Violet Knits

Going back to blogger

2010-02-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

I am heading back here after having a typepad account for a few years. Since I am not a consistent blogger, why pay for the service. Let's see if I can actually keep this up!

MOVED!!

2005-05-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Please disregard the link below

I've moved! Please click on the link below if you are not redirected in 5 seconds:

Violet Knits

Quick update, more to follow!

2005-05-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, wanted to post yesterday as I have pictures of painting the store, but Tori had a report due today, so I had no computer time. I also have to figure out how to migrate everything to Typepad....don't have the time!!!! Let me give everyone a quick update:

So far, we have met with 5 reps (yarn company reps) with 2 more appointments scheduled. That doesn't include the companies that do not use reps!!! So much yarn!!! If any of my knitting group friends wonder where I have been, most likely I have been sitting for hours with a rep! These meeting can take anywhere from 3-6 hours. Why so long? Well, first you have to look at what is needed for the store now and then you have to look at what you want to bring in for the Fall!!! Yes, they have their Fall samples now and you get to order for September. Also, it's not just yarn. The reps will also have needles and accessories, kits and patterns. Whew! And Kaedean and I have to decide what we think will sell.

I have also been securing our store fixtures and working on our POS (point of sale) system. Had to buy computers, accounting programs, find an accountant, get our business license, insurance and on and on......Lots of things to get done.

I will have to say I have been lucky in all of this. Kaedean is not just my store manager, she is my business partner and friend. She has been to all of my meetings (except one) with the reps. She and her wonderful husband, Eric, helped to paint. She has been a great help. It has been very nice to have someone else to give an opinion on the yarns and the colors we need for the store. Kaedean had also introduced me to some wonderful women a while back. They have helped out in more ways that I could ever count. Thanks Lorna, Sandy, Terri, Jill, Beth, and Pat (in no particular order and please forgive me if I leave you out!!), you will see their names pop up again and again. Lorna was even nice enough to sit in with a rep one day when Kaedean was on vacation. If I didn't have all of their help, I would be a basket case!!!!

I also have to say thanks to all of you that have read my blog and left comments. Everyone has been very positive with their support. And Lynette, if you would like to help with the pictures for the website, that would be wonderful!!!

Ok. I will post pictures later today. Then you can see why I was so tired and sore yesterday!

Moving

2005-05-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

After much debate, I have decided to move my blog. The reason for this: can't access blogger! Shocking, I know. With the limited time that I have to blog, not being able to access blogger has prevented me from updating my blog 3 times in the past two weeks. I will be moving to typepad. I will make sure to let you know the exact date this will happen!!

On to more exciting news......I have finally started working on the store's website. After trying to get a web designer to call me, I figured I could at least get the basics up. Here is the link. Check out what I have done so far....nothing exciting. But it is a start!

I promise to post with pictures soon....I have had a problem getting the camera from DH lately. He has been taking pictures of his jobs, so I never see the camera anymore. I may have to buy another......hehe.

I Have a Surprise!

2005-05-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't posted lately. I am EXTREMELY busy. Seems like I am running around all over. I really need to take time to blog. I feel like I am sooo out of touch and there is so much to tell.

Well, first of all.....the reason that I have so busy.......it really is a good reason........

I AM OPENING A YARN STORE!!!

What?? Don't believe me?? Well, got the incorporation paperwork back from the State of California today. Placed my first order for yarn and needles yesterday. Oh, and did I mention that we should have the lease signed in the next week?? Of course, I cannot forget to mention that I have a store manager.....Kaedean. She will also be running my education program. Yes, I have been extremely busy lately. Writing the business plan, incorporating, setting up the financial plan, looking for the perfect place, making sure that the funds set aside for this were sufficient. Amazing how quickly this can go if you have the right people helping you!

I am sure that there are a lot of questions from all of you out there. I will be posting regularly, I really will be. The biggest problem that I have been running into is the lack of time. The kids have been busy with their activities and I have been working on the business....there has been little time for knitting.

By the way, the name of the store is: Frog Pond Knits. I will be working with a web designer to get the web page up and will eventually start posting pictures of the store.

While all of this has been going on, I received a wonderful package in the mail:

Sockapalooza Socks!

Aren't they lovely!! These were expertly made by Jennifer. They fit perfectly. I love them! Thank you Jennifer.

And, Jennifer's generousity didn't end with the lovely socks! Look at what else she sent me:
Gifts too!

Two skeins of Koigu and an extra ball of the Cascade Fixation that she used to make the socks. I have to admit, the whole package was well worth the wait. Jennifer is the best sock pal.

Ok....I do have more to tell everyone, but it will have to wait until my next post. I am going to be late for meet up tonight if I don't get moving!!

It's been a while....

2005-04-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

Haven't been posting regularly. Sorry about that. I have been extremely busy lately. Have very little time for anything. I will be announcing something in the near future.....It's a surprise. It's part of what has been keeping me so busy. I promise to let you know soon.

In other news, I have finished a book that I would like to review for you!

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell by Susanne Clark

It was wonderful book. I was fortunate enough to listen to the audio version, all 32+ hours of it. I am glad that I chose to listen to this because there are many footnotes within the story that I may have skipped otherwise. At first, these would bother me as I really wanted the story to get going. I felt that the notes were an intrusion. However, after the first CD, I appreciated the information that was given. These little notes helped to give a history of English Magic that was necessary to the story. If you want a synopsis of this book, I will have to disappoint you. Suffice it to say, this book is a must read if you are interested in magic or fantasy. I will be voicing more of my opinion of this book on Knit One Read Too when the discussion begins on May 2.

I also finished another book:

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

Yes, this is an "young adult" book, but so is the Harry Potter series. What really drew me to this book was the narrator for the audio version: Brendan Fraser. I had read a review stating that he had done a fantastic job with the narration. I have to admit, it was wonderful. The story was quite good, however, it did not have the character development that I am use to in a story. I am sure that this is due to the fact that it is written for a younger reader. The story was enjoyable and had an interesting view on dragons. I think if I would had read this myself that the story would not have been as fun. If you have the chance to listen to the audio version of this book, I would highly recommend it. I am even looking forward to the next Cornelia Funke book that will be released in August with Mr. Fraser as the narrator.

That is all for now. I will post tomorrow....I promise. I have to update everyone on my knit alongs.

Americanese

2005-04-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English

15% Upper Midwestern

15% Yankee

5% Dixie

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

I thought that I would be mostly "General American English." I think this comes from living on the West Coast for most of my life.

I promise to have an acutal knitting post today or tomorrow at the latest. I have been busy with Taxes (yuck!) and will have a surprise for everyone soon!

I've Been a Bad Blogger

2005-04-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a whole week since I last posted. May not seem like a lot, but it is. I usually post 3-4 times a week. This keeps me "honest" with my knitting (I stay on track and actually keep track of what I am knitting! otherwise, I find started projects all over the house!) There are a couple of reasons that I am slow in posting: 1) Daylights savings has really screwed up my clock and I have no idea how late it is until it is time to go to bed; 2) I haven't been home a lot because of the many knitting groups and of course children's activities; and 3) I have been cheating on blogger!!! Cheating on blogger? what could I possibly mean by that?? Well, I have been playing with Typepad. I know it is expensive, but I thought I should at least try it out since so many people have fun with it. If you happen to be a Typepad user, please let me know what you think of your service!!

So, in the past week, what knitting things have been happening? See for yourself:

Shoalwater Shawl-Finished!

Yup, that's me. I'm on our balcony enjoying the view! I finally blocked the shawl and it came out so beautiful. See the close up:

Pattern Detail

Finished size: 64" wide and 39" long, knit with Angel Hair in Black Cherry on size US6 needles. This was a pretty easy pattern. After the initial chart is completed, there are a lot of repeats so it actually goes pretty fast. I hadn't done an I-cord edging before, so I think that I may have done it too tight. The specs in the pattern say that it should be 72" wide. Honestly, I think that would have been too big for me. I am very happy with the finished project. I really wanted to make this after I had seen an ad for Fiber Trends with this pattern highlighted.

I have also finished the socks that I was working on for my husband.

Retro Rib Socks

These were knit using Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Wilderness, with some leftover random sock yarn for the heels and toes. I liked this pattern so much that I will be knitting myself a pair soon.

In case you were wondering, this is what I was looking at when I was standing on our balcony:

Spring Is Finally Here

Finally! A sunny weekend! I will be posting more this week. Well, that is the plan anyway!

What happened to my comments?

2005-04-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

If you have read my blog in the past few days, you may be wondering what had happened to all of my comments??? Well, I finally did it. I changed over to Haloscan. I kept having a hard time reading comments that people had left for me, how could anyone be leaving any comments? Yes, this means that all of the previous comments are now history, but I did get to read them and I thank everyone for posting them. I could have probably worked out a way to keep both types of comments on my blog (Caitlyn did that), but I am much too lazy to do that! Tomorrow I promise a real post with pictures and everything!

What's up with the postal service??

2005-03-30T17:14:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else had weird things happen to them with their mail? I hadn't posted about this a while back, but I had sent a Thank You note to Allena for the beautiful stitch markers that she had sent me. What is weird about this is that she never got the Thank You because it was returned to me weeks later ripped in half in a plastic bag. The plastic bag had a note on it from the US Postal Service apologizing but stating on the note that it wasn't gonna make it to its intended recipient. Really??? Well, I figured that these things happen, so not to worry. Just a fluke!

Well, look at the lovely card that I received. Jackie sent me a lovely card as a Thank You for the sockapalooza socks I made her.

If you look, you can see a hole at the bottom of the envelope (left side of picture). That is where, I am assuming, the stitch markers that she made for me were ripped out! The note inside told me how much she appreciated the socks and how she enclosed stitch markers for me as a small thank you. How thoughtful! I love stitch markers. I use them all the time. Jackie went out of her way to send me some, and they are literally lost in the mail. Quite disappointed with the postal service. I do have to say that her thank you note was quite nice and it makes me feel really good that she really likes and appreciates the socks that I made her.

As I had noted yesterday, I spent my weekend knitting. Here are the progress that I made on DH's socks:

John's socks

I have just turned finished the gussets on both socks. I had originally started his socks a while back, but was having a hard time deciding on whether or not I liked the pattern. I finally decided on the Retro Rib pattern from IK Winter 2004. I started them on Thursday night and should be done with them tonight or tomorrow. Haven't really decided what night to finish them up. DH should be happy. He wanted socks for his birthday (it was last Friday), so I am just a little late.

Well, I am off to make dinner. I have Rocklin Chicks with Sticks (knitting group) tonight. Really looking forward to that. Need some knitting time with the other chicks!

Sorry! I am a slacker!

2005-03-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have the type of PMS where you don't want to do anything but lay around and knit? Well, that was my weekend. After Thursday, I just wanted to sit and knit. Didn't want to blog...didn't read any emails....didn't clean house....basically just knitted??? That was pretty much my weekend. Oh, we did do some of the normal Easter things: egg hunt (yes, they still want the Easter bunny to come) and the lamb dinner, but that was about it. The good thing about having 'older' kids is they want to do all the fun things that the did when they were little, but they can help with the preparation!

So, with all of this knitting, what did I accomplish? Well, Shoalwater shawl is basically complete sans blocking!

C'est Finis!

Yes, it needs blocking. It is just too big for my blocking board, so I will be blocking it on my bed this weekend. I just have to make sure that I wake up early enough to do this. I am pretty sure that DH will want to go to sleep eventually. After it is blocked and looks more pretty, I will tell you about all the wonderful things I learned in making this shawl. Oh, and I post a better picture too.

Tuesday is for Knitalongs!!!

I didn't forget to update you on my official knitalongs. I was just excited about the shawl. I haven't worked much on Mariah....I just wanted to get that shawl done. Mariah's completion is coming up. Needs to be really soon because it should start heating up here pretty soon.

I do have an update on another knitalong: A Good Bias! I actually started it tonight at Tori's gymnastics class. Only time I have had for knitting today. I was able to get three repeats in. Now that I have the pattern down, it really shouldn't take me that long to finish.

I really like the bamboo yarn. It feels similar to knitting with cotton, but a little more slick. I am really glad that I decided to knit this up with this yarn.

While I was at my daughter's gymnastics class, look what my husband was doing:
Anyone thirsty?

This is our living room. I was using it for my little library/knitting room (can you see the baskets of yarn?) but, now hubby will be taking it over. He is converting it to his office. For him to be able to do this, he had to move the wine cellar. As you can see from his collection, he has a lot of wine. Hence the reason that he really can't complain about the amount of yarn and knitting paraphenalia that I have accumulated. Don't worry about my knitting room/library. I get his old office.

Presents!

2005-03-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

Unbelieveable! Posting 2 times in one day! Well, I hadn't planned on posting, but DH said I had a package in the mail........

What's this???

My Knitter's Review Secret Pal sent me a gift! So much fun to get things in the mail! Well, as you can see from the picture below, I got quite a haul. Peeps (the yellow chicks), a beautiful felted 'violet', a beautiful heart-shaped box, a clover yarn-cutter, a black sheep tape measure, sheep gift cards, and a beautiful card with sheep! How did she know that this is exactly what I wanted??? Even more amazing, everything is exactly as I would have chosen myself.

Thanks KR Secret Pal!!

I like hearts, I prefer silver to gold (yarn cutter), and I would much rather have the black sheep for my tape measure! Of course, the felted flower is perfect as I haven't felted anything yet (so I needed something felted) and it is a violet! I have been needing gift cards 'cause I never have them. And the peeps! I need a sugar high! How did she know! Thank you KR Secret Pal! You are most awesome!

Quiz???

2005-03-23T07:20:00.000-08:00

Since Happy Bunny is a favorite of mine, and bunnies are a symbol of Spring and Easter, here is more info than you want to know:

congratulations. you are the "you smell like
butt" bunny. your brutally honest and
always say whats on your mind.

which happy bunny are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

The really scary part is: I have this on my key chain. My son bought it for me. When I saw this, I had to post. (Shh.....I am suppose to be working right now!)

Knitalong Tuesday!

2005-03-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

My lovely daughter, Tori, volunteered to show of Mariah tonight. I have just finished the yoke and will start on the hood. I had hoped to be farther than this, but with trying to finish Shoalwater and having a life, well, that didn't happen. With the weather being what it has been, I may still get to wear this before it gets put away until November!

Mariah is yoked

I also received a lovely RAOK from Deb B. If you haven't checked out her blog, I would recommend that you do. She knits some beautiful shawls. The yummy laceweight Icelandic wool that she sent me is enough to make something fun. I just haven't decided what it should be yet.

A Lovely RAOK

I am kinda bummed that I didn't get to see Debbie Stoller at Rumplestiltskin's tonight. She is doing a kick off for Amtrack's Stitch 'n Ride for the Capitol Corridor train. With all of the rain (yes, it does rain in California) and the late hour, I decided that I was better off staying close to home. Instead, I got to go shopping with my buddy Lauren. We hung out at the Roseville Galleria and bought fun girlie stuff instead.

Book Review: A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING

2005-03-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

This is something new for me. Usually this blog is strictly about knitting, however, there is more to me than being a knitter: I am also an avid reader. Most of the books that I read now are actually books from Audible since I have a 40 minute commute to work, but from time to time I will also plop down and read the book myself. I would like to use my Monday post as a time for me to review books of all sorts: those that I have listened to, those that I have read, and those that I have used as a knitting reference. Can't leave the knitting out! On occasion, I may also review an LYS or online store. We'll just have to wait and see what happens!

I love reading books by Bill Bryson. He is intelligent and entertaining. I was really looking forward to this book once I saw that it was available on Audible as I had listened to his previous book, IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY. I was not disappointed.

Bryson's current book is a departure from his travel books as it delves into the world of science. The reader is taken from astronomy to physics, from biology to geology. He literally takes you from the beginning of time to the current day with lots of stops in between. As expected, he gives you interesting little tidbits of information regarding the different stops, such as the rivalries between scientists or their quirky and sometimes dangerous habits. I did find that there were times when the amount of information that he would divulge did seem to be a bit much, but I was highly entertained throughout the 17 hours of listening. Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. I will have to say that my interest in science helped me get through some of the information intensive parts. I would also say that I think that this book may be even better if it were read as opposed to the audio format. The amount of information given could be overwhelming at times and I think that I would have liked to have the written form handy for review.

Update on Stitch n Bitch

2005-03-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

Stitch n Bitch Hats!

Every Thursday we meet at the Naked Lounge in downtown Sacramento for our weekly Stitch n Bitch meeting. Since Marin has put the group on Yahoo! and the group was featured in Sacramento Magazine and on their TV special on Channel 3, the group has really grown. Marin is considering moving us to a new venue since there are so many of us now.

Angela and Christy

What I have enjoyed the most about the group has been the people that I have met. Angela is one of the newer members of the group while Christy was with Marin when it began. We all work together on our projects and are able to help each other with questions or discover different ways of tackling a problem.

Kaedean is helping Sara with a question

Regina trying not to smile

!

A Crocheted Carrot?!?!
And then, where else could I find crocheted vegetables??

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2005-03-17T17:37:00.000-08:00

For all you Irish and wanna be Irish folks, HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S Day. Not being Irish myself, I fall into the "wanna be" group. In my younger days, this meant going out with my friends and drinking green beer. Today, it means I get to go to the Naked Lounge for Stitch n Bitch. My how things have changed!

WIP Wednesday

2005-03-16T17:51:00.000-08:00

Blogging two days in a row!! Let's see if I can keep this up!

I would really like to finish Shoalwater Shawl. I am getting really close, just finishing up the 4th repeat. Then I will have to complete 1/2 of the rows again, picot edging and I-cord bind off then block. The pattern isn't hard, I just have over 400 stitches on the needles so it is taking me a while now.

Shoalwater Shawl: nearing the finish!

Sorry for the messy desk. Yes that is Mariah on the right. I am trying to concentrate on these two projects so I can have them completed this weekend. I will need to pick up some blocking wires for the shawl. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I have completed the sampler from Kaedean's beading class. I learned a lot from the class. Beading is fun, not sure if it is something that I would like to do a lot of in the future.

Beaded Sachet Sampler: Finished!

Kaedean is a great instructor and she designed the pattern herself. If you live in the Sacramento area and would like to enhance your knitting skills, she will be teaching at Babetta's in the future!

Tuesday is for Knit Alongs

2005-03-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I am posting as promised! I have found that posting the minute I get home from work will be much better than going through my emails and cleaning up around the house. Otherwise, I read emails and surf the net and don't get a chance to post!!

I did get the fronts completed for Mariah on Friday and started on the yoke. The sweater is SO heavy on the needles. You can really feel the weight when working on it.

Mariah: All Yoked Up!

Hopefully I will have time to finish it soon as it has been very warm. Today has only been in the 70s. I know I say only and there are people out there still with snow, but I would like to have the chance to wear Mariah at least once or twice before having to put her away for the rest of spring.

I am also sending off my Sockapalooza socks today. I hope my sock pal likes them. I feel bad because I think that I am much better at knitting socks now compared to when I made hers. I would still wear them (I really like them), and there is nothing wrong with them. I guess I am just a perfectionist.

In addition to receiving some pretty spring-colored socks, I am also including some cinnamon-chocoalte coffee and a bar of French-milled lavendar soap. I couldn't just send socks! So I thought I would include something fun.

Bye Sockapalooza Socks!

Sockapalooza has been quite fun. I am very glad that Alison and Christine hosted this. Thank you ladies!!

Thank You!!

2005-03-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone that posted comments on my last post! I am glad to see that you were able to post comments and that I wasn't the only person that was having problems. I think that I will look into using HaloScan for my comments. That seems to be the general consensus. I would like to continue to use a free service as saving money for my knitting addiction is of the utmost importance!!

I will post an update on Mariah when I get home from work today. I was kicked off of the computer last night by my DD. She wanted some computer time too.

On a final note, I was thinking about actually posting on a regular basis. Having certain days to post about certain things, ie Tuesdays for knitalongs, etc. Let me know what you think!

Blogger is a PITA!!! (aka-no knitting content)

2005-03-11T16:54:00.000-08:00

I have read this on other blogs. I had heard that other people have had lots of problems, but I had been lucky not to. Until today.....I was keeping up on the many blogs that I read through bloglines like I do every day. I was leaving comments ('cause bloggers LOVE comments). I get to a blog that has blogger, click on comments. I can read the comments fine. I click to leave comments. I get a message "The blog that you were looking for was not found." What?!? WTF?!? I was just on this person's blog. What do you mean they could not be found?? ARGH!!

This is most irritating. If you blog, you like to know that there are people out there reading what you have written. That these people have something to say about your posts. But! This is not true today.

Now, I have thought about going to a different service. One that I would have to (gasp!) pay for!! That is a lot for me to say as I am a notoriously frugal person. This does not mean that I do not spend money. Believe me, I spend lots of money. But if I can get something for free, well, why pay for it???

So now here is my dilemma: I can ask those people out there that read my blog to post a comment on what I should do, but the question is can you leave a comment????

While pondering whether posting a comment would be possible, here is some entertainment for you: Punctuation and How to Dance. Both of these links are from blogs that I tried to post comments on today. Enjoy! I will talk about knitting tomorrow.

WIP Wednesday

2005-03-09T18:25:00.001-08:00

I have decided that I need to make sure to work on my WIPs. In reading many other knitting blogs out there in blogland, I see that I am not the only knitter to become distracted by other, more fun projects. With all of the new and old knitting books and magazines, I keep finding things that I am just itching to create. I also want to try my hand at designing.......and possible trying out the Master Knitters Program through TKGA. Whew! In order to do all of this and feel good about it, I am trying to get some of the WIPs to FOs. Please help me stay on track!!

I started Drift from Rowan back in October for Tori. Out of all of the knitting patterns that I own, she decides that she wants an almost floor length cardigan. So, I actually got it going, finished the back, then got distracted. So, this month I am going to finish this. Here is my progress so far:

Drift

I have the back and left front completed and have just started the right front. Mind you, these are 48" long, pure stockinette. Fortunately Drift is knitted on big needles, so if I keep working on this, I will have it done by the end of the month, along with lots of other projects. Bad thing: it is getting warm here in Cali, so my daughter probably won't be able to wear it until next winter....if she still likes it.

More incentive to finish projects, I got my shawl kit in from Joslyn's. I am almost finished with Shoalwater, and I got this in the mail today:

New Shawl Kit

I let my mom choose the yarn color back in December. This will be for her when she comes out to visit again in July. That should be plenty of time to get this done. The pattern is Flirty Ruffles from Fiddlesticks. Looks like this one will be lots of fun.

Oh and yes! Nathania is my secret pal....Amazon let the cat out of the bag. I am sooooo excited! She is such a nice person and I have been reading her blog for a while now. Makes it fun since we kinda know each other already!

I also forgot to update everyone on the big TV filming of our Stitch n Bitch group in Sacramento. I was interviewed.....Marin (group organizer) suggested that they interview me. She left a comment on my blog apologizing, but I had fun. It was very kind of her to suggest that I get interviewed. She has done a wonderful job with the group. I forgot my camera last week, so hopefully I will have some of the pictures that she took to post later. I will post more information regarding the show as soon as I get the info from Marin. We should be on the TV magazine show this Sunday.

Now I am off to the Rocklin Meetup at It's A Grind.......Lauren should be here any minute. My husband is starting to wonder if my knitting groups are starting to take over my life!

Tuesday is for Knit Alongs

2005-03-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

Okay...joining the bandwagon started by Alison. I will just be doing this late at night! BUT! Before I post any updates, look at what was left at my door today:

Look What I Got!

My husband comes walking in the house today with a package from Amazon. I was quite surprised as I haven't ordered anything recently, but had been looking. This is a book that I had wanted for quite sometime. Now I will have to admit, I am a little confused. I received an email late last week from my secret pal saying that I should expect a package. This package did not say that it was from my secret pal, but it did come from someone I know. It was from Nathania! Now, either this is an absolutely awesome RAOK, or Nathania is my secret pal OR she knows my secret pal. Hmm........ Anyway, this is an absolutely awesome gift. I love this. Thank you thank you thank you. (And yes, my Mom did teach me my manners and I will be sending a Thank you note.)

Here is my progress with Mariah. I completed the back on Saturday and started work on both sides of the front today. I plan on joining the yoke this weekend and will hopefully have the sweater completed by the following weekend.

Mariah progress

Once I have completed Mariah, I will get to start on Good Bias. Check out Katy's blog to see her kick off the knit along. Looking forward to getting that shrug completed as it is warming up here in Roseville. Today was 76.....tomorrow will be 78.

Let's get together

2005-03-03T16:21:00.000-08:00

We had our Roseville Knitting Meetup last night. Had lots of fun with the gang. That is where I was able to sit and get a lot of work done on Mariah. What I really enjoy about the knitting groups that I belong to is seeing what other people are knitting. There are two reasons that I enjoy this: 1) it encourages me to try new things and 2) watching other learn new techniques. Last night, Marin had waited to continue on her sock so that I could help her on the gusset. I felt very proud that I was actually able to help her. In helping her, I also learned that if I ever want to teach a class, I better learn the different ways to knit! All in all, these knitting groups have been wonderful for the comraderie. All of the people that attend the meetings have a common passion, and we can talk about that passion all night!

Tonight we have Sacramento Stitch n Bitch. Normally, I attend the guild meeting the first Thursday of the month, but tonight, a news crew is going to be filming our SnB. I really don't want to be on TV (honestly, I don't), but I want to make sure that I am there to show my support for the group. I will be bringing my camera again. Maybe Felted Man will be there again??

Late knit along updates: Sorry no update yesterday on Mariah. I have actually finished the sleeves and I am halfway done with the back. No picture today. I will post a picture when I have finished the back and try to get a close up of the cables.

BTW, if you hadn't looked at the frightening ski masks from last Wednesday, Alison found the patterns. I need to make sure that my son doesn't find this out. He wants one???

Beads and a NEW LYS

2005-02-28T17:27:00.002-08:00

Saturday I took a Beaded knitting class. The class was sponsored by Camellia City Stockinettes (local guild) and taught by Kaedean. If you check out her blog, she has a picture of what the project will look like when completed. The class taught several different ways to add beads to your knitting. Kaedean had everything set up for us (with the help of several other people), including stringing 592 beads on our little balls of yarn for us. Tori attended the class and completed part of the project. I think that it was a little over her head as it was the first time working with size 3 needles.

Beaded Knitting Class

I didn't finish this as I had to leave a few minutes early since a friend of ours (Pieter) was having a surprise birthday party for his wife (the big 30).

Coming up.... Beaded Stitch Markers

After the party, Tori and I headed over to Michael's to pick up supplies to make beaded stitch markers. I have love working on lace and cables and never seem to have enough of these. I also have been seeing so many people making these, I thought that I should try to make some too. I will just have to wait until Tori gets homework done!

New LYS

There is a new LYS here in the Sacramento area, Babetta's Yarn and Gifts. They have only been opened for a month and I just heard about them last week. So, I decided to drop by there on the way home to see what they carry. I was pleasantly surprised! They have a nice selection for only being open for one month. Also, they were very nice and helpful. As you can see from the picture above they carry Southwest Trading Company products and Cherry Tree Hill. I haven't seen these at Filati, only online. Their prices were also reasonable. Made me very happy. I will be visiting there again.

I actually bought the Bamboo for a project! Quite shocking! I want to make "A Good Bias" shrug from IK Spring 2005. There is even a knit along for it! I have let the host know that I want to join. I am just waiting to hear from her. How exciting!

Stitch n Bitch

2005-02-25T22:56:00.002-08:00

Felted Man?!?

Have you ever seen a felted man??? This was a first for me. One of the group was making him. He is completely needle felted. Here is a shot of his pants in the making:

Making Pants

I think he should be the official mascot of our group. What do you think??

We also had some new group members. Caitlyn from Knitter's Review Forums joined us. It was so much fun meeting her. Her Klaralund is soooo beautiful. I love the colors that she chose and cannot wait to see the finished project. Unfortunately, I took out my camera after she left. So no pictures this time. Hopefully she will show up next week since one of our local news stations will be attending our meeting :) They are doing a piece on knitting groups and Marin was asked if she would like to be part of it. If you are interested in finding out more about the Sacramento Stitch n Bitch group, Marin has started a Yahoo! group. Click here.

We also had another new member. A Man! (gasp!) Marin had mentioned that he may show up and he did! This is Ed!

New Group Member

I love that some guys are starting to see knitting as not just for the girls. Besides, if you are a single guy, what better way for you to meet women than to hang out with a group of them??? Best part is, you would be the only single guy and you can talk their language! What more could a guy want? Also, some of the best knitters that I have seen have been men.

I have spent a lot of time reading blogs lately. I have found one of my favorite reads to be The Casting On Couch. Not only can Rebecca knit, she is hilarious with her stories and pictures. This blog is definitely a must read.

Off to bed. I have a bead knitting class tomorrow given by Kaedean. I get to learn all kinds of bead knitting techniques.

Knitalong Updates

2005-02-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

So I said that I was going to update my progress on Knitalongs on Tuesdays. Well, that may not work. Tuesdays are Tori's gymnastics days. This would mean I would be out of the house for about 2hrs. I usually stay at her gymnastics practice and knit. As soon as we get home, my favorite show, Gilmore Girls, comes on and I need to watch that! So, more knitting. By the time my show is over, it is time to go to bed. I have to get up early the next day, so no time to blog. I believe that I will have to have my Knitalong updates on Wednesday, so here goes:

I have finally finished my socks (I was obsessed) and have started working on Mariah. I have gotten about 16" done on the sleeves with only 3" more to go. Here are the sleeves so far:

Mariah

I really like this pattern. The cables stand out nicely even in this dark color. I was a little worried that the cables wouldn't be noticeable, but they do stand out nicely. My DH and DS have even commented that they like this pattern and that they would like cabled sweaters for themselves. Well, since they are not small by any stretch of the imagination, I have the feeling that they will be getting cabled socks instead!

Speaking of projects for my DS, I am currently working on a serape for him. This would be part of the Poncho Along. Since DS decided he loved to wear my poncho while playing video games, I thought that it would be a good idea that he have something of his own. He didn't care if it was a poncho, I thought I should make something more 'manly.' He will also be able to use this as a lap blanket when he is not wearing it. I got the pattern from The Purl Stitch by Sally Melville. Here is my progress so far:

Serape!

(The striping will actually be vertical.)

I had to make this extra long since he is so tall. The pattern is very simple and knitted on big needles. I am using two strands of Plymouth Encore on size 13s. After knitting on mostly socks and shawls recently, those needles feel ginormous! It is knitting up pretty quickly when I actually spend time on it. Just gets boring since it is plain ole stockinette.

As for THING, I really have abandoned it. It sits in my basket next to my desk looking lonely. Wondering if I will actually pick it up and work on it, not just ignore it. I think that if I work on just a little bit every couple of days, it will be done really soon.

Here is something for all you single gals out there.

What Happened to Yesterday's Post??

2005-02-23T06:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry! No computer time yesterday as I had a daughter with a science project. She was trying to be on top of things and get everything done a day early. Of course, she did have a three-day weekend in which she tried to spend most of her time in front of the TV! So, I will update the progress of Mariah, THING, Shoalwater Shawl and DS Serape when I get home tonight.

In the meantime, check out Elann's new shipment of Peruvian Collection Baby Silk. Yes, I have some of this in stash at home. No, I can't buy anything since I am on a yarn diet and have baskets upon baskets of stash (even more hidden throughout the house!) I have promised DH that I would limit myself since he has left the corporate world and started a business. Maybe I should join Stashbusters??

We Have Socks!

2005-02-21T21:39:00.000-08:00

His and Hers Socks

Excuse the mess behind the Socks!! Only place I could get my husband to pose for a picture of his new socks was in his office. I made his sock in a 2x2 rib pattern using Kroy sock yarn in Flax on size 2 DPNs. I didn't really follow a pattern for these. I just figured my gauge (no, I didn't swatch), did the math, and cast on. Once I got the basic sock thing down, it was pretty easy. For my socks, I used the Waving Lace pattern from IK Spring 2004. I used the Sock it to Me from Elann knit with size 1 DPNs. DH wants another 2 pairs for his birthday at the end of next month. I better get going, he has big feet!

Since tomorrow is Tuesday, I will follow in Alison's footsteps and post about the progress of the knitalongs I have joined. Until then, it is late and I am tired.

I Was RAOK'D!

2005-02-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

Have to add this quick post. See my new header and button?? Amy made it for me. Sent me an email yesterday and then showed me how to add it correctly. I thought it was a wonderful gift as I was thinking of doing something like that, but really wasn't sure what I wanted. This is perfect!!

Not much time to post today. I need to send out my gift to my secret pal (finally decided what to send) and some RAOKs that have been sitting on my desk forever. Then it is off to the Naked Lounge for Stitch-n-Bitch. If any of you Sac Area people are reading this, feel free to join us for some Java and knitting!!

More Fun Stuff

2005-02-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

Presents!!
My Secret Pal sent me a beautiful card and a really cute stitch marker. I was really surprised to see this in the mail. Thank you Super Duper Secret Pal! I love stitch markers!

Stitch Markers from Allena
I never showed the stitch markers that Allena gave me. Now I have a variety of purdy ones, not just the plain plastic.

Shoalwater Shawl
I have been doing some knitting, not just shopping. This is what I have completed of my Shoalwater Shawl. I am hoping to get this completed by the middle of March. That way I will have this completed by the time that the next shawl kit comes in from Joslyn's.

Lace Socks
And last but not least, here are the socks that I started on my way to Stitches. Can't wait to wear these!

I've also been tagged by Caitlyn, so here goes:
1. How much space is left on your Tivo or Comcast Box? We don't own these, but we do have the capability of recording TV on our computer.

2. Have you ever bought a DVD of TV Series and if so, which one? Nope, haven't done this either.

3. What was the last TV show that you watched before reading this message? That's easy. Medium on NBC.

4. List five shows you won't miss? That's easy, I hate reality shows so any of them can go.

5. Name 3 people to whom you will pass this stick. Amy, Allena, and Jen.

That's all for today. Whew! Two long posts in two days???

Edit 2/21/05
Apparently I didn't understand question 4......shows I wouldn't miss as in shows I love to watch. Well, I am a huge Gilmore Girls fan, I have gotten hooked into Stargate and Stargate Atlantis (thanks to my husband) and I like that new show Medium. Those are the only shows that I will actually watch on a regular basis. The only one that I never miss is Gilmore Girls!

Stitches West (Warning- this is long!)

2005-02-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

On Our Way to Stitches West!

Don't these ladies look wide awake?? Sarah and the famous hat are on the left, Christina is on the right.

We took Amtrack to Santa Clara. I had to catch the bus in Roseville at 6:45am. This would get me to Sacramento at 7:20am to catch the 7:40am train to Santa Clara. Whew! That was early. Fortunately, I hit Starbuck's on the way out. Amtrack had a special for Stitches, a 10% discount. For those people (including us) that went on Saturday to hit the market, Amtrack set aside a car just for knitters, had gift bags with yarn and Starbuck's gift cards and door prizes. Definitely the way to go! We got to Santa Clara around 10:25am and headed straight to the Market.

The Market is huge. That's my only word to describe it. Lots of people, lots of vendors, yarn and accessories everywhere. Some vendors were having sales. I picked up lots of Wildefoot sock yarn from one vendor. Also picked up some Manos from another. As you can see below, when yarn is on sale, knitters will come.

Manos on SALE!
I was able to find some Mountain Colors Bearfoote too. I am really into sock yarn right now. I know that I am suppose to be on a yarn diet, but I have been purchasing some here and there. Hi, I'm Violet and I'm a yarnaholic.

Brooks Farm
Many of the vendors are specialty vendors. Above is a picture of some of the hand-painted yarns from Brooks Farm Yarn. We were able to pick up hand-painted, 100% kid mohair (Each of us bought some!) from Brooks. Absolutely beautiful. The picture above is a sample of what they offered. I would recommend looking at their website. Great prices and gorgeous yarns.

Sarah and Her Famous Hat

She Sarah's hat? Sarah's hat is famous....at least at the Market it was famous. The hat pattern is from Stitch-n-Bitch and looks absolutely great on Sarah. The hat is great as I was able to easily spot her if I wandered off from the group (also helps that she is 5'8" and I am 5'2"). The hat also had quite a following. Knitters were constantly asking her about the hat: Where did you get that pattern? Where did you find the sequins? Is it hard to make? What kind of yarn did you use? She was quite good natured about it. It also came in handy when I met Nathania! I told her to look for the girl with the shiny hat!

Still Here?
From left to right: Christy, Sarah, and Marin.

At about 3pm, we were completely beat. I was at the point of not being able to focus my eyes. We decided to take a break, rest our feet, and figure out what we wanted to do before we had to catch the train home. So, we made one last round and hit the places that we felt we should see again.

Marin and Her Bounty!
We finally got back to the train and headed home. We tried to knit, but were so tired by the time we on the train. So instead, we decided to look at all of the wonderful yarn we bought. Marin is pictured above. Marin is the organizer for the Stitch-n-Bitch Sacramento group.

Look at What I Got!
Here is my wonderful yarn. Lots of sock yarn (all the Wildfoote) and some fun hand painted yarn. Took me all of Sunday to recover from the trip. Would I do it again? Definitely. Next year, I am taking time off and taking some classes!

Been so busy...haven't had time to post

2005-02-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been so busy.....Tuesday is Tori's gymnastics day, Wednesday was Rocklin Meetup, and tonight is Sacramento Stitch n Bitch. Whew! And this Saturday is Stitches West! All of this leaves very little time for blogging. This Sunday will be blogging day. I will post pictures of Stitches and of my purchases.....Yes, I will try to control myself.

Day Late......

2005-02-05T09:25:00.001-08:00

So much for posting yesterday. Got home from work and forgot that we were going out to dinner with our friends Doug and Kathy. Doug had decided that he was going to try sushi for the first time so we went to Mikuni's, a really delicious and fun sushi/Japanese restaurant. If you are ever in the Sacramento area, and you love sushi, this is the place to go.

While I was sick, I was able to finish my Sockapalooza socks.

Sockapalooza Socks are Done

So, what do you think? I hope that my sock pal likes them....I do. I also worry about fit. They fit me, they fit my daughter.....worry worry worry. I am going to wash them tonight so they are nice and clean. I also think I will add a surprise in the package for my sock pal. Any suggestions?

Finished Shawl

I also finished this shawl last night. I decided to go much longer than the pattern stated. It is about 68" long and the pattern only called for 52". I wanted to be able to wrap this around me since the guys at work love to keep the office cold. The changes with the colors in the yarn really bothered me at first. You can really tell when the colors changed or when I changed skeins. Oh well, it is really soft and warm so I love it anyway.

I have just barely started Mariah. I hope to work on that this weekend along with Drift for my daughter and my THING. I really have been ignoring my THING. It just keeps staring at me from my basket saying, "I'm still here! You can't ignore me!" I can't figure out why I keep avoiding it. I learned so much when I first started it....but now, I really don't want to continue. Is it because it is arcrylic (ew)? Is it because I am working on other fun projects? Hmm.......maybe I can work on it International Pajama Day????

I'm alive!

2005-02-04T06:22:00.000-08:00

I am feeling much better. Thank you to all that have been sending me get well sentiments. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness. A BIG thank you to my super duper secret pal. I received a wonderful get well card yesterday that was basically a video game! So fun to kill the germs! I have the BEST secret pal!

I also received my first RAOK from Allena of Star Knits. I promise to post pictures later tonight when I get home. To see the pictures on her blog, use this link. They are even more beautiful than pictured.

I was actually much better as of Wednesday afternoon. I didn't have time to post as I was gone Wednesday night and last night. I was out doing fun knitting things! I can't remember if I had posted this previously, but I started a Meetup group for the Roseville area. There is a group in Sacramento that I have been attending, but the drive is about 30-40 minutes. After working, it can be really hard to leave the house knowing that I will be on the road for at least an hour that night. Well, Wednesday was our first meeting and we had a wonderful time. I met some wonderful women and I really enjoyed myself.

Last night, I attended the local knitting guild meeting. I met Sandi through the Roseville Knitting Meetup on Wednesday (we had been emailing each other before that) and she had told me about the guild. Well, that was a great meeting. There were approximately 40 people in attendance. All different levels of knitting ability. The guild also had a learning segment on weaving in ends and changing colors. The best part was seeing what everyone was working on! I will definitely be joining the guild! Upcoming events will be monthly workshops and quarterly intensive workshops.

That's all for now. I will be posting tonight after work. I may have some FOs to post too!!

Everyone is sick....

2005-01-31T22:03:00.000-08:00

I have been surrounded by sick people at work for the past two weeks. So it wasn't surprising that I spent my weekend with a sick daughter-high fever and throwing up. When Tori gets sick, it is never pretty. Now she has given it to me. So, no knitting news today. I will update on my secret pal, sockapalooza socks, and status of my WIPs when I feel human again. Please let that be soon.

Secret Pal 4 questionaire

2005-01-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

That was weird. I created a post on Monday and lost connection to the internet. I was tired and cranky (PMS) and figured it would just be lost. Guess what?!? It's there. Look below and you can see my "lost" post. I thought it was gone forever.

Here is the Secret Pals 4 questionaire:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high- a nd/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
I am a bit of a snob. I prefer natural fibers and tend to lean towards those. I will purchase blends for washability and wear (especially for the kids).

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I haven't tried spinning yet, but am interested in learning. I think that I will have to wait on this one as the husband is a bit overwhelmed with all of the yarn I currently own! I do crochet. Not as often as I knit, but I do have some crochet projects lined up for the near future.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
I am allergic to dogs and cats, but I have them anyway!! The worst for me is tree pollen....I don't do well in the spring.

4. How long have you been knitting?
I have been knitting for about 5 years.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Of course! That's the only what to let my hubby know what I want as presents!!

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I prefer light scents. Florals or something fresh.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Crazy question!!! I love chocolate.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Pretty much just knitting and crocheting.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like a real variety of music, but alternative rock is my fave.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
Favorite colors are blue and green. I prefer the darker shades like navy blue or forest green. I have also started to like pinks, plums, and reds.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live in a big house with my DH of 16 years, 2 kids (son-15, daughter-11), my MIL (yes, she is nice to live with) and my BIL. This is what happens when you buy a big house!! I also have two dogs and a crazy cat.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
I would love to stay home full time and devote myself to my knitting! hehe......I know, how am I going to pay for my yarn addiction???

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Hard to say on this one. I love Debbie Bliss and Jo Sharp yarns. I also love Karabella and Rowan.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I am not fond of 100% arcrylic. I have found it to be hard to work with. That doesn't mean that I will not use it. Just that it would be my last choice.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
I definitely have obsessions! I really love knitting socks, lace, shawls, and sweaters. Just a few things. I would definitely have to say that shawls and socks are my fave right now. Not that it won't change depending on the mood.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
see above!!!

17. What are you knitting right now?
Where do I start???? Currently knitting two shawls, a pair of socks, a serape, a long cardigan, and a teddy bear. Also working on the THING.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
I like them. I can wear them with T-shirts. I also wear them around the house when it gets cold.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Definitely circulars.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Aluminum is my fave (have lots of addi turbos). I will use wood or plastic dpns (Brittany Birch and Bryspun) for socks.

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Definitely!

22. How did you learn to knit?
I taught myself! Used Vogue Knitting and found lots of help online.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
If you want to count this one.....I will never complete it. A tunisian crochet afghan that I started about 10 years ago. It sits in the bottom of a basket as a liner now. Other than that, the oldest is an afghan for my husband that I started in October 2004.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
I love Tigger!!! I also love to play Pokemon with my kids, so the favorite from that series would be Pikachu!

25. What is your favorite holiday?
I would have to say Christmas. It is the time of year that I get to spend with my family.

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Pretty much yarn and needles!!

Well, that's it for now. I will post some pictures of what I have been working on later this week. Tomorrow night is Stitch n Bitch with my friend Lauren. This is going to be a good week!

No Pictures Today

2005-01-24T19:30:00.000-08:00

I have been busy working on my projects, but can't post pictures. My husband is working in the office and has stuff everywhere, so I am on an ancient laptop trying to post (OS=Windows 98). At least I can read my emails!!

I have finally started my son's serape. He is quite pleased that I am working on this, however, I have had to make some adjustments for his height. The pattern calls for a length of 19.5 inches for the front half. Well, DS is 6'1" and 170+ lbs. This means the 19.5 inches is above the belly button! Not going to work. Instead, I am making the front 27 inches.....I think I will have to go to Filati's to pick up more yarn! I have also been working on DD's sweater. I finally finished the back, all 48" in length. It wouldn't be so bad if the pattern was interesting, but it's all stockinette. Can get really boring. Actually both kids wanted plain knits from Mom.

My fun projects have been shoalwater shawl and my sockapalooza socks. I have gotten through the first chart and will be able to start the first repeat for my shawl. I have learned so much by working on this pattern. I can now read charts and have learned a provisional cast on. Both things I had been afraid of before. The socks have been fun as this is the first time working with size one needles. The yarn is fun to work with and I love the colors. I will post pictures of both of these projects as soon as I am able.

I was so excited today to get an IM from my friend Lauren. Lauren and I use to work together and hadn't talked to each other in ages. Well, I found out today that she started knitting in October!!! Looks like I may have a knitting buddy now!! We are going to go to the Stitch n Bitch meeting in downtown Sacramento on Thursday. I also told her about the Stitches West Market and the special offer from Amtrack. Fun stuff.

I will post again soon as I have to get the survey done for Secret Pals 4. If you haven't signed up for this yet, sorry, it is now closed. But, if you are a member of the forums at Knitters Review, you can still sign up for Knitter's Review Secret Pal 3.

Brrrr!

2005-01-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

Been cold (for California) here this week. No sun + lots of fog= cold weather. Now I know that people in other parts of the world would think that our weather is beautiful, but I am not use to weather in the 40s all week. So, to combat the cold, my DD and George are pictured below, snuggling up on the couch, while we watched Harry Potter for the umpteenth time.

Happy Kids

George was especially happy since he (an indoor cat) had escaped, unknown to all, and spent the night outside. Poor kitty. He was so happy to be in. I can't remember a time when he wanted to spend so much time with everyone, including DH!

Now guess what I have gone and done. I am such a groupie. I have joined Knitter's Review Secret Pals 3. I know what you are thinking: another one??? Just call me crazy. I read about this on Linda's page, so I blame her. If you are thinking about joining me in this craze, make sure that you sign up by Feb. 15.

Faith's Sweater

Look! It's all done. Faith's sweater is ready to be shipped. Only problem: no tape to close up box. Going to the store tonight with DH to pick up packing tape. Was smart and went to USPS and purchased the mailing labels and printed that out at home. Now I just have to buy tape, tape up those boxes, drop off the boxes at the Post Office and not stand in line all day. I am usually really bad about getting letters and packages sent because I hate going to the post office. But this is going to be really easy now.

Finishing Faith's sweater brought up something I had forgotten: I hate to seam. It's been a while since I had knit a sweater. Well, last one was in September so not really that long ago. That is the whole reason I wanted to knit THING. I have been bad and have been neglecting my thing. (That sounded funny....anyway!) I have just let it sit there, wondering when I will put down one of my many projects and finish it. I promise that I will get it done by the end of the month! Hear that Amy???

Now I am off to go and purchase that packing tape. Did I mention that I also ordered the packaging supplies from USPS and it is free?? That is my favorite price!

Lots of Pictures!!!

2005-01-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

I really should post more often. So much has been going on this past week. I am now part of the Knitting Blogs Web Ring!! That was a nice surprise. I started on some new projects that are pictured below, and I took my first knitting class.

Sock Class

My first knitting class was a basic sock class held at Filati . The little sock pictured above is what we made. The class really gave me a better way to make socks and has given me a better understanding of reading the sock patterns. The class was taught by Nancy England. If anyone ever gets the chance to take one of her classes, please do! I learned so much. Now my Sockapalooza pal will get some terrific socks!!!

Look Ma! Intarsia!

This is the front of Faith's sweater. I actually finished itthis week like I had wanted. This was the first time that I had tried intarsia. Much easier than I thought it would be. I am so glad that I finally tried it. Now I will have to try out more color work. I am going to get the sleeves done tonight and tomorrow so that I can seam it up and send it off. I think her mom will be really surprised that I got it done so quickly.

New Shawl

I started this shawl Wednesday. I found the pattern in Knitter's Winter 2000 magazine. This is a great issue as it has many shawl and sweater patterns. I was thumbing through it last month and rediscovered this pattern. The yarn I am using is Collinette Prism. I was lucky enough to find the skeins I needed on eBay and paid less than half price at other yarn shops online.

Start of Shoalwater Shawl

I finally started my Shoalwater Shawl from the shawl club by Joslyn's Fiber Farm. I haven't worked with lace weight yarn before. This made me really nervous. I was afraid that I wouldn't do very well and would get frustrated. Of course, this made it really hard for me to start it up. I decided to forget that and go ahead and start. I have made a very small start, but this has really boosted my confidence. I am actually understanding the charts much more that I had been before. Makes a big difference in my confidence level. I also love the yarn. It is a handpainted 2-ply that has a really nice hand. Makes the tiny stitches worth it.

Sockaplooza!!!

Ok, so I was at Filati so I had to buy something!! So I purchased the sock yarn for my Sockapalooza pal. I hope that she likes these colors. When I saw this yarn, I immediately thought spring. I also read her blog to make sure that these would be colors that she likes. Now I have to decide on a pattern. Elann has some free patterns for self striping socks and I also picked up Folk Solks that has a classic sock pattern that was suggested by Nancy, the sock class instructor. Fortunately, I have a little bit of time to decide.

Ok...the kids and hubby are patiently (not really) waiting for dinner. I really need to post more often so that I cut down on the amount of pictures!!!

Got here before the kids...

2005-01-11T17:57:00.000-08:00

Sad day for knitting as it was the last day of my daughter's knitting club at school. The facilitator, Tracy Nelson, is pregnant and should be going on maternity leave soon. Since Tori will be in *gasp* Jr. High next year, this was her last day with the club. On a good note, she has really learned a lot about knitting and wants to work with Mom.

Here are the promised pictures:

THING!!

Here it is. THING in all its glory. I really just need to spend some time finishing this one, but I keep avoiding it. At least I'm not alone....Amy and I are at the same point. One of us has to get past it. It is the cardigan border. I think because there is not a picture, I am having a hard time visualizing this.

Faith's sweater

I have been working on Faith's (my niece) sweater for the past couple of days. Really easy, hardly any shaping, can do it while watching tv kind of project. I should finish the back tonight and start on the front. Hopefully, I will have started the intarsia heart tonight. I want to have this done by the weekend. I want to send it and the scarf pictured below early next week.

Tracy's scarf

This scarf is for my SIL Tracy. I attributed this scarf to part of the Think Pink knitalong. I would also like to knit some of the patterns from Knitty's special issue for Breast Cancer. Should be easy since I really like the color pink!!

Drift

And this is Drift. Basically this will be a floor length cardigan in stockinette stitch. Believe it or not, I have about 24 inches of the back completed. Plan is to finish the back this weekend. Let's hope! The good thing about this sweater is that it is really oversized, so if Tori gets tired of it, I can wear it!

Well, off to gymnastics. At least I get to knit while I watch......

I have learned

2005-01-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

that having a husband, a teenager, and a pre-teen means that you cannot get on the computer in the evenings! I had all these grand plans yesterday of updating my sidebar, posting pictures, etc. Crazy me! I thought that I would actually get to the computer last night. We have TWO computers in our office. Both were in use all night. So, my goal tonight is to get to the computer before anyone else, then I can post pictures. I am going to try and update my sidebar at work today. Since I work at a construction office and it is pouring here in CA, I know that I will have some time to play!

For some fun news, I have recently been asked to be an official member of the Fiber RAOK. What a wonderful group. I am glad to see that people in this world still think of others. I am quite excited to be a part of all of this.

I have also joined Petite Purls. This is an ongoing knitalong that makes different types of clothing for stillborn babies and loss of an infant. I should have a link to my sidebar up today.

I have also been knitting. I started my niece's sweater last night. My SIL bought me some yarn to make her one. I am using the 'sweatheart sweater' pattern from Knitting for Baby by Melanie Falick. The yarn that SIL bought is Plymouth Encore in sage for the body and purple for the intarsia heart. I am almost done with the back. I have also been working on 'Drift' for my daughter from Rowan #30. Long, long cardigan in all black. I should have both of these done this month. They are easy stockinette, just have to make sure that I don't get bored.

For all of you Thingalong knitters, I have gotten to the cardigan border and have lost some of my momentum. I think I will work on it for an hour tonight so that I can get past that. I will also try and post a picture of my 'thing' tonight.

Goal tonight: update blog with pictures! Get on computer before kids and hubby do!

Where Have I Been???

2005-01-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.....I have actually been really busy. Last week, my husband and I hosted a dinner party for his office. Had 18 people over for a sit down dinner at my house. Talk about busy! Had to plan the menu, order food, clean and cook. Not to mention having to go through my house and make sure that I had all of the necessary plates, napkins, glasses, etc. etc! That left little time for knitting, blogging, or reading emails. Now that it is over, and I have almost recouperated, I can read the many emails that I have received (over 100) and post some pictures to my blog!

During this time, I was able to fit in some knitting. I actually finished the EZ garter stitch scarf I was knitting for my SIL. I just need to send it to her this week. I also made a pair of baby booties for the organizer of my DD's knitting club at school. We had a surprise baby shower for her Saturday. I didn't take a picture (my bad) but she is going to bring them to knitting club Tuesday, so hopefully I will remember to bring my camera.

I will post later today (when I get home from work!). I hope to have some pics and to update my sidebar.

Goals for the New Year

2005-01-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

With the start of the New Year, lots of people like to set goals, make resolutions, find ways to improve their lives......and like the rest of the sheep, I like to do that too! Sometimes these resolutions actually have an impact on me. It usually happens when I announce to my hubby that I have these goals for myself. Not all are met, but, if I post it here, maybe I will be held more accountable for my goals!

So, here goes......

1. Eat healthy and exercise!
I know, I know....everyone has this goal. But, I really need to do this. I see my mom and she is in such good shape. Woman is...well, can't announce her age....she is much older than me. And she looks great! She takes care of herself, takes her vitamins, walks the dog every night....looks 25 years younger than she is.....I want to be like Mom!!

2. Control my yarn buying....
All knitters and crocheters out there know exactly what I am saying. I have a spare bedroom that is slowing being taken over by my stash. All of my purchases at Elann and eBay are a big part of the problem. The shopper in me sees a great deal and I can't resist! So, I have to learn to control my yarn addiction and only buy if I need. Do they have AA for knitters???

3. Do a better job of staying in contact with friends and family.
This is an important goal. I want my kids to know their cousins. I want to spend time with my Mom and Dad while they are still around. I don't want to lose contact with my friends. Sometimes we just get so busy with everyday, we forget those around us. I want to make sure that doesn't happen.

4. Donate more time and money to church and charities
We in the US have so much money (compared to most of the world).....and time is something that I am so good at wasting! After all that has happened in the world, especially in the last few weeks, donating time and money are the least that I can do.

Well, that's it. Keeping it short and sweet makes it more attainable. Let's see how I do. I think that item 2 will be the hardest.

Exciting knitting news.......

Got two knitterly emails today. The first for Secret Pals 4. This will be starting up Feb. 1. Since I have been reading blogs for a while, but just started blogging myself, I was quite intrigued about the whole secret pal thing. Not knowing many knitters and having the chance to get to know someone with a similar obsession, how could I resist???

Second email that I got was for !!! I was reading blogs (shocker!) and happened to get lucky enough to sign up for this one in time!! Unfortunately, this has been closed to more participants, but maybe there will be another one if this one goes well.

Also want to say "thank you" to Nathania of Purls Beyond Price. She sent me a gift certificate for Adiago Teas. I love tea! So of course I used it right away and am patiently waiting for my teas to arrive.... (Actually, I'm more of an instant gratification kind of person)

Happy New Year!

2005-01-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

Ended 2004 and started 2005 on the right foot!!! I was able to complete 2 projects: Cozy and Union Square from Weekend Knitting. Both had been on hold due to the holidays. So once I finished my Christmas knitting, I was able to work on these.

Cozy

Weekend Knitting-Union Square

Union Square

I am still debating as to whether I should block Cozy. I had originally thought that I should. But since it is so long, I would rather not block it on my bed right now. Probably wouldn't dry completely by bedtime!

So, off to other projects!!

Wow! This page looks different!

2004-12-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

I have been busy playing with my template now that I have found out how to do some things. See, I figured out the percentage bar thingys, changed to a new template, and even changed the colors to the standard template. This is what happens when it is extremely slow at work!

As I was changing things and surfing the web, I had also read about many of the charities that need our help for the areas of Asia that were hit by the earthquake and tsunamis. I have added a list of charities onto my side bar. I did some research and was able to verify that at least 75% of the funds that are donated will go directly to disaster relief. The link for Network for Good will allow you to choose which charity to donate to, including the American Red Cross, Unicef, and the Salavation Army to name a few. I also found a web site that will allow you to check how much of your donation actually goes to their programs. It is called Charity Navigator. I was able to see how much of the donated money a charity receives would actually go to their programs and how much was spent on administration and how they rated against other charities. Really is worth a look.

As for knitting, I was lucky enough to take the day off and spend it at my son's wrestling tournament. The whole day was spent there.....not something that I really wanted to do, but I love my boy! Fortunately, I was smart enough to bring my knitting. I was able to complete more of Cozy. My goal is to try and finish it this week........of course, I am being very optimistic or just plain crazy......it's probably a tie. Anyway, this wrap is suppose to be 67.5 inches in length. That is longer that I am tall. Hmm....well, we'll see how long it gets as I get closer to finishing it.

What did you do during Christmas break?

2004-12-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

The Vineyards of Joseph Phelps

On our Christmas vacation, we visited wineries in both Sonoma and Napa. This picture was taken at Joseph Phelps in Napa Valley.

Chateau Souvreign

This is Chateau Souvreign in Sonoma (Alexander Valley).

Both wineries were nice to visit. Very beautiful. We had the best tasting at Frank Family Vineyards. Frank Family is the third oldest in Napa. It is the winery where Marilyn Monroe bought her champagne. So, in addition to tasting some wonderful wine, we also were treated to a taste of bubbly! All of their wines were wonderful and the people friendly. We have decided that we are going to make a annual trip to Frank Family.

Christmas goodies

These are the wonderful gifts that my husband gave me for Christmas. I sent him my wish list from Amazon, and he bought me everything on my must have list. I am actually waiting for two more books to come in and they are all about knitting!!! I should be getting Scarf Style by Pam Allen and A Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara Walker. I also get to go and pick up A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swanson at my lys since Amazon was out. DH said that I had enough yarn! These books should help me do something with all of it!

I also got to do some knitting while on vacation. Here is Cozy from Knitty. I joined the KAL at the beginning of the month. Hopefully, I will be done with it soon.

Cozy......start of something beautiful

Here is a close up of the stitch pattern.

Cozy Closeup

We also did some shopping and I worked on a few other projects.

More yarn and some work done

The Nautilus Hat at the bottom of the page is made of Silky Tweed from Elsbeth Lavold. The pattern is pretty easy and you end up with a very nice hat. I made if for myself, but have already had family members requesting one. I wonder if I will get to keep it????

The scarf is an easy diagonal garter stitch done in Noro Silk Garden. Made if for my MIL. I know that she will love it (in the colors that she wears) and the yarn is so yummy!

While out shopping and dragging everyone to yarn shops, I pick up some Manos in the dark gold/brown/purple colorway. And, my SIL bought a yarn for a sweater for my cutie niece. Love making baby clothes as they are so quick and fun.

I also got my Mystery Kit #3 in the mail (nice surprise to come home to) and my order from Webs....the yummy Karabella Frost that I practially stole from them!

I also had to put my crocheted lace shawl on hold. George got to the yarn while we were gone.....didn't really hurt it nor himself...just means that everything that I had gotten done will have to be re-done. I think that I will wait until later to finish that one.

Whew! That's the abbreviated version of my week. Get to take Mom to the airport at 4am tomorrow.....I must have been thinking she would be getting herself to the airport!

Happy Holidays

2004-12-17T19:14:00.000-08:00

We are off to Windsor CA for some rest and knitting relaxation. Have the projects packed and ready to knit! Will be back on the 26th, hopefully with some really nice photos to post!

Quickie Update.......

2004-12-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

It is Friday!!! Going on vacation to Sonoma for a whole week. Really looking forward to getting away. Mom is coming out (from Florida) on Sunday for Christmas and we get to go wine tasting and shopping! I also get to knit to my heart's content! I have almost finished all of the Christmas presents. The only ones left are the ones for the kids (quick and easy) and the scarf for my mother-in-law.

The kids have approved the patterns for their knitted gifts this year. I found Johnny some really nice wrist bands w/skulls. I told him that I could make him and the GF matching ones. For Tori, she wants basic black legwarmers. Scary to see legwarmers as a fashion accessory again. I can remember these being popular when I was much younger!

Hoping to post pictures later today. I made a shawlette for Mom out of some really fun novelty yarns. I had planned on crocheting her a beaded stole. The one (on the cover) from Lily Chin's book Knit and Crochet with Beads. I have even started it. But, since it is something that will need my utmost concentration, I think I will send it to her for Mother's Day instead. More fun for her to get that in the mail since I am usually just a send-a-card-and-make-a-phone-call person for that day. Also, since she will be here on Sunday, I know that I won't get it done that fast!!

I also joined another Knit A Long! Glutton for punishment that I am. It is the Mariah Along. It officially starts in February according to Eklectika. Happened across her blog when going through on of the blog rings and was quite please to see that she had started this up. The pattern is from the latest Knitty issue. Really glad to see that it is starting in February as I already have projects lined up for January.

I have been knitting.......

2004-12-14T22:26:00.001-08:00

Purple Poncho

Here is the Poncho that I have made for Terri being modeled by my daughter. I am not sure if this will be long enough for her daughter. I am going to be bringing to her at work so that she can look at it and let me know. That way, I can add more tomorrow night if necessary. The pattern that I used was from Easy Knitting, Fall 2004. The yarn is 100% arcylic-Caron Amore. I used exactly was called for in the pattern. This is actually the second one that I have made. I made the first one for myself, however, my son (yes, the 15 year old) wears it around the house. He says that it is like a big blanket that he can wear. I have to sneak a picture of him sometime.

Jo Sharp Sarong

This is the sarong that I made for my niece, Julia. She is a little more difficult to knit for since she lives in Hawaii. I have had to be more creative with her. I found this pattern in Jo Sharp's book 7, Family. I used about 10 balls of Jo Sharp Desert Garden in Lavendar for this project. It was acutally quite fun to make.

Hats!!!

These are all of the hats that I have been making for the nieces and nephews that live in the continental US. Most of these were knit from yarn in my stash. The pretty purple is in 1824 Wool and the pink is in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. Those two yarns were fun to knit with. The others are in Crystal Palace Carnival. A really old yarn I found in my stash. Bought when I first found Elann about 4-5 years ago!

Tori's work

Now this is what my daughter has knit. She has really been working hard with Mom lately. She has been knitting presents for everyone in the family. She has really come along. We had knitting club today (her school hosts this club) and she has started knitting with some eyelash yarn. I will post a picture when she finishes.

On top of all of this, I have also knit another Karabella silk boucle scarf (2 total in the past week). It is a simple garter stitch scarf, but is beautiful since the yarn is so yummy! I will have to post pics later. I am running out of room.

I have also updated my page with other blogs and sites that I have been reading for a while. I also joined another knit along (yes, I am crazy). This one is the Thing A Long. Since I was already working on this, I figured I should join. Besides, I blame KnitnMom, I saw it on her blog!

Stitch n Bitch

2004-12-10T17:51:00.000-08:00

Attended my first Stitch n Bitch last night. Was quite enjoyable. (The only thing that I did not enjoy was the 30 minute drive to downtown Sac.) We only had a few people attending, including a crocheter named Amy. She has inspired me to take up the hook again. I was only planning on making one or two crochet items in the next few months, but I think that I will actually do more. The group also attends the Knitting Meetup group that I attend. I thought that I would be able to meet with them since we are going to Sonoma on Friday for the holidays. I would need to pack on Thursday so I would not be able to attend the weekly meeting, but they will be joining me at the Meetup next Wednesday.

The SNB was held at a coffee shop called the Naked Lounge. Quite and interesting place. Nice comfy couches and chairs to sit on. Had a Chai latte and it was tasty! Looking forward to visiting the coffee shop. It had a nice atmosphere.

In addition to enjoying the good company and the tea, I also got some knitting done. Got 2/3 of the silk boucle scarf done for my SIL, Lovelle. I should be able to send off their package to NY on Monday in time for Christmas!!

2004-12-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Pretty in Pink
Here are the baby booties and hat that I am making for Alexis, Pieter and Vickie's daughter. Her christening is on Sunday. I only have to complete the I-cord and the set is complete. I was very pleased with the baby booties. They were very easy. I thought that they would be harder to make.

2004-12-10T17:36:00.000-08:00

Sad Kitty
Poor George! He has been following me around all evening.....something rare as he prefers my kids. Tonight he is lonely. His best friend, Rajah, our tabby, passed away 3 weeks ago. George is still looking for him. So tonight I have the feeling that he will be following me around, trying to attack my knitting, and tease the dogs. He has been very loving for the past 3 weeks. He misses his buddy.

New Yarn!!!!!

2004-12-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

New yarn from Joslyn's Fiber Farm

Yah!! Didn't go to the yarn store tonight, but had a really good reason for staying home! Look at the beautiful yarn that I got!!! My kit came in from Joslyn's Fiber Farm!!! See the beautiful yarn that came in! It is actually darker than what is in the picture. I love it!! I get to make the Shoalwater Shawl from Fiber Trends. The day I saw this shawl in the back of Interweave I knew that I had to make it. This is my first kit from Joslyn. I am so excited!! (Of course, the husband thinks I'm a freak!) I will have to wait until I get my Christmas presents completed before I can start this, but I can still look at and touch the yarn all I want!!!

2004-12-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

Completed Shawl

Well, this is the shawl that I had talked about in a previous post. I don't like the picture, it is much prettier up close. Was done very quickly....not like other items that I have made. Simple garter stitch shawl...I think that my mom will really like it.

I had worn it for the first time last weekend and had 2 people ask me if I sell them!!! I did like that. Was happy to hear that others had enjoyed my efforts! Tonight, I get to go to Filati and knit with the other ladies. Tomorrow is my Stitch n Bitch night.....it will be my first meeting. Really looking forward to that.

Well, need to get my needles and yarn together for the bear that I am making AJ. I don't know what I was thinking when I purchased bamboo needles for this project. I should have used it as an excuse to purchase more addis!!!

busy, busy, busy!!!

2004-12-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, think I am getting the hang of this. See the new yarn I got!!! Bought it for a great price on eBay!! Can you believe it! Colinette yarns......nice colorways, great quality! And I received it in a week from the UK! I couldn't believe it got here that fast. This is the second time that I have bought yarn on eBay from someone in the UK. I have been very please with the price and the quick shipping!! I only wish that all things worked that way.

I have been busy learning how to blog! I can now post pictures and add links. Just wait until I really figure out what I am doing!!!

See below for the poncho that I am knitting Terri. I have also finished the baby hat and all but the I-cord for Alexis' baby booties. I should be able to complete Lovelle's scarf and AJ's teddy bear this week too. Crazy time of year, but I love how I can get away with all of this knitting. I am really going to have to do laundry soon......

2004-12-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

New Yarn from Ebay

2004-12-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

More yarn from eBay

Terri's Poncho

2004-12-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

Terri's Poncho

This is the poncho that I am knitting for my friend Terri. She wants this for her daughter as a Christmas present. Hopefully, I will have this done this weekend. This pattern is from Easy Knitting Magazine. The pattern itself is very simple. I made one for myself(in blue) in October, but my son has decided that it is like having a blanket around your neck. He has decided that he is going to wear it around the house and when he plays video games. I have promised to knit a serape for him (the one in Sally Melville's book, The Purl Stitch). Hopefully it will be done right after Christmas so I can have my poncho back!

First Link!!

2004-12-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

I posted my first link on my blogger today. Am I a geek or what! I now have a link to the shawl club that just joined! hehehe......I think I will be doing more of this now. Have to post all of the pics of what I am working on!

How do I work this thing??

2004-12-01T16:31:00.000-08:00

Trying to figure out what I am doing on this blogger!! Would like to know what I am doing. I can usually figure this stuff out, but I think I will actually have to work on this or order the software!!!

Anyway, convinced John that he wanted to sign me up for Joslyn's Fiber Farm's shawl club! The gift that just keeps on giving. Will have to wait to get my first kit, but I have lots to do so that will keep me busy.

OTN: working on the teddy bear for AJ, my colorful shawl (the really nice lady at Filati helped me pick out the yarn), "Cozy" shawl from Knitty, Union Square poncho from Weekend Knits. Boy am I busy!!

My first blog!!!!

2004-11-27T20:23:00.000-08:00

Wow! I am starting my first blog! This is so that my friends and family can see what I do in my spare time....the only thing that I do on my spare time-knit! When I have any spare time, I usually spend it knitting, researching online about yarns or patterns for knitting, or reading my books and magazines about yarn or knitting. I think that I drive my husband crazy!

Anyway, today Tori and I spent the day yarn shopping and knitting at our favorite LYS Filati in Rocklin. Tori worked on her scarf for Dad. While she was there, she talked to all of the other knitters and found some beautiful eyelash yarn. She says that she is going to make her own scarf this time, but I have the feeling that I will be the one doing that.

I found, with the help of the staff at Filati, some beautiful nylon ribbon that I will pair with some yummy fur yarn to create a loose knit shawl. Will post pictures when it is done.