Sock toes!

Thanks to "Miss J, Miss J" (not the ANTM dude-ette but a talented knitter and designer), I have toes for my "Two AT One Time Toe Up Socks on Magic Loop".



2005 KR Retreaters may recognise the yarn....there was enough on the trade table for quite a few of us to have a pair of socks.

What do you call it when you knock one domino and it causes a chain reaction? I don't know but take a look at this to see what happens when you tip a car part.....
Honda Accord Ad

In early August, a new pattern was delivered with a shipment from Plymouth Yarns. It sat in our "new patterns" binder being passed over for more hip and it patterns like cables and mitered squares.

In late November, Nancy, a co-yarn-seller, purchased the pattern and the suggested yarn because "my daughter might like it". A quick knit, Nancy brought in the finished Daughter-gift and hung it up so Ewe Knit Kits would have a sample....well.....

Everyone wanted, ne, HAD TO HAVE, the pattern and the yarn. So a call was placed to Plymouth and more patterns and yarn were ordered. Not enough! A "call me when it comes in" list was made. More copies and yarn ordered. The holidays came and went and still the call for the pattern and yarn were being heard. More copies and yarn ordered.

But, alas, Daughter received her gift and we no longer had a sample at Ewe Knit Kits and knitters were coming in from far and wide asking to see this most magnificiant knitted garment.

And so I accepted the request to knit a sample ....can you guess what this most magnificiant knitted garment might be?

The yarn:


After 2 hours of knitting.


I was concerned about the gauge...12 sts on US11...and how messy the stitches were looking...but after a call to Nancy we decided the pattern must have the wrong gauge and a bit of pulling and tugging put the stitches in place.

Here's where I am this morning. 3 hours watching "Grease" auditions and "Brothers & Sisters on tv.



Now I'm off to learn the turkish cast on so that I can knit two toe-up socks on magic loop.

KR Holiday Gift Exchange

I participated in the Knitters Review gift exchange this year. Jenn and I exchanged gifts and look at what I received.


Yarn and roving!

Check out her site to see her fabulous hand dyes. And hemp yarn. I'm looking forward to working with it. It feels a bit rough but Jenn tells me it softens as it's used.

Here's another picture of the handspun and roving to better see the colors.


Thanks Jenn!

Bailey and I discussed .... well I talked he pretended to listen.... whether or not he'd like to become a "Blog Dog". I explained to him that every dog or cat aspired to become one of those cute fuzzy animals blog-readers wanted to see. He said he'd try.....and I could get one quick picture.....



but then it was back to sleep.

The first three.....

Here are my first 3 scarves. In honor of the George Family siblings.....

My mother was raised in North Carolina. She moved to Virginia when she married my father. Each summer we would drive a bazillion hours in an un-airconditioned car for a weeks visit.

Mary is my mothers oldest sister. The first born. She was about 20 years my mother's senior. She's the one everyone ran to when they had "troubles". She took care of everyone. We stayed with her when we visited. You could walk a few blocks to downtown from her house. She once owned an antiques store. I fell in love with a little bank that looked like a dog. When you dropped in coins his ears and tongue wagged. She gave it to me. Her last job was in a cross stitch shop.

This scarf was designed with her in mind. A simple pattern that's knit in a soft yarn.



knit in 1 skein of Misti Alpaca Lace Wt.


George is the oldest son. Named after his father. My mother always speaks of him with a little awe in her voice. The big brother who left home before she was born and became "an important person in his job". I don't remember meeting him. I'm sure I did. There's a picture of my mother, father and me (at about 1 month of age) sitting on a swing in his yard.

From what I've heard about him I thought this scarf would honor his memory...the stitch fools you with it's complicated looks.




knit in Berroco "Ultra Alpaca"

Clarine LOVED fashion. She was always perfectly dressed and couifed in the latest style. She watched her carbs decades before it was fashionable.

Here's a shawl/scarf that will always be in style.



knit in Purled Llama "Concha"

So those are the first of the "George Family Scarfs and Shawls Patterns for Knitting". All are available at Ewe Knit Kits & Yarn.

It doesn't look like I can add more than one blog on Flickr. I did figure out a work around for the time being.

We had a fun Guild meeting tonight. Yes January 1. Why? Because we ALWAYS meet on the first Monday of the month! We kicked off a Vest Knit-Along. We're using a TKGA pattern. It's free to members. It should take most of the year to finish.

We also decided on instructors to bring in. One of our members will teach a cute sweater with hood that can be sized from doll to large man size. And we're inviting Edie Eckman to come in for the weekend. There's also 2 authors that we'll invite and hope to coordinate their visit with a LYS book signing.

And as usual at our first meeting of the year, we had a Yarn Sale! I stayed away from the tables...I need no more yarn! I did sell a few skeins though.

I think I'll run off and see if I can find some of the buttons I use to have.

Tomorrow I'll try posting pictures!

January 1 2007

It's time for my annual post....which I plan on making a weekly or more habit in 2007.

It will soon be 2 years...TWO YEARS....since I left a mortgage paying job to enjoy my life. And I am.

In 2005 I still had a severance payment every 2 weeks or so, so money wasn't a big concern. But I tracked every penny I spent. That's how I learned I can spend a bundle in Target and Barnes & Nobles! I continued to work parttime and that paid to increase my yarn and book stash.

In 2006 the big money stopped but I continued to track money spent or wanting to be spent, learned that not going into Target and B&N everytime I went grocery shopping doesn't stop the world, health insurance is expensive and the big lesson....I can live on a lot less than I had been.

2006 also brought the relationship I have with my mother and siblings to a new direction. I stepped away from the decision making for her and let my siblings handle it. My Sunday's have become much quieter without the phone ringing every 20 minutes questioning why I had chosen X over Y. My siblings now have to do the research, make the decision and carry it through.

In 2006 I jumped into knitting pattern design. I knew I wanted a "theme". But what? Working with knitters I saw the direction most were taking after the Years of Fluffy Scarves was into simple pattern work. So after a few false starts I decided on scarves and shawls. Thus was born "The George Family Book of Scarf and Shawl Patterns" (that's the title in my mind, nothing formal yet). In the works (with 3 published) are a collection of scarves/shawls designed with one of my mothers siblings in mind. I'll write more in another post about them.

This past November I was re-elected President of the local Guild

And because of a disagreement with a neighboring Home Owners Association, I'm STILL Secretary of my HOA.

I'm still working and teaching part time at Ewe Knit Kits & Yarn.

Bailey, my very large Chihuahua, turned 13 in December. He and I are both turning grey at the same rate, but he sleeps more.

And I bought myself a digital camera for all of the holidays I usually buy myself a gift (birthday, Christmas, etc.) Now I must figure out how to use it!

I'm not sure how I'll use the blog now. Putting up pictures sounds like fun. I don't think Bailey will appear in many though. He usually turns his head or puts his ears back when his picture is being taken which gives him an "I'm bored" look.

So, here I go. Back into the world of blogging.