Saturday Sky

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Wordless Wednesday

What I Learned at Summer Camp

The thing about being a self-taught knitter, no matter how long I've been knitting is that old news is new news to me! This summer, I took my first knitting class ever! Although the class was entrelac, I learned a little trick from another lady in the class. Spit-splicing! Who knew? I mean, I don't splice at all...even. Yesterday whilst knitting my Bistro shirt, I came to a point where I could apply my new skill.

It was my first attempt since the lady who demonstrated spit-splicing actually did splice the yarn as part of my mini-lesson. I must 'fess up, however. Being the girly-girl that I am, I was completely grossed out when she noisily spit on each of her hands, then placed MY yarn in it!! Yuck!!

She rubbed her hands together, back and forth and not too gently, while I was thinking "I'm not touching that yarn!" She opened her hand to show a continuous thread of yarn. Being polite and thankful and not wanting to disappoint her and her self-satisfied smile, I knit.

After a slight smoothing, this was promptly knit into the Bistro shirt. Me? I licked each hand. That is more lady-like, isn't it?!

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We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down. ---Kurt Vonnegut

Saturday Sky

Escape to Asilomar

Camp Stitches was in the beautiful, natural setting of Asilomar Resort in Monterey, CA. Nature embraced us, wildlife mingled with us, and the fresh sweet-smelling air soothed us as we knitted, laughed, and listened to fantastic instructors. This view shows an access road and a path leading to a building.

This view from the porch of the lodge illustrates the natural setting where the buildings blend beautifully with the work of God's hand.

Still on the porch and looking to the left one sees the dining hall where three executive chefs oversee the most delicious meals! I never expected that level of tasty, artful, and varied meals at a resort camp! No slapped-together sandwiches here!! :)

The meandering boardwalk leads to the beach of silky sand shown in yesterday's post.

With admirable skill and knowledge as well as a good portion of patience, Gwen Bortner taught the entrelac class that I took for three mornings. Can we all say CHALLENGE??!! The light interferes with a good sighting of Ted who is the model for her first creation of her designs. Something about squaring numbers, adding, subtracting, square root--you know, all the number stuff. Numbers! Yikes! However, since I'm not into designing, the numbers slid right off me---well, practically drowned me but I survived! If you ever have an opportunity to take a class with Gwen---sign right up! She is nothing short of superior! You can check out her sites http://www.knitability.com/ and http://tankhouse.knitability.com/prof_gwen.html

Back at home on our deck, my itty-bitty start for an entrelac felted scarf will wait until cooler weather for any more knitting! (Though not necessarily on the deck table!) You have NO IDEA how challenging this has been for me!! I have been knitting for many-many-many years and --WOW--do I ever have to concentrate on this!! It is mindless knitting for Gwen, but it boggles my mind! I downloaded this pattern and tutorial for the scarf at http://knittyotter.typepad.com/otterknits/patterns/index.html

My only yarn purchase! It's Rowan Summer Tweed and is 70% silk and 30% cotton. Do I love it? Yes, I do! My plan is to make this vest http://www.oatcouture.com/patternpages/401entrelacvest.html without the points. I want it to be straight across the front, bottom edge.

This yarn will be dreamy to work with---not McDreamy, but dreamy nonetheless.

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Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean.

---Christopher Reeve

Wordless Wednesday

Giving the World to DGS

After 18 months, the World Afghan is trimmed and ready for DGS!! Admittedly, I periodically took time off from the miles of stockinette to do other knitting. This is the view from the eastern side (Hope you can identify continents there! Yikes!)

This is the view from the east....bet you knew that!! :)

Here are the eastern continents. Yep! See that line running through it. After due consideration, I decided not to rip and redo that seam with the matching colors. This is a BIG step for me! I'm becoming less of a perfectionist, or is that like being pregnant--either you are or you aren't??!!

You guessed it---the western continents. This ghan was knit in four sections, then seamed and edged.

The edging took quite a bit of thinking and searching because the pattern has huge tassels on each point. While it looks terrific, it is so not comfy when you try to cover yourself and have big, bulky tassels tickling your nose! I finally located this crocheted "Biscuit Edging" at this site: http://www.halfknits.com/biscuit-edge-pattern.htm I haven't used it on other projects and I like the little "pillows" that are formed by the triple crochet.

I didn't use the colors exactly as DGS colored on this map for me. As I stated previously, I didn't want to establish a new world order by carving up Asia and was limited by the amount of yarn I had ordered. It's done in Plymouth Encore which always knits up so pretty!

In other news: I am off for Denver in a few minutes. I'll catch my flight in the AM for Camp Stitches in Monterey-Hurray! http://www.knittinguniverse.com/flash/events/html/campgateway/campgateway.htm

 

Only knitters understand it. My non-knitting friends and family find it quite humorous--knitting camp!! So, I'm off to summer camp! Hope I see you there!

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A lot of parents pack up their troubles and send them to summer camp.

---Raymond Duncan

Wordless Wednesday

Lazy River in Hannibal

The Mark Twain paddle wheel boat at the dock ready for us to board for dinner and a cruise on the Mississippi. We especially enjoyed being back on the river because we lived in WI for four years and spent a lot of time on the river---boating, ice skating, swimming.


We could watch the barges move along the river from our house and would go to the locks to watch the magnificent Delta Queen come through it.

A lonely barge awaits a pilot boat to power it along the river.

Although we hoped to go through the railroad draw bridge, the boat turned and moved back through the waters that had brought us to this point.

~~ The banks of the mighty Mississippi ~~

Knitting did occur during the cruise. Alas, it was not photographed.

The giant twirling mug was our view from our room at the Clemmons Hotel. A person could get dizzy watching this thing! I couldn't believe how quickly it was whirling around!!

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Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. -

--Mark Twain

Saturday Sky

The Fiber Femmes have posted a calendar of summer fiber festivals. Check it out! http://www.localendar.com/public/fiberfem

This is a fantastic site for those of us who love books: http://www.librarything.com/

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Is it possible to be totally partial?

Getting Ready for Summer Camp

While reading Terri Lynne at http://larkspur-studio.blogspot.com/, I suddenly realized that I will miss the Estes Park Wool Market while I am at California Camp Stitches http://www.knittinguniverse.com/flash/events/html/campgateway/campgateway.htm


I am registered for three mornings doing entrelac with Gwen Bortner so I bought my yarn last Monday.

I was drawn to the Bunny Print first, then added in the second and third colors with the help of the LYS lady at Wild-n-Woolie. (They don't have a website.) I intend to make a scarf, but--who knows?--I may be drawn to something else. I am so anticipating the other events at camp and the Monterey atmosphere---love it there!

Here's a fun site to browse! http://www.wonderwho.dk/Sider/galleri.html Lots of eye candy!

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It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.

---A. N. Whitehead

Wordless Wednesday

Dulaan and Bistro

Here are a few items I made for the Dulaan Project http://www.fireprojects.org/dulaan.htm and mailed yesterday. There is a shipment that will go out in July, however you can send items at any time to be held for the next shipping date.

I spent considerable time with a bistro while DH and I were travelling! With not in, that is! The back of the Bistro sweater is almost finished.
You can see the colorful stranding in the yarn here in this close-up. Stockinette is the perfect mindless knitting! I do have to actually think---but only a little---when it comes to armhole shaping. I had posted this yarn in blue to show how it looks. I am actually using this color which is dark red---definitely not fuchsia!

A few notes:

To Allena, Tracey, & Teabird: The Wordless Wednesday pic which I have personally named Brushtache is displayed in an outdoor gallery in Denver. I know you'll be thrilled that it is for sale, so I can get more specific info if you rilly-rilly want it!!

To Tracey and Terri Lynn: I dearly wish I could handle all the stairs to get to the upper deck for stitch and pitch!! DH and I sit in club seats because we can use the elevator and get around easier in the enclosed part that is air conditioned and much-much less crowded. We're so disappointed that we couldn't get seats there for the Yankees-Rockies games. wah!

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Good friends are like stars...You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Saturday Sky

Heartland

We're home from our travels to the Heartland where, among other places, DH and I enjoyed St. Louis, MO and Springfield, IL where we went to the http://www.lincolnlibraryandmuseum.com/ This is absolutely the most technologically advanced museum in the US. If you ever have a chance to visit it, DO!

Our visit to Hannibal, MO http://www.visithannibal.com/ was truly a step or three back in time! I spent an hour or so at http://www.ayerspottery.com/storeindex.php and bought several irresistable pieces. DH and I spent our last night there on a most relaxing, beautiful, and delicious dinner cruise via the mighty, muddy Mississippi River. http://www.marktwainriverboat.com/cruise.html

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Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today. ---Mark Twain

Wordless Wednesday

Colorado Rockies: Stitch-n-Pitch

The following is an email posted to our Denver Knits group:

Are you planning on attending Stitch N' Pitch at the Colorado Rockies July 28 game?

Would you be interested in coming if there's a blogger meet-up? Stitch N' Pitch helps raise awareness of the needle arts (that's knitting, crochet, needlepoint, cross stitch, and embroidery) by stitching in public while you enjoy a baseball game with your family and friends.

Colorado-based Interweave Press (publisher of Interweave Knits, Interweave Crochet and other fiber-related books and magazines) and a committee of Colorado yarn shops are organizing this year's event with TNNA. We hope to bring out a huge crowd -- and this is where we could use your help. Would you help spread word-of-mouth about the event?

Official website: http://www.stitchnpitch.com/

Interweave Press free baseball-themed patterns: www.Interweave.com/go/baseball

Tickets are $19 for the upper level Stitch N' Pitch group area and purchasers will receive a Stitch N' Pitch Colorado Rockies tote bag filled with all kinds of stitching goodies at the game.

For tickets please contact Rockies special group sales manager

Evelyn Rockett at 303-312-2224 or rockette@coloradorockies.com

You can also inquire about tickets at your LYS.

Local needle arts stores selling group blocks of tickets (and there may be others to add to this list soon; ask your local shop because some are taking registrations)

1. The Yarn Studio – 970-949-7089 – Minturn, CO

2. Ewe Count – 307-638-1148 – Cheyenne, WY

3. Woolen Treasures – 970-613-0556 – Loveland, CO

4. A Knitted Peace – 303-730-0366 – Littleton, CO

5. Lamb Shoppe – 303-322-2223 – Denver, CO

Not near Denver? Check on Stitch-n-Pitch in your MLB city!

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Buy me some peanuts and cracker-jacks!

I don't care if I never get back!

Ab Fab Progress Report One

Lovin' this ghan! The Colinette yarns are incredible to the touch and to the eye--beautiful, beautiful shades and textures! Everything combines to make this such fun to knit! I had planned to crochet this ghan. The kit includes four knit patterns and one crochet pattern. After several rows in crochet, I decided I didn't really like the look of it. I restarted in the "Scallops" pattern and think it's gorgeous! The pattern is repeated over 17 stitches and 56 rows. The 56 rows are repeated four times.

This is a surprise for DGD for her redecorated bedroom. This purple-loving girl will be excited about this, I'm sure. That adds to the fun-to-knit factor too!

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Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ---Ps1:10

Saturday Sky

Threads and Flowers

Thanks to my SP10 for the note and assorted threads that can be used in many different ways.
The box of flowers---will those beauties be planted today? The mystery continues.
Speaking of mysteries, Tracey at http://fuzzybritches.wordpress.com/ tagged me for a meme to uncover all my secrets! I am copying the directions from her blog.

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
OK, Tracey, you asked for it! Eight---wow---that's a lot!!

1. DH and I have lived in OH, UT, OR, WI, WV, and now in CO since 1974.
2. We have two sons and a daughter and now, seven Grands!
3. I have taught these grades 3, 4, K, and 1 in 30 years, then moved to teaching at the college level for four years--12 consecutive semesters!
4. I have two younger sisters. All of our names start with "C".
5. My children had the same initials, TDA, that is --- until DD married.
6. I think they may have tired of me calling them by saying, "Ta-dah! Ta-dah! Ta-dah!"
7. I was born again in the Lord in 1999 and am more blessed than I could ever describe.
8. I love peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread! Doesn't that make you want to come to dinner at our house??!! :)

I am tagging

1. Shelley at http://kittenyarnsandcrafts.blogspot.com/
2. Aline at http://alinedechevigny.blogspot.com/
3. Beth at http://watersedge.typepad.com/felt_like_knitting/
4. Terri Lynn at http://larkspur-studio.blogspot.com/
5. Wanda at http://wandawomanknits.blogspot.com/
6. Sharon at http://sharonstuff.typepad.com/knitknacks/
7. Teamouse at http://teatimeramblings.blogspot.com/

AND

Anyone who would like to join in! Leave me a comment so I can read your secrets!!

Terri Lynn asked about the pattern for the world map ghan so I thought I'd post the info here if anyone else would like to get it.

 

Send a SASE w/ $1.50 worth of postage to

Map of the World Afghan

Soho Publishing

233 Spring Street, 3rd flr.

New York, NY 10013

 

For the sweater:P702 - Map of the World Sweater

Send $4 (plus $1 shipping (U.S.); $2.00 Canada) with the style number, pattern name and your mailing address to Vogue KnittingP. O. Box 1808, Altoona, PA 16603. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

DO let me know if you're knitting one! I'd like to follow your progress!

 

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If a person has a pulse, he has a purpose. ---Unknown