Now you know what color my longies are

In between knitting my first priority, soldier socks, I am knitting these footless longies (aka: Nether Garments). This is just before I joined the legs, which I have now. My fingers are flying to the finish. I have tried them on a few times to make sure I was where I needed to be.......and they are going to be sooooo comfortable and warm.

I never thought these would be easy to knit.....but they are! The instructions can be found in "Knitter's Almanac" by Elizabeth Zimmermann. This pair is knit with Knitpicks Swish Worsted Superwash, in Dublin, using US sz 6 circular needles. I started out with dpn's, then 16" circs and graduated to 24" circs.

I plan on knitting another pair with some wool from School House Press.

If it's cold where you are, you just gotta try a pair. I've got to get back to knitting! Bye!

Garter Stitch Hat - in the round

As it happens, in the winter months - it gets cold. *brrrr
I have rarely worn a hat since it doesn't get that cold where I live and I'm not out in the cold that long.
Well, in my daily brisk walking I realized the winds have picked up a cold front!
After that walk, I came in and turned to my trusty computer to find something to knit up to wear around my little ears.

This "Cold Weather Hat" is perfect! It's knit in the round with two strands of worsted wool. I searched through my stash and found these two skeins........









.......and knit them into this.
It was a quick knit and I did one thing different - on the even rounds [of the decrease rounds], I purled them so as to keep it looking, well, like a garter stitch hat.
Well, I'm off now to take my brisk walk in the brisk cool air.....and I won't worry about my little ears getting cold.

Socks for Kevin

My son had to do some rough sketches so I could chart the designs and now.....the duplicate stitching is finally done!

THAT part of the sock knitting put these on hold for way too long. I don't know what I was so afraid of!

These socks went to Kevin, my son's friend. The green pair represents Tri-Force and the red pair represents Power Rangers. There are probably several of you who knew who those characters were. I had to learn. :)

I love the way they turned out and Kevin was ecstatic when he received them last night!

These were knit with Dale Baby Ull.

Fair Isle sweater swatch made into a cap

I finished my swatch......and my son loves it!!

There are some long floats in the beginning but they are holding their shape.

A big 'Thank You!' to the yahoo group that helped me get past some concerns. I am now ready to write the sweater pattern so I can begin my son's sweater.

My Alpine bag

Please excuse the dark picture of my unfelted bag. I am NOT the best photographer except in my mind.

You wouldn't know by that picture that the colors I chose were hyacinth, burgundy and sand in Knitpicks Wool of the Andes.

This, wonderful to knit bag, is a Deby Lake creation that she so generously gave. I have made a couple of her designs.....and not just bags.

You can find this pattern here as the October pattern. November's looks like a great one to do, too!

The color still isn't true but....here is the end result of my nervous felting. I was so afraid I would over-felt. I love, love, love my new bag!!!

I did a few things different: I used a 3 stitch I-cord method to bind off the top, knitting extra I-cord for the knot in front and then making a small opening at the back (for the closure). Next, I knit the handles 60" long with a 4 stitch I-cord using two strands. After felting and drying, I weaved the cord in and out in different directions.

Did I mention ~ I LOVE MY BAG??

Leisure socks ~ a gift

These socks were knit with Lady Bug handpainted yarn w/nubs in a cuff-down Slip Up Sock pattern (scroll to the bottom of the page for pattern and get a close-up look at the stitches by putting your mouse over the picture). It is a very nice yarn that I won in a contest with a promise to knit them up and send them back.
The pattern was easy to memorize and I found that I needed to increase the circumference by 6 stitches more. Even going to 72 stitches would still be okay since the pattern draws in.
.....yes, that's another one of my old doilies. ;)

Just found out that the handpainted yarn can be found at: Ladybug Sewing-Knitting, 121 Center St W., Warren OH 44481-9313. Phone: (330) 847-9965

The Sweater my son wants me to knit

Well, here it is - the infamous sweater my son would love to have. He sends me the picture and asks, "Mom, I really like this sweater! Can you knit this for me?". Of course I can, says I.

So, I finally charted it to the best of my ability, purchased the yarn, and have son's measurements.

Since I am a huge fan of EZ and Meg, I cast on my swatch as a cap - just as they would. I knit the ribbing in k2, p2 and then a few rows in stockinette. Here is where I noticed how.........far........apart.........the dark stitches are. Oh, oh!

I plunged right in (anyway) and followed the chart, catching the dark float every inch (as Meg would do). I then ripped the 5 or so rounds...........twice.

Did I give up?

Wellllll.......I can't - my son thinks I can do anything.

So, I joined this fabulous group (after searching yahoo groups with "fair isle").

I posted my question about long floats and got several, wonderful responses. I love that group!

Now I can try it again.

Note: After I explained my dilemma to my son, I asked him to look at the chart and see if he could put a few stitches in it here and there. He did so with my pencil, then looked at me with a slightly twisted face and said it didn't look like the picture anymore. So, not only can I try it again.....I WILL try it again. :)

Two doilies made for my mom

By special request from some great friends who think I'm so talented!
I took these pictures a couple years ago but made these more than 15 years ago while visiting at my mother's place in Colorado. I always have to be making something so these were it.
I believe the top doily was from an Old World/Old Time Crochet magazine and

I don't remember where the oval doily came from. I have a feeling it's from an Old World/Old Time Crochet

magazine, too.

My son loves my socks!

Here are some socks for my son. I used my CSM for the ribbed legs and am knitting the heels, feet and toes by hand.

The yarn is DG Confetti 100 superwash, color 14.04.

I am a loose knitter and have to resort to US sz 0 needles when using fingering weight yarns. It's a bummer when I read how others use sz 2 or 3!

I think I'd like to knit some fingerless gloves with this yarn to match his socks. Hmmm.

Sweater Sampler

I joined a yahoo group, a while back, that concentrates on knitting a project each month from Elizabeth Zimmermann's book, 'Knitter's Almanac'.

For the month of October you had a choice of knitting the October project, from the book, or knitting the Sweater Sampler from 'The Sweater Workshop' by Jacqueline Fee.

Here's my sweater sampler.....but mine was done some time back so I'm done for the month.

I really want to knit some leggings! They were last month's project.

I have many loves of knitting and one of them is EZ's works.

Fresh Corn Tortillas

Well, there's the assembly line to make corn tortillas.
Masa, a little salt and water make up what's in the bowl covered by a damp towel. The damp towel keeps the mixture moist.
Then to the right of the bowl is my press. I place about a tablespoon of the dough, slightly flattened, between a Ziploc bag with 3 sides cut off. I have my cast iron pan, hot with low-medium heat and use a metal spatula to turn them.


This picture shows what it looks like when it's flattened. It comes off the plastic bag real easy.








I melted cheese on the corn tortillas and ate them with my own salsa.

I have a feeling I might wake myself up in the night with garlic/onion breath.....but ohhhh, it was worth it!

Did anyone know I was gone?..and The Road Trip

I left Washington to live in Northern Arizona for a few months ~ mainly during the holidays last Wednesday. Why? To spend time with my college son. :)

I got to my destination Friday afternoon.

First stop: filled the tank up at Woodland, WA so I could drive straight through Oregon. Price was $2.859/gal.

Second stop: Yreka, CA to fill up after 363 miles at $3.359/gal. While I was there, I saw a quaint looking place to eat called Grandma's House. So, instead of a fast food chain, I opted for this place. I am so glad I did! The atmosphere, hostess, waitress, food and other customers were all wonderful.

Third stop: it was going to be Redding, then Red Bluff. It ended up being Corning, CA. I stayed at the Best Western Inn. Once again, I was greeted with a friendly atmosphere and Shannon who checked me in. The room was very nice and breakfast was available from 6-9 a.m. In the morning, I spent some time with the help and Karen, who gave me my receipt. I don't have all their names but they were all so nice. I also met a few people that were displaced by the fires.

Fourth stop: Westley, CA to fill 'er up after 337 miles at $3.059/gal if you paid cash.

Fifth stop: Newberry Springs, CA to fill 'er up after 360 miles. This was an emergency one since I thought I was going to run out of gas and the most expensive at $3.499/gal.!! I ordered a burrito and ate it in my truck.

Sixth stop: I couldn't resist stopping when I saw a Pilot Travel Center advertising gas at $2.739/gal. So after only 146 miles, I filled up.

Seventh stop: Best Western Kings Inn & Suites in Kingman, AZ. Here's another time where the clerk was very pleasant, my room was nice and it was late....11 p.m. They provided breakfast from 6-10 a.m. Very, very nice.

I was up early and arrived at my destination by noon. It feels good to set up house and have some of my favorite things around me......like.....what else but yarn! :)

Pictures are of Mt. Shasta with a hint of sunset on the top; The full moon; the full moon and Mt. Shasta; and then the blood red sun setting in Barstow.

I hope I was missed.

I'm back on line now and happy to be blogging!

A new book, mug and something special

The Art of Fair Isle Knitting by Ann Feitelson is my new book. It's been around for a few years but it's new to me.

Then there is this mug that DH got for me. It's beautiful. I love it!

Now for something special and very dear to my heart ~ the scarf my son knit for me. I can't even remember the name of the thick -n-thin yarn I picked but it took 2 skeins.

Not only did he hold one needle under his left arm and knit it continental style (the way I taught him), he remembered how to cast on with the long-tail method. His tension was loose but even. When he was near the end of the first skein, he came to me as asked how to add the next skein. I showed him and he left to do that.

He finished knitting it and asked how to cast off. I showed him and he left to complete the scarf. The next morning, he proudly presented the scarf to me.

It's beautiful.

It's warm.

It's perfect.

I can't even find the ends he weaved in.

What's more amazing is he hadn't touched a knitting needle five years before this project. He just picked it up as if he had always been knitting.

My 3 Scarves are HOT!

Well......they're hot to me. :)

The first one was made on my CSM for my son who is attending college in a cold climate. I used Austermann Step and oh, is it silky feeling. I have to make a matching pair of socks to go with it.

(Jalapenos given to us from a grand couple we know, who grows them....and they are hot and delicious!)

The next two scarves I knit for my hair dresser. She isn't a knitter but, while on vacation in Canada, stopped at a yarn shop called "Mad About Ewe" and fell in love with the color and texture of these yarns.

The multi-colored bronze yarn spoke to me right away. The blue was holding out on me for weeks! I tried lace knitting but it got too stiff. I tried tiny 2-stitch cable knitting - no good. I went for the drop stitch pattern again but with a little twist.

Using US sz 15 needles, I cast on 15 stitches and knit 6 rows in garter. Row 7 is k1, yo....all the way across, ending with k1, turn; Row 8 is k1, drop yo.....all the way across, ending with k1, turn; Rows 9 & 10 - knit; Row 11 is where you repeat Row 7; Row 12 - repeat Row 8.

Here is what you must remember when knitting a drop stitch pattern: keep the plain rows (whether in garter or stockinette, etc.) knit in even numbers or your scarf will be lopsided. The yo's must be knit as an odd row.

Well, that's it for now. Did I tell you all that you make my day when you leave a comment or email me about knitting? You do and I thank you. :)

A Double Rainbow

This is exactly the way the sky looked a couple of weeks ago right off our front porch.

Isn't it supposed to bring good luck when you see one of these?

Icelandic Lace Shawl update

I've had a little time to knit on this shawl and it's coming along nicely. I'm on Chart E and it's flowing smoothly.

I think what makes it such a nice knit is the Main Line yarn. The runner up is Andean Silk from Knitpicks.

I will definitely be wearing this and showing it off.

I am at a loss for words today. How strange for a gal whose 6th grade report card had, "She talks too much" written on it each quarter. I only mention the 6th grade because I don't remember my other report cards. You ever have one of those days?

A meager beginning on a lace edging...

...for a handkerchief.

Oh, I love to knit lace and I love handkerchiefs with a lace edging. The pattern is Project #6 and can be found in 'Heirloom Knitting' by Sharon Miller.

The picture shows 16 rows completed. Sharon got 3" for her width......I'm getting 4".

I'm using DMC Cordonnet sz 70 Coton and 5/0 needles. What is the blue tape for you ask? I didn't want to make a couple of my dpn's a permanent set of straight knitting needles (by gluing beads on the ends) and the blue tape will come off easy and leave no residue.

I found them and my 6/0 needles at Victorian Cottage Treasures. They even carry 8/0!

I used to, as a kid, knit with safety pins and sewing thread so this is nothing new.

My Swatch(es) for Secret of the Stole

Okay, now......
Here is my first swatch using Jaggerspun Zephyr - knit with US sz 4 needle.






Here is another swatch using Knitpicks Bare - knit with the same needle size.






Did I forget to place a ruler or some sort of measuring device with the swatches? Of course......but I'm not feeling well so I have an excuse......right?
So...which do you all think looks good? Scarlett says the dark one. :)
I also forgot to mention: You, too, can join Secret of the Stole by Nautical Knitter! She told me there are 17 days.....and counting, before it starts! Membership closes October 4th.

I taught my son well.

Isn't this the kind of picture we love of our kids? That's Jasmine guarding and protecting him....maybe even keeping him warm.
It brings tears of warm fuzzy feelings to my eyes each time I look at it. Of course, he isn't that little anymore. He's in college, stands at 6'3" and weighs in at 190 lbs.
You know the things I wrote in my profile? Well, I taught many of those things, that I learned, to my son. I taught him to read and write; to be kind to and respect others; to respect women; to tell the truth; to not spend what you don't have and save for a rainy day; to try new foods and to eat right; to knit; to love animals; to fish; to ride a bicycle; to drive; to change the oil in our truck; to read about firearm safety BEFORE I would teach him to shoot; to have an imagination; and many more things.
So, how is he now that he's basically on his own? He eats well and works out to keep in shape. He doesn't eat sugar, drink soda pop/alcohol or smoke; knit me a scarf; loves to read; wants to learn other languages; likes to fish; tells the truth; spends only what he has and doesn't touch what he saved to cover the deductible for his car insurance; is a good driver; has good work ethics; respects others; and he is kind, especially to me.
I love my son.

MS3 finished.....and finally blocked

Here is my Mystery Stole 3 blocked. I hmmmd and hawed after finding out that the end was going to make it asymmetrical. I just wasn't sure about that and I couldn't imagine that it would look..okay.

I decided to keep knitting it as is.......and I'm mighty glad I did. I like it. I like it very much!

I hope to have a picture taken with it wrapped around me soon so you can see what it looks like worn.

Thank you, Melanie, for a fantastic knit-a-long. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so exciting to hurry and wait for the next clue. I didn't want it to end.

One thing left to do - order the perfect finishing touch that was made especially for this KAL - the Swan Shawl pin from Romi.

Ahhhhh.....Icelandic Lace

I finally got to start this Tuesday, even though the official start date was Monday.
My, oh, my.....the yarn feels so nice. It's JaggerSpun Main Line and feels like some of the lanolin is still in it. I got it from Sarah's Yarns and she is a wonderful person to do business with.
I am a loose knitter and I'm using Addi Lace Needles in US sz 4. So far, I like the way it looks and feels.

The pattern is from Knitting Daily or you could join the Icelandic Lace Shawl KAL. The KAL is warm and inviting with lots of help. It's kind of nice to know there are others working on the same project you are.

I've got a few toes to do the "Kitch" with on my BBS before I can resume knitting on it.

One of the best places to visit......on the web

And this is it: Knitting On The Net

I am so very impressed with that site. I had to get something warm to drink and just look and look!

In the meantime, I'm knitting 2 scarves for my hairdresser. She wanted to exchange a haircut for the scarves and she supplied the yarn. Good deal for me!

Since I love 'old' pictures, here is a random one {taken a few years ago} of hubby and his two sisters eating lunch with their dog, Shorty, intently waiting for something to fall.

Tangled.....yarn?

So.....
Here is the yarn before I started to "untangle it".








Here it is the next day - today - after I worked on it for a couple of hours yesterday. Is it progress?
Well, yes, in a way since I finally found the ends. Notice the 2 ziploc sandwich baggies with the little rolled up ends in them.
We'll see how far I get today.

If anyone has a better/quicker way to untangle such a lovely yarn, please let me know. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. My e-mail address is on my side bar.
I forgot to mention - it's Cherry Tree Hill. No, I didn't buy it this way. Someone had it and now I have it. :)

Socks from my mom......for me

I send my mom lots of sock yarn, as a gift, since she loves to have socks on the needles for a random project. She has always knit us kids sweaters and mittens as we were growing up.

She absolutely LOVED this yarn and wanted to make me a pair of socks. They are so nice.....not only to wear but each time I put them on, I think of my mom.

I think it is a worsted Fortissima washable wool. She knit a 1x1 rib with sockinette foot.

I love my socks......and I love my mom.

So The Thing is........Blog

If you don't subscribe to anything else, you must subscribe to Barb Cooper's blog. She will make you laugh, cry, side with her, think about things you wouldn't dream about thinking and much, much more.
The one entry that really got me was "Socks and Life Lessons".
I don't have time to read books (stories) unless they are about knitting, however ~ I have time for her writings. I wish I could write like her so I could really say something that would perk your interest so you WOULD subscribe. She's fantastic.
Oh, did I mention she also knits?

Illusion Knitting

Look at that! You can actually see the word, V-rod, on that scarf.
When you look straight on at the scarf, it looks like it has just a striped design. It really is an illusion.
I designed and knit this in Cascade 220 a few years back when we DID have a Harley V-rod motorcycle.
I have seen illusion knitting on Knitty Gritty and visited various sites on the web. I just found a really good place, here, with FREE patterns. A really good book called 'Shadow Knitting' by Vivian Høxbro is a good source. The author really liked my scarf!!
There's even a yahoo group with almost 1000 members!!

My name is Maria......and I'm a Bag-A-Holic

This is my bag before felting.








This is my bag after felting, adding stars and a handle.
It's fun to knit a purse every month but it's not a requirement.
Come join the group! Not only can you see the materials list for my cute bag for July ~ you should see the project for August! Wow!
Besides......what would one more project on the needles hurt? ;-)

Many, many thanks to Terry Ross, a fabulous designer.

Mystery Stole Clue #4 finished

Wow! The knitting just flowed. This time it was easy to memorize. You can see my lifeline and remember, this isn't blocked so it doesn't really look like it is going to look. Did that make any sense? Hmmm.
Another thank you to Melanie, the designer. She's incredible. To be part of the next one, click on her name and join so you can be informed of the details!!
Before I start to knit lace, from a chart, I like to count the plain knit squares and write that number to the far right from where I read the chart. In other words, when there is a symbol and then blank squares - I write the number of the blank squares right after the symbol. That way, I don't have to scan across the row for the number and quite possibly lose my place - it's right there and waiting.
In order to keep my place, I place a magnetic strip ABOVE the row I am about to knit. I do this so I can see what my knitting should look like right below that row to make sure I place a yo in the right place, etc. I can catch errors much quicker that way.
I can breathe now as I wait for Friday and "Clue #5"......and knit on some other very important projects. I have bunches of socks for soldiers to knit and a summer sweater (or two) by Sally Melville.

Icelandic Lace Shawl

This is one of the most beautiful shawls I have ever seen. What's even more wonderful about it ~ a KAL. There is a knit along starting late August or early September!! An exact start date hasn't been set yet, as we are all gathering our yarns. The pattern calls for a fingering weight yarn of your choice. Many are using Jaggerspun's Maine Line 2/8 in 9 different colors of browns and greys.
So what are you waiting for? Come join us for a light and friendly group! There's still time!!
Oh, yeah ~~ the pattern is FREE!

My socks match.......by color

Here is a pair of socks made on my CSM (circular sock machine) with Austermann Step. I absolutely love the way the yarn feels.

I also love the place where I bought it from ~ Double Diamond Knits! Don't wait another minute to check the site out! Judy is quick with your order and answers your emails. My order arrived as promised.

Yeah, I know the stripes don't match but I just can't have the added stress of matching them and then running out of yarn or having to splice 'em.

When I hand knit, well.....that's a different story. I do like my stripes to match.

Again, you will be missing out if you don't take the time to check out what Judy has!