FOs FOs!

Despite work and school (which is kind of a strange thought since I work at a school), I actually have finished a few things in the past week. The play off games helped a lot. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to do homework last Sunday, so I just sat on my butt and knitted while Sly yelled at the TV.

Before washing

And after

Pattern: Fiber Trends Felted Clog
Yarn: Paton's Classic Marino in Wedgwood and Chestnut
Needles: size 14 straight

When I read about the Harlot's felted clogs, I thought I need to make a pair. I loved hers so much, I made the same pair for my mom. I hope she likes them.


Pattern: Calorimetry
Yarn: every bit of 1 ball Noro Silk Garden #34 (I think)
Needles: size 8

My favorite thing about this pattern is the flattering way my hair falls out of the back.

If I make it again, I will cast on fewer stitches. It seems a bit too long, and maybe a bit too wide. However, I think it is beautiful, and Noro is a wonderful yarn choice.

I did wear it to work today, and it was very warm and snugly. Another great (but odd) feature, I wear a boiled wool pea coat, and my hats always hit the collar wonky. Calorimetry doesn't have that kind of an issue, so it was very comfortable to wear.

Pattern: Basic Roll Brim Hat
Yarn: Lamb's Pride, Wool of the Andes, Philosopher's wool, and a bunch of stuff I can't remember.
Needles: size 8 16 inch circs

I have completed 5 hats for Dulaan. That is 1/4 of my goal. Yeah me!

There is a lake effect snow event headed my way. Could mean more knitting time, could just mean that I trudge to work in snow. I can see the high school from my house, so I walk to work.

Happy Knitting!

Suz found a new MEME for me

A- Available or single? Available OR single? How can you be one or the other? I am married.
B- Best Friend? Sly
C- Cake or Pie? Pie, In fact, the perfect meal would be veggie soup, BLT, and cherry pie. (soup, sandwich, and pie is the perfect meal combo)
D- Drink of Choice? Bacardi and Coke, don't EVER try and get me to drink well rum swill. Bacardi please.
E- Essential Item? Book
F- Favorite Color? Duh, Purple.
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Disgusting, nasty, gross.
H- Hometown? LaPorte, Indiana
I- Indulgence? Sock yarn, and books
J- January or February? Who cares?
K- Kids and names? Michelle, Tony, the furry ones are Buddy, Mittens and Scout
L- Life is incomplete without? Books
M- Marriage Date? July 20, 1987
N- Number of Siblings? One sister, Jo (she go the cool name)
O- Oranges or apples? Apples
P- Phobias/Fears? Snakes
Q- Favorite Quote? *****Stupid edit, " It's our choices, Harry, that show what we really are, far more than our
abilities. -- Albus Dumbledore
R- Reason to Smile? The bills are paid
S- Season? Fall
T- Tag three people! I'm not tagging anyone
U- Unknown Fact About Me? I have a GED
V- Vegetable you hate? Okra
W- Worst habit? Chocolate
X- X-Rays you’ve had? Teeth, knees (many times), back, shoulders, chest (many times), neck I have even had CT scans and MRIs
Y- Your favorite food? PIZZA!!!
Z- Zodiac? Gemini

SNOW!

Finally, it is winter here. I am not sure that is a good thing, but we did get some lake effect snow. Isn't it pretty? Sucked to dig the car out, but that is NW Indiana for you.

Due to the snow, there was no school here today. Thus, I didn't have to go to work. KNITTING TIME!!!!


Pattern: we don't need no stinking pattern!
Yarn: every bit of a skein of Lamb's Pride Bulky
Needles: size 7 DPNs (I like a tight gage on my mittens

I love these mittens. They are made to be warm. Mittens are warmer than gloves because it is actually the warm air around your hand that keeps it warm, not the wool. The wool insulates the air. So, the trick is to keep the air in, hence the tight gage. I also did 3 inches of 2x2 rib so the mitten would fit snugly around my wrist, keeping the warm air in and the cold air out. In additon, wool will insulate even when wet, so it is a wonderful choice for mittens.

It is a short post, but I just posted two days ago!

Happy Knitting!

Knitting for Peace

The new school semester has started, so I am officially back at work and taking classes. I am only taking one class, so I hope to be less over worked.

I also got a new book. Knitting for Peace is not a typical knitting book. While there are patterns in the book, the main focus goes back to the Red Cross tradition of knitters "knitting their bit." The book highlights many worthwhile organisation that accept donations from knitters. In addition to the stories of the charities, there are patterns that are appropriate for the particular charities mentioned.

As many of you know, I want to do more knitting for charity this year. While Dulaan is not mentioned in the book, it is the first charity I am knitting for. My goal is 20 hats by the July 1 deadline to be shipped this year. I am in the middle of my third hat.


Pattern: Basic Roll Brim Hat Knitting for Peace
Yarn: scraps from gift knitting
Needles: size 7 and 8 DPNs and 16 inch circs

The hats are even better than socks at a take-with-you project. Not much to think about. I made these at school, and the students were amazed that I wasn't looking at the hat as I knit.


I also am keeping up with my "Finish the WIPs" resolution. Here is a sock that was little more than the cuff a week ago. Cozy is nearly done with the third ball of yarn, but the little pink project on the DPNs is a new cast on just today mitten for me. I can't find one of my old mittens, and the Fingerless Mitts are not so great outside on those very cold days (to be fair, I made them to wear in doors).

I have tomorrow off, and the snow is coming (it was supposed to be here by now). It is a great day to sit on the sofa, knit, and watch MYTHBUSTERS!!

Happy Knitting!

Books that ROCK!

I mentioned in a past meme that I was a Girl Scout for 7 years. In fact, I was a Girl Scout as long as the small town (pop. 1500) I lived in had a troop for me to join. I went from Brownie to Cadette (I think I stopped in the 8th grade). I am convinced that EVERYTHING I know I learned from being a Scout. I mean, the organization is based on crafts, cooking, first aid, and camping. Most of my adult life has been spent doing all those activities, often at the same time.

It was 1974 when I started Brownies. Former hippies ran the troop, and they made sure that I learned to macrame, tie-dye, and turn trash into useful items (I am thinking fondly of a yarn and six pack ring belt that I made and wore with the tie dye dress I made out of dad's old tee shirt).

One of the things I really loved about Scouts were the guide books. While I did use the Worlds to Explore book published in 1979, I mostly used the books published in the 60's. Even in 1980, when I was a Cadette, the only guide book available was the 1960's edition. I cherished those books, and they contain the seeds of everything I know. Unfortunately, my copies of the books were lost when we moved from Michigan to Florida.

eBay is a miracle. During a random search, I found all four 1960's Girl Scout guide books in perfect condition. Better yet, I won all four books for $10 including shipping!

There they are, the sum total of all my knowledge. The Holy Grail of crafting and camping. The heart and soul of flowering womanhood. My mentors, my past, my identity!

I know, I am waxing nostalgic and sappy. I am not given to cloying gushing, but I am beyond happy to have found these books once more. And, you would not believe the fiber surprises that I found!

I need to get started eating fudgecicles so that I can make this hand loom. I think I could do some great things with leftover bits of yarn and this cleaver contraption.

I remember asking my mother to make this sweater for me. She only knew how to crochet, not knit. I WILL be making a sweater using this chart as soon as I can go out and by lots of kelly green wool!

Mrs. Snake totally rocks! While there is nothing to do with the Girl Scouts in this picture, the binder is crammed full of knitting patterns, and she just gave it to me! How cool is that?

Okay, go buy some Girl Scout cookies and Knit On!

Happy New Year -- Knitter's resolutions

I was thinking about my resolutions for the New Year (I am great at thinking about them). I don't like to stick to the traditional "loose weight" and "get organized" kinds of resolutions. I prefer more specific resolutions "only eat one candy bar per week" and "set up a filing system for my bills" are past examples (the filing system works great, but I never stuck to the candy bar resolution). Honestly, I find the whole "New Year's Resolution" thing a bit arbitrary and silly, but it is nice to set a few achievable goals from time to time, the new year is just as good a time as any other.

Since this is a knitting blog, it seemed like a good idea to have knitting resolutions as well. I don't have "organize my stash" resolution. I did that last spring, and it is still working well for me.

My first knitter resolution for this year is to NOT accumulate so many WIPs. Just take a look at the stuff I stared in 2006 but didn't finish:

Cozy, Pie shawl,

Sweater for me, Sweater for Sly,

Sock, Sock,Sock,

Jo's bag, SMJ, mitten

As you can see, I collect WIPs. I do finish many, many projects, but there are always a few that I just never seem to want to work on for some reason. For the month of January, I vow to not start a new project until I have finished at least 3 WIPs. Hopefully, by the end of January, I will have finished all the projects I collected last year, but if I still have year old WIPs hanging around, I will extend this resolution into February.

Second, while I don't want to do another "yarn diet," I do need to start using the yarn I already have before I buy more. With that in mind, I would like to finish 4 projects before I buy new yarn. This resolution may have to last all year. I'll keep you posted. I can safely say that I should not buy new sock yarn until I have finished at least 6 pairs! I know, I know, the Harlot says that sock yarn doesn't count, but I have enough sock yarn for AT LEAST 30 pairs of socks! *My mother gave me $50 for Christmas, and if you all think I am going to spend it any place other than my LYS, you are crazy!

Third, I need to start using up my leftover bits of yarn. I thought that I would make hats for Dulaan. I would like to make 20 hats this year. Not all of them will be made with scrap yarn, but the scraps from my Giftmas knitting will get me stared on several new hats. *Dulann hats do not count towards the "no new projects" goal. It is for charity after all!

Fourth, to be a better knitting blogger. I want to post at least once a week in the coming new year (even if it is a quiz or meme).

What are your fiber resolutions?

Happy Knitting!