Yarnharlot

I love reading Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's (aka The Yarnharlot) blog...she really is a funny story teller...whether she is talking about her latest project, trip, family or just happenings in her life...she makes me think, laugh and become aware. She is about to go on the DIY Network show "Knitty Gritty" and has been doing a sock a day. Yikes! They are gorgeous but I would hate to do the same thing over and over. I can't wait to see the episode. Since I am getting into making socks now I would like to get as many tips as I can.

I wonder what the deal is with "Knitty Gritty". The episodes are repeats and they keep repeating the repeats. When does the new season start? On the website there is a list of titles for new shows but no new ones have aired in a long long time. I hope it won't be canceled because I really enjoy Vickie Howell. I am doing the cross-over scarf pattern from one of the episodes, two of them actually (in different fibers) and they are coming out gorgeous. I like that the website posts all of the patterns from the show and video clips that help with some of the more difficult techniques.

Spanish Springs Knitting Group in The News

The knitting group I attend twice a month at a local library had an article written about in the Nieghboorhood section of the local newspaper. Here is the link to the article: "Clickets: A support group for 'yarn addicts' ". It is kind of nice to be in a newspaper article considering I have only been knitting since July. Pretty cool!

What does the Tarot say about you

You are The Empress

(from What Card are You?)

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation. The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful. The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

...And The Holidays Are On!!!

I hope everyone has had a Happy Thanksgiving! I did! It was peaceful and I got ALOT of knitting done. I am not going to post pictures until after Christmas since all the projects are gifts. I am making most of my gifts this year and stretching my new skill as far as it can go. Lace, socks, mittens, etc...things that my friend Kathy tells me most knitters think are a challenger and new knitters don't attempt so soon after learning. Some are a challenge but I find them fun and I am getting some amazing results. Alot of mistakes and oopses but...shrugs...oh well it gives each item character (at least that is how I am justifying them lol).

Kathy took me too a Yarn shop in Minden, Nevada. It is closer to her then it is to me and she wanted to show it to me. The shop is called "Pioneer Yarn Company". LOVELY, LOVELY ladies...the shop is really nice and set up in a customer friendly manner. If you are down that way stop in and say hello to them. They carry some yarn brands that I have not heard of before and their prices are reasonable and fair. I don't think I will go there very much because it is too far away...and my local shop, "Deluxe Yarns", will carry most anything I want. Florrie is a doll and she tries to get what the local yarn addicts are "jonsing" for. LOLOLOL>
Well time to keep knitting I am on a roll with my gifts and just got back from my long weekend.

Friends

Last night had a great night at the Knit Up held at "our" knit shop Deluxe Yarns. Nice people, good company, lots of laughs and of course....yarn and knitting! lol

Tonight more communing over yarn. I so enjoy the wonderful ladies that I have met since finding the shop. All ages, backgrounds, experiences....funny, intelligent and capable women! I look forward every time to my time sharing with them. The only bad part is when it breaks up for the night.... sigh...ah BUT there is next time to look forward to! Yeah!

Project Pictures

Finally, I have pictures to post of my knitting.

This is the cable hat and cuffs (minus the beads) from "Stitch 'n Bitch Nation". I did them in Brown Sheep Wool. First time I have used this yarn it felt really nice in my hands and it has a nice sheen to it. I am making another one like this for a friend for the holidays out of Encore and James wants another one in Brown Sheep Orange Cotton Fleece. This time I am going to do the ribbing a little longer and add and extra pattern round because it fits more like a cap if I follow the pattern exactly and doesn't cover the ears. It gets cold enough here that one wants their ears covered.

So here are the socks I am making for my brother-in-law for Christmas. My second attempt at socks, the first one is done now on two its mate. The notes they are laying on is the pattern that I put together by combing what I liked from about 6 different sock patterns.

This is the first sock. Sock gone bad. I followed the pattern to the letter and I knew I wouldn't like it after I got a little past the ribbing. The pattern said to do the ribbing for 6 rounds only and it looks ...well...wonkey (for lack of a better word). The third pic is of the two that was totally a disaster. I should have just stopped and ripped it all back when I thought the ribbing was off but I couldn't stop myself....I was way too excited about making my first sock...the heel and the gusset came out so great that I kind of just ignored how strange the ribbing looked. LOL oh well...



I have more pics but I will save them for another post.
Time for class.

I WANT TO KNIT!

I am having an internal temper tantrum today. I have an exam tomorrow and need to study for it. I am here at school with notes open and waiting for my study group to show up but I DO NOT WANT TO BE HERE! (pouting and stamping of foot) I am having the hardest time concentrating....all I can think about is my knitting projects. (more pouting and more stamping of foot) All of this school work is just slowing down progress on all of my projects and it is completely annoying!

A Sock Making I Go!

Well last month I took on my first sock. I made a sock using a pattern I found online. Which I became very unhappy with because it was confusing but I kept going. When I got to the toe thats when it all "unraveled" (so to speak). The toe came out completely wonkey (yes wonkey, I am sure that is a knitting or crochet term in some knitting or crochet gloassary). Since I didn't know how to fix it I just stopped the so called decreasing that the pattern called for and binded off. I was sad and laughing at the same time because it was my first sock and it didn't turn out as advertised I was sad, but was laughing hysterically because it was too damn funny to look at! Well my expert knit friends and fellow yarn addicts (to their credit) did not laugh at it, they were encouraging and explained how the sock still could be saved. I have yet to rip out the offending toe because....well to be honest the wind has been taken out of my sails for that sock. I just keep moving it around from knitting bag to knitting bag. I will EVENTUALLY fix it and finish it but for now I don't want to look at it.

Not to be detered I have begun my next pair of socks with some yummy soft yarn I found in my stash. I finished the first sock of the pair and it came out really nice though it does look slightly odd because it is for my brother-in-law for Christmas and he has a 12" foot. So the foot part looks a lot longer then the ribbing leg part. My guy James wears the same size shoe as my brother-in-law so I had him try it on and it fit him great, so I guess the sock will work....on to its mate.

I also want to make my sister socks for Christmas but I want a really nice pattern (simple mind you I'm still a beginner) for some yarn that she choose when I was visiting her last month. I haven't found the pattern I want however and time is running out. I have also begun a new pair of socks for James and am working on a funky purse for my niece and a mittens for my nephew (at his request they will be rainbow stripes). Oh yes and there is the cable hat for a friend's gift and two more projects for two more friends. Besides knitting I have homework to do which really gets in the way of the amount of knitting I can do.

So much knitting so little time! Eventually I will post some pictures of all these projects but it is not very easy to do with blogger so I have hesitated putting up pictures in my blogs regularly because something always crashes it or the pictures don't show up though I did everything correctly to add one to a post. I wish it were all just drag and drop! But it seems that none of the blogger programs are like that, or at least I have not found one ... so for what it is blogger is what I can most easily use at this time. Oh well.

Some knitting now, must make socks....must play with yarn....must get lost in the stitches....knit 2, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2.....

Updating

Hi everyone!
I have been laxed in blogging. I am not to happy with the set up on this blog site. It doesn't give me all the options that I would like to have (like a photo album) or easy and simple setup of column set up for the page. I do not know html very well and really do not have an interest in learning html. I would rather have a setup that lets one drag and drop and move things around simply and easily. I do not understand how to setup links. Shrugs maybe its just me but I want simple but flexible. Ok well enough complaining. lol

I spent some time in CA visiting my sister right before halloween. It was ALOT of fun! I measured everyone's feet and hands etc. so that I can make them gifts for Christmas. My sister also took me to a great little knit shop in Visalia, CA called "Knit Haven" (sorry they don't have a website). They are located in downtown Visalia on Main and Church Streets. The ladies there were REALLY super nice. The shop is small but has a great inventory of yarn. It is a nice sunny atmosphere and has enough room for a good size table to sit and "play yarn" with others.

Speaking of "playing yarn"...am I the only one who has used that term. I mentioned to the ladies that if they were ever in Reno to please stop by Deluxe Yarns and "play yarn" with us. They said "play yarn? what's that?" Is it just me? Am I the only goofy person that sees knitting, crocheting or any other fiber art as "playing yarn"? Am I that much of an addict? LOLOL If so OH WELL!

Also, speaking of addicts! lol Went to my bi-monthly yarn addict enablers group last night. LOLOL (I'm so funny I crack myself up!) Went to Florries (Deluxe Yarns) for a Knit-up (Knit n Rip knitting group). Lots of people showed up...some new faces too. It was alot of fun. As always. It was mentioned how we are yarn addicts that do not wish to be cured so we gather together to enable each other to continue our addiction. lol "Hello, my name is Vikkie, and I'm here....well because (deep breath)...I am a YARN ADDICT!" (response) "Hello Vikkie, welcome! We promise never to make you give up your addiction and to always keep it going with you!" Happy silly smiles from all.

Ok time to do homework. Blah....would much rather knit and rip back my first sock whose toe came out really really bad! :-(

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