Back at last!

Well, well, well...where have you been? Me?? I've been either busy or too lazy to update my blog, didn't you know? The kid's are finally done with school for the summer and now I should have time here or there to post - so keep me on your minds!


Got a new project on my needles (besides the endless array of socks I continue to work on). I'm in love with Paton's "Cabled Hoodie" from their Street Smart booklet (PICTURED) - so I'm giving it a try. But what I'm not doing is what the pattern calls for at all! I'm attempting to alter the pattern by knitting this is the "round" instead of the back, left front and right fronts separately. So I've adjusted the stitches taking out seam allowances and am knitting this bad boy back and forth on circular needles all in one piece up to the armholes - then I'll work each section individually and seam those when done. Additionally, I'm using my Jamieson's Chunky Shetland in Wildflower (PICTURED) instead of the worsted weight yarn the pattern calls for. So I'm experiementing with the ribbing gauge at the moment on size 8 and 9 needles right now and will see how to proceed.

Recently took a gander at a new local yarn shop in Wakefileld, MA called Butterfly Yarns. Very nice little shop on it's way to being a mainstay in the area for knitters. Glad to see that there is now someone to give Sit & Knit a run for her money anyway! Of course, I couldn't leave the shop without making a purchase - got MORE sock yarn - which I was delighted to see they carry all sorts of. Can't have too many socks on the needles, now can we!

I feel the need to comment on my newest addiction related to knitting - ADDI TURBO NEEDLES! I have to confess that I am now an Addi snob! I was working just fine with my Denise Interchangeable circular kit - but then I got "stuck" on socks knit the 2 circular needle way and used Addi's - that's all it took. I've used them before, but something just clicked when I used them this time around. Ohh...man! My goal now is to get 2 pair 28" long in each size! Already got US0 - 4 down! Ohh yeah!

Remember - keep me in your thoughts!

lackluster

Just to let you all know, my house looked great for my Friday night dinner guests! And I had time to knit! Made chicken cordon bleu, pilaf and brocolli. Got lots of compliments and my kids ate 2 servings of chicken! We played probably the best ever game of Monopoly ever (and that's not just because I won!). It was just a great distribution of properties and unique bargining, plus the personalities at the table that made it so fun. So overall, the night was a success.

My kids have a birthday party for a 6 year old girlfriend - so I've got a gift to make. I think I'm going with a bathing suit cover/poncho to match this cute little suit I found. Just need to find the right yarn....

My little guy is home today - so off we go to enjoy the beautiful day (with sunblock of course). He's all geared up in one of his "basketball uniforms" and he's ready to play.

jinx

I fear mentioning the sun for it will shy away behind dark grey clouds, but it is out again today! That's all I'm saying about that.

It's always nice to throw in a little jpeg of the work in progress, isn't it? Lovely little sock.


Next on the list of sock yarns is more Lana Grossa "Fun & Stripes", but in dark blue, light blue, red and orange or #626. The appeal to this yarn is that it makes predictable stripes, which makes it easier to make the mate. But I guess it depends on what you're looking for out of a self patterning yarn, right?

Dinner guests are on the agenda for this evening. Of course, I am feeling the pull to clean house! Nothing too big, just EVERYTHING! Yeah, I'm a freak when it comes to this. Oh, well. Honestly, though, I'm getting better at this since instead of the urge to clean, I'm trying to figure out when I can knit today! Nothing like a fiber addiction to let your home go to the pigs.

could it be?

Dare I say the sun has come out today? But it is true...amazingly. Let the outdoor playdates begin! I am off shortly to let the boys run and play. Thursday is the day of the boys, you know. My son, who is usually surrounded by girls, gets his day of rough play, climbing, yelling and tumbling with a few other boys his same age. He loves it! He lives for Thursdays! Yeah for Reid!

Since I've finished my shrug, I'm off working on more socks. I'm currently using Lana Grossa Meilenweit "Fun & Stripes" in blue, green, orange and grey stripes. They are a funky arrangement of colors one might not put together - therefore, I love them!

This morning, over a bowl of Corn Pops with my son, I was reading the back of the Addi Turbo needle packet and got a little chuckle out of the "warning label": "This needle or item should be used only for the purpose it was designed for: NEEDLE WORK. If used improperly and or by untrained persons this tool may cause bodily harm." Untrained??? Bodily Harm??? Watch out there fellow knitters, I don't think you realized how dangerous using those circular needles really was! No, really, it just cracks me up now a days to see these kind of warning labes on just about everything....damn idiots and their lawsuits.

Anyway, let the sun shine down on me and raise me from the funk I have called life in recent weeks! Off to play.

downer day

Boston is crappy! Why any of us pay as much as we do to live here is not registering in my head. Not being native to this place, I am not enjoying my time spent here due to the ugly weather this area has been burdoned with this year. A killer winter with loads of snow have now passaged on to endless cold, grey, wet days. We're but mere weeks from summer and we've yet to have any real sense of spring. The few flowers that bloomed with the hopes of sun and warmth, were wilted over with clouds and cold. I've been forced to hold off on planting my crop of green beans and now it's making me grouchy!
I can only hope that this blanket of cold and wet will soon burn away and allow the golden rays to shine upon us. My mind, body and soul are in dire need (as is my orchid, which drops a flower every other day now!). For the knitter, our colder weather items have gotten an extension. Usually at this time of year, a knitter is searching for lighter summer weight goodies to occupy her hands and soul. This is not the case now. We all seem to be slowly wrapping up wool sweaters and the likes instead of light and airy ponchos or bathing suit coverups. This will catch up though - as I'm sure summer with hit with a vengence and we'll go from a cool 53 degrees to 98 in a days time! What will one do then with a newly finished wool roll neck sweater?

I'll end this somber entry with my personal life mantras:
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH -&- You can only control your own actions