Dishcloth

TA DA!
Dishcloth #3 for 2012
This was a classic little pattern called Ballband.

The colors in this photo are a bit crud because I am taking them at midnight before heading to bed. The real color can be found here....
This knit up nice and thick and kind of squishy-it should be great hearty scrubber!
Other Super Scrubber's challenge member's can be found here on Ravelry

The pattern can be found in many places on the web, and I think there are several variations to be found also. My yarn is a 100% cotton Sugar and Cream, which is found all over the place around here, most commonly though in craft or fabric stores rather than the high end local yarn shops.

Speaking of yarn shops, I just heard yesterday that one of our local shops is closing its doors for good on February 10th! Just like that. She had been in business for 5.5 years and with this terrible economy she just couldn't hang on any longer. I do have to say that her help was not always the friendliest nor helpful, and her hours were no good for anyone who had to work during the day so this does not come as a total surprise, but it leaves a hole in fiber community and I am sad. My little town has lost so many small businesses in the last 3 years-it seems every time I turn around another door has been closed permanently.....

Sigh....

Well, here we are again....another Sunday afternoon! This past week has been a whirlwind--adjusting back to normal after our unexpected week off the week before due to wintry weather. Sadly, work and the demands of daily life seemed to overwhelm me and I had little left over for blogging or even knitting! So, not a lot of new stuff to report. I felt like I lost a little of my knitting mojo--

First off, after trying (and frogging) a couple different patterns for mitts with the yarn won from Keri, I finally settled on Pixie Warmers.


As you can see, my progress is not all that impressive. The pattern is lovely and well written, I think it is just a matter of lack of concentration on my part that has hindered my progress. I really could use these at work to keep my hands warm, and even that has not spurred me on!

Luckily, this is my off week for dishcloths, (1 every 2 weeks) as I would not even have a finished one of these to show! I do have the beginning of one going, and the pattern (to be revealed on Thursday) is a delightful and classic! Lily's Sugar and Cream yarn is my "go to" yarn for dishcloths.



I only need to finish the thumb on my mystery Winter Buzz mitts to have them completed, but I am being a big chicken about tackling this last step. Picking up stitches is a very new skill for me, and I use the word "skill" loosely here as I am really not all that successful in making it look good when I do. Her directions call for using dpn's, and because even the thought of dpns freak me out, I don't happen to own any! So, I need to figure out how to follow her directions using magic loop instead. I have not found the energy nor courage to start.

I also need to get cracking on a charity knit I agreed to do. It will be my first every knit blanket--luckily it isa baby blanket as I get bored easily. The pattern I chose is lovely and I think will be interesting enough to keep me going! I have a beautiful dark blue yarn, fit for a boy!

That my friends is all I have this week. Now I look forward to visiting my fiber friends and finding some inspiration in your updates!
*smiles*

Entwined

Book: Entwined by Heather Dixon
Finished: January 2012
Pages: 480
Challenges: The Telling Tales, A-Z 2012, Out Do Yourself







From Amazon:

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

From Me:

I found this book when I was looking for choices to read for the Telling Tales Challenge. I really like reading retold fairy tales, although it is not the genre I would choose for the majority of my reading time. But at times, I just feel like a good fairy tale, and this retelling of the twelve dancing princesses hit the spot during this long wintry January!
It has all the things I would expect:

• Beautiful princesses
• A powerful and staunch King
• Magic-lots!
• Heroes
• Villain--- a very, very very creepy villain at that
• Love
• Bravery
• Mystery and long held family secrets
• A plot that carried me to another world
• A satisfying ending

Altogether, a light but captivating read---one that was deliciously read curled up under a down comforter!

Year of Projects

Happy Sunday to all!
I am happy to say that life is slowly returning to normal after our traumatic weather week, documented here! I actually was able to get my car out of the driveway today and was able to get out--after being housebound since last Monday! Oh the freedom!
Now, I am all tucked back in my house and listening to a Frank Sinatra cd. I love those old standard classics. :)

On to the knitting news--

I got my semi-mystery KAL mitts all caught up and am awaiting the final clue, due out next Thursday which will close up the thumb gusset.























I am so pleased with this project and can't wait to wear them. The pattern will be free for a while on her website, so you all should go take a look.

I think I am still on a mitts roll, because I plan to cast on another pair--this time using a ball of yarn I won, way back last Fall from Keri and using this pattern.........called Pixie Warmers











I also have the yarn and needles to start this project...












.....if not this week, then real soon! It will be for my little 2 year old Grandy, Adelaide. I think she will be adorable in it.

And to top it off, I think I will be starting this dishcloth---the Ballband Dishcloth. I think I will do it with some variegated blue Sugar and Cream. I have had this pattern on my list to do ever since I joined Ravlery, two and a half years ago. :)

That is all from me--I hope this next week finds you all healthy, warm and full of knitting/crocheting joy.
*smiles*

Ice, Ice, Baby

It has been a bit of a traumatic weather week up here in Seattle-and just for the record, regardless of what some idiotic reporter from the LA Times has to say, Seattlelites are not wimps. This has been a dangerous storm.

We had off and on snow showers Sunday through Tuesday night, which is when the big snow finally hit. We received 7 inches of snow in about 8 hours. Then, 12 hours later the freezing rain/sleet arrived and were treated to an ice storm, the likes of which we have not ever seen. Trees and branches were falling right and left throughout the neighborhoods, each one sounding like a gunshot. While other trees tried like crazy to hang on to their branches.

We have a beautiful 30 foot ornamental plum tree in our front yard which I love. Aside from the great shade it provides the front of our house (including our bedroom) in the summer--I have very fond memories of purchasing that tree, the first such purchase for our new house. All four kids were still little people and we had a fun crazy time planting it.

Today--it did not fair well as it became encased in a layer of ice which probably has reached 3/4 of an inch thick. There are at least 3 major cracks in the upper trunk and we are not sure it will survive or even what shape it will be in when all the ice melts. I am just sick over this and so sad.

9:00 AM

12:00 PM ( starting to bend over)

3:00 PM ( topmost branches are touching the ground)

8:00 PM (emergency pruning when my husband arrived home from work)

Other Photos:

Dishcloth Challenge 2012

I am joining Ruth, in her dishcloth challenge this year. My aim is to get 1 done every 2 weeks--but since I have been snowed in, and now iced in, I finished one this week, after finishing one just last weekend.

Today's cloth is in honor of the winter weather which has kept me housebound all week. First we got 6 inches of snow and now we have a 3/4 of an inch coating of ice over everything. I decided to knit up Snowflake by Moniboo Designs yesterday. I used a blue Sugar and Cream cotton, with size 7 needles. While I am not usually a fan of picture cloths, this one just seemed appropriate!




In this picture you can see the freezing rain that is hitting the window, the pussywillow tree in the window, encased in ice, and in the far left side you can see branches from my ornamental plum tree bent down to the ground. I so want it to stop raining and the temps to warm up! They were hoping we would be above freezing y 2:00 PM, it is 1:45 and I just checked. We are only up to 30! I think the storm warning is about to be extended!
Go visit Ruth to see her beautiful cloth for the week---truly a work of art!