Not So New Knitting

Seems like I've been working on the same knitting projects forever. Granted, I've been really focused on familiarizing myself with the Mac (which I am sooooo happy with) as well as Blogger since I recently switched from WordPress. They are surprisingly different, especially when it comes to Comments. Plus, when I uploaded my 182 WordPress posts, every picture that had a caption came into Blogger with the caption outside of the photo in HTML code. Drives me nuts and I will spend some time editing them all until they're fixed.


I am getting close to the end of a prayer shawl in Bernat Soft Bouclé in Misty Shades. This yarn is such a pleasure to work with. It's light and airy. This is the project that I take with me to Book Club and the doctor's office. It's a simple knit 3, purl 3 pattern on an odd number of stitches and I can knit away without really thinking about it.


I am to the point of assembly now on the Lion Brand Soft Rib Cardigan. Need to seam all the pieces together and pick up stitches for the shawl collar.

I am in love with the Knitted Neck Scarf pattern. I made another one in baby yarn - the same blue variegated yarn that became a rolled brim baby hat a few weeks ago. And I started one in the Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Silk in Pansy.

Using the same size 4 needles, I changed the pattern a little, only increasing to 20 stitches rather than 24 and doing the center neck portion in stockinette stitch rather than garter. The silk is a much finer yarn, too, so the width has reduced from 4" to about 3-1/4" before blocking. I'm almost to the halfway point.


I'm ready to start some new projects. Picked up a couple of skeins (or as Hubby calls them, skanks - always makes me laugh) of Vanna's Glamour in Onyx. It's black with metallic sparkle. I am dying to try a triangular shaped scarf and this yarn would make a pretty wrap to wear for a fancy evening going out. What I especially like about the triangular shawl is you can even wear it tied around your waist and it looks so cute!

I've recently received all the Spring issue knitting magazines I subscribe to and there are so many great projects ... and so few hours in the day to knit! I take Interweave Knits, Knit'n Style, Creative Knitting and Knit Simple, all great publications. The best thing about the Spring and Summer issues is that they're geared for warm weather, which is pretty much year 'round for us in Phoenix.

If I make anything for myself, it will be the Dynamic Cardi in Creative Knitting. They show it in mercerized cotton, which is great for our hot weather. Isn't it sweet?

Secret Project

I've started knitting a secret project this week. Here's a preview ...



Finished my Knitted Neck Scarf - this is a great little pattern and a fun, easy project ...



... and I dropped one of my most favorite coffee cups in the sink the other night and it broke. SIGH ...



Makes me so sad! When I last visited Middle Sister and her family -- over the 4th of July weekend in the mid-West so it was toasty out -- I used this adorable snowman coffee mug. I love any and all things Christmas-y so this coffee cup made me smile the whole time I was there. Then after I got back home to Arizona, I received in the mail this coffee cup full of chocolates. That is so sweet and will forever bring a tear to my eyes. And it just slipped out of my soapy hands and cracked in the sink. I will never do dishes again!!!

Knitting and TV Watching

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I've had the house pretty much to myself this weekend and have been happily knitting myself into a coma while "holding the remote control" and laughing like a mad woman. Let me say first that I have not felt compelled to tune into the Olympics even once. It's been Lifetime, the Food Network, A & E and true crime shows. This morning I watched "The Net," which is an older Sandra Bullock movie where she plays a computer nerd whose identity is stolen through the computer. She is drawn into murder and mayhem and no one will believe her. This is very similar to the Jeffrey Deaver book I read recently, "The Broken Window." Good and scary stuff!

Since I took the Funky Footsies knitting class, I have been on a mission to single-handedly pump out cozy chunky socks. Somebody stop me!

I started with a turquoise pair that I gave to a friend when we met for lunch last week. Bless her heart, she loves to receive handmade stuff and promptly whipped off her shoe, put on her sock, threw her leg up on the table and posed for a picture in the restaurant. Another pair went to the Granddaughter because purple is her favorite color of the moment.

YD requested a pair in charcoal gray with no frou frou stuff on top. If I did not know for certain that the only 9 pound 3 ounce baby in the nursery was mine the day she was born, I would think she'd been switched at birth.

And a pair for a neighbor who is going through a serious health crisis ...

I just love the decorative yarns in the tops of these socks. Unfortunately, I don't think they're available any longer -- I've had them for some time and pulled them out of my stash.

I was visiting some of my favorite knitting blogs yesterday and as I read Mason-Dixon Knitting, I saw that they're making these adorable little Knitted Neck Scarves. I've seen them pictured before, but never had a pattern. They offered this link to the pattern on the Martha Stewart Living website. Of course, I immediately had to start one. After again raiding my stash, I'm using a sport weight baby yarn that has a sparkly thread running through it as a test run.

It's a very simple pattern and the little pocket that you knit into the scarf to pull the end through is ingenious!

To make it all even more cozy, along with the non-stop knitting and temporary ownership of the remote control, it has rained constantly. Everything from a little drizzle to the roof pounding kind that strains the palm trees and makes the dogs stare out into the darkness and growl. Kinda nice, kinda creepy!