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Happy Birthday to Me! Okay,

Happy Birthday to Me!

Okay, so my birthday was yesterday, but I had the flu so I think I should celebrate today! Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes!! My most exciting (and also knitting related) gift has not arrived yet. It's a swift and ballwinder!!!!! Yipee! Thanks Booga P! I also got something that I have wanted since . . . well, since I moved out of my parent's house I guess. And here it is:

Yep, a stand mixer. I love to bake but mixing up bread with my hand held mixer or by hand is a lot of work. This will be a much used gift! Thanks Mom!

And I just have to say a word about this past year because it has really been a good one! First of all I lost 40 lbs. Yes, that's right -- 40 lbs. I am feeling so young and spry now! Back probelms, asthma, general lack of energy -- gone. I look younger too -- it is really amazing. My family is doing well too -- Pete got a new job that he really likes. It was a huge adjustment because he had worked out of our house for 2 years and I was really used to having him here. But we adjusted and things are great now! And Maddie is growing like a weed and learning something new every day. She is so smart! Work is great too. When I started Stamping Online 1 1/2 years ago, I was just trying to turn a profit from month to month. Now I am consistently in the black and while it isn't paying the bills, it is paying for my yarn!

Which brings us to the fourth and last thing that I want to talk about which is knitting -- I have discovered a new love for knitting over the past year. It has brought me closer with a great friend -- Theresa. (Who I will be having a fiber adventure with this weekend!) Knitting has also introduced me to a bunch of great people online -- I really love the knitting community. Thanks everyone!

I'm up to the

I'm up to the armhole steeks! You can see the little opening at the top edge. Basically you cast off 10 stitches and then cast on 4 on the following round. Those four are the cutting stitches or steek. I'm really enjoying this project and find myself wanting to work on it all the time. I'm seriously looking forward to getting to the pattern at the top though. The polka dot thing is just kind of mindless.

Fair Isle Fun I've

Fair Isle Fun

I've officially started my first fair isle project and I haven't been able to put it down! I always thought that fair isle was some mysterious and extremely difficult skill that I would "someday" attempt -- someday being in the distant future. But Theresa found a class at the Knitting Workshop in Chicago and we signed up. After two weeks of class I am feeling pretty good about what I'm learning and I've also figured out that it really isn't as difficult as I thought it would be. In fact, since it is knitting in the round, there are no "purls" to deal with and is actually very quick. Now I have to admit that the k2p2 ribbing on size 0's was slow going, but I fought my way through and I'm on 2's now.

Oh -- and do you see my little stitch marker? I made that! I used to make jewelry -- well, I still do, but I don't have a blow torch at my disposal any more so I have been doing a lot less of it. Making these markers was great fun though. Do you want some? Just email me and we can work out some kind of trade. I will even let you pick your colors and size (how big of a needle it will work with) -- they will be custom made for you!

What have I been

What have I been doing?

Working mostly. I wish I was knitting, but it's my busy time of the year at my store. I did finish my green hat though! And just in time for our first big snow of the year. The hat is okay, but I think it could have been a little longer/taller. Sometimes it doesn't want to stay put in a strong wind. I might weave a little elastic into the bottom band to give it some extra staying power.

And I started Nettle in Jaeger Chamonix which I purchased from eBay. This is really weird because my friend, and fellow knitter/blogger, Theresa started the same sweater on the same night -- and this was NOT planned!! Isn't that weird?!? Great minds think alike! I'm really enjoying Nettle and it is knitting up quickly compared to the Jo Sharp sweater (which is knit on much smaller needles).

I also have one of my Fuzzy Feet done down to the toe. This is my take along project, so it is moving kind of slowly. I'm also planning a fair isle project for the class I'm taking. Class meets tonight, so I will have a new WIP by morning!

Trade anyone? I am

Trade anyone?

I am learning how to spin on a spindle and I purchased some wool and cotton from The Bellwether a while back. The wool was working for me, but the cotton -- not so much. Thus, I have available for trade The Bellwether's Sampler No. 5 which includes 1/2 oz each of five different naturally colored cottons. I would love to get some more wool roving to practice with. So, if you are interested, e-mail me with an offer!

Look what the UPS

Look what the UPS Man Brought!

I figured it was time to get down to business and really LEARN about knitting, so I splurged at Amazon and got these:



Sweater Design in Plain English by Maggie Righetti


Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti


Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmermann


The Knitter's Companion by Vicki Square

I have quickly looked through them and I think they are exactly what I was looking for. The Righetti books came highly recommended by Theresa and they are packed with tons of info. I'm very eager to sit down and read them cover to cover. The Elizabeth Zimmerman book was recommended by a woman in my local knitting guild. I just got in contact with her and will be attending my first meeting next week. I'm so excited because she has over 50 years of knitting experience and was easy to talk to on the phone.


These aren't "pattern" books and they don't have glossy photos. What they do have is information -- information which I hope will make me a better knitter and help me to start designing (gasp!) my own garments. I am a born learner -- I love school and classes and books. I just wasn't aware that these types of books were out there. I'll let you know what I think of them as I read through each one. Time to go snuggle up on the couch with some tea and a good book!

Finished!! The constant Companion

Finished!!

The constant Companion is dry and ready to go. I'm very happy with it and would highly recommend this project to anyone. The felted fabric is thick and sturdy. As you can see, it stands up all by itself -- even when open:

And it is very roomy. I'm sure a whole sweater project could easily fit in it. Another bonus is the double handle. If you pull each handle out, you end up with two long handles instead of four short ones. Wonderful!

99.9% Complete: Here it

99.9% Complete:
Here it is after felting! It seems very thick and sturdy and I can't wait for it to dry. I put it through the wash on a hot wash cold rinse three times. The first two times it was in with a bunch (3-4 pair) of jeans. After the 2nd wash it looked like some fuzz from the jeans was sticking to the bag, so I left only the most washed out and faded pair in for the thrid wash. I used Tide in the first wash, nothing in the second and Woolite in the third.

When I took the bag out of the washing machine, it was very rounded and lacked a shape. In order to get a nice flat bottom on my felted bags, I always stuff them with boxes that are inside plastic grocery bags. You can see how I did it in the above picture. First I put in the two large boxes and then I SHOVED the little box inbetween. It was a struggle to get it in there, but you have to do this to get a good shape. So, now it's drying -- pictures of the completed bag soon!

Here is a close

Here is a close up of that i-cord bind-off. The bag is currently in the washer with 4 pairs of jeans -- updates soon!

Constant Companion ready for

Constant Companion ready for Felting!

Well, I've made it through the triple i-cord bind off and man does my hand hurt. I think it will give the top edge of the bag a lot of added strength though. Now I just have to knit the 120" of black i-cord for the handles and then I'm ready for felting! I'm really getting jealous of everyone's Suki bags. That might have to go on my list after the Fuzzy Feet. Isn't Knitty great?!?