Merry Christmas

Basic Toe Up Socks

Pattern: Basic Toe Up Sock
Yarn: Soxx Appeal (Knit One, Crochet Too)
Colorway: 9734 Purple Dusk
Needles: Addi Turbos, size 2







Pattern: Basic Toe Up Sock
Yarn: Austermann Step
Color: 22 Graphite
Needles: Addi Turbos, size 1

Christmas Square Swap

Last year at CAL Pals we had a Christmas square exchange swap. Each participant made 12 squares to send and in return received 12 squares. Unfortunately there are unscrupulous folks out there who have no conscience. One of the participants wasn't a "Pal" and did not send any squares out. This particular person received 12 squares plus yarn was sent to her by one of the ladies because she lives overseas and couldn't find it. By the time we realized that this person wasn't going to send out squares the holidays were almost over. I did crochet one to complete the ghan but ended up putting the project aside. As this was a long weekend for me, I decided to finally put the squares together. Here's my CAL Pal Christmas afghan. Many thanks to my pals: Sue, Theresa, Julie, Renee, Linda, Andrea, Claire, Marlene, Pam, Norma and Nancy.

I'm a Knitting Guru

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting and do it all the time. While finishing a piece is the plan, you still love the process, and can't imagine a day going by without giving some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation involves leaving ample space for the stash and supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn ends and you begin.http://marniemaclean.com
Take this quiz!








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Time to Give Thanks

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

A Sad Day

Mac

March 1992 to October 24, 2007

Today I had to put my beloved dog to sleep. He's been my buddy, protector and faithful companion for over 15 years. I knew a few months ago that this day was fast approaching, so I started to prepare myself so I thought. Well I thought wrong. I didn't think it would hurt this bad but it does, it hurts like hell. My only comfort is that he is no longer suffering and is free of pain. Rest in peace Mac. Thank you for so many years of joy, happiness and faithful service.
I love you buddy!

My son Thomas went with me today to the vet. He took this picture of Mac and me, then stayed with Mac through the end when I couldn't.
I knew it wasn't easy for him either. Thank you Thomas!

I'm Back

Hello everyone. I'm finally back to blogging. I know it's been weeks but it has been a busy summer.I have a lot of reading to catch up on via bloglines, I haven't visited there in weeks either. I see there have been some changes here at blogger.

In July my aunt died. She was the last sibling of my father. I took a quick trip down to South Carolina with my mom and my sister for the services. My mom stayed down there because she was going down anyway later on in the month. So was I. Despite the sad occasion it was a nice reunion with many of my cousins most of who I only see once every two years at our semi annual reunions.

On July 30 I flew down to Myrtle Beach. I met a friend from school there. Tina lives in NY but for years she has been busy taking care of her mom who died last year from Alzheimer's. Even though we talk frequently we hadn't spent anytime together in years. So we met up in Myrtle Beach. My trip down there was horrible. My flight was cancelled by the airlines and rebooked for the next day. No way, I wanted to leave that day and I did end up getting on a flight via Atlanta. (I won’t get into specifics but the Delta employees at the Philly airport are terrible.) I get to Atlanta and sat there for hours waiting on a flight to Myrtle Beach. That airport was a nightmare, delays and cancellations galore. Talk about unhappy passengers everywhere. Well I finally get to Myrtle Beach late that evening. Tina ended up only having to wait two hours for me so it wasn't a bad trip for her. Okay, so I'm there but my luggage isn't. I was told that it probably wouldn’t get there to the next day. Great! We pick up a rental and head to the Marriott Hotel. So I ended up buying clothes and necessities perfect excuse for visiting the Tanger Outlets. There are two Outlet Centers there and we visited both. Between the two of us we did some damage. Mine compliments of Delta Airlines which I will never voluntarily fly again. We went to one Outlet Center the next day and were wondering where everyone was as it was basically empty. It was so hot that we decided to go back to the hotel and get in the pool. Well we didn’t stay in long, even in the water it was too hot to be outside. Later that night we went to the other Outlet, lo and behold it was packed. We realized, people come out at night because of the heat. The next day we visited Ripley’s Aquarium at Broadway on the Beach. We just did the aquarium because it was so hot. That night we went to dinner at Phillips Seafood House then revisited Broadway on the Beach. Again, the place was packed with people. We enjoyed ourselves and vowed to do a trip next year to celebrate our 50^th birthdays. Hmm, where are we going, Australia maybe??? We’ll see.

Anyway the next day (August 2) I drop Tina off at the airport and head towards Charleston. I had booked a villa at the Short Stay Navy Recreation Center located in Moncks Corner, SC. I met up with my mom there who arrived with the cousins she had been staying with. They stayed with us for a few days. Then my aunts and uncle arrived from New York. The next week was nice and relaxing. It was still very hot, hotter than normal for that time of year. I was able to spend a great deal of time with a cousin who is in a nursing home due to a freak bike accident. I also spent some time with another childhood friend, something I can’t go into now but will at a later date. At the crack of dawn on August 11, my mom, aunts and uncle left for their ride back to NY. I got to say that the van they were in was packed! They did some damage in the stores down there. (Come to think of it, when I drove down for my aunt’s funeral a few weeks earlier, my sister and I did quite a bit of shopping. My RAV4 was packed on the way back LOL! After all there is a lot of stuff that you don’t find in NJ or NY that you find in SC. You gotta love those Super Walmart Centers, we don’t have those here in NJ). Anyway soon after they left I checked out of the Villa (I didn’t want to give up those keys) went to see my cousin in the nursing home, then headed to Charleston Airport where I dropped off my rental and began my journey home. I am happy to say that my flights home were uneventful.

I’m home for two weeks, back at work. What a long two weeks this was.

Then September 1, my friend Gail and I head to Vancouver, British Columbia. We left Philadelphia International Airport at the crack of dawn, flew to Toronto (that was an experience because we had to get our luggage and go thru Customs). We made our flight to Vancouver by the skin of our teeth, we literally had to run through the airport. The flight from Toronto to Vancouver was 4 hours, I was so tired (neither of us had went to sleep the night before we left) that I slept most of the way. We land in Vancouver (three hours time difference), collect our luggage and head to the port were we board our cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas.

The first night on board we didn’t go to the sit down dinner, we had the 8:30 seating, which was 11:30 pm to us. We needed to get caught up with the time change so it was an early night for us.

September 2 was spent cruising the Inside Passage. It was starting to get pretty cool so we didn’t spend a lot of time on the balcony of our state room or on deck. We explored the ship, left a donation in the casino, and ate, ate, and ate. We made it to dinner this night and met our tablemates Candice and Janine. They were also two friends who met thru work, just like Gail and I. After dinner we headed to the theater and saw the show, a comedian who was pretty funny.

September 3 we arrived in Sitka, Alaska. What a beautiful day. We had scheduled a lot of our excursions ahead of time and for Sitka we went kayaking which was a lot of fun. I didn’t get any pictures of Gail and I in the kayak but I took plenty of the scenery around us. We saw tons of trout jumping up out of the water, some eagles and the cutest seal putting on a show for us. I tried to get his picture but he was too fast for me. We were told all day by everyone we encountered that this wasn’t the normal weather in Sitka and we were grateful for a beautiful day out on the water. Back in town we explored Sitka a bit then headed back on board. We tendered in Sitka, that was the only stop where we didn’t dock in port. We ate lunch then relaxed a bit. We visited the hot tub in the ship’s solarium. We had made appointments in the spa for facials and massages later than evening. We figured we’d try and head off as much soreness as possible. And it worked. This night was the first formal dinner so we dressed up, went to the Captain’s Cocktail party, dinner, then the show which was put on by the Ship’s dancers.

To be continued tomorrow. Meanwhile here are some pictures from my vacations.

Alaska & Canada
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13642145@N02/sets/72157602036679692/

Myrtle Beach & Charleston
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13642145@N02/sets/72157602036647436/

Tidal Wave Socks

Summer of Socks is moving along quickly. I on the other hand am moving slowly with the sock knitting. But I managed to finish these socks that I started a few weeks ago.

Pattern: Tidal Wave Socks
Yarn: SWTC Tofutsies
Needles: Addi Turbo 12" circulars and KnitPicks Classic Circulars, both size 0

This yarn was a pleasure to knit with. It was a bit splitty but pretty easy to use with the KnitPicks Classic Circulars.

Podcasts

I've been listening to various craft related podcasts lately.

The majority are for knitting but there are a few for crocheting and spinning. Slowly I'm finding and listening to these casts.

A few favorites are:


Lime and Violet - These two yarn obsessed ladies are a hoot. The show is focused on knitting but they talk about everything else. A hint if you're listening with earplugs - keep the volume low because their laughter is loud, very loud.

Inspirational Wednesday - This podcast is ran by Adrienne and Toya and focuses on crafts in general. Very interesting listening.

Socks in the City - A podcast about socks, sock yarns, etc.

Basic Toe Up Sock Finished

I completed the sock class at Woolbearers a few weeks ago.

Project: Basic Toe Up Sock
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn, color 64 Gold Hill
Needles: Addi Turbos, size 1

The class was a lot of fun and I picked up quite a few tips from Jessica who is a wonderful teacher. She posted a picture of the other sock students and myself on her Flickr site.

Now I'm working on finished the Tidal Wave Socks that I started weeks ago. Summer of Socks is well underway. I'm not doing as well as I wanted to but hopefully I can get a few more pairs completed.

Rockin' Girl Bloggers

Okay, fellow jersey girl Deneen has tagged me. She thinks I don't post enough to my blog. And she's right, I don't. Thanks Deneen, LOL!

So to make it very easy, I'm going to tag my CALPals who have blogs. They are a great bunch of ladies:

Sue at Good Yarns.
Andrea at Annie's Craft Corner.
Theresa at Theresa's Corner.
Nancy at Life's a Stitch for Nancy.
Lisa at Compulsive Hooker.

So there. Now all you gotta do is nothing or grab the button and tag five others who you think ar Rockin' Girl Bloggers.

Happy Birthday America

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday!

Sock Class Day 2

I went to the second sock class on Sunday. As I stated earlier the instructor is Jessica and the class was held at my LYS Woolbearers. Again the time flew by. This portion of the class focused on picking up live stitches from the provisional cast on, then knitting in the round using magic loop. What a snap, I don't think I'll ever use dpn's again. I'm almost to the point where I'll begin the heel flap. I need to get moving with my knitting. Summer of Socks 2007 has begun and my goal is to get as many pairs of socks done during the three months that I can.

Runagogo Round Two

Yes, I crossed the finish line. Another completed. I actually finished awhile ago but I hadn't always been tracking my miles while walking. I go through pedometers like crazy.

But it feels good to be done and as a reward I treated myself to this luscious Cherry Tree Hill Lace Weight Yarn. What I'll make with it, I have no idea. I saw it, loved it and bought it. Okay I admit I bought it before completing the 100 miles. But I knew I'd finish and I did.

What a Weekend

Things have been busy again. I have to say the past few days have been wonderful. Friday I attended my cousin's wedding. It was held at Sinapi's Ceola Manor in Jefferson Valley, New York. We all stayed overnight at the Peekskill Inn in Peekskill NY. I am so happy for my cousin Shanay. She has been through a lot in her short lifetime. A few years ago after finishing law school she got real sick and was eventually diagnosed with Lupus. I remember when she took the bar exam she was on crutches. On a trip out of the country she injured her foot on the first day. That's just a few things that has happened all of the years. At the reception while dancing she popped her knee. They are supposed to be leaving today for the Bahamas. I know that she was seeing a doctor yesterday. Todd is in medical school and managed to get this week off. Anyway I wish Shanay and Todd the best of luck with their marriage and hope they have many years of happiness.

Here are a few pictures with my family:



My youngest son Thomas, my mom Ann, me and my oldest son Jamal.





My mom with her 4 of her 5 grandkids - my sons and my nieces Dashawn and Latreesha. My daughter Taneka didn't go to the wedding. She didn't have a babysitter. It was just as well because my grandkids went to a birthday party.






My sister Gail, my mom and me!

For more wedding pictures click here.








It was only a two hour drive up to the wedding and what made it really nice was that I drove my new car. I got it onThursday and I love it!





It's a 2007 Toyota Rav4. I've been wanting this vehicle for awhile. What I really like about it, is that it has third row seats, just perfect for Teon & Naseem.



Unfortunately though I have done basically no knitting or crocheting these past few days. But I'm about to head to Woolbearers for the 2nd toe up sock class.

Sock Class

As I mentioned yesterday, I signed up to take Jessica's toe up sock class today at Woolbearers. What a lot of fun it was. It was a pleasure meeting her and the other knitters. I can't believe how fast the time went. Today's class focused on creating a swatch, calculating how many stitches to cast on using the formula we were provided, using the provisional crochet cast on and doing a short row toe. Pretty easy. We did touch briefly on the magic loop technique of knitting with 1 circular needle, which is the method for these socks. Again, very easy. So I started my toe up sock using size 1 Addi Turbo circulars and some yummy Lorna's Laces shepherd sock yarn.

Here is a close up of my toe. I do need to practice a bit on short rows, my wraps and pick ups aren't as neat as I want them to be.


As much as I want to continue with these socks I got to get back to the shawlette, I'm almost there. But I will be ready to continue on at next week's class.

Rag Shop Closing

I just got an email that all Rag Shop Craft Stores are closing. I am totally bummed. There's one only a mile from me and I'm always there with my 40% off coupons buying baskets, candles, thread, etc. My youngest son was always giving me gift certificates and for my birthday and Christmas last year, I got a sewing machine with cover and some patterns and fabric (which I have yet to use BTW). But that's beside the point, the store is nearby and convenient. Oh well all good things come to an end. I will surely pop in there soon and stock up on some craft supplies. Hey maybe they will have some good deals on those Thomas the Tank Engine toys that I'm always buying for my grandson Teon.

Socks - FO's/WIPs

Trekking Socks
Yarn: Trekking XXL
Needles: Size 2 Addi Turbo 12" circulars, Size 2 Brittany dpn's
Pattern: Yarnharlot's Basic Sock Recipe

I saw the show on Knitty Gritty with guest Stephanie Pearl-McPhee aka Yarn Harlot and decided to give it a go. This was a very easy pattern to do. I'm not crazy about the Trekking XXL yarn. The yarn is sort of rough. On the other hand these are really sturdy socks.


Saucy Socks
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn, color 203 Seaside
Pattern: Cider Moon Saucy Pattern
Needles: Size 0 Addi Turbo 12" circulars, Size 1 Brittany dpn's

I love this yarn and will definitely use it again. I didn't get a good shot of the stitch definition. I'm still playing with my new camera and don't have the technique down yet. Please bear with me.


Next up: Tidal Wave Socks
Yarn: Soy Silk's TOFUtsies

I'm loving this yarn so far. I haven't done much work on them because I'm trying to get the shawlette done. Afterwards though I plan to knock these out.



I'm gearing up for Summer of Socks 2007 hosted by Jessica. While browsing her blog I came across these sock blockers that she got. So I hopped over to this site and ordered a pair. My spinning wheel blockers are fabulous.

I also noticed she's teaching a toe up sock class at Woolbearers. As I'm still new to sock knitting, I decided to take the class. I'm a horrible student so wish me luck!! Class begins tomorrow.

Clementine Shawl WIP

I started the Clementine Shawlette from Interweave Knits Spring 2007 magazine. I need to get it finished to wear to a wedding next Friday. I'm halfway there and hope to get it done this weekend.




Here's a picture of the the yarn I'm using. The name is S&M's Atelier Yarn a signature yarn of Woolbearers, my LYS. The yarn is a blend of silk, rayon, cotton and lurex. I'm thinking S&M stands for Suzie and Myra, the owners of Woolbearers.

Finished Objects

Okay I finally get in the mood to take pictures and update this blog. And I find my camera is acting up. It's taking really horrible pictures. I guess I'm going to have to go camera shopping. My camera is pretty old so it's time for a new one. Anyway here are some of my recent FO's.

I promised to take individual pictures and detail the projects as soon as I can. That will give me plenty of practice with the new camera.

Silk Clapotis

This makes my third Clapotis. I guess you can tell I love this pattern. I had finished this one awhile ago but am just now blocking it. And I'm blocking it because I'm going to give it to my mom this coming week when I see her. It's a belated Mother's Day gift. I haven't seen her in a month and I know she's expecting something handmade by me. I apologize for the pictures, I think my camera is on it's last leg.

Project: Knitty's Clapotis
Yarn: Raw Silk hand dyed by Woolbearers, 750 yards, color Caribbean
Needles: Knit Picks Options size 9
Modification: 10 repeats of the straight section vice 13

A Nice Day

Things are still a bit hectic around here. But I took some time today for myself and did something for me.

I went to a book signing event for one of my favorite authors, Debbie Macomber.

Coincidentally she is also a knitter and had displays of two projects at the signing: Knit Triangular Prayer Shawl and Alix's Lace Prayer Shawl. These two patterns are in her book, Back on Blossom Street. This book is number 3 of her series "The Knitting Books". The first two books in the series, The Shop on Blossom Street and A Good Yarn also have patterns in them.

Happy Mother's Day

Knit & Crochet Today

A new craft show Knit & Crochet Today will soon be airing on the PBS Channel. The show will be hosted by soap actress Kassie DePaiva who plays (or played) Blair on One Life To Live.

Same Blog, New Location

I moved my blog to this new location. No other changes except the name.

Ripples

I joined yet another CAL, the Never Ending Ripple Along. Go check out some of the lovely ripples that have been made.



I decided to start off with a small lapghan using up some KnitPicks Palette that I had in the stash.






Here's a quick round ripple that I did a few weeks ago to use up some Simply Soft Mill Ends.

Ripples are fast and a great way to stash bust.