More bargain finds!!!!!

Okay - at work - surfing - looking for YARN for my Clapotis.....

There were four skeins at home that I bought at clearance - and just happened upon it on line.

The bonus - the entire www has GREAT yarn (high end) at bargain prices!!!!

Gotta try the yarn shop!!!

Nat's Shrug?

Here is Nat's Shrug - done. The sleeves are small and I did the guage....

It's my first real pattern and first REAL piece of clothing.


She was not happy this morning when she tried it on!!!!!

Maybe it will fit a baby???



My stitches look good (I think?). I do have guage. Maybe the Rowan Cotton Rope yarn was the wrong choice. Maybe it needed to be yarn with more give?

MAYBE I did the sleeves wrong?????

This is the one skein wonder shrug......

Look - it fits Rowan!!!!!!!!! She doesn't like the color....

It's Rowan yarn on Rowan!!!!!

Now I have to do a "real one" in Orange for Rowan (per Rowan)!

It goes quickly.... and I need the practice OBVIOUSLY!!!!!!

BARGAIN FIND!!!!!!

Look at this yarn!!!! IT is to DIE for! It is so soft and lacey and SPRINGY/SUMMERY!!!!!

I bought TWO skeins for my shrug and was going to use organic cotton for the rest d/t the price!!!!! ($16.00 a skein - for six skeins??? EEEEKS)




I found it on CLEARANCE at Kint2 Purl2!!!!! BONUS!!!!!

Stunted Works in Progress

Works in Progress!!!!!!


Last night I knitted up to where I was stuck on three different patterns then curled up in bed with my socks - which didn't last long because I was EXTREMELY tired yesterday......


This is a short sleeved shrug I am making Natalie from the One Skein Wonder Pattern!!!!

The color isn't the same in this picture - but it is a very pretty soft lime green. I got stuck at the sleeves......




I started two baby booties on a pattern that is suppose to crank them out in less than two hours.... THREE days later I am still knitting them.... I got stuck at the pick up stitches....











And here is a shrug I am making myself.....

The yarn that I am starting it with is FAB! I would love to do the whole shrug in the same yarn but it's like $15.00 a skein and it would take over 6 (SIX) 6 skeins (you do the math!!!). So I picked up some organic blue sky cotton that was on sale so that I could do the sleeves in the fancy stuff and the shell in the cotton.......

This is going to require creativity.....

Right now I am stuck on SSK and K1, M1, K1.....

Now - this was in the clearance basket at a yarn shop - and I couldn't resist.....

This lil skein of Lorna's Lace will make ta-da - the magic 2 hour booties that have taken me three days so far. I love these colors (even though they didn't photograph well!!!).
Did I mention that I have like 6 (make it 8 now) friends that are pregnant......

I have a lot of those magic TWO hour booties to make!!! (LOL)


So - I took these WIP - to Sister Art Studios because I knew that Donna (my bag teacher) was working. Rowan was with me - but I didn't think it would take long (ha ha ha). I ended up dissing Rowan there - (but Donna's daughter was there) - so I could run and get Nat from school.... I then ran back and attempted to get beyond my stopping points. Nat worked on her homework, Rowan and Cecila played and I knitted....

Suddenly I looked up and it was 1730.... Egads - how time flies when you are knitting!!!!!

An Impromtu Play Date occured at the local park (as I knitted some more.) We met up with Donna and had a wonderful dinner at Las Fluentes.....

So nice to have a knitting friend!!! (especially when the girls get along so well!!!) A few margarittas later, a nice mexican dinner devoured... I was home knitting working on my projects.... I need to finish Nat's Shrug so she can see it in the AM... I am like three (long) rows from being done. I am still not sure if it's the way it should be... but it looks cute........

So off to finishing the knitting......

Happy Hooking?????

Guess who I got to meet today!!!!!!

Yup - Debbie Stoller!!!

The Happy Hooker, Stitch N Bitch Nation and Stitch N Bitch Handbook!!!






She was so open and gracious about signing books. She answered all sorts of questions from her magazine Bust to personal preferences in knitting and crocheting.....




I was kinda amazed at Debbie Stoller in person. She is very Down-to-Earth and Phunky. She is really quite cool. I loved all her crochet samples she brought.... it seriously enticed me into the world of hooking????? I am not sure how addicted to crocheting I could get - since I am head over heals in love with knitting....




Yup so gracious that she signed all three of my books that I brought....











Of course I had to tell her how Nat and I learned to knit using her Stitch N Bitch books and have our own Stitch Nitch nights!!!!! (Proud Mama!!!)


Yup - that's me - looking oh so bloated and icky - with the incredible Debbie Stoller!!!!! She was so sweet!!!!! Just think - I have only been knitting for about a month and I have signed up for Stitches Mid-West, met Perri Kass (Author of several knitting and non-knitting books a Peditrician who actively knits) and met Debbie Stoller...... What next? Oh yea - the socks - completing my first pair of socks will boil me over I am sure!!!! (LOL)

The Grunge Hat

My first hat!!!

I pulled it out at lunch tonight and got it down to the DPN section. When I got home I put them on the DPN's and finished it up!!!!

To think a lil over a week ago I was worried about working on DPN's - and now I am loving it!!!!!!


Here is my Grunge Wear! Now all I need to do is work on the wrist/hand warmers!

I am very excited about the prospect of working on DPN's in the future!!!!


Oh yea I have fallen head over heels in love with knitting haven't I?!?!?!?!?

Sunday - I am going to meet Debbie Stoller!!!!! How most awesome is that? (LOL!!!!)

I started......

Well here it is!!!!! I started the sock!!!!



After combing the internet, going through my books and being extremely indecisive I went with the pattern in my book "Knitting Rules" by Stephaine Pearl-McPhee.

I am going on the assumption that - this is my first sock and if (when) it's not perfect Natalie could wear them..... Now that I have the first twleve rows done I am going to split them on four needles. It's really not that hard. I am kinda liking it..... SCARY!







Yesterday I attended a book signing at Arcadia Knitting. The mother daughter team were delightful. They cracked me up! Both read from their book and told wonderfully funny stories about differences and similarities between them. I can't wait to be able to sit down and read this book!!!!



I also went to this Knitting store here in Chicago Knitting Niche. The owner is a HOOT! She is mentioned in the Stitch N Bitch book. I loved her. She gave me this pattern for baby booties - and since I have sooooooooooo many friends who are about ready to pop - I started this project too! I hear it takes about two hours to finish a pair..... we will see. I hardly get two hours at a time to sleep - much less knit. The owner of Knitting Niche knows her yarnn too! It was amazing. She had me feeling bamboo yarn, soy yarn, silk yarn.... She showed me her lace shawls and her bias'd projects. She loves to do lace work.... I think she was trying to talk me into it! She flowed around the shop as if she knew it blind. She was amazing and such a wealth of knitting knowledge!!!! Definitely will go back there.

Now off to work!

Sock Saga Continued!!!!

So I am trying to narrow down a sock pattern for a BEGINNER Sock knitter and I came up with a pattern in each of these books -


This is an AWESOME book and the socks are adorable. Suppose to be a quick pattern!!!! Hmmmmmmmmmm There is a solid and striped pattern.....



Hip Trendy socks that are suppose to be easy?????











And - then the kids pattern. If a kid can do it I should be able to right?

Aggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggh throwing hands up in the air with confusion.......


Then there are these two patterns from Knitty!!

Pedicure socks! This are most awesome. I actually think I might knit these!!!!! I would totally use them here!

These great "Cut your Teeth on Socks!" They look difficult but I think I was drawn to them by the lime green!!!!

I am anxious to get this going..... I am going to head over to a lil knit shop tomorrow AFTER I have lunch with a friend. WE ARE GOING TO KNIT. I am bringing her over to the dark side (I mean the yarn side) tomorrow. She has the yarn, the needles and the desire!!!!!!

After - I am heading to the Knitting Niche on Southport only a mile away - a 10 minute walk for goodness sakes.... How did I miss this store?????? geeesh o peeeets!

NOW I have to go to bed and dream of socks...... not feeling so hot tonight either. I tried to work on my grunge hat - and got quite a bit done. I am ready to start decreasing - just felt really run down and achy.....

Not good - when you have that knitting urge, desire... I need my fix!!!!

Temptation!!!!

Look what came in the mail today!!!!!



I think I will slip it in my bag to read at work!!!!!!

I believe I am definitely going - if only one day - but I think I am going! Just what I need right? Something else to feed my addiction!!!!

Look what I saw!!!

So totally unknitting related - BUT.....

I was serenaded today. It was SUCH a BEAUTIFUL day out - I had the windows open, kicked back on the sofa knitting (ah ha - there is the knitting relation) when I heard this wonderful blues guitar music coming from the street. So - as it continued (thinking it was the neighbors) I went outside to take a gander. At the end of my street there was a small congestion of traffic. I sauntered on down to check it out and found this......




Conan O'Brien at the Blues House on Halsted playing the guitar!!!! Rather well I might add!!!!!!

I just LOVE this city!!!! LOVE IT!!!! Where else would one see this (other than New York and the Rats in New York are bigger - so I would rather stay here!!!)

While I am not a GREAT Conan O Brien fan I do find him funny the few times I watch him (I am usually at work when he is on!) He plays rather well and this was a GREAT treat on this fine sunny Spring afternoon!!!!!

Okay - back to some serious knitting before I have to go on into work!!!!

Socks?

I think I am going to take the plunge. I got a really simple (is that an oxymoron?) pattern for a newbie to sock knitting.......

I have the yarn all picked out now I have to run out tomorrow before work - and pick up some DPN!

Am I crazy?

Should I slow down?

Am I obsessed?

The saga continues!!!!!!!!

Most exciting week ahead of me!!!!!

Look what was in my IN box from a local knit store!!!!!!!

Two Events, Three Authors

April 20th, Thursday, 5 pm to 7 pm
Perri Klass and her mother and co-author, Shelia will read from their new book, Every Mother is a Daughter: The Neverending Quest for Success, Inner Peace, and a Really Clean Kitchen (Recipes and Knitting Patterns Included).

Perri Klass is a pediatrician, professor, author, knitter, wife, mother and a daughter. Perri Klass and her mother, Sheila Solomon Klass prove to be ideal collaborators as they examine motherhood, daughterhood, and the wonderful, if sometimes fraught, ways their lives have overlapped. Publishers Weekly says: “This is a treasure for any generation."

Perri Klass is also President of Reach Out and Read which trains doctors and nurses to advise parents about the importance of reading aloud and gives books to children at pediatric check-ups. Currently, Reach Out and Read serves more than 2 million children annually and has distributed more than 3.2 million books. During Perri & Shelia Klass's visit Arcadia Knitting will be accepting donations to Reach Out and Read. To thank you for your donations, Arcadia Knitting will give donors 10 cents off for every dollar donated on their next purchase at Arcadia Knitting. Funds will be donated directly to Access Healthcare Network here in Chicago that has four program sites in the city serving uninsured and under insured patients.

Copies of the book will be available for sale at Arcadia Knitting.

April 23rd, Sunday, 4 pm to 6 pm
Debbie Stoller comes to Arcadia Knitting, to read from her new book, Stitch ‘N Bitch: The Happy Hooker.

Written in the author’s cheeky chick style, this heavily illustrated book features four-color photographs and instructional illustrations throughout. Just like the Stitch N Bitch books, Debbie Stoller covers it all: the advantages of crochet, tools used, the cool yarns available, what gauges mean, and basic techniques and stitches including the chain stitch, picot, flowers, filet crochet, changing yarns, and finishing.

In honor of Debbie Stoller's visit Arcadia Knitting will be hosting a tea and book signing from 4 pm to 6 on Sunday April 23rd at Arcadia Knitting, 1613 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago, IL 60640. 773-293-1211. www.arcadiaknitting.com Copies of all Stitch ‘N Bitch books will be available for sale.

Bet you can't guess where I will be on Thursday Evening AND Sunday Afternoon!!!!!!!

So very excited! Stay tuned for pictures.................

Easter Knitting Basket

WOW - my hubby (I mean Easter Bunny) scored big time......
I woke to find in my basket......

(Some really cool hats in here I want to try!!!!!)

AND

This is Most Awesome in that my main way to travel in Chicago is on Foot and Mass Transit. I can knit on the go!!!!!!













Here is my scarf that I started last night an literally finished on the way to Church this afternoon. It looks good with the outfit and adds some pizazz to a most matronly looking outfit! I left it so that I could frog it if I didn't like it after church and make something different - but after wearing it I decided to keep it just for this outfit.



And here are my girls.... and their scarves!!!! Natalie - who LOVED her scarf wouldn't pose once for a picture of her wearing the scarf tres chic. She had major hormonal issues today and she is only EIGHT! Yikes! Rowan loved her scarf (and I have developed a hatred for Fun Fur).

A knitting marathon it was - but it was neat they were able to wear them to church today. Of course - I could have started the scarves a week ago when they picked out the yarn.

I spent the rest of the afternoon spring cleaning, getting ready for yummy ham dinner with the fam AND picking my next WIP! (as if I need to do that.)

I also found a couple of hand made most awesome knitting needles in my basket and some beaded stitch markers in eggs that were in my basket. Darn that Easter Bunny knows so much doesn't he!!!!!

I hope everyone else had a WONDERFUL Easter. I would post an Easter Message and probably will on my journaling blog - Just five More minutes - but for a GREAT Easter Posting go to BonnieRose's blog. I would recommend watching Narnia too!!!! A GREAT Easter film if I do say so myself!!!!!!

My knitting group

I was thinking today - as I was running around with my girls.....

Egads I actually took the car today, got behind the wheel and drove around. In CHICAGO! See, the rest of the story.....

I commuted for almost (if not more) ten years. I commuted to college, to work, to see friends, to shop.... I commuted. There was nothing NOTHING Not A Thing where I lived. When I moved to Chicago - that was the main reason. TO STOP COMMUTTING! I gave up a car to do this. We went from a two car family to a one car. I wanted to WALK, take a Cab, take a Bus, take the EL - whatever - anything but DRIVE.

Today I drove.... Now I am in much need of knitting therapy (LOL).

Anyways - after we went to the movies (which was more expensive than going to a knit shop for a yarn fix!!!!) - where we saw Ice Age two - the meltdown - BIG LET DOWN - wasn't that great.... I DIGRESS!

We went to the last Knit store in Chicagoland (within biking, hiking and treking distance) together. I have converted my girls into Yarn Hags. They love to knit just as much as I do - and are just as obsessed as I am. We had a blast....

Knit1 was a GREAT Quaint lil store that I felt at home in at once. They had handmade needles, cute handmade beaded stitch markers, novelty items and more. They had a GREAT couch up front to sit and knit on as well as two antique chairs my girls found inviting. The owner was SUPER friendly. They carry Cascade - which I am told is a most awesome beginner yarn company. Easy to understand and knit with....

After our fix in the store we went to lunch and home to knit......

Then I realized (which was the original intent of this post) that I only began knitting because my oldest daughter learned in school and knew how to knit (and I didn't). I then learned (a lil over four weeks ago) and have become obsessed. I dragged a friend into it - who has since dragged her daughter and son (and now I hear husband). I also have another co-worker who wants to learn how to knit and lives next to NINA'S! She is new to Chicago - and I am anxious to bring her over to the dark (yarn) side. (lol!!!!)

While I am much of a home body as you will get.... I am looking forward to a lil knitting group once a week or so - where knitting needles are clicking and yarn is being worked into delicate patterns and stress is flowing off of me!!!!

I am also looking forward to more knitting store trips with my girls, knitting nitch times with my girls and knitting them things as well!!

Who knew knitting could be so gosh darn addicting????????

All night knitter

So - I will be up late tonight working on Nat and Rowan's Scarf that they wanted me to knit for them!

THEY each picked out yarn to go with their pretty dresses and THEY picked out the design. OF COURSE it includes Yarn Overs - which drives this tight knitter BATTY! LOL!

I am hopping to finish off Rowan's soon and then start on my scarf.....
Here is the ribbon yarn from Cascade - Tourimo? that I am using for my scarf. I think I am going to go with something simple since it has to be ready for church tomorrow! I want something to accent my incredibly SIMPLE outfit. (maternal would be a better word... I am feeling extremely maternal..... a good hair cut and color (a week or so away) would fix that one!)

Okay got to get back to work!!!!!

IT CAME!!!!!

Look what came today!!!!

Actually it came last night - but we missed the UPS guy - so he delivered it early this AM!!!!

I only had ONE skein that needed to be wound up!

BIG POUT!

My hubby wanted to try it out first - and of course the lil ones fought over who was going to use the yarn ball winder! Unfortunately the skein was placed on the swifter wrong and tangled. I should have started it but the hubby was confident he could work the incredibly simple contraption (LOL)!

I guess now - I will have to buy more yarn so that we can try it out correctly!!! (that way the hubby can get use to the incredibly simple contraption!!!!)

Unfortunately it's off to work for me - no knitting this evening!!!!! But Nat has some knitting time set aside!!!!

24 hours!!!!

It had been twenty four hours since I was able to knit - OVER twenty four hours!!!!

I was getting itchy.

All because I worked 3P to 3A - ended the last shift with a horrible death and then got up to return to work at 11A. No time to knit darn it!

So last night - after I got home, exhausted and barely able to keep my eyes open (slurring my speech and everything looking blurry - literally from lack of sleep) I pulled out Rowan's yarn choices and started her bag.


My goal is to have all three purses ready with their swatches for the flower embellishments - for the class next Saturday the 21st! I am pretty sure I an accomplish this!

My WIP:

1. Rowan's Bag (just started)
   
2. Nat's Bag (body done)
3. My bag (body done and one swatch)
4. Norm's Scarf (1/4 done)
5. Nat and Rowan's Spring Scarf (that counts as TWO)
6. My Grunge Hat (that I have to Frog and start over - Eiiiiiihy)

It appears I am addicted!!!!!!

I am now off to bed..... For much needed sleep.....

My Stash

My hubby gathered up my yarn (at least the skeins that were out and visible to him cause looking at this picture he apparently didn't find the five skeins I bought for Rowan's bag today along with a couple of other Delic. yarns) and took a picture - then emailed it to me calling me obsessed! (In that joking hubby way!)



I know - to most knitters this stash is pathetic. I realize that. I also realize - that by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's definition I am a a "Focused" Knitter by my stash. (Yes I am reading Knitting Rules right now can you tell!!!!)

Understand - I have only been knitting for four weeks, have made 5 scarfs, have two felt bags in progress, three other scarfs in the works and will be starting a hat tomorrow..... So that yarn is NOT in this picture.

Give me a few weeks (cough gag days) and I will have quite the stash - believe me it won't take long....... LOL!

The Felted Bag(s) Saga!

Today was my Knitting class make up for Saturday - the day before Easter. I was anxiously awaiting the class because I was going to do the Double Pointed Needles. EEEEEEEEK

Well - I finished the Brown bag (which is mine) and I started the one for Nat. I did do more than that - I also started on the swatches for the embellshments.

Here is the brown bag. The colors are growing on me.

I know that the brown will be muted more when I felt it.

Rowan - pouting in the corner - wanted me to be making her a bag as well. So - I let her pick out the yarn. She picked out some funky colors and I think I am going to make some sort of a striped bag for her.

Okay - it's off to work I go.... to pay for my new yarn addiction!!!!

Hooking???

Look what I picked up on the way to work today???



I am not sure why I picked it up other than the fact that Debbie Stoller will be doing a book signing at this knit shop in Chicago later in April. Can't go empty handed now can I??? LOL!!!

I started reading it a lil on my downtime at work and it's pretty funny - though not really enticing me into the world of crochet?

Of course - I did not have a hook or yarn to attempt to crochet some beginning stitches.... but I really didn't have the urge like I did with the knitting books.

But I can at least get Debbie Stoller's autograph inside!!!!

WHAT a bargain!!!!

I am so excited over my bargain!!!!!

I just ordered a Yarn Swifter and a Yarn Winder at 40% off with free shipping!

YIPPEE!!!!!!!

I am so geeked.

Okay - actually I ordered the Yarn Winder and the Hubby ordered the Yarn Swifter ! That way each were 40% off and we both had certs for free shipping!!!!

Can't wait till it comes.... I might just have to head on over to a yarn shop and buy some yarn on skeins...... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Purses done.....

So- my job this morning was to finish the purse(s) (one for the class and one for me - or actually the oldest child - for her knitting) up till the DPN.

Tomorrow Morning I learn the DPN technique. I am bit nervous about this. I hear they are hard to use......

My knitting experience up to this point has been wonderful I do not want to ruin it now (LOL - I am not sure that can happen).

I worked a lil on my hubby's scarf and hope to work on my second bias scarf while at work.

Now - I have to gather up the children and head over to work.... 12 hours of no knitting.... What will I do?????

A knitter delight!!!!!

I am so happy - my daughters are going to be flower girls in a wedding this summer. Actually I am very proud that they are going to be doing this. The dress is absolutely gorgeous that they will be wearing as well!



What I am so happy about is - where we have to go for the wedding. We have to drive to Grand Haven! Grand Haven MI!

Why does that make me happy? Cause - there are like THREE GREAT (supposing great - they come highly recommended) knitting shops on the way and ONE in Grand Haven!

We were mapping them out last night on the internet and my husband started freaking stating we would have to leave at 0700 just to make the rehersal in time (he is SUCH a kidder!!!!)

Okay - I am retreating back to my knitting corner on my new futon!!!!! I have to work every day this week 3P to 3A and think I will find lil time to knit.... (big sob and pouting episode coming up here!!!!)

I have been blogging the last few hours trying to catch up my blogs (yea I have a Scrapbooking/general journaling blog too) and Blogger has been so infernally slow I had to post each picture singularly.... ANNOYED I am! Then - something happened and the posts disappeared! AGGGGGGGGGGGGGH

I'm a yarn snob?

Egads.... between the purse class (that I alread paid for), shelves for the kids room, the new futon matress and cover, my yarn binge yesterday - today we spent even more money! NOT ON PURPOSE mind you. We went shopping for the place.... Nothing like Spring Cleaning to point out things in your mind that might just look good in your abode. LOL! Then of course..... I had to go to JoAnn's..... and look at my find....



Of course I raped the yarn isle just a little. I think.... egads I hate to say this.... I think I am a yarn snob. I figured this out as I was walking around JoAnns. The yarn was quite attractive and many of it jumped off the shelf at me (literally and figuratively - I had my 5 yo with me that would grab random skeins of yarn as we are wheeling by - LOL). I am addicted to yarns like Rowan, Cascade, Merino Wool.... JoAnn's has a GREAT yarn supply - but I'll go to Nina's, Arcadia or Sister Art Studio any time for yarn.... and probably be VERY happy with my purchase.

I am a Scrapbooking snob (tend to lean towards Rusty Pickle, Basic Grey, Junkits...) too..... I would rather shop at WCS than JoAnn's. What is wrong with me....

THEN I found this great knitting magazines....

I was interested in the article on Knitting without rules. That is so me outside of knitting I can only imagine that is me in knitting!

All together.... it makes quite the booty for a knit-a-holic don't you think?
My weekend loot......

Now back to work on Monday!!!!!

Yes - I have fallen to the point of working to pay for my knitting yarn loot.... my snobby yarn loot. I know they prefer to call it "High End Yarn".... but to me I am just a snob. (No - I am not proud of it.... cause it keeps me working.....)

Norm's Scarf

I got this GREAT book last week.....



I started this scarf for Norm found on page (Scarf number 23) 62.



This is a fun scarf where you occasionally purl or knit on the wrong side and start and stop the yarn where ever.

I might just make this one again... as a gift for my dad for Christmas.....

Fun Packed Saturday Knit day

Being off the weekend program at work has allowed me to seriously be OFF on the weekend. I am not working on the weekend - but my hours are filled in during the week. I am thinking the weekend program fits me better. The weekday hours are killing me. The weekend gets here and I am exhausted.

This Satruday - Thank in MOST part to Norm - we did some SPRING cleaning! Yoohoo!!! We started technically in the living room - but the girls room was majorly overhauled as evidence by the following pictures!



Norm put up more shleves and we did a MASSIVE purge of all the toys that were misfits and no longer utilized..... it was a sad day for some.... but a catharsis for others.... look at the clean room!!!!!

I also graduated to Circular Needles in knitting!!!! I started a Felted Purse Class on Saturday Morning!!!!

This is the one I started in class and couldn't put down.



This is the one that I started tonight when I got to a point on my class on that I couldn't go any farther!



My goal is to get these both to the point I need for my class on Tuesday (instead of Saturday morning because of Easter Weekend....) and show it off in class.

We also went Futon shopping. We wanted a new cushion and cover for our futon. I would have a photo but the one that Norm took - had a horrible picture of me knitting.... the knitting is okay - the picture of me was not one that I would post.... LOL!

Of course - just the luck - the futon store was RIGHT BY A KNITTING SHOP - NINA's. Such a cool place. This is probably one of my favorite exclusively knitting shops around here. Arcadia might be a lil friendlier but Nina's definitely has some new ways to look at knitting and the yarn is to DIE for!!!! I should know - I walked out ten skeins later - and with this book......



I am already getting ready to start on a hat that will go with my Grunge Scarf that I finished last week (boy have I been a bad blogger....)



This scarf was my exercise in learning how to increase and decrease. It's a very easy pattern that was given to me by a friend via email.

Cast on 3
Knit 1 row
K 1, K into front and back of next st, knit to end of row (front of scarf)
K 1, K into front and back of next st, purl to last stitch, Knit last st.
Inc 1 st at beginning of each row until you have about 30 sts or scarf is 6 inches wide.

THEN

Row 1: R side, K1, K into front and back of next st, Knit to end of row.
Row 2: Wrong side, K1, K2tog, purl to last st, last stitch K1

When scarf is 4 inches less than you want it to be:

Row 1: R side, K1, K2tog, knit to end of row.
Row 2: Wrong Side, K1, K2tog, Purl to end of row, last st K

We went to Leona's for dinner after the shopping experience. We got there just in time. We got there, got our food and were eatting as the Cubby crowds were wandering in.

We then retreated home so Nat and I could knit on our new futon..... I ended up the last one knitting with the girls curled up on my lap.... such sweet end to a grungy day.

Nat's first scarf on sticks!

Nat was so proud of herself that she finished her scarf. She calls it her first scarf on "sticks" and not a knifty knitter.



She did a really good job for her first time with knitting needles.



She used Rowan Ribbon (beautiful) yarn.



She is now working on a lil smaller weight yarn and size 11 needles and not 15.

She can't wait to go shopping with me this weekend to pick out some more yarn.

Knitting has truly bonded us together closer!