Sunday, November 30, 2003

Holiday Knitting


Lots of knitting was accomplished over the holiday weekend. I finally received the Noro Kureyon I won on ebay, and have completed a booga bag. This was such a fun project! The knitting was fast and easy -- just right for knitting while visiting with family and/or watching movies. It felted beautifully. I had to search the house for something to use to block the bag, but finally came up with a package of Luvs diapers. I wrapped a kitchen towel around the diapers and slipped it inside the bag, and two days later !voila! -- a beautiful, booga bag. It's going to one of my sisters for Christmas. That means I'll have to get busy and make another for sis #2.

My Phildar magazines came from knit 'n' tyme, too. May I say these are just mahvelous, dawling! Design No. 20 from the Irlandais magazine is calling to me first. I'm not sure what yarn I want to use, though. I'm debating between Debbie Bliss Merino DK or Jaeger Merino DK, either in a chocolate brown or maybe a soft pink. The stores are all showing lots of black and pale pink this year. Normally, I'm not a pink person; but paired with black would look pretty chic for the office. Hum, maybe I'm talking myself into it. Anyway, I am almost an official member of the Phildar Fillies.

Friday, November 21, 2003

I have been stalking the mailman all week long as I am expecting three knit-related deliveries. The anticipation of receiving knitting packages is almost as good as Christmas. However, frustration sets in each day when NONE of my packages have arrived. On their way to me are 4 beautiful skeins of Noro Kureyon (to be made into a Booga Bag, hopefully in time for Christmas giving), three Phildar magazines to accomplish my quest for a great sweater to knit to join the Phildar Fillies, and Elsebeth Lavold's new book The Viking Knits Collection: Book One.

I love Elsebeth Lavold's patterns. One of my favorite sweaters is one that appeared in Knitters a couple of years ago. It was knit with Rowan wool/cotton (mine was a sage green) and was so much fun to knit. I am now knitting her vest in this Fall's Knitters. The back is completed up to the armhole decreases. It is looking good!! Oh, and Knitter's has pix of their Winter issue online, and Elsebeth Lavold has another design called "Kara." Looks like another winner!

Well, I'm off to stand by my mailbox!!

Sunday, November 16, 2003

My bucket-o-chic hat is completed and really cute, if I do say so myself. This was such a fun, easy pattern. Kudos to Bonne Marie for such a fun project!

Other than finishing my BOC, I only got about 10 rows more done on my Dale cardi. My weekend was really busy, and very stressful. It's almost a relief to be going back to work tomorrow.

I'm working on getting some space on the web so I can upload some photos to my blog. My sweet, networking computer savvy nephew is setting something up on his network. Then I'll be able to show off some of my work.

Oh, guess how many days 'til Christmas??? If you don't have those projects on the needles yet, time to get going!!

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

I won some gorgeous Noro Kureyon yarn on eBay. The colorway is No.131, a bouquet of pinks, reds, oranges, and blues. This lovely yarn is going to be made into one of Julie's felted bags. Woo-hoo!!

The brim of the bucket hat is complete and all yarn ends are weaved in. I need to get out the iron and block the brim straight before I can knit the top of the hat. Now, where is that dang iron, anyway. My iron and I definitely do not get along.

Since I have heard nothing on the Phildar magazines I ordered, I have been playing a bit with a free pattern from Phildar's website. By playing, I mean I am trying to translate it from French, and since I know only enough French to get me through 10 years of ballet, it isn't going well. Any suggestions?

Blog tweak of the day: weather pixie. She even looks a bit like me -- if you're flying over in an airplane and are peering through the clouds and straining to see through my dirty windows. Well, she kinda does.

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

I got the band of my Bucket-o-Chic hat knitted last night. I ended up adding a few stitches to make a total of 20. My gauge was slightly smaller, and I didn't want a hat that was too shallow. The colors are great, though.

My "bigger" project of the moment (subject to change without notice) is a Dale cardigan from the Dale #126 pattern book. I am knitting it of Sisik, and really like the feel of the yarn. My only complaint thus far is that some of the tweedy nubs tend to slub off. I keep picking them up off the carpet. Hopefully, after a rinse and spin in the washer, this will stop.

I'm still tweeking the blog. Today I'm trying to add comments. If someone would care to leave a note of some kind just so I can see if it works, I would surely appreciate it.

Monday, November 10, 2003

ChicKnits had her Bucket-o-Chic hat on sale yesterday, so I took advantage of my luck and purchased her pattern. I immediately cast on some Mountain Colors 4/8 Weavers Wool in colorway Alpine. I'm going to knit the plain version first to get used to the pattern. Then I'll be more adventurous in future buckets. I can see eyelash, chinchilla, stripes, knitted flower accents -- the possibilities are endless.

I have ordered some Phildar magazines from Knitntyme. Val is waiting for one that she has sold out, but hopefully she'll have it in by the end of the week. I can then join the Phildar Fillies officially. Can't wait!!

Saturday, November 08, 2003

A new blog to share my love of knitting and rubber stamping, and to journal my progress and knowledge of these hobbies.