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I’ve been knitting a lot lately.  I finished the colorful baby blanket, and now am almost finished with

One-Piece Baby Kimono by Cristina Bernardi Shiffman from the Mason-Dixon knitting book.  I’m using some mystery yarn I found in my stash which I’ve named Mystery Peppermint. 

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As you can see I have lots left over - even enough for the Zodiac.

I have good news from friends.  Sara T is pregnant and Darcy had another baby girl, Violet Elizabeth Graham. 

I told a neighbor about my reading page and she wanted to see it and I told her she could find it here on my blog.  If you’ve visited - Hi Sheila.

Today is my daughter’s 40th birthday.  I can’t figure out how she got that old, cause I don’t think I’m that old.

Sunday Kate and Doug are coming up for Father’s Day. John is playing in a golf tournament at his old childhood haunt Hubbard Height Golf Course in Stamford, now named E. Gaynor Brennan Golf Course.  We hope to get Aunt Marilyn and Aunt Jean to have dinner with us while we are there.  Beth and Chris have offered to let us sleep over.   On Monday I hope to see my Uncle Lenny and hand lunch with him.   A very busy weekend coming up.

 Last night I talked John to driving to Frank Pepe’s Pizza in Manchester.   It was great New Haven Pizza!

 I am burning a book I purchased from audible dot com and it’s taking a million year (not to mention disks).

Let’s start with the new tricks.   I am teaching Beckett to sit on command and today we started with down.  He is a big cheese hound and learned quickly.   I was so happy I made my husband watch and asked what we should teach next and he said:said “teach him not to shit in the house”.  I’m working on that.  He’s small and quick  and our house has an open floor plan so I have a problem keeping an eye on him.   Just as we started a routine we had a snow stom that dropped more inches of snow than he could keep his head above.

Here’s a picture of my Granddog Murphy, who stayed the week with us and Beckett playing tug o war.

I updated Ravelry today with new pictures of some project  in the works and a couple of new ones.  I’m making a sweater for Melanie, Ryan’s American Doll.  Here’s a picture  And this is a picture of Ryan on her 8th birthday and her doll in matching outfits.

This is a picture of a sweater for Ryan:

This is a pair of toe up socks I’m working on :

I’m using Judy’s Magic Cast On and the short row tutorial listed on Lillian’s Facebook page

As long as I’m doing pictures here’s Becket after he tired himself out by helping me wind the yarn in the sock picture!!!!

Becket went to Rocky Hill Animal Hospital Tuesday and got a kennel cough treatment and made a pile in the lobby so they were able to do a fecal sample.  The glass is always half full!!!!   I think he is going to go to day care at River Run once a week for a while to socialize.  They have the cutest little guy area.  You should stop in and see it.

I finished “The Last Lecture” today and cried.  I missed the big U-Tube thing on it.  It’s a Berlin Book Club Book.

I’m supposed to be making plans for a trip to see my favorite sister, but haven’t done anything about it yet.  Too busy doing condo things and dog things.

 RANTING

What is wrong with people???  Today in the times a man had a house he bought and refinanced and too 1 Million $$$$ out and not his house is not worth what it was and wants a reduction on his loans.   Hey GUY what did you do with the CASH??

What makes people think they are entitled???  

It seems that people in power (think CEOs, TRADERS, Hedge Fund Manager and of course Politicians) feel that we owe them something.  What’s up with

Well folks,  I have some more advice (yesterday I warned to save before publishing) and today’s advice is:

It is important to add your stash to Ravelry.  I went to Sit N Knit Too today to get a last skein of my yarn for the Lady’s Sweater and I couldn’t find the label I thought I brought.  Aha, says I –  I’ll just look on ravelry!  Judy set me up and low and behold, I didn’t have it in Ravelry.  I bought the wrong color.

 In adition I bought 4 balls of Porto Cervo In Jeans,  Lot 0010 Color 110 Orange  for a second Pea-pod Sweater.

 I am always amazed with Judy’s memory.  She always remembers your name and she even remembered that my friend, Martine, yarn order hasn’t yet arrived.  No wonder everyone loves that store.

It very very cold and the wind sounds like a freight train as it whips by the side of the building.  Our room is near the end of the hallway and you can hear it make the turn, if you can imagine that.  The wind is blurring vision and the evergreens are bending.  It even looks cold out the window.

 I’m glad I did my exploring yesterday.  The area is so rural that I thought I drove 100 miles but it was only 40.  I had to find a CVS and then I found Diana’s Yarn and Craft store.  As you can imagine, I’ve added to my stash by purchasing some cascade 220 for the next project - an ear flap had and some more sock yarn.  I left them in the car and haven’t put them on Ravelry yet.

I’ve all but finished the Australian wool sweater.  Here it is handing on the shower curtain  at the Hotel.  It still needs some weaving in and the i-cord and buttons.  98.9%  finished and guess what, IT FITS! 

I’ve made some project with the February Lady’s Sweater.  I think each section of the pattern is 2″.  I’m planning to do some more tonight.

I’m reading Kidnapped again and find it as exciting as it was the first time. 

I have three major projects growing:  My February Lady Sweater - 60% finished, My Australian Wool 85%, and a pair of socks 85%.  My friend Martine is coming to see her boyfriend for Thanksgiving (from Canada) and she suggested we go to Sit N Knit Too to start a new project.  I hope to have one of them finished before I start my next one.  I hate to get more wool but I know I will.  I have soo much stash.  I need to sell or trade some more on Ravelry.

 I’m almost finished with “For Whom The Bell Tolls” and can’t wait for them to blow up the bridge.  Hemingway’s style of writing in short declarative sentences makes the characters seem somewhat illiterate at least to me, but I’m told it was a revolutionary new way of writing hailed by the critics.

I’m 8″ into the February Lady’s Sweater - for a class I’m taking at Sit N Knit Too with Audrey.  I have ripped out three times trying to get the increases to look good.  I’m done with that and ready to increase for the lace

I’m using Berroco Ultra Alpaca in a deep purple.  The following is a picture of the project with the cast on of 94 stitches at the neckline.

That’s also my sofa and remote in the background:)

In between I’ve cast on for a pair of Berroco self stripping socks made in a k2 p2 rib.

   The picture doesn’t show the colors well but it’s a green/grey/blue combo.  I tried to cast on doing the toe up but didn’t feel comfortable with it.  Last night at SNB, Allison was doing the same thing and not having a problem, so maybe I’ll try again.  I guess I’ll use a dk or worsted weight as that worked well when I was learning on 4 needles.

This is the last week of daily babysitting for my grandchildren.  My husband says I should do it two days a week from here on, so I countered with I’ll do one and you do one.  My only complaint is that they don’t eat what I think is healthy.  I know I should get over it, but I can’t.

 I touched on the subject of a second cat and John didn’t freek out, just said that’s a slippery sloap.  I think he thinks a dog comes next.  Ha!  I’d love to have a dog except when I think I would rather sleep in rather than walk a dog in the morning.

I’m on the last sleeve of that New Zealand Wool sweater.  So close but so far. I don’t think I’ll have enough yarn to do a shawl collar.  It’s hand dyed so there’s no getting more and the colors would be hard to match.   I’d have to do a contrasting color.  We’ll see when it’s all together.  Remember this:

We had our book club meeting last Tuesday for “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Morrison and seemed to agree that it was written dis-jointedly (is that actually a word?) but the message was powerful.  Imagine meeting Bin Laden!

 Next book is by Stewart O’Nan.  I read the Good Wife by him, the next book is entitled Last Night at the Lobster.  As a great treat he is coming to talk at our book club.  Instead of borrowing the book I’ll buy it and hope to get it autographed!

 I just finished reading The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith.  It was enjoyable.  Some of the names (Mr. J.B.L. Matkoni)  in the book remind me of the spam mail telling me that I can receive 1/2 of an inheritance if I help this poor South African person etc etc

On a home note, they fertilized the grass at our condo and now our lawn is striped.  This place is a f’in disaster since the builder went belly up.

I decided to write here before I entered my new stash in Ravelry.  If I go to Ravelry first I’ll never get here.  I seem to get lost for hours on that site.

 Yesterday, I had the most enjoyable day.  I had a haircutand then went directly to Sit N Knit in Wethersfield until 3:00.  A relaxing day of knitting - hence the stash increase.   I worked on one sleeve of my sweater and am halfway through.  I chose not to  do 2 sleeves at once since the last time Idid that I spent more time untangling the yarn than knitting, at least it felt like that.  My goal is to finish the sleeve tonight and cast on the next.

 Also I recently bought some “doesn’t count as stash” sock yarn.  Blue Socketta, green Pattons stretch because I had to buy the other skein I forgot to buy to make the knee-socks.  You need to skeins of stretch to make a pair, so in order to save on shipping I bought 4 others.

I signed up for Sit N Knit’s Lady Sweater and bought the yarn.  Here’s a picture of what the finished product will look like.The yarn I bought is a soft Berraco purple, it feels so nice.  I snuck in a single skein of a soft soft baby wash pink to make my Granddaughter a pair of wristlets.  Why?  Because she went to Justice with her Aunt and bought a blouse with short sleeves, that  came with a pair of cotton gauntlets.  Flimsy material.

 Today I wait for the cable guy, not HIM, but comcast to put in the second box so we can see hi def on the downstairs TV, then off to Farmington to wait for the school bus.  I’m getting better at this.  I have a goose step schedule and it seems to work without tears.  I wish I could wait and watch Ty practice but I have to sit and wait for the 7 year olds practice - I guess that what you call 15 little girls that can’t stand in a line for more than a minute and the high school girls that are the “coaches” .  The coaches need a  little bit of management skills and to learn the meaning of “preparation”, instead of standing there trying to think of a new routine.

So I can’t get through a post without ranting about politics.  What’s with “THAT ONE”? What was John McCain thinking???  They say as people age they seem to become more ethnic, or maybe it’s the people older than me that get that way.  I think it’s from when they were young all people were “foreigners” - 1st or 2nd generation (and that’s a generalization).  People tended to stay within their groups of ethnicity.  But hey, he’s a politician and should have better handlers.   Slip of the tongue that shows what he is thinking.

 I am voting for Obama.  I made my mind up a year ago.  My first reason is that I think we are going too far right and the church/state thing is to integrated.  Church and state should be separate, no ifs ands or buts.  Second:  Health care!   Does John Mcain really thing a $5000 tax credit will purchase health care?  I have a pre-existing condition, “Pre-Diabetes” (which means that I control it with diet and exercise - not drugs) and when my COBRA ended I was canned because of that condition.  Now I am in a HIGH RISK company and pay - are you ready for this????? $375.50 /per month.  YES THAT PER MONTH - MORE THAN $13,000.OO PER YEAR  - YES MORE THAN THE $5000 TAX CREDIT.   How does that help people like me?

Ok, I am calmer now.  I’m off to Ravelry.

I’m making progress on the sweater that I am designing. I am using a basic sweater pattern from Ann Budd’s book “The Knitters Book of Handy Patterns”.  I was inspired by the new Debbie Bliss Magazines and I didn’t want a plain st stitch  sweater.  I made a cable down the center back and on the right and left fronts 11 stitches I made the same cable that disappears under the collar.   I am at the armhole of the left front, just the sleeves and collar to go.

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Last Saturday I took my granddaughter to Sit N Knit in Bloomfield for a knitting lesson.  The lesson is free, but, you have to buy the materials there.   I bought her some tangerine superwash and me some Shibui Knit sock yarn.  I love the colors but it pools. This the monkey pattern, but I’m disappointed that it doesn’t show the lace very well. 

I worked on these Sunday at the football game in Farmington.  Here is my cheer-leading granddaughter - the redhead in the middle, and my grandson Number 60.

While I’m at it here are two more pair of socks that I made.  One of Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn.  Sorry the picture is so fuzzy.  And the next pair is knit from Lane Cervinia Merino Superfine yarn.  

I finished the Mother’s Day Sweater that I started in May.  Actually I finished all but the putting together when I broke my finger. It sat there by my knitting spot and made me frustrated and sad. So the first part of August I brought it to Sit N Knit Too for Judy to finish. I made it out of Samoa-Mouline yarn (cotton & acrylic 10ply) by GGH.

I wanted to get a picture of me wearing it, but hubby has been on a tournament binge between Turning Stone and Foxwoods so I have to corner him on Friday for a photo session.

The entralac socks I started were too complicated for me at this time so I frogged them and cast on a plain jane pair that I thought I could knit on when my finger was in the cast.  Ha - that was a laugh.  I am behind in the KAL A  Year in Socks, I have only 7  pair made and it already almost September.  Ok, so maybe I can not count January since I joined in February, so then I’m only a pair behind.

I am actually typing with all fingers, abet lots of right hand mistakes. 

I went to Sit N Knit Too Tuesday and Helen helped me with the neck of the Gurnsey Sweater.  I also started this bhp (before hand problem) and I’m almost finished, but it looks like Jake has outgrown it..

I’m now trolling magazines and books and Ravelry for a new project.  Goal:  Use something from my stash.  I’d like to make a fall sweater jacket using my hand dyed New Zealand Wool.  I can’t remember where I got it, but Ihavfe 1495 yards of it.

Big plans for the weekend.  Katie and Doug and Doug’s sister are coming for the weekend.  We are all going to the lake in Pittsfield, MA for a picnic with my brother (except Beth and Chris who are sadly for me, going to NH).   I’m watching my 3 grand children saturday night while their parents go to a Perl Jam concert.  And on Monday we’re having a neighborhood block party.

 On a political note:  The news caster on the car radio tells me that Cindy McCain is going to China to view the effects of the earthquake on its citizens.     My questions is WHY?   Why on earth is this news.  Do they have cheaper botox injections?  Is she thinking of adopting a child.  What are her qualifications?  Did she ply the news casters with beer to get the story in?

On that note I’ll sign off and gaze at the ragweed growing outside at the edge of the woods.  Achoooo

Today it’s raining and I reinjured my ring finger on my right hand last night playing golf and it hurts to knit.  That’s a double pain.  So I decided to update my needles and hooks on Ravelry.  I love that database.  In the counting I learned a that I have less than  I thought of some, and much more than I thought of others.

 Starting with my dpns; I have 29  #0s, 18 #1s, 5#1.5s, 27 #2s, 20 #3s,17 #4s, 4#7s, 5 #7s and 5#8s.  So if these needles are sold in set of 4 or 5 how do I get 18  and 27?  I loose these sock needles all the time.  Once I put one behind my ear and spent an hour looking for it while on vacation.  Since then I bring my pencil box full of dpns when I travel.

I really thought I had more circulars, especially Addi Turbos.  Perhaps that’s because they cost around the $15-20 mark.  Another thing I noticed about circulars, the lenth is not always correct, sometimes by an inch.  I have some that are marked 20″ and reach only 19 between the ends.  I’m jonsin  for the knit pick interchangeable set.  I looked on line and the interchangable set of Harmony costs $69.00.  I know I could ask for them on my upcoming birthday, but sadly, even when I especially ask for something, no one ever buys me knitting stuff. 

Now the crochet hooks, I have at least one of every gosh darn size, 2 and 3 of popular sizes.

 Those counted today are supplies that don’t have any WIPS on them.  I haven’t gone in that bin yet.

 Tomorrow I am making my first trip to Webs.  I’ve been hearing about this place and have wanted to go, or as my fellow SNBers say “experience” Webs.  I’m going armed with specific patterns that I want to make so I won’t have unintended stash.

 I have also cast on, while getting a pedicure yesterda, a knit warm weather top called Sunset Shimmer inCreative Knits Magazine (May 2006) designed by Lisa Carnahan for N Y Yarns.

 I’m using the Berraco Calico Cotton blend yarn that I got at the close out sale of Needle Arts Store in Vernon, CT this spring.

Now I have 3 projects going.  I’m 95% done with the Knitting of the mother’s Day Sweater and I have frogged out the pattern of the annetralac socks to start again on the pattern not that I understand it.

 Tonight it’s grandchildren nite.  I pick up T and Jake and out to dinner at Friendly’s we go.  Then T and Grampa go to his game.  My grandson the pitcher!