So, Number 3.... What Will You Be????

Regardless, I'm prepared!

New Wrap

Cabled Button Wrap

by Erika Flory

can be found on Ravelry

MY VERSION:

I made it a little wider and probably shorter because I used what yarn I had and never even measured.

Notice too that I did not block out the cables like she did. I like mine a little tighter.

Done in Universal Yarn's Deluxe Worsted

100% wool

I love the yarn. It is very soft and almost feels like there is another element in there but it's 100% wool. I'll use it again.

Baby Hats

I've discovered that baby hats are the perfect de-stasher. I bought this Berroco Comfort DK to make Clare a sweater and decided I didn't like the color mixture I picked. I have about 9 skeins of different pastel colors so I figure I'm set for baby hats ..well.. forever.

It's interesting knowing that I need to knit two this time because we don't know what baby # 3 is going to be. This is my first one... very girly. Now I just need to find a cute one for a boy.

I tend to go toward the nautical for boys. But my daughter doesn't. She's not punk rock or anything, but I think she would like one with the little skull and cross bones on it. That seems to be the "in" thing for little boys these day.

Go figure.

Projects? Yep, I got em.

I go in spurts. From no knitting to frenzied knitting. I'm in the frenzied stage right now. Maybe it has something to do with the snow. But, anyhow, here's what's in the works:

Always socks... and always the same pattern. Basic Regia Sock Pattern. No fail, go to sock pattern. It's in my head and that's the simplest kind of knitting there is. No brain drain, do anywhere knitting. I think the yarn is Fortissima. (??)

A simple toque hat made with hand spun I purchased at Maryland Sheep and Wool. This is for me. I'm going to call it my "digging out my car" hat because that's probably the only time I'll ever wear it. I don't have the name of the pattern with me, but if you Google "pattern hat canadian toque knit"... it comes right up. Free pattern.

Below is the Button Cable Wrap by Erika Flory. (also for me :) I found this on Ravelry.. free pattern. I'm knitting it in Universal Yarns Deluxe Worsted and I'm loving the yarn.

In other exciting news I had my first digital photography class last night. As you can see, I'm experimenting with no flash indoor photos. I guess I'll master it eventually. I'd love to be able to photograph my knitting a la Jared Flood. Check it out at www.brooklyntweed.blogspot.com.

But of course, I'm a lot more interested in photographing my grandchildren!

Colin's Steggie.... sans zipper

I just need to put the zipper in... well, HAVE someone put the zipper in, and it's finished!

I think he likes it. I'm not sure.

He's a little particular! Judging from the look on his face, I think the

jury is still out.

Steggie

My latest project is the "Steggie" sweater from knitty.com. I have the back and the front finished and this is a photo of the first sleeve. I have read the pattern notes on Ravelry from the other people who knit this and there were very few complaints if any. I am finding these scales a big pain in the butt. I did an entire intarsia sweater and never had any trouble with the process but these scales are another story. They are not turning out well at all. I'm sure it's just me since no one else seemed to have a problem.

The only problem that was mentioned by most people who did the sweater was that the hood design was too small and they had to modify it. I'm not thrilled about having to modify anything. That's a little intimidating for me.

All I know is that I have to get this finished fast because I have a million other projects swimming around in my head!

On abandoning the blog....

I never really meant to do it. It just happened. I guess it happened when I stopped knitting. But now I'm knitting again. I didn't stop completely really. I did the usual Christmas socks and a wrap here and there, but nothing too exciting. I have a project on the needles I'll share soon. We'll see how it goes. The tricky part starts tonight. It will be my first project with a zipper. Hmmn. I sew. I can do it. Right?

My little kiddos are growning... and # 3 is on the way. Yep.. I gotta start knitting again!

Ugh.

I sure hope there are a few good articles in this issue... because there sure are not any patterns that I like.

I shouldn't have purchased it!

Knitting. Yes. I still knit.

On Sunday, I overheard someone at Maryland Sheep and Wool say that she was "wrap obsessed". I'm so glad I'm not the only one. Below is my second basketweave wrap made with Kraemer Yarns Summit Hill - worsted weight washable wool. I love this yarn. It's so cozy. My green basketweave wrap is really my "go to" wrap. I keep it on my bed in the winter and grab it when I get up. It's warm and large and it just feels great to wrap up in it. This one will look great with jeans for chilly summer nights.

I thought I'd do a summer top for something different. This yarn is Kraemer Yarns Tatamy Tweed which is a mixture of cotton and acrylic. I've made other projects with this yarn and it's great too. In fact, all Kraemer yarns are nice and they're made right here in Pennsylvania. I love their Alpaca yarn too.

We'll see if it fits. For as much knitting as I do, I haven't had much success in knitting things that actually fit.

I guess that's why I'm so "wrap obsessed" !

Happy Easter Everyone!

Things are beginning to turn green....even my grandaughter.

Mr. C. thought it might be fun to help his sister paint.

So, he opened the jar of paint for her.

Madness ensued.

Fortunately, it's non-toxic!

There is knitting going on. I'm making another basketweave wrap in cornflower blue. I know, I know... another wrap. There's just something about knowing that, no matter what, it will fit.

Ha ha.

What to say....

I'm not sure how to keep a knitting blog interesting when all the projects you are in the middle of are a secret. When you just know the recipient of a gift that you are making visits the blog on occasion, you're not going to plaster photos of your progress all over the place for them to see.

I will just say that lace is continuing to kick my butt. SOOOOO frustrating. I wish I had a dollar for everytime I come to the end of a row and do not have the appropriate number of stitches. I'd have enough money to pay people to knit lace for me.

The link below is the blog of one of the yarn shops in Charlottesville, VA that I visit on occasion. Check out the felted flowers. So cool.

The Needle Lady Blog

On the family front, Clare is turning into a little monkey. She loves to climb onto and jump off of the furniture.... and she isn't even walking yet so it's a little scary. Hard to believe she'll be one in May. Gratuitous grandchildren photo to follow. (of course)

COLIN AND CLARE ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY

I'm Hooked!

Castle

ABC Monday 10:00PM

One episode and I'm completely hooked.

Next Monday can't come fast enough.

Finally... A New Finished Object

The yellow wrap is Aran weight 100% wool from Kraemer Yarns.

I loved it and had to have it.

I have no clue what I will ever wear this with other than jeans.

It doesn't go with anything I own.

Other than the fact that I think I "over" blocked it, I like it.

Do you think I have a "Wrap" problem?

And, truthfully, this pile is missing a few.

I start to think that I should be knitting other things, but I do wear

these all the time.

And, of course, I'm always knitting socks too.

I can't remember the name of the sock yarn pictured below because I lost the band

to it a long time ago.

But as you can see, it's a pooling mess. These are Catie's Christmas socks for this year.

She picked the yarn in a cute yarn shop in Charlottesville. But I don't think this is what she had in mind for the end result.

Below is a stash busting project for Clare.

My daughter says she loves these little socks but can't keep them on her feet.

So, the next pair will have some yarn overs so I can wind some ribbon through

to tie a bow to keep them on her little feet.

60 Minutes

Chesley Sullenberger

After watching "60 Minutes" last night, I've decided that I want to marry this guy. Oh, wait, that's right, I'm already married! :-)

Check out the article in the link below, and tell me those aren't the luckiest 155 people alive to have had him in the pilot's seat that day.

Chesley Sullenberger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Those people were obviously living right.

Cate's Wrap

4 skeins of Rowan Big Wool

size 15 needles

32 stitches (I think)

Sheeeee likes it!

Frenzied Knitting

My latest project. I can't put it down.

Every now and then you get a project like this. One that you

can't stop working on for no particular reason. It's for me, and I don't have any special

occasion to wear it, but you would think by the way I'm working on it that I need it tomorrow. It's just fun and easy.

I made up the pattern, but you can see the design is a take on a pattern I did before

pictured below. The one below was featured on the monthly web magazine called

Magknits.com and it was a free pattern. That site is no longer up so I don't know where you

would find it now. Ravelry features it but the link leads nowhere.

It's called Trellis and Vine by Sauniell N. Connally and it's a lot of fun to make.

A great pattern for beginning knitters to learn a few new "moves".

Anyhow, my version is in aran weight as opposed to DK and it will be larger and warmer which is what I like. The yarn is Kraemer Yarns Naturally Nazareth and I'm liking it alot.

Check it out, then order it here.

(In case the links are not highlighted, click on the words "Kraemer Yarns"

and the word "here" to link to the yarn and the shop. I've noticed the

highlight function doesn't work well with these fancy templates.)

New Year, New Projects

This is the second pair of socks I made for Clare. This is some left over sock yarn and the other pair was also a stash-busting accomplishment. My daughter tells me they are difficult to keep on her feet. Maybe the next pair should include some yarn-overs (holes) with an i-cord lace strung through to keep them on. I'll work on that.

I made a simple stockinette stitch wrap for Catie (daughter # 2) and sent it off to Charlottesville without thinking to take a photo. She is charged with sending one to me soon. It's cute, and it was made with Rowan "Big Wool". It knit up in three nights on size 15 needles. I made up the pattern but there wasn't a whole lot of magic to it. Knit a row, purl a row. I blocked the heck out of it so hopefully it won't roll. We'll see.

Below is a scarfette for Kelly. (daughter # 1) I made this pattern up too. Hopefully if I ever want to duplicate this stuff I can remember what I did. I didn't write any of it down.

Don't ask me why Blogger turned this photo sideways. I can't figure out why Blogger does most of what it does. Anyhow, it's done in Manos del Uruguay that I bought at Purl Soho in NYC. Two strands held together on size 10.5 needles. It should be very warm around the neck. Also a stash-busting accomplishment. (yay!) It's currently on the blocking board and I'll get a better photo of it after I sew on the buttons. And, for those of you who were wondering..... yes, I do know that cables are best left for solid colors. But I was in cable-y mood! What can I say?

Right now, I'm working on a rectangular cable wrap of my own design out of a pretty yellow aran wool. (I have to admit that I just re-worked s few small things from another pattern that I already did) Photo to come.

The diet is going ok. I'm still grumpy. I like sweet stuff. I like Starbucks coffee drinks that are a calorie nightmare, I like wine. Oh, I love salty snacks too. Ugh. Thank God I still have knitting.

It's the little things....

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the year. It was good. Some are good and some are bad, but this one was good.

We got a lovely new grandaughter. Her brother adores her. He did right from the start.

My husband got a new job that makes him happy.

I had a bad year selling real estate but you'll have this from time to time as the market re-adjusts. It's bad when it happens but it's normal. (Well, usually it's normal anyhow)

We started some long awaited projects on our house which made me feel much better because those much needed repairs kept me up at night worrying.

In retrospect if I had to say what I'd like to change about the year it would be that I was so preoccupied with work and family that I let some things slip with friends and didn't do some of the things that I really enjoy doing for myself. I couldn't find the time to go to knitting night. (ONCE A MONTH!) I rarely called my friends on the phone to say hello. I forgot most birthday cards.

I think I got lazy. It was easier with everything else that was going on to just ignore the things that weren't vital to daily existence.

I have a friend who is amazing. She never forgets anything. And she works full time and pretty much takes care of her Dad since her mother died a few years ago. But I can guarantee you that she doesn't have one friend who doesn't hear from her in some way at least every other week. It might be an email or a voice mail or a quick phone call but you hear from her.

I want to try to be a better friend this year. I want to try to be a better communicator in general. My New Years Resolution is to be more thoughtful. That's it in a nutshell.

I need to be more thoughtful.

Below is another one of my Christmas presents. My (very thoughtful) daughter and son-in-law took Clare for a professional portrait in the baptism gown I made for her. I can't stop looking at it.

Christmas and 2009 Knitting Resolutions

Could this be a subtle hint??

I believe my Christmas present says, "Put the knitting down and get some excercise."

Point taken.

Last year at this time, when taking stock of my year in knitting, I resolved to use up my stash in 2008. I didn't. This coming year, I will make a concentrated effort to do just that. I have some beautiful yarn, most purchased with a particular project in mind and some purchased just because I liked the looks of it. In reality, it's wasteful. So I will try. Really. I will. I could make Clare 30 pairs of socks with left over sock yarn and I'd still have some left over.

I'm not sure why I didn't photograph all of the Christmas projects I completed. I think I was out in left field somewhere for the last two months but I will make an effort to get back on track.

The beaded scarf turned out well even though I screwed up the pattern. Michael's fingerless gloves were a hit. I think the girls liked their socks. Denny liked his cashmere scarf even though I think it's flimsy. Something that cost that much to make shouldn't be so non-substantial. Give me 100% merino any day. Lesson learned.

So, I just want to say Happy New Year to all of my knitting friends near and far. May 2009 be a great year for everyone!

(Gratuitous grandchildren photo to follow)