Friday, November 30, 2007

Fastest FO in a long time!!! It's RAINING!

It's raining...it's actually raining. In Gilbert. In Arizona. The desert. How cool is that? Two weeks ago it was about 90 degrees.

The downside is, my fibro does not like the rain. The rest of me loves it. You folks in the Pacific Northwest probably aren't impressed. But I love the rain. Probably because it's such a rarity in my life. Perfect knitting, sleeping, reading hot cocoa or tea weather!!! (Speaking of tea...the poll closes in a week!)

Oh, and the Camo Earflap hat is DONE!!! An FO in less than a week. Maybe I'm slipping. My knitting ADD took a sabbatical. I don't know, but it is done, and done in plenty of time. Note this day, it may never happen again. Of course, now Josh wants me to make one for ALL the bassists in the Orchestra. That would mean 4 more hats. Before December 17. I find out today if this is something the rest of them want to do....and I was all set to do a scarf (already cast on in that truly obnoxious orange!) and possibly wristwarmers to match. Oh well, we will see. Here's the hat in all it's pom-pommed and tasseled glory:

Off to knit on aforementioned scarf.....

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Cloudy Days, Earflap Hat Movin' Along! 8 days left to vote

So here's the masterpiece so far, on the head of it's intended wearer! I still need to make the pom-pom for the top (in the bright orange) as well as long, braided tassels (also in the orange, with some of the "camo" mixed in) for the ear flaps! I have a nice big skein of the orange, which I am going to knit up into a ribbed scarf, possibly with a bit of fringe. Josh is ready for the ear flap tassels to be about 4 feet long...I'm thinking more like 9-12 inches....

Today was a very November-y, overcast day. I don't think I've seen any sun. Quite different for the AZ desert. Good tea, reading, and knitting weather. Not too bad for blogging, either!

I checked out Debbie Macomber's book Susannah's Garden on Monday, and finished it yesterday. Since Susannah was mentioned in the latest of her knitting books, Back on Blossom Street, I wanted to get her story. A nice, quick read. I figured out the "mystery" within the book maybe halfway through, but I still enjoyed it.

The kitties are loving the weather, all except poor old Beas, his arthritis and the cold don't mix too well. I need to get him back on his glucosomine. It's good snuggle weather, so they all pull up an afghan or a lap, and nap their furry little buns off. Milo and Frosty are trying to work out sharing our bed with us. First one in seems to get my side, the other get's Ron's. Beasley likes the blanket on the sofa downstairs, so he usually doesn't come up 'til it's time to yell at me for breakfast.

The tea poll closes in 8 days...vote even if you don't drink tea!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Prayer Shawl is Done, New WIP, don't forget the poll!


Well, I finally finished Gloria's Prayer Shawl. I hope and pray she will feel God's love and comfort wrapped around her. I'll get it off to Oklahoma today.
These are the photos I took while it was blocking. The pattern can be found at Elann.com-Pacific Waves Shawl.
I cast on a new project yesterday. It's the Camo Earflap Hat from Knitty Gritty. Josh and I were watching one day, and he thought it would be a cool hat to wear for the Chicago trip in December. (His Orchestra was invited to the Midwest Orchestra Festival-a big deal!) Since we live in AZ, and he won't get a lot of wear out of it later, I substituted the called for yarn with something a little more economical. It's knitting up fast!! My first hat, and I like the progress so much, I doubt it will be my last! Here's what I got done yesterday:

The yarn color is "Woodsy." There will be a bright orange border, pom-pom and tassels (a sort of "hunter's" theme.) I will be using "Pumpkin" for those. I find it funny that Josh wants these, since he's such a tasteful guy, normally, but he's going kitschy for the trip.
There are 10 days left to vote in the tea poll-if you aren't a tea drinker, there's a place for you, too!!! I leave you with a cool tea quote:
Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company. ~Unknown

Friday, November 23, 2007

No shopping for me today! Take my tea poll!

I know lots of Americans are out shopping the "Black Friday" bargains. Me, I'm home, putting fun stuff on this blog. As you can see, I've put a countdown to Christmas up!


Also, there's a poll to the right and down a bit. I have my little "What's in My Pot Today" blurb up, and I got to wondering what's in everyone else's. So take a sec to vote! Although I have a pot of the Irish Breakfast every morning, my afternoon cup can vary. Right now I'm sipping on a double-bergamot Earl Grey, with a bit of Splenda in it. It smells wonderful, and is really satisfying.


We had a lovely Thanksgiving, with the four of us, our nephew and his wife and two boys, and our niece, Cassie, who lives with us. Tabitha, Mat's wife, made a yummy pecan oatmeal pie, and I made pumpkin pie, of course. We had turkey with all the trimmings and it was fun to have baby Austin and his brother, Brennan, who is 3. Though I'm in the midst of a pretty decent fibro flare, I was glad to have us all together. I think Thanksgiving may be my favorite holiday, less commercial and more family and God-focused.


I was pretty pooped from all the cooking, so I didn't really get any knitting done, although I've begun the heel-flap on my pink socks today. I'm hoping to get to the heel-turn by tonight, and finish them by the end of the weekend.


I bound off the prayer shawl, it just needs washing and blocking, then I'll send it off to Oklahoma. That leaves me with 3 WIP's. Josh wants a hat for the orchestra trip to Chicago, so I may have to put aside the others for now and get that done. I'd like to do a scarf to go with it. He wants the camouflage ski hat from Knitty Gritty on DIY. I will probably substitute an inexpensive yarn for the Lorna's Laces that the pattern calls for, since we live in the desert, and he won't wear it much after the trip. I know Bernat makes a camouflage yarn, so that's probably what I'll use. I might even brave a trip to Joann or Michael's to pick it up this weekend!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

Just a quick note to wish any and all who read this today a joyful feast and a Happy Thanksgiving. I pray that God will bless you all.

I am so grateful this year for my wonderful family. The blessing of my faithful man, my awesome kids, a healthy new great-nephew (Happy first Thanksgiving, Austin!), all my nephews and nieces. I'm thankful for my furry children, without whom my life would be so much emptier and lonelier. They bring so much comfort and joy.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Another chapter in the saga of Cats and Yarn, Zoe goes hi-tech,and some knitting progress!

As I photograped yet more of my stash for Ravelry, Frosty could not be left out!
Of course, being the pretty boy he is, he simply struck a pose!

Being the cat he is, though, he couldn't resist getting paws on with all that lovely string!!!









Of course, since this is my yarn eating cat, I had to take it away as soon as I snapped this!!!

I really like the photo on the left, it shows his flamepoint mask better than any I've taken. Most of the photos I have, he looks white.

There was a low-cost microchipping clinic at the local Pete & Mac's on Saturday, so Zoe finally has entered the computer age! It's a real relief to know that if she got loose (God forbid) and didn't have her collar (yikes, naked puppy!), she could still find her way back to us!

Despite the busy-ness with the furry fam, I did make some headway with my knitting! I've finally gotten over second-sock-syndrome with my pink and white socks, hooray! It started Wednesday in the waiting room at the lab...I had to get some bloodwork done, and apparently so did the rest of the town! I only had my first row done, but got a good inch or so of cuff there! Then the doctor's office was running behind, so I worked on it for a good hour and a half. Did some more on Saturday, here are the results:
Simple Sock in Three Sizes
From Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi,
knit in Marks & Kattens Clown

I also got about 8 more rows on my Prayer Shawl (no new pics, sorry). Not bad, considering I had to tink back about half the width of the shawl twice yesterday! (One should not knit lace, even simple lace, while on the phone!) All in all, not a bad knitting weekend!





Saturday, November 17, 2007

Cats and Yarn, the ongoing saga...

Okay, so I'm trying to get my Ravelry profile looking good, and had a few minutes to photograph some of my stash. So I try to get just a little artistic and pull out some tablecloths to make a nicer background for my yarn.

Milo reminded me why I don't keep tablecloths on my tables most of the time. Nosy, playful cats who like to play hide and seek. He also reminded me, with Beasley's help, that cats, not yarn, are the appropriate subject to photograph. (How COULD I have forgotten!)

In the above photo, Milo was still okay with checking out the tablecloths.
Then:

Look at ME!!!!

And, of course, Beasley HAD to get in on the action...



I may be old, but I look GOOD! Gimme some of that yarn!

All this before 10 a.m. on a Saturday!

Friday, November 16, 2007

LYS trip today....

So, I had a Dr.'s appointment today in Tempe...about 20 minutes or so from the house. How lovely that this particular Dr. is close to my favorite LYS-Tempe Yarn & Fiber. I do some shopping online, but there's nothing quite like touching and seeing the yarns in person. The lovely thing about TYF is that Terry and Fred even encourage fondling! The only no-no is drooling, wouldn't want to felt the wool, you know! They are so gracious and helpful. Of course, I fell in love with a bunch of yarn I really can't afford right now...but restrained myself to two skeins of Nature Spun Sport...I want to make the "New England" socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road. The pattern calls for Koigu Merino...not in my price range, and all my fingering yarns in my stash are too fine a gauge. I bought a tan color-almost a light brown, really, called Bev's Bear. I thought it would show the stitch pattern nicely.

I also stopped by another LYS on my way home, as they carry Elsebeth Lavold's books, and TYF doesn't. They didn't have the one I want, but will call me when it comes in. It's her 13th book, which I want for a pattern I saw in an ad in the Vogue Knitting 25th anniversary issue-it's called "Grove," and it's really beautiful! Yet another pattern to add to my ever-growing queue on Ravelry!!! I don't know how I'll ever knit all the patterns I fall in love with...or find patterns for all the yarns I fall in love with!!! Every knitter's delimma, I suppose.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Yarn Eating Cat....arrgh!!!

Okay, so look at this adorable angel...




Is that the face of destruction????


This little darling chewed through the working yarn of a prayer shawl I've been working on for a few months!!!!


Thank goodness the little termite didn't eat the shawl itself...I REALLY need to get it done, and had been working at a nice clip. I was so bent out of shape, I didn't think to get a picture of the drooly, chewed end.


Here's the shawl itself:

The photo isn't the best quality, I took it with my cell phone

.

The pattern is from Elann.com, it's the Pacific Waves shawl.

I'm using Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in

colorway Cherry Chip. It's actually a much nicer color than the photo shows. Because the gauge of the yarn is quite a bit heavier than the pattern calls for, I modified it by doing fewer waves so that it would be fit for a human being, rather than Bigfoot!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Kitty Wake Up Call!

I LOVE this little cartoon! To all who share my love of kitties:



Notice the damages to furniture and other goodies. The joy of my Friday was Frosty chewing through the working yarn of my prayer shawl, right in the middle,when so far I had managed only to change yarns at a new row. Sigh...

Monday, November 05, 2007

Austin Shane is here!



Well, Austin made his appearance at 9:42 a.m. I guess he decided he wasn't going to wait until Thursday. He weighed in at 7lbs. 10oz, and was 20 3/4 inches long. The pics were taken with my phone, so you can't really see his hair color too well. It's brown, with some golden tints.

As you can see, he found his thumb right away!

Welcome to the world, little guy:)

Yea for Ravelry!!! Austin on the way?!?!

I figured out the photo glitch on my Ravelry page...so for anyoned interested, my ravelry name is knitteakitty!

Well, my great-nephew, scheduled to be born on Thursday, has a mind of his own. Mom has been in early labor for at least 2 days now...so we may be at the hospital today:) I'm so excited to be able to be there for the birth.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Austin's Blankie


I completed the afghan for Austin Shane, who should be here any moment now. The birth is scheduled for the 8th, though he's been trying to get here in the last 24 hours, so who knows.


Anyway, here's the photo-I modified the pattern a bit, so there's sort of a ridge bordering the granny squares. I can't decide if I like it or not. But it's soft, and will be nice and cozy, so hopefully Austin and his mom and dad will approve.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to get this photo onto Ravelry...

Friday, November 02, 2007

At last...Homecoming photos



Okay, they finally made it...


My son, Josh, and his date, Arielle.


















Naomi and her boyfriend, Anthony
Aren't they the cutest???





Thursday, November 01, 2007

I finally got my Ravelry invite:) Homecoming and Halloween, too

Okay, so I am on ravelry now!!! My screen name there is knitteakitty. So if you want to be Ravelry buddies, that's my "handle." Now I REALLY have to get this picture thing rolling!

Thid kids had Homecoming this past Saturday...I'm waiting on DH for my photos, he takes his camera everywhere with him....time for me to get a digital of my own! They looked so cute...photos ASAP.

We had quite a few kids for Halloween, though I do have some leftover chocolate (TOO bad!) Lots of Hannah Montana's and Star Wars characters. Zoe loved handing out candy...though I think she really wanted some for herself. Naomi and Anthony handed out...and watched scary movies with us. I fell asleep during the Omen. 1408 was pretty good....gotta love John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson! It was hot yesterday, a typical Arizona Halloween.