Thank Goodness it's March!

February was all about the Frogging...so what will March be? I haven't made any progress knittingwise since I opted for overtime at work...and I plan to do it again next week if my body will let me. I'm pretty pooped and my arms are aching, so we'll see. The good news is that my income tax refund arrived on schedule, so you know what that means??? A trip to the LYS!!! Oh yeah, baby! There's a summer cardi in the latest Rebecca that I'm dying to start...also, a sock yarn stashing never hurts. This particular LYS isn't so L, and they are the only ones that stock Brown Sheep, so away I'll travel tomorrow! I can't wait.
Do you check out Anthropologie? Well, I do and here's one that I'd love to imitate.. It's the June Bug sweater! Seems like it could be done top down, no? I've never done one before....something to think about. Oh, and I was super disappointed in the latest patterns from Tahki-Stacey Charles. Sure, there were one or two goodies, but please...I'm not spending $12.00 to get a pattern book with only one good pattern in it. I think spring is officially here, so I need to start planning for those lighter weight knits!

Call Me Kermit.

Holy lily pad! All I have done this weekend is rip, rip, rip. Nothing is going my way. I was working on the pink bubblegum colored cardi, and realized I had forgotten to bind off 9 sts at the beginning of the armhole on the right side...uh, after I had gotten 4 inches along on the raglan decreases....RIP! So, I decide not to have second sock syndrome, and cast on for the matching sock to Jaywalker #3. Count the sts...everything is fine. Knit the row, doesn't work out. RIP! Repeat process. RIP! Oh yes, I was referring to my handwritten instructions all along....IT DOESN"T MATTER!!! RIP!!! RIP!! RIP!!
Phew! I needed that. Here's a knitting pic for you to enjoy. My girls always bring a smile to my face. (Knitting was done back in the 60's by my mom) Aren't they cute? I have started a doll blog....if you're interested...click on the sidebar. Happy rest of the weekend knitting!

Intarsia and I make strange bedfellows

Up for your perusal...This is what the back of my work looks like when I do intarsia. I love the motifs you can do, but my stranding sucks! I just don't see how everyone keeps it all untangled. Yeah, I probably shouldn't have stranded the pink across the white, but whatever! I'll still love my cardi and wear it...I've always wanted to try my hand at fair isle, but me thinks it ain't gonna happen. Isn't there a yarn out there that I could do a faux fair isle with?

For awhile now I have been lusting for these shoes.... These are my ideal Mary Jane, but I can't find them locally. Oh sure, I tried ebay and the etailers, but with shipping...too much $. After all, we are only talking about polyurethane! Not leather! I also resent the fact that they are considered "goth". I love a platform and I love cutesy shoes. Buying shoes has always been somewhat of a burden to me. I stand on my feet all day, so I'm looking for comfort but with cutsey thrown in. Tonight I stopped at the super budgety $9.99 and up shoe store and found these... Still pu, but at a reasonable price...with tax..$13.90. Sure beats over $50.00...still a platform, still a Mary Jane, and still with a velcro closure! And comfortable....YES! For some reason, expensive shoes never fit right. I usually have better luck with the cheapos! Call me crazy, but I gotta have comfort!


And in other news...it appears I have a lot today...I've thrown over the vintage cable cardi to do this intarsia. My cabling didn't resemble the pattern at all, and it gave me great dissatisfaction. I'm still concerned over the fit, too. I started knitting the sleeves, and then threw in the towel! I will come back to it, but I'm thinking I will frog the back and start over! Egads! Did I just type that out loud?? You read it here first. I've committed to a frogging party! BTW, can you guess what the pink number is going to be? One hint...Mary Maxim. I'm staying vintage!

Bon Jovi Rocked Tampa (and me)

OMG!!! What a night! I can't believe how fantastic they were! Ok, I'm getting a little ahead of myself. First off, I wasn't able to sleep. On Friday morning, I awoke at 5:30 am...yes, peeps..and that is WAY too early for anyone especially me. After all, it was my day off...then, since my sis was here visiting from CA, I went shopping. Red picked me up at 4 pm and we went to Carrabba's for some yummy Italian pasta. Got to the venue about 5:30-6:00 and thank goodness we did. The line at the merchandise booth was big! See, it's happened to me before that when you wait til after the show, all the really big sizes are what's left. So, to the right, you see my haul. Red surprised me with the Hello Kitty computer game (!) and then bought me a BJ Blinkie pin!! Isn't she the bestest??
Now, if Red reads this, I hope she won't kill me, but....I don't think at first she was excited to see the guys. I'm not saying she dislikes their music, but she's no fanatic like I am. That sneaky woman has been looking at their webpage, and she knew something I didn't know. At the start of the concert, Jon comes out and plays in the audience! We had great seats (Thanks, Red!!) and Jon was literally 8 rows away from us!! Let the swooning begin! (Did it ever stop?) And, later in the show, he popped up again in the mezzanine level crooning "Bed of Roses". If he had done that on our side, I would have lost my mind.
The local newspapers reviewed the concert, but not as highly as I would have. This was a standing through the entire show, clapping, singing, screaming event. When it was over, we looked like 2 drowned rats from all the sweat! I swear, you would have thought Red and I were the performers! Ha! I did wear the Bon Jovi half sweater that had to be ripped off as soon as the concert started! One side note, I was surprised when Jon made a statement regarding Ritchie and Heather's "situation". In fact, during "Dead or Alive", I thought Ritchie was crying...my bad! It was sweat!!
I felt like that was THE best concert I had ever been to...Jon is a mega performer who can work the crowd into a frenzy. The acoustics were right on, and the big screen they used behind the stage was mindblowing. Red said that it looked so good that one might think they were watching a dvd since the pic quality was excellent. The last word...phenomenal!!!!

One more night until....

Yep! That's who'll I'll be seeing tomorrow night! It's been a looong wait and I hope I can sleep tonight. Good news, though...Red was finally able to get Friday off so we'll be spending some time together before the show. The bummer is I received no paycheck today...due to the northerly blizzards. I may have to restrain myself at the merchandise booth--Ha!
And yes, I played hooky from work yesterday, too. I had a dental appt, and said to myself...go ahead. Take a paid day off! So, I went shopping and spent some time with my family. Then, if that wasn't enough, I went to knitting group that night! Ah....if only every day could be like that. However, I spent so much time yakking that I didn't do much knitting. Hey! I better go work on that vintage cardi!

Were women in the 1940's anorexic?

Here's where I'm at with the vintage cabled cardigan. Uh...I think there's going to be a problem. Since I rarely gauge swatch, I just cast on and went with it. I've used this yarn before, Cara Mia, and the item actually grew....so, I figured what the heck. But, if you look closely, this is the back and it's not even 13" across. Now, I'm not a big woman, but this looks like it may present a new design challenge for me.
Also, the pattern said to do a double cross cable. Huh? I looked in my VK reference book...nothing that even resembled the photo. I've never done a cable with 9 stitches. Then, I started thinking that maybe it was a European pattern...Drag out the Mon Tricot that I just got at the thrift store and ...voila! Cables are figured out, and I love the look of them. Now, there's one thing I neglected to say in my last post, and it also is happening here....I really don't much care for reverse st st. What about you? But, being the type A personality that I am, I'm going to just settle down and love it if it kills me. Do you think I'll need to go on a diet to fit into this?

Hello. My name is Earl...er Chibisan

Yea! The Bon Jovi half sweater is done!! And none too soon for me. I hate being on a deadline...that's why I could never participate in the Knitting Olympics (a very cool concept, though). Shoot. As slow as I am, I couldn't even be a pre-qualifier! Anyway, the specs are below:

Pattern book: Filatura Di Crosa Zara/Zara Plus
Yarn: Lion Brand cashmere blend-9 balls
Needles: size 7 Plymouth bamboos
Start date-1-29-06 and well, we know when I finished

I definitely recommend this book or any of the Tahki books. The patterns are staight forward, and so far no mistakes in the patterns I've used. Oh yes, and the Earl titled post...remember when I mentioned the knitting gods were working against me? Yeah, I finish the cashmere sweater and the weather for the day of the concert? 80 Degrees. Karma. I tell you it must be karma.

Baby, it's cold outside!

Well, I would say, "Greetings from Sunny Florida", but all we have to look forward to is cold, cold, cold! (Great for knitting, though). That photo you see was taken yesterday morning...that's ICE on the top of my car. This morning was worse....the back and front windshield was iced over....and come Monday...it's gonna get colder. Brrr...

But hey. You came here for knitting. I'm on sleeve island if you haven't guessed. The Lion cashmere is a joy to knit with. I have 2 balls left with the sleeve caps and the 60" I-cord belt to do. Will I have enough? I hope so cause I don't want to have to make an emergency run to Hancock's. (not the close one) You may recall, this is what I'll be wearing Friday night to see Bon Jovi! I also need a new pair of black pants for the event, but it looks like that's not going to happen either.
And yes, I have selected my next project. Originally, I wanted to do another pattern from the Filatura di Crosa booklet I showed on an earlier post. This was going to include me using up stash yarn. Ha! The yarn gods frowned displeasantly on me...I didn't have enough of any one kind of yarn in the 5 containers of stash! I was so frustrated I wanted to scream. I kept saying to myself, what's the sense in having a stash when you don't have enough to make ANYTHING!!! Ok, then I calmed down. I surfed and went to the vintage knitting blog (look on my sidebar) and found a link to a pattern I like. And the clencher...I have enough to make the project! Yea! Ya gotta love it when things come together like that.

I got yer vintage knitting right here, baby!

I'm a pattern ho...I admit it. And if it's vintage, I lose my mind. I went to the thrift store yet again and hit the mother lode! All 6 of these for $3.89...including tax! I practically squealed right there in the store, but quickly regained my composure. I was combing through ebay last night, and saw the Aran Fisherman knits book and was lusting for it...(I'm going through my Aran phase right now)....imagine my delight when I saw it for 44 cents!!! I'm still in a state of shock. I can't wait to make something from any or all of these! (I know. I'll never get to all of them, but a knitter can dream, can't she?)

And speaking of vintage knits, and I am....I can't believe I never posted about this sweater. Oh, the story. Back when I first learned how to knit, I saw this in Vogue Knitting and fell in love. My sister was visiting me in south FL and helped me do a yarn conversion. I immediately cast on with those size 2 Boye needles and began a long arduous journey. The only "yarn shop" available was a craft store called Poston's, and choices were limited. We figured out that I needed 10 skeins to make this, so I scooped up South Maid Cotton 8 in coral. Knitter's nightmare set in when I realized I didn't have enough yarn. I quit knitting completely until 1999. One day, several years later,
I found this old project and thought I'd finish it...uh oh! Not enough yarn. I frantically searched-almost daily- on ebay for 4 years!! Then one day, a seller had 1 skein in coral and I won the auction. This is one of the oldest ufos that actually became a fo.
Here are the specs....Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 1990 pg.53
Yarn: South Maid Cotton 8 in coral 11 skeins (this stuff washes and dries in the dryer quite well. shame that it's discontinued)
Needles: size 2 Boye straights
start to finish-1990 to 3-18-04
Oh yes, and her name is "Coral Castle"......after the edifice located in Coral Gables, FL.

Last, but definitely not least...you must check this out if you love vintage knitting...
http://www.vintageknitting.net/ What beautiful work!

Automatic Aran

Last weekend I hit my favorite thrift store and found this little diamond in the rough...it was rather nastified-pilled. Brought her home, gave her a good spin in the washer and dryer and then proceeded to spend 3 hours cutting off all the pills. Oh yes, and a shave. Love those sweater shavers! Unfortunately, it was made from acrylic-and a bit scratchy to wear-but I love it! Some wonderful knitter spent hours making this...and I HAD to have it...after all, it only cost me 70 cents. But, why I loved it so much was it reminded me of a vintage Coats & Clark ad I saw in my grandma's mags from the 70's..... For whatever reason, that little red haired kid in the sweater intrigued me. --and of course, the idea of passing the sweater down several times also fascinated me. Yeah, I guess I am a weirdo. You may ask where all this is leading...


I have tried in vain to get this booklet...and finally I just spent the extra dough and bought it off of ebay. I think the hoodie is great, and I may do it first after the half sweater.
I've got time to decide....all the patterns in here are what I like to think of as "my style". I've never knit an aran, and I hope I'll be able to concentrate on the pattern. They certainly are works of art, aren't they?

Here's The Skinny

Oo la la! This cashmere blend is super soft on the hands. I'm almost ready for the armhole decreases. This is what I hope will be a quick knit because I do have a deadline...the Bon Jovi concert. Today I found a camisole which I hope will work with this....ok, back to my knitting!

Bloggin' Is Good For The Soul

I'm really not feeling any better after my most recent crisis, but have decided that I might as well join the ranks of the living...don't get me wrong. I still may have my boo hoo moments, but as is often said..."life goes on".

Here's the obligatory sock photo... On the left...Opal Jaywalkers completed. Can you stand it? The middle sock-if you remember-is from the vintage men's sock knitting book. Lastly, my spring colorway for the third set of Jaywalkers ala picot edged. I have a sneaking suspicion that those two are gonna be loners for awhile. I have also got another sock on the needles...but all this sock knitting with metal needles is killing my right arm.(I'm a thrower) So, what next?



I've been drooling over this booklet since my birthday last month, but had set it aside for socks. I think the time is right for a garment. I'll be making a shrug, or actually, it's more like a half sweater using Lion Brand cashmere. Yes, it's taken this long for my town to get this stuff, and I've been wanting to see how it works up. Ya figure Zara retails for about $9.99 a ball. This cashmere was on sale this week at Hancock's for $6.63 a ball...yeah, I like to save when I can and it gives me a chance to play around with some new yarn. I've surfed around and can't find any bloggers who have used this as well as discussed this book. There's some great patterns in there, peeps. At least in my oh so humble opinion. Getting the cashmere was an episode...had to go to 2 different ones. Let me just say that I will be sending an email to Hancock's....there are some different issues I've had with them, and I think it's time I spoke up.

And my last subject is...my most favorite vintage knitting advertisement. I would love to get my hands on one of these t shirts. I think it's adorable in a schlocky kind of way. Maybe I'll send Boye an email, too. Hey, check out that circular needle set! I'm thinking of regularly posting photos of these vintage adverts to spice things up around here. What do you think?




Before I forget...I want to give a public shout out to Purse Ho for the kind words. You were the only knitblogger to acknowledge my post, and it really does make a difference! :)

Absence Explained

In Memory Of "Mister Boo" 1-29-96 to 1-16-06

My Best Friend
My heart is broken and the grief is searing.

Music news

How could I even forget this? Red sent me an mp3 of Manilow's latest..."Unchained Melody". He is really in his element when he sings a love song!

Opal-y goodness aka Flamingoed in Florida

Yeah man, I'm lovin' Opal sock yarn albeit a bit pricey. I still find it to be splitty, but I still like the feel of it. As I've said, anything has to be an improvement over Wildfoote-dissin' 'em out again. I love this Jaywalker pattern....it's so perfect. I've decided to do yet another pair, but I will make a picot edging like I saw on Amelia Raitte's site.

And of course, sock knitting is like Lay's potato chips (you can't just eat one), I've started another pair of socks.... The pattern is from a 1952 Jack Frost men's knitting book. I love vintage. The yarn is a complete mystery. I got it over a year ago at a thrift store, and it was already wound into the "cake". I'm doubling it since I don't like a flimsy sock. I've been doing a lot of "mental" knitting these days. I'm seriously considering only knitting with something vintage...whether it's the yarn or the pattern. Think I can hold out for the year?


And last but certainly not least...I'm concerting again!!! Yea for entertainment! Sing us a song, you're the PIANO Man! These days, every concert is a sellout. Good thing Red talked me into this one. I've seen him twice before....once was in 1979, I think...6th row tix! Those were the days! Then I saw him with Elton John at the old "sombrero"-you Tampa folk know what I'm talkin' about! Boy, that last time, he really made Elton look like a reject from American Idol! Billy Joel can really work a crowd! Should be a great night with Red. I'll give me review later this week...until then..."A bottle of red...a bottle of white..." sheesh...the songs keep flowing!

Happy(?) New (FO) Year!!!

This promises to be a longie with a lot to say, so if you're in a rush...you better by pass this post.
First off, I was able to squeeze this in as my first FO for 2006...or is this a delayed 2005 FO? Be that as it may, I now present my first pair of Jaywalker socks!
Specs-pattern from Magknits
knit on size 1 circulars with LB Magic Stripes yarn (my color name-Key Lime West)
Alterations-I had to size them way down because Magic Stripes is a much thicker yarn, and I gotta say, I love the denseness of the fabric it creates. Will I make them again? You betcha! And I already got the yarn to do it with...Opal Sock yarn (a first at my LYS) in Flamingo! How appropriately named. As you may have guessed, pink is my Favorite color....think I'll cast on with a size 0 first...if not I'll move up to size 000. My LYS didn't have any 00's and said addi didn't make them in that size for circulars? Isn't that strange?


Now for the bad news....the day after Christmas, my dog started seizuring for no reason whatsoever. I have been in a panicked mode for a week. I rushed him to the vet where they did bloodwork, and as I suspected...it came back normal. Oh sure, if I want to know more, I can go to a specialist where they have the audacity to charge $500-$1000 for an mri. Frankly, I can't afford it. Trust me, I would do anything to help him...I have for other dogs that I have owned. But, the speculation is that my vet thinks it's a brain tumor. When you have had your pet since they were a baby, you get a feeling about them...I refuse to believe it's a brain tumor. In my heart of hearts, I think he had a mini stroke. Anyway, they did prescribe phenylbarbitol(sp?), but he seized again. I called the vet the next day and he said I could up the medication...well, as they say, knock on wood...no seizures since the last one Thursday. He IS different now....all those little behaviors that you have come to know and love are gone...But there is light -so far- at the end of this tunnel...last night I got him to play with his favorite toy. A bone. This my friends, is the ultimate in relief and delight for me. I thought I was going to have to make a decision that I didn't want to have to. Man, my eyes are tearing up as I write this. Please send him all your healthy vibes. I know he can make it through this. If there are any knitters who happen to be vets, I'd love to hear your take on this.

Ok, back to knitting stuff...this is something I had planned to write about for Dec. 31st, but due to circumstances beyond my control...it's a day late. These are the things that I have learned this year:
1. How to knit continental-although I can do it, it's not natural to me
2. I designed(copied) my first sweater.-dolman cardi in previous post
3. I learned how to do an attached I-cord
4. I made my first sweater on circulars-Soleil from knitty

Hmmm...I thought this list was longer..well, who knows what's in store for 2006? I want to try magic loop and of course, I want to design my own stuff.
I just looked back at my diary of FO's and I started 2005 with the skull socks from Hello Yarn.
Oh yes, and I actually completed 25 projects this year! Phew! No wonder I'm tired. Ha! It should have been more...I got a bunch of UFO's over here...maybe this will be their year. I know it will be mine! Happy New Knitting Year!

Happy (insert holiday of choice)!!!

Here ya go! A photo of purl lace socks...ribbing on size 0 addis, and the body done on size 1. This photo is the closest to the actual color. Knit with Wildfoote in "Kansas Sky".





I left this sock inside out cause I don't want to give away the whole view yet. Yep, it's Jaywalker sock 1 done with unnamed Magic Stripes yarn. I absolutely love this pattern, and I can see why so many knitters round the net are doing multiple pairs...Count me in, too! And I am making them the length the pattern calls for-a first for me. I usually like a 4" high leg. Here's a name I'm dabbling with-for the color-Key Lime West.


Well it's back to the retail grind for me...hope to catch up before the New Year!

It's Christmastime again!

This was always my favorite Christmas movie...shame I haven't caught it this year...Those "puppets" they used were like magic to me. Ah...fond childhood memories.

In other news...the purl lace socks of doom are done! I plan to wear them with some mary janes to work. I'll post a pic later. Also, since I'm on a sock knitting spree, what better time than to cast on for another pair? Yes, it's the famous Jaywalker sock in a little seen nor named Lion Brand magic stripes yarn. Frankly, say whay you will, but I really love the sturdiness of magic stripes yarn. Why oh why can't Lion Brand make this in solid colors? Maybe if they receive enough requests from sock knitters, they'll do it. BTW, I haven't seen any of this yarn around the local retailers for months, so I'm glad I bought all the colors over this year. If anyone out there knows, what's a comparable yarn? So far, I've tried Wildfoote-hated it-Bernat sox-colors too washed out-and Regia-not impressed. I've got some Lorna's Laces, but no pattern in mind. Would love some comments on this one.

Anyway, have a very happy holiday and knit on!!!

Lonely Hearts Club-NO More!

First off, a FO! Yea! These are the Bernat Sox finally finished.....on my birthday (Dec 11). A day late, but done nonetheless. Sorry for the darkness of the photos, but it is cold, wet, and dreary...and I didn't feel like an outdoor photo shoot. Anyway, my experience with the Bernat Sox yarn was ok. I used size 0 needles instead of the recommended size 2 (I think) and it gave me a tighter fitting sock which I like. I believe it was on Sockbug's blog where she used the term "muddy" for the coloration on the socks, and I'm in total agreement with her. I had searched high and low in FL for this yarn, and almost used an etailer to buy droves of this yarn...so glad I didn't. It was an experience, and certainly something to learn.

Now, the dratted purl lace socks made from the ever unpopular (with me) Wildfoote. If you remember, I started these socks on too large a needle, and went down to a 0 for the cuff, and size 1 for the rest of the sock. I gotta say, these are some of the ugliest socks I have ever made...when they are laying flat...they actually come alive when you have them on. The yarn is splitty, and drives me crazy, but I am determined to finish them. Now, in the photo...you may have to click to enlarge it...I made a HUGE error. I was going along just fine until I started the heel flap-problem number 1- then the gusset decreases-major problem number 2. I decided to live with the heel, but look at that ungodly decreasing!! For what ever reason, I read ssk as sl 1, k1, psso. Don't ask me how that happened... all I can say is that on sock 2, it won't happen. Do you suppose I can pass this off as a new design element?

Surfing around, I found out a lot of knitbloggers are Saggittarius. Wouldn't that be a cute idea for a webring? I also found some cute buttons for proclaiming you're a "thrower" and an "english knitter". I'm hoping to figure out how to add this feature to my side bar.

Oh yes, and in closing....several months ago I read on "A Mingled Yarn"'s blog that she was told she was knitting "wrong". At the time, I couldn't figure out what the "wrongness" was. Guess what! I know now. When I was at knitting group on Wed night, I found out that I, too, am doing the knit stitch "wrong". I pass the yarn over the needle instead of under to make the loop. For next group, Allison-a prolific knitter- and I have agreed to bring swatches of st st to see if truly there is a difference. Imagine...I have a homework assignment for knitting group!

Old Projects Revisited

As you know, I am still working on the socks made from Bernat Sox yarn. This week has been so busy, and I was hoping to have them done by today. No such luck. When my knitting frustration sets in, I usually start a new project and/or shop for yarn. Since I bought yarn last weekend, I decided to look at one of my old projects.

Here is last week's yarn purchase. I've been dying to try Lion Suede, so what better time to buy it than when it's on sale. I'm thinking a bolero. Then, I've been thinking a lot about those ballet wraps.-minimal shaping, no fancy stitches, and I sure could use one in blue to go with jeans. Voila! That's the pattern I'm going to use from the latest VK, and I'm going to try some of this Bernat boucle. What the heck! Throw caution to the wind.

Now, about the old project....I got some Wildfoote for $2.00 a skein, and this was the only color choice--Kansas Sky. I fell in love with the name of this yarn, and immediately cast on to make Purl Lace Socks from the book Socks Socks Socks. Once I started the lace portion, I knew something had gone astray. The size 2 needles made this horrible big sloppy sock. R-r-r-rip! I am going to attempt them again. Do ya think O's will be small enough? If not, I may have to treat myself to some Addis in OOs. I tried to find them in KC, but the shops were sold out.
Have I mentioned that Bon Jovi had to schedule another concert because the first one was sold out in 48 hours? Wish I could afford to go to both, or at least win the contest to go onstage with them! That would be killer!