Today 2 friends and I headed to Shepherd's Harvest Festival then to lunch and finally to Lila and Claudine's. I was about to write all about our day but read the blog of another friend first. This made blogging today very easy. - Read Christine's blog and pretend I took the pictures and wrote the blog - pretty much the same thing happened to the 3 of us today that she did yesterday. (She even mentions me in her blog!)
This is one easy post!
Christine's Blog
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Some Success and Fun
Last week I posted about 3 projects - a blue top, a blue market bag and a white mystery shawl from 2007 (yeah, I started it that long ago!). So, did I finish the top for Yarnover or did the other projects take over my time and the top stayed at home. The answer is....
both
I did finish the top but I have no pictures for you yet because it is not totally finished. No buttons and needs blocking. I like it but I remembered how warm the building was last year and decided to wear something lighter weight. That was the right decision. Our classroom was warm and the blue top would have been too much.
The blue market bag is done except for the handles. I'm debating what type of handles would be best. They need to be strong and not stretchy because there's nothing worse than having a bag that ends up dragging on the ground.
The white shawl IS DONE!!! I still need to block it but that won't happen until I decide if its going to be dyed or not. Until then I'm going to let it sit for a little bit because once you dye it the deed is done and the shawl can't go back to white.
Yarnover
Last weekend was yarn over. I had a friend come up from southern Minnesota to stay Friday night before the event. Friday night we met another friend for dinner at my favorite Indian restaurant and had a great time. Yarnover is a Minnesota Knitter's Guild one day event with many teachers - vendors and a chance for knitters to learn and enjoy the day. The day began with Merike Saarniit as keynote speaker and then I had a morning class with her on Creative Estonian Knitting. I don't take too many classes because, quite frankly, there's not a lot out there I haven't tried and I don't have the money to waste on classes that don't teach me new things. I hadn't done any Estonian knitting specifically and figured since she grew up in the culture it would be interested to take a class from her. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The class started out with page 1 of her handout not being copied for us (not her fault and we did get it emailed to us a couple days later) so the cast on on that page had to be done slowly and repeated multiple times because people didn't have the ability to look at the directions as they tried it. Then she talked a lot about just do whatever you want to and how ladies just make things up. In the end we learned a cast on, a new way to do nupps and a slip stitch that goes over multiple stitches to be a V. That's it - 3 hours, 3 stitches. The handout language seems to me to be "cleaned up" a bit. She would say things like "wiggle your thumb" to explain part of the cast on. Without seeing the stitch done this instruction just wouldn't get the average person to the completed stitch.
MN Knitter's Guild Meeting
Tuesday night was the monthly meeting. Moved up earlier than usual so we could enjoy a talk by Sally Melville, who was one of the teachers at Yarnover. She spoke on why knitting is good and what it does for us. Her main point was: Knit what you like and wear what you knit.
NW Twin Cities Burbs Knit Night
This week was also my twice a month knit group. We had a good group including a few new faces. Meeting with a regular group of knitters is so important to feeding your knitting mojo. Each time we meet we talk about silly things - female things - life traumas and more. We also get a chance to see what other knitters are working on and what yarn they have found. It's also a chance to plan for things beyond the group. That happened this week. Three of us are going over to Shepherd's Harvest Festival tomorrow. A time to enjoy the company of knitting friends and fondle yarn, watch sheep get sheared, dream about the spinning wheels, and walk around in the fresh spring air (I think spring is really here). We'll end the day my stopping by Lila and Claudine's since neither of them have ever been there. It will be a good day!
both
I did finish the top but I have no pictures for you yet because it is not totally finished. No buttons and needs blocking. I like it but I remembered how warm the building was last year and decided to wear something lighter weight. That was the right decision. Our classroom was warm and the blue top would have been too much.
The blue market bag is done except for the handles. I'm debating what type of handles would be best. They need to be strong and not stretchy because there's nothing worse than having a bag that ends up dragging on the ground.
The white shawl IS DONE!!! I still need to block it but that won't happen until I decide if its going to be dyed or not. Until then I'm going to let it sit for a little bit because once you dye it the deed is done and the shawl can't go back to white.
Yarnover
Last weekend was yarn over. I had a friend come up from southern Minnesota to stay Friday night before the event. Friday night we met another friend for dinner at my favorite Indian restaurant and had a great time. Yarnover is a Minnesota Knitter's Guild one day event with many teachers - vendors and a chance for knitters to learn and enjoy the day. The day began with Merike Saarniit as keynote speaker and then I had a morning class with her on Creative Estonian Knitting. I don't take too many classes because, quite frankly, there's not a lot out there I haven't tried and I don't have the money to waste on classes that don't teach me new things. I hadn't done any Estonian knitting specifically and figured since she grew up in the culture it would be interested to take a class from her. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The class started out with page 1 of her handout not being copied for us (not her fault and we did get it emailed to us a couple days later) so the cast on on that page had to be done slowly and repeated multiple times because people didn't have the ability to look at the directions as they tried it. Then she talked a lot about just do whatever you want to and how ladies just make things up. In the end we learned a cast on, a new way to do nupps and a slip stitch that goes over multiple stitches to be a V. That's it - 3 hours, 3 stitches. The handout language seems to me to be "cleaned up" a bit. She would say things like "wiggle your thumb" to explain part of the cast on. Without seeing the stitch done this instruction just wouldn't get the average person to the completed stitch.
MN Knitter's Guild Meeting
Tuesday night was the monthly meeting. Moved up earlier than usual so we could enjoy a talk by Sally Melville, who was one of the teachers at Yarnover. She spoke on why knitting is good and what it does for us. Her main point was: Knit what you like and wear what you knit.
NW Twin Cities Burbs Knit Night
This week was also my twice a month knit group. We had a good group including a few new faces. Meeting with a regular group of knitters is so important to feeding your knitting mojo. Each time we meet we talk about silly things - female things - life traumas and more. We also get a chance to see what other knitters are working on and what yarn they have found. It's also a chance to plan for things beyond the group. That happened this week. Three of us are going over to Shepherd's Harvest Festival tomorrow. A time to enjoy the company of knitting friends and fondle yarn, watch sheep get sheared, dream about the spinning wheels, and walk around in the fresh spring air (I think spring is really here). We'll end the day my stopping by Lila and Claudine's since neither of them have ever been there. It will be a good day!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Will the bookies take odds?
Yarnover is this weekend. In preparation I decided I needed a new top to wear. The weather should be nice enough so a sweater will be too warm but this is Yarnover and the top just needs to be knit. So - I started making a short sleeve top that I can wear closed or open with a tank top under it. The bits are knit, I have 3 evenings left till Yarnover. The bets are on - will I actually get this finished in time to wear.
Things to consider - I need to clean the house - do laundry - get the guest room ready - and be distracted by a million other things. Only time will tell.... If you go to Yarnover and see me, check out if this pile of light blue knit bits is a completed top on my back!
One of the things that may distract me is my knit version of Rust Goes Green. Back several years ago when I designed Rust Goes Green, a crocheted market bag, I had requests for a knit version. People liked it and I totally planned on making a knit version. I got about half done and ran out of yarn. This year I started clearing out the old projects and made plan to get some of them done.
It's not done yet but well on its way. I just have to decide how I want to finish the top and what type of handles it will have. We're gittin' there. Now I need to come up with a name. Rust Goes Green was because I used a rust colored yarn to make a reusable "green" market bag. What about "Out of the Blue" ? Maybe not...
In the middle of the cleaning out old projects I found the Mystery Shawl #3. I was SO close to done but put it away. The past few nights I've been working on it and I have very little left to knit. I used Knit Picks Bare fingering weight and planned to dye it once I finished the shawl.
What's going to win- finishing the blue top - the blue market bag or the shawl? If the bookies in Vegas can lay odds on who will cry at the Royal Wedding maybe they'll want to lay odd on the winner of my next finished project.
BIG MISTAKE
I love the scene where Julie Roberts goes back to the shop that would help her in "Pretty Woman". She walks in with her arms loaded with bags and tells the clerk who wouldn't help her - "BIG Mistake." My mistake involved my wardrobe but nothing so exciting as bags full of designer clothes.
I placed a clean black top on the bed this morning when I was deciding what to wear and forgot to hang it up in the closet before I left for work.
Things to consider - I need to clean the house - do laundry - get the guest room ready - and be distracted by a million other things. Only time will tell.... If you go to Yarnover and see me, check out if this pile of light blue knit bits is a completed top on my back!
One of the things that may distract me is my knit version of Rust Goes Green. Back several years ago when I designed Rust Goes Green, a crocheted market bag, I had requests for a knit version. People liked it and I totally planned on making a knit version. I got about half done and ran out of yarn. This year I started clearing out the old projects and made plan to get some of them done.
It's not done yet but well on its way. I just have to decide how I want to finish the top and what type of handles it will have. We're gittin' there. Now I need to come up with a name. Rust Goes Green was because I used a rust colored yarn to make a reusable "green" market bag. What about "Out of the Blue" ? Maybe not...
In the middle of the cleaning out old projects I found the Mystery Shawl #3. I was SO close to done but put it away. The past few nights I've been working on it and I have very little left to knit. I used Knit Picks Bare fingering weight and planned to dye it once I finished the shawl.
What's going to win- finishing the blue top - the blue market bag or the shawl? If the bookies in Vegas can lay odds on who will cry at the Royal Wedding maybe they'll want to lay odd on the winner of my next finished project.
BIG MISTAKE
I love the scene where Julie Roberts goes back to the shop that would help her in "Pretty Woman". She walks in with her arms loaded with bags and tells the clerk who wouldn't help her - "BIG Mistake." My mistake involved my wardrobe but nothing so exciting as bags full of designer clothes.
I placed a clean black top on the bed this morning when I was deciding what to wear and forgot to hang it up in the closet before I left for work.
BIG Mistake
They just mentioned snow in tomorrow's forecast - will it ever end!?!?!?!?!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Spring Watch 2011
Well, we're still waiting for spring to actually appear and stay in Minnesota. Last night the 10pm News was talking about how lucky we were to have missed the latest snow that came through. Then I woke up this morning.
As I left the bathroom and glanced out the back window I noticed the apple tree didn't look quite spring like.
Hoping that is was a figment of my imagination I went to the front and looked out the front door.
As I left the bathroom and glanced out the back window I noticed the apple tree didn't look quite spring like.
Hoping that is was a figment of my imagination I went to the front and looked out the front door.
Yup. We didn't miss this one.
Oh spring, where for art thou spring?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Waiting for spring - still
The Boys have been discussing the whole "When is spring going to be here" topics and they decided it's taking way too long. They miss sitting in the open window and "chirping" at the birds in the yard.
So, what do we have instead of flowers and nice green yards?
We have store closings. It's sad to see book stores closing. I love exploring book stores and paging through the latest books to find something new to read. Sometimes its a knitting book. Sometimes a mystery or historical fiction. I have a feeling that my reading will change as we move closer to all ebooks. They are wonderful and I do read on my netbook and iTouch but its just not the same as a real live book and I hope we never totally get rid of them. They're warm and comfortable. At least in my mind they are.
What else do we have instead of flowers?
We still have massive snow banks. This is in the parking lot of a local shopping mall. It's been melting for well over a week and check out the size of what's still there! Just to the right of the snow bank is a person with a stroller walking past it. That's one huge bank!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Rumor has it....
The past week had definite signs of spring. It was quite exciting. I was outside without a coat. The snow finally melted off my yard. Life was looking good. Then this week came. We've started out pretty good but as the week goes on the colder it gets. They're even saying things like - rain mixed with snow - when giving the weather report for the rest of the month. Rumor has it we're in the season known as spring but, I have my doubts.
As with every spring I start thinking about getting healthy in my habits. This year I'll spend more time in the garden, I'll go out on my bike more. You know what I'm talking about. I usually end up doing nothing. This year I've actually started doing a few things in the right direction and have lost some weight.
One of the things I found that has been very helpful for eating healthier, cheaper and in a more ecological manner. I love popcorn but I hate microwave bags and the unknown chemicals they put in them to pop the corn. At Target I found a microwave popcorn popper that works. It really works well. I've also made rice in it and that turned out perfect. So, I had to share with wonderful find with you. The Target website doesn't show it but when I bought it the popper was under $10 and well worth the price.
Here's a link to the Nordicware website so you can see what it looks like. Nordicware Popcorn Popper.
As with every spring I start thinking about getting healthy in my habits. This year I'll spend more time in the garden, I'll go out on my bike more. You know what I'm talking about. I usually end up doing nothing. This year I've actually started doing a few things in the right direction and have lost some weight.
One of the things I found that has been very helpful for eating healthier, cheaper and in a more ecological manner. I love popcorn but I hate microwave bags and the unknown chemicals they put in them to pop the corn. At Target I found a microwave popcorn popper that works. It really works well. I've also made rice in it and that turned out perfect. So, I had to share with wonderful find with you. The Target website doesn't show it but when I bought it the popper was under $10 and well worth the price.
Here's a link to the Nordicware website so you can see what it looks like. Nordicware Popcorn Popper.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Cat Parent
You know you're a cat parent when....
• You automatically check for kitty tail clearance before you sit on the toilet.
• You assume everyone has an extra layer of fuzz on their clothes.
• Your knitting mantra is: Knit one, purl one, pet one - repeat.
• You don't need an alarm clock because the cat knows exactly when it's time for breakfast.
• You automatically cover any black clothes with a towel if you leave them on the bed.
• You don't need weights to hold down your pattern and material when cutting out a new outfit to sew. You have a large "weight" ready to help you.
• You think the cat is always in the way but the second he's sleeping somewhere else in the house you have to go looking because you're worried he's not with you.
• All chairs in your house belong to the cat.
• No matter how down you feel, coming room to a purr and cuddle makes everything better.
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