The Turkey trip!

My camera came back from Turkey this week and look at all of these fabulous sites it saw!

All of these pics are from Istanbul, though I'm not sure of what exactly. Then there is this picture which cracks me up!

I guess we all need our Grey's!

It's time to get serious

No more procrastinating. It starts this weekend.

Swing your partner

This morning I heard this story on NPR about how Square Dancing was the new hip thing to do in bars. They interviewed a bunch of people who have square dancing nights at a local Seattle bar. They've updated the music, have a younger crowd to do the calling and teach you the moves (in case you can't remember them from 5th grade P.E.). I'm intrigued and I think I may have to check this out.
In other news, Crosscut, a new online newspaper designed to cover local issues in the Pacific Northwest (including Idaho), premiered today.

Rippin' out & startin' over

Yeah. That's what I'm doing. Perhaps it was a sign when I started the Hilltop Twin Wrap by using a different pattern. A mistake early made in the lace/cable pattern is hard to recover from so I just sucked it up and ripped it out. I'm a few rows back into it and it looks pretty good. I'd post a picture, but my camera is in Turkey. No, that's not another excuse (too tired to get the camera, can't find the connector cord-thingy) my camera is taking a trip to Turkey. I hope it's having fun. I can't wait to see the pics and share them with you.

Mom's Sock!

This weekend my mom came into town for a fun girls weekend visit! She brought along her knitting too! She and a friend took a sock knitting class and after many weeks, some ripping out and swearing (like all good projects require) she's got an FO (that's finished object to you non-knitters)!

It fits and looks fabulous! Now she's half way finished - just one more sock to go!
She's also been whipping up these cute and soft washcloths for people!

She inspired me to pull out my first pair of socks - and I use the term "pair of socks" loosely as I've only made it this far with the first sock:

I measured my sock and I'm only 6 inches into the leg and decided I wanted to go another inch before working on the heel flap. Then I put it back in the knitting bag for another day.

Tonight I took mom to Purly Girls and she had a great time! She loved chatting with all the fun, creative and talented knitters! Now she wants to start her own Purly Girls in Boise!

Just like a grown up!

Why is that even though I'm no longer in my 20's (but not too far in my 30's thank you) I still don't feel like a grown up sometimes! Today was different though because our new couch arrived (our chair came in a few weeks ago)! Nothing says "the adult world" like new furniture that wasn't
a) owned by someone else
b) inherited because someone was too lazy to move it when they moved away
c) a cheap piece of furniture that you bought for your "first real piece of furniture" that really was a piece of crap because you really couldn't afford anything else

(Editor's note: picture to come later... too tired to go get camera and want to really test out the couch by knitting on it!)

Guess what I found??!!

My knitting mojo!

That's right - I found it! I made this cute flower wash cloth for a gift and I'm planning on making a few more!

Now I'm working on the Tweed Wrap from Hilltop Knits. After a bit of a challenging start (for those of you who missed Purly Girls, that meant me swearing quite a bit after I realized I was about 10 rows into the other pattern in the booklet.) But now I'm back on track! It's a fun and challenging lace and cable project which is just what I need right now!

Still searching for inspiration....

The knitting inspiration is still pretty much nonexistent. It's really beginning to suck. I feel comforted by the thought that I'm not alone. Several other blogging knitters are feeling this way too I've discovered. The new Knitty came out and while it was pretty to look at, still nothing.

Baby Isha's Fashion Show!

Here is Baby Isha sporting the latest looks from Auntie Meg. Isha looks stunning in the Child's Placket Sweater from LMKG in a pretty spring green color. To complete her look are Isha's new khaki pants her mom bought to go with the sweater.

She is wearing the "it" outfit every Virginia baby needs this spring. Check out what else the highly adorable and oh' so trendy Isha is up to on her very own blog!

Training time again!

I've signed up and I'm in for this years Danskin Sprint Triathlon! I'm really excited about this year and my goal is to shave at least 15 minutes off of last years time of 2 hours 1 minute! I'm planning to get started training right away - since I'm suffering from a lack of knitting mojo, I might as well be productive in other areas of my life! Plus this additional training time will help with another big event in my life this summer!

Still no knitting mojo

The knitting mojo is still M.I.A. I've flipped through the books, my pattern notebook and touched the soft, pretty yarn in the stash and still nothing. Nada. Zilch. I'm still knitting - just plugging away a few rows a night at the cabled sock and cabled scarf (still no pics I know). Instead of knitting, I've been focusing on wedding plans. With less than four months to go, things are getting down to the wire! Programs, table settings and favors - oh my! By the way, if any one out there has ideas for wedding favors, I'm taking suggestions!

Just one working for our cause

While still suffering from my lack of knitting spark, I decided to take a tour around some of my favorite knitting blogs for a little inspiration. I came to the Yarn Harlot's blog who wrote the other day about people not understanding that there are numbers of knitters out there in force. Specifically she wrote about the media under estimating the power of knitters. As a member of the media, I am sad to say, this is the truth. As a member of the media, I want you all to know that I am working to change this! At a former place of employment, I was constantly pitching knitting related ideas to an editor. Of course, she usually laughed at me and my idea and tossed me something lame to work with. However, at that same publication, I went ahead and wrote a column about knitting and I got a readers response from it! Once I showed it to her, she thought, hmmm, maybe there is something to this knitting thing. After that, she didn't laugh quite as hard as before when I pitched a knitted related story idea. I'll keep working for us though. The main stream will admit us as one of their own one day. And if not, screw 'em, we'll still have a hell of a lot of fun while knitting and talking about them!

Not feeling the knitting spark

I'm sad to say my cold/cough has come back and it's brought with it a new symptom, one I find very disturbing. It can't be cured by modern medicine (well maybe it can, but I'm thinking more alternative means) - my knitting spark has disappeared. I have several projects going on right now; the Irish Hiking scarf and the cable sock (both need pics I know, I know), but they just aren't doing it for me. Maybe it's the slowness of the cables. So, Dr. Supergirl has prescribed that I flip through my books and find something fun to work on. Or go through the my favorite yarns in the stash, find a pretty skein and go from there! That is my weekend assignment! I hope I feel better (on all accounts) soon!

Welcome baby Cameron!

Welcome to the world Cameron Lee! We've been waiting a long time to meet you! There will be lots of love, laughter and outdoor adventures in your life. And, even though you're not "technically" my niece, Auntie Meg will keep you warm with lots of hand knit goodies! We'll stay tuned for a fashion show of you in all of the knitted treats from me that you'll find waiting in your nursery once you get home! Cameron was born today in Boise, Idaho to mom Kelli and daddy Shane. Weighing in at 7 lbs, 13 oz, she has brown hair, and according to the proud papa, "really big eyes!" Can't wait to see them!
P.S. Baby Isha is almost big enough for the sweater I made her. Mom Jen promises a picture soon enough!

Dreaming of knitting....

I am so coveting this from the new Interweave Knits. Sigh.......I want to make it and give it a good home.

Yarn Swap & and other knitting goodies!

This week Jessica organized our yarn swap at Purly Girls! I lucked out and traded a skein Mission Falls cotton for a pair of size 4 Addie Turbo needles! I also got some more roving from Lynn to start my needle felting projects!

This past weekend I went to Portland and checked out Knit/Purl where I got a super cute baby sweater pattern (due to influx of pregnant friends, I needed some fresh patterns) and some fabulous Manos! Can't wait to knit it up!


And the knitting goodness kept rolling in this week with my belated Christmas present (although my mom sent it along with a Valentines card). My copy of One Skein Wonders finally came in to her LYS! I've been putting off buying it everywhere else because she kept saying her store had it on back order!
All in all it was a good knitting week (aside from the feminine product fearing jackass - see earlier post)!

WTF?!

That's right....what the f%&*! Last night some jackass felt the need to relieve me of my car stereo. That jackass used a crowbar to pry away my drivers side door handle (causing some body damage) and get in my car (which, was parked in a "secured" garage), dump out my trash bag, rifle through my Cd's, then steal my stereo. Now, using my Veronica Mars super-sleuth skills, I figured out that this jackass was indeed male. How do I know this you ask?

Well as I was cleaning up the trash and stuff that once lived in the console between the seats, I thought, "Huh, didn't I have more stuff in there?" So I opened it up and looked inside. Apparently, once the jackass got through the first layer of Kleenex packages, purell, hand lotion and napkins, he discovered the secret feminine product stash and stopped cold in his tracks. He also didn't have any taste in music! The jackass kindly left all of my Cd's! Which means I still get to groove to Bon Jovi, Britney Spears, Jewel, Kelly Clarkson and many more! (Stop laughing at my music selections Jessica and Rebecca, I like upbeat tunes when I drive!).

However, the jackass did take my trash bag (odd - but he's a jackass so whatever), my phone ear piece (which was used more while knitting than actually driving), and - now this just irritates me - my reusable grocery bags from Sur La Table! So at least I can think, hey, an environmentally friendly jackass stole from me!

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.

Tea with Sarah McLachlan

Well, kind of anyway. Yesterday I met with Carrie and Rebecca for tea and knitting at Queen Mary's Tea Room and who was sitting at the very next table? None other than Sarah McLachlan! I thought she looked familiar but didn't quite recognize her. After she left, Rebecca leans over and says, "I think that was Sarah McLachlan!" Then the waitress and the owner came running over to us and said, "Oh my gosh! You guys practically had tea with Sarah McLachlan!" Our tables were so close, I could have reached over and borrowed her cream and sugar! After she left, we got down to knitting business as we all began casting on for socks! 2007 is the year Rebecca is determined to make us learn how to knit socks! After a shaky start with mine, I think they are coming right along!

(See that guy over Carrie's shoulder? That's where Sarah McLachlan was sitting!)

Goal Reached!

This year my Christmas knitting goal was not to be knitting gifts at 1 a.m. on Christmas morning. And I'm happy to report that I finished the gaiter at 11:15 p.m. on Christmas Eve while watching (yet again) the TBS marathon of A Christmas Story. While I didn't take too many pictures - very rare of me I know - I can report that all knitting gifts were treasured. My sister loved her wrist warmers; dad loved his gaiter and wore it part of the morning, but the big hit - at least for my dad - was the beer cozies in University of Idaho colors for Matt and Boise State University colors for my dad. He's thrilled because his beloved Broncos are going to the Fiesta Bowl and he'll be using his beer cozy for the party. Now it's back to the baby knitting grind.

A knitting miracle...

This may just be possible!


The wrist warmers are done! (No, you're not seeing things, one is slightly bigger than the other. The pattern was very large and didn't fit right. I may redo the larger one if that is what the giftee would like.)

And the gaiter is back on track! I haven't measured it yet but am almost finished with the first skein! Lots of time at the airport tonight to keep working on it!

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! I'm off for a family visit and sadly, they have dial-up. So unless one of the unsuspecting suburban neighbors has unsecured Internet access for the lap top, there won't be any posts for a while as I don't have the patience for blogging with dial-up!

Happy Holidays!

It's someone's birthday...

Happy Birthday Supergirl!

Some tough knitting decisions

In the effort to not stress myself out this holiday season with all of my Christmas knitting, and with the little "Mancho" incident, I've come to a knitting decision: I don't think I can redo the gaiter for my dad. So instead of frantically trying to finish up my other projects - 1 more wrist warmer and the beer cozies - and redoing the gaiter, I'm just going to concentrate on getting the rest done. If I have time to start the gaiter, I'll try it. Otherwise, it may sit and wait until next year because his birthday falls in the middle of summer at a time when one doesn't really need a gaiter.

Knitting Guild Christmas!

Wednesday night was the Seattle Knitters Guild Christmas party! We knitters know how to live it up! The food was yummy, company fabulous and the gifts - well - they were great! I was very lucky and scored in the raffle drawings and gift exchange!

I got some beautiful wool yarn (perfect for felting) in deep orange and fall colors. Plus I got some tea and a yarn calendar and I won a book from our guest speaker Anne Bartlett. I'm very excited to read her novel "Knitting." She autographed it and I picked her mind about writing as I'm always in awe of someone who actually writes a book!

(The little devil ripped out the Mancho for me. She seems to be enjoying this.)

While the party was fun, the knitting was not. The Mancho lived a good life, but it came to an end tonight as Rebecca pulled it out and wound the yarn back up for me. As she did this (I couldn't look) I cast on for the second wrist warmer. On the 3rd row I realized I made a mistake, knitted back, fixed it and carried on. On the 4th row, I realized I made another mistake and decided - who the hell cares and kept going. On the fifth row, I found yet another mistake and this one wasn't to be ignored. Exasperated, I yanked the damn thing apart and threw it in the bag. I concentrated on the party at that point. Aside the from the knitting, it was fabulous night!

The Mancho

Now what is a Mancho you ask? Lemme tell you. It's when you get Rebecca and I collaborating on a pattern. She may have given me wrong info about how many stitches to cast on (I was using different needles and yarn than what the pattern called for) and I may have not checked my gauge - neither of us are taking full responsibility/credit for the Mancho which is why we're friends. So then you have this:

A gaiter that is way to big, possibly the beginnings of a poncho except for the fact that it's for my dad. One suggestion at knitting last night was from another fabulous knitter named Rebecca. She thinks like me and how can we salvage this and not have to rip out. Her suggestion: to add a ribbed collar to the Mancho to give it a tighter feel around the neck and a flare around the shoulders. While that is a fabulous style idea for the Mancho, I informed everyone that my father isn't a gay man, but rather and outdoor-Idaho-let's-go-fishing/camping-and-build-stuff kind of a man. Needless to say I provided the group (and myself - more so myself) with a good laugh. Now comes the next day sobering part: what the hell do I do with the Mancho two weeks before Christmas? I think it's time for a little holiday frogging.

Three down, one to go!

The third of the baby sweaters is done! It's the Baby Bolero from One Skein. It's for a little British baby who is due any day now! I hope he/she likes the sweater! It was made with lots of love - and to be honest a little bit of profanity when I thought I was finished yesterday be instead, about 10 stitches from the end, I realized I had made a big ol' mistake and had to rip out pretty much then entire ribbed finish! But, alas, it's done and that's all that matters. That and hopefully it fits the baby. Now I have to start another baby sweater for a little boy due the end of February!

Inspiration with Leigh Radford

Last night I took a creativity class with Leigh Radford. It was all about thinking outside of the box and just what I needed. We had several creative exercises including grab bag knitting - we had to knit whatever was in the bag - wire, tulle, tinsel, the tape out of a cassette tape. It was very inspiring to hear about her designs, where she gets her ideas and what she's working on next. She also had several examples of needle felting projects. I'm taking another of her classes at the Madrona retreat next month and I'm so excited about needle felting. I feel it could be my next knitting obsession!

P.S. Be sure to wish Mara a happy belated birthday! I meant to post yesterday but that was the class! Sorry Mara, but happy birthday!

The shirt for me!

Jessica sent me the link to this site - Cafe Press - that sells these shirts "Football is more fun now that I know how to knit!" So true....so true. I do get a lot of knitting done on Football Sunday as it's known around my house! Thank goodness the Purly Girls meet on Monday Nights!

One down, one to go!

It was a little unnerving ripping out the live stitches to add the thumb...

but I think it worked out just fine! Now the big question remains: Can I finish the second one by the 25th? Stay tuned...

Knitting Check-in: 5 weeks until Christmas

Thanks the long, slow, snowy drive back to Seattle from the Thanksgiving weekend, I got a lot of knitting done. But I still have a ways to go.

Here's the update:

Baby Bolero (not actually a Christmas gift, but a 'Welcome to World Little One' gift) - One sleeve done and about 1/2 inch away from finishing the second one. Then it's all about seaming and the edging.

Gaiter - several inches into it and almost done with the first skein. I'm not letting myself even get a measuring tape near it until I'm halfway through the second skein.

Other projects - still the same. Nothing new to report.

Memory Lane

We may not have known each other while at college, but we both remember the freezing cold Moscow winds!

This past Thanksgiving weekend, while visiting Matt's family, we decided to take a quick trip south to Moscow, Idaho - home of the University of Idaho Vandals! It was fabulous and the first time I had been back since the sis graduated in 2001! I loved it!

We hit the bookstore for a new sweatshirt, took a stroll across the campus, checked out the new buildings and took in the last Vandal football game of the year. (It was yet another loss, but its a rebuilding season!) It was fun to talk about our Moscow adventures and eat at our favorite places. Even though we both went to school there at the same time, we didn't know each other. Funny how life works out.

Happy Early Thanksgiving!

What am I thankful for?
- loving, healthy family
- fabulous fiance
- my great friends
- and quick, easy, beautiful knitting patterns that knit up quickly with soft, luscious yarn I found on sale!

Happy Thanksgiving!
(this is being posted early as we are leaving soon to drive over to N. Idaho and we won't have Internet access for a few days - gasp! It'll be like the olden' days I guess!)
P.S. Be sure to wish Supergirl good luck on the 1/2 marathon she's running on Sunday! Go Supergirl go!

Helpful words of wisdom

As I continue to suffer from my holiday knitting syndrome - the one that has me constantly looking through pattern books to see what else I can "whip out" - I laugh as I type this as those in the knitting circle know I don't "whip" anything out - I came across this little gem in HandKnit Holidays,
"Holiday Knitting Strategies:"
"1. Prioritize - choose one person on your list to knit for this year and focus on that project alone" - I did that, my dad's gaiter - the project that is still in its original skein form!
"2. Start early -Why scramble make gifts in December when one can start in August or better yet, in January!" Who the hell does that? Isn't this part of the stress, I mean fun?
"3. Think easy but personal" - what is easy?
Hmmm, maybe I should have actually read the book instead of just looking at the pretty pictures when I bought it back in July!!!