Jing, jing, jing-a-ling...

I hear those Christmas bells in the not-too-far-off distance and know I need to have my eye out for some quick knitted gift projects. I came across these, and want to share them with you because I think that they are just lovely! Don't you agree? You can use double points to knit them, as they are knit as on straight, not in round, but this is done to make the knitting more manageable. I am thinking they would be nice on in Misti Alpaca's 'Baby Alpaca'. The beads are easy enough to get and pretty inexpensive too, not to mention, just being plain fun to knit!
Now don't think that I do not realize the irony (or stupidity) of this post following my 'eat crow' post of yesterday regarding the number of projects already on my to-do list. I am working to reduce said list as we speak, both by knitting like mad and other, shall we say, strategies with certain of those on my list. Hey, I am but one person with absolutely no self control whatsoever....so sue me:) Honestly, I simply, err...forgot to list certain projects...you understand!

I expect sharing of any other nice, small, projects for Christmas knitting!

Ang

Eating Crow

Dear Ann,

I fear I may owe you an apology. I realize I have been teasing you somewhat for your rather large christmas list of knitted objects. (12 was it?) Anyhoo, I was trying to make a list of my promised projects for various members of my family and realized my list is a teensy bit larger than yours....
I promised a Log Cabin Rug for mom's new retreat, an afghan, warsh rags(I dunno, 6?), socks(x2); then there are the u.f.o.'s for myself: the red shawl and Noro Tam...then the socks I need to finish for DH(only half of 2nd one to finish pair), a small scarf for my friend, Christian's, baby (just realized, I also promised a sweater). I promised my Bro a log cabin blanket. Also, I have been commissioned to make a lacey table cover, and y'all know I have yarn to make that mobius. Of course, this leaves no room for me to knit anything I see that I may want to make room for...as my Nanny would say, "You've got no wiggle room." Not to mention, there's christmas knitting. I realize some of the above P.O.'s (promised objects) could be given as Christmas gifts, providing they are passable to give as gifts. (You know what a detail freak I am...not!)
So, I hope you will forgive my moment of slight smugness, and will someone please pass the Ketchup?

Ang

Snead's Ferry

Here are some pics of the charming fishing village of Snead's Ferry, N.C. I spent the weekend there with my Mom and Emma. Mom and Dad own a travel trailer right on the water of the New River wich empties into the Atlantic Ocean around Topsail Island.


We had a great time exploring the shops and restaurants and looking for ways to dress up their little home away from home. I can't wait to see what it will be like when my parents have had a chance to make the place their own (trust me, Mary Blake can work some landscaping magic). I think they will add a screened-in porch and some other extras.




This is 'The Shop Across The Street.' My mom found a gardening buddy in the woman who owns it. She shared some of her Four O'Clock seeds with Mom...what a sweet woman.





Of course we visited a yarn store! This one is 'Phootsy's Yarn Cottage' in Jacksonville, N.C. Very nice place. The owner, Freddie, is a dear...here's my haul!

First, some mobius yarn. This is 'Silky Wool' by Elsbeth Lavold. It's, as the name suggests, a silk and wool blend. This picture really doesn't do it justice...the drape of it is wonderful and at 22 sts/inch (that's dk isn't it?) it should be perfect for this project. Will need help from my friend Ann on the needle size, though. I think the pattern calls for a size 10, which seem much too big for this yarn which calls for a 6. Ann, in case you didn't know, is a master knitter and has knit several mobius. She is the one to go to with questions, etc... on the subject. God knows she needs something else to do, considering the extensive gift list she is knitting for christmas;->


This sock yarn is for Mom. She loves the socks I make her. I am already working on a pair made from Artful Yarns 'Candy' (more on that later). I also am working to fill her order of Mason Dixon Warsh rags. Then there is this added to the list. She wanted a shawl they had made-up at Phootsy's, but felt she had too much for me to do that one, too. Freddie and I tried to tell her that there is no such thing as too many knitting projects, but she wouldn't hear it.
Guess what happens next. C'mon! You know me...it isn't that hard to guess...I forgot to get sock needles, cause, lord knows, I didn't bring them with me, 'cause that would be... well... organized.

So....I made a set.

I used the smallest size dowel I could find, (this one was poplar) and cut them to match the size 8's I did have. Sharpen with a pencil sharpener and sand down...my set took less than 20 min. to make and cost a grand total of $.72. It cost this much only because a bought a $.34 little sample packet(ingenious) of stain, pictured here. This also speaks to my impatience, since I couldn't just wait to get home to my sock needles but had to make my own so I could get started....pathetic. My mom was quite amused, but also glad to see her next pair of socks on the needles!

So, that is my picture album of my last-minute trip to Snead's Ferry. Sometimes, the best things in life turn out to be those things we think we are too tired or too preoccupied to do. Turns out, I really needed the break...lesson learned.

Ang

Must. Have. Cashmere.

Must have this yarn in this color! The yarn is HandMaiden 4-ply Cashmere. I need it for the Cat Bordhi Mobius thingy. I have decided *not* to knit the mobius with the Noro. 'Nony made wonderful sense, curse her, in her comments re: the cascading color effect I would like to see from the Silk Garden. So now, it's a toss-up between the scarf and the tam.
Anyhoo, I need to find this yarn. Should any of you know of a good online yarn source, I would love to have it. I am willing to pay a little more, and can you blame me? Just look at it....sigh. I am in danger of falling into a yarn trance.... Don't you think this would make a beautiful mobius? Did I mention it's HandMaiden 4-ply Cashmere and that the color is Moorland Heath Twilight? Now, what was the name of that wish-list website?

Your Advise, Please....

Dear Friends,

Wonderful news! I have my first lucious ball of Noro Silk Garden! It is a lovely colorway, (they are all lovely, by the way...I had a difficult time choosing) so now I have to pick the perfect project for this one skein. (at $11.00, I probably cannot buy another skein for a couple of weeks, so work with me here). I was thinking of, maybe, a tam or some kind of hat for myself. Also, I wanted to knit one of Cat Bordhi's Mobius neck piece/shawl thingy (whatever it's called, it's lovely). So, I want ideas input for this very first ball of silk, kid mohair, and wool. Difficulty really isn't too much of a factor. I feel capable with most intermediate projects. I want something fitting of the color changes and water-color effect of this yarn. Each ball is 100 meters and I could see buying another ball (I can start a project with one ball and add another in the next couple of weeks, right?)
So, let's hear it!

Ang

Felted Cell Phone Case

Destined to be one of my favorite patterns, this cell phone case knitted-up quickly and felted like a dream. I simply cast-on 32 stitches, knit a tube with size 8 double points and one strand worsted weight wool (Paton's Classic Merino used here.) I made it about 6" long, maybe a little more, bind off 17 stitches and work another 4 or so inches for the flap. Bind off, weave in ends and felt. This one was about half-way felted in one full cycle, so I hand-felted it the rest of the way. I cut a button hole with scissors and that was that. My inspiration/pattern for this project was found here. The dimensions are about right for my phone. A smaller phone might want theirs to be right at 6". The 4 inch flap is perfect. I inserted a broken flip phone into mine while it was wet to block it and let it dry overnight. Excellent to use stash wool and I think these would make great christmas gifts.

A Shawl is Born

Once upon a time, there was a sweater. It was a lovely shade of moss green with a tempting and form fitting 3x2 rib. The length of it was perfection and it came with a tie belt and buttons. The sweater also had deep pockets and was by all accounts, the favorite of its owner, a knitter. She wore it most days in the winter and on certain days in the summer when she was in the A/C for too long. She loved the sweater, carefully hand-washing it and laying it out on a towel to dry, that it might always be sweet smelling and soft.

Then, one day, a new shawl entered the family. It was store bought, a gift, but very functional. It was light-weight and also had pockets. It was machine washable, easy to take on and off, and the owner sometimes wore it out places without realizing she still had it on. She was surprised at how useful the shawl had become to her. So, she being a knitting genious, began to think of knitting one for herself.

Later that week, while cleaning a closet and coming upon a portion of her stash, the knitter pulled out the most beautiful jewel-red colored yarn she remembered buying at an unlikely place. "Hmmm...." she thought. "This is the same type of yarn my favorite sweater is knit in....It's in a 3x2 rib, which I love. Maybe I could knit a shawl this way. " So she cast-on a swatch on her 10 1/2 needles. But, they were too small. So she tried the size 17 needles, but those were too big. Finally, she tried her size 15 needles made of bamboo. They were just right. And the fabulous knitter and her ever-progressing creation, lived happily ever after. (that's assuming she finished the shawl)
The End

New Toy For Me

Here is a pic of my new toy, a Clover Mini Circular.
This nifty little needle allows me to knit socks, sweater
sleeves, or any other small tube. The sky is the limit.
So far, they work fine. Haven't exactly figured out how I will acheive the gusset part of the sock with them.
I guess with stitch markers and ssk at one end, and k2tog at other end. The yarn is 'Candy' by Artful Yarns. It will become socks for Mom.

On another note, I watched Cat Bordhi today on Knitty Gritty. She was teaching the Magical Mobius knitting she is famous for. She is a very good teacher. I finally understand the concept and am ready to cast-on. I only lack the 47" circular I will need. I can see why people say she is a genius...the woman was doing a mobius cast-on behind her back. Crazy. Here's the link with the pattern. They used Hand Maiden, by Fleece Artist, in Rose Garden. The finished project is gorgeous. Take a gander next time it plays on DIY Network. It's a keeper.

World's Best Knitting Jobs

You are looking at what must be the world's best knitting job. We were leaving a parking garage last week. When we arrived at a similar booth as pictured here, the man put down his book, took our ticket, fed it into a computer, and collected two dollars. He picked up his novel, pushed the button to open the gate, and waved us on. I thought to myself, being the single minded creature that I am, 'Boy, that must be a great job for knitting!' I began to imagine myself bringing my carefully prepared lunch, my knitting bag and a cooler of ice tea, (we drink sweet iced tea here in the south...or 'Coke'...not 'soda' or 'pop'). Anyhoo, I think the only real drawback would be the pay...what, maybe six or seven dollars per hour? And, that there isn't much room in there. Bet there might be enough for a laptop, though! So you could possibly blog and knit!
'kay, think I am getting a little carried away, here. Can you tell I haven't knit much lately? Hope you guys are having a good weekend. No free magazines yet at my new job, but I am working on that. I opened a crate of magazines yesterday to set-up a store-which-shall-remain-nameless, and low and behold, what do you think was right on top? Interweave Knits fall issue...in plastic, cause it has a neat little pattern bookof scarves for free. Of course, it isn't as free as I hope to get it!! You can bet the knitting section of every store gets very special attention from me. Yummy!

Warsh Rag I-Cord Edge

Dear Ann,

This is for you. I found this at the Mason-Dixon Knit Along site. It is an I-cord Edge for the Warsh Rag. (I know how much you love I-cord edging) This little tutorial gives credit where credit is due.
I admit, I have never tried this technique because it seemed a little daunting to me. But a small project like this seems a good thing to cut my teeth on. Enjoy, Ann!

Ang

Emma Say's Hi

Admittedly, not the best picture of me, but a wonderful pic of my baby girl. Here we sit at the beach cottage one morning. Emma always has a blast!
She has a few updates for her bathroom blog. She loved the bathroom we visited at Sam's Club on South Saunder's St. in Raleigh. They had the toilets that flush automatically, 4 stalls, one of which was big enough to hold an extra chair for sitting/nursing, etc... It smelled nice and Emma said the sinks weren't 'too tall.' Just an FYI in case you are ever in Raleigh;->

Also, Sam, my oldest boy (19), left for L.A. yesterday. He will be there for at least 6 months and I wouldn't be surprised if it weren't longer than that before we see him again. Sigh...I miss him already. I declare! They grow up way too fast, don't they?
Have a great day!
Ang

Promised Beach Pictures

Knitting bag ready for a week at the beach.
Knitting Rules is in there, just covered by yarn. I'm sure
Stephanie would approve.






One of the projects I worked on while 'on vacation.' No one
said 'Put down that knitting!' once.









My dear, sweet Nanny, who taught me to knit and crochet. I just happened to get a picture with all three redheads in the shot. That's my son, Ian at the door(skateboard dude) and Emma on the stool.


Oh...did you want to see actual pictures of the beach? 'Kay, how's this....





Looking down Topsail Beach from our cottage.