Seed Stitch Fine Yarn Event

REMINDER

On Saturday, February 2^nd, from 5:30-7 PM, at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn, you can knit with Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle, Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine, and An Ornithologit's Guide to Life, in a private setting and intimately get to know her. She will share with you the inspiration for her heartfelt book. The Knitting Circle is based on a life-altering event that is her own life story. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions and converse about anything that you would like. Best of all, we will see what she is knitting now! This is a perfect evening to spend with your knitting group or handcraft girlfriends.

Call 978-744-5557 for registrations and join us in the Knitting Circle with Ann Hood $10.

Book signing is FREE from 3:30-5:30 PM, also in the store on 21 Front Street, Salem, MA.

I'm in the middle of reading the Knitting Circle right now myself. I won't miss the chance to meet the author. And I don't go anywhere without my knitting bag these days!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While I'm on the subject of books ... here is one that I just got in the mail for my birthday from my best friend, Sammie in Georgia. I LOVE it! Just the neatest little pincushions in this book to handcraft. I intend to make at least one before my "Painting with Wool" class February 17. I love the ones on the cover. They were designed by Jen from Schmaltzy Craftsy.

Did I hear someone say I don't have enough to do already? Hah

What's that going to be?

Only have blips from my WIPs to show you today.

1. For Valentines day, there's a Zipped Vest for DH in the works ... and I'm now at the armpits. Which is more than this last picture but you've got the idea.

2. And the beat goes on for the Ice Queen also. Can I get it done to wear on Valentine's Day?

Did you see the beads?

Cornflower Blue Rainbow.

3. I haven't neglected my Poetry in Stitches Cardigan either ... but I think I'm just taking my time.

4. So what's that over there?

Over there by the swift?

More sock yarn? Is it waiting to become a cake.

To be cast on the needles?
Dare I?

You know what Sheep Shop Yarn Company - sheep number 3 feels like don't you?

Opps ....



I think it's already turned into cakes ...

The Spirit of Giving ...

The Pollard Elementary School in Plaistow, NH collected donations during the Holiday Season amounting to 116 skeins of yarn for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program [RSVP] knitting volunteers at Southern New Hampshire Services. The first grade teacher Sandy Ward, found my blog and thought it was a wonderful “giving” project for her class. Also joining Sandy on this project was Elizabeth LaRosa and her kindergarten class.

What an exciting morning for the kids, teachers and Dee Martin, Director of Volunteers for Southern NH Services! The kids also made paper hats and mittens with their name on them so when RSVP gives their mittens and hats out, they will place one of the paper hats or mittens on the donation to let people know who donated the yarn. What a great idea, huh? Dee personalized a “certificate” as a thank you [put in a frame] for both teachers and their class.

This wonderful event helped boost the yarn supply for the volunteer's knitting to continue, but as usual, they always need more throughout the year. Knitting goes on all year for these ladies and we hope you can continue to help.

Dee told me they have met some wonderful, giving people from all over the United States already and asked me to Thank You ALL for your generous giving spirit ...

And of course, the StitchingNut thanks you also!

Just an added Note ...

Have you read the book "The Knitting Circle: A Novel" by Ann Hood?

If you haven't -- read the reviews here.

I highly recommend it. If you have read the book [or haven't but want to buy it], you might be interested to know that Ann Hood will be at the Seed Stitch Fine Yarn on 21 Front St. Salem, MA on Saturday, February 2, 2008 3:30-5:30 pm for a book signing and for $10 join the knitting group for a private knitting session with Ann 5:30-7:00 pm.

I bet I'll be there also! [I'm sure there is no doubt in your mind]

Oh boy, Another Contest ...

January Finish a UFO Contest 2008!

At Skeins Her Way.

I'm in! Going to finish the Tahki Stacy Charles Bali Cropped Cardigan I had started last July. Well I'll try anyways. Let's see, I'm knitting on the Poetry in Stitches pg 126 Cardigan, the Zipped Vest for the DH for Valentine's Day, Ice Queen for me to wear if we go OUT to dinner for Valentine's Day, and dare I cast on anything else? How about if I get some more needle felting done for my class in February.

Yah, I better not plan anything else until March.

And what am I knitting?

Note: There's a contest to check out at Shut Up, I'm Counting ... tell her the StitchingNut sent you, Okay?

And the answer to my question:

Besides those little sock earrings that keep multiplying?


Well let's see ...

you all know about the Poetry in Stitches pg 126 sweater, right?

It's going to take me years on size one needles!

But then there's a valentine's gift I'm doing for the DH. Yah ... can you believe he was lookning thru the Knit Picks flyer that comes in the mail before I got home and says to me, "There's a sweater in there that I would love to have." What? A KNIT sweater? Let me show you, he says. Well it's a sweater VEST. NO sleeves. He loves it. Shouldn't I knit it? Doesn't this give me a reason to go out and buy more yarn, because of course I don't already have the right yarn for this project? The beige in the Knit Picks flyer isn't right for him of course. So I said, "A blue or grey would look really nice on you wouldn't it?" "Or RED," says the man.

Whoo-hoo I found cranberry red Cleckheaton Country 8ply at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn's year end close out sale. A SALE! So I cast on another project ... can I get it done in time for him to wear when we go out to dinner on Valentine's Day? Time will tell.

I was suppose to teach a class in "Painting with Wool" at Seed Stitch this Sunday but it had to be postponed and rescheduled for February 17. The "Sculpture with Wool" class I was going to give will now be held on March 16, 1-4 ... in case you're interested in joining me for a class. And here's what we'll be making ...

I've got to run now.

Many things are going on "behind the skeins"

at the StitchingNut's ...

p.s. Don't foreget there's a contest to check out at Shut Up, I'm Counting ... tell her the StitchingNut sent you.

More FO's have cropped up over night!

Sock Earrings for every pair of socks, I say. From now on I'm knitting a pair of these once a month to go with every Sock A Month [SAM5] that I do.

It's like my socks are having babies.





And the stork keeps bringing them...



What's a knitter to do?



I say, "Go back to my knitting, now that the "little" stuff is done."

Socks, Socks, Socks

ODE TO MY SOCKS
by Pablo Neruda

hear this poem

Go ahead, click on the "hear this poem" and then clicking on the Q player arrow once you get there to hear it and then come on back here. I'll wait.

Isn't that the neatest poem?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These Jaywalker's are my first pair of socks for 2008.
My 2nd FO for the year. And my feet are ready to enjoy this treat for my feet!

Yarn is Brooklyn Handspun's Holiday sock club colorway "Give Thanks" ... but now they're my birthday socks for the month of January rather than November. Like giving thanks for another birthday, right? Hey, I'm over 50 so I'm giving thanks.

And while we're on the subject of Socks and Poetry ... here's another one.

Winding Wool

She'd bring to me a skein of wool
And beg me to hold out my hands;
so on my pipe I cease to pull
And watch her twine the shining strands
Into a ball so snug and neat,
Perchance a pair of socks to knit
To comfort my unworthy feet,
Or pullover my girth to fit.

As to the winding I would sway,
A poem in my head would sing,
And I would watch in dreamy way
The bright yarn swiftly slendering.
The best I liked were coloured strands
I let my pensive pipe grow cool . . .
Two active and two passive hands,
So busy wining shining wool.

Alas! Two of those hands are cold,
And in these days of wrath and wrong,
I am so wearyful and old,
I wonder if I've lived too long.
So in my loneliness I sit
And dream of sweet domestic rule . . .
When gentle women used to knit,
And men were happy winding wool.

--- Robert Service

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frankly, this reminds me of the days when it was such a chore to ask somebody (anybody PLEASE) to help me wind some yarn. Give me my Swift and Ball Winder any day!

Now that I'm on the subject of Quizes ...

What does your choice of Pizza reveal about you?

Maybe I shouldn't be laughing about this but ...

What My Pizza Reveals

Your appetite is pretty average. You don't go overboard - but you don't deprive yourself either. You are a very picky pizza eater. Not any pizza will do. You fit in best in the Northeast part of the US. You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods. You are dependable, loyal, and conservative with your choices. You are deep and thoughtful. You should consider traveling to Paris. The stereotype that best fits you is geek. You're the type most likely to order pizza to avoid leaving your computer.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

Well if I really had my choice I would have said I wanted just about EVERYTHING on my Pizza! That wasn't one of our choices tho. But wouldn't it have been interesting to know what THAT meant?

Here's one I really, really couldn't resist. I promise it's the last one for ... awhile anyways.

Are you addicted to Blogthings?

You Are 50% Addicted to Blogthings

You're a Blogthings fiend - addicted but not totally dependent. So what if you know your personality type by heart? And while you may feel like Blogthings is crack... There are people much worse off than you!

How Addicted To Blogthings Are You?

Ah-hum.
Back to knitting ... how about a knitting poem?

Autumn - overlooked my Knitting -
Dyes - said He - have I -
Could disparage a Flamingo
Show me then - said I -

Cochineal - I chose - for deeming
It resembles Thee -
And the little Border - Dusker
for resembling Me -


-Emily Dickinson

Are you a Hippie?

Another quiz spotted at Sara's. I think she's addicted to these quizzes ... but who am I to talk?
Am I a Hippie? ... Nope, not exactly.

I'm Not Exactly a Hippie...

While you're not a hippie, you've got the spirit of one. Like most hippies, you have deep beliefs and unusual interests. You may not buy into hippie fashions, music, or heavy drug use. But at heart, you are a free spirit and suspicious of the status quo.

Are You a Hippie?

And here's one that I found interesting ... What Kind of Pie are You?

And me?

I Am Apple Pie

You're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional. You prefer things the way you've always known them. You'll admit that you're old fashioned, and you don't see anything wrong with that. Your tastes and preferences are classic. And classic never goes out of style. Those who like you crave security. People can rely on you to be true to yourself - and true to them. You're loyal, trustworthy, and comfortable in your own skin. And because of these qualities, you've definitely earned a lot of respect.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

And ...

My Nail Polish Color is Pink

How you're unique: You're girly without being high maintenance Why your style rocks: You're the perfect blend of stylish, preppy, and cute What this color says about you: "I am secure enough not to follow every trend"

What Color Nail Polish Best Fits You?

Well ... I really don't follow every trend!

And the Winner is ...

Cindy from The Yarn Nut. An Alabama knitter.

Congratulations, Cindy! I'll get the book out to you next week. It's a book that'll help you get started on next Christmas gift knitting. Have fun with it!

And as I promised earlier ... my first FO of 2008 ...

It's the Nomad Hat from Interweave Knits, Fall 2007. Used Cascade's Baby Alpaca Chunky. So soft. Goes great with my Elephant Coat doesn't it? Also nice & warm and won't blow off in the wind.

Nor' East'r headed our way tonight.

I say, bring on the next snow storm ...

another Nut is ready!

A contest for you and a super prize to boot.

DH will be out for the afternoon on an errand, but said he would draw the winner of the contest from the previous post for me when he gets back ... SO, I'm going to show you the prize and will also extend the time for entries a couple of hours. Let's say 4:00 pm today, okay? DH will be home around 4:00pm and I'll post the winning name by tonight or tomorrow morning.

I also have an FO to show off! But first the prize ...

Have I lost my mind? ... Actually "yes" ... I accidentally bought 2 of these books and didn't realize it until I started organizing my bookcase. So I don't even know WHEN I did it. Therefore, no returning. But I bet one of you will enjoy it. Don't you just love those fingerless mitts? So just let me know "What Fiber am I?"

What Fiber are You?

Have you taken this quiz yet at Potter's Craft News?

What Fiber are You?

Go ahead and find out which one you are by clicking on the link above, take the quiz and come on back to tell me which one you are and then ...

Let me know "which one do you think I am?"

What fiber category would the Stitchingnut fit into? Take an educated guess. You know me right?

I took the quiz already and downloaded the button ... so I'll install it here later today or maybe tomorrow. Maybe I should make this a contest. Okay ... I will.

Everyone who puts in the correct conjecture will have their name put into a hat and I'll have the DH draw for the winner.

I'll come up with a prize later. [will be a Book or Yarn - stay tuned!] To give you all some time to put in your guess ... I'll post my button on Saturday afternoon, January 12 and the winner's name also. So the deadline is Saturday at NOON.

Woohoo a Contest!

Did I forget?

Did I forget to show you my socks? The final FO for 2007. I finished them on the airplane December 24th and took pictures at my sister's, but had no way to post them. I got back on December 31st and posted them just in time for the Sock A Month KAL. But forgot to show them to you. But ... better late than never, I say.

I love these socks. I'm even going to make sock earrings to match 'em. Got one mini-sock done for those already and just waiting for the weekend to do the other. So here I present my Holly Berry Leaf socks ...

The yarn is Yummee Yarn
Colorway: Knit This, Purl That
Gifted to me by Kim at Knits with a Silent K.
Used size One DPNs cuff down.







No matter which way I look at them ... I LOVE 'em!

Hahhahahahahaha ....

The Recipe For Rhonda

3 parts Drive 2 parts Poise 1 part Imagination Splash of Ingenuity Sip slowly on the beach

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

My "Imagination" really likes that "Sip slowly on the beach" part ... BUT

Let's go over the top with my alter ego ...

The Recipe For Stitchingnut

3 parts Whimsy 2 parts Intensity 1 part Magnetism Splash of Pizzazz Finish off with whipped cream

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Now THAT's Funny! ... and somewhat kinky!!

Christmas added to my stash ...

Since the Holidays are now over I should up date you all on a few of the interesting goodies I got.

First, a lovely oil painting by our son in law, Mike.



You know how I love Art (all kinds) and artistic talent and receiving a gift by the talented person who did it themselves is one of the best gifts ever. [well after all, they might get something homemade from me also] Isn't this oil painting beautiful? Now we have to find the right spot for it in our home and I'm thinking ... the Dining Room.

And here's a beautiful gift the DH gave me for Christmas... well he gave me the Gift Certificate from Seed Stitch Fine Yarn and this shawl pin jumped right into my basket along with all the yarn I got on sale.



What yarn did you say?


and three different colors of Lamb's Pride ...
Never mind how many skeins, LOL. Especially the Cashmere ... you'll just have to check it out in Ravelry or wait until I finally knit up some FO's.

Now I REALLY have to stop shopping! Honestly, a gift certificate for the right place just burns a hole in my pocket and drags some green stuff right along with it. Even plastic can be affected.


So while I work on the next project, here's an up date of me with a few of the grandkids taken at out little family Christmas party.

Aren't they absolutely adorable?



The girls all got Knitted Sock earrings from me and note that they're even wearing them for the picture. And even the slippers I made for the Munchkin fit. They stayed on her feet the whole day too.



So if the Munchkin and her gang are happy with what they got it's now time for me to get down to business and make some FO's appear for 2008.

Happy New Year!

[Late on the New Year's cheer but the new year doesn't start for me until my Birthday ... Tomorrow!] ;-)

I just got the best birthday gift ever ... a call from a sister to let me know that Dad has been off the ventilator for 24 hours now and the doctors say that his condition is "this side of a miracle" ... just what we've been praying for. He may be out of ICCU soon. Of course he's not out of the woods and things are still serious, but this time 2 weeks ago we thought we'd be facing something totally different. There are choices that our Dad needs to make and we would rather they be his choices and that he's at home to make them. We love you Dad!