Saturday, June 24, 2006

Knitting Therapy

I had a CRAPPY night..... and I so desparately need knitting therapy but I am still at work.

We worked on a baby for over an hour and half and were unsucessful.

So - I NEED to go home and knit.... with a nice glass of wine. (Do I have a bottle I am willing to sacrifice????)


But - I can't.... I have to be back at work at 1100 tomorrow after getting off at 0300......

Needing to knit!!!!

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Knit on the Go

I had to run some errands today and get the ole hair trimmed.... (going for the Charlene Therin look from Aon Flux) and wanted to maximize my time out.

So off I go on my bike..... See my lovely cruiser bike. I feel like a lil ole lady cause it is a crusier from the fifties... but I LOVE IT!!!!!


As if the basket doesn't accentuate that fact.....

There is my knit and go bag and a glass of water.... I get thirsty out there you know!!!!

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

World Cup Knit Along



I am!!!! I am in on this!!!!!

I ask you this - have I been knitting.... TRYING.

Isn't it funny how you sit there and think... I have PLENTY of time to knit something.

I was saving the coveted Clapotis for this Knit Along. I cast on the openning day and started out....

TONITE I picked it back up AND quickly frogged it.....

I didn't like how it looked and wanted to start all over again.... so here I am knitting. Picture proof I am starting a project from scratch.... watching the World Cup to boot!


I got to here and was happy to make it with only one more frog before hand. The beginning is very intricate...


You almost have to get through the beginning and the first increase row to get it down. After that - it's all down hill. (okay I obviously haven't made it past the 16 rows of increase rows repeat.

So I am here - starting my second increase repeat rows....


Sipping a white wine.... watching the World Cup - having a blast....

Knitting is the BOMB!!!!!

The down side.... I think I am going to have to go invest in some Addi's for this. The bamboo circs are slowing me down..... I am not liking how it is kniting. I have Addi's for my cotton kimonas I am making.... So off to the knit shop tomorrow before work.

Knit Sock Kit Swap Questionnaire

KSKS

So very excited I am in this Knit Sock Kit Swap! I was suppose to post this questionnaire a while ago but never got around to it. I am a SLACKER Knitter....


The Questionnaire:


What are your favorite colors?
Lime Greens, Black, Navy Blues

Are you a new sock knitter? YES I am a NEW sock knitter and totally head over heels in love with socks......

How long have you been knitting socks? One month!

Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? multicolored!!!!


What fibers do you prefer in sock yarn?
wool - it's cold here in the Windy City. LOVE Merino Wool, Super Wash Wool is great and I have knitted a sock with cotton/nylon blend which was my first sock and it was a good starter.


Where do you usually knit socks? Anywhere I can. They are my traveling socks. I currently have a knit an go bag. I commute on foot or bike. I am on the El or a Taxi. I like to pull the sock out, knit and be able to stuff it away quickly. The sock is the one project compact enough to carry EVERYWHERE with me. Including church. My sock has become my preverbial book. I always ALWAYS (and still do) carry a book with me. Just in case... just in case I get stuck somewhere, have to wait in line, or am delayed - I can read. Now I can knit the sock!!!




How do you usually carry/store small projects? In my knit and go bag.... it's lime green, snaps onto my pants loop, bag loop of bike handlebars.




What are your favorite sock knitting patterns? I LOVE Jay Walkers. Now remember I have been knitting socks for a month now. I like knitting different combinations of knit and purl, slip and yarn overs to make an emerging evolving pattern on socks with multicolored yarn. It fascinates me. Again - I am a relatively new knitter....

What are your favorite sock knitting techniques? New to knitting socks... I haven't learned the two circ needle socks yet. Still learning all the turning the heel techniques... so I have tons of uncharted sock knitting terraine (sp) awaiting me. Just the fact that I can knit a sock amazes me.

What new techniques would you like to try? two circs needles, toe up, differnt turnings of the heel.... just about anything would be new to me.

Do you prefer circulars or dpns for sock knitting?
Currently DPNs. I was using bamboo but then I got a taste of the metal and my sock knitting flys.

What are some of your favorite yarns? Hand dyed, unique, aw heck... anything I can knit with.... Am I a yarn snob... well if going in a yarn shop and inadvertantly always picking out the high end yarn - because the is what I am (or my hands) are drawn to - then I am a yarn snob darn it. I love multicolored yarn. I try to stick to knit picks and webs but my hands are just attracted to the hand dyed super merino hand spun yarn at all the yarn shops. I'm not the snob, my hands are....


What yarn do you totally covet?
Lorna's Lace, Koigu, Interlacement yarns and Socks that Rock Oh My


Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object
? Pomatomus

Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? I love Bamboo needles - but I am getting into the metal. I have noticed though that the metal comes with four and the bamboo five. I like five needles.

If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? Hand dyed Merino in Socks that Rocks colors

Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? I love gum... I love altoids (almost any flavor)... I love peanut m&m's (with or without Johnny Depps picture). DARK CHOCOLATE is the BOMB

What’s your favorite animal? Dog

Do you have pets? What are their species/names/ages? No pets

If you were a color what color would you be? LIME GREEN

Describe your favorite shirt (yours or someone else’s).. V Neck form fitting but not too tight, black basic tee.


What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature?
Sunflower - they can grow in the most absurb situations, they sprout up, bloom beautifully and not one of them are the same. There are lil ones, big ones, huge ones, plain ones, multicolored ones, different shades different flowering appearances. It's a wonderful representation of how God made us. But then again, the fact that this planet rotates and spins around the sun and everything just falls into place is a most awesome inspiring influence to get your butt out of bed and LOVE and LIVE each day - and knit of course!

Tell me the best quote you’ve ever heard or read.
"I am an acquired taste." (Vince Vaughn in Law and Order CI) No seriously - "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them, Were I to count them,they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you." Psalm 139:13-18


Do you have a wishlist? Do I have a wish list? The question is what is NOT on a wish list.

Anything else you’d like to share with the group today? This is going to be so much fun!!!!!! KNIT ON!!!!

Totally addicted to knitting when.....

You know you are totally knitted to knitting when you pull out your knitting in the middle of church - during the sermon.

OKAY - before you start booing me LET ME EXPLAIN!

I have been super stressed and busy the last few days. I have several days of intense work ahead before we leave for vacation - literally as I am walking out of work.

So - here I sit yesterday in church - which I so wanted to be at.... my schedule has prevented me from attending Sunday worship AND Wednesday bible study. I am in the middle of the sermon and literally tune the pastor out (unconsciously), start plotting out my week, what I HAVE to do, what I NEED to do and everything I wanted to get accomplished during what lil time I have off before vacation as well as - wait what was that noise? A fellow parishener behind me was DRAWING. It snapped me out of it. I know that she draws to stay focused during lectures, sermons et al.... SO it was a reality check. I PULL out the sock in my purse and start knitting - bible on my lap open to the sermon reference.

I literally started to focus and the Pastor's words started seeping into my brain. Within minutes my jaw had shooting pain through it...... No God wasn't striking me down.... I was clenching my jaw so tight and grinding my teeth that as soon as I started knitting I relaxed. I felt HORRIBLE - but I actually stopped thinking about everything else BUT the sermon.

I do realize though - at this point..... (though) I am very very very addicted..... I also realize at this time... the older I get the more ADHD I become....

BTW- the pastor and I (their family and ours) are good friends... HONEST!

Monday, June 19, 2006

HIS AND HERS

His and Hers......



BIKES!!!!!!






My bike.....

Finally FINALLY came in..... worth the wait. I love it. It rides like a dream, I sit upright, no pain in the lower lumbar area AND isn't it cool looking. I am not a Pink kinda gal - but this is cool.....


And Daddy got for Father's Day......


HIS bike. His is alot cooler than mine - but all I need it for is to chase the girls around with.

Speaking of which - the girls rode their bikes for their first long distance excursion this afternoon and Rowan did VERY well. No wipe outs!!!!! She had to sing the whole time she was peddling - maybe it focused her so she wouldn't wipe out and maybe it was a nervous thing....

BUT - we made it several blocks AWAY from home and back - even across intersections.

I had my sock to knit at the park - but just as we got to the park it started to rain so we turned around. THEN as we got home... it stopped raining. My lil Knit and Go bag loops nicely on my handle bars.... so I can Bike and Knit.....

Okay - off to bed - sixteen hours in the AM and I start at 0700 (eeeeeks)

Saturday, June 17, 2006

A KNITTING CRUISE!!!!!!!!!!

Okay - HERE - I found THIS that took me HERE and then HERE!!!!!!!!

A KNITTING CRUISE.....

Not just any knitting cruise - a SOCK KNITTING CRUISE!!!!!!!!


I am so on board!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Lorinda (the other Red Head!)

Friday, June 16, 2006

HEAR YE HEAR YE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Yarn Harlot it coming.....

The Yarn Harlot is coming!!!!!!!

THE YARN HARLOT IS COMING TO CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!!

24 July 2006



Details are as such: (Thank you Lorinda - The other Red Head!)

Yarn Harlot aka Stephanie Pearl-McPhee will speak from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and then sign books from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.


Have I mentioned how excited I am to be able to see in PERSON - the Yarn Harlot??????

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Where O' Where is my traveling sock????

Why Springfield of course...... Looking at Fashion from the First Ladies!!!!!

Now my sock should feel privaleged.... I was apparently (after the 15th picture) told NO pictures were to be taken in the Lincoln Library. (There were no signs... really there were not.....)

Here is my jay walking Summer sock.... crusing the First Ladies Exhibit - AWESOME exhibit.... I took a picture here because it's hand dyed sock yarn at a hand dyed Peacock Feather...


I am not sure why... I just thought it fit and looked cool.....






Now I loved this part..... This first lady was handed a bunch of socks by her husband on their honeymoon - to DARN - or probably a hint that she needed to knit more.... whatever... this woman had it going on.... you go sock woman!!!!!

And that woman was.....
Mrs Grace Coolige!!!!! YOU GO GIRL!!!! I am sure other first ladies knit as well!!!! AWESOME!!!!!

Okay - long day, long night.... off to bed... to get up for a long day tomorrow....

For the whole story go hereand more pictures to boot......


Good night! Curling up with my sock.....

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Knitting in public......

Our venture into the Suburbs
(insert moody music....)

Nat and I got up bright and early (after I got home at 0300 and then had to rock my littlest one back to sleep at 0400 to 0500 I LOVE BEING A MOM!!!! Really I do...it's moments like that - in the wee hours of the morning holding your baby that it all seems RIGHT!) and headed out to Elmhurst.






We hooked up with the Brownline (which was 30 minutes PLUS late) took it downtown and then realized we had less than ten minutes to make it to the train station to take a metra to Elmhurst. We SPRINTED. Literally.... Sprinted about six blocks to the train station. Nat tripped on an uneven part in the sidewalk and when flying - but was so determined to make the train for our trip she hopped back up and started sprinting again. (What a girl)

We BARELY made it onto the train.... I mean BARELY. The train was MOVING when we boarded. HELLO BROWNLINE WHAT IS YOUR ISSUE. There were FIVE (count them... FIVE) brownline trains going north.... where did they end up? CTA black hole?

We sat back and relaxed for about 25 minutes as we headed out to Elmhurst
to meet up with a friend and go to this really cute and awesome knit shop - Have ewe any wool.

We had a blast. For the whole story and pictures taken by Nat and myself go here!

I knitted there and back. Nat caught it on film.... She thought I was taking the "Knitting in public" a lil seriously but I LOVE to knit on the train/El.

I loved that store. And (are you sitting down???????) THEY WERE SUPER DUPER FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL IN THERE!!!!!!!!

I will be taking the Metra back there. They have some cool looking classes as well.

Stitches Midwest is shaping up to be a BLAST! Several friends from my knitting night group are going, three of which will be in the hotel room with me! YOOHOO!!!!

THEN I found out that Becca, my friend that I visited today, is also going to Stitches Midwest. How FUN!!!!!!!!!

Most importantly Nat and I had a blast today..... which makes me feel good since I am leaving to go out of town tomorrow AM for four days. (big sigh)

But what Nat doesn't know........ when I return NAT and I are going to MADONNA!!!!!!!

Here is to World Wide Knit in Public Day!!!!!

HAPPY KNIT IN PUBLIC DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yarn_and_needles_2_buttonEVERYONE -

GET OUT YOUR STICKS AND KNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, June 09, 2006

Knit Night

What a fun night!!!!!! I went to knit night at Sister Art Studio and had a BLAST!

One of the participants brought WINE - WHITE wine since it's summer out (OR WAS SUMMER!) We had a GREAT girls nite out. Just what I needed after a stressful week!!!!!

I started the baby kimona from Mason Dixon Knitting!


This is how far I got...... AND after looking at it this morning - it is STRAIGHT and even.... even with wine on board.

It was so nice..... of course I couldn't wait to get home and spend time with the kids before bed time!!!!!!

Now off to work a 17 hour day awaits me....

Monday, June 05, 2006

TOO TOO FUNNY

You HAVE to go here to see this!!!

I found it HERE and you can go there if you go here.

Look what was waiting....

Look what was waiting for me........

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy........

For the rest of the story go here!

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Mason Dixon Knitting

I've fallen.....

I've fallen onto the Mason Dixon Bandwagon.


I just LOVE the baby kimona in the book and want to make two of them for friends that had babies recently (have I mentioned that I have like FIFTEEN FRIENDS pregnant. Yeah - I just about do not have one friend who isn't pregnant.) So - I started a dish clothe (I never in a thousand years thought I would be knitting a dish rag. Really - a dish rag? I can think of ten other things that would be fun to knit and not used to scrub a dish clean.) I started the dish rag because I am using the exact same cotton yarn that I will be using on the kimona - and I wanted to do a gauge swatch first. SO - I will make a dishcloth (because I HATE gauge swatches - I figured this would be useful when I am done.)


So here is my disclothe that I started today in the car on the way home from the grocery store. I have to go to work at 1500 - and only had a lil time to knit this and get pictures going. Well as you can see - it starts and knits up fast. I was all so excited. This is actually fun to make AND the pattern is a breeze to memorize. I can so see this as a traveling project.

As a matter of fact I have to go out of town Sunday through Wednesday next week for work (and worried about missing my girls Oooooo so much) and was trying to figure out what knitting projects would be good to take with me. I am going to a conference (four day conference) on Bio terrorism (??What-else?? lately - I am like obsessed). I think I will be taking my kimonas AND some dishclothes to knit. I will also be taking THE SOCK - for Socks of Summer..... so look for pictures from my lil conference. I am going to Springfield... only like three hours away but I am FREAKED about leaving the girls. Rowan has learned to ride her bike without training wheels - so I am hoping no other major "milestones" are surpassed while I am away....

Okay off to work..... It is SO beautiful out all I want to do is sit on the hammock and knit......