The celebrities that look like me?

Here's an interesting note: Jane Curtin is related to my DH's first wife! Funny huh?
Well it is amazing how much Jordana Brewster looks like a younger ~ ME.

And if you think that's amazing ... here's one done up of me using my High School graduation day picture ... Jordana Brewster, Dakota Fanning & Heidi Klum are on this one also. Doesn't take much to amuse me does it? LOL

Dressing up ...

Here's the Munchkin in one of her new knit bibs to keep her little outfit clean longer ... knit by me, Grammy!

Ever get lost in a really good article or book?

Okay ... I'm only here for a snippet of a blog post. Busy with the Sweet Sixteen party pictures. I'm putting them in a slide show for the granddaughter, but it's taking time because I HAVE to go to work too and there's no time to post it yet.

Also have a couple of pictures of the Munchkin wearing one of the bibs I knit for her. But no time yet to post it either.

And you're not going to believe this ... but on my way home last night ... instead of knitting on a sock, I was really really into reading a very, very interesting article. An article on the "Mathematics World Stage", which is part of the world that I work for at M.I.T. Well it was interesting because it was also about a few people that I know. People that I work for or with or just know about. Okay ... it was totally intriguing and ...

I missed my train stop!

One minute I heard "Swampscott" ... the stop before Salem. Then ...

"Beverly" .... the stop AFTER Salem. Oh dear, I mentioned my delimma to the conductor and he told me the next train going back to Salem was DIRECT to BOSTON. I had to wait at least another 40 minutes to Salem. Okay.... 35 minutes to have a drink and finish reading my article.

But I'll tell ya ... Beverly really does have a nice station. The Beverly Depot Restaurant & Saloon is right there. I stepped in and ordered a Margarita ... and it was pretty dam good!

So I caught the 5:56 train back to Salem and here's a picture ....
of the view I never (usually) get to see going home!

















I usually just "go with the flow"! *hiccup*

Going to a Sweet Sixteen Birthday Party ...

For one of my Granddaughters. Won't have time to knit! I'll post pictures on Sunday if Blogger is willing to let me. Happy knitting everybody!



p.s. Had a great time at Community Knitting in the Seed Stitch Fine Yarn store on Thursday night. Didn't take pictures since I didn't want to scare anybody away, LOL. But we just knit & yucked it up anyways. Right girls! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Name Generator gone wild ...

Rhonda Ruth Stitchingnut's Aliases

Your movie star name: Ice Cream Arthur Your fashion designer name is Rhonda Diessen Your socialite name is Dusty Boston Your fly girl / guy name is R Sti Your detective name is Sheep Savanna Your barfly name is Potato Chips Wine Your soap opera name is Ruth Witch Ave USA Your rock star name is Chocolate Lightning Your Star Wars name is Rhojb Stibil Your punk rock band name is The Stressed Knitting Needles

The Amazing Meganame Generator

Note added: Thursday 7/27/2006

Hey, see you at Community Knitting at the
Seed Stitch Fine Yarn shop, 10 Front Street, Salem, MA ...
tonight 6:00 - 8:00 pm. I'll be the one knitting a sock!

Developing an intimate relationship?

With Salem's new yarn shop ...

The evidence is here. I went back down to The Seed Stitch Fine Yarns on 10 Front Street AGAIN. This time to exchange one of the Merino yarns I got the day before for another color and purchase 3 more for another hat. That's right, I'm about done with the first hat & decided I wanted it in another set of colors as well. I'll show you why once I get them blocked.

Oh and just in case you're wondering why I'm showing you the green balls of Silkroad Aran Tweed by Jo Sharp .... 85% Wool, 10% Silk & 5% Cashmere.

Better known and Fiber Gold or Yarn Porn!

And ANOTHER book ... a Jo Sharp book called Gathering Hand knitting collection Book number five ...
Of course it's because I made another purchase.

But this time, something for myself and this time, it's a sweater. Okay, and also because Victoria is a very good sales person [& it has nothing to do with me being very weak .]

That's it in a nut shell.

But what I want to know, Victoria is "why?" ....
Why the clear bag? You might have a dear sweet hubby that understands the yarn stash ... on your store shelves perhaps ... but I'm talking about carrying this lucious bunch of goodies into MY house. All I can say is ...

Thank goodness the DH was away for the weekend!

Okay I know I'm weak but there is another reason why I liked the sweater in this book and intend to knit it. The Seed Stich Fine Yarn is having a Community Knitting Night on Thursdays, 6 - 8 PM right in their store. There will be other knitters there knitting that same sweater! Yup, could be around 6 or 7 of us all getting into trouble at the same time or whipping up a beauty of a sweater.

Come and join us ... I'll be there ...

This is going to be fun!!

I also stopped by the Crafter's Boutique on Artist Row on my way to the Seed Stitch [I park my car at the Post Office parking lot and walk a few block ... justifing my walking by all these places I love to stop at ... you know ... this is exercize.]

And since they were having an Open House, I put my name into a drawing. I left without thinking another thing about it. Until ...

I got a call this afternoon ... I had won a little felted purse.

How cool is that? It's child size, so I could give it to a granddaughter for her birthday or it's just right for a wallet, cell phone, comb, chap stick & keys while I take one of those walks ...




Freeing up my hands for a
shopping bag maybe?

Took a walk today ...

I put on my happy feet Tropicana socks today and off I went for a walk ...

Not only is it exercize but I had a motive to get moving ... called SHOPPING!

I intended to stop by a new yarn store in town ...
Seed Stitch Fine Yarn
at 10 Front Street in Salem, MA.

It's a really nice place that I'm hoping to get to know even better and I met the shop proprietor, Victoria. She helped me pick out the yarn I needed for DH's hat. [See, I really meant it when I said I would knit one for him.] Well about this new shop ...
They'll have classes starting in September if you're interested ... call (978) 774-5557.

And here's a little yarn porn I got while I was there ...

Cleckheaton Merino Supreme
100% Australian Pure New Wool --- and it feels so yummy!

Okay, I DID start another sock. But it's a relaxing easy knit. No real brain strain to this Easy Sock I'm knitting with Meilenweit Cotton Multi Jacquard. It's 45% Cotton 42% Wool & 13% Polyamid. Made in Italy but was one of my purchases while I was in The Netherlands last year. I've made one pair with this brand so far and have 3 more left. It's a really nice yarn to knit with. I might even give one of these skeins to my Yarn Aboard Pal.

It's different from what she's used in the past, but I think she will really like the feel of it. It also washes up really nicely even in a washing machine [I also throw it in the dryer & it still looks great.] I hope she like's it. I know I do and we all need good summer socks too. Right?


Oh ya, I have just a few things "hanging around the house" that I've knit up for my new little munchkin ... Jayden. I think I'll put them aside to take up to her next week. Found the pattern in the book One Skein by Leigh Radford ... quick and easy to knit.

I made all three in one weekend ... under one skein each too.

Sometimes those easy knits really hit the spot in satisfaction!

Quick note and then I`m out of here ...

I finished my Tropicana socks!

The pictures aren't great, but I don't want to wait until I get my good camera out.... so here's what I got right now at work. Notice how nice they go with my fancy pants? I wasn't sure about these socks at first and of course I struggled with the 'short-row' heels, but now that they're on my feet ... I love 'em!

Now I have to take a break from socks ... weeeeellll, on any fancy socks at any rate [maybe]. You know ... the kind I have to wrap-my-mind-around. I must make something for the DH for his Birthday. That's not too far away either ... September 10th. He showed me a picture from one of my books of a hat he liked. So I am going to knit that hat. I MUST knit that hat ... he's been pretty tolerate of me and my obsession ... "your fantastic obsession" as he says.
Once he said that, I knew ...

He desires a good warm hat for his birthday!

Additional note:
The DH just called and he's taking me and his sister out for a wine tasting and an appetizer dinner tonight. It's being held at Stromberg's in Salem just at the Bridge that takes you into Beverly. Right on the water.

And this is the view we'll have sitting under the Black Lobster Tent. It's open air and on the water's edge with the view of the river, bay & bridge. They have live music also. Last week we listened to a Blues gatarist. It was really lovely out and we had lot's of fun. Hey, even the sea food dinner was EXCELLENT!

Do you suppose he just read my Blog? Naaaah, never!

Stop me from spending it all!

Just look at what I've bought in just only the past two weeks.
Somebody has GOT to get me under control!

First it was some sock yarn ... I was looking for solid colors and found it at Fun Knits store.
Opal sock yarn ... and I've got plans for it.

Then I got some more books. Well what else is new? I love books!
And I saw the opportunity to buy a few Elizabeth Zimmerman's books ... which is well worth collecting and I've been wanting to collect more than the first 2 I had anyway. And Hit By A Farm is on my reading list, after I finish Needled to Death by Maggie Shefton ... which I'm half done with already and even ordered her next book, A Deadly Yarn. Yegads, I must be going nuts! Stop me before I spend it all! The kids are going to inherit yarn, books, knitting needles and misc. STUFF ... and at this rate there might be a Spinning Wheel thrown in too boot. But NO money!! Mooola will be all spent at this rate kids.

Then ... Sock blockers from Knitted Interrupted - Leggy Creations. To hang in my laundry room as pieces of Art rather than to actually block socks. IF, I block socks I usually use the coat hanger method. You can hang them up and the hangers were only $1.98 a dozen from Walmart. Plastic coated ... so you can hang wet items to dry.




It doesn't stop here ... August 16 a new yarn shop in Salem will open called Seed Stitch Fine Yarn on 10 Front Street. See the knitted bathing suit in the window. Ugh, who would ever wear a knitted bathing suit? But the shop looks really interesting. It has a long table down the middle with chairs or either side also ... classes maybe? Or a spot to sit & sample some yarns? Or a place for knitters to get together with their new yarn & needles purchases and chat? Well, I aim to find out!

If only I could go in, look around, and NOT buy more yummy yarn and what-nots ... aaahh, Who am I kidding??

The Knitting Hand Contest ...

Another contest ... this one is with Antics with the menagerie and it's called the

Random Knitting Theory: They say that "Successful, continental knitters have a certain kind of hand."

Do they? Do you have it? Do I?

So here are my pictures to test the theory. I don't really understand what the theory is, but Jerry & Maxy orginally asked for Continental knitters and then included English knitters afterward. I'm an English knitter, but I do use the Continental when I do Fair Isle.

The first shot is of my "somewhat" idle hands. LOL, don't they look like a witches' craggy paws? Well I do have arthiritis in my left thumb and I'm over age 50 [plus] ... but maybe the fact that I live in Salem, MA ... the city of witches [BTW, I also read Tarot cards -- bet you didn't know that!] has something to do with it? Hah-hah-heh-haw-ha ...
And the next two shots are my knitting hands in action. I took two different angles because I was using the timer on my camera and felt it would show more with both shots.
Are they looking for these hands?
M-m-m-m, or maybe it's Yours ...

Jayden, Kate and Grandma too ...

Here she is wearing the Pinwheel sweater. I'll post more pictures later when Blogger will let me.

Oh good ... here they are. I don't have much to say today ... the pictures tell it all ... I had a beautiful, beautiful weekend! After all, I got to play with a beautiful doll!! BTW, the sweater came off once she started squirming ... too hot for wool right now but she'll love it when the cold New England weather gets here. Isn't she just as cute as a button?

Dipsey Doodle Socks ...

So many responded to my Dipsey Doodle Fetzenmuster-sock! Thanks for all the wonderfull comments. All this attention can really go to my head! But it sure feels good to read & hear all those nice compliments on what I love doing the most .... stitching ... knitting.

Now these are my last pictures and you don't have to comment. I just felt I needed to put up clearer pictures of my lovely orange feet. I used my better camera and if Blogger will let me, I'll post them now.

Then I'm off for a weekend of visiting with the new baby, Jayden to give her the Pinwheel sweater and Kate I knit for her. Teach my granddaughter, Samantha how to knit. And also teach knitting to her brother Cody, if he's there and not off working (he's age 8 & doesn't work much, lol) with his step-daddy.

Oh, I should give you some details on the yarn I used. I was putting it off because ....
well because it's the cheapest sock yarn I could find. I got it back when I learned to knit socks and the main reason I bought it was because of the COLOR ... it was orange. And the answer is always orange! So here it is: BERNAT Sox Nouveau, 60% Acrylic 40% Nylon/Plyamide. That's right ... couldn't have cost me more than $6.00 for 2 balls of it. But I can't remember. They don't have as much give as wool does, but they're comfortable and I was able to wear them even in 90 degree weather with sandles [sandles that need socks to keep them cutting into my feet, lol].
[They sure look different off my feet don't they?]

So now it's off to a beautiful weekend ...

And of course, I'll be knitting more socks!

My Happy Orange Feet ...

I think I'll now call them my Dipsey Doodle socks!

This is not a clear picture, but you'll get the idea.

They are certainly happy ...


Note the neat little toes ... And the beautifully executed gusset ... and how cool they look close up...

And how nice they look on my feet! ...

My happy socks said, "Wear us to work today"!
So I did...

Short Row Heel Saga!

Before I tell you how I made out with the short heel last night, I have to mention that if someone as talented and Knit Knowledgable as Knit and Tonic is can also be "sweating" over short row heel shocks then I can't shot myself in my Knitting Knogging for not getting this technique the first dozen tries, huh? Need I say more? Oh ya, here's the continuing saga of short rows ...

Purlwise has a good picture turtorial for short row heels, but I still couldn't get it right.

So Woolworks helped me the most with short row heel wraps as well as the heel on Knitty.com's Lickety Split sock which was pretty much the same instructions but set up different word wise. Hey, this technique is one that I had to stand on my head to understand. But I got it!

And here is the final result above. Yup, I said final ... I'm not doing it over AGAIN! Altho I have one tiny hole where the last wrap meets the sock foot. I'll "fudge" it if I have too ...

But guess what? I found an even better short heel ... check it out at OzYarn [which is closed, but I have the archived link] [from Kaity of All She Wants To Do Is Knit, who happened to comment at Knit & Tonic's] for the Easy Sock from OzYarn.com. I worked up a test with some worsted weight yarn & size 3 dpn's to get a good look at how it works. This is what I got ...


I love the way it looks and will use it for the next short heel sock after I finish the Tropicana.


Book alert!

Just don't have enough books in my home library, hey ... here's my new purchase: Oneskein by Leigh Radford and for light enjoyable reading, Patterns of Murder by Monica Ferris which is a 3 book in one package ... "Crewel World," "Framed in Lace," and "A Stitch in Time" ... I figure, if I like the first three, I'll buy the other 5.

I'll get back to you but I won't tell you "who done it!"