Springtime at the knithouse

Everything around the knithouse is really starting to look like Spring. The hillside behind us is all budding and green:



The bunnies that live in the yard are frolicking about:




They are free to frolic without fear in our yard as long as they don't wake Blowfish:



To quote four-year-old Madeline, the bushes are getting very happy:




She took the above pictures of the azaleas, they're a little wonky, but she's four.

There hasn't been a lot of knitting at the knithouse lately. I've been pretty uninspired, knitwise. The patterns that fit into my most recent skill level are not challenging enough anymore and the ones that fit into the next skill level are frustrating. I don't know what I need to do to get past it. I guess I'll work it out somehow.

I'm working on some plain stockinette socks for a friend using some really pretty Opal sock yarn:



The yarn was so pretty, I felt like a simple pattern would work just fine (and it is) but I also think that this would make some very pretty Jaywalkers. What do you guys think? Should I keep going or start over with the Jaywalker pattern?

When I went to the LYS to get the Opal sock yarn for my friend's socks, I found some Berroco Sox in my favorite colors and had to pick it up, just for the sake of having it.



Maybe I'll break out of my knitting slump and make something fabulous with it. Either that or it will sit on the shelf in the spare bedroom until it's so old that it has become way too fragile to try to knit anything with it. Yeah, that's most likely what will happen.

What am I thankful for today? I am so glad you asked:
1. I am thankful for lazy dogs that sleep on old rugs in the backyard.
2. I am thankful for 80F/26C days.
3. I am thankful that the trees and bushes are getting happy.

Where have I been?

Jeez Louise, I just realized that it had been more than two weeks since I had posted anything here. What is it that has kept me so busy?

Well, there was the tax return that, no matter how long I waited, would not do itself. That always takes about three times as long as I want it to, and at least twice as long as it would take anyone else to do them.

I did find a little time to do some knitting here and there. I made this hat for Emma's friend Robbie who is busy right now fighting breast cancer:



This was based on the Robin's Egg pattern that I found on Ravelry. I made a few minor adjustments to the pattern because I was using a worsted weight yarn instead of the chunky yarn that the pattern calls for. I used Knitpicks Bare Superwash Merino, which is really much softer than I ever expected and washes up very nicely. I dyed this myself. One of the things I love about handpainting yarn is that I get to come up with my own names for the colorway. Finding the perfect name that accurately describe the colors is such a fun part of the creative process. I am calling this one "Green".

By the way, Emma is having a contest on her blog right now, she needs help redecorating her bathroom, pop over and help her out if you have a minute.

I made this hat, using the same yarn and pattern, for my parent's friend Darcy who had surgery today for an aneurysm:



I am calling this one "Pink".

I don't wear hats and therefore I never knew how much fun they are to knit. I have just become a hat knitting freak lately and I love it.

I am working on another Quant for my daughter's friend, Sparkle. Isn't that a cool name? Who could resist making a handknit gift for someone named Sparkle?

I entered a contest last week on Maglia, I won 700 yards of the most beautiful yarn. It's 60% Sea Cell and 40% Silk from LuLu's Yarns. The colorway is "Fregene" just north of Rome, Fregene, once a simple fishing village, is a quick getaway from Rome and an upscale alternative to the congested beaches of nearby Ostia. Throughout the summer, actors, soccer stars and the Roman gentry go there to feast in waterfront restaurants, to dance until the wee hours and, most of all, to tan themselves on the beaches. Fregene is a beautiful name, but I probably would have called it "Blues, browns and oranges". :) Just kidding, Lu, thank you so much for this amazing yarn:



No post would be complete without a list of thankfuls:
1. I am thankful that it stopped raining for a few days.
2. I am thankful for beautiful free yarn in the mail.
3. I am thankful for crazy young women named Sparkle.

Angels among us

In this loooong overdue post I would like to extend my heartfelt thank you to everyone that has sent chemo caps for Dona.

Here are the pictures of the beautiful hats and links to the angels that sent them:

This one came from Tone


A beautiful cap crocheted out of cotton and a felted candy bag with yummy Norwegian chocolates.


Kristina knitted these beauties:


And from the amazing and talented Marianne came this cozy little number:


I received the most gorgeous Amanda Hat from Julie. It is made out of dark red Malabrigo and is heavenly. I have to apologize to Julie because Blogger won't let me upload the only picture I have of the actual hat.

I finally finished the hat I was making out of the Alchemy Silk Purse, I'm sad that I am done, that stuff is just stupid soft.



On Friday evening I went to Ft. Smith, AR to watch Leslie (my oldest niece) play the part of Princess Winnifred in her High School's production of Once Upon a Mattress. She did such a great job. I am so proud of her.

While I was in Ft. Smith, I saw Dona and was able to deliver all of the hats to her. She was so excited and thankful for them. She and I both are overwhelmed by the kindness. Her surgery went very well and she is recovering at home. She will begin her chemo therapy in a few weeks.

I forget sometimes to be thankful, I need to work on that. Here is the current list:
1. I am thankful for rainy Saturday evenings at home.
2. I am thankful for Marshmallow Peeps.
3. I am thankful that I have a husband that genuinely loves me.

Thanks!

Chemo caps and goodies for Dona have been rolling in steadily. I will get some pictures together soon. Dona was so thrilled when she got them. Thanks to everyone!

I am still working on the cap that I am making out of the Alchemy Silk Purse. I had to frog the whole thing this morning. sigh. It's not a difficult pattern and I have even done it before. I don't know what my problem is this time. Maybe I just love that Silk Purse so much that I don't want to be done with it.

Satan thy name is Alchemy

If you have never had any Alchemy Silk Purse, you must stop what you are doing right now and go out and get some. Whataya waiting for...GO ON!

Calling all knitters

This is a picture taken last summer of my sister Beth (left) and her best friend Dona. In this picture they are showing off their very first felted bags. They get together at a coffee shop every Monday to knit.

In November 2006, Dona was diagnosed with colon cancer. She did everything that the doctors suggested, including chemotherapy and was cancer free. A couple of weeks ago they found two spots on one of her lungs. She is going to Dallas this week to meet with an Oncologist who seems confident that they can remove these spots, unfortunately she will have to have chemotherapy again.

That's where you guys come in. I would be thrilled if anyone reading this would join me in making some chemo caps, or comfy socks, or anything else that might offer some comfort to someone having to endure chemotherapy...again.

Now for my thankfuls:
1. I am thankful for chemotherapy, even though the process is dreadful.
2. I am thankful for hazelnut flavored coffee.
3. I am thankful for sunny, warm Saturdays in March. (the high today in Tulsa is 73F/23C)

Knitting and gifts and stuff

My daughter came in and stole, yeah, I said it, she STOLE the Quant that I had made for myself last week and then she called and asked me to make one for her friend. So I am using the yarn that I bought to make another one for myself to make one for her friend. I guess I will have an excuse to go back to the LYS again.



I have also started Foliage. It looks blue in this picture, but it is actually silver.



I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. My sweet Valentine brought me some of my favorite cologne.



I got one other surprise today, a wool winder and a swift.



I am not going to say here who bought that for me, if you want to know you will have to email me at collier39(at)cox(dot)net.

I don't know what I did all week

I didn't really get much of anything done last week. I finished the little pink and brown project bag, so that is a WIP off the needles. I started another, though. I am making the Goldielocks Shawl with that beautiful blue Fleece Artist that I got from Kristina and I have continued to work on my Secret of the Shawl ii project. I seem to take one step forward and two steps back on that one. I haven't thrown in the towel yet, though.

Here's a knitting tip that I learned. I think it is worth sharing:

To minimize then number of ends that need to be woven in at the end of a project simply take the tail and wrap it around the working yarn before each stitch. This tucks the tail in neatly on the back side of your work.

I realized that I have neglected to be thankful in my last couple of posts, I need to watch that.

Here's today's list:

1. I am thankful that Tuesday is knitnite, seems like forever since I have gotten to go.

2. I am thankful for my Valentine.

3. I am thankful for quiet Sunday afternoons.

Did I work on any of my WIPs this weekend?

Of course not. I didn't work on any of the lace, I didn't finish the project bag, I didn't even touch the house socks.

I started something else all together. I finished this one though, it was a fun pattern and I had some really fun yarn to work with.



The pattern is Quant from Knitty Winter 2007 and the yarn is Adriafil KnitCol Trends - 100% Lana Merino Superwash. (I would have put a link to the website here but it is in Italian and I didn't think it would be much help) I used size US 8 needles and it took about 6 hours start to finish.

And speaking of really fun yarn, check out what the mailman brought on Saturday:



It's Fleece Artist GoldieLocks, it's incredible and it came from Kristina. I have some of the best blog friends anywhere, I don't deserve them. Thanks, KB.

The WIPs have taken over

There are way Way WAY too many WIPs hanging around over here. I have got to stop starting and start finishing.

I joined Secret of the Stole ii KAL and here is my progress on that as of a couple of days ago. I am a little further along now, but I am still in danger of getting behind if I don't get busy.



I am enjoying the pattern. I am using Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud it is rather nice to work with, very soft and light. This pattern seems better suited to my skill level than the Swallowtail Shawl. Speaking of which, here it is in progress:



I'm using Alpaca with a Twist for this one and I'm in love with it, it is beautiful. I am hoping that by the time I finish The Secret of the Stole ii I will have gained the skills that I need to finish the Swallowtail.

I have a TV knitting project that needs to be finished. A little project bag. All it needs is for the attached I-cord to be finished, a strap and to be felted. Maybe I can finish it this weekend.



It's just some cheesey Hobby Lobby wool that works so well for felting.

Next is the first in a pair of house socks. I'm using Berocco Comfort and have applied the cable and rib pattern from Fetching to these socks. I don't have a picture of it right now, I am about 75% done with the first sock and then of course I have to make the second one.

That's all of the WIPs I have right now to share, but I have some beautiful yarn that I would like to share:


AND



These both came to me all the way from Norway. Tone sent them to me and I have to find just the perfect thing to make. She is such a sweetheart and a genius of a knitter. Whatever I pick to make with it I am sure will not hold a candle to anything she knits.

Here's what I am thankful for today:

1. I am thankful for sweetheart Norwegian women that send beautiful Norwegian yarn.
2. I am thnkful the Montgomery GI Bill.
3. I am thankful for the snow that we are supposed to get tomorrow, even though it will probably be gone by Friday.