Quick Last Post of 2010

I'm at home - safe and warm - working on projects and waiting for the new year to begin. January's calendar is already starting to fill up! I hear fireworks from outside already and it's only 8pm. I am  hopeful that 2011 will bring better health for the family. 4 out of 6 GrandGirls have had either broken bones or sprains recently and we won't even go into what's been up with me.
Looking toward the future: opening my Etsy Shop, finishing the re-do in my Studio, finishing MOST of the projects in the works to clear brain and physical room for more ideas, traveling and wishing I could go to CHA!

Vagabond Die Cut Machine!

Tuesday my Vagabond finally arrived! Waiting was very hard and I didn't think I was going to get it before Christmas. I was thrilled when Scott from Bluemoon Scrapbooking called Friday to say it shipped!!

Here's the box - isn't it fun?

And here's the Vagabond just out of the box! You know, this little guy is very heavy! I allowed myself to play for a couple of hours (I know, I know, it's a Christmas present - but could YOU wait???)

I want to make Tim Holtz's 12 Tags - but have to finish some priorities first. I just HAD to try out the V! I am so excited! This is my first die cut machine and what a treasure! I can't wait to REALLY use it. I cut the cage and bird from grungeboard and painted the cage with silver acrylic paint. The bird is per Tim's instructions for Tag #3.

I got excited again when I saw this blog post! I dropped everything to make some! Here's what I have so far - I want to make a bunch more later. My sizing is different (see the pic below) and I didn't have any crystals so - out came the V and I cut keys from grungeboard and painted them silver. Used Tim's Fragments Charms for the hanging parts. Also used Tissue Tape instead of old book page to cover the staples.

My longest strip was 8 inches and my strips are 1 inch wide. I also used double-sided cardstock instead of paper. Here's closeups on the keys.

Oh my! Such fun! I can see lots of these ornaments in my future...must buy more grungeboard.....

December Daily/Journal Your Christmas Album 2010 Start

Last year, (2009) I started Ali Edward's December Daily. I did really well until the 16th and then things got out of control around here and I lost the track. I did manage to take photos (although not as many as I wish I would have) and still journal on the computer (not as well as I would have liked to) but alas, did not finish the album. I plan to finish it - eventually.
This year, I decided to try again with December Daily and also do Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas Class!

Here is my cover all done! The word Christmas was removed from an ornament that also had the word Merry. The flowers are from Prima. I added a Tim Holtz brad to each one and put C. Red Stickles inside of it. Came out really cool cause the rim of the brad still shows! I am using Bo Bunny's Noel Collection as my foundation papers, along with some of their stickers and other embellishments. I am grunging up the album with Tim Holtz products. After gluing the papers to the chipboard pages of the Mini Edgy Album from Bo Bunny, I sanded all the edges and then added Distress Ink - Tea Dye. In the photo below, you can see an un-inked portion.

I intermingled the chipboard pages with the two-sided Noel papers (also Distress Inked).

 This is the foundation for my album!

This first day of December has been very, very busy for me. I was out until 1:30 and then cleaned the living in preparation for the Christmas Tree and decorations while waiting for the plumber to arrive. We had a broken water pipe from the freeze over the weekend. Didn't discover the leak until Monday night! Luckily it was outside the concrete foundation and easily fixed. We now have water again! It's amazing how much you take for granted something so basic to us all until you are without it.
Parts of this blog post will go into my Album for today. The month is starting off with a BANG!

Quilt Top Done!

I took a quilt class yesterday. The class is a Christmas Gift from my Mom. I haven't quilted in a few years so I'm rusty - ie a little slow. The class was fun! And today, I took an hour and finished sewing the blocks together. There is one more step before the top is really done - that is some hand-stitching. I'll explain that later.
I am not the most accurate with a sewing machine as I prefer to hand stitch, but time required the machine. I also prefer to hand quilt, so it will be a while before the wall quilt is that - a wall quilt! I think I may go ahead and hang it in the living room for the season anyway.
It was a very enjoyable day and was fun meeting the other ladies! Oh - my little Janome sewing machine didn't know what happened - it was actually being used!

BJ's Album - My First Mini

This was my first Mini! I made it for my oldest son for Christmas 2009. I kept the flowers and female decor down to a minimum since it was for him - even though all the Grands are girls! He loved it!
I used a stripped children's board book as the base and covered all the pages with mostly papers from K & Company. Some Prima flowers and Bling. Lots of pockets so he can add photos if he wishes. And some mini-mini books in pockets. I tried to pretty much fill it with photos I had taken that he had not seen!
I thought it was about time I put this album on the blog - after a year! Sometimes it takes me a while to get around to it.... See the rest of the album in my Flickr here.

Scrapbook page - MardiGras-Oct 2007

Getting in the mood for Halloween by scrapbooking the last time I got costumed up! Bought a great digital kit from scrapbookgraphics. Lots of elements and papers and Quick pages, too. The kit is called "Impressions of Fright".
It's been a while since I did any scrapbook pages at all so hopefully this will get me back into the swing of things. There are several vacations waiting in the wings.
I had a great time putting that hat together and the little kids just loved it! I don't know if I'll dress up this year yet. Still thinking on it. Been so busy I haven't even decorated yet!

Yarn Crawl 2010

I picked up the tote bags and passports for the Hill Country Yarn Crawl this morning while at knitting! It starts Friday and the bus tour is on Sunday. This is the 4th year and I finally get to go again. I went the first year but missed the next 2 'cause we went on our long vacations at the "wrong time". This year, vacation isn't until the 15th (Davis Mountains - yippeee!)

I made these two I.D. tags for our tote bags. Oh - by "we" I mean Mom and me. The Hubby would NOT go with me. !!! The tags in the photo are sitting on my favorite Clapotis wrap - the one with several colorways of Noro Silk Garden. Several members of the knitting group are making Clapotis and I kind of want to make a fourth one, but I don't have time. Too many projects already in the works. Fighting Startitis!

I punched the tags out of some Tim Holtz stock - it has Bingo cards on the other side. I used a bunch of tiny scraps left-over from last years' artwork. I plan to tie them onto our tote bags with yarn. The tote bags are all folded into these cute little pouches! And this is what the "passport" looks like. Isn't it pretty? A lot of work went into the layout - it has maps to the shoppes and hours they're open and everything. I am impressed!

This is going to be a fun trip! Hopefully not too much yarn will follow me home......

Studio-Ikea Shelf

Studio Peak! This is an IKEA shelf I recently installed above the pegboard that sits on a side counter. It holds MOST of my Prima flowers! I haven't finished putting the flowers in the Starbucks Frappuccino bottles (holding star box up). I am really not sure I WANT to put flowers in them - it might be hard to get them out!

Don't you love the color of the walls? It's so cozy-feeling. It's kind of a mauve/rose color. Hard to describe. The color shows a little pinker than it is on my monitor. I like Victorian colors and styles. The room was white but I just could not handle white walls again! I just went to Lowe's, picked the color and went for it all in one day. I do love it! We've been here 8 years now and I still do.

Clapotis Came Out To Play

Wheee!! The weather was chilly this morning so when I went to knitting, my favorite wrap got to go too! This was my first Clapotis (I made 3 total so far) and I used multiple colorways of Silk Garden (Noro). I love this wrap! People keep wanting to buy it - no way!

I also wore my green "Pucker" top, my skinny green scarf AND my sock earrings! After knitting I ran some errands and some dude (read hippie-type-white-beard-santa-claus-looking-dude) started talking to me about the earrings. That's a nice memory for the first nice Fall day! Fun!

There were some other compliments as I went along. Makes you feel good when people notice things you do. I had a Sonic burger and ONION RINGS for a late lunch and then went back to work in the Studio. Making some nice progress! More about that later.

Easy Green Skinny Scarf

I knit this little scarf with left-over Ritratto yarn and #8's.
I had made a shrug from Jane Thornley's recipe and have lots of greens left. It was quick and easy to make and the pattern is available  in PDF format on Ravelry. Click the button in the sidebar!
If you're not on Ravelry, click here for pattern.
This can be made with any yarn, any size knitting needles.
I like it unblocked. See details on my Ravelry page. I forgot to put the green shrug in my Ravelry - have to do that! I think I missed some other things, too. Grin

Lizard Adventures Take Two

This is the smallest baby gecko yet this year! Found him in the bathroom about 4am. I have this habitat left over from the boys' young days and I use it to put the lizzies in until I can put them outside in the eclectic garden (hubby has odd things in his garden - like a Barbie car heehee!) The pencil is for size comparison. He's more curious than scared, unlike his cousin a couple of days ago. THAT one wanted to do nothing but escape! Had to chase him 3 times - luckily it was daylight, so out he went immediately onto the Barbie car! I don't want to terrorize these little guys! Btw, the Barbie car is full of food for them - tiny spiders live in it mostly. I wonder if lizzies can see color? The car is RED and when I put them down, they always head for it!

Zentangle Space

I have cleared an area - about 1 square foot - on my desk (actual desk, not virtual) for my Zentangle box and my pen box. This area is JUST for a ZT in progress! I plan to keep one in progress in the spot all the time. It encourages me to ZT and keeps the space just for ZT. If I don't have a square or ATC in progress in the spot, I will put STUFF there. BAD.

We have a disease in our family called " flat-surface-itis". ANT flat surface is subject to infection! We also have "Pile-itis". And the piles just sit on the flat surfaces for indefinite time spans.
I haven't QUITE got the cure figured out, but some things help. If I give my DH a basket - and designate it for "stuff" he will use it. However - when it gets FULL it tends to breed OVERFLOW. UhHUM.

I point out how EASY having a task basket makes GATHERING (yes, another disease) stuff to be put away. It's the actual PUTTING AWAY that is the problem at this point. Do you think anyone would EVER consider putting objects away to begin with??? My excuse for this is - I'll get it LATER, I'm too busy right now (translation = I'd rather do ___ than take the time to put ___ away). Too easy a habit to fall into.

Yes, we are collectors of STUFF. (Which puts me in mind of George Carlin's "stuff" bit - very funny guy. He is missed). We outgrow our designated spaces and then pile UP. We (and mostly I mean "I" here) - am terrible about collecting - DH calls it pack-rat-itis - and my Dad was worse! We have so much STUFF there is not enough space to store it. We have garage sales but then we see something "shiny" in the stores and home it comes. (Again reading the "we" as "I").

Since we down-sized our house several years ago, the amount of stuff is less out of necessity, but it creeps up on you. Now, my DH can be just as bad about the diseases. He doesn't collect as much "stuff" but, his piles are awful! It's paper, it's coins, it's more paper. I'm still working on this habit he has of keeping ALL the mail (including envelopes) in piles. He has a designated BOX for his stuff - keys, phone, etc - on a table by the door. However, the WHOLE TABLE (lamp? what lamp? porcelain rose? what rose?) has become PILED. (there's a table?) LOL!

Now, I AM an organized person. As long as there is a spot to put something, it will go there. Even if that is "eventually" - once the "pile" it comes from gets too far out of hand (as in falling over/off).

I must admit I am the worst of us. I love to collect art supplies. Even those things that most people do not consider 'art supplies'. Rusty metal pieces, rusty bottle caps (used in collage/assemblage), old books with no covers (used for text clipping), old tinkertoys, boxes of dominoes (necklace pendants), bag of old eyeglass lenses (thank you optometrist), well, you get the picture. And you can't just throw this stuff out because you never know when you might want to use it in an art piece. I just try to contain it all in my Iris Cart or Alex cart drawers. And fail at the attempt. More about the Studio space later.

I read this thing once and heard it on TV, too - SOMETHING OUT BEFORE SOMETHING IN. I do try, but it doesn't always work! In fact, it hasn't been working AT ALL. Yarn just seems to follow me home all by itself..... At least it's not CATS.

Now I admit - finishing some of these projects would help. More about this later, too. Right now, FALL is coming and I feel the URGE TO PURGE coming on! Time to fill trash cans and boxes to go!

ZenTangle-Zefrin

Just finished this ATC! Used Micron pens and Bristol paper.

Journal Keeping

Whether you journal for arts' sake, for your own enjoyment or to remember things you did, saw or experienced - journaling is a personal thing.

Ali Edwards tweeted a great article today about travel journaling.

Lavinia Spalding was asked some questions and here is my favorite part:

"That said, I don't think journals and blogs are mutually exclusive. In a way, it's the perfect combination: keep a journal for private memories and discoveries, take copious photos so you'll never forget the beautiful and bizarre, and use your blog as a tool to entertain and inform."

This is exactly how I feel about it! I like to work in my personal journals every day and enjoy writing and pasting things in my travel journal when we take trips. My everyday journal is on the computer - and it starts when I boot up so it's IN MY FACE so to speak. I see it - even if it's just before I log off for the day. I stop and take care of "business" even though it's just a sentence or two. I will sometimes "finish" the next day.

At present, I'm still trying to organize my life around new challenges so I print out my journal pages and my blog entries to paste into my moleskine. I hope to include some drawings, paintings, photos and hand-written entries (like previous journals) later on when I catch up with myself. Right now - it's just so I will DO IT. Keep the habit.

Journal Page Background

This is as far as I have gotten with this page. The colors are not really true - dark room at night and all..... Hope to do more on this one tomorrow. Fun! Messy, but fun!
I have always wanted to learn these techniques and Pam Carriker's online classes are really good. I am enjoying them very much and want to take more later on!

edit:8-25-10 - forgot Pam's link.

Paper Cranes

I've been folding origami cranes for about a month now - and after I started doing them I keep seeing Tweets or blog posts that refer to the crane legend from Japan. I had folded cranes before - a couple of years ago but gave up after a couple of months. I can't remember why.
I wanted to start making them again this summer and this time keep going! I am keeping track in my daily journal and stringing them to hang across the closet door in my studio. I am mostly using junk mail (cut to various sizes) as a way to recycle - it's mostly catalog pages - and to make use of a free resource for paper.
I did buy some real origami paper at Hobby Lobby (with coupon) the other day though - these papers make a nice splash of bright color in the strings. And I plan to put some papers in my purse for when I'm out. I try to fold at least 1 crane every day - mostly it's more. One day I folded 23!

BirthDay Pressies!

I had a nice Birthday lunch with Mom, my oldest son is coming over in a while and these are my presents for today! I haven't even opened the book covers yet - I made myself wait for today.
I've needed the wireless keyboard and mouse for a couple of months but wanted certain ones.
I have wanted Swing, Swagger and Drape for a while. It's designs are so beautiful I can't wait to look (haven't had time yet today). Transparent Art is the other book I've wanted for a while.
My back is getting there - need Tylenol right tho - stayed out too long I guess but it was fun! I just had my birthday dessert - sugar free ice cream with sf chocolate bits. I know it doesn't sound like it tastes good - but for someone with diabetes who hasn't had much sugar in the last 2 months - it was delicious!

Lehmus Progress

Hurt my back - actually right hip area - on Monday. Wednesday it seems I hit the peak of pain because yesterday it felt better! I still can't bend but at least I can stand and walk some. It's even better today (still no bending). More walking and standing! I do not know WHAT I did to it other than walk down a flight of stairs at the Mall (instead of being lazy and taking the escalator - I was proud of myself). Maybe I over-did it just a tad? Had ramped up the treadmill a bit and then walked at the Mall and took the stairs. Sheesh. I have to be SO careful! And it was such a productive day!
My Lehmus shawl is growing nicely. It's actually a few inches past what you see in this photo. It's all bunched up on the left to try to stretch it a bit. I want a large shawl so I'm going to keep knitting. This pattern is awesome! I know I'll make more of these.

Two-color Kerchief

I have been asked to share my recipe for this little gem. I have put it up on my Ravelry project page. The pattern is no longer available so I had to figure it out by looking at photos. It's a pretty standard triangle shawl.

Yarn: Koigu - #716 (light), #117 (dark)
Needles: #3 Addi turbo circulars - 24 in.

This project is a take along so I don't have much knitted. It spends most of it's time in a project bag by the Studio door!

Lehmus Shawl

Started this project right after finishing Woodland (still not blocked - have to get in the mood). This shawl pattern is so nicely done! It even has a chart!

Pattern: Lehmus Shawl - english version found HERE
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Alpaca Prima
Needle: #6

The shawl is worked from the bottom tip UP! I had thought to make a Kiri or Birch shawl, but it was worked from the top down with tons of stitches to start with, and I want a large shawl and not to be limited by a pattern's size. Working from the tip up, I can make it as large as I want (or have yarn for). The return row (wrong side if you will) is easy to do - purling except for edge sts. Here’s a tip - when you’re working the purl sts on the wrong side/return row, work them loosely and the k tog sts will be easier!
I have wanted a black shawl for longest time! I spent months hunting just the right yarn. The Alpaca has just enough fuzz - not too much as a mohair would - and it will be warm even though the pattern is lace. AND it doesn't shed!

Strange Toadstools

Something new! These weird-looking, very flat toadstools are out by the back corner patio. I have never seen the like before! They look like plates, are very large and the grass grows through them - or do they grow around the grass......

Woodland Shawl finished

Here's Woodland unblocked but finished. It's not very long so it will probably be a table runner for my antique sewing machine cabinet. I will be happy with that. I didn't expect it to be very long having read other people's projects in ravelry and in the instructions, she gives her measurements with the same yarn I used.

It's very pretty even unblocked! I am glad it's done though. I did not enjoy the pattern because every row was different and the wrong side rows were all different. I could not memorize this pattern at all! It is not hard to knit - it's very easy. It's just me. I just could not keep the rows in my head!

New Avatar!

I determined it was time to update the avatar! This is a collage contained in a necklace of 2x2 glass and soldered - my first soldering! Fire/heat and I do not get along very well so I don't do much of this kind of thing - but collage I LOVE!

The piece is digital - with all elements being scanned and worked in Photoshop Elements. The lace is tatting I made, the baby is my youngest grand at age 2.

Look upper right corner for new pic!

Pucker Up!

Pucker is completed! I finally got the determination to sew those seams (my least fave part) and added crocheted edgings to hem, neckline and sleeves. Whew!

Working great guns on Woodland - it's at about 28 inches. I am getting close to the end of the ball of yarn though. It won't be a large shawl, but it will block out quite a bit as it is lace. I hope to finish the knitting tomorrow.

I have some socks that are waiting on me. Not to mention some weaving and some art work. A huge TO DO List for EVERYthing else. It was like Grand Central Station around here today between the door and the phone. The good thing? Summer is going by FAST. Looking forward to FALL already!

New Project - Woodland Shawl

I am just a shawl-knitting fool these days. Should be knitting socks, but I keep on making shawls and wraps! This is what the Woodland Shawl looks like after a couple of hours the first evening.
Pattern: Woodland Shawl
Yarn: Mega Boots Stretch - autumn colorway
Size 6 bamboo needles

I am actually 13 inches along right now - pics later - third evening knitting. I haven't been able to knit much this week. Life is getting in the way again!

Pucker Top

Finished knitting Pucker on Wednesday. Basted it together to make sure it fits before sewing seams. It does! Feels comfy, too. I am not crazy about the Seduce yarn during the knitting - it's very wiry and springs off your fingers! This knitting took lots longer than usual because of all the readjusting of yarn.
I do like the feel of the finished top though! It feels cool and soft. I think I'll be wearing it often. And here in Texas, I can wear it all year round 'cause we very seldom have "winter". It's mostly warm all the time.
Sewing the seams coming up!

Dragons Breath Band

Spent most of the morning out - physical therapy and then foraging for food at the grocery store. Before going out, I opened the front door to see how humid it was (notice I did not say IF it was humid) and it was not too bad. About 10 minutes later I was ready to go, opened the front door and it was POURING. The walkways and street were dry when I checked! Man, you know what they say about Texas, give it 5 minutes....

Anyway, I'm weaving on this band a little bit tonight. Didn't do much else this afternoon but put groceries away (still trying to rearrange some of the cabinets in the kitchen) and watch some videos on Hulu.com. I am really tired. It amazes me how tired I can get so fast.

I love this band! I want to weave a bag for it to go on on my Cricket loom with some Colinette sock yarn - Jitterbug - in RED. I have been wanting to try weaving with sock yarn. I have some black sock yarn to put with the red. That's the plan - so far. We'll see!

Pucker In Progress

New top! Pucker top by Norah Gaughan (book #4) using Berrocco Seduce yarn. (rayon-linen-silk-nylon). The hand of the fabric is fabulous! I hope to finish before summer is over. Oh HAH - when is summer ever over in Texas??
Doesn't matter - I can wear it anyway.

What I SHOULD be knitting is Socks! Just haven't been in the mood. Maybe if I get out some of my sock pattern books and patterns and look at socks in Ravelry.......

Snowy Shrug

Finished Object! This Shrug took about 7 hours or so total. Finished it yesterday. Couldn't keep it on very long - it's warm! Looks like it might be November before it can be worn. HaHa! Or, it might be a Christmas gift.

Started with this pattern downloaded from Ravelry:

Gaia Shrug
Yarn: 100% acrylic - Lion Jiffy
Size 13 knitting needles

Very interesting construction - it's made all in one piece and you sew up the "shoulder" seams. I did not add any crocheted edging. I had slipped the first stitch of each row and it left a nice enough edge to not need more.

Might make more of these later. Could even change the ribbing to something else. Hmmm.....

Jewel Tunisian Shrug

I finally got the pattern for the Tunisian Shrug in pdf format and up for sale on Ravelry! I will have it up for sale from here as well, soon.

Pics are up in Flickr - just click on the photo and it will take you there. My Ravelry name is "knittybabe" and you can see my page by going here. The projects link is on the upper right.

Working on some free patterns into pdf right now, so keep an eye out for those, too.

Tablet Weaving on my PVC Loom

This is the 4th incarnation of my loom. With the help of my brilliant son and husband, I gathered ideas for the warp roller and here it is! It works great so far and I'm loving how easy it is to move the warp forward. The back piece of PVC has holes drilled in it (I have my own drill press) and a chopstick is inserted in the holes (which are drilled across from each other) to move and hold the roller bar.
The loom has "legs" to allow more room for rolled warp. This took many trips to Lowe's and one day I was in there for so long, my DH called to see where I was!

Tablet Weaving on Cricket

This is what I am doing today (after chores of course). I got it warped and began the weaving Friday, but couldn't get back to it until today. It's so much fun! I have been making short warps to sample patterns and have another warp in the threading process right now.

Making looms has also become an obsession! It's fun to puzzle out how to make the looms do different things - like how to make a warp roller on a PVC loom. I did it! Pics soon - I want to get a warp on it first.

Knitting in progress: multiple pairs of socks, a blankie from Noro Silk Garden left-overs (mostly left overs) and a new top from Norah Gaughan called Pucker - in the original yarn and color. Boy, do I need to update my Ravelry database! Waaaay behind. Been having Gremlins in my computers and having a hard time getting cooperation from software. Argh. Knitting is close by. It helps.

WaHoo!

My son just came in and told me that HULU has my ABC Soaps! I have subscribed and no longer have to mess with the awful ABC player. OR the outrageously loud commercials they play. Yipeee!!! (I don't watch live TV - it's either recorded to edit out commercials or streamed online or on DVD - I H-A-T-E commercials!

Tunisian Shrug Tutorial Video

I put up my first video tutorial segment on YouTube! Go HERE to view the way I carry my resting yarns up the sides of Tunisian crochet.

Class was so much FUN today! I have really missed teaching. Will do it again!

New Treadmill

I gave my new treadmill a workout this morning! It was great! Not going outside in the heat and humidity was great, too. I listened to an audio book while I walked and time passed quickly. I have an appointment with my new friend every morning!

Jewel Shrug

This is my island countertop with a 7-yarn Tunisian Shrug in progress. Those lovely see-thru containers are from blank DVD towers. I was 1 short, therefore the can.

I arrange them so that the 4 yarns on the left at the moment are in the left quadrant and the 3 yarns on the right are on the right. I shift and re-arrange the containers as I work. This keeps me relatively tangle-free!

Teaching Class - Tunisian Crochet

I will be teaching a class this Saturday at Hill Country Weavers - a beginner's class in Tunisian Crochet. This Shrug is one of the pattern options in class. The other is a scarf. The Shrug pattern will be available to the public after the class is over.

Very exciting to be teaching again!

Diagnosis: Life

Well, I've been having some major health issues the last several months and last week the cause of it all seems to have made it's presence known. I have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I am on meds with orders to walk 30 minutes a day and revise my eating habits. There is quite a learning curve involved with this. Bought a One Touch glucose meter and feel like a pincushion now. It will take some getting used to - all of this new life style - but used to it I will be! Eventually. Lots to remember, lots to read about. Oh and I am cooking, too! Now THAT IS a change.

I have been researching the heck out of the internet for the last week and walking 30 minutes almost every morning (except sat). I think I have my diet search well underway and my DH and I went out shopping for a treadmill today. After more internet research (can we say endless library?) I have made a decision to get a Horizon treadmill. I am still up in the air about the choice between 2 models, but I'm sure that will clear itself up soon. I hope to buy one this week because the weather here is sooooo HUMID you could scoop the air up with a spoon. Ick. Walking is a real challenge in this stuff!

My art has become really important, too. If I didn't have things to get excited about and to interest me I don't know what would happen. I am knitting a light blankie for my Studio in Noro Silk Garden. Here is a pic of the first block.





























I'm working my own pattern for reversible mitered squares in blocks of 16, then I will put them all together later. I don't have enough yarn leftovers yet to make the whole thing, but I will!

This is how the yarn looked when I first began. I joined the yarn lengths into a single ball. I'm using #8 bamboo knitting needles.

You can find my mitered square pattern on Ravelry. I want to make it into a PDF with final revisions and more photos.