Waffle-Stitch Madness

Well.... I have finally completed the body of Thermal. Now off to start sleeves on the never ending sweater. Apparently, waffle stitch has become so embedded in my psyche, it has carried over to all my hand knit projects.

Toe up sock with...ahem (Waffle). Knit with Brown Sheep's Wildfoote in SY-300 Ragtime on size 2's -Magic Loop

"HOLE-Y CRAP-O-LA!"

While I love the toe-up method for knitting socks. I loath the holes on the short row heels. I did, however find this, so I will be visiting the frog pond once again.

Merry St. Patricks Day.

Or something like that.

Well, I hope everyone who was Irish for the day got their fill of green beer & whisky. I discovered a pot o'gold (actually it was more like a yellowish color) errr, package in my mail box. Oh yeah...Another Elvis sighting. My Pal Cindi sent me an Elvis Christmas tree skirt panel! How cool is that? Did I not just say that Knitters are the best folks around!!!
Thank ya, thank ya very much Cindi. You Rock!!!!!

Elvis fever must have spread through the house, because he made a rare appearance in my living room before his bedtime too.







Not much to report knitting wise. Took a bit of a break from Thermal. Picked up the Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl for a couple of pattern repeats. I really love the yarn colors. Can't wait till it's finished & blocked. My new bluebird stitch marker looks pretty comfy in his lacy nest.

Top O'the Morning!

(well, maybe just this once)


Happy St. Patrick's Day AND we have Winners!!!!

I want to thank each & everyone of you for your encouraging & humorous comments. Knitters are the best darn folks around....and while we're at it I've found some new drinking buddies too! You know who you are ;)
That said, here are the winners.

For closest to actual number of stitches knit - Margie of Knit Happens in Half Moon Bay

** I knit 41,506 stitches (pant, wheez...tongue hanging out the side of my mouth) just to get to the neckline placket. I better LOVE this sweater when it's done or I may just my slit my wrists.
I'm on my 4th skein of yarn. So the winner of the drawing - Craftykt

Congrats to both lovely ladies & thanks for making my Waffle Stitch Hell....well, a little less Hellish.

Everyone have fun today & be safe.....And remember, If you do drink & knit you will end up in the frog pond with a hangover.....belch.

I'm a "Wiener"!!!

Weeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy dance, happy dance!!! I just found out I won the Wicked/Eiffel drawing on the Sexy Knitters Club KAL. Jeanie - The Hostess w/the Mostest - is sending me this adorable tote AND some gorgeous sweet feet sock yarn from Hill Country Yarns!!! Again..Happy dance! Thank you Jeanie!!!

Now, here's a little teaser post for MY St. Patrick's Day contest. I will give 2 prizes. 1 prize for guessing closest to the actual number of stitches (just the thought of that makes me a little woozy...more vodka please) and I will draw a name from the peeps that correctly guessed what skein I am on. I will post the winner's names here on St. Paddy's Day..**this Saturday*** in the morning. I will also contact you by email and/or comment on your blog if you won. Good luck everyone!

Socks, St. Paddy's Day, STITCH COUNT CONTEST & Vodka to keep me sane!

First things, first. I finished my toe-up socks while listening to the Lime & Violet Pod Cast - um, obsessively. These chicks are freakin hilarious and have cured me of my SSS. They are completely sock MAD and are very infectious. ( I recently placed an order w/Blue Moon Fiber Arts - Socks that Rock & Lisa Souza) THAT is how addicting Lime & Violet are! Yeah, that was me bitching about socks and there I go buying sock yarn...huh what????

Some simple Pocket Slippers in honor of St. Patricks Day. Gots to have the "Wear'in O'the Green"..Don't want to get pinched. Look how cute these little guys are.
To keep w/my Teeny, Tiny theme....I present....Itty Bitty socks -complete w/miniature sock blocker. (it's a key chain) That was a clever gift from Fabulous Sue.
And Finally, a little contest. This is to keep me from finishing off that bottle of Vodka and NO that's not what you win if you guess correctly. Okay, here's the deal. I am in waffle stitch HELL!!!!! To gain sympathy (I have no shame) There will be a little contest w/prizes. I have just reached the point in the Thermal pattern where I will divide for the Neckline Placket (the area where the buttons will go for those of you not in KAL, but wanting to play along anyway) If you can guess how many STITCHES I have knit (closest to the actual number, YES I counted) you will win a fabulous prize. If there is more than one of you that guess correct, I will draw a name. If you ALSO guess correctly which skein of yarn I am on I will enter your name ;) Please include your email w/your guess so I can contact you.
May the luck of the Irish be with you and I will announce the winner on Saturday....March 17th...St. Patrick's Day.
**** Repeat........The Vodka is NOT the prize. (I need it to finish Thermal)

Your my Obsession.

So here is my Thermal so far ( not much to write home about. Waffle stitch and MORE waffle stitch and Oh yeah, MORE waffle stitch. Get the picture?) And in other news, I just discovered "Knitting pod casts". (I'm sure most of you are rolling your eyes @ my lack of all things computer related..sigh.) So anyway, I listened to bits of about 6 different shows to decide which I liked the best. They are all very different, so I will probably listen to most of them all the way through and decide from there. I did however, really enjoy Lime & Violet. Violet talks very fast and ALOT! (She sounds a little neurotic at times, but is really funny which makes her very likable) These chicks are completely yarn & sock obsessed ;) I've listened to 3 of their shows so far and fortunately for me, there are quite a few to download and that will keep me entertained for a while. Because as you see here....This project has a LOOOOOONG way to go!

Now some of you may or may not know SKC is currently taking nominations for the next KAL. Tons of beautiful patterns are being suggested and I seriously would love to knit each and every one of them. But....Be still my beating Heart!!! This is my new Love. I saw this and wanted to toss Thermal into the nearest trash bin. I am lusting after this sweater. The color, the style....I am head over heals!

Okay I am a reasonable woman (most of the time) and I have taken a moment to gather my senses.

I live in a warm/hot climate. Spring is HERE, followed very closely by SUMMER. This sweater can wait. I am, after all currently working on another cold weather garment (see pic above) that I won't be able to wear for about 8 months as it is. I can be patient. I will be patient.

(Already bought the pattern & yarn) Thermal comes first . (I'm looking for the buttons after I post this) Sooooo..........If any of you would like to NOT knit this sweater also, It can be found HERE

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Attack of Monster Micro Needles from Outer Space!!!!

Teeny tiny .
Itty bitty.

Knitting on these suckers is Shitty.

Original poem by Susan of No Knit Sherlock

All my current projects are knit on "Mini Needles". -Makes them sound kinda cute...Like I'm knitting things for a doll or one of those ridiculously small dogs that gets carried around in someones purse.

From left to right.
Thermal from Knitty designed by Laura Chau - Knit on size 3, Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl by Susan Pierce Lawrence - Knit on size 4's and(Grrrrrrr) Toe up socks, a simple ribbed cuff pattern.... again (Grrrrrr) Size 1's! Okay, okay...so I exaggerate a bit. It's really not too bad. Look how cute my little
Pumpkin stitch marker from Sue looks with my little waffle stitch on my Thermal.

Here is another shot of the 3 projects I will be working indefinitely. I am in Love w/Thermal so I am alternating working on it with a couple of pattern rows for the FCSS (knit on some loverly yarn from WyeSue)to break up the monotony. That damn sock in the top of the picture has a little (see a theme developing?) bit of gray....So I'm saving it for my Grey's Anatomy KAL. (2 full episodes should do the trick) A little patience is what I need.

Here's a little beauty from my backyard. My Lime tree is in full bloom. Isn't she lovely?

She smells even better than she looks ;)

Extra! Extra!

Hot off the press....Cable Newsboy Cap from Stitch N Bitch Nation. I made these for all my Nieces for Christmas. (I committed the ultimate sin. I didn't take pics...Gasp! Video only.) Eventually I'll get those girls to pose for a pic. But until then, here is mine. I knit this for the Grey's Anatomy KAL. And speaking of Grey's...Last weeks conclusion to the 3 episode mini series thing. Brilliant! Denny & Izzie...Soooo romantic. The writers on this show NEVER disappoint. I am feeling the love for Meredith again...I was irritated w/her last season. Too much whining. And George finally grew a pair! I love Izzie, but yikes! What's up with all the negativity towards Callie??? Can't wait for tonight. Let's hope it's not a repeat...No previews makes me nervous. (yeah, my camera's busted....yeah, that's a rubber band)

I knit this from leftover yarn in my stash. I think it was Simply Soft *shhhhh* (acrylic). Apologies to the yarn snobs out there ;)

You make me feel like a natural Woman.....

So the saying goes..."Curiosity killed the cat". Not true. "Curiosity knits with Hemp". And boy, have I been curious about this fiber. I present to you - The 'Shop till you drop' Bag -in all it's "Hemp-y" glory. Love this fiber sooo much! I now feel brave enough to try something wearable ;) Very fun pattern, although I did have a bit of a rocky start..(you can see how the bag is a little wonky on the bottom left) and the straps! grrrr.....A word to the wise....Linen stitch & Lost don't mix. I scrapped these buggers 3 times while I was watching that show. But now it's done and I'm off to go shopping! *****I used 2 skeins of allhemp6 dk #102 in Pumpkin and the yarn & pattern can be found here.


This little cutie was my first try at color work. Very easy, very quick project. I gave this to my girlfriend Kirsten for her birthday. It's the cosmetic bag from Holiday Knits. I used sugar n cream cotton in brown, rose & cream from my stash. It reminds me of a Neapolitan ice cream sandwich. This bag is also lined which adds even more detail to an already super cute design!

some of you may have noticed the lack of a completed sock post....sleep easy, I am working on the ribbing as we speak. (freakin size 1 needles should be outlawed!)

SP10

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I recently discovered Rowan's Calmer. In a word -Heavenly! What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?I'll knit up anything once, but not fond of fun fur/eyelash/novelty types. 2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? A needle roll & circs in org. packages 3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? 5 years consistently. My mother taught me. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? Intermediate, I guess. 4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Nope. 5. What's your favorite scent? Clean, fresh,citrus 6. Do you have a sweet tooth?Seriously???? Favorite candy? Dark chocolate w/nuts. 7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Crochet, Sew,Embroider. Do you spin? Not yet...would love to try. 8. What kind of music do you like? Everything - umm, maybe not Rap Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?yep (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)9. What's your favorite color(s)?red, orange, but I pretty much love ALL Colors Any colors you just can't stand?Nada. 10. What is your family situation? Me-self, Him-self and The Prince. Do you have any pets? 1 dog 11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Scarves & hats. No mittens or poncho's 12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? It changes. I enjoyed knitting Wicked so much I made 2. 13. What are you knitting right now? Socks, Forest Canopy shoulder shawl and Thermal from Knitty. 14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Doesn't everyone?15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circ's Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? No preference 16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yarn winder - no swift17. How old is your oldest UFO? I don't wanna talk about it 18. What is your favorite holiday?HALLOWEEN 19. Is there anything that you collect? fabric, yarn, vintage Halloween decorations 20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? Everything What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?Vogue's knit 1. 21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I just finished my first color work project & would like to do more...and lace work. 22. Are you a sock knitter?Yes What are your foot measurements? I don't expect anyone to knit me socks . 23. When is your birthday? April 13th.

WIP's, A Giant Rat and Elvis.

Let's begin with the current projects. Think BAGS!
To the left is my "Shop till you drop" bag with Hemp. Working on the straps now and it will be done. Above is a close up of the gingham cosmetics bag from Holiday Knits...(and my first attempt @ colorwork). So far so good ;)

Here is Jakey @ Chuck E. Cheese. My birthday boy turned 7, and I am having a hard time with that....But we all had a good time. All I have to say about this place is there is a very good reason they serve Beer!!! You know what else Chuck E. Cheese has.....An Elvis "Faux-Slot Machine" thingy. The powers that be are really gearing these kids up for a life of gambling addiction. Do you see that the image is of Elvis in Las Vegas??? How many kids (with the exception of my own) even know who Elvis Presley is??? Pretty hysterical & I figured no one would believe me unless I had photographic proof. (kinda like a big foot sighting). Behold ***** Elvis @ Chuck E. Cheese!!!!


Finally, Here is what I came home to last night. Kate, Who is indeed Crafty, sent me Elvis fabric!!! How much do I love this girl??? Kate, you are Fan-Freak'in-Tastik!!!!! You continue to support my love for all things Elvis.... But, it's a slippery slope, so I expect you to pull the plug if I start wearing polyester jumpsuits or you notice any extreme bloating! You always make me smile :) Thank you.

Progress report

Colinette mohair scarf completed! This gorgeous yarn was a gift from Fab Sue, who inspires me with her knitting talent, humor & kindness. Thanks Sue!...and I'm looking forward to your knitting mystery.... the Un-Baaaa-lievable one!!!!
Light as a feather.....and just in time for Valentines Day.
Ummmm, remember this guy???? SSS struck big time, but I'm back on track and working on #2. (Seriously, when your feet are this white, they need to stay covered.)
Last, but certainly not least....the latest distraction/project. "Shop till you drop bag" in Hemp. I've been wanting to try knitting w/hemp for a while, but couldn't commit to anything wearable. And really, who couldn't use another bag? The color is........Pumpkin.
No surprise there;)

Can't shake the Wicked Blues.........

Well now, that Wicked's so nice.....I knit her up TWICE!
This time around I used worsted weight yarn. Working from
my stash I used Pound of Love by Lion Brand in Denim. This
was also knit on size 6's and took about eight days to complete. Although I love color...I definitely prefer the DK to Worsted.
I opted for short sleeves again, mostly because I live in California
and would like to be able to wear at least once a year! The pattern
is great & I highly recommend to newbies as well as experienced
knitters.

I'm done with Wicked for now... but, St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner!

The First Step is Admitting You Have a Problem.....

My name is Susan and I'm a knit-o-holic . I knit yesterday @ my hair salon & I plan to knit today @ a Super Bowl party. You don't see how this is a problem? I'll explain it to you. I am knitting a Second "Wicked" because I loved the first so much and I want to take it everywhere. For example, I took it when I got my hair done....very risky, hair dye, hair clippings...it was a gamble, but I took it. Now I plan to take it to a Super Bowl party. Again, very risky..Drinking, eating, excitable fans jumping out of their seats. You see, I am willing to risk destroying a perfectly good sweater all in the name of my addiction. So there it is. I confess. I AM A KNIT-O-HOLIC.
I forgot to mention between Armando & Myself we are in a total of FIVE different football pools. Maybe I should give Gamblers Anonymous a call. GO BEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Party like a Rock Star!!!!!!!

Or a 6 year old.... Jakey modeling the "No Hair Day"
cap I knit for The Children's Hospital
of Boston. I found out about this project
though lovely Kate's blog...
Who is a Superstar in my opinion, for all
the charity knitting she does;) If you want
to help out, contact Kate ( the organizer,
different from the above mentioned, but
equally as lovely I'm sure!).

Don't you think every child should be this happy?
I sure do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bringing back the Oldies.

Remember this???? The shrug I made for the Grey's Anatomy KAL.

Well, I dusted off the cobwebs and finally finished the other sleeve.

In case you don't remember, I wasn't happy with the sleeves, but I

dug it up and finished it anyway.

So, now it's done. I tried it on. Thought to myself ...Hmmm, it's O.K. and
I might? wear this in public. Took some more lame photo's of myself for
the blog. Wah- Lah! More bathroom mirror shots.


Then....
Armando "What's that?"

Me "A shrug."

Armando "A shrug?????"

Me "Yeah....."

SMIRKS and looks away!

Armando "That looks like something an Old Lady
would wear ."
I was horrified....I don't think this will ever see the light of day.

Which way to the Flying Monkey Bar?

Blurry, but finished! Wicked is Done!!!!! I am now a proud member of SKC;) Hotcha-cha-cha! And now here is the breakdown. My Wicked "666" history. This took me about 6 days to complete, not counting the waiting time for the additional yarn to arrive. Knit on size 6 needles. I used 6 balls of Rowan's Cashsoft DK in "Clementine" for size 40-43" Large and I used EVERY last bit of this yarn. I wanted 3/4 sleeves, but running low I stopped knitting first sleeve at the elbow and then had to recalculate yardage when I ran out of yarn 20 rows into the second sleeve. After an evening of frogging and praying to the Knitting Gods to show mercy on my Wicked Soul, I had sweet success;)
The ever popular Bathroom mirror shot....Sorry.

Phew, stick a fork in me, cause I'm DONE!

Now I need a beer:) Cheers!

Wick-id and Sick kid.

I have to admit that I was feeling a little nausea when the pattern for Wicked called for knitting sleeves on 2 circulars. Starting to feel warm, I found a tutorial HERE. My fever broke and as you see I'm recovering nicely. Wow, those knitting fevers can really send a girl into a panic. I love the web. I would be so lost without it. Anyway, I hope to complete Wicked by today or tomorrow. I had a full knitting day yesterday, because............................

"Sarge! We have a man down! Repeat, Man Down!"

My poor baby. Sick with the flu. I will spare you the details. They aren't pretty. But here he is, asleep on the couch....Pink cheeks and all.

Still not quite himself, but doing much better today. Yea!!! More knitting time for me! (Is it wrong to be happy?)

*** Don't answer that;)