Happy Birthday Dear Sister!

I have one sister who is two years younger than I am and living overseas, thousands thousands of miles away. We are very close in spite of the long distance. We regularly email each other and talk on the phone almost every day. Although we don't get to see each other often we always know what is going on. She follows up after doctor appointments or a difficult test the girls had or recitals/concerts that she has not been to. I think that's the way to have a close knit family, always being in touch. We don't wait to call each other for holidays or birthdays. We call each other whenever we are happy or sad or sometimes just to say hi. She is a wonderful, warm, capable person and the best sister ever. Tomorrow is her birthday, another birthday that we could not celebrate together. Happy Birthday Guniz! I love you tons.

Another dishcloth

I am on a roll. I have used the remaining yarn from baby bib and knit another ballband dishcloth. I think this color combination turned out pretty good. If I would knit another dishcloth I would probably choose different cotton yarn. I still need to finish a sock and find someone to mail them for me. Oh I am using the purple cotton yarn for another baby bib.

Something different

I am getting tired of knitting socks although I just got a shipment of J.Knits hand painted sock yarns. I decided I am not going to buy sock yarn for awhile. I was looking at knitting blogs I saw a dishcloth. The blog was referring to Mason-Dixon Knitting book and blog. After checking out their blog, I wanted to see the book and knit the dishcloth. I was lucky that the public library had a copy of their book. My wonderful husband checked out the book for me. I immediately went to the section for dishcloth then I saw the most horrendous thing!!! Someone tore out the pages. I can not imagine how some people get so low. The only page left on that section was Ballband Dishcloth. I was upset and did not want to knit the dishcloth anymore. I started looking at other sections and saw this most simple yet practical baby bib. One of my good friends had a baby girl recently. I made a baby quilt and matching pillowcase for the baby. I don't know why I have been delaying to send the package except that I haven't signed the quilt yet. I thought baby Reyna might like the bibs. It was fun to knit the bibs. The first one I started and finished during the movie Guardian by Kevin Costner. I was having fun so I knitted the second one which made my Saturday go fast. I will take the pictures after I sew the buttons. The first set of buttons magically disappeared and nobody knows where they are! By the time I start walking we will have multiple of everything!!!

I wanted to go out and look at the yarns today but my husband would not take me because of the freezing cold weather and my lingering cold. Instead he went to Michaels and got me yarn. I asked him to get me two contrasting colors and no white or light colors. He came of home with red and purple yarn. It would not be my first choice. Since I am still excused of all domestic chores including washing dishes, this will be his personal dishcloth. I used Ballband pattern from the book and I also found the pattern inside the ball band of the yarn (hence the pattern name).

Stu Socks

I finally finished my husband's socks. I used Plymouth Sockatta for his first pair. He did not like it much, since it is 40% cotton. The next one I ordered hand spun and dyed yarn in Denim. I used Thuja pattern from Knitty. Stu likes his socks snug but I think they are tight. I wish I would have made them a little bigger. Oh well, I am about to finish Jessica's then I will make him another pair from this nice soft green yarn.


















100% Merino Wool us sz 2 dpns, Thuja Pattern


Plymouth Sockatta, us sz 2 dpns

More Yarn

I guess I have an obsessive personality. I won't let go anything until they reach the saturation point which I haven't managed to determine so far. If I like an author I have to read all the books written by that author. If I like a craft I have to have every little gadget, supply, you name it. Right now I am hooked on knitting socks and I am learning what's out there. Every time I look at different yarn, little voices in my head are telling me "BUY! BUY!BUY!" I am so obedient that I can not say no so I bought more self stripping yarn. Seems like my family and friends like those more. Here is the new addition to my yarn stash (Hots Socks -Rio Micropointe, Colori, Spirit).

Ice Storm

Cold weather and ice storm hit St louis again. We were lucky not to loose the power the first time. I was more worried about the huge trees in my backyard falling over the house than the loosing power. Was I wrong ??? We lost the power Saturday morning, the family decided to play great outdoors. Everybody got dressed warm and my husband started the fire. It was fun first day while the house was still warm. Dropping temperatures did not help and the house got colder and colder. Of course open architecture and not having a single door on the first floor did not help either.

My daughter thought sitting by a fire place and reading a book were so relaxing and fun. My dear husband's way of coping with cold.

After two days of dark and cold we left the house but before we had to board the pets. Poor Mikko was not happy to leave me. He is my best friend and his story could be another blog. When we returned to the house last night, we found a completely melted tea kettle and a half burned stove. We were so lucky that we got home on time.

Mikko with his stylish coat before he goes out to the freezing cold.

Stripes, Stripes and more Stripes

My first attempt to knit a striped socks. It was supposed to be a gift for my niece. I did not think I did a good job adding different yarns. I will stick to self striped yarns unless there is a need for certain color.

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette 100% Peruvian Wool in

Petal, Pool and White

Needles :US sz 3 dpns

These are my daughter's Lion Brand Magic Stripe socks (US 4 needles). She loves the colors. Since she wanted "crazy socks", I did not try to match the stripes.

First finished project of 2007. This one is for my oldest daughter. She picked the yarn, first I was not crazy about the colors but it turned out to pretty good. Plymouth Sockatta yarn, US 2 needles. This one will be shipped to OSU as soon I finish her roommate's socks.





I started this today. I like the colors but I was expecting more jacquards. Once I am finished, (hopefully this weekend) I will ship them to my daughter and her roommate.

Knit Picks Stripe 100% wool, us sz 2 dpns.

These are MINE!!! I love these socks. The yarn is a little on the bulky side, but knits very well. I finished both pairs in one day. It is kinda funny that nobody but me liked these. I can hardly wait to get out of my cast and wear these. As much as I love my high heel shoes I know my doctor will not allow me to wear any high heels. That's OK, good reason to buy more shoes. :)

Knit Picks Parade 100% wool US sz 4.

For My Sister

Pattern: Toe The Line from "Learn to Knit
Socks"
US 2 dpns

Merino Wool - Creole

I am blessed with a wondeful family. I have great parents and one incredible sister. She came and stayed with me for two weeks inspite of her busy work schedule and her own family. I enjoyed the time we spent together although I was not always likeable. I love my sister! Naturally she got the first pick from my hand dyed yarns. She choose 100%Merino wool from Handspun and Dyed Too .

How I learned Knitting Socks...

I learned knitting socks after I broke my leg on Halloween day. Fortunate thing was that I bought several sock yarns and a practise yarn along with Learn to Knit Socks book by Edie Eckman just the day before! I started with basic sock pattern while I was waiting for my daughter's ballet class to be over same day.

I managed to shatter my leg very badly and seriously on Oct 31st. After a long surgery and long hospital stay, I am slowly recovering at home now. Unfortunately I am wheelchair bound till my good doctor says otherwise. My concentration was not good for the longest time due to medications. I needed something to keep me busy since daytime TV was not an option. So I started working on my first sock. After I completed my basic sock, I started on my daughter's. I used Lion brand magic stripes, then I finished my husband's socks with Plymouth Sockatta. At that point I realized that I was hooked on knitting socks.

I am not a patient person and like most I like instant gratification. The size of the projects was perfect for me to work on while I was laying in bed. Sending my daughter to LYS to get more yarn was not very satisfactory so I started looking online and reading knitting blogs. I knew I was in trouble after seeing all those beautiful colors, different fibers. Then I discovered hand spun and dyed yarns. I could hardly wait for my family to get home and check the mail for me to see if there is a little package holding my latest yarn. I am diligently working on building a yarn stash despite of my husband's objection. One room is already filled with my quilting, scrap booking supplies (after reading this he said "just one room!!!").

Finally...

I managed to get this far after three tries. First two blogger have been lost in the cyberspace. Thanks to blogger I could see them but can not access them. I hope this would be the end of my frustration with the blogger. The pictures of my latest projects will be posted soon.