however much I push it around - it's never enough, it's never enough

Kathleen C left me a comment asking about the pattern for my bosses scarf - it is my own based on the Double Basket Pattern from Barbara Walkers First Treasury of Knitting patterns pg 18.

I cast on 28 stitches on size 10 needles using the wool I bought in Rhinebeck - a natural handspun cushy yarn - worsted to heavy worsted wt.

Row 1 (right side) K11, P2, K2, P2, K11
Row 2 P1, K8, P2, (K2, P2)2x, K8, P1
Row 3 K1, P8, (K2,P2)2x, K2, P8, K1
Row 4 P11, K2, P2, K2, P11
Rows 5, 6, 7, 8 Repeat rows 1 - 4
Row 9 Knit all
Row 10 (P2, K2)2x, P12, (K2, P2)2x
Row 11 (k2, P2)2x, K2, P8, (K2, P2)2x, K2
Row 12 (P2, K2)2x, P2, K8, (P2, K2)2x P2
Row 13 (K2, P2)2x, K10, (K2, P2)2x, K2
Row 14, 15, 16, 17 Repeat rows 1 - 13
Row 18 Purl all

This will work for 28 stitches exactly - if you want to make the pattern wider you will need to see the stitch pattern in the book for the changes for repeats.

I picked this pattern because it looked masculine to me without being boring to knit.

I have been very productive this weekend - today I put up the new blinds in my living room that I had bought this summer and finally changed the curtains. I wanted to do this before we went out and got a tree this year. I like the way it looks:


I really wanted to paint before changing the curtains and getting the tree, but that is just not going to happen. I loved this color when I painted it, but now I really tired of the brightness, I want a neutral backround and a more soothing color scheme. I hope to get the painting done soon - just need to decide on the colors and pick a weekend when David is camping again with the boys so I can work in peace.

Well it rains and it pours When you're out on your own If I crash on the couch Can I sleep in my clothes?

This will be a rambling post - I am in that kind of mood


What I found in my mail today - my Ravelry Scarf Exchange package from koreancracker - Isn't that yarn the exact color of a NE autumn?

I love it

I had an idea a while ago to use some of those 4" bamboo DPN's I bought on ebay to make shawl pins - I went to AC Moore and picked up metallic paint and antique looking buttons and voila:

close ups:


I also bought a few items on ebay recently - one was a large silver pendent - I made this from it and some rubber tubing and silver beads:


I finished one of my Christmas gift scarves - this is for my boss #1 - I love working for this man - he is a pleasure to deal with and one of the reasons I love this job - I really hope he like this:



The wool is so soft and squooshy - it is comfortable around your neck


My birthday is the 19th of this month, it is genetically impossible for David not to give me my gifts when he buys them, so I have already gotten them - see that red lap top in the picture? Yup, mine - birthday gift (can I tell you how much I love this thing?)

I got another gift too, but this one requires a little back story.......

David and I started dating in October 1993, we went away together for the first time June 15th 1994 - yes the day after the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. I watched that last game in David's living room - he had gone to bed because we were leaving first thing the next morning and driving down to DC for a long weekend. I bought this latter that week:

I have worn this tshirt to bed at least once every week since, I also wear it when cleaning house and dying my hair and of course while watching hockey games on TV (NHL Center Ice Package - lots of hockey on tv)

Well after 13 years of wear:


So for my birthday David bought me this:

and the back:


He wants me to throw away the other one, but that is not going to happen! David is camping with the boys this weekend so I was able to sleep in it last night without having to listen to any rude comments.

I think that covers everything for now, have to work on the rest of my christmas scarves and my RME mittens - only 1 thumb to go and they are done.

Steady as she goes. so steady as she goes

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was on the quiet side just my brother, David and I. I did make a yummy turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry cornbread stuffing and a coconut custard pie for desert. I sent most of it home with my brother - David won't eat leftovers, calls it old food.

I am trying very hard to finish all the holiday scarves I am making for work - I am half done with Boss #1, 1/2 done with Princess, haven't started boss #2 and will make Boss Lady a headband - plus I still have to finish my RME Mittens. I finished mitten # 1 and am about 1/4 of the way thru mitten #2:



I really like this yarn, I want to buy myself 2 balls to make me mittens.

Speaking of the Ravelry Mitten Exchange, mine came today from Annaknits:


Aren't they pretty? I love this yarn.

I really need to get back to knitting and stop playing with the computor

He's a fine figure of a man, and handsome too....

Just a quick note to show off the wonderful goodies I received yesterday as part of the Ravelry Coffee exchange:


Isn't it great - look at that yarn, I love it and the mug and even Lavender chocolate - it smells heavenly! Thank you!

Progress on the mitten for the RME:

I am really enjoying these mittens - I mostly knit them during the Rangers games on TV - since I started them, the Rangers are undefeated! Someone on the Puck This group on Ravelry said knitting mittens was lucky, I plan on knitting a lot of mittens this season!

Discovering the Magic Loop has been awesome - I can finally knit mittens and (gasp!) socks without getting stabbed by those damn DPN's.

Later......

Rhinebeck - part 2

Here are the pictures I promised:


Cashmere Goat


Angora Bunny


Angora Goat


Maple Creek Angora yarn - 463 yards of yumminess!


Maple Creek Natural Wool - 300 yards becoming a Holiday gift for my boss.




Revolutionay War Era Cemetary in Old Rhineck

Rhinebeck was a lot fo fun this year, I drove up with Melissa, her fiance Brian and Gwen. We walked, we fondled, we shopped. It was good. I only brought a small amount of money with me, because really I don't need any more yarn!

Now on to some actual knitting - I finally finished the Wabenschal scarf for the Ravelry Scarf Exchange:


This is the unblocked version - I am very happy with how this turned out.


These are the mittens I am making for the Ravelry Mitten Exchange - the yarn is a wool, cashmere, silk, monofiber blend - very soft in a lovely tweedy blue color I bought from Elann.

The other project I am working on is the scarf shown above and some shawl KAL's that I am really behind on.

Rhinebeck

Yes, I was there and yes much much yarnage insued - pictures to follow.

Wake me up when September ends....

I am in a funk. Work has been crazy - the new VP is exhausting - I can't deal with the cyclone she creates around her. I am always tired and lethargic. I was sick from Thursday night through Sunday - had a killer migraine. I haven't had one in months and I think the stress of this past week brought it on.



I am really hoping that the changes that start this week at work will ease my stress level and I can get back to being my usual upbeat bitchy self.



I have put all my previous knitting projects on hiatus and started something new:


From Romantic Knits

I fell in love with this sweater the minute I saw it. I am using elann Pegasus in celery - I went down a few needles sizes because the sizing on this sweater is weird - it goes from a 44 to 54 I think - 44 is too small and 54 too big - I just hope it fits well when I am done.

There are a number of things in this book that I would really like to knit - I would recommend it to anyone who likes feminine knits.

I have also joined the Ravelry Scarf exchange, but I can't post about it in case by downstream pals looks here - I want it to be a surprise. I even joined the Hemlock Ring KAL - though I don't have the yarn yet. Not sure when I will get around to this, but I love the finished product.

Later.....

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today...

Stitch and Pitch Shea Stadium:














The goods in the bag!

It was a really fun night - I went with Dana from the LIC knit group - Melissa (who got her tickets a month before Dana did), was sitting in the row right below us with the Spiders - there was yarn and needles everywhere. The only thing that could have been better was the weather - it was SO FREAKIN' HOT. Seriously it was almost too hot to be outside. I hate the heat.

Yesterday's weather was amazing - the rain early was biblical - I went to drive Robert to the train station and there was a river flowing down my street - the water was up to the first step of my stoop. It finally stopped raining, we checked the Rail and Road Report on NY1 at 7am and the trains were clear, so I dropped Robert off at the M train. He got to Canal St when he had to turn around come home because there was no Q service. I felt really bad for him, by the time he got back it was 10:00 and he looked liked a wilted lettuce leaf!

Just 2 more days left to my vacation - I am so not missing work. If I can manage to stay off Ravelry I might actually get some knitting done.

Accidents will happen, it's only hit and run

Actually it wasn't hit and run, it was just a fender bender. Last week during the lousy rainy weather we were having, someone cut me off and I hit his rear bumper. So now I have to go to the police station today to get a copy of the accident report to send to my insurance company. Blah! Not what I want to do during my vacation.

Today is my errand day, I have to go the police station, bank, supermarket, drycleaners and drug store - If I get it all done this morning I can spend the rest of this week knitting!

Last week ended really well though - I had a meeting at the Saybrook Pt Inn in CT - I love that place! The weather was perfect - here is the view from my terrace:


Sunrise on the Connecticut River

The best part is 2 of my managers - it was a joint district meeting - gave me a gift certificate to the Spa! I plan to go back in the Fall with David, maybe for out anniversary in October.

In knitting news, Clue 5 of the Mystery Stole was released Friday and the theme revealed - Swan Lake. The stole will actually end in a wing. I don't think I will make the stole as it is designed - I don't think I want a deep purple swan, but I do love the design and plan to knit it as Melanie designed it at a later date - I am thinking I will knit clues 1 - 4 again and knit a center panel in the feather pattern that is used for the wing then graft the 2 ends to the middle.

Here is an update photo of clue 3:

Pump it up until you can feel it.

Where to start? Lets see, I finally finished Clue 2 of MS3:


I love how this is coming, the colourmart yarn is very nice to work with and once it is washed and blocked it is going to be a perfect size and oh so soft!

Last weekend I was called up by the Red Cross (I volunteer through a program at work) to help out in Manattan by the steam pipe explosion. We handed out food and water to the response workers - the cops, firemen, ConEd, OEM and others who are working on fixing the pipe and the cleanup. It was a great experience.

That is me with some of my coworkers, Red Cross staff and a member of the NYPD Community Affairs division. It was fun volunteering this time because it was not disaster relief, we weren't dealing with people who were hurt, or had lost their homes - that can be hard.

Sunday we took the boys (Jeff comes with his brother from school on Friday and goes back Monday morning on the train with Robert) to Phillipsburg NJ to take a train ride - it was a lovely day, warm and sunny - we had a nice time:

Although you can see the boys were so excited they fell asleep!

Tmrw David wants to do this - looks like fun!

She is watching the detectives, it's so cute

I finished something this weekend! Last night, while watching tv i finished the Anthropologie Inspired Capelet by Peony Knits. I started it on Saturday while driving up to my MIL's and Sunday night I had this:

I love it and plan to make a few more - I want to make longer sleeves and maybe a longer body too.

I also tried my hand a framing - I bought this poster in Seattle while we were there in 2001 - it has been sitting on a self in my bedroom, still in its original plastic sleeve since we got home. Last week AC Moore had frames and scrape book supplies on sale - so I bought a poster frame and some Asian inspired paper and this is the result:

I have it hanging in my office now.

Welcome to the club and give me some blood

I didn't have to give blood, but I got my invite to Ravelry! We were talking about it at LIC Knits last night and I said I had heard that the invite ended up in some peoples Bulk Folders and that I was afraid that had happened to me because I never look in my bulk folder. I thought I was going to have to add my name to the waiting list again, but when I got home last night and checked my email - there was my invite - Yippee!!

I won't blather on about it but it is really cool and if you aren't on the waiting list yet - go, now, I'll wait for you.

I brought MS3 last night and I actually got some knitting done - I finishes about another 4 or 5 rows. As soon as I can download some pictures I will post an update. It is turning out to be a lovely design and I love the colourmart yarn - if you haven't checked out the website yet look here. You won't be sorry. I also found a great place to order Addi Lace needles, free shipping on needles! and they carry Fleece Artist and Hand Maiden yarns.

More later.....

Mystery Dance

Well I finally finished Clue 1:


Not too bad, I only had to rip it out once, but it is a fun knit and I am enjoying trying to guess what the theme is. I see a scarab in the design I have done so far - my guess is Isis and Osiris. Melanie's other too Mystery Stoles has mythic themes, the first Leda's Dream was based on the myth of Leda and the Swan and her second was Scheherazade of 1001 Arabian Nights fame, so I think this one might have an Egyptian theme. Whatever it is, it is becoming a beautiful stole.

Here is a picture of a really cool tool I picked up in AC Moore:


It's called a yarntainer - it's a large jar with a snap lid that has a hole in the top - perfect for use with cones.

I have bought a whole bunch of them to store and show off my yarn. We are redecorating the apt. and have put new bookcases in the livingroom - I have filled these with yarn and displayed them on the shelves.

Things have been very crazy here - one of my stepsons, Robert has moved in with us, so we have been rearranging things so he has space. It has taken some getting used to, but it is all good. We are all learning how to live together comfortably.

I can't stand up for falling down...

Thanks to everyone who let me know they are still out there! I will try not to wait another month before posting again.

I had a slight accident Friday night - the Boy Scout Family night was Friday, so I stopped at the Amish Market to pick up 2 lbs of cookies - they have an excellent bakery there. I also picked up a beautiful fresh pineapple on sale. I got home before David and the boys, so I decided to cut the pineapple and refrigerate it before leaving. It was a wonderful, juicy, sweet pineapple. The key word being juicy. I made a mess, pineapple, rind and juice everywhere - I went to get the mop to clean it up and --- whoosh - my left leg slipped out from under me and I heard a pop. I landed on my but in agonizing pain, hysterical laughing because it was so stupid and so me then crying because it hurt so badly. I lay there for about 10 minutes laughing and crying. Finally I managed to crawl over to the living room and lift myself to the sofa.

Fortunately it was just a pull and not an complete tear, but boy did it hurt for a few days. It is much better now - it only hurts when I sit in a hard chair, as long as I keep pressure of it and don't try to sprint I am fine. Embarrassed by fine.

I have been woefully lax in my knitting - I seem unable to finish anything. I have way to many WIP's on the needle's now:

1. Granny Smith
2. Sesame
3. Sapphire Wrap
4. Red Spider Shawl from VLT
5. Simple Scarf in Sea Silk from VLT
6. MS1 - just needs finishing
7. Lace top from White Lies Designs
8. Flower Basket Shawl in hand spun angora from MSW 2005

So, of course I signed up for a KAL - Mystery Stole 3 ( notice WIP #6?)
Oh well - I am nothing if not consistent!


Here is the swatch I did Sunday - it is made from the Colourmart UK Cashmere I won on ebay a few months ago:


I also knit some beads into the swatch because there is an optional bead trim on the shawl. I don't like these beads, the blend in and I wanted something that popped more, so I ordered some more beads from Beadwrangler and Earthfaire - I will see which I like better and use those.


I like the way this KAL works each week a different clue is posted, so you don't know what it will look like till you get to the last clue. You can see the shawls Melanie designed for MS1 & MS2, Leda's Dream and Scheherazade Stole here.

I am planning on going to SnB tonight - I haven't been in a few weeks and I miss everyone a lot. I can work on the Sea Silk scarf - I am about 1/2 way done and it lace is easy enough to do while talking and drinking coffee.

it's been a long time coming....

Yes, I know no one reads this blog anymore, but I finally downloaded my vacation pictures and thought it would be nice to post a few.

First here is the Alexandre Logan, the B&B we stayed at in Montreal (the bedroom you see on the webpage was the room we stayed in.) I can't say enough about this Inn - it was lovely, the innkeeper, Alain, was charming, the other guests were very nice and quiet - it felt like we were the only people there. I would highly recommend this Inn to anyone heading to Montreal!


Some views of the city:





A few things I picked up while sightseeing - lovely shop called Mouline, and in an amazing fabric shop I found these:


From there is was off to Toronto:




The glass floor in the CN Tower, walking across it was easy, looking down made me dizzy - very dizzy



I wanted to stop at Lettuce, but we just couldn't find parking and David was starting to stress, so I took him here instead:


I hadn't been there since the early 80's and it changed a lot - especially:

That was not there the last time I visited!

Next stop: Niagra Falls

The American Falls


The Canadian Falls

By the time we got there the weather had changed for the worse - it was raining and COLD!! So we didn't take any boat trips or go behind the Falls. I think we will go back with the boys in warmer weather and do all that.

Found The Knitting Habit in town and brought home these:


After that is was just a long long drive home.