Starting something new

... is always fun! I think that is one of the reasons my stash is getting too big. I'm probably not alone in this, but I tend to buy materials for projects, filled with great expectations of what will come, only to put it aside "until I am done what I have on the needles" or some other such excuse, and it stays "away" for some time, often until I can't remember the original project it was bought for!

Today, I returned a leftover ball of Natural Geranium SWS to the lys (bought extra for the tea cozy) and wound up exchanging it for a ball of Natural Blue plus bought 2 extra balls so I would have enough for a Booga Bag! I don't need another Booga ... as a matter of fact, I don't need another bag of any sort! Even pressing my mind very hard, I am having trouble coming up with anyone who might need a gift of a Booga or any kind of felted bag (even though I love to make them), slippers, tea cozy or anything else of the sort! Nothing anytime soon. Ahh well ... the stash continues to grow!

Edit: Feeling guilty from writing about it, I just went through most of it and tried to get it somewhat organized -- NO MORE yarn will be purchased until I either knit some or give/sell some. I didn't realize I had that much yarn kicking around! Alot of it is bright coloured acrylics, bought soley to cheer me up on dull days . I should see if the ladies auxilliary at the hospital wants some of it. Perfect stuff for cheery hats for kids, or those little teddy bears they knit to give to sick kids.

Oh -- FO to show. These have been kicking around for a while, with just the foot of one left to do. Not sure of the yarn used for the main part of the socks, although the heel, toe and cuff are Kroy 4 ply. Pretty cheery for a vanilla sock ... they will go in the Christmas gift stash (and are #5 on the 52 Pair Plunge, and also count for my June sock for the Sock A Month KAL). It's nice to have them off the needles and in the gift drawer!

Feeling Cozy!

The Cozy is done -- a perfect fit! There are still the finishing touches -- a cord/ribbon of some sort for the top, and hopefully some dangleybobs (roses or licorice allsorts, or maybe strawberries of I can find them!) to futz it up a bit, but those won't take any time to do, and I want to think about what T's grandmother would like. Mattress stitched the seams (ala Lucy Neatby) -- can't even see the seams unless you feel the knitting! (What did I do before Lucy?)

I can't seem to get the song out of my head ....


I'm a little teapot ,

Short and stout

Here is my handle,

Here is my spout ...

And now that I have passed the relentless tune on to someone else, I am (hopefully)free of it!

Pots Gone Wild? or perhaps "teas"?

More later when there is something to show on the next birthday project!

They Should Call her "Hot Needles"!

K finished her second sock of her second pair ever last night ... she emailed me to let me know, and to advise me that she had started her Booga Bag. This morning she showed me her I-cord strap for said Booga, along with a 1/3 finished Booga. Upon her return from lunch, I got an excited email "I am on row 32 -- 32 more to go! YAY!" -- I may have said it before .... but the girl is a phenom! The yarn has not even been living at her house for a full 24 hours yet, and she is probably done the bag already!! And she works a full time job (which I would like to add she was at work 1.5 hours earlier than anyone else today -- and generally is there that early every day, and stays late nightly! Where does she get the time to knit?) I am delighted that she gets such joy from knitting (her whole face lights up when she talks about her projects and she has an ear to ear grin! Makes me happy to see her so content!) I am happy with what I get done -- even though it amazes me how fast she is!

I went shopping on my lunch break today and found (finally!) a teapot for T's grandmother, so now the knitting of the cozy can begin! The pot is cute -- too bad it will be 'dressed' most of the time! and another plus, the brown on the pot is a perfect match for the brown stripes in the Natural Geranium yarn. How lucky!

I am about halfway done the first side of the Tea Cozy ... it is knitting pretty fast (in a 2 x 2 rib - nothing fancy!) I am looking forward to finishing it up and moving on to the hot water bottle cover ... not sure why, but I have been wanting to make one for MONTHS! I think they are so cute (and practical -- I hate the scalding feeling of the hot bottle directly on me, and it's even worse in the morning with a cold , clammy water bottle touching your foot or on your belly! YUCKO!)

When I was a kid, we lived in a big , old house with no heat upstairs in the bedrooms - in winter, it was so cold in the mornings you could see your breath and there would be frost on the walls. Anyhow, Mom would pile our beds up with blankets (so many they were a real weight on you as you slept), flannel sheets and flannel or fleece footed Jammies to help us not be cold at night, and to help us to get into the icy cold beds, about a half hour before, she would run upstairs with about 4 glass pint rum bottles filled with hot water and put them in our beds -- they would burn your foot if you bumped them early in the night, so she would slip each of the bottles into a wool sock -- not fancy, but it worked! Maybe that's why I like the idea of the fancy-schmancy hotwater bottle cover. Not sure if that's why ... but I really am looking forward to making one!

* Edit: Blogger decided to allow me to post pictures! Yay!

I should be in Sales!

I really should -- LOL!
(to read breaking news ... read edit at the bottom of the blogpost!)
I took my new Booga Bag (totally done, but quite damp still) to work this morning to show my girls there -- a lot of them are knitters and seem to enjoy seeing the stuff I make, so I thought they might like to see the bag. There were a lot of "Oohs and Ahhs" and a little parade of people visiting my area of the office for a peek. One woman even said she hopes I get her name in the office "Secret Santa" -- tee hee! (I had her a few years ago, but didn't think she was the type who would like something handknit -- I know now!)

There are a few girls who are interested enough in it that they asked where I got the yarn, the pattern and how to "felt" -- and one of them, a good friend of mine (remember K who went to the Lucy Neatby class?) actually went to the store and bought all the supplies to make one! Hers will be in the Patons SWS Natural Geranium (sooo pretty!!) -- and K is such a fast knitter and so good at knitting, I bet she has the bag done and felted before Friday morning! And her completed bag will probably be the push for the girls who are considering making one to take the plunge! (I don't know why it gives me such glee to see more people take up knitting, but it really does excite me!)

I should give an update on how K is doing with her sock knitting -- she cast on her first sock ever on the way home from Lucy Neatby's course (finished the pair about a week later! The force is strong in her! ;) --- and cast on immediately for her second pair. They are in one of the denimy blue Austerman colours, being knit for her Dad and she only has the toe of second sockleft to knit! The woman is a phenom with the needles, and such a sweetheart to boot! (She is kicking my butt on the sock production thing, but is so fun that I can't wish a plague of splintery bamboo needles or a skein of knotty yarn on her!!)

When I was at the LYS today, the woman who owns it told me they are planning to do a Yarn of the Month promotion, where they will feature a different yarn each month at a special price, and make sure that there are patterns and guidance for people to help them knit projects from the featured yarn -- cool idea and she seemed really excited by the idea, so I hope they do it for a while! I think they are starting off with some of the acrylics to see how it goes, but I am hoping they do a month in the winter with Patons Classic Wool! Imagine all the fun stuff you could make with that -- felted projects, sweaters, purses, .... I love the Classic Wool (and it comes in so many nice colours! Our LYS has quite a few of the colours, and I am hoping they will get a few more -- Paprika, Leaf Green and any of the "That's ..." colours would be fun for younger knitters!).

Sorry, no pictures today ... perhaps I will have something next time I post!

**Edit: Well, after I wrote up this blurb, I picked up the needles and started to knit since I had a bit less than half ball of yarn left from my Booga, thinking maybe I would knit a change purse, or cell phone case, but not really sure what I would end up with, since cyphering the math on percentage of shrinkage is beyond my capabilities. So I knit. And I knit some more. I knit what looks like a little pocket, then a smaller pocket, using every last scrap of yarn in the ball. The two small pockets are bouncing around in the washer as I type, trying to become what is desired, but not really sure if they are up to the challenge ... pics in mere moments! The suspense is KILLING me!

The way I look at it ... you can't win them all! The little change purse-type pocket didn't make out so well, but the cell phone-cozy-type pocket worked out better ... I am getting a new phone at the end of the month (likely a flip phone jobby or a Razor) either of which which will be more compact than the phone I have. Regardless, the cell phone cozy will work ... the change purse -- meh, not so much! sorry for the crappy picture quality on that one -- very dark room!

I Love, Love, Triple Love This Colour!

When I walked into my LYS and saw this colour (natural green) in SWS, I had to have it! Orange, green and brown together in one yarn was just screaming my name! After seeing how nicely the SWS felts in Lexa's bags and slippers (which I can't find a picture of on her blog!), I knew this was going to become a Booga bag of my very own! I have had the Booga bag link saved in my computer's Favorites Links for as long as I have had a computer, but was waiting to find a yarn I loved to make it.

I cast on the bottom on Friday evening, picked up the stitches around the edge and had 5 rows knit before bedtime (all so I would have an easy mindless knit -- which would allow for lots of chatting and little concentration on the knitting -- for the WWKIP Day being held at the LYS, hosted by Lexa). It is a really quick bag to knit-- all that was left to do last night was to sew in the ends and the felting!


It was a nice break from sock knitting, and I am very excited for it to be felted and dry so I can use it. The wool is a but of a nuisance to work with as it isn't really twisted so tends to be easy to split if you aren't paying attention, but it is so pretty, I'm ok with it!

This is it pre felting (on the left) and this is it post felting, pre assembly (on the right) -- quite a difference, eh? And the picture below is the bag all finished and ready to go shopping (a little damp, but rarin' to go!) - I thought the cat toy in the 2 pics above would give some perspective of the size change, and that the pen in the picture below might show the actual size of the purse. The colour of the bag is most similar to the the bottom picture -- the hues are quite intense after felting (the one on the upper right is really way way way off the actual colour)..


The SWS really felts fast -- It was only in the washer for 10 minutes and felted fully (much faster than Patons Classic Wool). It is a small purse, just big enough for my wallet, cell phone and glasses -- but that's all I need! And it is only slightly smaller than the finished size the pattern says it should be, so I am pleased!


I picked up 2 more balls of SWS in Natural Geranium to make a tea cozy and hot water bottle cover for T's Grandmother's birthday ... she lives in Newfoundland (in a village called Paradise -- can you imagine being able to say you live in Paradise? and her village is as close to it as you can get! very tranquil and lovely!) My father-in-law is going for a visit on her birthday in 2 weeks (lots of time to get them done, even with having to do some modifications re: pattern due to the different weight yarn). The hot water bottle cover is so cute ... it shouldn't be hard to make something similar from the SWS that fits the bottle! I guess now I am on an SWS kick! It is really pretty!

Some people are really creative

... and I am in awe of them! I was poking around on the SP4 Pligg and saw this -- now I want to buy Marzipan and try it myself!

Lexa... can we have these at the WWKIP on Saturday? LOL! Wonder if Tim Horton's would make them? LOL! Now I am going to have to find time and a suitable occasion to make them for! hmmm ... I am coming up on my 6 month bloggiversary on July 10th -- ya never know, if there is marzipan in Liverpool, NS, I may be knitting with it!

Nothing but Nothin'

That is a popular expression here at our house in response to the question "Whatcha doing?" -- "Nothing but nothin' !" This has been a busy week, but not much has been accomplished! I am plugging away on my SP3 sock - knitting the heel flap now on sock #2, and contemplating making something for the new baby -- he is pretty cute, and I like to knit baby things (and am eying up the sweater the Harlot is obsessed with! Very sweet!)

Speaking of the Harlot, Alyson over at the Yo-Yo Knits is going to see the Harlot as part of her honeymoon while in Victoria (I am eagerly anticipating her returning from the honeymoon to regale us with the Yarn Harlot's Victoria stop on the book tour! which it seems is, coincidence(?), taking place on World Wide Knit in Public Day!

The LYS that Lexa works at is hosting a WWKIP event on Saturday afternoon -- I believe it starts around 1 p.m. -- if it's sunny we are gonna bring lawn chairs and sit beside the store, knitting away! If it rains -- we'll be inside! It should be fun to watch all the non-knitters wondering why we are "doing that" outdoors, en mass! heheh! I think I will work on my sock for the SP3 -- it needs a few more outings before it is finished, so it will have a tale to tell when it finally arrives (in August) at its new home! And what better tale to tell than taking part in a WWKIP event!?!

For some bizarre reason -- blogger is not letting me post pictures this evening! Another time I guess!

ISE4 Scarf Done!

I cast off my ISE4 Pal's scarf this morning and tried my hand at blocking it. I have to admit, I was a bit scared, never having blocked mohair before and having knit a scarf that was anything but a rectangle! It was pretty wonky looking when I finished knitting it -- but responded really well to the blocking. (not a completely straight edged rectangle, but not bad considering I don't have proper blocking materials!)

I washed it in Eucalan Lavender and stretched it out on a towel on the sofa (and had to double it back in a U shape as it is about 10 or 12 feet long!) Way too long to block on the bed (plus I didn't want any critters having a nap on the Mo! They have been sniffing it -- but so far have not tried to get on the back of the sofa for a snooze!)

The pattern I knit is "Lucky 13" and the scarf is made of Fleece Artist Country Mohair in Amethyst (slightly variegated plummy purple with a tealish-navy blue) -- I love the colour and hope the scarf suits my pal. She lives in Australia, and I wanted to give her a taste of Nova Scotia, hence the Fleece Artist, and didn't want to knit anything too warm, as her climate is quite different than mine.

I still have a few things to buy for her package before sending it off in the post ... and they will likely be Nova Scotian specialties! (I am thinking "chicken bones" candy as the sweet treat!), and I want to pick up a few treats for her little fella, too (it's no fun if Momma gets a parcel and you don't get anything!), so will go on a quest today!

Hoping to have the scarf dry tonight and wrapped and in the mail tomorrow -- one day shy of the deadline! I am sorry, ISE4 Pal, but I am a procrastinator, and although I won't send something late -- I cannot for some reason, be ready ahead of schedule!

All Baby, All the Time (no knitting in this post, baby pictures galore!)

It's pretty exciting to have a new nephew, so no knitting has been done since he was born (plus on Friday, after work, I drove to Halifax to see them and didn't get home until just before midnight, and then had to be on the road at 5 a.m to Hibernia for a 7 a.m. Fishing Derby -got back home at 12: 30 pm and napped until after suppertime! So really, I haven't been home or awake long enough to knit!).

Back to the important stuff ... he is beautiful! (That's me holding him in the picture) Dark hair, fat little fella (already has the chubber-baby-rolls on his arms and legs, and is really filled out across is back and belly), with a perfect shaped little head and barely a mark on him -- he is lovely (and a good model for why people should have Cesarean sections -- he was camera ready immediately! ) LOL!

Auntie Heddy is the official baby photographer for our family! So I got in there right away with the camera and got some shots (with Jack, their firstborn, I had over 500 pictures of him by 6 months of age! and the picture they send out as their birth announcement was one of mine. They want to have a similar picture of the second born son ... so I took 60 pictures of the new baby and his momma and daddy!) Unfortunately, when I got to the hospital, my Mom had already taken Big Brother Jack home ... so I got no pictures of the brothers together, or whole family of four shots!

By the way, my nephew FINALLY has a name (they decided yesterday - following more than a day of namelessness!) ... Owen Warren -- Owen is a name both of them like (plus it sounds nice with his big brother's name --"Jack and Owen, its time for school!") and Warren was Jason's father's name (he died about 10 years ago). I like the name.

Now ... look at this face -- I am doomed! I will spoil this little cutie as much as I do his brother and the 2 nieces and nephew from T's brother's families! It's fun to be an Auntie!

In these pictures he is not even 12 hours old!

This is Jack at 2 1/2 days old ... he had a rough delivery and got pretty beat up ... but what a doll he was -- slept all the time, and was a snuggle bunny! Now he is a big brother! I think they look a bit alike, but also quite different. Jack looks a lot like Tracy, and I think that Owen will look more like Jason. Jack started out with dark hair, and wound up a redhead like his Mom, while Owen's hair is really dark, thick and spikey ... more like his Dad.

Anyhow, that's enough about babies! If I get a shot of the 2 brothers together, I'll post it.

Next time ... knitting updates!

You can call me Auntie Heddy ! (again)

I am soooo excited -- my sister is having her baby today!! (by section - issues with her firstborn's birth led to a section this time around)

We don't know what she's having ... but I can't wait to see it!

I'll be back later today with the "big reveal" -- boy or girl?

This is my sister's little fella - Jack - who is very excited about becoming a big brother (he was wanting to call a baby brother
"Deacon", but yesterday changed his mind and would like a brother named "Spanky") LOL - kids are so funny!

More news later!

It's a BOUNCING BABY BOY!!! Big too - ( 9 lbs., 1 oz.!!!) They said they would have had to do an emergency section if she hadn't been already scheduled for one, as he was breech! Momma is safe and happy!

More later on my new nephew's name! (hopefully, they won't go with Jack's Choice -- Spanky !) and an update on if they now have 2 redheaded boys!