My First Blogiversary

One year ago today I entered the world of Blog.
I was reading so many great fiber art blogs I was inspired to start one of my own.
My first born helped me but I had no idea what was going to come of this.
I had to come up with a name. Should the name have something to do with Lupus, teaching, knitting, family. I remembered one day looking at my hands and realizing they looked just like my mothers hands. Now I had a name. My Mother was Puerto Rican and the picture is the Puerto Rican seal.
My daughter came up with, The map to the kingdom of knitting and the country side of crochet.

This was my first post.

Saturday, May 3, 2008
I have no idea. How do people start blogs?

I have to have socks on the needles all the time. At first, I was afraid I couldn't make socks, but now I must have socks available all the time.

I got some Lang JaWoll at a store called Yarn Diva. It comes with thread that lets you reinforce the heel. Yarn Diva is a nice little store, but I still love Stix-n-Stitches.

I'm going to go to get myself a new camera tomorrow. I want to learn how to use it and take some pictures of my stuff and I'll be on my way to blog-land.

I have learned so much in the past year and I thank my daughters for teaching me.
When I had the idea to start a group fiber artists who blog Ravelry made that possible and the Lesser Known Skeins was born.
I have met so many great people this year because of the blog and I hope to know and be inspired by more awesome fiber artists in the future.

All Wrapped Up

I have stopped all of my other projects to work on a wrap found in the latest issue of debbie bliss knitting magazine.



My pleated wrap is being made with gray Paton Silk Bamboo.



I'm a very slow knitter so it will take me a long time at 71" long.

When The Frog Turns

I have started many small projects because whenever I started a large one it would be frogged for one reason or another.

The gloves are still safe and almost done.


I started another Noro Silk Garden Scarf.


This is a scarf from Knitty.



I will post details when I finish it.



This was to be a top down cardi from Lion Brand. It met the frog way because I just didn't like it in this yarn.

I enjoy working on many projects at a time but I also like to finish them!

I'm Still Here!

No post since March 15th just isn't like me.
Lupus has done me in and knitting has been slow.
When I get down I find others who are having a more difficult time and that stops me from feeling sorry for myself.
I ran into a friend I have not seen for a long time and she was with her beautiful 6 year old daughter who has Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. This sweet angel goes through so much pain she can't walk sometimes. They are going to start her on shots of Methotrexate. I'm on this chemo and I know what it does to me I can't begin to imagine how she will deal with it. We must find cures to these diseases.
My first born and husband are in their first home so I've spent a great deal of time with them.
I hope to post picture of my slow moving unfinished projects this weekend.

Small Projects

These are some finished projects.

Garter Stitch Loop-Through Scarf from by Marci Richardson.


The yarn is some Berroco Ultra Alpaca I had in my stash.


The pattern can be found in 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders.


This is yet another calorimetry by Kathryn Schoendorf from knitty.


It is fun to make and wear. I'm sure more will follow.


I finally finished nordic-headband by Heidi Nyberg of Heidi's Knitbits.


Thanks again to Sunday from stix-n-stitches who was a great teacher!


I've started a pair of gloves with the yarn tantej sent me.
It's a great colorway and very soft.


The group I started on Ravelry Lesser Known Skeins has 122 members now! It's so cool!!! Great fiber artists from all over the world sharing ideas was my dream and it's working thanks to Ravelry.

I Love My Girls!

It has been a long time since I've met up with my friends in the Chalk Dust Knitters.
I love getting together with these women and just relaxing for a few hours. We are so lucky to have each other!
These are the bags my daughters and I gifted to the group for Christmas.



Annette has not been well and was unable to meet with us. We miss her and hope she gets better soon. Lynn was also missed.


We recently did our Christmas Scarf gifting.
At the time Jackie wasn't able to make it and Pat draw her name. Pictures of that scarf will be posted in the future.


I don't remember who made what but they were all awesome scaves!


These are some more members with great Blogs Diamonds and Purls



Purls and Curls


Grimm Witch of Jersey



Geek of all Trades

March 3, 2009 is the Lupus Foundation of America’s Advocacy Day

Anyone one who has reads this blog knows, I have Lupus.
Last week a teacher I work with came to my class to tell me she had a student who was in the hospital and was diagnosed with Lupus. As it happens this 8th grade boy is in my daughters art class and his cousin is one of my students.

More than 16,000 Americans develop lupus each year.
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) estimates between 1.5 - 2 million Americans have a form of lupus and more than 90 percent of people with lupus are women between the ages of 15 and 45.
It was 50 years ago the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last approved a drug to specifically treat lupus.

On March 3, 2009 the Lupus Foundation of America is having the 11th Annual Advocacy Day on Capital Hill.
For more info visit the LFA site and take part in changing legislation so we will not wait another 50 years for better treatments.

A great blog to have on your blog list is On the Road to a Cure. You can find a list of inspirational bloggers! Lupus may slow them down but will not stop them from living full lives.




Please think about helping! You can make a difference!!!

I'm getting off my soapbox and will post about my kitting next week.