Trivial Tuesday Stuff

Sadly there is no real knitting to report, slow progress is being made on the Lakeshore Vest and a little bit on the blue anklets, but I am otherwise not doing too much to take pictures of or post about. Instead I give you some trivial things.

Craft Workspace before and after... this could be contributing to the lack of knitting going on:

With some effort, some improvements have been made:

Ahhh.... planning space (still more work to be done, but having clear space was much needed!)

Saucey is feeling a little better, tomorrow is her last day of antibiotics. I think we'll try to go to the vet tomorrow to see if they can get the needed sample. She says:

"Enough with the paparazzi routine already, just let me rest"

and finally, six things...

Here’s a meme I grabbed from Karen's Blog Rules of the game:* List six unimportant things that make you happy;* Mention and link to the person who tagged you;* Tag six of your favorite bloggers to play along, and comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged. (I’m with Karen that I won’t tag anyone, but please feel free to grab this meme if you wish!)

1. A purring kitty in my lap or on the bed next to me. 2. Opening packages and adding new merchandise to inventory at work (especially when it’s new yarn). 3. Phone calls from my hubby and/or kids. (Okay, I confess, this may actually be a VERY important thing) 4. The KIA Soul commercial (click on 'downloads' tab to see it) with the hamsters, so silly, I smile every time I see it. 5. Fresh fruit from the farmer's market. 6. Firework displays (the sight, not the sound).

Happy July!

Nana

A Little This; A Little That

It’s been one of those weeks. I’ve set little goals for my projects; which has helped keep me on track. I only had the toe left to do on the second blue sock, so I didn’t allow myself to touch any other knitting until those were done. See it worked:

Simply Blue; Pattern Simplicity from the Eclectic Sole

Yarn: Knitivity Down Home Sock, color Blue Jeans

Size 0 dpns

Then, I needed to get the 2nd triangle done on the vest and start the miters, so it was my next priority project, just that, no further and no picture.

I also needed to do a Christmas stocking sample for my July class… the knitting didn’t take long, but the embellishing has been a chore (but I like the way it turned out):

Here's a closer look at the I-cord trim with bells and pearl beads: I had a birthday just the other day, I got plenty of love: (it was last sunday in case you were wondering)

and last but not least...

Saucey had a relapse of her UTI symptoms and had to go to the vet once more. She is still too uncomfortable for them to get a good sample, so still uncultured… but the vet added an anti-inflammitory to her regimen and hopefully next week she will be able to provide the needed sample. It's not easy seeing her in so much distress. This weekend I will be focusing on getting a secret gift project done and crossed off my list so that I can free up more knitting time to make some super special things for my soon-to-be born granddaughter.

Have a nice weekend!

Nana

PS: How do you like my new header?

I Love a Parade!

Today was interesting. A lot of the towns and villages in our area have festivals this time of year to celebrate various meaningful events. These festivals usually include a parade or other kick-off extravaganza. So Linda signed the shop up to participate in one of the towns nearby where a lot of our customers are based. Since I don’t normally work on Saturday, she asked if I minded helping out, and since I actually hadn’t made any other plans for the weekend, I said sure! Why not, parades can be fun. So if you ever get asked to be in one, go for it. By my rough count, this makes about the 10th or so parade that I’ve been in. It was fun.

(I apologize for the quality, we all forgot our cameras and had to use my cell phone to take this. That's me on the left in my new Cardinals cap that DH sent for my birthday)

The hardest part was that we were one of the last entries, so by the time it got around to our turn to march, I had gotten past the heel turn on the sock I was knitting and was ready to pick up stitches for the gusset. This as I discovered is not really that easy to do while walking. So I just went with smiling at the crowd and waving my sock… I did the harlot proud! So, I know I promised a knitting post and this one is meant to be it. I’ll get back to the parade sock eventually. I finished the Monkey socks that I knitted on at every opportunity during TNNA. So without further ado, I present the Mixed Up Monkeys Pattern: Monkey Socks, by Cookie A. Yarn: Claudia Hand Paint Fingering in Desert Dusk, dye lots 8030.01. 009 and 015 Needles: Size 0, magic loop I’ve also made reasonable progress on the Blue Simplicity socks, but they are just shy of being finished (but apparantly didn't take a picture). I started the second Diamond Delight Vest which I am calling Lakeshore, because the colors remind me of (wait for it) taking a walk along a lake shore (hee, hee). This is for a class / KAL that I am teaching at the shop. I’m knitting it in Rowan Pima cotton, seven different colors:

I also cast on for the Christmas Stocking that will be my July sock class, since we are doing a “Christmas in July” promotion at the shop. It’s not very interesting yet, so, no picture. Then there are the parade socks; just a simple striped anklet in Panda Cotton, in colors Baby Blues and Deep Water. It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but when it was taken before the parade I was just starting on the first dark stripe.... as I said, we had enough wait time for me to turn the heel before we actually started down the parade route. Even though I tried to pick up stitches during the times we had to stop for the cheerleaders in front of us, I ended up ripping out most of them. But, as you can see, I fixed it, picked up the stitches and started the gusset after I got home. This sock will go on the back burner while I get serious on the Christmas Stocking and vest projects. But maybe I’ll try to finish the blue sock during the solstice party I’m going to tonight (it’s a knitting party!).

And one last thing: the front of the shirts we wore in the parade had our shop logo (same as sign), the back says:

Hope you have a great weekend and Happy Knitting!

Nana

Nana’s Fantastic Adventure

After attending The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) show this weekend, I have to say that I had an amazing experience. There are so many things happening in my brain right now it’s hard to know exactly where to start. First off there won’t be any pictures in this post. I think I was so overwhelmed by the enormity of it all (and possibly a major yarn fume high) that I totally forgot I had a camera with me. This wasn’t my first “trade show’ ever, but it was my first TNNA and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I really did not know exactly what I was getting into when Linda told me she wanted me to go. If you have ever been to any trade show in any industry you will understand when I say that the primary function of the show is for the various companies in that industry to showcase their products or services to entice you to either sign up with them for a new account or to enhance your existing account. In this case the show was a showcase of yarn and needle craft supply vendors and lots of peripheral goods and services. Our primary mission at the show was to look at the new fall lines of yarn for our existing vendors and to check-out some of the ones we are considering adding to our store. Whew! All I can say is that it was a lot to take in and even more daunting of a task to make decisions. I’m glad I don’t have the final say-so, but I am pleased to be a part of the process. There were 258 yarn companies represented at the show. Additionally, there were publishers, authors, designers, accessories, you name it and what have you. The most amazing part of this experience was that everywhere you looked there was something new or different, eye catching, tactile, beautiful and tantalizing. It is nearly impossible to think clearly if you don’t have a game plan ahead of time. On top of that, as I guess is the case in every other industry, there were the “celebrities.” Everywhere! I might have missed a few, but just to give you an idea, I had a chance to meet and talk with: Cookie A; Amy R. Singer; Casey, Jess, Mary-Heather and Sarah (Ravelry) (but no Bob); Janel Laidman; and Jane Slicer-Smith; Cookie, Janel and Jane all have new books coming out late this summer or in the fall and I got to see previews and sneak peeks. The inner fan-girl wanted to jump up and down and squee, but this was a professional event, and I did act responsibly. Even though, if I had remembered about my camera, it would have been a really cool photo-op since I am knitting socks by both Cookie and Janel right now (But I'm not sure I would have been courageous enough to ask!) Also, I tried to meet Claudia, but her booth was so busy when I went by that it just wasn’t meant to be, did I mention my Monkey socks are out of Claudia Hand Paint! See what I mean… They really were everywhere... some sightings; Brett, Drew and Robyn of Knit and Crochet Today; Kaffe Fassett; Cat Bordhi, Lily Chin; Doris Chan; Sharon Dreifus; Jackie E-S and many others I’m sure I've forgotten because my brain is too full. I’m not just dropping names for the sake of showing off; I’m trying to convey what the atmosphere was like… ordinary people like me just sort of hanging out with well, the Fiber Elite… just, wow! And everyone was acting like it was just business as usual, well… it actually was. Because, of course those folks were there to promote themselves and get their books/patterns/yarns into our shops and eventually our customers hands. So that’s what I have been up to lately. To say that I am still wound up is an understatement. I am also very tired. I hope to have a post with some knitting pictures up soon. Happy Knitting! Nana

End of Week Round-up

I haven’t posted much about knitting lately, so I thought I’d do a quick post with a few of the projects I’ve been working on. I started some blue socks and am finding the pattern to be a pretty quick knit and am feeling much love for the yarn and pattern combination. The Simply Blue socks are coming along quite well….

(Doesn’t Saucey make a lovely model)

Pattern: Simplicity from the Eclectic Sole / Yarn Knitivity Down Home Fingering in Denim

I also needed a pair to work on for my magic loop class and after much rifling through my sock yarn stash and pattern collection, I settled on: A pair of Mixed up Monkeys

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A / Yarn Claudia Handpaint Fingering in Desert Dusk

The yarn is two different dye-lots of the same color and for that reason, I am going to mix and match the various parts of the socks using some from each skein. So for that reason I’m working them two at a time.

I also got all of the knitting done on the Presto-Chango sweater and it’s currently blocking. All it needs is a little seaming and just the right buttons

Have a happy weekend!

Nana

P.S. to Jean... I do have a P-38 in my kitchen drawer, but settled for my trusty Pampered Chef can opener to avert the crisis!

Houston…. We Have a Problem

“Quick Saucey… go call 911 I don’t think I can get that thing open with just my teeth….”

The Knitter Prevails

I give you Scallops:

The Scallop socks put up a small fight, but in the end; the knitter prevailed. I finished these in record time considering that when I picked them up on Wednesday I had frogged one complete sock already and had to frog the start of the second due to knitterly difficulties. Since the cuff was only about 24 rounds deep, these actually should have been a quick knit and once I got all of the mistakes out of the way, they were. The socks are short anklets with a ribbed lace design. My idea was that they would be worn with Mary Jane's or clogs that would only allow a portion of the pattern to show. The ribbed texture and gentle curve over the instep sort of reminds me of the top of a scallop shell. Here's a few more views so you can see a little more of the design:

My own pattern Yarn: Classic Elite Summer Sox in Melon Size 2.5 double point needles

Now I’m on to some more baby things, a few shop samples and a pair of blue socks, because I’ve had an urge to knit blue socks. Blue, blue blue; yay blue!

I have a busy month of June coming up with three classes to teach and a trip to Columbus, OH for TNNA, so stay tuned, I should have a lot of knitting to post!

Last, but not least, think good thoughts for Saucey, she had to take a trip to the ER Vet yesterday due to showing symptoms for a UTI. She's on an antibiotic now, so hopefully that will do the trick, and until she improves I'll just keep following her around the house with paper towels, sigh.

Have a good and knitty week!

Nana