I tried to post the other day and got knocked off line by the phone. So I will try it again. I finished Katie's sweater and it looks great. I hope she likes it. I am almost finished with my short-sleeved sweater--just one more sleeve and I can put it together and pick up the neck. And I didn't have any size 8 needles (what's that about?) so I couldn't work on the neck anyway. But I ordered some of the KnitPicks' Options needles and they just came today. Woohoo! I am going to try and finish it this weekend because it will be the perfect weather to wear it next week. I was going to start on my cardigan with the beautiful fall colored yarn but could not get the gauge to work. So I scrapped that pattern and found another. But I needed ...guess....that's right .... size 8 needles. So I am making a hooded car coat from the Cast-On magazine. It is done with Bernat boucle bulky in a pretty forest green. I call it "Kermit Gump".

It's finally fall here. Cold, wet, windy and generally gross. On the upside-I finished Katie's sweater today. I just have to attach the sleeves and seam up the sides. I am also about half finished with my Edgar scarf as well. Since it is going to be a nasty weekend I am going to knit, knit, knit. I would like to finish crocheting A.'s afghan since it is cool enough to work on it now. It is so big that it has to be thrown over me to work on it. So maybe I can do it...it is done with size Q hook so it goes pretty fast. I'll update as I finish.

So. Here's the funny thing. I couldn't post anything on here because I had sliced open my middle finger on my left hand the other day. Yesterday I got a new knife and sliced the other middle finger on my right hand. Hahaha. Not really too funny but the left one is healing nicely. At least I can now knit...although the bandaids make it kind of tricky.
I am on the second sleeve of Katie's sweater and the end is in sight. I did bring down the Noro to cast on for the Edgar scarf but so far have resisted the urge. Maybe tomorrow. It is supposed to rain all day so I can knit for awhile and then knit at art night too. We exchange our Atc's and bookmark swaps tomorrow night so that should be fun.

I will be posting in a few days as I sliced my finger with a serrated knife today....OOOOWWWWWWWW! So until it is a little less sore I won't be typing or knitting. See ya soon.

***You Are Grape***
You are bold and a true individual. You are very different and very okay with that.People know you as a straight shooter. You're very honest, even when the truth hurts.You are also very grounded and practical. No one is going to sneak anything by you.People enjoy your fresh approach to life. And it's this honesty that makes you a very innovative person.
What Color Purple Are You?http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolorpurpleareyouquiz/ Interesting. I never really thought of myself as grape but there ya go.

I finally finished A.'s shawl and it turned out beautifully. The only thing we didn't care for was that it could have been longer to wrap around. But other than that it was great. And I am glad to have it finished because it was getting heavy to work on the longer it got. Now onto finishing my sweater.

Art night quote: " I bet it wouldn't go through customs" Deb.
Got a bit of knitting done this weekend. The back of Katie's sweater is done and halfway through the front. Almost at the decreasing point of my short-sleeved sweater and I did finish the "lap-ghan" that I was crocheting. Didn't take too long to do since I used the size S hook (just like crocheting with a fireplace poker). Started on one for m. in Cape Cod blue and maroon. THis one will take as long as A.'s big one since she wants it to be big. Maybe it will be cooler soon so I can have it in my lap to work on it.
Went to one of the parks yesterday to see raptors and then went to lunch. It was good but it was the deep-fried OREOS that were the bomb!! There was a restaurant in the food court that was called "Carnival Foods" and that's what they sell. A. absolutely had to have them ( I may have encouraged her just a "little" bit) but she could have skipped the gyro and just had oreos. I don't really blame her....they were bits of deep fried love.
Also went to the lys as they were having a sale. It would've been unpatriotic not to go and buy something as they were celebrating one year in business. I bought a couple of skeins of half-price yarn for a hat for me and a skein of Noro to make the Edgar scarf from Knitty.com. I already had one but I wanted a longer scarf. I will have to look at what kind of yarn I bought 'cause it was Sunday and shame on me, I cannot remember what kind. Geesh.

What was said at art night: "I can only fit her head on it." Amanda

A very rainy forecast for the weekend. It's a holiday...you have to imagine the song so you can sing along. Lots of knitting ahead and some dvd's from the library so I'm set. Plus, the new Laura Childs' "Motif for Murder". Finishing the back of Katie's sweater so I can get going on it. I have too many things going on at one time that I haven't finished anything. But I plan on getting some done this weekend. I am going to knit as soon as I get off the "box" here. But first, I may have a cinnamon chip muffin (mmmmmm!) and a cuppa tea.

Finished the spiral socks...woohoo! Cast on a pair for me with the Opal yarn I'd gotten some time ago. I finally found a pattern that I liked so we will see how it goes. I'm still working on A.'s shawl, which is coming along really well. I have at least 4 more skeins to go so it will be huge but she doesn't mind a bit. It's a beautiful grape color..."you're turning violet,Violet" heehee. I need to finish a few things 'cause I have at least 4 things going at once. I should have gone to the knitting group at Barnes and Noble tonight but am easily distracted by the books. Maybe next week.

Still so bloody hot!! But the knitting waits for no one. First, the loot from the yarn market. It's tempting to start a project with all the new stuff but I must finish some others first. I got 6 skeins of a beautiful sportweight plush from the Yarnsmith (www.yarnsmiths.com) and it is a lovely reddish/coppery color. Also got 2 balls of the soysilk yarn "Oasis" in a reddish color to match the plush.(www.soysilk.com). I also got a really cool thing but can't post it since A. has been known to lurk around here and read...Hiya A.! For my felted satchel I got 8 balls of Galway Highland Heather in a lilac color and a "tweedy blue/pink". Also a beautiful ball of Reigia sock yarn for me, me, me.
Right now I'm knitting a shawl for A. in Lion Brand Homespun in Grape that is a wavy shawl pattern from Coats and Clark. Coming out quite nicely I think. Also making another sweater for Katie in a size larger than the first. A's second sock is almost finshed so I can start on a pair of socks for me. I think I am going to use the Opal yarn that I have and do it in a pattern I found on www.knitty.com. I can't wait to start them. I'm also working on a short-sleeved sweater for me in a shade of pink called shrimp. The pattern is from Knitter's magazine Summer 2006 issue and is called Sweetpeas. So far it is coming along great!

I have survived the yarn fix. The yarn market was Tuesday night and it was great. Lots of good bargains but it was so HOT in the room that I could barely stand it. I got quite a few great deals so I was pleased. Wool for a felted bag for me. I will post my loot on here in a day or two.

Whew! It's hard to believe that just walking around and shopping for hours will absolutely wear me out. Stampaway was yesterday and it was lots of fun. Got lots of new stamps and unmounted rubber and still have money left over to go shopping at the yarn market on Tuesday in Monroe. Geeze, who knew there was going to be a yarn market here, much less so close and so soon. I was going to go here A WOOL GATHERING and still might but, really, who can pass up one so close. And with leftover shopping money? That would just be wrong.

Haven't posted anything lately. Been busy doing too many things with not enough time. Stampaway is Saturday and I have been trying to make a new necklace to wear. I have incorporated the cd with stamping and made the cord out of yarn that I crocheted. So far it looks pretty good. I am not going to spend all the money that I saved on stamps but save some for the yarn market that is on Tuesday night. I didn't know that we had anything like that here so I'm looking forward to it. I went to the yarn store earlier and bought some more SOCK yarn. I LOVE knitting socks! I bought another skein of the Rainbow Lorna Laces so I can make my sock longer and some bee-u-ti-ful Opal. I can't wait to knit with it.

Too hot. Finally got rid of the nasty sinus, heat headache and then the heat came back. Mostly been sitting inside and not wanting to do anything. Will post more later. Time to go lie on the floor under a fan in the dark.

Hasn't been a good couple of days for yarn store visits. On Thursday I went out to Lambikins because they were the only ones that had size 15 Addi's...(did I mention how much I despise any size over 9's?)...and I was trying to work on A.'s shawl on these cruddy plastic needles. And I hate plastic needles more than large sizes. The weather was raining and the streets were really slick, so there were accidents and crazy drivers everywhere. By the time we arrived, it was just about rush hour and the traffic was getting horrific. So I sped through the yarn shop...it was all a blur...and bought my Addi's and we were "outta" there. SIGH. So many pretty yarns all calling for me to visit and fondle them.
Today we went to the art museum for awhile and on the way home stopped at Fiberlishious(sp). YUCK!! It looked like a fabulous place but the smell of mold when you walked in could just about knock you over. It was awful. I certainly wasn't going to buy anything that came from a place that smelled like that...who knows if the smell would ever come out of the fibers. Looked around for less than a minute and just left. Nasty. Maybe I'll have better luck next time.

It sure has been hot this week and supposed to be even worse next week. I have been knitting and watching some dvd's and just keeping low and staying cool. Got the 3rd season of Northern Exposure and the first season of Numbers from the library. Just in time because I finished the 2nd season of Northern Exposure the other day. I bought the 1st and 2nd season 'cause it was such a good price and I'd forgotten how much I liked the show. Almost finished with the pink cardigan and working on a shawl for A. I was going to crochet it but the pattern won. I kept ending up with more stitches with each row so I ripped it out and found a similar knit pattern. So there. Stupid crochet.

The sweater has left the building. I gave it to Ad. on Monday night. He seemed pretty pleased with it but wouldn't try it on because it was so freakin' HOT. I don't really blame him but it would be nice if I knew that it fit. I am trying to finish the pink cardigan and the sock for A. so I can start on the new sock yarn that I just bought. Trekkers yarn and some bee-u-ti-ful Lorna Lace's yarn. What to make first?

Non-smegging sleeves. I finished the sleeves yesterday and the sweater is now put together and looking good. I will give it to him tomorrow and am glad to see the end of it. I have yarn for another sweater for him...Woolease in a beautiful grey...but don't know what to make yet.
I did finish the felted satchel and man, it looks great. I am quite impressed with it. A. felted it and she did a great job. She is thrilled with it and wants me to make another for her. Okay, as long as I don't have to felt it or pay for it. It's a good thing I have plenty to keep me busy because it is going to be in the high 90*'s all week. That means with the heat index it will be in the 100*'s. YUCK! Lay low and stay cool.

Smegging, smegging, smegging sleeves. Okay. Maybe it's not the sleeves' fault so much as mine but still. I finished them on Sunday night while watching the first season of "Northern Exposure" on dvd. I'd forgotten how much I liked that show. So yesterday morning I laid out the sweater to put it together. The shoulder seams are beautiful, the best I'd ever done. I laid out the sleeves and gasped in horror. The sleeves are set-in, which I'd never done before but looks pretty staight forward, and realized that I had knit the sleeves on the wrong size needle. I thought so on Sunday night when I went to put them back in the package but figured that I had just put them in the wrong package when I switched sizes when the ribbing was finished. WRONG!! I had knit the ribbing on size 9's and the body on 8's. What a pointy headed git. I mean really. So I raged and stomped around for awhile and then frogged both sleeves and VERY carefully cast on again. The first sleeve is almost finished and then I will make sure it fits before doing the second. It's a good thing it's very rainy today so I will knit. And knit, and knit. Smegging sleeves.

I am still knitting sleeves. On Ad's sweater and on my cardigan. Geeze, I'm sick of sleeves. I am going to finish his this weekend. Then just sew it up and it can get out of here. Good I am tired of looking at it. More later.

Everyone take a deep breath with me...the sweater fits Katie!! She is pleased with it and the only thing is that the bottom ribbing isn't loose enough for her. She doesn't want it emphasizing that part of her body. I completely understand. I am going to make her another one in orange and I will either make the ribbing with needles 2 or 3 sizes bigger or cast-on for the medium size and then decrease the body. Any suggestions?
I am working on the sleeves of Ad's sweater and am trying to get it finished in time for his birthday. Since it isn't until the 15th I think I'll be just fine. It's so hot today...90* but at least there is a breeze. It's a good day to sit and finish up some sleeves, don't you think? The only problem is I just got the new Monica Ferris book "Sins and Needles" and I really want to finish it. Maybe I'll read a few chapters and then knit. It's going to be another long holiday weekend so no plans. I have a few Dvd's from the library that are documentaries so I will probably watch a few of those. I was hoping for a trip to the lys so we shall see. I was thinking about making myself a felted satchel like I did for A. but the larger size. It is from Knitty and hers turned out quite well. Of course it hasn't been felted yet but I have no doubts that it will look great.
On another note... I HATE to cook, I mean really. It's hard to be a mostly vegan if'n you don't cook. BUT...I found the most wonderful cookbooks. "How it all Vegan" and "La Dolce Vegan" by Sarah Kramer. Not alot of ingredients in each recipe (most of them) and very simple preparation. Love them!! Have made some fabulous food. Thumbs up to Sarah...govegan.net is her site. Go there and learn.