Been Awhile....

I know...it really has been. I have a new precious now though... My new Toshiba ( don't ask me what it's designation is, it kicks ass and I love it, it is my precioussss.....) The new laptop and I are enjoying our new relationship. My poor gaming and darling desktop died right before my son's 5th brithday and has yet to be repaired up to my standards. Since I have needed/wanted a laptop of my very own for sometime now I saved up and aquired my new lovely. So I shall attempt to be more forth coming with my p0osting.

I have finished a new project. I shall noy bore you all with happening between February and now ( those of you who know...well...know) My lastest accompishment is the Garden Plot dress from Interweaves knits Spring of 2011. I knit it up in Naturally Carons Spa in red and white and think it's just darling...

 This is of course taken while steam blocking it. I spent some time making this one. Took about 3 weeks off to do some other things... This was knit for my oldest neice Inari. I also finished the test knit from Hades ( though it is the cutest little sweater ever) for Gianna.

Be back soon..




TTFN

Knitting Without A Cable....

....Needle that is! Last night the wonderful and talented cockeyed opened my eyes to the world of cabling without a cable needle. I had worked out the process in my mind but she was kind enough to give me a visual demonstration and let me tell you, everything clicked into place. No more searching for that blasted curvy needle every time I want to do a 2x2 cable. front back, left slant, right slant, I can do it all now!! Thanks cockeyed!! Of course this would have been very helpful while knitting her beautiful design Patricia but now it's going to make it soooo much faster when she get her other most beautiful designs up!

My Patricia In The Wild knit in Rowan Cocoon Billberry. So in love with Cocoon now...









Some other things I have worked on...

A sweater for my darling boy. Which he has of course already outgrown. This is a Knitting Simple pattern Childs V Neck Down Pullover in Plymouth Yarn Encore 517. This pattern is so simple and versatile that I am going to make him another on but longer in the body.

G-Bug's Caroline Cloche which is of course done and took all of a day to do. So fun with the ruffle!! I just don't have better pictures yet. I made this up in Spa from Caron. (Yes the stitch marker is made by me and is snag free!!)





There are bunches more but my camera has not been my friend lately and I keep giving tings away before I take a picture of them so that isn't helping much either. I have been doing other things though...



Stitch Markers, hand made in the Purple Deviant Studios by me and they are Snag Free!! (Shameless Plug in 3, 2, 1....)

Check them out at my new Etsy Store I have been painstakingly putting together! Tons more stuff to peruse at your pleasure and there is more to come as soon as I get this whole picture taking, lighting issues, what not sorted out! I have been a busy little bee!!

Notice how I totally didn't bring up my six month absence? Ya... That's right...gonna totally ignore that one!
Next time Belated New Year's Resolutions!! Stay Tuned!! TTFN

I Have The Drive....

So just a real quick one. I am going to attempt for a longer post this week. My goal of 52 posts this year is starting to fall short. However some other things are picking up.

I finished the Icarus Shawl I have been working on. I will post more in detail about this later. i am also working on a shrug for my lovely Auntie JulieAnne for her son's wedding. I have much yarn and several projects waiting in the wings. I have also begun and hope to stick to and exercise regime that will see me actually modeling some of my knitted wonders myself as I shed poundage. So here's hoping......

It's A Sickness....

I have a sickness. When I go to the library they attack me now. I can't walk through the stacks without them leaping into my library bag begging to go home and be with me during my nightly reading rituals. I have become addicted to..... knitting fiction. I don't read mystery novels per say. I am general more inclined to the scfi/fantasy epic realms of the fiction world. However since discovering this book I have found others and now am hooked on books about knitting set in a fictional atmosphere. There are even ones with a fantasy element to them, like this one. One yes, it is a sickness, and I need help. Or maybe not. What I really need is to discover a way to knit while reading at the same time and combine my two most favorite activities to be able to accomplish more! Or find a really good place to get the in MP3 format so I can knit and listen. I would love to find a Netflix like site but for audio books that I could download onto my little MP3 player. Oh how I could save time, the world would be mine!!!

TTFN

Swift Happiness...

Ah....Swift Happiness.... I ordered a yarn swift from Amazon. I am super happy with it. It was inexpensive, easy to set up and a breeze to use...
I can't believe I am finally getting it all together. I just need a few more things like sock blockers, better organization....

Also I have to say that my knitting ladies helped me have a great Bday, which was last Monday, and I got more goodies!!! Some lovely Koigu yarn which I already cast on the Willamette Hop Socks with it's lovely purpleness. And I also received the wonderful Inspired Fair Isle Knits from another lovely lady, one who gave me the Purple rain for my previous Firestarters. She knows me so very well, in fact they all do. I love those lovely ladies! Thanks to you all :)

TTFN

Yarn score...

Score!!! Mega Score!!! Gooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!
  So for the last six months or so I have been cruising Craigslist for yarn and knitting notions, just out of curiousity. Not many people that I found who posted anything had much of anything good. And if they did they were usually in another county or too far away for me, a non-driver, to justify the attemp to get to them. Until last week. I stumbled across this posting simply stated "Yarn....lots of it..." and boy was there. At least 15 very large totes of it, a few baskets, 20-30 books, and notions including circulars, dpns, wooden straits, it was pure knitters heaven. This poor fellow's mother had unfortunately been hit with major health problems and would not be returning back to her knitting world and he was helping her clear away the clutter. She had a beautiful collection, lots of high ended stuff like Malabrigo, Blue Moon Fiber Arts ( I actually met Tina!!), Lorna's Laces, tons of stuff from Knit Picks and soooo much more. A large portion of her collection was cotton, which much of it is still available as I simply have not the room for all of it though i was very very tempted to clean him out!!

Well I cleaned 'em out pretty good....

All mine..my pretties...my...precioussssss....

I was giddy by the time I got it all home and on my floor. I scored big time and am very very grateful to the wonderful lady who put this all together. I pray her health gets better, that she and her son find peace in this world and I hope she is happy that this yarn has found a very good and loving home. Big plus is about half of it is sock yarn. Yay!!!


  On another...odd note. I was at the new library the other day across the street from my apartment and while perusing the adult fiction section I ran across this book... While My Pretty One Knits. I read it in about six hours, which is strange as I usually read at night in bed now since it is difficult to hold a book and knitting needles at the same time. i really liked it. I am not much of a mystery reader but hey it was about knitting and yarn and yarn shops and was really good. There are even a few recipes, patterns and tips in the back. It appears to be the first in a knitting related series so I will be keeping my eyes out for others. Who knew that there were knitting books on the fiction shelf. Double Score!!!

TTFN

In Memoriam...

Sunday June 20th, Father's Day 2010, was the day in which I gathered my family to honor have pay respects to my father who passed away over Easter, April 14th, 2009. We gathered at the old Maronay Family plot in Sandy, OR to pay our final homage and say goodbye. The event was very solemn but very comforting too, we even had a change to spend time at the Tollgate Inn which had pictures of my ancestors on its rustic walls.The day was cold and misty but when we finally gathered, the wetness stopped and the wind stilled, seeming somehow appropriate for the activity we were commencing. My son actually behaved quite well for not knowing really what we were all doing there. My father's sisters read poems, while his wife and his son held her stoically and near the ended I provided glasses of bubble water all around for a final toast while singing an old Irish favorite...

The Parting Glass

All the money that e'er I had

I spent it in good company

And all the harm I've ever done

Alas,It was to none but me

And all I've done for want of wit

To memory now,I can't recall

So fill to me the parting glass

Goodnight and joy be to you all!

Fill to me the parting glass

And drink a health whate'er befalls

Then gently rise and softly call

Goodnight and joy be to you all!

Of all the comrades that e'er I had

They're sorry for my going away

And all the sweethearts that e'er I had

They'd wish me one more day to stay.

Since it fell into my lot

that I should rise,and you should not

I'll gently rise and softly call

Goodnight and joy be to you all!

But since it fell into my lot 

That I should rise and you should not

I'll gently rise and softly call

Goodnight and joy be to you all!

So fill to me the parting glass

And drink a health whate'er befalls

Then gently rise and softly call

Goodnight and joy be to you all!

Here's to you Pops, i love you.......

TTFN