2009...

Happy New Year's worth of knitting projects & stash collection building efforts to all and may all your stitches be right! Nancy Miller

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I have been a bit busy and when I have not been busy I have not been around the computer. So now I have a bunch of catching up to do. I will have to do it in phases that I can not promise will be in chronological order. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and were able to spend time with family and friends.

The Advent calendar worked out well and the T's enjoyed it. The manger for the 25th was fun to do and was done on the 23rd, whew! [Never underestimate the power of JITK (Just In Time Knitting!) (btw, I was done two days early.) In truth I used three of the sweaters my Mom sent us but it was nice to have different colors.] The criss-cross is I-cord and the yellow arch is shaped with increases every row and then short row shaping at the top. T3 and I stuffed it to hold the shape. I added the "hay" because, well, I had the right color. Some times that is all the reason I need.

Baa Baa Black Sheep

I was at the library at T3's school yesterday, I am the volunteer Librarian, and was checking in some newly donated books. I have to look up the titles online to determine the Accelerated Reader information which is how the library is organized. Anyway, I came across "Baa Baa Black Sheep" by Iza Trapani and was very tempted to borrow the book for myself, for a long time. This particular version has 10 verses, if my memory serves me , and is about a knitter. This story is about a knitter who has to say "No, I don't have..." but in the end, I do have this knit wonder for you. Enjoy. Be warm. Feel my hug. Be my Friend.

As I read through the knitting blogs and Ravelry the theme this time of year is knit gifts. Who to knit for, what to knit, how much knitting can we get done, who appreciates our work, who is no longer getting knit gifts, etc. There are people who give a knit gift with the approximate number of stitches. We knit because we love to but it is still a lot of time, money and skill. I toot my own horn on that. My knit gifts also say Enjoy. Be warm. Feel my hug. Be my Friend.

I want a copy of the book in every room and one to give to every knitter I know. Thank you Iza.

Jolly Ol' St. Nickolas....

The day after St. Nick came T3 and I were snuggled on the sofa. As we sat there looking at the fireplace and stocking he asked "Mom, if you happen to wake up and catch Santa putting presents under the tree, can you actually see him?"

God bless the children of the word.

Advent...

This is the time we spend preparing our hearts and homes to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. As our lives change we find our traditions do too. The day after Thanksgiving is saved for cookie baking with my Mom and Sisters (including my sister-in-law, sister really) and the boys took the kids to the movies. Dinner was left over turkey, of course. My Mr. and I agree that Christmas goes through Epiphany, so we don't decorate until the middle of December. I always have our stockings separate from the rest of the decorations so the T's can hang them for St. Nicholas on Dec. 5th eve. Every Wednesday is church. All the congregations we have belonged to have served a simple dinner before service which helps full schedules and is great fellowship. My family started a name exchange within the siblings way back (we tend to be practical, almost to a fault.) As our family has grown we continue and have done this where some years we can keep it secret and others, not so much, but still we always exchange at least a tree ornament. Some years are lean and some are fat. I think every family has such traditions. When to open presents, where to put the nativity set, what is on the top of the tree, what to eat... This is the glue that holds my memories to the present. This is what binds the holiday to my heart. Our move has made some of these traditions impossible to participate in. No cookie baking, but Mom sent a care package of goodies, xoxo Mom! I have not yet found the Advent calendar but made progress on the knit one I am working on. We will have to find new places for our decorations. We have a mantel for the stockings and I got a garland for the mini knits. I cleared a space for the tree and hope to get it set up today. The rest will find new happy places to remind us of Christmases past and lead us to Christmases of the future. I miss family. They are always in my heart and more often in the front of my mind as our decortations bring the rush of memories. Spend this season giving love as God loved us and sent his Son to earth.

Happy Thanksgiving

I would like to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! This has always been my favorite holiday. Really it is all about the food. We hosted our family when I was growing up so it holds so many warm and happy memories. My Dad and I have been on pie baking in about the last 15 years, with Mom's help of course. This year I made them by myself since we are 900 miles away. I baked pies and sweet breads and my sister-in-law cooked dinner. We met in the middle in Philadelphia at a friends house and had a big delicious meal.

Car trips mean knitting, duh, and I have been working on miniatures. I cannot find my Advent calendar so I will use up sock yarn scraps to make stockings, mittens and sweaters and we can hang them from our mantle. I have 6 done and 2 days until we start. Luckily they only take 2 -3 hours each. I need to crank them out so I can get to Christmas knitting.

Have a blessed and joyful holiday season.

Finished, I love it!!

I finished the Landon sweater last night. It is lovely if I do say so myself. The blocking is in progress and a lovely shawl pin is on it's way. I ordered the pin off the Etsy web site, I highly recommend perusing it when you have the time. The sleeves in the pattern are 3/4 and I made these long but that was the only change I made. I would probably not do it again in reverse stockinette because I don't like the look of my purl rows. I used 11 skeins of the yarn with plenty to spare. Okay, on to Christmas projects.

God speed Marc

Have you ever had someone pass away that you knew along time ago and had not seen in years, but it saddened you and left you feeling empty? I got news this week that the boy friend of one of my best friends in high school died. The obituary does not say how. I cannot think of a senior year memory with out him in it. He was the photographer for the year book so every snapshot in the book and in my mind involve him. Life happened and miles come between and before you know it 23 years are gone and so is he. He was living in California and I am here in New York. The memorials on line are from a whole new group of people. Name, faces and memories completely different. How do people so embedded in our daily lives become strangers. That was rhetorical. Life happens and miles come between. What seems worse is that the friend and I have not been in touch for more than 15 years. I have tried to get in touch but got no answer.

I am sad. I can barely move (worse knit).

Update on Landon

Here is my progress on the Landon sweater. I slowed way down on it after someone else finished but have it mostly done. Body and borders are done, all that is left are the sleeves. I want to do the sleeves together with the magic loop method, I always make sleeves together. Of course I needed to hunt for long needles. Soon I will have every size and every length. I can't wait to finish and block it.

The Medallion Top

I finally finished this pattern about a month ago and just had a chance to get pictures. Here is Medallion Top, Vogue S/S '08. This is the last Vogue pattern I will do until I hear they have improved their editing. This pattern has many design flaws in my opinion and I would advise you save yourself the frustration and knit something else. The yarn is very nice and I would highly recommend it, Cascade Pima Tencel in color 9519. It was soft and lovely and does not stretch even with the open work of the stitch pattern.

Landon, the Rio bag contest

I was perusing my favorite online knitting, Ravelry, and found this contest. Knit the sweater, Landon, and the first one done wins a Rio bag from Jordana Paige. The pattern was available to purchase on Oct. 23, which I did, but I didn't have any yarn on hand to get started right away. On Saturday I made my Mr. drive me to Now and Zen Yarns in Greenport to get yarn. I am thrilled with my Cascade Lana D'Oro in soft pink. It knits like a dream. I jumped right in that evening and finished a skein. Did one more skein on Sunday!! I got the T's on the bus and sat down to knit on Monday and during the afternoon took a break and found some one in Germany IS DONE!!!! My sister thinks it is the time difference, whatever it is I am still knitting.

Must get back to it...

If we can make it here...

My Mr. and I finally got to change our drivers licenses and van plates and registration. I know it has been 8 months, we've been busy! Last Friday between doctor offices we stopped at the DMV and took care of things, Dawn, the nicest DMV clerk on the planet, made it all possible in 35 minutes. The pile of papers we had to write for and await delivery took almost 3 weeks.

We are officially residents of New York.

What a treat beautiful fall weekends are!

We are having a fabulous fall weekend. The sun is shining and the trees are changing colors and it is about 70 degrees. Yesterday we got up and loaded into the van and hit the road @ 9:00. Although traffic plagued us most of the day we had a nice trip into Connecticut. I found an internet list of fall festivals and the first for us was the Southwind Alpaca Farm near Watertown, CT. It was a beautiful place and very friendly. The alpacas are sweet and of course soft creatures that make me want to take them home with me. The Ts liked them too!! Oh the sweaters I wanted to knit. The yarn was really lovely. I did behave and left with out any additions to my stash. Mainly because the yarn was in the house and you had to make a point of asking to see it. That made it easy to be fiscally responsible.

Then we headed back towards the south and my Mr. spotted a castle tower up on a peak. We found our way to it and discovered the most beautiful park. Hubbard Park in Meriden, CT. The tower is Castle Craig and from there I believe you can see all of Connecticut. On the road about half way up, and I mean up, there is Mirror Lake. (T1 asked why it was called that, sarcasm is rampant in my family. Please watch video.) Oh my word it is a view that took my breath away. It was just the picture of fall I had hoped to find. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the day.

Today we went to early church service and then while the Ts were in Sunday school Mr and I had coffee and walked around a craft fair in Riverhead. A quick clothes change for all of us and we went to a corn maze. There was a hay ride and pumpkin patch. We thought this was a good idea but did not realize how good. We arived around 11:30, did the maze in about 20 minutes and finished the hay ride and pumpkin search by 12:45. (We are efficient.) When we left the traffic was lined up heading east for miles and miles, at least the 10 miles to our house. I had heard the North Fork was like that in the fall with the vineyards and farm stands but WOW!!! We are home and won't or can't leave till much later. I do so love fall...

Happy Birthday T2!!

Today is T2's 11th birthday. Happy birthday my love. Where has the time gone?

We had a very exciting birthday eve. He fell off a scooter and hit the road. We are very lucky to have great neighbors that saw him and his little brother at the side of the road and stopped to help and slow down traffic until he was safe. He got to ride in the ambulance in a neck brace and on a back board. He broke his collar bone and got a good bit of road rash on his left eye. No concussion which is a miracle since he was not wearing his helmet. When do they learn not to ride faster than their guardian angles? He is learning the wonder of Tylenol with codeine. Hell of a way to send out 10!!

I will knit with anything...

I have dreams about what I can knit with and what to do with it when I have cast off the final stitch. Like many knitters, some of these things will never leave my head. I am envious of knitters that accomplish great quantities of knitting (they must have house keepers). I am in awe of those that publish patterns to inspire us and feed my daydreams. Thank you!

One of the things I do get done is my jewelry. Knitting with wire is very satisfying for me. (I do dream about these too.) I enjoy the flow of the idea in my mind to the result and they are usually more sparkly in my hand!! Wow, shinny moments that are good! Here are a few examples.

The Aleita Shell

I really enjoyed this pattern. It was written very well as I am a huge fan of anything already in the round. I like to be done with the garment when I am done knitting. Written by Bonne Marie Burns the pattern is in the spring '08 issue of Interweave Knits. I used Fibranatura - Sea Song by Universal Yarns. It is a cotton and sea kelp blend, very soft. Color way ember #40152. The yarn came from The Knitting Cove in fabulous Port Jefferson, NY. Please stop by and say "Hi" to Bobbie if you are ever in the area!

This was a quick project and I enjoyed wearing it this summer. Definitely a pattern to make again. Thank you Bonne!

Waves of PINK

I wrote this entry after I finished the shawl months ago and just now took pictures.


Here is a May FO. (For those non knitters that is Finished Objects, which makes UFOs Unfinished objects.) I was actually very knitty in May. It is a Knit Picks pattern, the Waves Scarf, mostly. I used the worsted weight Brown Sheep's Lambs Pride. color is Lotus Pink. I added 24 stitches, another cable, for width, and knit to the pattern gauge of 3 spi which required size 11 needles. It took 7 skeins to get this length which is 69 inches. I am very happy with the results and look forward to wearing it. I have not worn it yet because the one sure fire way to warm up the weather is to finish a nice warm wool garment!!

I understand Brown Sheep will be having a trunk show and the great shop I purchased this yarn and can't wait for show and tell. The shop is Sutter's Gold n' Fleece in my "little piece of heaven on earth" St. Germain, WI.

Francie Socks

These are sock I knit for my Mr. in May. The pattern is Francie from Rebekkah Kerner Designs. The yarn is left over from a previous project, Tofutsies yarn by South West Trading Co. It is a very fine yarn and probably too thin for the socks, they are very soft and don't hold their shape well. The pattern is fun to work and is fairly fast. I ran out of yarn just in time for a new trend - Red toes!! Now I will need to make all his socks with red toes. The yarn was first used in a agryle vest so now he has sock to match his vest.

School bells, school bells

I love the first few days of school. It was always exciting to start a new year. New classes, new teachers, new clothes, new and old friends. I don't think the Ts are quite as fond of school as I was when I was in school. Maybe it is a boy/girl thing too. Now that I am a mom I love the first day of school. It is so nice a quite in the house. Not heavy into the homework yet and no major events. The time I get to sit and knit without interruption makes me giddy. There are yarn stores to visit without worry of boys invading. Coffee to drink and luncheons to attend. School started today and I had other work to do and never touched my knitting! Dang! Tomorrow is another day and knitting will be done!

I will also take pictures of what I have been doing. The whole summer got away from me and I didn't have an opportunity for any pictures of my knitting. The broken toe thing sucked and I didn't get that much more time to work on stuff. I found it hard to focus on stiches while on pain meds. I never thought bamboo needles qualified as heavy machinery. Maybe it was me.

Ski show day

Yesterday was the Jr. club show at the Chain Skimmer's. T1 and my niece (daughter 2.0) both skied and did very well. D2.0 was promoted to the senior club and got to ski in the regular show last night, we are all very proud of her. Anyway T1 tried a wakeboard barefoot start, he fell, and slalom skied, he did very well!! He also did this dance and ... he gets all this rhythm and skill from his father!!


This was going to be the big event for the day. All day. Show started at 11:00 am and then take a break for pot luck lunch and more skiing till all the kids were done around 4:00 pm. then go out for dinner and back for the big show at 7. But no, I was getting ready and walked through the living room and a chair jumped out, as they do, and broke my toe. My sister drove me to the ER and we missed all of T1's skiing! I am very glad for pictures and videos so I got to see some of his performance. I didn't miss the dance though. Lucky Me.

The Queen of Charm

Hooray for my friend Linda!! She is One Blue Moon Charms and her web site went live yesterday. I think it is a beautiful site and shows her work really well. These are fun and sassy charms that are a lot of fun to wear. She even has one here for us knitters! I have to brag about them - Linda and her daughter. Brittany - do all the art work and construction by themselves and so the charms are as quality as they are cute.

Please take time to visit her and enjoy!!

Congratulations Linda, I love you!

Summer at the lake

I am not a good hot weather person. I grew up leaving the city and going to the lake for the summer. It is never too hot at the lake, you just jump in for a bit and cool off. My grandmother purchased lake property 40 years ago this summer. It is my Mecca. The shore by the lake in front of the house is where I go in my mind when someone says "Go to your happy place." I love St. Germain. I am here now.

My siblings and I (I am the middle of three girls and then a younger brother) had the pleasure of growing up on and in the water in a quiet spot in northern Wisconsin every summer. Our parents were both school teachers and we got to spend the whole summer here. We swam, biked, walked, explored, water skied and worked here from little on. I have had the fortunate experience of working for a few great people here. Each summer they ask me back. In high school and college it was a needle work store (where I first worked with yarn!), and then the fabric store and now the sport marine. I get to come to the lake and play and make enough money for the Ts and I to do some fun stuff. T1 was born up here and then there was the horridly sweltering hot summer I was pregnant with T2. After that I told my Mr. the Ts and I would be going up to the lake for summers from then on. It was good and I was no longer hot. I love the lake!

Our trip this year gives me and the Ts a chance to see family and friends that we left in February when we moved to Long Island. This is a round about way of reasoning the delay in my posts. There was the packing, the drive half way across the country, the visits in Milwaukee, the rest of the drive, the settling in and gettin back to work.

I am still knitting and have even finished a few projects. I am currently camera challenged also. I am resolving the issues and will have pictures very soon. Happy late 4th of July! God bless the land that gives me my lake!

A word about the banner

This is a sweater I made for myself about two years ago. I love it and wear it almost every day from September to May. It is a prime example of knitting projects that make me the queen of a land called "Take and easy pattern and make it hard." I am not always good at following the rules. I have been told I should teach a class on this.

The Ts

The Ts are an affectionate way my Mr. and I refer to our boys. We have three. T1 is 13, T2 is 10 and T3 is 6. They are very smart and handsome. That is my opinion and this is my blog so consider it fact. That being said they are a handful sometimes. It seems much easier now that they no longer breast feed and are potty trained (and it has been a while for both items, by the way) I love them with all my heart. T1 is dab smack in puberty which is fun (thank the Lord I don't have girls) and will soon be taller then my Mr. and I. T2 is a mostly happy kid that loves any thing that involves a ball, rarely has homework and thinks everything is a drum. T3 is the baby, in every way likes that position in life will continue to be such.

He is the one in the picture. He wanted me to make him a sweater. He picked the yarn and the kind of pattern, it had to have cables! and had to be a cardigan. I did the Alice Starmore, Inisheer from her Fisherman Sweaters book. The yarn is a Blackberry Ridge wool, Kaleidoscope yarn in Blue Violet colorway. The pattern was hard to get started on because all 8 cable panels where a separate chart. The charts that had a pair were the same length but other wise they were all different. I ended up making a Excell spreadsheet to help me with each row all the way across. Bless Alice for her beautiful designs, I don't know that I will make another. I eliminate the center panel in the front and put in a button band. The yarn is great and knit beautifully. My biggest problem with this project was that we moved across the country, from Wisconsin to Long Island New York. I was single parenting (another entry) and getting our house ready to sell so my knitting time was limited. When I did have time to sit down I was mostly too tired to knit a pattern that required this much thought. So, a sweater that I had enough yarn for was going to be too small for the child that picked it, dang Ts grow fast. The wonderful hand dyed yarn was no longer in stock and matching was not going to happen. Time for stripping!! The green is a Cascade yarn that I found and really like how it worked. I think it looks more like a boy's sweater than the hand dyed alone. T3 loves it and that is what is most important right. I was just glad to be done.

Hello

This will be my first posting in blogland. I am very excited to be here and hope you enjoy my twisted adventure. There are many things I hope to add to this page, so keep checking back to see how the blog building goes and the knitting, of course!

I have just finished a few projects and need to get photos. Currently I only have one project on needles and that is Francie socks out of Tofootsie for my Mr.