Helllloooooooo there!

It's almost a new year , but my life has changed dramatically! We have moved, paid off our car, and my hubby has a new career!! I am still knitting, after a frighteningly long "non-knitting' period. I'm also still teaching at 3 Kittens Needle Arts. They are so good to me there. I hope to get back to this blogging thing, but it takes precious time away from clicking two needles together. I am trying to get up and running on Ravelry. I have a few things loaded up on there, but that takes time to do aw well, and I already mentioned the needle clicking thing. I'm off now to work on a beautiful cardigan, that is turning out so much nicer than I imagined it would. How cool is that??

A Harried Potter Reading

Well I finished the book. I picked it up yesterday at 8am, and finished it at 10pm.

I have to say that I loved it, and I did not cry. I thought I might. That's all I'm going to say about the book...I am not a spoiler!!

I wish I were at the Dome watching the Twins at "Stitch n Pitch" but I didn't pick up my tickets...I must have thought they would magically appear or something. Oh well. 3 Kittens and The Yarn Garage booked a bus and a big group all went together. I hope we are winning, and I am sure that all the knitters are having a blast!

My camera is on the fritz...children have a way of using something and somehow as if by magic, things go wrong with it. Of course, by no fault of the child, right?

I started spinning again!! I sent the fleece that I had sitting around for several years off to be washed, carded, and made into roving, and it came back beautiful!! I plied the yarn that I had been spinning over two years ago, and now I have four clean bobbins to start with the Isabelle wool. Isabelle is the little black lamb/sheep that the fleece came off of, it was her first shearing! I am a Beginner spinner with a capital "B"...not sure what I am doing is going to get me the results in a finished yarn or not...I am just winging it, and enjoying the process. I would like to make a cabled sweater for myself out of it if all goes well.

Hmmmmmmm

Let me see...What am I supposed to be doing? Knit??? What is that???

Well, it is too hot (I can't believe I am saying this) to knit.

It is too hot to cook, clean, exercise, have a weiner dog sit in your lap...

It is too hot to do anything. Thom is re-glazing and painting the windows, and the AC can't be on since the windows are out, and all we have are screens. HOT!

Before it got too hot, I did finish the "Supergirl Capelet" that I started on the riverboat cruise. It is blocking right now, and I believe the pattern is ready to go once it gets a photo. I also believe that I will be teaching a class on the capelet, using self striping yarn (NORO of course.)

There is no good refreshing beverages in the house either. Harumph!

I am very excited (even though it is too hot to be excited) about the upcoming release of the seventh Harry Potter book...ahhhh magic would be a great thing in this heat. I am refusing to read anything Harry Potter related because I do NOT want the book to be ruined like the last one was for me. A People Magazine gave away the ending!!! I want to get the book as soon as it comes out, but I will not stand in line at midnight. I must read it as quick as possible. I think I want to end it quick, like ripping off a bandaid. My friend Jane thinks it should be savored like good chocolate. I am so into the HP world right now that I must know all as quick as I can. OHHHHHH the geek inside is loose and I can't cram it back in...SO BE IT!!!

On a knitting note...I noticed a lot of new knitted items in the latest HP movie, that I am sure could fill yet another Charmed Knits book!!

Well, I'd send you off with a "keep knitting" but that would be hypocritical, since I am not knitting right now...um...

Stay cool...lame, but it's all I've got!

A Three Hour Tour...

The weather is not supposed to get rough tomorrow, June 30th...I am going on 3 Kittens Needle Arts' Carabella Cruise on the Mighty Mississippi Tomorrow. There will be lots of knitting, a fabulous fashion show, designers, food, drinks, massages, tattoos (temp/henna ones) and an all around splendid time will ge had by all.

I will ...let me say it again... I WILL be knitting on the scarf for Tiffany and the shop's Harry Potter trunk show. I will not...WILL NOT bring anything else with to knit on...so hopefully I will...I WILL get a lot done on it!!

Loveable and fabulous Zoe is going to come with me, she has never been on a riverboat cruise.

Perhaps I will see some of you there.

Baby Steps

I guess I have to start blogging again in small batches, much like my knitting. I have started knitting up store sample swatches. It is the best thing for me now. Something simple and quick, and I get to use all sorts of different yarn. I am truly hoping that working with yarns I normally wouldn't choose will inspire some new creations.

I also am knitting on a Harry Potter 3rd & 4th year scarf for the "trunk show" that 3 Kittens is having in July...It is very boring to knit, but I am so excited about the new movie and the final book, and I can NOT let Tiffany down.

I made yet another Moebius basket. It is red, white, and blue. The handle and rim is blue with little white star buttons sewn on and the rest is red and white stripes...very "patriotic." I don't have a photo of it, but it is on display at 3 Kittens.

Something unbelievable happened today, but first a little back story. My son was hanging out with friends on the last day of school and they went out on Lake Calhoun in a canoe, it capsized and his new glasses are now at the bottom of that lake. Today, he is biking home from a friends house, and less than a mile from home, a car cuts him off, he makes a sharp turn to avoid being hit, runs into a big planter, flies off his bike, and his make-shift cheap but only pair of glasses flies off of him and...get this...INTO THE GUTTER!! Not to be reached nor retrieved!! It is so unreal...I almost think he threw them away since he disliked them so much, but like I said, they were his only pair of glasses now. GOOD GRIEF!! Kooky loveable klutsy kid!

I have been absent for a while, but more surprising to me, my knitting has been absent for the same amount of time. Not a stitch. I guess we all need vacations from time to time. I did actually dust off my spinning wheel and spin a little. I may have to work at that for awhile, it is very relaxing.






The fireworks photo is one my son Ben took...it is very cool! Here is another photo-shop thingy he did...

I am very proud of my children!!

I am just going to post a bunch of photos for your viewing pleasure!











































And I've saved the best for last...Presenting STAN!

Sheryl and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!

I have had a terrible time knitting my latest project. I had been knitting the Shapely Tank by White Lies Designs, and although I have made one before, this one was not going well. I was using Silky Tweed, and went back to the project after over a year. I recently attended a "Finishing for the Finicky" class, and wanted to do my finishing "right", so...I measured my gauge (off of the previously started tank...a good 10" long and 24" wide) and ripped out to start over. I was going to do this correctly! I measured my body, for all the places my short rows needed to go, and charted out the pattern. I was confident that all would go smoothly. Well...it seemed long, but I figured when it stretched over my body, it would shorten up slightly. I kept knitting. Last night, I sewed it together and finished the garter stitch neckline. I tried it on, and...

It is too big, too baggy, and too long!!

I was put into a terrible mood as a result, and it took a whole day to feel better. The only solution I can visualize is to burn it. Yup! Set the whole damn thing on fire and take joy in watching it go up in flames. Now, I most likely won't practice pyromania on a failed knitting project, but it makes me feel better thinking about it. It would be done, gone, and out of my life.

I must find out where I'm missing the boat. After all the careful measurements and checking gauge and planning, you'd think that it would turn out. What went wrong?? Did my gauge change as I went along? Did my yarn relax too much on me? Do I think I am bigger than I am?? I always try to be very honest with my measurements, so as not to make anything to small...couldn't wear it then either. Maybe I needed to make it smaller than my measurements so it would be snug. I just don't know. To make matters worse, I actually kind-of pride myself on being able to figure most everything out that I get involved with. I AM good at just about everything I do. AND... I AM the Knitchique afterall. SIGH!!
Bags and purses and accessoried I can do...fitted garments are something I need to get right, or it/they will consume me!

I want to find the piece to the puzzle! I want to hook up with someone who can shed some light on this for me. I am sure I will find the answer, but darn it, so much knitting with so little results, or satisfying results, and not even learning from it.