Summer Toes and Progress on K1b Scarf

My neighbor came by to show off her first pedicure of the summer. Her toes are a beautiful red with some sparkly bits and a flower design on the big toe. Very sandalicious I think.

I have ripped out my Knit One Below Inside Out Scarf three times to get the look I want. In class we had started it on needles much smaller than the pattern called for. I believe that was because they expected we were all there to start the vest.


So I went back to the pattern and finally chose the needle size that the pattern called for, a size 10. Things are going much better now. My plan is to fringe one end of the scarf and leave the other end plain to show off the fancy double loop cast on. The scarf will be on display at Nuts and Bolts in Woodland Park as soon as I can get it done, as a sample of the Knit One Below class I will be teaching there in September.

It is a very fun stitch and, once I figured out how to read it in my knitting, has been very relaxing. A couple notes: do not get overconfident when you slide the stitches over to the end of the circular needle to finish that section on that side. I can attest that they can go shooting off the end of the needle and create quite a mess. :-)

For my next project using this stitch I will attempt the Reversible Vest. I have a skein of fun yarn that I bought for a vest two years ago at the Estes Park Wool Festival. I have not gotten around to the other vest pattern, however I think this yarn will go well combined with a solid color of worsted and make an interesting look for a casual vest.

I hope you are finding fun, new ways to spend your leisure time!

Happy Monday: Weekend Update

I am happy to report it was a very busy and productive weekend. It started out Saturday with FROG (freezing fog) that finally dissipated in town around 1 p.m. from the reports I received. I went out in it around 8 a.m. to drive up to Woodland Park for my private student. I left very early to insure that I had enough time to drive as slowly as necessary to arrive safely. Once I got to the eastern edge of Woodland Park around 9 a.m. it was already starting to clear. By 11 when I met my client it was sunny and lovely.

We had a great time knitting leaves for the Tea Roses and talking about future projects. She showed me a great book all about making crafts with felted sweaters called Warm Fuzzies. It has some wonderful ideas in it.

Then I was off to visit the folks. Mom and I started our sweater knitalong for the girls in Germany. Will have pictures when we actually have something done on the needles worth photos. We watched Madagascar 2 and ate a sumptuous surf and turf dinner. It was lots of fun.

I worked all day Sunday on my stitch marker orders. It is really fun taking a charm and deciding what color and composition of bead hangers I want to pair it with. Watched Shakespeare in Love and The Wedding Planner while I worked.

Then I made roast chicken for dinner and worked on a scarf out of one of the new Lion Brand Homespun colors for the shop. I realized that they need samples up in the yarn section so I am going to see what I can do to contribute.

Pedro assisted me in all my endeavors and was sound asleep when I left home this morning. Poor boy, I must have worn him out.

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!

The Wall of Samples and the Last Day of January

It was a splendid day to visit Woodland Park today. The weather was sunny, bright and warm for the last day of the first month of the new year. I had my first class with my private student and we worked on the Tea Rose pattern that is from Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flowers book. She did really well and, I expect, will be ready for the leaves in two weeks with two flower pieces ready to put together.

While I was there I added my latest design sample, the Gauntlet Cuff, to my section of the Wall of Samples. I also gave them the sample of the Tea Rose to hang up for future students. So far I am filling my section of the wall, and with shop's help they get ID'd with fun signage.


I even got to visit with the shop owner's dog, Sport. He is recuperating from his first hip replacement and needs to be kept quiet. So, he was soaking up as much attention as he could from the steady flow of customers. Way to go, Sport!

I hope all of you are finding ways to fill these winter days and enjoy the last day of January!

From Gussets to Glory!

It was a successful conclusion to my sock class in Woodland Park. I think everyone had a good time and did learn some basics of sock construction. I know we giggled a lot over the two afternoons we met. I blamed it on the high altitude, the shop owner referenced liquid refreshment. So if Diet Coke and high altitude are to blame, then we did good.

I returned to a beautiful sunset and an anxious pussycat who wanted to go out and watch the stars come out. Those days are coming to an end rapidly since it will soon be too cold and dark when I get home to go outside. He is enjoying these last mild days before it is time to build his kitty igloo.

Thanks to all the brave and wonderfully fun gals that joined me for the sock class. I have requests for more classes in the future and am working on those proposals this week. To all you fiber nuts out there -- Happy knitting!

Prepping for My Sock Class

While I was in Taos this weekend I received good news that I have seven students for my "Mastering the Art of Sock Construction" (no hard hat required). So I spent this day off at home making sock parts for class examples and gathering supplies. I think of it as packing for a trip without the need for the quart baggie, unless I need to go through security between my house and Woodland Park.

The new shop, Nuts and Bolts, in Woodland Park is coming along nicely. They are already bringing in yarn and complementary supplies due to vocal customer demand. I am excited about that. They have provided a large, airy and well-lit classroom space that is in the front of the store near the windows. I think that will be good advertisement as folks driving by will see there is something going on in there.

I can hardly wait to meet my students this Saturday, and utilize these new facilities to share my love of the craft and the secrets to socks. Hope you are planning more fun fall activities for this weekend!

Christmas Round Two

This year, the Saturday after Christmas was the official family gathering for traditional dinner and more frivolity. The Georgia guests had recuperated from their long trip to get here and the rest of the family that live in the immediate area were able to join the family to celebrate.

My day began by taking down the Christmas tree and packing up the decorations to go back to the storage shed. I had help, of course.

I made the trek up the mountain to the folks house and had to stop for this fabulous pic just west of downtown Woodland Park of the Tree People's woodcarving lot of the hot pink dinosaur and palm tree.

And this is the sight that greeted me in the yard at my folks. These are imported snow bunnies from the great state of Georgia. They had so much fun sledding in the driveway.

In the house I found Mom with the makings of the dinner in full swing, ham, sweet taters, mashers, lima beans (my fave) and I brought the stuff to make pineapple casserole. I like this as a side dish for ham, and after the meal, it doubles as a not-too-sweet dessert - just add Cool Whip. Yummy!

Here is the recipe:

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drain half liquid

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 lb. butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

5 slices bread

3 large eggs

Mix ingredients together, pour into a greased 8x4 bread loaf pan. Bake at 350-degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

After dinner all found pursuits like cribbage, go fish, and my brother performed some card tricks to the awe of the nephews.

When I returned home I found Pedro happily ensconced in his kitty igloo, dreaming about chasing mice and snacking on salmon.

Hope you had lots time to spend with family and friends this holiday season.

Christmas is Grand

For the first time in ten or more years we had snow for Christmas. The above picture is the much acclaimed and chuckled at palm trees in Woodland Park that are part of the landscape of the Dinosaur Resource Center.

Christmas was lots of fun this year. My brother and his family from Georgia arrived with Santa's sleigh around 2 a.m. Christmas morning and were groggy but excited to open packages after a few hours of sleep.

Before they woke up, my mother, the other evil elf, was helping me, with the aid of a flashlight, find whose makeshift gift bag stocking was whose so I could add my gift donations. We had giggled earlier at my other brother's suggestion that instead of gift bags we could have used the redneck version of a Christmas stocking, the ever-present ziplock bag.

My brother, the evil elf, was in charge of passing out packages. We only had to fire him once for giving the wrong present to someone. Might have something to do with his eyes were propped open with toothpicks.

After the festivities with the gift wrap, we scrunched up on the couch for a family picture. My brother has assured me he will send the one with all of us soon and I will add it later. For now this one will have to do and, yes, I am behind the camera.

And since the kids had not seen snow in a while they all bundled up in the layers of snow suits and went out in pursuit of a sledding hill. At 18-degrees and blowing, I opted to stay in the house and help Mom with dinner prep.

Hope your Christmas was warm, filled with family and fun.