On The Needles

 Timeless is still OTN.

I am making progress though.  I'm seven decreases in on the first sleeve, only eighteen more decreases to go. And then I can do it all over again on the other sleeve.

Did you notice the sheep stitch marker?  I think she's absolutely precious.  I had signed up to take a bus trip with my LYS to the Maryland Sheep & Wool festival back in May.  Of course the festival was canceled.  Center of the Yarniverse gave me the option of getting my cash back or getting a gift card for the full amount, a 10% discount, and some unnamed freebies.  Of course I chose the gift card option.  The shop just recently opened back up and several of those little sheep stitch markers were in the bag of freebies.

And because I seem to be on a roll with live critter photos recently...

We had another visitor but he didn't ring the doorbell.

Seashells

Despite all the grumbling I do about my life, I am truly blessed.  I have the most wonderful group of friends!  Take Rebecca for example…

Rebecca is a knitting buddy and also an amazing jewelry artist.  I hope to one day soon showcase her here in a Makers’ Monday post.  But until then, you can find some of her creations on Instagram.

Rebecca made me this sterling silver octopus necklace back around Christmas time.  It’s made from a dinner fork and I absolutely love it!  The tentacles even act as temporary stitch marker holders when I need to move them around in a row.  How cool is that??  I doubt she designed it with that function in mind, but she is also a knitter so… maybe!

Rebecca also teaches a variety of craft techniques and this past Saturday, she taught stitch marker making at The Center of the Yarniverse, my LYS.

My wrapping skills totally suck (I hate that expression but hey, let’s call a spade a spade here.) but that has nothing to do with Rebecca’s teaching.  It has to do with my coordination. Or more specifically, my lack of coordination.  And perhaps the fact that I used up most of the class time choosing my beads so I sort of had to rush through the actual making process.  But whatever.  I have six new stitch markers, made by me that don’t snag the yarn!  And they are little silver seashells!  And one is coordinated but different so that it stands out as marking something special.

Thanks Rebecca!

Gloucester Knitting Retreat

The knitting community is an amazing group of people. 

I was so excited to be invited to attend Gloucester’s annual knitting retreat this year.  If I understood correctly, to honor a passed member of the now defunct Gloucester?? Mathews County?? Middle Peninsula?? (I really don’t know their exact name) knitting guild who always knit blankets for the animal shelter, a group of knitters gets together once a year and spends the day at Beaverdam Park in Gloucester knitting and eating delicious pot-luck foods.  They charge a very small admittance fee which is then donated to the Matthews/Gloucester ASPCA.  This year, they raised over $200!

Being shy and a total wallflower and knowing only one other attendee slightly, I’d planned to make an appearance, see what it was all about and then leave.  I ended up staying six hours and I made several new friends. 

Can we skip spring and summer and go straight to fall so I can use my new stitch markers?

The park's lodge is the perfect place to hold such an event.  It sits right on the edge of the water and the view was gorgeous.  The view inside the lodge wasn’t too bad either.

Love to see yarn sellers playing nicely together

Yarn Matters and The Wren's Daughter were there selling their wares.  I almost got away without buying any yarn.  Almost.

The Wren's Daughter, Movie Night

As much as I wanted to buy every skein on Yarn Matters' table, I was able to resist because I’d just been in their shop recently and pretty much bought the place out.  But The Wren's Daughter was a different story.

The Wren's Daughter, Mulled Cider

  

Shanzi was a delight to chat with and had The most gorgeous yarns for sale.  She also had beautiful handmade jewelry and stitch markers, but her yarns…. Goodness.  Well, who could blame me for blowing the yarn diet?

I’m already looking forward to next year’s retreat.

Beetle Mania

Are you sick of hearing me blather on about my new-to-me car yet?  I hope not, because have I got stories to tell!  I can't get over how much I'm enjoying driving Little Red.  People just seem friendlier when you're driving a Beetle.  Other Beetle drivers toot a friendly hello when they pass by, neighbors & strangers out on the road throw up their hands in friendly waves and people strike up conversations in parking lots.  Someone even offered to pay for my tank of gas.  Well, actually that guy wanted to pay for mine if I'd pay for his.  He was driving a giant, gas-guzzling, double tanked pickup truck so I declined his offer, but never the less, he was very friendly.

Little Red is just such a happy little car.  And, look what I found -

Volkswagen Bug Stitch Markers

VW Beetle stitch markers!  I found them at Jill's Handmade Stuff.  The listing was for blue beaded stitch markers which would never do.  After all, a girl's knitting must coordinate with her car!  I asked if the shop could make red ones, the answer was yes and a few days later....  My knitting coordinates with my car.

I can't express how much I love these stitch markers.  Besides the VW Beetle one, the set contains eight more plain beaded markers.  Of the eight, one is missing a silver spacer bead.  I'm not sure if it's by accident or planned, but either way, it's great!  It's barely noticeable unless you look for it, but it can used to indicate something special.  And, besides matching my car, I can throw a green beaded stitch marker into the mix and be ready for Christmas knitting.

I know.... Christmas.  No one wants to hear about Christmas yet.... except, I've already eaten so much Candy Corn, I'm sort of done with fall and ready to move on to Christmas and candy canes.

Anyway, if you're looking to spice up your stitch marker collection, go check out Jill's Handmade Stuff.  She's got zillions of designs to choose from, her customer service was great and shipping was super fast.  I'll definitely be shopping there again.

To see what others are creating this week, join me over at Frontier Dreams' #CraftingOn link-up.

Kiss me, I'm Irish

Okay, I'm only a tiny bit Irish. Two of my Scottish relatives were sent to Ireland as young lads to learn the linen trade. They grew up, got married to nice Irish girls & not long before the American Revolution broke out they came to America to set up their own linen shop.  But according one of their journal entries, they got weirded out by the "trouble with the British" and returned to Ireland.  Once the war was over, they came back to America, settled down in Williamsburg, reopened their shop and eventually passed a tiny bit of Irish DNA down to me.  So, I may not be very Irish, but I'm Irish enough to claim it today.  So,

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

But let's talk yarn.  

Last month, in one of my Makers' Monday posts, I'd shown some yarn from Marigold Fibers.  

When I was searching for yarns to use in that post, Fangorn was the first yarn I chose.  I fell in love with the fluctuations in its color and immediately included it in the Makers' Monday post.

Fangorn from Marigold Fibers

But after selecting the other yarns for that Makers' Monday post, I wasn't as head over heels in love with Fangorn anymore.  It had lost a little of its charm because it was darker and not as bright, or bluish/aqua, or happy 'Spring is almost here!' green as the others.  And I felt a little guilty about not loving it enough.  So I ordered some.

Fangorn

The yarn arrived much quicker than expected. (Thank you, Marigold Fibers!) In real life the yarn was the pretty green in the shop's photo but... It was still dark. It didn't shout, "Spring is almost here!"  The skein sat on my desk, giving me a massive guilt trip while I knit with other yarns.

And then a funny thing happened.  Jade stitch markers from Lavender Hill Knits showed up in my mailbox.  The stitch markers coordiante so well with the Fangorn yarn, I couldn't wait to begin knitting with it.

Soon to be a hat

But the yarn... Oh. My. Gosh! It may not shout Spring! but who cares?  It's perfect! It's gorgeous! It's incredibly soft and feels so good in my hand. It coordinates perfectly with my new stitch markers (which didn't show up in the photo. Doh!) and...

Yes! String ties

It had one of THE best customer service things a yarn dyer/maker can provide in my opinion - non-matching, string ties.  They were SO simple to remove.  It drives me nuts when yarn creators tie their hanks with matching yarn.  

So, to make a long story a little bit longer, I really, really like this yarn. There's even a good chance I'm going to order more so I can knit myself mittens to go with the hat. 

And did you see that Admiral blue?  Good grief! My bank account's in trouble now.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Makers' Monday

Welcome to Makers' Monday, a celebration of knitting designers, artists & creatives.

Being part Irish, I'm still looking forward to St. Patrick's Day so I'm keeping the theme going.  Today we'll be taking a look at a few St. Patrick-y project bags and stitch markers.

First, let's check out a few stitch markers.

Peridot Jade Stitch Markers, courtesy of Lavender Hill Knits

I'm thinking these peridot jade markers from Lavender Hill Knits are a must-have before my next Outlander binge.  (And yes, Kate, I'm aware I'm once again mixing Irish & Scottish heritages here. I have Scottish blood as well as Irish so I think it'll be okay.)

Flowered Millefiori bead markers, courtesy of Lavender Hills Knits

If you aren't an Outlander fan, (gasp!) maybe you'd prefer these removable markers also from Lavender Hill Knits.  It's sort of hard to see but they have tiny little flowers on them.

Symbol of Luck Stitch Markers, courtesy of Blue Dog Workshop

Or how about these adorable shamrock stitch markers from Blue Dog Workshop.

I've shopped at  both Blue Dog Workshop and Lavender Hills Knits in the past and been extremely happy with my purchases and the customer service from both of these Etsy shops.  

Shamrock mini purse courtesy of Creative Jen V

Creative Jen V, is offering this adorable shamrock mini purse.  Last summer I purchased a non-holiday bag the same size from Creative Jen V & couldn't be happier with it.  It's the perfect bag for socks or mittens and I can't believe the bag's durability.  I have abused mine rather badly, and frequently, and it still looks brand new.

Project bag, courtesy of Quilt Knit Craft

Or perhaps you'd like a slightly bigger bag.  How could anyone resist these adorable puppies all dressed up for St. Patrick's Day?  St. Patrick's Day or not, this bag from Quilt Knit Craft is going on my wish list.

Neon Lime Celtic Knot Bag, courtesy of Shop House of Knot

This larger bag from Shop House of Knot is another being added to my wish list.  I just love the shorter handles and lime green celtic knots.

Which is your favorite?

And a Happy New Year

I can't believe it's been over a week since I visited the blog.  I think Christmas caused a mini mental breakdown.  Don't get me wrong - Christmas was great!  But post Christmas... phew!

Christmas Eve was wonderful.  Sarah & I did some last minute baking while Mike slept (he didn't get home from work until about 7 a.m. on Christmas Eve.)  Having Mike sleep through the baking was nice.  He wasn't "helping" by tasting or adding a pinch of salt without my knowledge.  Once the baking was done, Sarah & I took the "Christmas Eve tour" where we deliver gifts all over creation.  We've done it the past three or four years and it's become an enjoyable tradition.  Meanwhile, Mike got a little more sleep then hooked up with our son & met us at my sister's for my side of the family's Christmas Eve celebration.  With the exception of my four year old niece being sick & absent, Christmas Eve was perfect!  We had good food, listened to The Night Before Christmas and Zack came back home to spend the night.  That made my Christmas!  I couldn't have asked for a better gift.  I've missed having him around more than I realized and Zack was a really good sport and hung out with me into the early morning hours.

After only a few hours sleep, the kids and I were all awake by 6 a.m.  The kids may be adults now, but we all still get excited about Santa.  We tore into the gifts, ate breakfast & piled into the cars to go to Mike's side of the family's Christmas gathering.

The Wiant gathering was wonderfully relaxed and we all over indulged and everything was great until about 5 a.m. the next morning when Mike woke me up complaining about a stomach ache.  It turned out it wasn't an over indulgence belly ache.  Of course not.  Nope, the Tummy Bug had hit our house.

About all I can say about the Tummy Bug is that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.  Luckily, I haven't gotten it yet.  At least I think I'm lucky.  Frankly, I'm not sure what's worse - having it, or waiting to catch it.  Pretty much all I've done since early Monday morning is hold my breath (so I don't accidently suck in any germs,) wash linens, run ginger ale & crushed ice up and down the stairs and wash my hands until they are practically bloody.

Stitch markers from Lavender Hill Knits

Between the hand washings, I have managed to knit a few stitches.  I just had to try out the new sea shell stitch markers Santa brought me.  Santa worked some serious magic to get them to me for Christmas and I just absolutely love them!  Not only are they beachy, they coordinate perfectly with the yarn I'm using to knit these fingerless mitts.  The yarn and stitch markers also coordinate with my new Kindle cover, another surprise from Santa.  Good job, Santa!

Now, if Santa could/would only give us a healthy start to 2017.....

Wishing you all a happy, healthy & prosperous new year!

HAPPY 2017!

Blue Dog

When I was born, my much older cousin gave me a bright blue stuffed dog.  Blue Dog.

Blue Dog

Blue Dog is not so blue anymore, but he is still loved and cherished.  These days, Blue Dog can be found comfortably resting in a cedar chest and hiding from moths and the family pets.  But back in the day, Blue Dog lived.  Blue Dog slept with me every night, he went to nursery school with me, he went on many, many sleep overs and he even went to Girl Scout camp with me. When I was 19 and broke my back, I woke up after surgery to find that Blue Dog had even come to hang out with me in the hospital.  (I would give anything to have seen my mom convincing the recovery room staff that I needed this grungy looking stuffed animal (Sorry, no offense intended, Blue Dog.) in the bed with me.  I laugh every time I think of it.)

Every year, up until the year my mom passed away & could no longer help Blue Dog write the gift tag, Blue Dog gave me Christmas and birthday gifts.  The gifts from Blue Dog were always cherished.  In my younger days, the gifts were normally in the form of a book that we could read together before bed.  And I loved having Mom tell me the story of how Blue Dog saved his allowance so that he could take the bus to go present shopping for me.  As I said, Blue Dog lived.

Blue Dog

Blue Dog was well loved.  So well loved that I don't even remember him having but one eye and I remember him loosing that eye in the wash after a particularly nasty case of the stomach flu when I was eight or nine.  I remember he used to be a lot fatter and he used to have a lot more hair.

As you can see, Blue Dog was very special to me.  And since Blue Dog's retirement to the cedar chest, I get pretty excited over products that have 'blue dog' in their name.

Blue Dog Wine

My favorite wine is Blue Dog from Chateau Morrisette located off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.

And imagine my excitement when I stumbled across Blue Dog Workshop on Etsy.  They have their own website too.  But I was on Etsy the other day, goofing off and procrastinating working on my shop.  Etsy's home page recommends items they think you might like & I was skimming through their suggestions.  All of a sudden, there, in the middle of my screen, was knitting stitch markers.  A set of knitting stitch markers with a lighthouse.  A lighthouse!  I love lighthouses.  I glanced at the shop's name... Blue Dog Workshop.  Oh. My. God!!  Blue Dog and lighthouses AND it's all knitting related.  I didn't care what it was, how much it cost, or what kind of reviews the shop had.  I just ordered.  Now that I think about it, I didn't even look to see if the shop had other knitting stitch marker sets that I liked better.  I just hit the "Add to my cart" button & started typing in my Paypal password.

Today, my stitch markers arrived.

Stitch Markers from Blue Dog Workshop

And I promptly traded out the boring marker I'd been using for the lighthouse on a new hat project I'm knitting.

Lighthouse stitch marker

I'm so excited to own this set.  Each of the six 'plain' stitch markers  have a single red bead on them, as does the lighthouse.  I was a little worried that the lighthouse would be heavy & uncomfortable hanging off my needles, but it's not heavy at all.  I don't even realize it's there until I knit around to it.  I love having fancy stitch markers and this set is just perfect for me.  Just perfect!

Mini Advent Stockings

Aack!  50 days to Christmas!  I could have done without seeing that tidbit of information this morning.

This needs to be rather short because today is Homeschool Creative Writing Group day with the kiddos, which means I should be getting in the shower instead of typing this while drinking one more cup of coffee.  But hey - I need the coffee.  I need to be highly caffeinated before I go into that room with a group of very creative teens.  They weren't always so creative, at least a few of them weren't.  A few of them used to sit slumped in their chairs, arms crossed, and glare at me when I'd give them the topic of the day.  Today, a few of them still roll their eyes at the topics, which is okay.  They aren't always cool topics.  But the fun, exciting thing is, even those kids who used to hate being there, now write some seriously cool & creative stories based on the not so cool topics.  I love my writing group kids and frankly, I'm slightly jealous of their abilities.

But this is supposed to be about knitting.

I sort of took a break from knitting for a while yesterday.  The UFO guilt was getting to me so instead of knitting, I decided to try my hand at beaded stitch marker making.

I am LOVING making the stitch markers.  I just hope I can sell a few of them at the up coming holiday bazar because even I don't need 100 beaded stitch markers.  And judging from how many beads I have left, 100 is a low estimate.  And I won't even mention how I'm planning to sneak to the craft store to buy more beads.  Apparently, I've discovered a new obsession.

After dinner, I went back to knitting miniature Christmas stockings.

I love knitting these little guys.  They are relatively quick and a great way to use up those tiny bits of left over sock yarn.  Granted, they don't look much like Christmas stockings.  They look more like mini socks, but since they make fantastic Advent calendar stockings, who cares if they look like socks instead of stockings.  Besides, 24 red stockings lined up would be boring.  Not to mention how mind numbing it would be to knit 24 red mini stockings.   Anyway, I like to make them in groups of 24 and hang them from garland or on the Christmas tree.  I tuck candy, coins, or little love notes into them.

Ok, I don't really tuck love notes into the Advent socks.  I'm just not that gushy.  But it's a good idea for someone who is.  I also rarely tuck coins inside.  I'm more of a candy girl.  But coins are nice, they just aren't chocolate.  Well, I guess some coins are.  Hmmm......