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

When knitting makes you mad!

OK, I am almost finished with this mitten. 

I had it at school and one of the girls decided to try it on.....Well, it was so tight on her hand, I was ready to cry!!!! Who was this pattern written for anyway? Let me go back to revelry and check. Must be a 4 year old! I have it on my hand, but my bones HURT!!! 

So, I am waiting for the daughter to return with boyfriend and sushi for mom, to try on the mitten, before I finish the thumb. Now, daughter is tiny little thing for 19.... but I don't know. Updates to follow.

The pattern was OK to do. I am going to probably up to a size five needle. That's just an     FYI if you

plan on making them. I am making three now, instead of the two I need.

On a happy note....Hubby's socks are moving along nicely. This sock is near completion. This is just boring, knitting. Take with you anywhere knitting. No need to look at knitting.

What else?

The Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet show is on its way. OK, am I the only one who thinks that $15.00 is EXTREMELY expensive to walk around a market? I mean, Giant eagle never chargers me to come in and BUY from them. Does the Guild realize we are in a terrible recession and people are not doing great? I mean even the early registration of 10.00 is high! I am Going to BUY from vender's. YOU are not giving me anything.

That's 15 bucks of yarn I could use..... I don't know, maybe its me.  But I am sure the vendors have dropped a big chunk of change too. I think, in my never to be humble opinion, that it is too much money..... Will I go, probably. Not fair though. What say you?

Well, Daughter should be home soon. Want to look like I was knitting while they were gone. So its off to knitting....

Oh yea, there is yet another snow storm coming, and its going to be a doozy....We will see 

 GO STEELERS!!!!

Its the little things/updated

For some reason, I have the need to make little quick things.  Mittens, hats and such.  Went  to Knitty, and found a few patterns that I had to make and DID!  The fingerless gloves called Fetching, knitted up over the weekend. I have enough yarn left over for??? maybe a neck warmer from the book "One Skein"?

The next thing that I HAD to make also from Knitty,  Calorimetry. 

The pattern took, Cops and some of 48 hours, to make. Yes its that quick!  I didn't like my yarn choice at all. Noro. NO NO. Use a more elastic wool. Something with good strong memory it. 

The daughter felt it was too loose. After putting it on myself, I agreed. 

I am going to make it again in another yarn.  I may try the Malbrigo that  I have left from her sweater. 

And now I am working on a really cute pair of 

mittens I found on Ravelry.

 I have the first one started. I just finished the first skull. They are fast and fun. Would not recommend for the beginner. 

So, as I sit here, with the weather 

report calling for yet another winter

storm, I am hopeful, that we will have another SNOW DAY!!! Yippee!!! I love this time of year.  If we are off, I am getting the mitten done!  

Oh yea, that Valentine's day gift. I better get that finished too! Hubby had on his socks yet again today! I guess I should make them.   

Take a good look at my mittens and the picture. Notice anything? Yea, the dyslectic knitter strikes again. My excuse? They are for my daughter so I am making them more feminine by switching the color scheme to white and black skulls. You think it will fly? LOL, who cares!

And finally, I just love this picture of little 

Gilbert. Out in the snow, just thinking about how cold it is.

Keep knitting! Peace out!

In case you are re reading this....WE did get a snow day!!! How fun is that! 

Baby It's cold Outside!

As you can see from my happy snowman, it is extremely cold up here in "The Burgh".  Before you have a heart attack about the inside temp, it was by my window and not my actual inside temperature.

The Children and Teachers had a free day yesterday because of the extreme temperatures. That was a bonus!  I got to go to lunch with my friend and visit my favorite little knit shop,

Bloomin Yarns!

I did return some yarn, I thought I would do something special with, but that did not come to fruition.  There is a little boy going to be born in the spring and I  found two great yarns to make two little spring cardigan's with. Pictures later.

Today we were able to get my formal living room back from our son! He received a new plasma and surround sound for Christmas, and it never left the living room. Till today. Ahhhh what a relief.  He is now in another room and I have my living room back.  He is happy and so are we..... I guess.... I didn't know surround sound was

 sooooo loud!!!!!  

With the temps so low there isn't much to do outside, unless you are a bird.  I took this from my kitchen window. Cute little guys!

We put the feeders right outside the kitchen and sun room windows. It is so beautiful to watch the little guys! Talk about someone who could use a warm winter sweater! You think they could keep them on, I mean no shoulders and all? 

Happy Knitting, KEEP WARM! 

Warm fuzzy Feelings!

The mittens are done! What a great feeling that is. A WARM FUZZY kinda feeling. I know why I didn't finish them the first time around. The pattern SUCKS!  Not written very well, and many steps could have either been eliminated or altered and made easier.

Ahhhh, the socks. Coming along nicely. I am only getting 

a chance to work on them alittle bit here and there. Lunch at school, right before bed. Nothing to serious. They are moving quickly. I believe I have a few more inches then I turn the heel. I like the yarn. It is a tad rough, but I think the wash will soften them up.

And finally.... I started a new project. I thought it would be a weekend project, and would have been if I didn't have anything else to do.  The dog was shivering next to me Friday night, and I remembered some yarn that has been in storage for at least 15 years.  Maratona. Sound familiar? I bought it at a shop that was closing. In its day it was the softest, most expensive stuff out there. I bought 5 balls. different dye lots and all. I felt so proud walking out of the shop, with MARATONA! But what the h#$ I was going to make is beyond me. Then 15 years later I found it... I hope that young knitter in me is OK with it.

Gilbert is getting a beautiful new sweater in the finest Italian wool around.....15 years ago anyway. It is a beautiful shade of pink burgundy.   

So, thats it for this week.  Desperate House Wives is on. Love it!  And I really need to knit!

                                     

Happy New Projects!

New year, New projects..... OK, two new, one old that needs finished.

I put my yarn and book down to take the shot for the blog, and Larry felt the need to be a part of the picture! So here he is, posing of course. Cats, who can figure them out. Any other time, I am just a means to filling and empty food bowl! 

I digress.

Hope your New Year has been a good one!  I know mine is already. Why? Last year at this time I was recovering from surgery! I feel much better this year. 

I started the sweater on the left the Saturday after Christmas. It moves quickly. I love the colors. Kaffe 

Fasset, colourscapes.  If I work on it tonight, I will be done with the back. Its that quick!

Now that Hubby has fallen in love with his new hand knit socks, I searched my stash, and found this yarn, for a quick Valentine's day gift.  The pattern is the very best one out there for basic socks. And my husband is as basic as you're going to get.  Nothing fancy for him.  

You maybe wondering about the knit two at a time book.......... Well.....I didn't like using two circular needles, and the gapping that occurs. I think it is something I need to work on. Updates later on that subject.

And finally, the old project. These mittens have been sitting in the UFO pile for probably, a, a, well, ok, oldest was in a, middle....no elementary!! well......now tell me you have nothing that old!!  I mean what is 9 years!!! Nothing. It flies. Just ask the mittens!

Time to get to some knitting.... Think I will finish the mittens...... yea thats a good idea! 

When you know you got it right!

How do you know you got exactly what they wanted!  How.......Just look at the smiles on their faces!

It says it all.

Mom  is still trying to figure out how I made her gloves.   How ... easy I tell her.  And it was. Got the pattern out of the book "The knitter's bible"

knitted accessories. 

She called this morning and told me how much she loved her gifts. Job well done. Yippee to me!

Oldest daughter LOVED her mini laptop! She thinks its the cutest thing she has ever seen.

I got this great shot right after she figured out what it was. It was priceless!

And then young son.... Surround sound.

He was so surprised.  Both were extremely excited and happy!

I hope you had the same great feelings. That you found everything you wanted under your tree. 

Hope there were blessing on top of blessings.

                                                                                                                          Christmas goes so fast. We prepare and buy and make and in an instant, its over. But the pictures and the feelings, they last a lifetime!

This is hubby's scarf. The noro one that everyone is making. It was a really fun scarf. I gave it to him just like the picture, but finished it up Christmas morning and he was able to wear it to my mom's.  Along with his first pair of handmade socks. Which he said were the best pair of socks he has ever worn. He is a hand knit sock virgin. And has become addicted. Asking if there might be more in his future.  

So with that said, I picked up my, 2 at time socks.

And as soon as I finish here I am going to try that method.  I will keep you posted! 

Keep warm and keep knitting! The fun months are just ahead!!!