Secret Knitting

.... no more. Sheri has posted a spoiler picture on the Loopy Ewe Ravelry site so I think it is safe to share one of the stealth knitting projects I have been working on. I designed the sock portion of the July Socks and More Club for The Loopy Ewe. DD's feet (she is my foot model) are about an inch shorter than mine so the fit is not perfect on her, but they fit me perfect. The yarn is Alchemy Juniper and was lovely to work with. So very soft. More stealth knitting in the works, but it will be a while before I can share that with you.

We have been busy getting things together for the college girl. I really don't know where the last 18 years have gone. It is so hard to believe that in a month we will be packing her off to college. And goodness, it is like setting someone up in a new house. So much to buy. We have been busy shopping for towels and sheets etc, and lamps and clocks and the list goes on. She is enjoying it, and I am happy for her, but I have a knot in my stomach the size of a boulder. I know she will do well, she is a wonderful young lady, level headed, responsible, intelligent... it is me I am worried about. Crazy huh?? I keep thinking she is leaving and in 2 years her brother will be on his way, and then the youngest 4 years after that. It boggles the mind how quickly time seems to go once you have children. The hubby and I will definitely have to get some new hobbies so we aren't sitting here staring at each other 24/7. Not that the kids are hobbies, but they do consume a large portion of the day.

Well I guess I ought to do a little housework before I get my haircut. More later. Stay in the AC if you can, it is so nasty hot and humid out.

Work, Work, Work.....

It sure has a way of interfering with the knitting. But I really do love my new job. Who knew I would like working in public health, even with the big pay decrease. I find it very rewarding and interesting. You definitely encounter all kinds of people. Last week I was in Indy for training and enjoyed that also. However, as I mentioned before, it sure does interfere with the knitting time.

I mailed a box of patterns off yesterday to Allison at SSYC. The girls at work, all non knitters, were intrigued about just what it is I do. I mailed the package on my lunch break. So I pulled up my Ravelry web page and showed them my designs. Can you believe I have been there since April and have not once taken my knitting to work. I really don't have time to knit at this job, so no reason to bring any temptation. I think they may all be looking forward to knitted Christmas gifts.

Remember the Cherry Tree Hill Fingerpaints yarn from the previous post? I know it has been a while ago, so I will wait while you scroll down to take a gander. It has become this. This yarn is nice to work with, very soft and smooshy. I do love Cherry Tree hill yarn. This pattern and Deverell from the previous post are on their way to SSYC and are in my Ravelry store if you are interested in them

I have done some stealth knitting, but I can't share that with you. Well I need to get ready for work. I have a very short day today to make up for the extra hours I would last week. I hope to have more later. Have a great week all.

I Think The Knititng MoJo Has Returned

Well, after a long hiatus, I think the desire to knit has once again returned. I am so happy!!! It is sad when something you truly love to do no longer becomes desirable. Almost like losing a best friend. I don't know why it went away, or what brought it back, I just hope it sticks around for a while. I still have not finished the sweaters, it is much too hot to sit and knit with either of those on my lap right now. They will be first on my list of things to complete in the Fall.... I hope!! I have knit something I can't share with you yet, stealth knitting, but I have finished a pair of socks. These are knit in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Woodlawn colorway. Lorna's is always a pleasure to knit with. I have named these socks Deverell. The pattern is available in my Raverly shop if you are interested.



And I have made a few yarn purchases. Cherry Tree Hill has a new yarn available, Fingerpaints which is a self striping yarn. I am knitting in the Pacific Rim colorway right now. I have the first sock just about finished but have not taken pictures of it yet. The colors are much richer in person with the lighter blue shown in the picture being more of a Teal. It is very pretty and wonderful to knit with. Pictures to come soon.





This past weekend was the Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival. DD1 and I went. I unfortunately forgot to take my camera, so no pictures of the lambs or the Angora bunnies, and there were plenty of bunnies. It was pretty hot this weekend and the AC was not functioning properly in the buildings, but it was still a good time. I showed great restraint, and only purchased yarn for 2 pair of socks. DD1 will get a pair in this. She does love her blues. This is MacKintosh Yarns, it doesn't have a color name on the label. I think she just likes it for the puppy on the label : ), I have been instructed to let her have it when I am done knitting... the label that is, the socks are a given. She took the pictures so I am surprised the puppy is not showing in the picture.
And for me, also something in blue. I really had to show great restraint at this booth. I loved her color combinations. There were so many semi solids to choose from, and they were all calling to me. However, my stash really is lacking in blues so I went with that. Greens and fall tones I have oodles of, and she did have some lovely ones of those. It was so hard to leave them behind, but I was strong. This is a Merino, Bamboo, Nylon bend and is very soft. It is from Ogle Designs The color # is 440. My daughter informed me that I look very strange when I am yarn shopping. I have a confession to make. I sniff yarn, I love to smell the yarn. I can't help myself. What can I say, but apparently she finds this shopping habit of mine embarrassing. Are any of you yarn sniffers?? Please tell me I am not alone.

On a different note, last weekend my eldest graduated from High School. We are so very proud of her. Next fall she will be off to college, and I fear I will have 4 years of no sleep. Even though she has turned into a wonderful, intelligent and responsible young adult, I fear I am not ready to let her go. But go she will. I know she will be fine, me, I am not so sure about. Here she is with her 2 younger siblings. As you can see, I will have another one leaving for college in a few short years. So I guess in reality, I will not get any sleep for the next 12 years or more.
Until the next time, and I hope it will not be as long apart as the last one.

OK.... so the Sweater is not Finished.

Edited to add a better picture of the sweater on 2/17/10
But I will show pictures of what I have so far. I am still stuck on sleeve island and not making much progress since the last time. It is a terrible picture, I will take a better one when I am finished. I am losing the daylight already today for anything better. Here is the front, back, and 1 2/3 sleeves. The pattern is Gathering Intentions by Fiona Ellis from the Inspired Cable Knits. I am knitting it in Cascade 220 I don't have the color # though, as I bought this yarn years ago and no longer have the labels. It is a denim heather color.








I started a new mitt design the other day. I am knitting them in Regia solid sock yarn. I have had a hard time getting a good picture of what I have so far of these also. I had bought some Fibre Company, Road to China to knit these with, but the yarn is too soft and has too much drape to show the pattern well. I will knit something else with that. If you have not touched or knit with Road to China yet, I can tell you it is lovely.





And today, the mailman finally delivered my new Shibui Sock yarn. According to the USPS tracking, it was delivered last week, but not so. I was very disappointed when I remembered yesterday was a no mail day. I have a sock design in mind for this yarn, but I will make myself wait to wind it until I finish at least one of the above projects.







We have finally gotten some of the promised snow for this winter. The last two weeks has brought us quite a bit. I love the snow and the kids are loving the snow days. We will see how much they enjoy making them up at the end of the year though. The eldest won't have too since she is a senior and they don't make them make up snow days. This is the view out my front door yesterday. It sure took me a while to shovel the drive and I am sore today, but I loved doing it and being out in the snow and wearing my hand knits to keep me toasty warm. I will be back when I have something finished. Take care and stay warm.

Still Knitting

I am still working on the sleeves of the sweater. I am on the second one and about half way finished with it. Pictures to come soon. See you when it is finished. Need to go make pizzas and watch the football game. Go Colts!!!!

I will Be Back

Oh my gosh, I have been gone forever. I have been doing some knitting (not a lot, mind you, but some). I have no excuse other than life has just gotten in the way of blogging. So for anyone that has been checking in, I am sorry for not posting.

I am working on a sweater right now(for me, me, me!!!) and I am approaching the completion of the front (the back is finished), then onto the dreaded sleeves. Everyone in my family knows my history with sleeves, but I will prevail and finish them in a timely manner. I want to wear this sweater before Spring... umm I mean this Spring. So with the next post, which I hope will be in the next week or two, I hope to have a finished sweater. I will also show some mitts and socks I have knit since the last time I posted.

And I will try to get back into some sort of regular blogging routine : )
Until the next time Happy Knitting!!!

Rain, Rain go away....

....at least until we get the new roof on please. Torrential downpours are not a good thing when the roof really, really needs to be re shingled. It also means no Parks and Rec for the youngest, which makes for a very sad young lady. She is keeping herself busy with practicing her clarinet. Summer band began last week and she is really doing well with it... hardly any squeaking at all.

I have knitting to share. I have been busy with socks. I am on a yarn diet and I have lasted 2 whole weeks with no new yarn purchases. I am starting to get a little twitchy though so, we will see how long I last. I have been going through the stash to see if there are any long forgotten sock yarns hiding out that I absolutely need to knit and I think I really do have enough to keep me busy for awhile. However, I didn't knit with any of the yarn that has been in hibernation. Instead, I knit with some of my most recent purchases.

I finished a pair of socks knit in the Monica's Sunset from Sheepaints. The design is Malu. The design kind of gets lost in the contrasting colors of the yarn, but I like how it plays with the yarn. I knit them again in the Claudia Hand Painted in the Shells on the Beach color. And I have found a short row heel I really like. It is the boomerang heel. It is fast and easy and most important, no holes. I may have even convinced Karen to give it a try. I am also really beginning to like the Magic Loop method for knitting socks. I tried to knit with dpns the other day and I find I really didn't care for it anymore. I can't believe I just wrote that as I have always been a die hard dpn gal. I guess I will have to purchase more long cable circular needles as I don't have near enough of those to keep up with my start(itis)

Also finished, the Tempted Glam Grrl in the Bruisenberry colorway that I raved about in my last post. I loved knitting with it as much as I thought I would. It has a wonderful tight twist and knits beautifully. This design is called Katrin. Both of these designs are available in my Ravelry shop and will be at The Loopy Ewe soon. The box of pattern s shipped today.








And last night I started a new pair with a design I had been working on some time ago. I had originally started these in some CTH Sockitome, but I think that yarn may be a tad too fluffy for the design. It kind of flattens out rather than defining the stitches as I would like them to be. I will probably still finish it in the Sockittome, but wanted to try it in the yarn Karen gave me for Christmas. Araucania Ranco Semi Solid. I don't know the color number right off the top of my head but it is heathered grays and blues. I had the design already typed up, but I making a few changes to it as I re knit these. The back of the sock is a twisted baby cable.

Look at this precious little ball of fur. My sister's dog had puppies and one of my other sisters was able to bring one home to join their family. Her name is Sadie and she is just as sweet as she can be. She will be even sweeter once she is potty trained. The driving daughter is so happy that she is going to be puppy sitting for her when her aunt needs to go to the office to work. I heard plenty of whining the last few days about how much they would like to have the last available one, but the allergies and the asthma make it impossible. Sorry kids!!! And no I won't give in even if you keep nagging nonstop.

I think that is about it. I need to straighten out a few things and then get myself ready for a date with my dear husband. Today is our 20th wedding anniversary. I don't know where the years have gone, but I feel so blessed to be married to a man I love more today than I did 20 years ago.

Have a good week all!!