Nana-a-go-go

That’s me.

I feel like I’ve been on the go for several weeks now. Having some quiet time here in TX with DD1 while we await the birth of her daughter is a real blessing and necessity. I won’t be able to recap everything, but needless to say it has been a very busy couple of weeks.

My brother and Niece spent about a week visiting me and we did a quick weekend trip to WI so he could attend a friend’s wedding. We had a little extra time after arriving and he graciously took me to this shop where I enjoyed meeting the owner and checking out her shop. The night of the wedding I hung out in the hotel watched baseball on TV and knitted, mostly getting this going: (another pair of Noro Skinny Stripe socks)

Last week was mostly a normal schedule for me while my brother reacquainted himself with our area and found fun things to do with his daughter. On Weds we went to Stitch-n-Pitch with the Chicago White Sox (Sox 6; Angels 2). It was my first time at the new Sox stadium and we all had great fun, here are a few of the pictures from the game: Thursday Mom and Dad picked up my brother so they could visit with him for the rest of his trip and Friday I got in the car and drove the first leg of my trip to TX. I arrived on Saturday and installed myself and the kitties in the guest room / nursery at my daughters house. The kitties are still adjusting to meeting their “nephew” kitties. It’s been an interesting process to watch.

This is what Saucey and Tony have been doing mostly...

Since there is still a day or so before the baby is due, DD has taken me to some of her favorite places here in TX we visited the Fort Worth Stockyards (sorry no pic), the delightful Fort Worth Zoo where we enjoyed a very pleasant morning and saw several great animals as well as the flamingos on parade and we also visited Jennings Street Yarns , but mostly we have just been enjoying each other’s company. She’s as prepared as she can be for the baby’s arrival, so it’s just waiting time now. I’m nearly finished with the baby blanket (just two more octagons): So I’m about as prepared as a Nana can get. If I finish the last two octagons before she goes into labor, I still have a couple of pairs of socks I need to work on. Well hopefully the next post will be pics of my new granddaughter (with the finished blanket of course!) Happy knitting Nana

How To Take A Self Portrait With Cats

A brief photo tutorial ...

Step 1: collect cats Step 2: set camera timer and get into position

Step 3: unhook claws from leg Step 4: check picture on camera Step 5: gather up cats and reset camera timer Step 6: try to get all three into frame this time Step 7: pet cats to smooth ruffled fur and repeat step 2 Step 8: repeat steps 5 and 6 Step 9: repeat steps 1-8 trying not to utter profanities so loudly as to cause neighbors to dial 911 Step 10: give up; wait for someone else to get home to take picture, don't expect cats to pose... Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Catching Up is hard to Do…

Playing off a refrain from an oldie but goodie (come-a, come-a down, doobie doo, down, down…) This is the part where I tell you about the rest of my vacation and catch up on what has happened since I got home. Well, that’s what I planned this post to be about anyway. So, I have managed to download all of the photos I took while I’m away. I even uploaded them to flickr and updated my ravelry with the knitting related pictures, whoo! Things have actually been sort of busy. I didn’t get much time to regroup before jumping right back into my regular schedule, so I’ve been trying to squeeze things in here and there. I think it’s Tuesday already. Yikes! That means tomorrow is October! So, the rest of the vacation was spent wandering around San Francisco (seeing some of our favorite places) with my youngest daughter Monday and my oldest daughter and her husband on Tuesday, finishing off with everybody meeting up at Giants stadium (aka AT&T Park) to see the Giants play the Colorado Rockies. Let’s just say it was a good night for baseball and the Rockies looked better than the Giants, whose starting pitcher Tim Lincecum had a rough night, but ultimately pitched well enough to set a new team record. The cool thing about the outing was it was my Grandson’s first Major League baseball game which was a fun thing to be a part of. Too bad “Papa” (DH) couldn’t be there too. He was extremely jealous back at home. DD1 and I made up our own stitch-n-pitch event during the game too. I got more of the spring forward sock knit between strikeouts. The only other Giants game I ever attended, despite living in the Bay area over three years was one of the last played at the old “Candlestick Park” so it was also fun getting to see the new stadium. The next day was my departure day, but we managed to pack in plenty of fun before I headed to the airport by going to the Oakland Zoo. I’m not sure who was the most excited to go to the zoo, DD1 or my grandson. Either way, despite many exhibits with animals hiding out from the warm weather, we had a nice time and all too soon I had to go to the airport to come home. I wish I could show you every picture I took, but there were so many! Here’s a quick montage to give you an idea of how much fun we had together… Oh, and did I mention that I finally finished Spring Forward between flights home? Here’s a quick look at the finished pair Since I’ve been home, DH has been naturally needing my attention (and the cats have been a little on the clingy side too). We went and saw the movie “Miracle at St. Anna” and checked out a local “Octoberfest” over the weekend. Since I have several projects in limbo due to various issues, I chose to work on baby gifts and finished this cute set and another blanket buddy for babies born last month to church families. I also attempted to read the book I was supposed to have read already for the book club meeting tonight *sigh* it’s not a good read for me. Monday was sock class and I was having a bad reaction to the latest change in weather and had a little trouble focusing, so my class project sock needed several times of being frogged… it’s currently sitting in time out. No picture as it is a bad knit and does not deserve to be called a sock… Today was catch-up on housework and time to start the project for the class beginning on Thursday afternoon. More on that in another post, as I need to get going and I’m sure you’re ready to go read someone else’s more fascinating blog!

Actually, here's one final picture that is probably my most favorite of all from this trip... god bless little boys! Oh, yeah (GO CUBS!)

Vacation so far...

I can't believe how fast this trip is flying by... but here's a little glimpse of how it's been so far...

Some knitting in the park (and a new friend)

Lots of fun and games...

Food...

(Seared cauliflower with a roasted red-pepper pesto...yum!)

Festivals...

and Family

Oh, and as promised, here's the finished Hey Teach

Spider Patrol

Hey! I think there’s a spider in there…


Yep, pretty sure I saw one
I’m gonna get you
Whew! That was a lot of work


Psst! Don't forget to vote... Grey or purple?

A Fun Weekend

I had a fun and busy weekend. On Saturday, I headed out to Crystal Lake, IL for the Midwest Fiber and Folk Festival. Boy, I could have used two days to really look at everything there was to see and do, though. But, thankfully for my wallet...

But, really, I think I did well in terms of staying within my budget. I went on a cash-only basis and managed to come home with a quarter of the cash allotted still in my wallet. No … I don’t mean a literal quarter… after buying food, drink and a few knitting goodies... I mean that I still had enough money left over to tuck some away for the Stitches market (yeah!) Not that I didn’t find lots of luscious things that I wanted to buy. And, can you believe, that in a total blog-dork moment, I um, only took a total of one picture at the festival. (new friend "alpaca") ! So you’ll have to trust me when I tell you that it was a fiber wonderland. There were so many wonderful fibers and colors to look at and touch, that it was nearly overwheliming! I also took a class, so I didn’t spend the entire time there shopping. The class was called “Getting the most out of Variegated Yarns” taught by Penny Cetner of Wool, Warp and Wheel. It covered using variegated yarns in different contexts. We started a project using both Fair Isle and intarsia techniques to create designs and textures within the project using both variegated and solid yarn; we also learned how using shaping techniques like short rows can really highlight the qualities of a variegated yarn. It was an interesting and thought-provoking class for a designer-wannabe like me.

I also saw knitting friends old and new and I hung out with Sheri from Wednesday Kaffe Klutch, who I also did the Stitches market with last year. We helped each other resist “impulse” yarn purchases a little better this time. (But she did show me a book that is now on my wishlist).

So you’re staring at your screen thinking “get to the good stuff woman! What did you buy???” (right?) Well, even if you’re not, I’m prepared to show you now.
Behold, the lot…

I bought some mills end Louet Euroflax in a sort of grape-silver heather; some organic cotton (show special half-price); there were also a few “fun” trinkets that I also found; a little knitting pin; a funky knitting needle bracelet; some Lauren Burch Buttons (to match two I already had); a hand carved shawl pin; and some handmade soap.
My one big splurge was some silk Mini-Maiden in a totally “me” color: (Hand Maiden Lace Weight 50% Silk, 50% Wool; amethyst) I cannot stop touching this!!!

And on the knitting front, yesterday was just a typical Sunday (Church, brunch, Softball) with time for knitting in-between, so I almost finished my Summertime Shell; hopefully I will have FO pictures to show off tomorrow!

The Harlot Has Landed and Other Stuff

(our group: me, Melissa with Trella, Stephanie with Helen, Christine (in back), Michelle and Kelly)

Yes! It is true that on Friday June 20th, the Yarn Harlot descended on Chicago and made it to the second edition of her Oak Lawn book signing. (Thanks Nana's!) Did we have fun? You betcha! The day started out a little cloudy (and I can’t repeat the things that might have been yelled at those clouds…) but not so bad-weatherish so as to prevent a plane from approaching or landing in O’Hare. I rode down to Oak Lawn with Christine and the delightful Helen since the other members of our group took a jaunt out to the Fold in Marengo to stock up on … what else… more yarn. The met us down in Oak Lawn. We hadn’t actually determined a meeting time or place, but it seemed logical to stop by at Nana’s Knit shop before we did anything else and lo and behold, there was the other half of our group already talking to the Harlot herself and (drum roll please) Franklin! We got a bonus pre-event visit and photo op right then and there. (Pardon the “squees” from my inner fan-girl). I also presented my “gifts” of the Violet washcloth and emergency chocolate to Stephanie and she seemed to like both. Yes that’s the same washcloth pattern that I was previously designing – I wanted to do something representative of IL and chose our state flower the Violet. I didn’t get a chance to visit with Franklin there because they were whisked off a few minutes later. So after a little browsing in the shop, we left and went to a nearby restaurant and had a leisurely dinner, and then headed over to the hotel to claim our seats… there was a short wait in line as we arrived about five minutes before the doors open - I used that opportunity to go to the restroom (having consumed 2 iced teas and half a glass of water at dinner). The line had progressed to the point where right as I walked out of the restroom, I was able to join our group and enter the ball room. Do we have the timing thing going on tonight or what? Stephanie’s talk was funny and insightful and we really had a thoroughly fun time. I managed to work the mis-matched socks to the point of starting the heels while she spoke. After her talk we had to wait in line (some more) for the book signing part, but due to having brought enough knitting for a four day trip that was no problem. I whipped out the Aquaphobia sock which was still on probation after misbehaving during meet-up Thursday night. I worked on it some and did my best to get back on track with the heel – I managed right up until the point we got to where Franklin was hanging out and then I had to stop and do a little chatting with him and take a picture (of course). He’s as nice in person as I imagined he would be! I resumed the sock knitting for the rest of the wait and the sock began to settle down and cooperate, so I let it get its 5 seconds of fame and be held by Stephanie when we got our “official” book signing picture taken. All in all, it was an excellent way to spend an evening.

So what could be better than that? Well, I’ll tell you, Saturday was my birthday, and DH did his very best to spoil me most of the day. We had a lazy morning (well had to get out of bed early, but laid around the house and drank coffee); then a stop at Caribou for coffee, a trip to the mall and a new pair of Capri pants; a late dinner out and a nice relaxing evening finished off by a soak in a bubble bath. Hardly excitement, but I’m at that age where doing what you really want to do is a great present. Besides, I already showed off pictures of my new needles and yarn that “he” bought for me. (You know, he authorized the purchase, to get off the hunter-gatherer-of-gifts hook). Now if he could just train the cats to let me sleep in on my b-day…. LOL!

Furry Friday

Need a little kitty love?

How about a…. Zelda “croissant”
with a side “dish” of Saucey!

(I'm easily amused... hope you are too!)

And the Weather Is….

Severe thunderstorms with 100% chance that any important flights coming in to any Chicago-area airport will be canceled.

So we had our exciting adventure to see the Yarn Harlot yesterday, but it didn't quite turn out as planned. Leaving Vernon Hills we had
1) Carful of knitters
2) GPS
3) Munchies
4) Knitting
5) Good spirits.

Well, the trip went fine and dandy, but the ‘seeing the Harlot’ part just didn’t happen. As many of you in the knitting world already know Stephanie couldn’t get out of Toronto yesterday due to our crummy weather here in the Midwest. The Hilton was lovely, our hostess was gracious and the crowd was more concerned about the well-being of their guest speaker than the outcome of the event. We had a nice road trip got in a little knitting along the way and still ended up having fun even if the main objective wasn’t met. We’ve been promised a do-over and that’s good enough for me.

Here’s a shot of Michelle, Jessica (our lovely driver) and Kelly knitting at the Starbucks in Oak Lawn… another of the very patient and understanding crowd… and one of the group at Caribou in Vernon Hills afterwards… making the most of our adventure. (We met the very pregnant Melissa at the train station in Oak Lawn before the event and then brought her back up north with us). Oopsie... I forgot to implore an innocent bystander to take one of all of us, so I'm not in any ... bad knitblogger! Oh, but that's probably for the best...

ps just to end on a positive note: the floors are done (can I get a woohoo?)