Happy New Year in Winter Wonderland!

warning: mucho photos ahead

Stinky's favorite spot checking out the snow and birds

Buddy at Christmas


!2/31/07 our yard

Utopia hat fits perfectly on my daughter

She wore it all weekend

Peek-A Boo 12/31/07


Magoo 12/31/07

Molly 12/31/07

View from deck 12/31/07

We got snow!

Happy New Year

We woke up to this

2007 coming to an end...Dd got engaged!.

Almost 2008. Another year gone by ....as you get older as it goes by faster and faster.
Another wedding coming up this 2008. MY DD got engaged at Christmas.

Almost all my UFOs are done but can't figure out what to start next. Looked at my very full stash but nothing is saying "knit me next". Going to knitting group tonight so maybe something will get me excited here. My goal is to use the stash before I buy anymore. I know this knitting Cruise in Feb will be selling yarn so I will wait till then.

Happy Holidays to all

Both my kids stayed over last night and will be here for Christmas Eve. It is wonderful to see them. We played Wii last night and my arm is aching form playing tennis and bowling but such fun..'
Pretty soon the ham will go in the oven. The smell of the mince meat pie baking is making it smell like Christmas

long time no blog

Log Cabin Mason Dixon is almost done. I am adding one more strip and have many ends to weave in yet. I plan on giving this to my Dad who is still in a nursing home. He is always cold and always sleeping in bed..

Stinky is still going for the needles and in trouble.

These are my favorite things I have knitted this past few weeks. The hat is made for bits of stash yarn using a the pattern I got from Cloverleaf Farms Hat kit purchased at Maryland Sheep and Wool. Along side it is a Fetching mitt I am making to match .

This is the finished unblocked so so Karabella Sweater..

more pairs Wendy Knits fingerless mitts

This is the original hat kit from Cloverleaf ( the blue one)

I like it so much I am keeping it!

This is the Utopia Hat free from Smariek that my blog pal (Cactusneedles) shared with me along with her Fetchings. It is a lot of work for me as my experience with cables is limited. The cable design is beautiful and it is worth the concentration it takes.My concern is that it might be too small. But- if it is will give it away .

Been very blog less lately and not sure why. Mostly because my camera needs to be recharged to get some photos. This weather can be a reason too as we have been bombarded with snow and ice storms and it is all very depressing to me. My energy level is null...

Knitting continues though.. I knit everyday but wish my progress was quicker. I see on many blogs where these sweater and socks seem to be done in a few days.

sweater is done

More news and pictures to be posted soon.

December already

Buddy taking a nap

Stinky ( aka- Bad Kitty)

Yesterday we had snow so put on my boots and I crossed over the bridge to take a picture of our house from the NY side. The river has more ice today and is now completely white.

Knitting has been making Fingerless Mitts from my Stash. Finally attempted the The Fetching mitts with one done already. I was not completely sure about the directions for the Picot Bind off though . I would like to make a couple pairs more and a few hats to add to Christmas gifts. My sweater is still not put together because my knitting class was cancelled last week.



more mitts

Wow- November flew by. Snow is here and Christmas on its way and I am prepared. The tree is up and the Christmas photo cards are ordered- but have to buy these stamps before I mail them. Most of my shopping done and all wrapped. This is without going to hardly any stores. The Internet had made it so easy especially because the nearest mall is an hour away.

elf yourself

This is so funny! this is the Boy, me and some pugs...

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1123868505



and my daughter and her boyfriend and 2 friends
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1123227975

SUnday 11/25 Bad Kitty- Snow and UFO's

Bad Kitty

Stinky might need a name change. The Boy has been repeatedly calling him BAD KITTY. He has been very naughty lately. I mean I can take his waking me up at 4:30 am with his taping and biting . Even the trimming of all my African Violets has been tolerated but now he has been using his claws on the furniture and rugs.

First Snow ! This is what I woke up to last Monday . The schools up here were even closed for the whole day. It was beautiful !

My ufo's are getting more attention. Mason Dixon Log Cabin Blanket is almost done. I am just weaving in all those pieces and then will have to remove many pugs hairs that have attached themselves to this project Ivstarted over a year ago. Once that is done I will post a picture.( if I can find the charger to my camera...I have yet to locate it )

My Karabella sweater is on hold till Thursday night so my knitting teacher can show me how I should sew it together plus the very last 5 rows of the pattern for the 2nd shoulder did not make sense as I redid it several times . Maybe a mistake in the pattern? Karabella has no sections for corrections on the website so I need to ask her along with how to finish it off. So basically it is done except for several rows around each section to make the collar.

I am starting a pair of Wendy Johnson's fingerless mitts tonight to give as a gift and at the same time using up extra Keltic yarn from my Kalamazoo sweater. Speaking of the Kalamazoo- the d%$# thing does not fit anyone in my family. I thought it would fit my D-IL as she has a very big chest with small arms and shoulders. It landed right under the chest and looked even worse on her than me. My son suggested I tear it all out and reuse the yarn. That sounds painful to me.

survived Thanksgiving

The day is over and everyone is gone. So much shopping, preparation and work and people eating everything within one hour.. I am exhausted and ready to just sit and enjoy Grey's. I am even too tired to knit.Just a sink full of wine glasses and some other stuff to be washed tomorrow. The turkey turned out fantastic. That little red thing popped out and it was just right moist. My kids helped with the mashed potatoes and appetizers plus cleaning up afterwards. It was great having my kids here along with their pugs too. We had a total of 5 pugs here today. Too busy with food to get any good pictures.

My daughter brought this dessert ...oh my it was a hit ....pumpkin trifle.

Making Thanksgiving Dinner

How did I ever do all this when I worked with the kids home?

I am cooking for10 tomorrow and dinner should be served around 2. Cooking and entertaining stresses me out unless I am( rarely) in the entertaining mood. Unfortunately- I am not in it this week. I am hiding at this computer to avoid going in the kitchen again.

Self talk is not helping.".Relax you have time" and "No one will go in those rooms right?" If the pies don't turn out today- I will have time to buy new ones tonight?None will care if their clothes are full of pug hairs if they sit on he couch- right?
Why is this so stressful?

1. First of all - I blame it on partially my mother.

We rarely had company to dinner and when she did she turned into someone not nice.

2. I feel like I can't control it - most everything has to be done in the last few hours .Although I already set the tables yesterday and made the pies today and of course all that shopping.You have to be wonder cook to get it synchronized to be served while it is still hot.

3. This kitchen ADD has made me feel like I am running in circles . I start to get one pan and then realize the salt shaker might be empty and then where is the electric carving knife.?

4. Why can't I just relax and enjoy the turkey and friends?

5. As I am writing this I realize that this is the first year my daughter has not been here to help . She kept me on task and it was not work with her around. I miss her so much even though we talk every day.! She will be coming to dinner so she will be a great help in the kitchen and with serving food.

oh no! another hobby- inkle loom

Inkle loom workshop 11/19/2007

Inkle Weaving by Daryl Lancaster




A wonderful workshop on inkle looms was presented yesterday by my Spinning Guild. I only signed up because my friend Nora did. Weaving looked way too complicated for me with all those threads going every which way.It is a miracle I even learned how to knit using one strand of yarn. But, after this very clear and easy to follow workshop- my interest is peaked. I even bought the inkle loom. It is an Ashford Inklette.

Here is the loom and her handbook with clear instructions and perfect visuals for a slow learning like myself. I choose 3 colors and had 25 strands going on this pattern.
I was so excited about the process even though it is not done perfectly. I need to beat( push down with the shuttle) Are you impressed? This will make the ends less noticeable and it smoother overall..

I came home full of confidence to start another. Maybe too confident because I messed up after I got this far. Thank goodness this didn't happen in the workshop!Still it would make a good bookmark so that is ok.

Now the uses for these include bookmarks, belts, trim on jackets. .any more ideas?

still at it/ sleeping pets/Sopranos end

This afternoon I watched the final disc of the Sopranos. All the excitement, sex and and violent stuff going on did not keep any of the pets awake . But- for me it was the end. I have watched the complete series using Netflix starting this summer. I did not peak ahead to find out about the ending- if you call it that? It just left me hanging and not knowing what was going to happen to Tony. Right before the end Meadow is frantically looking for a parking spot that she has to keep backing in and out of. It made viewers suspect she would walk in late to the dinner while a shooting was taking place. Instead -as the suspicious looking guy you think may be the shooter goes into the bathroom - it just ends..
You don't know if he is shot or if the guy was not a shooter at all. That's it! You do realize by this time Tony is an evil and manipulative sicko . The writers for this show were truly amazing and talented. This ending did leave an opening for further episodes in the futrue.

Molly in the bed

Stinky on the couch
Buddy in front of the fire.

look closer that the sleeves...

I am still knitting the Karabella pattern sweater.. One and a half sleeves to go and then some work on the neck line. This pattern just called out at me when browsing the Interweave magazine.But, the more I study the pattern and the ad- I realize the blond modeling the sweater would look good in anything. The sleeves look like they may be to baggy for me while the model has her arms poised in a way that I did not notice .. Now I am having my doubts (serious one). I am searching for the next sweater pattern already. The pattern needs to be simple and easy to knit with limited sewing needed.