Its all true, the boogie girl is real, and you've found her. She knits, sews, spins, does pottery and writes it all down in this blog.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Mail's HERE!
That's got to be 2 of the happiest words when I have a package.
This was from a contest that I won over at Teresa's Place
Believe it or not fans, this is my first ever Koigu. Click to open the package. I've been in front of the Koigu wall at Patternworks and thought it was absolutely divine. I just couldn't justify the money when I'm on a perpetual budget. Good thing I like my own handspun.
Mom saw the yarn and immediately fell in love. I thought I would make something for her until I saw what she did......
She killed a spider.
Wait! Before you condemn her, she's not really a horrendous murderer. She's a nice person most of the time. I now I'm making excuses, I love my mom despite her murderous tendancies. She freaks out about spiders and this one happened to be very large. Well, large for her. She described him as being larger than her hand when in actuality it was the size of a 50 cent piece if you splayed it legs out.
None of her family would kill it for her. The thing was living outside, but was at a window she passed by several times a day. Finally she had a friend over and the 2 of them ganged up on the poor unsuspecting thing. How many grown women does it take to kill a spider?..... obviously 2.
I easily get sidetracked but I do remember this is a knitting blog.
For all those wondering. I ripped and I ripped good. Thank you for the compliments on that sleeve, but I had to rip. Its now been knitted back up in a new pattern - NO pattern. Yup, plain ole' stockinette. I am thinking, though, that some intarsia might be nice to break up the monotony. I'll see what I can come up with.
Can you see my little blue toes?
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Monday, August 30, 2004
SALE!
This is it folks. I've finally put up the last of the sale items. There are bags, knitting rolls and crochet rolls.
Thanks for being so good to me.
Just like the news caster do, "Here's what's coming up next on Boogie's Blog"
(by the way, you need to imagine me saying that in a low and very official voice while shuffling my papers in front of me. Heck, why not imagine me in a suit.)
Tomorrow I'll be talking about spinning and knitting.
Thursday is going to be more knitting and spinning.
I'll be announcing the contest on Friday.
The weekend you can rest your eyes from The Boogie Blog.
That's all for now, Have a good day.
(now the music comes up and lights go down while I pretend to put my papers in order and I wait for the all clear signal so I can pick my wedge. Darn it, why did I have to wear such a fitted suit?)
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Sunday, August 29, 2004
Bye Bye Olympics
Hello Republican Convention.
Quite a change in TV viewing. While I find the Olympics far more entertaining to knit to, I'll still watch some of the convention. Who knows, maybe there will be some exciting points. I would knit faster during the close races and beach volleyball or just stop knitting altogether and hold my breath during some of the gymnastics. Maybe some of the speeches or the protestors can make me feel the same way.
What did I knit during the Olympics other than what you already saw? I've been working on that mystery sweater. I really like it and I almost can't wait to wear it, but I have to finish the sleeves and well, they're sleeves. Blegh. And just so I can continue living in sleeve hell, I cast on for a sweater for little M. I cast on the sleeves.
I can't decide if I like the stitch pattern I chose. Actually as I type this, I'm ready to admit that I'm about to frog the first sleeve done. I'm working on the second one maybe I'll do that one in a different pattern and then choose. Hmmmm. Do you like how I'm writing the thoughts as they pop into my head?
I also finished a sock and cast on for the second one.
Other than that, I've been spinning. I've actually been spinning allot. Far more than I've been knitting. I want another scolf in a different pattern and I'm also spinning for other bigger projects like Lola.
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Saturday, August 28, 2004
New Blog Skin
I change my blog skin like I change my underwear.
Well, I change my underwear a little more frequently.
I was tired of that shocking pink and drab green. I'm liking this better and hopefully it will be easier to view. There are a few changes to the links, I hope its not too confusing. If you go to the "links" page you will see all the bloggers I read and a bunch of informative links and such.
Can you believe its already August 28th! Holy cow! Where did all that time go?
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Friday, August 27, 2004
Right now you may be thinking "Why are there sneakers up on a knitting blog?" and "Geez Louise!, please tell me she isn't planning on knitting sneaker cozies!!".
Nope.
No cozies but aren't those sneakers cute enough to make cozies for? They're my brand new running sneakers. Yes, running sneakers.
I know I've made running jokes in the past. Such as, "the only running I do is to go to the mailbox and see what package came for me". True as it may be now, I used to be a runner. When I met husbeast I was a lean, mean running machine.
I miss it.
Reading the fabulous blogs of Rachael and Amy and all of their running adventures, made me miss it more. Not that I was ever really good at it enough to run 8 miles!!!
Still, I wanna run too.
I quit for many reasons but now that those reasons seem to be disolving, I will have enough time to actually run. I think getting fit is enough of a priority that I can schedule my work around it. I hope. No, this won't become a running journal. I'm just telling everyone I can because you know as well as I do that once you tell a bunch of people, you HAVE to do it. Right?
I took the sneakers for a walk last night and they are definitely not walking sneakers, they kept asking to go faster. They wanted to go go GO! I can hear them begging to go out again so I'm going to go take my new sneakers for a walk soon. I promise to have knitting for you Monday. And a new contest coming up soon. I just need to get the prize figured out.
Have a great weekend everyone.
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Thursday, August 26, 2004
Awaiting Autumn
I've had enough of this yucky rainy summer where my vegies aren't growing and we just can't get a good weekend to play outside.
Already I can feel it coming, its cooler in the mornings and at night.
I'm ready for fall.
I found myself looking longingly through my closet at my sweaters and long sleeve shirts.
Raise your hand if you are ready for sweater weather.
**PS: Thank you all for your great comments on the scolf!**
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Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Maybe a dingo ate yo' baby
Ok, there aren't really any dingos around here. I just love that line. We do have tons of wildlife. We have bunnies, grounhogs, foxes, turkey, deer, coydogs. The coydogs are about the size of our smallest dog which is about 50 lbs. Yeah, not really small. One is also getting a bit brave coming near the houses.
I would say that in the picture (if you click you can see him) he is about 200 yards off the back of the house, he came a few yards closer before heading into a ravine after something. Gotta love living in the country, as long as the wildlife isn't eating my animals. The turkey that kept visiting us this spring loved eating Pepperidge farms stuffing mix.
Oh, this isn't a wildlife blog? You wanna see a FO?
There she is lounging on the swing and if you click you can see her better while she is sunning herself.
She was a fun knit but I'm not ready to admit she's a scarf yet. I'm calling her a scolf. Here are her stats:
"Mountain Scolf"
Pattern by Boogie
Handspun/Hand dyed singles
Weighs in at 1.5 ounces.
8 inches wide and 4.5 feet long
If I hadn't run out of yarn I would have made it longer. I think if I had made 2 ounces then I would have been ok. I really liked making this, I may just make another one.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Grrararar
Blogger ate my post and I don't have the energy to rewrite it.
Sorry folks, but it really wasn't all that exciting anyway.
If you are knitting with the Olympics, you'll like THIS.
We chased down balloons from the balloon festival this past weekend, the usually end up over in our neighborhood but the winds weren't right this year.
Comments:
Thank you for all the nice compliments on the Romeny singles. That breed has really interesting fleece. Its smooth, shiny and has a little fuzzy effect to it. It also takes dyes very deeply.
I will be selling some of the lacy singles soon. I also have merino singles going. I spin more than I can use and I also have a dying problem. I dye what I think is pretty combos and then realize once its yarn that no relative of mine likes lime or pink. Right now its all about xmas presents. Our Winter Knit Along should be starting to show some progress. Hopefully.
Take care all and have a fun day.
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Monday, August 23, 2004
Queen of the Slobs!
Or maybe just queen packrat.
2 lawn size trash bags of clothing to give away,
3 lawn size trash bags of trash,
A pile of magazines about 2 feet cubed.
So the room must be done right?
HA! I haven't even scratched it. Usually I like to blame all slobbiness on husbeast, this time I can't. Husbeast is a slob too but this room is all mine. Husbeast spreads his slobbiness evenly over the house. I have little pockets of mess and well, this one giant room of mess. On a good note, I did find $8 in a pocket of a pair of pants I hadn't worn in 9 years. Eight bucks, that's a whole pound of roving folks.
Spinning:
More lace weight singles. I finished off a bunch of Romney and I'm still working on finishing ithe southdown and the Indigo Moon. Here's the Romney
Knitting:
Front and back of Shhhh are done and I'm working on the sleeves. Mostly I've been working on the lace
Just so I could have an FO this weekend, I made another pair of slippers and I'll send them out to San Diego later this week.
Husbest continues to spoil me. He bought me the Folk Mittens book. I can't wait to get started on mittens. I haven't even started on socks from the last book. I need to get to spinning and finish some of these old projects.
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Friday, August 20, 2004
The Painting
Mandy has taken my breath away. She is such an amazing artist. I feel so honored to have a piece of her art in my home. Wanna see?
Go here
Amazing isn't it.
Got something to say?
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Cleaning and Sale
I'm trying to get the trash room in my house cleaned up. You know the room I'm talking about. If you have space then you might just have a "trash" room. I want it to be a spare room so visitors can have the choice of staying in that room and be licked awake by dogs or they can stay in the studio downstairs with cloth and yarn. Hard decision isn't it.
Anyway, I'm taking blog time off to coerce myself to work on that room. I'll be back on Monday.
In the meantime I'm leaving you with the
SALE
All that is there is the knitting needle rolls. I have some crochet cases and a couple of bags that will go up soon. Once these are gone, I may not have enough fabric to make more of the same. The new rolls should be coming out next month. You can see the new fabrics at The website blog
Have a fun weekend.
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Wednesday, August 18, 2004
The Secret Pal questions
Aren't I accomodating. I always do what I'm told, and if you believe that I have some yarn to sell you, its spun from Phoenix feathers and unicorn hair.
What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? My handspun. Other than that Cascade 220 is at the top of the list and I just love sock yarn. Really though, I'm a true yarn ho, I'll knit anything.
What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Socks. I like to think it changes but the socks just drag me right back in. I love my toes and I don't want the little one to go "wee weee weeee".
What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I like to knit everything, since socks are my current obsession then I'd have to say they are my favorite. The only thing I don't care to knit is scarves that's why I'm knitting a stole. No it's not a scarf.
What are you knitting right now? slippers, socks, gloves, 2 sweaters, a shawl and a stole(not a scarf). Nothing like an overload of WIP's, but I'm sure to add more to that list soon. You can see the list on my sidebar (I wonder if its up to date?)
What do you think about ponchos? (this is really a curiousity question for us)I made myself one and I love it. I plan to make 2 more, for my niece and daughter. They are the hot thing, we all have to have them, and if you make them long enough they hide it when you have a large lunch, ill fitting pants or if you blow out a hole in your jeans (yep, don't ask, just happy to have my poncho).
Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I don't like to work with metal (that includes Addi's, blegh). I used to think circulars were the only way to go and I do think they are more versatile but the lacy stole I'm working on is coming out better with my bamboo straights.
How did you learn to knit? My Grammy. She only crochet's now though, and only blankets and baby stuff. You know you wanna look at Grammy's crochet.
How old is your oldest UFO? I found an old pair of slippers or something (I do have a serious case of CRS) that I had started as a child, but I tore that out and rewound the ball. Then I have a crocheted blanket that I started about 9 years ago and another that I started about 3 years ago. Next to that is the knitted shawl I started in the spring. Jealous of all my UFO's aren't you? I've heard of people with older ones.
I shipped another gift to my Secret Pal. I still don't know if she got the first one. I suppose if she didn't get it, it would come back, right?
Just so this isn't without knitting content.....
That's the lace project. Coming along nicely but without serious blocking its hard to tell what it is. Well, I couldn't help myself and I blocked part of it yesterday. Its such a simple pattern but I like it, and the yarn is nice so that helps. Sometimes a simple project can be made interesting by a nice yarn.
I made a special pair of slippers for a little girl that just moved from Hawaii to San Diego. Silly people, they think southern CA is cold. I have to make a pair for her little brother and then I can ship them out.
Happy Hump-day everyone!
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Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Making Faces
I've been making faces allot lately, I guess.
You see, I've been informed that I make faces when I'm spinning. Husbeast often looks at me when I'm spinning and smiles. Silly me. I thought it was looks of admiration. I now know that it was looks of amusement. He did say, though, that the faces I make while spinning aren't half as funny as the ones I make when I'm playing centipede. That's a good thing because he took a photo of me playing centipede once, its not pretty folks.
What have I been spinning?
Tons of stuff. It finally stopped raining for 5 minutes yesterday so i grabbed the cammera. Click to see larger photos on some of the pictures.
This one is that stuff from my secret pal, single ply lace weight, I am so in love with it. I want a sweater but I know that isn't going to happen, I'll settle for a cami. Its all ready to go as soon as I get some tiny circular needles.
In an effort to clean up my fiber area I'm finishing us a few things. This is some Southdown that I got. It has a strange texture but I'm hoping it will all come together to make a nice vest for the little one.
Finally this is that merino silk blend from Indigo Moon. I spun this into lace singles and its for that Morehouse top "lola". It's so lush feeling. I'm sure that if I see these guys at another show I'll be picking up more of this. I have enough to do the lola top which is short sleeves but I want a full sweater.
I spun more yesterday after the rain started back up but there are no more photos for today.
Between the secret pal stuff and the Indigo Moon stuff I am wishing I had the technology to let you feel this stuff. Ok stop petting your computer screens, it won't work.
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Monday, August 16, 2004
Let's go shopping!
I wanted to post about my projects but my post has been rained out. Like a baseball game I can't play in the rain. Well, I can play in the rain. I can dance, sing, and splash. My stuff doesn't play well in the rain. It looks like hell with flash photography. Saturday was a really nice day, but I didn't think to take photos. It was too nice. I went to a craft show instead.
Kayla dog got a new collar. She is stuck on her collars and think she's just such a pretty thing, well, we tell her that alot too. Here's Princess Kayla:
She's looking goofier than usual, its too early for the princess to be up and posing for pictures. You also can't see the collar so well, Its pink lace and there is a picture here. I bought the collar from Mackenzie Belts. They make great Martindale collars which I almost got until I saw the princess pink one. I'm still thinking I should have gotten the wider martindale but Kayla is happy none the less.
That's the queen of the house, Min, sitting on her thrown that over looks the back yard. Yes, that's a window seat that we gave to the dogs.
Then I talked to friends alot and bought some gifts. No more pictures (because I don't want to give away any gifts) but I have some good links for you.
Gypsy Wind Jams has some new flavors. I want the blackberry peach but its not "no sugar added", yet. If you are on a low sugar diet then you may know that jam is gross in sugar free or no sugar added. Gypsy Wind has the best no sugar added jam I've ever had.
Then there is the soap. I am so in love with Green tea soap/lotion now. I've got the lotion right by my chair. Can you smell it? Isn't that nice? Botanical Soaps of Maine. I've been using their products for a long long time. One of the gals in my new knittng group is one of the founders of this company and still works in it. You know if a knitter makes it, it has to be good!
Last but not least is Husbeast's sister and her husband. They make soaps and candles, but they also do some really nice pet products and dog treats. Kayla and Min will tell you they love the treats. Go here to check them out. Their chapstick "mocha buzz" is just yummy, I haven't tasted the dog treats.
I hope you have an easy Monday.
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Friday, August 13, 2004
Link land
Have you seen the pretty gallery of Honeymooners at Julia's Blog. What a fabulous idea! I've decided to do a similar thing.
I give you, Your Gallery.
It's of all of the things you guys have made from my patterns. I love seeing how you changed materials or how you have personalized these patterns to make them "yours". If you have some photos you want to send me, I'll post you up there on the Boogie gallery.
I've moved my free patterns. I'm getting so many patterns I ahd to do something to organize them better so they too will be a link on the sidebar.
Free Patterns
I'm working on making little icons for all this stuff but I'm also trying to get my website up and going too. I'm selling baby things that my gram has made too. Cutie patootie things.
I also have a couple of fun linkages for you.
this little guy here is a trip. It's crochet but if you aren't a hooker then you could buy on of those darlings. I think I want a hot pink and orange one. Or just to make a million to hang around the house at Halloween.
This is the other fun linkage. I think its the way a picture pops up that kept me looking at this.
Last night was a first meeting of the SeaDog Knitters (that's not our group name, that's just where we met). We plan on meeting once a month. It's a small but great group, like 3 people small. We do know of others that may want to join. We'll post some dates soon so if any Mainers (or Maine visitors) are interested they can come hang out with us.
While there I knit on the rainbow sock but ripped back to the toe. the ribble pattern just didn't show up and it was agreed that frogging can be a good thing. So I ripped back and am doing it plain. It is still super pretty.
I also weighed out all the stuff I spun from the secret pal and it may just be enough to do a tank top in a similar lola pattern. Thank you Anj, for assuring me I'm not out of my mind about that pattern. The orange for some reason was just amazingly hot while this variegated picture they used on the pattern cover isn't quite so. I will have photos for you of the 2 lacy singles that I'll have to choose from. This sweater is knit mostly on size 0 needles. I have to search out some bamboo or wood US0(2mm) circulars. I've checked my LYS and all the crafty stores. Now its on to the internet I go. But before I go here is a pic of the silvery/plum (bottom) from my secret pal and the Indigo Moon Red Rainbow (top).
Hopefully I'll get most of it done over the weekend and then maybe the sun will be shining so I can get you a picture that actually shows the colors instead of being washed in flash. It's raining today and I'm going to put off going to visit a craft show until its not so wet. Fridays are a day off so its hereby declared spinning day!
Comments left:
Thank you all for the great comments. I just wanted to let you know that even if I don't respond directly that I do appreciate them. You guys are awesome!
Flattery will only get you everywhere.
It may look like candy, but don't eat it, I have a feeling it wouldn't be a good experience. Although the dog seems to like to eat raw wool. Yes we discourage it and she now has to be crated when we leave the house, but she has found wool that I forgot I had.
I will do more of Mandy red, but I need more wool to dye. I may just do some in lacy singles in Merino or Corriedale.
I am looking for the errata for socks socks socks, thanks for the heads up.
Lynn did a similar roving to my rainbow in which she made This Its gorgeous.
Have a great dry and beautiful weekend. Do you ever think on a weekend when someone say that, "I hope it rains. If it rains I get to stay inside and knit!"
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Thursday, August 12, 2004
As the spinning wheel turns
Sounds like a Soap Opera. That's my life. A soap opera, without the drama, money, multiple partners, agelessness.... ok so my life isn't at all like a soap opera. Thank goodness!
My spinning wheel has been turning quite a bit lately. Yesterday I showed off the rainbow yarn. Its so much prettier than the photo (isn't that always the case) and I showed off the bobbin from the secret pal roving. I finished off that bobbin and 2 more, Now I'm trying to decide if I use it as singles or do I ply it? I've also been promising Mandy red photos. We shipped our trades off yesterday and I said I wanted the painting to be a big surprise. I am on pins and needles waiting for it to get here. But since I asked for no photo, I can't give you one of Mandy red. Well. I'll put it here and if Mandy wants to see it, she can click away. Can you resist the click?
I wanted to clean up my bobbins today and decided just willy nilly to ply 2 of them together. One was left over red from this project:
and the other was from a a completely different color range.
Combined they look like I cleaned out the shelves of a candy store.
Click to see it large and in charge.
I think I need to make more of this on purpose.
You know I'll be spinning for a while too. That package yesterday really got me moving but I also got in a pattern that I had ordered in June when I was at Morehouse Merino in NY. Lola and the photo here doesn't do the pattern justice or maybe they changed it in the 2 months I was waiting for it. Here it looks alot like another pattern that I could have adjusted. I may have to just go from memory now and try duplicate the one that they had as a sample in June.
I'm thinking it would be nice in the wool I just finished, but I don't think I have enough. I do know that I have enough of the batt I got from Indigo moon in February of this year. I just hadn't had a project I wanted to do with it until now. I think the silk merino blend will be perfect for lace singles.
Anybody know where I can buy more time. I have all these ideas but I could use a little more time.
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Wednesday, August 11, 2004
No more waves
I had said that I was planning on making a second pair of "making Waves socks". Its a woman's perogoative to change her mind and I have. This time, though, its absolutely not my fault. I'm blaming this solidly on husbeast.
You see, Husbeast bought me a new book. A new sock book. "socks socks socks". It's one of the best sock books I have. Now I just have to decide which sock to make. There in lies the biggerst problem. I want to make Shell or Angel Lace for M, or maybe Dragon socks or Brandon's vines. There are at least 3 more that I know I *have* to do for little M or one of her cousins.
Then we come to socks for me. Yes me. There is Purl Lace or Tipsy, and really patterned ones like Travelling socks, Best of Show, Harry's socks, or Purls of wisdom. Nanette just finished her purls of wisdom socks (July 26) and they are gorgeous. She also did a fabulous version of Husbeast socks. Still with all those options, earlier today I was sure the next pair would have be the False Flames, so I started to dye up 3 colors to spin into sock yarn for that project. Now that I have new rovings I'm thinking I'll be doing either the Ribble socks or the Aran Sandal Socks. So many socks, so little time.
I just finished spinning up the Rainbow roving and maybe I should start knitting up with that stuff.
I like the Ultimate refootables but I think the winning pattern for this yarn will have to be the "dye your own" socks. Since mine are already dyed I can skip that part, but they are knit toe up, which is what I wanted to do with this yarn. I'll have to make a few adjustments for gauge but I like the fat cable that runs up the foot.
I started on a flower washcloth yesterday. Yeah, I know. You all did a ton last year. So I'm behind the times. These are a fun knit and I hope the giftee likes it. Since its a gift I can't show it here, the picture shown is the one from the book Weekend knitting, but I got my pattern from IK magazine winter 2003. I may actually do a few more as xmas gifts.
I've done a bit more on my lace not that you can really tell. Lace is such a funny thing. Just a mess until you block it. The yarn I'm using blooms quite a bit too so I can't even tell by stretching because it has a whole different looks once its washed and blocked. I really spent a good part of the day spinning. Well, when I wasn't working or chasing children.
That's how its starting to look. I took the pictures darn early in the am so don't hold me accountable for their crap-tastic nature.
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Tuesday, August 10, 2004
oooh oooh ooh oooohoooooh!!!
Can you tell I'm excited?
So thrilled I had to post a second time in one day.
I got a package from my secret pal.
THANK YOU SECRET PAL!!!!
You made my day!
I had just been yelling at the kids and escaped to the PO to drop off mail and there was this huge box. I mean huge. And I know you want to see what was inside.
That's all 4 of the packages inside the box. I immediately wanted to spin so I did eenie meanie miney mo to pick which lucky one goes first and if you can see the subtle pink "X" you can see which one I chose.
But the surprise didn't end there. I thought it was an off white, grey, brown mix. Hardly!
I opened that puppy up and the colors hit me. OMG!
These photos don't even do it justice.
Click to see the large flash photo.
Once again secret pal, thank you for the smiles.
I'm going to take my spoiled self across my living room and do some serious spinning now. Work? huh?
Books Books Books
Have you ever lost a book, but you knew exactly where it was?
Such as, the book fell behind the bookcase and you couldn't reach it without moving the bookcase. One such incident happened to me.
I buy alot of used and old books. I have many books in my "library" but most of them are old. Such as recently I got these to really old ones.
My aunt took a trip to Europe and bought me a brand spankin' new book; "Pipsqueaks" published by Rowan. It was really sweet of her. I wondered how she knew I didn't have that book. She innocently replied, its from England, why would you have it? She doesn't knit much anymore, so she doesn't know. I explained about the popularity of Rowan and about the Rowanettes, and that it was really nice she thought of me. Anyway, that wasn't my story, I just got lost for a moment.
Pipsqueaks, one of my few "new" books, is the book that fell behind my stash cabinet. I had put on the cabinet a ton of books, my computer, M's videos, yarn, etc etc. Lets just say it was all junked up. I was able to handle 3 days of the book being gone before I finally flipped and had to have it back. No, I'm not knitting anything from it at the moment, I just couldn't stand to not have it, should I decide I needed to knit something from it at this exact moment.
I cleaned and cleaned and now my cabinet looks a million times better. If husbeast reads this he may start throwing a few books into other strategic areas of the house. If that's what it takes to make me clean, it might work. Or maybe I'll just decide I don't need the book *that* badly.
That's the other skein of lace yarn I'm using for my little project. Actually, once its all blocked out it might just be close to stole size. I think I'm starting to like it. But now I also like the original swatch. It bloomed a bit when I beat it up today. Then I thought of a new way to make a similar design. I figure I'll decide on a pattern eventually.
This roving will eventually be another bunch of lace singles. I just need to ply my rainbow roving and then I'll be moving onto more lace singles so I can do all the lacy things running through my head.
P.S. Madame said I could buy 29.7 more projects per year!!! Yes, my stash is little. Or is it that I knit alot?
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Monday, August 09, 2004
Secret and not so secret pals.
I've sent out my gift to my pal. Hopefully she'll get it today or tomorrow. I also decided to make the job easier for the person that was matched up to me (HI Pal!!). I have that 99 things button over there -------> But it seemed to lack in some information. I filled out the little questionaire that Heidi sent and added it to my 99 things.
I finished spinning up Mandy Red yarn. Whew. It was weird not spinning and knitting as I go along. Good thing this yarn is amazingly pretty. I'll get a photo of all the red goodness as soon as the last 2 hanks dry. I have now started on the rainbow crock pot roving and am doing that to 2ply sportweight. Boogie needs a new pair of socks. Do you remember that roving?
Since I finished the making waves socks, I started to do the making waves gloves but changed my mind because as I started to knit, a gorgeous stripe emerged in this yarn. I have never used this brand before, so it was totally unexpected. I've decided to leave them alone with their pretty stripe and not make them too busy with a pattern as well. I've also decided I need more of this yarn.
I feel so dumb. I just looked at the label so I could tell you what the exact name was, its Meilenweit. That much I remembered. The dumb part is the rest of the name. "fun and stripes". Hmmmm, maybe I should have guessed with a name like that, that they would be stripey gloves.
I spent almost all day yesterday stressing over lace. I want to create a lacy scarf. I've been swatching and swatching using my handspun lace singles. I have a bulletin board here with pieces tacked to it so I can see if there is anything I like. I don't know. The only thing I do know is that the yarn is really pretty.
I'm working on something different at the moment. Its wider and more simple than I wanted it to be but maybe that's what it should be. Big and easy. I'll let you know if I don't rip it out.
For you Monday work avoidance, go HERE Madame told me that I need more yarn. I love it.
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Friday, August 06, 2004
Too sexy????
Some have said that Lolita Legs is too sexy for them. While I think you all are sexy and would be beautiful in a pair of fishnets, you are only as sexy as you feel.
So how would you feel about anklet fishnets? Just a little bit sexy but not over the top.
If you click on the picture you'll see the pattern.
Now for the CONTEST winner:
Come on down Margene!!
The correct answer was six projects.
I'd tell you who is going to get what sock yarn, but I know of a new snoop to the blog.
Thank you all who played. I promise, next time it will be more exciting.
I'm working on something really fun.
Sorry for the lack of pictures this week. Its tough not to show you all the Shhhhh sweater. Hopefully it will be worth it in the long run and I'll be posting the picture and pattern. Assuming it will look like it does in my sketch and minds eye. I finished the back and am about 8 inches up the front. I did finish the Waves socks! You'll be happy to know that I rembered how to kitchener. Well, I was happy I remembered.
I know the 2 socks look very different, strange how socks have a habit of doing that. But put them on top of one another and they look the same. Well, at least this pair does.
Happy weekend - I hope you get to do something fun.
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Thursday, August 05, 2004
Can you read?
Read your knitting that is.
I'm not sure how I learned to read patterns but I know I learned to read knitting and crochet from my gram. She's one of those ladies that can walk into a department store, see a knit or crocheted item and figure out how its made. She'll be holding it and muttering the directions to herself; "That's 1x1 rib and then its a cable to the back with 6 stitches and they do it x number of times and lets see, how many stitches for the front and add 2 for the seams."
That always used to impress the hell out of me. I can't really do that perfectly, but I'm learning everyday. Now, give gram a pattern and she's lost. I can't even read a pattern to her. I used to make her swatches from the pattern and she would use those to make a garment from whatever book. Well, she doesn't bother with that anymore, I have all the books and at 90 she just does what she wants and tells me if something is intersting.
Long story, but there is a point. It's important to read a pattern and to learn to read your knitting. I can finish a section and then go back and tell what I did if I forgot to write it down. Its necessary to stray from a pattern to make something fit our own bodies properly. Sometimes I make a mistake and need to find it in order to correct the piece, or to be able to rip back properly. I cringe at the thought of frogging. But sometimes I can't help it.
I'm glad Gram taught me to read my knitting. Instead of relying on my memory, which I've explained isn't very good at times, I read my waves sock. I didn't write down how many stitches did what, and how I changed my decreases just so I could have ribbing down the top of the foot instead of the waves pattern. After turning the heel the other night I realized that I read correctly and both socks are looking like a pair. I'm in the home stretch with those now.
Have you read a good piece of knitting lately?
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Wednesday, August 04, 2004
SALE!
A sale?
Yup!
I know I'm spoiling you all with a contest ending tomorrow and now a sale. I can't help it. You guys deserve it. The sale pages aren't ready yet but I wanted to give you blog readers a heads up. The sale will only be available to you guys and it will happen by the end of this month. I want to try and have the pages done next week.
Why a sale? Last week I posted a picture of the new fabrics that will be coming up for the fall stuff and I have a couple of new bag styles in the works. And then there is all the fleece I have coming in. Well, I don't have room for it all. I need to clear out some of the stuff that I had finished earlier this year. I haven't figured out all the details and I need to still take photos, but very soon I'll have stuff up. It will start out with needle and crochet hook rolls, I may throw in a few bags and a hat or 2.
Speaking of fleece....
I have a few new hats. Yesterday I was working away and feeling really. I was just sewing away with the fan blasting on me. My solution, I must strip! I closed the door to my sewing room and was about to take my shirt off and as I did, this hat came off. Hmmm do you think maybe if I took the hat off, I would feel a little cooler. I regained bit of my modesty and put my shirt on. Duh! I wanted to really wear the hat though, I thought of keeping the hat on and putting my bathing suit on just to compensate. The hat that caused me to overheat:
Knitting: not much. I've turned the heel on the second waves sock. I've been busy with other things. Mostly those things mentioned above and getting stuff up on the new website. Wanna see what it looks like so far? Go here. I know alot of pages are empty. This stuff takes so much time to get done. But it you have something to say, let 'er rip.
Last but not least, I haven't given you a fun toy to play with in a while. You can go build yourself a Rock Band. Why work when you can play?
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Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Like another hole in my head
That's how much I need a new project. But this project I'm wanting to embark upon has nothing to do with knitting. I know, why do you care then? You probably don't but I'm gonna post it anyway.
From Claudia's blog I found myself at Elaine/Urbanspinner. The last post up was one on punch needle work, but it led me to rug hooking. So I followed some links and I'm now completely enthralled in the idea.
I want to be a hooker.
I want to hook my own rug, chairpad, or pillow.
Check it out. Its not necessarily a cheap hobby but it greatly interests me. enough so much that I won't be getting more yarn for the time being (I think have enough to finish my xmas presents). I'm saving up for a beginners hooking kit. Well, if the plan works, you know how seductive yarn can be.
Speaking of seductive yarn, I inspired some dying over at Roxi's with my pink and olive yarn. She comes up with some great colorways. Anyway, here's the yarn from that roving of mine.
I also bought some roving a little ways back, on ebay, based on the color alone as the seller didn't know what breed it was. I don't think I mentioned it here because I was a little disappointed when it arrived as it felt scratchy. I was thinking what the hell am I gonna' knit out of that. Now I know it would make gorgeous rug yarn.
Can you tell I'm getting excited at the idea?
Do you want to be a hooker too?
Monday, August 02, 2004
Over the weekend...
I finished the first sock of the pair from the Six Sox knitalong. Making waves is a fun pattern. I had to make my crazy adjustments because the cabling wave would be too much on the foot (these are for mom). So once I figured it out, I was on easy street. Of course I didn't write it down so in a couple of days I'll be going through the same thing.
I also worked on the back of the Shhhhhhhh sweater. But I'm having a hard time making a decision. I can't decide if I want it to be a sweater vest or a sweater. I plan to make make another one, so one will be a long sleeved sweater, the other a vest. Does the mostly black one in wool get to be a full sleeved sweater or does the mostly red one in cotton? Oh, the agonizing decisions. I may just have to resort to "eenie, meenie, miney, mo".
Some of you have sent me correct answers on the contest. Who sent the right answers? I'm going to make you all wait until Thursday to find out who got what right, I'm just that mean. I love all your stories about how you came up with your number, though.
I took a picture of my roving "nests". Its just a little eyecandy. As always click to see a different view.
Other stuff was done, but who cares about that.
Happy Monday, now get to work :)
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