Memorial Day

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it."

- Thucydides

Today is a day to remember...those that have given their all in the service and protection of this great Nation under God. God Bless Them Every One.

Brandywine Shawl. It still needs to be blocked. I am pretty happy with the way it came out. I think I would like to make another, longer version. This bind off was new to me and it gives the shawl a finish that is perfect.
My latest socks. The knitting of these has been very emotional. The yarn was dyed, of course, by Qutecowgirl. The name of the yarn is "Lynn 3". She dyed them specifically with me in mind and with thoughts for my healing. Pretty powerful stuff. Her yarn is a delight, so soft I can't even come up with words for it. I am letting the yarn be the showcase for these socks, the colors are so soothing. I worked on these non-stop while my best friend was in surgery last week...I think it brought both of us luck.
Winterscape Socks designed by Kay Redding From The Back Yard. I love her designs. These socks are very special to me. They were completed this month for my May Sock of the Month. The yarn was bought in the Black Hills on Bruce's and my last trip. I don't know if he will remember this particular yarn, but I thought about that trip and him with every stitch.

I have started the Spinner's Lace Shawl designed by Evelyn A. Clark. I chose a German mohair yarn I was lucky enough to find at a garage sale last year. I bought two cones for $6. There will be plenty for a longer version of her shawl.

I finally, after such a struggle, made a decision on buttons for my sweater. I didn't go with the silver after all, but with some polymer buttons I had bought off eBay last year. I found them rummaging through a drawer looking for something for my daughter. I knew instantly they were what I wanted.

I hope your weekend has been a special one, filled with the love of family and friends.

A Day In May

"An optimist is the human personification of spring."
- Susan J. Bissonette

My family really needs Spring this year. I am not sure how it happened, really. April got away from me. There were bad, bad things, and good, good things. Sometimes the bad steals your breath away and the spinning takes a while to slow so you can understand, and sometimes the good brings tears. The little sign above came to me by way of Brenda and brought tears, thank you, Brenda. Check out the Wool Crazy blog.
Tres Trax Socks by Kay Redding were finished a while ago and I have even been wearing them. Qutecowgirl's beautiful yarns always get compliments, always. This yarn is called First Time and was great to work with. I worked on these while my 5 year old Granddaughter was in the hospital having her tonsils out. I tell you, she bounced right back. Tonsils out at 8:00 AM, corndogs at noon. Little kids are made out of rubber, so says my boss!

Hard to see in the pictures, but there are three tracks (hence Tres Trax I believe) of garter every so often.

My favorite model's new Reading Mitts, that have also been done for forever. Her office is always so cold she asked for a pair of her own.

I finished Brandywine, I am having trouble getting good pictures and it does need to be blocked. Maybe soon.

Happy Easter!

The shortest distance between two points is under construction.

- Noelie Alito

Another pair of reading mitts, this pair for my daughter. The first one is finished, the second is under construction with a little help from Dexter....AKA the Dextinator....everybody needs a little buddy, or in his case, a rather large buddy...this is 30 pounds of cat who really wishes he could knit, too.
Also under construction for the month of March, Tres Trax Socks from Kay Redding . These have been on my queue for a while and I am excited to have finally started them. They are my second pair that have been designed by her. This wonderful yarn is from Qutecowgirl.

Isn't it a crying shame when you are so proud of something you are making until you look at the photo for the first time? You never see the problems when the work is up close and personal. I have two months to finish this one in between sock of the month, should be a breeze. This is Brandywine Shawl by Rosemary Hill. I am in love with the pattern and want to do another one for me. The yarn is, of course from my favorite designer, Qutecowgirl.

I stopped into the LYS to pick up a ball of Lima to finish the reading mitts and decided to ask about a swift. I wind all my yarn by hand, it is good physical therapy. I did come home with a new swift, but also with this hank of handspun that is to die for. 124 yards of bulky that I am still not exactly sure what I will do with.

This is a ball of recycled super bulky hand dyed yarn I picked up off Etsy from SpinyNormanKnits. I know exactly what this is for, a bobble-less tea cozy. Now I just need 4 really cute buttons or beads. If it goes well, there will be several made for Christmas presents this year. My daughter, who never comments on my yarn except to tell me she does not like it, loved this yarn as soon as it came out of it's package and wanted to know what I was using it for. It really is quite lovely. Thanks to my new swift, both hanks were wound right away.

Decisions, decisions. I have two sets of buttons for my Neck Down V-Neck Cardigan. I think I am still hoping for polymer cane buttons to show up in the right color.

But I am leaning toward these from eBay.....

Things Finished

The secret of a good life is to have the right loyalties and hold them in the right scale of values.
Norman Thomas

Susie's Reading Mitts are finished and with their new owner, modeled here by my daughter. I enjoyed making this pattern so much, I will be starting a pair soon for my daughter. She would prefer nit to have hers made from alpaca. Have to pay the model.
My 5 year old Granddaughter's socks are finished. I am not sure which pair I will be knitting in April, but I know who they will be for.

A bookmark recently finished.

And the 5 year olds best friends! Meet brown duckie, the all time favorite, and yellow duck....

Lose One, Gain One

When we lose one blessing, another is often, most unexpectedly, given in its place.
C.S.Lewis

From the time I was 16 and drove a 1948 Chevy pickup with a deluxe cab, that was geared down for towing and had the most delightful wrap-around windows, I have always owned a clutch. Always. I am a type A control freak that needed the control of a clutch. Now I am much older, 51 if you can believe blogger (I think they must have miscalculated). This baby is an automatic. Losing my clutch is the most recent battle that MS has won. I am turning this loss into a gain, who needs a little red sports car when you can drive a big, beautiful, black beast?

I finished the reading mitts, I just need to get a good picture. I have started 5 year old socks, but left them in Penny's car after an appointment last Friday. I have one remaining UFO besides the socks.....I could be free to start a new project soon....soon....

Thanks for stopping by. Take care and God bless.

People Let Me Tell You 'Bout My Best Friend

“It’s not whether you get knocked down. It’s whether you get up again.”

Vince Lombardi

Meet my best friend. She, unlike me, is just a petite thang. The snow that seems to go on forever can't even be seen over the top of her head. That still puts that snow bank well over 12' tall and it goes on for at least 75-80 feet. There are little rooms cut out of it I am soooooo ready for Spring.
February socks are done and headed for a cute little girl in northern Montana. And according to my son who was home on leave this month, "yes, Mom...you do have more snow on the ground than we do." Exactly what I was aspiring to. >sigh< This is my current tween (the in between socks project). These are adorable and so soft, being a wool and alpaca mix. The pattern is on Ravelry.
No big surprise, I have MS. I was diagnosed late last year. I have been dealing with a relapse for the last couple of weeks. I lived through my first bout of IV infusions of Solu-Medrol, I made out much better than most, but I am still waiting to feel better. Any tips would be appreciated. The wool you see on the table, for the Wool Crazy Sew Along (you will find a link on my sidebar), is a part of my physical therapy. I used to make beautiful cotton quilts with fine stitching before MS. My therapist thinks this project is a great idea, it should help the cramping in my hands. I told her the stitching would be larger and more rustic and I am pretty excited about it. She wants me to keep knitting. I am also winding all my yarn by hand, but I always have. I love knitting, but I really miss quilting.

Another Snowy Saturday

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.

~Author Unknown

My son came home this week. His Grandmother passed away and he was a pallbearer. I know it was a very sad reason for him to be here, but I treasured every minute of our time together. This was a difficult time for both my children.

This beautiful yarn was from that Magic Yarn Ball that came last weekend, thank you Rhea. I could not wait to start knitting with it to see what would unwind. There were beautiful treasures inside, more on that later. The buttons just got sewed on today. They were part of my Grandmother's buttons and appear to be walnut. The pattern was Be Squared Neck Warmer on Ravelry.
I started a pair of socks for my Granddaughter in Montana. This is a Regia yarn, Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Flusi Das Socken Monster, very fun to knit up. I wish I could be there to give them to her in person later this month.

Magic Yarn Ball Received

If it's not fun, you're not doing it right.
Bob Basso

I got my magic yarn ball in the mail! Didn't she do a wonderful thing, here...I want to do this again! Stop over at her blog and take a peek, she is a wonderful photographer. This ball of wonder will become a Be Squared Neck Warmer. There was a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk in the box, but since I am not sharing that with anyone (mine, all mine) I will not tempt you with a picture. It is absolutely my favorite, barring none. The true moral in all this is never desecrate chocolate with nuts and never, ever share! Sharing yarn is good, but Cadbury is not a team event!

Magic Yarn Balls

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.
Dr. Seuss

I joined an online swap started by T Does Wool. I am usually tempted, but seldom join. Magic Yarn Balls. If you are interesed in taking a peek, we have a Flickr site. My swap partner has already received her package so I can show you now what it looked like when she took it out of the box. The premise of the ball is that you take a skein of yarn, alpaca in this case, and wind it into a ball, winding little trinkets and bobbles into it as you go, starting with something somewhat round in the center. That way, when your swap partner is knitting from the ball, little things begin to appear. Sounds like great fun, doesn't it? I had a blast putting this together, I hope she likes it as much as I did. Even my friend, Penny, got involved and found me a tiny pair of wooden knitting needles to wind in.

"So Long, January" Sunday

"A new British survey has revealed that 9 out of 10 people like Chocolate. The tenth lies."

- Robert Paul

Last weekend was spent with a good book, great tea and new yarn. I am loving the way the Bamboo feels. It does split a little more than Superwash Merino does, but with a little care taken, it is well worth it.
And they came out so cool!!
This beautiful yarn is, I believe, destined right now for the Evenstar mystery shawl on Ravelry. I have signed up, but I haven't finished my sweater yet and I may put the pattern with the yarn for another time. I still wind all my yarn by hand, I am a very tactile person that way.

Icy Wednesday

Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.
Albert Einstein

One of the many joys of living in the heart of the Midwest, is dealing with the crappy weather. Can I use that word on Blogger? Believe me, it is much better than the word that came to mind this morning when I got up and could hear the ice tinking off the windows. There is no let up in sight. There are accidents everywhere and semi trailers in the ditch off the Interstate and some of us still need to try and brave it to go to work....

I found a necklace thrifting that had the most interesting elements....they all came apart to make row markers for knitting. Do I really need so many row markers, you may ask? Well, of course not, but now I have some to share with friends! I love that part of it.
I have been dyeing yarn again and it is wonderful to see it come together. This yarn was dyed very quickly in lime Kool-Aid, heat set and allowed to dry before three different sessions in tea. The color is as close as i am going to be able to get to the color in my head. It is destined, one day (probably not anytime soon) to be Anne Hanson's Honeybee Stole.

And this lovely table mat was made for me by Cathy of Cath's Pennies Designs. If you have not been to her blog, she has begun selling her patterns of some of the most whimsical designs. I just love her Love Ewes pattern, a sheep candle mat that has buttons to accent the little feet. This is one talented lady. I am expecting her newest pattern, Scarecrow Jack in the Pumpkin Patch, in the mail almost any day. She does tutorials on her blog to show you how to put her patterns together.

Holiday Mondays are Wonderful!

“Waste your money and you’re only out of money, but waste your time and you’ve lost a part of your life.”
― Michael Leboeuf

My very smart Daughter-In-Law and Son contacted my favorite yarn dyer, Qutecowgirl, for my Christmas presents. These yarns were dyed with me in mind. The yarn in the foreground was hand-dyed, the dark you see throughout the skein was the word "Health" spelled out during the dyeing process. The yarn in the background was her daughters first yarn. She knows how much I love her daughters yarns. My Son and his Wife sure put a lot of thought into this. Thank you so much, Perry and Kim!
The new sock project bag has been going everywhere with me. It was included in the gift. There is a small pocket inside, just the right size for a little something else. Something like, oh...I don't know, the gorgeous stitch markers that also came along with the gift. All I can say is WOW. I was thrilled to open this package Christmas morning.
Have you ever knitted with bamboo? Well, until this month, I never had. My Dad gets my next pairs of completed socks and I wanted him to have something soft. These feel like chenille.
It is no secret I love hand-thrown pottery. I thought I would show a couple of pieces I collected over the summer and have put to good use. I can never walk by a pair of knitting needles at a yard sale or a thrift store. You never know when you or a friend will need just the right set. And they look like little bouquets!

I have more to show you, I got some beautiful soy yarn from a dear friend....stay tuned.