ohhh la,la.....wash in style my friends!

**Click on photo's for a closer peek**
Every time I look at these, I love them more and more!

Ghosts , Ghouls and Gobblins too, plus DARTH VADER & COOKIE MONSTER?!

Hi Everyone!! Well, another Halloweenie and costume panic has come and gone...with only a few minor melt-downs...and I just told the King he can throw a tempter tantrum all he wants, he is only allowed to have one candy bar before dinner ;) it was a good weekend at the nut-house, the kiddies looked absolutely ADORABLE, cutest around I tell ya! We went for about an hour os so and they did great, no fits when we were done and they were very happy to relinquish the candies that are not appropriate for them, we "bought" them off of the kids so they can get something else to make up for it. I must say, my kids are FANTABULOUSO!

While I have done alot of knitting, it seems like since the costume trauma's, I don't have TONS of photos to show, just a few. I put the pedal to the metal and got both little Monkies...oops, I forgot...I have been told I must change the little one's "names" they can't be monkies, although elephants somehow doesn't sound right LOL. Well, hopefully, she'll forgive us for continuing with "monkey business" heehee....anyways, I knit up a lovely winter cap out of Mission Falls wool. I LOVE this stuff. It's affordable and considerably soft. It knits up beautiful and has such nice stitch definition. I really like it and HIGHLY recommend it for some kids items. Easy care and easy wear! I used half a skein each of different shades of purple. I ADORE doing cables and this fit right in. The pattern is from KPixie and I got it at Knitting Pattern Central. Try it! I also started his socks outta handspun, nothing better I tell ya, nothing better.


The face cloth is sporting the coolest pattern, it is knitted out of Rowan's Luxury Cotton. I love this too but it is a bit pricey, I am only using up my left-over or normally, I wouldn't be using it for a face cloth. Kind of like using Golden Nuggets for paper weights ya know. This is a cotton,silk,viscose blend, much like Classic Silk by Classic Elite. I think this shows the stitch pattern vividly. I really like doing face/dishcloths, I can try out alot of different patterns that way and have something to show for it!! I am having so much fun!! Well, since I haven't figured out this hole blogger thingy and mine sometimes is a PAIN in the butt, it won't upload these photos so I'll have to repost them above.....anyways, that's about all I have been up to, a wee bit of spinning is going on too....maybe I'll have some plied beauties at the end of this week...we'll seeeeeeeee...........knit on peeps and make is GORGEOUS!

Washy,Washy,Washy

My kitty just LOVES paper bags....lookie, he is helping me put away groceries LOL. That naughty cat!!
I forget what little ditty went to but now it's stuck in my head and THAT is a bad thing...now all my friends at my LYS and knitting class will have to endure me singing it to them! LOL I have been working on making wash cloths for gifts and am knitting like mad, hopefully I will have a bunch to photograph for you by the end of the week. I am having alot of fun knitting them. I may have to take a little break though to start on a basic shawl for my silly sister in law..ready for this...she is no bigger than a teeny peanut and she just broke her shoulder. I feel just awful for her and I hope my brother is being a big help to her or I may have to go and pull rank on him and give him a good yelling at LOL. She was riding her horse and she was trying to get up on her by a different way and she knew she probably shouldn't try it PLUS she knew she probably was gonna fall but did she stop..NOPE!! She fell on her shoulder and boom, all was ended then. She had surgery on Friday and is recovering. She is soooo lucky that's all it was. I feel so bad for her. I am really not completely clear on how she did it though, that was the best way I understood it. So, I am knitting her a little shawl to keep her shoulders warm cuz she ain't gettin' a coat on over that arm LOL.

Well, until later..ta-ta my friends and remember, life is to short to knit with cheap,crappy yarn!

I think I can, I think I can....

LOL I'm the little knitter that could LOL....Well, it's official.....I'm in full holiday knitting bloom PLUS I need to get my rear in gear for the craft show in November OY VEY...me thinkeths I bite offeth more than I can cheweth.

Here are the 2 things I couldn't get blogger to upload the other day..The shrug is being knit out of Cascade jewel in a really pretty winter wine color...kind of my latest color kick lately. The yarn is a chunky style yarn that is single ply, 100% wool. At first I really liked it, not sure if it was the colorway I liked or the entire yarn BUT after working with it, I am not such a huge fan. It started to fuzz up and pill. If it does this now before it is washed, it makes me wonder how it will hold up to wear and tear ya know....




This little beauty is another multidirectional scarf that is also a gift. It's out of Noro Silk Garden which is 50% wool and 50% silk. Stunning colors, only Noro can do it this way ya know....I should be done with it tonight. The shrug is pretty much done now, I just need to seam it and put it away. That makes 2 shrugs finished for gifts. I happen to love shrugs and they are HUGELY popular right now. Hopefully, I can get back to spinning sometime soon. I need to get some more sock yarn spun because I have a specific plan for that!! Besides, I just miss spinning. It relaxes me and helps me take out my frustrations ya know.....hmmm, wonder if that's why some of my yarn is WAY overspun LOL.

Well people, as always, life's to short to knit with cheap and crappy yarn....so until later........Knit On!!!!!!

If I had a dime for every project....

I HAD to cast on, I'd be a rich woman by now LOL. I can't help it, it's a sickness I tell ya. This time of the year makes it worse too. The holidays are coming and I have all these well meaning plans to knit my loved ones these beautiful gifts that I painstakingly picked out each pattern and each yarn for....Truth be told, not ALL the people on my list will be given a knitted item, there just isn't enough time to do it all. I am hoping by next year, I will be experienced and fast enough to be able to knit through-out the year to stock pile gifts!! Here are a few of the dandies I have been playing with right now... This is going to be the "Japanese
Feather Stole" when it's completed and it's a Christmas gift. It truly is gorgeous and I adore knitting it. I am not experienced with lace but this is simple enough with stunning results. It is being knitted out of hand dyed cashmere to a deep beautiful "eggplant" color. It's lace weight cashmere but is just thick enough that I can grab ahold and knit securely with it. I have issues with the REALLY thin lace weight stuff that I feel like I should be flossing my teeth with instead!
It is just stunning, I can't wait to finish it. Hopefully I'll have more to photograph on it at the end of the week. I am TRYING to post another photo of a multidirectional scarf I am making also for a gift but BLOGGER is being an ass! SO I am not obviously going to be able to post the multidirectional scarf or the shrug I am making so I will just have to tell you about it and post photos tomorrow or something. The scarf is being made out of.......ready......I'm warning you.....ok, here goes..............

Noro Silk Garden!!!
I know, I know, I HATE Noro, but I gotta say, it is (in my opinion only) the only yarn that REALLY looks good with this pattern. The colors and the space dying is exceptional and well, sometimes ya just gotta suck it up then.

The shrug is being knitter out of Cascade Jewel. I am ok with this yarn. It reminded me a bit of the Malabrigo for some reason and so I was in the "I have to get it mose" and we all know what I am like then... so anyways, after starting the shrug, with some minor handling, the yarn sturted to "fuzz". It now has a halo effect that is undersirable for me. I like the color of the yarn, which is what prompted me to buy it, BUT it is piling and fuzzing BEFORE it is even washed and worn...sad,sad,sad in my opinion. I can say I will not buy this again. I have some left over so I will see how it felts but for $11 a hank, felting ISN"T what I had in mind!!

Well folks, for thos who are going to Rhineback...........shop for me, and remember, a good sheep is a sheared one! Knit on my friends!

My very first KAL

I'm doing my first KAL for a RED SWEATER. I dunno much about them, but my very good friend Anne is hosting it with another gal. You have GOT to go to Anne's site at www.knitspot.com she has the BEST lace shawls and stoles that SHE designs. They are stunning and soooo elegant. I truly think everyone should buy at least one of her patterns once in their lives....lemme tell ya though, it's like a potato chip..you can't stop at just one!! She has felted purse patterns that will just AMAZE you and OMG her little girl dress is ADORABLE. I'm just sayin.................

Ok, not much has been happening here other than that. I am however, doing my first post without help!! How exciting is THAT, to bad nobody ever reads it haha Ok, now onto knitting stuff...

Here are just a couple things I have been finishing. Little Miss Monkey got her "pink" socks...she's ADDICTED to pink and Monkey boy got his big boy brown socks...even though they have been finished for a bit I staill hadn't photographed them. I am TOTALLY in love with wrist warmers these days and here is another pair I finished. They were gonna be a gift but hey, they are so dang cute dontcha think?! They are so quick and so satisfying and also a good ego booster when your feeling less than adequate with your knitting abilities!!

Well, I will keep you posted on the red sweater KAL and remember, if ya get a chance to go see Anne at www.knitspot.com, you won't regret it!

Cashmere + Baby= GAWGEOUS DAWLIN'

Ohhhh this sweater by Debbie Bliss gave me SUCH a fit. Remember the previous photos of it, well, I was RIGHT (I KNOW, shocking) the pattern WAS screwed. The fact that I am a fairly inexperienced pattern reader didn't help either BUT with help from my knitting mentor and very good friend Anne, it was all gravy baby!! I tore out the panels that were in the wrong spot, put them where they should be, added a trim in barn red and added ties and presto.....





I just LOVE this!!! I am even considering making my own version again for Little Miss Monkey!!! I used up the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn that I have been DYING to use up. Far be it from me to let yarn go to waste, ESPECIALLY any yarn with cashmere in it!! I hope my parents friend likes it. I am always nervous to give things I make to people for fear they won't like it or for fear they will think "Geesh, why couldn't you just BUY me something" ya know. Believe it or not, SOME people truly are like that. I also wonder when I gift to people who don't knit and stuff if they know just how much time really goes into things I make, also, by the time I get the yarn and buttons and supplies I need to make the item, add my time in and it actually costs more than if I would buy it!! Well, at least I can say so far, everyone I have made things for LOVE it.....and that makes me feel good.

Now onto other things I have been busy with. Here is a shrug I have made for Christmas for my cousins little girl....actually, this is a funny description...the technical term is she is my cousins daughter so it would make HER MY 2nd cousin...this is what WE call each other in the family....My Cousins wife who is my best friend AND GodParents who my kids call Aunt and Uncle LOL figure that one out LOL.....anyways, here is the shrug made out of Kareokee yarn, 100% soy silk and it is LUSCIOUS!!!


Isn't this ADORABLE. It just screams 15 year old. I really hope she likes it. Ya know how girls can be LOL.



I also have been slowly making some progress on some socks. I have a few more pairs that I can't post because they will be gifts also but I am afraid the person will see it. I think that person reads this blog but I am not sure how often....I will hopefully have alot more progress done on them through the weekend so I can post them on Monday and show you. I also will be starting a REALLY cool basketweave pattern socks for my very supportive and very patient King 1 for Christmas!! It is a really cool pattern and very masculine too. I think the yarn I have chosen will compliment the pattern really well. It is my own handspun. I just am afraid I will not have enough and having my foot being tied up, I won't be able to spin more of it...that's the only thing holding me back for this handspun....I also have a commercial sock yarn that of course is my all time favorite ..."Lorna Laces" in "Camo" colorway that would work well too. Oh, now that I am thinking of it, I also have Briar Rose's hand-dyed that is GORGEOUS yarn and GORGEOUS colors I could use....and I have enough of that too without worries! Hmmm, I have alot to think about on that this weekend, this will be the Cliffhanger until Monday LOL.

Until then my friends..................Knit on, life is to short to knit with crappy,cheap yarn!!!

In Memory of..............

Rick Priano......keeper of secrets,lover of dreams. Goodbye old friend. I will forever remember you and all the fun times we had. May you touch as many lives in your next journey as you have in this one.................

Once upon a time...

in a far,far away land.....brothers and sisters of allllllllllllllllllll naughty ages got along BEAUTIFULLY!!!!!

awwwwwww look how cute that is..............which is ALOT better than what Monkey girl did right before the love fest.................she decided she wanted to hang out onher naughty bench....Notice the gorgeous spinning wheel in the background. Elsie misses me sooo much. This stupid foot is gonna be the death of me I tell ya. I am NOT looking forward to the 13th rolling back around when they are gonna slap that cast right back on my tootsies again!! I have alot of projects going right now. That's the beauty of knitting,you can have several going at once. I hope to get the sweater for my dad and mom's friend who is expecting her first baby , finished today. I am taking it to knitting class and seeing if my instructor can help me make heads or tails of the sleeves and such!

Well, as always my friends....knit on and do it with yummy yarn, after all, life's to short to knit with crap yarn!!!

it's Not ALWAYS a good idea.........

BUT sometimes I just see a pattern and I HAVE to knit it....much like the pleated flirty skirt that was on the web from Interweave knits. I HIGHLY recommend ANYONE who sees this and wants to knit it to RUN and run fast!! This was just a disaster on the way to happen. I should have known better when I realized that the pattern called for NO finishing either at the top OR the bottom. The top just has belt loops to use to hold it up. It is the most unflattering skirt I have ever seen and sold tacky. Then comes the bottom, there is not even 2 rows of seed stitch to keep the pleats laying nicely, I added THAT little detail. This skirt takes TWO people to help put it on cuz it falls down before you get the belt on it. I was VERY disappointed and what a total waste of time :( Here is the shameful project that will hold first place in the 2006 Hall of Shame Knits.

Ok, now onto the next little misfit...actually, the yarn is SCRUMPTIOUS. It is Debblie Bliss casherino Aran weight. The pattern is from her Simply Family book. You knit this sweater all in one piece then you just fold it somehow and seem it. Here is what I have, yes, it is almost done..my dilema??? How the HECK is it supposed to be sewn??? I will be seeking help on this one LOL.











Well, this last little cutey is not knitting related BUT it is my other passion, this is thank-you cards I am making with the Monkey set from Stampin' Up that I got from Melissa, thank you Melissa, I love my monkies!!! Isn't that just adorable!!! I LOVE it.
Well, I am off to wrangle my monkies, don't forget ya'll...October 14th is the Craft Show...be there or be....well, stuck at home doing nothing LOL :)