Everything old is new again!

Really, this blog would have been updated last week, but SOMEONE, misplaced the camera cord to transfer the pictures.

I have decided to put away

 some heavy projects and pull out the summer ones, that should have been done last summer.

But it does make you feel so good when you finish a big project, like this BORING summer sweater on the left!!! Since the picture, both sleeves are done and the neck is being finished.  This is the yarn that smells like lavender.  You would know that, if you are one of my longtime blog readers.

And also pulled from the archives is this cute cotton vest.  It is on size 6 needles. It to is slow moving. Since some of the work is completed, It doesn't feel so boring.

The yarn is a hand dyed cotton with Cotton Fleece. I love that yarn.  The pattern is from Knitty, called Leftovers. Very nice pattern.

And finally,coming along nicely, the purse for the daughter.

So, from the looks of things, I have the knitting bug back, full force.  Not pictured are a few other UFO's.  My cotton lace cardi.  a vest for the hubby(for Christmas) and a sweater for the nephew.  Yeah just a few things...... I hope your knitting is coming along as good as mine.  Its a real good feeling. The kind that makes you want to put on your shoes and run to the yarn shop and get some more!!! Stash? stash? huh? what stash? For real, I have to use the stash..... But I need to replenish that.......right? 

Peace out! Keep you needles clicking and your stash flow full....  And can somebody shut my motor mouth husband up, while I am blogging!!! GOD! 

Please enjoy the the sandpipers!

Nothin!  I got nothin! I have been trying, but........NOTHIN!!!!!! So please take a moment to enjoy the birds, the warm sand and the ocean.

I have decided to take a stab at LACE (AKA: I HATE MYSELF, Lets FROG, FROG, did I say FROG!) knitting. This is beautiful to look at. The yarn is light and oh so pretty. BUTTTTTT!

Now, I have been knitting for 23 years. I have been teaching knitting for almost as long. 

But, now, my knitting and brain are not on the same planet. My mind cannot stay focused on the the yarn overs, ssk and counting! Somebody help!

I joined the KAL at Bloomin. Yeah that worked.......NOT!  Then I picked up a the magazine "Crafts and Things" for the first time in years, and, OH MY, the projects! One is a lace doily. Well I thought, something smaller, you can handle, butter brain. OH NO! I ripped that sucker at least 5 times.

So with all that said, here I sit.......Its going to snow! It only figures.  With nothing but frustration on my needles. I think I will do some garter stitch, yeah that will work. 

Is it me, or is lace knitting, Satan in the wool?

Peace out, and hopefully this knitter will get her act together and have a project to share next time.

Please pass a tissue

It all started when one of my lovely students walked up to me and sneezed.  Not just any sneeze, but one that landed on my face!  As I looked at them, ready to cry, I knew, I too would soon look like they did.  

With in 48 hours... yes, you guessed it. 

Lost my voice while talking to Carol at  Carol's Needleworks,on Tuesday. I was having a normal conversation, and then, POW! nothin. NO voice nothing. Needless to say Carol looked at me like I had three eyeballs. SO I quickly got what I needed and headed home. It progressively worsened over the week. I am on the recovery side now. Full of Gatorade and penicillin. 

SO what did I get at Carol's? Some basic washable wool for the cutest little cardigan for young nephew's birthday in May.  

The same nephew that

requested socks last year. I have finished the back since this picture was taken. The pattern comes from Favorite web site for patterns, Knitty.

He said, that he preferred blue to the green and wanted yellow spikes. DONE! I am adding green to the second set of spikes.It looks like so much fun!

The back went quickly. Just straight knitting and raglan sleeve.  They did a seed stitch ribbing, love it!

Now even though I was sick, I did drag myself to the Thursday night Mini Workshops at BLOOMIN!!!

How to read Lace shawl charts. And it was sooo worth it! I really got a hold of how to read those charts.  

I loved my yarn, till I started.  Not so after working the pattern, I decided to not use the it and bought the pink yarn in the top picture. It is a bamboo from Farmhouse. I really am having a love affair with that company.  The bamboo is called Bonnie's and the color is desert bloom. It is so soft and has a light sheen to it.

The cardigan is coming along quickly. I have put it aside to do the Nephews cardigan and the shawl.  But I know I can probably finish it in a weekend. Yes its that fast. 

The yarn is farmhouse also. So, you see the love affair I have. 

My tea and honey are ready. My throat really needs it.  So I am off to sip and knit. Till next blog....Keep knitting!

  

The Laundry is DONE!!!

What a wonderful feeling! 10 tons of laundry done! No one is allowed to take their clothes off!  My sheets are changed too! Hey, are you one of those freaks who irons their sheets? PLLLLEASSSSSE! 

Good, I knew you were normal. I'm lucky they are completely dry, because I don't remember to put them in the dryer, till I go upstairs and get my jammies on!!

Oh yeah, the quilt is in the dryer. Better check it soon...

The baby sweater is complete. I am going to block it.

It is tight. It's the yarn. I 

have a tiny little bit of the main color left, and a ton of

 the other two.  Going to make the

 cute hat that goes with the pattern. That should take an evening. If there is anything left after that, booties.

This I can't wait to start! I have a goal. Maybe I better not, don't want to disappoint myself.  The pattern, can be bought on Ravelry. Or you can just go here. The picture does not do this cardigan justice. The shop owner's, makes you want to knit this! Oh, who might that be? Michele from Bloomin Yarns!  Her version is beautiful! So much so, I had to get it and make it. 

Also, Bloomin, is doing a shawl KAL. It starts on the 19th. I can't wait! Something new to do as we await spring and its warmth!

This is the yarn I chose for my shawl.  The shawl is from Interweave. 

It is also on Bloomin's blog. I have been in love with this yarn since it hit the shop last year. But never knew what I wanted to knit with it. Well, this shawl is it! 

My friend bought the same yarn in a yummy green. Her fav color. It will be very pretty.

Well, with all that said....I have much knitting to do!

And finally, my one friend showed up at knit nite with a package for me. I was so excited! It was this beautiful angel, with the beautiful charms about life and family on it! I love it! Thanks Chrystal!

Describe Normal

Would someone explain to me why two normal people, produce a crazy, wild child? I wanted a nice picture of the beautiful flowers MDH surprised me with. No such luck. Oldest daughter thought it was a chance to show her true colors. I guess she is like her mom.....SO says gramma. In any event, the flowers were, rather are, for my birthday Tuesday. Very pretty. Very much a surprise.   

SO, I tried another shot. 

Can you see her. She is hiding. LOL.

Well this is it. This is the best shot I can get of the flowers. And that is that. See if I rush to get her purse done. 

Getting to more serious stuff....My knitting. Slow knitting this week. Don't know why. I even went to Bloomin yarns yesterday...............................                              

and bought.......NOTHING!!!! What is wrong with me! I did like a model, I came home and ordered the pattern. Once I get it I will head back over and get the yarn for it.

Presently I am working on the baby sweater. It is almost at the bottom rib. It is so sweet. I will say this. The yarn is very hard on your hands. Its blue skies colored cotton. The designer has you knit on a 7. It hurts your hands. Well, It hurts my hands.

I do like the final results. It is going to be a cute spring sweater for the baby boy that will be born in April.   

And finally, I ordered this book. I was so excited.  We camp and I knit while we camp! I thought it would be full of cool camping patterns and stuff. Not so. Not so great. I am a little disappointed. Maybe I will write my own.

Hope you have a great week. Get lots of knitting done. Start a new project, or finish one that has been in the UFO pile! It will get you motivated, I promise! Here's to crazy kids and snow days yet to come!

I hate deadlines

A baby sweater is born.  The baby shower is in two weeks. Will the sweater need a blanket to go with it? Probably. I am making the cute easy one, found here.  I hope to start as soon as I am done blogging. The yarn is the same that it calls for, only I am doing boy colors. I think I will have fun with this pattern.

Now, Michelle sold me this cute yarn, with the 

help of Joyce. And she also told me not to buy the other yarn that I thought I should make the same sweater out of. I have some

 advice....LISTEN to the LYS owner, they know what they are talking about!!!! She was so on the money with her advice. Very, very sweetly 

she said to me...."Deb, you are not going to like that yarn. Stay with the cotton."  YEA, but, Michelle, It's soooo cute. I love the soft colors. So in the bag it went and as soon as I got home I started the sweater. And.......YUCK!!!! She was right..... Oh well... Live and learn.  So now I am going to start with the yarn that was recomme

nded by the designer as well as the LYS owner.

The other projects I am working on... The prayer shawl. Half way through and it is very pretty.   

And this cute little number. Number one daughter wanted a yellow bag. Not felted please. This pattern came up in the new issue of Fons& Porter's Love of Knitting. Pick up a copy, you won't be disappointed.  There is a cute little girl on the front, which is why I bought it. I want to make the sweater for the nephews. DON'T worry, there is a boy version!!!  This pattern is very easy and very fast. And if you want to try cables for the first time, this is a project for you.

And finally... This came in the mail, from amazon. It is a must have if you have men in your life. Great patterns for the teen on up. I have a few on the back burner I am considering. 

And the models are easy on the eye. Very, very easy on the eye.  I enjoyed the whole book. 

I want to end by letting everyone know, we lost our dear friend on monday.  Marilyn will be sorely missed by many. Heaven has a wonderful new angel.  Pancreatic cancer takes its victims much too quickly. Hopefully research will quickly find a cure for this terrible cancer.

You can THANK me!!!

Yes, you can thank me, If you live in Pittsburgh.

That box on the left, is a heat pump. We lost our heat last week. Our furnace, was on its last leg. We had space heaters throughout the house.  

And you remember what last week was like here in Southwest PA.  Like the picture on the right....

Today after the first, yes we need two!!!, heat pumps was installed the temps went from 3 degrees to .........50 plus degrees.  Yes it had to be Karma? Murphy's law? Or just my kinda luck... Whatever the reason, it is absolutely beautiful here.  So there is no need for the heater or air conditioning.  But that's OK. I am sure more bad weather is not to far away. And this is just a little joke that mother nature is playing on me.

In knitting , I once again find myself praying for healing. I am making yet another prayer Shawl. For yet another co-worker, who finds herself with stage one breast cancer. Her outcome is very good! We are all very hopeful.

 I ask, are you like me. Do you go to buy yarn with this person on your mind. You have colors you  are thinking of, for them. then you get there and something 

pulls you to something totally different. And you succumb to the need to buy the yarn that was not in your mind, but what you need to buy. I make it, and give it and the recipient, and they always tell me, always, That is their favorite color! Wow, the power of prayer. I am always thinking and praying for that person. 

The shawl is my own creation. Size 15 needles, cast on 124 stitches and 4 different yarns. There is no reason for the pattern, just as many rows as I like, then I change and continue till I feel I am half way, then mirror the pattern. Nothing to complicated, that way I can pray while I knit.

Well, it is early afternoon and the hubster and myself are running errands and then getting spaghetti dinners from the boy scouts. One of my students has been selling them to me since he was in 6th grade. He is now in his final year at middle school, and I will miss him next year!

I am sure he will come see me with tickets. LOL.

SO, if you are in the burgh, you are welcome for this beautiful SUNDAY... enjoy it, it is a gift.

Keep knitting