Hello Sunday!

The view from my door is calm and wet.....

for the most part a calm and grey day. Fall is like this around here. Nice to have a break from the rain.
So as it is not sunny and compelling outside the house..... this is what I am up to inside. (so far)
I have already done some tidying, and laundry folding while watching a nice movie is on the list as well, but that is not really interesting, so no photos of that. Sorry.

So here is something I am enjoying at the moment......

tea in a space mug. I love this mug, I got it from the Science fiction book club. Remember that? Does that even still exist or has it gone the way of the CD clubs of the last century.... lol. Oh my goodness..... it still lives!(well in the USA it does.... I wonder if I can join it? hmmmmmm oops, moving on)

I have been making great progress on the Jeweled Cowl, and honestly I stand by my earlier statement that this is going to be a multiple project pattern! Love this! It just grows so fast. Seriously I am not making time for this knit... and I am working on other projects, I swear. But I may have mentioned I have mentally planned at least TWO others and I think my mother-in-law likes it too.

The potential is endless, or it seems that way. Every time  I hear about another person's project it sounds AMAZING so I can't wait to see how everyone else in the KAL is doing. Oh, I had a question about the beads. I am using size 0/6 beads, and I love the colour. The weight is a bit of a concern though, I know some people are using a size smaller, 0/8 beads and I am wondering if that is better. This cowl has WEIGHT, as in the beads give it a space that drapes. It seems pretty heavy, so I think another project may have my choice of beads change. This one is fine the way it is. I always have a tester. lol

I have been knitting away randomly on a  mustgo afghan.  It's out in the TV room so I can work on it if I am sitting and have nothing else within reach/appropriate to work on.

Called a Must- go because I have a bunch of Homespun leftovers from various baby blankets and random projects when I was less interested in fiber content than I was in just knitting something I liked in a nice colour. It's washable and handy lots of big boxes have it. Anyway, it was just sitting there and I thought I should do something... so I have wound it into balls it's in a box covered by an opaque bag and I have my husband grab a random ball for me when I am finished the one I am knitting. Random is good. No real formula here, just making a "dishcloth blanket" increase by yarn over two stitches from the start of each row and continue until you think that it's big enough across then decrease the same place. I have had my own stash supplemented by some of the swap yarns from the guild and donations as well..... it's hard to teach a newbie how to knit on boucle yarn. So it got added to my box. I even had a donation from the guild meeting. LOL and now everyone knows my little project is collecting scraps..... so I may have more coming.

Sam seems to think it's OK, so I must be doing something right. Other than that my day should consist of more laundry and hopefully some sewing. Updates on that if it happens, we shall see.
Be safe on the East Coast, I hope the weather is calm enough to be safe. Have a great day!

Shawls and neck things

Shawls!
Seriously....... a friend of mine wanted to see them all in one shot....

So here they are, with my dog!
I may do a "one a week" profile thing, but I have posted about each of them on this blog. I know it. LOL
I may do it anyway. I was playing with my stash the other weekend, trying to get things in some kind of order. I am pretty sure it didn't work. More photos on that to follow.

Mostly I am out of the shawl making stage, as a frenzied, must make kind of way. I still have one on the needles and I have a second planned, but it's not all consuming. The hardest part is wearing them all..... not all at once, that would be crazy. (but the picture may be funny)

Here is the first one in the triangular shawl as scarf knitting if my memory serves the Multnoma.

Really enjoyed knitting it, in fact this collection has more that one Multnoma in it. Three I think, two were also knitted as gifts, it's so easy and relaxing to knit up. In addition it makes variegated yarn look lovely!

The First month is done!

Today I was home with my puppy...... well he's three. Not really a puppy anymore. He has pink eye and as much as that is trivial in a human..... stopping a dog from scratching his eye without putting him in a cone of shame all day is hard. Why not put him in the cone? He doesn't move. No walking, no drinking, no lying down, no treat eating,  none of the above. Just forlorn looks, rigid posture and after he realizes that you intend for him to wear it a while, incessant whining. Keeps us from using it overnight, let alone all day while we are at work. Too much stress for him and me! 

So I was home from work medicating his eye and supervising so he doesn't make the bleeding or current scratches worse. Needless to day it's not a day to be getting into anything that you can't put down. So I did TONS of laundry, changed bed sheets, got dishes done and out of the way; you know that productive household stuff that can get put off on the weekend. I also decided to make my dog a durable (in my estimation) kennel mat.

I used some old jeans that my hubby wore through and a duvet cover I never use because I detest it.

Measured the kennel. Brand noted, I have no way to erase it, sorry. You can see that the towel inside is in need of replacing.......

Next I cut the flannel duvet cover and pieces of the jeans to dimensions that would work. Of course the jeans have to be a patchwork idea, no part of my husband is big enough to cover 21x30" lol.

I did not take any photos of the sewing as I do not have a tidy sewing space, I will work on that. The marks you can see indicate the side that is to be sewn first. It didn't take very long, a fresh needle in the machine and things happened fast.

I have not quilted it... I want to make sure that it will outlast some dog wear and tear before I make him something with alot of work in it. Hopefully I will have a positive report when his eye is better and we can leave him alone again.......... gotta buy dog food somehow!

Hope you like, comments or lurking always welcome!

Sunshine finally.

So today was sunny, I baked some muffins and bread, ran some errands with my husband, knit a bit and had a really long walk at the local dog park with my Sam.
Pretty good for a Saturday all in all. Now it's hot tea and knitting on the couch with my husband.

Just wanted to stop in, say hi and hope you are all having a good weekend too. More in depth later.

I have some Fo's

Really I have a finished object or two kicking around. It is not just a rumor that I have been perpetuating.

The Blue Sedum I have mentioned is complete... and a button shopping expidition may be called for. I agree Aesderina. So no more new pics of that.... I will wait for buttons.

I did also complete some fantastic Mittens! My Canadian Pride Mittens by Vicky Taylor-Hood. I can't link to a site other than Ravelry, my apoligies if you are not on it. The pattern is available  free through Ravelry if you want to make them yours. She calls them  O Canada Mittens I love them... the pattern is easy, and it added a new skill to my repitoir. The braided edging. A technique that I have already put to use on a new mitten project. This I think will kick off my year of mittens... not that I will be knitting 52 pairs or anything, but I have many patterns that I want to make and they are small and portable.... just like socks, but intresting in a different way. Anyway more mittens are coming but first let me show these off.

Yes there is a dog foot in the shot... he really wanted to know what was up.
Back to the mittens, as I have small hands I used the modification provided, and went to town. They are lovely, and just in time for spring!
I used Patons Classic Wool....  about half a ball of each colour. So, affordable, quick and warm... go knit a pair! LOL

So currently on the needles I am in sleeve purgatory. The Ox Blood pattern knits the yoke to the sleeves and then you knit the sleeves before continuing with the body. Very cool, so I went with it. So, one project working on sleeves.

The second is the Iron ore sweater.... waiting to be steeked at the arms so I can begin sleeves. Since I am trying a new steek reinforcement I am not sure if it is the not wanting to cut or not wanting to knit sleeves.....

Last but not least I began the Essential Cardigan from the latest Interweave Knits. The Tangled Yoke wasn't working fot me and The stars aligned.... so I cast on and decided that I really should get the sleeves out tof the way if they are something that I really don't like knitting...... riiiight.

I do have the pair of mittens that I mentioned, but I began them once and they were huge, so I ripped them out and have started again, so Ihave no reall progress to show you. Two pairs of socks, one of the circular needles I do majic loop with snapped off in a filing cabinet accident and I am sharing the needle for both pairs. The Coastal Swallowtail is also still on the needles, but i just took a refresher on the beads and I think that after this post is done I will sit with it on my bed and make some progress. I think that's it for my current projects. I guess I just really want to be knitting new things..... spring startitis. I can say proudly that all objects are using yarn from my stash! I love my stash..... and I have so many thoughts on what to knit next. More on that in another post. Enjoy your weekend. Knit on, create more, make art!

Trying to keep up...

but the world is going so fast!!!!

LOL

So here I am again with cute animal pictures!

I have several things to babble about, but I have no idea if I will hit you with it all at once. I am having a mini vacation this weekend. I am off four days in a row. We were camping this weekend already, but there was much rain so we came home this morning instead of tomorrow morning.... well that is sometimes how it goes!

We do camp in a lovely area.

See?

Pretty. Aside from the sad state of the dead pine trees due to the pine beetle infestation here in BC. This area is about 2 and a half hours north from home here in Langley. The spike buck you see in the upper photo thought we were pretty intresting to look at, he visited every day! LOL Even the dog didn't bother him.

Okay enough of that. I have completed the Crimson and Coccoa baby Blanket. Thank goodness! I am seriously falling out of love with this blanket style, but I have to admit they look great and don't take too much time. I think the verrigated yarns are the best to use though, they keep your interest longer. When I finally got to the border, I felt very put upon! lol but I wanted to finish it off so I can get it in the mail soon.

Speaking of mail... I have several packets to get out. Sorry guys, I suck and I have a small amount of play money at the moment. The will be gone before the next month. I apoligize profusley, and you know why!

I am working on a Baby Kimono for my niece at the moment as well as the Central Park Hoodie, Hunters Vest and the other straggler projects! The Kimono pattern is one I have never knit, so it has been intresting so far. I think the pattern is very clear and so far so good.. seperation for the fronts and back is mere centimeters away.

I think that I will be re-starting the blanket for my pal James. I don't know where I am in the thing, and I think that is what is keeping me from completing that paticular project. oh well.

I am feeling a bit of Startitis coming on... two shawls are calling to me. That may be bad! LOL oh well, gotta knit for myself a bit this year! I plan on using the rest of tonight and a bit of tomorrow to get ahead on the CPH I think, and maybe cast on a new shawl! :D

I am a bit tired so I will leave you with that update. Hope you are all well and more productive than I!!

I have knitting!

Another update and another Baby Suprise Jacket!

Seriously!

I do love the versatility of these little things.... I am spreding the good word, especially to knitters who have very little "pattern" experience, this is all knit... and a few tweaks! I am hoping to get a few people knitting these little jackets, even if they are feeling like they don't have enough experience..... nonsense. They are fantastic!

I decided that I wanted to understand a bit more about the stripes that I have seen on various scrap, leftover BSJ's I wanted to understand how the striping would travel if I knit two strips of colour at the begining and one near the end. The results were the front

and the back.

I have this one on the needles now, where I began with one colour and I am obviously using some leftovers from another colour to finish up. These two experiments have been fun, and still quick to knit.... I do have a bit more to weave in however....

I have a progress shot of the back of the Central Park Hoodie. I think it is going very well, but because it is supposed to be a KAL and the others are not begun, or knitting as much as I am. I have only been knitting this on Knit nights. I think that I will have to speed this up though, as much as I am intrested in KALing with them, I do want to wear this sweater... that is the goal for me. I may have to knit a bit more during this weekend. Maybe finish the back, and begin a front. Who knows, I may not even get to it...

I do enjoy the way this is looking though, and I think that the others will too... I do know that it is knitting up fast for me, and that is always a bonus.

I guess I am just to impaitent to be knitting for me, and I do like the product at the end!

I am very close to being complete the hunters vest, I will be re-measuring for length tomorrow (or tonight) and hopefully binding off so that I may steek..... I think I really just have to bite the bullet and do it. I am knitting with wool, and some people don't even re-inforce the knitting with wool, as the fibers grab naturally. We shall see, I promise pics and a report.

Fibres West was this weekend, a few girlfriends, and my Mom went with me on Friday night. I picked up some fantastic New Zealand wool, at a great price from Twist of Fate. It is a chocolate brown colour, so now all I have to do is decide what pattern I want to use with it.

The festival was smaller this year than in years past, but as this is the first year that it has a new group at the helm, that is totally to be expected. I still enjoyed the booths, and obviously found some goodies. In this economy I really feel that supporting the local vendors is important! Hopefully next year there will be more, I wonder if they will need a planning comittee, I should try to volunteer!

So here are some fur baby shots.....

Sam

and Simon....

they are so cute, and still growing! awwwww....

good weekend gang, can't wait to give a better update with more FO's!

Update

Who would have thought that being a furry mommy would be so time consuming! HA! Little did I know!

Keeping up with a puppy and trying to keep the cat happy..... a handful.

Needless to say that I am not knitting too much, or al least as much as I want to. I have knit several things for babies... three Baby Suprise Jackets done, and two on the needles. They are fantastic as I may have mentioned, and genius.... so addictive to get it finished so fast!

Here are the first three. They need buttons, and that is all... I haven't had the time to go button shopping... oh well. I will get to it.

Here is our new fur baby, Sam

And our two together...

I know you were waiting for puppy pictures!

I did cast on for my Central Park Hoodie, but it is a KAL with the gals I knit with so I am not trying to get too far into it.

I have decided to measure up the Hunters vest for the Husband, and if the length is good, then I will cast off and steek in a collar later. I can pick up along the edge and knit it on , after cutting off. We shall see how that goes! LOL

Hope you are all well, and I hope that I can update sooner next week.

We got a puppy....

Click the title and it will take you to images of the type of dog we have.....

NO that is not my dog.

Our little one's name is Sam he is heartbreakingly cute, and terribly piddly. LOL
I promise to post pics, and update you on the little knitting I have gotten done!
I was sent a lovely packet from my pal Erika and I will share that too!

No we are not crazy, and yes I am getting some sleep..... but wow... is this going to be a heck of a new experience. Wish me luck. Two fur babies!

Now Simon wants outside! Yikes.

More later, have a good Friday!