HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY GIRL!!

I can't believe that this lovely little beauty is 25 tomorrow! She still has the same twinkle in her eye and can light a room with a smile. She has become the most wonderful young woman and we are oh so proud. Where has the time gone? Keep it up darling Lyndsay - the sky is the limit for you!

SAMPLER AFGHAN

My new year's resolution holds with no new yarn purchases. I dug this project out of my UFOs and got interested in it again - I had totally forgotten about this sampler afghan that I had started last fall.
12" x12" squares knitted on size 8 needles make for a quick knit and it is so much fun to try all of the different stitches.
This one is "Quilted Lattice"




The camera didn't pick up the true colors of the yarn - it is a camel color in Encore worsted weight.
I figured it would be easy to wash and care for.



Little Shells








Moss Stitch




Yarn Over Cable




5 squares long and 4 squares wide - Should make for some great snuggling on a cold winter's night.



The 5th square is on the needles - I will update every 4 squares!

SOOOO MUCH FUN TO KNIT!!!!!

Too much fun!! Dale of Norway NR 101 Snowman sweater. Knit on size 4 and 6 needles with fair isle and cables made a very fast and interesting knit! I used Encore worsted yarn - due to the fact that this sweater is a 2T and goodness only knows what grandbabies will spill on it!

FAIR ISLE AND FELTING - LIFE DON'T GET NO BETTER THAN THAT

Nicky Epstein's Tote Sweet from Vogue Knitting - Holiday 2006 issue! What a great knit! I love fair isle and felting but never thought to put the two together. This bag turned out great and I made it for my nursing paraphenalia when I get to go back to work. A hopeful project as I still am not any where near ready to return to the ICU but the doc promised to have me back to work by June 1. So here is a ray of a dream, some planning, and a prayer that I may be able to return to my beloved job. It will be so great to pull my stethoscope out of this bag!



Close up of fair isle after felting. One of my New Years Resolutions is to knit my stash down - So I used the colors of Lambs Pride that I already had!










Prefelted - This bag was huge!






I am keeping my other New Year's resolution - I am knitting socks from the stash only - No yarn acquisitions for the new year yet!

DARN IT OR NOT?

I have knit a LOT of socks and never had a problem. This Christmas, I decided to knit a pair of socks for hubby and for darling son. I had a hard time finding a masculine self-striping yarn in a thicker sized yarn. I was looking for masculine, comfy, and warm.
I thought that I had found the answer with this Moda-Dea Sassy Stripes yarn made by Coats. I have used this yarn before and never had any problems ------until now! GRRRRRRRRRR!!
Within a week after Christmas - both loved ones presented me with socks that had gaping holes in them. I don't knit through the knots. I used the correct gauge and needle size. I hand washed and air dried them. I lovingly put my whole heart and soul into making these socks perfect!!!! AGGGHHHHHHHH!!!
The boys feel terrible and I simply don't know what to do - the yarn is definitely not going to hold up and the holes are huge! Not just one sock has a hole in it but both pairs - all 4 socks- have these same holes! What to do - Guess I will toss these and start new ones but Coats yarn has lost a customer forever!! Be forewarned

My pile of handmade socks that all have holes in them after being worn only 2 times each!

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION...

I am terrible at keeping New Years Resolutions. I always make them an unacheivable goal that never lasts for more than a few days but this year I think that I might actually keep my resolution! I will knit all of my sock yarn!
I find sock yarn irresistable - You know, you head into the yarn store to get a few skeins of yarn to make a specific project and then.......... the stacks of sock yarn beckon you. They call to you with all of their gorgeous colors and self striping promises. What the heck - I can afford to buy one or two more skeins of yarn and they are only for a pair of socks! I throw the sock yarn into my basket and take them home where they sit in my knitting basket until my next purchase of sock yarn. Then these lovely skeins get moved to the HUGE plastic bucket upstairs in my craft room rarely to be seen again.
But not this year! I will revisit that plastic bucket everytime I finish a pair of socks until the sock bin is empty! I think this resolution might last a couple of months before I give out to the latest and greatest sock yarn sale! HEEHEE