Enchanted Forest Cardi is FINISHED!!!

Hope you like!



The buttons worked SO well! My only concern is that they might be a teensy bit heavy. I hope to try it on my brother Greg tomorrow to see how it "hangs". Click an any of the images for a close up look.



This is the tree I put on the sleeves.



And this is the panorama on the back.

SO glad this is finished! Now I have to find the perfect box. Seeya later!

Update - Blocking

Well, today I washed the Enchanted Forest Cardi. That's a LOT of sweater! Even after I rolled it in several layers of towel and foot massaged it, it was still heavy. Here are a couple of pictures of it being wet blocked on my dining room table.





Right now it is between layers of clean sheet on my studio floor with a fan blowing across it. The cats think it's something weird and walk all around it. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the buttons on and take some more pictures.

Til then...

Buttons???

The sweater is finished. All seams sewn. All ends tucked in good. What I need now are the perfect buttons. At first I was thinking something woodsy like Oak leaves or Acorns. Well, my brother Greg and I went on an adventure to Petaluma today. We went to a quilting store where we bought each other early Christmas presents. We went for a walk and found a high end knitting store where all I could afford to do was pet the yarn and breathe the heavenly fumes.

And we went to a bead store. The first thing I saw when I walked in were a lot of pretty glass "donuts" in various mouth watering colors. But the green ones really caught my eye as the perfect color (and size) for buttons for the sweater. But it's only got one big hole in the middle. I needed something to put in the middle that was slightly bigger than the hole that I could use to attach the big button to the sweater.



So, here are the beads.



And here are the buttons. Cool eh? Now give me a little time to get the sweater vacuumed (cat hair), washed and blocked and put the buttons on and I'll show you the finished sweater before I wrap it up and hide it. :o)

Later!

EFC Update

Not a very good picture I know. Click on the pic for better detail. But you can see where I am. Joined the shoulders, knit the front bands, remembering to reverse the buttonhole side. (Note to Self: ALWAYS keep the edge stitch in stockinette. Much easier to pick up stitches.) Learned a new (to me) bind off for K1P1 rib. It's done with a tapestry needle and is sort of like Kitchener only easier. Next time I do a sock toe I'm going to put all the stitches on one needle and try it this way. Saw it on http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/bind-off.php. It's called the Knit-One Purl-One Bind-Off and the videos are very clear.It makes a very nice edge and doesn't flair the ribbing at all. I love it!

Next to knit the collar, sew on the sleeves and sew up the sides and find some appropriately woodsy buttons. Then to wash and block and wrap it up safe.I probably could've knocked off a day of knitting if I wasn't so obsessive/compulsive about picking cat hairs off of it. I live with 10 cats for goodness sake! The black ones with white tips are from Cleo. The orange ones are from Merlin. The orange ones with a little white are from Rufus. The super wispy light grey ones are courtesy of Percy and Mittens. The occasional long shiny white ones... well even my hair seems to want to get into the act. I need one of those itty bitty vacuums like they use on computers.

So there you are, updated. Seeya later!

EF Update and Mau?

Hi folks. Been knitting like mad on the EF cardi.



Both fronts.



And the back. I'm knitting the sleeves now. Didn't want them to be plain moss stitch so I've added a tree.

Thank you for all the lovely comments!

Someone emailed me about Mittens being an Egyptian Mau. I answered her that I thought Mittens was a small grey tabbie but never heard an answer. Eventually I looked up the Egyptian Mau and realized she must have been talking about Cleo! Yes she definitely looks like she has a lot of Mau in her genes.



I named her before I knew about that. I named her Cleopatra because she is a very relaxed kitty and her pose made me think of Cleopatra an her barge floating down the Nile. In the picture above she is sitting on top of a pile of kitty toys. In the short time she has lived here she has grown out of that box but she still loves it.



Here she is, thinking about moving her lazy self to go catch a feather toy.



Here she has caught the silly thing when it ventured too close and saved her the effort. She is still growing. Look at those feet! Everyday she gets more beautiful and a little bigger. All the male cats in the house are in complete awe, but she keeps them in their place. She likes to hunker down and waggle her hind end whenever she sees little Mittens. Mittens is so small she must look like a toy to Cleo. But as a grown up lady of some years I'm sure she would love to teach Cleo some respect.

Till next time, keep knitting and love your kitties!

Captured! The grey streak!

Hi folks! I finally got a couple of pictures of Mittens, our elusive little grey streak. The bathroom window is one of her favorite spots.




Got Cleo too.



The other pic of Cleo is just her rump as she is face down in the food bowl, so I will spare you. She is quite the chow hound!

Finished the left front of the Enchanted Forest cardigan.



Thanks to my friend Lois I learned how to short row the armhole and neck shaping so there is no stair-stepping, just a nice, smooth curve. I wish this color wasn't so hard to photograph accurately because it's really neat looking. Here's a detail shot.



If you click on the picture you can see the detail better. That's it for now!

A Different Plan?

Hi Folks. Hard to believe it's August already. A book I'm reading says that maybe time seems to go slow when you're young because it's a large percentage of of your life so far. when we are older a year seems to fly because it's a small percentage of your life. I don't know what it is but the older I get the faster time goes! Anyone remember that old song, "Stop the World! I Want to Get Off!!!" Where's the slow button?

When Blackie died I told Alex I didn't ever want to adopt an adult kitty again, just a kitten, and not for a long time to come. Well, seems God had a different plan for me. Alex's best friend Diets lives in a Senior complex near us and he had been feeding a stray kiitty for a couple of weeks. When a neighbor said she was going to call animal control and have the cat taken to the pound, well Deits called us! Alex had to talk me into it. Quite a switch!

She's a black tabby, like Blackie was. Maybe a year old, very skinny, not shy, very affectionate and beautiful. She has a very long body and big feet to grow into. The first night I stayed up with her all night. Why? Because the male kitties in the household were fascinated with her. She was very comfy in my room, sleeping in the blue basket Blackie used to use. But if she wanted to get up and have a drink of water or a bite to eat or use the box she was confronted with a male admirer or 2. So I stayed up to run interference for her.



That's Merlin adoring her from afar.



She's not crazy about the attention but she was patient.

We needed a good name for her, so, after a couple days of observation, named her Cleo (patra). For her long, sinuous body and her beautiful markings, especially around her eyes. And, she already answers to her name! We hope she is fixed but can't tell just yet. Time will tell! For now she is doing a lot of eating and sleeping and lapping up lots of affection. She doesn't run and hide when the doorbell rings. She is cautiously getting along with everyone, has a sweet voice, purrs easily and has a playful side. She is lovely! Blackie would have loved her.

Those first 2 log cabin blocks I knitted? Didn't like that rust color in there at all. So I frogged them and added a few new colors to the pool and knitted 6 more.



What do you think? I like them. And they are addictive! But I have set them aside to start my Christmas knitting. Here's how they looked before I put them away. The turquoise is waste yarn keeping all the edge stitches live.

I started the Enchanted Forest cardigan from the New Vogue Knitting magazine. My husband is crazy for trees so I thought this would be nice for him. He can wear it to Bonsai meetings and Master Gardener things with my Mom. This is the left front so far. Not much to see yet. If you click on the picture you can see the detail better.



So, that's all for now. Back to knitting!

Sadness, frustration and something new.

This was beautiful, sweet, affectionate, lovely Blackie. He came to live with us in May, on my birthday. He seemed very healthy. Nobody knew he was sick until the very sudden end, last Wednesday. Even at the vet, while we tried to save him, he was never out of my arms. Now he sleeps in the back yard, along with some very elderly but much loved family kitties. It doesn't seem fair that he should leave us so soon and so young. It has left quite a painful hole in my heart. I picture them all young and healthy again, frolicking in a meadow, happy forever.

After two mobius starts on the lace panel for the dress I decided to knit back and forth a few rows before I joined. After nearly 2 repeats of the lace pattern what do my unbelieving eyes see? Another mobius!!! So, for now, I give up. Frogged completely. Will try again later

I want to knit one of Alison's delicious shawls but I'm not sure of my yarns. I have lots of laceweight but the numbering system for yarns lumps an awful lot into #1. So I started something I've wanted to do since last year. The log cabin afghan in The Knitting Experience - Color, page 83. I've finished a couple of blocks. But I want to add a couple more colors.



A warm brown and a pale, buttery yellow. Maybe a lilac? We shall see.

Lace Panel 1

As requested I am posting what I have done so far on lace panel 1, before I rip it out and start over. I don't see any reason why this dress can't be knit in the round! I know how to seam but don't like to do it. So, here I go again. :o) Here is the lace dress in question, from the Summer IK.



And here is what I've knitted so far. (My niece likes yellow.)



You see all those seams? NO WAY! There is a BETTER way! You'll see.

Lookie!!!

I finally got to see my gorgeous niece in the camisole I knitted for her.



Wasn't that worth the wait? :o)

Finished Socks!

I finally finished Alex's socks. He tried them on and wouldn't take them off! So forgive the bit of white leg. He loves how they fit and feel.




And who was it told me Blackie wasn't a lap cat?

What's new?

Hi folks! Well, let's see... what have I been up to? Getting the new kitties to be happy and comfortable in their new home. Blackie is very affectionate and wants to get along with everyone although there has been just a bit of jealousy from Merlin and Percy. But he stands up for himself and things are going well. Rufus has run into Blackie in the dark kitchen in the middle of the night a few times and scared himself into an orange puffball, but he is getting better. Here's a pic of Blackie (on the right) settled in with Alex and Trilby and Sammy.



Mittens is also very affectionate but very shy. She has a comfy place on top of a storage box under the bed and comes out whenever I go to the bathroom, or go to the side of the bed and call her. Sometimes she will also hop up on the bed if there isn't any other kitty there. If there IS another kitty on the bed she will become a gray streak! She delights in playing with the little fur mousies we have an abundance of. I've found them in the bathroom and on the rug next to the bed so I know she plays when I'm not there. And we always keep food and water in the bathroom so she's not loosing any weight. But I haven't caught her on camera yet. Soon I hope!

I have permission from the publisher to show what I will have in her next Friendly Socks book, Volume 3 I think. The patterns will represent the States in the order they joined the Union. The first State is Delaware and that's me! Delaware's State plant is Holly.




Just a peek now! :o)

Just got 3 knitting books I've wanted for a long time. I especially waited for Wrapped In Comfort by Alison Jeppson Hyde (I knew her when :o) for what seems like a year but VERY much worth the wait! The other 2 are wonderful books too. Nicky Epstein's 3rd book, Knitting Beyond the Edge, cuffs, collars, necklines, corners, edges and closures has given me SO many ideas! Especially the closures, some I've wanted to learn for a long time. And Knit 2 Together by Tracy Ullman & Mel Clark. I must say that seeing some of the things from the book in the Knit Picks catalogues really made me want the book. I am going to make the Doctor's Bag and some slippers and a few other things... someday. I have a long list!



On the same day a birthday package came from my cyber-twin (and publisher). Two beautiful skeins of Lorna's Laces in my favorite baby pink that they call "Whisper" and a pattern for some lovely socks.



And a week or so ago I got the cotton yarn for my niece's lace dress, the one on the cover of IK. Mary loves yellow and this is such a nice shade for her. It's Knit Picks Shine Sport.



So, I'm almost finished with Alex's second sock. I will never do socks one at a time again! Even if the cable is too short!

Time to go to bed! Nighty night all!

Short update

This last week has been a long one. Roseann and 2 of her girls arrived with the 2 kitties on the evening of my birthday. I fed them KFC and we chatted about the kitties, who were in no hurry to come out of their little caves. By the time they left Mittens had a safe spot behind the washer and Blackie preferred the space under the old recliner. Her's a pic of Roseann & the girls.



Blackie now comes to visit me in my room and the bedroom. Tonight he even came to see me in the living room, with Alex and a few of the other kitties present! Blackie is making good progress. Mittens... well she tries to remain invisible still. She loves the attention she gets when we dig her out but as soon as the preliminary euphoria passes she spooks & runs. My safe places are never good enough for her. All the kitties are still pretty spooky so we just keep trying.

To keep my sanity I knitted the first of a pair of IOU (from Christmas) socks for Alex. I prefer 2 at a time but don't have a cable long enough in this needle size. Will start the second one right away! These are in Wildfoote hand painted in the Bluegrass colorway. The pattern is Ann Budd's Diagonal Rib socks.

Mother's Day & Birthday

Happy Mom's Day to all the wonderful Moms, Grandmoms etc. who read my little blog! Hope you all had a wonderful day!

Tomorrow is my birthday so today has been rolled together with tomorrow. I don't mind so much but I can see why Christmas babies feel sort of cheated. Anyway... at 7:30am, the middle of the night for this old night owl, the doorbell rang and there was our old family friend, Sam, with 3 grocery bags full of goodies for me. A gallon jar of pickles, a half pound Hershey bar with almonds, some movies and more, and a darling little bunny.



Alex surprised me with my favorite sugar free chocolate turtles, a beautiful German chocolate cake and a gorgeous cake dome to keep it in. I've always wanted one and last March we gave the same one to his sister for her birthday. He must have seen the wistful look on my face, bless his heart.



Here's my handsome hubby, Alex.



And here is little Penelope (Penny) watching all the goings on from her safe place on top of the refrigerator.



So it has been a good day. Tomorrow our pride of little lions will be joined by 2 grown kitties that need a new home. The family who are forced by a heartless landlord to give them up will be staying for dinner so it should be a nice evening. This lady is a friend from another group (Treadleon) and she has been to my house before. So I am honored to be chosen as the new family for her 2 very loved kitties. I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow. But they can be seen here.

http://mittonia.net/blackiemittens/index.html

Good night friends!

Camisole almost finished

I've been knitting this camisole for my very shapely 18 yr young niece. I used KnitPicks Shine Sport in the color Coral (her favorite). It's "almost" finished because I'm not sure the straps are right. I'm hoping she will come soon to try it on and we can get it fitted properly. Anyway, here's a preliminary picture of it.



I haven't finished off the ends on the straps so it will be easy to undo and adjust. I don't think I'm going to add beads, unless she really wants me to. I would need to go find some pearl drops.

That's all for now. Must... cast... on....

It is finished!!!

Ready for the big finish? I am SO glad to have this all finished and in the mail. I got to open my own package today. It is incredible! Here are lots of pictures.



It's way too big to hold up, even if I had someone here at the time. That's our king sized bed it is spread out on. Six of us added borders to Judy's center of purple bowties. Mine is the last border of roses.







Gonna be a gorgeous quilt! I could hardly bear to pack it up and mail it. Well no, that's not true. I was glad to have it done, so I could see mine!



Isn't it gorgeous! I was just speechless when I first spread it out to look at it. There are wild geese flying in the sky, wonderful bears all over the place, really neat pinecones, happy fish swimming up a waterfall, goofy seagull hieroglyphics that seem to spell out my name, even a beautiful mariner's compass as a north star. Everything is just exquisitely done!



Mariner's compass/North star.



Happy fish swimming up stream.



Wild Geese in the night sky.



Very cool pinecones.



Fishing bear.



Silly seagulls.

So what do you think? It's been quite a day for me. Judy is now counting the hours until her package gets there. I can't wait to hear how she likes it! I'm tired and need to knit! G'night friends!