Finished both sleeves of the Colori cardigan for class. worked the body until the ball ran out - then I put it on a yarn strand and left it for later. All I need to do is decide how long it should be and I'm done!
Monday, March 17, 2008
March 8 Saturday - Spring Planting Begins
DH & I went to Natural Gardner (local plant nursery) and bought ferns for our backyard and a llive oak tree for mom. We went over to plant it 'cause it's too big to sit in the truck! 3 years we've been trying to get a tree to grow in this spot. 2 have died - mom's soil is mostly clay - holds water like crazy. Third time has to be the charm!
Here at home, we repotted the large Japanese Aralia - we want to leave it in a pot so we can move it around - then I repaired the back fence (some boards were missing or broken). I also raked leaves, pulled the weedy runners at the fence line and trimmed some of the bushes.
Just generally cleaned up the yard to get ready for further enhancements! The Purple Martins were freaking out and flying overhead. I guess hoping I wouldn't lower their house again!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
My Studio
I love my Studio - it's MINE all MINE! No one can come in unless invited. No one can mess with my STUFF. Even the cat has to be allowed to come in!
This photo is a collection of containers atop an antique chest of drawers - which houses some tools, misc small items and incense in the bottom drawers. It smells sooooo good when I open a drawer. I love sandalwood.
The BIG containers hold yarn scraps (in case of repairs or for tags), some small mirrors, marbles and glass drops - with eucalyptus leaves coming out the top for decoration. A collaged tin can holds my watercolor brushes and it's covered with an upside-down plastic soda bottle. Cuts down on dust. Sitting in the front is an undecorated pen pot. I filled the inside with paperclay after making a hole for a pen to sit. I plan to paint and collage the outside and put some moss in the top area. A decorated pen (seen leaning in about the center of the photo - flower that goes on it in a clip) will go in the pot.
There's an antique medicine bottle, a bottle holding various kinds of elastic "yarn", a glass holding tiny bottles, and an ink pad - use it alot.
I think it's fun to look into people's studios. I'll post some more peeks later or you can go to my flickr an see more. Hope you enjoyed this peek!
This photo is a collection of containers atop an antique chest of drawers - which houses some tools, misc small items and incense in the bottom drawers. It smells sooooo good when I open a drawer. I love sandalwood.
The BIG containers hold yarn scraps (in case of repairs or for tags), some small mirrors, marbles and glass drops - with eucalyptus leaves coming out the top for decoration. A collaged tin can holds my watercolor brushes and it's covered with an upside-down plastic soda bottle. Cuts down on dust. Sitting in the front is an undecorated pen pot. I filled the inside with paperclay after making a hole for a pen to sit. I plan to paint and collage the outside and put some moss in the top area. A decorated pen (seen leaning in about the center of the photo - flower that goes on it in a clip) will go in the pot.
There's an antique medicine bottle, a bottle holding various kinds of elastic "yarn", a glass holding tiny bottles, and an ink pad - use it alot.
I think it's fun to look into people's studios. I'll post some more peeks later or you can go to my flickr an see more. Hope you enjoyed this peek!
Embossed-Leaves Socks-no1
The first Embossed Leaves sock is now waiting for me in the sock bag.... poor baby. I have to try to finish my projects for knitting class before tuesday - the last class.
I am half-way up the leg and just put this project on Ravelry (I am knittybabe).
Pattern: Embossed Leaves
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Cranberry
Needles: Addi Turbo size 0
Mods: I am working toe-up - using my own rounded toe start via Judy's Magic Cast On with 1 - 24" circular needle
LOVE this pattern! It seems to go quickly and I don't want to put it down!
I am half-way up the leg and just put this project on Ravelry (I am knittybabe).
Pattern: Embossed Leaves
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Cranberry
Needles: Addi Turbo size 0
Mods: I am working toe-up - using my own rounded toe start via Judy's Magic Cast On with 1 - 24" circular needle
LOVE this pattern! It seems to go quickly and I don't want to put it down!
Friday, March 7, 2008
stash enhancement Feb '08
My LYS had some new sock yarns last month so I thought I'd try some out. UhHum - what was that I told myself about only *2* yarn containers????
I actually did start using the Maizy - got the toes started because I thought I'd work on them while waiting at the hospital (I didn't tho - worked on Broad Spiral Rib socks instead).
Maggie Sefton's new book #4
Found some new books to pass the time - a new genre called "Cozy Mysteries". I've read about a dozen so far and pass them on to my mom and she likes them too. Quick, easy reads - very enjoyable and my fav author so far (mom's too) is Maggie Sefton. Love the way she writes! Nice, easy read but you don't want to put it down! Her descriptions make you SEE into the knit shop and SEE the alpaca and SEE the land. Her characters seem real, too. Mom and I talk about "Kelly" as if we know her! Such fun and I have Mom to share this with!
I finished #4 (A Killer Stitch) and am impatiently waiting for her 5th not due out til June. I started with Ms. Sefton's first book because of the subject matter - I was reading a blog and a pic of the cover was in a side bar and went to see what it was. Oh boy, knitting!
There are more authors and you can find these books at Amazon.com, of course. Another author I like is Monica Ferris and then there is Laura Childs, too.
I finished #4 (A Killer Stitch) and am impatiently waiting for her 5th not due out til June. I started with Ms. Sefton's first book because of the subject matter - I was reading a blog and a pic of the cover was in a side bar and went to see what it was. Oh boy, knitting!
There are more authors and you can find these books at Amazon.com, of course. Another author I like is Monica Ferris and then there is Laura Childs, too.
Socks in the Works
Socks in the works update:
Embossed Leaves (Interweave - Knits issue Winter 2005 and also in the book Favorite Socks) in progress. Sock #1 is almost to the top ribbing. Yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, color is Cranberry. Yum!
Here's a footie using BW's Broad Spiral Rib. This is #1 finished. #2 is in a sock bag for a take-a-long project since I have it memorized!
Yarn is Meilenweit - same as the full pair of socks I made last month. I bought several balls of the ivory white. I can see it - even in dim light in an eye doc's office or a dark corner in a waiting room. Been doing a lot of that lately and the 25th, my son goes in for a cornea transplant. Whoa. More hospital and doctors office visits. He got a chemical burn at work over a year ago and the eye won't heal any more so it's time to try a transplant. We're keeping our fingers crossed it works! Meanwhile, I have 2 weeks between docs visits to work on my class homework and get some more sock projects ready to go bye-bye. I have a nice selection of sock yarn just waiting...
Yarn is Meilenweit - same as the full pair of socks I made last month. I bought several balls of the ivory white. I can see it - even in dim light in an eye doc's office or a dark corner in a waiting room. Been doing a lot of that lately and the 25th, my son goes in for a cornea transplant. Whoa. More hospital and doctors office visits. He got a chemical burn at work over a year ago and the eye won't heal any more so it's time to try a transplant. We're keeping our fingers crossed it works! Meanwhile, I have 2 weeks between docs visits to work on my class homework and get some more sock projects ready to go bye-bye. I have a nice selection of sock yarn just waiting...Knitting Class
I've been taking a knitting class at HCW (my local LYS) - Top Down Knitting. We are learning how to design and make our own raglan top-down cardigan/pullover sweater/top. Everybody is making a cardigan to start with. This class is so much FUN! Not only are the classmates kewl and the teacher wonderful but the companionship of sitting, visiting and knitting with others is way fun! I am learning and passing on tips, too. Everybody has their own way of doing things and sometimes you just want to clunk yourself in the head (ala the V8 commercials) that you didn't think of "that".
Here's my progress after class one:
Here's my sweater a little later:
The yarn is Mille Colori by Lang, color 586. It's 50% wool, 50% acrylic and it's a singles. (For those who don't know or spin, it means a single twist and not plied). I am using size 10 (6mm) Addi Turbo circular needles. With the Mille Colori I get 4 spi for the gauge.
I am now past the armholes and working the body. This is so neat - almost no finishing (as in sewing seams). When you're done knitting, you're done!
I am going to make another one from this yarn:
It's Kochoran from Noro, color 46. And this is what my swatches look like:
The top one is too tight (size 10) and the bottom just right with size 11. It's looser and softer which is what I'm going for.
I've signed up for another class next month with the same instructor - Fair Isle Socks!
PUUURRRfect Haircut!
Tuesday was a busy day! I went to class (I'll tell about that in a separate post), got my Jenny food, went to the grocery store and got my hair cut. And that's not telling what I did after I got home! Whew!
Now here's the wooly sheep BEFORE story:
First, I whacked off about 6 inches myself. This is me (below) in the shop preparing for the shearing. My hair hung down past the middle of my back before the first whacking.
This is the first AFTER in the shop. Still too long and full, but I lived with it for a while - just to be sure I really, really wanted to go all the way.
It is very difficult to take a picture of the back of your head. UhHmmm.
I've slept on it in these pics, but it lays down better when I haven't. My Stylist is wonderful! I knew I could trust her (and I'm super picky about my hair) because she cut my mom's and it is beautifully done. If you live in Austin and you want her name and info - let me know in the comments!
Now here's the wooly sheep BEFORE story:
First, I whacked off about 6 inches myself. This is me (below) in the shop preparing for the shearing. My hair hung down past the middle of my back before the first whacking.This is the first AFTER in the shop. Still too long and full, but I lived with it for a while - just to be sure I really, really wanted to go all the way. Here is me at home from the front about 3 weeks later. (below)
Wooly, wooly! Too full and full of static as well. Oh man. A good haircut (she's really good!) but too full for me. Here's my new haircut: TADA! 
It is very difficult to take a picture of the back of your head. UhHmmm.
I've slept on it in these pics, but it lays down better when I haven't. My Stylist is wonderful! I knew I could trust her (and I'm super picky about my hair) because she cut my mom's and it is beautifully done. If you live in Austin and you want her name and info - let me know in the comments!
Friday Weird Weather
The weather report is very weird this morning. There were SNOW FLAKES seen in North Austin! It's almost 40 degrees right now, but yesterday a COLD front came through and the daytime temp here never got above 49 degrees. I went out and the temp kept going down!
It rained on and off all day yesterday, too. ANd the wind! Wow. Very strange. I am surprised the weather is this weird. ANd of course, I had to go out in it!
I have a few real chores to do today, but mostly I want to knit on my "homework" from knitting class. Perfect knitting weather!
It rained on and off all day yesterday, too. ANd the wind! Wow. Very strange. I am surprised the weather is this weird. ANd of course, I had to go out in it!
I have a few real chores to do today, but mostly I want to knit on my "homework" from knitting class. Perfect knitting weather!
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