Leaving well enough alone ...

I'm done with the Open & Closed sign for SSFY.


But I have got to stop fiddling with it right? Does it look okay? Is it the best that it can be? Will Victoria like it? Will it suit the style of the shop?

Do I like it and is it really done?





I thought I was done yesterday. Thought no doubt about it. Until I got home. It had dwelled in my mind all day while I worked.

Needs some final needle punching to show off more details I think. Okay, work at that a little. Take some pictures. I'm done right?

Put it aside before I go nuts and ruin it. Why can't I? I've got other things to work on besides this one project. Other felting projects. Other knitting. And a really good book to read that has captivated me.


Got up this morning and ...

Oh ya, I need to add something else. Something I felt [yuk, yuk] it needed.

Isn't it a sign of a good artist [or even a writer?] to put a project aside, sleep on it so to speak, and look at it later or on another day? Ideas come to you in your sleep maybe. Additional elements appear in your mind's eye for improvements or changes that would make it better. In writing you edit and edit and re-edit, right? Does an artist do that also?


I don't know, but I think I could drive my self nuts if I let a project take over for too long. But now it's done ... Or is it? Do you see anything else that it needs? No?


Good. So I better get this out of the house soon before it takes on a life of it's own!



Back to that really good book [the other thing taking over my life right now.]

[Thanks to Laini Taylor]

The fingernails are not mine but ...

This blew me away!

You Are a Ring Finger

You are romantic, expressive, and hopeful. You see the best in everything. You are very artistic, and you see the world as your canvas. You are also drawn to the written word. Inventive and unique, you are often away in your own inner world. You get along well with: The Pinky Stay away from: The Index Finger

What Finger Are You?

Could this be right?

And why not? I have grandchildren out there ...
and they know this is the way I am and how I live my life.
No sh*t, really!! [stop your laughing, Hi.]

Three day weekends may get me into trouble!

The weekend started on Thursday night for me and what a great day it was!

Look at the wonderful luscious homespun fiber I received as a gift from Weaver. She's the sister-in-law to another blogger at MIT and she just thought that I needed to try some homespun since I have never done so before. Sort of like having my fiber obsession cemented and ingrained into my very being so that I'll never wake up to my previous life again. I'll be hooked forever to knitting. I touched this Orange baby and it's now got a place next to my chair where I can pet it every night until I decide what to knit it up into. A Scarf?

And the pink ... well I've already got plans for that. How about something like the bag made up by Through the Loops! I simply love that bag. Perfect for knitting socks on the go. Yah, I need the right bag so I can knit my socks while I walk. If I want to loose more weight I need to do more walking and of course I don't want to take that much time away from my knitting either. That bag ... is my solution right?! But ... I know, I know ... that means I need to get out the sewing machine also. And I better make it soon if I want to get any walking done this Summer. Thank you, Weaver for contributing to my present affliction ... Yarn! Thank you, thank you.


And why did I say that "Three day weekends may get me into trouble?"

Well just look at my new local yarn shop [LYS] Seed Stitch Fine Yarn. Soon they'll be open 7 days a week. That's including Sunday afternoon. And considering how much I love to go there even if it's just to sit and knit the afternoon away, well it's also pretty tough not to buy anything while I'm there.

Front Street has become my most favorite street in Salem. Take a look ...
Head on over to 21 Front Street, Salem, MA.

Beautiful street huh?

And look at all the color when you step inside.
All this fiber is intoxicating!


and this is the perfect place to sit and knit ....

Could you resist?


Didn't think so.



And look .... just look what's across the street ...

CHOCOLATE and ICE CREAM!!!


The best street in Salem is also home to a candy/ice cream shop, boutique, flower shop, coffee shop, needlework shop, BEAD shop, and Quilting shop.

I've died and gone to heaven!

[Did I tell you I could walk here from my house if I wanted to?
It's less than a mile away!!]

No wonder I can't resist telling you about this place huh? But the trouble is ...

I came down here Saturday afternoon to buy this lamp at a Lighting Shop on the next street over and ...



spent 2 hours at Seed Stitch talking and knitting and ...


went home with ...



All of this ...

Yup, the bag and books. Not that I didn't want to fill it with yarn, but I had knitting with me so I put it in to keep me from thinking I would have to fill an empty bag. LOL

Somebody STOP ME from spending any more money! Please!!

Oh look who I'm talking too ... other knitting addicts. ;-)



I'm not done yet ... I have a confession to make. Mafia ... Cynthia, I made a mistake ... I'm not knitting the Math Whiz with Sophie's Toes "Grandma's Blueberry Pie" ...

When you mentioned that the color was brighter than your's, Mafia I went on home and dug through my stash and found the real "Grandma's Blueberry Pie" .... so what was I knitting with? Ah, "Old Blue Eyes" ... here's two pictures for comparison.

I discovered

a little more purple in Blueberry Pie and Old Blue Eyes is much bluer. You were right ... it's brighter.

I didn't knit much on the Math Whiz over the weekend tho. I had another project ... and it's almost done. I'll show you the start of it ... it's for SSYF's front door.
But you're only looking at what I started. Hope to have it done tonight and then I'm working on another needle felting project for my class in the fall.
First the sign ...

BTW ... the other side will say "Closed"

And there just isn't anything funny to say about that!

I'm a grape? ... Huh.

How interesting. Intriguing ... m-m-m-m-m. Well if I hadn't lost another 3 1/2 lbs, I might add that my body is round enough to be a grape. But I've lost 15 lbs so far so I'm on my way to becoming a "skinny grape". Isn't that a raisin?

Oh ... I'm the color Grape. I see, LOL!

Give it a try ... what color purple are you?

You Are Grape

You are bold and a true individual. You are very different and very okay with that. People know you as a straight shooter. You're very honest, even when the truth hurts. You are also very grounded and practical. No one is going to sneak anything by you. People enjoy your fresh approach to life. And it's this honesty that makes you a very innovative person.

What
Color Purple Are You?

Socks, socks, socks!

For my feet!!

Let me present the Math Whiz. For one foot anyways. Just have to sew in the ends. I LOVE this sock! I loved knitting the pattern and have cast on for the 2nd sock this morning.


At every angle [that I can photograph my own foot with] it looks great!


For my ears!

That's right ... ears. Sock jewelery. I sold 2 pair to a friend and here they are. And the 3rd pair are for me [the orange pair of course]. To show you how small they are, here are each pair next to ...
tooth picks.



The knitting needles used to knit these babies are size 0000. Just a little bigger than the tooth picks. Needless to say, I use magnifying glasses while I knit these. Takes me a couple of hours.
And with no mistakes if I'm not watching TV at the same time.

I know what some people are thinking ... I have got to get a LIFE right?

But I'm having so much fun with the one I've got.

Vieva la socks!!

I've signed up for the Mystery Stole 3 !

I think I forgot to tell everybody about this ... but in case you didn't know about it and want to do a Mystery Stole also, there's still time to sign up here


Click to join mysterystole3


I signed up last week some time and got my yarn and beads in the mail yesterday. Pictures to come once I do a swatch. Yup, I'm doing a swatch ... doesn't everybody?

Over 2200 members from all over the World signed up so far.

That's over 2200 people knitting the same thing! Can you imagine?

There'll even be translators. I'm not an experienced lace knitter [not at all as a matter of fact], but I'm going to give this a try. I've been wanting a beautiful lace stole anyway and when I heard that it will also have beads knit in as you go [or not -- your choice], I was sold. And what fun it'll be that no one will know what it'll look like until we're done. Talk about knitting blindly, huh?

So what's up with all the knitting?

If I did more knitting and less shopping ...

maybe I could get something done!

New purchases either arrived in the mail last week or came home in my knitting bag ...This Mountain Colors from Yarns and Threads the beautiful Barefoot - Crazy Woman. 60% Superwash Wool, 25% Mohair, 15 % nylon ... soft and strong. Washable! Perfect for socks, shawls and baby clothes. Mountain Color yarns are all hand dyed. And believe me, it's yummy!

And then there's my latest purchase at SSFY [Seed Stitch Fine Yarn]. Sock yarn by Claudia Handpainted Yarns and buttons... oh ya, Victoria is now selling a variety of buttons. Yippy! Including two boxes on clearance from which I got mine. They're for a sweater vest I finished and I don't like the buttons already on it and the others will wait for the right projects to come along ... and BTW, SSFY is now on 21 Front St. Salem, MA.
That cute little card is from a my freind, Sammie and I thought it looked so cute. Especially with all the colors of some of my favorite sock yarns below. I don't have enough sock yarn do I? So I bought 3 more Sophie's Toes as soon as Emily from What's That Gonna Be? posted them in her Etsy Shophie's Toes Store. They go quickly when she posts them, but there are about 6 left if you want some. The colors below are [and BTW I love the names she gives her colors] Hunky Lifeguard, Id Like Mine with Extra Hot Sauce, and Seashells.
Whoohoo, I love these colors!

And looky here at the cute little gift I got from my friend, Dottie! She knit the little bag for the little gift that went inside ... that cute little silver sock stitch marker. Guess she knows I'm a sock knitter, huh? Thanks, Dottie!!


Oh yes, I've been knitting. Started the Math Whiz Friday morning about 8:30 am. Took a few pictures when I got the first 28 row pattern repeat completed. But got 3 of those repeats done before I went to bed.

As you see, I had to keep track of this one line by line. It's an easy & fun knit, but you don't want to loose track of which row your working. I also knitted a little over the weekend and I'm now on the foot. So maybe I can complete the first sock tonight and start the 2nd sock tomorrow morning. That's the plan anyways. So here's a few pictures before I sign off for the day ...Oh ya, I did work a little on this also ...

So when does the shopping stop?
Let's hope NEVER!!