Modular Vortex Cloth

I finished my Modular Vortex cloth for the COTW group. I finished it days ago but haven't gotten around to posting til now. It was fun and quick. Now I have another coaster to use on my desk. Once again, it was easier than I thought and I've learned something new. That's always a good thing. I haven't had as much knitting time as I would like lately. You would think with the kids back in school, I would have so much free time but it hasn't been so. Seems like it's been crazy around here for so long.

We are finally getting some rain around here. It hasn't been nearly enough rain but it is better than the none we were getting. I'm sitting here now looking at some dark clouds and hoping that we're about to get some more. Everyone's grass is brown, flowers are dead and the shrubs are looking like they have seen better days. I am so looking forward to autumn but afraid of what the winter will be like. With the awful summer we've had, I'm thinking winter will be the other extreme. At least now the temperature here is 84 degrees...a big change from the usual 98 at this time of the day. I took this photo in the back yard. The sun was peeking out of the clouds and I just thought it was a pretty.

There's the rain now! YAY!

My Ballband

Finally got around to doing the ballband. It's almost done in the photo...just have to bind off and weave in the ends. Not the bright colors I've seen on other ballbands but I love earth tones so this is what I chose. Thanks, CeElle, for your inspiration and encouragement. Anyone who is hesitant to do this one, like I was, don't be afraid. It was easy to do and easy to memorize. After the first set of row, I didn't even have to look at the pattern anymore. Gotta love those!

As for Ravelry, it's awesome. I've spent so much time looking at other knitter's work that I haven't even finished setting myself up yet. lol There's so much to see. I need to get a Flickr account set up for my photos. You have to have it to show your photos on the site.

OMG! IT'S HERE!

I just got my invitation to Ravelry! How awesome is that? Going to get set up and check it all out...hope I'm not up all night. lol

Waiting on Ravelry Invite

Okay so I'm trying to patiently wait for my invite but it's so hard to be patient. Not that I have a choice in the matter but I'm sure they get tired of me constantly looking up my place in line. It has become almost a daily ritual. I just checked for the day and.....YAY ME! This is what they said today...

Found you!
You signed up on June 18, 2007
You are #9961 on the list.
34 people are ahead of you in line.
18153 people are behind you in line.
35% of the list has been invited so far

It shouldn't be long now. I can't wait to get in and see what all the hype is about. The things I have heard make it sound wonderful. They say you can spend hours just looking at all the photos of other member's FOs. As if I need something else to become obsessed with...lol.

If you'd like to check your place in line, just click the photo above to go to the antsy page and find out where you are.

I also found out today that my cousin is expecting her first child. New babies are so exciting, especially since my baby is now 11 years old. :( I get to do some knitting for a baby. I have a blankie almost done already but it will be fun to try some little booties and a hat or two. I will have to browse around for some cute and easy patterns. I don't want anything that requires shaping...not ready to got there just yet.

Last night, I cast on my first ballband dishcloth. I have wanted to do one for a while but looking at the pattern just boggled my mind. For some reason I just couldn't figure out in my head how the color combinations came together....which color ends up where , etc. After a few rows, it suddenly clicked! I can't wait to finish so I can post a photo.

Two Color Texture Cloth...Cloth Of The Week

This is my small version of this week's cloth. It's a two color texture cloth. I used Sugar & Cream Shaded Denim and some plain blue I had in my leftovers. I have a lot going on at the moment so I just cast on for the small cloth which can also be used as a coaster or mug rug. The finished cloth is actually the perfect size for a mug rug. And, as usual, my Mom grabbed it. lol
As soon as I mentioned that it was the right size for a coaster, she says, "Oh, I need that!" I already have a round one I knitted a while back that I use on my desk so I gave this one to her.
This is the front view of the cloth.


And this is the back view. It seems Maile (the designer) has a gift for designs that are not only pretty on the front but also on the back side as well. Two totally different looks on one cloth and either side would be nice to look at.

DW Cloth Finished Finally..Update

I finally got some knitting done on my DW Cloth. It was a good take along project for the days we went swimming. Here it is at the pool .....

And here it is finished. This is a little better picture than the previous one I had posted. Now I'm thinking I really should have blocked it before I took another photo. lol

Just wanted to include a close-up of the cloth. I can see now why this one is such a favorite to knit. It's pretty and has a texture that's great for dishwashing.

More Mandy's Candy Bags

This is the second Mandy's Candy Bag I just finished for my sister. This one was done in Peaches & Cream yarn. The color is Winterberry. I wasn't really sure about the color until I started knitting and now I really like it. I only had the one ball of yarn so now I have to try and find some more. It's gonna be hard to give her this one but I did promise. Thanks to NH Knitting Mama for this free pattern. She's still got the contest going if you're interested. Check her out! Nice blog. http://nhknittingmama.blogspot.com/2007/07/mandys-candy-bag.html

The bottom I also did different from the pattern thanks to a wonderful knitting friend. I really like this flat bottom as it sits so well this way. I would never have thought I could do this and no way would I have figured this one out by myself. Many thanks to Isabelle for the little lesson and sharing her knowledge. Isabelle, btw, has made several beautiful bags in a lot of different styles. You should check them out here... http://tricotine.typepad.com/

Fun In The Pool

Good For A Laugh

The Most Amazing Qu--Hey, Look, Candy! Your Result: Purple Sofa You're nice and squishy, and people like you a lot. In fact, I think everyone likes you. Plus you're purple. Everyone likes purple, and everyone likes sofas. Except guys don't like purple as much. Samuel L. Jackson likes purple. That's why he has a purple lightsaber. Only I don't know if that's his actual name. So it goes.
Polka Dotted Sasquatch
Emerald Rain
Flaming Feather
Swirling Vortex
Pickled Jellyfish
The Most Amazing Qu--Hey, Look, Candy! Make Your Own Quiz

I found this quiz today...like I don't have other things I really need to be doing. It was a little offbeat but pretty funny. Who knew I was so purple and squishy? lol

The Cure For 100 Degrees & Humid

This is my kids' version of the cure anyway. I have to say I agree with them. We are missing one child...my oldest doesn't like the heat and won't get out even to get in the pool. As soon as school got out, we changed into our bathing suits and rushed over to my sister's house where the cooling off began. I tried to get my oldest to come this time but he wasn't having any part of it. At the age of 13, I think he just enjoys hanging around the house with Grandma where it's quiet. Grandma stays in her room most of the time so he has the whole house to himself. I can't say that I really blame him...peace and quiet don't come along that often around here. He missed a lot of fun though. Except for some very eager bees and more than a few frogs, we had a blast. My sister is so afraid of the frogs...I've never seen her run so fast. My youngest daughter loves them and she is our "Frog Whisperer". She is in charge of rounding em up and sending them back into the grass. lol

I always take some knitting along though for breaks. I've started another of Mandy's Candy Bags. My sister wants one to give to someone she works with. I've been taking it along so she can see it "come to life". I will post photos when I get it finished. This one is done in a variegated but it isn't the striping yarn this time. I'm also thinking of changing it up a little so it doesn't look exactly like the other one. Although she isn't a knitter and would never know the difference. lol

This is my nephew again. It's been a little while since I posted a photo of him...he's so cute. He gets his Mommy in the pool every day he can. Can you tell he likes having his picture taken? He's a ham! I couldn't leave him out. He jumps in the pool too...just in the shallow end with Mommy waiting to catch him. I don't think it will be long before he is totally over his fear. He had a good time watching the big kids jump.

When I turned around to look behind me so I could safely back out of my sister's drive-way, this is what caught my eye. I had to take a photo...I do this randomly as the urge strikes (whenever I can remember to take my camera with me). lol I really don't think the photo captured what I was seeing but it was so pretty with the sun setting behind the trees.

My Scarves In Progress

Here is the scarf I have been wanting to knit since doing the Eyelet Rib Cloth by Maile Mauch. I hope she's pleased with the results so far. I absolutely love this scarf. I've gotten a lot of positive comments from others who have seen it while I am knitting. I didn't stray far from the pattern Maile used to make the dishcloth...smaller border and just keep knitting. That's probably about as far away as I got. I haven't had a chance to talk to Maile yet about possibly posting the pattern for the scarf...since she is the designer of the cloth I used as inspiration, I would want to check with her first. She just had surgery and hasn't been online yet...I will find out ASAP if anyone is interested. Hope all is well, Maile! Get well soon...We sure miss you!

This is a close-up of the front. I wasn't sure about the varigated and considered frogging and changing yarns but I stuck with it til the pattern started to really develop. I'm so glad I did...I love this scarf and it will not be given or sold....IT"S MINE! I seem to be very partial to the varigated yarns...solids are just not as exciting to knit with in my opinion. Although, I must admit, this would probably be a beautiful scarf done in a pretty solid. It's the designer, she is a genius.

This is a close-up of the back side of the scarf. I love that it looks good no matter which side is showing. I also love the earthy tones of this yarn. I almost forgot to mention that this one was done in Bernat Softee Chunky. The color is Nature's Way and the best part...it was on clearance for $1.67! Can't beat that!

This is a scarf I've been working on lately as well. It's done in Lion Brand Wool-Ease. The color is Autumn. I originally bought this yarn for a scarf KAL but it just didn't work well with the pattern so I put it back for later. I decided to just do a 4X4 ribbing so it's a good one for semi-mindless knitting which is something I need lately. Once again, my dear Mother has mentioned how much she would like to have this one. I knit her a small lapghan a few years ago with this same yarn and since it matches....well, it's Mom logic...go figure. lol And this yarn was also on clearance....$2.00!

Mandy's Candy Bag...Completed!

I finished knitting Mandy's Candy Bag! This little bag has a lot of possibilites. I actually made mine a little larger by going up a needle size. I do this a lot anyway because I knit so tight but I was hoping it would be a little bigger so it could be used as a little purse. I can see this little girl wanting to carry it with her. I'm going to make a little handle to attach to the sides so she can carry it over her shoulder. I used the new Sugar & Cream striping yarn in Baby Stripes. I love the striping and will soon cast on another one (or two) with more of the striping yarn.

Thanks to the designer for this cute pattern. Don't forget she has a contest going on so check out her nice blog... http://nhknittingmama.blogspot.com/

Contest...Mandy's Candy Bag

This is Mandy's Candy Bag. Cute isn't it? Well, Mandy is having a contest. All you have to do is knit her cute candy bag and post a picture of it on your blog. Then let her know that you've posted the photo and include the link to your blog. Then your name goes into a drawing for some swag. How awesome is that? The deadline is Monday, September 3rd.

The pattern for her cute little bag is found here... http://home.comcast.net/~acw99/MCB2.pdf

This is in PDF format. You can also print the pattern from her blog if you can't open PDF files. Just scroll down the page and you'll see it.

If you've like to see her blog...very nice...it's found here... http://nhknittingmama.blogspot.com/

Now I'm off to pick my yarn and get started on the bag. I'm thinking I will have to make several of these to add to my box of future gifts. These would be perfect to keep on hand for friends, family, even my kid's teachers.

Eyelet Rib Ensemble

This is my latest cloth attempt from the Cloth Of The Week Group. It was so simple to do and yet it looks almost like a cable. I love patterns like this...make me look like a much better knitter than I actually am. This photo shows the color better than the second one.

I just cannot stress enough how wonderful this group is. The designers are so helpful and they are available to help you and answer your questions. This is a great way to learn new stitches and expand your knitting knowledge without having to jump into some big complicated project. And once you've finished the design of the week, you have a cloth you can use or give as a gift. I'm saving all my favorite ones to give as Christmas and birthday gifts to family and friends.

This photo doesn't do the color justice but I think it shows the stitch pattern pretty well. This cloth is actually a little small but last weeks PSSO Rib Ensemble gave me such a fit, I just wanted to test the waters and make sure I could actually do this one. I will have to keep trying on last weeks...can't for the life of me figure out why I have so much trouble with it but it just doesn't like me very well.

The more I look at this pattern, the more I keep thinking..."What an awesome scarf this would make!" If any of you are looking for a way to learn new techniques without getting in over your head, this group is perfect. You should join us. There's a button on the left side of my blog...I really think you'll like it. I've only been a member for less than a month now and I've learned quite a few new things already.

As an afterthought, I wanted to post the back view of this cloth. Actually, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure which is the front and which is the back. lol It's pretty on both sides. I'm still thinking scarf.....

Interesting Quiz

What's Your Best Quality? Your Result: Out-Going Your best quality is out-going! People like you because you are fun to be around and no one ever knows what you will do next. Also you are not afraid to say or do whatever you want.
Loving
Personality
Sense of Humor
Intelligence
Ambitious
What's Your Best Quality? Take More Quizzes

I saw this quiz on Dawn's blog ( http://lakebreeze.org/blog3/ ) and tried it out of curiosity. I have to say I am a bit surprised by my results. I've never really thought of myself as an outgoing person. I'm a friendly person but not still not necessarily outgoing. They were right about speaking my mind though. This is sometimes a good thing but then sometimes not so good. lol

Gotta Love The UPS Guy

I finally got my books today. I have been wanting the Mason*Dixon book for so long. I've peeked inside but haven't gotten the chance to just sit down and read it and enjoy. I do think I want to give the Log Cabin blanket a try. There are several projects in the One-Skein Wonders that I liked as well. I would love to knit something other than a dishcloth with just one skein. But, before I even get started, I have so many things OTN that I need to turn into WIPS. I think it's time to sit down and get them all together and organize them all. That way I can get a game plan for getting them in some kind of order. Then to actually get them finished. I hate having so many unfinished projects. Lately things have been very crazy and more than a little stressful and I just haven't had the time to knit as much as I usually do. I also need to get some more designs done and posted...some for sale and also some free patterns. I miss posting freebies to share. Where does all the time go?

This was my other surprise for the day. My yarn order from Yarns&ThreadsbyLisa. This is the new Sugar&Cream Stripes. I can't wait to pick a pattern and knit with this yarn. I love to watch the stripes take shape. It amazes my blonde mind that yarn can create stripes on it's own. But, I will have to force myself to hold off til I get my UFOs done or at least the majority of them. It's getting out of control. I have 2 shawls, afghan squares, 1 scarf, 2 blankets and a bag that was to be felted that is now getting frogged. I hope....no I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only ADD knitter around. We need some knitters intervention around here....lol Maybe I'll go get my things together now and get the ball rolling. The more I look at this yarn, the more I feel the urge to grab some needles and cast on. Might have to get my son to hide it from me until I get my knits in order.

My Masterpiece

Click here to create your own painting.

I have created a masterpiece. If only I could paint a masterpiece. I will have to settle for this one instead. I found this link on another blog...the talented Isabelle (Tricotine). She is always an interesting read. http://tricotine.typepad.com/weblog/

You answer some questions about your mood and personality and then....TA DA....your own personal masterpiece is created for you. I did it just to see how different mine would be from Isabelle's. You never know about these things....several people can do a quiz and get the exact same end result. Or maybe they only have a few different answers and just randomly choose one for you. So if anyone does this and posts their masterpiece, I would love to see how yours turns out. It would interesting to see how many different paintings we could generate. Yeah, okay, so I'm easily amused. But I do like my little masterpiece. I think he turned out very pretty.