Friday, January 30, 2004

Yard work...work work...and knitting

The Landscape guys are here now doing the yearly tree trimming. Crepe Myrtles are looking lean. I'm having them dig up a Star Magnolia that wasn't doing well where it was planted 3 years ago. He's going to take it. It'll survive in someone else's yard. And, and this just about killed me, we took the gardenia's (I have 6 bushes) from over 6 ft to about 3ft...ahhhh....and yes I know it's not the right time of year, but by doing it now we'll have good growth this summer. I'll miss my showy bushes this summer but next year should be bigger and more fragrent.

It's been nice to work work from home today.

And the Summer Sweater is coming along nicely. Both front and back open work is done and pressed. I'm just knitting away now. This will take some time.

I've never been much of a football fan. I couldn't get a way from Sunday TV games growing up what with 3 brothers, 1 father and 1 sister in love with the game, so I have nothing to write about in regards to the SuperBowl. Although the bank is now sponsoring the stadium the Panthers play in. Bonus? What bonus?

Wednesday, January 28, 2004

Received my order from Knit Picks last night. Several skeins of the Jamieson Spindrift (lemon, leprechaun and royal) and Knitting In the Old Way. I swatched the lemon Spindrift and decided to order more for the shawl. And of course I couldn't just order that....so 9 more skeins of Spindrift, 2 skeins of K2C2 sport in a pale yellow and the Circular Solution will be in my hands in 7-14 days. I think it's K2C2, it's on sale and I've never used it and at 198 yds per skein it's a good deal. And don't ask why more yellow, last summer it was purple.

Sally's Favorite Summer Sweater is coming right along. I'll finish the front's open work tonight and then will move onto the opaque rows.

I have been enjoying the long evenings. After walking B and eating dinner, it's knitting, the newspaper and tv in front of the fire.

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

I"ve been spelling it all wrong.....

It's... KnittaPalooza" ...so go check it out!

And the award goes to....

...I am elated that Naomi Watts has received a Best Actress nomination.


Monday, January 26, 2004

How big can it get?

I can share the news now....Ewe Knit Kits is expanding!...we're moving a few doors down and doubling floor space. We'll have a nice area for classes and a "library", 2 check out stations and more shelves to fill up with yarns. And only 2 doors down from the deli/bakery!

When you hear "knitting is back in" you can believe it....well knitting scarves anyway. On Saturday we had 4 people working (not teaching, mind you, helping select and ringing up) and we could've used another body for a few hours. Whew! And it's like that every day I am told

April 1 is our target date.

Oh and check out the site ....Ewe Knit Kits for details on the Knit-A-Palooza!. There's a button that will be kept updated. Contracts are pretty much signed and booklets are being put together but look for no more than $350 for 3 days/4 nights of classes and shopping(price includes meals). Hotel room not included in the price.

I did get the rest of the yarn for Sally's Favorite Summer Sweater. The open work for the back is finished and pressed. I've decided to knit the front open work before moving to the opaque section. I think I'll stand a better chance of remembering to change from size 5 to size 10 needles every row!

Did Nicole look in the mirror before she left home? Nicole you're too pretty to be overshadowed by clothes.

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

It's been a long time....

...and now I have a moment to post. Been rather busy at mortgage paying work. Lots of meetings and training and general work stuff.

And my car need brakes....$$$$$.

Optically Delusional is in the pile to be frogged. Yep, ripped back into little balls of soft merino wool. It's hedious. And I knew that ...the longer I knit....the more I disliked it. I have the back and both fronts completed. This past Sunday I pinned it together and pretended it would look great once I tried it on. It looked worse. Still love the yarn though.

I also frogged the Lily Chin shawl. Can't remember the name of the pattern. One of those that say's it's "easy". And I'm sure it is, just not a very interesting pattern results for all the markers and counting I'm doing. The sock yarn I used in a brown/tan/black will be reused for the Little Leaf Shawl from Jamieson's Shetland Knitting Book #3.

Which reminds me...I placed an order with KnitPicks last week. A few skeins of Jamieson Spindrift to try out and a few books, one of which is Knitting The Old Fashion Way.

The only project currently underway is a seed stitch scarf out of Manos

So on to my next sweater project...Sally's Favorite Summer Sweater from The Knit Stitch. Pulled a skein of King Tut cotton, color 13 which is what I'd call a marine blue. Am knitting an extra large swatch and so far so good.

Finished up a Felting Class at Ewe Knit Kits this past Saturday. It was a 2 Saturday class. 2 of the 6 students that signed up actually showed up and we picked up one lady who happened to be in the store shopping on the 10th. I let the students choose their project. 1 hat, 2 totes. Fingers crossed all felts well.

Speaking of Ewe Knit Kits, it's been beyond hectic. Every week a sales record is being broken. Not complaining, you understand, but the stuff that's flying out are the novelty yarns. Seldom do I sell yarn for socks that will actually become socks. Now I did sell I skein of Lorna's Lace Helen's Lace to a woman who also purchased a Jamieson Pattern Book. We have 12 students in our "Beyond Scarves" class....make a baby sweater...so hopefully they will want to knit something besides scarves.

Staff meeting tomorrow night to discuss the upcoming Knit-A-Palooza in mid-May. I'll keep you updated.

Scooter Girl and Redhead boy are off to Hollywood.....good on 'em!

Monday, January 05, 2004

Year end wrap up

The three weeks sped by faster than I could blink.

The fun times were spent reading, knitting, working at Ewe Knits and hanging out at the house.

The frustrating times were spent wanting to beat my brother over the head with anything handy. So many promises made to mom and none kept. He doesn't see the impact to her.

So I'm back at work and not much has changed. All the training I did in 2003 before moving into the dept I'm in now "doesn't count" so I'm doing a crash course in some training that is required. Of course they send the email out Dec 19th.

Still working on Optically Delusional. The back and left front are done. Now working on the right front which is now to the knit every row stage.

The Shape It Scarf with Gedifra's Scarlet turned out really nice. I ended up making it smaller and used 2 1/2 skeins.

Tried the French Market Bag from the new Knitty. I used Cascade 220. Really turned out small. I should carry the 220 double.

Ewe Knit Kits is having a Knit-A-Palooza in mid-May. Go to the website and sign up for the newsletter for more info. Classes on marketing, designing and knitting are being arranged.

And Tidewater Knitting Guild of Virginia will be offering classes by 2 well know instructors the last weekend of March. Non-members are welcome. Check out the website for info.

I had no idea you can get a marriage annulled so quickly! Wonder if that's the shortest marriage in history?