Going through a stashing phase...

Hello all,

I am sick. My daughter gave me her cold. As a result, I am not knitting. I am convinced if I knit, I will breathe and knit my germs right into my garment. So, I am increasing my stash. There is a lovely lady on eBay from whom I purchase all my yarn from now on. She is awesome. She has Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk, Rowan Biggy Print, Rowan Ribbon Twist, oh the list just goes on and on and it includes all my favorite yarns!

I still haven't braved my socks yet, for now I am content with staring at the balls of wool. Scary huh?

In the meantime, I have started to knit Toasty, the Kim Hargreaves pattern for leg warmers. I am using the Rowan Chunky Print yarn in PebbleDash. It is scrumptious looking. I think I may frog my leg warmers if I don't like them and make a scarf instead...depends on how they look.

I just ordered some Biggy Print in Cookie and some Big Wool Tuft and some Ribbon Twist...I hope my husband doesn't check our accounts anytime soon...I am a stasher on the run!

You know, now that I have all the Winter season patterns and yarn, whatever will I do when Spring comes? I better slow down with the stashing...

And I don't even want to mention the Koigu I found online....I will leave that for another post.

Intimidated by Socks!!

Well, I finished my daughter's boat neck sweater finally and my stitches look so uneven. All I have to do is seam it up and I will post it here--after I block it, that is.

I bid on 20 skeins of Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk on eBay and got outbid in the last minute by $1.00. I was livid. Oh well...maybe my husband will buy me some for my birthday. I really want to make Maria, even though the picture I saw of it doesn't show enough detail. Maybe it will be better once I get the book.

I am scared to start my husband's socks. The balls of yarn look so cute and perfect, I know I will mess them up. I need to study more on how it's done and gain some confidence first. Maybe I need to buy a video on it? They just seem so scary to me, that heel! EEeek! What was I thinking trying to tackle socks? But I will do it, before the secret pal exchange is over, so I can show my pal and she won't think I'm daft.

I am working on my Paris Loop right now. It's coming along better since I frogged it. I didn't join the cast on edge together in the round, I joined the next row up so that I wouldn't have to worry that my edge was too tight. I hope that wasn't some cardinal knitting sin that I don't know about, because I am NOT frogging it again, under no circumstances, I don't care if it ends up looking like a Paris Droop, I'll use it as a bath mat! I will not frog!

Well, I better go, my classwork is calling me and so is my Loop. Ciao!

A Moment of Silence for the 9/11 Victims

I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on September 11, 2001. I was lying in bed trying to get some rest before I had to go on watch. (I was in the Navy at the time). I turned on my computer to IM my closest male friend...we typed back and forth for awhile and he told me "Turn on CNN right now" I did so, and I caught it just in time to see a plane careen into the first building of the World Trade Towers. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was as if I were watching a movie. Not too long after, I saw the second plane hit and all the speculation of a drunk pilot went out the window.

I grabbed for my camouflage uniform, I started pulling on my pants and looking for my boots. I typed to my friend that I knew I would be going in to stand watch, because this would put us on high alert. He typed back that it was already happening and that I should muster in front of the building and wait for instruction.

My heart started racing and I broke out into a cold sweat as I watched people, live human beings, falling and throwing themselves out of windows...I will never forget that day, those moments, the feeling of dread, the questions...

There is nothing to describe the devastation that happened that day. I was miles away from ground zero and yet, I hurt as though it happened in my backyard.

I pray right now for every victim and their family and their friends.

My Paris Loop Just Jumped in the Frog Pond...

*Sigh* Well, Let me give you the update on my WIPs.
My baby's boat neck sweater? Well, remember when I told you I knitting it wrong in the beginning? Then I frogged it and started it over? Well, I had one sleeve left to frog, and I couldn't even frog it right because I had knitted so terribly wrong that the yarn was trapped inside it. So, I know you remember me saying that the only yarn I had was this same color? Well, I found a scarf I made for my daughter that was the same color and I attacked it.

Hey, in order to make an omelet, you gotta break a few eggs...so the scarf was sacrificed, why? Becuase I refuse to buy yet another ball of this color yarn! And all I need to finish is one lousy sleeve!

So, hopefully that will be finished tonight.

Then, I had started on my Paris Loop because I want to knit with the Poncho-A-Long folks, and I am already behind schedule, and I had to frog it (about 6in. worth of knitting) because I am convinced my cast on edge was too tight. I scanned dozens of blogs with completed Paris Loop pictures and none of their cast on edges look like mine. *Sigh*

It probably serves me right for not sticking to my "one project at a time" oath. I really want to finish this sweater and this poncho so I can work on these socks with my secret pal yarn!

I wonder if my daughter wants me to replace this scarf too? I think I will--but in another color! Perhaps pale pink?

The Best Secret Pal in the World!

My Secret Pal is the BEST!!! She is so awesome, I was almost tearful when I saw that her package had come in the mail (or "post" as they say over here) She is so thoughtful and sweet! I could write a sonnet of her generosity! She sent me a lovely postcard of a beautiful animal that I might see in my excursions through Cornwall, England. She also sent me sock yarn and a pattern for circular needles! I had mentioned that I wanted to master this particular item, and low and behold, she sent me just what I needed and wanted! WOW! It is my sincere wish that someone somewhere is her secret pal and making her day as much as she made mine today!

Guess who else sent me mail? ROWAN!

Rowan delivers! I am so happy to receive my Rowan International Membership package today! This is so awesome. I love Rowan. The next book I am waiting on from them is the Ribbon Twist Book. When I receive that one, I have to put a curb on my purchasing spree *ahem* the husband has vetoed any further purchases, because he can sense an addiction brewing...LOL!

I got my Gedifra Cicco!!

Yay! Fluffy mail today! I am so excited! I got some thermal knit fabric to make pajamas for my daughter and me, and I got my Gedifra Cicco yarn in Teal to make my Paris Loop. I am so thrilled that now I can join the poncho knit-a-long finally.

Well, actually, I just looked at the pattern for the Paris Loop and I STILL can't start because my US17 circular needles haven't come yet.

I hope they come tomorrow. The yarn actually is kinda itchy feeling, but maybe when I wash it it will felt a little? I don't damn know, I just am glad I can join in with the kniting along-ness.

Here is my Gedifra Cicco that I am using for my poncho knit-a-long...and here are the circular needles that I just bought (US17) and for some reason I was convinced that I had bought them too short (my pattern calls for 16in. needles), then I told myself that the 40cm must be too small!...I even called the lady at the store...she was like "16in. is 40cm!" I felt sheepish, but still look at how short these things look!

Horeback Riding for Labor Day!

For Labor Day, my husband and I went horseback riding. I loved it, and really enjoyed myself, except my bum hurts like crazy! I have never had formal lessons so I think something is amiss with my technique because I am so sore and my husband is fine. We rode our horses (Tiana and Sampson) for an hour and that equals losing 300 calories! It was definitely a workout too, if you haven't gone for a ride lately do it, but stretch first and do your muscles a favor.

Here is the horse that I rode on our Labor Day horseback riding adventure! Her name is Tiana and she is gorgeous.

This horse is named Millie and she is just exquisite. Her coat looks as though it's been hand painted with white speckles...oh I won't do her the injustice of describing her with inadequate words...here is her picture!

My Secret Pal emailed me!

How exciting is this?! My secret pal! Well, I know a couple things about my secret pal. I know that they are organized, because my secret pal emailed me before the actual start. And I know they live in the U.K. which is awesome. I can't wait to get to know you better secret pal!

And I also sent MY secret pal an email as well. I figured I may as well get a jump on things too. My secret pal hasn't written me back yet, and I won't spill any beans about my secret pal either, except that I know she's a woman. LOL. I wonder what to get her....hmmm?

Anyone with awesome gift ideas, please comment here.

About my WIP, I am done with one sleeve and 25% of the front. I realize now that I am a tight knitter. I can usually automatically add a needle size to whatever the pattern calls for. As a result, I can't stand casting on, because when it is time to knit that cast on part, it is SO TIGHT. I gotta relax and read up on techniques to knit more loosely.

Also, school has started and I am juggling classes in with knitting and taking care of the household. Let's hope I get straight A's, huh? Bye for now...

More Yarn on the Way!

Okay. First of all, I have a confession...I knitted my daughter's sweater all wrong. Lucky for me I don't have a huge readership, so it is very likely that no one noticed...at any rate, I realized how I was knitting wrong and now I am frogging the whole thing and knitting it right. So, I will do this sweater until my Gedifra Cicco yarn comes through the mail and I can knit my Paris Loop!

Oh yeah and I got my Denise Interchangeable Needles yesterday and I am in love! Gotta run, time to knit.