of Noro but it's colors blend just as beautifully.  Cobblestone is the colorway.  The hat belongs to Zach.  A simple 72 stitch hat.   Thank you Katherine for a great knit up. I have another skein yet to enjoy.    Thank you all for your Vest thoughts.   I've made a decision..  I'm casting on for a Vest.  I am not using Karen's pattern choice.  I'm using a pattern by a designer whose instructions always make sense to me.   So I'm stepping out of my comfort zone, but not so much so that I'm not looking forward to the knitting.   Happy Sunday.  Happy End of July.  Happy shis -ka -bob because that's what we are having tonight with cousins.  ]

  Karen is knitting the ROAD TRIP VEST. Karen copied the pattern and put it in a pretty protector.  Karen informed me I am knitting one too. Karen has overestimated my talent.  Karen says I'm going to knit it exactly as it is written.  Which is in Chinese. Well, it may as well be Chinese to me. It's not that I don't want to knit the vest. I have some supernatural powers you know. I can see the future.  I see tears, I see frogging,  I see Karen knitting the vest for me.... Here's the thing, I need someone to dumb it down for me.  Let's take out the cables and the chart. Let's Write it out row by row instead of the talky way knitters write out patterns.   Someone hand me the yarn and the needles. Let's face it; I'm stuck in about 5th grade in the knitting world. More important:  I like where I'm stuck.  I could keep on knitting socks and hats and blankets pretty much until my hands give out on...

  My friend Linda knits blankets and only blankets.  She made this cable pattern up herself...the cables travel across the blanket a bit at at time.   She bought this yarn in Peru.   Linda also knits the blankets only in white or ecru yarn- My mom only crocheted blankets.   I have two of her blankets to this day.  She also crocheted in white or ecru only.  She only used acrylic because that's what the stores sold in the 80s as far as we knew.  They have stood the test of time... we still grab those blankets to wrap ourselves in -  Aren't we funny?  Aren't we different?  I couldn't even finish these fingerless mitts before My prerogative changed it's mind. This gorgeous yarn is begging to be a hat.  I like the Mitt pattern (Susie's Reading Mitts)  but the yarn  wasn't shaping up as I wished.   I'm not a great great knitter, but I do know when the yarn isn't behaving w...

Pie plus Tank  = Friends Some of you have asked how Little blind Pie is getting around at home.  She's fearless.  When she gets to a new room in our house, (I introduce rooms slowly to her) she walks the perimeter like a guard.  She stands on her hind legs and FEELS the walls.  She seems to memorize the room by the walls.  She's a baby.  I have to put her in her room for naps. She cries before she falls asleep even in my arms.   Tank is her guardian.  What a surprise.  Tank is afraid of his own shadow.  From Day ONE he has wanted to be near her room, her crate, and yes her food.  Today Bea and Pie were hissing at one another and Tank ran between them and chased Bea out of the room.  Bea will be playing with Pie in no time.  Hissing is all just cat talk in the beginning. Pie, my change of life baby... she's definitely home now. 

  Not my flowers.... but my picture.    I started another knit project yesterday and it wasn't this sock's match.  Alas, I am not monogamous this summer in my knit projects... Excuse:  A certain someone sent me two skeins of a yarn I couldn't wait to use so I gave in.    When the power went out briefly last night I went downstairs and ate a brownie... (I am ashamed) yes with frosting.... Excuse: Tomorrow will be 2 months soda free... so I needed a treat... I keep telling my 22 year old things he already knows and doesn't need reminding.... (Note to self: He lived in Mexico speaking a different language in a different culture without any help from me last year at this time)  Excuse: there is none! Confession:  I wanted the Royals to have a girl.  any confessions or excuses this morning?  You are among friends.....:) 

  Little blind Pie is such a brave creature.  She was long-boarding on the porch yesterday...      You know what I love to do more than swim in a pool?  I love to tread water. I can tread water in my neighbor's pool for over a half an hour without any trouble.   Myfitnesspal says I burn as many calories treading water as I do swimming..... Do you believe that?  I'm not sure I do.  This is the farmer's market tomato table.  What a welcome sight; locally grown tomatoes are fantastic.   Oh -  this is the knitting that is happening around here.  Sock knitting is the best for me in summertime.  I'm keeping this pair.  It is COFFEE SHOP From Knitpicks and it knits like butter. I'm already on the toe of the first sock.  Anything to add to my "P" theme today? 

  I have nothing but questions this morning for you.  Any and all answers are welcome and appreciated! *I just bought a bluetooth.  How do you keep from losing that little thing?   *I'm trying to add more structure to my day.. how do you do this?  *How do you SEE your stitches? When I attempt lace I can't make sense of what I see.   *Where can you find cheap decorative pillows? *that's all I got folks, Have a great Weekend. 

I am thinking: If I was younger I'd have my hair chalked.   Outside my window - some little thing is chewing up my Joe Pye Weed leaves..... In the kitchen- there is sunscreen on the counter and there is an OFF personal Fan.  I am Wearing- my hew hairdo.  My new stylist colored it just about perfectly yesterday.  The base is ash and the highlights are blonde! I am creating - this post.....I told you it wasn't going to be complicated!  I am going- to get the car emissions tested. It isn't too thrilling either!! I am wondering-how long it will take Beatles to fall for Pie. Tank already has fallen for her.  I am reading-up on how to integrate the kitten into the household.  I am hoping-the coolfront comes in early today and we can enjoy the windows being open and the porch tonight I am looking forward to- today!  plain and simple with whatever it holds for me I am hearing- the hum of the floor fan in th...

Have you ever had Hot Pepper Jelly with pretzel sticks?  I suggest you try it.  It makes a fantastic appetizer or snack for a party.  Warning: it is addictive.  Try it you'll like it.   The cake below was on display at the Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville. Impressive eh?  I've decided I am only going to make one layer cakes around here with my new cake pans.  Double layers is just too much cake for the 3 of us.  They'll be no turning on the oven today that's for certain.  We are 'baking' with the rest of the USA; I'm wishing we could open the windows for a bit.... I hear that Nutella is now an ice cream flavor somewhere....have you seen it?  Do you do NUTELLA?  OH my this is a knit blog.  Well, we have to eat too don't we!   Cheerios has a peanut butter flavor now...I may have to try them.   Fireman has been putting blueberries in his salads lately....yuck.. Not for me.  and fina...

  This driver amused us for many miles on our drive home from Virginia. One of her stickers said,  :I Knit So I Won't Kill People.  I tried to show her I was knitting as we passed her, but I she was looking the other way.   While I was away, a dear friend and vet tech Jamie,  took care of Pie.  Pie is still tiny and not integrated into the house here.   She needs to learn the house room by room.  I knit her dog, Chico, a Linus sweater while we were on the road.  (Beatles wanted to be on the blog post so he is sitting by the sweater.) The trip involved some knitting and some ripping.  More knitting than ripping.   Here are the stats:  *Drove 15 hours 45 minutes from Suffolk Virginia, to Chicago with Fireman.  We took turns, traveled safely and napped in the back seat while the other one drove.  We averaged 65 mph.  *We saw a huge dead black bear on our side of the highway in Virg...

Channon told us Monticello, Jefferson's home, was a "Must See".   Channon is so smart.  The tour of Jefferson's home and land was fascinating.  Within minutes of our delightful guide, Celeste's introduction, Al whispered to me, "I want her job!"  Trust Channon, Trust me, if you ever make the opportunity you will be very happy you did.    Perhaps even more interesting than the house, was the Slavery Tour.   Our guide for that was also superb. How does a man who wrote our Declaration OWN people?  The slavery history was riveting.  Has anyone read a good book about Sally Hemings?  I'd love to know more about this black slave, who had several children with Jefferson.   The gardens were lovely despite the VIRGINIA heat.  Oh Thank you Katherine for the fan I wore around my neck all day.     These lilies are from my own little garden.  Zach gave them to me for Mothe...

  On our way to visit Allison in Virginia last week I got to meet Channon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pretend friends rock. Pretend friends give up their day to show you their town.  Pretend friends give you gorgeous sock yarn from their part of the world.   C-Charolottesville endeared itself to me.  Channon  H-hosted us for the day.  Fireman and Channon had much to discuss.  Channon, being a former full-time firefighter, kept right up with Fireman's vernacular. A-All y'all would have loved to be there.  Although the heat and humidity are unlike anything in Chicago, Channon barely perspired.  I, on the other hand, could feel the sweat running down my back.   She has a pretty southern sound to her speech that is   soft and also unlike our Harsh Chicago accent.  (I want to talk like Channon...I really do)  N-No where could you find a better person to spend the day with in the quaint and lovely Charl...

  These are zoo snippets from our visit today.  The baby monkey was adorable.  So agile, so able, so busy at his young age. This Red Panda was A-dorable.  He looked like a stuffed animal sleeping in that tree.  Such sweet creatures. They are hand fed by the staff   This is Kevin Nealon from SNL fame.  He was having bagels in a great bagel stop.  I slipped him a note thanking him for making us laugh in a tough world.   It is so fun to spot a celebrity isnt it??  We met him on the way to the zoo! Lastly there were two elephants at the zoo.   I know how social they are; I was glad there were at least two.  They had ample shade but preferred the scorching sun.   Have you been to the zoo lately?  Have you spotted any celebrities. 

Sometimes Fireman asks me if I'd like to ride along while he golfs.     Fireman is an excellent golfer and I would rather ride along than play also. I get to be the crazy cart lady.  (I know I am already a crazy cat lady)  This course was new to us and we found it on a whim.     This gorgeous yarn happened to be in my purse and it happened to find a way out for a photo op.  It was gifted to me.  This yarn was making me crazy as I finished the sparkly socks.  This yarn gave me Startitis.     I tease Fireman that my knitting passion costs a bit, but I have socks and shawls and scarves and sweaters and hats to show for it.  I gift so many of the things I knit.   You can love to play golf but you don't have any socks to show for it after you've played.   As knitters we get double joys; the joy of knitting and the joys of wearing or gifting our knits.     As for me I prefer the driving range ...

  *The beach without the sunburn.  (I used a 70 spf today even though dermatologists say you only need a much lower Spf and just reapply)  *Banana chips.  Hate bananas, love the chips! *Summer thunder and lightening. *Sleep number beds on vacation *My new summer purse by ZARA ... I should show it to you.....its so cute *Dr Scholl sandals *Lemonade.....now that I've given up coke, at least a lemonade is refreshing *Berry crumble, Sandra Lee style with cookie dough as the crumble *My short short short summer hair: makes swimming a joy, makes the heat more tolerable and finally *Im very happy to knit socks this summer.  I finished this sparkly pair tonight .They are for my  10 year old great niece.   I started them on July4th . That makes it a one week knit up.   Now that makes me happy.  Any of the same things making you happy?