14 days left....

Only 14 days left till Knit fest!!! Are you thinking of a challenge? Is it something you will attempt to do, that you possibly have not done before? Is it something everyone else can do and you feel foolish considering it a challenge? Stop!!! Don't question what you want to do!!! This is personal, if you haven't purled, do purling, it is your challenge. If it is just trying to keep your edges straight, that's fine. So this is for beginners and advanced knitters.
Confession:
I have too short of an attention span to knit lace. I am having trouble following the pattern as it plods through more and more stitches. I am bored with the process, but love the outcome. I love how it looks and that is what is keeping me on track. I may never knit lace again but, I am knitting lace.

I am doing the Mystery Shawl from an internet challenge. Each Friday for five weeks we get a clue, it's kind of exciting. Needless to say I am still on week two and clue four has come out this last week??? I did say slow....but sure.

I don't want to knit lace!!!!

I am having a love hate relationship with this mystery shawl....this morning, and, I like to work on it in the morning, fresh and awake....so this morning I redid the same row 3 times trying to figure out where I had a mistake. All of a sudden it was gone? Mystery shawl it is???? I am not an obsessor over counting stitches. I am seeing the pattern finally, or at least the pattern I am making??? Angela is doing the shawl too and hers looks nothing like mine. I think it's because she knits tighter, but I will not go down another needle size, won't, can't, don't want to, I am on size 2 now. I prefer to use chunky yarn and size 10 needles so this is my challenge. I like instant gratification....who doesn't? I know I am ahead of myself for the August Knit fest but I think this is what challenges me most and so what if I am ahead of the game, I certainly won't be ahead for long. If ever. I am also working on two different socks, the first picture didn't show up very well but the second one did, it is crook and heart. By the time I finish it will need two by pass surgeries....

I'm dancing as fast as I can!!!

Honest, I have been trying to get all of my paperwork and blogging and printing of tickets and yarn club cards and on and on....but you don't want to hear my excuses, you want to hear about
Knit fest!!!!
We had so much fun at the Knitting Olympics that we thought it would be fun to do a Fest for Knitting. I live in Milwaukee and it is known as the Festival city, we have Irishfest, German fest, Polish fest, Indian summer and Festa Italiana, so why may I ask not Knit fest??? So for every Sunday in August, this is the plan.
Start planning a project that pushes you to the skill limit you personally think is a challenge, this could mean to some (Julie) just purling. It is a personal challenge.
First Sunday in August we will be casting on
Second Sunday we will be checking progress a good old fashion "Progress Report"
Third Sunday is a countdown
Fourth Sunday is the Fashion show or Show and tell
All of these "get togethers" we will of course have food, with the big bash at the end!!! So start planning and get your free tickets to Knit fest....by the way, I will be offering 10% off of your project supplies.

Uninvited Guest

Even though a lot of you are waiting for the Cruise update...I am obliged to bring you this rare sighting. Sitting and knitting hats for Charity on Sunday, there was a loud chirping bird. Kim was in the process of saying "Man that bird is really loud?" when it wasn't only loud it was in the store. Hanging off of the flower vine on the wood beam near the ceiling. Faced with the idea of trying to keep Joey "my dog" which is behind a gate from going balistic, and getting the bird out of the store without pooping from fright...I grabbed the flyswatter and started towards it. I felt kind of bad, maybe she was shopping for nest lining? All the wonderful colors, who could resist....was it Alpaca she was craving? Then reality set in and she was probably following the trail of crumbs from the door. For whatever reason she felt she had to visit, she left just as quickly, there was no shooing, no swatting, she just came to visit. Best of all no pooping!!!! Side note here..I thought way back into my "wives tale" history, that I remember something about a bird entering the house, so I looked it up, so this is pretty much how all of those old sayings go....it has two meanings, one good, one bad. Before anyone emails me with the grim news I will put it in writing. It means a death in the house? How nice is that? I vote for Joey....no offence dawg but if one of us has to go...see ya!!!! Second which of course I prefer to choose is, it is dead relative visiting. My luck it would be my mean grama, trying to peck my head. I'd be thinking it was just a mom looking for some soft pretty lining for her home. Happy Fourth of July!!!

For some of Ewe

For those of you that think that, I am just trying all these fun things to stimulate creativity or for getting attention....you're right!!! But I was perusing through some of my photos and ran across this one from from "Knitting Olymipics". When I see this I crack up laughing. I got on the band wagon of the Knitting Harlot, when she suggested that we have, during the real olympics, Knitting Olympics. We chose projects that would be a challenge either to knit or just to finish. We cast on during the opening ceremonies and had a mid olympic party and then the Award ceremony. And there were medals and the coveted "Gold Needles". This photo is of the closing ceremony and the medal awards. In true fashion of the Olympic medals I used miniature CDs and printed on them and made I-chord ribbon and we all got one. I am a true believer in we are ALL winners. But then it came to the Gold Needles and we had what is most fair .....a drawing!!! So back to the photo, I tried to take a photo with my camera using the self time and was trying to get my big arse into the photo, which I did quite successfully I might add!!! (I was trying to pose in the photo) and have three various shots of me butt!!! It cracks me up because we were laughing so hard. Then we had to sing, or hummm the Olympic theme, which set off my singing dog, that started howling with us and thinking she was pretty cool hanging out with all of these crazy woman!!! So I tried to take video of that with my point and shoot camera, another joke and all I can hear is me barking "Do it now?" which was supposed to be the cue for start singing. But with my mouth close enough to the camera to lick the lens, my helium munchkin voice is only rivaled by my dogs. So my being nutz, goes back a lot farther than last year. I was born this way, and I couldn't be happier. By the way, who turned up the heat and humidity?

My Olympic competitors, cheering me on.....

Getting caught in the Red flashing light, like a deer in headlights.

Not quite hovering over the seat of my chair? (my mom taught me to do that hover thing over a toilet seat!, never thought I'd actually use it?) Just look at those laughing faces...... I bet you're laughing!!!

Miniature Knolfing

I was so excited....my clubs (needles) were picked. The camera was ready and lunch was in the slow cooker. Kim came over and we rode together, a little early to greet all the other kolfers. HHHhmmmmm, I know one of us could have got the date wrong, but two, where is everyone? We will wait till 15 minutes past the hour.
"Hey Kim, want to go to breakfast?" So we took a photo of the only other Knolfer around, so she won the trophy, and we went to breakfast!!! It was fun, I can't wait to do it again!!! Breakfast that is!!! So the plan is, it's summer, kids are home from school. Invite the kids too!!! Why didn't I think of that? Probably because my son is in the working world and the days of trying to find projects to keep him busy and out of trouble are over.....many years over. So hey how about the Knit's Ahoy? I have some room left. We are looking forward to a really good time. Don't be one of those left on the bank as we wave our needles in unison like a Bic lighter, singing Nananana, nananana, hey hey....Good bye. Sign up NOW!!!

Probation

This is what is on probation. The "Shop" dog, not to be mistaken as the "Top" dog which she really thinks she is....so we are doing some peg knocking down and she is on my S list. We went on our usual walk Wed. morning, in our usual manner and there is a woman that runs with her little Toto like dog named Harley. Harley and Joey had instant hate from the first time they smelled each other so I was prepared. I latched the leash to not only the harness but her collar to keep her tight under my command...eh hem!! So as I try to block Joeys view of Harley that is fully extended to greet Joey with his teeth bared and barking, "Precious" pulls a Houdini act and flips out of both collar and harness to attack big mouth Harley!! The woman freaks (as I would) picks Harley up with Joey grabbing at any limb that looks like a freshly roasted chicken drummy. Harley of course has not let up with his verbal attack and this is firing up my little darling. All this while I am screaming and trying to grab the spinning dervish that has become a trio of the woman, Harley and Joey!!! I finally grab her neck skin and try with all abandonment to get her leash on her, meanwhile apologizing profusely and hoping to all ends that there is only fur and not blood. My hands were shaking so badly (happens when I get mad) and the woman says He is alright and we probably should not take the same walks, (Oh really, what was it about this that you didn't like?) I remained very complaicent to avoid a huge law suit. I put Precious on her back and do some major gutteral growling and this is the beginning of her probation. She meekly walks home, and I put her prayer box around her neck (electronic trainer) turn it on and it beeps!!! I at this point will admit, I never have shocked her because it is way to scary for me and I am a pushover .....but a that moment, I would have made her dance on her tippy toes with glee, I was so mad. I didn't , I just use the beep and the feeling of this heavy box under her neck was enough to make her behave .....very well .....all day!! Minimal barking too.....so now we walk with the prong collar, a short leash and a bad attitude. Day three and she is still trying to remember she is not Alpha....just Joey!!!

WWKIP Day

Thanks to all of those that supported WWKIP Day!! It was fun and the weather was awesome. I have to keep this short because I have some dying to do and if I get sidetracked it's all over!!! Check out the photos from all over the World and our group!!! We had about 20 knitters between coming and going and our article will be in the Oak Creek Now, so I will keep you posted. Gotta go dye!!!

World Wide Knit in Public Day

Thanks to all of the knitters that supported WWKIP day!!! For the first time event, on my end, I think it was a success!!! We had about 20 knitters of all ages, participating at different times of the day!!! We had children knitting, not a scarf either but a shrug with sleeves!!! A teenager working on a tank top for summer and adults with various projects from baby sweaters to lace edgeing. We had a good time of course, when have you ever gotten any group of woman together and NOT had a good time. Unless of course it's a family of woman preparing a dinner in a crowded kitchen? We met some new knitters and a bunch of old friends!! Thank you to everyone. Hopefully we will do it again next year!!
The photographer came at 10:30am, and there was only two of us, so my neighbor the potter, was visiting and I made her sit down and knit with us. I did say Lisa is a Potter, not a knitter, I tossed here some circular needles with a cuff I am knitting on them, to use as a prop. Being the good sport that she is, she takes them and starts clicking them together like she is trying to start a fire!!! Then she realizes they are connected and tells me I gave her "idiot" needles? I didn't know what she meant, she says "Whats with this string tying them together?" Ohhhh idiot needles? I gently explained while laughing my head off that they were circular needles and not together so you don't lose them....that was the start of our day!!! Thanks again to everyone!

Scene of the Crime

It was 7:04am, the day was starting out a little on the humid side, but cool enough that it didn't matter. I was sitting out on my deck, having the usual cup of Sumatra coffee, black. Then I saw it, a flash out of the corner of my eye. Is it what I thought it was? Was there something in my coffee? Years of being elusive and only hoping to get a glimpse of it was there!!! It surely was a hit and run. I witnessed it, with great excitement I might add. Sucking the red juice from the feeder and moving in dartlike fashion to the next little sugar blossom. AAAAccckkkk it was just here again. My first hummingbird!!!!! I know for some of you this is mundane but darnit I have been buying these stupid fake flower sap suckers for years and have yet to witness a humming bird, plenty of ants, but no birds. So here I am in this raggety old nightshirt, sitting out and my hair is sticking straight up in the air from doing swirlys all night in my pillow, sitting sideways in my swing, cup of Joe in one hand and Suduka and pencil in the other. I actually watched it buzz around the feeder and have a slurp, then two and then gone. As I tried to get up for the camera, and lap top, the swing whipped out and the coffee spilled, I stepped in that and my raggety nighty was stuck in my butt. Please make a note, my deck is 20 feet up in the air, but level with all other Village dwellers. This is not for public viewing but I am most certain to sear the brain of the young girl that rents next to me, with visions of the most undesireable nightware and bra lessness she may ever encounter. I can hear her now making a mental note to self (never wear ripped oversize T-shirts with no bra, even if you think no one is looking!!! Ok for the record, I really have reached the age where I don't care what I sleep in as long as it's comfortable, the days of laying across the pillows with rows of picky lace and trussed up like a young spring chicken are looooooonnnngggg gone. Comfort I say and multi purpose!! That's another blog but back to the photo shot....So now I whip in the house, get my stuff and sit down propped and ready for the picture, one so I can be sure that I did see it and two to show you!!!! Hhhhmmm my foot is caught in the swing and buzz there it is again and the camera is somewhere between my lap and nomans land so I am groping for it and well the darn bird isn't sitting there going "cheese"? Gone again, so now I am on a mission, until then all I can give you is this empty feeder but I did notice an ant crossing the glass.....aaaahhhhhhhaaaaa I got it...Casper came back and I got it, not good but I was just folding this up and hit and run and he is on the left of the feeder!!!! I mean the other left!!! (right) Tra la la lalallalalalalala!!!!!! I do believe he was checking me out and took off!!!!!

Tango Lessons

I just wanted to let you know that I am giving free Tango lessons Wed. May 30th at noon and June7th at 6:00pm. Leave your dancing shoes at home and bring size 8 double points!!! It will be a good time!! I am also going to be closed Sunday May 27th, I need a little "Moi" time.....Ok I confess, I'm going shopping!!! Have a great Memorial Day weekend and Don't forget to Thank a Veteran!!! Signing off till after the Holiday!!! Have a good one!!!

Optimum Pleasure

Weaver, the Shop kids mom, has spun the Optim (Dove)!! You can't keep your hands off of it!! It is beautiful and this photo does not have feelavision!!!
We made purses outside yesterday in the 40' weather!!! That really stunk but the woman did a great job, check out the newsletter for the photos!! The link is on the sidebar!! So today is Monday my day off and I'm still doing store stuff? Ok so I'm going to clean my house right now....maybe?

May showers brought May flowers

That and an account at Home Depot helps!!! I was all ready for the Art show this weekend!! The flowers were planted the weather was good, shelves stocked and I sat and spun the weekend!! Kim helped me work on the basement yet another Monday and it is looking ....like .....like a basement!!! I think we removed at least two dozen boxes and it's still full!!! I still think it is one of those cruel jokes the shop fairies are playing on me!! But it is looking better!! Thank you Kim for keeping me on task!!

The shop kids stopped by and were playing with the "Dog Yarn shop" dog!!! She, meaning the dog is not normally in the store but due to a construction job on my upstairs, she was a nervous wreck and the kids calmed her down. So shop kid #1 is giving the evil eye and Joey the shop dog is showing #1 up with two glowing eyes, while the shop girls are so confused as to what is going on!!
As I said I got some spinning in and I chose to spin some Optim, which is Merino and is wonderful. This color is Chanticlaire, isn't it wonderful!!! It needs to be washed and set and then I will pet it for a few months!!!

Hey, Hey....uh Hey, uhm....can you say sugar buzz????

So here it is Nino de Mayo and we have cake!!! Do we have cake....cake, coffee, and Sparkling Grape Juice!!! Everyone brought cakes!!! I have a headache from sugar and guess what we are doing it all over again tonight!!! Pizza and cake!!! So I don't normally type in shorthand but I would if I could today!!!! I have got a lot of things done....and then there is the crash landing!!!
Man I crashed hard, but today is another day and I have been perusing the cakes..with some intrepidation!!

When it's time to move!!

I guess you know it's time to move when you have to sit in the bathroom with an umbrella? That is my son's girlfriend sitting in the bathroom of their apartment. There is an apartment above them and apparantly someone left the water running. They actually are looking for a condo downtown. Today is Cinco de Nino day....and then right after I posted that name, it occured to me that it translated into fifth of Nine? So to be correct today is Nino de Mayo day, but whatever today we "Eat Cake", which I am on my way to go get right now. Well my sample platter!! Hey newsflash, I am with the help of a friend cleaning the basement!!! We emptied about 12 boxes and donated a few to Value Village. Now I have a mess on three floors!!! Basement, Shoppe (they were installing the air conditioner into the wall but it didn't fit between all the conduit and window and gutter and....and) So they are coming today to patch the hole in the shoppe wall. Boxes from the basement are making their way to the upstairs or living quarters, and now I have to empty them, will it ever end??? The only boxes I love to see are shipments, I will never move again, they will zip the bag and carry me out of here and the rest is up to .....whoever gets stuck with it!!!

Cinco de Nino

We were sitting at Open knitting Wednesday and realized we needed to eat cake!!! Not just ordinary cake but Wedding Cake, sugar buzz cake...toothachy sweet cakes!!!! Alas!!! We are calling it Cinco de Nino celebration!!!! I actually went into a bakery and asked if they had sample platters I could buy and they said,,,,"They are free!!!" then I felt a little guilty asking for wedding cake samples and they are giving them to me for free...so I did what any guilt ridden scammer does and bought $20.00 worth of various bakery items!! I do hope they don't go to waist, er I mean waste!!! So this is the invite, come sample cake, it is from 10am till 1 ish!!! Unless we are so buzzed up we go till 4ish!!! Or until the cake is gone and we lay exhausted on the shop floor, still knitting relentlessly on our backs!!! Oh and trust me there will be no weddings under this roof!!!! So no need to worry, we just want to "Let them eat Cake!!"

Soaking my head

I know I have been slow to post, but I have an excuse.....my mother is living with me. Ok she is older so you may think, what's the deal...hhhmmmm, that's what I would have thought. I was actually getting used to it, her being here and trying to make her do things that are constructive besides sitting in my recliner watching TV, and napping. That lasted about two days, and she is regressing, her problem is she falls, with no warning. She throws herself into chairs, bed, where ever she plans on sitting and she is going to hurt herself. Easter she cracked her Egg open and had three stitches, which meant a stay in the hospital. And then the social workers are called in to evaluate the situation and we all line up like suspects, in the accident. (Social workers evaluate all elderly falls) which is a good thing in some cases and they were very nice, but released her to us to take care of. Well to make a long story short, she fell again here and off to the hospital she went and they are re-evaluating her once again. I guess at my age, I knew we were going to face this situation some day, but maybe in my avoiding of bad situations figured it would take care of itself. There really is no way to plan for something like this, but when a friend or family member is going through it, sometimes, they may sound like they are hateful to thier parents and bitter, but this is a case where, until you walk in their shoes, be careful how you judge. I love my mom, she did the best job she could with us and she taught me to be strong, but, It is one heck of a hard thing to do and I only wonder what my poor son will have to deal with. I think, give me good drugs and keep me high and I won't care where I am!!!! So I am off to take a bath, with no one walking in the door, and soak my head!!!

Cast Away Cruise in the making

I have mentioned a knitting, crochet, spinning cruise on the Milwaukee river and Lakefront. I am trying to firm up those plans. So far it will cost around $20-25 for two hours of wonderful sailing. For that we get to bring on our own snacks and refreshments and it will include thier cleaning cost. I assured them we are pretty neat but it is a rule due to past experience and I totally can understand, it only takes one bad apple. So now I am awaiting a set of dates I threw at them to confirm and it would be about 5:00. There is room for 20 fiber crazed people. Can you imagine, a boat full of knitters, and snacks...oh my!!! So when it's a go, please get your name in and I will need a non-refundable (unless we can get someone to take your place) payment.
Life in general, my mom is doing much better and she is moving into a Senior Living Apartment May 1!!! If you happen to drop by the shop, she is letting me know she is upstairs by dragging her walker across the hardwood floors when she hears the front door buzzer...buzz. Gotta love her!!!! Yes mom, I hear you!!! I worked on the Mosh Pit of cardboard boxes in the basement, for about two minutes....but I have to make a path for the new washer and dryer to be delivered Friday...oh yeah Friday!! Other than that, Oh yeah I made my mom crank a charity hat, on the knitting machine...talk about whining...I asked her if she wanted some cheese to go with that whine. Once she got to cranking though she did like it and finished a hat..it barely fits over the grapefruit sized bump on her head, we really should name it the manitou!!!

Leaves and Tendrils

Cudos to Janyce for spinning and knitting this beautiful scarf. She used Northern Lights Camoflauge roving and I am not sure where she got the pattern from. It is so pretty, and she almost left it behind last night after Open Knitting/Spinning!! I had to open my big mouth and remind her...shoot!!! But she left cookies instead and so now I am torn. We had a good turn out and I appreciate everyone's patience as I holler up to my mom ( she is staying with me due to a need for supervision, a whole other story!) You have to walk!!! Then it sounds like she is moving furniture around upstairs which is only her walker which, had she been using it she would not have cracked her melon open and got two staples. And that is another story too!!! Then I get a grocery delivery (Peapod) and have to put the ice cream and food away so I can cook for the two of us!! thank you again for your patience!!! Now I am not being patient, my dryer took a dump? On one hand, when I get a new dryer I will probably opt to get a new washer and use the old one for "Felting" exclusively. Because as we all know if I get a new dryer the washer will be soon to follow, well at least the way my luck has been going anyway!!! So take a deep breath and exhale the bad and breath in the good.

Spinning in a new direction

Oh boy, I am having problems concentrating on projects at hand!! One of my customers saw my Barbie knitter and said she had one too and then when I got my new Addi Knitter, she had to try it....but not to be outdone, she found this really cool knitter and brought me one too!!!! Now, I think I have the greatest customers, they are truley good to me. They bring me snacks, chocolate, sheep, and knitting machines!!! I think we like to feed each others obsessions, problem is all my weakness are out in the open, I am vulnerable, they can see my addictions. Ha, who cares!!!! I am having a blast!!! So now back to the knitter, it is big, it can knit hats, (not for my size head, which is jumbo) it can knit purses, it is really cool!!! So my idea is...I have lots of yarn that I am going to donate to make hats for kids!! Key is, you can come in and pick some yarn, crank out a hat and finish it off by hand and voila, in a matter of minutes you have made a hat. Or you can bring in your own worsted weight yarn and make it to donate, but unless you are donating the hat, don't even think about cranking on my new knitter!!! So the other thing is, this project is on hold till I get that schtinking basement cleaned, that is where my "Other" yarn stash is!!! Oh the secrets behind closed doors!!! I did start organizing, now it looks worse, so with coffee in hand, I go down the stairs, put my coffee cup on the steps and get a running start into the Mosh pit of cardboard boxes. Boxes filled with yarn are virtually indestructable? But all the totes fight back!! Well, I am going to get my coffee right now, and relax in the recliner and think about how I am going to tackle the Mosh pit below!!! By the way have a Happy and Blessed Easter!!!