Finished Object

I just finished these. I put them on Ravelry so thought while I had the pictue out I might as well add them to my blog as well. They are the Hot Waffle Mitts by Anne Hanson. True they would have been better in a solid coloured yarn so you could actually se the pattern but I had the Schaeffer Lola in the correct weight so this is what it is. They are lined with Fleece Artist Peter Rabbit Angora - Gorgeous!

I got 2 - count them - two - Elizabeth Zimmerman DVD's for my birthday from my mother - God love her! I've wanted them for a while however since I already "knew" how to knit I couldn't justify buying them, but they were on my wish list and Mom grabbed them. How have I gone so long without them. I love the glossary and although I have been knitting for 30 plus years I have already learned some new techniques and garnered some new ideas.

I haven't been spinning much strictly due to Christmas knitting and work. But planning on taking some time off. I was going to be off from Christmas Eve until Jan 7, 2007 but have to go in to the office on the 27th, but then I'll be off! And I'm going to spin! Although I haven't been spinning it hasn't stopped me from buying lots of yummy fibers which I hope will arrive prior to my days off and John going back to work!

In the interim I will continue to work on Gwen and hopefully get that finished up for mom.

!

Joy oh Joy

No matter what say below. Bronson is the true JOY in my life! And who can blame me? Look at those baby blues!

Firstly I want to post a pic of my Christmas gift to myself. It was evident I was never going to knit thru my stash and therefore John was never going to buy me a new wheel. I have been "trying" them out and the minute I sat behind this wheel at Birkeland Bros I knew it was going to be mine. Sure I've tried other wheels and the Ashford Traveller came awful close...but the Joy it was. John had no trouble encouraging me either considering he wasn't paying for it!

I've been busy doing the proverbial Christmas knitting. 4 pairs of Fleece Artist "Soft Mittens" They are made with one strand of DK BFL and 1 Strand of Fleece Artist Mo. Very, very nice. Quick and easy too! Here is one pair. This is in the colorway Earth - this photo doesn't do it justice. You can't beat the Fleece Artist's Colorways.

These are Malibrigo worsted weight mittens. I bought the Malibrigo as I have heard so much about it and had never worked with it. I don't usually use worsted weight. But it is nice and soft and knits up quickly using a pattern from Anne Budd's Book of Knitting Patterns.

Some regular- and inexpensive, when compared to the others- worsted in Turquoise and Cream. Knit from Anna Zilboorg Magnificent Mittens. I like knitting mittens with pattern. I just didn't have time to do them all in pattern. Still even though they are probably the cheapest they're my favorite. (John hates the color but I like it!)

These are Fleece Artist Woolie Silk in Hercules Colorway.

Fleece artist again. Cashlana and Peter Rabbit in Rose. These are gorgeous in real life. Soft and fuzzy. Very pretty. These are my next favorite next to the color work pair2 pairs of socks, the Ice Queen (from this months Knitty) for the girls from work. We did the Christmas exchange on the 13th so I didn't get the pics done, considering I just finished blocked the Ice Queen on the AM of the 13th. Darn though, she was a beauty. Easy too. IT was obviously meant to be as for whatever reason when I ordered the yarn from Loopy Ewe for my Modern Quilt Wrap for whatever reason I ordered 2 balls of Kid Silk Haze in Heavenly. Huh! Grace was looking down on me!

I've spun up some stuff I've had around that I had initially bought for the spindle, including Merino from Spunky Eclectic, and some stuff from Lisa Souza (both gorgeous roving's or really tops) I was told when I was spindling that I should use the best stuff I could afford even for practice and you know I think that is good advise. SO I still have about 4 bumps left in my fiber holder and I just ordered MORE from a couple of sellers on Etsy. CJ Kopec Creations and Dragonfire. I love etsy. Just can't keep away. I found both of these sellers thru one of the spinning groups on Ravelry. (Also love Ravelry)

I was so disappointed as I spun up POPSICLE colorway and it was so pretty. But - here you go newbie mistake, when I plied it I plied in the same direction that I had spun the roving! Shucks. I tried to reply it in the opposite direction, however I lost my love for it and I know I'll never knit it. I can barely stand to look at it. (It isn't balanced and even though I wet set it to set the twist it still has a slight wave in it!)

Anyway all I want to do is spin, spin, spin, however life keeps getting in the way! I bought the wheel then I had to do all those mitts etc for work so squeezed some spinning in between life and knitting, now when I have finished all the Christmas knitting my mother asks me about Gwen.! So now I'm knitting Gwen and not spinning! ARGH! If you are going to knit something for your mother it is best you don't tell her or else she'll hold you accountable.

Mom has wanted a red cabled sweater for ions. I started doing one for her last year, thinking I was going to give it to her for her birthday in Nov 2006. Of course Nov 2007 has passed and she still doesn't have it. I realized that may be a lost cause, but discovered Gwen and thought I could do it in the Louet Gems sport weight in red and it is a shell and therefore quick and easy (no sleeves you know). I last knit on it on Nov 4, 2007! However I was crazy enough to tell my mother I was making it and even sent her a picture. Now she wants it and is holding my nose to the grindstone.

I picked it up last knit and unfortunatly I wasn't as far as I thought I was. Only about 4 inches done and have to do 13 before I can start some armhole shaping! Eeek! Oh well. I'll knit only it for a bit and hopefully will get it done fairly quickly so I can spin. My youngest son has gone to Cranbrook for the Christmas Holidays and Rebecca, Bronson and Pierce won't be here until the 26th or so. I took vacation from Dec 27 to Jan 7 and really planned on having some "me" time as John goes back to work on the 26th too. So hopefully I won't have the red cables holding me back from spinning. (oh I wish I had bought her slippers from LLBean like I did for my Dad and his wife!)

Should I or Shouldn't I

I'm debating whether or not I want to join the Secret of the Stole. Well thats not correct I joined ages ago. When I was just finished the Mystery Stole 3. I have yarn in my stash, I don't have any beads I can use and when I went to Williams lake I was told the bead store was closed and would remain closed for 2 weeks as the owner is on vacation....gotta love small towns. I traisped around town including the dollarama but couldn't find beads to match the jaggerspun I have upstairs. However I did receive some lovely Rowan Pure Wool Dk in the mail, enough to make a lovely cabled aran for Bronson, and when i went into work last week there was a present on my desk. Massive amounts of worsed Weight wool! I was given over 800 yds of the stuff. Its cream color with flecks of browns and golds. Beautiful. One of my co-workers went to Wales and brought it back for me. I've been searching ravelry to see what I can do with it, and probably will settle on a cabled vest or T-Shirt. 800 yds just isn't enough to do sleeves! But I feel I must knit it up and wear it to work soon. Therefore the SOTS goes by the wayside. Of course it is only clue one and I could probably whip it up in a few hours.

Its Thanksgiving weekend in Canada John has to work, Richard has a couple of friends over, I did all my house cleaning yesterday so I should be free to sit and knit all three days...well with the exception of putting in the turkey and peeling some potatoes! and of course the English Essay for my course can wait ( I did apply for an extension after all so I must have lots of time) (Oh yes and walking the dogs). So I really don't have any excuses...well except I have to go upstairs to get the Jaggerspun out of the stash. I really don't know if I want to go upstairs as I will get a glimspe of Richards room and probably have a breakdown! Maybe i'll wait until he gets up and get him to bring down the rubbermaid container that "contains" my laceweight!

I really wanted to do pics this go around, but can't seem to put my hands on my camera today. I'm hoping that we left it in the truck from the trip to Kelowna last weekend. I must have it for next weekend as we are headed to Vancouver for Bronson's 1st birthday! I haven't seen him in ages and can hardly weight. I would have went this weekend, however the weather was conspiring against me and since I haven't driver the new car yet I was nervous. Next weekend John can go with me. (He can drive the new car and I can knit...it works!)

So yeah we did pick up a new car (well new to us) to replace the one dear son #2 crashed for us in August! It's exactly the same color etc, however this one is a diesel and has leather interior and it has a manual transmission. Its shifts quite differently from the truck but it will just take me a couple of trips around the parking lot to get the feel. I drove with John the other day and he keep telling me "no! no! Put it in neutal! No now you are in 5th! You can't go up the hill in 3rd! So I felt it would be better for me to go out on my own!

Argh! I also started toe up on circ's. I cast both on and knitted away. I followed directions from cat Bordhi's book "new Pathways" however I find them WAY to big, even though my gauge was correct. Do people wear their socks that loose? Maybe I just wear mine quite snugly compared to. Anyway i ripped out the needles and cast

Well must run. Richard and I are going to watch a movie before the others get up.