Opinions Please...

I am swatching in preparation for knitting the Elizabeth Zimmerman Surprise Jacket...It should look something like this when done only bigger, to fit me, not a baby.

Here is the swatch so far...Anybody got any suggestions for additional colors? I'm not really looking to be in camo for the fall so would like to add a couple more colors and I'm thinking burgundy and black...

Beuhler? Beuhler? Anybody? lol

The Saint's New Toy

He's as happy as a clam with his new toy...


so much for retiring in 2 years...



A happy man is a good thing...

Today that happy man and I are heading over to Detroit for a nice dinner at Atlas and to see the Tigers vs Yankees, let's hope for some nice weather please. I'm not a lover of a soggy bottom. lol

Rena and I stopped by City Knitting this morning to pet the yarn and pick up a couple of skeins of yarn that we couldn't live without.

I'll post a pic tomorrow of the fabo sock yarn I got.

Hopefully I'll have some picks from the game and maybe a stop at Threadbear in Lansing.

So, until tomorrow...have a great weekend!

Toodles

Chairs, Rena's PIF Exchange & Prizes for You

I really miss this chair...



It went to the garage and was replaced by this chair...















that I thought would be more comfy and less confining.

Not So! and I really hate to have to tell The Saint that I've changed my mind, again, and he'll have to switch them around, again... :)

So, Rena is looking for 3 lucky people she can bestow her amazing knitting talents on...I know she would do it up real nice for whoever would go by her blog and volunteer to be gifted.

Leave a comment on her blog and tell her I sent you and I'll send you a little something myself.

Then leave a comment here letting me know that you left a comment and volunteered on her PIF Exchange.

I'll post your names here when I need addresses to send the spiffs.

Alpacas, Sheep, Rabbits, Monkeys and RAIN!

Yay! It's raining! Even though it has been a dreary day here in West Michigan I won't complain...really...we need it so desperately.

Yesterday afternoon was Ally hangs out alone time...this can be fun sometimes...The Saint was gone fishing, Rena was gone to yet another baby shower (she's of that age where all her friends are having babies) and Jared is in St Louis working. I started my Saturday in the usual way with a trip to the local Farmer's Market with Rena and then breakfast at Marie Catrib's. mmm-mmm! Then about 10:30 we went our separate ways.

I decided it would be a good day to pick up a few supplies and browse the new books at Barnes & Noble. I headed straight for the magazines to pick up the latest copy of Interweave Knits, my favorite knitting magazine. With that in hand I decided to take a look and see what they had on the book shelf and I found the most fabulous book, *gasp* Romantic Handknits by Annie Modesitt. Like most other people I know who do hand crafts I am subject to the occassional wild hair, enter Holiday from the aforementioned book. Couldn't find an image of it to post but it is a very nice shawl made with ribbon and I have to knit West Side Story but first it's gonna be a Holiday for me. I'm thinking purples, think that's too adventurous? I happen to have a half dozen spools of variegated purple ribbon that would work perfect for the ruffles on that skirt. But right now this is my progress on Holiday...


Rena and I drove down to Allegan this morning for this...















there were lots of interesting animals and some fabulous fibers to be had.

And now we have some of them,

like this...

wool and mohair, two skeins wound together, hand painted by Deb at Handmade In The Hills She had beautiful yarns for knitting and weaving and was super friendly too. She's from Lawrenceville, PA and that's quite a drive to Allegan. I can see this yarn as a scarf for this winter.



And this...
It's called Ice Cream Sundae. The picture doesn't do it justice though. Gypsy Girl Creations, hand painted, fingering weight, 100% superwash Merino. The color is pink, white and chocolate. Yummy! I purchased this from The Fold I feel some more socks coming soon.

Speaking of socks, here's my progress on the Monkey (click on photo to enlarge)
really doesn't look like much does it? I believe I'm going to start the heel now so these can be some short socks. I like them short better than long as they are more comfortable if they don't go so high on my leg. (and Cass is getting way too far ahead in the Let's Learn Socks KAL, ha ha ha)




Here we have a view of the box just before sealing for the Dish Rag Tag. That was a hoot! I don't think I've ever knitted a dish cloth that fast before. And don't really care to do one that fast again, it's not a good thing to speed knit when you have carpal tunnel syndrome. I keep a plentiful supply of pharmaceuticals handy for just such occasions though so it was all ok. Can't let a little arm ache stop the creative processes. Go Lucky 13!

Everybody have a great week! Toodles!

KIP & Dish Rag Tag spoils

I buzzed home from work at lunch time and checked my mail and YAY, I got the box!! So I got started on my cloth before I headed back downtown for a bit of lunch at my favorite Asian restaurant, XO.

The waitress laughed after she took my picture. And walked away muttering something about public knitting, ha ha ha...glad I go there a lot and they sort of know me, hee


Nichole treated me so nicely. Look at all the pretty things she sent in that little box. (click on pictures to enlarge) There were the cutest stitch markers, with my fav, blue beads and little yarn balls w/needles in them and one for the beginning of the row with a martini glass! lol

Be sure to take a close look at the postcard with the rabbit, it is awesome. (I'll be havin that framed) There's also a nice bookmark and refrigerator magnet and of course some nice bright Sugar & Cream! You'll notice one skein of yarn is missing from this picture...scroll to the bottom to see what that looked like.



And the center piece is the sunny yellow sunflower cloth that she made.


Oh, and I better not forget the Neccos...all chocolate! Love them!


Thank you so much Nichole. You're the best!


And now this little baby is headed to California! Better be ready Allison, you know we want to win! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!

PIF Update

There's still one spot for some special someone to get a nice gift from me, anyone...anyone???

I feel so all alone!!! *sigh*

Dog Days bounty!

Our receptionist was really excited to be able to hand me this lovely package this morning...after I'd asked her several times if it had arrived yet... :-)

I got this amazing package from Cheryl W today, thanks Cheryl!

Yummy treats, yummy yarn, a fabulous dish cloth and a Rachael Ray cookbook, she's one of my favs! Starburst, Jolly Ranchers, Crystal Light On the Go packets,Lemongrass soap from Daisycakes Soap and a great manicure set. She even threw in some Mardi Gras beads, how did she know I have a vast collection of them? I can't remember ever mentioning them.
Thank you just doesn't say it.










This swap was so much fun! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Got to get back to work now, I came home for lunch to let Max & Sam out on this beautiful sunny day and to post this bountiful gift. The Dog Days of Summer Dishcloth Exchange was a raving success at my house!


How do you like my new beads?

PIF Exchange

So one of my team mates on the Lucky 13 team for the Dish Rag Tag posted this PIF Exchange and it sounds like fun!

Whether you've seen the movie or not the concept is a heart warming one and something that is indicative of the knitting community as I've experienced it.

(Copied from Jennifer's blog, who copied it from Megan’s blog, which was copied from Pony Knits blog, and so on...)

Here is how it works! I’ll send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange! I don’t know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week…LOL… but you will receive it within 365 days, that’s a promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog…

So if you are one of the first 3 people to leave a comment on my blog, and please include your email address so I can contact you, I'll send you a little surprise!

Finished Peach Freeze

I finally got around to photographing my finished Peach Freeze...I believe it turned out pretty well. A co-worker offered to purchase it from me...hmmm...the offer is very tempting since I'm tired of looking at the color after spending so much time making it. I'm thinking it would look pretty good in a shiny navy yarn, ah, it's a dilemma! Think I'll wear it once and see what comments it gets and then decide. It looked great on Susie though.

Here's a closer pic of the fan stitch that doesn't represent the color as well.


When Rena gets here today I'll try it on and have her photograph it and we'll see what we think of it actually on me.













James and I went to the wedding of a friend's nephew today...it's about 90 degrees and there was no a/c...they did pass out some of these though...

thank you very much! It was a lovely wedding. Celery green dresses and white tuxedos...

Tonight I'll be working on my Monkey sock for the Let's Learn Socks KAL. You should join me! I'll be sitting in my new favorite chair (which I'll have to post a pic of next time since my battery just died in my camera) at the front window sipping a cool drink and probably watching 3 different shows on the tv since The Saint has returned from his Man Week.

I'm nervously awaiting the arrival of the Dish Rag Tag box . I believe it's at Grace's house right now, headed to Nichole's after that and then to me...I hope I can fulfill my duty and get the job done speedy-fast. I'd like to do a basketweave like the one in my previous post but I'm not sure if I can do it fast enough to keep us competitive. And those prizes that Emily posted yesterday are fabulous...I want them! So, in that spirit GO LUCKY 13!!!

Cass is having a contest to commemorate her 222nd post, go check it out! I want to win cause that's some really cool yarn she's offered up as a prize. You should read her anyway just because she's a hoot and a half! Rena and I love her! Even if she is on a competing Dish Rag Tag team, lol.
But then, Rena's on a different team than I am so I guess it's all good! hee hee

Have a great weekend, Toodles!

Another Contest!

There's a felted bag exchange here. Go check it out!

A Lonely Weekend...

NOT!!!

Every year The Saint goes on a Canadian fishing trip with the Guys. There are 10 of them this year, including our son, Jared. A week of drinkin' and fishin', yee-haw!

It's like a little vacation for me too. I get the remote all to myself. I only have to watch 1 program at a time and it won't be any kind of sports. And if I don't feel like turning on the tv at all *gasp*, I won't! lol

I do miss him, really I do.

How could you not miss such an adorable man as this? Can you tell we were having a relaxing time at the little cabin? It is rather difficult to take self portraits though, lots of running and jumping involved. tee hee







I also look forward to this 1 week of the year when I can get a bunch of things done around here with no interruption and without feeling like I'm neglecting someone.

They left Friday morning early. Saturday morning I hit the ground running (actually not running, there was a little too much wine & cheese Friday night) :-(

Ok, so, about noon I started running and I've managed to clean all the photos off the computer (that was about a 3 hr job with putting all those photos on cd), cleaned a bunch of stuff out of the office/sewing room, painted the window frames in the bedroom and put up new curtain rods, put together an 8 cube unit for my yarn stash and a shoe organizer thingy and read a few chapters of The Friday Night Knitting Club. Phew! And had time to knit with Rena for a couple hours last night and enjoy a yummy dinner at El Burrito Loco our new favorite Mexican restaurant. They have fabulous white cheese & chorizo dip, yay!

Tomorrow, it's back to crunching numbers at work. Drat.

Last night I finished this...






isn't it pretty? Reminds me of those neopolitan coconut candies that I really like but haven't had in a very long time.
It could use a bit of blocking but since it's going to get wet when I wash dishes with it, what's the point?

I cast-on another cloth right away, have to have one going at all times, like always having a book to read in case you get stuck waiting somewhere. It will have the state of Michigan worked into it. Thought I'd send it to Emily as a thank you for doing the Dish Rag Tag. If I can get it done before the box gets to me.

After going through all my stash, that I had stashed in several different places, I have some items I'd like to try. Today I picked up the new issue of Vogue Knitting...wow, I really want to try the Debbie Bliss Silver Belle. I can see me looking fabulous in that sweater! A girl can dream...

I have a few rows of the cuff done on the Monkey Sock I'm knitting for the Let's Learn Socks KAL. Not impressive yet but it will be soon I hope.

Well, it's off to bed for me, Max & Sam will want their breakfast at 6am.

Everybody have a great week!

Toodles!

PS: How do you like the new colors on my blog?