This is my favorite dog . . . .

and she faithfully helps me knit all things . . . .

and she faithfully helps me post to the blog . . .

and she faithfully helps me pick up children . . . .

My sock yarn . . . .

I bought this numma numma toasty for needlenook yarn for the sock design contest . . . and have an idea as to how I'm going to knit it . . . but I need to play with it to see how far to take it . . . .pretty yarn tho

Austermann Step Yarns

Here is our Step yarn. We were hoping that you would want to pick the same pattern as us, so all three of us would knit our socks together from the same pattern.

We were looking at a pattern from New Pathways by Cat Brodhi.

What do you think???

The Purse

Although these pictures look very similar, they tell a story.

Cast on for the purse, and after many inches had to frog it because it was supposed to be knit in the round and it was being knit forth and back. Then there is a picture of it being knit in the round with stitches added. The pattern is written for a cable purse but this one is going to be felted so needs to be bigger.

That one got ripped out because there were too many stitches.

Then it got ripped out the third time because the cast on row got twisted but this wasn't realized until many inches later.

Flowers in the greenhouse

Lady Margaret is blooming for me . . . looks like most of my plants have survived in the homemade, subterranean greenhouse
these blooms opened about an hour after I posted

Yarn Bowl

I saw these beautiful hand thrown ceramic yarn bowls . . . . for keeping your balls of yarn in so they don't roll away. I wanted one because I tend to wind my yarn into round balls rather than center pull skeins. But they were pretty pricey - not necessarily more than they were worth, but more than I felt I could justify. So, last night, in an effort to avoid the socks that might need to be ripped out, I made this yarn bowl with norwegian patterns on it . . . . .

This That and Other Stuff

If you sew buttons on sweaters with embroidery floss you can match the color exactly.

The Walker Treasury Project is A pooling of efforts to illustrate, in color, all of the Walker treasuries. This is a new project and could be a great visual reference for the Barbara Walker Treasuries. The project leaders are looking for knitters who would like to help.

So if you knit a gauge swatch or a block from a Treasury. . . .

She said "Be careful not to pop the balloon . . . .

as you take it out of the basket . . . . .


well, I took it out and it didn't pop . . . . .


so I tossed it into the sink from across the room, and it didn't pop . . . . . .


so I threw it as hard as I could into the bottom of the sink, and it still didn't pop . . . . .


so, I told the girls they could throw them out the window of my bedroom . . . . .


they did and the balloons still didn't pop . . . .


so they said "You must tell the aunt and grandmother about this." We decided to take pictures as we tried again . . . . .


so we threw the balloons out the window yet again and . . . .


One finally popped!


but the other one did not . . . . .


So a girl threw it as hard as she could down onto the driveway from atop the bench, and it popped too.

Those were some darn sturdy ballons!

New invention . . . .

Had this brilliant idea . . . .

. . . . . and decided to knit it up . . . . .

First I knit the gray one to see if it would work . . . . it did. Then I knit the Jamaica one to go with the shirt I knit for the girl . . . . . looks good on paper, looks good in execution but does it look good on a head?

Wrist warmers

To help with arthitis - or at least keep your hands/arms warm while you drive . . . . . these are made with the same yarn (Mountain Colors) that Miss M bought me for my birthday to make socks out of - slightly darker color. They are really nice, but I made the finger part go down just a squosh too far for knitting - next time they need to be just a bit shorter.

EKH Shoebox doll

Shoebox Doll is finally done

The shoebox doll has a mattress, a pillow, a sheet and a blanket.

She has not one but two dresses, a pair of underpants and a pair of shoes. She also has two more shoes which do not match each other or the pair she has on.

She has a shoebox to live in.

Now all she needs is a little girl to belong to or a charity to give her to. So she has gone to live in the knitting stash cupboard.

She does not have a name and if anyone wants to name
her, they can.

Why I am not getting Knitting Done

It is snowing and snowing out. They guys are outside in the barn trying to get Thom's car to work. Something about it starts and then doesn't and it runs and then doesn't. But I went to go look at the car and listen to the saga and even went to the parts store to look for parts. This took time away from knitting.

The big blank wall is what is taking the most time away from knitting. It didn't used to be a big blank wall. I made it into a big blank wall and that took using my arms and hands and now they are in so much pain the won't knit. I am going to turn it from a big blank white wall into a big blank orange wall. That is today's project. Then tomorrow I am going to add purple. Do you want pictures??

WIP Mom

This is the sweater I was Making for Danica for this last Christmas as I was givuig sweaters to Wendy's family as their only gifts & none are done, 7 mat never be. Not on my urgent list.

Guardians of the Frontier

You asked about my fierce guard dog - here is a picture of two of the guardians in action. The are waiting for Bobbie the UPS lady to bring yarn or needles or whatever because she has dog treats, pets, hugs and lets Dolphin climb in her truck.

I have a third guardian but he runs and hides under the blankets some where or behind a desk or somewhere else safe when danger this way cometh. Since he is afraid of people, of people breathing, of people thinking, of there being no people, his absence doesn't tell you much. On the other hand if you can see him, you know there is no danger anywhere within a million mile range.

Speaking of danger - mother slept through the earthquake. My guardians did not feel that it was necessary to warn us of the earthquake before, after or during. Therefore, we must have been in no danger. Mother has learned that Idaho ranks number 5 in the number of serious earthquakes in the nation. We rank after Hawai'i Alaska and California and along side Nevada and Washington (our bordering states).

Wip - Dena

Among all the things on my needles are what I am working on more than others.

There is a pair of socks. I am using a pattern out of Nancy Bush's Vintage Socks. The pattern calls for Shepherd Sock yarn in a purple-y variegated and that is exactly what I am using. They aren't very far along cause they keep getting themselves ripped out. First it was because I just didn't like the way it was happening - that after only two inches.
This is the project that lives in my knitting bag/purse and only gets worked on when I am out and about. Well, I restarted it and then, after only an inch, I realized that I had two different size needles. Now I had one sock on one needle and one on the other and couldn't figure out why.
So when I took mommy to the dentist, I ripped the socks out again, looked up the pattern, found out I needed a size 1 needle. Which needle, if any, was a size 1. Mom and I guessed and I cast on and started over.
Now that it is out for pictures, I could check to see what size needle I am using but then I might have to frog it again. Wouldn't it be better to get another inch or so along before checking???

The stay at home project is a big beautiful poncho/sweater thing mom bought for me. Cause I didn't have anything to knit. I have the first of 10 skeins almost gone so I have 10% done. It is soft and warm and snuggly.

Stash Enhancement . . . .

In a big, big way . . . . . that's 32 balls of yarn, 6 needles and a magazine . . . . . .

A Story of Many Parts - The Final Chapter

A Story of Many Parts

This Being the Part of the Seventh Part
or Part Seven
or the Final Chapter
or The End

Down in the south
where the knitting should be done
Lived an Old knitter’s daughter,
her very favorite one
Here’s a gift said her sister
and thank you said the one
And she thanked and she thanked
while the knitting should be done

(Dena was very specific when she said not to break the balloons while removing them . . . . they are still on the washing machine, can I break them now?)

Knit another rat . . . . .

This is the last rat - I promise. I posted the pattern on Ravelry today and pm'd the people who asked for it. I don't really need to see another rat as long as I live . . . . .

http://trhfox.googlepages.com/rat

P.S. I'm now listed as a designer on Ravelry - kinda cool, hunh?

A Story of Many Parts - continued

A Story of Many Parts

This Being the Part of the Sixth Part or Part Six

All the way cross country, in the deep south sticks
Lived an old knitter’s daughter and her little knitters six
Wash said the knitter, we wash said the six
And they washed and they shrank in the deep south sticks

A Story of Many Parts - continued

A Story of Many Parts

This Being the Part of the Fifth Part
or
Part Five

Over in the meadow in a snug beehive,

Lived an old mother knitter and her

Little knitters five.

"Mail," said the mother,

"We mail," said the five, and they

Mailed the package from the snug beehive.

Blocking

a shawl . . . . .

And letting it's own weight do part of the work . . . . . .