KnitterPhreek

Well, that’s enough for now, don’t you think?

I am hoping to go to the Fiber Frolic in June, actually I AM going it is one of those things that I MAKE happen.  Can’t wait!!

Sorry abut that, disappeared for a while there didn’t I?  Well, no guarantees it will not happen again!  I guess I got sucked into Ravelry.  Since I’ve been on there, I have been a little bit lost in the forums.  My Favorite one is the one for She-Knits.  It is the podcast that I listen to immediately upon updating if at ALL possible!!!

I have been knitting, here are a few pics of some finished objects:

I found a cool contest and plan on joining!  you should too, but if you don’t that is fine with me, better chances for me at least!!

http://summerkalcal.blogspot.com/2007/08/contest-from-she-knits.html#links

Wow!  I cannot believe it has been so long since I’ve posted!  I have been knitting though!  Between that, listening to podcasts (first having to spend FOREVER downloading them on dialup), deciding to work at a new company, learning the ropes of the new work system and dealing with computer issues with the brand new computer they sent me, and making hats and booties for a set of twins (that’s 4 separate booties, I am currently on the last one and almost have the pattern memorized, not sure I’ll ever do it again, but it is imprinted in my brain!), plus all the fun stuff summer entails when you have an almost three-year-old I guess the time just got away from me.  I finished a bag for my niece too, I can post a picture of that!

kind of dark, but it does prove I’ve been knitting!

Finally finished the magic stripe socks, feel like they took forever, but then again, I was working on size #0 addi turbos.

Here they are!

They match…..tis a good thing!

Also, DD has finished her hat!  In about 3 days, does she Rock or what??

Love that look of happy accomplisment!!!

 Since I had finished my Magic Stripes socks, I could not wait to get into the sock yarn I bought at the fiber frolic, it is a superwash merino from Pinestar Studio.  So I started winding it up from the hank.  I know I need to get a swift, but I draped the hank over an open drawer next to the ballwinder and kept “feeding” it along…..its worked before……..

Going pretty welll……until……

I so NEED a Swift!!!

Just look at this mess!!!

But, in the end, I Win!!!

……After 8 hours!!!

Now the miracle will be if I even want to look at this damn yarn long enough to knit with it!!!

I’m gonna try to do the 2 socks on Magic Loop, not the one inside the other, cannot wrap my brain around THAT concept!  But, will try to use the tutorial found here…

The boy who knits

Until Next time!

Has anyone ever asked you that?  It can be a hard question to answer.  I had never really thought about it before.  I guess I knit mostly for the pleasure of creating something useful.  I love to watch as the yarn “magically” becomes a hat, mittens, socks….you name it!  I was recently thinking about this hobby of mine and how it touches not only my life, but the lives of the people that I knit for.   I have made mittens, sizzle hats, bags, regular hats, wristlets, headbands, and other things for my nieces and my own daughters, a hoodie sweater and some booties and mittens for my little man.  But, I think the most gratifying things I have ever made were for a wonderful woman named Natalie Harkins.

 Natalie was the most beautiful soul you would ever be lucky enough to know.  She also was a stunningly beautiful woma, with a ready smile and a beautiful head of black glossy hair.  About 5 years ago Natalie found out that she had cancer, I believe it was ovarian cancer, and it was quite advanced.  This did not douse Natalie’s verve for life at all.  She went about all of her radiation and chemo treatments with an inner calm and was quite stoic.  I think I only saw her spirit flag 1 or 2 times.  We used to commute on the ferry together and I was pretty well into the scarf craze that was going on about 3 or 4 years ago.  Natalie had just started her Chemotherapy and lost all of her beautiful hair.  This was quite upsetting for her I am sure, but more than that, her head was cold, especially at night (Maine winter nights can get a bit nippy).  She approached me on the ferry one day and asked if I would be willing to knit her a cap that she could sleep in at night, but also something that she might be able to wear during the day too, as hats for outside were just too heavy to wear indoors all day long.  Needless to say I was touched to be asked to do this, and happy to oblige.

I did many searches through books, magazines, and the internet to find just the right hat, and could not settle on any one, so I decided to make twp or three!  I picked out the softest, nonscratchy yarn I could and happily set them to needles.  When I presented the hats to Natalie, she actually had the nerve to ask me how much money I wanted for them!  I told her no, they were a gift.  It had made me happy to make them and I did not need any money for them.  She tried to push it, but I stuck to my guns.  What a wonderful treat to be able to provide warmth and comfort for my beautiful friend.

 Natalie passed away a couple of weeks ago.  While it was known that this was coming, it was still quite a blow to everyone who knew her.  I am happy I was able to make some small part of her journey a little easier, I hope.

 This is why I knit!

On a lighter note, look what I found lurking in my home…….

That is my middle child, the 14-3/4-year-old.  She asked if I would teach her to knit!!  She tried learning when she was about 9, but now at almost 15 seems to have a better grasp on it.  She is making a beanie-type hat and I think the working in the round is a lot easier for her, she used to have quite a bit of trouble with that first stitch turning into two before.  Also, this time I showed her the continental style (I just learned myself a couple of months ago) and she is having better luck with not having to let go of the needles all the time.  Actually, I think she is quite addicted!  Yes!  Another one for OUR side!!!

 Happy Knitting!

As promised here is a picture of the shawl I am making.  I am using Foliage by Berroco in color #5930, why can’t they name it? 

Anyway, I think I’m gonna have to put this on hold since I only have a 32″ cable for my Knit Picks options and I need a longer one so I can see how far along I am and how much further I have to go.  Is this a pattern with me, starting something, then having to wait until I have the right equipment to finish??  I’m thinking the answer is yes!  Oh well, I have the needles I need to finish the felted clogs.  Decided to splurge and bought both the 16″ and the 24″ in Addi Turbos, ouch that hurt.  But the bamboo ones were just dragging too much with the wool,  I like things to flow around!  Nice and easy.

A couple of weeks ago we went to a fiber frolic and saw lots of nice animals, alpaca, llamas, sheep, goats, and bunnies.  Now, middle child thinks we need them, all of them, or any single kind.  But I say….noo way! LOL

Here is some of my stash, not the yucky acrylic stuff, but some of the nicer stuff.

Okay, I have been quite the busy little girl lately.  I will try to post pictures of all I have been up to lately. 

I recently finished these Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers from Stitch ‘n’ Bitch Nation in Noro Kureyon (Sidenote, that is pronounced Crayon, just the Japenese translation comes out all funny, neat huh?  I heard that on a Podcast I listened too recently, an older episode of the Knitting Cook podcast.)

Way too long for my short stubby fingers and I had some yarn left over so decided to make these.

This is a little bag prototype I came up with to hold my ball of sock yarn

And here it is in action:

Felted clogs I am making, on hold until I can get a 16″ #13 circular needle, could have SWORN I had one….

Just finished these KroySocks in a toe up pattern.  They are destined for one of my girls as the bind off is too tight for my Cankles

My little guy was getting jealous that all the knitting was getting camera time, he normally is much more photogenic, he must have blinked at just the right moment….

 Well, that’s all for now, hope to have more soon and maybe will post some pics of the shawl I am currently in LOVE with and some pictures from the fiber frolic we recently attended. 

Happy Knitting!

Hey there!  Just getting this blog thing rolling, more to come later!