You know it's true love when...

your husband takes you out to purchase one of these. It's actually a bit bigger than what he was looking at for me...but I like this one the most. I have this cool black/green steering wheel and we added a bumper to the front (not shown).

Already took it out for its first cut. Wednesday he asked me to wait on the lawn till this morning...I wish I hadn't. The length, the misty rain and the mulching blade left a slight mess...but all will be back in order in the next few days.

Doing the happy John Deere dance.

Knitter's Treat Exchange

Knitters Treat Exchange Questionnaire

1. What's your favourite type of yarn? Wools/blends, cottons/blends...any/all natural fibres.

2. What's your least favourite type of yarn? Novelty yarns

3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop? Look at the books

4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do? Spinning, sewing, cardmaking, embroidery, quilting, scrapbooking, rug hooking...pretty much anything fiber related.

5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to? Interweave Knits & Spin Off

6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference: Knitting / Garden / Home / Food / Other Craft / Crochet /Fashion / Celebrity Gossip

7. What items do you like to knit / crochet? I knit vests, cardigans, sweaters and socks. I crochet blankets once in a great moon...but just finished up a little bolero from the Happy Hooker book.

8. Are you allergic to anything? No

9. What do you like to* smell of?(*This is not a typo. The question is: What do you like to smell of) Roses, lavendar...floral scents.

10. What's your favourite way to relax? A steamy romance book

11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first? Italian Cafe

12. What do you come out with? Raspberry Italian Soda

13. Where do you go next? Old Fashioned Bakery for a scone with real raspberry jam.

14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal? Turn off the t.v. and go outside!

Another Book Review

Two more books picked up at the library. This is my review, based on my measurements and tastes. I do love my county library...thank you PCL for revamping my local branch, for having the "Books to Go" and for keeping up on the lates issues of all those knitting books available. The one property tax portion that I gladly feel happy to pay.

Twinkle's Big City Knits by Wenlan Chia:
Opening up the book I came upon pretty, girly knits that I love. The models were all stick-skinny, so chucky was looking good on them. I read up on the patterns for yarn, needle size, gauge and then what do I see. NOTHING over approx. a 34" bust for finished measurements. This was the "large" size as stated. Uh-hum. Book closed.

Ladies...I've got a 40" chest. Putting a 40" chest into a 34" sweater is like trying to put your head through the kitty door on my barn. Impossible and it will hurt.

Domiknitrix by Jennifer Stafford:
A great book for a beginner or advanced with all techniques including photos for any of the projects in the book. The size goes up to a true X-Large for women and a few sweaters for men were included. Lots of little, easy projects: scarf, pillow, wicked hats (as in devil-like).

Now...the part about being great is it is perfect for say, a 20 year old, SITC (Sex in the City) type girl that wears wild, yet dark mood clothes. I think of semi-goth. Well, being 42 myself, I think I will pass.

So, back to the library these go for the next knitter to read and possibly, knit with.

Not Intentional but done...

Project Stats:

Pattern: Carie Cropped flared-sleeve cardigan from Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel

Started: Sunday, March 25, 2007

Completed: Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Yarn: Katia ancla, 100% cotton, seven balls purchased from elann.com, Color 24 (peach/orange), yarn held double throughout.

Needle Size: U.S. 15

Notes: While waiting for two more skeins to finish Wicked, I knit this one up. The yarn was originally purchased for a shrug that turned into a stale project. With doubling up the fiber, the heaviness and bulk of the yarn, the size of the needles, left my hands a bit sore. Though I am glad I whipped this one out for early morning walks to the garden.

Pattern:

Crazy

"I remember when, I remember, I remember, when I lost my mind". Uh, yeah. This is what I have been doing on my non-knitting/non-work time...collecting all the back issues of Interweave Knits. Crazy, I am! One magazine had the bid up to $54.00, lucky for me that I lost that bid.

I have eight more issues to find and a few that should be on their way to me via the postman. What will I do with all these lovely issues? Reference and reading...found one of the Yarn Harlots earlier publishings in a back issue, too funny!

I ended up with just a couple doubles, so I will hold on to them for now and possibly pass them on to a SP in the future.

On the Needles: Still working on Wicked. I am at the stage of "boredom" knitting. Great to do when reading or watching the tellie, but...my eyes are wondering onto other projects. Should I start another pair of socks or perhaps some pairs of "Fetching" that will be holiday gifts for those that complain they never get handknits from me anymore? Should I just suggest they learn to knit? I have too much knitting to do for me, selfish I know, but that's the way the needles click!

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

I picked up the book "Fitted Knits" by Stefanie Japel from the library today.

Thumbs Up! I'm off to amazon.com after posting this to have my very own copy.

Shelley has made mention of this book on her blog and is currently working on one of the sweaters...very pretty and very Shelley.

Also, picked up "Top Down Sweaters" by Doreen L. Marquart. I'm sad to say, this one gets a "thumbs down" and will not be purchased for my own knitting library.

I have a few more new books I had requested from the library to peruse before I purchase for myself.

IK Mags, Wicked and my new SP10

I have a new obsession...getting my hands on all the back issues of Interweave Knits...right back to the first issue, Fall 1996. eBay has been a great resource for this, though I have ended up with a few doubles of issues...I may sell them back on eBay or save them as a good gift for my special SP's. Probably the later...I think it's a cool gift.

What's on my needles? Wicked by Zephyr. I started it last Sunday, March 11th. I am one row away from putting the sleeves on hold and getting the remainer of the body done, along with the pocket. I will wait on the sleeves to see how much yarn I have left. No pics as there just isn't much to take a photo of.

SP10! What a great postcard in the postbox I received from you today. Montana, eh? Trust me, I won't be snooping around trying to find out who you are. 1.) It will spoil the surprise at the end 2.)I should be spending any "web surfing" time knitting, right?

Thank you for being so attentive. We have lots to chat about, knitting, gardening & books...probably a lot more as we progress.

Howdy to my SP10

Hi SP10. You are quick on the draw this evening with your post. It was so good to hear from you.

Happy Wednesday Eve...off to work on my recently started "Wicked".... :)

Spring is about sprung

It feels like that to me, at least. My allegies and daffodils are springing up as per this time of year. I am looking forward to gardening this year, having purchased many different seeds for "dyeing" purposes only. Now to figure out which raised bed to plant these in.

I am in a bit of a shock, especially after the recent issue of Interweave Knits, Spring 2007. I wrote to the company telling them I felt dissappointed in the new layout design. Thinking about it, add numbers to the photo pages and you pretty much have a "Vogue Knitting" look-alike. Bummer. Remember, it's just my 42 yo opinion on how it made me feel...please don't feel like I'm putting anyone down. Unlike...

Well, news to me this evening is the change in Editors for IK. Starting on March 15, my darling daughter #2's 14th birthday, Ms. Jang will be editor. Enough said about that.

Short & Sweet

Project Stats:

Pattern: "Short & Sweet" bolero from the Happy Hooker crochet book by Debbie Stoller

Started: February 2007

Completed: March 11, 2007

Yarn: elann.com, Sonata (100% cotton) in Deep Black, 7 skeins

Hook Size: US G

Notes: I started this in February, had the back and both sides of the front done. Last weekend, I realized, I had totally reversed the stitching on the front pieces. I quietly and gently folded it up and put it all into the project bag and stashed it in the corner of my craft loft. How could I fix this without having to totally rip the front pieces out? I pondered on it all week.

Yesterday, Saturday morning, I opened my eyes at 4am, got up at 4:30 am, sat down with a cup of coffee and this project bag at 5 am. My family thinks I'm a bit strange for not wanting to sleep in.

There was NO WAY I was going to be able to just pull out the base stitches and flip the pieces around. I ripped both fronts out and started on them again, having then only the back piece completed.

I started at 5 am and stopped at 8 pm....yes, folks, I was obsessed, to say the least. The beauty of having a log home with one big great room is I can still do the laundry, make breakfast, lunch and dinner without traveling far from my perch on the couch. I watched two different PBS channels during this period of time. (Dr. Mike says men need to have a waistline below 40" and women need to be below 35" to cause less problems as we get older, just an fyi).

I just about had it all finished, only one sleeve to go. 8pm and I was feeling the burn in the shoulders and arms from the crochet position I had taken during the day. I put it all back in the project bag to be completed this morning.

Alas, I did not wake at 4am again, but 6:30am...a bit better. As you can see, it is all done. Whew! What a project! Think I'll lay off the crochet for awhile.

Calendar Girls

My 17 yo dd ordered "Calendar Girls" from Netflix. Having seen it many times, I was up for it again, as it was the perfect amount of time to finish my socks.

Project Stats:

Pattern: a calculated pattern from the web with my foot measurments and knitting gauge

Started: November 2006?

Finished: March 8, 2007

Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Yarns, Fingering Weight, 100% Merino Wool, Color: Donna's Favorite, Lot 011, 2 skeins

Needle Size: US 2, dpns

Knitty Spring 07'

OMG...I am sooooo happy with the new Spring 07' Knitty. I will say, hands down, it is better than the Spring 07' IK issue. Please don't be offended by my comment...we don't have the same tastes, but there were a few knitters out there that agreed with me on the new IK format. To Vogue knitting to me.

SP10 is about to be started...new patterns in Knitty that I am crazy for and more fiber to buy from elann.com to handle it all. (I'm just giddy with excitement).

Almost done with sock #2 of the handpaint yarn...hopefully tonight while catching another episode of Northern Exposure, Season 5.

Gardening News: Yesterday with the lovely weather we had, I was able to get out and get the yard mowed. So pretty. My garlic is coming up, I have tomoto and pepper starts in the kitchen window sill, french vanilla marigolds have second leaves on them, sweet peas and more "gem" marigolds are out on their seedling warming pads in a mini greenhouse in my garden house. The rain today was a welcome event, pushing down all the bark I have laid out...showing me where I need to place more.