Cats and Frogs

I told you I was having a transformation. That transformation includes a lot of frogs and help from a cat. I was trying to knit Banff, got half the back done and it sat on my shelf for over a month. Frogged it and started Audrey from Hot Knits on Friday and am 2/3 done on Monday.

Do you think we should learn to listen to our inner selves about what to knit and what not to knit. Was about ½ way done with Top Secret, hating it all the way. Frogged it and am dreaming about making this other sweater from Hot Knits. Have two more sweaters in the closet that have been sitting for (cough cough, under my breath) 2 years. They are getting frogged and now I am excited about what I will make next.

And what I really want to make is this Rumpelstilskin Cardigan from Summer 2003 Interweave Knits. I have tons of Debbie Bliss merino aran in a nice purple, I think I will start it this week.

Sweet Sons

Just a quick post as I am on my way out the door to run errands - one to Borders, so I will have to sneak back to the knitting section.

But my 16 year old son emailed me this from school today - they are studing WWII and he found it on line.

More tonight as I have been frogging up a storm. (a pond?)

Addictions

I just found out last night I have 12 size 3 addi turbo circs, most the same length. How did that happen? Shows how comfortable I am with you that I can admit it. So who is worried about the number of WIP you have and why do I need 12 of the same size needles? Maybe I should remeasure and some will be 3 mm not 3.25 mm and I can call them 2's. Guess I should break out my Skacel needleguage and then I could say I don't have an addiction. What number do you think is an addiction? Or maybe like Beth I just have ADD - (Addi Durbo Diction?)

The Deep V for ME

I’m going to be truthful here. I don’t like my body. Sorry for all the learn to love it stuff; I am at least 50 lbs over what I want to be. Somehow in the last month or so, as I pull out the turtleneck baggy sweaters I made, I look in the mirror and don’t like it. But a good friend of mine (her name is ZEN) moved back to town, we were out looking at sweater patterns together and she looked at me and said “Why do you always hide your self. You have a wonderful voluptuous figure don’t hide it.” Some friend huh. So the next day I got up and put on the sweater with the 5X5 rib and DH looked at me and said “I love how that sweater flows over your breasts”!!!!! Guess I should listen to friends more often

A few days later I was at Powell’s Bookstore looking for books of fashion and color, thinking maybe I would like more of what I knit if I thought about how the end product would look on ME, not just the model. I ran across “What Not to Wear” from Britain, then went to their web site and got my own recommendations for what to wear.

So yesterday morning I headed out to the local Mall knowing there were President’s Day sales and with my 15% extra off. I think the sales clerk hates me. I must have tried on 150 things. Pants, tops, jackets. In the end, I have to dump the boxy turtlenecks cause they just make me took bad. So I ended up with boot cut pants, black and jeans, a deep V black sweater, and a scoop neck tee and boots. And you know in the end, I like how I look, may not love the body underneath, but the outside looked kind of voluptuous.

Now I am combing my half knit Top Secret with a deep V neck rather than that high turtleneck. I went on a hunt for patterns that would suit my new style. Boy there are none in my house. Is that because I always bought boxy turtleneck patterns? Belle Epoque, with out the ribbon.Then I have to find something with a waist and a low neckline for bulky yarn I was going to use for Banff. And I may take my Jo Sharp green yarn from stash and make the wrap sweater from SnB Nation. Anyone have any other good wrap sweaters patterns?

Oh, forgot to tell you DH took me out to this local dive we like for burger and beer late afternoon, and he wanted to dance when a good song came one. Guess he liked the new outfit.

Breathing to Knit

All right I know we all have a million projects going and a million ideas in our heads and yarn for most of them (come on, you can admit it in the safety of the knitting cult.) But this morning I am looking at what I have started and what I want to start. And how do we all make up our minds?

Started

• Black Pullover
• Pink Mohair Cardigan (started two years ago and just pulled out again)
• Aiblhinn
• Clapotis #2
• Beaded sock (not rocking my world)
• Market Square Bag
• Kristina Bag
• Banff (not rocking my world)

What I want to start

• The needle felting kit my Secret Pal sent!!!!!
• Lucy Bag
• Button Hole Bag
• Something with one skein of Himalayan recycled silk that will show it off: the right scarf or a little pouch
• The Entrelac Socks
• Socks for DH
• Socks for S#1
• Pulse warmers
• And, and , and

So how do you decide what is next on the needles and what do you do with the “not rocking my world” stuff?

And really now I have about 10 eBay things to mail off and have to meet with a realtor about shop space and start looking for display furniture and work on the business plan and find funding – life is busy and full.

But last night once it was settled down and we had had dinner and DH asked me “so what are you going to knit on tonight?” I said, “how do you know I am going to knit?” Pretty stupid huh. He thought it was as dumb as asking “how do you know I am going to breath.”

Spy Cameras

I think my secret pal has a spy camera into my house. How did she know I looked at this exact felting kit a couple of weeks ago? It is so much fun to get a box and have it be from you secret pal and not have to explain why you ordered or need another bit for the fiber addiction. Looky here - maybe tomorrow I will show you what it looks like done.




And look at what awaited me when I woke Sunday morning and looked over the landing - you got to love a picture of a boy, a cat and a dog.

Knots Can Slip

"Knit your hearts with an unslipping knot"

from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra:

Shoes off for music

Have I told you the story of Calum and his socks? He is S#3 lives to watch ESPN, play basketball, poker and ultimate Frisbee. One day when I was perusing Elann.com’s sock yarn he spied the pink and thus began his obsession. He had to have them, he lusted after hand knit pink socks NOW. As knitters know there is no instant gratification, but a 12-year-old non-knitter on a mission, in love, would not be appeased. The yarn arrived quickly, as you know Elann does. The mother started as you know a mother does, and every time S saw mother he wanted to know if they would be done that day.

Music is on Tuesday and Thursday; music requires shoes to come off and socks to be shown. “ I know the yarn just came Friday, but I want them to wear Tuesday.” “How much did you do today?” “How long will the second one take?” “Can you get it done tonight?” To the point where everyone but mom was ready to throttle the boy. Older brother home from school, “Did you demand your socks again?” Mom, as obnoxious as S#3 was, still knew that in the end this was a child that loved his hand knitted things. So what do you do when you can’t sleep and there is a good movie on – you guesses it – Socks finished at 3:00 am Friday morning, 7:00 am Friday morning a smile on S#3’s face as big as any sun.

Color Me Spring

Well, LeAnne called today around lunch time to see if I was ok. She said I had not had a blog entry in so long she was worried. But I have been busy. My excuses - first on the week ends S #4 uses the computer that I do pictures on. Life is crazy, Superbowl Sunday, and really putting a business plan together to open a yarn store. Knitting - sock for S #3 - and he is demanding. I love knitting for him cause he asks and really understands the love involved - but a sock in a day with life to take care of is not really do able.

I have been on a pink and orange trend lately as I try to brighten up my clothes. Then on Monday I stopped to talk to my friend who owns Aubergine in Portland and she said the trends for spring are aqua and fall blues and browns, some how over the course of 3 days when I look around my house I see that aqua yarn sneaking in and I really like it. So much so that I may have a hard time finishing the pink and orange market square bag.

But aren't these colors gorgeous?








So tell me about you and colors you knit, research and curiosity. How much do you follow your same colors and how much does the fashion world influence your yarn colors?

The Cult

It is your fault, you know who you are, you Charlotte women, enticing me with your pictures. My DH and S have suggested this blogging knitting thing is a cult. Now when a FiberRAOK happens, I just say its The Cult.

If only they knew how bad it is, I am sure they would start an intervention. But please not until after Charlotte is done, and the pink socks for S #3 and the Lucy Bag for me, and the Market Square for Brenda, and the black sweater, and D's pink bag and and and.....

Actually it is so bad that in looking for how to apply my business entrepreneurial skills, which have not been used much since(my last venture), I am in the process of writing a business plan to open (drum roll please) a LYS.

2 Days Out of Touch

It doesn’t sound like long, but the whole family was off the Internet for two whole days. From Sunday night to Tuesday night, and the kids were off school Monday. Almost forgot we had so many and had certainly forgotten what they looked like. But in the end the change in ISPs and the upgrade of the DSL will make them all happier.

But no Blogging, and I couldn’t even complain, because how could I say in that voice like my mother’s “You spend too much time on the Internet any way,” if I was admitting my withdrawal problems. And I had so much to post.

Last week, Michelle, at The Orange Yarn Please RAOKed me, my very first time. Look at this card is it the cutiest thing. And she sent me pretty stitch markers, which I can't photograph cause they are marking the sides of my dull black sweater. I think her and I are kindred spirits joined by orange. I went running out to the back yard where DH and 16yr S were and they looked at each other and asked “Is this a Cult?” Hummm, maybe it is, no, more like a commune. Then when I finally checked my email I was ROAKed by Lisa the Slip Knot Pixie, she sent me a gift certificate to Adiago Teas, which is like a triple gift, finding a place like Adagio, spending forever perusing their offerings, and then getting to sit and drink the tea. Or wait maybe she read my post about the kids and has a really wicked sense of humor - come on Lisa fess up, we are all waiting to know.