Booties and Baseball

We are fortunate. Every year, the JUCO World Series happens in our town. We went to a game last night. I brought my knitting.

In the next section over, anyone who bought a funnel cake was mercilessly teased by a large crowd of laughing youth. With cries of "FUNNEL CAKE, FUNNEL CAKE!" they harrassed the poor victim all the way back to their seat. It was funny. I have never had a desire to eat funnel cake. Good thing!

Warm Up America in Antarctica

Here's the first Warm Up America blanket knitted and crocheted at McMurdo Station and Scott Base during "Winterover" 2005.


My husband sent me a link to Antarctic conservation blog, part of the National History Museum in the UK. It made me feel nostalgic. Oh how I miss the fellowship of knitting together in the dark winter months (May-August) in Antarctica.

The Warm Up America blanket is a group knitting project that happens every year in Antarctica, as well as all over the USA. At the bottom of the world, the blanket has morphed into "THE CHARITY BLANKET" and is now donated in other countries too. What could be better than spreading the love around the world? Also, more people learn to knit/crochet or knit/crochet better every time they make a square! The blankets have been donated to a womens shelter, childrens homes, hospices, and a homeless shelter. So far.

socks two at a time

I'm making slow progress on the new (to me) way of knitting socks but not because it's hard. I simply have too many knitting projects going at once and need to concentrate on these fun socks exclusively for a bit. I love connecting two ends of the same skein of yarn and making two socks at the same time. It's so satisfying to know that I am knitting both socks the exact same way without having to count rows.

Baby Set Finito

I did it! I followed the pattern to the letter. The only thing I added was ribbon weaved in at the button band, but I followed the pattern. Exactly! I CAN do it, whadoyaknow! Crossing THAT off the list. I will put an edge on a couple of flannel receiving blankets to use as wrapping "paper" for this gift and put it in the mail to New Zealand. I purchased the fabric yesterday and it's just out of the dryer. I like to wash fabric, especially cotton flannel, so it does its shrinking before the sewing. Hopefully this gift will arrive before the baby.

Blocking the Baby Sweater

The sweater pieces are dry from blocking. Now comes the sewing part and not my favorite process. I usually knit sweaters in the round so I don't have to do this but I am challenging myself to follow a pattern without altering it just to see if I CAN. So far, I've followed the directions. Exactly. This is a big deal for me, letting the pattern boss me around.

Cats

YUM! May I have another?

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Chloe begging like a dog, no shame. The black kitty, Pro-mi, is horrified by her lack of proper feline aloofness.

Knit Graffiti photos

More Knit Graffiti

Knit Graffiti at the Grand Junction Jazz Festival

Grand Junction's local knitting store, Tangle, displayed their love for knitting downtown during the Jazz Festival. Knitting is not like you remember it from your grandmother's day. Welcome to the 21st century of knitting. Tangle knows how to have fun. Thank you Allison and Christina for keeping knitting alive and well. And artful.












I have more knitting graffiti photos from today but will post again in the days to follow.

Socks Two at a Time

I just started these test socks to see what it's like to knit two at a time on one long circular needle. It could definitely be a cure for second sock-itis. Or even, second sleeve-osis, or maybe even second mitten-virus, aka M1M2 virus.

Knit Along shawl

Valerie and I are off to a great start...our third...on this wrap we are knitting together. Mine is in baby alpaca and Valerie's is in organic cotton. The pattern is "Collared Wrap" from Xrx Books - Book 2: The Purl Stitch

Baby Lid

This baby hat goes with the booties and cardigan in previous posts and I'm making a flower to attach.

Knitted Old Antarctic Explorer (OAE)

Shackleton keeps company with Olaf the OAE. I knitted him one Sunday afternoon and stuffed him with polyfil. He's one of a kind.

Lynn's Lid

Hats are a favorite of mine to knit. Here's another one. I used Noro Kureyon and Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride wool. It's lined with fleece for extra coziness. My inspiration comes from the book 45 Fine and Fanciful Hats to Knit by Anna Zilboorg.

Knitting with 1000 strands

This morning I awoke to an email from my excellent friend, Christine, a Californian living in New Zealand with her Kiwi husband, Antz. It simply said:

This is fascinating!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVRfVEONxJQ&feature=related

AND IT IS! Well worth 7 minutes of your life to view. Click here

Baby Cardi, Booties, and Hat WIP

I am motoring along on the baby set. The booties need ties and the sweater needs sleeves. I just started the hat. In the hat, I think I'll repeat the design in the sweater.

I love the John Q yarn from New Zealand. 50% is a blend of Alpaca, Corn, Cashmere, Silk, and Angora. 30% is NZ Merino and the rest is Acrylic. I'm knitting with a US size 5 needle.

The sweater pattern is a free download from Classic Elite Yarns.

The booties are a modified version of 100 year old pattern for booties that stay on and I'm sorry I can't remember where I got the original pattern. I've knitted so many of these booties that the pattern is in my head. I vary it each time, sometimes with ribbing, sometimes ALL stockinette stich. The hat is also in my head (for now).

Sunday Morning

Chloe, the foster kitty from Roice Hurst Humane Society with a survivor story to rival the Dalmations' evil Cruella de Vil, is loving her new digs. She's a new woman and oh SO loved. She puts up with hugs all day long, playing aloof, but I know she secretly enjoys it.

Talie's Sweater

Winterover 2008 was a stellar year for knitters at McMurdo Station and Scott Base in Antarctica. Here'a an almost-finished sweater that Talie designed and knitted, one of several she made that winter. I remember the first day she arrived on Ice and taking her to her dorm. We both spent over a year there, my 8th season, her 1st. We knitters had a really good time that year.

Cabled Cardi

This is a WIP, since, well, since a long time ago. It might get finished this year.

Felted Messenger Bag WIP

Another bag, and this time I felted the heck out of it. It's a modified version of a pattern from the beautiful book Norwegian Handknits. The flap was knitted separately and hand-sewn onto the bag with a contrasting pine-green yarn in a zig-zaggy rustic fashion. I knit the shoulder strap from that color also.

The bag waits to be lined and embellished with embroidery. I'm still in drawing stage on the design. I want rosemaling to be my inspiration. I chose a lovely red shade from my stash. So far, that's the only color but I'll add more.

By the way, if you have a chance to visit the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa, USA, don't miss it. Hubby took me there on one of our road trips about a dozen years ago and I LOVED it...beautiful things and amazing needlework.