Purly Whirly

Winter Knitty is up!!!

2008-12-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

There are soo many things I want to knit from this issue. Like Mirror, Amelia, Fargyle and Amused. I think I will most likely make Mirror, I just have to dig through my stash to see if I can find something suitable. That is, once I get my christmas knitting done. I'm not doing much Christmas knitting this year, I usually don't do much if any. But this year my aunt asked me to make a pair of thrummed mittens for my cousin. I couldn't say no. Even though I don't really want to knit them. I guess it's because I don't think she will really appreciate them (my cousin) and know the time and effort that went into them. For some reason I enjoy knitting for others when a) I know they will appreciate and use what I make them and b) I am not asked to knit for others. I would much rather knit for someone who is not expecting it. It takes all the excitement out of it I guess. I also want to make a cute dog sweater for my parent's dog...I'm not so sure if I will even get the time to start that. I wish I could quit my job and stay home to knit all day. One can dream I suppose...

A bit about me.

2008-09-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

I was surfing and came across this cool site

Summer in full bloom!

2008-06-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

I've been spending a lot of time outside lately. Cleaning up the mess of a yard the previous owner made, planting flowers and digging up overgrown flowerbeds.

Here's a shot of our Rhododendron!

Our snowball tree!

And some poppies! :)

I have done a little knitting. I am almost finished a pair of socks, I about to start the toe decreases on the second sock. Yep, the second sock! I have *almost* knit an entire pair of socks! I'm so proud. :) And yes, dorky.

Look, a sock!

2008-05-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the disappearance, I've been busy lately. But anyhoo...

There has been knitting, but not much until lately.

I never did finish my Monkey socks. I'm on the gusset now, but they require too much attention so I've put them off to the side. Instead I've started a new pair of socks using the lovely Opal (I think) sock yarn that The Ninja Knitter gifted me awhile back. I'm totally loving this yarn and I think I'm developing a sock addiction. I started this sock on Friday night and I'm almost finished the first one! It fits perfectly so far. My camera batteries died before I could get a picture of it on me but heres one of sock #1 on the needles.

I'm using magic loop and I'm loving it so far. It gets a little akward when picking up the stitches for the gussett, but overall I love it.

My goal is to finish the pair within the next week or so because I have ordered some Tofutsies in 733 Get Your Feet Wet and 723 Put Your Foot Down from The Knitter.com. I've ordered from this place awhile ago and it took about 3 or 4 weeks to get it, I'm hoping it won't be so long this time. But hey, I can't complain because they offer free shipping! :) I've heard mixed reviews on this yarn, but overall good. I can't wait to touch this yarn, it is apparently very soft and silky. I plan on making some Jaywalkers with one of the balls.

Other than that not much else is new...we've been busy tearing our house apart doing renos. The bathroom is officially done and we love it!

My mom got the cutest puppy ever! Meet Maggie:

She is a Shih Tzu and is 2 months old. She's absolutely adorable. She loves to cuddle and she's very smart. We kidnapped her last week for a few hours and in 10 minutes we taught her to sit. My Mom taught her to do paddy cakes...so cute!

Well thats about it for now...must go, the bedroom is screaming for a coat of paint. Ugh. I am so tired of doing drywall, I will be glad when its over. The results are worth it though!

Monkey!

2008-02-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

Not much new in the knitting department these days. I started Monkey a few weeks ago and flew through to the gusset decreases in just one week! I haven't touched it since. I've been pretty busy the past few weeks, and when I did have the time to knit, I didn't feel like it. Must get over this slump. I want a pair of Monkeys! Since I've been slack in the photo department lately, here's a few pics of my progress so far:

Yarn: Knit Picks Pallette in Rainforest Heather
Needles: 2.25 Knit Picks
Pattern: Monkey

Yawn

2008-02-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...my blog has been pretty boring lately. Come to think of it, its always been pretty boring in its short existance. I'm going to have to do something about that. There won't be too many photos for awhile...hubby took the camera with him so I'm going to have to borrow one or just go buy a new one soon.

On the knitting front, I have been doing a bit here and there. I almost finished my first "real" sock using Elann sock yarn (can't find the label right now, sorry) all I have left to do is graft the toe and its officially a sock. Yayyy! It's currently on the back burner while I work on *hangs head in shame* another pair of socks. Yep, I needed something to keep my mind busy and the plain stockenette sock just wasn't doing it for me. Sooooo...I started Monkey. I am using KnitPicks Palette in "Rainforest" I think. It's coming along quite nicely and I love the pattern. I did 5 repeats on the leg and am about to start the heel. It's working up suprisingly fast since I just started it less than a week ago. Of course I have far more time on my hands to knit now that hubby is away. Oh how I miss him so. Just a few more weeks...ok, 8 and he will be home again to snuggle.

As soon as I get my hands on a camera I will take a picture of my Monkey(s) and post it.
Until next time...Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Last week I was feeling a bit down. My husband moved several provinces away for a job, temporarily and I was (still am) missing him terribly. Then I checked the mail last Wednesday and found a package from my awesome secret pal, Maria! It put a smile on my face for the first time in awhile. She packed lots of goodies in it, the best tasting chocolate I've ever had, so me yummy hot chocolate, beautiful yarn, some very cute stitch markers, stich holders, an adorable hedge hog tape measure, a cute mug and lots of other goodies that I am sure I am forgetting to mention. She made my day. Thank you so much Maria!

Here's a shot of the goodies:

Isn't the duck the cutest?!

Topic of the week #4

2008-01-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

What is your most memorable vacation? Where did you go? What made it memorable?

Last May my husband and I got married. For our honeymoon we decided to go on a road trip to the US. We didn't go very far, just to Maine, NH and Vermont. We didn't really have any plans, it was just a spontaneous trip. Originally we weren't going to go anywhere for our honeymoon. We drove through the beautiful White Mountains, it was awesome. It was memorable because it was spontaneous and we had such a good time on our honeymoon! It was our first big road trip together, so it was definitely memorable.

Topic of the week #3

2008-01-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

What is the most 'random' memory you have from your childhood?

Hmmm, I have lots of random memories from my childhood. I remember standing up in my crib in the middle of the night watching my parents sleep (crib was in their room). Not sure how old I was, prob only a year or so. That's my earliest memory.

I remember being excited for the easter bunny. Each year I swore I could smell chocolate the day before Mr. Bunny came. My parents always laughed and called me silly. I thought it was the magic of the easter bunny. Years later when i found out there was no bunny, I realized that it was actually the chocolate my parents were hiding from us that I was smelling. Oh to be young and innocent again!

Then there was the time my younger brother and I were playing "horsey" on the broom in the kitchen. My mom was yelling at us to be careful, as there was a wood stove in the kitchen, we were going to get hurt. We didn't bother to pay attention to her and kept on playing, minutes later while galloping along I fell into the wood stove and burned my arm. I was only 3, maybe 4 years old. I remember falling, then seeing my arm under the tap of the tub, my parents very worried, I was crying but I don't remember the actual pain. That healed up pretty well, a few months later I fell off (actually I think my older brother pushed me) off a 3 foot step and I broke that same arm. That healed pretty well too. When it came time for my doctor to take the cast off he used scissors, (guess they didn't have the buzzy thing back then) and he accidently cut the inside of my arm in 2 spots. It was a pretty good cut too...I still have the scars! After going through all that, a few months later my brothers and I thought it would be fun to toss a ball back and forth through a window. I was on the inside, they were on the outside, we were having great fun. Until the window came smashing down on my fingers. Yes, on the same arm that I broke and burnt earlier. I was lucky that I didn't break them but they were pretty swollen for a few days.

I think this is when all my bad luck started. If something insanely crazy and twisted is going to happen, it will happen to me. Trust me. I have the worst luck. The kind where you lose your speech for a moment and all you can think is WTF?

Like the time I was pulling into the local dump. Ha ha, of all places. I was there to pick up a friend who worked there. It was a busy Saturday morning, huge lineup. I drove past the lineup, and had to cut through the first of the lineup to get to where I needed to go. Right when I was in between the lineup, the front tire fell off my car. Literally. I was so embarrassed. I pulled out my cell and called a tow truck. Waited almost an hour for them to come. Meanwhile everyone was staring at me and commenting on it. It was a bit of a junker anyway, but I had been to the garage the day before to get an axle or something replaced. Turns out someone forgot to put a bolt on. What are the chances?!

Then there's the time when my muffler fell off in the middle of the road. I was too embarrassed to go back and pick it up. Meanwhile my car sounded like a freight train. Yup, same car at the time.

Wow, I'm starting to ramble. I could go on all day about the silliness that happens to me, not only with my car. Unfortunately I've got a busy day ahead of me.

2008-01-16T07:19:00.000-08:00

Hot Cocoa Swap Topic #2

"Now that we're in the thick of 'Winter'... has your knitting changed to match the season? Are you moving on from dishcloths, and tank tops to afghans, hats and mittens? Has your yarn changed from silk or cotton to wool, superwash or heavier cottons?"

I haven't had the time to do much knitting lately. Just a few rows here and there. I do have a few things on the needles though. I've decided to try to use my stash more so I am making an afghan in large strips that I will later sew together. It's nothing fancy, just garter stitch, nice for watching movies and mindless knitting. I'm using random balls from my stash that I don't already have plans for. I'm also making a pair of mittens for myself which I started a month or so ago. So yes, my knitting has changed to match the season. I guess you could say my yarn has changed for the season...I have been using wool a bit more lately, mainly for mittens.

In other news, I am off today and tomorrow!! What a relief. I've been pretty stressed out lately about a lot of things. I'm going to try my best to relax and enjoy my days off.

Here's what I have planned:

Because it looked like this when I opened the door this morning:

Just a few days ago all the snow had melted and we had beautiful spring weather. Now we have at least 6 inches of snow on the ground and they're calling for more. I do like the snow, watching the snow through the window while I'm warm and toasty, snuggled up in a blanket. I just don't like the cold that comes with it. Brrrrrrr!

Oh, we bought a Yoga Zone DVD for beginners last week. I flipped through it the other day and it looks pretty fun and relaxing! I've never done Yoga before but wanted to give it a try not only for exercise but to try to relax myself. I might give it a try tonight or tomorrow. :)

One last thing...if you haven't seen "Wedding Daze" yet, go rent it. We laughed so hard our bellies hurt!

Hot Cocoa Swap Scavenger Hunt

2008-01-12T21:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm a little late on this...

1. Who's favorite animal is an Otter?
Anne K.
2. Name someone who prefers whipped cream with their hot cocoa

3. Find 3 people who live outside of the United States
Alex E.
4. Name a fan of Harry Potter
Lesley
5. Name someone who crochets
Heather F.
6. Name someone who DOES NOT have a healthy supply of notions

7. Name someone who has NOT put up their questionnaire yet (just put a date with your answer in case they put it up after seeing their name listed somewhere ;-) )

8. Who likes to have Kahlua, Baileys, or Peppermint Schnapps in their cocoa?

9. Name someone who knits fingerless gloves as a 'quick knit'

10.Name someone who's looking forward to gardening this spring.
Me!
11.Who's favorite way to drink cocoa is with a gorgeous Frenchman, while overlooking the eiffel tower from a French Cafe? (I'm right there with you... well at the table next to yours!)
Kris L.
12.Name someone who's favorite animal is NOT a dog or house cat
Amanda D.
13. Name someone who's favorite treat is NOT chocolate.
Becky M.
14. Who plays Candyland?

15. Name someone who DOESN'T get the winter blahs
Ashley C.

2008-01-09T22:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, so heres what I want to accomplish this year:

Finish the mittens I am working on for myself. (almost done just the tip of one mitten and the two thumbs left and its an FO)
Knit another pair of Thrummed Mittens with the beautiful roving that the Ninja Knitter so graciously sent me. Thanks Ninja I love it!!
Make a Brea Bag (I love this bag, and have been eyeing it for a long time)Buy a book of stitches. I rarely follow patterns, and when I do its usually just a "guideline". I love designing my own patterns, but often lack inspiration because I don't know how to create all those fancy stitches without a stitch pattern.
Make a sweater, preferably a raglan. I like this and this and this and this. Though I love this, like most of the blogosphere. (Soo many choices!)
Knit socks. I've knit one pair of socks in 2007, my very first pair ever. They were maid of Bernat Satin worsted weight. Quick knit, turned out quite well I am rather proud. Thing is I can only wear them around the house because they are so thick. Need to make more socks in actual sock yarn! Some patterns I want to knit are Jaywalkers and Monkey among others which I am too lazy to look up right now.
Finish Razor Cami which I started oh, say 2 years ago!!!
Buy a button for my Amanda Squatty felted purse which I made last fall so I can use it!
Experiment more with felting, that was fun!
Play around with more intricate cables.
Learn how to knit continental because I think I have carpel tunnel, I have heard knitting continental style is easier on your wrists.
Start using my sewing machine more, maybe make a quilt and learn to hem pants instead of asking my mom to do it for me. I know how, watched her do it dozens of times, I've just never done it!

Thats about it for now, I'm sure I will think of more later.

Oh, here is what I won over at the Ninja Knitter's contest last month!

Isn't she the greatest?!! That's Opal sock yarn and some yummy roving which I can't wait to use in some thrummed mittens! It's almost too pretty to break apart!

Hot Cocoa Swap Questionaire

2008-01-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

Cocoa
1. What is your favorite way to drink cocoa? Prepared with milk? Water? from home made recipe or store bought?, In a tea cup, or big mug? Milk or water are both good, I usually make store bought though I did make my own once and it was quite good. Depends on my mood. Sometimes I like a nice big mug topped with marshmellows while other times I like a nice delicate little tea cup to make me feel special. :)

2. Marshmallows or whipped cream? Both are yummy!

Yarn/Knitting/Crochet
1. What is your favorite type of yarn? In what colors? I prefer natural fibers in blues, pinks, purples, greens. I'm not picky, I love all yarn!

2. Do you knit or crochet (or both)? Both, but I prefer knitting.

3. What are your favorite type of needles, would you like to try something new? I have one pair of knitpicks options and I LOVE them. I also have a pair of Addi Turbos and they are awesome too. I am always up for trying new brands though.

4. Do you have a healthy supply of notions? I've got enough to get me by! lol

5. What one thing do you keep thinking you need to buy for your knitting habit (outside of yarn)? stitch markers

6. What is your favorite 'quick knit/crochet' pattern (quick gratification) Hmmm, thats a tough one. Mittens are pretty quick gratification, using a pattern I make up as I go along.

Miscellaneous
1. What is your favorite thing to do in the Winter? Curl up on the couch with a blankie a nice cup of tea or hot chocolate, my hubby and watch a movie. I also love to bake in the winter, it makes the house smell so nice and cozy.

2. What is your favorite animal? Dogs, but they must be little.

3. Do you get the 'winter blahs'? Every now and then I have my moments but I try to make them pass by distracting myself with other things.

4. What is your favorite way to beat the blahs? Curl up with a fun knitting project, read a good book, watch a good movie, surf yarn porn. It's hard to pick just one thing.

5. What is the thing you are most looking forward to this spring? Planting flowers outside our new house!

6. What are your favorite treat? Chocolate or anything sweet!

7. What is your favorite board game? Monopoly is always fun!

8. Do you have any children (furry or human)? Nope

9. Do you have any allergies or special considerations you partner should know about? I am allergic to nuts :(

This swap is going to be so much fun, I can't wait to find out who my pal is so I can get to know them and start putting together a package for them!

Knitting in 2007

2008-01-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

I've completed quite a bit of knitting in 2007. Looking back, I have made a few scarves, too many dish cloths to count, several baby hats and mitts, 3 baby sweaters, a tea cozy, a few pairs of mittens, and countless other small projects that I can't think of right now. Oh, and I completed my first pair of socks!!

Here are a few of my FO's of 2007:

Kuereyon Kozy knit with Noro

My So Called Scarf knit with um, I think Freedom Spirit??

My first pair of socks...I can't remember which pattern I used. These are my cozy day socks, made of worsted weight, Bernat Satin that I had in my stash.

I need to start taking more pictures of things as I make them!

This year I want to make more socks and complete at least one wearable sweater, make a Brea Bag and try out some different stitch patterns. I also want to practice my sewing skills, maybe make a quilt!

Happy New Year!

Is it summer yet?

2007-12-30T20:34:00.000-08:00

I'm ready for the warm weather again. Don't get me wrong, theres nothing better than sitting home on a snowy winter day snuggled up with a blanket, sipping on a cup of tea with my knitting.

But I still miss this:

That was last summer...only 6 more months to go!

Yayyyy!

2007-12-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

I won, I won, I won!! Can you believe it? I never win anything AT ALL! Today I checked my blog comments to find that I won a beautiful skein of Opal Sock yarn over at The Ninja Knitter's Blog She is such a kind and generous person I cannot thank her enough. Part of the deal was if I won the contest, I would have to do a good deed. So I made a donation to my local fire hall and also to a needy family. It feels good to pay it forward!

Well thats about it for now, must go shovel out the car and head to work. :(

Happy Holidays

2007-12-26T08:10:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

Mmmmittens!!!

2007-12-15T07:05:00.000-08:00

So my hubby needed some new mittens so I thought, hey, I'll knit some!

I've always wanted to try making thrummed mittens, and they turned out pretty good. I couldnt find any "real" roving locally and didn't want to wait any longer so I found some roving thats a little different. It was not spun, but seperated into 4 strands, kinda funky but it did the trick.

Here they are!

Well, that was after I finished the first one. They are now a complete pair and he loves them, they are so warm!

Here is a pic of the inside, you will see what I mean about the roving I used.

These were a fun knit. No pattern, made it up as I went along.

I was reading blogs the other day when I came across this Hot Cocoa, Beat the Winter Blahs Swap. I am going to sign up, the registration date is December 16th. It sounds like a lot of fun, go check it out!

Hey there...

2007-11-30T06:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog! This will be my little spot on the web where I will post my creations in knitting and other random things. I will try to post as regularly as I can, so stop by often!