This N' That

just wanted to share a few photos of FOs. Some from a long time ago, and some fairly new. NO words - just photos, here ya' go.

Knit-Out 2008

I started out on Friday afternoon at Knitted Together in Des Moines, and found a few skeins. Then off to pick up Kristin and my sister Biddy a newer knitter and a great spender! We headed north on Saturday morning in great weather and got to the MALL at about 11:15. We got rock star parking and headed in. We ran into Jenifer and found Susan B. Anderson of Itty Bitty Hat fame all within about 2 minutes. We by-passed the huge lines of people waiting for free fun fur and other wonderful swag. I was more than impressed with how nice, not to mention humble, Susan B. Anderson was. She was just so darn cute. She signed my book, took a photo with me and allowed us to walk with her to another one of the Knit-Out venues. I felt like I was stalking her, I watched for her everywhere that day. She gets my, 'you made my day award'. (once again, a BAD photo of me - next time I'll dress as if I might get the chance to take my picture with Susan (?) SBA (?)) To my defence, I was sort of shaking on the inside, but I could have at least smiled.
Okay, now that I've come down from cloud nine, I'll give my humble review of the Knit-Out. Let's just say it doesn't get the 'you made my day award'. People stood in line for hours to get free, well, with no better word to describe it, CRAP. Save the authors and designers it was not a great gig. It was not what we were looking forward to, we were looking for the hand dyed, hand spun yarn. All we wanted was a chance to spend some money on yarn. We did eventually find that opportunity to spend at a few of the LYSs in MPLS. Our motto was leave your money in the Cities, and we did.
The weather took a turn for the worse and we had to make an over-night stop in Mason City due to the ice and blowing snow. It gave us time to knit and to have a few adult cocktails.
Here's what I purchased over the weekend and what was waiting for me when I got home.I got this sock started during the 25 mph drive home. I love the yarn and I love my new 11" Balene Needles even more. Socks will be for Kristin. A great travel pal - no complaining or foot tapping while we shopped endlessly for more yarn we didn't need.

I got this Pumpkin color for a sweater for Kristin - those who travel with the knitters will get something knitted for them.
These skeins are for the Inga Hat, a free pattern from eweniquefiber.com.

These skeins are for the White Witch Mitts, a free mitten pattern on Knittingdaily from Interweave Press.

I got these two skeins in Des Moines. Both are sort of Neopolitan - browns,pinks,tans. I can't wait to make some socks from these. They're Opal and Sockina Cotton.

This is what was waiting for me when I got home. Three skeins of LionBrand Cotton Ease in pineapple for more ISU sweaters. I bought it on Ravelry (my newest obsession).

This is the longest blog ever - so thanks for hanging in there. By the way, don't the photos look better? Amazing what a piece of white poster board will do for the photos.
One of the best things about the Knit-Out was the opportunity to meet people who just plain love to knit. We met Anna and Lou from California and they were great. I hope they read this blog and we become long-distance knitter-friends.

all my best
amy

Oops

Oh yea, and I forgot to add...I finished the Noro striped scarf. My photos don't do it justice, nothing like Jared from brooklyntweed. I think I really liked the photos of his scarf more than the scarf itself. Oh well, live and learn. The process of hunting down those four skeins of yarn was fun, it was a quest. I only used 2 skeins, so I think I'll make some fake fair isle hats with the left overs.

And since I'm confessing, I also broke down and bought 8 more skeins of Noro to make and felt some Christmas stockings for Joe and Claire as a wedding gift.

So my 'no yarn purchases until Feb' has been busted. But it was on sale, 20% off, couldn't pass it up.

best
aim

Friday Update

Since I've last updated the blogsite, I've completed another pair of leg warmers. I made them for Sarah's very tall friend, Fran. Hope she like's them. They look just like Sarah's only 'a few rounds' longer.

I also made these

Cece got a new coat, in MY current, favorite, mint-chip colors. I made them with my two-color knitting in mind. It's pretty simple 2 color knitting, but 2 color non the less. I even made a cute little picot edge around the wrist. I watched Susan B. Anderson's tut and it was super easy.

Next on the needles? MY mint-chip socks and some felted slippers for some of the girls at work.

Until the next post. Keep at it.

Here's To a Colorful New Year

Hello all. I've had a few 'good' knitting days lately. A few projects actually started and completed. I had three days off from work and Dave was home so that meant that I could spend some quality time with the ol'knitting needles. I made a hat, 2 bibs, and one sock. Here's the photos.
More to follow - and as promised, 08 is the year of 2 color knitting.

A Little Christmas Knitting

GO HAWKS!

YEA! I've finished the Hawkeye socks. Let's reveal the recipient - Paul Graves. Paul is my sister-in-law's father who's been battling skin cancer. Although I don't know him very well, he seems to be a tough ol'bird with never ending strength. Here's to you Paul, a pair of socks. It's not much but I thought it might brighten his day and warm his feet. Thankfully, I'm sure Paul has never held a pair of knitting needles so maybe he won't notice that the socks, although close in color do not actually match. One is WAY more orange than gold. ANYWAY, I'm happy to have those babies off the needles and on to something else. (Jen, I'll give them to Johanna to bring with her on Sat.)
I happen to have one more skein of the Hawkeye sock yarn. Anyone interested in a pair of socks - they'd have to be either small or very short, maybe anklets? Any takers?

Here's my other Christmas projects, some finished in July, some just a few days ago. The small blanket and 'yoga' leg warmers. In the middle of my knitting the leg warmers Sarah told me that she'd just gone to her last class. Sarah, you'd better have signed up for another class! Notice the barely noticeable stripes in those leg warmers. I was pleased with how they turned out, they're soft, warm, and ready for the downward dog.


What's next? The Noro scarf. Can't wait to see that baby start to stripe...again, not sure of where it will make its home upon completion.
That's all, gotta knit. Oh yea, and early, New Year's Resolutions? 2008 is the year of color, 2 color knitting for me and better knitting photos - I'm going to work on the lighting issue. The new 'green' light bulbs suck, they're just not bright enough.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good knit. HA!

Tuesday Morn'

Hey bloggers (that's how Rosie opens her talkie blogs, Susan B. Anderson opens with 'hey knitters'). Thanks for sharin'.

ANYWAY, I have new knitting news. I've finished 4 of the 6 Cy Sweaters - yea! I've also completed a hat and matching mittens. They're made, loosely, from the same pattern as the ISU mittens. They're for my neighbor Jenny - hope she's not reading this blog so that I can surprise her. Here's a photo.The mittens have the same cable as the hat - you just can't see it very well in the picture.
I'm now going to finish the green cardigan and then I'll be working on some leg warmers - yes leg warmers. It's funny but, they were the first thing I made, when I re-took-up knitting. I was a freshman in high school and although I knew how to knit, I'd never used DPNs and Jane helped me. She was very patient whilst in the midst of getting her MBA and raising 3 kids. ANYWAY, they were navy blue, acrylic and I wish I still had them.
The new leg warmers, or leggins, as I've seen them called on blogsites, will be made from a soft black, self striping yarn. I have to frog a hat that was too big and get going. The best part is, I don't have to buy any yarn. I'm having new project jitters - can't wait to start.
Hey to the 'knights'. Hope that cabled mitten is going well. I'm expecting a photo. Kudos to you for giving it the ol'college try.