Playing

Well today I had a great time trying to figure out how to put work in progress and finished items on my blog page. Thanks to Casey and Sarahspins I got it done!!!!! So very happy with it. I am not computer savvy when it comes to html or programing in general. I did take computer programming in hs and in college, but that was a lifetime ago.

Had a great Thanksgiving with the in-laws. Even had Great Aunt Marg come and share in the feast with us.She brought me a beautiful Poinsettia. Boy I LOVE my iPhone. Takes good pictures and downloads right to my flickr account. No more transferring it to my computer, but if I want really good photos, still have to use my digtal camera.

Pictures

Snapdragon Tam in Malabrigo Apricot colorway. This pattern is from Ysolda Teague http://www.ysolda.com/. Loving the pattern, but I made it a little too big, but that is alright. I am also making the mittens to match.


Not the greatest at taking picts of self, but I am happy with it.

My Michael's Senior Picture. I can't believe how grown up he looks now. It seems like it was just yesterday and he was a little boy with wavy blond hair.

Starting again

I am feeling so good right now. I no longer feel like I am on a diet, so hopefully I have finally turned the corner again and will be losing weight and exercising better. I didn't gain back as much as I thought I had so that is also a plus in my book.

On the knitting front: finished slanted gretel tee out of the Fall 2009 Interweave Knits. Liked the pattern, but not the loose collar, but I am not going to tink it back to fix. I do need to lose some more weight before it really fits, but that is how I wanted it.

Not sure what I will be doing next. I do have two pairs of socks on the needles right now. Nancy Bush's mystery sock and Sottopassaggio. Not really happy with either right now, but don't want to put too many projects on the needles because it will drive me crazy. Oh well nothing new there. 

Hello again

Another month, another dissapointing weight loss (gain that is). Going up and not down is very frustrating, but I am not going to give up. I will push forward and start this trip again.

Knitting has been much better. I started and finished my Girasole last month. Totally love how it turned out. MMMM Malabrigo worsted weight.

Also started and finished Laporte Avenue Tote. Cascade Eco Wool. Felted like a dream and I love using this as my purse. Couldn't find a buckle I liked, but did find a great pendant, so that is what I went with.

Sock front has been very slow. Didn't even make any last month, started a pair and sent it to the frog pond. Now doing the SKA mystery sock by Nancy Bush with Sundara Tulip. Also started Sottopassaggio by Yarnissima in Madalinetosh sock.

Wedding/ life and no weight loss

Well life seems to keep getting in the way of posting. I have been knitting socks, girasole, mystery bag by she-knits, and calla tank top. Love the socks, girasole and calla tank top. Ella (she-knits bag) is okay.

Jason got married this month. It was a very nice ceremony. They went to Honolulu just like his brother Bruce. I "baby sat" their dog Lola. She was a silly puppy, not fully potty trained. Glad they are back and Lola is back home with them.

Jason and Heather

Tony, groomsman

Jason, Groom

Bruce (brother) Groomsman

Michael, Best Man

Good looking guys.

Long time no blog

It has been a long time again. I have been knitting quite a few pairs of socks, learned entrelac and haven't lost a pound.

So lets start. I am trying my hand at designing my own pair of socks. I found a stitch pattern and have converted it to a sock. Zig Zag wrap. I started with a provisional cast on of 28 sts (56 in total), knit the foot and turned the heel. Right now I have set it down and worked on the lacy ribbed sweater from Creative Knitting. Also working my second entrelac scarf. Started Thira, but don' think that I will continue it.

On the weight loss front, not doing so well, but also haven't gained a lot back. Decided to start again at weight watchers. Also have started working out again. Bought wii game by ea sport workout. I also have been walking on my treadmill for 20 minutes a day. Hoping to have some decreases soon.

First Hand Dyed Yarn

Bruce, Michael and Jason.

Michael's 17Th birthday

Last night after the birthday party I decided to dye some Hand Maiden Casbah with frosting dye. I first put it in a glass jar with hot water and the dye and some white vinegar and let it sit for at least 5 hours. Then I took it out and rinsed it out for quite a while trying to remove the excess dye. And let me tell you that there was a lot of excess dye.

First drying time

Then I realized that I had not heat set it so I had to warm up a pot of water to about 130 degrees, place the yarn, hoping that I would not felt it, into the pot and let it steep for about 20 minutes. I then ran warm water over the pretty yarn still seeing a lot of dye pouring out of the pile of yarn. I carefully draped the yarn over a plastic hanger to let it dry over night. I am very happy with the results. These pics don't really show the different colors I got by mixing blue and purple together. It has areas of dark and light purple with other areas of pretty blue. I can't wait to show it off to the Fairbanks Fiberistas this week at knit night.

All dry now

and waiting for the perfect sock pattern

Another month and no weight loss

Well as this month comes to a close I find myself totally lacking focus on the diet front. Have gained again, but still under 200 so I will take that as a semi good thing. Haven't been drinking in 48 days so that in itself is a good thing too. Need to find my weight watchers mojo. I know that I can lose this weight and want to lose this weight, just have to.

On the knitting front all is well. Have finshed two pairs of socks, started pioneer sweater from knitty.com spring issue 09 and worked on my Rona lace shawl. Just started a new sock pattern Mokira out of Dream In Color Smooshy, colorway Ruby River. The last time I used DIC smooshy, it went from think to thin a lot. This skein doesn't seem to be that way, so I guess I will keep trying out this yarn.

I have purchased Verena Knitting Magazine online and so far have enjoyed looking at it. There are a few patterns that I would like to try. Also am receiving Interweave Knits and I really enjoy this magazine. There is always a few patterns every month that I want to do. Too many patterns, not enough time. I am also waiting for Cookie A's book Innovations in Socks. Amazon is sending it to me. Will give my review once it is here. Can't wait for it since I do like Cookie A's patterns. Have done baudelaire and one of the many revised monkeys.

Won sock yarn from Ravelry SKA for January's kal. Very cool yarn from String Theory Caper colorway fusion. It is a really soft feeling yarn. Can't wait to find the perfect sock patter for it. I really enjoy knitting with the SKA group on ravelry. I also do kal with the Fairbanks Fiberistas, Socks that Rawk, Stash Down in 2009 (not doing so well with that one since I keep buying instead of just knitting).

Speaking of buying: purchased more Socks that rock, got a skein from Yarn Pirate, yarns from Knit Picks (probably wont buy anymore knit picks yarn since it is really thin) Claudia Handpaints. Waiting to see if I got any Sundara but that is not expected until the end of May. If I did it is the tulip colorway since that is all that was left. Purchased two skeins since I figured I would never get any more.


Socks That Rock:
Top row: lw& mw knitters without borders, mw midsummer night, kawkaw, bleeding heart, gypsum, prove it all night and ruby slippers

Bottom row: lw muckity muck, lw lenore, mw walking on the wild tide, seal rock, pop rocks, dragon dance, fire bird and sam n'ella.











Yarn Stash

I have a lot of different types of sock yarns, worsted weight and cottons of all weights.

There and back

My DH and I went to Poipu Kauai for the first two weeks in February. It was so much fun. We got lots of sun. We were both so amazed on how warm the ocean was there. Saw whales off in the distance.

Did get some knitting done

view from hotel room

Beautiful waterfall

DH and I at Wamea Canyon.

Fast Knitting

Second pair of crazy monkey socks. Love them. They are so much fun. It is a modified version of Cookie A's Monkey sock done by Jennifer O'Sullivan. Did both of them in 10 days. Love being a sahm with an older teenager. Get to do more knitting every day. Now working on SKA mystery socks for January ( Jitterbug Mist)and vanilla sock (Encore sock) for DH. I think that I may be running out of Encore so will probably have to use a different yarn for the toes. Oh well. Also finished Mr Green jeans out of (jojoland rhythm), love how that turned out. Will post pics later. It fits, but could lose a little bit more weight for it to really fit well.

Speaking of weight, haven't been doing well in the category. I have been losing and gaining the same 5 pounds over the last couple of months. It is getting frustrating. Not working the program right, need to work it right, have to work it right, will work it right. This week has been better and I think that I have turned the corner and will start loosing again.