Tiger Woods?

None of the novelty has worn off. My son is still knitting away. He brought his knitting to daycare today to the amazement of his teachers. He knitted in the car on the way there and on the way back. (17 miles each way so he easily knocked out a row). Unfortunately, he did err and did a short row so we had to take out almost an entire row, a half hour's worth of work for him. He was a bit upset but it was no way near how I was when I took out an entire sock....He's picked up speed but he was tired and a little distracted and couldn't get past, "Watch me do this" tonight.

We arrived home and he rushed through dinner to make time for knitting. He then proceeded to show his dad how to knit. He showed his sister how to knit. He even showed me how to knit. He announced that he was the "best knitter" and he knew how to "knit everything" and how he "could make a scarf, a sock or even a sweater".

I feel like I have the Tiger Woods of Knitting right here in my house.

Puppy Update!

Speaking of in my house, Zoey the Boglen Terrier is happy in her crate. I have never been a fan of crates and I hate keeping her crated up all day (or cradled up as my daughter would say). HOWEVER, it was VERY nice not to come home to a pile of puppy poop that I had to clean up. She did NOT poop in the crate. Or do anything else. She was great today! Tomorrow, she stays in there from 8:30AM to 5:30PM, an hour and a half longer than she did today. Let's see if she can make it. (I certainly can't)

Diet Update!
Have I mentioned that I'm doing Nutrisystem? I love how they call the packages "Nutrisystem Nourish". I officially started on 3/1. It's now 4/30 and I've cheated here and there plus was away for a few days in Vegas. I FINALLY hit 10 lbs yesterday morning. I figure one more year on this cat food and I should look like one of the Olsen Twins. Ya hoo! 10 lbs! It could be worse, I could've found 10 lbs instead. A friend of mine is doing Accupressure. She has these little beads taped behind her ears. She lost 52 lbs in like 6 weeks. 3 weeks after she started, she inspired another friend to do it. The second person lost 27 lbs. They hardly eat. It's amazing! So, more interestingly, I'm going out to lunch tomorrow for real food. Grilled Tuna Steak and Fried Calamari. Salad and meal replacement bar for dinner, I suppose. But at least lunch will be good.

The Art of Knitting 4 Kids

I picked up this great DVD today at my LYS. It's for ages five plus and my son is just 5. He watched some of it and said, "I could do that." So, I casted on a few stitches and away he went. We then ran out to A.C. Moore where he picked out some crayon colored Red Heart Yarn and short needles and he proceeded to knit! Back and forth in rows, evenly! I had to watch to make sure that he was consistent and he had a little trouble turning his work at first but after row three, pretty much smooth sailing!


Here he is, deep in thought when he first started out. The video has a little boy teaching the basics. There is also a short video of a lamb getting stuck under a fence to help teach the kids to memorize the steps. I haven't watched the whole thing yet but from what I've seen, it's great!


















And then, a short time later, he had done this! I had tears in my eyes! My little boy has discovered his talent! Maybe he'll grow up to be a famous fashion designer or something! He has 25 sts in a row on the kiddie needles and I did the first row. I coached after that but he pretty much did this on his own. I helped to make sure that he was doing it right but he nailed this. What a great video!













oh...and, uh...,here's a picture of my sock.....
and, I think bedtime is going to be a little bit of a problem...........

One of These Things Doesn't Belong Here

Sing everyone!

One of these things, isn't the same /One of these things, doesn't belong here/

And now it's time to play our game!

Thank you Sesame Street. Here's the pictures!

(Pattern: Broad Spiral Ribbing,More Sensational Knitted Socks, size 0 knitpicks needles, Cherry Tree Hill)

Amazing how I could knit two socks, two completely different sizes and not notice, isn't it? Well, I had to take out the skinny (complete done one). 12 hrs worth of knitting time, down the tubes. And things were going so well. See the number of ribs in the closeup? I was off by 12 stitches in the round and didn't notice. DOPE!! CRAP!! DARN IT! DAGNAMIT!! *#)*(*%)(!!!

So, I took out the skinny one and left the fat one on the holders. When I get up to the end of the gusset decreases, they're going to go back onto the needles and I'm going to knit the feet at the same time. Then, put this puppy to bed.

Speaking of puppies, this is Zoey. Zoey is now 10 months old (we only have her 2 months though) and she poops in the house. She poops outside, too. She is in a pen during the day and night but starting tonight, in a crate. I've had enough of mopping and scrubbing the tile. Cute, hah? She's 1/2 Beagle and half Boston Terrier which makes her a "DESIGNER DOG", a Boglen Terrier. We took her over from my son's teacher who couldn't keep her any longer.

Being I'm on a roll, let's look at some older pictures of knitting stuff!

Here's Hooded Raglan which I made out of WoolEase for my daughter. I have a Navy Blue one in the works for awhile for my son......It's in the UFO pile but I'll pick it up really soon again. I have one sleeve and a hood to make on that and it's done. I want to finish these socks and the baby blanket which will be photographed soon enough.

Here's the completed, except for grafting, Dark Pink socks!

Pattern: Broad Spiral Ribbing, More Sensational Knitted Socks, size 1 knitpicks needles, Fortissima Socka, 60 sts around)

Just When I thought it was Safe....

An error in pink sock number 2. It's at the ankle. Do you think anyone will notice? I can't take the entire foot out....do you see it? I guess I need a new camera. But it's there...two knit rows in a row...I guess this gift is now mine. I can't let anyone else know..

Gotta go to work now...

Early Morning Update

Well, it's 6:05am and I am having an exciting morning doing laundry and maybe even a little knitting on my second dark pink ribbed sock. Yes, you guessed it, I have completed pink sock number 1. In fact, I have almost finished two pairs of socks in about two and a half weeks. I am just itchin' to start my socks that rock. First though, I think I am going to finish my UFOs. I have a hooded raglan for Daniel that needs a sleeve and a hood and a baby blanket that needs about four more inches. I could do that watching American Idol if I can stay awake that long tonight. So, one and a half sock feet, a sleeve, a hood and four inches and it's time for socks that rock!

The Wonderful Wallaby project will probably not begin until the fall but we'll see how I feel. I can't imagine having a giant man sized hot sweater in my lap in June but we'll see. It looks like it'll be fun to knit. Maybe I'll make an itty bitty one for one of the new babies that are arriving on my block. There are three in the works. One in June (that's the one that's getting the blanket) another one in June for the newbies on the block and another one in October. The October one is really in for a treat. Like me, she has a puppy. Puppies and babies leaves tons of free time for oneself, as you can easily imagine.

Ta Da! Here's my Dark Pink Ribbed Sock number one:

Here's Cherry Tree Hill PURPLE yarn picked out by my daughter:












To tell you the truth, I wasn't too pleased with the purple but now it's growing on me. I could also get four socks or more out of that being she has little tiny baby feet.

On the pink sock, it was the first time that I reinforced the toe and heel and I used wooly nylon. It's good! Not too bad to work with at all. I thought that it would be a little smoother but it's kinda 'sticky', it clings to the yarn. Looks kinda nice, too.

I also have a nice ball of Trekking Tweed that would make nice man socks...but I am not starting anything new until I finish all my UFOs.

Time for coffee and time to rouse the hubby to send him off to work.

A Sock by Any Other Name

So, last night Elizzabetty came over to wind up my STR yarn. I just got Rose Quartz and Scottish Highlands. I was also thinking about Ruby Slippers. They're all nostalgic. Rose Quartz is just like the rocks. Looks like it has all the colors of Rose Quartz in it. Scottish Highlands will have me imagining waltzing through the Heather on the Hill like in Brigadoon. Ruby Slippers will take me back to you-know-where.

So, I was thinking about one day becoming rich and famous and being able to actually name yarn. It's like naming children. I wouldn't want to call it something non-appetizing, like "Blue Violet". It would be "Lady Sings the Blues" or "Blues in the Night" or "Blueberry Plum Pudding". And, a red one could be called "Lady in Red" or "Engine Engine Number 9" (rolling down Chicago line..if the train falls off the tracks, do you want your money back? Yes or no? Y-E-S spells YES and you are not it".)

Speaking of naming children. I have two. They're 18 months apart. I spent 9 months on, 9 months off and 9 months back on. My son is 5 and my daughter is 3 1/2. We knew he was a he and had his name picked out. Daniel. We didn't know the little girl was going to be a girl. We only had a girl's name picked out so we quickly picked out a boys name about 45 seconds prior to pulling into the parking lot at the hospital. I don't know what we've would've done with our two children, Daniel and Do Not Enter, had she been a he.. But she was a she and Erica it was.

I am tired and rambling. Time for bed. More later in the week!

Jet Lag Free!

Well, I made it back alive from Vegas. Of course, I can't find my camera and haven't uploaded ANY pictures yet. It was a rough trip. Heading out wasn't all that bad, landing was hard, very bumpy.

Looking out the window heading out, I saw crop circles. I also learned that no one really lives in the middle of the country. It's empty. And the Rockies just...start! All of a sudden, they're there. I've seen that in movies and I knew it was like that but it was still awesome to see it from 38,000 feet. Lake Mead was pretty cool, too.

I also survived two days of walking and standing and a sandstorm. It was great, sand blowing up, in my eyes, nose and the wind whipping up at 40 mph! The pool had a storm surge.

I'd best look for my camera...

In any event, I am nearly done with two pairs of socks. Not one, two. I will show them to you later.

Time to look for the camera.

Later, that same day..I found the camera.

Here's the crop circles.

See? What are those things. I mean, there is basically nothing around. They must be huge if I could see them from way up in the sky. Below, is a picture of my beds. I slept in them both.

And, here's some socks shots:

That's the pink ribbed sock. I am making two pairs out of the same pattern. This is on size 1 needles the other, blue and purple, is on size 0.

I am working on the mate to this one now.

Later, that SAME Day...

I wanted to show you the Regia Bamboo Socks. They were done on knitpicks size 0 needles, twisted rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks.

I didn't enjoy this yarn so much, it's not very elastic and the socks are a teeny bit on the larger size because the ribbing is not very clingy. The colors remind me of Monet and they're to be a gift to my Mother in Law who loves to paint. Now, to save them until Christmas....

I must admit that I do love the way that they feel and they'll be a nice summer sock.

Later, this SAME day, I will upload more pictures of WIP.

Project Desert Storm?

Well, there's a mitten I knitted, look at that. I guess I won't need them where I'm going.

Tomorrow, a nor'easter is blowing into town. Maybe even late tonight, the wee hours. I'm flying to Vegas (for work)...Sunday Morning...50 mph winds. Lotsa bumps.

I could kill myself with knitting needles on the flight, couldn't I?

Please stay tuned for pictures of "Socks Over the Rockies" (which I have yet to see) and "Casino Cherry Tree Hill".

Project: Desert Storm.

In the Beginning......

In the Beginning...
What better way to begin my blog? I'm not even so sure that I want to do this but I am curious. I mean, I can go on all day but what about my life would be so interesting that others would actually read about it? Would various people, all out there, all over the world, rush home from work, right to their computers to see what I've posted.

Today, I had bran flakes. And a banana. And then I had another banana and a pear and yogurt. (Did I lose anyone yet?)

Let's see. I play with yarn. Isn't that interesting? I have been playing with yarn since I was in first grade. My grandmother taught me to do a chain stitch. I made a chain that was like 200 feet long. Then, in second grade, I crocheted my first single crochet. For those in the know, sc. Then, my grandmother gave me some dark red yarn. I think it was red heart. And she put small pins into a wooden spool. (Back then, they were wood, not plastic) and I made a 'horse rein'. It stayed with me until fifth grade, when I was 10. At that point, it probably was long enough to ... go around the block. It was mostly yellow but all different colors and all different yarn that she would give me from her leftovers. Then she gave me knitting needles. I must've been like 9 or 10. I went back and forth a few times. Purling was frustrating. I still have those needles and if I can figure out how to post pictures, I'll show them to you, now loyal readers. So anyway, I knit for awhile, if that's what you'll call it. When I was 10, I made my first afghan. It was dark brown, lighter brown, cream and white "OMBRE", which is what we call "VARIGATED" these days. Probably politically correct. It was all double crochet, back and forth in rows. It got fatter and skinnier at times, too but that was ok. When I was 13, I mastered the granny square. 15, doilies (ugh, haven't done that for awhile). 16, more afghans. Everyone got one. Knitting only small things, like slippers. Never a sweater. I made several million crocheted things as I moved into adulthood. Toys, sweaters, anything. I even designed my own patterns. Knitting took a back seat but it's always been in me to take out my needles and try.

This year, with the help of my friend, Elizzabetty of Elizzabetty Knits (link to page, but I don't know how to do that yet), I've been able to discover the magic of circular needles, the magic loop and other expensive hobbies like buying tons of yarn. I have been actively knitting tons of things now for several months and I must say I am pleased with the results.

My two children, nicknamed Boo (son, age 5) and Boobette (daughter, age 3 1/2) are also pleased with the results. I will show you all the things that I've made as soon as I can figure this stuff out. Should be fun.

Ok, time to post!