Big game weekend

As folks are getting ready for the big game this weekend (I'm talking about the Superbowl for my non-football fan knitters - even though they love Friday Night Lights), I thought I'd take a moment and reflect back on the Knitting Football Stars season: sucked.

We started out super strong with a four game winning streak right off the bat, but it was all downhill from there. After a string of running back issues (injuries, drugs, etc.) and a few weak defensive picks, the Knitting Football Stars spent the rest of the season at the bottom of the barrel. But we did manage to make it into the playoff (small league, what can I say). And they came away a third place spot, nudging out the hubby. I'd call that a winning season.

Merry Christmas!

Matt's socks are finally finshed! They are my first pair of socks and I'm ready for my second pair - one for me!

Project: Thuja Socks from knitty

Yarn: DK Cashcotton

Review: Loved the pattern - would totally use it again. While the yarn is super soft and great to knit with, I'd never use it for sock yarn again. I'm afraid they'll stretch out and slouch down. I hate slouchy socks.

January Blahs....

The cold, dark, gray days of the Pacific Northwest are getting really, really old. I'm ready for spring and the sunshine to be here. Usually, I enjoy a good "hunker in with your knitting" day, but I'll admit, I'm bored with the Pippa Bag project. So on that note, I've decided I need to start my first sweater project. But now comes the hard part of picking out a pattern. I'm soliciting ideas/sugesstions. Here are some of the one's I've got on the list for now:

• Twist - I love knitting cables and I do want to challenge myself with a pattern.



• Hourglass Sweater from LMKG - Pretty, but could die in sk hell



• Mariah - Very pretty, but have heard the cables are super hard

I'm leaning towards a cardigan as I'm always cold. I'm also planning on going through all of my knitting books to find a pattern I might already own - novel idea I know! If you have any sugesstions, let me know!

A little sewing time

I pulled out my new sewing machine on my day off and decided to practice on a small project I've had for a while. These are ribbon tea towels. Just a simple project that involves hemming linen fabric and adding a ribbon trim. It was a good learning experience. I learned that I need to improve sewing corners, sewing in a straight line and perhaps not wearing a black fleece pullover while working with white linen fabric and white thread. It's the little things like that they don't teach in sewing classes.

It's official - we're never eating on the dining room table again!

As my fabric interest grows (if you listen closely you can hear my mom utter a little cheer while reading this I'm sure), I was very happy to find this adorable Olivia fabric! I love the Olivia books and if you haven't read them, put them on your library hold list now! I see p.j. pants out of these in the near future!

Vegas recap

Vegas was lots of fun, sunny and warm (well warmer than it is in Seattle). Didn't win any yarn money, very sad. Other than that it was a very fun weekend! I loved seeing Amy and Beau again and finally meeting their kids, Nathan, 3yrs. and Megan, 9 mos. It was fun just to hang out with them!

On Saturday night we took in the the Excalibur show - Tournament of Knights. Amy thought it would entertain Nathan. According to him, it was a hit! He laughed, cheered clapped, worried about the knights when they fell off their horses....it was fun watching him enjoy the show. As for the adults, it was mildly entertaining and pretty cheesy. The men all had the medieval hair style of long hair and some walked about in their leather pants and nothing else. Amy and I wondering if this show was a stepping stone to the other Excalibur show - The Thunder from Down Under.
The meal they served was similar to the food back then (if they had tomato soup that tasted exactly like Campbell's) but they didn't have silverware. Apparently that's part of the experience. While that thrilled all of the children in the audience, I have issues with that. The meal was soup that you drank from your bowl, a roll, potato wedges and thing of steamed broccoli and a little roasted baby chicken. Now I have to say I have serious issue with an entire being of former animal on my plate. Hence the reason I don't eat crab (or most seafood). They set it down in front of me with a thud and I just looked at it. Matt leaned over, half chuckling to himself and said, "Uh, are you going to eat that?" I figured what the hell and decided to be a good sport. It was all right but could only make it through about less than a quarter of the chicken. The roll was very tasty.

Vegas baby!

The Pippa Bag project, the hubby and myself are off to a weekend in Vegas! Here's to winning more yarn money!

Finally casting on for me!

There is nothing more annoying than casting on only to realize your needles aren't long enough. Granted, this could have been prevented if one had paid better attention to the pattern, but I digress. After casting on, ripping out, complaining and frantically going through all of my other needles, I finally went out and bought the right pair. I'm now ready to cast on for the Pippa Purse from Rowan.
I also bought the winter/spring issue of knitscene. I'm pretty sure it's geared toward the "younger 20 something" knitters, but I don't care. It has some really cute and simple sweater patterns like this one.

My new obsession

While I played with my sewing machine, my friend June played with my new camera.

My mother gave me her old sewing machine and I'm so excited to have it! I pulled out my pajama pants that I started at a class this past fall. I finished them and tried them on. They are a bit big, but it was a learning project (and they are pj pants) so I can live with them. Plus, each time I look at the fabric I chuckle. Fish, with cute names!!?? Seriously, how can that not make you giggle?

In case you can't read the fine print, their names are Goldie, Swimmy, Spooky, Helen and Bjorn.

But I am excited to enter into this new phase of my crafting/creative obsession. Although, in all honestly, I did enjoy sewing as a kid. I used to make Barbie and Cabbage Patch clothes for my sister and I on this very same sewing machine. But then I hit my teens and I guess that just wasn't cool anymore. Or something. I'm not really sure why I stopped sewing, but I'm excited to get back into it!

Another Lemming...

I finally did it. I signed up for Ravelry. And there are only 6,769 other knitters in front of me. I'm on my way now.

The death of electronics

Everything is dying at our office. The Printer experienced a long, painful (read loud) death that made us feel guilty every time we printed off our work. Then the Printer's buddy - the Copier - must have been in mourning as it started acting up too. It was bad around here. Pretty soon I wasn't able log into our laptop. It's like the Printer was life blood of the electronic gadgetry of our office.

7 days into the New Year & I've already broken my resolution

My New Year's resolution was to knit less gifts and more for me. Selfish I know, but I can live with that. However, by day 5 I had cast on for this scarf:


It's a birthday gift for my Great Aunt Milly. She just turned 96. She still lives on her own. She still sends me a birthday card each year with $5. She sends us Harry and David Christmas gift boxes. If anyone is worth breaking my resolution, it's her. It's a simple scarf pattern out of the purse stitch in Blue Heron Yarns Beaded Wool Metallic Violet.

Finished Foliage!

The first finished project of '08 (though started in late '07) is my Foliage hat. In all of my years of knitting, this is the first hat I've ever made myself.

What: Foliage hat
Where: knitty.com
How: Malabrigo Chunky yarn in a variegated blue/green (can't find the tag with the color)

Happy New Year!

We rang in 2008 with good friends, good food and a good laugh. Of course, it was at the expense of the Space Needle fireworks that had a "computer glitch" and didn't go off as planned but amused us greatly!

2007 was a good year (I did get married), but it was also a good year knitting wise. I've decided 2008 will be the year of knitted goodies for me! Selfish I know, but I'm quite excited about it. I've already got a list of things I'm dying to knit:

• Clapotis
• A sweater (am thinking the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts but am open for other ideas)
• This fabulous felted purse I bought the stuff for long ago
• And several items from my new book Knitting Little Luxuries

These items are not in any particular order and I'm sure - I mean, I know - that my list will grow but it's a good starting point for '08!