Dreadlocks and Redheads

Nothing like a little dreadlocked Anne Lamott to invigorate my holiday spirits.  She spoke at a local church here in the Twin Cities.  She was a delight and a breath of warm air (she flew in from Cali).  She makes me think of what a really cool aunt/mom would be like.  I want to be a really cool aunt/mom with dreads but they sound like a lot of work, so I'll stick with my boring mom hair.  I'll just be a kind-of-cool aunt.  

And up there, I'm working on a lacy scarf with some gifted Icelandic Lopi.  Remember those cool Icelandic ladies and the pope I spent the evening with at the Italian restaurant?  They gave me this pretty yarn.  Aren't they sweet?   That's the true color, thanks to my nifty camera.  I have a beautiful red-headed niece who may bet getting this for Christmas if I get it off the needles on time.

Mmmmmmmm. Autumn......

Wow. That's what I said when I took Leo for his walk today. The colors are unbelievable. Sugar maples and sumac defy reality - colors that can't possibly be recreated.

A bit further on our walk, I saw these fellas before the dog did. I got an ok shot of them. There were about 10 in all and they seemed fairly unconcerned that I had a bird-dog at the end of my leash.


Looking at these turkeys reminded me that I have an FO of about the same color to show off to you:

You're looking at "Patrick's Irish Hiking Scarf" knit with a soft (but machine washable and affordable) Bernat Cashmere Natural Blends - 3 skeins to be exact, on size 8 needles; in Charcoal.






So having one Christmas FO finished, I'm on to #2 - Elsa's Nest Tote in a lime green Lily Sugar'n Cream colorway called "Hot Green". The picture doesn't do justice to the color. It's much more limey. It's a new colorway!

Elf Hats, Magic Rocks and Sea Monkeys

These elfy hats are very addictive because they knit up so fast. It would be even better if I could knit them in the round so that I wouldn't have to sew up the back seam. But I haven't found double pointed 13 needles or 40" circular 'magic loops'.

QUESTION: Why do I have to block my finished stuff? (for those of you who don't knit - Blocking is when you dampen or wet your knitting and lay it out to dry in the shape you want). I don't get why because when you put on socks/hats/scarves they are the shape of your foot/head etc. What's the point. I blocked this orange hat, but I did not block the first one. I see no difference. And socks? You knit them and wear them. Why would I block them?

My 3rd Noro (silk garden) scarf is so pretty! I did not know it would have so much purple in it. The skeins were deceiving - mostly greens/browns/blues. This is why knitting these scarves is so fun. Why doesn't Noro ever go on sale?
Day one of summer vacation:

MAGIC ROCKS! Remember those? Got 'em at Target. In the 70's I ordered mine from my Archie comic books . . . along with my Sea Monkeys - perhaps the biggest disappointment of my life. You cannot train Sea Monkeys. Nor do they grow arms and legs with flipper feet.

Crafts and Pointy Hats

We're getting our 'summer crafts' in order - anticipating the last day of school this week. Two articles were suggested to me at Knitty (here and here). Thanks for those suggestions! So we will be trying to dye our own self striping yarn and I'll knit up some thick warm socks . . . or one of these:

I found the pattern in this book - which I got from the library and LOVE. I'm going to buy this one. It's the best knitters self-help book I've come across so far with everything form sizing charts, to finishing instructions.

The pattern is called "Tweedy Pointed Hat" and it only took a few hours to make from beginning to end (big fat US 13 needles). They're rustic and perfect for the cabin.

Hubby gets the first one because the hat turned out way too big for my kids or myself.

Up North

Back from 'Up North'. A bit cold, wet and rainy at the cabin - which means:
die-hard fishing, plastic army men,Polly Pockets,board games, fairy houses, and of course . . . a lot of knitting. I finished my first Monkey sock (well, almost) and I absolutely LOVE IT!
Monkey Sock Pattern

To My Blog Friends

I want to say thanks to my readers (all two of you) for your kind, wonderful AND HELPFUL comments. I really enjoy reading your blogs and seeing your knitting and families grow. I'm still new to this, but have really enjoyed it. Thanks ladies. Truly truly!

Also, I have been knitting. Here is some proof of my works - as they lay. No fixed up poses for these piles of yarn.

Noro-Scarf-I-Swore-I'd-Never-Knit-Again Scarf:













Ocean socks for my big 8 year old:













Nell's Baby Sweater:













My hubby's Choco-socks (third try):
I have my last sock-knitting class tonight with my ma. I'll finish the ocean sock and start the second. Have a great day, my bloggy friends!!!

It's ssssssso cute.

This snake scarf was so fun to knit because it's entirely brainless. . . perfect for us beginner people. And the yarn was so fun and yummy. And my solution to the problem: Will my 6 year old out-grow it by next fall? - is ok because my tomboy girl (4) loves it. Phew. Anyway, there it lies, drying on my ironing board (that's L at the end). I have to crochet a little tongue and attach felt eyes and voila!

Beside this scarf, I am almost out of things to talk about. Knitting projects, that is. Since I overspent the last time I went "knitting" at the local knit shop, now I have to wait until the middle of April to start (buy) anything major . . . which will be a bathrobe for my big kid. I know! A bathrobe! But it's so darn cute and he actually requested it. . . (I've heard this somewhere before). It's from Linda Guy's And So To Bed . . . book.

PROBLEM #1: I've never knit a sweater PROBLEM #2: The size in the book only goes to 4-5 and my 8 year old is in 10-12 (nordic genes) I'm hoping that the lovely lady, from whom I will buy all 100 skeins of wool for this project, will lovingly size my chart for me. (insert smiley face)

Quick update!

I found Heather. Turns out, she's one of the blogs I visit daily for a good giggle! Just didn't put it together! The ultra-cool sock yarn from the picture below is Katia Jamaica (cotton, color 4004 - the watermelony one and color 402). I bought mine at Knit Wits in Chanhassen. Another great pair I want to knit is HERE.

I finished my 6 year old's 2nd sock, but can't post a picture because it was completed last night around 11:30 PM and he wore them to school this morning. I made him wear his croc-knock-offs so people could see the color through the holes. Who am I kidding? No one cares. (Heather, do you have a 6 year old?!)

If you like mittens . . .

If you love to knit mittens, especially traditional designs, you'll LOVE this! (Click here). I am trying to find out more about this woman and her mittens. When I do, I'll be sure to post the links here! The link is to a blog that features a woman near Ely, Minnesota - Iron World - who has been knitting mittens from around the world. It's really cool.

The picture above is from a book you can get on Amazon - Latvian Mittens. Check your library - Hennepin County has this book.

One Sock . . .

I did it! My first sock. I saw this sock at Knit Wits and bought the yarn/pattern and there you go! Not perfect, but it fits and it's comfortable . . . and cute. The heel stitches are goofy because I was still using my old way of knitting (the wrong way). And I bound off on the outside of the sock because I couldn't figure out how to turn the sock inside out with the needles still attached (and I was too lazy to take the needles off). I'm already onto my second sock. I know what my poor family and friends will be getting for Christmas 2007!

The Noro scarf length was finished, but I'm not happy with it. So I went and bought two more skeins and I'm going to knit another foot. If I make this again, I'll do this on double pointed or round needles. Size 9 or 10 and about 35-40 stitches. I already bound it off, so I'll have to unravel it a bit and hopefully not goof it up too much. We'll see. It's really pretty, but the yarn is expensive . . . and 4 skeins? I don't know if I'd do this one again unless someone buys the yarn for me. It's fun to knit because the colors are so awesome and you never know what combination you'll get.