Wrapping up the year

Happy Holidays to all and hopefully a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year to come!

I was lucky and was the thrilled recipient of this! Received the package in the mail earlier this week! A lot of interesting stuff in there. Which to try first??

Still have my pain! Got a prescription for a lumbar x-ray so will have to get up bright and early Saturday morning and head out to the radiology department at the hospital. The nights are the worst - white lipped pain trying to get out of bed. This getting old s**ks!

Sent the Traveling Woman shawl to my sister and she was thrilled. I'm glad she liked it. Also sent her a sort of sappy note telling her how much I enjoyed going up to help her recuperate. Chalk it up to "this time of year."

Got teary yesterday when a co-worker gave me a present. She gave me one of those flat wallets - in PURPLE! She told me she remembered that I said I wanted one and she looked all over to get my favoritest color. That really means a lot to me.

Well - happy holiday knitting to all!!

A Pain in my !

Oh my - I have a pain going from my right *cheek* down to my ankle! It feels like someone hit my ankle with a hammer. Started last week and has gotten worse. Think it's my sciatica - at least according to my self-diagnosing on webmd.com. Not sure why it started - sure wish it would go away!

At least I can knit. I'm up to row 19 of chart B of The Traveling Woman. I ordered some Alpaca with a Twist Jumbo Lumberjack Red to do chart B in and it matches pretty well!! (Remember this is yarn I bought a few years ago at Rheinbeck - not sure what it is other than 100% silk. I used it to make the museum donation shawl.) If I hadn't made it larger I would have had enough.....famous last words! Tonight I should be able to finish the last pattern row and bind-off. Would be nice if I could get it out to my sister in time for Christmas - will see about that. Hope to have enough of the lumberjack yarn left over to make a scarf (my hope for next years' red scarf project).

That's all I got for now. Everyone stay warm and happy knitting!

Starting the final talley!

Well, it's been quite a while since I've blogged anything. Partly because, let's face it, I'm about the only one who reads this. I've come up with the sentiment that the internet both brings people together and emphasizes the distance between them. Unfortunately I feel the latter.

I'm working on the Traveling Woman using the remainder of the silk yarn bought in Rhinebeck YEARS ago. Had a whole skein (but never knew how much was actually in there!) left and a little left from the first. But, since I made the stockinette stitch area larger and increased the repeats of Chart A, I'm pretty positive I won't have enough to finish. So I've ordered something I *hope* will match for knitting the final chart. This is a present for my sister. She loved the yarn when I made the museum donation. Hope to get the yarn this week and that it will match!!

While up at my sisters I did finally pop over to the mother's apartment to surprise her (and I did - she was speechless!!!) and I came back with tons of yarn. Still I left stuff at her apartment for another time. You all (figure of speech) know how knitters have their stash!! There are a couple greys that I plan on making shawls for museum donations for next year. The color will fit in with the time period. No hand-dyed multi yarns back then! That's the plan.

Still working on Mystery KALS - decided not to order/join any more until I finish what I got. See how long that lasts!!

Guess that's it. So - my plans for what they are worth are: finish the WIPs I have (two mystery KALS, the boxleaf triangle, traveling woman, hydrangea scarf, hanami, and whatever else I find hidden in that messy room!), make a couple shawls for the museum, and make at least one (hopefully more) red scarf for next year to donate.

Only time will tell.

I'm tickled PINK about my latest finish!

Like when I was knitting the alligator, this knitting makes me so happy and, yes I will admit, proud of myself! I knit in the round and actually changed colors! And I had to switch to DPNs for the final few rounds with decreasing stitches - and I didn't have holes!! Yes my join in the back does have a little jiggle up where the end stitch meets the first stitch BUT it's not so bad that I want to rip it out and not show anyone. (And for me THAT'S a major feat!) The pictures of my model are a little dark even with editing but it was late last night and he wasn't cooperating.
As you can tell he wasn't too happy with me taking multiple pictures. I think the upsetting part was the hat was pink and he's a manly dachshund!


Here is a better set taken this morning. Note the unique use of the paper towels! I also put up blocking materials to hide the giant mess on my craft table!! Next picture is a little shaky - guess my hand moved a tiny bit.

I cast on with a navy blue last night in a larger size to hopefully get done to take with me when I go visit my sister. Her latest grandson will be the recipient - from Sullivan's Christening Shawl fame!

I am SO proud of myself!!

Note from work: I was proudly showing off my hat and when I asked if anyone had a girl baby in the family, Doris said yes, a niece who just arrived a month ago. So - she got the hat! She was thrilled and I was happy to have made it and someone will wear it! Win - Win!

Miserable Weather

It's raining here and I'm fighting a sinus migraine. Work stinks (yes I know I'm lucky to have a job but there are days when it's not enough and this is one of them).

At home there is knitting going on but not enough progress. I'm working on Clue 5 of Mystery14 and still doing the edging on Mystery13. Signed up for the FallMysteryKAL but found out it's a provisional cast on so that's not going to happen. If I'd known that in the beginning I wouldn't have signed up. Yes we as knitters should challenge ourselves BUT it's good to know your (many) limitations. Still knitting on the BoxLeaf Triangle.
Doing the SchoolhousePress scarf KAL - not sure about that one. It's tough knitting with the unspun - keeps coming apart on me. Guess I don't know all the tricks. Bought THIS yummy yarn for a cowl & fingerless mitts for my sister. Better get going on these if I want to give them to her anytime soon!

Feeling overwhelmed - must be the weather.

Talk Like a Pirate Day!!

My pirate name is:

Black Bess Flint

Like anyone confronted with the harshness of robbery on the high seas, you can be pessimistic at times. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

9-11

Never Forget