Back From My Virtual Vacation

I just got back from my knitters virtual vacation. I went to the Jersey shore with Nancy, http://www.mspalmtree.blogspot.com/. We had the best time. I can't wait to tell you all about it, but right now, I am just exhausted from the trip home, and really need to get some rest, so you will have to wait until tomorrow.
The actual truth is, I was going to get my camera to take pictures of all the loot she sent. And believe me, it was like a bottomless package. The more I took out of the box, the more there was still to find. Anyway, some doofus (me) left the camera on, and the battery was dead.
So, you have to wait until tomorrow to see everything.....except for a cookie shaped like a dolphin, which didn't want to wait around, so I ate him already.
Trust me, it will be worth the wait!
OH! And guess what!!!! I might actually get to step foot in New Jersey next month, barring disaster. Spiff and I will be in Philly, and I have already started whining at him about how many times I have been just across the border from The Garden State, and still have never been there.
If I'm lucky, I might wheedle Delaware out of him, too. That will leave only Alaska and Hawaii until I have stood on the sod of all 50 plus Puerto Rico.
So, pray that Spiff's brain tumor doesn't start to grow, so we can go on our special trip. Well, pray that it doesn't grow, so my dh can live longer, but you know what I mean.

Hey, Not Yet!

You looking for my exciting return to Blogger?
Sorry, you have to wait a bit longer.
As soon as I get my KVVS package, I will have a grand RE-opening.
Until then, bear with me.
Tomorrow and Sunday, I get to (Get to??? Or is that have to) go to http://www.animefest.org/ Anime Fest in Dallas with Lamb, who is home from her first week at college. I have no idea why we are going. We used to watch lots of anime, but now, neither of us do. She insists, though, that we must go. It is a tradition. Oh, well, I can take my knitting. And, she can take her artwork and have it critiqued by some of the pros.
See ya after the holiday!

SecretPal002

SecretPal002, originally uploaded by CookieKnits.

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Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

She's Baaack!

After a good long try at Wordpress, or Blogging For Grown-ups, I have admitted defeat, and returned to Blogger, where things are easy and straightforward.
Wordpress is, on the whole, more geared toward journal style blogging. Posting pictures, badges, buttons, etc. is not straightforward enough overthere.
This is a knitters blog. I need to be able to show off my knitting, my gifts from my swap pals, photos from my travels, and I was unable to do that.
Sure, they had better templates and widgets, but that is about it.
And, so, without further ado, I give you, a photo.

You are NOT going to believe this. The photo upload feature is down. LOL!

Goodbye to Blogger

I have moved to Wordpress. You can now find me at
http://cookieknits.wordpress.com.

SP, I have put my questionaire answers there, as well. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Please come see me there.

The Flu Stops Here

Today, I have a rant. Nothing to do with knitting.I HAVE THE FLU AND I AM ANGRY! I am angry at all the people who get the flu, and still keep running around, doing what they usually do, going to work, going to church, GOING TO CHOIR(!!!), sharing their germs.(Yes, I got a shot, but this particular virus seems to have not been covered. Ooops. Can I get a refund.)I don't know what it is with these people. They feel like crap. They are running a fever. Why don't they take care of themselves and stay home. The world will run without them.Ok, I can understand the organist, and the two clergymen at our church who HAD to come in sick last week because there was a funeral, but I don't have that virus anyway. That one doesn't come with a racking cough.Do these people do it out of a sense of nobility? "Oh, I am so sick, but I must go on. No one can do my job as well as I.", or "What will the alto section do if I am not there? They depend on me."Or do they do it for the attention? "See how sick I am? Please make a fuss over me. Tell me I should be home in bed. Notice me.", they think.
The ones that really get me are the ones that came into rehearsal for a musical ensemble I sing with to TELL us they were sick, and that they couldn't sing, and they were going home to bed. Cough Cough THANKS FOR SHARING.
As I say in my title, "The Flu Stops Here". As soon as I could tell I was coming down with it,(and yes, I know, I was infectious before I knew, but, hey, I can't do anything about that.) I settled myself in at home. I called and cancelled out on a baby shower I was supposed to attend. That was a no brainer. I gave notice to both music ensembles that I would see them next week. My church choir director postponed my scheduled solo to the following week. I told my cleaning lady not to come, although she can't resist dropping off dinner for tonight. You are an angel, Argentina!!!! I promise not to breathe on you when I answer the door!
Now, to make this post about knitting, I am spending most of my time in bed knitting easy. Right now, I am doing the Smiley Scarf from "One-Skein Wonders". (Ok Someone tell me how to link that to Amazon.com, please.)Except, I can't get the stitch count to come out right in the end, and I am all upset about it. I don't think it really matters, but I have OCD, and it bugs me.I can't find an errata online either. I emailed the publisher, Storey Publishing. Let's see how long it takes them to answer me. If they don't I will try the designer, Elizabeth Prusiewizc at Knit-Knot Studio in Portland, Or. She has a website: http://www.knitknotstudio.com/. It looks like a nice store.Oh, I just threadjacked my own post. Who cares. I'm sick. Blame it on delirium. I can always delete the whole thing when I regain my sanity later.

We Bow Before Thee, O Internet

Last night I discovered another reason I can't live without the internet; errata.
I was working on the "Hurry Up Spring" armwarmers from "Stitch 'N Bitch Nation", and came upon a symbol in the chart that didn't work out with the number of stitches involved.
Easily solved! I just googled it, and came up with a bunch of errata for both of the books that I have, typed them out, and have them ready for any of the projects I may want to do in the future. And, yes, that particular symbol and it's instructions were incorrect.
I will post pictures of my armwarmers in progress tonight, after I have made a bit more progress on them.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

My 20 year old daughter taught herself to knit. I have been promising to take her to get lessons, because I can't teach her anything. (We end up arguing.) She got tired of waiting, and just sat down and figured it out.
You know how you always wanted to learn how to knit backwards, so you wouldn't have to turn your work around for shortrows? That is how she does it! Holds the yarn continental style, too! What a girl. She taught herself how to cast on, but used Sally Melville's "The Knit Stitch" to learn how to bind off.
I did take her to the LYS, and MJ taught her how to purl, so she doesn't have to knit backwards if she doesn't want to. She is now the proud owner of a little pink purse she made herself and a fringed scarf. She is now knitting a dishcloth worked on the diagonal, so she can practice increasing and decreasing.

Knit From Your Stash Update

I was in my LYS the other day, feeding the need by buying gadgets and magazines, and ok, two balls of Noro Silk Garden to make some hand warmers for a poor lady in a wheelchair at church, who's hands are always cold. I didn't have a thing in my stash that would work, so it DOES NOT count as falling off the wagon. Would you believe it? Word of Knit From Your Stash has even gotten around to the yarn store owner. Poor Mary Jane of Sympatico Yarns in Bedford, Texas is not happy! Of course, I did manage to spend $150 on stuff anyway.
So, if you are anywhere near Bedford, and are not participating in KFYS, please, please, please help poor MJ out. Go in and buy lots of yarn!

Ooops

That last post wasn't even supposed to be a post! I was trying to get a button here.
Well, anyway, if you are into color, and want to try something interesting this year, take a look at Project Spectrum. It is a year long "exploration" of color and craft. Many of us are knitters, but there is lots of room for experimentation. In fact, the whole idea is to break out of our habits, and try something new.Every two months are given assigned three colors, and participants are asked to create something using those three colors.
February and March are blue, white and gray. You can use one or all three. It just so happens, I was talking to a woman at church yesterday, who's hands are always cold, and I offered to make her some fingerless gloves. She said she likes blue. There you go! I have something already.
For the next two months, I am going to try to carry my camera around, and really try to notice blue, white and gray in my world, and to take photos. I am a rotten photographer. I can only improve!

Project Spectrum

Project Spectrum

Wow! More Pictures

I have no idea why these end up where they do on the page. That being said, this is my current project, Executive Funk, from Spun Magazine:

http://spunmag.com/article/050410cuffs

Designed by Marnie Maclean, these are ruffled cuffs to be worn under a blazer. Sorry, I couldn't get a very good picture. She used Koigu but the yarn I chose is a beautiful hand-dyed silk from a now closed store here.

It has really pretty autumn leave colors, and will go well with a brown velour blazer I have.

These cuffs knit up quickly if you are used to working in the round with sock yarn and small needles. (They start out with size 2's. I had to start with 1's with my yarn choice.)

Cookie

LOOK! A picture!

I finally uploaded some pictures to my computer.

Here are my Fetching fingerless gloves from Knitty.comdesigned by Cheryl Niamath. http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html

I would like to thank Carla from my Knitting Chicks group on Yahoo for pointing me in the direction of these.

These were a great project for me, as they called for Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, and I just happened to have some in my stash.

Oh, did I fail to mention? I am participating in the 2007 Knit From Your Stash.

http://wendyknits.net/stash2007.htm

Oh, please don't ask me to put a button up for that! I just learned how to do pictures. (g)

Cookie

Avast, Matey!

I was checking the "International Talk Like A Pirate Day" website,
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html
looking for some little sound clips to replace my boring old Windows ones with, when I ran across a link to Knit Like a Pirate http://knitlikeapirate.com/projects/tricorn.html, and a pattern for knitting a tricorn hat.
What fun! I think I will make one for my husband for his birthday. I should make one for the whole family. Maybe even one for each of the dogs.

We Are All Flowers

Thanks to Isabelle, Lady Tricotine, http://tricotine.typepad.com/weblog/
for the link to the flower quiz. She always knows the best quizes.
My kitchen is a mess. It has been torn apart for a week, while we have been having new cabinets installed. They finally finished today. The plumber comes back tomorrow to hook the water back up.
In three weeks. approximately, the granite countertop goes in. Then we just wait for the electrician to get recovered from his broken leg (OUCH!), so he can replace the light fixtures and do some other minor stuff. My mom is sewing curtains for me. Then my kitchen is done....or is it???
Cookie

Cold hands does not mean a warm heart!

They do not make Texas houses for winter! My hands (and feet) are FREEZING. Two pairs of socks are my usual these days, but what to do with my hands?
Carla, a newbie to my Yahoogroup, just made these:

http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html

Thanks, Carla and knitty! I have started my own pair.

Fingerless gloves are just the thing for wearing at the computer.

Sorry, still no pictures. This weekend. I PROMISE!

Cookie

Global Warming???

Geez! Who said it could get this cold in Texas? I am freezing, as you can see from my avatar. There is a half inch of snow on the ground, and they closed schools. I almost died laughing. (I am from Michigan/Wisconsin originally.)
In case you found your way here, I am currently knitting a triangular version of Lily Chin's Reversibly Cabled Afghan, using Cascade 220. The pattern calls for 10-ply from Baabajoe's. The yarn I am using is quite a bit thinner so I am adding a lot of pattern on the sides, making it up as I go along.
I am calling it a "sofa shawl". It is in a shade of green that matches my new sofa perfectly.