MIssed April 1st

I missed April Fool's Day and it's a good thing. I like to have a good laugh but not at the expense of a practical joke. I like humor but not practical jokes. Mother Nature played a practical joke all day yesterday. We had sun, rain, sleet and snow all in one day. Hope She had fun and got it out of her system. While I'm a winter gal it's time for flip-flops and t-shirts. Of course I hope it doesn't come with the heat and humidity. At least until I get this wool blanket finished. I'm making progress though. I cast on for a very special sweater. Can't mention it here but I know it will be appreciated and worn with love. Yes, another pic of the Earth and Sky set. It was packaged, sent and well received. There's been a bit of drama in our neck of the woods. Someone put duct tape around a dog's snout and threw him out of their truck into the creek. The men who did this were seen by a few fishermen. "Ducky" (as he is now dubbed) survived and is on the run. After a few days of organizing, safe traps are set and spotters are on the look out in an attempt to capture the poor thing. There a lot of woods and mountains for this little guy to hide. He has been spotted and we're praying he's caught soon and receives food and medical care. As for the perpetrators they also need to be caught and prosecuted and they will! Small town talk has a way of giving necessary information.

Absent once again

I've been absent once again but that's not to say I haven't been busy unlike Mr. Bettis who is snoozing away.

Knitting from stash is my goal this year so a Rambling Rows afghan was cast on. Not a pretty thing but it will be a warm afghan for next winter. I've already hit the stash for another one as soon as this one is finished.

Another mini Annis was cast on in the Patons FX sock yarn and finished in 2 days. I can't rave enough about this pattern.

A baby blanket has been cast on. It's a gift and there's a deadline as in 2 weeks and it must hit the mailbox. So far, so good and I think it will be in the PO hands shortly.
What's on your needles?

Anyone remember?

It's been a long 36 hours but who's timing? LOL
I have exhausted the knitting/spindle spinning/reading and nap time. So what does one do? Well, dig around for another craft.
I forgot I had these little looms. Remember when these were a kid's craft? They're a bit similar to the pot holder loom. Remember making those? I made quite a few for my mother and grandmothers while growing up.
This is my 4 x 4 loom.





This is a 2 x 4 loom and I'm making all of these black to go between the squares.












A few finished squares. I'm on a roll.













The lighting certainly doesn't do justice with the picture but I did a lay-out to see if this is how I want the finished project.

It's going to be a blanket. Yes I know. This makes how many afghan/blankets on the go? I will get them finished sometime in my lifespan ;). At least I have something different to work on for awhile.

Come to think of it....wonder where that potholder loom is hiding....LOL

A Big Surprise!

A surprise package arrived at my house. It was absolute perfect timing. It arrived the day before we took the "baby"for the college moving day.

It is the Candlelight Shawl and it's from my non-blogging friend, Sara. I was so shocked and surprised that a few tears came. There was the cutest card enclosed in the package that made me laugh through the tears.
The college freshman took pictures and lightly fingered the exquisite knitting. I love the color and I love the style. It is beautiful. Thank you yarn bunches, Sara. I will think of you when I wear this beautiful knit.




This is the view from the back. Hides the thick back brace:). Love it! Thanks again non-blogging friend, Sara:)
Thanks to everyone for everything. The virtual hugs, the thoughts, prayers and gifts. This has been a difficult time and you have been so understanding and thoughtful.
Thanks to all of you, my blogging friends, for your compassionate thoughts and emails.




I'm going to make my life a bit lighter and easier so onto the unknitting.
Going into hibernation is this blanket. I'm bored with this project and my blanket knitting mojo has taken a hike for the time being.











Jumping in the frog pond is this project. A sweater. B-o-r-i-n-g! Rip-pit!













Another project that's going swimming in the frog pond is another sweater. Got bored with this one too. Rip-pit!

Now I have free needles and yarn. mmmmmm........might be time to cast on for another pair of socks. I should make the new college freshman a pair. She's going to need them.

Spring Startitis

It's Spring. Which means it's a new beginning and a fresh "start." It's also fishing season and time to "cast a line."
Spring also means allergies and in this knitter's knitting nest, a bout of "startitis." So here we go again. Keep in mind this disease is non-curable. Once a knitter has contracted startitis they have it forever. It can go in remisssion but rears it's yarn ball head any time when least expected. I have found if I even think of finishing a WIP, WHAM! Startitis hits and it's like a yarn ball unwinding, it's becomes a tangled mess.
Startitis causes one to cast on for projects that said inflicted knitter knows for a fact there are projects cast on that will never be finished. Case in point. I cast on to make a knit tote to carry my knitting. Now I'm even asking myself, "WHY?" But logic goes right out the window and I'm digging in the stash of yarn and needles and casting on anyway.

I have cast on so many projects I couldn't even post all of them. Stupid blogger only allows 5 pictures on a post. So get a cup of tea or coffee and watch this knitter' bout of startitis take control and the "logical" excuses for starting new projects.





Fresh start means starting a new project. Right? So I cast on for the swallow tail shawl.

Deadline? May 2, 2009








I saw this project on a knitting site and just had to start this project. A Baby blanket.

Deadline? June 7, 2009










These are the Harlotty socks out of Cookie A's new sock book. I'm moving right along on this sock but keep in mind I have two feet therefore I'm not sure when the second one will be made.

Deadline? Fall 2009


p.s. this is not a "new" project as I started it 2 days ago but it has consumed every waking moment with the exception of breaks to start new WIP.



While working on the above socks my mind wandered (as usual) and I got to thinking about this skein of yarn. Since I like the pattern so well I decided to cast on for another pair. Now I know what you're thinking, "why did she start another pair when she doesn't have the first one finished?"
Answer? I really don't have one except to say, "It's Spring and that means a serious bout of startitis has hit this knitter."

Deadline? Don't have one.......thank goodness

mmmm.........I wonder......is there a documented case of finish-i-tis?

Doldrums vs Startitis

Where have I been? Buried in an avalanche of stash.
I've been in a bit of the doldrums lately (translation? It involves a certain band director and ongoing medical issues). I decided that if I started something, I would feel better.
So out came the coveted one skein of Wollmeise that I acquired from Sara. It has been sitting pretty in the basket for months. It's growing up to become the Heartland Shawl. This shawl is for Self.





Feeling a bit guilty about starting a shawl for Self when I should be knitting Christmas gifts I started a pair of socks. Using a skein of my Doozer's handdyed DK weight, this pair should whip up rather quickly. Not sure who they're for but everyone I know has the same size feet.





The youngest daughter is begging for a Favorite Warm Sweater so I dug around in the yarn stash mass and found this Noro and Lamb's Pride. She's small in stature so it should knit quick too. That is, if I actually knit on it:)









Self started complaining again and I cast on for a pair of Monkey socks. This is a skein of yarn that I handdyed and it was begging to be used. Just as soon as I got this far, I found the No Purl Monkeys and now I wish I was knitting that pattern instead of this one. (sigh) I guess I'll have to cast on another pair of socks to knit the No Purl Monkeys.






Then I found this pattern, Bobby's Garden Blanket. Had to have it. I cannot justify buying enough Noro to make this blanket right now so I dragged the left-over sock yarn container to the "knitting corner" and cast on for this lovely blankie. It will take me forever to knit but it's fun and I'm not in any hurry. Any suggestions to use a nice, inexpensive, worsted weight yarn that would give me the same effect as the Noro is greatly appreciated:).

p.s. I'm off to find another set of dpns to cast on the No Purl Monkey Socks. I'm feeling a bit happier now:)