Treating Myself

Just got back from Lansing, signed up for a weekend of classes at Threadbear being given in August by Maggie Jackson. She is from Ireland, a country I really want to visit someday, and she designs using unusual textures, materials and stitches. I am excited to expand my knitting knowledge and try something new.

This is a treat for myself after surviving the last week and what will probably be the challenges of the next 3 weeks. Husband had neck surgery last Monday for a compressed disk and all went really well. One night in the hospital and I brought him back home. First couple of days were pretty quiet because the 'good' drugs kept him sleeping quite a bit but we are now well on the road to recovery and boredom is setting in quick. He has never been one to set still so a month of no driving and limited lifting/movement will be interesting. I will certainly deserve that class by the time it gets here.

I finished daughter #2's bolero and happily put that pattern and leftover yarn away. Making 3 sweaters from the same pattern is enough for me.

During my wait time in the hospital, I worked on the second sock for the railroad sock pattern started in January. Purposely took this sock with me because I knew the odds of me finishing the second sock on this one was pretty slim because the first took me such a long time to do. Combination of skinny yarn and small needles was not good even though I loved the look of the final sock. Strategy worked as sock number 2 is at heel and going well.


Nursing time at home has been spent working on the Wistful Swing Jacket pattern from Mission Falls. Fell in love with this coat when I tried it on a couple of years ago in a local yarn store. At full price the yarn itself would have cost me about $175 so I couldn't justify it at the time. I got lucky and found the yarn on clearance so for $27 plus cost of pattern and time I will hopefully have a long coat sweater I love.


It will be interesting to see if the coat or sock is finished first.

A Short Visit

I finished my rambling rows jacket this week. Pattern from Cottage Creations, cream yarn was recycled from a sweater I made my husband 25 years ago when he was my boyfriend. It was in the donation box and I had always loved the feel of the yarn...so I disassembled, washed and finally chose this pattern to remake it. I ran short of yarn when I got near the end of the sleeves so finishing digressed from the original pattern which calls for cuffs and a button band. My version has kimono type sleeves with I-cord edging around cuffs, collar and front. Chose Plymouth Encore Colorspun in colorway 7512 with the help of Mary.

While taking my photos to share I had a short visit from a friendly butterfly. I think he saw the camera and decided to get in on the action since he posed for several shots before continuing on with his daily flight.

I'm still here...

I'm still here...just been busy weeding and raking and knitting and doing the Mom thing. A quick catch up on the last 8 weeks.

Garden is in. Lovely Michigan weather means we have had to cover plants for frost warnings 3 times now. The last one took out about a dozen tomato and pepper plants so we just picked up some more. Gotta have enough plants for the salsa and spaghetti sauce.

Finished daughter number 1's Holy Moly just in time to wear it for Short Ones First Communion. Here we are in our fancy clothes.

Daughter number 2 has now requested a Holy Moly of her own since the little sweater we found at Sears is a little big. I have the back done up to the armholes compliments of hang out time on Mother's day.

Items I've managed to finish -
Sweater for Alpaca with a Twist (sorry forgot to take a picture before shipping it off).
Last February's sock, pattern is Hellen's Socks, yarn is from Live On.


Track meets have been good for knitting time. Got a dishcloth done for the kitchen supply cabinet and finished sock one 'Little Sky Sock' in Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters. Need to make the pair to this guy to figure out a couple of things I did wrong on the first sock.

Knitting goals for the summer are to work my way through the remaining socks in Cat's book, try a mobieus scarf, finish a few UFOs and hopefully add a couple of designs to the Etsy store. I better go get busy.

Holy Moly

I finished my Holy Moly Bolero. Now working on the same pattern in a smaller size for daughter number 1. Used yarn that has been in the stash for at least 20 years. Pattern came from December 07 issue of Knit N Style. Made my sleeves 3/4 length instead of long. Daughter is talking about short sleeves for hers.


In case any of my knitting buddies visit...I did not attend the knitting circle tonight because I am fighting a cold. Thought we would all appreciate me sharing my knitting via my blog and keeping my germs to myself. Hope to see you all next week.

Yarn Swift

Yarn swift is done. This was one adventure I don't think he wants to repeat. He just finished a mini niddy noddy that turned out really nice. I want to put a finish on it and add a cool pin to hold the one end before I share pictures.

Niddy Noddy

My husband was busy in the wood shop again last weekend. This time I have a niddy noddy to show for his creativity. It is always amazing to me how I can hand him a picture of an item and he will come back a few hours later with a 3D version of my request. He is also working on a yarn swift following a pattern I purchased. He got it about 1/2 done before he left for his last snowmobile trip of the season.

My snow widow weekend was spent reorganizing one of the few closets in my farmhouse. I moved some items not needed to the basement to make room for a clothes bar. Tonight I skipped knit night in order to play with power tools. My clothes bar is hung and now I have wiggle room in my regular closet since the rarely worn dresses and coats now have a new home.

A Nostipinne

The 45 degree weather and rain took the view of the barn from a winter wonderland to this...



The cats spend the day close to the house and watching what we humans are up to.



And my husband spent some time in his woodshop working a nostipinne on his lathe.


Still on his list to create...a wpi gauge and a niddy noddy.