Ssshhhh...It's a Secret

Today I began a new knitting project...but it is a secret at least for a while. However, it does involve this gorgeous Trekking XXL yarn color 78 that I purchased at Knitters Underground in Centre Hall. Don't you just love the rich colors and hues of purple? I do. Stay tuned for updates.

Weekend Yarn Shopping

My husband and I traveled to NJ to spend the Thanksgiving weekend with family member we had not seen in almost a year. It was a wonderful trip, great weather most of the time and really good food. We truly enjoyed ourselves.

Of course on my "to do" list was yarn shopping. Keith and I went to a shop in downtown Millburn. I had high expectations...their new website made their shop really temping. I was there two years ago and although she had no sock yarn then the site claims a "lot" of sock yarn. Well, I do not consider 10 skeins of sock yarn (2 of each color) "a lot" of sock yarn. A huge disappointment. Her shop moved last year and is long and narrow, making it even more cramped than in the past. I also did not like her other yarn choices. I said a nice thank you and off we went to lunch.

On Saturday my SIL and I hit the road for Princeton. We love shopping in all of the small stores, the hustle and bustle atmosphere and the gorgeous weather made the day even nicer. The town...which is always lovely...was beautifully decorated, there were groups of carolers singing in various parts of the community and of course, Santa Claus was greeting visitors in front of the Ralph Lauren shop.

One of our first stops was a yarn shop I visited two years ago. Again, high expectations. Their yarn is lovely, they have Koigu sock yarn (very disappointed there was no other brand), and a lot of patterns. They also have built in shelves that go from floor to ceiling...a very high ceiling. Oh, there is a sliding ladder that customers can climb to get to yarn. Ya, right...I'm going to climb a ladder to look at yarn. NOT! It is my opinion they need to rethink their display method. I found a yarn I really liked for a scarf (as if I need another one!) but alas only one ball in the colorway I wanted. Another nice thank you and off we went to do more shopping other places.

I bought no yarn this weekend. In fact, the only thing I bought was a toy for the Goldens. Hence...no new yarn...no photos in this posting. At Christmas there is one more shop to visit and am hoping for a more successful trip.

Hope all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a wonderful day/weekend.

Weekend Knitting

This weekend was made for knitting...rainy and cool. I even took a pair of socks along to the Penn State game. I knew I would be sitting inside in the club house and didn't want to be bored. It was pouring outside and Penn State was stomping on Temple...so I was happy with my hot chocolate and knitting sitting comfy and dry inside watching the game on TV.

I finished the Noro scarf. Lovely colors from 2 skeins of Noro Silk Garden that were a gift from a yarn swap last year. The scarf is simple...20 stitches on a 101/2 needle and a three row pattern: Row 1: K1P1; Rows 2 and 3: Knit. That's it.

Am making headway on the Trekking Socks on size 2 needles but was itching to make myself another pair of heavier socks and really wanted to knit the Opal "ragg wool" colored yarn on size 3 needles. So, I have both started. I think tonight will be devoted to the Opal socks.

Finished Socks -- Finally.........

I got up an extra hour early this morning to finish this pair of Fortissima socks...and I did! Finally....work has taken up a lot of knitting time so I feel good to get these done. Too warm toda to wear them but the weatherman says colder air is heading to Central PA this weekend. They will get broken in as I do door-to-door lit drops for my candidate, Bob Casey who is running for the U.S. Senate.

Am going to cast on this Trekking XXL for a pair of socks for my campaign intern, Elena. She knits a little but as a very, very busy college student she doesn't have time to pursue it now. She loved the socks I was knitting earlier this summer so I am going to make her a pair. Her 21st birthday is the end of November. Oh, that nice fluffy scarf in a recent post is also for Elena. She has a long walk from her dorm to classes and all of her meetings at Penn State so hopefully it will help keep her warm.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

Knitting Group in the Local Newspaper!

Our Penns Valley Knitting Group was featured in a cover story of the Living Section of today's Centre Daily Times newspaper. Here is the link: http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/15578825.htm

Unfortunately, the photos do not appear on the website...but trust me...they were as wonderful as the story!

Why Lifelines?

I know about lifelines and the importance of them when lace knitting. I was planning on using them after I finished 3 more rows on my wrap I was knitting from Trekking XXL. Well, too little too late. That shawl is now a rolled up ball of yarn again. I dropped a stitch somewhere...only a few rows back...but couldn't figure out where. So, I frogged the entire 6 inches of shawl. Could be worse.

Here is a photo of the shawl from a few weeks ago. I will finish this before I begin the alpaca shawl I have decided. I have too many UFOs and need to get some of these projects finished.

I finish socks but not some other things. I need to focus on finishing and not just starting.

I am stuck in Harrisburg helping with the final days (we hope!) of the challenges to the signatures on the Green Party petition. We have to win this challenge.

However, tomorrow night I will start the shawl again. This time I will use lifelines every 10 rows I have decided. Am buying a needle and getting thread tomorrow. If I drop a stitch again it won't be so painful to rip out 10 rows.

It's Alpaca Time!

The cooler winds have started to drift through Pennsylvania. Nights are "sweater weather" as my mother used to say. I am knitting away on socks of all types and patterns. And, yes, I am still working on the lace stole that I am knitting from Trekking XXL. Will show progress of it in a few days. I promise.

But, the Alpaca Peruvian Tweed at Knitter's Underground has been calling my name for almost a year. What to knit? Well, Billie to the rescue...again! See...the Faroese Flower Shawl designed by Lucy Neatby www.tradewindknits.com It will be gorgeous in the the twist of black, chocolate and khaki. Now, off to knit!