The Boo and Daddy work together

Pimpin out the boy...for knitting sake!

My latest project....a hat from Dale of Norway's Designs for Baby



My loves, My boys!





My loves, my boys!

FINISHED! The striped socks! WOO HOO




The Boo, modeling the latest in prefelted knitwear. He's a hunk huh?


MOM! Please, I'm tired and I don't WANT to model your Lucy Bag. Felt it already!











It's about time I posted some new pictures huh? Especially since these are from a LONG time ago! This is the large Lucy~pre felting! Poor baby huh? The things his mom makes him do!

Sock time!

I'm very proud of myself! Using Harlot's book Knitting Rules, both the sock pattern and the general recipe...I was able to turn turn the heels of both socks at the same time! WOOO HOO! Have you ever done something that you didn't imagine you could? It felt like I had accomplished something! I'm loving these socks now! I can't WAIT to finish them!!

Karen was kind enough to pick me up some Opal sock yarn, tiger and owl. I can't wait to start them also!

I'll be sending the blue cardigan off to Marissa as soon as I sew on the buttons and block it! I'll take pictures this weekend!

Sweaters, roofs, crazy times!

You'll have to forgive me if I don't make a lot of sense today, I spent the night on the roof of our school last night. For more details see the Quad City times article here.....
It was a cold night, but a lot of fun! Tonight, I'll be comatose on the way to my niece's college graduation rather than knitting as I should be!

I did teach two people to knit last night up on the roof though....it even made the news clips!

Finally I have pictures of Mae's sweater ON Mae of all things!! Isn't she cute!!

I'm working on socks at the moment. Nothing else on the needles...but lots of things planned.

ACK...time flies!

It's been a MONTH since I last posted....how can that be?

We've been frantically trying to get ready for Easter. It's been a crazy month in general, does your life ever get like that?

Why is it that you spend the majority of your youth wishing to be a grown up? Now that I am one, and an official one at that, it seems like I'd give my right arm to have the freedom that I used to have when I wasn't a real grown up! I was just a few weekends when it doesn't really matter if I don't do anything but lay on the couch!

I promise to spend some time going on and on and on about what I've been up to on Monday!

Progress

Well, the Lucy Bag #1 is finished and gifted.

I began a fair isle cardigan for Grant, but it's been relegated to the corner until said project decides to behave itself. Note to self, don't take fair isle projects to Stitch n Bitch, you get distracted.

I'm almost done with Lucy Bag #2 :)

In a moment of guilt for considering attending a baby shower without something I'd made, I cast on a roll brim baby hat this evening. Now I'll need to make two of them! One for the shower, one for another teacher who's last day is friday.

I cannot WAIT until the yarn from Knitpicks is here! I'm very very excited about the Shine and the Main Line that I ordered for Marissa and Mae's sweaters! I'm looking forward to working with cotton.

I also ordered myself sock yarn and enough wool for several Easter baskets!

Knitting Karma

I've come to realize, as time passes, that there is a certain method to the universe. A certain ebb and flow. Though my life has been of the flow direction in the last few months, the pain and loss have begun to ebb. Things seem to be getting back to normal. I hope the trend continues.

I am almost finished with my Lucy Bag. I've been so excited to finish and have been chatting people up about it. I planned out my stripe pattern so as to be "random" yet still work in a repeating fashion. (yes, I hear you, if I plan it out, it's not random...and NO that doesn't make me a freak, remember, you said SAVANT) I my happiness, I guess that I forgot to actually READ the directions. Don't you just HATE it when that happens! I realized as I was 10 rows from beginning the handles, that I had used the larger needles intended for making a big bag, not the adorable handbag I wanted!

CRAP! Yes, I said CRAP! I have no one to blame for this but myself, I realize that, but I tried hard to blame it on my husband. In the end though, I had to admit it was my own mistake.

I consulted my knitting mentor (yeah, I'm kissing up Susan) and after some thought decided that in a way, this is knitting karma. I have a friend at school who is having a tough time. She's frustrated with some of her students. I've been there, believe me, I've been there! Her husband is travelling for work. That just stinks. So I decided to finish this bag the way it is and give it to her. She needs a pick me up and I hope this does the trick. I'll make another one for myself using the size 8's I should have!

Along those lines, in another form, the homespun that I pulled off needles in a fit of anger and disgust is finding a new life with a new knitter. One of the women in my Stitch and Bitch group is ill. Jean is making her a prayer shawl out of the remaining yarn. I'm happy that this yarn that became a symbol of snotiness and shunning is going to do someone good. I hope that Liz enjoys it and it keeps her warm and comfortable when she needs it.

Enough of the philisophical, I must tend to 7th graders who are trying to get away with pretending to read!

Up and coming...

I have turned the corner (okay, heels) on my socks! Now all I have to do is finish the foot and toes! WOO HOO! The short row heel isn't hard, just takes a bit of patience.

I started my Lucy bag during our Wine and Knit (although there was no wine) on Saturday night. It's 50% completed now. I can't wait to complete and felt it!

My next projects will be Easter baskets for Grant, Abby and Sam. AND...(cue dramatic music) I have been commisioned to knit a sweater for the darling Marissa! I'll be shopping for yarn this week. Wow! I must be a "real" knitter now!

Updated Photos

Finished products of the Knitting Olympics! (although I am considering taking out the A and making it smaller on the purple one!)

Olympic Glory

I have finished my Olympic Knitting. At 11pm last night, the sweaters were gently eased into shape on the bed in the extra room. All ends woven in, neck ribbing sewn, embroidery finished!

As with all athletes, this accomplishement does not come without price. My wrist and arm are very sore today. I am not sure why, although DH looked at me, shaking his head as I described it. "Carpal tunnel," Mr. Hypochondria diagnoses, yet I refuse to believe it. No, not me, *I* am NOT giving up knitting! I may cut back, but refuse to quit!

To that end, I ended up at The Yarn Shoppe this afternoon, exchanging yarn for my Lucy Bag that will be cast on tomorrow. I took Grant with me, he was on his good behavior. I must profess my love for Ms. Laurel. She is the kindest woman I know. She adores Grant and doesn't mind when I go in and talk her ear off. She even let Grant pull out most of the tubes of buttons, even showing him ones that she thought he would like!

I came home with two skeins of Cascade in gorgeous shades of lime and turquoise to add to the pink I have. It will be my "spring" purse. I get happy thinking of it :)

I have so many projects to start, and one to finish. I'll be learning the heels of my two socks on two circs tomorrow. I am looking at this as a challenge. I WILL learn this! I WILL end up with two sock that are alike! I WILL!

I'll include pictures of the Olympic sweaters, alas, these were taken before finishing. When DH decides to find the cord to download from OUR camera, I'll post the final results...

In unexpected times..

I was sitting at our Spring conferences last night, finished with my work and awaiting parents (somewhat hard to come by from middle school) when a tiny girl came to talk to me. She said "my sister knits" so I struck up a conversation and then she went to get her sister.

Her sister came to talk to me. She is the sister of one of my students and in 6th grade. I would venture to say she is one of the smallest 6th graders I've seen. She held in her hands size 7 needles and maroon yarn. She was so cute! She is a member of the knitting club at our school and was just learning. You know, I forget sometimes that knitting unites people! She was cute.

I left conferences and arrived at our Stitch and Bitch stash swap. I was reminded again how knitting unites....these women have become friends to me (gosh, if they are reading this, I hope they are friends!) I enjoy their company more than they know. They encourage me to try things I wouldn't have thought of attempting before. They celebrate the progress and finished projects too!

As I think of cleaning my house for this weekend's wine and knit (note, that said THINK not do!) I realize that I'm looking forward to having these FRIENDS over!

 Here's a picture so you know who I am!

Ahhhh...finally!

The boy is asleep, there is no school today. Thank you presidents for giving me some extra time! I've been threatening to create a blog for a while now. I have some crazy idea that there might be someone out there interested in my knitting and my crazy life. I guess that time will tell......


My current knitting projects you ask?

Well, I have some finishing to do on the first top-down sweater for Miss Grace's first birthday. I am in the middle of Miss Addie's Birthday sweater also. Addie and Grace have first birthdays coming up one week apart in March.

I am also waiting until my class on Saturday to learn to turn the heel on my two socks on two circs! I'm very excited about this, but God knows if I'll ever be able to do it on my own!

In the works you ask?
Lucy Bag
Felted clogs
several Felted Easter baskets (yep, I volunteered to make these for Sam and Abby!)