Last Finish of 2011

It's been enjoyable and inspiring to read other blogs that show the author's 2011 finishes, and in some cases, how they stack up against goals set for the year.  No such organization on this blog I'm afraid. It's a real feat just to upload a photo or two on occasion.  I had an unanticipated request from a coworker to knit a baby sweater for her new grand-niece, smack in the middle of last minute gift knitting (there was a deadline)! But I had a skein of Rio de la Plata just calling to be knitted, and had a supply of cute pink buttons on hand, so decided to go for it.  The photos don't really show the yarn's beautiful shades of spring green, pink, white and a bit of turquoise. I had a newly published version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket that really helped speed things along, including the use of short rows toward the end.  The 2nd photo shows the jacket as it appears after bind-off.  It looks somewhat like an amoeba! Just two small seams across the shoulders and 5 buttons sewn on et voila! A tiny little jacket!

To welcome the new stitching year I will be joining with a number of good friends to set off on a journey to stitch the most amazing Ann Dale 1827 sampler by Theresa Venette, owner of Shakespeare's Peddler and designer extraordinaire!  Theresa mentioned that there are approximately 65,000 stitches in this lovely sampler.  I had to do the math: 65,000 stitches/50 weeks/5 days per week = 260 stitches required daily to finish within a year.  OK - game on!!  Is anybody else in? Here are the fabulous silks that will be used, and a half-yard cut of Vintage Pear 40-count that looks the size of a bed sheet!!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year filled with peace and light and lots of time to enjoy your needle work pursuits. 

2 Scarves

Oh, so many missed opportunities to blog which I now regret.  Must resolve to do better.  Just posting some snaps of finished objects - gift scarves for people who help keep me going during the work week.  One never knows when gifting knitware how it will be received but if I get compliments for any hand knits I happen to be wearing, that person becomes fair game.  More knitterly details on Ravelry.

1st Scarf
Pattern: Molly by Classic Elite.  Yarn: Liberty Wool by Classic Elite. Blue Twilight colorway.

2nd Scarf
Pattern: Drop Stitch Scarf. Yarn: Boomerang by Fiesta in Misty Morning Colorway.

Lots more photos...will post more later.  Must go knit now.  Thanks for stopping by!

Frosty Florida?

The TV weathermen were all forecasting 39 degrees for our Saturday a.m. but we lucked out with mid-40s.  Many of us enjoy the cooler temps because we can bring out the hand knits and actually wear them all day!

Here's a self-portrait shot taken with the iPad in my office at work, stylin my recently completed Tanta, design by Emily Ross (knit using Malabrigo Sock in Abril; see Ravelry for details).  Gosh I wish my photo editor software had something to erase neck wrinkles - like that red eye erase feature only it would work on wrinkles!  Loved this design so much I am making another using Cascade Heritage Paints sock yarn.  Like the colorway but the yarn isn't as crisp as the Malabrigo so the points on the border aren't as defined.  Perhaps they will block out.  Here's the almost half-way point:

FYI that is one of our giant pine cones, approx 5-6" long.

As I staged this WIP scarf I noticed a serious mistake about 3" from the bottom.  Will definitely wind back & start over since this will be a gift.

Yarn: Classic Elite Liberty Wool in Reflecting Pool. Grays, lavender, turquoise, lime green combo.  Pattern: Molly by Classic Elite.

And this poor scarf has been neglected since Tanta rode into town; it's the Swiss Cheese Scarf design by Winnie Shih knit in Kauni wool 8/2 Effektgarn.  Not sure I like the sides of the "holes" but perhaps they will tighten up a bit with soaking.  Or perhaps I will unravel and start over! OCD!

Enjoyed a nice relaxing afternoon with cross-stitchers but cannot post a snap of my progress on Villages of Hawk Run Hollow because it's been stitch 10 rip 20 recently.  But I think block 7 is stabilized now and will come along nicely.

Curtis Willis (big boy cat) is now officially addicted to his red laser mouse.  That's a tale for another time.

Wishing you all a wonderful rest of the weekend!

Thankful

Thankful, after getting a call from the DH saying he hurt his hand, arm & head, that after rushing home from stitching group across town I found him a little scraped up & sore, but with no broken bones or major issues.

Thankful that a friend was home & able to get to him within a few minutes.

Thankful that her aunt and my sister are nurses with 70 yrs experience between them...and although being in distant cities patiently listened to us describe his condition and make recommendations (no ER visit needed).

And along those lines...here is a little piece I stitched, an old Blackbird Designs, framed by Chris at The Frame Shop in St. Augustine.  The wonderful beading on the frame doesn't show very well.

The words are similar to The Beatitudes: faith, wisdom, patience, love and peace.  The beautiful overdyed colors don't really show either.  Clearly my photography skills are lacking.

I finished my first Tanta shawl and can't say enough good things about its designer, Emily (knitterain on Ravelry).  Very clever borders and an easy knit.  I immediately cast on another the night I finished it!  This one knit using 1 skein of Malabrigo sock yarn in Abril...a delicious purple-y blue...just like berries.

Our breezy cool weather is great for sleeping with windows open, but it's making Curtis Willis a little beast...he's bouncing off walls...literally.  Here is his most innocent look and don't let it fool you:

This is airshow weekend at our NAS and we are enjoying the Blue Angels zooming thru the skies!
Thanks for stopping by my little blog!

Happy Happy Halloweenie!

Wishing you a day full of treats!

Sampler: Mosey & Me.

Steve Jobs

A rare genius.  May he rest in peace.

Fall Fever!

Some folks get spring fever...I get fall fever.  Want to be outside in the warm sun (no humidity - yay), communing with the flowers & butterflies, reading, knitting, napping...anything but working!  Spring is nice but oh! the sunlight is so very different in the fall.  Visited the neighborhood hardware store yesterday & discovered their plant 'hospital' for plants that dearly need a home.  For greatly reduced prices I purchased 3 coreopsis plants that just need a little deadheading (love these for the way they re-seed), a hanging sweet potato vine (beautiful purple leaves), a lipstick plant (I think that's what it is) and this unidentified one:

Also 3 pots of nice plump zinnias, waiting with the others to be planted this morning:

I've been surrounded by Monarchs and other butterflies.  One last Monarch caterpillar is making his chrysalis in the eaves of the house.  I hope the butterfly hatches in time to migrate.  Glad I let the milkweeds have the run of the front garden; we had at least 2 dozen Monarch hatchings.  Would have had more but for the dang wasps who prey on the young caterpillars.  What a privilege it was to see the butterflies hatch. Who knew that milkweed grows higher than 6 feet?

The porterweed is popular now too; both purple and red are in bloom.

Colors in the photos look washed out due to very bright morning sun and use of the iPad for picture taking.

Knitting - finished one sock last week, using Dream in Color's Smooshy and a free pattern named 'Lake Effect Socks'.  Very easy, pattern well written, a 3-row repeat (with every other row knit).  Just cast on for a scarf but am also itching to stitch.  I have 3 samplers that are half-finished; they range from small to gigantic.  More on those to follow.

Spent a few delightful hours stitching with friends at the local library where we found a treasure trove of gently used books for sale at bargain prices.

Top to bottom they are:

The Private Life of the Cat Who....by Lilian Jackson Brown

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLauglin & Nicola Kraus

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

Marley & Me by John Grogan

Dancing with Cuba by Alma Guillermoprieto

The South Beach Diet by Arther Agatston, MD

Are Men Necessary? by Maureen Dowd

A Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffet

Nancy Reagan by Kitty Kelley

and 3 copies of Birds & Blooms magazine! Score!

Hope you all are enjoying your fall days as well.