Yippee ... I'm off on Vacation!

Just a quick post to say .... "I leaving on a jet plane .... " for Florida this weekend to see my parents and have a little fun in the sun. We're meeting my step daughter, Laura and her family down there at a time-share condo & staying with them. Of course I'll take some knitting with me. The easiest project to work on while travelling is of course ... socks! So I'll be finishing these....





I'm trying something different on the heels and also the cuffs. Since the yarn is cotton, I want to try something to keep them from stretching too much. So far the fit is perfect!

It won't take long to finish these, so I'll take a couple more balls of sock yarn to start another pair. Since I always get up way before anyone else does, I'll have time to knit I'm sure.

So see you all the end of next week ... with finished socks on my feet, "Dancing in the street ..." at North Station from Boston's Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge ... on my way home from work.

Woohoo, my luxury fibers are here!

With the sense of STASH PRIDE ...

When I got home yesterday, these indescribable, soft and luxurious fibers were waiting for me. My package from Make One Yarn Studio, a Calgary knitting yarn & fiber arts shop was a pure joy to open. Well actually it was what I purchased from the gift certificate I won at Warming Grace from Two Wooden Sticks. This is what I call REALLY nice, nice, nice yarn! Just feeling it is a joy of undescribable pleasure. I can imagine what it's going to be like to knit with it. But I'm thinking carefully and listening to what the yarn tells me it wants to be. Yup, yarn talks to me. Call me nuts ... but I've got the fever and yah, yarn is now talking to me!

On a normal shopping order for my usual knitting project, I would have passed this yarn by due to the expense. Whoever heard of Rhonda paying $25.00 for STORE BOUGHT socks, never mind the yarn to knit a pair? I could go into debt buying this yarn. And the Lion & Lamb for a sweater, for instance would cost me a fortune to cover this body. I would have passed it up for less expensive yarn surely. BUT this time I couldn't. In fact, I ordered a little more than the total on the certificate I had won because I couldn't make up my mind on the color or the brand of yarn for socks. Luxury socks! Well I wanted BOTH of the yarns I got and why not give Make1Yarn some extra business right? Here's what I got ...


A) 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb hand-dyed 50% silk & 50% wool in Sand Ridge colorway. So soft! So yummy! So knittable! Femiknit Mafia suggested I knit Clapotis from Knitty.com with the Lion & Lamb. So I'm knitting it as a small wrap I think. M-m-m-m, but I'm still thinking on it and will admirer the yarn for awhile before I begin. Besides, I have a few WIPs to finish right now anyway.




B) 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces hand-dyed Shepard Sock in Jungle Stripes colorway. Oooooohh, I'm going to LOVE these socks! The color combo is to die for. I can just imagine what they're going to feel like when I wear them. Oh yes, these socks will be on my feet by next winter I think ...




and last but certainly not least ...



C) 2 skeins of Art yarns Ultramerino04 100% Luxury Merino Wool in a multi Pink colorway. The color is not as vibrant as I had hoped for but may show up differently when knit up. And what am I going to knit? More socks of course!



Between Socks & Dolls, where does it end?

Presenting the Lolly Twins ...

Finished my Knitted Babes this morning. So I present to you; Lola and Lucy Lolly. Twins! They're in their bathing suits and waiting for their accessories before taking a trip to Florida for swimming and fun in the sun. Whoopee !!

I just loved making these girls! Lola has her hair in pigtails but she can also wear it down or in ponytails like her sister. When it's down, it's "wild" and that's the way they like it. I used Knit Picks' Radiance Wave for their hair. That's 77% Superfine Alpaca & 23% Silk. Only the best for my girls! Their
bodies are peach cotton Sugar N' Cream and whatever I had for their clothes & accessories beside the Knit Picks Palette yarn which is Peruvian wool. I'll be smoothing out any rough edges and knitting a few more things for them during the next week before Lucy takes her trip to stay with Sammie in Naples, Florida. I can't wait to see what Sammie comes up with for the girls ... she's sewing up some outfits also. M-m-m-m, they need a beach robe ...

Looking for sunshine and flowers ...

It started raining Tuesday, the day after I took these pictures of flowers blooming in my gardens. But they look pretty sad right nOw. One day of rain, or even two days of rain, is nice for the garden and grass, but since it's suppose to rain right thru next Tuesday for 7 DAYS of rain.... well that is just TOo much!

I want to see my flowers!! Already the lilacs are waning ... and the beautiful yellow poppies are laying on the ground as we speak and I haven't gotten close enough to see if my the peonie buds are getting fatter. We go on vacation in one week and I can't believe I won't be able to get anything more done in my garden this year until JUNE. Okay if it rains at night or even ALL night but PLEASE give me a little sun this Saturday & Sunday [Amend].

Ah, but it's nice knitting weather and that looks like what I'll be doing this weekend ... ALL WEEKEND! [Okay I'll accept that]

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

If I would knit more and shop less....

I'd be in heaven if I could knit all I wanted too! So if I'm not knitting, then I'm planning on knitting. And if I'm planning on knitting, then I'm looking at more patterns [free or otherwise] and then I have to shop for more yarn when I see something I'd really like to make. And there are those times I just want more of a variety of colors to pick from to use on a number of projects. Such as ... well for one, the Knitted Babes need a lot of different colors. And my acrylic yarn stash has been dwindling [believe it or not] since I've been using it up for things I've made for the grandchildren. I also have a plan for knitting a hat to go with the besotted scarf I've been making for the DH using grey mystery Andean Baby Alpaca yarn. I'll use the same yarn for the main color on the hat he picked out which has a wide band around it with a combo of colors also ... like Fair Isle. He found the pattern one day in one of the books I had sitting in a stack beside my chair. He was going through my books! Whoa nellie!! He had looked at sweaters in the pictures I held up in order to SHOW him and he would shrug his shoulders now & then or tell me why he didn't like the style or whatever. But now he's going thru my books to FIND something that he would like. Can you imagine? Is the happiest I have been radiating whenever I wear what I have knitted for myself started to rub off on him? Does he feel envy? Or is the cold New England weather finally getting to him and he sees that I'm much warming than he is in his store bought crap? Well, I really can't really turn down this request for a hat can I. And his birthday is in September [how convenient].

Okay, I'm leading up to the fact that I had my eye on KnitPick's Palette Sampler package of Peruvian Wool (fingering weight - perfect for Fair Isle & the Knitted Babes which call for fingering yarn also) ... so you see the reasoning here for spending $50.00? I received it in the mail yesterday. It will be SO used up for useful items and gifts, believe me. It's not something just to STASH away to be taken out only to be admired. This is WORKING yarn! A color palette for present & future knitting. I've already started this morning with clothes for the Babes. And tonight I'll pick out the colors to set aside for THE hat ...

and of course I had fun last night just admiring the colors I had to pick from.

A knitting update ...

The faces on the Knitted Babes are coming along nicely. I received the nice felt wool from Sammie at the end of the week, but I didn't get to this part until last night after working all day on the front & back gardens. I put in 20 new perennials. I won't even begin to list them tho. But I'll take pictures as each goes into bloom.

Then I got this package of yarn in the mail. It's my order from Elann.com ... I plan to make this sweater but not in long sleeves ... I would like 3/4 sleeves [that come just below my elbow] instead. As for the pink/green yarn. I don't even remember why I bought that. Maybe for a scarf or mini shawl or something. Not for socks or another sweater. Not even enough for a vest. Might have to think on that a bit I guess.

Oh, and here's the progress on my Crazy Cotton socks. I'm doing two at one time and I work on these when I'm on the train or shuttle to work. Which so far is working out great. Nice to know I'll have a full pair of socks completely done when I bind off.

So that's it for today ...

Addendum .... I am the lucky-ducky winner of a $100 gift certificate to Make 1 Yarn Studio, in the draw on Cynthia's Warming Grace project! Woohoo! A total surprise since I had signed up even before there was any discussion about prizes. So now that I am a winner, I've been looking over the in stock list. I've change my shopping list 4 times already. I wish they had pictures of their stock on their website, but they're new and don't have a great web site yet. But their store looks great from the newsletters that I've been getting. For awhile I thought about acquiring a drop spindle, but I think that might be a bad choice. If my DH had any idea I might have designs on spinning he might then lock me out of the house. So I better stick to yarn that's already spun, huh? That means I can at least lust for my top choice ... Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn. I've had a desire to purchase that yarn for a looooong time now, but the price has put a holt on the justification of purchasing such a luxury yarn. But woohoo, I've got the extra doe now haven't I? ... and why not spend it on something I wouldn't have otherwise? Tomorrow I decide on the colors I want ...

Happy knitting everyone!

Stitching ANYTHING ... is my life!

Yesterday when the MIT SnB group got together to knit on the front steps of MIT's Killian Court, it was mentioned that I was once a crocheter. One of our members was told that there were a few crochet people in our group, but I had said that I wasn't "into" crocheting anymore. Well that's sort of true; I crocheted for thirty-five [35] years and I just don't do it as much anymore. It doesn't mean that I won't answer questions if another crocheter runs into a problem or needs help in understanding a patterns written direction. I'm more than happy to help! After all, crochet was my first love. I just don't crochet as much anymore; I'm a knitter now!

There are those in my new world that wonder what kind of crocheting I did. Or even what other kind of stitching did I do (or still do). So I'll put up some pictures today.

First crochet ... it was my first love ... my GREAT-grandmother taught me when I was about 10 years old and I really developed my interest when I was 18. I did anywhere from Baby sweaters sets to dollies to afghans. One year I made seven afghans for Christmas gifts. Here are just a few:



And then I literally fell in love with cross stitch. I can't tell you how many I have done, but here are some pictures of just a few:






















Remember my friend Sammie?

Well we started out doing dolls together many years ago and here is the first one. I did all of the cross-stitching and she did all of the sewing. We made one for each of us.

Then a few years ago we did Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus. I also did the crochet shawl for Mrs. Claus as well as blankets & accessories like a handbag, etc. This is before I started knitting. So the Knitted Babes will be our project together now.

So last but not least are the other stitching that I do:




crewel








embroidery













... I only have time to dabble in quilting ... my favorite part is "hand quilting." There is a quilter inside of me trying to get out!








Even tho I love my knitting now, I will always consider crochet as my "First Love"...









But now I'm a knitter!

Little Bo Beep has found her sheep ...

Wagging his tail behind him ... or rather her. I think this is a Ewe ... don't you? Well I restuffed and sewed up her leg and found her a home on my bookcase next to my knitting-chair.

















Now I need to make a herd [flock]. My little, Jayden will probably love one by this next Christmas don't you? Altho, this weekend I'm knitting up a little soft toy for her. The sheep will stay with me for awhile. Jayden is still too young [only 2 months] and needs something small to hold on to. Now I'm on to knitting the besotted scarf before I start the toy or another sheep.

Knitting up for the Girls!

Another WIP ... Knitted Babies.


My Florida friend, Sammie is working on this with me. I'm doing the knitting and she's sewing up some outfits and a carrying bag. I'm waiting on some felt (nice wool) that she's put into the mail for the "girls" faces. I got all the parts for 2 girls knitted up so far. When I make one for me, I'll be making one for Sammie also. Have to decide on the hair ... maybe red.
I like red!

So while I'm waiting to continue ... I'll stuff & photograph "Sheepy" for you. Got him felted and should be dry tonight. Once he's done ... then on to other knitting ... such as my "besotted" scarf for the DH's birthday. Altho, I should get the embroidery done on the fish handbag I knit & felted. Remember that project? Ah, I didn't forget ... but just not in the mood to embroider yet. I'd rather be knitting!