Now on the Needles

The projects I was going to make, Arwen and A cardigan for Merry, are taking a back seat for now. My daughter and I have to figure out the reversible cable.

I'm making another Turn a Square.



This time I'm making it with strips and the square will show up on the crown of the hat.
The main yarn is Cascade 220 Tweed and the strips are Debbie Bliss Donegal Aran Tweed.

The other project on the needles is Amy Swenson's Emerald cardigan on Knitty.



This is the first sweater I'm making for myself. The yarn is Andes by Elizabeth Austen that I purchased a while ago on sale at six-n-stitches.I can't pass up a good sale, even if I don't have a project for the yarn. This time it worked out. I have more than enough yarn to my this sweater.

Two Free Hat Patterns

This is a new hat I finished.

It's based on Turn a Square by brooklyntweed and can be found on the Ravelry store

I added little cats I found used in a sweater in the winter 2007 Interweave Knits.


I just wanted to practice my newly acquired Fair Isle skills.
I've just put another Turn a Square hat on the needles but the one will have the strips that will show the squares.

This little Moe baby hat is an old one, made with moda dea kickx yarn.


It's very soft for baby heads.

Side note: This is my 40th post!

New pictures of old projects

The Debbie Bliss, Baby Bobble Jacket was my first attempt at cables.
The yarn is Rowan handknit dk cotton and was very nice to use with the cables.






The knitty Trellis was my next cable project.






The yarn I used was Adrienne Vittadini Trina that I bought on sale at stix-n-stitches.

As I have said in the past, the buttons can make the sweater. I'm still looking for the right buttons for this sweater.
These were the projects that started my CABLE MADNESS!

My first Crocheted project in two years

It has been two years since I put down the crocheted cardigan I was making my daughter.


All I had left to do was finish the sleeves but the pain in my hands got so bad I couldn't go on.

Thanks to Marianne, a blogger I read often, and her beautiful Giovanna's Cardi I was inspired to make one.

I used a J hook and Debbie Bliss cashmerino dk in tan for the body and the trim was done in a green Rowan felted tweed.
It's easy and only takes a couple of hours to make. It took me a little longer because I had to rest my hand.








I was so happy I was able to finish this little cardigan.

My hands are a little painful today, but it was worth it! As I have said in the past, I am first a crocheter. Getting that hook in my hands and finishing this cardi means the world to me.
I now feel I'll be able to finish my daughters cardigan as long as I take it slow.

My Baby is 25!

Here she is with one of her birthday gifts.





A bag she has been eyeing for years at Stix. It's a woolybully bag to carry all her knitting projects.

No two bags are exactly alike. All bags are handmade in their NYC workroom and are all limited editions.

I Have Flat Feet

I'm talking about the yarn Flat Feet. I picked it up at Stix-n-Stitches.

Check out the ticket stubs to the Martha show and The View. I went with my daughters and had a great time.


So cool and can't wait to knit it up.




My daughter has it on the needles.

Chalk Dust Knitters on the move!

Traditional Picture of Chalk Dust Knitters on their way to lunch after doing some damage at Stixs.






Detail of group: Most of us are in education
Newest member was a nurse
Currently there are 10 members
Ages range from 20 somethings to 70 somethings
We have crocheters as will as knitters
Some have been knitting for 40+ years others a few months and everything in between.
We are all welcoming, tolerant, nonjudgmental and accepting.
Most of all we have a good time!

Susie Hoodie Final Update

Here is my youngest modeling her sweater.
I got it done faster than I thought I would.





The only problem with it is I should have gone another round to row 15 on the hood.
I love the shaping and the cables.

The Chalk Dust Knitters Go on another Field Trip

This was the last The Chalk Dust Knitters meeting we had.

It can't get any better, knitting, good friends and coffee. I have both my daughters there as well, what more can I ask. I'm the luckiest women in the world.

Today we have another meeting/field trip to stix-n-stitches and I'm sure we will add to our stash.
I hope to get Flat Feet and start a pair of socks.

My First born made socks

These are the first of many and she made them for me!


She will post the details on her Blog.

Look what I found!

This is the little booklet I got at the Five & Dime store almost 40 years ago.

I taught myself to crochet and knitting a little from it.

New Projects

Kate Gilbert's Arwen for my first born.
For her first born I will make Anny Rail's adaptation of the Arwen, A cardigan for Merry.


I'm looking forward to the reversible cables. They look somewhat like the Susie Hoodie cables and I enjoyed making them.

I did it! Susie Hoodie is finished!

Here she is prebath.



I love the shaping of the back.



Can't wait to finish blocking so my daughter can model it.

I Have Come a Long Way

I was looking through some of my first projects and realized how much my knitting had developed.

This is the first sweater I made. The pattern is from a TV show that is no longer on the air.
Edith's Chunky Baby Sweater

I love the dog with bone buttons.

This was my Debbie Bliss Hooded Baby Sweater Period.





More Debbie Bliss! A Kimono I put my own twist on. I did a crochet trim.





This is a free pattern from lionbrand.







My Lupus knitting break has given me time to look back from where I came.
I just love to Knit!

Lupus can slow down knitting

Lupus flares can stop me from having a good nights sleep but they will not stop knitting. Maybe just slow it down a bit. My hands feel like hot heavy rocks and every joint in my body is at war.

I am not the writer in the family, that's my oldest daughter.
I did find Alison J. Hyde,a knitter with Lupus who writes beautifully. Reading her Blog helps put words to living with Lupus pain. Her knitting, patterns, writting and spirit are an inspiration to all with Lupus.
The Embossed Diamonds is one of her amazing patterns I hope to try.

The first thing I did when I was diagnosed with Lupus was go to the computer to find Lupus Foundation of America. The site is very informative as are Lupus Now and the newsletters I receive.



The Lupus Book by Dr.Daniel J. Wallace still helps me through hard times.

Getting to know fellow Blog Readers

I have been reading knitting and crochet blogs for years now and didn't leave comments very often. Now that I have a blog of my own I see that comments can be supportive to a blogger.

I now leave comments when I find a new blog and on blogs I visit often.

If you read my blog and have a blog of your own I would like to read it. Just leave a comment and blog. If you don't have a blog just let me know a little about yourself.

Susie Hoodie update

I was knitting as soon as we started the R&R road trip.



I'm a few rows away from finishing my second group of decreases and then I start the hood.





I stopped off at loopyarn in Philadelphia.
The store is very pretty and has beautiful yarns. Most importantly the people are friendly and welcoming. Your purchases are packed in these cool bags.

And this is where I went to the dark side of knitting bags. When I walked in I saw it

This Jordana Paige knitting satchel bag.

I have seen it many times in magazines and thought I would never own one because it's too expensive. Never say never!

It has a little bag that snaps on and loops to put your yarn through. I still can't believe I have it.

I will have to post more pictures when I take it out with the Chalk Dust Knitters.