9/11

Thank you to the firefighters, police officers and Port Authority officials who sacrificed their lives to try to save the innocents in these awful attacks. May you rest in peace with the knowledge that you did everything humanly possible to save lives that awful day. Your bravery will never be forgotten.
Thank you everyday for being the ones who run into the emergencies that everyone else runs away from. And shame on every politician who looks to cut the budgets of the police, firefighters and EMTs who pay the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe.

Cmon Irene

Yeah, I know the song is Come on Eileen, but hey, it fits. I had to share this video because this hits the mass hysteria media whips people into nowadays. Its good to be informed and prepared, and I'm glad to see officials learned SOMETHING from Katrina, but really? This
was hyped for over a week. Whenever we in the Northeast turned on any news station, it was all about Irene. And then it slammed Vermont, not even taking the track through Maine it was forecasted to take. Keeping
my friends & family in the path of devistation in my thoughts for a speedy clean-up.

Anywho, while the "tropical storm" dumped rain on us, we enjoyed our first tomato from the garden. DH made a wonderful snack.
Simple Bruschetta:
1 lg heirloom tomato
1 pkg mozzarella cheese
2-3 tsp olive oil
2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar
Crushed red pepper
Black pepper
Oregano
Salt
Pesto (or fresh basil, chopped and fresh crushed garlic)
Kalameta olives (we didn't have any this time, but they would have
been yummo on this)

Toast points, crackers, or anything else you may want to stack the
tomato and cheese on.

Slice the tomato, cut the cheese into pieces the same size or smaller than the tomato. Place tomato and cheese on a plate, sprinkle the dry ingredients over the top. Pour balsamic vinegar and olive oil on top. You may need more or less of them, depending on how much tomato and cheese you have. Allow to sit as long as you can, it lets the flavors blend nicely. Also, if you include any type of italian ham or danish ham, it can be considered an antipasto appetizer.
Enjoy!
ETA: For some reason, I can't get the video to load. I'll work on it more, but may just need to share the link when I find out where it's posted. I got it via a friend on Facebook.

Lucky

Now a days, a little luck on your side is a good thing. And, as we're having a bad day at work or with the kids, it's always good to remind ourselves there's a lot to be positive about.

My DH is a hard working guy who loves his family and our gardens. He's a painter and a musician, and has been very supportive of my blossoming knitting career. As a matter of fact, he gave me the gentle push into knitting that hasn led to this point. I'd been a crocheter, and admiring his mother's knitting. I'd dabbled in it some, but never felt that it fit. For Christmas 2002, he gave me a gift certificate to buy some good yarn (the $9.00 per skein kind) to do a sweater I'd been admiring in a Berroco pattern book. Plain stockinette stitch with garter edges, an oversized sweater done on size 13 needles. And when I got lost on the sleeve shaping, I called Berroco, and the designer herself called me back to walk me through it. And I haven't looked back since.

Fast forward a few years. SWTC put out a call for knitters that knew how to do toe-up socks on their Ravelry forum. I replied, and was sent yarn and the pattern. 4 more socks followed, all for the gallery in Socks A La Carte 2, and I've chronicled other items I've done for them in this blog. Last spring, Jonelle emailed me about some colorwork sock ideas, and the collaberation that became Socks A La Carte 3 was begun. And this book has finally made it to bookshelves, and I've included pix of some of the socks I knit for the book. The fair isle braid is my own design, and Persimmon I did in collaboration with Jonelle. Dad was able to see 3 of the socks for the book, Skullie, Steppin' Up, and Persimmon as I designed them. As much as I wish he had lived to see this finished, he did see my name in Socks 2, and he was so very proud.
I've also designed other patterns for them, and so far have been published in Knit 'N Style, with another design coming soon.

Why am I telling you this? I was lucky enough to be married to a man that indulged me and began me on the road to one of my passions. He also started me spinning, but thats for a later date.

I was lucky to be chosen by Jonelle, and to have kept her confidence in me. She's allowed me to spread my designer wings, much like a mother bird, watching and giving wonderful advice along the way.

And I'm lucky to have friends that know knitting isn't just for grandmothers anymore.

Bad Blogger...

It's been 3 months since I blogged, and bad me. Some "excuses":
1. I started working overnights, and believe me, that can be ROUGH.
2. I've been doing designs for SWTC, the first one being released is Antique Lace.
3. My DH was a great man, and for. My birthday he gave me handcarders. So, I've been teaching myself the long draw after making rolags.
4. Right now, I'm working on 3 new designs. One for Knitters Magazine, one for For Love of Knitting magazine, and one for SWTC.
5. Baseball and softball. 2 boys playing baseball and DD playing softball. Softball has not ended yet.
6. I'm working overnights. I know I said that before, but I get out at 6 am, and try to sleep for 5-6 hours.

Photos will be posted as soon as I'm organized, promise. I'm also going to try to be a better blogger. Promise.

Dogs and yarn

Or should I say puppies and half used skeins of Wollemise? It's probably more than half. I'm using it to make a pair of Rick socks by Cookie A for a good friend of mine. Her patterns are brilliant. Anywho, this is what I found when I got out of the shower this morning. It  was all over the living room, I've gathered it together for this shot.

You can see Bert in the background clearly saying "It wasn't me, Mom. It was all her. Honest!" I'm thinking it was all Dehlia, maybe a bit of Bert since I could hear them wrestling around. Must be because spring's in the air.

More reveals!

SWTC has released 3 of my sock patterns for their yarn Infatuation.  They can be bought separately, or with a 4th pattern here.  Each of the sock names will take you to the separate patterns.  They are:
Mardi Gras, Jesamine, and Mossy Diamonds.  Their photography is so much better than mine!  Plus, I can't seem to find where I put the pix I took of each sock.
Some knitting that I did for myself, a hat and some warm mittens.  There is also a sweater, but I still need to get good pix of that before I post them.

This is another pair of the Fox and Geese mittens,  but they're mine.  I did them in CTH's Possum worsted.  So soft and fluffy!

This is Dream Big Verve-a REALLY fast knit.  I started Sunday night, and was done not even 24 hours later, and that includes time to sleep and go to work totaling 15 hours of down time.

And a bunch of fun stitch markers I made.  If you like any of them that you see here, let me know.  I also do simple earrings.  Just email me!

Twinkle Shawlette

Since the magazine is now published, I can share the pictures of it.  Look for it in the June 2011 issue of Knit 'N Style magazine.  Jonelle sent me this skein of Little Star, and I loved the colors.  I worked the trial run in Tofutsies, as you can see by the modeling of the DD. 

I didn't have my model the day I needed to send this in, so all I have is it on the blocking mat.  This is a fast and fun project, I can't wait to see what people do with it!

Super Secret knitting revealed

Jonelle of SWTC released a sneak peak of my very first published pattern. Yes, I've self published before, but this is in a magazine! Knit 'N Style, to be exact. There are 2 other great patterns in SWTC yarns as well. Follow the linkie to read on (for those of you who saw it on Facebook, sorry for the repitition-can you tell I'm super excited?):
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/SWTC-Yarn-news-and-free-pattern.html?soid=1101272952566&aid=BVXZy1vfN3k

In spinning news, I picked up some merino/tussah silk at Nezinscot Farms in Turner. They're an organic working farm, the store is GORGEOUS, and they are some of the nicest people around. Plus, they deal in Ashford spinning supplies. I try not to go in very often because of this fact. A knitter can never have too many knitting needles, a spinner can never have too many bobbins.
The fiber is called autum; I'm thinking a Helix Scarf from the newest Spin Off is in order for this yarn. It may even become a gift or a giveaway...

In like an arctic blast

Spring is supposed to start in 19 days.  Tomorrow we're expecting temps in the teens.  Again.  And more snow Sunday/Monday.  This is why rodents should not be allowed to forecast the weather.
I have a design that is coming out in next month's Knit 'N Style that I did for SWTC.  I can't wait for it to be published. 
In other fronts, I did spin up a braid of BFL from serenknity.com in the colorway mums.  I got a 3 ply, 378 yds.  Enough for socks, maybe a shawlette.  We'll see.  I just needed some spring colors.  I'm itching for my lillies to poke their heads through the garden.  Enough snow.

Welcome February!

We're expecting more than a foot of snow by the time this storm moves out tomorrow night.  Isn't March supposed to come in like a lion and out like a lamb?  Anywho, I have enough projects to keep me occupied, and the DD wants me to spin up some angora before I do anything else.  Even the beautiful mohair sent to me by J.  Or the silk hankies sent by L.  She wants bunny yarn.  And since I have an abundance, I think it's time to try this out.  Hopefully we will be dug out by Friday, and will have some postable projects (some of them are still secret knitting).  Stay warm everyone!

January 2011...

snuck up.  Fast.  And when the arctic north opened the door, it was COLD.  So there was mitten knitting.  Believe me, I have this pattern down.  These are quick, knit with Cascade 220 and size 5's.  One skein of each color made 2 pairs of mittens.  Anyone looking for these just email me.  They can be 2 or 3 colors, are 100% wool, and are $17.00 for 2 colors, $20.00 for 3, plus $3.00 for shipping in the US.  I know it sounds expensive, but they will last and are so much thicker and warmer than the ones at certain box stores or gas stations.  And the pattern can be modified if desired.

I got inspired by SWTC's latest yarn, JAZZ.  It's bright, sparkley and surprisingly soft.  The colorway that I used is A002.  I had some Louet Northern lights in Meadow Trail, and well, I'll let the pics speak for themselves:

(DH made the tensioned lazy kate as a christmas present-LOVE it!)

And a close up:

It's approx. 267 yds, 18 WPI and 3 plies.

When I ran out of the JAZZ, I just plied the 2 little singles togther until they ran out (actually, one ran out, I need to ply up the 2nd one into more 2 ply.) It's approx. 241 yds, 21 WPI.

In other knitting, I did finally seam up my Tofu Tee. It's done in SWTC's Tofutsies yarn, and I love the way it turned out.  Head on over to the website to purchase the pattern here.

A cowl done in SWTC's Inspiration (alpaca and soy).  I'm sad that this has been discontinued, I love the blend.   I have more in another color that's destined to be a jacket.

And a close up:

And lastly, a pair of knee-highs for DD's wonderful doctor done in Araucania Ranco Multy. It's Bettie's Lace Stockings by Hana Jason; from Interweave Knits Spring 2009. 
I will not tell you her name, because I want her to stick around here. DD really likes her, and when it comes to making sure all bases are covered, she does a wonderful job. They look skinny, but that's only because they aren't on sock blockers.

And a close up of the pattern:

I've been doing designing and secret knittting that I can't post pix of. Once it's published this summer, I will. Pinkie promise.

We held Dad's memorial/funeral service on the 15th. I would love to thank my bestest friend for being there to lend me her support along with DH. He was a well-loved man who lived life to the absolute fullest he could, even when he was sick. He made the decision to go thru chemo and radiation 4 times to prolong his time with his family. As the BF put it, "Think of it as closing a great book that was so asesome, but because you know the ending you just can't read it again."

Oh, and a gratuitous shot of Dehliah and Bert: