plugging away on the blankie.....

So, I finished a second panel and cast on for the third. In the mean time, I sewed the first two together, and I quite like how it's working out. Wish it was a little longer, though, but I guess you can't have everything. No pics, there's really nothing new.

The rainy season has started now, so there will be a LOT more knitting as it just gets too wet to do anything else. Still a bit more of working in the yard though before THAT time.....

Miss kitty says "when will I get more attention???" soon......

it's been a yarny kind of week

After having a REALLY crummy birthday, (there was this fence post and a bunny), and not buying yarn for quite some time.....I decided to go all out in a belated birthday present to me!
Black trillium triggered the mini-spree by putting all her yarns on sale. I've been eyeing this gradient for a while, with the yellowjacket shawl in mind. The sale (and the crummy birthday), were just too much, and resistance was futile.

I won't start the shawl until the weather starts to go bad, which will be soon enough.

Next up, was the loopy ewe. I've always loved their kits, and they're just great folks with great yarn. I couldn't resist their eighth anniversary kit....I mean, really, smooshy with cashmere.....The pattern that came with it didn't do much for me, but the yarn.......and the little kit is pretty cool too, with a magnetic closure and some really cute little snips a couple of darning needles, and some nice cable needles as well. You can never have too much of any of those things.

In other knitting news, I'm just about done with the second blankie panel. I think I'm going to sew them together as I go, so I can see exactly where I'm at. Pics next week on that one.

working away at the cables

this week, I worked away on my cables. On one day, it was just too hot, on another, it was just too wet, so, knitting it was. No pics....it looks the same as last time, just longer. I finished the first strip, cast on for the second one, and I'm about half way there. Then the weather got better, and it was back outside for some more (much needed) weeding.

I also bought myself a belated birthday present.  I'm pretty proud of myself, I haven't bought any yarn this year at all, with the exception of my michaels blankie yarn, so when black trillium had a sale, I just had to jump in and get myself some butterscotch gradient. I've been looking at the yellowjacket shawl for a long time. The pattern is really messed up, but some brave soul on ravelry went through the whole thing and posted her fixes. It will definitely be a winter knit, but I think I'm ready to tackle it.

Last but not least, Friday was yogi's birthday.
Happy Birthday Yogi Bear! He's 4 now, and he's turned into a beautiful, sweet grownup. (even if he is a goofy couch tater!)

summer's a hard time to knit

It's just TOO HOT to sit around with a bunch of yarn in your lap. No progress this week on the cabled throw, although I haven't given up. Just too busy watering, gardening and baking (myself). On Monday, it's supposed to be nearly 100 degrees here. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

I know, we hate the rain, we hate the sun.....gotta have a hobby.

I have been working on my glass a bit.
These two stones are going to be poured today.....

 

That one with the fish is actually better than it looks. The tray underneath has a pattern and it's showing through, confusing things a bit. It took me FOREVER to do, all those little pieces of ground glass.

 

This guy has been re grouted and is ready to be sealed too.....

I've got plans for today (even though it's going to be nearly 90!)

 

On a happy note......this week is Yogi's 4th birthday!

Happy birthday Yogi Bear~

 

 

More of the same....

So, this week it rained (yeah!!), and some real knitting got done. I'm just about done with the first panel of the blankie, just trying to decide exactly how long is long enough.
No pics.....it's the same as last week, just longer.

I'm hanging at the fair this week for the master gardeners, and at the market next week (same reason), so they'll be some knitting time there too...

Doggies say.....we like the rain, but it's boring. We'd rather bake. If  we can't do that, we'll nap. With the bone, of course!

hey! lookie! actual knitting content!

So I have michaels to thank for my inspiration (at least their coupon). I've been wanting to make a cabled throw for the couch for a while, ala crate and barrel. This week, michaels had a coupon for 25 percent off your entire sale, so I had to see what that was all about. I ended up with 3 pounds o' love.
I know, ACRYLIC (ACK!!), but when you have two dogs and 2 cats, the ability to toss something in the wash machine becomes very important.

Off to Ravelry, where I found a cabled scarf pattern that I liked. I'll make about 5-6 panels and sew them together.

I think it'll work out pretty well. I've got some fair sitting time and two more markets to do, so I'll have some time to work on it. It won't be cold for quite some time.

Next week, more blankie, and a bit of a scarf.

well, I WANT to knit

This week, it's been hot. Unbearably hot. What do you suppose that makes any good knitter do?
Dig through the stash for wool, of course.

I found a couple of balled up skeins and decided I needed something mindless to do while I'm working at the market and the fair. So.....I decided to start a potato chip scarf. If you haven't seen one, it's a ruffled scarf that turns in on itself.

Even though I worked the market yesterday, I didn't get enough done to take a pic, so you'll just have to use your imagination.

I also got a 25% off everything michaels coupon, and I think when I'm out running around this week, I might stop by and check out their yarn selection. I know, it's mostly that ghastly acrylic stuff, but when you're making a blankie for the couch and you have two couch potato boxers and two insane Siamese, acrylic fits the bill perfectly, since it can be washed. (you never know when someone is going to yak on your blankie, and the one on the couch usually ends up smelling like a dog).

So, stay tuned.....I really want to make a cabled throw, and I might just adapt my own pattern.
YIKES!!

I thought I had it.....

I found some nice, soft, lace, a couple of great patterns, and decided to go for it. It worked for about 5 hours until I got frustrated, the sun came out, and the garden was calling.
Lace.....ripped. Maybe some other day.

So, the moral is, no knitting again this week, just a futile attempt at something that didn't work out.
Maybe next time.

it's been a long......LONG week

and not a bit of knitting......
This week, this little darling decided to have a tummyache.
A very worrysome and expensive tummyache. It resulted in 4 trips to the vet, a credit card that's still smoking, and a cat innard education I would have rather not needed. It was touch and go there for a while, but, in the end, it turned out to be a "mystery tummyache" (thankyouverymuch), and she's now back to running around the house like her normal self.  The vet says it was the barium that did it. I think I just spent enough money for the universe to give up.

All in all, it turned out OK and the folks at the vets (all of them), are totally in love with her. That IS what it's all about, right?

There was also some really sad and disturbing news regarding a friend and pilates client, but I won't go into that here....suffice to say, life is short. You just never know what will happen in the blink of an eye.

I did spend a rainy day looking for some inspiration. I found some really nice scrumptious lace (that really is the name of it), and I'm ready to cast on for a celtic shawl.
I'm also looking at making a cabled blankie for the back of the couch. Just waiting for the right sale at the craft store. I know, acrylic.....but with dogs and cats, you gotta be able to wash it, and it has to wear like iron, so acrylic it is.

Next week, knitting, I promise.

no knittin'

just a kitten....

gotta find some new inspiration

not a stitch has been knit....

for at least a couple of weeks.
The weather has been just too good to be inside knitting, and by the end of the day, I'm just too tired to even think about it.
Maybe this week........we'll see (now that the bark project has been finished)

I'll leave you with a baby miss kitty pic....
hard to believe she's been here almost a year. We picked her up right after the 4th of july, a year ago.

it's raining today

so next week there MIGHT be some knitting for ya.....
so far, this week, it's been all yard work, all the time, until I fall into bed at night.
not a single stitch knit here.......nothing to see.
except maybe a cute kitty...

that's how I feel pretty much every night after doing yard work all day!

I started a sock

This one has been on my que for a long time, so I decided it would be a good quickie project
It's firestarter....a free pattern. Can't tell you what the yarn is, I've had it for so long. Another stash root-out.

 

I'm kind of sad, but I decided not to do "camp" this year. There's just nothing I really NEED to knit right now, and their yarn selection is kind of low lately.

 

I can't guarantee much progress on the sock, either....the sun is out and the yard is calling!

working the cowl

This week, I got to a point in the cowl where it will fit and go over a head. I decided to put it aside temporarily and make some fingerless mitts with the other skein of that yarn. When the mitts are done, I'll use the rest of the yarn to finish the cowl. How smart is that??

I'm thinking about doing an afghan/blankie for the couch. The one that's there has seen a few doggies, and it's nice to have something to throw over your feet when you 're knitting. I really like the cabled look, and may attempt to make my own pattern with my stitch books. We'll see......

I'll leave you with a cut kitty pic.......just because.

it's going to b e a cowl

I know, I've said I'm not much of a cowl person, but I rooted this yarn out of the stash and it just wanted to be one. It'll be a gift for my sister, who goes out and walks every day, rain or shine. I think she'll appreciate the squishy warmth it will give her.

It started life as a cabled scarf, but that's just not what it wanted to be, so a cowl it is. the yarn is much more green and plum than it looks in this pic.

I'm not sure how much knitting content there's going to be for a while, unless it rains. In about a half hour, I'm headed outside again to get busy. It's just THAT time of year.

finished the fremont

well, this week it rained quite a bit, so I was able to finish the vintage fremont shawl I was working on.
I think it turned out pretty good. (y'all know I love a good gradient)

 

The bag is still in time out, and I haven't even thought about a next project. I think I'll just close my eyes and stick my hand in the stash to see what I come out with. Could be interesting.

 

This is the time of year where knitting takes a back seat to gardening (as long as the weather holds) There's some kind of gardening "thing" every week now.

Off to spread bark!

I just needed some spring!

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know what a sucker I am for a gradient, especially a GREEN gradient....
so, this week, I found myself needing a bit of spring to manage the insufferable ugly rain that was happening outside. Off to the stash!
This is a black trillium pebble sock gradient and the pattern is vintage fremont. It's a fun, easy, knit, with just enough interest as to not fall asleep.
Love it!

The sipalu bag is still a project....just in time out for now.
This week, the weather is supposed to be nicer, so it'll be outside for me. I'll probably finish this, though.

missing vogue....

I'm kinda sad because I'm missing VKL. I feel like the cool kids have left me behind. I know it doesn't make sense economically for this one.....$ for gas, $ for parking, $ to shop, (I kind of have a problem with that one), plus a whole day gone to get there, shop, and get back....that will buy a LOT of yarn...still makes me kind of sad to miss it. Maybe next year......

This week, the weather was nice, so not a LOT of knitting. I did start on the sipalu bag, and got the edge and a bit of one panel done. No guarantees for this week, either, if the weather is nice, it's outside for me!

 

 

photosynthesis....all done

This week it rained.....and rained.....and rained.....like, 6 inches of rain, seriously.
That left LOTS of knitting time, so I took the opportunity to finish photosynthesis.....

it was a fun knit....lots of beads, and I think it turned out pretty darned good. It's blocking right now, and then it'll be ready to go.

Yesterday, after blocking the shawl, it was STILL raining, like, an inch and a half just yesterday....so I dug out my new project from the stash...a sipalu bag. I've had this colorwork bag in there for a while and it seemed like a good challenge for a rainy day. This one is going to take a while, and that's just fine by me.

half a million beads

The work continues on the beaded leaf shawl. It's now too big for pics to mean anything....you know how lace is before it's blocked. I'll probably make some good progress on it this week, since it's supposed to rain all week, and I'm babysitting a boxer with a bunch of stitches from her surgery.

It's hard to keep her from licking them....may have to get out the cone of shame. She's got another 10 days or so before the staples come out.

I've been cruising ravelry for my next project....not sure what it's going to be, but I might still have to get out the knitpicks stuff I'm trying to work through. That bee shawl is calling my name, though.

I'll also be skipping vogue knitting seattle. I just can't bring myself to pay to shop, no matter HOW wonderful the marketplace is. I'd love to go, but when you add gas, parking, and the price of the marketplace, I can buy some really nice yarn for just that......too bad, if it was free to shop (which in my opinion it SHOULD be), I'd probably be all over it.