Dandelion Picker

Well I sure am glad that the yarn stores in Toledo jumped on the Black Friday bandwagon! I controlled myself pretty well picking up just a few new yarns…6 to be exact. Here’s the score.

The two multi-colored ones my mom picked out cause she wants more scarves. So I started on one of those.

Did you spot my new pretty needles???

So Saturday evening I got to see my Aunt Jodi, Uncle Gene, and my cousins Katie (in from Chicago) and Kara (in from Findlay). I was so excited. I love hanging out with them. I taught Katie and Kara how to knit…well, a quick “this is how you cast on, knit, and purl” lesson anyways. Here’s a pic of Kara…she’s almost smiling…I’m not sure if its because she’s knitting or because I pulled out the camera. I don’t have any pics of Katie knitting because I didn’t think about the camera until after Katie’s lesson. Sorry Katie, I’ll get you at Christmas if you haven’t given up!

On Sunday I cast on Nana’s surprise project only to realize that I picked a project too advanced (or I just can’t concentrate long enough) for me. I really really wanted to do the Summer Shawlette cause I just love it, but the directions are confusing the hell out of me. I can’t even get past the crochet cast on! Pathetic, I know…

So, I decided to do a not-so-surprise wrap. Its a pretty color and I think she can wear it to church. Hopefully I can get through this one without having to frog it.

That’s about it till later this week. Hopefully I’ll have some more progress on the wrap and scarf to show you. I ran out of yarn already on one scarf. I think I’m going to cast on Aunt Beth’s socks (as soon as the yarn comes in that I ordered) until I get some more scarf yarn since that won’t be till Christmas time since I bought it in Toledo.

I have lots to do this week. I’m going to be making cinnamon bread, banana bread, and on Saturday I want to go to the Bazaar Bizarre downtown. It looks interesting. Has anyone been?

Which is why I only post about once a week…but this is much more interesting, isn’t it!?

So it looks like I haven’t gotten much done, but in reality, I did. That scarf took another two skeins of yarn this week, and I finished the bag part (still need to do the handles) of my Noro project. I didn’t follow the pattern exactly. I liked the eyelets so much (this was my first time doing them!) that I did lots! Both projects need to be blocked badly, but I need to go make a blocking board first…that’s my next project, hopefully I’ll get to it this weekend. I think I’m going the homosote route that I read of. Sounds good and cheap!

So, here’s mom’s Christmas scarf

I think I actually got a pretty good picture of it. You can see the cables and everything. I just love it. Hopefully the blocking will stop the corners from curling.

Here’s the Noro bag

Aren’t the eyelets so cute?! So now I have to decide on a long icord handle or wooden store bought ones. We’ll see if I feel like making icord or not!

So on the needles this weekend will be:
Nana’s surprise
and Wy’s hat (and the same one for me cause I love it)
I also hope to cast on Beth’s socks. I really need to get those started. I’m just afraid of doing socks cause I haven’t done them before!

I’m off to Toledo in the morning for Thanksgiving. I just finished making my Aunt Kathleen’s recipe for Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts. Since my mom has the slowest computer in the free world, you won’t here from me till at least Sunday. So… HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Check out my “About Me” page and look at my little knitting avatar! You can get one too - go here!

So my pinky has been hurting like mad lately. The top, on the knuckle. Is it possible that I sprained it while knitting? Pulled the itty bitty pinky muscle? I do hold the yarn weird maybe its all stressed out cause I knit too tight sometimes. I explained this theory to my brother and he laughed at me.

Sorry for the lapse in posts. I have been knitting!

First off, the Noro bag. LOVE this stuff! It’s a little rough on the fingers, but makes up for it in personality. I love the stripes and the colors. You can’t see the ginger orange color that’s coming just yet, but its really pretty.

Next, my Fetching fingerless gloves are finished. I *love* these too. This pair is for one of my favorite peeps, but i can’t say who cause its a surprise! I’m sure this is just the first of many pairs to come. They’re just so damn cute! I really like this orange color, I hope the person getting them does too!

Then I made my first Calorimetry head warmer. Ok, so the button is huge but its cute and it works! I think I’ll be making more of these too. They’re awfully useful. My ears won’t be cold at the Lights Before Christmas this year! I better make Wylie one…she hates the zoo lights and I always drag her along.

Damn my hair looks good in that pic…my skin on the other hand could use some help. Send Proactive…

My Christmas Stocking was a wash. I got distracted while I was knitting cause I was watching Ratatouille (which was funny and cute) and the pattern was so screwed up when I was ripping it I couldn’t even tell how far back I had to rip. So I’ll have to restart that when I’ve recovered from the anger involved in ripping about 8 hours of work. (Yes, I’m the slowest knitter ever).

Still on the list of projects to cast on:

Nana’s surprise
Cabled Purse (I have the pattern but I don’t understand it-go figure)
Finish mom’s scarf
Beth’s purple socks (I’m using the Hedera pattern b/c I love it)
The Newsboy Hat from Stitch ‘N Bitch Nation
The little Elijah Elephant - this is the cutest thing ever!
The Gretel Beret
A Christmas Throw (I’ll be knitting this all year)
Matt’s project to accompany his gift

Sooner or later I’m going to get those little project sliders working in my blog so I don’t have to keep recapping what I’m working on.

More to come…happy knitting!

My job is to design menus for our customers. I have done so many that I’m out of new ideas. Seriously, its a menu, there are only so many ways to lay it out.

I’m sitting here laughing (because if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry) because I’m doing layout research and looking for new ideas and designs on the myspace and target websites.

This is not good.

Well after doing all my errands on Saturday - grocery shopping, cleaning, ironing, all that fun stuff - Sunday I finally got down to work.

I finished my mom’s Christmas stuff for the kitchen.

I finished my purse. And I hated it. So I pulled it out. Did I mention that I hate sewing? Really, I hate it. I’m not good at it. It irritates me to death. Anyway, so I learned a little about making purses in case I ever decide to attempt it again. I have an all new respect for those people on etsy that make handmade bags, its hard! Mine looked like a 6 year old did it!

Here’s the deal: Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1. I save dill pickle juice in a jar in my refrigerator. I can’t eat my grilled cheese without it. I have to dip it in the juice! I also dip my bagels and cream cheese in it. And sometimes potato chips. Then they came out with the ingenious Dill Pickle Flavored Potato Chips! Anyways, its awesome, you must try it. And no…I’m not pregnant.

2. I always eat M&M’s in twos. I know I’m not the only one, right? I have to have one on each side of my mouth. I also eat Starburst weird, but that runs in the family (ask my brother). All the yellow till they’re gone, all the orange till they’re gone, then red pink red pink till they’re gone. I always save the best for last no matter what I’m eating.

3. I’m addicted to myspace and I can’t stop. Again, not the only one with this problem. I think I’m addicted to keeping in touch in general. I hate the phone, so the computer is my life-line. The first thing I do in the morning is check my email and my myspace.

4. I’m afraid I’ll die before I get to travel the world. In fact I’m sure of it. Traveling costs a lot, and unless I win the lottery, I’m not going to get to see most of the stuff I want to see.

5. I can’t stand Lyndsay Lohan or Paris Hilton. What a waste of oxygen.

6. I played the violin for 6 years. I still sucked at it. Its kinda going that way with the snowboarding too.

7. My little sister is my favorite person in the world.

8. I don’t like being told what to do. The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t. I’m very stubborn, I get it from my father.

I’m tagging 9 (so sue me) because I read these the most and they are my inspiration! Pie Knits, Monkey Knits, Another Knitting Blog, Monkey Business, Peachcake Knits, She’s Foxy & Crafty, Kara, Through the Loops, and Confessions of a Serial Knitter.

Noro Silk Garden #221 from Cornerstone Yarns.

I’m about to be noro-obsessed like the rest of you. I have no idea what I’m going to make, but I’m sure it will be beautiful!

On a side-note: I’ve discovered that there is no where suitable in my apartment to take pictures. You will inevitably find plants, candles, dinner, my computer, clothing, yarn, etc. in the background of all my pics. The lighting sucks. I need to find an area by a window…until then, sorry about the less-than-desirable pics!

And I guess I should get moving on those socks cause this came in the mail today!

Well I’m half way done with it. Its taking F.O.R.E.V.E.R. I love cabled stuff, but man its slow-going!

The pictures just don’t do it justice. Its alpaca so its really soft and a beautiful blue color. I just love it. I have to go get more yarn for it this weekend. It’s eaten two skeins and its going to take at least two more.

As soon as I’m done I want to get started on my cabled purse…and Aunt Bitsy’s socks. I have to learn to sock knit first! We made a deal, we’re gonna trade hand knit socks for pomegranate jelly!