Thank You SP9 Pal!

The mailman brought me a bag of goodness from my Southern SP9 Pal! I am spoiled! I received a lovely needle case organizer, handcrafted in purple fabrics, with beautiful button closures (I REALLY need close, sharp, colorful photos to show you...and I will try...I hope to get a new Nikon CoolPix soon!), a bar of coffee soap (what a scent...my favorite!), a ball of Crazy yarn, TWO skeins of Magallanes wool... hand dyed by Araucania Yarns in Chile, and a lovely artistic scented sachet...it's absolutely divine!
Thanks, SP9 Pal!

MY kind of "Ice Cream!"

Now, this is MY kind of Ice Cream Cone! This site was seen at the TKGA summer convention here in NH this past weekend...balls of various yarns atop sugar cones...and take a lot at their version of yarn "root beer floats"...too funny.

Now, this next photo is NOT true to color...we're having rainy, dark days here this week, and although I try, my camera isn't even close in capturing the citrus green and other Cascade 220 colors that arrived yesterday in the mail from Angelika's in Oregon. I ordered these yarns on Tuesday, and they arrived on Thursday! Wow...along with a free Pure & Simple pattern for the Simple Fair Isle hat, a Pure and Simple pattern catalog, some yarn sample snippets of various Cascade yarns, and a Noni pattern catalog! I will definitely order from this shop again. She carries all 250 colors of solids and heathers in the Cascade 220. A dream come true!

This pile of yarn is for a felted bag test pattern ("Shirley") for Marie of Miss Me Knits. The pattern looks great, and I can't wait to start! Go and see her blog for the picture of this bag...I can't wait to start this (said it again) and hope to begin tonight or tomorrow.


Next is a glimpse of the Love It tank from a few days ago: I need to finish it soon, before fall begins!

And here, a knitting photo I found somewhere, and it's just for fun.

Visit to the Frog Pond

Rip-it. Rip-it... Yup, I frogged Bethany...the sweater, that is. Although I checked my gauge with the Valley Farms Sugarloaf yarn and size 7 circs, I must have done my gauge swatch while stressed, because once I knit 6 inches of the pattern, I measured it...and the child's size 4 sweater was going to fit ME! So...I frogged it. Do you know what size needles I'm currently using? Size 3! Quite a difference, but I truly like the tightness of the garment, and the pattern should show up wonderfully. The Sugarloaf yarn is a joy to work with, as well (shown here, in Eggplant).

Valley Yarns Sugarloaf

The microfibre gives this wool such a cashmere-like softness that it can even be worn next to the skin without that annoying itchiness. Available in an array of pleasing colors, Sugarloaf is perfect for anything from kid knits to a sumptuous sweater for yourself.

Content: 52% Fine Merino Wool/48% Acrylic Microfibre
Care: Machine Wash Regular
Weight/Yardage: 50 Grams/81 Yards
Gauge: 4.5 sts=1, #9 or 10 needle
Knitting Weight: Worsted

On The Needles and More

My kiddos aren't here this week...one away at college, and the other 2 at "Camp Whatanonnie"...aka...grandma's (Nonnie) house. :) Smile. Big smile.
I haven't blogged a lot...I HAVE been cleaning closets, scrubbing cabinets, washing floors and sheets, and basically the stuff I don't get to very often....and it shows that I'm NOT Martha (Martha Stewart...who's on TV right now...discussing grilled fruits).
On my needles...um....Sockapalooza...still...but they WILL be done on time....and newly begun...Bethany (a free Berroco pattern) for my youngest neice. It's a great purple/eggplant color. With no kids at home, I took it upon myself to watch a movie...The Holiday...I loved it. However, while knitting and zoning out, I miscounted in my lace pattern...and ripped I did. Then at night, as I was nodding off to sleep while "just finishing the row", I AGAIN misread my simple lace pattern, but had to rip out 2 hours worth of knitting. Yeah, it's a learning process...I know. :)
Good news....I'm back on track. I love the Van Dyke lace pattern for this...we'll see how this particular pattern knits up as I progress. Now...this picture is from the Berroco pattern site...I only have about 4 inches on my needles!

Knitting, Knitting, I just keep knitting...

Can you believe that it's already mid July? WHERE is the time going? On Friday, I spent a few hours at the TKGA (The Knitting Guild Association) summer convention held here this past weekend in Manchester, NH...right in my neck of the woods! So convenient. I mulled and roamed the vendor shops for 4.5 hours...so many yarns and such! I walked away with some Webs Valley Yarns Sugarloaf in Eggplant for Berroco's Bethany for my niece, Berger du Nord Belle silk for some secret pal gifts, and an Austrian cardigan pattern and Harrisville's own Orchid yarn (25% Mohair, 70% Fine Virgin Wool & 5% Cashmere. A single ply yarn with a loft spun twist that is warm and wonderfully lightweight) in Canyon from Harrisville Yarns. I wanted much, much more...but it wasn't in the budget. :)




The rich heritage of Austrian traveling stitches is the inspiration for the intriguing texture of this soft, elegant, white cardigan. Knit in Harrisville Designs Orchid Line yarn, a luxury blend of mohair, silk and fine wool, the design just pops out with wonderful definition. And since the twisted stitches do not require a cable needle, this design is far faster and easier to knit than it looks.

Sizes: 39(43,48,53)". Gauge 23 sts and 27 rows = 4".
Yarn requirements: Harrisville Designs Orchid Line (Mohair, Silk, and Wool) 100 gr. skeins. 5 (6,7,8) skeins White Orchid
Alternative Yarn: Harrisville’s Flax and Wool Blend.

Now, if you remember, I was at Lucy Neatby's Sock Workshop at Harrisville last month and picked up these:
Cable & Lace Cardigan (#P718)


Cable and Lace: A lacy pattern combines a simple cable and seed stitch in this sweater shirt pattern shown here in Bordeaux from the Orchid Yarns. The design has a seed stitch collar, open vent side slits and button bands. There is also a simple cropped version of the design which has no side slits or collar, just a simple seed stitch neckband.

Level: Intermediate
Sizes: 35 (43, 46, 54)" Gauge: 4 sts & 6 rows = 1"
Yarn: Harrisville Designs Orchid Yarns
(Soft Spun Mohair, Silk & Wool Blend - 100 gr. Skeins)
Tunic - 4 (5 ,5 ,6) Skeins
Cropped - 4 (5 ,5 ,6) Skeins

AND...


Roma Cardigan (#P716)



Roma Cardigan: This elegant and slender fitting cardigan has a body of open cables on reversed stockinette stitch ground. The edge rib, cuffs, neck and button bands are all in a feminine mini cable rib stitch. It is knit in Harrisville Designs luxury blend of Silk and Wool in creamy White.

Level: Intermediate
Sizes: 36 (42, 46, 54)"
Gauge 25: sts & 19 rows = 4"
Yarns: Harrisville Designs Silk & Wool Blend -
50 gr. Skeins
8 (9, 10, 12) Skeins Shown in White.
Alternatives:
Cashmere & Wool Blend or New England Shetland-100% Pure Wool - light-weight 2 ply, 50 gr. Skeins

I also picked a cone of 2/14 Alpaca Silk(laceweight) from Valley Yarns in the Sienna Colorway for a very late start on Mystery Stole 3, which is coordinated by Pink Lemon Twist. Let the fun begin...

The Mystery Stole 3!

No, I'm STILL here...and so is my yarn, of course...

Monkeys are Here! Actually, they arrived a week ago. thank you, Cindy! What gorgeous socks! And, they fit perfectly! Cindy alson spoiled me with a handmade embroidered monkey sock bag, a monkey punchbag, a coloring kit for my son, and some nice circs, patterns, and directions for knitting socks with 2 circs....I can't wait! The Crystal Palace Bunny Hop yarn will make nice sock for my niece. Again, Thanks Cindy! :)


Wow! A whole week without blogging...I'm surprised, since I'm online and reading blogs, knitting sites, etc. every day! So, what have I been up to? Nothing, really. A nice picnic on the 4th with friends (and a great fruit salad!), moving son #2 into son #1's room...making son #2's room....MY CRAFT ROOM!!! MY permanent craft room!!!! Yes, that's where I've been. Unpacking, sorting, stacking, organizing patters, yarns, accessories, swap goodies to send, goodies to photograph for the blog. ...and fitting a daybed (aka bed for son #1 when home from college) into the corner with a burgundy matelasse cover and such. Oh, and THE BIRDS live there, at least temporarily. The birds are 5 cockatiels that belong to son #1...Lua, Gizmo, Feathers, Sampson, and Samantha...all have nasty bird dander, like attention, are very smart, and just do NOT go well in a craft room! What have I been knitting? I finished (but not felted) a ballband bag with Cascade 220 in a raspberry colorway, and a coordinating Noro Kureyon. I've looked at my Sockapalooza socks, but no gumption yet....only 3/4 of one sock finished so far. Project of choice: a great tank called the "Love It" tank, written by and purchased at Knottygirl in Fairfield, CT a few weeks ago. Love It is from Berroco, and is "A cool matte cotton/acrylic blend with just the right touch of elastic. Our range of 24 colors spans the spectrum from softened pastels and sophisticated mid tones to primary and jewel toned summer brights." A easy, but cute pattern for a tank...I can't find any more information on it, though! The TKGA summer conference is being held here in NH this weekend...and I plan to be there on Friday AND Saturday...as it's less than 10 minutes from my home. I hope to see many others there as well. :) Now, I really need to get my camera going, and take some photos of some swaps I received last week...from April in the Knitflix swap and from Jaana in the Super Sox Box Swap! Both were wonderful and much appreciated! April sent one of my favorite musicals that I don't own...Oklahoma!, along with a beautiful knitting bag (completing the OK theme)...take a look at the wonderful print lining this bag!, along with bee hand salve, a brass star, bandana notecards, popcorn, and sock yarn from Artsygal in Zannie Veggie Garden colorway. Wow! I was I spoiled!


Jaana was most kind in sending a wonderful box to me for this swap:
2 skeins of a beautiful Regia bamboo yarn (SO soft!), a handmade linen bag ( lined in a gorgeous pink fabric and my name is embroidered on the front!), Fiskar travel scissors, lovely green stitch markers, 2 bars of soap (one is coffee scented!), a cute magnet, coffee, jellied candies (they look like the same consistency of Swedish Fish, but I can't read Finnish! - Yum), and a cappuccino packet.

What my Son bought in Scotland (See the kilt?)

My traveling son returned home Friday from a month in England/Scotland/Ireland/Wales...and here's how he arrived from London. It's so him. Go figure! He loves being Scottish. My great grandmother, Jennie Mills, traveled from Ruther Glen/Glasgow in the early 1900's, and arrived via Ellis Island when she was a teenager. Now that he's seen more of where the family still lives, I guess he's a bit proud of being part of the Gordon clan.
Knitting Wise: Felted bags, not much else...recuperating from sending son off to college 36 hrs after arriving in the States. I'll be taking photos of my wonderful swap packages from The Knitflix Swap (Thanks, April!) and the Monkey Socks Swap 2 (Thanks, Cindy!). Both wonderful!