Finally a FO

That is a Finished object.

Okay it is blocking today.

I finished the border on this pi shawl in October, but never seemed to find the time to block it.

Today while reading blogs I happened upon soulmama's blog. She has a sweet little shawl on there today knit out of Noro sock yarn, which I found interesting.

Anyway. Seeing that little shawl prompted me to block this baby. Why it took me 2 years to knit the border and then almost 5 months to block it, I don't know. It is beautiful.

More info for those who want to know. This was a Mystery Pi Shawl and is now known as Desert Sun. http://www.bopeepswoolshop.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_7&products_id=11

Mine is much smaller than the one pictured in such a sunny yellow. Mine should possibly be called something other than Desert Sun.

Viki

checking out patterns and stash yarn for a simple little shawl for a friend.

a late Valentine Card

the front
the back
This card is similar to the one I made on Tuesday evening as a sample for my Wednesday class.

I gave that card to my friend Sally.

I was really just playing this morning.  I like the one I made early in the week a little better.

I like the way I folded the cards so they could stand alone and not lay flat. 

 The ones the kids made didn't have the music so there were 4 sections for them to work with on the front and 4 on the back.

  Only one child wanted to work on the back.  I also let them go wild with flower stickers. (Thanks to Cindy for giving me all those stickers from the Easter Egg dye last year. I cut the flower section off to use with these cards.)

Viki

Forget about it

It has been a week!

Here is a picture of Bailey after he was washed and groomed last Monday.  He is a pretty boy again not so shaggy.

We did lose power again, lucky for us it was only for a few hours this time.

School was open even though 14 schools were without power.

Mariah was sick most of the week, started with a sore throat and then progressed to flu like symptoms.  Thursday she lay on the sofa with her eyes covered and the curtains closed because of a massive headache.  Saturday I did the same thing.  Such a nice way to spend Valentines day.

I couldn't even knit. I missed the Soul Journal Valentines Day Blog Party too!

Wednesday I made Valentines with my class of 6 little girls.  I had to help with the ink but they had lots of fun with the stamps and stickers.  I'll see if I can recreate my sample to post a picture. (I gave the sample to a friend, cause that's what you do with Valentines)

Viki

who has just realized that there were NO Pictures taken of Me on My Birthday week before last.

You say it's your Birthday!

 Jordan turned 21 today!  Here she is holding the socks I knit for her.  She loves brown and pink and was thrilled.  She and I spent the afternoon together.  First we had Mexican food and then we went shopping.  Now we are waiting on pizza.  

Mariah missed school today due to a throat infection.

I finished the cardigan except for buttons last night.

We are due to get rain and high winds here tomorrow.  If I don't post a cute picture of Bailey here tomorrow (he just got groomed), then we are without power.... again.

I'm busy gathering bits and pieces of stuff to make Valentines with my class of 3 yr old girls tomorrow.  Hope they have fun.  I know I will.  I'll try to take pictures of them creating.

Viki

end of a long two weeks

Dave was too tired to take Bailey for a walk last night.  Instead they opted for a cuddle on the floor, both fell asleep.  

I stayed up and finished the first sleeve on the Ice Storm cardigan.  I hadn't picked it up in a few days and in no time at all I had a finished sleeve.  When you are used to knitting on size one needles, size 9's make cloth quickly.

Hopefully I can post pictures soon.

Viki
 

ICE = Not Nice

I know it is old news the Ice Storm of 09.  However, it took a week long bite out of my life and I thought I would share a few pictures.

I woke up in the wee hours of January 28th to the sound of trees cracking and falling.  I stood at the back door watching the next door neighbors tree fall to bits. It sounded like gun shots all over the neighborhood.  Power was out before 10 that morning and didn't come back on until the night of Feb. 3rd.  

Mom's power went out too.  Lucky for us, Jordan offered us a place to stay, her apartment was crowded but warm.  Warm means a lot.  DH stayed nights in the cold (35 degrees cold) house with the dogs.  He says the worst was getting out of the HOT shower into the 35 degree house.

 I didn't even lose a lot of food because I was able to store it outside in the garage.  I fixed dinner every night we were at Jordan's.

While at Jordan's I tried to knit on socks, but dark gray wool on dark wood needles was very hard to see.  So while checking the house and letting the dogs out on Thursday the 29th I picked up a Pure and Simple pattern for a top down cardigan and a huge skein of Fisherman's yarn and size 9 needles (bright green metal tips) and started the sweater.  I finished the body and have started on the arms.  It was quite nice to sit with the bulk of that sweater on my lap during the time away from home.

Anyway, Mom's power came back on Last Friday and we moved to her Huge house last Saturday.  It is amazing how much stuff I had to move from place to place.  I really missed being at home with my stash.

Viki

click on the pictures to make them big.  The second one really sparkles.

SNOW DAY!

We're having a Snow Day today.

We didn't really have a lot of snow 3-5 inches so far. However, it is the freezing rain on top of it that caused school to be closed.

Although, according to my oldest, the roads weren't plowed at all at 5 this morning. She works for that big Health Insurance that starts with an H. They closed BEFORE she could get to work. So there she was downtown at 6 A.M. with the roads covered and more people beginning to venture out. What to do? Brave the expressway, try a corkscrew back road? No, head over to Norton Hospital to hang out with Dad until the roads are a little less crowded. Oh and drink free coffee too. I think Dad even bought her breakfast.

The dog wont go outside.
I open the door and he hears the ice hit the snow and looks at me like I'm crazy.

What am I going to do today?
Read,
knit,
and hang out on Ravelry.

I have lunch and dinner all planned and I'm glad Mariah and I can stay in all day.

Unfortunately I've had to cancel Odd Tuesday Knit Night, No one could make it with the roads such a mess.

I think I'll brew another pot of coffee and get my sock I'm knitting.
Have fun!

Viki

Waiting for toast

This is Mom's dog Sasha (on the left) and my Bailey waiting for Mom to drop a bit of toast for them.

They have already split their own piece and are quite greedy.

Very intent.

I did pick up the FLAK sweater last night and knit over an inch.  For some reason the cabling seems easier this go round.  Hopefully I will finish this soon.  

Question:  Has anyone knit with those square double pointed needles?

Viki

Relm Tam & Circle vest

I've been busy.

Knitting.

Dave was delighted to pose for a picture wearing 

The Relm Tam.  Pattern is in Knit 1 and was created by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed fame.

My version is not cashmere.

It is woolease. It is large.

 I was very relaxed

 and my gauge shows it.  I am usually 

a very tight knitter.  The cables are 

beautiful and 

I liked the way they continued 

through the 

decreases.  Which is the whole reason I knit this tam.

I needed someone tall to give this to and my friend Beth, 

who is both as tall as an Amazon and  as beautiful as one too, 

is now the proud owner.

She seems to love it.

Dave is thankful as he thought he might have to retire and 

grow dreds to wear the tam.

Next up is the Circle Vest

 for Mom.

  It turned out great!  I really liked knitting this. It isn't perfect.  I had to 

concentrate at first to M1 the right way for a purl or a knit stitch.  I don't

know if it was an attention problem or a TV problem.

Mom loves the colors and is thrilled that I knit something else for her.

If you know me you know that I have a hard time making more

than one of some thing.  Socks are easier now but I rarely knit

the same yarn or pattern twice.

BUT if I ever make another Circle Vest, I think I'll use bits and bobs of

my handspun yarn.

No Anita the FLAK isn't finished. I swear I will pick it up tonight.

Really.

I didn't say I'd knit on it, but I will pick it up.  I really love that FLAK,

I just can't seem to get the momentum going to finish.

Meanwhile it stares at me making me feel guilty.

There are all these other sweaters I've been drooling over 

AND 

I even have the yarn for some of them.

It is so hard not to swatch for a gansey or a top down simple sweater.

Then there is all that Kauni yarn.

The urge to start something new is 

nearly overwhelming.

Viki

New Year = New Projects

These two projects are what I knit the New Year in with. The First is a Circle Vest(pattern in Silk Knits) for my mother.
I have about a 12 inch circle knit and it is looking pretty good. Although DH is a little concerned that I am putting a bulls eye on my Mother's back.

The latest pair of socks in Opal Croc II. I am down to the foot on the first of the pair. I need to remember to bring it to the kitchen for computer knitting.

Not much knitting today as I go back to work today.

Viki

Happy New Year!

We all made it past midnight last night.
Although I think Chris dozed through parts of the Jeff Dunham comedy show we were watching.

There were cookies
and stout.
Knitting and laughter.

Then sleep. Oh sleep.

Today has been a day of lucky foods and a little of this and a little of that.
Knitting.
Cleaning.
buying stash.
Learning.
music.
snuggling.
Beansoup.
and to top it all off we'll have panettone bread pudding.

Then I'll knit some more.

Happy New Year to Everyone.
Viki

Words and Projects for the New Year

I've been reading Ali Edwards blog off and on. Her blog was the whole reason I did the December Daily Album which was quite fun and available for viewing on flickr.

She has had a few posts about picking a word for the New Year. Not a word about what is happening in the world, but a word just for yoursef. One to focus on, meditate on, aspire to be.

When I chanced upon Ali's post today over 90 people had told her what their personal word for the year will be in her comments. Amazing.  I just checked again and over 300 people have told her what word they have chosen for the Year ahead.  Maybe it is because she is having a give away too. 

Check it out and then hit the links to the artists that make the charming necklaces she is giving away.

So,

I've been thinking about words when I haven't been thinking about patterns and yarn.

I'm full of words.  Possibilities include: 

Possibility.

Nourish or nurture.

Thrive, blossom, flourish.

Zeal-enthusiasm, fire, passion.

Strength

Do

Enjoy.

Lots of Great words.

Which one will I choose.  I have a hard time making up my mind.  I think it is because as a child I was not given choices.  

What project will I choose to start on this evening?

It will not be lace.

It might be socks.

It might be a simple sweater or an interesting circle vest.

What yarn?  Oh the possibilities when you are indecisive. 

Viki

Naughty or Nice?

I must have been very nice.  Dave gifted me with a Kindle!!!

My brother came through as usual.  I have new tools for bookbinding and a gift certificate to Knit Picks.

Seriously we all had a wonderful Christmas.  I even finished mom's socks!

Jordan, Mariah and I spent the day after watching movies and eating pizza and popcorn, then we gathered to finish up leftover's at Mom's house.  A bit of knitting was done while watching movies.

I have been looking through old magazines, oogling patterns and pictures on Ravelery and searching the web for ideas of just what I want to knit in the new year.  Planning, that's what I'm doing.  I wouldn't call it wasting my time.

I usually do actually ... knit in the New Year as opposed to ringing it in.  I wonder what I'll start this year.  In the past it has been lace.  It may be a hat.  I haven't knit a hat in ages.  It will not be a cowl.  I've knit 3 of those in the last 2 weeks.  Anita will of course chime in and tell me to finish "The FLAK".  

It won't be New Year's knitting, but now that I've got mom's socks knit and the toes knit 2x, I may just pull out that sweater.  It would be nice to finally finish.

For an interesting insight about sock yarns check out Claudia's blog.  Pretty hand dyed cushy sock yarns vs. hard wearing sock yarns like opal and trekking.  My favorite commercial sock yarn is trekking.  I haven't kept a pair of opal yet.  Maybe those will be the next socks on the needles.

Viki

thinking gansey for the next sweater...maybe.

A day late on this post

Yesterday was the 23rd.  A special day at our house.  Mariah's Birthday!

Now she is 15.  Although, she did inform me this morning that this is her 16th Christmas Eve.

She was up before I was yesterday, took a shower and was ready for gifts.

I spread the gifts out over the day and we even braved the holiday traffic to go out running around.  

We went out to dinner at Olive Garden in the rain.  Last year it was in the snow.

Jordan was in rare form.  All of us laughed all evening at her stories.  Even Mariah.

It was a good day.

Today I need to clean and wrap gifts.  I still haven't made cookies...I may have to do that After Christmas.

Viki

Soup and stew tales

I have had a request for the recipe for Bean Potato Kale stew.
I have to admit I got the idea from Vegandad's blog: http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2008/03/creamy-kale-and-potato-stew.html

I was looking for good soup and stew recipes that include kale, since I had a huge bag of those greens sitting in my fridge. I am not a vegan or even a vegetarian at this time. However we do eat several veggie meals a week.

I did change it up a bit.
I admit I only ever follow baking recipes exactly.

I used regular baking potato's, 2 med. onions, white beans and vegetable broth. I thickened the whole thing with flour and water that I put in an old sippy cup and shook it up. I keep that sippy cup for just this purpose. Much easier than trying to whisk it together as far as I'm concerned.

Another fantastic soup/stew is this one at http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/soup-stew-choup-recipes/white-bean-sausage-and-kale-stew/article.html

I use turkey smoked sausage instead of pork kielbasa. (allergy) Also, I usually saute an onion for that one too. We use lots of onions and garlic at our house. I also use more kale than called for in either of these recipes. The killer on the RR stew is the grated cheese. I usually use Romano instead of Parmesan. How ever it is freshly grated. Even when we were really poor and the kids were little we used good cheese, not shaker cheese. It wasn't until Jordan was a teen and started making some of her own food that there was a "blue box" in the house.

Tonight we are having another vegetarian meal. Chili. I use Morning Star meal starters fake ground beef in it. Onion, garlic, celery, carrot, tomato's blenderized, about 6 oz of tomato paste, pinto beans & great northern beans. In the past I've used black beans too and mushrooms and corn and green chili peppers. ( I don't use red and green peppers because someone wont eat them.) We garnish at the table with more chili powder and sharp cheddar cheese.
Some people in this area also add pasta. Not me. You'll notice I didn't give measurements or what spices. That is because I didn't measure.

I'll also make cornbread again. those ingredients I'll measure.

Keep your fingers crossed that Everyone will eat this chili tonight.

Happy Eating!

Viki

hand knit socks

hand knit socks
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

Friday, I washed socks. Just in time for it to get really cold.
I have many pairs of handknit socks, but I wear these the most. The ones on the far right are handspun and thicker than the others. I believe I will wear those today.
The temp says it is 13 degrees outside right now. It was 8 degrees at 7 this morning.
It is bright and Very Sunny.

Viki

It was a chilly, wet evening

Last night was wet and chilly so I made something warm and comforting for dinner.  Potato, white bean and kale stew.  Spider cornbread on the side.  Spider is the old name for a cast iron skillet.  I use this skillet almost exclusively for cornbread.  This was Wonderful.  It was the first time I'd made this stew and I will be making it again.  Even Mariah ate the kale.

Today started off very wet and turned very windy, but the temp is at least 60 degrees.  It is balmy.  Almost feels like tornado weather.  I went by Grinny Possum this afternoon and bought myself some presents.

Viki

feeling a little guilty for that.

Swaps and That Wintery Mix

Finally finished and Mailed yesterday!  I glued bits of music paper and puzzle paper and even the test paper that you fill in the little circles on to wooden stars.  Then I used modge podge to put a holly tissue paper on the stars.  Glued the little girl image and buttons on last.  I think they turned out rather well.

Today we are having what the weather people call a Wintery mix.  sleet, freezing rain, rain, and some snow.  

Hopefully it will not cancel out the party tonight.

We always have great food and lots of laughs.

Viki

Breathe

Breathe!

Take a deep breath.

It's the Weekend!

This week has been so full, I feel tired.

Just the idea that I can sleep longer than 6 tomorrow morning makes me happy.

Hopefully the weekend will give me the time I need.

The time to knit.

The time to craft.

The time to clean.

The time to put up the Christmas tree.

I've been putting little bits and pieces of decorations up on a daily basis.

Some of the snowmen are out.

The Nativity scene is out.

The Candy dishes are out, one even has candy in it.

I have been documenting lots of these daily "joys" in my December Daily Album.

You can find pictures of the album on my flickr account.

Viki

Time keeps on...

This first week of December has just whooshed by so fast.  This is a picture heavy blog post.

I got my hair cut on Tuesday.  It had been a VERY long time since my last hair cut.

Then Dave and I celebrated our 25th Anniversary on the 3rd.  We went out to eat with Jordan and Mariah and they didn't fight at all.  It was a nice evening.  Dave wasn't supposed to get me anything, but of course he couldn't help himself.  So I have a certificate for a body massage at Elements.  He also gave me white gold hoop earrings.  They were the "gift" from Norton Hospital that he picked for having been there 20 years. LOL.  There weren't many items for men to pick and almost all of the items had the Norton logo on them.  The earrings didn't and are quite nice.

Friday, Mom had me meet her at an Estate sale before I'd even had coffee.  I bought too much.  The woman who used to live there was in Mom's quilt group.  Sue did lots of different crafts and taught a lot of people.  I picked up some hand made lace and lots of steel double pointed needles and some other lace tools that I have no clue about.  If you know what some of the stuff is in the pictures, please let me know.  I also bought 2 lace books that I didn't have for $1 each.

The one not pictured is a Walker book.

After I finally ate breakfast I dropped Bailey off to be groomed.  He looks so handsome now.  I also went to my friend Sally's house for some show and tell and crafting.  We made little seasonal necklaces with a kit she had from Artchix.  Too cute!  I also gave her a Christmas present and a binder book I'd made.  She plans on using the binder book as a Christmas present for her husband.  She is going to make it into a garden journal for him.

I went back this morning to the Estate sale to pick up some of the tatted lace, as after the sale I feel some of this stuff would be thrown out.  At least with me I can admire them and give them to friends who would care about them. 

Dave has guard this weekend and a couple of Christmas parties, that I'm not going to.  It is snowing a bit too.  I think I'll stay home and knit on Christmas presents.  I'll also catch up on the December Daily album.

Viki