guilt free knitting!

i pilfered this from the twist collective website. i do not feel the least bit guilty about doing so as i really believe that all knitters should heed this advice and 'knit on'!!!

mele kalikimaka!!!

is the island way to say merry christmas to you!!

aloha, i may be just a tad bit tardy in wishing you the best of holidays but i've been a tad bit busy these past several weeks - seems i was forced to kick back, put my feet up and knit under the swaying palms you see in the above pictures! rather rough life, ehhh.....

i've just returned from my annual soiree to the islands! and it was one, hell of a way to miss the biggest snowstorm in history! i did see it on the news everyday and i did feel your pain even though i was basking in 80 degree weather! well, yes, someone has to do it!!

and so...on to the knitting! and first off i must say, i have finally learned my lesson about not completing a pair of socks in a timely manner! i.e. knitting one, setting it aside, and waiting a year to finish its mate! does not bode well! my brain just cannot handle it anymore! it is really a bummer when you have to frog because you weren't using the same size needle as the pattern called for but you forgot to note your change!

however, i am happy to report that at long (and i mean long) last all of my single socks now have a partner! yippee! and i will not, and i repeat, let single socks live alone anymore!! i promise, i promise, i promise! gosh, i see a new year's resolution in the making!!

keep on knitting in the free world!

over the moon!

my cup runneth over! well, actually, it would be my studio area!

i was in yarn heaven on saturday when i attended the blue moon fiber arts destash sale (believe me, i had absolutely no trouble lending a helping hand with the destashing!).

it was a bright sunny, yet crisp, late fall morning when the mergster and i set sail for a delightful outing to scappoose. the amazing thing about the start of this adventure was that i had actually done a little pre-trip planning and map quested the sale site - not that spending hours wandering around scappoose wouldn't have been delightful but i had other fish to fry that day!

instead of following the map totally, i took a shortcut on the back roads through north portland and over the st. johns bridge. i would have to say that of all the bridges in portland that just might be my favorite. there is absolutely nothing like heading east over the bridge on a clear, sunny day - the views of mt. st. helens and mt. hood are to die for!! but, i digress.

anyhoo, as bernice would say, the voyage was extremely pleasant and we had absolutely no trouble what so ever finding the site! yippee! gosh, maybe i should preplan all the time! and the mergster's wish was granted - they had coffee and doughnuts by the door!!

once inside, i knew i was in trouble! yarn was everywhere! within minutes, my arms were full! it's amazing what one can accomplish when one is on a mission! yes, believe it or not, i did have several knitting projects in mind, such as the february sweater kal but, then i saw it - the str mill ends - and i knew the party was over!! and yes, indeed, it was!! i did my christmas and birthday shopping for myself, of course, in a matter of minutes! and...i actually put a couple skeins of yarn back which is pretty unbelievable!!

in this fun and festive environment, i met a number of my fellow knitaholics, and, just like every other addiction, they come in all sizes, shapes and ages!! we happened upon a wonderful young women that has been knitting the infamous sock monkeys, something like 25 so far!! she had a ton of them with her and they were wonderful - this prompted a trip back to the pattern area! i'm quickly advancing these little cuties to the top of my 'must knit' list!

my damages amounted to three bags full - sort of prophetic, i think!, loads of laughter, some great donut holes and coffee and a chance to chat with my fellow addicts, tina and her fellow sockateers - beats the hell out of a shopping mall hands down and i was home by noon! 

now that i'm done with my holiday shopping, i spent yesterday balling up and fondling all of my new acquisitions. i was winding my year at such a furious rate that i am now sporting a lovely bruise on my knuckle from the handle of my ball winder where it kept whacking me when i would let it go! ah, the scares of battle! 

o.k., now that that's over, where to begin! who's holiday gift is first on the needles? or, could it be a monkey or two, or three?

tres chic!!!

word on the street is that this little number is 'hot' down in duckville (u of o land). it's a knock off of the sweater floral earwarmer from www.urbanoutfitters.com. a fast and easy holiday knit for those favorite folks on your list. my friend janice sent me the pattern as she has been making tons for her niece and friends. here's how i did mine:

sweater floral earwarmer

supplies: worsted weight yarn (great stash buster as it doesn't take too terribly much - you can get several out of a skein of brown sheep!); size 7 or 8 circular needles - 16 inch length (i am a loosey goosey knitter so i've opted for the smaller size!); stitch marker.

directions: cast on 100 stitches and join for knitting in the round (be careful not to twist your stitches or you'll find yourself in a world of hurt and froggin'!! argh!!). place stitch marker at beginning of round and k2 p2 for 3 1/2 to 4 inches. bind off and work in ends. could it be any simpler than that? i mean, really, a great beginner project with immediate results - a great ego booster!

rosette: i make two of these.

cast on 112 stitches.

row 1: knit to end.

row 2: k2, *k1, slip this stitch back onto left hand needle, lift the next 8 stitches on left hand needle over this stitch and off needle, knit the first stitch again, k2; repeat from *a total of 10 times.

row 3: knit 24 stitches, *wrap next stitch, turn work.

row 4: knit 24 stitches to end of row.

row 5: knit 16 stitches, wrap next stitch, turn work.

row 6: knit 16 stitches to end of row.

row 7: knit 8 stitches, wrap next stitch, turn work.

row 8: knit 8 stitches to end of row.

cut yarn and thread this yarn through stitches on needle, pull tightly (or looser to create desired size) to create a rosette, secure with a few stitches. make a french knot in center of rosette. the second rosette should be stretched out more to surround the first rosette and secured to first rosette. secure the completed rosette to the headband (i put it over the area where i worked in my ends) stitching it at several locations so it is well secured and doesn't flop around and voila! you have created a work of art that is oh, so, tres chic!! ho, ho, ho!

my vote for sock kal!

well, the tuesday of thanksgiving week i received my final bundle of joy for the 2009 rockin' sock club (which i am now 2 1/2 pairs behind! argh!), a gorgeous hank of muted fall tones - perfect for late fall! yum! yum!

in her dyer's notes, tina was chatting about sock patterns that would be great for sock kals. she mentioned patterns such as cookie a's 'monkey' and grumperina's 'jaywalker'. this got me thinking about what my choice would be so i am nominating this dandy little number - 'hepsi's sock'. i found this pattern on ravelry.com. it was designed by heli heikkila, who hails from finland, the land of reindeer (fitting for this time of year with santa and all!).

it is a four row pattern that really only has any action on row 1, so any feeble minded person can pretty much memorize it rather quickly (i managed!). it is pretty easy to maneuver through the english translation. god bless those people who speak a foreign tongue and have english as a second language - sometimes the sentence structure leaves a bit to be desired but, hey, at least they know a second language which is more than i can say for myself! and according to friends, my sentence structure also leaves a bit to be desired!

the greatest thing about this pattern is that you can choose to do your own heel thing! yahoo, that works for me as i am currently having a love affair with the short row heel. it is a real slammer, once you get the hang of it - wham, bam, thank you, mam! done in no time at all! i know what you skeptics will say, it probably won't wear as well as the standard, government issue, gusset heel but, hey, if it wears out, i'll just have to knit a new pair, it's not like i don't have any extra yarn on hand!!! :-)

once i complete the yellow pair, i am on to holiday knitting. i've decided to knit cowls for friends and relatives. i found a number of fun and challenging freebies in the pattern section of ravelry so i'm dying to begin. and besides, i think i'll design a pattern of my own!! happy knitting!

where it all began!

inquiring minds have wanted to know where my blog name came from so here in lies the tale!

a number of years ago i decided i wanted to make soap. after spending a lot of time investigating the subject and overcoming my fear of dealing with lye and the accompanying poison warning signs, i made the leap! now, each and every year, around this time, i make several batches of soap to gift during the holidays. and, this year is no different - in the past couple of weeks i have made batches of lime-coconut, orange-spice, and almond.

i thought i would share some of the steps involved in the process as my science experiment progressed so......here goes!step #1 - i measure out 12 ounces of sodium hydroxide (very scientific, eh?) otherwise known as lye.

step #2 - i combine the sodium hydroxide with 4 cups of cold water. i do this with the windows open, the exhaust fan running full bore, while wearing gloves, goggles and a mask. the fumes are extremely toxic! the neatest part of this operation is that when the sodium hydroxide mixes with the water the temperature rises to well over 180 degrees! science in action - should have paid more attention in high school chemistry class as i know there is some term for this. once the sodium hydroxide dissolves i leave the water/lye mix to cool. step #3 - now i measure out the oilsand place in a pot. i put the pot on the stove on low and waitand wait and wait for the oils to melt (this takes a long time since the oils are over low heat because you don't want them to get too hot!)

step #4 - i spend tons of time checking temperatures of both the oils and the water/lye. both need to be between 100 and 110 degrees.

step #5 - when both have reached the same temperature, i pour the water/lye solution into the oils and begin mixing and mixingand mixing until the solution begins to thicken and saponify (the chemical reaction that binds the oil and lye together to make soap).

when it reaches the stage of thick whipped cream, it's ready for the molds, which are filled in rapid order while the mixture is still pliable!

step #6 - once the molds are filled they are put to bed wrapped in a big wool blanket to hibernate for the next 24 hours while the saponification process continues.

step #7 - 24 hours or so later, the soaps are unmolded and set aside to finish curing for another three weeks.

voila! soap that has a wonderful aroma and good lather that takes you to infinity and beyond!

a sort of 'cosmic comfort'!!

never felt better!

let me introduce you to the feltmaker's dream machine - the wonder washer. a neat little unit that sits on your counter and whirls away felting the heck out of knitted wool. i acquired this little number several years ago when i discovered that my expensive, 'had to have' (it is environmentally friendly) front loader would not allow me to felt! argh!

after putting the hit on my friends for the use of their top loaders, i stumbled upon the wanda at one of the lys, swishing a felted hat. eureka! i had hit the mother lode! i couldn't get home fast enough and hit the net to order one of these for myself! and i'm mighty glad i did as it works like a charm - a couple of 15 minute rounds and voila, felting ecstasy!

i found a great pattern for a labyrinth carpetbag in the ik holiday gifts 2008. i raided my wool leftovers and put together side a

and side b.

an extremely quick knit (i guess it might only have been a quick knit because i have been obsessed with it and have done nothing else!) so, after coffee this morning i abandoned all other tasks and fired up wanda, the wonder!

i filled up the bucket with hot water and a little detergent and stuffed in the bag!
turned the dial to 15 minutes and let 'er rip!

this is the bag submerged in the water...

and here is the bag agitating, like a whirling dervish!

after a couple of go rounds - tada, the felted bag stuffed with plastic bags (thank goodness i haven't recycled them lately but, my, oh my, they seem to multiple way too easily!). the pattern recommended a dandy set of handles. i googled the brand listed and was astonished to find that they were pushin' $40 a pair!! ouch! so, i think i'll check out the goodwill for a handbag and recycle and reuse an old set!

a win-win all the way around! using up some stash while creating a new project bag! and above all, getting to play with wanda again!! :-)

mission accomplished!

here they are! shots of the aforementioned sweaters completed during the month of october.

Number 1 is the 'side to side garter stitch vest' from the tahki book terra collection. it is knit in black cable cotton from elisbeth lavold. the pattern had a mistake in it which i, fortunately, learned about on ravelry before knitting the item. once again, aside from the error, i felt the directions were vague and lacking. as is the case with sewing, i'm glad i'm not a newby knitter or this could have put me over the top! as far as the stitches go, it was pretty boring with miles of nothing but garter stitch! ugh!

Number 2 is the february lady's sweater. the pattern is available on ravelry - well written and a fast and easy knit - again, miles of garter stitch in the top area but a fun and simple lace pattern for the body and sleeves. The absolute best bargain with this little number is the lack of seaming since it is a knit in one piece from the neck down! blessings to ez for originally designing this one!
it is knit out of a gorgeous tweed in blues/greens from plymouth. i was forced to make two trips to foothills yarn and fiber in the beautiful hood river valley to get an adequate amount of yarn to finish the sweater. it really was a tough assignment! especially the parts when i was forced to fondle beautiful new alpaca yarn!

Number 3 is 'juliet' from zepher style. i used ggh 'aspen' yarn that i snagged at the abundant yarn and dyeworks end of summer soiree. another fast knit since the yarn is a bulky number. and, once again, another visit to the land of the garter stitch and, of course, knit from the top down so no seams to sew! can't beat that!! the sweater seems to be a hit as i've experienced a lot of swooning!

so, what's next you ask? actually, whether you ask or not, i'll tell! it's time to begin my yearly adventure in soap making. so...out comes the oils, lye and delightful essential oil aromas. let the wild rumpus begin! until next time...bubble, bubble, toil and trouble!

it's in the bag!

it's been a looooooong time comin'. i picked up this fabric at fibers in motion in multnomah village so many months ago. it spoke to me! not the least bit surprising to me with the fabulous rich color combo! the fabric is from the designer series called 'jane's hothouse garden' by jane sassaman for westminster fibers. if you have never seen a quilt by jane, give her a google - when you've seen one, you'll never forget her and her style and use of color!! va-va-voom!

as usual, the fabric sat in it's bag (i'm not a person who limits their fabric purchases to specific projects, to say the least!!) waiting for that magic moment. lo and behold, that project reared it's head on the cover to the july '08 issue of threads mag - july, mind you! after moving the bag of fabric and the mag around 'my hole' (my beloved's description of my studio!) for many moons, i decided that enough was enough on a dismal, dreary, rainy fall morning. what better way to pick up one's spirits on such a dank day than with bright, vivid color! and so the adventure began.

i must say that the pattern, as is the case with many patterns i seem to come across, was lacking 'big time' in directions. once again, 'thank you, jesus', i'm glad i'm not a beginning seamstress or i would have been extremely frustrated! after multiple re-readings of what brief notes were included and deciphering sparse pictures, i was on my way. and, voila, above is the result - a delightful new knitting bag!

as is usually the case, it took longer to construct than i had anticipated but isn't that the way it always seems to go! and alas, as usual, some activities of daily living (i.e. cleaning, vacuuming, cooking) had to take a back seat - oh, soooooo sad! but, i guess i can apply the old adage that no creative person wants to see on her headstone: "she kept a neat house!". i'd rather have a bright new bag!

YAHOO!!!

praise the lord and pass the ammunition!!

it's a new dawn!!!

knit on!!!

prolific!

prolific adj 1 producing many offspring or much output. 2 [often foll. by of] abundantly productive.

and apparently, on hindsight, that is exactly what i have been this past month! not in the offspring area (heaven forbid!!) but in the knitting area! my heavens, i have cranked out a couple of sweaters, a couple of vests, a sock, and a couple of lace shawls! wow!! since i am absolutely the world's worst photographer, i'm waiting for assistance with sweater pictures but here is my latest shawl. it is the evelyn clark pattern 'flower basket' from fiber trends, knit from some wonderful handspun blue faced leicester in the colorway 'autumn' from abstract fiber.com. i scored this delicious find at offf - i passed it in a booth at least three times (it kept calling me!) before i stepped up to the plate and made it mine! it soooo says fall to me!! i love it! casual and dressy at the same time! oh, so versatile!!

and i must say, this lace knitting business is really something!! it is soooo cool! and it really moves along once you get the hang of the respective pattern!! i could be in deep, deep trouble!! every time i look at yarn i am seeing lace patterns! yikes!! i think i'm in love!!

it's a wrap!

and here's a quick peek before it gets shipped off to its rightful owner, my newlywed niece, rebecca. happy birthday, becs!! it is the shawl collar vest designed by amanda berka and available free on ravelry - and to quote tom peterson, of portland late night tv fame, "free is a very good price!" becca is a wee bit of a thing so i made the smallest size - if i were to make one for me i would definitely go for something a bit larger. of course, i didn't need to use the closure in the front but i tried it just for kicks! what the heck! the yarn is patons classic wool merino. easy to knit with and needles nicely. i got it on sale and my niece wanted a grey sweater so i killed two birds with one stone!!

but, as usual, the best part is that it is done, done, done!! on to bigger and better things!!

it really is here!

autumn has arrived in all its glory!!

i'm always a tad bit melancholy when i realize that summer has come to an end - ya know, you can just tell when summer is over - there is just something in the air - one day, its summer and then you can just smell fall! it takes me a few weeks to overcome my sadness but then, somewhere around the middle of october, all the wonderful colors of fall foliage break loose and, voila, autumn has arrived!! i love, love, love the colors of fall - the yellows, reds and oranges - i just can't get enough!

as i was out in the garden yesterday taking a few pics, for a fleeting moment, i actually thought that maybe i like fall in the garden better than any other season. i guess that could be heresy in some gardening circles since flowers are generally the rule. for me, its the foliage!!

and what's the tie to knitting? i am currently wrapping up a sweater for my niece's birthday in a nice gray wool (her color choice). i usually love this color but right now i am finding it sooooo boring! my fingers are just twitching to wrap themselves in some wonderful shades of fall but first things, first - i have got to finish this sweater! darn!

meet some of my new friends

these are some of the folks i met at the OFFF the last weekend in september. the bottom young lady is a pygora goat. they were featured at the festival this year because they are known for their fabulous fiber. so cute!!!!! i could see several of these cuties gallivanting around the property! and the bonus would be some great fiber once a year for knitting!
speaking of the OFFF, it was a fabulously fantastic affair! lots of great people and tons of great fibers! i literally shopped until i dropped! i made several trips to the car to lighten my load! met some great knitters and spinners - shared a picnic table with some gals from yakima who had shopped their way to OFFF through the columbia gorge - tough job - they were forced to stop at knot another hat! in hood river (i love it when i am forced to stop there! it is always such a tough assignment[not]). i also joined the blue moon fiber clan for a little knittin' time under the trees!
the weather was wonderful - a perfect in every way oregon autumn day - sunny with just right temperatures! a true "10"! i would recommend that one DEFINITELY mark their calendar NOW for next year's event! it is one not to miss IMHO!

the sock is rockin'

i am on a roll! and it's a good one. i received my latest stash of yarn from blue moon fibers 'rsc' approximately two weeks ago and i have almost completed half of my pair!

wow, this is like some kind of miracle! especially since i have had several other projects on my radar screen as well as the stock market tank and the impending election scare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIc8jdra0o - these people have stolen my idea! if team mccain/palin should somehow turn the entire country into a group of zombies and win the election - i have vowed to move to canada! be afraid, be very afraid and be careful of the koolaid you drink - you never really know what kind of tricks those republicans have up their sleeves, especially since they are not knitted ones!

i regret that i haven't had any new pics to post but i haven't had a willing victim to take pictures of my new knits. but i will say that i have had lots of nice complements and that is always a great 'pick me up'.

until next time, keep on knittin' in the free world!! and...vote obama!

what's with the garter?

stitch, that is!
i didn't really realize it but it seems that i've been consumed with it of late!
the last three sweaters i've had or have on my needles all contain varying amounts of this oh, so, humble of stitches! as a matter of fact, one sweater was nothing but!!!
my, oh, my! i must say that it certainly can become boring. row after row of knit, knit, knit!!!
but wait, i find myself looking at a new pattern and what do i see? more and more garter stitch! argh!!!!!

does time fly or does it ravel along?

my heavens, does time fly or what? and it seems to me, it continues to fly, whether or not you're having a good time!
and just what have i been up to?
well, knitting of course and also the activities of daily living - the mundane, trivial tasks that are so necessary - laundry, vacuuming, cooking, cleaning - to maintain a reasonable existence and NOT embarrass the family! God forbid!
enough about the mundane, on to the important stuff! what has and is on multiple sets of needles (i'm in trouble here as it also is beginning to emerge that i have a knitting needle fetish!) - another sock has met it's match! yeah, yippee, happy dance!! one down, still sooooo many to go!; my first big lace shawl is complete, blocked and available for wearing (pictures to follow); two sweaters are approaching completion (ahem, once i obtain more yarn to finish them) and a scarf will soon be seeing the light of day (started last spring and stashed because of warmer weather and cotton yarn!).
and then there is the election and the pathetic attempt by john mccain and the republicans to woo independent hillary backers with sarah palin - as gloria steinem has stated: "the only thing that hillary and sarah share is a chromosome." amen, sister! the whole situation is just disgusting - to think that women, by and large, are that stupid that they would fall for such a twit!!
my heavens, let's get real! that debate was sad and demoralizing - do we really want someone representing us to the world that winks at the camera, avoids the issues, and drops the endings from her words! this is serious business - we don't need a 'comedian wanna be' calling the shots for us! we need someone with demeanor and decorum leading us at this troubled time!
someone who looks and ACTS presidential! go OBAMA/BIDEN!
and that's my two cents worth!

game, set, match!

another single has met its match! i am most happy to report that my single stack is beginning to dwindle - one down but still several to go. and, i've discovered a problem with not completing both socks within a timely manner - my memory! seems that i can't exactly remember exactly what i may have done on the first sock! argh!!! so, a word to the wise, keep on truckin' and complete both socks before jumping into another project or knit both socks at a time, which i am very reluctant to do as i love brittany dpn's and they don't make circulars!!

i forgot to mention on my previous post that while i was on holiday in delightful trout lake, i scored 'big time' at a garage sale i stumbled upon while i was heading out to pick huckleberries. for a mere ten dollar bill i got two large cardboard boxes full of old knitting mags, including about six years of old 'interweave knits'! boy, did i hit the jackpot! needless to say, my evening of knitting with a law and order marathon became reading back issues and finding way too many new (old) patterns i will really need to try!!

i'm baaaaaack!!

did ya miss me?

gosh, didn't realize that i've been away sooooooo long! time really does fly whether or not you're having a good time! i've definately been having a good time!

over the holiday weekend i was up in trout lake, washington - a delightful little village by mt. adams on the edge of the giffy pinchot national forest. the weather was fabulous affording wonderful views of the mountain. heaven on earth!

on saturday, i took a little jaunt over to hood river, oregon. the first stop on my agenda was 'foothills yarn & fiber' - a wonderful shop out in the countryside that is part of a working alpaca farm. in these pictures are a few of the alpacas that were roaming about. the most exciting part of my visit was the opportunity to see a brand new baby alpaca that had just been born! what a sweet little girl! itty bitty little thing! a real cutey pie!

my trip back to hood river proper was through the many apple and pear orchards which are just beginning their annual harvest. so pleasant and refreshing with wonderful views of mt. hood!

my other mandatory stop when i'm in this area is 'knot another hat' - one of my all-time favorite local yarn shops. scored some fabulous 1824 cotton yarn for the 'hey, teach' sweater pattern from knitty summer 2008. i think it will be scrumptious! can hardly wait to give it a go! my big challenge now will be to finish what is on my needles before launching into another project - this seems to be my usual mo as can be witnessed by a stroll around my studio area! just glancing around the area, i noticed at least four socks that are longing for a partner!! once again, i believe that i'll have to make a deal with myself - finish at least one sock before beginning something new! only time will tell.....

goodie, goodie gumdrops!!!

once again, stick a fork in me for i am done, done, done!! i have run the race and shockingly, i have finished with time to spare!! yahooooooooo!

finished this pair of str 'rockin sock club' sunday during the usa women's volleyball match against poland. what a relief! enjoyed the pattern and hopefully, will borrow parts of it for future socks.

now, i'm back to a sweater jacket (pattern actually calls it a vest) that has a poorly written pattern - so far, i've been able to figure things out by peering at the project picture! will keep you posted as to the outcome!

it is wet and soggy outside, therefore the perfect day to be knitting! come to think of it, any day in my book is a perfect day to be knitting. sooo...let's get knitty!

and the winner is?

one project down! and...it is only the third day of olympic competition!!
i'm so excited to have these finished that i could break my arm patting myself on the back!!
will be casting on my next olympic project today. this should leave me plenty of time to crank out another pair of socks before the closing ceremony.
these socks are the march rockin' sock club 'leafling' pattern in the 'lucky' colorway. they are soooo soft and warm - am looking forward to wearing them when colder weather sets in!