Two Small Shawls

I finished a Flower Basket shawl for myself. Done up in Palette (Knit Picks), the smaller size by just eyeballing how much yarn I needed to do the last border, so it ends up being a shoulder shawl. I added beads to the last border, and here it is:

I used size 8 beads and a US 12 crochet hook. The beads are kind of snuggled up into the yarn, and that is just fine. I didn’t want anything flashy, just a touch of shimmer/sparkle. Pretty nice for $3.58 plus the cost of a few beads.

Then I decided to use my one ball of Palette in black left over from my sister’s Midwest Moonlight (Scarf Style) scarf to make the shaped scarf version from the Landscape Shawl (Fiber Trends). I still have a bit of yarn left, enough to keep around for a few rows of something or other.

Here it is, being modeled by my office chair:

Now I don’t know what to do. I need to work on my mom’s vest, but tomorrow is the coffee/knitting/beadwork day and I don’t want to bring it because I am afraid I will make mistakes because the conversation is lively and apt to misdirect my brain cells. So I am thinking a pair of fuzzy feet – or something like that. So I am off to dig through my yarn and pattern stash, retire downstairs and cast on!

Peace!

Bitchin about the Stitchin

Because of the hassle about the use of the phrase Stitch (‘n, and &) Bitch from folks too dumb to mention, our local TCSnB yahoo group was brought down. We have reformed using the name Twin Cities Knit.

Sad to say that the group couldn’t just rename – the whole shebang has to be redone, the great links, database, list, calendar. But we are marching on, and trying to spread the word.

You can find us here

Click to join TCKnit

I had a fabulous weekend away from it all. WT planned a surprise nightover at a local B&B. More later.

Peace!

I’ve Been in Denial

I have been in denial or some sort of Neptunian haze about the amount of yarn I own. I didn’t realize I had so much until I started putting it into containers. Dang – I have one huge pile.

The good thing is that it still fits into my closet, and my office. The bad thing is that I need to get some serious knitting (and spinning) done. Okay, so that is just more good news. The bad news is that I won’t be buying any more yarn for a while. But that is okay too. So it’s all good news!

So, here is my closet with most of my stash encased:

Check out those huge ziplock baggies that I am using. Have you tried them yet? I bought one box of each of the XL and XXL sizes. They are a hoot. Very thick plastic with measurements on the size. I haven’t really looked too closely because I don’t want to know how many cups of yarn I have.

There is one plastic file cabinet that can come out of the closet. It is filled with beadwork junk that needs to be sorted and whatevered. That will make room for more of these grid containers and the other fabric cubes I am using both in the closet and in my room:

That tall one is for storing yarn I hope to use sooner in my lifetime than the rest that is in the closet.

I hadn’t really decided on a color scheme for the room until I realized it had already been decided for me. I guess I must have been going with what is already there, when I picked out the fabric cubes.

Kind of girly, but I am a girl so there.

The room is still a gigantic mess, but it feels better somehow.

Part of the next step is bringing my sewing cabinet upstairs, and then playing musical chairs with the furniture. Oh, and maybe getting a nice chair in here and and and. Wish me luck in getting it all together.

Peace!

Knit in for Roe

This is from an email I just received. Wanted to be sure MN knitters know. I will be attending and hope you will too!

Coinciding with the scheduled confirmation hearings of Judge Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court, the National Council of Jewish Women, and Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota invite you to a Knit-in.

On Thursday, January 12, 2006, from 12 noon to 2:00 pm in the Capitol Rotunda, we will use knitting needles for their intended purpose: creating garments. We will make scarves for children in need. More importantly, we will be letting the world know that we oppose Samuel Alito’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

Before Roe vs. Wade legalized abortions, knitting needles and wire coat hangers were used by women desperate to terminate unintended pregnancies. Many women died or suffered from the unavailability of safe and legal medical procedures. Will we revert back to those times? If Judge Alito is confirmed, his known positions on Roe portend an elimination of women’s reproductive rights. Alito’s opinions on separation of religion and state are very concerning. The time to speak up is now!

If you cannot come to the event, knit a scarf and drop it off at the Greater Minneapolis NCJW office, 3000 South Highway 100. If you are not a knitter and want to learn how, we will have the necessary supplies and many eager teachers. If knitting does not interest you, there will be other ways to participate. Everyone will have an opportunity to send our Senators letters opposing Alito’s confirmation. For more information, contact Judie Liszt, judie@mn.rr.com or Renee Popkin, 612-240-5752.

Here’s a link to the Planned Parenthood site.

Peace!

Midwest Moonlight / Mr. Moonlight

Whenever I went to pick up the Midwest Moonlight (Scarf Style) I was working on the Beatles song, Mr. Moonlight had to be sung.

But sometimes instead of the "come again please" I would be singing, "go away please".

Now that it is blocking, I see that there are a few errors. But no biggie because it is black and will be worn on a black coat (my sister’s) and that is that. It is pretty though. Here is a pic of it blocking on one of those foam floor tile thingies so you can really see the lace squares.

I used KnitPicks fingering weight yarn, incredibly inexpensive Palette. Only $1.79 per ball, 231 yards/50 gr and used only 2 of the 3 I had purchased. That makes a great scarf for only $3.58!!!

Even though I had occassional fits with the black yarn, which was more than a bit splitty, I am thinking I could make another whole scarf out of that one ball if I make it half as wide. I like skinny scarves but working on black yarn is kind of a pain. Best to start another project first and then see how I feel about it later.

WT and I took a tour of a house in our neighborhood that is up for sale. It is one of those houses I would drive by and wonder what it looked like inside, and dream of getting it. Now that we have toured it, it is a no. Beautiful house but the rooms were way too small. Dang. But the dream was really good. Now I have to find another house to fixate on. Okay, so there is the corner lot house that is just 2 doors down from mom and dad, but now that the vacant lot on the other side is under construction – that bubble may be burst pretty soon too.

I will be picking my mom’s vest up again, but am casting about trying to tune into the deep portions of my knittingness to decide what I will work on. Probably a project for me, but anything is possible.

To close, a pic of our Barkalounger Spencer playing with the stuffed squirrel toy that he loves so much. The funny thing about all his toys is that he likes to lay on them. This squirrel is so close to his own coat color, any bits of it that are poking out look like an extra limb. Or a severed limb in this case.

Peace!