Continuing Saga of the Mitered Squares Blanket

 The gorgeous Cascade 220 arrived and I was eager to begin the mitered squares ghan for the then 7-year-old DGS. http://yarnknitreadlit.blogspot.com/2010/04/block-one-of-mitered-ghan-for-dgs5-is.html

 This "short cut" method to joining the squares is a beautiful thing...or so it seems because, well, no seams! The problem, rather, the PROBLEM arises when I realize that I don't want scrambled colors. Noooo, I want four sections of the same color to make the larger block. http://yarnknitreadlit.blogspot.com/2010/05/mitered-blanket-progess.html  The stars are not aligning, neither are the squares!
http://yarnknitreadlit.blogspot.com/2010/11/mitered-square-afghan.html

 Not only is the blanket unaligned, it is too small and has mistakes in it! Arrgh! This gentle art of knitting had a couple of smack-down moments!
 http://yarnknitreadlit.blogspot.com/2010/11/deconstructing-mitered-squares-afghan.html

 After a few days of taking verrry deep breaths, I began the redo portion of the deconstruction. Up from the ashes would rise this phoenix of afghans! Hurrah!

 Alas! I ran out of the denim heather and knitted all white to complete a section, only to realize that it was a horrible affront to the entire process.

The new yarn arrived yesterday from www.kyarns.com so that I can now complete the section in all its denim-y goodness.

                                   
 Out came winder to get these babies ready for some serious knitting.

Now I can make two more complete sections to lengthen the blanket for DGS, who is getting older by the minute. He's now 8-years-old. May the knitting gods smile upon me.

Microfiction Monday #65

Oh, Butterfly Man!
You would be magnificent among my steel magnolias!
But I,
I must change into my red riding hood!

http://www.stonyriver.ie/

Triangle Shawl

The Triangle Shawl is now in Ohio with DMIL. The yarn is from Brooks Farm in Texas http://brooksfarmyarn.com/ and is 50/50 fine wool and silk. The garter ridges are more visible on the right side because of the lighting. The shawl is so soft and perfectly wonderful to wrap around shoulders and arms. Have you made any shawls?

Microfiction Monday #64

From Texaco and Mexico,

A product to clog your arteries

And dress your bearings--

Gr-r-rease!

http://www.stonyriver.ie/

Character Study: The Ladies Three

Among many like them, there sit the fighting-age-three. Each near or past 70 years of age, they are groomed and pampered in an attempt to stay the evidence of advancing years. Beda is a painfully thin woman with home-dyed hair, a medium brown, though the tone and weight of the color changes with each dye job. The middle of the three, Lidia has broad hips and a severe expression with salon-styled hair flashing well placed highlights of indeterminate colors, blond to dirty blond perhaps? The third is Lou, slender and chatty, whose hair color and length varies in more shades of brown than one can imagine. A common attribute is their powerfully red lipstick and generously applied blush angled along cheekbones.

They are boon friends, stalwart through life's blessings and challenges.Together, they define their world of looking good and feeling better. Hanging onto youth with their meticulously manicured hands and unnaturally colored hair against pale skin, they are the fighting-age-three.



2011 !!

Christmas Meme -- Fun!

When I read this meme at http://mysistersknitter.typepad.com/my-blog/atom.xml , I knew I wanted to do it too. How about you? Copy it and replace the answers, then let me know so I can read yours! Fun!

1. Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags? Wrapping Paper
2. Real or artificial? Artificial

3. When do you put up the tree? Week before Christmas
4. When do you take down the tree? Some time after New Years Day

5. Do you like Egg Nog? Nope!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Bicycle
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Always
8. Hardest person to buy for? Husband--he buys what he wants leaving little for gifting!
9. Easiest person to buy for? My friend Donna
10. Mail or email Christmas Cards? Mail

11. Favorite Christmas Movie? Don't have one.
12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Ravioli
13. White lights or coloured? Both
14. Favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night

15. Travel or stay home at Christmas? Stay home.

16. Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer? Mebbe, mebbe not
17. Angel or Star on the top of the tree? Angel on one, a bird and nest on another

18. Open presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Christmas morning.

19. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Years when there is no snow.
20. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees? Both.

21. Gingerbread or Sugar Cookies? Sugar cookies with frosting

Joy to the World

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them...'Don't be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!'
~ Luke 2:9-11

Christmas Blessings to you and yours!

Lux Scarf

The Alp Oriental luxury scarf is finished, so I am now trying to decide if I like it, as usual. The glistening fibers don't show in the pictures, but they do add an interesting element. The details about this project are here: http://yarnknitreadlit.blogspot.com/2010/12/alp-oriental.html

The colors are not ones I would have combined, so despite its hefty price tag, I may donate it...or...I may keep it.
Mebbe, mebbe not.

Microfiction Monday #62

So nice of you

to walk all that way

in the snow and cold.

Think I'll pass on the piglet, though.

Merry Christmas!

http://www.stonyriver.ie/

Alp Oriental

 While in St. Louis, I purchased this luxurious Alp Oriental yarn by Feza in #010 Wild Patty Wack. http://heavenlyhuesyarn.com/search.aspx?find=Alp+Oriental+yarn+by+Feza Various luxury yarns are cut in strips and knotted together to make bulky weight yarn. There's a hint of glitter, a touch of sparkle, a bit of ladder yarn, a smidge of flag amid the assortment of novelty yarns. At top left, you can see the bunch of pre-cut fringe, should the knitter regret that she had knit-up every last bit of yarn in her frenzy!

Using size 19 needles, I cast on 15 sts knitting three in garter stitch at each end and using stockinette in the mid-section. I knit a row of garter at each yarn change to give it a bit of definition. At this point, I am planning to keep this one. Since I don't keep most of my knitting/crocheting, the scarf could well end up with a different owner. We'll see!

http://plumslife.blogspot.com/

Sleeping Beauty

We've been traveling for over three weeks with our very adaptable Lailah. She found this bed at a Holiday Inn quite to her liking! All the attention has been fun for her as she is hugged and petted and cooed upon by children and adults alike!

http://dogsonthursday.blogspot.com/

Separation Of Power by Vince Flynn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Flynn does it again with this remarkable story of the confirmation of a new CIA Director interwoven with subplots to fascinate the reader. The characters are so realistically drawn that this reader thinks she might have seen them on TV news!

This third book in the Mitch Rapp series has me reaching for Book Four!

View all my reviews

Microfiction Monday #61

Oh Tra-La!

If I'm going to do something as silly as scrubbing clothes

I might as well wear silly clothes too.

She giggled

And vomited.

Microfiction Monday #60

The sun rises

on another day of frenzied holiday shopping

and awakens

the grateful dead.

http://www.stonyriver.ie/

La La's Simple Shawl -- Fibers on Fri...er...Sat, I mean Sunday!!

 The unending simple shawl for my MIL is an ever-so-slowly growing triangle of gorgeous hand painted yarn .


It is creating a very pretty fabric with a soft hand. The pattern is a free download on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/la-las-simple-shawl

 I do wish, however, that I were using a larger size needle to speed things up a bit. Uh, also, there's the worsted weight that I'm knitting. The pattern is written for bulky weight. So, yeah, the yarn and the needles--huge factors when knitting!!
 I seldom knit the same pattern twice in a row, but--you guessed it--I did it this time. It does make a warm, lovely shawl after blocking. This one is going to Ohio as a Christmas gift. Onward and upward--ever knitting!

http://plumslife.blogspot.com/

Microfiction Monday #59

As Galena calmed the oxen,

King Garret spoke to the cat skin covered man,

"Never touch me, you twit!"

 

 

http://www.stonyriver.ie/

Thanksgiving Greetings

May the Lord bless you during this Thanksgiving season.

Our motor home is stocked with food and loaded with clothing so we can leave for Dallas in the morning. It will be a wonderful trip as we travel South. DH and I are looking forward to this special time with our DS and our two youngest grands. We are truly blessed in so many ways. May your holiday be exactly as you want it to be.

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Microfiction Monday #58

The deer and I happily frolicked in the field.

 Antelope can play, but not on the playground!

Fall Festival, my hat!

http://www.stonyriver.ie/

Deconstructing the Mitered Squares Afghan

Visit Fibers On Friday at http://plumslife.blogspot.com/ .

 As I mentioned in this post, http://yarnknitreadlit.blogspot.com/2010/11/mitered-square-afghan.html , I was disppointed in my Mitered Squares ghan. There are knitting errors in it. I do not like the way its laid out. It is too small. So, why did I add the border? Why did I block it? It was the lure of the FO. The almighty FO was so near, within reach. I could smell it, feel it, taste it, see it, knit it!! So, I did! (Did you notice that I omitted hear it? Just checking.)

It was not worthy of 8-yr-old DGS (age approximate)*. I absolutely could not bring myself to give that ghan to him, even though he has been waiting so long. A couple of snips and tugs and the border was off. Now I am dismantling and rearranging the small squares, ripping and correctly knitting. Did I mention ripping? And, knitting?

Lesson Learned: I truly finish the ends quite well!! Had a heck of a time finding them!! Small victories, dear reader, small victories.

Web Site of the Day

http://www.lady.co.uk/

*I have seven grands, a few of them are quite close in age. I usually don't feel like doing the math.

Dogs On Thursday -- New Bed!

Can Lailah change her habits? She has a brand new bed from Petsmart that is cushy, comfy, and has a bolster. She seems to like it well enough when she uses it, but just doesn't use it very often. I'm using treats to encourage her to her new bed, so we'll see what happens!

Blog of the Day
http://sweetbeebuzzings.blogspot.com/

The English American: A Novel by Alison Larkin

"My heart hurts terribly, and then the numbness comes back, stopping my tears. Which is a good, because the sign on the wall next to the fridge says, "Crybabies will be shot."

------------------------------------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly book meme, hosted at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read .

Open to a random page.

Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!

Share the title & author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

Microfiction Monday #57

http://www.stonyriver.ie/

"Yes! I'll wear the poncho & scarf, but I'm leaving the man-bag at home!" he shouted, rushing to find his magic stick. Soon he was strumming & singing Mi Rancho Grande.

Friday Nights by Joanna Trollope

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

From Friday Nights by Joanna Trollope

"All those years of training--linguistics, psychology. a dissertation on workplace behavioral patterns--never quite, it appeared, anesthetized her against sheer human nastiness, however small and slight its manifestations. You could try to understand, it seemed, why people behaved the way they did until you were blue in the face, but it still didn't prevent you from being cast down, almost diminished, when those same people chose to interpret your efforts to assist them as gross interference, only to be punished by malevolence."

*****

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly book meme. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read .

Open to a random page.

Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!

Share the title & author, too, so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

Microfiction Monday #56

 And I,

I followed the path less traveled

and got lost

and cried for my mommy.

She was never there.









For information about Microfiction Monday, visit this
Web Site of the Day
http://www.stonyriver.ie/p/microfiction-monday.html

Teaser Tuesday With THE THIRD OPTION

A good book day! Arriving in the mail today were Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin from Book Mooch, Poisoning the Press by Mark Feldstein and The Privileges by Jonathan Dee from Amazon. I love-love-love getting books in the mail...and yarn. I love-love-love getting books and yarn in the mail!!

From The Third Option by Vince Flynn, "If a call contained enough flagged words, it garnered the attention of a real person. Conversations that took place in Arabic,Chinese, or Russian received extra attention. The easiest way to defeat the system was to talk like a normal business person."

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly book meme, hosted at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read .
Open to a random page.
Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!
Share the title & author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

Web Site of the Day
http://dailyvitaminsea.com/

Mitered Square Afghan

 The ghan went from pieces to a whole as I finished it for 8-yr-old DGS. I added a crocheted border of a row of sc, then dc, and trc to finish it off. The pattern is at http://pdxknitterati.com/patterns/mitered-square-afghan-project/ I used Plymouth Encore and Cascade WW with an eight needle. There is plenty that I'd like to change about it, but finally decided not to rip and redo, although...

After blocking it, I said, "I just don't like this." To which, DH commented, "That's never happened before."
I am generally displeased with FOs probably because I'm tired of them...or I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I've mellowed with age, but there remains a bit yet. My main error is that I tried Kay Gardener's technique of  starting a new section from a completed one to minimize the amount of joining. That's great if I had wanted to mix all the squares. It didn't work so well, despite my best efforts, when I wanted to place specific sections together.What I'd like to do is to add two more complete squares to enlarge it. That means extensive ripping and re-knitting. The more I write about it, the more I realize that I have to do it. I'll writhe in agony at the very thought of this blanket if I don't. Arrrgh!! Writing can be cathartic! I'll be ripping and blog-reading instead of knitting and blog-reading. Onward! Or, in this case, Backward!

Web Site of the Day
http://www.virtualtourist.com/