5 sweaters, 7 knitters & 1 heat pump

May here in the Tidewater of Virginia was very mild. Actually cool some days. Ususally we've turned on the air conditioning a few times before June's heat and humidity comes rolling in. But not this year. So as the first day of real heat hit us I flipped the little switch to turn on my air. Nothing. So a call to John's Brothers on Monday morning had them coming out on Tuesday morning to tell me...we can fix what's broken for eightyeleven dollars and something else will break because your system is old old old. So, bright and early last Thursday morning when it was already 95 degrees 5 Men & their trucks pulled up to my house



and by the end of the day cool air was pouring through the vents from a brand spanking new heating and air conditioning machine that cost caused my checkbook to say "we didn't for plan this, what about that new roof we wanted!".

That night, Bailey enjoyed moving from favorite place to favorite place finding the cool spots. No picture, but imagine a long haired black dog in 100 degrees panting really really hard finally finding cool.

Friday, the Men in Trucks, showed up to hook up the heat side of the new machine.

A week later cool air is still blowing out the vents and we've had a nice break in the 101 heat. A nice balmy 85 with low humidity today.

In knitting news.....

Andrea redecorated Ewe Knit Kits to include a "Wall of WallisKnits" patterns.


Thank you Andrea!

And let me introduce you to the "Morning Knitting Group at Ewe Knit Kits".



Almost any morning of the week, you can stop by and find them knitting away, discussing the lastest pattern, yarn, their families or where to go for lunch. Stop by and join them some morning!

I've been busy knitting sweaters and shrugs.

All are Knitting Pure & Simple patterns.

A black (looks charcoal but it's very dark black) cardigan in Rowan's Calmer



And a great way to use up all of that novelty yarn we purchased 2 years ago that's still sitting in your stash A red cardigan in Berroco's Love It and Trendsetter Charm.



And 2 new patterns from KP&S that knit really fast. The Woman's Bulky Shrug
that probably took 4 hours of straight knitting to finish. I used Plymouth's Baby Grande Alpaca 2 1/2 skeins for the size 40. Didn't quite get gauge so I went up a size.

The note pinned to the front says "2 KnitIn's will be held for this shrug". I'll be holding a 5 hour "class" where we'll knit this shrug. Wed July 9th or Sat July 26th.

And look at this little tiny shrug! I'm knitting the 18mo size in Kertzer Butterfly. And I used the optional lace bottom.



The lace wt Morehouse Merino sweater is still on the needles. Very slow going there and I'm enjoying the portability.

In Ewe Knit Kits news: Bobbie just returned from TNNA. She said she shopped til she dropped and shopped some more. So in addition to the Universal and Berroco yarns we've already received, we should be getting in lots more over the summer. Mountain Colors order was big. Namaste Bags are coming in. Lots of patterns. Trendsetter had good deals.

This Saturday, June 14th, is World Wide Knit in Public Day. Ewe Knit Kits will hold our annual "Sit and Knit" so bring a chair and join us. I'll be there. And Bobbie will be sending out the email to talk about the days events (and by events I mean what's on sale) soon. I'll update the Ewe Knits Group on Ravelry when she does...because you know she doesn't tell us in advance.

And Happy 90th Birthday to my Aunt Trony! THE Aunt Trony that the "Trony" shawl is named after.

Where have I been you might ask? Scrabulous and
The SAT Question of the Day and knitting 3 sweaters, 1 scarf and planning 2 classes.

To explain...

To the Raveler who questioned my use of the term telemarker: It is the term the Client Group I supported while working for Big Bank used to differentiate groups of associates that answered incoming calls. Those that assisted customers or client groups with a problem were Customer Service Associates. Those that answered incoming calls from customers or potential customers that were responding to a mailing were Telemarkers. Why? I don't know. It was better to accept the things I could not control slide by and concentrate on my part of the projects because there were so many acronyms that I had to know and use for my job there was not much brain left for other things...except knitting!... I always saved a few cells for that.

The reason I did not respond to your question on Ravelry? By habit, I clicked on delete vs reply and I didn't remember your Ravelry name. I also do not keep up with all of the Ravelry groups and don't remember which one you used to find my blog.

As for the cute picture, that's my boy!

Have it make sense!

This is bothering me 2 hours after it happened so I must ask...am I the only one who wishes the companies who write the speil telemarkers use would proof read it?

The woman who called kept saying/telling me that I needed to "support breast cancer". Not "support breast cancer research" or "support cancer awareness" or even "donate to provide education/tests/etc for those without insurance". No. She wanted me to support breast cancer.

And she said it many times. Even after I mentioned that I didn't support breast cancer because it was a nasty thing. I was scolded because "you don't care woman are dying".

Well, yes I do care woman are dying and men too. But I support and donate to breast cancer research, I don't support breast cancer.

She hoped I would have a blessed day and hung up.

She was from "Pink Ribbon". I've not heard of them. Maybe I'll "google" them...which of course is not a verb it's a proper noun.

MS&W '08

I spent the first 30 minutes in a bit of a sensory panic. I then let go of the requirement to keep up with 3 other knitters and enjoyed my day.

Spirit-Trail Fibers 1000 yards of a beautiful merino lace wt.

Swirl Shawl by jojoland.com

handspun by jamieranibowyarn.com

Spring cleaning

I'm ready to begin fresh new still in hanks knitting BUT I had too many ufo's. Socks, swatches of possible projects, pet blanket, scarves, shawls, sweaters, just to many. Much was frogged, but I did finish a few and even started and finsihed one.

Bobbie knit a little jacket using the Knitting Pure & Simple Summer Cardigan and Purled Llama "Concha" in KnittaPalooza '08 colors that the Yarn Sellers at Ewe Knit Kits fought over. We'd actually "call" wearing it over KnittaPalooza weekend. I remember both Debbie and I planned our clothing for the weekend around it. And of course the yarn sold out before I could purchase a skein.

Finally. Terry finished dyeing batch 2 and here is my very own KP&SPLKnitta08 cardi:

Knitting Pure & Simple "Summer Cardigan" in Purled Llama "Concha" in KnittaPalooza '08 color

With some handdyed yarns you have to be careful because the color of the skeins are not identical. Bobbie knit the x-small and used 2 skeins, alternating every 2 rows or so. She had enough yarn left for a nice size shawl. So the question was...can we knit it with one skein?

Let's see: cast on size x-small, increase armholes on number short of the small, pull from center of skein to knit neckline and sleeves, use rest to knit body.


2 1/2 yards left

It's a short fun little jacket and a very fast knit! I cast on April 20th and bound off April 26th. But I did have 2 days of knitting at the Va Beach Spring Craft Show. Representing the Guild is hard knitting work.

Completed from the knitting basket

Cast on Dec 31, 2007 . Only 8 rows left to knit. Finished April 27, 2008.

Tahki "Terra" side to side vest (I'd call it a jacket) and Knittng Pure & Simple sleeveless shell. Both knit in Kertzer Butterfly.

Swatched for Morehouse Lace Wt cardigan in "butter"

Buttercup

Yeah, a lace wt cardigan.

Couldn't get gauge on either US3 or 4's. I like the results of US3's. Since it's a top down sweater I've decided to knit it on US3's and knit a smaller size, changing the armholes as needed.

And another pet cuddle for the Chesapeake Humane Society


I cut it close to with just a foot of yarn left!

And being tested by a team of test knitters: "John"

What's left in the knitting basket?
My Favorite "Summer" Shawl in EL Silky Wool
"Trony" for my Aunt Trony in Lorna's Laces "Jeans"

Going to be on the needles
KP&S Cardigan in Black Rowan Calmer
Morehouse Lace Cardigan in their lace wt yarn

Joanne sent me this link yesterday. Have you seen it?
Interweave Knits Summer Preview. Any sweater named Wallis I must knit!

Pictures from KnittaPalooza 2008