Va Spinning and Knitting Retreat

March has been a mad month after Feb vacations and my mother's cancer surgery and helping her find a senior complex. Packing and all the moving arrangements are time consuming and especially stressful doing it with my mother watching over me.

A shocking email reminder came today of this next week. April is already next week!!!! This was registered for way back in the fall by my sister and me. Am I crazy or what driving almost 7 hours for a fiber weekend?

2008 Spinners & Knitters Retreat April 4, 5, and 6 at Shrinemont Resort.
REGISTRATION FORM
Teachers List
2008 Door Prizes
Arrive Friday afternoon/evening to check in and have dinner which will run from 5:30 until 7 pm to accommodate late arrivals.
After dinner we will meet in our assigned space, right now its looking like it will be the Hall House which is # 37 on the map below. We can bring our wheels and other fibery goodies it will be safe and sound when we are out and about.
We will meet after we eat and get to know one another as we do what we love to do best! Knit, spin, hook, and socialize with other like minded fiber people!
Friday Night Brown Bag Bazaar!
Saturday Morning is Breakfast at 8:30 and then off to our meeting Hall. We are fortunate to have Shelia Helsley back as our massage therapist and she can bring another massage therapist along to make sure everyone that wants a massage can have one! Have her do the whole 9 yards or work on those gnarly knitting hands and arms and shoulders! She is a delight and I'm sure you'll be pleased!
We are very pleased to announce that Sheila Mahone from www.wool2dye4.com and http://wool2dye4.blogspot.com will be with us to set up shop Saturday morning! She will be bringing lots of yarn and fibers to dye for those of you who want to jump on in there & have a go at it!
Anyone who would like to teach a class no matter how informal please let me know. Doesn't have to be anything fancy. This is one laid back group! About 12:30 we'll have our lunch break.
After lunch back for more fibering.
Break for Dinner at 5:30
Saturday Night Stash Bash!!
Sunday Breakfast at 8:30 and then more fibering until lunchtime. After lunch, everyone say good bye to their new friends and old alike and plan to meet back here next year!
We are still lining up events and if there are any vendors who would like to participate please let us know! We will also have door prizes and other nifty stuff!
We are already accepting reservations on your rooms and it works great if you and a pal or pals can book together so we can get you into the same room or house
I have questions about this
See you all there!

100 hour baby sweater

Damn this Baby Shadow Sweater is taking me forever. After 4th attempt and four whole nights I think I have the button hole side started. I kept following thedirections but the button holes ended up on the bottom if I wanted the right side to show up. It made matters worse by stopping this UFO several months back after I found out my nephew will be having a boy .My memory of what I did on the first part is out the window.

Next time remember to take notes!!!

So finally- the pattern was ignored and I just read the stitches.. Now- now I am beginning to question if maybe it is the pattern not me ?As I approached the next section where I make 1 stitch four times by the collar the stitch count should go up 4 stitches-right? \Notice that it went up four for the smallest size with 54 stitches but not for the rest.?


Cast on 54(60, 66, 72) sts with color A and knit 4 rows. Begin pattern with Row 1. Next row (buttonholes): K3 [yo, k2tog, k5] twice, yo, k2tog, k to end.
Continue in pattern for just under 1.5", ending with a WS row.
Shape left front neck:
Next (RS) row: Knit to last st, M1, k1.
Next row: Work in pattern.
Repeat the last 2 rows 3 more times: 58(60, 66, 72) sts. Piece should measure 2" from buttonhole row.

lace knit along

My wonderful NJ blog friend told me about this knit-a-long that is starting this summer. It is a mystery shawl knit-a-long for slow bees. This exciting adventure starts this summer and I already ordered turquoise lace yarn from Knit Picks. The directions said to order A Cold color like white or dark blue?

Description

A mystery knitalong for those who can't keep track with the usual size of clues. Starting in summer 2008We will knit a lace shawl, shape was chosen by poll. It would be a Faroese Lace Shawl shaped shawl. You may get some beads for it. ;-))Yarn-requirements, 3 skeins (each 100g) of lace-weight yarn, 950 yards per 100g and about 2950 beads (not required) if you like beads with your shawl.Recommended colour would be something really cold, like white or natural yarn, icy blue or very dark violet or dark blue.

I need to Google Faroese Lace?

Really I was not sure if bright turquoise is considered cold but picked it anyways. I had a gift certificate to use up and this was not a soft or warm looking color. Now to find some beads....

If you are interested in trying this - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/slow-bee-mystery/

Spring Cleaning

My blogging and knitting have been limited this last few weeks. It will probably continue as with the coming of spring and my burst of energy to clean. Yesterday I spent the whole day purging the kitchen. I could spend another 5 days just there in those places that need sorting and cleaning out once a year. This a.m. I am starting on the refrigerator and some windows before going to help my mother. Spring is around the corner and the sun is out. Birds are coming to the feeders.

I love spring.

On the knitting front. I am struggling with Baby Shadow pattern from SWTC. It is a cuff to cuff pattern using Tofutsies sock yarns . I even emailed the designer last night to ask for help . I have torn the section where you start the button hole front side apart twice and finally gave up last night.This morning I woke up with it still boggling my mind.



Baby Shadow Sweater

Happy Easter

Watching basketball break..

Buddy

Stinky - egg guardian

checking for eggs

Today was a beautiful and relaxing day. My stepson and the grandchildren came over for our annual Easter Egg Hunt. My husband gets such a kick out out hiding the eggs and helping the kids locate them. Usually- I prepare a big ham dinner but this year it was just homemade pizza and the kids actually ate and enjoyed more. The pugs were happy too as they spent hours outside playing with the kids. It was chilly and sunny with signs of spring everywhere. I love Spring!