..back from Rhinebeck (aka New York State Sheep & Wool Festival)

We had a blast! I went with 4 women from the CT SnB group that I knit with once a month (which i am going to try to make at least 2-3 times per month now). The drive up was BEAUTIFUL and I regret not taking my camera. dumb mistake. We went on all back roads through CT and NY. The fall foliage was unbelievable and we passed a number of gorgeous horse farms.

It was great to get to know Eina, Jenna, Margo Lynn and Regina better. I found scary similarities between Eina and me, including our favorite colors (Lime green and Chocolate Brown) and our tendency to gravitate toward the same kind of knitting projects. She is an Art teacher, and I went to school for Art thinking that was what i would eventually do, but it never came to pass.

While walking from one building to another we saw a sheep on it's way to one of the barns, who clearly did not want to be on the leash he was on. Every 10 seconds he said "BAAAAAAAAH" and reminded me of the laugh of Arnold from Happy Days. (the Asian one) (Remember him? BAAAHAHAH)

We got there when it first opened and went straight to Socks that Rock. I bought three skeins figuring it would be nice to leave something for others AND keep my budget intact for the rest of the day.

LunaSea

Watermelon Tourmaline

Oregon Red Clover Honey

I tried to get stuff that I couldn't get anywhere else. I got some Bison yarn which is soooo soft. I am going to make a lace skull cap with it.

Some Aussie sock yarn (Faded Valentine)





some Araucania that was dyed in Chile.



I also got a thrummed mitten kit



and then we went to Morehouse (which is closing it's brick and mortar store and focusing on the web store). I got a heavy weight sock kit, another mitten kit and a lace shawl kit.







I guess I'll be pretty busy for awhile.

I'm definitely a child of the 70's.....

YOU WERE A LITTLE GIRL IN THE 70'S...

You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked. (actually I didn't but my best friend did and we played with it all of the time)

You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it. (I got mine around 1976 and it was red, White and Blue for the Centennial LOL)

You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels. (My best friend and I would get dressed in our light pink bodysuits from gymnastics and do roller skating shows in my basement for our parents - we were soooo talented!!)

You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island . (Yep!!!!)

You had either a "bowl cut" or "pixie", not to mention the "Dorothy Hamill". People sometimes thought you were a boy. (I had a Dorothy Hamill for YEARS!!)

You had Moon boots for snowy days.

You owned "Klick-Klacks" and smacked yourself in the face more than once ! (OMG these things were so much fun and I was so good at them. I loved them and used to drive my dad nuts with them!)

Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession. (I still have a ceramic figurine which is in one of my daughter's rooms. LOL I even owned a Hollie Hobbie tea set as a little girl)

You wore gauchos.

You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon.

You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits.

You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once. (My brothers and sisters basically destroyed this so by the time I was old enough, it was just the frame but we used to do "penny drops" from the bars - hang from your legs and swing back and forth until you got enough momentum to fly off in a forward motion and land on your feet.)

You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color. (Mine had beads on the ends of the ribbons LOL)

You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (my dad wouldn't let me get them, and when they resurfaced a couple years ago, I actually considered buying them just so that I could say I had, had them LOL)

You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture (6th grade for me!!) and you despised Nellie Oleson!

PONG! ("video tennis" ) was the most remarkable futuristic game you've ever heard of ! (We had this and there wasn't another family we knew who did...)

You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic. With the thermos inside some were glass and broke the first time you dropped them. (my mom actually worked at Thermos and I had tons of them and always the best, hard to find ones!!)

You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend. (even though I wanted the dark haired guy)

You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker. (I got mine for Christmas one year and can very clearly remember walking down the street listening to it on Christmas Day. It was rainy that day which hardly ever happened in CT on Christmas back in the 70's)

You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books.
(Are you there God, It's me, Margaret.)

You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer. (watched it every week, along with Dance Fever with Danny Terio LOL)

You drowned yourself in Love's Baby Soft - which was the first
"real" perfume you ever owned.

You glopped your lips in Strawberry Roll-on lip-gloss till it almost dripped off. (It was Bonne Bell wasn't it?)

SP11 Flash your Stash Contest

This picture was taken right before I bought a second cabinet. I now have a closed door cabinet with these cubes stacked on top. They are much neater looking now. Mmmmmm I love my stash! My sock yarn stash has also grown considerably over the past couple of weeks.

I also have a shoe holder on the back of a closet door in my dining room that has leftover skeins from prior projects.

What's making you laugh right now?

This is what is currently making my household laugh.....



ARGGGGHHHH get it out of my head!!

Ravelry insanity

Since I received my invite, I have uploaded and documented 24 project photos and 68 stash photos along with info (some photos have more than 1 skein if they are the same yarn and color). OH MY GOODNESS! I need more, I guess. LOL

I'm in!!!!

I got my Ravelry invite today as predicted. I am "knitiot" if you want to look me up. :)

I am busy looking around....and of course WATCHING SURVIVOR!!!!

ANOTHER Ravelry update

You signed up on July 7, 2007
You are #14790 on the list.
1487 people are ahead of you in line.
18211 people are behind you in line.
40% of the list has been invited so far

Almost there!!!!

I just spent a couple hours taking pictures of my yarn and works in progress, and writing down the details of each yarn as I photographed it so I am ready to play when the big day gets here. So many more people have joined since I started watching for my time to come. I can't believe how many people are behind me now. I am sooo glad I signed up back in July when i still had no clue what I was signing up for. LOL

Fall Felted Bag Contest #2

1. Here's a peek at my bag in progress.....

2. Here is a link to the blog of one other swapper that I 'met' and have continued to read through the 3-2-1 contact post! I found this one by following links from everyone's contest answers http://stringsandpurls.blogspot.com/ We seem to have a lot in common!

another Ravelry Update

Where I am...

You signed up on July 7, 2007
You are #14790 on the list.
3211 people are ahead of you in line.
17025 people are behind you in line.
36% of the list has been invited so far.


So that means I have only moved up by like 200......getting IMPATIENT here.

Now back to your regulary scheduled rambling....

My New Swap

Do you like mittens? Do you want to try out a new technique such as Latvian patterns or embroidering on your work? Come and join my No More Humdrum Mittens Swap!

Look at these AWESOME new needles from Knitpicks

OMG! I covet these needles from Knitpicks! Aren't they gorgeous? They reflect my personality so well. :)

I put them on my "things I want" wishlist for knitting socks. Who could resist?

I won something!!!!

I won a felted Bag Kit from SheKnits . Isn't it awesome? You should visit her etsy store . She sells knitted bags, patterns for her bags and Bag Kits. Something for everyone! I am so excited to win this!

Thanks Sharon!

Ravelry update

Where I am...

You signed up on July 7, 2007
You are #14790 on the list.
3450 people are ahead of you in line.
16360 people are behind you in line.
36% of the list has been invited so far


I am getting really anxious. They must not be on their new servers yet, becausethey said that they would be inviting 5000 per week once they are and I have ben withn 5000 for a week or more.

Nicky Epstein Felted Cherry Blossom Purse

Well here it is....FINALLY! This is the Nicky Epstein Cherry Blossom Purse from the August 2007 issue of Knit N Style magazine.


It was knit with Cascade Pastaza, and I had a very bad experience with the felting. I knitted to the exact gauge at a normal tension for felting, and it just wouldn't shrink enough width-wise. I ended up cutting it at the seams on one side, cutting off the excess and sewing it back together. Also the dowels that it calls for in the pattern for the rod pockets were 12 inches....how does that make sense for a purse that is 16 inches wide? Still, I didn't catch onto that until I was assembling it. LOL So, I need to go buy new dowels and some end caps for them to complete the purse.

Although it's not complete, I decided to begin using it, since the warm weather will be coming to an end very soon. This is clearly a "Spring/Summer" looking bag, so I wanted to get some use in before I had to put it away for Winter. LOL It has a pink lining to match the flowers, one zippered pocket and a cell phone pocket. I still need to add snaps at the side to keep them poking inside when closed.

BEWARE!!!!

A recent study indicated, that Yarn and thread gives off certain Pheromones that actually hypnotize women and cause them to purchase unreasonable amounts.

When stored in large quantities, in enclosed spaces, the Pheromones, (in the yarn,) cause memory loss and induce the nesting syndrome, (similar to the one squirrels have, before the onset of winter, i.e. the storing of food,) therefore, perpetuating their species and not having a population loss due to their kind being cut into pieces and mixed with others.

Sound tests have also revealed, that these yarns, emit a very high-pitched sound, heard only by a select few, a breed of women known as"loomers." When played backwards on an LP, the sounds are heard as chants, buy me, loom me, and wind me into a ball ".

In order to overcome the so called "feeding frenzy effect," that these yarns cause, one must wear a face mask when entering a storage facility and use ear plugs, to avoid being pulled into their grip.(One must laugh, however, at the sight of customers in a yarn store, with WW2 army gas masks and headphones!).

Studies have also indicated, that aliens have inhabited the earth, helping to spread the effects, that these yarns have on the human population. They are called "YARN STORE CLERKS".

It's also been experienced, that these same Pheromones, cause a pathological need, to hide these yarn purchases, when taken home (or at least blend them into the existing stash.) When asked by a significant other if the yarn is new, the reply is, "I've had it for awhile."

Author Unknown

HEHEHE

Fall Felted Bag Contest #1

1. What is your favorite yarn for felting, and why? - I would have to say that it has to be a toss up between Cascade 220 and Lamb's Pride Bulky. Bulky gives quicker satisfaction, but Cascade is very reliable too. I've had good luck with both and love how sturdy the fabric turns out.

2. Name one person in the swap who is not from the U.S. and tell us where they are from, and link to their blog. Kaili is from Estonia (note to self - get to know Kaili) :) LOL

3. Find one person in the swap who has a dog, and let us know the name of their dog(s) and link to their blog. I can answer this without even loking because Laurie D. was my pal last time around and she has an adorable dog!

4. Find one person in the swap who has a child or grandchild and link to their blog. Leslie N. has 3 kids. :)

5. And finally, tell us if you like October or November more, and why! (Yea, I know part of September and November are technically fall, but for this question, only October and November matter!) I like October the best. Autumn is my favorite time of year and November is when Winter starts where I live. I love the crisp air and the beautiful foliage. I love hayrides, and pumpkin patches and all of the other good stuff. I can't imagine a more beautiful Fall than in New England!

Contest I came across

Check out this contest on Golden Purl's Blog. If you're a sock knitter like me, you'll want to win, believe me! :)

GoldenPurl's Contest

America's Got Talent: Terry Fator - What a Wonderful World

This is my favorite one! #1 I love this song, # 2 his Kermit was spot on and #3 his Louis was just AMAZING! How could anyone argue? Listen to him!!

America's Got Talent (Chicago)-Terry Fator

This guy has been my favorite since they started with Cas Haley a close second in my opinion. I guess he was everyone's favorite. He's just amazing. Anyone who can make you smile and feel good inside, is extra special in my book! Congratulations Terry!!

I am so excited!

Today marks the 4 week mark for me on Weight Watcher's. I got weighed in at my meeting tonight and I have lost 14 (yes you read that right) 14 pounds, so far! My clothes are baggier, people at work that don't see me all of the time are noticing and saying nice things to me, and I am enjoying the food I eat. I think I have finally found a way to be healthy, thin and happy. Whodathunk? I should have tried this a long time ago. Maybe I can be the next Fergie?? LOL

You Are Quite Worldly

You've done a good bit of worldly exploring, and you have an international perspective. And you're definitely looking forward to your future adventures abroad. You've got the passport, the desire to travel, and maybe even the language skills. Now all you need are the means!

How Worldly Are You?

Ravelry

My status on the waiting list, as of today, is below.

**********************************
You signed up on July 7, 2007
You are #14790 on the list.
5233 people are ahead of you in line.
12014 people are behind you in line.
35% of the list has been invited so far

**********************************
I was just reading their blog. They have a post on there tonight about getting their new server soon, testing and the final launch with 5,000 invites being sent out after everything has stabilized and then another 5,000 the next week. Could it really be?? Could we all have the opportunity to take part in this site soon?

Let's cross our fingers!

I need a new "home" for my profile pic

What site do you use to store your profile pic? Mine is at photobucket and once it has so many views, it doesn't allow anyone to view it again until the next month comes. It's annoying to see a red X everywhere I post rather than my picture.

My trip to Savannah (and Tybee Island)

These are my girls, my friends, my family, my confidantes, my beotches, my partners in crime (in some states). I don't want to imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't met them.

We met on a Scrapbooking Message Board about 3-4 years ago, and were casual aquaintances, until one fateful day when I emailed all of them and asked them if they would like to do a circle journal with me. We formed our own Yahoo group and began emailing each other every day. When our circle journals were done, we decided to meet in person and bring them all with us to share with everyone. That was 2 summers ago, and these pictures are from our "reunion tour".

If you've never been to Tybee Island, Georgia, you must go! The ocean is warm and you can find live sand dollars with your feet. But, the best parts that we enjoy most are dinners at the Crab Shack, Breakfast of Shrimp and Grits (ok that's just my favorite) at The Breakfast Club, and frozen drinks on the beach.

This trip we spent time in Savannah. We took a ghost tour (which was lame) and strolled along River Street, drinking more Frozen concoctions from Wet Willy's while we shopped in the stores. (Mmmmm Pecan Pralines).

We walked around to "sight-see" a bit too and went to a Haunted Cemetary where they buried many people who died of yellow fever, some while they were still alive. Because this happened, they would bury a rope with the body that went up through the ground to a bell, so if they had just been in a "coma" they could ring the bell. Men used to have to sit in the grave yard at night listneing for bells. This is where the terms "Dead Ringer" and "Graveyard Shift" comes from. I thought that was interesting.

These are a couple of pics from the cemetary. I thought it was so cool how the gravestones were put into the wall. http://www.ghostlytalk.com/node/170 This site tells why the stones are in the wall.

FINALLY! My first-ever-hand-knitted-sock is DONE!

Well, here it is....

My first sock. I hate the yarn (knitted up), and I hate the pattern (too simple looking) but it was a good learning experience. I knitted it on two circulars and used a smaller needle for the bottom of the foot and the toe to make them more durable. I also used Kitchener stitch to graft the toe. There's a couple things on my knitting "To Do" list done!

I'll knit the other sock (sure I will), but I am itching to start a new pair. I have about 130+ sock patterns ready to try out (and about that many skeins of sock yarn now too) and I want to try to knit two socksat the same time.

So....my next sock will be the "I Love Gansey Sock" which is the August/September pattern for the Six Sock Knitalong Yahoo group. oooooooh cables in the round.

Home from vacation

I just realized that I think i forgot to post that I was going away for a few days. I had a great time and have lots of stories to tell and pictures to post...but am dog tired after a heinous experience with my flight home on US Air. I do not recommend them at all! (The flight leaving was very stressful too - more later)

My New Gadget

This is a GPS watch, recommended to me by Kris. It is the most unbelievable thing! I just used it for the first time and am really impressed. It measures; time, lap time, calories burned, distance, heart rate, and a host of other useful tools to aid in the perfect workout. It even tracks your history so you can see where you have improved over time, etc. It also tells you if you are overtraining which I guess is not good. Kris explained it to me as a time when you are no longer burning fat, but are burning muscle. I have so much to learn, but am excited by the prospect.

My hubby just told me I look sexy in "my new outfit". LOL A fat, pale woman in shorts and a tank top. Thanks honey. I love you!

Boy did that workout feel good! My calves and thighs are burning. I stepped it up to run two telephone poles, walk one, then slowed it down a bit to run two, walk two....then after .50 miles, my shins starting burning. Being in the army I know what shin splints feel like and how they can derail any attempt at fitness, so I decided to walk the 2nd half mile. They feel fine now.

Off to wally world to buy more shorts, tanks and socks....

Another Etsy Purchase

Isn't this gorgeous?? I have found a new best friend. This one is called Rhoda and she will do custom dye lots (she doesn't have any of this left but she could be persuaded to make more!!)

I am purchasing two more right now. Her stuff is gorgeous!! (and fairly priced)

Progress on my sock...

Well here it is so far. Don't mind my ugly feet!

I finally understand the construction of a sock so it should be easier to try more complex patterns now. This sock doesn't "wow me"; not the pattern and not the yarn, but it's a sock and it was a good one to start with. :)

I am loving the "2-circ" method. My next obstacle to overcome will be to decode patterns written for DPN's to be knit with this method instead. The pattern I am using for this first sock was written by Cat Bordhi for this specific technique.

Spring Felted Bag Swap bag is complete - almost :)

Well here is my finished bag for the Spring Felted Bag swap. I hope my partner likes it. It's a Basic Pattern, but I chose it more as a canvas for the Needle Felting I wanted to try out. I love it. I am just hoping that it is a style that my partner will like. I actually still need to put thye lining into it, so it's completely done. I'm running a little behind, but hopefully she will think is worth it!

The needle felting was fun!

I'm in BIG trouble!!!

I just got my first purchase ever from etsy.com. I am in so much trouble now that I have broken THAT cherry!! There is so much yummy sock yarn on there to be had!!



This one is a superwash wool in a color called Strawberry Banana....now I have to find the perfect pattern for them. I think I might make Monkey Socks with it!

I DID IT!!!!!!!

I just got back from my first run!!! WOW! Do I feel good; both mentally and physically. I took Kris' advice about running one length between telephone polls and then walking one, but since this was my first exercise in about 6 years and my first run in about 16 years, I walked two and ran one. Tomorrow I plan to walk one, run one. I will probably do that the rest of the week and then next week, I want to move to walking one and running two, and then build up from there.

I fit into one my old sport's bras. Before I met my hubby, I used to take step aerobics about 5-6 days a week. I loved it but it got to be too much with three small children. Now that they are older and I have Fred to help, it is much easier to make the commitment and follow through on it. I have decided that I am not going to let anything else get in the way of running, because I now remember how much better my body feels and how much energy I will have on a daily basis.

I'm not sure how far I went tonight. I have track the mileage in my car since I don't have a pedometer. I'll have to ask Kris how she knows how far she has run each time...

Kris this is all because of you. I didn't think my I would ever consciously decide to let myself sweat again in my life. LOL

I took a before picture, but I refuse to post it until I have cut myself in half. :)

One down, one to go....

I said that knitting socks was beginning to feel like running. I really want to do both but just haven't taken the plunge on either one. Well, that changed tonight. I cast on, and knit two rows of my first sock, using the two circular needle method. I have to tell you, I love it! I actually tried starting a sock a month or two ago with DPN's and wasn't enjoying it. I think it might have been because it felt like I was knitting with toothpicks since they are so thin and there is not much to them. The sock pattern I decided to try first, left a little bit to be desired too since it was all stockinette. This one that I am doing, is the one that is recommended as the first sock to attempt with this method in the book by Cat Bordhi (pictured underneath the knitting). This book was fairly inexpensive, around $10 at amazon.com. I suggest buying it if you have been wanting to try this method. I'll never turn back now.

I have 4 more skeins of sock yarn and about 40 sock patterns that I have downloaded on the web, mostly from knitty.com. This, I am sure, will be the first pair of many!

So, now tomorrow, I will overcome my hesitation for running. My plan is to go right after I wake up, so I can shower and get ready for the day after I have accomplished the goal. The trick is to not, undo the good of the run with some really unhealthy eating for the rest of the day, since we have my FIL's 60th birthday and Father's Day dinner right after.

Think good thoughts for me!

THANKS "Spring Felted Bag Exchange" Pal!!!

YIPPEEEEEE!!!! I got this awesome goodie package from my Spring Felted Bag Exchange Pal.

The package included 2 Dagoba chocolate bars. One is dark chocolate, LAVENDER and blueberries and the other is dark chocolate, ROSE HIPS and raspberries. My breath should smell purty after eating these and no moths will try to enter when I inhale. hehehehehehe SNORT! I can't wait to try them.


It also included "Bill Laurie's Seasoning Greetings". The label says that you can use it to jazz up your Ranch dressing, guacamole, and Bloody Mary's". I'll be sure to try the latter very soon! :) I'm looking forward to it!

Next, I received 2 skeins of Kraemer Yarns "Mauch Chunky" in an awesome color called Apricot. Reminds me of Mangoes. YUM!

If you look in the picture, you can see my new little friend sitting on top of the book. It looks like a "Black Sheep" bobble head. AWESOME! LOL Guess my pal has a great sense of humor! (I probably am the black sheep of my family but they're kind enough not to tell me...)

AND FINALLY......the item that caused me to jump up and down, is the Rowan Felted Collection book. I have looked at this book a million times in my LYS and always put it back down and walk away. I absolutely love the bag on the front cover and have coveted it. Now I can make one of my OWN!!! YIPPEEEEE

The packaging even suits me to a "T". I love polka dots, and I especially love Lime Green, Orange, Brown and Teal!!! Now I feel like a schlepp for sending my pals package out without frills and special packaging. ;0)

Thanks Pal! I adore everything and this (even without the bag yet) is my best swap experience EVER! I feel very special tonight.

....one final note about the packaging. Not sure if it was planned, but, it was all packaged in a running shoe box. LOL

A new goal....warm weather always does this to me

Anyone who has ever been in good physical shape at one time in their life, and is not anymore, will be able to identify with this. I was in the Army. I went through Basic Training in 1990. I left home in a size 16 at 148 pounds and came back 5 months later STILL 148 pounds but in a size 6. That equals a lot less fat and a lot MORE muscle. From there, I gained weight on top of that muscle and have not see 148lbs in a loooong time. I stopped looking at the scale during this time in my life, because no matter how thin I got, I was always very heavy. When I met my husband he was very jealous of my muscular legs, considering the fact that I sat on my a$$ most of the time and he worked out and ran nearly every night.

It's been 7 years since we met and I have gained quite a bit more weight, due to my complacency and contentment. I have had good intentions over the years to lose weight. I even have a very expensive elliptical trainer at the foot of my bed that I have used maybe 5 times in the past 5 years.

I had always hated running, but of course, did a lot of it during training. It always made me feel good afterwards. Now I am always tired and my body aches. I need to get active in order to feel better. I know this, but do not have the willpower to do anything about it.......that is, until yesterday when I was blog spying and read a blog written by a girl named Kris who is in a bag swap with me. So, guess what I did last night? I BOUGHT A NEW PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES!!!! Thanks Kris. I will keep visiting your blog for inspiration. Now I need all of my "blog followers" to keep my true to my goal. :)

Knitting Aspirations and Accomplishments

Things I want to try but have not done yet

1. Knitting with metal wire
2. Afghan
3. Two end knitting/Tvåändsstickning
4. Knitting with camel yarn
5. Mittens: Tip-down
6. Knitting with silk
7. Moebius band knitting
8. Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
9. Knitting with banana fiber yarn
10. Domino knitting (modular knitting)
11. Knitting with bamboo yarn
12. Toy/doll clothing
13. Slippers
14. Norwegian knitting
15. Knitting with someone else’s hand-spun yarn
16. Teaching a male how to knit
17. Dying yarn
18. Steeks
19. Knitting with cashmere
20. Darning
21. Jewelry
22. Gloves
23. Knitting with linen
24. Knitting for preemies
25. Free-form knitting
26. Pillows
27. Dying with plant colors
28. Knitting items for a wedding

Things I have accomplished

1. I-cord
2. Fair Isle (or other stranded) knitting
3. Knitting with cotton yarn
4. Knitting with soy yarn
5. Knitting in public
6. Shawl
7. Baby items
8. Socks: top-down
9. Mittens: Cuff-up
10. Hat
11. Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
12. Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
13. Participating in a KAL
14. Charity knitting
15. Knitting with circular needles
16. Continental knitting
17. Designing knitted garments (bag and socks so far)
18. Writing a pattern (Shamrock Shenanigan Socks)
19. Participate in an exchange
20. Scarf
21. Teaching a child to knit
22. Knitting to make money
23. Knitting with dpns
24. Holiday related knitting
25. Knitting a gift
26. Knitting with synthetic yarn
27. Bobbles
28. Knitting and purling backwards
29. Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
30. Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
31. Fulling/felting
32. Knitting with wool
33. Kitchener stitch
34. Knitted flowers
35. Purses/bags
36. Knitting with beads
37. Swatching
38. Intarsia (working on a bag now)
39. Short rows
40. Stuffed toys
41. Sweater
42. Buttonholes
43. Cuffs/fingerless mits/arm-warmers
44. Thrummed knitting
45. Knitting with alpaca
46. Knitting with your own hand-spun yarn
47. Knitting with dog/cat hair (Glittens knit with Great Pyrenees Dog Hair)
48. Socks: toe-up
49. Cardigan

Things I have no Desire to Do

1. Graffiti knitting - don't know what this is
2. Publishing a knitting book
3. American/English knitting (as opposed to continental) (why bother?? LOL)
4. Knitting for a living
5. Machine knitting
6. Knitting art

A Proud Moment

I have officially "rubbed off" on someone!!! I guess all of my bags have been inspiring. Today when I got into work, one of my co-workers walked over to my desk and plopped the Stitch 'n Bitch book down on my desk. She explained that she mentioned to her boyfriend that she would like to learn to knit after seeing everything I have been making so he went out last night and bought her needles, yarn and the book. (isn't that sweet?) She said that she spent hours trying to figure out where to put the needle to knit and then finally realized that she was going between stitches and not into one.....LOL I invited her over tonight to knit in front of the American Idol finale so I could give her some pointers. I have a g-e-n-u-i-n-e in-the-flesh knitting friend! :0) LOL (not to discount all of my wonderful online knitting peeps of course!!)

And I must say thank you to the person who posted that they were impressed that I have only been knitting for 6 months. Thank you for your compliment! It made my day!!

This is the Berroco Tioreg Bag. The pattern is from the #257 "BAGS 2" pamphlet that came out this Spring (2007). The yarn is Berroco Love It in Monday Monday, which is exactly what their sample was knit in. I loved the color combo!! I bought the handles at quilting warehouse (believe it or not) http://store.quilting-warehouse.com/083505.html . They're an awesome price for the pair.

Now that I have lined my first purse, no bag is complete without one, including my famous zippered inside pocket. But I added something new to this one. You can see in the bottom picture that I made a little pocket for my debit card, which gets a lot of use, and also included two pen pockets. LOL This is addictive

This is a bag I designed for a co-worker. She fell in love with my Rose Bag but wanted a tote bag shape and wanted longer knitted straps so she could wear it over her shoulder. I made an i-cord closure that loops over the middle rose to close the tote. The lining is all black (again what the customer wanted), and has a zippered pocket. I put a piece of plastic canvas in the bottom before sewing in the lining to help the bottom keep it's rectangular shape. Before you ask, I never wrote down the pattern as I went a long. LOL Live and learn I guess. This is my first design.

My beautiful daughter...

This is my oldest daughter (the one who makes me feel old - even though I had her when I was 6....j/k).

Not knitting related, but she just sent me the picture and I wanted to share it. I don't see her nearly enough!!

This is the "Felted Doctor's Bag" also designed by Julie Cashin. I knitted it for ITE III (International Tote Exchange). I hope my partner likes it! I used Cascade 220 for this.

My first Hats

Well I have added one more trick to my one-trick pony show. I've made my first hats.

This hat is the one from the Knitty Gritty Ski episode. I substituted a different chunky yarn because my kids need something that they can get dirty and be washed easily, and frankly, I was not spending $15 per skein for something I know they will leave lying around outside when the snow is melting and everything is muddy. :)

The colors match their Winter Coats. I made the pink one first so you can see the improvement in the second hat.