Yarn in Knots

2008-02-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

I have been working towards my Masters in Library Science so that I can return to education as a school librarian. One of the professors in the program is Dr. Lesesne; her speciality is Young Adult Lit., and she maintains a blog with wonderful reviews of current Young Adult fiction (wow, is it different than it was 25 years ago!). I haven't had the pleasure of taking a class from her (the university is in Huntsville, Texas, and she's taught classes at distance ed locations almost everywhere but here, it seems!), but I love to read her blog. I found this there, and thought it was really wonderful. Words, even as few as six at a time, can be powerful.

Back to School

2007-09-05T17:27:00.001-07:00

Another first day of school-- and I can't believe I'm the mommy of a fourth grader! The youngest is in first grade-- how did THAT happen?! (She picked out that outfit herself, and directed me in fixing her hair. I'm so glad ONE of us has some sense of style!)

I'm in school, too-- taking Children's Literature this semester through Sam Houston. This one is almost entirely online, and it's an amazing amount of reading! Not only do we have more than a dozen books on the class list, we have to pick a book for each of about twenty awards! It's a good thing I like children's literature!

This has been a terrific class, not only because I'm enjoying the reading, but also because I'm discovering great books for my girls!

In class, the professor had us choose a children's picture book to analyze the art. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak, is the "perfect" picture book: as the boy goes deeper into his imaginings, the pictures take up more and more of the "white space" on the pages. As he sails towards home, the pictures (and his imagination) get smaller.

The book I chose was Zen Shorts, by Jon J. Muth. A panda, named Stillwater, appears in the backyard of two children. He shares three stories, each of which offers the children a new perspective on the world and on each other. Muth uses soft, gentle watercolors to tell the main body of the story; the three "zen" stories Stillwater shares are illustrated in playful ink drawings.

Meg's favorite stories in my collection for class are the Mr. Putter and Tabby stories, by Cythia Rylant. Both Mr. Putter and Tabby are old, but they share adventures and learn something new in each story! These stories are illustrated by Arthur Howard in pencil, watercolors, and pastels; the illustrations are cartoonlike and playful-- I enjoy these almost as much as Meg does!

Socks, Jersey, and Bedtime

2007-09-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

These are the socks that I finished this morning!
My husband has been working in St. Helier, on Jersey, for the last 4 months-- the OLD Jersey, the Channel Island off the coast of France. Part of the "deal" for him going was that his family got to visit him there, which meant I made my first international trip this summer! It was a wonderful place to start; Jersey is under the umbrella of the United Kingdom, so it's very British. As we (mostly) speak the same language, it was an easy first international trip! I travelled there alone in June, then took our girls for 10 days at the end of July.

Joey is staying at a simply lovely bed-and-breakfast in St. Helier; one of the girls who works the desk is Sigi. She's Austrian, but speaks English fluently, and from what I could tell, French, too! She was one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet-- she always had a few minutes to visit, and couldn't have been kinder to the girls. I know she had days off, but she would be there when we left to explore the island in the morning, and still be at the desk after dinner. I made these for her in hopes that she'll remember to take time to put her feet up!

This is at Greve de Lecq, on the northern coast of Jersey. The beaches are very rocky in places; the tide goes out up to 40 feet, so at low tide, lots and lots of beach is exposed-- and the beaches can look different at every visit! The girls especially enjoyed exploring the tide pools when the tide was going out-- we found lots of red anemones, limpits, and even a small fuscia jellyfish!

And this would be me and a Jersey Cow (in the Jersey Museum, although we did see lots of "real" ones!). And yes, they do make the best milk in the whole of the wide world. Exceptional ice cream, wonderful "Lemon Curd" yogurt. . . waaaayyy too good, probably.

I have more projects than I care to admit to, but I find it impossible to resist the temptation to add more to my pile. (I'm currently working on the Bauhaus Fair Isle sweater from Interweave Knits for my husband, French Girl's Chantal cardigan for my sister-in-law-to-be, and I have socks to create for Birgit, another young lady at the B&B in Jersey!) This stunning yarn was purchased from Catherine of MamaLlama! I knew her "back when"-- from our knitting group that started three years ago. She's an excellent knitter who has followed her talents into creating beautiful hand-dyed yarn!

I found this on her Etsy site and just knew it needed to be made into Jane's Hedgerow Socks from Knitter's Review!

And now, as I go to put my darling daughters to bed, I leave you with "The Bedtime Song".

2007-07-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

Another "cheater" blog entry, but I found this at Lissa's blog and thought it was wonderful! I have yet to read David Copperfield, but will be certain it's on my list (Mother and I watched the entire BBC production of Bleak House in Crested Butte this summer, and it's my goal to have it read before the girls go back to school!)

You're David Copperfield!

by Charles Dickens

Coming up from a childhood that felt abusive, you have risen through
hard work to gain a place of stature in your life. You've spent altogether too much time
in factories and end up misspelling a fair number of words. But in general you are seen
as a beacon of hope for others who might not be as fortunate. Lots of people keep
mistaking you for a magician and are waiting for you to disappear.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

I've started an actual knitting entry, and will post that once I'm back to my own computer. We flew home from Crested Butte yesterday, and I have yet to get my own computer plugged in!

Work it Baby!

2007-07-15T20:29:00.001-07:00

Two finished items to share! And I had my bestest models to show them off!

The first is A-Clapotis-of-My-Very-Own. Since everyone who's picked up needles in the last three years has done one, it seemed appropriate for me to finally create one of my own! (Sadly, this is the first knitted item I've worked for myself-- everything heretofore has been a gift, and often gifted before I could be bothered to take pictures. This is truly a celebratory entry!

Clapotis
Started June 17th and completed July 6-- while in the Channel Islands and then in Colorado!
Yarn: Handmaiden Silk Maiden in "Yarntopia" colorway

Dragonfly Shawl, pattern by Yarntopia's own Karen Edmondson (I am a true fan!)

Started June 27 and finished July
Yarns: Manos del Uruguay as the base, Dragonfly (Crystal Palace), a couple of Tilli Thomas ribbon yarns, Little Flowers, and a black chenille (Project was underwritten by my mother, who thankfully supports my habits, making the TT yarns possible!)

My brother John is tying the knot on October 13 to a women who is absolutely terrific (she seems to mostly like us, too, which works!); her wedding colors are red and black, so this is for Kelly.

2007-04-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

2007-02-23T17:16:00.000-08:00

Oh my. Blogger has changed things while I've been away. Hopefully I can catch up!

Found this and laughed so hard I just had to share. One of my (future) professors at Sam keeps a really good blog (YA literature), and she had hers posted. Go find your aliases-- this was quite funny!

Jennifer Kristine Haveman's Aliases

Your movie star name: Almonds John

Your fashion designer name is Jennifer Amsterdam

Your socialite name is Ninny

Your fly girl / guy name is J Hav

Your detective name is Elephant Stratford

Your barfly name is Gruyere Tequila

Your soap opera name is Kristine Bella Vista

Your rock star name is Licorice Speedboat

Your Star Wars name is Jenidg Havmik

Your punk rock band name is The Frazzled

The Amazing Meganame Generator

I'm still knitting (a little faster now!) I'm currently working on a faux-Fair Isle baby sweater for my niece, who shall be joining us in late May or early June. I've got Fiber Artist felted slippers on the needles (made a pair for my lovely MIL for Christmas, who commissioned a pair for her sweet neighbor), "Chantal" (another French Girl pattern!) just started, and a scarf from Scarf Style started for my Aunt Linda (it's made from "Touch Me" yarn-- the absolute softest, best behaved chenille!, with a cable up the middle. Kind of a "take a break" project as it's fairly repetitive. Only had the yarn waiting for a year now-- at least it's guaranteed to be cold in Chicago next year!)

I've also started the Master of Library Science program at Sam Houston State University. They have a satellite program here, so I'm able to attend classes less than 10 minutes from home, and do most of my classwork online! Now that my baby is in Kindergarten, I have a little freedom to return to teaching-- but in a different form, this time. I DO beg Sheryl and Amy for more knitting classes to teach, since it's a wonderful study break. (YOU buy the world a Coke and teach them how to sing, and I'll teach 'em all to knit. Share the love however you can!) I'm taking two classes-- an "Organization of Collections" class, which is eating my lunch (you know, those Dewey numbers don't come already-printed. Who would've thought?! And the magic of the online library catalog search? Somebody has to input that "magic" and do it RIGHT for it to work. Yep.) and a lovely "Collection Development" course, which is kind of fun. Policy development now, but censorship is on the horizon! (Check out the Newberry Award winner for this year. I haven't read it yet-- it's on my bedside table, though. You'd think the ALA might want to avoid controversy like this, with all the wonderful children's lit that's available. It has a pretty good premise, though, with lots of potential-- I'll let you know!)

O.k., Kristine Bella Vista is going to go eat dinner with her husband, maybe watch a movie. I'll be back later with pictures! (of the knitting. JUST the knitting.)

A Finished Object!

2006-09-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple "Bulky Neck Down Cardigan" #252
Yarn: Arucania Nature Cotton (Color CM 12)

This is my lovely mother modeling the sweater I knitted for her. The sweater knit up fairly fast, and you can't go too far wrong with Pure and Simple patterns! My gauge had fewer stitches to the inch than the pattern called for, making the sweater a bit larger. . . but Mom said she wanted it to be a bit roomy. I also added a little more length to the sleeves.

I picked up the yarn (Plymouth Encore Chunky) in pink (and 40% off at Yarntopia!) and the Knitting Pure and Simple Children's Cardigan to knit up for Meg. She's such a pink girl, and she loves anything I make for her, so it's wonderful fun to knit things for her! Katie loves anything I knit for her (and I do mean anything! She adopted my first scarf, dropped stitches and all, and has cuddled more lopsided stuffed animals-- knit and otherwise!-- than I care to acknowledge!) Unfortunately, she's currently a children's size 12, and most knitting patterns for kids only go up to 10 or 12 (if I started a size-12 project now, she would outgrow it before she wore it much!) I'll have to see if I can adapt a pattern for her soon!

Speaking of my girl-babies, here's the first day of school!

Katie is in third grade now, and Meg started kindergarten. I always thought I'd rush right back to teaching middle school when the girls were both in school, but I'm really dragging my feet. I like being available to volunteer at the school and to have plenty of time in the evenings to devote to homework help and games and after-school activities. AND I'm teaching knitting now, which I knew that I'd love, but I found that I enjoy it even more than I'd expected! (As a real bonus, none of my students passed notes, started fights, neglected homework, or called me "miss." I liked that a lot!) Seriously, I had an exceptional group in my class-- and I thoroughly enjoyed introducing them to something I'm passionate about! The pay isn't as regular, but I'll probably live a lot longer and happier!

Mini-Post

2006-08-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd revive my blog with a mini-post. Much less painful than a catch-up post including all of my wonderful knitted creations. (Well, knitted creations haven't actually been that numerous. Life has been good-- and busy-- and I'll post pics tomorrow!)

I had grand plans to lose weight this summer, but only ended up adding around 10 to my already wide girth. I'm back at TaeKwonDo (green belt now, so I get to spar. Won't be posting pictures of that anytime soon, I promise), which helps, and I've been exercising on my own some, and I have a friend starting Weight Watchers with me this week, so there's hope. I live in a place where the "neuveau-riche" soccer moms run rampant, the kind who wear tight jeans and low-cut tops, push their kids to WIN!, spend equal (long) hours at the gym and at the salon, and have a Bluetooth permanently implanted in their ear (although they don't work outside the home).

(You know, I think the best place that I've met truly kind, authentic, warm people is in my knitting group. Even as we've grown, the ladies still-- to a one-- fit that general profile-- kind, authentic, and warm. How wonderful is that!)

I found this post via a link that Catherine shared (it's a link from Love, Honor, and Dismay, another wonderful blog) and thought I might pass it on. So many of us are so hard on ourselves because of our weight-- I'm one of the first to feel uncomfortable and unworthy and duck my head because of it-- that we forget where our real value lies. I know that it's said so much that this sounds cliche, but if you're interested, here's a link to a wonderful blog that puts it beautifully in perspective: Blog Antagonist

Yellow Belt!

2006-03-28T18:46:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, my husband and eldest daughter tested for their purple belts, and I was initiated into belt testing! (This is some of what I've been doing instead of knitting; some of my very best knitting time used to be while Katie was in class, then I would take her home while Joey was in class. Lately, I've been stretching with Joey while Katie is in class!) For our yellow belt, we had to perform the white belt "form," called Chun-Ji. Then we pair up and perform one-steps, which are in preparation for sparring. (We won't spar until we're green belts.)
My partner is Deb, who is so much fun! Her husband, Tony, started at the same time Joey did, so they're almost at the same level. Robert's wife, Natalie, is also a blue belt, so it's kind of fun when we get lined up behind our spouses for warm up!

I should've warned you about the picture. I didn't realize what a marshmallow I appear to be in my ghee. I'll have to be in better shape to spar, so check back in about 4 months! I can say that I'm having a blast; Tae Kwon Do, while being a great form of defense, is also art. It's a workout, but also a cerebral endeavor (lots to remember and think about!), and I'm really, truly enjoying it. If you'd like to see more pictures, it's the Katy Tae Kwon Do Academy. Joey is the web guy, and he got some really great pictures! (Some of the board breaking ones are mine, though-- he had to hold boards, since he's a big guy, and I grabbed his camera. You can work all kinds of magic with a great camera!)

I have been knitting a bit. Here's my jaywalker in progress:

Seems like there are quite a few of us out there enjoying this pattern. I love how simple the pattern is, but how really neat the sock turns out! My sincere thanks to Grumperina at MagKnits for the wonderful creation!

I've also been busy painting. Now, I don't have much skill-- I have grand ideas, but not much skill. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to stop me from doing much. My youngest daughter's preschool has a silent auction as a fundraiser, in which they offer art created by the whole class. This year's project is frames, and I was asked to create two. Fortunately, the school names each class after critters, and ladybugs

and ants

are very easy thumbprint art! The blue is hard to see (I apologize for the poor photography); I used a transparent green glitter on the leaves, which really looks neat! I need something to make the ants frame "pop." I was thinking about using sort of goldish-brown glitter to give it sand or crumbs, but I'm not sure. If you have any suggestions, please share them! The best part of this project was visiting the classrooms and helping each child with his/her fingerprints. I put in an application to substitute at the school next year-- even though I'm certified to teach secondary, I sure enjoy working with the little ones. Simple things, like food color mixing in water and chipping plastic dinosaurs out of blocks of ice (they used golf tees as chisels and wore goggles-- it was too cute!) are still magical. It's a good place.

I'm off to read a little Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with small people before bed, and then maybe, maybe I'll get to finish a sock!

A Yarn Adventurer, am I!

2006-02-24T20:23:00.000-08:00

I just came across this quiz via Sheryl's blog, and am pleased with the results! Oh, I yearn to be a Knitting Goddess, but this does give me hope that one day I will make it there!

You appear to be a Knitting Adventurer.
You are through those knitting growing pains and
feeling more adventurous. You can follow a
standard pattern if it's not too complicated
and know where to go to get help. Maybe
you've started to experiment with different
fibers and you might be eyeing a book with a
cool technique you've never tried. Perhaps
you prefer to stick to other people's
patterns but you are trying to challenge
yourself more. Regardless of your preference,
you are continually trying to grow as a
knitter, and as well you should since your
non-knitting friends are probably dropping
some serious hints, these days.
http://marniemaclean.com

What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

It's been a very satisfying, if busy, week! I've started TaeKwonDo with the rest of my family, and am wonderfully surprised at how much I love it! Oh, I do feel pretty ridiculous most classes: after about 30 years of knowing my right from my left, suddenly I can't remember which is which. I own my own ghee now, look pretty silly in it, and can't tie my own belt. The forms are totally foreign to me, and I don't have a truly agressive bone in my body. BUT the instructors are wonderful, genuine people, and I've already made friends that I am so truly grateful to know! And my family is proud of me, which means a lot. (As one instructor said, "The family that kicks together sticks together." Gotta love that.)

I finished Katie's Irish Hiking Scarf (photo to come) and started the Better Than Booties socks for my cousin Marcy's baby, due in July (surely I can finish before then!)I've taken my mother's sweater-to-be out and contemplated working on it... a small step in the right direction!

Most bestest of all, I got to help knit up some swatches for Yarntopia! Amy and Sheryl's shop is just over 0.7 miles from my front door, and I'm so excited! They have yarns I've never even heard of, despite far too much time (and money) spent cruising the 'net. (AND the nicest two women in the whole wide world own the shop. I don't know Sheryl that well yet, but I DO know that she's intelligent, kind and creative-- and Amy has that almost-never-seen mix of business sense and caring in addition to a passion for fiber and a desire to share it. Between the yarn and the personalities, I don't see how Yarntopia could be anything other than an incredible success!)

Another Needle Exchange!

2006-02-14T14:48:00.000-08:00

Catherine has organized another Needle Exchange, and I am delighted to be included! Here are my answers for my NE Pal; I hope they're helpful for you to "know" me a little better. Please feel free to use what is helpful, but I will be delighted with whatever you send!

1. What do you like to knit or crochet? (socks, sweaters, etc.)
I am almost exclusively into knitting, although I've done a little crochet (edging and the like). I've had some fun with socks lately, and I've got some mitten/glove patterns I'd like to try. My FRANK sweater (Frank, not Vince, as I referred to it in an earlier blog entry!) will one day be lovely, but it's slowed the enthusiasm for sweater knitting!

2. What fibers do you like?
I prefer natural fibers, but I'm not adverse to any yarn! I've enjoyed petting the alpaca lately, and have a skein of angora waiting to be formed into something lovely. I've enjoyed trying out different sock yarns lately, too.

3. What type of needles do you use most often?
DPNS lately (for socks), and I really like my circulars.

4. Do you like to knit in the round?
Yep.

5. Do you use a magic loop method or any other we should know about? Are you interested in learning a new method?
I've tried the magic loop method, but I seem to have the attention span of a flea when it comes to learning new methods lately. I'd love to learn to crochet more (I can do a ruffle and a ring, and I am so proud of myself for figuring that out!). I enjoy an occasional challenge when knitting!

7. Do you have a favorite place that you shop online? (knitpicks.com, knitpixie.com, jimmybeanswool.com....)?
I love Jimmy Beans, think Missa and and Jessica over at kpixie are brilliant and fun, and have placed orders with Yarn Market, Elann, Herrschners, and Morehouse Farm, and been pleased with all! (oh, yes, I love yarn and yarn paraphernalia!)

8. Do you want to be surprised? then erase all your answers above and write surprise me!!!
I ALWAYS love surprises-- getting the box in the mail is always fun!

4 x 4 Meme

2006-01-27T18:48:00.000-08:00

Brynne tagged the knitting group for this one, and I'm feeling up for the challenge! Here goes!

4 jobs you've had in your life:
1. Teacher, 8th grade Language Arts
2. Cashier, Cornelius Nursery (Very, very hot in the summer, but Eddie Russell was my boss, and he has to be the best boss ever! A wonderful person, through and through.)
3. Sales person, Marshall Field's Housewares (I was newly-wed, and spent most of my paycheck!)
4. Co-Director, Saturday Morning Experience (a program for GT kids thru Trinity University; probably the most fun I've had at a job-- I worked with two of the nicest teachers-to-be, with a whole bunch of great mentors and dozens of exceptional-- albeit challenging!-- kids!)

4 movies you could watch over and over:
1. Green Card-- I don't know for the life of me why I like this movie so much. I think it's the simple plot and the straightforward characaters-- and the unlikely match between Gerard DePardieu and Andie McDowell.
2. Pride and Prejudice-- the A&E version. Joey and I watched this every weekend we had to work on grades for two years, still watch it occasionally, and may never tire of it. We quote it to one another from time to time. Mansfield Park is a very close second to this one!
3. Love Actually-- my sister and I both like this one, and usually comandeer the t.v. for a night in Crested Butte to watch it. Good slumber-party kind of fun.
4. Rear Window-- good, classic Hitchcock. Joey introduced me to this one. I like just about any Jimmy Stewart b&w, and you almost can't go wrong with Hitchcock!

4 places you've lived:
1. Stillwater, OK (born here! My blood runs orange-- Go 'Pokes!)
2. Edmond, OK (mostly raised here)
3. San Antonio, TX (great place for college)
4. Houston, TX

4 tv shows you love to watch:
1. 24-- my husband and I have watched all previous seasons on DVD because we find the week-to-week waiting too painful. But we're trying to make an exception for this season, because the first four hours were so good!
2. Law and Order SVU-- I really like the main characters on this. I think I'm attracted to "crime solving" shows because I like to feel like there's order and justice in the world-- or at least folks trying to preserve what they can.
3. Maya and Miguel-- PBS afternoon kids show, which I watch with Katie when she gets off the bus. I really liked Liberty's Kids better, being a fan of American History, but it was replaced.
4. O'Reilly Factor-- I don't watch this all that regularly, but I still get kick out of it-- I alternately cheer Bill on and yell at him. And he doesn't yell back, so I get to be right.

4 places you've been on vacation:
1. Panama City Beach, Florida (glorious vacations with my grandparents when they were still alive. They never minded being awakened early by me, and Grandaddy never tired of playing on the beach with his grandkids. It was a good life.)
2. Crested Butte, Colorado (every summer since I was 5 yrs. old, many winter vacations)
3. Glacier Nat'l Park, Montana-- and Prince-of-Wales in Alberta, Canada (a wonderful honeymoon with a wonderful man-- and salt-licking goats. A trip to remember!)
4. Crested Butte, Colorado (who needs Disney World when you can have these views?!)

4 websites you visit daily:
1. bloglines.com
2. google.com
3. amazon.com (I like to play with my cart. Put things in, take things out, move them to "save for later." It's a sickness, I think.)
4. allrecipes.com or familyfun.com-- both are good resources

4 of your favorite foods:
1. Chocolate-covered peanuts
2. "Everything" Bagels
3. IZZE sodas, any flavor (pomegranate is current fave)
4. Coffee, and anything that goes with it

4 places you'd rather be right now:
1. Crested Butte, Colorado
2. Yarntopia (of course!)
3. Prince-of-Wales Hotel, bar lobby overlooking the glacial lake (I'd take my knitting group. Oh, would we have fun!)
4. My bed, with my girls cuddled up, reading stories. (Would be there, but they're fighting right now. Ah, the sibling rivalry.)

4 people to tag:
Well, the knitting group is already s'posed to be doing this one! (If you haven't yet, consider yourself re-tagged! This was a fun one!)

Kitty Socks

2006-01-25T10:23:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lousy picture; I had to snap it Monday morning as Meg was walking out the door to go to preschool. She's wearing the "Easy Children's Socks" from Knitting Pure and Simple, in No No Kitty's "Hair." And her Regia boots, to show them off! (She seems to really not care that I'm making her something, but when I finally give it to her she's so excited-- it makes all the work (and even the lack of enthusiasm) worth it!) Maybe she's taken a lesson from my mom. Mom's Queensland "Vincent" sweater is still on the needles, waiting. Mom has no doubt learned by now NOT to be excited about something I'm making for her b/c it may take me YEARS to finish.

The pattern was very, very easy-- I've got the basics of sock-making down now, so maybe it's time to branch out and try a more difficult pair! (I thought about signing up for Sockapaloooza this time; I'm not really a beginner but not quite talented enough to run with the big dogs, so maybe NEXT time I'll have the courage to do it. Does anyone have a suggestion for an intermediate pattern to try? Please let me know!)

I'm going to give old "Vincent" some attention today. Maybe I'll even have a progress picture to post-- Mom will be so happy!

Blog Revisited

2006-01-16T18:02:00.000-08:00

You know, it gives me such a thrill to check in with Bloglines and get caught up on everybody's knitting and crafting and such. I hope you all haven't given up on me entirely! This would be the "catch up" blog; I've got lots of pictures and projects and stuff to share!

This would be the beautiful ornament knitted by Brynne that I was fortunate enough to snag at our ornament exchange. The pattern is from Handknit Holidays, with Brynne's own intarsia worked into the pattern. I am so proud to hang it on my tree; it will remind me every year of what wonderful knitting friends I have, and how special (and talented!) Brynne is!

This is an amulet bagI made for my brother's girlfriend, Kelly. It's out of the same yarn (Blue Heron chenille) that I used to make Wendy's hat (Wendy and Kelly were college roommates and are best friends).

And this would be John and Kelly, in the Wooden Nickel. Joey and I went to the Nickel with them after dinner one evening (left the kids with my parents at the house!) It's a cozy place to have drinks and visit, and I really enjoyed getting to know Kelly better! (She's a lawyer, but doesn't seem like one! She wants to be a science fiction editor when she "grows up"-- which Joey loves, as they can talk SciFi talk!-- so I guess she's not a hard core lawyer-type!) Shebought the scarf she's wearing! I'll have to introduce her to the joys (pain?) of being the friend of someone who knits!

On the needles:

Now I'm working on the Irish Hiking Scarf for Katie. It's in a beautiful pink-and-purple hand-dyed yarn from Chile, which she picked out at the yarn store. She has in her possession my first real knitted object ever: a too-long, too-wide scarf out of maroon Lion Brand chenille, in garter stitch, with several dropped stitches threatening to take apart the whole darn thing (and looking pretty trashy as they do!). She says she loves it, will never give it up-- and wears it to school whenever the temperature drops below 70. (I have a great, supportive kiddo, don't I?) I am trying to entice her away from the original scarf with a lovely pink-and-purple cabled scarf (she picked the yarn and the pattern).

I've also got socks for Meg from No No Kitty yarn in "Hair." Unfortunately, the talented lady who dyes the No No Kitty yarn is giving it up because the business grew too fast. (I wish she'd called me. I would've worked for her for yarn. Maybe I would've even settled for getting those beautiful colors on my hands, who knows!) She has a pair of see-thru boots to show off her handknitted socks, so I'm under a lot of pressure to get these finished! (She wore the new boots with ONE new sock and one white sock. How to embarass your slow-knitting mother!)

Totally Smitten!

2005-12-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

Katie models the mittens I've just finished as a Christmas gift for my sister. They are from Mission Falls' "Smitten" book, the "Advika" pattern. These are knit flat, as opposed to in the round, and were really fairly easy. I had to learn how to crochet-- there are small round mirrors underneath the crocheted rings, and the ruffle at the cuff is a crocheted chain. Pretty easy, I suspect, but my learning curve isn't particularly steep. The Mission Falls superwash wool was fairly easy to knit with; although it had a tendency to split, I suspect that was a problem only b/c of my own lack of expertise. Unfortunately, Mission Falls is no longer manufacturing yarn according to the LYS where I purchased it, so I will have to find a substitution to make any of the other patterns!

Winter Wonderland!

2005-12-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

I'm finally back! I'm working on my dad's computer, and I've had a bear of a time trying to access my photos after downloading them onto his computer! I've been more determined than this beastie of a machine, and here's a picture of my girls and me outside my parents' Crested Butte house. The snow has been marvelous this year; it snowed all day on our first day here, and the girls have had a blast making snow angels, throwing snow balls, and now that Uncle Mo is here to pack down the sledding hill, racing on sleds! We'll head into town tomorrow to try the giant sledding hill there, maybe ice skate on the outdoor pond. I'm not much of a skiier, although DH is planning on taking DD#1 on the slopes for a half day. Dad has plans to take us on a snow mobiling adventure. DH has loved that in the past, but he's a little hesitant after the ATV accident. Dad promised "touring" speed, as opposed to "tearing it up," like the boys usually do, and I'm excited about trying it! (If Joey won't go, Dad said he'll take me. I'm lucky to still be able to be a Daddy's Girl!) MOSTLY I'll sit near the fire, drink hot beverages, and knit! (The link to the Crested Butte site is the Mountain Resort site, but it's the best I've found for pictures. We've come up here every summer since I was 5-- it's been pretty much the only vacation place I've known, and I'm good with that!-- so we consider ourselves "locals" of a sort. And yes, it really is that beautiful!)

a good birth date

2005-11-13T21:29:00.000-08:00

Your Birthdate: January 11

Spiritual and thoughtful, you tend to take a step back from the world.

You're very sensitive to what's going on around you, yet you remain calm.

Although you are brilliant, it may take you a while to find your niche.

Your creativity is supreme, but it sometimes makes it hard for you to get things done.

Your strength: Your inner peace

Your weakness: You get stuck in the clouds

Your power color: Emerald

Your power symbol: Leaf

Your power month: November

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I haven't posted anything like this yet-- mostly b/c I usually don't think they fit--or they aren't especially complimentary! ( come on, who really wants to post that they're aluminum knitting needles or that they are "kitchen cotton" yarn-- REALLY! I think I was bamboo and wool? but still-- I want to be rosewood and an exotic alpaca blend.)

I like this one-- it's a bit over-the-top, but it's good stuff, so I'll take it! (I like to think that I list toward the spiritual; I may be more "scattered" than "creative," but whatever it is, it DOES get in the way of getting things done! And Meg was born in November (hey, it's STILL November! I'm right smack in the middle of my power month!), so November is good.) Anyway, if you try it, come back and let me know what it said!

2005-11-12T23:02:00.000-08:00

I really like the changes Brynne has made in her blog. Now, Brynne is an excellent knitter, and posts frequent project updates, but she does so much more than just knit-- and now her blog "All this by Hand" reflects her other interests! Just so that no one thinks I'm a total deadbeat, I thought I'd post a few of my recent non-knitting motherly craftings (since I AM almost a knitting deadbeat, and have almost nothing to post along those lines!)

Meg's 5th birthday was last week, and we celebrated for two whole days! On Thursday night (the actual birthday) we met my family at Escalantes (Meg requested Mexican food). Aunt Jane and Uncle Mo brought Caroline (Meg's cousin), Uncle John came and brought girlfriend Kelly, and Gammy and Gindy came. A nearby table had a birthday just after we sat down, and Meg herself asked the waitress if they would sing to her, too!

I love this picture; even though you can't see all of Meg, you can sure see the pure joy on her face! I was always so shy as a kid, and the attention would have embarassed me. Meg, however, is as delighted as she could be!

I spent the NEXT day getting ready for the party at Pump It Up (if you're not familiar, it's a kid's dream come true-- huge blow-up moon-bounce type "toys": obstacle course, huge slide, round jumping thing with a "pillow" in the middle-- totally unaffected by weather. They play for a solid hour, then we get 30 minutes to eat pizza and cake and open presents. Best of all, some really cool high school kids are in charge, so all I have to do is help!) We had a kitty theme, and here's the cake I made:

and the party favors:

These are candy sticks-- I started with a 10" dowel rod, a hot glue gun, a pile of candy, and a few toys. I used the glue gun (low temp) to glue a large piece of candy to the stick, then glued the rest around that. (I had to tie ribbon around the necks of the duck keychains, and through the center of the plastic slinkies, then tie/glue those to the sticks.) Then I tied lengths of curling ribbon to the top. Meg's preschool, St. Peter's, makes these to sell at their Fall Festival, and the kids love them. They took a while to make, but I sure had fun!

(yes, that is a neon green Christmas tree in the background. Meg couldn't wait, and talked Gammy into getting it for her. It isn't totally decorated yet, but it's close enough to Thanksgiving that I figured we'd just leave it up! At least it won't die!)

Knitting Meme

2005-11-05T21:39:00.000-08:00

Brynne, here it is! Thank you for the tag!

1. What is your all-time favorite yarn to knit with?

I'm still such a newbie (or maybe it's that there are so many yarns out there!) that I haven't tested enough yarns to name a favorite that I've knitted up more than once or twice! I'm about to finish a chemo cap, for which I'm using Blue Heron Yarn's bulky chenille in "Sunrise." Not only is it delightful to touch, I love watching the colors "unfold" as I knit!

2. Favorite needles?

Addis, without a doubt. I'm much faster with them, and I love the "click" sound (makes me think I'm getting somewhere!) I also love my new rosewood needles. They have a little more grip and they feel nice.

3. What's the worst thing you ever knit?

My mom's sweater. I'm using Cotolina (linen and cotton, which is nice!) but I got my gauge all wrong and had to frog the whole back. I've almost got the back finished for the second time, but when I showed my mom the sample sweater at Yarns2Ewe, she didn't seem too thrilled. I'm stalled. Totally.

4. Favorite knit pattern? The most fun to knit?

My favorite as of now is the sock pattern from the first Queensland Collection book. I actually really enjoy the 2x2 ribbing; once I get into the rhythm of it, it's very soothing to do!

I'm also making mittens from Mission Falls' "Smitten." The Advika mittens-- very stripey, with some crochet and shisha mirrors. I'm enjoying the challenge!

5. Most valuable knitting technique?

I've had to learn new cast-on methods lately. The first socks I did, I used a long-tail cast-on, which wasn't elastic enough. I tried the tubular cast-on (got the rough idea, but somehow ended up with the wrong number of stitches), and will have to practice before I can actually use it. I love the Twisted German Cast-on (now, is it the cast-on that's twisted, or the German? I'd love to know!)

6. Best knit book or magazine?

I really like Interweave Knits. As a knitter who is easily distracted, my current fave is Handknit Holidays(I've gotta do that Santa Hat!). The original Stitch n' Bitch is still my favorite reference.

7. Favorite knitalong?

I haven't really done it yet, but I've been following the Knitting on the Road knitalong for a while, and enjoy watching their progress! Hopefully I'll be able to finish some projects and do the next socks with them!

8. Favorite knitblogs?

I'm pretty slow on the uptake, at least where the web is concerned. I faithfully follow the blogs of my knitting group:
Brynne's (of course!) Knitlet;
Amy's Amylovie's Nuttin' But Knittin';
Catherine's Knittin' Notes;
Sarah's Needles in Motion;
Martha's Yes, I'm Knitting, Do You Have a Problem with That? and
Marlanea's Paramedknit
They're all wonderful, unique ladies with interesting projects and a good sense of humor-- all important qualities in a knitter!-- and great friends, too.

I also keep up with Yarn Harlot and Wendy Knits!but I'm still building my list!

9. Favorite knitwear designer?
Jane Ellison (despite the sweater fiasco mentioned in #3) and I've got some cool Mac and Me stuff that I'm anxious to try!
(oh, and Brynne, too! I know someone famous! I think I'm going to do Samus in time for next Christmas--and I can't wait for the Winter Knitty!)

10. The knit item that you wear the most?

Sadly, I haven't knit much for myself. The items I've knitted that have been loved the most are projects for my girls. Katie still carries around the first scarf I knitted (which was way too wide!) and her bear sported a sweater I'd made until it fell apart. My mom really got some use out of the Vegan Fox Stole I knitted for her.

Needle Exchange Goodies!

2005-10-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

This is what I found in my mailbox about a week ago, from my wonderful Needle Exchange Pal! Jenn is Catherine's good friend from California, and she could not have been kinder. She made the lovely lavender bag from what has to be the softest yarn I've ever petted (that in itself was a real treat!). The dpns are made of rosewood; this would be my first set of rosewood needles, and I already love them. I have a pair of Lantern Moon straight needles, which are lovely, but these beautiful sticks have none of that polish on them-- very warm and natural-feeling! There is a skein of pink-yellow-orange sock yarn in the background there, which I'd already gotten into. That will soon become a pair of socks for my youngest girl-baby! She also sent some candy stitch markers (DD#2 and I have already discussed who owns those!) When I received this, I was in a big rush to finish getting party stuff together for DD#1's 8th birthday; it was a wonderful excuse to slow down and feel special. (How is it that knitters especially know how to do that? I think I'm in with a good crowd!)

Yarn and love

2005-10-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping that I can remember how to post. I keep thinking I'll post when I get a project finished, but the one project I DID finish, I gave away before I snapped its picture. (a lovely pair of lavender socks for my sister, Jane-- from Jane Ellison's Queensland Collection, Book One, in Kathmandu Aran). The "black hole" of a sweater that I've been working on since August is still not finished (ripping the whole back sort of stalled me out, I think)-- it's in Cotolina on size 8 circulars, which may be part of my pain.

I'll put up a picture of my next project-- it's a chemo cap for my brother's dear friend Wendy. John (featured as the hero in my July post) had a group of really good friends in Denton, Texas, who all graduated from UNT about the same time. Stephen was one of his roommates; they all moved to Portland around the same time; I'm not sure when Stephen and Wendy began dating, but he's been a constant support to her over the last couple of years.

Wendy had leukemia when she was younger, and a little over a year ago had a relapse. After some pretty aggressive chemotherapy, they thought they had it beat-- but a recent test showed the cancer has returned. She'll have to keep up the chemo until a match for a stem cell transplant is found-- her best hope for remission. My brother has done quite a bit to help them out, including setting up Wendy's mom in Dallas with a videoconferencing system (donated by his company, Insors) and making trips to Portland to offer his support in person (among other things which prove to me that I am so very blessed to be related to such a compassionate person!)

I wanted to do something, and put out a call to my knitting group for help finding yarns that are especially soft in order to make chemo caps. And, once again, I am truly blessed to know such wonderful people. Not only did I get some great suggestions and support, Brynne actually took time out and made a cap for Wendy, from one of the yarns she had recommended (You MUST see it, if you haven't yet!). Somehow, even in this world of seemingly thoughtless people, love manages to come around again. And I can't thank Brynne enough for putting time and effort into making a stranger's life a little more comfortable.

(If you need a pattern for someone, try Head Huggers or Chemo Caps Both sites have been great resources in my search for patterns that will be comfortable-- and hopefully comforting.)

Gimme Some Needles Exchange!

2005-09-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

Catherine is about to send us our needle exchange buddies! Last time was so much fun; both sides of the post office were fun, the sending and receiving! Here are my answers to Catherine's questions:

1. What do you like to knit or crochet? (socks, sweaters, etc.)
I've got a whole list of projects I'd like to do, mostly socks and gloves/mittens, although my mother's sweater goes everywhere with me!

2. What fibers do you like?
I prefer wool (and wool combinations), and "natural" fibers.

3. What type of needles do you use most often?
Mostly dpns and circulars lately!
4. Do you like to knit in the round?
Yep!
5. Do you use a magic loop method or any other we should know about? Are you interested in learning a new method?
I'm learning magic loop, but I'm still determined to "conquer" the dpn method (NO ladders!).
7. Do you have a favorite place that you shop online? (knitpicks.com, knitpixie.com, jimmybeanswool.com....)?
I haven't done much online buying lately, but I've been "playing" at a few sites. morehousefarm.com is fun, knitpicks.com is always a great place to buy, and I love elann.com (of course!)

8. Do you want to be surprised? then erase all your answers above and write surprise me!!!
I love a surprise! (Mostly I love getting the package in the MAIL; feels like Christmas!) but I'll leave my answers as a jumping-off point!

Amy's Jump-Start!

2005-09-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Amylovie for giving me the inspiration to post! Here's my response!

Three names I go by:
1. Jenni
2. Jennifer (Jen'fer)
3. Mommy

Three screen names I’ve had:
1. runswithstix
2. JenniH14
3. redlady (for a mt. range in Gunnison Nat'l Forest. attracted pervs, unfortunately!)

Three physical things I like about myself:
1. almond eyes (my mom, my sister, and my daughters all have them)
2. my back
3. my ankles

Three physical things I don’t like about myself:
1. post-baby, c-section cinched belly
2. my upper arms
3. nose

Three parts of my heritage:
1. Welsh
2. Irish
3. Gypsy (France/Portugal border)

Three things I am wearing right now:
1. black j jill sweatpants
2. white t-shirt
3. black Diesel "mary janes"

Three favorite bands/musical artists:
1. Fleetwood Mac
2. Justin Roberts (wonderful kids music!)
3. James Taylor

Three favorite songs:
1. Something in the Way She Moves (J.T.)
2. Durga Pahimam (Jai Uttal, Shakti Rythmns-- yoga music, to which my girls sing along. Quite funny!)
3. Take a Chance on Me (Abba)

Three things I want in a relationship:
1. Love
2. Honesty
3. Compassion

Two truths and a lie
1. I loved teaching 8th grade English.
2. Our minister and his wife are our favorite drinking buddies.
3. I have been to Disney World twice.

Three physical things about the preferred sex that appeal to you:
1. Tall
2. Good legs
3. Strong hands

Three favorite hobbies:
1. Knitting
2. Reading
3. Needle felting

Three things I want to do badly right now:
1. Knit
2. Watch Carnivale, Season 1, straight through. Season 2, actually, if it were out!
3. Eat something chocolate, with pretzels or nuts. . .

Three things that scare me:
1. Losing a child
2. Reckless drivers
3. Large crowds

Three of my everyday essentials:
1. Earrings
2. Washed hair
3. a.m. coffee

Three Careers you have considered or are considering :
1. Teacher (English)
2. Librarian (all books, no grading!)
3. Editor

Three places you want to go on vacation:
1. Ireland
2. New England in the Fall
3. Waterton Nat'l Park

Three kids’ names you like:
1. William (Will-- but it would never work with my last name)
2. Addison/Addie
3. James

Three things you want to do before you die:
1. Make the hike from Gothic to Aspen, Colorado.
2. See a Broadway show.
3. Tour Civil War and/or Revolutionary War sites.

Three ways I am stereotypically a boy:
1. I despise shopping for shoes.
2. I enjoy riding ATV's, despite previous post!
3. I am so dang girly, I can't even think of a third!

Three ways I am stereotypically a girl:
1. I love to receive flowers.
2. I think make-up is fun.
3. I cry at sad movies.

Three celeb crushes:
1. Mel Gibson (love those blue eyes)
2. Michael J. Fox (in the 80's, post-Back to the Future)
3. Drew Carey (not exactly a crush, but I think he's a teddy bear!)

Three people I am tagging: (and if I posted regularly, these wonderful ladies might actually know they've been tagged!)
1. Knittin'Around
2. Knitlet
3. Lady Knittington

A New Pet

2005-07-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

Now I'm really junking up my blog. I just adopted a hamster (see below), and I like him a lot. My older daughter really really wants a hamster, and has been on an all-out campaign to convince us that she needs one. (Our fridge is plastered with pictures of a fat-cheeked fellow.) I think she has almost convinced my husband, which is the hardest sell. An 8th birthday present, maybe? The online critter is a happy thing, though-- he's cute, and he smells o.k.!

I put aside the never-ending top-down sweater to start one for which I got yarn ages ago. It's a Berrocco sweater; my mom asked that I make it for her, but substitute the yarns. The yarn gauge seemed "close enough," and as I was a new knitter, I didn't know any better. I did find a website on adusting stitches for differences in gauge, and I'm going to give it a try. I'd love to have it done by her birthday at the end of August.

I've also been working on a needle case (very expensive to buy, not so terrible to make-- if I could sew a straight line!) and playing with fimo with my daughters, so I haven't knitted as much as I would like. Oh- I'm related to two new Tae Kwon Do Green Belts and a Cub Yellow Belt as of today! (That's what I did instead of knit!) Tomorrow we're driving to Forth Worth and back to visit my in-laws; they have a beautiful chair that needs a home, and we're looking forward to the visit. I'll knit in the car, and post pics tomorrow!

Needle Exchange! Yipee!

2005-07-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

This is the questionaire from Catherine's Needle Exchange. I've never participated in one before, and I'm so excited about this one! (Catherine is so cool; she does really neat stuff all the time for far-away friends, and I'm quite inspired!)

1. What do you like to knit or crochet? (socks, sweaters, etc.)
I'm still playing around a bit; I'm working on a top-down sweater now, but I've finished a pair of socks and really enjoyed working on them. I also like to do scarves with different techniques.

2. What fibers do you like?
I love natural fibers (I'm a bit of a granola), but I love some of the soft novelties, too!

3. What type of needles do you use most often?
My Addi-Turbos are the love of my life lately with the sweater, but I switch a LOT. I like my bamboo just fine, my Lantern Moon #10 Rosewoods are delightful, and I've been known to play with the plastics, as well!

4. Do you like to knit in the round?
Yes!

5. Do you use a magic loop method or any other we should know about? Are you interested in learning a new method?
I've recently been intrigued by the magic loop method, and I'm always open to trying new things!

7. Do you have a favorite place that you shop online? (knitpicks.com, knitpixie.com, jimmybeanswool.com....)?
Jimmy Beans Wool is my fave, although One Fine Yarn has always done me right, and I keep wandering the "aisles" at Yarn Market and Knit Picks.

8. Do you want to be surprised? then erase all your answers above and write surprise me!!!
***I love being surprised as much as I love knitting, so please feel free to use my answers as a way to get to know me; I'm delighted with just about anything that feeds my passion!

Extreme ATVing

2005-07-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a (mostly) wonderful trip to the mountains. My parents have a vacation home in Crested Butte, and summer is absolutely wonderful there. We take hikes and look at flowers, go fishing, go 4-wheeling in the jeep, fix wonderful meals, watch the fireworks wrapped in blankets-- totally and completely wonderful. This year had even more opportunities for getting out and rolling around in the splendor of the mountains-- Mom and Dad bought a kayak and 2 ATVs! Which led to our interesting experience chronicled here!

O.k., since I'm new at this the pictures of our Crested Butte adventure are backwards. If you start at the bottom, you'll see my brother and his girlfriend on the Yamaha Grizzly, as we headed up the trail. (I drove most of the way up on the other ATV, a Polaris, with Joey riding, and we had a great time!) Dad's #1 rule is that you don't set foot on the ATV without a helment. Joey and I are living proof that that's a great rule. (both of us will have to buy new helmets for the next ATV adventure!)

The next pictures are a few days after; Dad and my daughter #1 rode one 4-wheeler, and Joey and I rode the other. We had a beautiful trip up to Poverty Gulch-- there had been an avalanche during the winter, and although a bunch of trees were taken out, they smelled absolutely divine. We were stopped by snow before the top of the pass, but Glacier Lilies were everywhere-- really beautiful. Since it was a short trip, we decided to go on up to Paradise Divide.

The road up to the divide is really twisted and narrow-- steep most of the way. We got to the top, stopped to play in the snow and admire the lakes, then started back down. On the last steep slope (not the worst, thank God), Joey got the front tire caught in a rut that led to the edge. He stopped, then gunned the engine in an effort to get out of the rut. We were in 4wd, and with the extra gas lost traction and slid off the side. We fell straight down about 6 feet, then rolled about 50 feet down the hill. Probably the scariest ride I've ever taken. Joey lost consciousness (scared me near to death) but was sitting up fairly soon after the tree at the bottom stopped his roll. (I managed to skid to a stop about 10 feet before the tree.)

On the way out of town, we had passed my brother in the jeep and told him where we were going. He took my sister, neice, and daughter #2 home and decided to head back out to find us. He drove up just as my dad reached us (he had left daughter #1 around the bend, not knowing what he would find); John took us to the clinic in CB, then called 911 when they were closed. Joey had to stay the night in the Gunnison hospital, but we both escaped with only cuts and bruises. (My bruises have bruises, but I am so very grateful that we weren't permanently damaged.) Dad and John went to get the ATV the next morning; it had hit the lower road and kept on rolling. I am also so very grateful that my dad wasn't more upset about his 9-day-old ATV. Joey and I would like to help replace it someday-- Joey just won't ride it again! (I LOVED riding the dang thing, and will probably do it again. I have a healthy fear of the edge, and promise to go SLOWLY-- probably helps that I wasn't driving!)

And the whole connection to knitting is that while Joey was in the hospital the next day, getting IV drugs to take away the pain from wounds that weren't as bad as mine (I was on Advil, since I couldn't drive while taking Vicoden), I went to the new yarn shop in Gunnison and did my own therapy! Bought some sock yarn and dpn's to start on while Joey was waiting to be released, some beautiful cranberry yarn for a felting project, and some gorgeous, soft dk blue mohair just because I liked it. And it helped that the owner, Darrah, was so very nice. I still hurt, but I felt a whole lot better!

2005-07-13T11:50:00.001-07:00

Crested Butte EMTs are the BEST

2005-07-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

What the Havemans will be doing next year.

2005-07-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

My hero.

2005-07-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

Property damage

2005-07-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Where we rolled (after 6 foot drop)

2005-07-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

ATVing as it should be!

Slow as Christmas

2005-04-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

The socks are coming along s l o w l y; I'm just starting to turn the heel-- haven't had much of a chance to sit and knit today. Posted a picture (below) of my next great knitting adventure. I'm looking forward to starting my flowers shawl (Cherry Hill's "Moody Blues"). Never thought I'd do the lace thing, but I'm looking forward to this project! (Maybe I'll start saving the change under the cushions, afford myself a skein of Lorna's Laces Heaven someday!)

Took Meg to the fabric store today, picked up some fabric to make a case for my DPN's. They're currently rolling around in my Lantern Moon zipper pocket, and they tend to slide out when I open it. I found several online, but figure that the cases I could buy with the money I'm willing to spend aren't as nice as the one I can make. I'll let you know!

I checked out a yoga studio today, too. I took some classes years ago, not long after Katie was born, and really enjoyed them-- but I had to have Mom watch Katie, which became just too far to drive once we moved out to Katy. Joey just started Tae Kwon Do at a really nice place near our house, and plans to go at least three times a week. He says it's a great workout, and he's already making friends there. I can't let him get ahead of me on the fitness thing! We're doing Weight Watchers together, and he's way ahead (they say men do lose it easier!), but I have lost almost 10 lbs. after 5 weeks-- I feel better, no matter what Joey's doing! You know, I never thought of myself as a Weight Watchers "type," but it has been a great experience. I can't believe the stuff I was eating on a regular basis-- enough points to support a 300 lb. person on some days! There haven't been any MAJOR changes; I don't weigh or measure anything (I "eyeball" it), I just make better choices. I guess adding more exercise on a regular basis is a pretty major change, but it doesn't feel like it. Maybe I'll stick with it this time!

Anyway, Yoga West was beautiful-- large, calm, cool room in tans; incense burning (not too strong, though!); natural light-- really nice. I talked one of the owners, Cathy, and she was just wonderful. I'm planning to go to a class tomorrow after I drop Meg off at preschool. I'm really looking forward to starting!

2005-04-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

"Moody Blues" Flower Shawl

Recently finished baby gift!

2005-04-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm still learning how to post stuff; got my first pic up, and I'm excited! These are the booties I knitted for Haylee (best friend's new baby). I had to order extra ribbon, since I wanted more than was in the kit. Artemis sells gorgeous hand-dyed ribbons; although the color ("abalone") didn't match the ribbon from the kit exactly, I really love the darker colors. I used fray-check on the edges, painted on with a small paintbrush, since the ribbon edges aren't "finished." I did buy extra ribbon for ribbon embroidery; maybe I can add some ribbon flowers to a knitted piece eventually!

2005-04-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

Debby Ware "Girly Girl" booties, first pair!

Just Starting!

2005-04-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

I've read so many blogs the last few weeks, that I decided to start my own. I've developed a passion for knitting the last six months, and I've gotten some great ideas and inspiration from the blogs of other knitters. Maybe I'll even get brave and post a few of my projects here!

I just finished a pair of baby booties from the Debby Ware pattern/kit-- the flower booties with bobbles. The project was challenging, and although they certainly do not look professional, I'm delighted that I was able to conquer the pattern! They are a gift for my best friend from high school, Lisa. She has a beautiful new baby girl, Haylee, and I actually finished the darn things before Haylee set off for college! (She's 2 months old now-- I just have to get them in the mail before she outgrows them!)

I started a pair of socks with Lorna's Laces Baltic Sea yarn and the Knitting Pure and Simple pattern; my mom needs a pair of socks that won't show the dirt from her wheelchair maneuvering in Crested Butte, so I'm planning on giving them to her for Mother's Day. I'm chomping at the bit to start a felted change purse (pattern from HelloKnitty.com); think I'll check out Twisted Yarns this afternoon, buy a skein of Noro Kureyon to satisfy my craving for new yarn. If God lets me live long enough to finish all of my projects, I will never die.

I'm also heading to Zebos Coffee shop; I'm hoping that they'll let our NEW KATY MEETUP KNITTING GROUP meet there! For a long time now, I've been worried that I'm the only knitter out here west of Houston, but I'm not! Can't wait to hang out with other knitters, to share tips and inspiration! Anyway, I'm feeding most of my addictions today (yarn, good coffee), so it should be a happy Saturday!