ta-dum

it's finished... well it needs blocking but it's warm and cozy and complete and I LOVE IT!

Pattern: Every Way Wrap Interweave Knits Fall 2009 by Okmin Park
Yarn: from MIL from Argentina... 2 ply heavy worsted with plenty of veg matter
Color: natural
Needle: US10
recipient: ME! (it's my new year's resolution to knit for myself)
Modifications: knit 17 cable repeats in place of 16
Buttons: wooden from stash


I really love this so much.. and the fact that it's reversible cable rocks.
This was the first time I made something from a chart and was not bad.. considering there was errata in the chart that I didn't get when I started. It took me 2 weeks... almost to the hour.. I started at opening ceremonies when they were aired ET and ended at 6:05 PM 2 weeks later. Sometimes I knit without the cable needle, (well in my case a dpn), and sometimes with .. and honestly to me it seems much faster to knit with. There's no fiddling and it's so simple to just knit off the end.. why bother the risk of dropping stitches.. don't get it!


I've started the olympic reindeer hat and it's my mission to finish before the closing ceremonies today... Had to dye yarn red in order to do it.. but I WILL win the gold. (IT's my first at doing colorwork for this hat!) Quite the olympics of firsts for me and it feels GREAT!

so warm and squishy...

and so it goes

Here are some shots of the wrap and it's progress. I'm on the 13th repeat of the cable. The pattern calls for 16 repeats.. but I think I'll need a couple more. It's going ok now that I've just about got the pattern memorized. DD and her girl scout troop went to see the Lehigh women's bball team play Saturday. Lehigh won and she had a blast! I think she wants to go more often.











We still have a pile of Girl Scout cookies to sell :-\....DS1 went to the movies with one of his school pals. So that left the baby home alone with mom and dad, and boy did he LOVE that!







OK.. I leave you with one last reversible cable picture.. I need to get back to knitting. BTW I took these with my iPhone, don't they rock?

no brain have i.....

i forgot to post this in the beginning of Jan....
DS1's teacher had a baby boy so before she left for her leave I made this

Pattern: cocoon baby stork sack
Yarn: Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc Peaches & Creme Solids
Color: Royal Blue, tierra firma
Needle: US 15
Rcipient: Baby Simmers

I held the 2 yarns together to make a bulky yarn. It's cotton so it's a nice covering for a new baby that wants to be swaddled. Hope she uses it ;-)

I'm working on my 9th cable repeat for the every way wrap.... not much else to say. The new principal started on Tuesday.. juries out on that yet.

skating

I feel like the russian skaters with my olympic knitting project. Today I spent almost as much time ripping as I did knitting. But now I have 4 repeats of the cable pattern finished... so I am hoping to make it!

I was thinking that we'd have another snow day earlier on... but it has stopped snowing and may result in only a delay at best.

better get crackin!

let the games begin

the Olympics that is......

and the knitting olympics as well :-D

This is my challenge. The Every Way Wrap from Interweave Knits Fall 2009 issue. I frogged my endless cable poncho after I discovered there wouldn't be enough yarn.... well honestly, I frogged it last night. My first intention was to knit the wrap with a merino cashmere blend of recycled wool but there wasn't enough of that either. So I'm using the yarn from the endless poncho and pulling out the little country additions (barby things) as I go.

I knit the ribbing tonight during the opening... did the first row of the chart and am now stuck on the cable row.. which way to read the chart... so I want back to the original page and several closer photos and think I have it figured out now.

More sledding today... although I only went down 2 times.. yesterday's tumbles have taken their toll on me. I'm not as young as I once was... Then DH came over with the car so I could run DS2 to gymnastics.. his thought was that he'd bring DD later... until I got there and realized that I had both sets of car keys... so she missed her class... I should have just taken her with me which was my original thought.. but oh well.....

off to knit another row.. i've been spending much of the time during these days spinning..... rambo that is so fluffy I can barely stand it!

let it snow

no school today or tomorrow.....
6 day weekend here we come.... (there goes Easter break :-( )

this picture was taken about 3 hours ago and it's STILL snowing

happy 10th birthday daughter

you've finally made it into the double digits and I'm happy to say that you're becoming a lovely young lady :)

It was an American Girl birthday..... once spring arrives we'll have a girl's day at the American Girl Store in New York.

My in-laws gave her this wardrobe for her AG clothing. I put it together while we watched the AG Chrissa movie

She also got a few AG books....

And I made this for her doll Elizabeth

Pattern: Very Easy Pullover by Cecelia Riehl
Yarn: Red Heart Baby Twinkles
Color: Shaded Blue Twinkle
Needle: 3.0 mm

The only thing I did was knit this is the round so there was only the sewing of putting the sleeves into the armholes.... easy knita and DD loves it.. TIme for me to knit more clothes for her because THIS she really appreciates!

It's snowing today... we're supposed to get over 12".... no school.....

still alive

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.... just chillin'

I frogged a lovely lambswool/cashmere blend sweater hoping to make the every way wrap from IK fall 2009 issue... but I'm about 70 yards shy.... c'est la vie!

I've started a sweater for DD's American Girl Doll for her birthday. One sleeve is complete. I had started earlier in the week but ripped it out deciding to knit it in the round instead. Now to figure out how to address the body of the sweater in the round....

I've been working on a webpage for my students. Perhaps you'd like to visit it. It's hardly finished, but i have some recording to do... I only hope they use it!

well off to knit a bit and then hit the bed.... So strange that Virginia and North Carolina have been hammered by snow and we haven't seen a flake! oh well.....

wow

DH knows how to treat a girl on her 50th birthday!

The kids woke me up with 3 gifts...
a charm for my troll bracelet
House season 5
a beautiful scarf with african design
dinner with the family at my local favorite italian restaurant
purple irises
chocolate cake
the Beatles remastered in stereo
Bose on ear headphones
Bose wavelink sound system
Bose iPod kit


He checked my wish list from December... told me he couldn't afford the car.... we got our iPhones a few days ago... so I should be set for quite some time! I think he went a little overboard!

a 'green' resolution

happy new year around the globe

สวัสดีปีใหม่
blwyddyn newydd dda
Z novym rokom
yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun
Chúc Mừng Nǎm Mới
tashi delek
gott nytt år
mwaka mzuri
feliz año nuevo
šťastný nový rok
С Новым Годом
un an nou fericit
feliz ano novo
gelukkige nuwejaar
عام سعيد
shnorhavor nor tari
З новым годам
subho nababarsho
sretna nova godina
честита нова година
hnit thit ku mingalar pa
sun lin fi lok
bon any nou
xin nian kuai le
sretna nova godina
šťastný nový rok
godt nytår
gelukkig Nieuwjaar
head uut aastat
gott nýggjár
onnellista uutta vuotta
gelukkig Nieuwjaar
bonne année
ein gutes neues Jahr
kali chronia
hauoli makahiki hou
שנה טובה
nav varsh ki subhkamna
boldog új évet
farsælt komandi ár
selamat tahun baru
ath bhliain faoi mhaise
felice anno nuovo, buon anno
akemashite omedetô
seh heh bok mani bat uh seyo
felix sit annus novus
laimīgu Jauno gadu
e gudd neit Joër
Среќна Нова Година
is-sena t-tajba
kia hari te tau hou
godt nyttår
سال نو مبارک
szczęśliwego nowego roku

hershey

here are a couple of shots from the park

baby, it's cold outside

brrrrrrrrrr........

This morning we left for the Liberty Science Center. We were there for about 4 hours or so and could have stayed longer... very nice place with lots to see. Gift shop - disappointing... the kids loved it. I'm sure we'll go again, hopefully on a less crowded day. I didn't see everything and we didn't go to any of the shows or movies (IMax, 3D) so it'll be nice to visit when everyone and their brother isn't there because they're looking for something to do indoors during a very cold december vacation. BTW... their falafal wrap is great and the hummus..... delightful!

I was working on a lizard ridge square on the way there and dropped a needle in the car. Couldn't find it to save my soul... found it when we got home... it was in the pocket on the door and I could have sworn that I looked there. So instead i did a few rows on my 2nd sock. Started the leg pattern and when I got home, I looked at the first.. I'll be frogging back the pattern rows to do more ribbing....

stay warm, put on a sweater! I did!

living within means..... and being more green

there's a post at planet green that is well worth the read.

I'll be adding some pics to this post in a bit so if you're here and there's no pictures come back!


Lizard Ridge square #22 color 157A

off to Hershey

but I want to share this site of creative christmas ads.... I love this type of thing that shows intelligence and creativity.
This one is my favorite

Later dudes!

which north pole character am I?

I took Martha Stewarts quiz tonight and it claims:

You are undoubtedly
An Elf
Hardworking and skillful, you put 100 percent into everything you do. As a result, people tend to trust you with daunting tasks, like making presents out of scratch. You're also a good listener with a flair for fashion
hmmmmm

the 11th cowl is complete:

Pattern: cha cha cowl by Judy Scofield
Yarn: Tahki Dazzle
Color: 002 varigated tans and purples
Needle: US8
Recipient: Karen Boksan

Karen saw my chickadee and wanted one like it.. this pattern is close.. since i didn't want to make 2 of the same. I continued moving the slipped stitch over one completely ignoring the directions

tmrw looks like it may be a Hershey day...... if the rain stops

a knitting christmas

So my family secret pal gave me Barbara Walker's 2nd treasury of knitting book, a gift certificate to a LYS in her haunts and a beautiful hand quilted table runner. My santa at home gave me 3 troll beads for my bracelet a shee tape measure and sheep scissor guard, needle sizers (that's what I asked for), a beautiful wood shawl pin and cat bordhi alphabet stitch markers... :-D

We had a lovely visit with the fam yesterday, beautiful church service... home by 3 AM in bed by 4:30 AM kids had us up at 7 AM.

Today friends and their kids came for dinner... they brought lots to eat and we shared great company, food and drink for many hours... always such a pleasure... oh what fun! really I love it!

lucky lucky girl I am..

the most priceless part of the day was DS1 telling me that he was so happy and it was the best Christmas ever. *that* makes it all worthwhile!

feliz navidad

take a moment to cherish your family and holiday.... be thankful, enjoy their company, eat well and rest



...picture credit

green for Christmas

one of the bus drivers in my school district teased me a while back that I should make her a scarf cuz her daughter absconded hers (was fun fur) and she likes green... a no nonsense kind of girl, whom I adore!
I present to you cowl 10

Pattern: simple fitted cowl by Leona Wiora
Yarn: Knitting Fever Cashmere Luxury Aran
Color: Green
Needle: US6 US8
Recipient: Roxie... bus 1


The cool part about this pattern is you can wear it over your ears instead if you like like this.

One more to make... I think it'll be the cha cha pattern on ravelry

so one of my internet friends completely surprised me yesterday. She lives in England (yes you Lesley) and she ordered a gift from the states and they sent it directly to me. It came with this lovely Christmas card and a little sock blocker key ring. Along with a pattern for a mini sock to make to go on the blocker. It's so darn cute. I LOVE it... so much. it came from knitcellaneous. I'm going to visit there to see what other goodies there are!

how did I miss this?

Forgot to post this cowl.....

Pattern: Darkside Cowl by Sarah Fama
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease
Color: aran
Needle: US8
Recipient: Pam at daycare


This has been done for over a month... strange that I forgot to post it!

#9

is complete

Pattern: Basalt by Brittany Wilson
Yarn: recycled merino from Express sweater
Colorway: Blue waves
Needle: US 11
Recipient: tell you later
I made this much taller than the pattern calls for because it's much looser knit and I wanted it to fold over on itself. The pattern is super easy to memorize and completely reversible... I'd make this one again!
I hope the recipient likes it as much as I do... XD

snow!

and more to come :-)

Today was tree day. It was slim pickins on the farm. I'll make a mental note to go earlier next year......Then shopping for those last minute gifts. That's when the snow started. Have to say that the Jetta does well in the snow. Finally, home to put the lights on and start the decorations... aba oversaw it for the most part. I was careful with the glass ornaments. I need to put them away this year. Just so I know where everything is next year! And it's time to clean out as well!

We went to what was supposed to be a party tonight .They had cancelled the party because of the weather so it was just us, the hosts and another friend... really fun though. We love you Karen! Thank you so much for another GREAT evening!

The neighbor is partying again and I'm now working on Cobalt..... cowl number #9... have another order for chickadee in the same colorway. That will await until just after the holidays however.

Waiting on the call about church in the morning. They should have more snow than we do. South of us was hit much harder.

dinner dance

at Moravian... what fun... gotta love those ladies that work in the Music Dept... including Blair ;-)
Thank you all for a wonderful evening.
Good food
Good laughs
Good company!

The neighbor is having a wild party.. guess I'll be up most of the night!

another cowl

Pattern: Chickadee cowl by Kristen Kapur
Yarn: Dazzle by Tahki
Color: 002 tan and purple varigated
Needle: US10

Modifications: I didn't stop at the suggested 4 inches... I kept going until the skein was almost gone... I could have gone one more round, but.... I didn't want to run out during binding off. so..........

Off to DD's chorus concert. She's playing piano in the beginning as well. At least I get to see this one.

sleeping

please don't wake me!

what a great day!

a picture of the Christmas tree. The 'popcorn' is made from packing peanuts.. but it looks pretty good I think. One of my chorus moms came in to help decorate it with me. I would have NEVER finished.. and we worked really well together... and the PE teacher kept her 4 YO busy... Everything save a few balls on the tree is from freecycle... the tree included... i heart freecycle!

The kids did such a nice job. I'm so proud of them. Santa came to visit as did the local TV station! Good PR for the music program. AND I had some free time late in the afternoon (don't ask me how that happened) so I got to work on my cowl. Santa even came to our program... and handed out candy canes. We had fun!

The ILs have landed.... and they're sleeping in my attic.... MIL brought me MUCHO lana crudo merino for spinning :D and my SIL painted a coffee mug for me that I absolutely LOVE! She also sent 3 very beautiful wooden shawl pics... how lucky am I. And for the DH and I she sent one of her colorized drawings that she made while she was here this time last year... I really miss her.

OK... hopefully tmrw I'll have another cowl to show you!

ah

my school chorus program is tmrw... Pictures of December... 10 songs and they're gonna be so good!

So today some of my cherubs came down during their recess and lunch and helped make garland for the tree. Packing peanuts.. it really does look like popcorn garland from far away. I'll take pictures tmrw. I wanted something on the cheap... so I got some from some fellow freecyclers... :-D YAY
The idea came to me while I was teaching one morning. Out of the blue... strange! But that's so much like me.

I wish I had more crafty news... or even more news but i'm dry!

my nephew rocks

he's such a great guy.. between his help and the help of a former student, I am going to look totally geek Tuesday night at my Christmas program. They helped me add the accompaniment files to my powerpoint presentation. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks....

Have I said lately how much I love my new laptop... it's so sweet! at the risk of sounding liek I have stock in the company (i wish) there's nothing better than a mac!

still working on that cowl... and trying to get ready for the in-laws and Christmas and my shows at school and everything else that comes with this month.. that really makes me hate December!

vespers

was nice.... I got to sit with my friend Marly.. whom I haven't seen since Election Day 2008.... That seems too long ago! There was something missing this year though... wish I could put my finger on it. It could be my Bah Humbug spirit :-|~

I had started the Chickadee cowl in a Tahki bulky weight varigated wool. My 10.5 needles are all busy.. so I started it on 10s... got about 2 inches finished and decided it needs a larger needle..... After I got home I cast on again on size 11 and the diffference is just amazing.


Off to make the grocery list for tmrw.... need to finish the packing peanut garland tonight.... and maybe figure out if I can put the accompaniments into the slide show.. (that would really be awesome!)

how?

could i have not posted yesterday.

I've been busy getting prepared for my concerts at school. This weekend I have to finish making packing peanut popcorn garland for the tree at school. I was picking up freecycled packages to help decorate for that. Also hit the $1 store.

Stocking fillers are finished, I think.

Tmrw... Christmas cookies

Tonight... Vespers at Moravian College. DH is conducting women's chorus....

I'll post a report later!

cheating

post tonight for tmrw... hehee



Pattern: Ridged Lace Cowl
Yarn: Lion Brand Fisherman
Color: Aran
Needle: US8
Reciepient: DS1's teacher
Modifications: did 4 complete patterns the did to row 8 and gartered 4 more rows not 7)


FInally this cowl is finished.. I started it 3 times because it always got shoved to the back burner.

Now to make a couple more......what pattern to choose!

snow!

This picture is actually from Saturday. This morning when I awoke, the ground was white.

wowee blogger looks different when uploading now :-)
I likey!

DD had to get her foot checked out today so I took a family sick day. It was a late start for me and it turned out that my kids had no school since they were scheduled for a half day. Hope my sub did OK.

At any rate... on the way home from the doctor I convinced the kids we should stop at the OP shop since it was buy one get 2 free of the color tag. They picked out books... lots of them. I got some sweaters.... some to frog and some to felt... 2 pair of pants for me, a marble cheese board/slicer, some gifts for some folks, a travel game for the kids and this cool pie thing... 2 pans, a crust saver and then the red thing is plastic that you press in the top crust to make apple shaped vents in while it bakes.

But the find of the day (OK the year for me) was this Barbara Walkers The Craft of Lace Knitting book... for 1.91 It's in perfect shape and the cheapest one used at amazon is $35.50.... Happy Dance Time!

fell asleep

last night recording music for school.....
too bad I can't figure out how to put up my fave Christmas carol.....

Tonight I sang the alto stuff in Messiah at a church not too far from home... Was fun and they have the best goodies after. It really lifted me up. Work has been pulling me down lately so this was a welcome change.

This weekend I got my geek on with Garage Band.... now I know the loophole to transposing a file you want to drop in it... I love it when my brain solves a problem while I'm NOT thinking about it :-)

I think I might knit a bit. I've started that Lacy Ridge Cowl twice now... hopefully the third time is the charm.

Or maybe I should grade papers... nah I'd rather knit!

Bring on the snow tonight!

the best family

I am so fortunate. Yesterday we went to the birthday party of our friends son... they are friends but I feel more like they are my siblings than merely someone I choose to spend time with. I leave part of my heart with them and they care for it as if it's their own.

Today, my cousins wife and son-in-law came with the 2 first cousin twice removed daughters, (sorry we missed you sarah and violet) to catch the vespers concert at Moravian where DH works. The girls stayed here and played with my kids... (I love having other kids over... takes so much of the heat off of me) and the we supped together on eggplant lasagna, garlic bread, salad and brownies.... sharing great conversation and company. You would think that we saw them regularly (we don't trust me... Cate lives in Nevada) because we don't skip a beat and I really do love her so much!

I feel very very lucky today.... indeed!

snow!

and that it did... although not much to accumulate. Fun to watch, not so much fun to drive in.

mitzvah

According to research Wiki is:
A commandment. It can also refer to any Jewish religious obligation, or more generally to any good deed.

It is the December theme for NaBloPoMo... thought I should at least give one post about it!

I belong to my local freecycle yahoo group. Once a woman was asking for yarn and since i have more than my share I offered some of the stash up.... We have a splinter group off the yahoo group and someone was requesting yarn for her grandma who makes hats for the homeless... natch... there's plenty to go round, so again i offered it up. It turns out it is the same lady :-)
The karma was returned... when she picked up the yarn she left me three delightful homemade soaps, 2 snowmen and a Christmas tree..... and they smell good enough to eat LOL....

At any rate she belongs to a group of women who get together on Saturdays to craft for charity... She said she'd invite me to join. I'd love that! So all that good doing could result in more.. which really rocks!

so go out and do your own mitzvah!

it figures

I got up early, went down to work out and my Jillian Michaels Wii game is messed up..... WAH

OK... tonight is DD's GS Christmas party (yup it's early.. not the leader's fault tho) so I had to scramble to make a gift that was suitable for those ladies...


Recycled felted sweater trees didn't take much of the sweater at all... the two tone one is from two sweaters. The center is a piece of a wire hanger and I glued some posterboard on the bottom to cover the hanger







I think I'll make a big one for here at home. I grabbed the perfect star for the top from Ollies yesterday..... with some beads sewn on it it coud be fab! But I didn't have time... between the baby sweaters and everything else this month brings... YIKES!

I hope they like their little decorations.

not the greatest picture

but it does in a pinch



Pattern: Baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Bernat's Cassino
Color: Lavendar
Needle: US6
Recipient: Violet Phillips
Buttons: From Grandma Gentry's stash
Modifications: no i cord tie... put in 2 buttons instead one facing out and the other facing in.

Hope she can wear it for a bit. I took this with my phone so sorry for the lousy picture. Color is bad and everything..... oh well.. that's all I have of it now!

10 things you want, but wouldn't buy for yourself

in no specific order:
1. House season 5 in HD














2. drum carder











3. mini cooper









4. Bosch dishwasher














5. bose wave system with iPod adapter and headphones








6. grand piano (and someplace to put it)













7. iPhone













8. tropical getaway








9. English wool combs











10. Gagghia espresso machine








Come play yourself and dream while you're at it! Maybe Santa??

ho ho ho

Tonight I made this:


It's from 3 different recycled sweaters. I used the middle and a bit of the bottom of one sweater (the top and toe and heel) and a sleeve from a green sweater and the front of a red sweater. I got the idea from Betz White's book warm fuzzies. I adore that book. As well as her blog. I mean it... I want to be one of these folks who thinks this stuff up!

Anyway it's for the daughter of a woman who subs at my school. BF gives me wool sweaters to frog or felt and keeps my spirit in it's free zone.

I changed the pattern a bit by opting to line the stocking. You can see the Christmas calico in this picture. Then I blanket stitched the calico and top of the stocking together since I didn't attach the cuff the way Betz suggests in the book. I think for next Christmas everyone in our family will have a new stocking. So simple to make and I love how it turned out... and so does DH..... I won't pressure myself to have them finished by this year.

Violet's kimono sweater was finished about 20 minutes before we saw her. I was knitting on the way to church and on the way to their house.. .then seamed it up while we were on the turnpike... sewed on the buttons and wrapped it up. And so the picture I have is a lousy phone picture because I forgot to take the camera along.... (this is the 2nd week in a row... i have to attach that thing to my body or something!) The visit with the cousins was amazing though... the kids all got along great and I love seeing my family... wish they lived closer.

comtemplating NaBloPoMo for this month... how crazy is that????