knittinggenes.blogspot.com

  Not knitting this shawl, but I love it.  (Malabrigo Eiowen Shawl)    Not adopting this cat, but I love her. (Pippa still hasn't been adopted. )  Not scuba diving, but I remember when I did.  (friend LINDA in Panama)  *I'm reading: The MINDY Project *I'm knitting sunflower socks.  *I'd love a sentence from you!

Llamas.  Green grass. Not here. Just sayin' I needed some color today....so I give you KnittingRn's wedding photo with her amazing shawl.   The wedding was in Ireland.  Ravelry highlighted her photo and I had to show it to you in case you missed it.  She's beautiful.  What a fantastic image they will have forever. She will treasure that shawl forever too.  I was not happy with my wedding photos.  I will be as sure as I can be that my children have great photographers at their weddings.  Our photographer sent an assistant to our wedding.  We had no idea . He made huge mistakes like putting us under plants on shelves so we look like our heads are growing plants.  Seriously.  For better or worse and in photographs too!

Saint Leslie is sitting next to Saint Joanie.  Saint Leslie took one look at the sweater that done me wrong and said, "Give it to me, I'll unravel it" She meant it too.  Saint Leslie  knows here way around the yarn unravel.   Only a real pal says that to you.  Saint Joanie only knits for charity.  My friend, Saint Karen is going to be very upset if I leave her out of this.  Saint Karen is my patro saint of technology.  If you have a phone that won't ring right or an app issue, Saint Karen is the one to talk to- and she'll stick to it until she fixes it. And she's nice about it.  Okay St. Kathy C. I cannot leave you out or Saint Carol.  St. Kathy is the patron saint of trains and bat winged design sweaters.   Saint Carol, is the vacation Saint.  She loves vacation. She lives for vacation. She'll even find you a vacation... The Saints really do live among us!

  This is Zach's girlfriend Izzy.  Isn't she a doll?  She's modeling her gifts from me of knitted hat and matching fingerless.  They met, in large part, due to their mutual love of the game of tennis.  We have been glued to the Australian Open.  I love watching tennis when our winter is pounding down on us.   Hope you are all surviving, whatever piece of the storm that went your way,  without troubles.  Here's my new yarn score! Frolicking Feet in SUNFLOWER. Al's favorite flower is the sunflower.  There's 400 yards in this skein and I'll need it all to make a nice long pair of socks.  My last adult pair of socks was the one skien of Lorna's laces...around 200 yards. I just squeaked by making a shorty pair for myself.  I wanted plenty of room this time.  I'll be casting on side by sides again later today.  Advantage: ME!

  Excuse me, weather folk who like to bring added drama to the impending east coast snowstorm.... I've yet to hear one of you say to get your knitting ready!~  Yes, flashlights, water, wood and food matter, but what's an emergency kit without yarn and needles?  Get ready!  Find a pattern, find your yarn, fluff the pillows and enjoy the weather imposed downtime .... ***** I finished a pair of fingerless mitts for Izzy yesterday.  I knit a hat for her in the fall and intended these as a Christmas gift to match.  She was thrilled nonetheless. The yarn is actually two yarns that I blended together.     We watched Life Itself, which is Roger Ebert's story of courage and love.  The THUMBS up duo originated from Chicago so we have that special tie.  It is a wonderful movie.    Fireman shopped while I had a cold and he brought home jelly beans. (Not unusual as he loves them.) However, these are BRACHS conversation heart jelly beans.  I'm here to r

I was only able to score one skien of  Schoppel Wolle Ambiente in 1862 Magic.   At my LYS.  So, I did the obvious knit thing: I knit baby/toddler socks.    Don't know who is going to receive them, but I love them.  The yarn is great.  I knit them on 4s.  I knit the ribbed portion on 2s.  36 stitches total.  The yarn has a good spring to it.  It is not splitty.  I would recommend it.   I am not a fast knitter. I was shut away in Allison's old bedroom for the last 2 days.  I have a cold and refuse to share it with Fireman and Zach.  So I hunkered down and turned on the humidifier and knit with pretty yarn.  And I listened to radio podcasts about Dear Ernie Banks. I also listened to cooking podcasts on WGN radio.  This is our pretty scenery....not so much. It is snowing today so we will have some very pretty white on the trees.  I don't have to leave the house..and boy does that make snow tolerable.  Be careful out there if you are on the

I began to cry last night when we heard the news last night. Ernie Banks.   The one and only I named my parakeet who was blue and white after him He lived to be 14 which was ernies number When someone you have never met impacts you in the best way you know they were so unique I hope Chicago gives him a World Series send off Hey Ernie Lets Play Two

  I enjoyed knitting this pair of plain vanilla socks from the top down.  I almost ran out of yarn.  Lorna's Laces Shepard Sport 200 yards of Asia color way.  Who said they look like a latte? You were right!   If you are blessed with small feet that are as wide as bricks, you can just barely knit a pair with just one skein of yarn.  The only way to finish them within the scope of yardage was with a  Mary Moran Star toe finish.   They fit like a glove!  I'm ready to cast on anew.  I want to knit side by side socks again.  It is the only way to go for me.    These stunning ladies were creating color at the Botanic Gardens the other day.  When they took off their jackets and coats, I was shivering for them.  Clearly these women know how to use color well.  Inside the Garden Cafe, these little buds were commanding attention on each table.  Oh we are so color starved here in the Midwest in January! How will you COLOR your world today?

  I sure do love my side by side sock knitting.  Rest assured the second sock is just as wide as the first.  Im in a little hurry this morning to get to the Shelter for surgeries on the puppies and kittens.  I snapped a quick picture and it looks like the socks are a bit different but its just the way I put them down.  Someone asked what side by side knitting is; it is knitting the two socks by knitting the parts at the same time instead of knitting one whole sock and then the next.  This prevents the dreaded second sock syndrome.  Love me some Lorna's Laces.....   In other big news here, Honda Rhonda turned over 100,000 miles this week.  Such a big day for her: I even took her to the car wash.  She's 18.  She's a trooper.  Finally today, I leave you with the Churchmouse fingerless mitts at my LYS.  I love the buttons added to the cuffs.  This is ironic because I hate to sew buttons.  I love the yarn color way too. Okay. Im headed out into

I just had to join Carole's Ten on Tuesday prompt.  Ten Things I'm Happy About RIGHT Now: *I'm happy to be knitting socks again. Side by side socks.  *Im happy I learned how to read magazines on the hand me down NOOK my daughter sent to me.   I have almost all of REAL SIMPLE 2014 to catch up on. *I'm happy I stopped reading David Sedaris' book,  Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls.  I liked the first few chapters.  The next few, not so much.  *I'm happy to have my own shawl that was given me upon retiring from nursing.  It is perfect for this drafty old house today.  *I'm happy to drinking a little Coca cola this afternoon. I love soda.  I limit my intake.  *I'm happy the TV is off for a bit.  Fireman is reading instead.  A Civil War book.  *I'm happy to join Carole's prompt.  *I'm happy The dental receptionist didn't scold me for how long its been since I saw them.  I was ready

My Fireman gave me some Lorna's sock yarn for Christmas Katherine sent me some needles a while back. I'm sock knitting!  What? you say.  She just said she was going to knit a shawl.  Or a snood.  Well, I have to keep you guessing right?  I looked at my stash and the Lorna's just wanted to be next.  Yesterday was a terrible day to walk at our Botanic Gardens. The little girl in her hand knit hat and scarf made it worthwhile. Isn't that hat darling and isn't the matching flower perfect? I was looking for color in any capacity.  The dogwood was nothing short of brilliant at the Gardens.  The paths had sand on them and were squishy mixed with icy. The air was damp and grey.  Lovely eh? Life here is pretty much a black and white movie for a few more months- Some snow is on the way for tonight. I suppose the Gardens are amazing draped in fresh snow.. but, I can assure you I won't be going back until the brave little tulips

  Front and back of easiest gansey vest out there....done. Seaming....are you kidding?  I'm going to con AL or Karen into doing the seaming for me.  Nantasket is a free Berocco pattern, without the sleeves.  Yarn Cascade 220.  I found the directions magical.  That is, I just did what they said without thought and voila!  it worked.  As for my next cast on, I woke up and in typical fashion, changed my mind.  In fairness to me, I did say I wanted to knit a snood this winter.   So I think the snood will come before the shawl and after the socks ... the socks that I cast on last night after the gansey vest  before I went to bed and after I finished watching those Football games that have absolutely no bearing on my heart.  

  I'm thinking about my next knit project. I've decided to be a bit more thoughtful before I cast on anew. Normally, I see a photo, get giddy with excitement, download the pattern and find out a few inches into it......this was not my idea of fun.  So I'm trying to think through ATHENA by kate Ray before I commit.  I have at least a day of knitting left on my little child vest.  Naysayers, Please speak up!  I'd love to hear your cons.  I love to knit garter and I love to have a shawl. I don't like lots of stitch markers and I have yet  to learn to pick up mistakes in garter.    My class on fixing mistakes isn't for another month... but that's what a yarn shops for right?  I'm already thinking about how I didnt' like Lady Kina because I couldn't see all the stitches spread out on my needle....so ahem, that's my first con..  I doubt I'd see them all on this either...   I dreamt I had to go to work an

  How come when you tell others that it is just an accident and that is what insurance is for,  you mean it, but when you did the accident  you can't just say that to yourself?  Just a fender bender.  I backed out with Firemans NEW truck into a parked truck on the street.  Minimal damage.  The truck driver wasn't even in the truck at the time. No one hurt.  Ouch.  I start shaking like a silly leaf when these things occur.  I know that the most important thing is that no one even got hurt one little bit, but I go all goofy.   My dear new best friend, well second best, my American Family Insurance claims rep. BEN, kept telling me,  "You're doing fine, You're doing great" as I kept saying, "wait let me think I'm shaking."  My other new bestie is the sweet policeman who did NOT issue me a ticket.  He couldn't have been nicer.  Fireman was a doll about it all.  I was almost too exhausted to knit last night. But I p

  I was given an owl blanket yesterday as a late Christmas gift. Miss Pie immediately claimed it as hers.  Blind though she may be, she is very smart.  This is my new knit.  It is A variation of Nantasket by Berroco. Its free on Ravelry.  I love seeing all the stitches on my needle. I love the ease of the pattern.  I'm a happy knitter, again.  Someone at my LYS was knitting this pattern in a vest.  She just omitted the sleeves. I knew when I saw it that I'd knit it some day. One little toddler boy will be very dapper in it.  I have no idea who! It is about the easiest gansey you can knit.  Someone mentioned a bucket list the other day. There are a few things on my bucket list: Go snowmobiling- Visit Alaska- Learn to Spin wool-  Publish my poems- Go on a dolphin cruise or be on a boat when they follow along- Take a picture worth enlarging and framing and put it in my home- Learn to sew- Go to a Green Bay Packers game-

  I spent some of my afternoon organizing my circular needles into a cd case.  I have a big hanging thing that I was overjoyed with at first. Then overtime I'd just throw any size needle back into any slot and it wasn't any different than having all the needles in a big old pile. So, Un beknownst to me, I cleaned the family room and found an old cd case.  I put all me needles in there.  Why do I have so many size 10 circs?   I feel much more organized.   Thanks.   This was yesterday's sunset.  I get excited when I see color nowadays.   This is my new Trap scarf.   I got my hair cut two weeks ago and Every time I look at it I think its shorter than the day before...hmmmmm I'm reading :Let's Explore Diabetes with Owl By david Sedaris.  I love his books.  Hows your hair? What are you reading? Happy Thursday!

Does anyone know what kind of Hawk was waiting for breakfast in my yard this morning?  Cooper's Hawk?  It is not a red tail. Fireman spotted him in the tree and called me over.  Hawks are so cool aren't they?  I know they are picking off a sparrow or two around here, but they have to eat too.  I was overjoyed to see this one!  And now for my public apology to Meredith.  I'm frogging lady Kina.  It's not her fault that I put the arms in two non balanced places. It's not her fault that I had to learn the hard way how to manipulate all those stitches on the biggest needles I own. Poor Lady Kina, I cannot bear to keep going. I can't even keep going unless I frog back to the arm parts. I'm not having any fun.  I put her in a time out and thought long and hard about the sweater.   Moving on! Now for the good news.  I learned there may be a nice benefit to learning to knit in pieces and not in the round.  I really need to be able to S

this is a Ravelry pattern my dear by Claire Garland.... I am joining Caroleknits Ten on Tuesday Prompt:  10 Ways to Make Winter Less Bleak!~ Try something different in your emails to friends: you can change the color of the letters, add a quote to the bottom of each note, or change the default font.  Knit just one item for charity.  We know our own kids lose their  hats and mittens .....why not knit a fresh hat or mittens for someone who innocently lost theirs.   You can donate to your local school and they will get them to a child in need.   Entertain.  Most people have more time in January and February than they did in December.  Invite friends over and make them a warm meal of chili and homemade bread or rolls.  Take a class at your Local Yarn Studio.   Learning a new skill or just enjoying the company of other knitters really lights up gray winter days. This one's not for everyone, but I love to go to the stables nearby and just pet the horses.  I love to w

  I figured out a way to make the knitting less stressful.   I borrowed Karen's 9 circs and I knit from one long circ to the other....on  each row.  This makes the tension much easier.  So there is hope that I won't cave on Kina.  I have an inch to go before I cast off the sleeves and I cannot wait to get there. I think I'll love Kina when she's done but I am not loving the process.  Sweaters are hard work. Especially when you make them more work than they need to be..ahem.. Repeat after me, sweaters are hard work.  Did I already tell you that I ran into Nina and her fun mom at my LYS?  Nina is an exceptional Labor and Delivery Nurse. Whenever I'd see her face I'd feel better about being at a baby code.  That is if you can feel better at a baby code. Well when she wasn't at a code Nina knit her gorgeous sweater.  Her mom knit her beautiful scarf. Purple goes so well with aqua and I never make that connection.... Next up...purple with a

  I have a new best friend. She's  My new Hoover floor mate. For 140.00 she cleans my hardwood floors and she puts down the soapy water and sucks it back up.  She dries the floor too!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love her.  I was a hands and knees kind of floor girl with old towels and missed spots.   No more!  This baby is amazing.  I figure if I use her twice I've made up the cost.  Maids cost about 80 dollars a crack around here. Not that I use a maid anymore, but for comparison sake... I love her so much I may buy another incase they stop making them.  I cannot tell you how filthy the water was after she sucked it up.  We have almost no carpeting in the house. My new girlfriend does the tile and the wood floors equally well.  I'm gushing I know. I may have to go to the closet and just pat her a bit later....   At the yarn shop yesterday someone was using this pill tool for her sweater.  WOwza it really worked.  Her

  This is a park near my home. The little lake is frozen over.  They put Christmas trees on the ice and as they sink they become fish habitat.  Today's knit talk is a fireside chat... I'm sitting near the fireplace with a blazing fire going.  I am wearing the shawl that my work pal crocheted for me when I retired.  I'm still chilly.   Where's a hot flash when you need one?  I think we can call it a Fireside chat as I am the president of this little irisheyes blog.   I was up at my LYS today and told Adrienne about my arm fatigue while knitting Kina.  She asked if I was using slippery needles.  I wasn't.  I was using my old trusty woodens. I came home and knit all the Kina stitches onto my metal needles.   Here's hoping the simple switch will be easier on my arms.  Adrienne also suggested the obvious which I'd ignored:  Use pillows under my arms and sit up straight.   Ahem....okay I'm working on that... I n