Tuesday, October 31, 2006

A Special Gift



Thank you to a very good friend! I was going to get one of these bags for myself in this color. A friend for whom I did a favor wanted a special way to say thanks...she didn't need to do it but did. A Lexie Barnes bag is over the top and I am touched. I will treasure it always. Pictured is the Flo Bag which as you can see if perfect for holding sock projects. She knows I am addicted to sock knitting....

I have another Lexie Barnes bag and she knows how much I love it. This is awesome!!! The exterior is a wipeoff vinyl and is a gorgeous Teal color with circles of ecru, purple, and raspberry. The handles are the right length for over the shoulder and are specially made not to fall off my shoulder.

Check out that lining! A gorgeous sturdy pink fabric complete with pockets to hold knitting accessories. The top has two magnets as closures and this bag stands open to use while knitting. No more sock projects in my lap...fabulous!!!!

Today is Halloween. I have the treats ready for the youngsters. It was a beautiful sunny day in Central PA and the temps are in the low 70s. The sun is hiding and the wind is blowing a bit. I hope is does not rain on the childrens' fun. Or mine either...I love Halloween....seeing the youngsters dressed in their adorable and clever costumes.

Takes me back to my childhood when my older sisters and brother would take me Trick-or-Treating. In those days it lasted for at least 3 nights. What a bunch of goodies I got. But it was fun going...in a different costume each night of course!...and being with them. Those memories make me smile!

Sunday, October 29, 2006

What a Weekend!


Am trying to knit to keep my mind off Teddy Bear, my youngest Golden Retriever. Unplanned vet visit yesterday. He was limping badly and could not get up onto the soda. I pray he will be OK but both hips are bad and he already has arthritis -- at age 3 years old. So, we are trying oral meds (wrapped in roast beef to get them down) and if we need to there are injections. So, I am forbidding doggie wrestling matches, too much play, etc. until he feels better. At least he isn't limping today. He seems to know his limitations and even when his 10 1/2 year old Golden brother wanted to wrestle he didn't.

I am committed to taking 10 pounds off him...that will help the stress on the hips, too. Once his 2 weeks of medication is completed, I am going to walk him each day. Won't hurt me, either! My internet research says that walking but not over doing it is good for dogs with arthritis but it must be done daily or can cause more harm than good. So, we are committed to this unless we have a blizzard!

Back to my Fortissima socks. Hopefully a photo of that pair completed will be my next blog entry. They have taken forever because of so much campaign work. Gratefully, this U.S. Senate campaign will end on Nov. 7...hopefully with a victory for Bob Casey. It is looking good right now but we continue to work and keep our eyes on the prize!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Simple Garter Stitch Scarf


The only time I seem to have for knitting is while riding in the car to political/work events. I just finished this soft and warm scarf for my campaign intern. It knit quickly on size 11 needles with 15 stitches on the needle. The yarn is Luxury Mohair by King Cole and is 78% mohair, 13% wool and 9% nylon. I bought it at Knitters Dream yarn shop near Harrisburg. One ball is 110 yards and was $6.99 which I thought was quite reasonable. As you can see it knits in a nice variety of shades of pink with flecks of other colors. Will look nice with Elena's black coat. The perfect length too.

I also returned to my once favorite craft -- Counted Cross Stitch. I am stitching a Christmas stocking for a great-niece who will be born in January. This is a huge stocking so starting a year in advance for when Emma will need it is a good idea. And, it is on larger count fabric which will ease me back into stitching. I have so many projects I have been wanting to do so I am going to have to shift through them and perhaps give away some I know will never get finished or that I am no longer interested in stitching. I will post photos when I have a bit more to look at.

Friday, October 20, 2006

What's In the Mail?





I don't have much time to knit right now but I always time to shop! Internet shopping is a wonderful invention. My new favorite site is http://www.theloopyewe.com/sheri/ Sheri has all sort of fabulous sock yarns for sale and needles and accessories. She operates the shop from Missouri. Now I am in PA. Her customer service is FABULOUS!!! I placed an order one evening earlier this week. And to my pleasant surprise the package arrived today. Each i tem is nicely wrapped in white tissue paper and closed with a cute little seal.

Inside my box were two great items...a skein of "Loopy" yarn from Yarn Pirate. Also, several little books The Loopy Ewe...Knit Notes for Socks. Inside this small spiral bound books are pages (nicely separted with red paper) for needle inventories, favorite sock yarns and their stats, favorite sock recipients and their stats, favorite sock patters (name, where to find them, notes), favorite yarn stores, favorite blogs and podcasts, yarn weight reference sheet and a couple of blank pages for whatever else you need to jot down. This book is the perfect size for inside my knitting bag.

Last week I ventured back onto www.etsy.com and order the "sock bug" which is a lovely assortment of purple, teal, and raspberry fabrics. It has a nice long black strap that I could carry over my shoulder. The bug will also fit nicely into a knitting bag. My knitting group friend Lori showed me the one she ordered. Lots of ooohhhs and aaahhhhs over that item! I kept my self control for a few days but then gave in and ordered. It is adorable. Thanks Lori for sharing the site.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Knitting for Charity


My knitting time is limited because of the hours and hours of work on the U. S. Senate campaign. However, I have caught time to knit a few rows here and there on some hats for the charity knitting project undertaken by our local knitting group. This is knitted from a nice washable (but warm -- used 2 strands) of varigated DK weight acrylic yard. My model would prefer to EAT the hat than wear it, but he did cooperate (with some help from his Daddy) for this photo. Brandeis is 10 1/2 years old and is still very active playing daily with his two Golden Retriever brothers, running to the fence to see the neighbors, and running in "his path" along the fence to "chase" the garbage trucks on Mondays and Thursdays. I have several other hats for adults and children finished...did them a few months ago...and will post photos in a few weeks.