Husbands, Mothers, Ruffles and ridges, and Coffee & Yarn swap.

I was ready to do this to my DH when I thought how ridiculous I would look in the head dress and that make up, so I let it drop, but here is what he did. As we all know when we reach the magical (cough) magical age of 40 something our eyesight starts to slowly go. I have accepted and embraced my "Grannie glasses" to knit and to read etc. However I thought I was going blind. We have always had a 100 watt bulb in the ceiling fan over the bed ALWAYS.... I even asked the DH what he put in he assured me it was a 100 watt. Well a friend of ours came over and offered to help DH install the new ceiling fan (that had been sitting in our garage for over a year). The light fixture comes down, and I look at the bulb.... it's a FRELLING 60 watt.......ggggrrrrrr...... For a moment I looked like Johnny Depp as the chief and I saw my DH as Orlando Bloom. Mom on the other hand gave me a compliment today. She told me how good of a job I had done on her wrap, how well my stitches looked, how even the gage was, she was very impressed that I did a border and pockets in a different pattern then stocking net. The wrap was good but... it still left part of her back exposed and cold it would be better if I had made her a vest. Would it be ok if she ripped the wrap and send it to me so that I could knit her a vest? What do you think I said to an 83 yr old woman. Sure mom, go ahead and enjoy ripping it out and sending it back to me. I will find a vest pattern and knit you a new one. Not a problem. She sounded happy knowing that I was going to knit her a vest. Now all I have to do is find one one the Internet which I am sure I can do.

Well Finally!!! as of today the Fiber Trends Ruffles and Ridges shawl is done and off the needles!!! Ahead of schedule I was giving myself to Sunday to finish it. Now onto Tim's sweater, I have already finished the back and will block it tomorrow, I've cast on for the front.

And the best for last! My package from my Coffee and Yarn swap arrived today!!! I got mail from not US Postage but Royal Mail!!! Yes my swap partner is from the UK, actually she's from Cambridge studying bio medicine. When I opened the package this is what I found, things were wrapped in tissue and the lovely scent of lavender.

There was this beautiful card

The Starbucks gift card

This lovely cup cozy no cups around so had to use my wrist to demo

This beautiful hand knit wash cloth and handmade lavender soap I have fresh lavender growing right outside my bathroom window. The DH loved the washcloth.

The coffee I can't wait to try it. I may invite one of our friend from Guatemala for a cup

And finally the yarn, this is the richest purple I have seen in a long time, it's so soft, I couldn't stop touching it. I have this Louisa Harding pattern for fingerless gloves she calls them garden gloves, I believe that this will make a pair of them. Lyndsey-Jane Thank you so much for the wonderful things.

Test along, swaps, Yule, and contest

I joined a test group http://knitalong.net/testalong/ Martin and Larissa are writing a book and need test knitters for the book. This time around we were given a pattern, told what colors to use, and given a dead line. These are my submissions, it would be a great honor to have one of these three squares used in the book. The squares that are not chosen will be knitted up into afghans and donated to Warm Up America. http://www.warmupamerica.org/home.html
This first square is from Yarn Pirate http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=44421&sort=recent&page_id=1 the colorway is called Shamrock.
This is from Lorna's Laces the colorway is Funky Stripe. This little left over of yarn is very special to me because, it's what is left over from the first pair of socks I knitted.

This last one is from Handspun and Dyed Too http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=20393 the colorway on this one is Pizazz.

I am also in a potholder and recipe exchange, this is one of the pot holders, the pattern is called, Piece of my heart http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=20393

And this one is simply called Heart Dishcloth http://members.cox.net/designs.by.emily/patterns/Designs%20by%20Emily%20Heart%20Dishcloth%20Pattern.pdf
Yes they are washcloths however, what I am doing is knitting two identical ones, joining 3 sides, adding a piece of quilted material, then sewing the final side up, and adding a loop to hang it from.

This is the first of the 12 days of Yule Dish cloths by Ketutar http://fiberneed.blogspot.com/2007/01/12-days-of-yule-dishcloths.html I am not making dishcloths, instead the DH thought they would make a great holiday afghan. So I am knitting them up individually and will join them all when finished. I decided not to wait until the last minute, so I am going to knit one each month, this one should have been done in December. This is the partridge in the pear tree. I was supposed to make Two turtle doves in January, but haven't even started it yet. I have a few days left in January... so it's possible. Not likely but possible.

I also could not find a tree skirt that I liked that was less than $50.00 I am sorry, but to me that is just too much for something that is going to sit under the tree. So I decided to make one also I found this pattern http://www.gallentine.org/Knitting/Christmastreeskirt.html Yes, it has cables, but I think I can handle it. It's made from seven separate sections and then are joined together. I have already started on it but already frogged it because the directions are written a little wonkie and you have to keep jumping from top to bottom to middle of the page, I am going to print the pattern out again and cut and paste them in order for myself.

I also joined a contest from The Lone Knitter http://theloneknitter.blogspot.com/2006/12/my-first-contest-blanket-drive-for-mom.html This one the due date is not until June so I have time to make up a few squares. The will be donating the squares, blankets or afghans to the hospital that her aunt was a patient of while being treated for cancer. This will help to get rid of the small bits of left over yarn in my stash.

This week I am going to be working on the Fiber Trends Ruffles and ridges shawl (see side bar for pattern). I am not sure how many more rows I have to go but I am down to 250 stitches from the original 1095 that were cast on. I want to finish it this week.

Adults only Offical Kittyville Hat

This is an email I received from Heidi:"Yes, yes yes! I got the hat and I love it. (I did call you over the weekend to let you know, but maybe you did not get my message.) I love it! It’s so very fun, and unique. Many people here wear black (the NY uniform), but NO ONE has a fun cat hat like mine. I’m certain people are envious. I need to get Todd to take my picture in it and I will post it on the blog. I think I vaguely remember the bunny hat babcia made for me. Is that possible? P.S. Oh, and the yarn is divine. Sooooo soft."Yes Heidi it is possible to remember the bunny hat your grandmother mad for you. Now my next question does your husband have a small, medium or large head?

Here finally is the photo of the finished hat. The pattern comes from Stitch N Bitch Nation, it is the pattern is the adults only official Kittyville hat. I used two skeins of Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk Aran in black of course. This was an easy and fun pattern to knit. It's very good for beginners. Oh one more thing, I knitted it while watching The Patriot, what better eye candy than Mel Gibson and Heath Ledge to knit by... ...I wonder what eye candy I'll be watching this weekend while knitting.

Finished Mid Jan dishcloth KAL

The Mid January dishcloth KAL was a pattern with cables. To me this pattern looks like ears of corn.

Finally finished, but not blocked, I will do that when I block others

This is for my pot holder and recipe swap. We are to send 2 potholders, knitted, crocheted etc along with two recipes. I plan on making two identical wash cloths adding a piece of quilted fabric in between the two pot holders 2 recipes. If I get a chance I will also see if I can get a dish cloth made if time permits.

A little humor

I saw this one someone's blog and laughed. I thought I would share it with all of you.

Dr. Phil proclaimed, "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you've started and never finished." So, I looked around my house to see all the thing's started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a Bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Booker's bourbon, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos and a box of Godiva
Chocolates.

So, I prepose a toast, onto unfinished projects to find our inner peace.

Eowyn completed!!!

I finished my Eowyn fingerless gloves, that's very fast considering I started them on Sunday. And they have a cable in it. I had a skein of Malabrigio in my stash, the color is Velvet Grapes. This yarn is so soft. I just love it. Smudge decided he needed his tummy rubbed so he was a happy cat.

This is day 3 of my monthly dishcloth KAL. This is one that is going to have to get blocked. Yes another pattern with cables.

Bella update

First before the Bella update. I want to know who upset the Texas weather gods/goddesses??? It's like Chicago cold. It's not supposed to get this cold in Texas. The temp has not been above 32 degrees in more than 24 hours. I shouldn't complain too much, Summer is right around the corner. And yes this is typical the Stock Show opened last Friday, normal weather for the stock show is an ice storm.
The Bella shawl by Fiber trends. I think I can say I am in the home stretch, I have to repeat the pattern up the front, around the shoulder down the back and then 5 for the end. It's going to be a while still on this. I think that it's worth the wait. I already have plans to make another one for the spring/summer since this colorway is more of a fall/winter. My Eowyn fingerless gloves, the bottom of both of them is done, now to knit the ruffled lace edging and sew them together. I am rather proud of myself I was able to figure something out on this patter by myself. This patter, comes out of the Rowan magazine, one that I love but can't afford a subscription for, it's just out of my price range for now. Rowan is out of the UK, now, the instructions have centimeters instead of inches, but I was able to figure that one out quickly the tape measure is two sided one with inches the other with centimeters. What did throw me for a loop at first was "yarn forward" ok I'm thinking and what??? slip the next stitch? what? A "yarn forward"is a "yarn over". Sometimes I amaze myself. And yes I did put a subscription to Rowan on my wish list. Hint Hint Hint.

As promised photos

As promised here is a picture of Lucca's "Fur Coat" the pattern is free at Lion Brand and the colors were picked by his mom Cousin Di. As soon as I get her address Lucca's sweater will be out to him. This is the wavy ribs washcloth, its from the book . As I said it's a little wonkie but it's good practice.

Another Washcloth finished

Yesterday I finished another wash cloth. I am practicing cablesbecause one of my goals this year is to make a cabled sweater. I figure, it's a wash cloth no one will care if I make a mistake. Well this last one is wonkie, I made several mistaked but I didn't care was not going to frog it was going to live with it the way it is. I have learned that when knitting cables, do not use multi colored yarn.Stick to one color, but again they are just wash cloths. So I am therei n bed knitting of course because the world would fall apart if I stopped knitting, and I hear this hysterical laughter from the shower the DH then bellows, "It's like washing with Fruit Loops." I had used theSugar and Cream Over the rainbow colorway.

Mom's wrap Finished

I have finished mom's wrap. Just in time to get it in the mail and to have it there for her birthday on the 17th.

I've been tagged!

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”
1. When I am walking with someone and there is an immoveable object that would separate us, I won't walk around the object at the same time as the other person or I will say bread and butter and walk at the same time. Old wives tale is that should you walk with the immovable object you will become separated from that person.
2. I won't cast on on a Friday. Old wives tale is you cast on on a Friday you will not finish the object.
3.I can stay up all night long when I am home, but get me camping and I fall asleep by midnight. 4. I don't like cream gravy, and to a Texan like my husband that's just weird.
5. I like dipping my French fries in mayo.
6. I start to panic when the gas gauge on the car gets to 1/4 of a tank left.

And the Next six lucky people to get tagged are:
Knitting Skwerl Gurl
Knittymama
Crow Calling Woman
The Thrifty Knitter
Diva Knitter
Heidi (Heidi's Adventures in Culinary School )

January Washcloth KAL

The first washcloth for the Monthly washcloth KAL is done! I know it's hard to see because it's white on white, but I believe it's a snowflake. A very easy pattern I loved making it. That's one completed project for 2007!!! I guess that Smudge approved of the washcloth, I went out to run a few errands and came back to find him asleep on it. But I think he's playing a joke on me because he's got his face covered with his paw but one eye is open. This cat is making me want to study cat behavior to see if his is normal.

Updates

First, this is a picture of our dog, she's a corgi, her male owner named her Xena, and yes, she does live up to being a princess. I woke up the day after Christmas, and one of the pillows that normally is at the head of the bed must have fall off and landed on her pillow. The pillow is 400 count cotton. I found her asleep on this pillow so yes our little girl lives up to being a princess.I have made some more progress on Frog's compression bandage, I will get to try it on him on Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed.

I started Tim's new pullover long sleeve polo sweater. This is the first piece. It's already halve knitted to the right length.

And lastly the fully completed Vilma. I think it turned out pretty ok.

Lots more knitting to do back to the needles.

Two QTD

This is the part of the blog that I want input from any of you knitters that happen to read it. OK Question one
If I were to subscribe to one knitting magazine which would it be?

Question two
I want to knit a pair of fingerless gloves anyone have any pattern ideas for a person that has never knit gloves???

Division Champs don't need to win every game

I couldn't believe it they lost to Green Bay at home??? But wait... my thinking this could have been Bret Farve's last game and The Boys wanted to give him something to remember. ... Ya, that's right. That's it.