Spring is in the air and so is a CLUE!!!!

LOOK..........the first signs of Spring. I am so excited.....can you guess what this is??? It is the start of my hydrangea bush again. We chop it every year and of course every year I panic and SWEAR it isn't coming back and every year, it comes back BIGGER and BETTER than the year before.

When you pull into our drive and get out, the first thing you smell when you pull into the drive, depending on the time of year of course and what is blooming.

Here are the first buds on the apple tree. Now the birds will soon have a little house to hide in and chirp again. They hate being out in the wide open and I always feel so bad for them, they have no closure around them........not for long;)

And of course, Mr. Mann...............look how big he is getting. He is all in his "cool" gear for riding his scooter. He loves his new helmet!

He is really a great kid. Check www.knitspot.com Anne's site during the month of April for an exclusive interview with Mr. Mann and what HE has to say about being Autistic and what it means to him and what he wants other kids and parents to know. Remember folks, April is Autism awareness month...................please, be aware.

Now for your clue................write this down gang, I will be giving you letters that contain the answer *giggle* also, look this weekend for you goodies that you could win, I will be photographing them...of course in their natural habitat LOL....I found a few more things I may toss in to sweeten the pot. Tell your friends to come on over and take a guess.

Here you go ::::::::T

Once upon a time, in a land far away..........

there lived a fairy princess, her name was Miss Priss. She was a beautiful princess, one who knew what she wanted and WHEN she wanted it................*fill in the rest of the story as you wish hehe* I don't even need to explain these photo's. I personally think she is the most beautiful princess around. later in the afternoon, she found her fairy princess felted hat I made her and then she found her pink play/'dress up shoes and Viola, a princess was born!

The yarn was the Jaeger Aqua (mercerized cotton), I really like this yarn. As far as cotton goes, it is a great cotton. I really have changed my thoughts on cotton as I have kind of widened my horizon's with it. The pattern was one from the Adorable Knits for Kids book by Zoe Mellor. I dunno, I am just not diggin' her patterns now. I dunno know if it all stems from the whole not having an easy time tracking down the errata for just ONE of her books. I tend to get turned off quick when something like that happens. I will say, I originally bought the book because the photos in the book, they truly ARE adorable, hence the name BUT, now that I have made several items from it, I really must say, I am finding it only mediocre at best. Of the patterns I have made, they are not as neat and clean as they could be, almost sloppy. I really want to try one more pattern in it to just make SURE I am unsatisfied and that I am just not picking unflattering patterns for my design taste. Sometimes, it could just result in a case of not picking the "right" one, we'll see. I'll weigh in on my final decision when I am done with it. I KNOW this pattern will be the turning point for me, it is made out of Rowan yarn and geesh, who could go wrong with that ya know. So stay tuned:)

WOW, I am really jonesin' for...... essentially.......well.........summer!!! I started getting all hyped up with the last couple of days and its warmth. True to form in Ohio, eeewwwww, we are dropping back to another cold snap. brrrrrrrrrrrr. I guess you could say I have the fever (for the flavor of a pringle LOL sorry, kidding) for Spring. I could do without the mud but sometimes ya gotta take the good with the bad ya know. We have a gravel driveway and it is REALLY long, well, with all this rain, it has turned into a MUDPIT!! There just is no way around it. We live in a really old farmhouse and the driveway is not attached to the house (ohhh that would be soooo nice)

This photo is taken at the very start of our driveway, the garage is still about a hundred or so feet away from the point I am standing at. I didn't use the zoom lens cuz I wanted to get an accurate distance of just how friggin' far it is to carry groceries into the house!!! I HATE that. It's the worst for me. Ok, so well, now you know why I dread rain LOL. Onto more pressing topics....


Some fibery goodness has been happening at my house. Besides the yarn for my watermelon socks , which by the way, the colorway is bright yes, but I showed it to my daughter and she does indeed love it so as long as she likes it, I do too:) She's 3 but she knows what she does and does not like. Anyways, the day I got it, I also ordered fiber from Crown Mountain Farms. HIGHLY recommended I might add. I bought 2 8oz colorways and I got them in record speed, and started to spin some last night. I LOVE it. It is superwash and is a little more slippery than what I am used to but it clicked pretty quick and I settled into a groove. YES the colorway is green. It is called Say a Little Prayer. The other colorway is Orange (Hang on sloopy is the name). I am not sure the green one is gonna come out the way I am thinking after I ply it but we'll see!



The blue is a romney blend that I spun up, I just need to ply it. I think I am going to attempt the Navaho ply with it. I found several really good websites that explain it well. I want to see if it is a wasted effort though to do it with this bobbin. If it is recommended for blended colorways then I'll wait and do it for the Say A Little Prayer and do it with that.






It was really nice to spin. I am VERY please with my spinning now. I am consistently spinning sock weight and I am no longer over spinning my singles. They are smooth and even and not strained in anymore. I really am happy with it. I personally prefer handspun sock yarn to commercial BUT my problem was, I couldn't do 2 things, one spin a "stash" of sock yarn as fast as I want OR I also couldn't get it the right tension, not anymore. I can see how my sock yarn spinning stash is getting some new residents LOL. This makes me REALLY happy since I actually prefer to use the handspun. Now don't get me wrong, I do adore ALOT of the commercial sock yarns still and will always use them, especially for my kids, the rate they out grow things it would be silly to use handspun exclusively for them. Miss Priss does really well with Lorna Laces and Mr. Mann does better with Briar Rose sock yarn (Grandma's Blessings) well, now that you have all the in and outs, I think we can say for certainty that handspun sock yarn will mostly be what you find on my piggies. In between the mix of Briar Rose and Lorna's Laces tossed in for ease *giggle*. Good thing Debbie Bliss doesn't make sock yarn eh?!

Last but not least, I'll leave you with some outdoor fun!! Last week was really nice and the kids were just itching to get out on their bikes so here was a few stolen moments of scooter and bike riding!

Nothing like family time on a nice day:)

P.S. I bought a Dyson vacuum cleaner and it came this morning.............I am in LOVE with it.

Knit on my friends!!! Don't forget to keep guessing................hmmmmmmmm, what could it be, what could it be!!

Tag...your it!

Well, here you have it folks.

Seven Things To Do Before I Die
1. Take my kids to Disney Land (or world, I never know which one is which)
2. Travel to a foreign country
3. Make a definitive mark in the world of Autism
4. Learn more patience
5. Learn a foreign language
6. See my children as happy, self-aware, secure and loving adults
7. See my grandchildren/great grandchildren….er, eventually

Ok, the last 2 I borrowed from Jennifer's LOL but still, I was gonna add it anyways.

Seven Things I Cannot Do:
1. Cast on the long tail way
2. Have dental work done without being completely sedated.........its true.
3. Speak a foreign language
4. turn away someone who needs help
5. just go to sleep without checking on my kids right before I retire for the night
6. Make a pom-pom with-out a pom-pom maker
7. Make an omlet without tearing it, no matter WHAT new fangled gadget I have to do it.

Seven Things That Attract Me to…...Ohio
1. My family is from here
2. I happen to like Canton
3. Change of Seasons, I will never ever see anything as stunning and breath-taking as I did in 1989 when I cam back to Ohio in October, the end, I drove for 12 hours straight and was driving to my Aunts house at 2:30pm. I drove down a road called Genoa, it was the most stunning sight ever. The street was lined with so many trees and colors that I could not only see,but smell. It was breath-taking. I have never forgot it, if I could share that one moment, the one that made me stop my car, pull over and breathe deep, I would share it with all of you.
4. My kids love it here being next to their family.
5. lots of history here, presidential, family,and world.
6. beautiful friendships I have made.
7. The beautiful countryside, melts my heart everytime I see it. I know I can never go back there, to that beautiful, silent, and calming countryside that when the wind blows, you feel it across your face, each and every breeze fills every spot of your body and soul............

Seven Things I Say
1. "Oh THAT'S cuuuttteee"
2. "ya know"
3. "loves it"
4. "I swear you'll never knit another pattern that is better than Anne's" LOL trust me, I not only SAY this, but it's true LOL
5. "hey, ya busy, I just gotta quick question"**WARNING, NEVER believe me when I say this *giggle***
6. "I am calling your dad and telling him what you did NOW, and THIS time I mean it"
7. *Steve, did you hear me, what did I say?"

Seven Good Books
1. The Five People you Meet in Heaven by: Mitch Album
2. The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier
3. Ten Things Every Child with Autism wishes you Knew by: Ellen Notbohm
4. Unstrange Mind by: Roy Richard Grinker **This is a definite must read**
5. Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin **Truly, my hero, a very hard to read book by an Autistic mastermind who has done WORLDS for Autism research. If you want a truly touching book, about a woman who has gone through it all, read this**
6. Is This Your Child by Doris Rapp **Wonderful,wonderful woman**
7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by: Lisa See

Seven Good Movies:

This is the only thing I have to leave blank. I don't watch hardly any movies. If you can spare 7 titles for me, I would be forever greatful *grin*. I have a toddler so the chances of me being able to sit through a movie longer than 25 minutes, yeah, THAT's not happening;)

Seven Blogs to Tag
ok, now I have had several of you who asked me just HOW do you know if you have been tagged *laughing evil,wicked, shrills* THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW IT::::

1. www.knitspot.com Anne, THIS would be you *grin*

2.http://spindleknits.blogspot.com/ The only way I will give you a reprive, is if you give me the Kiri Shawl LOL.....people, you simply MUST see her lovely shawl!!

3.http://aknittingmom.blogspot.com/ Danielle, you just are so sweet, I HAD to do it LOL.

4.http://fabricnfiberfanatic.blogspot.com/ Sara, This is what happens to people who like Peanut brittle LOL

5.http://whitewillowmarket.blogspot.com/ Brooke, my newest friend.....and a FANTASTIC fiber dyer!!

6.http://www.hollyeqq.com/ Holly has been sooo quiet lately!!

7.http://mitstitchingnut.blogspot.com/ While we're reading your answers, we can all join your contest *grin*....truly a very cool person ya'll, check out her photo's....soooo pretty!!

Ok, there ya have it. My very first tag!!! Thank you again Jennifer, I was soooooo excited. I honestly have been DYING to get tagged. LOL

Oh the gorgeous hints of Spring will be showing it's billowy,fluffy,cotton cloud shining goodness all next week in Ohio. The weather report is supposed to have us in sun and warm weather.........no rain!! I can't WAIT! I am sick of rain, sick of gloom and really wanting to see some blooms on my plants, trees ect.,.

Knit on my friends!!!

P.s. Remind me to have another contest for the most creative yarn swift around LOL

I'm seeing green AND pink :)

Wow, I have ALOT of things to cover, aren't ya/ll the lucky ones *giggle*.

First things first, I have been thinking for awhile now (shocking, I know) that I would like to do some sort of a contest. A give away of sorts, a destashing technique. Why not, what better way to destash a little then to have a contest. Kind of like reward my blog readers (all 6 of them LOL) for being so loyal. Now I just needed to figure out HOW and all that other jazz. I think this is how it will go. For the person who actually wins, and here is how I'll run that::: All people guessing, leave it in my comment section and I will take all the RIGHT answers and put them in a name generator, then 3 names will be drawn from that. After 3, your S- O -L heehee. The very last day for guessing will be April 15th at midnight *giggle* oh I ammmm an evil one I tell ya LOL. At each blog posting I make, I will give you a clue to something I am expecting in the mail. The clue may or may not be pointed out. You may actually have to read what I write to see if you can spot anything out of the ordinary, torture isn't it :) You can have as many guesses as you want. MEANING THIS: Every day that I post a clue, you can post a guess. What you may think is your answer one day, may NOT be what you think the next. Your name won't be entered more than once though. You can guess all the way until the 15th. Remember though, say you actually guess it on the second posting, I am not going to tell YOU. I might however, say something the next day like, the like answer was guessed already once, twice, or whichever, but I won't tell you by whom or what day yada yada yada. This should be fun!!! I may or may not tell you if the answer is knitting related or not, you'll have to wait and see:) Hmmmmm, now we're gonna sort the men from the women here, so to speak.....first place will be .....................

drum roll please:::: An entire hank of LUSCIOUS YUMMY and gorgeous .........cashmere, fingering weight, photo and yardage will be posted at next entry. I can tell you this, it is nice and it's cashmere, we all know how I feel about that....roll it in soot, cover it with poison ivy and hell, it's CASHMERE, I'll knit with it *giggle*. Second place will receive enough sock yarn to make a pair of adult socks. Photo, yardage and info will be posted at next blog entry. The third winner is a pot luck of sorts......it's a SURPRISE!!! I won't post pictures today because it is REALLY gloomy and rainy and I want you to be able to actually see the accurate yarn photos. The colorways and such. Plus, I filled up my camera disk and forgot to empty it and now I can't figure out how to do it....where is King1 when I need him dang it.

Well, that takes care of that. Next up : yummy yarn goodness, sorry folks, this is alllllllllllll mine *grin* now before you hurl and go blind, try to keep in mind a watermelon, and it's rind...I have the pefect little accent for the seeds. I am making watermelon socks with this yarn!!

Now tell me, don't you think of watermelons? Perfect for Spring;) Cuff will be green with of course seeds, heels and toes are "watermelonish". I am so excited I can hardly contain myself LOL I can barely finish the pink & greenies I am working on right now. I have big plans for Spring and summer knitting, big plans I tell ya. I am making several spring and summer items out of cotton for this season. Many of the will be summer essentials! I am really excited to get down to some serious and blissful knitting I tell ya!

Ok, now one last photo for today to post....... Once upon a time, I got a yarn swift, lovely and shiny and new, I wound up my yarn and wound up my yarn and then off the top it blew!! *giggle* I BROKE my old yarn swift and so I got a new one....isn't this the BIGGEST flippin' swift ya'll have EVER seen?! My kids were like "whoaaaaa mom, We can ride on that thing" LOL over my dead body LOL.

For my next post, I will be responding to my VERY FIRST Tag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo, I FINALLY have been tagged. I was so excited to read my name. Now I need to think of the answers too:) I am so excited I tell ya. To find out WHO tagged me, go to http://loopyknitter.wordpress.com/

You'll get a chance to get to know her better too:) I personally like reading these, I feel like I get a sense of who the people that I read every day actually are, some of their likes, dislikes, wishes ect..........

Have fun today, remember, stop and enjoy the day, smile at a stranger, say hello to someone standing in line....you never know, you just may be talking to a friend:)

Knit on Peeps!

Oh no, I am part frog....and well, I dunno the rest

Well, it's Spring my friends, the bug has bitten me. I am COMPLETELY addicted to GREEN and ORANGE. Sad, but true my friends. I subjected my knitting pals with a sock of brighter proportions, a brightness like no other. You have already seen the first part of the sock....I am rounding up doing the toe now and the colors are.....shall I say, BRIGHTER. I will spare you the photo of it until I finish it's partner (probably this weekend) and then I will flash the stunning duo *wink* . Ok, Ok, I lied.................... THESE little beauties are sooooooooooooo cute and from what all my friends say, they are sooooooooooo bright LOL. This is the colorway "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and I have the link to the Etsy shop below. It is from Crash into Ewe!! Loves it!!


































So where is the green you ask.....................................................................................................I'll show you. Seeee, how can I resist THAT. The orange is as scrumptious in person, as it is in the photo. I have 2 REALLY cute patterns of knee highs that I have planned for these colorways. For the very first time since I began knitting, I GET what ya'll get rises about with colorways. Oh sure, I know I don't "see" it like you guys do but I obviously see this. I tend to have different hightened senses with yarn such as smell, feel, sometimes, the "grain" of the yarn is unpleasant to me...alot of times with a cotton yarn, the "grain" (not sure how else to explain that) feels rough to me. Therefore, I find it unpleasant. I tend to be VERY picky about the yarns and fibers I use because my sense of touch is stronger. I also am not attracted to a yarn that has a really tight twist to it. I find it not as pliable if that makes sense. It seems stiffer to me, my knits seem to not have "life" sort of when I use a tightly spun yarn. I know, I know.....I am COMPLETELY anal LOL. I wish I weren't believe me, I drive people NUTS, but my friends, Lord love them, they tolerate me and even find me ....*giggle* get this....charming LOL. I swear, that's what one of my friends told me the other day LOL.


Moving on, I know I told ya'll that I would give you my review of the other Vicki Howell yarns by SWTC. You know, the yarns that were made out of hemp, soy,ect. I already did the milk fiber and cotton. Well, I am not going to give you a review. I will try to keep this as brief as I can. I know that I am a very fussy person, I even know that I tend to demand ALOT out of not only products, but people. It is the way that I am, I can't help that either, try as I may. Even though I have those traits about myself, I can say that I am VERY honest, loyal and very kindhearted. I tend to want to help everyone. With that said ( I am only trying to point out that I am not a COMPLETE snot LOL) Well, as most of you know, I WAS a HUGE Vicki Howell fan. I was a fan of her knitting show, her books, and of course, her new yarn. I tivoed her shows, I read her blog, ect., well, it seems that after I made a comment regarding her KNITTY GRITTY book, I am no longer a welcomed commenter on her blog ect. It wasn't even like I put the comment on her blog, I emailed it privately and just said that I was disappointed in the publicity hype regarding the book because it was not discussed that ALL the patterns in it were patterns available on DIYNETWORK for FREE. Yes, my feathers were a bit ruffled. I felt almost tricked. Not like Favorite Socks by Interweave Knits who let it be known from the get go that these patterns appeared in print in the magazines ect. I also bought that book. Almost all of the patterns were ones that were in the magazine way before I got it (thank you Anne). Anyways, I just told them that I would have prefered to know that I could have printed them out for free on the net. I feel I should have been able to make the decision being FULLY informed as to whether or not I wanted to spend money for them or whether I wanted to get them for free. Having them in a book DOES have ALOT of good points. You have all the patterns right there, they are in a hardback with lovely colored photos, ect., but again, I felt I should have been fully informed and not be made to feel tricked into buying a book due to what I felt was false advertising. I also was under the impression that these were patterns of Vicki herself, not so, she had one.Again, misleading. This all may be not so pleasant to have someone tell you BUT in my opinion, necessary for marketing. After this email was sent, I DID have a post of congratulations regarding her engagement, that was denied, AND the post I had made regarding being excited to try her new yarn was REMOVED. I found this HIGHLY offensive and just poor customer relations. The email I sent regarding the book, was never responded to. So, it is very apperhant to me, that customer service is NOT a strong suit of her staff nor do they care about the consumer, so what should I critique her yarn lines when , hey, lets face it, what do they care. Why give them any warrant one way or another when it is obviously not wanted. So with that said, I will no longer comment one way or another regarding any of it:)





Next subject.....I am awaiting some YUMMY fiber from Crown Mountain Farms. I am telling you, if not solely due to customer service alone, if you haven't bought from them...>>PLEASE....do it, I promise you won't be sorry. It is almost sinful LOL. Some more yarn props. Here is a TERRIFIC dyer on Etsy, she will special order for you without a problem, she has FANTASTIC customer service and of course, she has cashmere.....check her out, and trust me, you'll be PLEASANTLY surprised : http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=40138


It is DEFINITELY worth it.


The nest stop should be Crash into Ewe at : http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5072713


Again, TOP NOTCH customer service and her colorways for sock yarn, is just to DYE for *giggle* ok, ok, sorry 'bout that but I never get to many chances for a pun here or a pun there LOL. The colorways for sock yarn.......LOVELY. Please, check out both "yarn crack shops" oops, I mean "Yarn Shops" *giggle*.





Make sure you check tomorrow, I think a contest is in the making!!!





Happy Knitting ya'll

Time Marches on.....and on......and on......

Well, I have been kind of out of commission the last few days....first, King1 had to go out of town for several days and that left me to keep the home fires burning...what that entails is keeping 2 "daddy's monkeys" from missing him to much. The first 2 days weren't so bad, but the 3rd day , well, I had 2 VERY upset monkeys who wanted their daddy home NOW! Thank goodness for dvd's. Now daddy is home and the first day, I came down with a migraine. It was AWFUL. I slept ALL day and got up at 6:30. I missed the entire day :( King1 did GREAT with his monkeys and periodically, I would wake up to roll over and I would have my ears filled with fits of giggles. I wish I wouldn't have felt so crappy, I would have enjoyed watching all the hub-bub while King1 had his fun. Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk I guess. I am at least doing well enough to get "bored" LOL. so what do I do, why I come HERE, I stare at a monitor with eyes that feel like they have sunk into the hollows of my brain LOL. Yup, a true blogger I am LOL.

Ok, I have some knitting to share and some other non-knitting fun. First, let's show the hat project. I had been dying to try out that Craft yarn from Vicki Howell and SWTC. I am telling you, this yarn is AWSOME. It really was a pleasure to knit with and I HIGHLY recommend trying it out. I have some big plans for more of it, a pretty summer tank! I had swatched it and another yarn (Jaeger) trying to see which one would give me gauge and I secretly had hoped that the Craft yarn would, and it did! I had been really just dying to try the cabled beret in the Debbie Bliss Simply Family Knits , it is sooo cute. Well, this yarn was PERFECT! I got started, had a few hang-ups and in the end, it was a great pattern, and great yarn. I am pretty happy with the results if I say so myself!

I added the pom-pom on top, the pattern didn't call for it, but having a 3 year old, we're kind of into the pom-pom scene. I really had alot of fun with this one. I overcame my pattern trauma....by that I mean, some of Debbie Bliss' newer type books, well, her patterns are kind of not clear. It is almost like they are geared towards the more experienced knitters because she doesn't explain alot. There is alot that she just ASSUMES that the knitter KNOWS what she means because it is considered to be standard knitting practice. I think alot of these designers should keep in mind that they draw on not only the experienced knitters but us knew knitters want to make her items too. We NEED her and all other designers to explain the obvious. The more experienced will skip the boring and I mean, seriously, how many of you knitters ACTUALLY follow the patterns to a tee anyways. Your experienced, you KNOW what you want, it seems you just use patterns as a guideline. The novice knitters are not there yet LOL. Anyways, the end result was really pleasant! Miss Priss LOVES it although she wasn't loving getting her picture taken, I just thought it was so cute, I HAD to post it LOL. This is the top view of the beret. I really think it came out good AND it was alot of fun to do. If your looking for a cable project but you don't want it to be tooooo involved, try this!

The next little eye catcher is just a 2x2 sock BUT the YARN is what gives this its appeal. This is from Crash into Ewe and it's hand painted merino. I LOVE this yarn. The colorway is called Girls just wanna have fun! How cool is THAT. It did "pool" a bit at the top but in kind of a nifty sort of way. I changed needles sizes and it stopped. To be really honest with you, as far as pooling goes....do I mind it??? Well....not so much! I kinda think its cool. I dunno how I would feel if it was in a sweater and the pooling ran right across either the center of my stomach (let's face it, no mother wants to have that area accentuated) I mean, hey, I am not totally out of shape, but that area...yeah, well, lets just say, I still can pinch a teeny more than an inch LOL. Needless to say, aren't the socks cute? The color is so me:) PLUS, it feels really nice to work with. I will hold my comment on whether it pills or not cuz well, they ARE socks and ya gotta expect SOME piling. It has fuzzed a teeny more than I expected, but remember, it is up against some rough hands LOL.

Next up, here is progress on the HypotIloveit! This pattern (actually called hypotenuese) is from www.knitspot.com one of Anne's little master pieces (please keep sending Anne your thoughts and prayers.). I screwed it up once and had to start over but I am trodding along now. I am having lots of fun doing it too. If you REALLY gotta see one done, go to http://sockpr0n.blogspot.com/ and check out Aija's. It is so pretty. While your there, look at her stitch markers too, they are REALLY nice. She's a very talented knitter and I enjoy reading her blog alot. She is also really nice too. I had been knitting a caplet and she posted a photo of it when she made it, well, I got stuck and I emailed her and asked her a question about it, she was more than happy to help out. I am continually amazed at the generosity and kindness from all of the knitting/spinning community. The lighting on this is pretty pathetic but Miss Priss JUST fell asleep and if I turned the light back on, she would be awake again *shudder* ewwwww that just scares me THINKING it! Anyways, the yarn for this is Debbie Bliss Alpaca and I am on the second repeat now, it is really fun. I even might make another one for my parents for Grandparents day this year. My mom LOVES anything I make, she is really very sweet about it, my biggest fan....other than my cousin, I told ya'll about her before. I have to give her a call, I think she has been REALLY busy and she probably needs a respite LOL trust me, if you knew her husband (my cousin by blood, she is my cousin by marriage, and we won't let her kick him out LOL we don't want him back LOL)

Well, the end is near ya'll. I will leave you with my final little goody. This is Ruby Red depression glass and the photo does not do it justice. It is so pretty and I LOVE it. I have the perfect spot on my dinning room buffet! This is the newest addition to my collection...oh, I forgot to show the first in this seres...first, here is the vase and candy platter:

Not a chip, scratch or dent, just stunning. The next was actually the (3rd) well, first of Fenton red glass, but it is a REAL stunner, this is what got me hooked:Now I am sure ya'll probably have seen glass far nicer than this, but not me LOL....I am just now starting to appreciate the beauty in many "antiques". I NEVER liked to buy them or look for them, none of that. I wish now, that I would have listened to my mom trying to tell me all the time about things like this. That woman is like an arsenal FULL of information and she knows tons about Fenton and Depression glass. I hope I can someday have her knowledge! Well, that's all folks. I am sure your upset and sad LOL. I will be posting some fiber shots sometime this week and ohh, I almost forgot, I am expecting something in the mail this week, wanna guess what it is?? C'mon, try it, maybe there will be a little surprise in it for whoever guesses. If you have a guess, leave it in the comment box and at the end of the week, I'll post a photo of it and then I'll draw a name from a name generator!! Who knows, you may get something you need or want ;) BUT it WILL be knitting related so you'll like it either way LOL.

Ok, now off to guessing and good luck!

Knitters Rock!

And on the 7th day...I created....

THIS!!! Isn't this just the CUTEST little baby hat. Well, I think so *grin* Funny thing is, it started out a COMPLETELY different hat that was from Itty Bitty Hats by Susan Anderson (HIGHLY recommended).
Well, somehow, it took on a life of it's own right after the 4th row. I can't explain it, I don't know what happened, but it happened. I LOVE it and it was sooooo fun...only thing is, I didn't write it down. I have NO clue what I did. Not that it would matter cuz lets face it, the REAL pattern is probably WAY better LOL but this was fun AND since I have NO clue how to write OR design patterns, THIS was fun. It is only the second thing I have EVER knitted without a pattern and it too was fun. Remember the first was the fingerless mitts awhile back that ya'll were FANTASTIC about and had nothing but nice things to say to me about it.....see what ya'll spurned LOL...
Anyways, this also has some crotchet in it. The straps, meant to simply cross at the chest, are all single crotchets. The trim is also single crotchet. I used King Cole Anti-Tickle 100% Merino. Well, my comment about it is that I liked it, it is very soft, fine and almost delicate feeling. I am not sure I am completely crazy about the fabric it made with the size needles, it is kind of loose, but we'll see. This went for a gift and I hope she likes it, especially since I kind of made it on my own LOL.


Well, before I go on to do what I REALLY wanna do for ya'll , critique some yarns I swatched, I gotta tell ya about this blog that I am sure you already have seen BUT.......I am gonna tell ya anyways. I bought this book a couple of weeks ago, during the whole Zoe Mellor book/pattern thingy. Well, I got Knitted Toys by Zoe Mellor and I have been daydreaming about this adorable snake pattern. I have put it off because I just wasn't sure it was THE snake ya know. The one that was IT!! Well, I went to read my friend Danielle's blog the other day and there it was....THE snake. The ONE, Mr. IT!!! He is THE most adorable snake I have EVER seen AND the best part, she made a PATTERN for all of us! Check out her blog and Mr. Snakey, it is worth it, I promise. Here is the site http://aknittingmom.blogspot.com/


Bring on the yarns............Here are the 2 swatches I told you I wanted to do regarding the Vicki Howell/SWTC yarn, CRAFT- cotton and milk fiber, it is the light pink color. The other is the Jaeger Aqua,100% mercerized cotton in Fuchsia. I swatched them on size 6 needles for a Debbie Bliss Cabled Beret pattern. The Jaeger and I have had a love affair since last summer. I had preconceived thoughts about the "cotton" yarns even before I touched one. I flat out REFUSED to like it or even give it a try. I turned the other cheek EVERY time I walked past it, keeping my fingers from touching it, pushing it aside continually. Then it happened. I seen the Prairie Tunic pattern in Interweave Knits, it captivated me. I HAD to knit it, and I HAD to use what THEY did..............*gasp* COTTON!! That was the start of my illicit affair with cotton and cotton blends, always looking for the next one....you know the feeling, it happens to all of us at one time or another. For me it was Jaeger, you , maybe Lamb's Pride, Classic Elite, or some other innocent brand. Since then, I have drooled, gasped, and sheepishly bought every new cotton and cotton blend that's flirting it's fibers. The Vicki Howell/SWTC-Craft, with its shiny cotton and creative milk fiber blend.........I had never heard of it, I NEEDED it.........and so I bought it, I swatched it, and now, well, I love it too. Can it be that I am a cotton $%^#& too? This is soon to be determined I guess.


The Jaeger was nice and smooth, just like mercerized cotton says it is, but it was better than the average. it didn't split, it had even stitch definition, slid on the needles like it was waxed, but it fell inferior to the CRAFT (cotton/milk fiber blend) I LOVE it. The Jeager was a little stiff, a little hard when it meshed with the rest of the stitches leaving gaps that just didn't look that appealing to me. It didn't fuzz/pill at ALL and believe me, I tend to pill a yarn while swatching. You see, I have a REALLY heavy hand.....comes from dealing with toddlers who have sensory issues......anyways, it held up, TREMENDOUSLY!! The color was vibrant and bold though and THAT was hard to beat. End result, I put it aside to swatch the CRAFT. The Jaeger didn't match gauge and secretly, I was hoping it wouldn't. The CRAFT was......well.... It is soft as butter. The stitches are smooth and even. The fabric melds together and creates a flexible fabric. I am nervous that it isn't sturdy enough though, it seems a little "loose" and I am wondering if I dropped down a needle size, if that would firm up the fabric some while keeping its softness. I also am a little disheartened about the color, it isn't as vibrant as I had hoped for, almost hazy in appearence, BUT.............................
maybe this is just the pink. I did get the lime green too and I will let you know how the color knits up. I did see some teeny fuzz to it after I swatched BUT it is not as "smooth and sleek" as the mercerized so that isn't fair. I will hold judgement on that until after it is washed too. The end result of it, I WANTED to knit the Cabled Beret in it, I WANTED it to match gauge. It did!!!

I will show pictures of the progress of it and keep track of the pilling and fuzz during completion. As for the Jaeger, well, I still have plans for that little sex kitten, trust me!

Now I will leave you with some pictures of how it looks when your little one discovers "CLAY" for the first time. My kids can't play with playdoh, there are chemicals and such in it that can make Mr. Man VERY sick as well as having wheat in it and Miss Priss and Mr. Man BOTH can't play with THAT....soooo, I "improvised". Oh sure, we tried the homeade playdohs and they were AWFUL, rubbery, non-molding, very sad in general. Then I found Modeling Clay and joy had been found. It will keep Miss Priss busy for HOURS! What's the problem you ask...........well...................you tell me *grin*

yes, cute, I know.....................BUT....................................GREEN!!!!!

Knit on my friends!

I gave blogger a migraine!

I had an entire post made with pictures uploaded but that stupid thing deleted. I can't remember most of it and it was...............ready..........long LOL.

I also had explained how I have become addicted to PODCASTS and one of my absolute FAVORITES is http://www.stashandburn.com/ It is sooooooooooooo funny and has ALOT of great information on yarns, shops,books ect. It is because of them that I am back on the wagoon after CLEARLY falling off of it for the KNIT FROM YOUR STASH of 2007.....BUT.......have no fear, I am back on again, this time with my seat belt on! Do ya think I can do it???

Here is the long AND short of it. My yarn loads came in, and I have been jonesing for the Vicki Howell yarn since its release date....now I have it. I love it, and will be swatching it this week. I'll keep ya posted. I am obviously going through a green faze too.............don't ask LOL

The rest of the Jaeger Siena came in...........and of course, in GREEN:That is some dang nice cotton I tell ya!!! Loves it. Last of the yarn porn is the King Cole Anti-Tickle, I swear that is the name of it..............anyways, I am knitting a hat from the Itty Bitty Hat book out of it. It seems nice and soft, is a teeny bit fuzzy for my liking but hey, it's merino. I will be interested in seeing how it washes up and it's durability. When I first seen this, I was intrigued because it was used alot in the Adorable Knits for Tots book by Zoe Mellor, she has used it in several of the patterns. I'll keep ya'll posted on it.

This is the remainder of the stitch markers I made, aren't they cute?! The last one is a bit freakish, its some sort of a face out of blown glass.............

I really like them alot though and they are far better than those boring circles LOL.

Hey, check this out....THIS is my latest thrift store find. It is actually a Lancome make-up case brand new, for $1. I of course could NOT pass it up and had to get it. I turned it into a knitting gadget holder and Viola, there ya have it!! I love it and what a bargain!!Last but not least, THIS is the newest addition to the cranberry depression glass family I have been collecting. I also had purchased a pitcher to go with these 2 cups but the Ebayer kind of screwed me and has not sent my item. I have filed a dispute and am really upset by it. Not only did I love the piece, but I hate being take advantage of ya know. I have no clue what happened to this seller BUT all of a sudden, they started stiffing people and not emailing them back OR sending their stuff but they sure do collect your money! I'll let ya know how it turns out!!

For those of you checking in on latest information for Anne aka www.knitspot.com please see her blog comment section for important mailing information.

Well ya'll, until then, Knit On !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prayers Please

www.knitspot.com
Since I am a HUGH believer in the power of prayer ! Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

MoreHouse Merino?!

Remember the whoreHouse...oops, I mean MOREHOUSE Merino I had and was knitting up a pair of socks for Miss Priss?? Welp, tada!
*Posing to the tune of "Isn't she lovely...Isn't she beaaauuuttiiiffuuulll".....It kind of looks like my cast on edge is a bit snug on her legs in this photo but it isn't, really. It's just that she kind of has chubba bubba legs. She's not one of those toddlers that is really picky in eating and therefore has a menu of 3 items (thus driving their mommies nuts with worry) heck no. My kids EAT, they BOTH eat salads for dinner, quino (a grain and is quite tastey), broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, cabbage, Kohlrabi, turnips, chicken, pasta, rice, spinach, kale, the list goes on and on but I think you get the point. The thing is, Miss Priss does NOT like sweets ( I knooooowwww, she didn't inherit THAT from her daddy) but believe you me, Monkey Boy DOES!! Ok, ya I have NO point to that, but whatever. This weekend was crappy, but I won't bore you, just trust me!
Before I go, lemme show ya these little beauties. There has been such a stitch marker craze going on and EVERYONE seems to be making them, well, I HAD to get it on it. This probably makes King 1 VERY happy cuz it's just another way to use up some of that "crap laying everywhere". I have TONS of both precious beads and just some pretty beads and I can't tell you HOW many jump rings and head pins that are laying around. I had alot of fun making them too. They may not be fancy or they may not be as professional as some out there but I like them and they were fun doing.

Well, instead of complaining and whining LOL, I'll just end today's post by saying that I can't WAIT for the mailman. I am awaiting several days of goodies!!!

Oh, and one more thing.....oh come one, like you didn't know it was coming *giggle*....Ya know how I was pretty disappointed in the new Vicki Howell book Knitty Gritty? It wasn't that I didn't LIKE it, it was just that it wasn't what I THOUGHT it was gonna be. Anyways, over the weekend I REALLY read and looked at it. I do like it. Even though the patterns are all on DIY, it is nice to have them all in one spot. The photos are nice and informative. I still wish I would have known it first and also that there were more of her patterns in it, but I like it:) I am actually starting the backgammon board on it. I'll keep ya posted on how it turns out.

Happy Knitting ya'll!!

The LONGEST post EVER............

OMG I am so camera happy LOL ok, actually I am knitting,yarn, and book happy but this gives me an excuse to do it LOL. BUT, I didn't just take pictures of knitting doodad's.....which do ya wanna see first....come on, tell me....ok, I'll do non-knitting cuz I know Kimmy (otherwise known as Mmik here, Mikaela couldn't say Aunt Kimmy so she called her Meek, kim spelled backwords.) Anyways, I know Meek gets a kick outta this stuff so I'll hook her up LOL..


Ok, almost all of my friends know I am a HUGE thrift shop lover. I ADORE hunting at garage sales and I LOVE thrift shops. I could shop all day long, sifting through what some consider rubbish. I DON'T dumpster dive though, I DO have my standards *giggle*...




Alrighty, onto business. A couple of weeks ago, I was at the thrift shop looking around and I always go and look at the toys, ya never know right?! Well, I stumbled onto THIS:
It LOOKED like just an ordinary Barbie case and I thought to myself...hmmm, Santa DID bring 2 Barbie's this year and we really don't have a spot to store them. I am SURE she'll be getting more AND Barbie clothes and paraphernalia righhhhtttt....so I grabbed it up. While wandering through the store, I happened to open it......I hit the mother load............

It was FILLED with Barbie's AND clothes,shoes,purses, anything and everything. There were new AND old. None were worth money per say, well, there is one that is questionable, I took it and put it up for further examinations. I whipped out my $3 so fast, that clerk musta thought I was weird.....which, well, never mind hahaha. Oh, AND, not to make a LONG story longer, the clerks argued with me about buying it full for only $3 and containing contents....anyways, I took it home and gave it a good scrubbing and we have been playing Barbie's ever since. Loveeeesss it!


Next subject, my sinuses hurt and I am all whiny about it................so THIS is my medication, need I say more? Nice combo 'eh? Oh well, what can I say...Girl Scout cookies cure all. Seriously, it probably is listed in some medical books somewhere *wink* ok, well maybe THAT is a stretch but it still makes ya feel good !!!















*drum rolls starting* Here comes knitting

THIS little beauty is Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk. I LOVE it, what's the problem you ask.....well, I got 17 balls of it and NOTHING to make out of it. I was FREAKING out. It is GORGEOUS yarn but I had no idea what to make out of it. I was really starting to get upset when http://www.knitspot.com/ Anne, suggested I make the HYPOTALOVE!! (REALLY called hypotenuse)Now if you look (trust me, you won't have to look hard LOL) close,if you see the 4th row down, you'll see where I screwed it up, I can't figure out what I am doing to this poor thing but it is NOT the pattern, trust me. Somehow, I jogged off course and at this point, I am SICK of tearing it out so I am gonna start COMPLETELY over. Sometimes, ya just gotta start from the beginning. There, THAT's what I am doing with that, but honestly, isn't is soooo pretty?!
Nexxxxttt: Can you say YARN PORN? Sorry mom, but REALLY, isn't this just some stunning cotton? I know, I know, I SWORE that I hated cotton but that was before I met my friend Jaeger, lemme tell you people, THIS is some dang nice cotton. *Insert ohhh's and ahhhs here* The problem is, I can't decide which kind I like most. Both have entirely differnt qualities and both are for completely different patterns. I will swatching them this weekend and I'll keep ya posted but seriously, go feel some Jaeger :0

This is the last of the yarn/knitting/needles/books catagory, porn......I KNOW mom, but see, it's just the only way to describe this. *running for cover from my mother cuz she hates the word porn* hehehe

I have been jonesing for the Vicki Howell book since it came out, I have looked at every internet shop in site and drooled and yearned to get my paws on it. Well, I must say *this is killing me* even though I am a HUGE Vicki Howell fan, and I mean HUGE, I do not care for this book. Why you ask, well because I paid $15 for a book of patterns that are ALL available on the DIYNETWORK for free. Before I purchased this book, I was not under the impression that all of these patterns were all from the show and for free. I would have prefered to know it because honestly, I wouldn't have bought it. I feel it should have been said from the start of promo that this is what this book was full of and I am really sad. Also, I was under the impression that the patterns were from Vicki Howell herself and that isn't the case, there is one in there...........but......... I dunno, I just was kind of disappointed :(

Now the Favorite Socks book from Interweave Knits, YEHAW!!! I LOVE it. I know that THESE patterns are all from the old issues and stuff and have been printed already, but I don't have most of these. I have 2 I think and that is stretching it;) But my point is, I HIGHLY recommend it, AND, don't socks rock?? *giggle* that's a name of a yarn.

Now, I THINK that I have just made the longest post ever, I think it only fair I end it now without further yabbling, BUT if you knew me in real life, you would feel the pain my friends and family go through having "chats" with me *giggle* King1 is just thankful he taught me how to do this laptop thingy and I can blog hahahahahaha.

Happy Knitting my friends.