Knitting Olympics and Team NH...

Well, the Knitting Olympics are over. The socks were finished on time And, the gold was mine. But, the best part was making a few new friends and learning about my limitations and my expectations of myself. I now am better at knitting socks and the heel part doesn't scare me off. But, most importantly, I have reconnected with my love for knitting. You can have two arty craft passions - and for me my quilting and knitting are it!

Pictures of finished Socks and Postcards

These are the finished socks for the Knitting Olympics and the two postcards I sent in for the auction at IQF in Chicago for the American Cancer Society. The postcards I named Forever Plaid and Yellow Brick Road...musical mood when I was creating, I guess.

Catching up...

Fabric Postcards went in the mail today and finished three blocks of the BOM class. Am starting the heel on the second sock and should be able to get it done on time.

So, I am feeling rather good about the things that got done this week. Tomorrow is my BOM class - actually, it is a lecture. Then Scarlett and I are going over to New London as she has to run into work for a bit and from there we are going to see one of her co-worker's babies - four footed kind of babies. The boys, as they are called, are full blooded wolves. I have been wanting to meet them ever since we moved here, so this will be a fun afternoon playing with them.

Then it will be home to knit away...

Playing catch-up...

Yesterday and today are my catch-up days...

1) am behind on my Block of the Month (BOM) for the past three months and need to get them finished before class on Saturday.
2) two fabric postcards need to go into the mail for the Fiberart for a Cause - the fundraiser for the American Cancer Society at IQF in Chicago
3) need to finish a row for a friend and get it in the mail
4) fabric postcards for two exchanges and one is a landscape
and last but not least
5) the socks for the Knitting Olympics need to be done by Sunday

Hopefully, it will all be done on time...so am off to the sewing machine...

Knitting Olympics...

The red sock! Since I scanned it - had to do two views one from the toe and other from leg portion. But, it is a finished product...Now to finish Sock Two. I did get a pretty healthy start on it while at Snowmobile Club meeting last night (I know an old lady like me is joint owner in a snowmobile - great visual isn't it??) and tonight is Survivor and CSI - I'll get a lot done (I hope!). I really like this yarn - and since I thought I was going to need an extra skein and bought one the other day - which I will not need for the socks - I think I'll make myself a hat or some of those cool looking mitten things that Jo makes (blatent hint for where to find directions...)

Socks, Yarn, and Needles...

Someone asked about the yarn I used for Scarlett's socks. This yarn is lush! It comes from Norway. Called Sisik. It is 30% wool, 30% mohair, 34% acrylics and 6% viscose. Only drawback is that it is hand wash! Oh, well.

The yarn I used for my socks was Plymouth Encore Colorspun Knitting Worsted Weight. It is 75% acrylic and 25% wool and is machine wash and dry! The yarn was made in Turkey.

Tammy's socks are made from Sirdar Donegal Tweed DK made in England and are machine washable.

All of the socks were knit on Circular needles - No. 5.

Scarlett's socks ... my second pair

These were the socks I made for Scarlett. Loved the yarn. We bought the yarn when we were at this nice little shop in Newport ... the store is in a very old building and the lighting is bad. We both thought the yarn was brown...it is purple with little flecks of colors. They are very, very soft and incredibly warm. The best thing was that they made her happy!

My first pair of socks...

My first pair of socks! These were the socks I made when taking the sock making class. I love this yarn. It is soft and warm. It is a worsted weight and they fit like boot socks. The yarn is varigated with blue, lavander and white...of course, they had to be lavander since purple is my most favorite color.

Socks!

Here are the RED socks - or what is done on them. So, far these socks have been the socks from hell! Still amazed that the yarn looks decent since I have ripped them out more times than I care to think about. But, they will be nice and very warm when they are finished. I just hope that I will be able to finish them before the Knitting Olympics is over...sometimes I think I should have done a scarf - but that would not have been much of a challenge...

Knitting, Photos, and fabric...

The knitting for the Knitting Olympics is coming along. I've spent a bit of time ripping - but then I understand that to be a happy knitter one must be a happy ripper...but, it is frustrating as I want to get these socks done! And, the days are slipping away.

In looking over my photos I noticed I don't have any knitting photos - so, this week-end, I plan to take photos of the other two pair of socks I have knit and these challenge socks...at least it is a start!

Still cutting away on those 2-1/2 inch squares. I think I am going to enjoy this swap - and it should not take long to get a quilt out of it - since the blocks will measure 16-1/2 inches when they return home...and I have a thing for scrappy quilts.

Have a safe week-end! I doubt that I will be back before Monday - because I need to KNIT!!!

Fabric Scraps and More Fabric Scraps...

I'm a saver...no, the truth is I'm a pack-rat! When I quilt, I save almost every scrap I cut! Well, now it has paid off...(see, I told you so...)

One of my on-line groups is doing a postage stamp round robin block. Yep...2-1/2 inch squares. Starting off with a center square of 4 - and then each person (four in the group) will add a border of more 2-1/2 inch squares.

So, I went digging in the bucket of scraps and found tons of pieces of fabric that were either already 2-1/2 inches or could be cut into 2-1/2 inch squares. I have a bunch of them...

Additionally, I found blue and green fabrics in sizes I can use on my landscape fabric postcards that I am making. And, I didn't even have to cut into any of my regular stash!

Life is good!

My photos...

I am in the process of creating a photo album at Flickr. And, hopefully, today I will be able to upload some photos. I have put in a link called "My Photos" in the sidebar. That should take you to where you can click on Photos...and you will be there. Enjoy!

Velentine's Day...

What a nice day yesterday was! Thought Mother might be coming down with a cold, so I kept her home from her Day-Out Program in order to keep an eye on her. Worked on rearranging my kitchen cabinets (more work than I thought it would be) and just sort of hung out.

My daughter, Tara, called and it was great hearing her voice. We talked for a little while. I do miss her! Sometimes it seems like Arizona is sooo far away.

Scarlett cooked dinner. Tammy and I had Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp Marsala and a couple of tiny lobster tails. Scarlett had a steak (she is allergic to shell fish - and I know she misses it so much!) Mother had roast pork which was tender and easy for her to eat. Everyone had a wonderful baked potato and green peas.

Scarlett gave me a book - At Knit's End - Meditations for Women who Knit Too Much by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

I have been reading and laughing my way through Stephanie's blog - Yarn Harlot - since I discovered the world of blogging...so, this book was a wonderful gift for me.

I gave Scarlett yarn - a really pretty multi-colored yarn for socks and a plain Navy blue for a scarf. These will be my next projects after I finish the Olympic Knitting Challenge socks.

Tammy got some of her favorite hand soaps and some white chocolate. And, mother got some sugar free candy!

Yes, it was a nice day!

Color...

My knitting and quilting friend, Dave, was talking about yarn buying on his blog...and that really got me thinking.

I am a color person. I buy by color. I don't think (at least not in the last few years) I have bought a yarn for a specific idea or pattern in a long time. Well, other than the sock knitting class I took - had to buy yarn and needles for that class.

When I walk into a yarn shop I usually stand by the entrance and search the room until something catches my eye - and it is usually a color...then I determine what I can use that yarn for. Lately, every yarn I buy has either been for socks or scarves - so, I am only buying one or two skeins of a particular yarn.

I am the same way about fabric for quilting. I end up buying a piece of fabric because I love the color or the way the colors blend or look together.

But, it is color, color, and more color for me...

Knitting Olympics and Texas Hold 'Em...

My first attempt on Friday night with the Knitting Olympics was brutal! I cast on all my stitches for the red pair of socks...and was busy working away - when I noticed I had a mistake. I was working on the ribbing - and should have been doing a purl stitch - but, I was on a KNIT stitch. Rats! Sure enough after counting both sides - I found I had dropped a stitch somewhere - and that little "baby" was not about to be found.

So, I ripped it all out and started over...by the end of programming on Friday night - I had 1-1/2 inches of ribbing done.

Last night, we went out! We went to dinner at a friend's home - and it was so nice to see a group of our friends again. The last time we saw them was when we took a fall folliage train trip. They are all really good people...and they accept us and Mother. Actually, they all really like Mother -and everyone of them caters to her when we are there.

We sat around playing Poker - Texas Hold-em to be exact! It was so fun! I'd never played before and I had a very good time. We got home around midnight...and woke up to beautiful snow this morning!

Well, I'm off to the living room to watch the Olympics and knit!!!

Embellishing...

Last year I participated in a round row with a group of friends. This is part of the row I did for one of the people. It was the very first time I did any embellishing. My embellishing on this included pink yarn and beads just about everywhere. I truly had a wonderful time working on this row.

I am wanting to do lots more of this type of embellishing.

Fabric & Housekeeping...

Fabric always makes me happy! And, yesterday, I was a happy camper! I belong to an online group that decided to trade birthday presents this year. We signed up for what we wanted to receive - it could be fat quarter, a 12-1/2 inch block in your choice of colors, or 8 6-inch charms in your choice of color. I chose fat quarters - black with white or white with black.

It was such fun opening up wrapped packages of wonderful fat quarters. I received a total of 18 fat quarters...so, it was nice... and not one of them was the same.

Today, my plans are to wash all the fat quarters along with the fabric I bought on my birthday. Then, I will iron it and put it away until it is time to use it...Scarlett calls this my therapy. And, she is right - it calms my soul.

The house is coming along rather well - The bedroom that was turned into a closet is almost presentable. So, today, I intend to work on getting a few of the boxes that are left up there unpacked and all the clothes in their proper spot. At least we can now get to the treadmill that sits in front of the window...so, we get to workout and do cardio on the treadmill. It has only been under a mountain of stuff since we moved here November 1, 2004. (I always count our move date by the day I arrived - Scarlett was actually here on October 14th...)

Once the closet is finished - the only other room that has to be finished is the office - translated the other upstairs bedroom - which holds my desk and computer... all of our crafting supplies...bookcases with tons of books...and my CDs. Then the house will be DONE! But, it is a lot of work and hard for me to do alone - which happens when Scarlett works all day and then goes to class at night...but there are only two more classes and then college is finished for a while.

Knitting Olympics and Team NH

While looking around at other blogs I kept seeing this Knitting Olympics logo - and finally, it got the best of me. Scoped it out and found a bunch of people are going to be completing a knitting project between the opening ceremonies of the Olympics through the closing ceremonies. The project has to be a bit challenging and done within the timeframe.

I have chosen to knit a pair of socks - red socks to be exact! These will be for Tammy! (I promised her a pair for Christmas but never got around to doing them - so, now I know they will get done!)

Sock knitting is quite challenging for me - but, I am learning. I cannot get the hang of those double pointed needles - and I ended up learning the "Magic Loop" way of knitting...but, I am very slow and make lots of mistakes...

But, it will be fun! And, it will give me some thing to do while I watch the olympics...so let the casting on of stitches begin tomorrow night!

Birthdays

Monday, the 6th, was my birthday! Scarlett got me up early and while I took a shower, she got mother fed and on the bus to go to her Adult Day Out.

Started out by having breakfast at a little diner in Bradford which is on the way to Concord.

We spent the day in Concord - our state capitol - and since we had never really visited it much we took the time to tour the Capitol Building. It is a pretty impressive building! From there we went to the mall and looked around, made a couple of exchanges from Christmas, and bought a couple of things. I needed to replenish my bobbins as the ones I had did not fit my new machine.

We had a light lunch consisting of a sampler platter at Ruby Tuesday's and then headed for all the quilt stores in town. Well, there are really only two. Looked at all the fabric and ended up buying a little at both shops.

I was a little disappointed as there was no yarn store in the area. The closest is in Henniker but it is closer to home than Concord - so I guess I can go there one day by myself.

Ended the day by having dinner at one of my favorite restaurants The Common Man and then headed for home.

My daughter called to wish me a happy birthday and it was really good to hear her voice even though it was on a voice mail as I missed her call due to service area problems...but, I called her back only to play phone-tag.

All in all - it was a really nice day!

Sweaters...

I can't believe my luck...have been faithfully unpacking some of my craft supplies - which translates to fabric and more fabric, and yarn and more yarn! In one of the boxes I found two beautiful sweaters that were all knit - just not put together. So, guess, what I am going to be doing!! One is a red and white one and the other is blue - a light turquoise.

Then recently I discovered a wonderful new knitting magazine (well, I don't know how new it is - but, it is new to me) called Interweave Knits. Such gorgeous patterns...I think I will be working up some of those patterns...

Valentine's Post Cards in mail...

Took my first three post cards to the post office today...it was a little bit harder than I thought to put those little things in the mail. But, they are off and on their way to new homes. As soon as they get there I can post a photo of them. I am really pleased with the way they turned out.

Running around...

I didn't post yesterday. Mainly because the day just got away from me as I created three more postcards for a Valentine's Day Swap. Tammy had noticed them and thought they were nice. So, I decided to make one that she could mail to a friend of her's in Florida whose mother is dying.

Got up this morning and the sun was starting to shine and it looked like it might be a good day...took one look at my hair and decided it was time I got it cut. As long as I was at that, I should get my nails done since they are starting to grow back out.

Went to the beauty school about twenty miles away in Lebanon...they do a good job and it isn't really expensive. The only fault I find is that sometimes it takes the students a little longer - like my manicure today...but, she did such a nice job massaging my hands that I really didn't care.

I then drove up the Dartmouth Bookstore looking for a magazine - but, they didn't have the current issue. I still want to spend a day walking on the Dartmouth campus. It is so big and so pretty.

From there I went across the state line into White River, Vermont to my favorite quilt store. I had received a lovely gift certificate from the owner to celebrate my birthday...which is Monday. (But, that's another story). I found some really beautiful fabric and enjoyed spending my time there. They are just so nice at the shop...and they have become my friends.

So, all in all I had a nice day.