Knitter in Progress

Detective qualities Most people I know enjoy some sort of mystery stories. My mother-in-law loved police and courtroom procedurals. My mother likes detective fiction. There are also murder mysteries, general mysteries, and hard-boiled detective stories, with protagonists such as Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, Amelia Peabody, Kinsey Millhone, Mamur Zapt, and Perry Mason to name a few. Do you enjoy reading mysteries? My first thought was a resounding NO--there are a few types of fiction that I do not enjoy at all and mysteries rank at number one/historical fiction coming in a close second--but upon further reflection I guess there are some stories I read that have a pseudo mystery element to them(but there aren't many). What's your favorite kind of mystery ? None Do you like plenty of blood and guts, or do you prefer the details to be left to the reader's imagination? I like some blood and guts in most genres I read, but I also prefer to have some things left to the imagination....

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Or in my case the journey begins with not one but three screaming fits down the isle of numerous flights. I love my son--please don't doubt that for a second--I love him with every fiber of my being. That being said, flying with the boy is much like spending time with the demon spawn of Satan. For all three flights on Tuesday, he took one look at the entry to the plane, threw himself to the ground, and screamed bloody murder while I dragged him, his carseat, his diaper bag, and my backpack down the isle of three crowded planes. Luckily(for me and all onboard)he zipped it once he was securely hooked into his seat. I understand fear of flying and apprehension(on maybe one flight), but the same display on three planes was almost a bit more than my nerves could handle. But we made it and here we are in scenic Buffalo. As much as I would love to show you pictures of the above mentioned displays, I can't--I d...

Well, the time has come for me to take a brief break. I will be incommunicado until at least next Wednesday(June 29th)--my beloved computer will be hitting the highway to Colorado and I, along with my 2 kiddos, will be hitting the friendly skies and winging our way to the scenic destination of Buffalo, NY. I may log on a couple of times this weekend to reply to messages but I won't be posting. Have a great weekend and I look forward to catching everyone up on my travels next week! Aloha:)

The SBQ question of the day: Are there any types of designs that you won't stitch? Yes, I really don't like the "cutesy" type of designs(Alma Lynne comes to mind most prominently)--I don't think there is anything wrong with them they just seem like more of a beginner thing to do. Also, I tend to like more detail in the pieces I stitch. I also don't like most band samplers(although I have done a couple Shepherd's Bush pieces that I really like) and "rustic" looking pieces. Geez, apparently I'm pretty picky--I didn't think so until I started to answer this:) "Booking Through Thursday" Question: Probably most books stand on their own. But a lot of them are part of a series. J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy comes immediately to mind, as well as Stephen R. Donaldson's Gap series, Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody series, and lots more. Do you read books that are part of a series? Do you collect all the books in th...

There is much rejoicing in our household today(okay, I'm the only one rejoicing actually), the baby blanket-a-thon is done! Finished last night, weaved in ends this morning, washed, dried, photographed, and here it is in all its cabled glory. Stick a fork in it; it's done Here's a close-up of some of the cables. close up It was a fun blanket to knit and I'm glad it was cold for most of the time I was working on it--the heat the past couple of days made me question whether I would finish or not. It's the Aran Baby Blanket from Knit Baby Blankets by Gwen Steege(I think that's the correct name--I don't have the book in front of me). It's done in Encore worsted in Denim, which to me still does not even look blue--it looks like more of an Atlantic ocean green to me. I hope I'm not going color blind :) It has the distinction of being the LAST finished object here in Utah. Tomorrow the movers come for two days of packing fun and excitement(at least th...

So here's the recipient of a "candy" hat, "colori" socks, and the very nearly finished "Baby blanket-a-ton" final blanket. He's the big reason why I'm going to NY next week(he'll be 6 weeks old then)--I'm loving him already; so much so that I informed my sister I may be trading one(or more) of my own children for said infant:) Baby Blanket-a-thon Recipient Hopefully finished blanket pictures will be forth coming--although with the heat today not much knitting will be happening until night fall! Happy knitting, aloha:)

You Know You're From Buffalo When... When speaking "the" precedes the number or name of any highway (The Scajaquada, The 33, The 290) Snow tires come standard on your car. You can identify an "Alden" accent. You have gotton frost bitten and sunburned in the same weekend "Down south" means Gowanda You bake with "soda" and drink "pop". Stop/Slow/Yield Signs..are suggestions. You can hold an entire conversation on the best place to go for wings, a fishfry or pizza. You see nothing wrong with watching fireworks downtown on July 2nd. You not only know what the terms "snowbelt" and "lake effect" mean - you use them on a daily basis. You save the Genny Cream Ale for special occasions. You live within 1 mile of a bowling alley. Not only do you know what it is... but you look forward to "Dingus Day" You never put your winter jacket away for the summer. You like to order beef on "weck" and are always s...

I'm doing a little happy dance today because I just got into the "Knitting Bloggers" webring! It's pretty cool and it's made my day(I guess that's pretty sad that I'm so excited about it, but I like to celebrate the little victories!) Here's a picture of my going away goodies from my awesome knitting buds. There is the autographed swift in the background, 2 sets of circs in sizes I don't already have, 2 very cool little stitch markers, Rowan #34(I see a Birch in my future), and some yarn for a project I have in mind if it swatches up nicely:) Not pictured is a Barnes and Noble gift certificate from Melissa--for a little "retail therapy"--I love it, not just because it's a gift certificate but it's got dragons on it--which is very cool. going away goodies Happy knitting and happy weekend! Aloha:) (PS--the big move countdown is on--the movers will be here Thursday and Friday of next week--I'm actually keeping the computer out...

Here's the catch up and current questions for the Booking Through Thursday meme(see sidebar for link). Some people are like my uncle, and they read four or five books a week, every week. Some are like my father, and read four or five books in a year. How many books do you read in a week? Month? Year? What's the best book or series of books you've read so far this year? What's the worst book you read this year? Did you finish it? Normally, I read about a book a month, but this year I've only read 2 books so far with about five on deck to read. The best book I've read this year was "Eragon"--as an English teacher I am stunned and amazed that a teenager wrote that book--most students I have had can barely write a page. I haven't had a worst book yet this year--I'll let you know when I hit it:) Some people, like my mother, only read paperback books. Others prefer hard cover books. Some read hard cover books because they come out first, but prefer...

Here's how baby blanket #3 is progressing thus far. I have 24" of 36" completed and I have 13 days to do it(with movers factored into the equation)--can I do it? I think I can--we shall see. I really like the blanket but it's not the kind of thing you want to work on when it's hot out--plus I'm dying to dive headlong into my lace stash!! Blanket-a-thon progress Happy Knitting and Stitching(for those that read on), Aloha:) On the cross stitching front--these are the designs that made me REALLY, REALLY want to stitch again--the Lavender and Lace Celtic designs. I had three of the five in my stash and I got the last two in the mail yesterday!!!! Now to find time for all the stuff I want to do:) Celtic Candy SBQ(Part 2) What are your thoughts on craft and/or needlework shows? Have you been to one or are you planning on going to one this year? I like the idea of shows whether it's for cross stitch or other crafts--it lets you see what's out there and m...

For the past few weeks I have been taking a tour through memory lane and sharing with everyone the things I'll miss most about living here in Utah. Well, today we have reached the final chapter and I can honestly say that I have left the best for last :) About a year and a half ago I entered my LYS on a Thursday night to participate in a knitting group. That evening(and the many other Thursdays that followed)allowed me to grow as a knitter and make some fabulous friends in the process. That group is the best gift that Utah has given me! The Greatest Gift of All Here they are: Row 1(left to right)Sally, Andrea , Erika, Karyn, Brooke, Laurie; Row 2:Amy, Kristi, Krista, and Amber. Missing are: another Amy, Melissa, and Randy(and anyone else I have forgotten). They came over on Sunday to give me a going away party--they came over to eat, knit, and chat--and it was wonderful! As I told them, I will be hard pressed to ever find a group of people that has meant more to me than the...

As far as knitting goes--I'm 2 inches away from being halfway done with the 3rd and final baby blanket in the "baby blanket-a-ton". I'll post a progress pic once I cross the halfway mark. I want to have it done before my trip--if Wendy can finish a Starmore AND work 40 hours--why am I having such a hard time finishing this Aran blanket? Also, I've read about this phenomenon before but I can finally see it happening to me. I am in the process of figuring out what to pack for my upcoming trip to visit family(none of whom are knitters)--what I'm really having a problem with is deciding what knitting stuff to pack! I've read about people who spend more time packing their knitting than their clothes--well I have become one of those people. This is being compounded by the fact that the movers will be packing up everything that is left behind and since I'm flying to NY and will have to check most of my knitting(you know, the needle thing--plus I'll ...

I found a link to this through Annette's blog and since I am a very avid reader(even have a Master's in it) I thought I'd jump in, so Friday's will probably be dedicated to posting for the Booking Through Thursday meme. Here goes with the first two weeks(I'll do two at a time until I catch up): I once knew a man who read about WWII. He read everything he could get his hands on on the subject. He had a whole wall of books that were all about WWII. It amazed me. How could he continue to find one subject that engrossing? My mother, on the other hand, loves to read best sellers. I've known other people who read science fiction to the exclusion of everything else; for others it was philosophy, self-help, or history. So, to the questions... What kind of books do you like to read? I enjoy reading fantasy, science fiction, horror type books, and also young adult literature(I'm a secondary reading specialist, so I need to find stuff I think kids will enjoy). On oc...

If you plan on knitting at all, why not do it in public? Apparently the powers that be have declared Saturday, June 11 Worldwide Knit in Public Day . So grab your latest project and get out there :) I would post the button for this but I cannot figure out how to get any button with the GIF tag to post on the site without directly linking to it(which of course is a NO NO), but it does indeed have a cool flashy button to go along with it. Happy KIPing, Aloha

On my harried trip to and from Denver this weekend I managed to squeeze in time to check out a yarn shop(Showers of Flowers)--I got some baby alpaca lace weight yarn; it's a kind of brown/black color. Also pictured is the cotton/silk(it's a light, light blue) I got from the Knit Craft Studio trip with Mim and Kim 1. And finally, there is some Knit Picks lace yarn in Iris. I also included some of my recent lace pattern acquisitions as well--now I just have to decide what to do after my Beginner's Triangle is finished. Wendy has declared this the summer of lace and judging by my purchases over the last 3 months, I'd have to agree. Barely visible(even if you click on the picture) is the progress on baby blanket #3--bet you thought I forgot about it--nope, it's just boring to photograph when it's the same as before only longer :) Knitting Retail Therapy Lest anyone think that I am forsaking my other hobby, I'm including a picture of some recent cross stitch...

Just a little Clerks reference as prep for the rant to follow :) Diamonds Bookmark Here's a "mini finished object". It's the Diamond bookmark for the Knit the Classics Knit/Readalong. I wimped out and chose a small project that I could complete quickly. And you'll notice I used the leftover sock yarn from my daughter's socks :) I justified choosing a bookmark because it's a knitting and reading thing--so now I'll have this funky bookmark for the rest of this book and the others. Plus I will not be adding another large project to my "knit with a deadline" list and I'll have to more time to read! ***If you don't want to read my venting rant about my truck then move on ;) and have a great weekend!*** Just as an aside rant(because I feel the need to vent somewhere), I'm sitting here waiting for a call from the car dealer so I can get my Explorer back. Yesterday I was driving home from the store and the "check engine" ...

Girly Stripes I finished my daughter's socks today--normally I am pretty good at knitting socks, BUT I had to unravel the toe decreases on both of these socks TWICE because I kept getting the length wrong. I won't even go into how I had to unravel the first sock because my gauge was 10 stitches per inch instead of 7.5. So truly, I count these as 2 pairs of socks since I basically knit them twice. I don't know if the picture shows it but the "girly stripes" Lorna's Laces yarn is really bright and cute--they are young diva's favorite colors--almost all of her summer wardrobe are those shades of pink and purple. As you can see by my "knitalong" section, I have succumbed and joined the "Knit the Classics" knit/readalong. I have put my other reading on hold in order to delve into Middlemarch. I'm really excited about it--even after I saw how LONG it was :) Have a happy Friday! Aloha