Update Sunday

One of my goals for 2007 was to post more frequently. Well that went out the window when I started 2007 with a particularly nasty bug. It' one of those that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy! It started on 12/28/06 and I'm finally feeling human this weekend. I haven't had any real enthusiasm for knitting the last couple of weeks. I've frequently read blogs and knitters commented on how they use sick time to knit. I don't know how you do it and I give you props!!! When I'm sick, I'm down for the count! Now that I am feeling better, here are some updates on projects and other knitting trouble I get myself into!


This round of secret pal is almost over. I have one more package to send to my spoilee. Her birthday is this month and I'm trying to coincide her package with special day. As you probably guessed, it will be birthday themed. It's been a lot of fun shopping for her. In fact, her blog was one of the first I read before starting my own blog! When this round of Secret Pal ends on the 31st so will my future participation, at least for a while...thoughts on past and present SP exchanges later.


1. I am getting my charts ready (enlarging, arranging etc.) to start working on the Maltese shawl (VLT) and the dragon shawl.

2. Self striping socks - One is finished and I'm working to complete the second sock. These socks are a hold-over from 12/06

3. I'm working on the back of beadwork doing the bottom border. I'll have progress pictures when I get a little more done.

Well that's it for current projects, but I'd feel as if I were slacking without a couple of other knitting activities to add...

Magic Loop - I belong to a yahoo group called "The love of socks" Instead of the usual knit-a-long pattern, a magic loop tutorial/workshop is being done to help people learn ML a little bit at a time. So, of course I joined that!!!

Last, but not least I signed up for Project Spectrum (need new button). Well, that's it for updates. Hope everyone is up to their ears in knitting and having fun! Have a great week and get knitting!

Where's the snow...Just kidding!

Patty, my hostess for this round of Secret Pal 9 has one last contest for us. We have to tell why we like and/or don't like snow. So, here it goes:
Reasons I like Snow:
1. I loved waking up to snow as a kid and knowing it meant a day home from school.
2. It's beautiful to see it on blanket the outside
3. The whiteness of the snow and the fact no two snowflakes are alike.
4. Snows texture and sound: It can be fluffy, crunchy, cold, light enough to blow it around.
5. The way it sits on my eyelashes
6. Snow Angels and snowmen
7. Snowball fights and making snow forts
8. Seeing bird and animal footprints in the snow
9. Skating on a pond while the snow swirls around me

Reasons I hate Snow

1. As an adult waking up to snow and thinking "Damn, I gotta go to work in this crap!" and no snow days!!!
2. Its beautiful until it gets dirty and yellow (yuck)!
3. It's terrible to drive in...Icy roads, crazy drivers,and whiteouts
4. Brushing that crunchy or heavy wet snow off the car and try to get into the block of ice, so I can start the car!
5. Still like the way it sits on my eyelashes!
6. Snow is now a health hazard. At my age, If make a snow angel, people will think "She's fallen ,call 911...Hope she didn't break a hip"
7. Adults who make snow angels and snowmen must be accompanied by a child.
8. Still nuts about nature!!
9. No time for skating and swirling snow. Gotta shovel the damn stuff..Oh my aching back!

So far, Most of New England has been devoid of snow. I feel for all you skiers out there, but...

whacked out royalty

I think this flu has finally put me over the edge! I put my name into a box and voila I'm royalty!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Most Serene Highness Lady Wendy the Perplexed of Longer Interval Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Knitting 2007

Happy New Year everyone! I'm already planning this years knits. I've entered 2007 with 3 works in progress...Not bad. A pair of self-striping socks. I have Chris from www.stumblingoverchaos.com for sending me to some nice tutorials on short rows with wraps. Otherwise, I'd have ripped the sock apart and moved on to the next sock project. I like short rows and seeing the shaping it produces, but I hate the wraps! I've done socks in short rows without wraps and love it. However, I felt I needed to persevere and learn to do this for future projects. The tutorials were great and the first sock looks great and the heel fits well. I'll have a picture when I finish the pair. I'm still working on Beadwork and I have a shrug to finish. I joined the STR club last year and received the last pattern as well as a certificate. I have to say the last sock pattern and yarn are my favorite of all the patterns. The color is called "mustang sally and it's beautiful. My camera doesn't do it justice!
It's a beautiful blend of shades of red. The sock is beaded and patterned after a Victorian boot. Difficult to imagine, but I will post pictures because I'll definitely be making these socks. We also got bonus yarn because a batch did not turn out as expected. I have to say if this yarn was in error, keep making mistakes! It's called rare gems and no two hanks are exactly alike. I did sign up for the 2007 club back in October, but I'll make the final decision when I get the invoice because I already have a lot of socks to make!

I want to share some of the projects I've got lined up for 2007. I am definitely doing the Knit from your stash (see previous posts). Let's see if I can last until September (LOL).

I've joined the Victorian Lace Today KAL and had to decide on a project from the book and get my Yarn. This KAL starts this week. Here is a picture of the yarn and the pattern I've chosen.
Maltese Shawl I'll be using Jaggerspun Zephyr lace weight yarn in Jade

The next project I've been thinking about since the summer is the Heere Be Dragone. I joined the Kal, but couldn't decide on the yarn or the color. Well, I finally decided on both and here is a picture:
Amazing, huh? This pattern was created by Sharon Winsauer of www.Alpacawithatwist.com.

Well that's it for planned projects, thus far. I got some yarn for Christmas. My family knows me well. It's 100 percent DK weight cashmere in deep sable. It's 200 yards a hank and I have 4 hanks. That's 800 yards of soft, beautiful yarn. Now, I just have to decide what make with it!!! Any ideas?
. I don't have a lot of brown yarn and I like the deep shades of brown.

I've spent the last 2 1/2 days on my couch with the flu. It hit me like a ton of bricks on Friday morning and I've been prone since. I actually did work on my sock last night and am feeling much better today. It's raining here and is supposed to rain all day. I'm going to spend it on the couch knitting and watching my most favorite actor in the world! Knitting and watching movies go together...So,Its a good day for a knitting marathon and my own Ewan Mcgregor film festival. I leave you with a bit of Scot goodness:
Anyone else a fan of his work. Got a favorite movie? Let me know!

Happy Knitting in 2007!

'TWAS A COUPLE OF NIGHTS BEFORE...

KNITTERS CHRISTMAS EVE

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
was unfinished knitting not under the tree.
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep;he was no help at all,
And the sweater for him was 6 inches too small,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I put down my needles to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew in like a flash,
tripped over my yarn and fell down with a crash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
reminded me of how much I still had to go.
Out on my lawn I heard such a noise,
I thought it would wake both Dad and the boys.
Although I was tired, my brain a bit thick,
I knew at a moment it must be St Nick.
But what I heard then left me perplex-ed,
for not a name I heard was what I expected,
Move Ashford, Move Lopi, Move Addi and Clover!
Move, Reynolds! Move Starmore! Move Froelich--move over
Paton,don't circle 'round;stand in the line.
Come now, you sheep will work out just fine!
I know this is hard; it's just your first year.
"I'd hate to go back to eight tiny reindeer."
I peered over the sill; What I saw was amazing,
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing.
and then, in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's feet coming across the porch floor.
I rose from my knees and got back on my feet,
And as I turned 'round St Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe,
And his clothes were hand knit from above to below.
A bright Fairisle sweater he wore on his back, and his toys were all stuffed in an Aran knit sack.
His cap was a wonder of bobbles and lace.
a beautiful frame for his rosy red face.
the scarf 'round his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
The back of his mittens bore an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I espied a small label,
"S.C." Was duplicate stitched on the cuff,
And I asked, "Hey, Nick, dId you knit all this stuff?"

THIS WAS POSTED ON A KNITTING LIST LAST YEAR WITHOUT A CITATION. I LIKED IT AND WANTED TO SHARE IT WITH ALL YOU OBSESSED, WONDERFUL KNITTERS OUT THERE! ENJOY AND A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO KNITTERS AROUND THE WORLD.