Beads and a NEW LYS

Saturday I took a Beaded knitting class. The class was sponsored by Camellia City Stockinettes (local guild) and taught by Kaedean. If you check out her blog, she has a picture of what the project will look like when completed. The class taught several different ways to add beads to your knitting. Kaedean had everything set up for us (with the help of several other people), including stringing 592 beads on our little balls of yarn for us. Tori attended the class and completed part of the project. I think that it was a little over her head as it was the first time working with size 3 needles.

Beaded Knitting Class


I didn't finish this as I had to leave a few minutes early since a friend of ours (Pieter) was having a surprise birthday party for his wife (the big 30).

Coming up.... Beaded Stitch Markers

After the party, Tori and I headed over to Michael's to pick up supplies to make beaded stitch markers. I have love working on lace and cables and never seem to have enough of these. I also have been seeing so many people making these, I thought that I should try to make some too. I will just have to wait until Tori gets homework done!

New LYS


There is a new LYS here in the Sacramento area, Babetta's Yarn and Gifts. They have only been opened for a month and I just heard about them last week. So, I decided to drop by there on the way home to see what they carry. I was pleasantly surprised! They have a nice selection for only being open for one month. Also, they were very nice and helpful. As you can see from the picture above they carry Southwest Trading Company products and Cherry Tree Hill. I haven't seen these at Filati, only online. Their prices were also reasonable. Made me very happy. I will be visiting there again.

I actually bought the Bamboo for a project! Quite shocking! I want to make "A Good Bias" shrug from IK Spring 2005. There is even a knit along for it! I have let the host know that I want to join. I am just waiting to hear from her. How exciting!

Stitch n Bitch

Felted Man?!?


Have you ever seen a felted man??? This was a first for me. One of the group was making him. He is completely needle felted. Here is a shot of his pants in the making:

Making Pants


I think he should be the official mascot of our group. What do you think??

We also had some new group members. Caitlyn from Knitter's Review Forums joined us. It was so much fun meeting her. Her Klaralund is soooo beautiful. I love the colors that she chose and cannot wait to see the finished project. Unfortunately, I took out my camera after she left. So no pictures this time. Hopefully she will show up next week since one of our local news stations will be attending our meeting :) They are doing a piece on knitting groups and Marin was asked if she would like to be part of it. If you are interested in finding out more about the Sacramento Stitch n Bitch group, Marin has started a Yahoo! group. Click here.

We also had another new member. A Man! (gasp!) Marin had mentioned that he may show up and he did! This is Ed!

New Group Member


I love that some guys are starting to see knitting as not just for the girls. Besides, if you are a single guy, what better way for you to meet women than to hang out with a group of them??? Best part is, you would be the only single guy and you can talk their language! What more could a guy want? Also, some of the best knitters that I have seen have been men.

I have spent a lot of time reading blogs lately. I have found one of my favorite reads to be The Casting On Couch. Not only can Rebecca knit, she is hilarious with her stories and pictures. This blog is definitely a must read.

Off to bed. I have a bead knitting class tomorrow given by Kaedean. I get to learn all kinds of bead knitting techniques.

Knitalong Updates

So I said that I was going to update my progress on Knitalongs on Tuesdays. Well, that may not work. Tuesdays are Tori's gymnastics days. This would mean I would be out of the house for about 2hrs. I usually stay at her gymnastics practice and knit. As soon as we get home, my favorite show, Gilmore Girls, comes on and I need to watch that! So, more knitting. By the time my show is over, it is time to go to bed. I have to get up early the next day, so no time to blog. I believe that I will have to have my Knitalong updates on Wednesday, so here goes:

I have finally finished my socks (I was obsessed) and have started working on Mariah. I have gotten about 16" done on the sleeves with only 3" more to go. Here are the sleeves so far:

Mariah

I really like this pattern. The cables stand out nicely even in this dark color. I was a little worried that the cables wouldn't be noticeable, but they do stand out nicely. My DH and DS have even commented that they like this pattern and that they would like cabled sweaters for themselves. Well, since they are not small by any stretch of the imagination, I have the feeling that they will be getting cabled socks instead!

Speaking of projects for my DS, I am currently working on a serape for him. This would be part of the Poncho Along. Since DS decided he loved to wear my poncho while playing video games, I thought that it would be a good idea that he have something of his own. He didn't care if it was a poncho, I thought I should make something more 'manly.' He will also be able to use this as a lap blanket when he is not wearing it. I got the pattern from The Purl Stitch by Sally Melville. Here is my progress so far:

Serape!


(The striping will actually be vertical.)

I had to make this extra long since he is so tall. The pattern is very simple and knitted on big needles. I am using two strands of Plymouth Encore on size 13s. After knitting on mostly socks and shawls recently, those needles feel ginormous! It is knitting up pretty quickly when I actually spend time on it. Just gets boring since it is plain ole stockinette.

As for THING, I really have abandoned it. It sits in my basket next to my desk looking lonely. Wondering if I will actually pick it up and work on it, not just ignore it. I think that if I work on just a little bit every couple of days, it will be done really soon.

Here is something for all you single gals out there.

What Happened to Yesterday's Post??

Sorry! No computer time yesterday as I had a daughter with a science project. She was trying to be on top of things and get everything done a day early. Of course, she did have a three-day weekend in which she tried to spend most of her time in front of the TV! So, I will update the progress of Mariah, THING, Shoalwater Shawl and DS Serape when I get home tonight.

In the meantime, check out Elann's new shipment of Peruvian Collection Baby Silk. Yes, I have some of this in stash at home. No, I can't buy anything since I am on a yarn diet and have baskets upon baskets of stash (even more hidden throughout the house!) I have promised DH that I would limit myself since he has left the corporate world and started a business. Maybe I should join Stashbusters??

We Have Socks!

His and Hers Socks


Excuse the mess behind the Socks!! Only place I could get my husband to pose for a picture of his new socks was in his office. I made his sock in a 2x2 rib pattern using Kroy sock yarn in Flax on size 2 DPNs. I didn't really follow a pattern for these. I just figured my gauge (no, I didn't swatch), did the math, and cast on. Once I got the basic sock thing down, it was pretty easy. For my socks, I used the Waving Lace pattern from IK Spring 2004. I used the Sock it to Me from Elann knit with size 1 DPNs. DH wants another 2 pairs for his birthday at the end of next month. I better get going, he has big feet!

Since tomorrow is Tuesday, I will follow in Alison's footsteps and post about the progress of the knitalongs I have joined. Until then, it is late and I am tired.

I Was RAOK'D!

Have to add this quick post. See my new header and button?? Amy made it for me. Sent me an email yesterday and then showed me how to add it correctly. I thought it was a wonderful gift as I was thinking of doing something like that, but really wasn't sure what I wanted. This is perfect!!

Not much time to post today. I need to send out my gift to my secret pal (finally decided what to send) and some RAOKs that have been sitting on my desk forever. Then it is off to the Naked Lounge for Stitch-n-Bitch. If any of you Sac Area people are reading this, feel free to join us for some Java and knitting!!

More Fun Stuff

Presents!!
My Secret Pal sent me a beautiful card and a really cute stitch marker. I was really surprised to see this in the mail. Thank you Super Duper Secret Pal! I love stitch markers!

Stitch Markers from Allena
I never showed the stitch markers that Allena gave me. Now I have a variety of purdy ones, not just the plain plastic.

Shoalwater Shawl
I have been doing some knitting, not just shopping. This is what I have completed of my Shoalwater Shawl. I am hoping to get this completed by the middle of March. That way I will have this completed by the time that the next shawl kit comes in from Joslyn's.

Lace Socks
And last but not least, here are the socks that I started on my way to Stitches. Can't wait to wear these!

I've also been tagged by Caitlyn, so here goes:
1. How much space is left on your Tivo or Comcast Box? We don't own these, but we do have the capability of recording TV on our computer.

2. Have you ever bought a DVD of TV Series and if so, which one? Nope, haven't done this either.

3. What was the last TV show that you watched before reading this message? That's easy. Medium on NBC.

4. List five shows you won't miss? That's easy, I hate reality shows so any of them can go.

5. Name 3 people to whom you will pass this stick. Amy, Allena, and Jen.

That's all for today. Whew! Two long posts in two days???

Edit 2/21/05
Apparently I didn't understand question 4......shows I wouldn't miss as in shows I love to watch. Well, I am a huge Gilmore Girls fan, I have gotten hooked into Stargate and Stargate Atlantis (thanks to my husband) and I like that new show Medium. Those are the only shows that I will actually watch on a regular basis. The only one that I never miss is Gilmore Girls!

Stitches West (Warning- this is long!)

On Our Way to Stitches West!

Don't these ladies look wide awake?? Sarah and the famous hat are on the left, Christina is on the right.

We took Amtrack to Santa Clara. I had to catch the bus in Roseville at 6:45am. This would get me to Sacramento at 7:20am to catch the 7:40am train to Santa Clara. Whew! That was early. Fortunately, I hit Starbuck's on the way out. Amtrack had a special for Stitches, a 10% discount. For those people (including us) that went on Saturday to hit the market, Amtrack set aside a car just for knitters, had gift bags with yarn and Starbuck's gift cards and door prizes. Definitely the way to go! We got to Santa Clara around 10:25am and headed straight to the Market.

The Market is huge. That's my only word to describe it. Lots of people, lots of vendors, yarn and accessories everywhere. Some vendors were having sales. I picked up lots of Wildefoot sock yarn from one vendor. Also picked up some Manos from another. As you can see below, when yarn is on sale, knitters will come.

Manos on SALE!
I was able to find some Mountain Colors Bearfoote too. I am really into sock yarn right now. I know that I am suppose to be on a yarn diet, but I have been purchasing some here and there. Hi, I'm Violet and I'm a yarnaholic.

Brooks Farm
Many of the vendors are specialty vendors. Above is a picture of some of the hand-painted yarns from Brooks Farm Yarn. We were able to pick up hand-painted, 100% kid mohair (Each of us bought some!) from Brooks. Absolutely beautiful. The picture above is a sample of what they offered. I would recommend looking at their website. Great prices and gorgeous yarns.

Sarah and Her Famous Hat

She Sarah's hat? Sarah's hat is famous....at least at the Market it was famous. The hat pattern is from Stitch-n-Bitch and looks absolutely great on Sarah. The hat is great as I was able to easily spot her if I wandered off from the group (also helps that she is 5'8" and I am 5'2"). The hat also had quite a following. Knitters were constantly asking her about the hat: Where did you get that pattern? Where did you find the sequins? Is it hard to make? What kind of yarn did you use? She was quite good natured about it. It also came in handy when I met Nathania! I told her to look for the girl with the shiny hat!

Still Here?
From left to right: Christy, Sarah, and Marin.

At about 3pm, we were completely beat. I was at the point of not being able to focus my eyes. We decided to take a break, rest our feet, and figure out what we wanted to do before we had to catch the train home. So, we made one last round and hit the places that we felt we should see again.

Marin and Her Bounty!
We finally got back to the train and headed home. We tried to knit, but were so tired by the time we on the train. So instead, we decided to look at all of the wonderful yarn we bought. Marin is pictured above. Marin is the organizer for the Stitch-n-Bitch Sacramento group.

Look at What I Got!
Here is my wonderful yarn. Lots of sock yarn (all the Wildfoote) and some fun hand painted yarn. Took me all of Sunday to recover from the trip. Would I do it again? Definitely. Next year, I am taking time off and taking some classes!

Been so busy...haven't had time to post

The past few days have been so busy.....Tuesday is Tori's gymnastics day, Wednesday was Rocklin Meetup, and tonight is Sacramento Stitch n Bitch. Whew! And this Saturday is Stitches West! All of this leaves very little time for blogging. This Sunday will be blogging day. I will post pictures of Stitches and of my purchases.....Yes, I will try to control myself.

Day Late......

So much for posting yesterday. Got home from work and forgot that we were going out to dinner with our friends Doug and Kathy. Doug had decided that he was going to try sushi for the first time so we went to Mikuni's, a really delicious and fun sushi/Japanese restaurant. If you are ever in the Sacramento area, and you love sushi, this is the place to go.

While I was sick, I was able to finish my Sockapalooza socks.

Sockapalooza Socks are Done


So, what do you think? I hope that my sock pal likes them....I do. I also worry about fit. They fit me, they fit my daughter.....worry worry worry. I am going to wash them tonight so they are nice and clean. I also think I will add a surprise in the package for my sock pal. Any suggestions?

Finished Shawl


I also finished this shawl last night. I decided to go much longer than the pattern stated. It is about 68" long and the pattern only called for 52". I wanted to be able to wrap this around me since the guys at work love to keep the office cold. The changes with the colors in the yarn really bothered me at first. You can really tell when the colors changed or when I changed skeins. Oh well, it is really soft and warm so I love it anyway.

I have just barely started Mariah. I hope to work on that this weekend along with Drift for my daughter and my THING. I really have been ignoring my THING. It just keeps staring at me from my basket saying, "I'm still here! You can't ignore me!" I can't figure out why I keep avoiding it. I learned so much when I first started it....but now, I really don't want to continue. Is it because it is arcrylic (ew)? Is it because I am working on other fun projects? Hmm.......maybe I can work on it International Pajama Day????

I'm alive!

I am feeling much better. Thank you to all that have been sending me get well sentiments. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness. A BIG thank you to my super duper secret pal. I received a wonderful get well card yesterday that was basically a video game! So fun to kill the germs! I have the BEST secret pal!

I also received my first RAOK from Allena of Star Knits. I promise to post pictures later tonight when I get home. To see the pictures on her blog, use this link. They are even more beautiful than pictured.

I was actually much better as of Wednesday afternoon. I didn't have time to post as I was gone Wednesday night and last night. I was out doing fun knitting things! I can't remember if I had posted this previously, but I started a Meetup group for the Roseville area. There is a group in Sacramento that I have been attending, but the drive is about 30-40 minutes. After working, it can be really hard to leave the house knowing that I will be on the road for at least an hour that night. Well, Wednesday was our first meeting and we had a wonderful time. I met some wonderful women and I really enjoyed myself.

Last night, I attended the local knitting guild meeting. I met Sandi through the Roseville Knitting Meetup on Wednesday (we had been emailing each other before that) and she had told me about the guild. Well, that was a great meeting. There were approximately 40 people in attendance. All different levels of knitting ability. The guild also had a learning segment on weaving in ends and changing colors. The best part was seeing what everyone was working on! I will definitely be joining the guild! Upcoming events will be monthly workshops and quarterly intensive workshops.

That's all for now. I will be posting tonight after work. I may have some FOs to post too!!