moonfrog

I want to invite you to join a new knitalong. It’s called Caps for a Cure. My knitty friend, Mandy, and I are co-hosting a Yahoo! group knitalong that will be on-going. It is a group to knit hats that will be donated to chemotherapy patients.

Our first recipient group will be North Coast Cancer Care Inc. in Ohio. Mandy will make sure hats get to the patients. There are guidelines for making hats in the files section and free patterns in the links section.

There will be a prize given to one lucky knit-alonger on March 20th, the First Day of Spring. Details will be announced later.

Take a button, tell your friends, and come knit along at Caps for a Cure!

It has been a rough week. Mom’s surgery has thrown us some unexpected curves, but we are working through them; we are all very tired. Each day gets better.

On the upside…I’ve had quite a bit of time to knit in the ol’ hospital.

Two Tubes on Circulars! I started these separately, togetherness didn’t work well for the first few rows. So I did the six inch ribbed cuff and then put them both on together. They will be done at the same time! I love it!
I’m not real fond of the color, but it works up better than I expected. It is Plymouth Encore DK (75%acrylic and 25%wool) on size 5 and 6 circulars. I like the way it feels and it will machine wash, which is great since these are for DH for Valentine’s Day. He’s not very picky about fit, so I’m sure he will like them.

My secret pal is so sweet. She keeps in touch and sent me this great picture in a card today. It cheered me up to hear from her.

I appreciate all the comments my knitty friends left and I want to reply to a couple here. Nessie noticed I had signed up for the Red Hot Sizzling Socks KAL. I have some great variegated yarn that is oh, so soft. I can’t wait to start, but don’t have a pattern in mind. The KAL goes through July, so I will get to it when I can. First, I will be making the next pattern for the Six Sox KAL. I have so many KALs going that my head is spinning!

The DH hat is still on the list. And I agree with Talitha . Third time is a charm and I really enjoy trying new patterns. And like Whit, I’m on a bit of a hat kick…just like our hat-loving friend Mandy!

Well, I hope to check in soon. In the meantime…have a lovely week of cozy knitting!

I’ve been reading my new knitting-quotes calendar and have one that I really like:

With computers, cell phones, personal digital assistants, and other technology to juggle, some professionals are unwinding after work by taking up hobbies, like knitting, that are definitely unplugged. The manual repetitiveness puts part of you on idle. You get to stop and think. Best of all you have something to show for it. –Crain’s Detroit Business, May 3, 2004.

That sums up why I like knitting so much…it puts me in neutral. My mind calms and begins to focus on the soothing repetitions. When I was young and foolish, I used to ask my husband what he was thinking about. He’d say “nothing” and I couldn’t believe that. He told me how he could just go into neutral and not think about anything. While I will never be able to reach that state…my brain never shuts down…at least knitting soothes me and calms the thinking. I need that sometimes.

And then there’s the finished product. Which brings me to the Marsan Watchcap.

I like it, but it is much too small for hubby. He woke me up wearing it (probably to show that he like it no matter what!) I assured him that I knew it was too small. He said he likes the pattern, so this could be a repeat in the future.
So now I have two hats that will fit a child very nicely. (I made a 4X4 ribbed hat out of Cascade 220 that turned out quite small.) I am trying to make up my mind what to do with these two wee hats. Here are my options so far: put in my knitting gift stash for later opportunities, give to a local group that gives hats to people (and has tons! of them) or send them to another charity. I want the hats to find a good home and enjoyed knitting them, so I wouldn’t feel bad about any of these options.

Now, I can try the Macho Man Hat! the my secret pal pointed out to me. I just need to get the man to pick out some more yarn.

I also felted the Noro bag my mom gave me. I love it! It’s just the right size for me, small and convenient. I am going to put a loop and button in the V and might stitch a divide in the center to give me two pockets — so my camera can cozy into one and stay safe.

I have been enjoying getting things together for my two secret pals. There’s not much I can share here and still try to remain anonymous. It’s hard to keep things secret — and it’s probably not real important — but I am trying to be as sneaky as I can!

I’m hoping to get some real knitting done while I sit with my mom, who is having knee-replacement surgery tomorrow. Poor Dear! I took off a few days of work and might be a bit lapse in posting…but maybe not…it depends on how well Mom does. I will certainly enjoy spending more time with her. She is a true sweetheart.

Well, I’m glad Blogger is back up. I think it was down for most of two days. I’m not sure, but I sure couldn’t get on! Hope everyone finds a little time to knit today.

The postman brought a nice package today. My Felted Secret Pal sent me these goodies.

She sent me a lovely dusky blue Cascade 220. Felted bag plans are in the works. She also sent a knitting-trivia calendar, some handmade soap in a scent I really like, some really cute knitting notecards (I needed these!) and some chocolate. Hmmm…where did that chocolate go? The swap activities (giving as well as receiving) brighten up the winter days.

I also joined a different kind of swap. It is an odd one and promises to be fun and unusual. Beth came up with the idea for an Unloved Sock Yarn Swap. (Scroll down the page to find the rules.) As soon as I saw it, I checked my stash. Sure enough, there were four skeins of a yarn I didn’t really want to knit up twice. So two of those skeins are set aside for the swap. If you have sock yarn that needs a new home — and want to risk the exchange — sign ups are open until Sunday the 29th.

Thanks to my Secret Pal 7 for the link to the Macho Man Hat! I am looking forward to making that one. It’s similar to the one I’m making, with a big roll-up cuff, but it looks like just the pattern for my well-endowed man. (Ahem, I’m just talking about his noggin’here.) The Garter Belt, is an interesting website and has some great patterns — some free and some for sale.

And a little update on the Marsan Watchcap. Here’s a close-up of the cuff, which can be rolled big or small.

The hat turns inside out when the cuff is done to keep the same pattern on the outside when the cuff is turned. The inside is very soft and the outside twisted rib gives an interesting texture. Here’s how far I’ve gotten.

It’s not far, but it’s coming along steady. I spent my evening working on a felting project that I will share soon.

Happy Knitting and Stay Warm!

Well, I am deep into the winter blahs! Or maybe it is just the headache that I’ve had for a few days. Whatever it is…knitting is not going smoothly. I frogged my dishcloth. It was going pretty steady after a few bumps, then one more error and I was done. I didn’t really like the color anyway.
I want to start a hat for my Sweetie. Cast Tychus on three times in three different yarns…no go. So I went pattern hunting last night. I figured I could make a couple hats and pick one. I might even get yarn that would work for Tychus and do that again, too. I just know that I need to start something and get out of this slump.

So here is my progress on the Marsan Watchcap.

I am using Frog Tree sport weight alpaca in two colors held together on size 6 circulars. I added 16 stitches to the cast on. Can you see where this is going? I’m worried that it will not work out, but I am willing to give it a try. I like the twisted rib and love the yarn. What more could I ask, right? I’ll probably get back to you on that one!

Oh! Remember this?

My mom was almost done with a bag made from a Noro pattern. Well….it’s done! And she gave it to me! I told her that doesn’t seem right, since it was part of her Christmas present. I am going to give her some more Noro to replace what she used.
The pattern doesn’t call for felting, but that’s what we are going to do. Here it is before felting. I love the colors and the striping reminds me of the Mitred Stripes Tote I made for a tote bag exchange.

But…the felting will have to wait. Today is the first day without rain in quite a while and we will be helping clear away the trees and debris from the recent storm.

It feels good to have the hat on the needles. What’s on your needles?

Natalie invited me over to the UF Olympics. She said she should start one in the Yarn Harlot’s Knitter’s Olympics comments, and start one is just what she did! I love this!

Instead of a new project, the challenge is to complete an unfinished project. Great incentive!

I am going to finish Picovoli for the UF Olympics. Want to join this other Olympics? Here’s the button and the link. .

I have also added another non-knitty, but yes-knitty incentive to my life. I signed up for Knit the Classics which includes reading a classic work in literature chosen by the group and knitting something related to it. I love it!
After years of teaching high-school English, I haven’t gotten back in the habit of reading for my very own pleasure. I have read many good books, but most to prepare for classes, very few just for me. I will be joining in on the next book, which is Woman on the Edge of Time. I’m looking forward to reading it.

And I was tagged by Talitha with this MeMe.

Four Jobs You Have Had In Your Life:

1. I was lucky to be able to run a preschool in home while my children were little. I miss my little cherubs.

2. When the babies were teens, I put myself through college while working admissions at a hospital.

3. Teaching credential in hand, I taught English every age from elementary to adult school, mostly high school.

4. Bummin’! Two years of it. Yeah, Baby! I’ve just gone back to work part-time after two glorious years off.

Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over — even though I don’t like to repeat movies:

1. Michael — I watched it once a year. That’s my kind of angel.

2. Most any movie with Johnny Depp in it. Isn’t he just the most interesting character?

3. Shrek — I think they wrote this about me and my ogre, I mean hubby. I bet lots of people think that.

4. Max Headroom — the pilot. Remember that computer generated guy? Strange, I know.

Four Places You Have Lived:

1. My Hometown — in the Redwood Forests, by the Pacific Ocean, at the foot of the mountains — pure Heaven!

2. Sacramento, Citrus Heights actually. Nice place.

3. Misery, um, St. Charles,Missouri. Not so pleasant due to the circumstances of the time.

4. Salem, Oregon

Four TV Shows You Love To Watch:

1. I loved Tom Cavanaugh in “Ed” so I’m watching “Love Monkey”

2. Biggest Loser — because I am one — 75 lbs gone forever!

3. American Idol — it’s a lovely sport!

4. Forensics and crime shows or Spanish TV.

Four Places You Have Been On Vacation:

1. Amtrak across county: Albequerque Balloon Fiesta (worked it), Grand Canyon (hiked it in a day), DC, New Orleans, San Antonio. What a trip!

2. Backpacking in the Mountains with my teenagers — Priceless!

3. The coast of California –Awesome!

4. Bike Week in Sturgis, SD and riding through the South — two years in a row. Going again this year.

Four Websites You Visit Daily:

1. My KAL groups

2. My Blogger Friends

3. Yarn or pattern sites

4. A medical board I own.

Four Of Your Favorite Foods:

1. Lemon merengue pie

2. Milk Chocolate

3. Salad–okay, it’s good for me!

4. Broccoli Soup — hubby’s recipe…mmmmmm.

Four Places You Would Rather Be Right Now:

1. On Vacation

2. At the movies

3. On a motorcycle –wait! not now! Brrrrrrrrrr!

4. In a Yarn Shop!

Four Bloggers You Are Tagging:

Anyone reading all the way to here can consider themselves tagged. You know who you are!

Now I’m going to go knit!

I have been side-tracked a bit on a dishcloth, trying a couple patterns before I finally settled on one. This one totally engaged me. It was challenging and lots of fun to knit. (The holes are supposed to be there! The picture just accentuates them a bit.)

The pattern is “Double Flower Cloth” and can be found at the Dishcloth Boutique. I used two circular needles in size US 6 and Sugar’n Cream cotton in “Hot Blue.”

Now it’s time to start the monthly dishcloth pattern. Picovoli waits patiently in my basket. Sometimes I think my temperament is suited more to the shorter projects I do. I tend to run out of steam on bigger projects. I guess that is why many knitters have several projects going at once.

Yesterday included a trip to the LYS. Boy! was that fun! They use punch cards and mine was full, so I got twice the yarn that I would have otherwise. My favorite was this Plymouth Yarn “Fantasy Naturale.”

There was a dishcloth sample at the store and it has a very nice feel to it. The proof will be in the using. They also carry every color of Peaches and Creme. At least it looks like the whole line. It’s a big difference from when I go up to the local JoAnn’s and choose from the dozen colors of Sugar’n Cream there, although I do love their bright colors.

The other lovely yarns will have to wait to show off here. Some of them are meant for other knitterly homes. I did enjoy spending an hour of my day off in a yarn shop.

In blogging news, there’s being sponsored by the Yarn Harlot. The challenge is to complete a difficult project in the 16 days that the Winter Olympics is played. “Difficult” is decided relative to the knitter’s experience. I haven’t decided if I will join it. I think my knitting card is pretty full right now. It will be fun to watch, though. Shari, aka Hamsterbrain is going to knit a baby blanket for it. I’ll be cheering for you, Girl!

Whether you decide to join the challenge or not, I wish you productive and satifying knitting. Or as the hipsters say it…Keep on keeping on.

Thanks! to my Secret Pal 7 and to my Felted SP. I am excited to be involved in two swaps and a dishcloth exchange. They will certainly brighten these long days of winter.

Here’s a little cartoon I ran across a few days ago. I wonder if they are giving out Addis?

I’ve moved most of my blog buttons and links to another page. Just click on the button that says “Blog Rolls” and there are lots of fun blogs to visit. I just tossed them on there in no particular order, so it is quite a mix.

Oh, another thing I finally got done — there’s actually a page of Finished Objects behind the yarn basket button at the top of the page. Gathering pictures of the things I have finished this year was so encouraging! I really have done some knitting! This comes at a crucial time when I felt that my knitting had stalled — or that life had intervened and snatched my knitting time away. I even have a few finished objects for 2006!

I hope you all are finding some time to knit in these hectic, dark days of winter.

Felted Secret Pal 2 is about to begin! Sign up now! It will be a small group, very personable. Here’s the link.

Also, The Felted Bag KAL is reviving. There is a list of bags that will be voted on soon. Then there will be a KAL with the most popular bags. Do you think I can join enough KALs in January to keep me knitting all year long? I think it might be possible.

I don’t mind lurkers reading my blog. Heck, I lurk around the blogs, too. But…I do love comments. It just cheers me up. So I try to comment when I can on other blogs. So here’s my bit in the campaign to de-lurk that is going around blogville. Look at it as an invitation. No pressure. I’m just glad you stopped by.

I started a dishcloth last night. My uncle was out of town over the holidays, so I gave his cloth away. I had to buy cotton to match the dishtowels I had left and am making the brick cloth from the October pattern of the Monthly Dishcloth KAL. I ripped it this morning and am going to add an extra edge to it. I have also worked a few more rounds on Picovoli.

Picovoli is on the needles.

I tried the provisional cast-on to do the picot edge that would prevent edge curling. It’s a no-go. First, I think I did the cast on wrong. Second, I had no idea how to do the picot edge — whether to go back to the provisional cast-on and work back, or to continue on, but then why do the provisional. It is just too far beyond my experience. So I will either finish with some single crochet edging or iron it.

I’m enjoying the knitting for the most part. The Luna splits easily, so I will have some snags, but that is the nature of this beastie. I’m curious to see if I will be able to do this pattern.

I’m enjoying my mom’s knitting, as usual. She is making a felted bag from the Noro book I got her. Here’s what it looks like now.

It’s an interesting bag that ends up folded to make a V-shaped opening. I can’t wait to see it felted.

Secret Pal 7 kicks in this week. My questions are posted at the top of my sidebar. I’m looking forward to a bit of knitterly socializing and swapping to brighten the blah days of winter.