Fairyland Fiber Arts

Must pre-order this book!!!

2012-02-04T19:20:00.001-05:00

http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/knitting/yarn/LauraZander/KnitRed.asp?showLarge=true&specPCVID=34746
I ordered my copy, it will be here in June. Heart disease is a huge health issue for women!!!

monster!!

2012-01-31T21:07:00.001-05:00

Finished another monster! This one is knitted, from The Big Book of Knitted Monsters by Rebecca Danger. Very cool book and it was a gift from my friend Pat. Here is the new guy.

zebra

2012-01-30T06:50:00.001-05:00

Finally finished the zebra! Laker blue and gold.

I seem to be having an issue with my new app for posting to my blog. We'll see if this works now!

morning cuddles

2012-01-29T22:42:00.001-05:00

We like to start our day with morning cuddles.

It's a great way to start a day!

I am going to sew a bit today. I bought fat quarters at the Moose yesterday. Thanks for the great sale Chris!

Testing new app

2012-01-22T09:37:00.001-05:00

I bought a new app to post to my blog easier, thought I would give it a try!

Hope this works!

New blogging app

2012-01-21T23:42:00.001-05:00

I bought a new app to post to my blog easier, thought I would give it a try!

Hope this works!

American Girl doll outfit finished!

2012-01-21T17:49:00.002-05:00

One thing finished, she's very cute! Wool coat, beret, mitts, and scarf.

The more I think...

2012-01-20T07:05:00.002-05:00

the more I add to my list of things I would like to get done this weekend! There is the quilt that needs binding, and the fleece baby blanket I am putting a crochet edge on that I want to finish. And the 2nd monster kit Jim bought me for Christmas I would like to knit up. And my novel that I am working on that I would like to get to 10,000 words and is only at just over 5,000 words. So I guess since it is cold, I may as well stay in and work on some things! And since now I have posted everything I need to work on, I guess at the end of the weekend I will have to post what I have finished. :-) Nothing like pressure from the public to keep you going.
I have so many projects on the needles:
-A scarf for an AG doll
-The zebra
-Mittens
-A second sock that I even forgot I had knit the first of the pair
With freezing temps outside it's a good time to stay in and work on things.

Tired of being sick!

2012-01-15T19:46:00.002-05:00

I am on my 2nd round of antibiotic and I really have to admit that I am tired of taking medicine. 3 more days of it and I will be done. I was off 2 days this last week and was so wore out I didn't get anything done. Seems like a waste of 2 days off, doesn't it? Today I am working on putting a crocheted edging on a fleece blanket. I got the edging done and now I am handstitching under the raw edge. Next time I will fold that edge under so I don't have to do this part. This is the first time I have done this, I bought 4 pieces of fleece over a year ago in Toledo when it was on sale. Time to get it out of the closet. The weather here has turned cold, and I know that someone will be able to use the blankets, 2 will be toddler size and the other 2 pieces of fleece are large enough to cut in half to do 4 baby blankets.
Tomorrow is a holiday, so it will be nice to have an extra day to work on projects.

New toy!

2011-12-30T19:20:00.002-05:00

Jim got me an iPad for Christmas! I am learning how to use it and so far so good. I am hoping that it will make it easier to stay up with my blog and to upload pics. For instance! Tonight I am on the couch with my cats and my knitting. I am trying to figure out how to add a pic from my iPad to my blog. More later!

This time of year

2011-12-20T06:45:00.004-05:00

Please make sure you are well rested before going to the store. Well rested = patience. And the people who are shopping in the store with you are probably not well rested.
Please, if you are in line and there is a person behind you with kids trying to get done and out of the store, let them go ahead of you. They will be forever grateful.

Almost the weekend!

2011-12-08T06:47:00.002-05:00

It is almost the weekend. I was just reviewing in my head what I have to get done before Christmas and I think, if my memory is right, I am down to one pair of socks for my mom. I started those yesterday, so that will be my project to get done. I also have another quilt that Chris at the Quilted Moose finished for me and that is draped over a dining room chair and just needs the binding. So I can work on that too. Oh, and we have to wrap some presents and I have to get the Christmas cards ready to go out. So that is my to do list for the weekend:
1 pr of socks
1 quilt that needs binding
Christmas cards
Wrap presents
Not a bad list.
After I get the Christmas knitting done I will be concentrating on knitting mittens for Coats for Christmas. They distribute coats for children and adults in November...my friend in Ohio helps and I offered to knit some mitts to go with the coats. I have a whole tub of yarn I can use for that project. One of these days we will remodel my studio and it would help if it wasn't totally full at that point. But when I get a good deal on yarn, how am I to pass it up?

The new mixer

2011-11-27T19:57:00.002-05:00

So we went to Kohl's on black Friday and I got a Kitchenaid mixer. The big kind, that sits on the counter and looks you in the face until you use it. I made bread with it tonight, pull apart garlic bread. It was wonderful...wasn't exactly pull apart, more like fall apart, but it was good. Next I think I will make snickerdoodles, maybe on Tuesday. We both have our colds back so I will be resting alot after work. The homemade chicken soup I made tonight was yummy too.
Lots of Christmas knitting left to do so Diva this weekend will be for knitting and not sewing. Gave the nieces and nephew their quilts, they liked them and made their aunt very happy.

Fnished this weekend:

2011-11-13T20:59:00.003-05:00

5 pillowcases, 1 bag and 1 quilt. Although I do have to say I was off for the last 5 days because I don't work my birthday, and we were closed Friday so I took Thursday too, giving me 5 whole days to relax and sew and knit. Although I didn't get any knitting done.

Quilt top done and this weekend's to do list

2011-11-04T05:48:00.003-05:00

The quilt top is done! I will try and get a good picture of it tonight. For this weekend I need to sew the quilt top for my nephew's quilt, and I have 6 pillowcases cut out to sew to match the quilt top I just finished. I also need to finish a Christmas baby hat I started. And the binding for the quilt top. I cut that out and it's ready to be made. So there it is:
binding for quilt
6 pillowcases
quilt top for nephew
finish handsewing binding on niece's quilt
finish handsewing binding on throw quilt
It helps to put the list up here, because then I actually do try and get things done!

Diva's this weekend at the Moose!

2011-11-03T05:40:00.002-05:00

I am gearing up for diva's this weekend. Lots of projects to finish up, including a quilt for my nephew for Christmas. I have it cut out, just need to sew it. :-)

I had someone comment on my blog that she was new to town and a knitter. I would love to meet up, I'll be at the moose this Saturday, so if you can, stop by and introduce yourself! (I usually leave by 2, and I'll be sitting at the table by the cutting table)
Jill

Ooops

2011-11-02T05:58:00.003-05:00

When at work and knitting on a sock, if you happen to mess up and need to rip back, paperclips will work in a pinch to help pick the stitches back up if you don't have smaller needles.

Not sure if I am going to keep knitting this sock or if I am going to rip out and start over, wasn't really keen on this pattern anyway.

Finished this weekend

2011-10-30T20:05:00.005-05:00

I did get 2 projects finished and 1 quilt top ready for borders.
Newfie mitts finished:

Baby quilt binding finished:
And Gorby helped with the quilt top,

And even with her help I did get the top ready for the borders

So there are a few things off my to do list.

Weekend get it done list

2011-10-28T05:52:00.002-05:00

Well, here is the list, let us see how much I get done on it:
Finish Newfie mitts (I am about 2/3's done with the 1st of the pair)
Handsew binding on Jim's great grandmother's quilt
Handsew binding on quilt for niece for Christmas
Handsew binding on baby quilt
Finish quilt top I started last weekend
Finish spinning brown wool and then next weekend I can ply it all
I think that's it. So now that I have posted this, hopefully that will be pressure to actually get something done!
And I am hoping the fabric gets here to finish the quilt top, I had to order it!

Time flies!

2011-10-24T09:35:00.002-05:00

We had another busy weekend, 2 hockey games and I had a quilt class on Saturday. Not my normal colors, more "Jim" colors. Really like the way it is turning out though, and I ordered fabric last night for borders so I can make the quilt large enough for our bed, will be our fall quilt for next year. Eventually we will probably have a quilt for every month of the year! It is nice to change things up though.
Have another project underway. When I went to the quilt show I saw Newfie mittens for sale. I have been doing a little digging, and have found patterns for traditional Maine mittens also, but none for Michigan mittens. I am going to design my own and the pattern will then be available for free, my hope is that people will use the pattern to make mitts for charity, as well as for family. I have certain criteria in mind, at this point I am in the learning stage. I have just cast on a pair of Newfie mitts, I am going to knit a few pair of mitts from existing patterns and figure out what I like. And I do think the mitts will have directions for 2 needle and 4 needle....
But for now it's time to get ready for work.

Finished last weekend

2011-10-01T07:28:00.003-05:00

I finished a few things last weekend. This week I finished the vest I was knitting for a commission, and now today I am taking a quilt class with Paige. Should be a great time. Can't believe that time is flying by so fast. Pretty soon it will be Christmas! Woke up thinking about what I needed to get done for Christmas this morning. The weather here has turned cold and we had to turn on the heat. I wanted to make it to October 1, missed it by one day. Maybe next year. Our new back door is on order and then we have to get it painted and then installed before the snow flies. Should help with the heating bill. (The baby hats were for a tiny little guy who needed a hat that fit, and the Halloween pillowcases were for our friends' children)

How cute is this?

2011-09-10T08:02:00.003-05:00

The other night these two were snoozing on the couch, and no, I didn't pose them this way. It was adorable.

I guess they do like each other. At least when they are sleeping.
On another note I finished an afghan I was crocheting for a lady. It turned out really well, at first the edges didn't seem to be working out but as the afghan got heavier they evened out.

Misc....

2011-09-05T14:43:00.002-05:00

Worked on an afghan this weekend, haven't crocheted this much in quite awhile and it's turning out very nice.
Went to Diva club on Saturday but only stayed a few hours. Sat in computer training all last week and can't wait to get to the chiro tomorrow. I have an office job but am certainly not used to sitting still that long, we are always up and down. Sitting still killed me, my back hurts like never before.
Had a nice long walk today with Jen, 4.2 miles. I google mapped it when I got home. Feels good to get out and stretch my legs and get fresh air. Soon it will be winter and we won't be able to walk like that, we'll have to find somewhere to walk inside. In Ohio people walked inside the mall which was nice. We'll figure something out.
Jim finished the siding on the garage, now he just has to put up a couple pieces of lattice on the front deck. The plants we ordered for the front bed should be shipped tomorrow, then we can get those in the ground before winter.

What a great weekend!

2011-08-28T21:23:00.003-05:00

I had a 3 day weekend. Friday was Lakerpalooza and breakfast at the Lockview. Saturday was spent knitting on the deck and Jim worked on the garage, which is almost all done. The new siding looks great and it matches the house. Our plants are on order for the front flower bed and will be here the first part of September in time to be planted for the long winter. We're getting there, slow but sure. Oh, and the new gravel drive is gorgeous when it rains with the river stone they used.

Diva club ugly fabric challenge

2011-08-15T09:47:00.007-05:00

So last year for Diva club we had an ugly fabric challenge. We eached rec'd a half yard of this:

I cut mine into strips and made it into a purse and lined it with some pretty peach fabric that showed through to the outside:

Paige, on the other hand, took a totally different route and it was fabulous and totally shocking to me that she did this. Paige is very direction oriented, and she pushed her limits. She saw a picture and was inspired.

Inspired by this picture:

And the best part? Paige's daugther Heather helped. Now that's cool.

The Brown Blob

2011-08-03T05:52:00.002-05:00

There it is. In all it's glory. The brown blob of wool I have been spinning on for years. Literally. It moved with us from Ohio. It has sat in the bongo bag here without being touched for years. It's time that it transforms itself from the brown blob that it is into the beautiful yarn it can be. I know it can be beautiful yarn, because I have finished some of it in to a beautiful 2 ply.
I have pulled the brown blob out of the bongo bag. It is now living in a corner of the dining room where I can watch it. I just have this suspicion that left to it's own devices it will keep reproducing so I will never finish spinning it. So now it is being watched, and every day I get up and sit at the wheel and spin for a bit. And slowly, the brown blob will transformed. Just watch.

2 baby sweaters down, 2 to go

2011-07-31T22:02:00.005-05:00

I have 2 baby sweaters finished and I have 2 more to go. It is nice to finish up some projects.I also have 2 pair of socks started for me and a sweater. So I need to get moving on those. And I need to work on my writing too, never enough hours in the day!
It's been hot here, but we got the brush cleared out around garage. Now we are waiting on the estimate for the drive (grade it and put in fresh gravel) and put in a front sidewalk (cement),and prep a nice big flower bed. It will be so nice to get this stuff done. We'll get there, one project at a time.

Daniel Silva holds my sock in progress!!!!

2011-07-23T09:09:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I had Steve Hamilton, and now Daniel Silva! I find it funny that neither of them even questioned the fact they were holding my sock knitting, they just went with it.

I have to say I highly recommend reading Daniel Silva. And it's not just because he held my knitting. Jim and I drove down to see him at the Traverse City Opera House, and we would definitely do it again. We had a great time, the opera house is beautiful. It was 3 hours one way, and then we had to drive back that same night because I had to work the next day, but totally worth it.
Read his books in order, so you can see the character develop!

Writing

2011-07-21T09:53:00.002-05:00

I fully intend to pursue my writing career. And the more I talk about it and the more I tell people, the more excited I get. I know I might fail, but I really don't want to be one of those people who looks back and thinks "What if". I want to surround myself with creative people, people who like to discuss and think and debate. I find myself more and more stuck in a routine which feels like a rut and that has to change. I'll be a happier person for it. I want to be creative and go sit on the beach or at the locks and knit and write. I want to be able to stay home when it's freezing out and curl up with the cats and my laptop. I want to work my ass off for something that will be "mine". And if I fail, I fail. And that will be mine also.

Steve Hamilton and my sock!!!

2011-07-18T18:15:00.002-05:00

Here you go:

Published author Steve Hamilton holding my sock in progress. :-)
http://www.authorstevehamilton.com/ I love his books, they make me want to curl up with a bowl of popcorn under a quilt while I read. And he's very nice in person. So if you get a chance, check out his books!

So far, so good

2011-07-17T06:26:00.002-05:00

I have started journaling everyday. Just a few lines, or more, depending on how tired I am and my mood. I am trying to make it a habit and so far I am doing well, I have only missed 1 day in the last couple of weeks. I think that's pretty good. And it is now starting to be part of my bedtime routine.
It's going to be muggy here again today. We put in central a/c when we moved here 4 years ago and we don't regret that decision at all. Nice to be able to flip a switch and cool off the whole house.
Today is a knitting day. And a napping day, and a grilling brats day and laughing with my husband day. :-) I love these days.

Weekend is over.

2011-07-11T05:30:00.002-05:00

Back to work today. I worked on the baby sweaters this weekend. Both backs are done and the first front is to the armholes. Not bad. Sorted through some more magazines, it's nice to get all organized. Of course I am a long way from organized. :-) I work 5 days and then have a 3 day weekend, I want to get the baby sweaters done this week so I don't have to work on them this coming weekend. I would like to work on the sweater for me. Beautiful yarn, turquoise color and very soft.

Shade Cards

2011-07-06T05:57:00.002-05:00

I received the yarn yesterday for two baby sweaters I have been commissioned to knit. I just wish that Berroco would put out shade cards for sale because the green I got isn't exactly a sage green, it's an olive and I have to see if that's ok today because the customer wanted sage. Oh well. I did start the first one last night and the back is almost completed. I decided this morning I would knit both sweaters at the same time, the back of the first, the back of the second, then both fronts. That way I get in a groove and I don't have to worry about starting all over to knit that 2nd sweater when the first one is done. I know, I know, it's psychological, but that's how I will do it. :-)
Off to work I go, 2 more days to get up early and I am free for the weekend.

Finished baby sweater

2011-07-04T09:41:00.003-05:00

I finished a baby sweater, it's for a co-worker's grandbaby who isn't quite here yet. For once I am ahead of the game!

Today I am going to finish up a scarf, I need to put the fringe on and I need to sew the leg back on a turtle that I knit. He's had a bit of an accident.

Cabled Baby Sweater

2011-06-16T19:47:00.003-05:00

I finished a cabled baby sweater the other day. It came out very cute. http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/baby_poonan/baby_poonan.html was the patter I used, and here are the pics:

I actually had to break out my peg counter, I got it years ago. It's a Susan Bates product and it helped me successfully keep track of the cable pattern on the front of the sweater. There are three different stitch patterns, one is a 4 row repeat, one an 8 row and one a 16 row. The board was wonderful!

I don't know if this product is still available, but it would certainly be worth picking up if you saw one, just to have it on hand just in case...

My weekend, from back to front

2011-05-30T17:18:00.004-05:00

I am starting with today, and showing you the wonderful yarn I got. Much of it will be knitting into warm baby things for charity. The yarn shop in Mackinac City has closed it's doors, the owner has opened a new shop in Petoskey which is further away. She had a huge sale today, and I stocked up.

And all of it together.

Clue #2 finished

2011-05-23T20:25:00.002-05:00

I finished clue #2. I really am enjoying knitting this shawl. The pattern is being posted clue by clue here:
http://wendyknits.net/

Not my weekend

2011-05-21T23:32:00.002-05:00

I was all set to knit my sweater this weekend. Housework was caught up, I did my gauge swatch, this morning I got up and made a pot of coffee and cast on. Berroco Weekend yarn, the color was gorgeous. I found the first knot. I cut the yarn and kept going. I found the second knot. I cut the yarn and kept going. I found the third knot and emailed Berroco. I am waiting to hear back on Monday about what to do, I have 6 skeins and I have no idea if the other skeins have knots, and I am not even halfway into the first skein.
Then I thought the day was saved. I ordered a knitting book from amazon.co.uk, because the book isn't going to be available in the states till August and I wanted it Now with a capital "N". "The Gentle Art of Knitting". I follow Jane Brocket's blog and this is her latest book. It wasn't supposed to be here till after Memorial Day, but YEAH! It showed up today. I waited till after we went out for dinner to open it, and it's damaged. The dust jacket is tore a bit and so now I have to pay to send it back and then wait for reimbursement. And then I will wait until August when it comes out in the States.

Clue 1 finished

2011-05-19T19:37:00.002-05:00

I have finished the first clue in the mystery shawlette. I like this. It's not too terribly difficult which is great because I am very tired from work. And it looks really cool so far. :-)

Mystery Shawlette

2011-05-18T20:58:00.003-05:00

I just heard about this mystery shawlette KAL yesterday. So today I decided to go for it. The pattern is here on this blog: http://wendyknits.net/. So far it's knitting up nice, I am halfway through the first clue. You start off with tons of stitches and decrease, so the rows will get shorter and shorter. That appeals to me. The first step was to cast on and knit 2 rows, and that didn't look like much when I was done.

I will take a picture when I am done with the first clue. The next clue will be posted on Sunday. I will tell you that I am calling mine Watermelon Lace, because the colors of the yarn I am using look like watermelon.

Knitting

2011-05-09T09:01:00.004-05:00

I went to quilting on Saturday and took my knitting. A co-worker has a new grandson and he is also a Detroit Tiger's fan, so here is what I came up with:

The buttons are little baseballs, hard to see in the picture.
Paige finished knitting a cute little skirt, and a sweater set!

I had a good time at the shop, it's always a nice break after working all week.

Once again....

2011-04-26T05:47:00.002-05:00

Once again I have neglected my blog. And I was off all last week, and you would have thought I could squeeze out one post. But I didn't. I lay on my couch and felt horrid, I had a horrible virus and didn't even care anything about anything till about Wednesday night. I discovered a few things last week, and one of which is I love purple gatorade, low cal. It's yummy. And I still love popsicles, but not the cherry ones, grape first and then orange and the red ones last. I discovered again how wonderful my husband is when I tried to bribe him to go get me gatorade and he went anyway and didn't take the bribe. (I said he could order $100 in books if he went out in the storm to get me gatorade and he didn't even do it. Shocking) I discovered that my cats seem to be concerned when I am not acting normally. And my Shadow loves to cuddle more than anything. (Well, not more than her food, but that's still pretty good).

How?

2011-03-30T20:19:00.002-05:00

How did we turn into "those" people? Those people who need a daily planner to keep up with life and all that is going on. Those people who have a marker board to keep track of lists of everything that needs to be done and is needed to be purchased and and and!!!
But then again, how did I spend all those years as a stay at home wife? :-)

The evolution of the bunny hat

2011-03-20T21:20:00.004-05:00

The first one was too big and the ribbing was only K1P1 and that didn't work.

The next one was ok, but still a little bit big and I didn't like the shaping of the ears on the top and I didn't like the solid color.

The third one is just right. :-)

So this weekend I tweeked the design for the baby hats with bunny ears. I think it came out very cute and I will now go into "production" knitting mode to make enough for the breastfeeding peer counselor who requested them. And I want to finish another chemo hat. And I have my swatches to do for the master knitter level 2. I always have something to keep me busy!

Fun Furlough Friday and ghosts?

2011-03-10T20:28:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow I have my furlough day and it's the first one that I don't have to go anywhere or have an appointment. My big plan is to sleep, and tuck up on the couch with my knitting. And my Nook, I have some library books on there that I want to read before they are due. No hockey, which is the first in a long time. I started cleaning my studio last night, trying to get ready for the cabinet that will be here in a couple months. I cannot believe how much fabric there is in there, knowing that when we left Ohio I didn't have any!
Has anyone ever thought they saw something out of the corner of their eye but there wasn't anyone or anything there? Very odd feeling, turning and expecting to see someone but no one is there.

Cysts

2011-03-07T21:10:00.003-05:00

I had two cysts removed from my eye today, both inside the lower lid. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, only took 30 minutes of sick time and was back at work! A bit sore and itchy, but not bad at all. I was able to knit tonight on fingerless mitts for a co-worker, the pattern is from this book:

I love this book! I want to knit the Hooded House Coat too. And the presentation in this book is wonderful, I love to just look through it. Matter of fact I have been carrying it back and forth to work just to page through at lunch! I haven't used the Ella Rae yarns, but I have been looking at it online. I would have to order it and I hate to do that because it's hard to tell colors. I know I could order a sample card from somewhere, but for now I will just enjoy the book. (I would definitely buy this as a special treat!)

Zebra

2011-02-24T22:02:00.002-05:00

I am knitting a zebra. That's all I am going to say. Except it's not black & white. Pictures to follow....

Debbie Bliss Spring/Summer Issue!!!

2011-02-05T21:47:00.002-05:00

So what do you do when your favorite magazine only comes out two times a year? You bake scones, brew tea and light candles to enjoy your first browse thru, savoring every page.

The healing power of handmade items

2011-02-02T06:42:00.004-05:00

I think that sometimes people underestimate the power of their creations. We all have some artistic bone in our bodies. My friend is a wonderful baker. My other friend is a very skilled knitter. My co-worker is a photographer, my other co-worker quilts, the list goes on. When we create something a bit of ourself is in the finished piece, and is given to the recipient of the item, be it a hat or mittens or a quilt. And that is a good thing. And wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone spent a little time creating something and then passed that item on? Think of the smiles we would create, the feeling of well being. So give it some thought, and see if you have time to create something to pass on. We all have talent, in all different areas. Make a card and send it to a friend who needs a lift. Write a poem and post it online for all to enjoy. Share a little piece of yourself and enjoy the reward of knowing that you might have just given someone a little sense of peace.

Finished!

2011-01-31T06:46:00.003-05:00

COLD!

2011-01-25T06:54:00.001-05:00

I knew it was cold this weekend, but I didn't realize how cold! The paper yesterday said the temp at the airport was -22. Which is only a few blocks from my house. I was out shopping, I guess I have acclimated and didn't realize how cold it actually was.
Tonight I am going to attempt snowshoeing, which is something I have wanted to try. so we will see how that goes. It has warmed up considerably, yesterday it was 1 degree when I was on my way to work.

CCHA Championship Cup!!!!

2011-01-22T22:43:00.003-05:00

We went to the hockey game tonight, which was an awesome game, we won in a shootout.

But here is the best part:

That is the CCHA Championship cup, adorned with my knitting. It's a sock yarn scarf that I started at last night's game. And don't forget the celebration after the final goal:

Off Today!

2011-01-21T08:36:00.002-05:00

That means a three day weekend and a whole list of things I would like to get done:
1. Fix Michelle's Sweater
2. Fix Jim's wood fire truck and clean it!!
3. Work on Harry Potter scarf
4. Make table runner for dining room table (I am getting a tealight holder that is on order and I want to clean up the dining room and actually start using the table, we never eat at the table because it's my "work" area!)
5. ???? I am sure I will come up with something here!

A few more finished projects

2011-01-17T21:38:00.005-05:00

I have finished a few more projects and have more on the needles. It is hard to believe that time is flying by so quickly. It seems like it's just Friday and then it's Monday again, the weekend gone. Last weekend we had 2 hockey games for the college and went to Mike's game on Sunday for the city championship. They lost, but Mike did very well. He's a goalie and I remember watching him play when he wasn't even as tall as the cross bar and now he's past it.
Here is a finished pic:

A nice warm baby sweater and hat, very much needed this time of year. And Jim and I finally got a snowblower,

Also much needed this time of year. And as I write this the snow is falling. And falling.

New Year!!!

2011-01-01T00:34:00.003-05:00

It's a new year. Fresh and clean and we'll see what happens as the year unfolds. I plan on knitting up alot of my stash to donate items to charity. And I want to finish my master knitting level 2. That is the plan. This is the year to get organized. I ordered this: Free shipping, can't beat it. When it gets here it will take the place of the cd rack and the bookcases we are using to hold our dvds. We have VHS tapes that need to go, I haven't watched them in over a year so I guess I don't need them. This is the year to declutter and organize. With Jim and I both working full time I don't want to spend my time at home cleaning stuff I don't need.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T21:04:00.002-05:00

For the first time in years we had good weather for the drive to my mom's. It's only 5 hours, give or take, but it sure can be a long drive if there is lake effect snow. This year no fog, freezing rain or snow. Travelers who were flying can't say the same thing. I hate the thought of people sleeping in airports. It does not look comfy at all.
I took a picture when we stopped for gas on the way down,

you have to love it when a snowmobile pulls in alongside your car to fuel up. On the way home we saw lots of trailers loaded with snowmobiles on their way north, hopefully we get some fresh snow for them.

While we were visiting my mom she asked me if I remembered this:

I made this when I was 5. My brother made one the same year, 1976. My flag is brown, not sure about that choice.

Baby hats complete!

2010-12-09T21:44:00.003-05:00

I finished knitting the baby hats for the NICU over in Canada. One dozen hats were delivered, all decked out in gift bags:

They knit up quickly, but after a dozen I was ready to move on. The boys' hats are "Wintergreen" and the girls' hats are "Peppermint".

A serious discussion

2010-12-04T23:36:00.003-05:00

Jim and Gorby had a serious talk tonight.

It started with me asking Jim where he was going and somehow Gorby decided she needed to know also. He didn't go far, it's too cold out.
We had hockey tonight, the Lakers won. And it was the night when we got to throw stuffed animals on the ice after the first Laker goal. The toys are then donated to charity. It's alot of fun.

It's a rough life

2010-12-03T22:44:00.003-05:00

It's a rough life being a cat in our household. For instance, you have to make a choice. Either the bed,Or the couch:>

Beaded Bag

2010-12-02T06:38:00.002-05:00

The beaded bag was knit by stringing all the beads on the thread before knitting. The kit can be purchased from www.baglady.com , it's the Summer Odyssey pattern.
We were the lucky ones last night that had snow, as of this morning 8" and more to come. Unfortunately I am old and don't get snow days anymore! Fortunately we live in town and I can get to work.

WoW!

2010-12-01T22:44:00.003-05:00

Long time, no post! I am in pre-Christmas hectic knitting stage. But I will get everything done, just because I always get it all done in the end. I am knitting a dozen Christmas hats for the NICU in Canada, I have 6 more to go. I was off for quite a bit at the end of last month, I actually took vacation time. We went to Dayton for Thanksgiving and then swung through Toledo on the way home and had lunch with Pat and did a ton of shopping. All I can say is that I have Irish breakfast tea to last me through the winter and I now have a dressform so I can knit freeform garments.

We are getting snow. And we are supposed to get alot of it. I am hoping for a snow day but I also know that isn't going to happen. Big sigh. :-)
I do have a few pictures of a beaded handbag I knit for my friend Kathy for her birthday. It is small, only about 3" long. But I love the way the beaded knitting feels, and Kathy likes it too!

Monday is over

2010-10-25T21:02:00.002-05:00

Monday is officially drawing to a close and I am happy that I only have to get up early 4 more days this week. I never understood why people liked the weekends so much. Then I got a full time job. And now I know how magical the weekends are. Time to stretch out on the couch for a nap, or being able to read a good book until the wee hours of the morning without having to get up early for work the next day.
I am in the middle of several books right now, one is a book about breast cancer and one is Shakespeare's Champion by Charlene Harris. I want to read through some of these books I have piled in stacks around here.
My new laptop has sticky notes you can put on the screen and I am using them to keep track of my knitting projects I need to finish. I have started the baby sweater set for Teri L., and it's very pretty, the new mommy wanted red, and it's fun to knit a baby sweater with a primary color instead of a pastel...

Taquamenon Falls

2010-10-04T09:08:00.001-05:00

We went over to the falls this weekend, gorgeous!!!

And then as we were leaving the viewing area, I saw this stump. Doesn’t it look like fingers???

Fall Colors

2010-10-02T08:54:00.000-05:00

Today is a very pretty day, the colors up here are in their peak, well, maybe a few more days they will be in their peak but by then I’ll be at work. I really do enjoy this time of year, the feeling of getting ready for winter and settling in.

I would love to live in a lighthouse, just for a month!

Can't get enough of this video!!

2010-09-15T06:04:00.001-05:00

http://www.cmt.com/videos/kenny-chesney/571287/coastal-invitation-only.jhtml
I love this song!!!! Now I suppose I should get ready for work. :-) I have 4 pumpkin hats done and the 5th is to the top, thanks to knitting with Jody last night....

12 pumpkin baby hats

2010-09-13T20:46:00.003-05:00

I am on hat #4 of 12. I would have been on hat #5, but one went to Andrea. So I keep knitting and knitting. On my lunch, at home on the couch, on the neighbor's couch, and tomorrow night on Jody's couch. These are cute hats, and they do work up quickly. But I wish I was on 12 of 12!

Our weather here is turning to fall quickly and that makes me very happy. I love fall, I love the leaves swirling around my feet while I walk. And I don't even mind winter, when I can curl up in my flannel pjs with the kitties and knit while watching hockey.
But first, I have to knit 12 pumpkin hats.

We had diva club on Saturday. Paige did her own thing while most of us cut out the block of the month quilt we are going to be doing. This is a finished quilt, it came out about 13 1/2" square.

Paige did it all in one day. I cut out 3 blocks and started knitting. Pumpkin hats of course!

Adorable.

2010-09-09T21:20:00.003-05:00

Just plain adorable. Debra Norling's fruit hat pattern, done in pumpkin. I am knitting a dozen of these for a hospital in Canada, but our new little neighbor lady is just so adorable I couldn't resist giving her one.

Isn't she just all that? :-)

New knitters

2010-09-01T05:46:00.002-05:00

Every time a fairy clicks her knitting needles and new knitter is born...
I have been having a hard time finding knitters to knit with here. I don't know why that is, it just seems that most people quilt. Which is fine, because I joined up with them too. :-) So last night I started to create my knitters. Kind of like Frankenstein's monster. There were 3 victims (students), and they did great!!! We will meet every other Tuesday, I don't want to stress them out. But I am on call in case they want some help in between.
One of my observations I made last night was that how when you are little and learning something new, you just went for it. If it's not perfect, that's ok, because you're learning. I found last night that my students were very intent on getting it "right". And we all know that when you are learning something new that it takes practice to get it right. I wonder at what age do we lose our fearlessness of "failing" at something new? And can we get it back?
The best part of last night was finally having a knitting group to call home after so long! (And the laughter, and the off-knitting talk.)

Time won't slow down!!!

2010-08-27T05:49:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe it's the end of August. The kids are back at the college and it's nice. Time to get ready for fall, and prepare for winter. I have plenty of yarn, and I always have a bit of chocolate in the house, so I guess I am ready.

I took these pics of the back of our willow tree.

Looks like knitted cables to me. :-)

Last weekend...

2010-08-11T21:05:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking about last weekend and how great it was. Not only did I see an old friend, Pat, but I met Lynne-Marie, and we hit if off very well. Thoughts are even turning to next year to see if we want to do it all over again! And of course have some more of that pizza! The B&B was really wonderful, and within walking distance of downtown, so we could park and walk the whole weekend, except for when we went to the fiber mill, and to have dinner with Lynne-Marie's mother. The scenery was stunning, and makes me appreciate living in Michigan.

The B&B!

2010-08-09T18:49:00.006-05:00

Last weekend Pat drove up from Toledo, and I drove down from the Soo, and we met in Grayling, MI at Borcher's, http://www.canoeborchers.com/. It was wonderful! Here are the pictures to prove it, first the wonderful breakfasts:

And the wonderful view off the second floor balcony:

And our room was wonderful, the door opens up onto the balcony:

And when you don't have a swift, you make do.

All the canoes!

Don't forget the lucky dog that lives here:

And the wonderful pizza downtown at Bear's Den Pizzaria:

And the fiber mill in East Jordan...

My goodies:

And Pat got me two suprises from Debra's Garden!

Acts of caring

2010-08-01T20:45:00.004-05:00

I was asked to fix the new neighbor girl's blanket. She's three. And I had a deadline, I had to have the rips fixed before bedtime. While I was sewing it up, I was thinking about the handsewing, and how both men and women have been mending blankets, clothing, etc for hundreds of years. Out of necessity, out of wanting to save a treasured item for future use. I fixed the blanket, on time, and delivered it back to Emily. I told her it was mended, and she wanted to see my work. I think it passed. :-)

Trying to finish up!

2010-07-25T22:32:00.003-05:00

I have many projects on the needles, so I am trying to finish up some of them. I am knitting a cardigan for me, a wrap, a scarf, socks....the list goes on. I do that, I cast on many projects and then work at them in turn until they are all done and then I start all over again. Tonight I worked on the cardigan, and the only thing left to do is to knit the collar and sew it all together. Hopefully I will finish that up this week. Then on to finish something else!

Knitting groups

2010-07-20T05:39:00.003-05:00

I posted on Ravelry to see if anyone wanted to get together to knit in this area, and that failed. I miss my knitting friends from Ohio. In fact, Pat and I are getting together to knit next month. She is driving up and I am driving down and we are meeting partway to relax for a weekend. I've not done something like this before so it should be interesting. :-)
Went for a long walk last night with a student. She's very bright and full of energy. I wasn't really planning on that long a walk but before I knew it we had walked over 3 miles. And this morning I feel fine! I need to get more exercise, and if our schedules allow we'll meet up again this week to walk again. Have to take advantage of the nice weather, soon we will be in our houses for the winter again.

Level 1 complete!

2010-07-08T05:43:00.002-05:00

I rec'd word, I have completed level 1 of the master knitter course. I have ordered level 2, but it is being revised so I have to wait. I was going to take a break but Jim convinced me to keep going or I would never finish it. So of course I listened to my husband. :-) While I wait for it to arrive I have plenty of other projects to do. My studio remodel will begin this coming spring I believe, so I want to use up some materials so it's easier to clear the room. I think I have decided what I want the room to look like, but of course that is subject to change. I want my studio to be well organized, and comfortable to work in for hours. The desk my dad built me will be tucked in the cut out by the closet, Jim will make it a bit wider so it will fit. The closet will be outfitted so I can store my stuff, and I do think that one whole wall will be cabinets so that I will never run out of storage. (Never say never? :-)

15 years ago

2010-07-04T21:14:00.004-05:00

15 years ago today I was in our rental house in Ohio and I heard a kitten yelling her head off. We found her in the lilac bush, and then she went under the neighbor's deck. We used a bowl of milk to lure her out. She was a filthy little thing, covered in fleas. Someone had dumped a litter of kittens, and this is how Shadow came to live with us. Turns out she wasn't grey, she is white. And she is spoiled and loved and I am so glad she is part of our lives.

Happy Anniversary Shadow!

Baby hats....

2010-06-27T17:11:00.004-05:00

One of the women I work with at the health department helps new moms learn to breastfeed and asked me to make something to give to them as a small gift. I went to town:

I couldn't resist putting little labels on the jars, "blueberry", "lemon", etc. I will take these to work tomorrow, and I know they will be used. The pattern is Ann Norling's Kid's Fruit Cap, and it's great!!!! Next on the "to do" list are some caps for the NICU downstate.

The bistro set

2010-06-18T23:25:00.004-05:00

I am enjoying the front deck and the bistro set we bought for out there.
Breakfast last weekend,

Last night, knitting, and some refreshments:

It's really nice to be able to sit out there and do nothing but relax. I love it!

Pink Ribbon Golf Classic

2010-06-15T05:48:00.003-05:00

So this past weekend was the Pink Ribbon Golf Classic. It was great. Everyone helps, Sherri Buckley does an excellent job organizing this whole thing. She does this every year and we're lucky to have her. I snapped a few pics.

Yummy Yum!! And then the raffle prizes. You could pick what prize you wanted to win, buy the tickets and put them in whatever bag. There were hotel night stays, etc

The weather could have been better, but the day ended with a steak dinner and prizes. And all the money went for a good cause.

A big thanks to the Quilted Moose!!

2010-06-01T20:37:00.004-05:00

A big thanks to Chris at the Quilted Moose! We are having a Ladies' Day at work, which means we are going to screen as many women as possible for breast and cervical cancer. Women that make an appointment and come on that day get a goodie bag. I have been sewing potholders, and when I said something to Chris, she donated a dozen homemade pillowcases!

The goody bags are going to be great! :-) I made the potholders and my friend Kathy helped me turn them all, so a big thanks to her too! :-)

Hard to believe it's June 1st. Summer came quick to the Soo, it's been actually hot. And being pasty white, I am hiding from the sun in the house. And getting lots done...

Wow, almost the weekend!

2010-05-06T17:24:00.003-05:00

It's been another busy day at work. And a busy week. And I am ready to sit and knit. I have a sweater that I just need to knit the sleeves for, so that is on the agenda, as well as curtains for Jim's library. He's excited to get furniture for down there, I have to admit it's coming together nicely. He did a good job, from the walls to the floor.

And I got flowers today at work,

from my cats for mother's day. They are gorgeous, don't you think?

Master Knitter's Course Level 1!!!

2010-04-26T08:17:00.004-05:00

I got alot done this weekend, including completing my level 1, I am mailing that out this morning! And I also knit a hat,

This is for a 3 year old who is going through chemo. I mailed it out with lots of prayers attached.

I also got my shipment of wool from http://www.homesteadwoolandgiftfarm.com/. And I sorted the first couple of pounds and washed it. It's drying now..

I have to be patient and let it dry before I tuck it away to be carded. I'm not sure if I am going to dye it or not...have to wait and see.

Fingers crossed that my level 1 goes smoothly and I pass. Then it's on to level 2!

My neighbor, the master knitter!

2010-04-24T21:05:00.003-05:00

So today I was sitting out front across the street with my friend and neighbor Kathy. We were chatting while I sorted through 2 pounds of raw wool. Betty came over, she lives up the street and while we were talking she said I had to come over and see her knitting. So we went to her house and OMG!!!! She does beautiful work. See for yourself!

She has baby sweaters ready to go for when someone needs a baby sweater!

The kittens in the above sweater are knit with angora so they are fuzzy. Gorgeous work...all of it!

Prayer Shawl

2010-04-21T06:02:00.003-05:00

I was knitting on a prayer shawl last night and had some assistance:

Gorby is so helpful at times. She loves to help do the laundry too (meaning she tries to trip me while I am carrying the basket because I can't see her). She likes to try and help me cook (which means she circles my feet yelling when I am cutting up meat). Yes, she's a helper. :-)

A couple weeks ago at the Quilted Moose

2010-04-19T08:49:00.002-05:00

I keep forgetting to post these pictures! We had Diva at the Quilted Moose a couple Saturdays ago, and I took a few pics to share with you.

First, Nora was working on a really neat quilt with animal prints:

This is one of the blocks. The prints were really nice.

And then Chris finished a quilt:

The back is made up of batik squares, and is very neat, as is the front. I love brights!
I spent the weekend working on level 1 of the master knitter's course. I am on the home stretch, I just have to write a paper that is at least 2 pages. I haven't had to write a paper in years! I will have that finished this week and mailed out by Saturday, that is my goal.

New puppy!

2010-04-13T16:11:00.002-05:00

My co-worker Gary got a new puppy. She's a Yorkie-Poo, and she's so tiny! Her name is Nettie, and here she is, making her internet debut:

Another weekend is over

2010-04-11T22:29:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe how quickly the weekends fly by. Yesterday I had diva at the Quilted Moose, and I used the time to finish handsewing the binding on a quilt for my neighbor and friend, Kathy. It's her retirement quilt, the pattern is the double Irish chain.

I learned a few new things while working on this quilt. And Chris at the Quilted Moose did a beautiful job quilting it. I am very fortunate to have Kathy as a neighbor and now as a friend. I told Jim when we moved here that we would find the right house, and I do believe I was right. I love living here.

I also finished the Christmas socks for my mom. She picked the yarn the last time we were in Ludington to visit.

They are really pretty. And Kathy bought me a new skein of sock yarn, beautiful blues.

It will go in my stash to be admired before I knit it up. So yet another weekend has drawn to a close. The week will fly by again and soon it will be time to have dinner at the pub on Friday after work.

Are you kidding me????

2010-04-08T16:53:00.003-05:00

So this morning when I woke up, this is what I saw:Yes, our grill that we have been using already this year, covered in snow. They said it was coming but I didn't believe it. Unreal. We got maybe 5 inches total today, it's melting but what a mess.

My co-worker's sweater

2010-04-07T05:37:00.003-05:00

I work with some very talented people. Some bake, some arrange flowers beautifully. Some crochet, some quilt, and some knit. Joann knits. She had her sweater with her the other day, and it is gorgeous! See for yourself:

I love it when you work with someone and find out their "hidden" talents. Everyone has something they are good at, whether it be needlework or baking, or any number of other things.

My new toy...

2010-04-04T16:02:00.004-05:00

I love gadgets. I am definately a gadget girl. :-) Yesterday Jim and I finally got our new blackberries. We have both been wanting them, and so with our contract being up we got them. Between the rebates and buy one get one free we didn't really have to spend that much and we're both happy. And now I can snap pics with it and send them right to my email, and then put them in my blog!

This is my current SIP for my mom for Christmas. This is the second sock, so soon these will be done and tucked away. I am happy that I will be able to blog more easily. I try and blog on a regular basis, but usually I only blog once a week. Hopefully that will be changing!

At last

2010-03-30T20:21:00.004-05:00

At last my sock yarn is all tucked in together in my pie safe. It is now a yarn safe. And I open the doors and I smile, it's my peace.

And then Jim came home and surprised me with 2 new balls of sock yarn!

He knows the way to my heart. And to celebrate cleaning out the pie safe and putting the sock yarn away all tidy, I finished a pair of socks.

My MIL bought me this sock yarn, it's an Opal and I love these. I worked the ribbing all the way down the leg and continued it down the top of the foot. Very comfy. And my MIL has great taste!

What to do?

2010-03-24T05:44:00.002-05:00

Our next home improvement project is my studio. And I'm not quite sure what to do. I know we are gutting the room, and putting in new drywall, new lighting. But that's where I get stuck. I know that I want storage, lots of storage. We have talked about putting in a wall of kitchen cabinets, but I'm not sure if I want that or not because that will be fixed and I won't be able to move the room around. And I would love a pub style table with comfy chairs, but if I want to sew at the table I would need a small stool to put my pedal on for my machine. I need storage for yarn, papercrafts, fabric, books, magazines, I have alot of stuff. And there are so many options! I want this room to really work for me, time is limited and I don't like spending my creative time searching for what I need.
And color! What color should I paint the room? Blue is my favorite color, but I want the room to feel warm, and light, especially with the winters we have up here. They are certainly long. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

It's been awhile!

2010-03-22T08:22:00.003-05:00

I didn't realize how long it has been since I posted. I've been trying to get all these things done...I love to start a bunch of projects and then finish them all up. Then I start a new batch. This last weekend I did finish up the living room wall that has driven me crazy since we moved in.

It looked like this:

There were 2 strips on the seams to hide them. The sconces were plastic. The wall had a texture on it that I scraped off and then I primed, and then I painted. Jim put up new sconces and changed the switch and outlet. And now it looks so much better, like this:

It's soooo much better. The painting is one that Jim did when we still lived in Ohio. It's gorgeous, and it used to hang on that floral wall and it didn't look right at all. Now it has a proper place. We're getting there, slow but sure. Jim is almost done with his library in the basement. I do believe then we will be gutting my craft room and re-doing that. Yeah!

The new quilt

2010-03-06T23:05:00.003-05:00

I finished a quilt the other day. I took the class at the Quilted Moose and then Chris quilted it for me. (She does wonderful work!). So I finished the binding and right after I took this picture,

Justice claimed it.

Then Gorby.

And even Shadow.

I am not sure when it will be my turn to use it, but it has been cat approved. :-)

Some new bags...and other tidbits

2010-02-28T09:44:00.003-05:00

I did finish some bags last weekend, and I am finally getting around to posting a picture.

They will make nice gifts, they are tucked away for now.

I thought you all might like to see pictures of how Gorby helps me with my household tasks. First, I fold all the towels.

And Gorby tries out that stack to see that they are indeed folded correctly. And if they are not, she then

divides the stack in half. This requires alot of effort and so she must then take a brief nap before moving on to help me with something else.

Knitting Olympics

2010-02-13T22:39:00.002-05:00

Well, I started the knitting olympics last night, and I cast on the Snowdrop Shawl. Well, after working at it today I have realized that the equipment (ie the yarn) I had for my event was not compatible with my event (the Snowdrop Shawl). I have therefore switched events, and I am knitting the North Sea Shawl from the Folk Shawls book. I hope that the equipment and the event will be a bit more compatible!

On another note I have lost my voice, to the delight of my husband. :-)

I have a cold...

2010-02-10T06:47:00.002-05:00

but the weekend is only 2 days away and I can get plenty of rest. We had a busy week last week, this week we are laying low and not doing much after work. Jim is working on his basement, trying to get his library done. He's very excited to finally have the space to have all of his books out so he can see them and just pull them off the shelves when he needs to. And he'll be able to sit down there and have a cigar if he chooses.
I have an extended weekend, so I plan on working on Kathy's quilt, and also finishing the socks for my mom's birthday. Those are the 2 main projects. Other than that I have some bags to sew up and Chris from the Quilted Moose finished quilting my trip around the world quilt, so I have to bind that. Chris does an excellent job with her long arm quilting machine, I'm lucky to have her only a couple blocks away. :-)

Trip Around the World

2010-02-02T06:44:00.003-05:00

This past weekend I took a quilt class at the Quilted Moose. This was the first class Paige and I took together, and now whenever they have it we take it again because now it's tradition. And we love to do it. We had a good time and I managed to make my quilt top and left it there for Chris to quilt.

I believe this one is all mine, a great quilt for cuddling up on the deck this summer in the evenings. I need to make the binding and then when I get it back from Chris I can get it finished up.

We have Diva this weekend at the shop and we're sewing cute little totes. I need to pick my fat quarters, it takes 2.

American Girl Doll Laker Style

2010-01-31T21:10:00.003-05:00

I don't have a pic of the doll wearing her new outfit, but here is the Lake Superior State University cheerleader:

I got a bit of knitting done on some socks this weekend also. Jim and I went to a concert last night and ended up leaving during the third song, the music was too loud and the sound quality was horrible. We ended up at hockey and had a much better time.

Quilting this weekend!

2010-01-28T06:58:00.002-05:00

Only 1 more day to get up early for work, and then it's Saturday and time to go to quilting! I am very excited about that. We're doing the Trip Around the World quilt, again. Everytime the class is offered Paige & I take it now. It's tradition, it's the first class we took together. Her sister Judy is going to be taking it this time too, and I'm very happy that the three of us will be sewing away on Saturday. By the end of the day we'll have a quilt top done or just about done.