Update

Had a nasty fall Sunday in a shoe store trying on shoes. Hubby tried to catch me, but I was too far out of reach. Hit my head on a metal shelf. Went to the ER Sunday. Slept most of yesterday. Mostly awake today since Noon. Sore and painful, but otherwise OK. Will update more later on in the week when I am feeling better.

Perfect Knitting Weather

According to the weatherman we here in Lexington were supposed to have an ice storm. God provided and we have had sleet and freezing rain off and on all day. The interesting part is that we are supposed to get snow, too, later on in the evening. It is perfect knitting weather to be curled up next to the couch and knitting.

Last night there was a lot of work done on the wonderful sweater called "Clark" - so much so that I think I have reached the 17 1/2 " mark. Now I begin working on shaping the shoulders and preparing to begin making the back. Since this on is working up so quickly I am seriously considering beginning another one in a beautiful yarn called "Aran fleck" from Red Heart. Yes, I know, it is acrylic, but the people I am making the sweaters for are allergic to wool and most natural animal fibers. Sad, I know. Still, the yarn is beautiful and I am really looking forward to putting a project of it onto the needles.

As far as planned projects are concerned, I am also planning on putting a lace scarf on the needles. It will be my first lace project and I am making a scarf to wear for Church at the Pascha service, which happens in April (Pascha is the Eastern Orthodox Christian service of easter). Having it blocked before Pascha will be one of the hardest challenges. I am thinking of using Mist Heather from KnitPicks.com. As for the pattern, well, I haven't quite decided on that yet. I do like Divine Lace, also from KnitPicks.com, as well as a couple of others. Sometimes there are a lot of decisions to make in the knitting world.

It seems I am a busy knitter of late it appears. Oh, that reminds me, I need to get some material to line my pretty little pink purse! I also want to put some nice fun yarn around the top that will, hopefully, just add the perfect touch.

Knitting Makes Us Smile

see more loldogs are funny dog pictures!

Yesterday and today have been horrid homework days, but it was FINALLY accomplished which makes for a happier me. Because of said homework I didn't knit at all yesterday on the dishcloths for my sister or the wonderful sweater called "Clark" which did not help my mood any. So, in honor of having accomplished something wonderful I gives you a happy picture and I goes knit now.

A Poll and the Wonderful Sweater Called "Clark"

Last night I was able to sit down and actually measure the current length of the front of the wonderful sweater called "Clark." Eleven inches! At 171/2 inches the pattern changes and I need to be very aware of it. I must admit seeing the length in terms of measurement made me smile and proclaim it proudly to Hubby who just smiled and nodded like he usually does when I am talking excitedly about knitting.

Luckily for me Hubby doesn't make fun of me for knitting, but he does like to poke the occasional joke, mostly because he can and usually I can make a joke right back to him. My knitting has actually gotten him to thinking about picking up a serious hobby again. We both beaded for years, but he doesn't want to bead again, I don't believe. He has mentioned painting D&D figures again (yes, we're geeky like that as well), but he hasn't made up his mind, and he is watching the process and progress of the wonderful sweater called "Clark" with interest. Do I think he will pick up knitting? No, he doesn't want to knit--he has proclaimed that several times in the recent past. But, he does like the practicality of the knitting hobby because when an item is completed it is quite useful whether it be a sweater, a dishcloth, fingerless mitts, or something else: it is useful.

Socks! Socks! Socks!

Next Saturday at Stone's Throw I will be learning how to make socks! I am so happy I could bubble! Wait. That's what I'm doing! Hubby is even sort of excited because he knows eventually he will get "sandal socks" from me.

While there today picked up some much needed knitting needles.

Today I had yarn therapy.

*happy sigh*

Sitting Quietly With Yarn

Valentine's Day has come and gone and been absolutely wonderful. Having a good man for my husband is absolutely great sometimes.

Today I have managed to work on the marvelous sweater called "Clark". It feels good to be knitting again. I will post progress pictures as soon as I possible.

Oh, for Valentine's Day goodness check out here. This is how my Valentine's Day went.

Valentine's Day

It is Valentine's Day and I send my love and good wishes out to you all, you great expansive World Wide Web people!

The Kentucky Mountain Girl News explains the beginning of Valentine's Day for me. Now I go and cook supper for my husband and try and show him just how much I adore him and his thoughtfulness.

Sometimes You Just Need Mom

You know, this



moar funny pictures

is the way I feel today. Instead of a mouse, though, it is homework. *sigh*

The marvelous sweater called "Chuck" is still on the needles and calling my name plaintively, but, alas, I cannot answer his siren's call because I am having to be a stoodent. Stupid on-line classes. They are getting in the way of my knitting time!

moar funny pictures

A Different Sort of Accomplishment

Yesterday I sat and thought long and hard about what I needed to do in order to help me feel more accomplished, not just about the knitting, but about everything else in general that goes on in a life well-lived. Feeling as if there was actually come progress made during the day was on the top of the list.

This prompted me to make a very long list of TO DOs for today. I must admit, being able to mark things off has actually helped me to feel accomplished. There is still much to do, such as homework, but I feel better deep down inside.

Don't worry. Knitting will be accomplished at some point today.

Have you ever noticed...

...how knitting just feels like home? Yesterday was a bad day for me physically. My back was hurting and I was having the doldrums. However, despite the day not being perfect, knitting was right there. So, I managed to put a few rows down onto the marvelous sweater named "Clark" and felt myself relax.

In the process of relaxing I realized that knitting, no matter where you are, is like bringing a part of home with you wherever you go. Part of the peace of "home" comes along so that you can rest inside your very being and be a little calmer than you might otherwise be simply because you have pointy sticks and a skein of thread commonly known as yarn, and it can make you so very happy!

Today there is a lot for me to do. It is so much in fact that the list I made last night has grown long and involved. Still, there is a line that plainly says knit on it as well as blog and lj (which means to write in the journal I have on Livejournal).

True, there is a lot for me to do today, and much which seriously needs to be accomplished, but how much do you bet I make a nice visit here now and then? Yeah, it isn't a bet I would want to make either.

Pattern?

The beautiful sweater that is called "Clark" has begun and has reached several inches. I had taken a nice picure of what I had done so far but once it was actually transferred to the computer it didn't show any detail and was quite fuzzy. I think I am just going to have to go and get more batteries for the camera and possibly another memory card and just use the camera to take photos of the knitting since my little phone's camera is not quite as good at taking pictures sometimes. Of course, the picture taker is also a factor in this, too.

Needless to say, perhaps, but I am quite pleased with how well it is coming along. And, for those of you who know me, I have made modifications to the pattern. In the pattern for "Clark" it says to knit the ribbing cuff for the bottom of the sweater, bind off, then go back and pick up the same number of stitches and continue knitting the remainder of the sweater. The explanation given was that it would form the ridge at the bottom of the sweater. I hate going back and picking up stitches for silly reasons, and I considered this a silly reason.

Instead of binding off and then going back and getting the stitches I purled several rows to create a nice ridge, then knit a nice strip of stockingette, which gave me a nice border that I believe I would like to put some pretty embroidery. Masculine in nature, of course, since this is a masculine sweater.

Also, I am doing garter stitch. If it doesn't look so good in the next few inches I'll just frog it and begin again with stockingette.

A Fantastic New Beginning!

The fantastic, beautiful sweater named "Clark" has actually made it onto the needles! Much to my surprise, I have obtained gauge using US 7s and US8s. In discovering where my circulars are through the big move of recent history, I must now proclaim it is knitting needle purchasing time because I simply cannot find all of my knitting needles, straight, circular, dpn, etc. Could this possibly be a good excuse for me to show my darling husband the wonderful interchangeables? I am tempted. So very tempted. However, there is a question I have: Are interchangeables hard to open and close? This is a serious question considering that sometimes my hands are not as strong as at other times. Any input would be appreciated.

Almost.....

moar funny pictures

As of this very moment in writing, I have not begun knitting the wonderful sweater called "Clark". I must find my gauge to make sure of the sizes of said needed needles, plus, I'd like to do the sweater on circulars and need a good length of circular to hold a sweater.

Why circulars? Because I have rheumatoid arthritis. My hands are not so good, but they do not stop me from knitting. If you use circulars the weight of the project is held in the lap rather than on the needles you are holding, which affects your fingers and wrists: because, with straight needles, this is where the weight goes.

Greetings Fellow Knitters and Curious People!

I am a knitter and a hand spinner. So, you can guess what this blog is going to be about.

I didn't expect to have knitting taking over other general hobbies I have to the degree it has, but, sometimes, we simply cannot gauge how something is going to take hold of us and become THE hobby.

It has become evident to all of my friends just how much "textiles" are important to my peaceful nature, as well as what I can do for them for Christmas and birthdays, etc. Recently for Christmas there were MANY skeins of yarn provided to me for my amusement, and one friend actually asked for a sweater.

So, I am going to make this for him

It is going to be in a rich burgundy color. Since we do not know if he is alergic to wool or not it is going to be done in acrylic yarn. My hands are virtually itching to get started on it!