for the cold snap

Have I told you about the yarn shop that Kristyn and I discovered when she was here visiting this summer?  It's in a little town not terribly far from my house.  It's right on the road that I take when the girls go to their Thursday classes.....It's dangerous. very dangerous.  Kristyn and I spent about 2 hours in there...and yes, our checkbooks took a hit.  Lana, the owner, has the shop stuffed full of wonderful yarns and a plethora of projects. 

One of the many projects that caught my eye was this seed stitch cowl (ravelry link).  I must say, had I seen the original pattern, I wouldn't have even considered knitting it.   But seeing it done up in a color that I would wear, sold me on it right away. 

This pattern knit up quickly on size 11 needles. It was interesting enough to keep my attention but not too tricky.  I think I'll wear this a lot, even around the house when the days get chilly.  The weather here is too warm to wear it right now, but I'm ready for the next cold snap. 

Here's the knitty gritty:

Pattern: Seed Stitch Cowl, Vogue Holiday 2009

Yarn: Trendsetter Yarns, Granito color 4 Cactus Flower ~ I used 3 balls

Needles: size 11 circulars

Modifications: none...other than yarn choice.

Special thanks again to my photographer...Maggie. 

I only had to call bug her 3 times to get all these photos...she was very patient with me.  (thanks girl!)

just because...

Kristyn gave me this cute pack of alphabet cards when she came and visited in July.  She picked them up at Archivers.  They are so fun and the teacher in me gets all warm and fuzzy when I flip through them.  (Aren't they adorable?!) 

 I put the cards away for a rainy day and for some inspiration to strike.  Well, this week I received this card in the mail from Kristyn. (isn't it adorable!?)  It was created with those very same cards that were marinating in my craft room studio.   (reminder to self: fill the cookie jar!)

Her card sparked the fire that I needed...which led to a spontaneous card making session because why not spread the warm and fuzzy feeling around?! 

It is so fun to get a card in the mail as opposed to junk mail or bills.  I know how receiving a card brightens my day....it doesn't have to be handmade; any kind of card brings a smile to my face.  But apparently people are sending less mail than they ever have.  The postal service is planning to cut mail delivery to 5 days a week instead of 6.  I propose a plan to keep the postal service going and bring a smile to some one's face.   Send someone a card this week...just because! 

at the front of the line

I've got a basket full of yarn and I've got plans for most of it.  Do you have a stash that makes its way to the front of the line?  Well, this basket is full of that kind of yarn.  (We won't even talk about the yarn that's in the closet) Now, that we're back in school and the routine is being established, I'm finding the urge to knit more regularly.  So, I pulled my basket out and started to think through my projects.  A huge chunk of this yarn came all in one week.  Amanda and Lily from Joli House had a giveaway and I was the winner!  I'm sure they heard the squeals of delight all the way across the ocean!  Here's what I won...

It was a fabulous package loaded with goodies...inside I found:

• 2 100g skeins of Cumbrian Wools Wenslydale Aran.
• 1 skein of Rainbow sock yarn
• 1 skein of Rowan kidsilk haze in Cocoa.
• 1 large handmade button
• 1 copy of Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles
• 1 copy of Lily’s shawl pattern, Levens
• chocolate
• the cutest little handwritten note

If you're not familiar with Joli House, you should hop over and check out the gorgeous photography and hand knits that Amanda and Lily (who is an accomplished knitter/designer at the age of 12!) dish up.  It's a feast for the eyes.  (thanks again Amanda and Lily!  I love everything)

So...back to that basket of yarn.  Here's what I'm planning for the goodness in my basket:

I've already started on the seed stitch cowl, and I heard the dish cloth cotton whispering my name the other night.  It should be a great season of knitting.  How about you...what's on your next to knit list? 

all fresh and clean

Well, our painting and redecorating is all complete.  We're settled back in and are totally enjoying our new surroundings.  Here are the before and afters....

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After

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I changed out the curtains for wide blinds and we got a new living room seating set.  Everything else is just about the same...I haven't put everything up on the walls that I had up before.  I'm giving myself time to enjoy the clean look of the walls.  It had been 13 years since I originally painted the house with the linen walls and the pelham gray (really a green) trim.  I'm loving the new updated look.   It was a great end of the summer project.  Now we're back to school and ready for fall....is it time to put out the pumpkins yet? 

gaia shoulder hug

This shawl was the perfect summer knitting.  It was portable and required very little brain power on my part.  (Which is good for when you drop off to sleep while knitting poolside.)  It was designed with Noro sock yarn in mind and as the yarn color changes, you switch from stockinette to reverse stockinette with an eyelet transition row.

The entire shawl ends up being reversible which is fabulous.  I loved the name of it ~ Gaia Shoulder Hug.  The thought of being able to give it as a hug sold me right away.  (although it's a free pattern)

 Maggie modeled it and I noticed a glimmer in her eye...she didn't want to give it back.  It's a good thing for me that I have another skein of yarn ready to go! 

Here's the knitty gritty:

Pattern: Gaia Shoulder Hug (ravelry link) by Anne Carroll Gilmour

Needles: size 6 (I went up a size from the pattern...only because I didn't have a 5!)

Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock #221. I used 1 skein...and only had about 12 inches left!  I cut it a little close.  I wanted to get one more color transition completed.  whew!

(thanks to Maggie for modeling for me!)

summer savors, new starts

Lingering over early morning summer knitting....

and enjoying the fleeting views of summer. 

My savoring of summer seems to have been as short as the last week itself...I found myself so busy enjoying that I didn't do very well at sharing. (sorry!)  And then, all of a sudden I find myself at the end and the beginning....school starts tomorrow.  Have a wonderful end to your summer and a great beginning to the beauty that the next season brings.  (I'll be back with knitting soon!)

summer savor 1

Summertime finds me outside in the mornings drinking my coffee and having my quiet time. I love these moments. Molly often joins me...I think she was still waking up...that's quite a big yawn.

this is part of my summer savor series...feel free to join me as I relish the last few days of summer.

the last stretch

We're on our last official stretch of summer.  School starts in about a week and the machine of routine will get back into gear.  Some of us are excited for school to start.  Some of us are not quite there yet.  Hopefully in another 13 days we'll all be ready.  I've been getting us ready and mapping out our schedules and curriculum.  The bookshelves are loaded up and ready to go. 

It's going to be a great school year...it's going to be a great school year, it's going to be a great school year....(can you tell who's not quite ready yet?)

In other news, our painting project is well underway.  My honey, who is ever thoughtful and has my best interest at heart, hired a painter to come in and do the painting.  He didn't want me wiped out and tired going into the start of the school year.  Isn't he great?   So, while they're painting...I'm blogging.  Pretty good deal, huh?  Here's the color I chose...it's called Desert Tumbleweed by Sherwin Williams.  I'm really loving it.  The trim is Pacer White also by Sherwin Williams.  I'll show more pictures later when the drop cloths are all folded up and the rubble has cleared. 

In the meantime, I thought I'd wrap up summer by squeezing every last drop of goodness out of the season.  I'll post a photo each day (or so) with something I'm savoring as summer winds up.  Feel free to join me as I savor summer. 

an update and my denial

Thanks for all the sweet comments on my newly completed Vine Bolero....and thanks for the honesty.  Seriously, I do not want to look granny-ish in any way...I put the broach away and I will pull it out when I hit my 90th birthday.  Whew!  That was a close one.  I also changed out the buttons. The others were a bit too small and they kept coming un-done.  I like the new ones much better. 

We're knee deep in the middle of upheaval and change around here as I gear up to repaint a large portion of our house. (yes, school is a mere 3 weeks away and yes, I did a similar stunt last year and yes, I am obviously dense)  On Monday, I pulled the wallpaper down in the entry and hallway in a fit of sadness.  Kristyn and her family had been here visiting for a week and after their return home, I just couldn't handle their absence...so I did what anybody else would have done....I flung myself full force into a major redecorating project. 

Denial, it's working great.  Although it doesn't wipe out the fact that we do miss them terribly.We had such a wonderful time visiting and catching up.  It's always a great time when our two families get together.  There's never a dull moment! 

...but had I been thinking properly, I could have gotten some more mileage out of their visit if I had I given everyone paint brushes when they arrived. 

I'll keep you posted on my project....today I'm choosing colors!

vine bolero

While traveling home, somewhere along I-95 in South Carolina, I finished my Vine Bolero.   I know we weren't in Georgia as I did the driving through the state of Georgia and I swear I didn't knit a stitch while driving on I-95.   Besides, this sweater was a great knit to work on during lazy summer mornings after I'd had my coffee and before the crew got up and going. It wasn't hard, it just required some extra attention and concentration.

I had originally planned to knit on it during baseball games but the lace required a bit more concentration than baseball afforded.  This sweater was the first time I've knit lace using a lace chart.  I actually had to contact the designer for the chart symbol meanings.   Emily was great, she got back to me right away and never even made me feel like a ninny for not knowing what each symbol meant.  (Thanks Emily!)

Once I got going, I really enjoyed looking at the chart as opposed to reading the directions.  I was able to see the pattern a lot faster using the chart.   I think I'll get a lot of wear out of this sweater, it'll be great in restaurants where they've got the air conditioning blasting and I think I'll be able to wear it this fall as well. 

I highly recommend the Malabrigo Silky Merino.  It is so soft and it drapes really well.  I added the buttons and then tried it with a brooch...I'm not sure which I like better.  (If  I go with the brooch, I'll take the buttons off...hmmmm)

 I may get one of those shawl pins and try that as well.  As you can see, I've got plenty of options to work through.   No matter what, I'll be wearing this sweater a lot.   Although, according to my fashionista daughter, Mckenzie...I need a necklace.  Point taken.  I'll make sure I have on a necklace next time.  ahem.

So, here's the knitty gritty:

Pattern: Vine Bolero, by Emily Johnson

Needles: size 7
Size: Medium
Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino in Sand (I used 3 ½ skeins)
Mods: None, except that I lengthened the arms by 2 inches and the body by 9 inches.

I do know that I won't be wearing it this weekend as the temps are well into the 100s...they say this is the hottest July on record for our area.  whew!  Wherever you are, I hope your weekend finds you cool and comfortable and hopefully with something fun on your needles!