enough is enough!

exactly when is enough enough?

that's what i'm pondering at this point!

recently, you'll know if you've been paying attention, i've been taking on knitting projects that have involved multiple repetitions of the same pattern.

here's the latest - the "ishbel" scarf by ysolda, a lovely young woman i'm sure has a great

future ahead of her as a designer. she really has her act together.

this pattern really blows my hair back! and this yarn, blue moon fiber arts silkie is delicious!! just delicious!

so... i zip through #1, feel absolutely fabulous and empowered as i head into #2, start to feel the drag with #3, and by #4, well, it is like pulling teeth to get through that one!

so, i ask, when is enough enough?

how does one determine when one has 'hit the wall'? when one can't possibly knit one more of the same object?

i, for one, haven't quite figured that out but i know that i am really, really, really happy when i have reached the end of the assignment i have given myself. perhaps that's the problem, i need to have a chat with myself about goals and expectations!

nah, not right now! i'm too busy basking in the glow of bustin' my stash!!

yahoo, buckaroo!!

there is no 'free lunch'

don't i know it!!

isn't this an adorable baby sweater? soooooo cute and quick to knit!

the pattern is from the book, 101 designer one-skein wonders, and is titled 'feather-and-fan baby sweater' designed by kimberly conterio. a well written pattern that was easy to follow and fast to knit with no seams to sew - being seamless puts it way high on my list!!

here's the rub - the yarn sucks!! it was like knitting with straw - it truly felt 'yucky'!

and why did i use this yarn? because it was a 'freebie'! when will i learn my lesson - there is no 'free lunch'! in hindsight, which is 20/20 of course, i should have just tossed the skein in the goodwill bag and got on my way, but, ohhhhhh noooooo, 'waste not, want not'!! so i decided to knit this little number to contribute to an upcoming silent auction. my conclusion after enduring this yarn is, (mark my words) never, never, never again! the old adage 'you get what you pay for' is definitely true in this case. i am too much of a tactile person - if it doesn't feel good to the touch in the skein, hey, it ain't gonna get any better when you knit with it!

i've learned my lesson, hopefully, but this whole experience makes me wonder, "how many new knitter's, trying the craft for the very first time, have picked up this yarn, needles and a beginning knitting pamphlet at a big box store (kmart or walmart) instead of a lys and have been totally turned off by the difficulty of using this yarn?" i'm willing to bet that it has been more than i want to imagine!!

i find this so sad! a future that could be filled with hours and hours and hours of knitting enjoyment ruined by a single skein of crummy yarn! truly a travesty!

a tad bit of heaven on earth!!

mmmmmmmmm....malabrigo!

gotta love it!

gotta love it, big time!

definitely, gotta have it!

once you've touched it, you're hooked! it is addicting but fortunately, besides draining one's pocketbook, it really doesn't do any damage to the physical body but it may cause damage to the psyche when one doesn't have it!

the touch! the feel! truly a sensory delight!

and, behold my latest tactile experiences...

i am not capable of keeping my hands off of the stuff - i just can't seem to make it out of a yarn shop without one skein (be it sock yarn, worsted weight or silk blend) in my hot little hands!

so...as i saw my stash of worsted weight expanding i decided that i would share the wealth with those i love and relatives, in the form of the lovely undulating cowl. the perfect holiday gift! the pattern is: wave by rebecca hatcher, a freebie on ravelry. just the ticket to keep one's neck warm on a blustery winter day and much more practical than a scarf because it can't be lost once it is put over your head! ahhhhhhhhh!

i hope you are seated while reading this because the fact that it is november 6 and i have basically finished my holiday knitting is indeed a shock in itself! it's not christmas eve!! it's november.....early november! wow! i have to thank the ravelry group, malabrigo junkies, for throwing down the stash busting gauntlet for the month of october - seems a tad bit of competition seems to light my fire! and, since it is november and we are looking for things to be thankful for, i can put this up there at the top of my list!! by and large, christmas knitting done! go pati! go pati!

anyhoo, on to the pictures! i would like to give a big 'shout out' to hedwig for volunteering today as the model for these bundles of joy! thanks, heddy!

as i lined the cowls out for picture taking i realized that there are 7 of them - gosh, that would be one for every day of the week! hmmm...perhaps i should reconsider this gift thing! just kidding!!

here goes....

saturday finds heddy ready for the beaver game in her 'glazed carrot' cowl. go beavers!!sunday heddy is off on a walk to explore nature in her 'pagoda' cowl. enjoy it while you can heddy because if we don't do something about global warming there might not be anything to explore!!monday finds heddy coaching the kid's soccer practice. the kids are freezing but heddy is nice and toasty in her 'azul profundo' cowl! girls soccer rules!
tuesday finds heddy meeting friends for lunch looking ever so dapper in her 'geranio' cowl. eat your hearts out, girlfriends, heddy is stylin'!!
on wednesday, heddy beats the blahs with her 'indigo' cowl! the perfect way to get through hump day!
thursday, finds heddy in a 'velvet grapes' cowl, snuggling a starbucks! the feel of velvet or the taste of a chai tea latte has nothing on malabrigo!

and finally its friday which finds heddy finishing up the week in a 'lettuce' cowl as she ponders what her next knitting project will be!

as for me, i need not ponder as my mind is already made up! time to get my 'knit on'!

tell me why......

Sailing heart-ships thru broken harbors

Out on the waves in the night

Still the searcher must ride the dark horse

Racing alone in his fright.

Tell me why, tell me why

Is it hard to make arrangements with yourself,

When your old enough to repay but young enough to sell?

Tell me lies later, come and see me

I'll be around for a while.

I am lonely but you can free me

All in the way that you smile

Tell me why, tell me why

Is it hard to make arrangements with yourself,

When your old enough to repay but young enough to sell?

Tell me why, tell me why

Tell me why, tell me why

and, while you're at it, neil, tell my why it is that i can't seem to stay on task! argh!!!

i start out with such good intentions or ideas and i just can't seem to focus to see those ideas through to completion! argh!!! all i can say is that i'm really lucky that they weren't diagnosing 'adhd' when i was young or i would have been in a world of hurt!!

ya know, october is a 'big' month in the world of knitting, being 'socktober' and all! and have i finished just one pair of socks so far this month - well, not exactly but i do have one of a pair done and at this point that may have to count! that is a sad state of affairs! had you asked what my intentions were on october one, multiple pairs would have been at the top of my list. and, putting a dent in my malabrigo stash during 'stocktober' smackdown would have been right up near the top of that same list!

but, alas, a mere week left of the month and where am i? not very far!

and why would that be? distractions, plain and simple!

if a teacher were filling out my report card, i'm sure that the comments would include a line like, 'pati needs to spend more time in her seat, completing her assignments, instead of being such a gadfly'. i would have to say i'm more like a butterfly - i flit from here to there and back again!

and what have i been flitting to and fro with? shawl patterns - all of a sudden they have become a compulsion - i am working on my third one this month alone! tsk! tsk! tsk! and, i see more in my future!! i am doomed!!

oh, yeah, i did spend a wee bit of time knitting these:

for these - the little punkin heads!

and the others for another little set of punkin heads!!

now, what was i supposed to be focusing on?.....

surrrrrprise!

stick a big ass fork in it - it's done!the adult surprise jacket! elizabeth zimmermann is an absolute genius!! this sucker was knit in one piece - unbelievable - a little bit freaky while it was on the needles but the results were well worth it! the only seam was the one up the top of the arms!
and i am very happy and very pleased! in many, many ways!!
and the weather has finally cooperated and cooled so that i can actually wear it! yippee!!
and here is the really freaky news about this sweater - i actually followed all of the directions - to the letter - and that, in itself, is a miracle!!

i knit the prerequisite - the baby surprise jacket. what a terrific idea and great advice. it helped instill the concept of layout and knitting methods and procedures. it was somewhat deceptive however - the bsj was knit in a flash and was nice and tiny. that was not the case with the adult version - the garter stitch just seemed to go on and on and on and on as the jacket got heavier and heavier and heavier!!

the pattern also suggested that one include all the colors in one's closet so that the jacket would be versatile and could be worn with everything. i think they were referring to the basics, like brown, black or navy not the whole 9 yards!! since my plan was to do a little stash busting, i decided to really include all the colors in my closet which didn't seem to be much of a problem since i have oodles and oodles of leftover bits of odd ball yarn! why not use them all? great idea, i thought, until i had to work in all of the ends! not such a good idea!

i successfully used 4 skeins of gray paton's wool and made a dent in my tidbit bin! wow, i'm actually stash busting! gosh, i hope i don't break my arm patting myself on the back as i need to be stash bustin' on a much bigger scale!

oh, yeah, did i mention that there was math involved? i actually sat down and did a gauge swatch (another miracle) and did the math - me, doing math! i think that that is why i usually knit from patterns that have all of that business taken care of so i don't have to dig through the cobwebs and engage that part of my brain!! in this case, i'm glad i did.

all in all, i think that this sweater is 'the bomb'!! it's stylish, it fits and is nice and toasty warm! perfect for all those fall days ahead! and....thoughts of knitting this again keep wafting through my mind......someday.....maybe.....

better late than never!

at long last, i have completed the task - i have knit socks with all of the yarn from the 2008 rockin' sock club! it only took me a year and two thirds but, hey, who's counting? and i didn't exactly use all of the provided patterns but, here they are in all their splendor!

first up - 'serendipity' by adrienne fong with bmfa str lightweight in dragon dance. a delightful, fast moving knit that created a lacy pair of monochromatic madness! feel like dancin'?

'leafling' by jc briar in bmfa socks that rock mediumweight in the colorway 'lucky'. indeed, these socks certainly were lucky and quite lovely! the pattern was smashing with a lovely vine of leaves twining down the fronts. what a way to welcome spring!

more monochromatic goodness in shades of violet moving from blue-violet back to red-violet. i wasn't blown away by the intended pattern with this shipment so i deviated!! i used the pattern, 'spring forward', from knitty.com by linda welch. a lace sock that undulates around the leg and looks really, really complicated but is really, really simple with an easily memorized pattern stitch! it even worked for my brain!! the yarn is bmfa socks that rock lightweight in the color way, the incredible shrinking violet - absolutely, no shrinking on this one!!!

next up - 'gumdrop socks' by jc briar in a pastel!! wow, a pastel, pretty out of character for this cowboy as well as for the depraved dyer, tina. the coolest part about these socks is that they are reversible, should one so desire to do so!! the color is called 'sweet tarts' and is a bmfa socks that rock lightweight with pastel shades of a variety of colors - very easter eggey!! in hindsight (and now that i have knit one) this would be a great color for an ez bsj! can't you just see it on a new born babe?

now we're talkin'! my kinda color - yum! yum! yum! gold, burgundy, blue-violet and pond scum! yum! yum! the colorway: tide pooling; the pattern: 'cloning anemone rib' designed by team blue moon - i'm over the moon with these - i love, love, love the color - so rich and saturated! yum!

last but not least - muddy autumn rainbow, a mediumweight bmfa socks that rock. a color way that called out 'fall leaves' so once again i deviated and knit these socks in the pattern, 'embossed leaves' by mona schmidt. i think i accomplished my goal - these truly remind me of fall in the great northwest!

one last look at the gang from rockin sock club 2008!

and one last sock! this yarn wasn't part of the 2008 group (it's a mill end from a bmfa sale) but the pattern is. it is the 'sweet tart anklet' by hot flash (aka marilyn kaleikilo). a great sock with a yarn that is a tad bit zippy! i like it!

so, now that i have finished this race, am i done? heavens no, i'm already 4 socks behind in the 2009 sock club mailings so i had better run, i've got another year of socks to start!!! yippee and yikes!!!

ez's bsj!

well, surprise, surprise!! and indeed it is!

how can an unrecognizable blob like this

turn into an adorable little baby sweater?

it is magic, absolute magic!!

furthermore, it also begs the question - how can this sweater come to fruition with the slightest of pattern information? i am truly amazed and dumbfounded! but, that's elizabeth zimmermann! a one of a kind wonder - indeed the knitting world needs to bow before her as she is definitely 'the oz' of knitting (sorry, barabara walker - but you are a real close second!!).

i whipped this little puppy together in no time, flat! a fast, fast, fast knit provided you throw caution to the wind, trust elizabeth and knit on! and why did i knit this sweater? because the pattern advised me to do just that before launching into an adult surprise jacket so i did and i'm glad i did! now that i've got this one under my belt and i understand the up's and down's of this pattern, i think the adult version should be a piece of cake, except for the oodles and oodles of knitting garter stitch which could become exceedingly boring. i intend to use yarn from my stash and leftovers bin which should add some interest to the whole dog and pony show!

and, you ask, does this cutie have an owner yet? since all of the recent births in my world have been multiples, i guess i'll have to wait for someone to have a single! the miracle of the whole situation is that i've got a gift at the ready - ahead of time! yes, indeed, that truly is a miracle and a surprise!! yippee!

how about a guinness for lunch?

no, no, no - not THAT kind of guinness!

the world book of records type of guinness!

and here we are, at high noon on friday, august 7, 2009.

myself and about 900+ of "my people" preparing to set a world record for the most knitters knitting together in one location. it really wasn't too difficult a task as the previous record had been set several months earlier in australia with a mere 250 knitters! we did 'kick arse'!!

the whole process was very official - we had to register on numbered cards with both our printed and written signatures; we had to be using straight needles only (no circulars or double points); and we had to knit for 15 minutes (gosh, not a problem for this cowboy!).

it was both fun and thrilling - here i was, surrounded by a group of people of all ages and all ethnicities, doing what they love to do! you could feel the love and electricity in the air! many, many squeals of excitement and bubbly chit-chat! well organized and very official - lots of officials watching over us with an official start and finish - needles up!!

i had the good fortune of sitting next to a woman from south carolina, who brought her two nieces (ages six and ten) from portland, oregon. they were all knitting blue washcloths as a special memory of the occasion. they were awfully excited to be a part of making history!

the whole affair was tremendous. when in this lifetime will i ever have the opportunity to knit with the icons of the knitting world: barbara walker, meg swanson, priscilla gibson-roberts, stephanie pearl-mcphee, nancy bush, cat bordhi and cookie a; and set a guinness world record? probably not anytime soon! but, for now, its back to the double points and more socks!!

three up - three down

bingo, bango, bongo! when i am beating myself up for not getting anything done, i can take a look at these babies and realize that i actually did accomplish something this summer!! amazing!!

i knit these out of kollage 'luscious' which is a delightful blend of mostly cotton with a touch of lycra to help them hold their shape! very soft and very comfy - i would love to be wearing them each and every day but the weather has been way too hot! ugh! as fall rolls around i'm sure that their time will come! the pattern i used was from interweave knits mag from a couple of summers ago. it is titled: simply lovely lace socks. well, they are lovely with the lace pattern and they are simple to knit so i guess the title fits the description. i think that this will be my new 'vanilla sock pattern' as it is a 4 row pattern with only one row of deviation - my brain appreciates that! and now that i am sock heel literate from my class at sock summit, i can change the heel and whip these puppies out even faster! yahoo!

i plan to use the leftovers to make a pair of striped socks - hang on to your hats, and we'll see if that comes to fruition!! my wool yarn is beginning to beckon.

i just found out by email that another of our local yarn shops is giving up their brick and mortar store front and going online, only! bummer, dude! ordering online is fine and i do it on occasion but when i need a fix now, i need it now - not several days down the line!!

we are blessed in the portland metro area with a number of lys's, but this is the third shop this year to pack it in! makes me sad as i really enjoyed visiting all three of them! however, i did manage to find just a few luscious yarns at the sock summit vendor area and the oregon flock and fiber festival will be here before we know it! btw, mark your calendar for the weekend of september 26 & 27, and boogie on down to canby for a day or two of fun! and...don't forget your plastic as you may find one or two items that scream your name!! i don't seem to have a problem with that...

happy, happy, happy birthday to you, ez!!

"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit, either." - elizabeth zimmerman

if she were still amongst the living, ez (elizabeth zimmerman) would have been 99 years young yesterday!!

and could there have possibly been a better way to spend her birthday than among a great group of knitters knitting and listening to the luminaries of the knitting world:

Cat Bordhi, Nancy Bush, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Judith MacKenzie-McCuin, Lucy Neatby, Deborah Robson, Meg Swansen, Barbara Walker, Anna Zilboorg, Stephanie Perl-McPhee, and Tina Newton. words of wisdom from all of them and cake, too!!

NIRVANA!! life just doesn't get any better than that!!

and remember, YOU are in charge of your knitting! and don't you forget it!

ready to rock and roll.....

time to party!!

one day until the sock summit begins and the 'queen of procrastination' has completed her task and is prepared for class! it truly is a miracle! as you can see, i have six little socklettes ready and waiting for their saturday class - "sock heels". i had set a goal for myself to complete these little numbers during the month of july but, as usual, july came and went and alas, no socklettes so sunday, august 2, i put the pedal to the metal and got crankin'. my procrastination actually turned out to be a good thing, believe it or not! since i had to knit all six in such a short amount of time, i was able to use six different types of needles and compare them while the 'feel' of the needling from the previous set was fresh in my mind!

did i learn anything? well, yes, i guess i can come to some conclusions.

first and foremost, i really do prefer double point needles to the other methods for knitting socks. i knew this before but it was really reinforced through these socklettes - it really is the fastest method for me!

secondly, i have been a wooden needle snob in the past! i found myself somewhat surprised by the metal needles i tried - they weren't as slippery as i had thought they would be and the thinnest ones didn't break when i was knitting (i can't tell you how many times i've had wooden size zero or one needles break when knitting lace socks!) gosh, i may have to reset my priorities!

and thirdly, i really like knitting with little needles - both short ones and thin ones!! big needles and thick yarn might get you a product faster but nothin' beats the feel of little needles and thin yarn!

and, what else will i be up to at sock summit?

well, tomorrow morning, bright and early, i'll be learning to spin with a drop spindle. it should be interesting - will i be able to use both hands at the same time doing two different things! ugh, sort of like rubbing your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time! only time will tell! i'll keep you posted!

more to ponder!!

and the saga continues.....

handy hobbies If you’re itching for a new creative outlet, consider taking up a constructive hobby, such as knitting, sewing, quilting, or weaving, or making personal-care products, such as soap and bath oils. Learning to make beautiful, useful objects for your own home and family and to give as gifts means fewer things to buy, and more control over the materials you’re bringing into your life and others’. Even learning to cook is inherently green, because it means you’ll rely less on takeout and dining out in restaurants.

found this post on my daily email calendar. apparently, knitting can now be called a 'constructive hobby' because we make useful objects! god forbid, we knit because we like it!!

ponder this!

well...it truly has been awhile! isn't it amazing how time flies whether or not you're having fun?

basically, i have a good time most of the time as has been the case since my last note but i have been busy and frankly, i just don't know where the time goes - first, it's morning and then, kaboom, it's evening - another day!

so, in previous posts i have mentioned my new addiction to knitting podcasts. while listening to one such podcast, the caster (i guess that is what one would call the person who is doing the talking - i really don't know what the protocol is to address said person in the techno world!) called knitting a "gateway craft".

first, let me mention that in the real world this caster is a social worker by trade which leads me to believe that 'gateway drugs' are a discussion point that enters conversations she has with her colleagues. i'm sure that most of us have heard marijuana referred to as a 'gateway drug', i.e. a drug that opens the door to the long and ugly road of harder drug use.

when i heard her call knitting a "gateway craft", it set me to pondering, which i have been doing for the better part of the last two weeks!! is knitting really a "gateway craft"? does knitting lead the knitter down a long and winding road? can one simply 'knit' and not do more?

or....does knitting lead to spinning? or dyeing? or sewing? or crocheting? or weaving? or gardening or gathering (natural dyeing)? or animal husbandry (sheep, goats, rabbits, alpacas)? or goodwill or yard sale shopping (recycling old sweaters)?
i mean, really, the list goes on and on!! just ponder that for awhile!

anyhoo, let me leave you with this tidbit that a friend passed on to me! gotta love those non-knitters that understand your obsession and like to enable you!

here goes....
a highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. glancing at the car, he could see that the woman behind the wheel was knitting.

realizing that she didn't see his flashing lights or hear his siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, "PULL OVER!"

"NO!" the woman yelled back. "IT"S A SCARF!"

and since i know that you are dying to ask the question, my answer is: "yes, i do knit while driving but only while i am stopped in traffic." i find this much less scary than all the idiots that are driving at top speed while carrying on lively conversations on their cell phones! so, keep those needles moving rather than your mouth!!!

summertime and the livin' is easy

no cotton, growing that is, but on the pointy sticks!

summer knitting is in full swing - i've got my second pair of cotton/lycra socks more than half way done - one more pair to go (personal challenge)! on other needles i have a cropped cardigan top in cotton/tencel that feels absolutely dreamy! i am really enjoying fondling it each and every

time i pick it up! i've also started another lace shawl.

the greatest news of all is that i have swatched each and everyone of these yarns (plus several others!) to check gauge! really! i know it is hard to believe but, indeed, i really have been knitting swatches! it's a miracle, lord!!

i have managed to put down the pointy sticks long enough to get out in the garden where june

has been busting out all over!! here are a couple of pictures to put you in the mood!

clematis 'venosa violacea'

hemerocallis

rosa 'lyda'

sooooo inviting that i'm headin' out! over and out!

fini, fait, dessus!!!

stick a fork in it, its done!! and i am finished, done, and over it!! fini, fait, dessus!
this is the aforementioned top that was causing me such consternation in my previous post! observe it is finished!! and after the chorus of "alleluias" all i can say is: "hey, its not half bad!"the major lesson i learned from this knitting adventure was and is: finish your projects in a timely manner especially when they involve a lace pattern that you have drafted and then lost! one must strike while the iron is hot or at least while the brain cells still retain some memory of the pattern. fortunately for me, the yarn i used allowed me to clearly read what was happening as i knit! whew!

the pattern i sort of used as my jumping off point was the 'sleeveless tuxedo shirt' from interweave knits, summer 2007. in reality, the only qualities shared are the name! my changes included:
1. knitting the top in the round up to the armholes instead of knitting a front and a back (that would have involved sewing side seams which is totally unnecessary in my estimation!).
2. adding a lace pattern to the bottom edge and knitting in stockinette stitch (pattern called for reverse stockinette).
3. knitting the lace section as part of the top instead of knitting it separately and sewing in after completing the top.
4. knitting the shoulder pieces as part of the top instead of knitting separately and attaching after the fact.
5. picking up stitches and knitting a garter stitch rib around armholes and neck.

since i did a three needle bindoff at the shoulders i had no seams to deal with - the only sewing involved was working in the ends!! yippee, yippee, yippee! the above picture was taken after it was blocked. the yarn i used was from my stash (yeah!!) and is a combo of 52% silk and 48% wool, sort of tweedy, and was knit on a size 3 needle.

following closely on that top's heels was the 'lotus blossom top' from interweave knits, summer 2006. i pretty much stuck to the pattern as written with the exception of adding an inch in length to the upper body area. loved the yarn, classic elite 'pebbles', and the fact that it once again (dang, i'm good!) came from my stash!!

i'm really starting to feel giddy again - like i've got my knitting mojo back on track!! c'est la vie!

go figure!

"wisdom comes alone through suffering."

AESCHYLUS

sometimes little pearls of wisdom just seem to drop out of the sky! the above just happened to roll by me this morning and i must say, it sure hit the spot today!! my knitting and i have been suffering but i have to agree that i am learning throughout this process and project. 

i am knitting a sleeveless summer top with yarn from my stash (using stash in itself is a miracle!!). one would think that a sleeveless summer top would be a 'quickie' but, alas, it doesn't seem to be the case - it seems to be one step forward and two steps back, as in froggin'!

once again, my lack of attention has caused me grief! maybe i will learn to double check each and every row when knitting a lace pattern rather than every several inches - it would make life much simpler and i would get more knitting done! 

i've also learned that it isn't easy and rarely works to attempt to correct an unintended error by picking your way down only a couple of stitches for a number of rows!! if you find an error in plain, ol' stockinette stitch, it is pretty easy to accomplish this but with a lace pattern - not a chance! since i have tried to do this repeatedly on this top without success, hence the froggin', i hope this is another lesson i'll add to the ol' memory bank! well, at least until next time!!

am i bad?

so, there is this new movement afoot that i think is pretty hot! as you can see by the above logo, it is called "the 3/50 project". the gist of the deal is this: 1) you pick three 'local' (that means locally owned and operated businesses, not franchises or big box) stores; 2) from your three locally owned stores, you spend $50 each month at each store; 3) that helps save three businesses that put their time, energy and money back into the community!

great premise, great idea - exactly what my uncle don harped about year's ago - we need to buy american and buy from locally owned businesses in order to maintain our local economy and our nation's economy! i am really glad that he is taking this whole economic situation in from up above as he would be having a fit and falling into it at this point in time!!! especially the american car situation and the demise of pontiac - his favorite car brand! my aunt and uncle always drove american made cars because don felt that if we didn't purchase our own products made right here in america we were biting the hand that feeds us - who knew that his thoughts would be so prophetic?

anyhoo, here's where i am having just a tad bit of a problemo! my favorite three locally owned and operated stores that i would choose to help save are yarn shops!! go figure! i guess that isn't sooooooo bad a thing, but i had better get knittin'!!

a place of peace and solace!

I love spring anywhere,

but if I could choose

I would always greet it in a garden.

Ruth Stout

free at last! free at last!

thank you, lord, i am free at last! and, boy, i am one happy camper!

these two sweaters are just about as cute as they can be, but man, have they been an albatross around my neck this past month!! this whole project has given me fits but i have absolutely no one to blame but myself - pure and simple! no one held a gun to my head and made me knit these - i did it with my own free will!!

the sweater pattern itself was quite simple and my favorite type - knit from the top-down with absolutely no seams to sew!! can't beat that!
what made this ordeal so torturous was the fact that i had to knit each sweater twice!! that is four times!

one of those was because of my own stubbornness and stupidity!! i am so mad at myself because after an inordinate amount of knitting i know better! if i could i would kick myself in the butt!

what was the infraction you ask? it is one of the key mantras of knitting - rule numero uno - 'check your gauge!!'. did i do that - oh, no, not i - i know what i am doing!! yeah, right! well, i do know several things, like i always need to drop down one or two needle sizes because i knit loosely - did i do that? "oh, no," as i so cavalierly stated! 'things will be fine, after all, i'm using cotton not wool and since it is for a baby, if it's a little bigger that will be great, the baby won't outgrow it so quickly!!" well, it was so big that it would've fit a 5 year old and that would be just a tad too long for any mother have to wait to use a gift! so....frog i did! ripit! ripit! ripit!

the problem with the other sweater was with the pattern. once i got the entire sweater finished (seamed and all!!!) i decided i didn't like it! it just wasn't what i wanted - not at all! so...frog i did!

that is when i pulled out this pattern, KNIT A GAUGE SWATCH, made some variations and started knitting! i took some little side trips along the way -like those cute little socks from the last post - but finally i reached a point where i had to put blinders on and ban myself from looking, touching or feeling any other yarn or patterns. i could tell that i was over this project as i found myself wandering aimlessly around my garden and the house, looking for other things to do - and that even included cleaning!! that is when i said to myself, "self, enough of this - get these mother's out of here! get them done so you can move on!!" so, after making a deal with myself that will involve some type of reward, i proudly present the baby sweaters for twin a and twin b!!! i hope they keep the bambinos nice and toasty because i'm burnt out!!