Addicted to knitting: December 2005

Look at what I have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, there is a story behind this, but look!!! I am now an official intermediate knitter!! lol Ok, this is what happened. I saw the ad for the Berroco knitting bag made from Suede. I fell in love with it and was emailing Margaret asking if she'd seen it and if she had the colors in which it was knitted. Then I noticed the instructions said Intermediate Skill level. Welllllllllllllllllll, I know I have skills above a beginner but I guess I'd put myself in the Advanced Beginner's group. So I asked Margaret if she thought I could handle it. I knew WYIF and WYIB and how to slip stitches. She came back at me and said I'd knitted a stocking, of course I could handle that bag!! I then said I guess I never considered myself an intermediate knitter and that maybe I needed a letter or something saying such. So, that is how I have my official Gourmet Yarn issued Intermediate Knitter title. I am soooooooo proud (and a little silly but hey.....lol).

Thank you Margaret.

I see so many things that inspire me and then I want to add whatever "it" is to my list of projects. Today a former co-worker/OSU Master's student came to see me. She had on the most darling scarf. Of course being tiny and petite and 22 might help it look more darling, but the scarf was purchased at a chain store over a year ago and would be sooo easy to duplicate. It was made from 8 different colors of five various shades of blues/aquas, two shades of green and cream. It was knitted lengthwise. I want a scarf just like that but one I have made. I knew I should have taken my camera to work today!

New Year's Resolution for 2006: Make no New Year's Resolutions. Same as always.

Pictures!!!!!

These are the pictures I mentioned earlier today. One is of her fireplace and then a closer shot of the mosiac detail. The other is a picture of the houses she makes. Yes, the photographer shook when she snapped and it does have a blur to it! lol

Back to work, ugh!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I traveled to Colorado Springs in 5 short days. There is something about doing nothing but sitting in the car that wears me out almost as much as a day filled with physical activity! Actually, this trip wasn't as painful as previous trips. I drove from Norman to Amarillo and then my son drove the rest of the way to and back. Sooooo, what did I do? Knitting!!! of course! I am working on another scarf like the aqua but this time in burgandy. It's a gift also for a coworker who left to take a job in Tulsa. Only thing is, she is traveling on her new job and will spend 6 weeks in the frigid climes of Minnesota! I think she'll need this scarf.

My one and only sister is quite the artist. I was so excited when she told me she'd taken up knitting. Then disappointed when she only wanted to KNIT and wasn't interested in purling. lol That was last year. I took my felted Christmas stocking to show her and she fell in love with felting. So she eagerly let me teach her how to purl. I bought her yarn, instructions, circular needles so she can start making and felting things. She knits like no one else I've ever seen, so it took a couple of days for her to get her yarn/finger thing to where she was comfy. When I left she was crying for me to write down the instructions of how to felt. I told her I'd send it in an email and did. I can't wait to see what she comes up with. She showed a particular interest in bowls and vases. I wished I could show you all her projects in her house. Not only is she a fantastic decorator, she does her own DIY projects. I did manage to get some pictures of the mosiac project she did on the outside of her fireplace. I also got a couple of snaps of "houses" she makes out of paper. Sorry, a written description just won't do it justice. The pics are at home and I'll post later tonight. I guess I'm going on and on when I should just say, I'm so proud of her.

She also created several logos for our knitting guild. She did more than one so we'd have a choice. I have two I'm torn between. I need to get with Susan so she can see also. I didn't know a lamb in the shape of yarn could be so cool!!! (just a hint there lol)

Ok, I'm on lunch break. Just wanted to post to let you know I'm still out here. Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Late Wednesday Night

I don't know that Susan, Margaret or Emily will go back and see my response to the bumper sticker comments, so I'll say it again here. I think those would make GREAT bumper stickers. Do you think that would be a good way to raise money for the guild??

Today was our office Christmas lunch and gift exchange. The aqua scarf I had at the guild meeting Sunday, went over very well. The young lady I knitted it for asked me hours earlier...do you have my name? I gave an Oscar winning performance of lying and convincing her I didn't have it. I hate to lie like that. She was so distracted in watching everyone opening their gifts that it took her a few minutes to realize she didn't have her gift yet. So when I handed her the box, her mouth fell open and she said "you lied to me!" Darn it, I had too. lol She truly loved the scarf and told me over and over it was exactly what she wanted.

Another coworker was leaving us to take another job and I bought some of the same yarn, different color for her a scarf but then she changed her last date to an earlier date and I couldn't make that deadline. She has a birthday coming up next month so I started working on it tonight.

I have two wonderful coworkers who agreed to model my knitted hats so that I could take pictures. The guy has gorgeous red hair and you can't tell it because of the hat. (Just wanted to give him his due. lol) and the young lady modeling the pink beanie is the recipient of the aqua scarf but the pictures were taken previous to the gift exchange.

It's waaaaaaay past my bedtime. If I stay up this late come Saturday, Santa won't come!!

A Great Sunday afternoon

I truly enjoyed this afternoon. I went to the OKC Knitting Guild at Gourmet Yarn and while it was a small group we seemed to share alot of information. Of course, much of it was about food. lol but I always learn something when talking to other knitters.

I started the Midwest Moonlight scarf for the umpteenth time last night. I frogged it for the umpteenth time this morning. lol I put it down maybe a month ago and had not touched it until last night. I think the only way I'll get that finished is to count every row and stitch 2 times. lol

I bought some Cascade 220 Tweed and started a Quaker Ribbed hat for my nephew. It's flying by pretty quick. I like projects like that. No pictures yet, I hopefully will have some later in the week.

My sister called earlier. She was telling me about a wild goose chase for more yarn to finish a scarf for our mother. My sister isn't addicted to knitting like I am but she does get close in brief spurts. First, I haven't convinced her yet that she really needs to shop at a good yarn shop. While visiting her oldest at college several weeks ago, she bought some novelty yarn and some Lion Brand Kool Wool at Wal Mart to make the scarf. She ran out of yarn today and went to her local Wal Mart to get more only to find out they didn't carry the same color of novelty nor the Kool Wool. I burst her bubble even further when I told her I thought they'd discontinued many colors of Kool Wool. I then told her to frog it and cast on fewer stitches. I had to smile when she said there was no way she was starting over. I just said ok. :-) Like we talked about earlier in the guild meeting, if you are going to knit, you will have to rip out stitches. It's just a part of knitting life!

Ok, I'm rambling now. I will close. Maybe I'll wake up to a blanket of nice snow tomorrow. I just hope it's enough to justify staying home.

TGIF!

I'm so glad it's Friday. The week sorta flew by but I'm glad to have two whole days to just do "stuff". I have a coworker who admired a scarf of mine I knitted last year. She's rather young and has flat out told me she wants a scarf. Hmmmmm, I think about it and arrange to make sure I get her name in the gift exchange. After a quick frantic search for the right yarn, I start knitting away. I have long admired this scarf in Vogue Knitting Scarves. It's made from Berroco Chinchilla and Berroco Glace. I was so excited and found it odd that I got bored while knitting it. lol But I finished the knitting last night, wove in all the lose ends and tonight I added the fringe. I really, really, like this scarf. I might have to do one for myself, but in a different color.

What if.......

I have a friend of about 20 some odd years who called me yesterday. We'd not talked in several months. Of course the subject of the Christmas came up and he started telling me the same thing I've heard for over 20 years. And that was how much he hated the commericialism that is so apparent this time of the year. Throughout the years instead of exchanging gifts, he sought out a child who would not have a Christmas. He would find out what the child needed and then he'd go out and purchase everything he could to make Christmas for that child. I've always admired him for that. But yesterday he said something else that really struck me. He said what if for one Christmas, every one said "What can I GIVE? instead of what do I get?" It made me wish I was a young mother again and that I could ask that of my child each year, what would you like to give this year? I don't have anything else to say, I just wanted to share that thought.

Friday!! At last!

I haven't posted in a few days and I honestly don't have anything newsworthy. I haven't knitted much the past few evenings and I've got to get a gift scarf finished. A friend is going to drag me along to Christmas shop tomorrow. My heart is never in mingling with the crowds at Christmas time. Just thinking about it makes me feel as if my energy is flowing out of my toes and down the drain. I saw a very attractive vest pattern in a knitting magazine last night. The vest is in a rib pattern and has a collar that is a V in the back with a tassle on the point. I know, sounds odd but I thought it was attractive. Maybe after Christmas...............

Is it the computer or me?

Is it the computer or me? I never thought I'd find something so difficult to figure out but this blog and posting pictures is a pure puzzle to me. As you can tell, I did post pictures, but I sure didn't mean for all of them to be on here at the same time! Oh well. Maybe it is me. I put a crock pot full of soup on a bit ago. Trying to get ready for a nice snow. Ok, maybe it won't be nice but I can hope, right? I would hope for a nice thick blanket of wet snow that allows me to stay home tomorrow and knit all day. Lexi would sure appreciate that since I was gone most of this past weekend. I'm knitting on a gift scarf for a coworker. I had to search around to find the yarn I needed but finally did succeed. Its half finished and our gift exchange is the 21st. I think I might make it. lol I ran across a site for Kitty Pi today. I'm adding that project to my "want to do" list. I think Lexi would make a wonderful Kitty Pi. I hear knitting needles calling my name, guess I'd better get busy!