Inspired to start again

After seeing Carrie's beautiful Irish Hiking Scarf a few months ago, and now after learning tons about cables from Fiona Ellis in Madrona, I decided my Irish Hiking Scarf needed to ripped out and redone! I was about a little more than 1/4 of a way through it so it wasn't so heart breaking to rip out (plus I was really excited - odd I know). So far I've only gotten through one cable row but it already looks so much better! It's going to be my road trip knitting project as we head to Portland this weekend to visit some friends and watch the Superbowl! I meet a great knitter at Madrona named Barbara and she told me about some good knitting spots in town! Can't wait to get some time away from the football crazed boys to check them out!

Recovering from Madrona

This past weekend I took off for Madrona with Rebecca and Mara. We were all quite happy and giddy to be getting out of town and heading for a weekend of knitting! Mara was especially happy to go to Tacoma - on the drive down she entertained us with Tacoma fun facts about the city she used to live in. We met up with our other roommie Jessica - who came in late every night and left early each morning - she was quite the knitting superstar!

(Most of the challenge comes from reading the charts!)
The learning continued throughout the weekend! Saturday morning I took a cable and twisting class from Fiona Ellis! It was just fabulous and I learned so much! This will be just what I need as I want to challenge myself this year with knitting projects.

In the afternoon I took needle felting with Leigh Radford. She said she really liked my sample! I had to gush that one to Rebecca since she likes to brag to me that she and Leigh are BFF. Whatever. Needle felting is going to be my new obsession. I left class and headed straight to the market to purchase all of the supplies. As we speak, they are all organized and in a Rubbermaid box, complete with label and all. I am holding back some restraint as I feel I could start putting needle felted designs on pretty much anything that sits still.

(Me trying to play it cool....)

Saturday night, I tried to play it cool while meeting the Yarn Harlot for a book signing. I think I did a good job until I made Rebecca take a picture of her signing my book! She's just so funny and nice!
Sunday morning was very educational with a gauge class. I learned how to read patterns, decode the craziness that pattern designers seem to have, and hopefully how not to make something three sizes to large!
In between all of the classes, there was a lot of time for fun! We ate at some great restaurants (courtesy of Mara's trip down memory lane,) knitted with friends and walked around the Museum of Glass for some photo opps.

(I guess I should have admired the Glass Bridge, but I thought this shot was admirable!)

I came home eager to knit and try out my new found skills but I've been freakin' tired! So far all I've done is reorganize my new yarn, admire my new yarn (they pressured me into buying Socks that Rock yarn...so lovely), pet my new yarn and knit 3 rows in my socks. But I still feel excited about it all!

It worked!

Madrona Homework

Madrona is just a few days away and I just finished my homework - sort of. For the needle felting class from Leigh Radford I have to make the felted bowl from One Skein.

Using yarn from the stash I quickly knitted up the small bowl. Now it's in the experimental stage of me attempting to felt it in a front loader washing machine.

I've heard this works sometimes, other times, well, not so much. I guess we'll just wait and see what happens! Stay tuned!

Organization in 2007

The Craft Closet before: (note how the doors won't open all of the way due to junk)

The Craft Closet after:

After buying the same kinds of yarn and needles several times for various projects because I couldn't find things, after searching high and low for various patterns, needles, stamps, bills, camera and my sanity, I finally had it. Tears were almost shed. I was tired of the chaos that was my beloved Craft Closet. I dream of the day when I'll have my own craft room for all of my favorite hobbies, a quite place for me to escape to. But for now I have the Craft Closet in the fiance's office (note: he gets his own room.) I had let things get out of hand. Not only had my stuff gotten all jumbled up, but somehow his crap had sneaked in there. So one Saturday during football playoff season when he was out with the boys, I went into the office with garbage bags and the donation box. When he came home, he found everything he owned that was in the closet was dumped into a pile on the floor (I should have taken photos but honestly, I was a woman on a mission.) I told him, here's the garage bags if you want anything of yours in that closet it must be organized and it must go on this shelf only (I can't really reach it.) You have 2 hours to make that happen or it's all going away. Then I went and sat quietly and knitted. He made two trips out with trash bags. I guess I'll keep him.

Another one checked off the list

Baby sweater number four is finished and ready for the baby boy to arrive at the end of February! This is the Child's Placket Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. It knits up quickly using 2 skeins of DK Cashcotton! This is the second one I've made and they are really cute gifts! I can't wait to give this to Mama-To-Be Shannon Friday when I get to knit with her!

"Perfect and ideal!"

That is what Rebecca said when I showed her my sock. I'm learning how to knit socks and I was afraid they were too small. This is my first time knitting on size 0 needles and I am being very cautious about tight stitches and gauge. But I did the gauge swatch and all turned out well. And I got the nod of approval from Rebecca who has said she's made these socks several times before and they've turned out just fine. I'll cautiously continue on. I'm loving the pattern with the ribs and cables!

Snow in Seattle!

It snowed last night and some places, like where Mara lives, got more snow that we did. But I have to admit, I was pretty excited to see all the fluffy white stuff on the ground. Ok, not a lot of white stuff and amazingly it actually stuck around for a while. Here are some pictures I took of our balcony (Editors note: I took these from inside my warm home - didn't actually venture outside until I absolutely had to.)

While it was enough for a snow day for local kids, it wasn't enough for us grown-ups.

But after I returned home for work, I did some more knitting on Baby Sweater number 4! I'm just starting on the neck placket on the Child's Placket Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

Welcome to the world Isha!

The first baby I ever knit a baby sweater for was born yesterday - right on time too! How very prompt of her. Isha is just beautiful and is adored by her mom and dad! And she's a high tech little thing with her very own blog - complete with pictures of her first day! Mom has promised a pic of Isha in her first sweater!

Too sick to knit

It's sad but true. This past week I've had the worst cold ever! It landed me on the couch for several days! A trip to the doctor even confirmed - yeah, you've got a really bad cold. And that's it. They couldn't give me any drugs. Nothing. So I've been sidelined, watching tv, movies, reading and knitting. However, as I approach day seven with little relief from the illness, there have been times when I feel to crappy to knit! That's when I knew the illness was serious! Hopefully, I've "peaked" with the cold as the doctor said and I'll be back on track (health and knitting wise) in no time!

P.S. Before I got really sick, and was just feeling mildly crummy, I did make great progress on baby sweater number 4! Pics to come soon!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Years Eve! I've complied a few knitting goals for the new year. I've opted to share them so I can be held accountable.

• Learn to knit socks.
• Start and finish a grown up sweater for myself.
• Learn to understand gauge (and when I do Sara, I promise to explain it to my non-knitting readers - I just don't get it now and sadly it shows in my knitting.)
• Use patterns that are in knitting books I already own.
• Knit down the stash.
• Do more challenging projects.
• Teach Rebecca to live with the mistakes in my knitting as I do. They aren't really mistakes as "design features."
• Finish the Irish Hiking Scarf which was started over a year a go.