So Far Behind in Writing!

It is hard to believe that I've let almost two months pass without posting anything here. Of course I've been busy with knitting and quilting classes, spending time actually working on a quilt, knitting Christmas gifts as fast as I could, and meeting with a couple of dear knitting friends at 88 Stitches, my favourite knitting shop in Langley, BC, Canada.

Christmas is over for 2007 and it was a good thing that I was ready early. I became ill with a very bad cold on December 24th. Wasn't feeling very good on the 22nd or 23rd but I thought my neck and headache were due to fibromyalgia, weather changing or just having my neck out of alignment. I haven't been to see my chiropractor in awhile as I'd used up the number of visits that I could have for the year, and I would have had to pay full price.

I now have larygitis and even though that should make my husband happy, he is also feeling poorly and the silence around here is quite nice after all the noise of Christmas Day.

Thankfully my daughter, my youngest son's girl friend and my daughter's friend managed to get Christmas dinner on the table. I mostly lay on the couch in the family room trying to sleep but Buckley's cough medicine must have something in it that causes sleeplessness. It did say that if sleeplessness occurred to stop the medication. The medication did help for about an hour after taking it, but I couldn't get to sleep for two nights now.

I was so ill, I didn't even want to knit so when my eldest son phoned from Japan, he knew I was really very ill.

I've posted all my recent projects on Ravelry and as I'm still not competent in posting them here, I'll just leave them there.

I'm really enjoying Ravelry. As I've already inventoried my yarn, needles and books on the computer, I don't need to use that part of Ravelry, but it is fun to add new projects that I'm working on and it does inspire me to finish them. My goal for the next two months is to finish up all the projects that I have on needles and finish about nine more projects that I've been planning to do for months now. So I have about sixteen projects to complete before I begin something new with the beautiful yarn that I received for Christmas.

It will be hard to not start something new, but having all these UFO's is really getting to me.

It is time to finish a pair of denim pants for my grandson before he is too big to wear 18 month old sizes. So I am working on his pants and thankfully my son emailed me his current sizes so if need be, I can make them a bit bigger.

Off to rest again. This cold is horrible and I don't wish it upon anyone. Well, maybe one person, who will remain nameless.

So Much Knitting and Quilting and So Little Time

My weeks have been just flying by. In spite of the weather being conducive to knitting, I've had very little time to just sit and knit. Between knitting classes and quilting classes and homework, plus of course the never ending laundry, running errands, and preparing dinners, walking the dog, and of course sitting and knitting at 88 Stitches on Friday's, where I tend to go around and look at new patterns, touch the beautiful yarn and chat more than I knit, I haven't gotten as far as I wanted to be with my current projects.

I started the Tilted Duster from Interweave Fall, 2007 as a KAL with the owner of 88 Stitches and the instructor from the shop, and although this is a big project, the first part is done and being blocked.

My adventures into quilting have been somewhat frustrating and also a great deal of fun. I literally had chest pain due to anxiety for the first three weeks of classes. Not having sewn for many years now, I felt that I was suddenly planted into a foreign land. Much like how I've felt during our two trips to Japan to visit our son and daughter-in-law. Not knowing the language of Japan nor the language of quilting, it has been a very interesting experience. The quilting that is. Japan is of course beautiful and not knowing the language isn't really a problem when shopping for yarn. And my daughter-in-law is getting quite good at reading patterns in Japanese for me.

I'm enjoying the art of mixing colours with quilting and since all my Rowan kidsilk haze has arrived for a scarf from Scarf Style, it will be fun to built a scarf with colour. I'm finding that the two crafts do compliment each other.

At Ravelry, I've posted my recent finished projects and since it is easier to do it there rather than to figure out how to add links and pictures here, I will link to Ravelry. I now have a link to 88 Stitches here and although I still can't remember how to do the html while writing, it works for me just to have links along the side of the page.

So, I'm heading back to working on the first sleeve of the Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan and hopefully get more done on a scarf from Freedom Spirit and Wool for my daughter for Christmas. Christmas will be upon us before we know it, and I still have to finish a few projects to send to Japan.

With the way things are with Nova Company in Japan, it seems that our son, daughter-in-law, and beautiful one year old grandson will be coming to live in Canada with us. I'm really looking forward to having them here.

I'm still trying to decide what to send my daughter-in-law's mom for Christmas. Last year I made her a beautiful shawl out of Silky Wool and she loved it. I have a shawl made but I think it would be too heavy for her. We'll see. Maybe I'll just whip up something quick in my so-called spare time.

Freedom Spirit Beret

I finally finished the beret pattern from Freedom Spirit. I chose to do it in the round rather than have a seam up the back. My head is small and at first it was slipping down to my eyes. I blocked it in cold water, soaking it throughly and gently squeezing out the excess water. Spinning it in the washing machine for about 15 seconds is another way I do this type of blocking but I was too lazy to go down to the basement. It now fits my head perfectly however the picture that my youngest son took of me wasn't the best. I was trying to get him to get the hat and how wonderful it looks as a beret, but it didn't work. I do have this model that I got from a local beauty shop and she works great. Besides her head is about the size of mine!

Trying to figure out how to get a picture here plus take the picture and then upload it to my computer is old hat to me. No pun intended. But I haven't worked with html for several years so I'm very new at trying to link the pattern or even to link 88 Stitches, where I bought both the pattern and the yarn. Eventually I'll get it right.

So Behind with everything!

I can't believe that it has been over a month since I sat and wrote anything about knitting. I've been so busy knitting and now quilting plus trying to do normal activities of daily living that I haven't had time to post any pictures or even sit and write.

I'm still not posting any pictures today as I have quilting homework that I want to complete this evening. I'm blocking a beret that I made out of Freedom Spirit and will have a picture eventually.

Every Friday I go to 88 Stitches in Langley for a Stitch n' Chat that I started there. It is a select group of women knitters and so far there are only 3 of us, but we don't want the shop to advertise for people as there is already a drop in knitting group that the owner of the shop created. That can have as many as 8 people or even more and as I prefer daytime activities, I've only been there once. Besides my husband likes to be fed.

I'll try to post more often and post pictures and even a few patterns that I've modified.

Missed Knitting Class

I overslept and missed my knitting class yesterday. I'd signed up for a month long knitting class making something of my choice but with the instructor helping as needed. It is a wonderful way to make something that is a bit difficult, but also something that takes about a month to complete. Well, my body just decided that it needed more sleep, so the two projects that I was considering are still sitting in a bag in the family room.

All was not lost though. I popped into 88 Stitches and sat with Sue for a couple of hours, knitting on another diamond triangle scarf. Since this is my third scarf with this pattern, it is almost mindless knitting at this time. It is a perfect way to try out different yarns that change colours. And the scarves look wonderful.

I haven't been on a scarf kick for awhile now. However, after taking two one day scarf classes in July and August, I've been back knitting scarves. They make for quick projects and also make great Christmas gifts. Of course, my youngest son says he doesn't need anymore scarves, but he'll probably get one anyway in his stocking this year.

I have about 10 UFO's on needles now. That is too many for me, but it seems to be where I'm going these days. I just can't resist buying some of the new Fall yarns from 88 Stitches, and it seems that all I want to do is knit them up as quickly as possible.

I did start the front of my son's sweater last night. If I can continue to do 10 rows each day, I may have this sweater finished by Christmas. The fingerless gloves became a nightmare for me on the long weekend. I tried doing the thumb gusset and the lace pattern got lost somehow each time I tried. I mapped out a different way to incorporate the lace but I'd still find myself with either one less stitch or one extra. I finally gave up and worked with a spiral pattern that I've done twice before. The cashmere is a tad stretchy and now they will actually fit my hands. However, I've only got one halfway finished because I keep working on a scarf or trying to get this sweater done.

Sometimes there aren't enough hours in a day to knit. Other times, I oversleep and lose many knitting hours.

Another Day of Knitting

The weather is fine, and I should be outside gardening, however I sit here still in my pj's with my knitting waiting for another round to be done on my lace fingerless gloves. I'm using 100% cashmere in fuschia that I bought from handknitting.com. It is lovely to work with. I've already made the lace scarf from the Debbie Bliss book of Pure Silk out of some of the cashmere. I took the lace pattern from the scarf, altered it to make fingerless gloves and I'm at the thumb gusset now. It has been slow going as I have about 10 UFO's to complete. I have a couple of scarves on the go for simple knitting, but I'm trying to finish a crew necked sweater for my youngest son. It is out of Debbie Bliss merino DK and in a light grey.

Trying to keep up with my knitting when I frequent my favourite yarn shop, 88 Stitches which is located in Walnut Grove and fairly close to me makes it difficult. I have to go into the shop at least once a week to see what Sue has that's new. And she always seems to order the things that I love. The right colours, the right yarns, and the shop is coming along beautifully.

She's the new owner and she has really put her heart and soul into this shop. And it shows!

Back to knitting and I will post a picture of these fingerless gloves when I get them completed or maybe when I finish the first one. I will post the scarves that I've finished once I upload the pictures to my computer.

It is hard to do everything that I want to do. And dealing with my chronic pain, trying to keep up with household chores and spend time with my family means that at least I can knit and listen and even talk at the same time. It is the perfect hobby to have as far as I'm concerned.

Me teaching my high school friend, Patty how to knit. At the end of July, eight of my high school friends came to Canada to visit me. We had a slumber party to end all slumber parties. Can you imagine nine females aged 59-60 being together in one place laughing, talking, crying, eating, drinking and talking some more about high school, their lives since age 18, and sharing some very intimate details of their lives? Well, it did happen and four of these dear friends of mine wanted to learn how to knit. I taught them. It was so much fun, a tad hysterical and so funny trying to teach the few that had had a bit too much red wine. Some left with needles and yarn and how to cast on, cast off, knit and even purl!