Happy New Year to Every One !!!

I'll will be taking a blog break until the end of January

Happy Holidays !!!

Aunt Velma's Holiday Table

Final Gifting Moments...

I'm sitting on the sofa at 7:00am finishing up Velma's scarf.

I decided to go with a fringe.

I think she will love it !!!

You Know Who You Are...

This is a note to one of my relatives (you know who you are)...

So the other day you decide to borrow one of my poncho's, wraps, shrugs, scarves, whatever. What luck for me that you would grab a WIP (to my relative - this means 'work in progress'). A wrap I'd made earlier this year just to clear out some of my stash.


True enough, I did not make it for me. True enough, I did not really care for it.


So relative, you have not only worn it but rode in your car while smoking a cigarette (with the windows up no less).


Relative, you have no choice now. Tonight, I am putting fringes on this smokey wrap and wrapping it up for you.


Merry Christmas !!!


P.S. Incidentally relative, you should read my blog sometimes.

Just One More Little Gift to Make...

Last weekend I was in Atlanta visiting with my favorite Aunt Velma. She marveled a knitted scarf I was wearing and announced that she really wants me to make her a gold scarf for Christmas. As always, with her requests, I said "Okay".

I set out to purchase the only gold/metallic yarns I could think of, which are by Berroco. I drove one town over only to discover the local yarn shop had closed.

Luckily at Michaels Crafts I found a metallic by Patons called Brilliant. I'd seen it many times but never thought of using it for any of my projects. So, Brilliant it is. What I had in mind at first was a fan stitch but after about 8 rows, I knew it would take much too long and I was not crazy about the way it looked. I was sure of one thing though, for a quick scarf, I needed yarn overs, yarn overs, yarn overs. So here it is, a popular and simple pattern with garter stitch rows and a row using 2 yarn overs on size 8 needles.

Whew.


I am happy and pleased with the way it looks. The metallic gold alone will make Aunt Velma happy.

I am about 1/4 of the way through.

I took this picture a little too close but at least you can see how shimmery it is.

Final decision, to fringe or scallop...

So far, so good...

All I've done is talk about my blue cable sweater and never showed you a picture of the design. As I said in my earlier post, it's a basic v-neck. Here is a drawing I doodled at work. You can laugh at my doodle if you want. I'm just happy to say that most of my stitching is done !

While out shopping, I was fortunate enough to see this tie which I knew would match. It isn't a great tie or anything but the blues are exactly alike. This relative wears a lot of sweaters with jeans but also will put a tie on with his button up or v-neck sweaters.

Do click on the photo of the sleeve, it looks really nice close up. Also, click on the photo with the tie to see how really the blues match.

More Cables in Blue...

I love, love, love this sweater. As you probably know, this is Tahki Stacy's Zara Cabled Tunic. I think the design is pretty ingenious. The downward cables could give a persons torso a more lengthy look and the cables going across could either enhance a chest or take away from a chest. Okay folks, this is just my opinion. There is a lot going on with the design but it's not too fussy for someone of my height (almost 6 feet).

These are the type of projects I dream of doing. A project that uses loads and loads of yarn, some intricacy and a bit of a challenge. With my working all the time though, it would be a miracle if I ever got the chance to complete it. You never know though, perhaps I can fit it in.

Ahhhhhh, Holiday Pressure as an Incentive...

The day after Thanksgiving I found myself suddenly concerned with the possibility of not having this sweater gift completed on time. I came up with a simple explanation for my nonchalance regarding this project. November must have been one of my low-caffeine months. Turkey month can be a very busy month, you know. This is especially true with all the pumpkin pie making and macaroni n’ cheese baking. So, I can see how a person could slack off of an addiction or two. With such a sizeable project hanging over me, why else would a gal like me procrastinate?

While kicking myself (very lightly), I came up with a solution. December 2007 is my month to become a knitting maniac. I will have this sweater completed and ready before December 25th, I will even have time to knit up two or three in-betweens (scarves for neighbors, coworkers and such).

As you can see from the picture, I’ve gotten the bulk of my sweater done. I love that my little camera picked up the flecks of raspberry. The front is on my 10.5 circulars here and the next row worked will begin the split, the v-neck. So, there it is. I am now on more caffeine and the impending holiday as a completion incentive. Works for me!

A Productive Sunday is a Good Sign...

I had a very good and productive weekend. I spoke to two of my much-missed friends in Michigan. I should be traveling there sometime in January/February. I Can't wait to get back to my real home. My best friend Neil and I have already picked out which restaurants we'll eat at and which bookstores to haunt.

Saturday and Sunday I accomplished a lot on my sweater. It is a men's 3X and I mean it's been a lot of knitting. The yarn came out of the stash I bought earlier this year and is one I am not familiar with. It is a demin blue with small flecks of raspberry. I suspect it's a wool/acrylic blend. In any case, it feels pretty good between the fingers. As you can see, it's a simple cable pattern.

Fortunate is as Fortunate does...

I am a flea market shopper and sometimes a garage sale shopper. I love coming across dented and scratched up knitting needles. Makes a person wonder “What have you knitted and how did you end up here?”. Size 8 straight needles seem to be really popular at these sales. It makes no difference to me if I have 3 sets of Bates green aluminums, I will buy more. Especially if they are priced at fifty cents to a dollar a pair. After all, you never know when a friend or two will need them. On occasion I have run into random skeins of yarn. Just last week at a flea market I bought a ball of mohair. It was dirty and dusty on the outside and covered with bits of leaves and sticks, as if someone had played catch with it during a leaf rake. I unrolled a bit of it in the shop to find that it shimmered a silver grey. It’s a beautiful color. I have no idea who the maker is and with it being only about 40 grams, I can only hope to make a really narrow scarf. Who knows?

This past July I ran into one of the best estate sales ever. I was able to purchase a huge box of yarn. I actually purchased someone else’s stash!!! There were wools, acrylics and ribbons and even a few unspuns (if there is such a word). Many of the skeins had been rolled into balls. A few of the yarns I recognized as Noro, Lion Brand and Caron but many of them I just don’t have a clue about.

Now I have always had a sizeable stash which is majority and selfishly designated for “Carolyn” projects. How fortunate though that I was able to purchase a stash for less than $20.00!!! I have decided to use only a few of the yarns for myself (naturally) but the rest are for friends and family.

So far, I have started on a v-neck, cabled sweater for a family member. I had in mind what I wanted (just a regular v-neck) but did not have access to a pattern at the time so I just did some comparisons with another sweater and just cast on. It was one of those 'I have to knit Sundays'. The goal is to have it finished by December 25. This sweater is my major project at the moment but I may do a small 'inbetween' project here and there.

Ready, Set, Go ...

Okay, so this is how I start my mornings... I'm up at around 4:20 a.m., grinding coffee beans, cutting up apple or oranges. I fix either oatmeal or Special K (with strawberries please !!!). Then, on to my sofa to watch CNN and knit. It's the only time of day that allows me to get in more than 20 or more consecutive rows. It my ME time before my 9:00 - 5:00.


Yes, my bean grinder is orange, what can I say, it was a gift !!!