No longer stashed...

Ok, so let's review. This is the yummy boucle that I bought from a very exotic store in Englewood, NJ that I talked about previously (sorry I can't link you back to that post because I haven't figured out how to do that yet). I've finally gotten them OTN (on the needles) but take caution you newbie knitters - these are stockinette stitches featured but there is no stitch definition. Can be good or bad - good if you are prone to mistakes so no one will really see it, and bad if you have managed to stray away from the pattern and you can't see how or where and you have to frog (there's that word again and, remember, it is practically impossible to frog boucle, unless you are Heidi of course)!





Now, for the kicker, here's the pattern -

The good news is that it is going very fast, that is if I don't screw up somehow. I'm already done half of the back (I have to do 24"), then on to the front which should go even faster because I only have to do 31 stitches. I'll reserve the shaping part for when I go back to the pattern maker - Ms. Zen Goddess Pattern Genius - the proprietress of the store who does these amazing patterns from her head after she has measured you and forced you to sit and do a gauge swatch. Wish me luck.

You frogged what?

I heard of the phenomenon and perhaps you did to - people who can successfully frog anything. Frogging, for all of you non-knitters, is a term used for ripping out (get it - it sounds like ribbit, ribbit as you are ripping... nevermind). I was reminded of my frogging disaster when I saw these pretty pictures on Heidi's blog over at Fiber and Photography of "liberated" yarn all from a rescued sweater she purchased at a thrift store. She frogged it all and is eagerly searching for more old sweaters now.

We all have had to frog our work whether it was a row, a few rows or even an entire project to start again (lace and mohair seem to go together with that problem) but, it is with our own knitting! Furthermore, if you've worked on the dang thing long enough, you get a feel for the temperament of the yarn and you can just about remember each time you split a strand when you SSK'ed (slip, slip knit) and those stitches won't come out without some coaxing. Boucle is also a %$#@# (rhymes with stitch) to frog, note the example below -

I got so mad, that I just started cutting. Now I'm at a loss with what to do with it. I can't seem to find the blog where there's a picture of a foiled project in the trash! Yites!. I'm thinking of yard art, notice how my former shawl sits amidst the bougainvillea -

Surprise Dahlia

I thought I'd lost her, due to lack of rain but here she is in all of her glory

Stash Along (Yarn 12 Step Program)

So I joined this Stash Along group and I'm suppose to quit buying yarn for a month and do something with the stuff I already have. Yeah, ok, except I'm a "textile enthusiast" and what's wrong with that? Like have you seen the stuff that this little Co-op out of South Africa makes? Incredible, it's like the magic ball stuff - no, but I had to put it back. Good thing too it was nearly 25 dollars for like 20 yards of incredibly delicious wool but I'd have to buy a bushel of the stuff to do anything with it when I only wanted the one skein to, to, 'enthusiate'? Sorry for that Barbara

Be Sweet Yarn

That afghan...

Trying to be an afghan might be a shawl

I've finally begun working on the afghan I featured earlier. I'm not sure why it has taken me nearly 6 months to get started on this. I think it's because I'm not thrilled that it isn't all one color. When I was at the store, my intent was to make it one color with many different textures. Well I guess I'll see how it turns out once I've gotten through 4 or 5 skeins of different yarns and colors.

After a Jersey Storm

We had a pretty bad rain storm here in New Jersey, lots of flash floods. My ankle warned me that it would rain all day, and it did. We really needed the rain, it has been very dry here and my hydrangea bushes, who are so greedy for water, had begun to pack it in for the Fall. Their plush flower heads drooping from their weight dangling from parched limbs, hung on for dear life. And then the rains came, and came and came...

This morning my son yelled from the basketball court, "Mom there's a dead chipmunk in the pool." Ugh! The poor creature probably got washed in by the deluge,I knew I'd find more of his small friends lodged in the skimmer.



Last year, I lost so many small creatures in that pool. Frustrated, I went to the pool store and asked if there was any clever device one could set inside the pool that chipmunks could swim to for safety. Have you ever met any pool guys? I don't know if they are different in California or the southwest, but the guys up here are gruffy, "yo, lady better be glad they ain't bunnies, the lady who was in here before you was gettin bunnies." (Apologies to my International Swap Tote pal, she adores bunnies.) So today, I had to fish the poor chipmunk out of the pool, and true to what I suspected there were a couple of mice in the skimmer. I felt sad and just wanted to go back in the house to listen to music when I see a huge moth struggling on the water's edge. Quickly I grabbed the net - I had a chance to make a difference in one small creature's life! I fished him/her out. Can you see it...

Look closer....

Not a fancy moth, just a living one...

Another baby hat...

Baby hats are fun and so easy to do, instant gratification knitting! I made this one with Knit One Crochet Too 2nd Time Cotton (recycled textiles). I created the pattern with a seed stitch brim. Anyone know any cute baby girls?

All Done

This was a fun little baby hat. So many ribbons.... so little time.

Imagine...

First Fall Hat

Well the hat is just about finished. What do you think about all the ribbons? I was at the craft store looking for ribbons for packing up my swaps when I remembered the pattern for a ribbon hat in the Itty Bitty Hats book. I need a real baby to decide if I want all of the ribbons or not, I guess I'll go to the park to find a volunteer...

One Hour Hat...

These are the ingredients to a baby hat I hope to finish this evening in between stuff. And for all of you keeping score out there, I did file a disclaimer that I do suffer with knitting ADD so I'm allowed another OTN (On the needle), why else would I have bought that great Denise Needle set?

Mom, can I have some brownies?

More garage sale rescues

I was browsing around Heidi's blog of Step Into My Thimble and she was talking about nursing and knitting and fiber fests and all, it reminded me of this tape measurer I got in my box of silk embroidery thread that I rescued for maybe 2 bucks. For all of us who have nursed our children more than 10 years ago, I'm sure you encountered some auntie, granny or older woman who told you to give your newborn infant cereal. One day I'll have to research how much the grain industry greedies marketed this concept to moms. I can see on the reverse of my vintage tape measurer, the advertisement for pablum was very pronounced. So each time our sisters from way back when picked up their often used and trusty tape measurer, they were reminded that pablum was an intrinsic ingredient for their baby's growth. Probably why I have allergies today!

Wants to be a coat

This is a delicious wool boucle that I bought on a field trip with my buddy Shirley. There's this place in Englewood, NJ called Expressions. She only carries yarn that was spun for her and she only sells whole dye lots. I won't admit what I paid...

Get with the program

Ok, all of you clutter challenged, stash disaster sisters out there, here's an angel who just might be able to help. Check her out and tell me what you think - Flylady.net

I'M PIPING HOT!

Plumber came back today to tell me that I have multiple leaks. Does that mean my pipes are schitzo? Geez, just rip the damn things out already and get it over with. The dripping in my kitchen is now in multiple places too, this is getting old.

My ankle is better today so I'm up and around doing my old routines. I spent the day doing Home and School stuff over at my children's schools and thinking about how to get organized for the upcoming school year.

I'm partially ashamed that I've also been thinking about what to turn my 12th grader's room into when he leaves for college this time next year (craft room, meditation room, private library, bird aviary - might be messy though. Everytime he complains about his lack of privacy, I remind him that he is the only person in our family with his own room. I've been dreaming about having one of those brilliant textile people like Heather Bailey come over and together we cover the walls in fabulous fabrics. Then we'd make shadow boxes of sweet little dioramas. Oh, could it be that I am regressing to my little girl days now that 50 is on the horizon?? Another question for the therapist...

Nighttable clutter

What's by your bedside?

Blanket Desires...

All of you New Jersey folks probably knew Beth over at Hand Knits in Englewood. Well she's gone to Vermont and I acquired (fancy way of saying hoard) lotso yarn during her fabulous 70% off sale. This group of lovely yarns wants to be an afghan and my friend Shirley did the most beautiful one in all cream colors of every texture imaginable - THEN GAVE IT AWAY TO HER SISTER! Shirley is back from visiting her family in Hong Kong and I am planing a special play date to see all the yarn goodies that I just know she brought back.

I've decided to make my blankie in golds and browns and I have some mohair, some chenille, some wool, some silk, some rayon and some alpaca to enjoy as I garter stitch away.

Project Obsessing

Listening to myself lament about my sewing inadequacies, I've decided to overcome this challenge by making this delicious unfelted purse. It must be lined. I've had the yarn forever now but because of my sewing problem, it's been hidden away in my stash. I now will go forth and find fabric for the lining and sew it in. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

This is the yarn I hope to use for Sophie Pitcher's Truffle Clutch. It will look very different than the one featured above - it will have my little flava.

I Confess....

I publically confessed today to someone not in the Dishcloth KAL that I make dishcloths. I even had a sample OTN (stands for 'On the needle' - I don't like knit snobs or anyone else who use acronyms that nobody else understands) in my purse to show. Phyllis, my buddy at my LYS (local yarn store) pawed it nicely and told me all about hers. Knit buddies are nice to have.

... and I didn't buy nuthin

Went to visit my favorite LYS

talked to buddy about that and this

listened to other knitters' distress

and this ditty is not a dis

I managed to leave there stashless

Yeah, I know it needs work but yall get the point....

Fun Summer Knitting

Just a sampling of what I've finished or will soon finish this summer. The chenille bag is an example of finishing ADHD. I regret to say that for my summer bags, I've not lined them. I did buy the batting and the fabric but I am sewwwwww challenged with needle and thread. I should get a sewing buddy then we could swap projects. Hey, that's an idea, anyone want to start a Knit and Sew Swap Group??

The bag is from one of the Classic Elite books and the cute little baby hat is from Leigh Radford's One Skein book.

The Last Normal Breakfast

Waffles and blueberry jam is so so good and it's not so hard doing this on one leg either! This was also the last of this summer's blueberry jam. I can never make enough - this is one delicacy that I'm very greedy about. The fragrance and flavor of Jersey blueberries in season is hard to describe but it is totally worth making a trip here next year in late June to pick up as many pints as you can stew, bake and eat raw!

... and speaking of garage sales

I adore needlepoint. I buy them at garage sales (well, somebody has to do it). I can't sew, quilt or needlepoint. I think it is the most delicate of talents (I can crochet lace though). I bought this for $1 and I thought it was sad that such effort could be reduced to a buck. Look at those cute cows! Somebody did a bunch of stitches to make those. Tell me you feel me on this one.

Unexpected Chores

I've begun moving the kitchen's dishes into the dining room. Not a fun chore to do while one limps. Let's see, when stuck with lemons, make lemonade - maybe it's time for a garage sale. Who needs so mch fiestaware anyway?

When the hell will I get time to knit with all of this crap to do? Last night, I gave up on figuring out all the tag line jargon with this blog and started a dishcloth. Yes, you heard me, I do do those. Wrap one up with a sweet bar of soap and it will cheer up any teary friend. So far, I've cheered myself up many, many times!

Now, a chance to break my neck!

With the shower done for, I'm now faced with climbing down into the tub with a seriously twisted ankle. I've fallen into this tub with both feet working perfectly well. I was carrying a basket of laundry and BAM! It took a while to pull myself out - I stayed there reviewing the "what ifs" - I banged my head; broke my neck, arm, leg - pick any appendage...

The Plumber Cometh

Finally, the gods have smiled upon me and sent the plumber (thank you Nanette!). After some preliminary diagnostics, sounds like I'll lose the entire kitchen ceiling, the adjoining living room wall, maybe the powder room tile work and almost certainly the marble in the master bath. Please feel sorry for me....