A little of this and a little of that ...

Four days of it!

Crocheting a Cardigan ...



Moving slow but sure.

Crocheting an Afghan ...



Also slow but sure. I was going to use a new yarn being carried down at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn, but the color I needed wasn't there and I needed to start this right away. The wedding is in September and I didn't get much notice. So I'll use the Accent Worsted from SSFY another time. There's still no guarantee that I'll finish this one in time ... so it might be for Christmas instead for the newlyweds.

Knit a Bella Mitten with Paton's Icelandic Bulky Wool ...



But haven't started the mate yet because ...

I've started another pair with Spud & Chloe Outer, a bulky wool & cotton blend for me ...



I guess you might be able to guess that I love this new yarn .... Spud & Chloe. Really?

The other pair will be completed and put in the Christmas basket for the grandchildren. I also have Paton's Icelandic Bulky Wool in a medium gray so I'm going to use it for another pair. This is a fast and easy pattern and I bet the girls will love 'em. But I'm also thinking of buying some Rowan Big Wool to make a pair for each of my sister in laws. Just thinking on it for now. Maybe I'll do a Christmas basket for them too ... and let them pick out something they like.

I'm getting all kinds of ideas from Debbie Bliss' new magazine too.



But mostly stuff for me rather than Christmas. I better not get off track.

I've been browsing some books too ...



Mainly for creative ideas for finishing. I love 'em!

Then of course I've gotten a little closer to peeking behind my bed and catching a painful glimpse to what I've stashed there ...



Keeping an eye of those MIA's that are haunting me ... like "spooks" calling out my name and whining, "finish me next ... finish me next".

Today is my last day at M.I.T.

I've been laid-off! C'est la vie [such is life] Se la vi

Even though I've been at MIT for almost 10 years now; today I'm leaving without a look back. And when I walk out the door today ... I'll be humming a tune. Bet you think it will be "Que Sera, Sera" [what will be, will be right?]

But it isn't.

It's a little more updated. A little more me.

Yup, it's ... "No matter"




It don't matter cause life has never been better.

Seriously!!

Hats are multiplying like bunnies ...

This time it was a Chunkie Cabled Hat that fell off my needles.
Used Bernat Softee Chunky Solids & Marls Ragg colorway.

Perfect for one of the little chickens ...

This one really wet my appetite for knitting cables.

Dare I knit a whole sweater?

Opps ... look what just fell off my needles!

See I'm still knitting too.

Here's the Cap that goes along with the Ragg Cape. Only I'm putting the hat in the Christmas basket for the grand children rather than for myself. That's why is looks a little small. There's more yarn for another hat too. Think I'll do a cable hat from the same book.



What I'm planning to do is make as many different hats as I can before Christmas and bring them in a basket to the kids. I'll then let each of them pick out the one they like the most and of course fits the best. Will do that with everybody. Then ...



any hats left over will be donated.

Now I think there's another one waiting to be cast on that I have to get back to. Did you think I was only crocheting?

I've got weekend plans ...

For the next few days I'll be working on this ...



With only a break to take a ride to New Hampshire on Saturday to see [as my DH would say] the "Little Chickens". We haven't seen the Grandchildren in a long time. I miss them. I need my little munchikin fix!


So this little number will have to what.



.... and this one below too.


I'm not happy with it anyway and plan to frog back and start over.
But I've got enough to keep me busy ...

And I can only dream about butterflies right now.


'Coz there just is not enough time in one weekend!

Yarn of the Month Club ...

What did I get when I knit up the 4 x 4 inch swatches?

My blocking method was simply a soak in Eucalan, rolled in a towel and then pinned out flat to dry. No pressing or steaming afterward.

First yarn is Island Collection by Cestari
A lovely mix of 67% Cotton, 25% Wook, 8% Silk
[Rough while knitting with it but blocked to a soft touch and more even stitch definition. I can see knitting a sweater in this. It reminds me of Jo Sharp's yarn. I knit the Anya sweater with Jo Sharp's Silkroad Aran Tweed back in December 2006. This yarn reminds me of that sweater.]
5 sts/inch on US 7s. Each skein contains 250 yards and
this color is Coconut Shell.

Before blocking ...


Washed and blocked ...

Second yarn is Tempra by Linea Pura of Lana Grossa
56% Organic Corn, 44% Organic Cotton
[That's right, you read it correctly; CORN. Very soft and lovely to touch, but frankly I don't know what to knit with it. I would also have to change my needle to get gauge but it was really nice on my hands as I knit.]
5.5 sts/ inch on US 7s. Each skein contains 143 yards & this color is: # 004

Before blocking ...


Washed and blocked ...

Third yarn is Colora by Lang.
55% Wool, 45% Acrylic [Looked like a Mohair content was in there but isn't. Would be nice in the right project that you would want a nice halo affect to it. A very rustic animal look to it don't you think? The individual bars in each stitch did seem to shrink when washed. Or is that just my eyes?]
3.5sts/ inch on US 10s. Each skein contains 137 yards & this color is: # 0088

Before blocking...


Washed and blocked ...

Last of all ...
Forth yarn is Baby Fun by Steinbach Wolle.
90% Acrylic, 10% Polyamide [A very lovely feel for a baby. I would most defiantly use this for my next baby knit or crochet project. Lovely to touch and it blocked out so evenly and smooth. Considering the yardage per skein I would consider this a great buy if only I knew the price and where to buy it.]
5.75sts/ inch on US 4s. Each skein contains 383 yards & this color is: # 426.

Before blocking ...


Washed and blocked ...

Of these four I think the one I'd want to use the most is
the Baby Fun by Steinbach Wolle.

Now if I only knew where to buy it OR ...

had a baby to knit for.

I said a baby to knit FOR; not a Baby for ME!

Don't even joke about it.

A beautiful weekend = relaxation!

I barely finished the Leaf Vine Hat on Friday night.



Saturday, I packed a lunch for DH and me to take with us out to the Salem Willows for a Jazz Festival. But drove around & around 4 times without finding a parking place. Not even handicap parking. Gave up the Willows but I felt we could stop somewhere to still have a picnic.

So I drove to a park in town called the Salem Commons ... no parking could be found there either. It was not very comfortable looking there by that time anyway. It was a very hot day. So then I drove over to Pickering Wharf and set up our 2 canvas chairs under the only group of trees around there to listen to a 2 person band play & sing Bob Dylan & Joan Baez type of music and eat our picnic lunch. Really nice and relaxing as a breeze came off of the Harbor waters. Music was even nice. We stayed for at least 2 hours. I brought my knitting but had forgotten it in the car. Didn't bother to go and get it. [no really, I forgot]

We enjoyed the AC when we got home. And just sat in to watch TV and this time I crocheted.

I didn't do a lot of housework.
But did just enough to get around the piles of "stuff" in progress.

Like the Megan Sweater from Blueprint Crochet that I started.

And just enough cleaning on the back patio to finally sit out there to relax and stitch for the first time this Summer. After blocking the Leaf Vine Hat ...



Yah, I know I started the Megan Sweater but
I want to get back to this Belaro soon also ...



I just have to find some more relaxing time ...

I Crochet but I also knit & knit & knit ...

...

Cindy modeled my Ragg Cape last night. She thought it fit but I hope it doesn't and looks too big on her. Because I made it for ME you see. I'm probably twice the size of Cindy in circumference. So if it doesn't fit me; don't laugh.



Okay it just barely fits but I'm hoping to loose some weight. Honestly I'm working on it. Always working on it anyways.

I really don't like the way the arms blocked...

Baggy looking. So it's being re-blocked as I type.

Yesterday my colleagues at MIT Mathematics gave me [and another colleague] a "going away, so-long, good-luck" dessert party. They really surprised me with a super gift too. A 12 month membership in The Yarn of the Month Club. Every month I will receive four generous samples of the newest yarns available for the season. I can swatch with 'em and see how each feels and how each knits up. I've already received my 1st month of samples and this morning I knit 'em up. Blocking them now. But here's the pictures I took before blocking. I'll show "after" pictures later.



This one is made of Cotton and CORN ...





And I couldn't leave Community Knitting at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn last night without buying something ...

Like 15 hanks of Spud & Chloe ...

The cardigan? Oh it's Megan from Blueprint Crochet.

So, can you guess that today I'm going to crochet?

Need a Laugh?

Go check out ...

Fabric n Fiber Fanatic's August 12th post.

Sign of the times!

Moving right along in the Knit-mosphere...

I completed the pattern: Ragg Cape and Hat by Bernat Design Studio. [check out the link for the free pattern from Bernat]




I'll show you how it fits tomorrow night after getting some pictures while I'm at Community Knitting. Here's the detailed specks for right now.

Needle and yarn

Needles:

US 8 / 5.0 mm

US 10 / 6.0 mm

Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky Solids & Marls

How much? 7 skeins = 1148.0 yards (1049.7m)

Colorway: grey ragg.

Purchased at:

Mary Maxim in Port Huron, Michigan

For acrylic yarn it wasn't too bad to knit with at all. [So now I know I'm not a yarn snob!! - Truth be known: I love most yarns. Just ask my Stash.] The pattern was fun to do. I might knit it again using another yarn if I love wearing this one. There's a new stock of yarn at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn from Kertzer called Accents. Although I need a chunky. I think it would be nice in this pattern for those lightly cooler Fall nights if I double it up to get a chunky weight. It contains 75% acrylic & 25% wool ... a denim color would be nice. Or a dark blue. Have to check out the colors & how much I'd need. Not that I don't have enough to do already ...

And look at what came in the mail from a sweet knitter friend on Ravelry for my granddaughter, Jayden.



I'm going to put those buttons on a felted hat called Pixie-Doodle by Lisa Cruse ... and of course there'll be a few Cat In the Hat books included for her. She loves to be read too. Christmas planning ... which will be started soon.

Did I tell you this was from a knitter? A knitting angel of course. Well she also included a box of goodies for me. Me.



Gosh, I love my stitching friends!!

Now it's back to work on my projects in progress ...



Start-a-tyt-ist is a disease right?

Art in the making ...

Baaaaaaa-u-ti-ful!

Shopping in the Ole Tyme Style ...

Veggies anyone?




Oh I'm very happy with the bag. Yes it stretched to accommodate my purchases. But I still got comments of praise from every vendor I bought from. I didn't have to use any of their plastic bags either ...

As the handle stretched as the bag got heavier, it was easy enough to just sling it over my head ... and just keep on shopping.

I

It was made for the shopping ...


But I think I'll take it to the beach today too!

A Color by the name of Shari Lewis ...

That's right I'm knitting up a String Bag using a colorway called ...
Shari Lewis.

For those of you who don't know Shari Lewis ... well she's Lambchop's Mommy. Who's Lambchop? You don't know Lambchop? Oh you gotta meet Lambchop ... and Shari too.

[Note: keep watching beyond the fireworks and you'll meet Shari.]

The String bag is almost done ...



I'll get a good picture of it tomorrow maybe. And give you all the spec's, pattern & yarn. I can't stop now ... 'coz I'm just loving this knit!

Pass the lambchops ... oops, I mean porkchops. Or veggie kabobs.