Happy Labor Day!

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday!

What Did I Learn New This Weekend?

I have been renting and viewing Lucy Neatby's DVDs from the library to determine which one I will need to own first. Hers are like having a long class that you can replay anytime you need to refresh your memory on something you don't do over and over. And for the cost of the DVD that is a bargain. You can order them online and, yesterday, I found some on sale at my local Joann's store.

From Neatby's Sock Knitting Techniques 1 I finally learned the Channel Island Cast On. Up to this point I had seen it explained in books and on patterns but never found a way to learn it on my own. The video was very clear in its explanation and showing of the technique. I recommend to start out learning it on worsted weight yarn so you can see what it is supposed to look like before trying it on fingering weight for a sock.

It creates a lovely little knotted, picot-looking edge which runs into the ribbing, blending it magicly. I can hardly weight to use it on the top down sock project or the new cable ear flap hat project that I am making for a shop sample to see how it will look in the finished piece overall and not just on an inch of cast on fabric.

I hope everyone is finding new ways to do the things they love!

Note: I borrowed the picture from one of the best tutorials that I found on this cast on.

New Knitting Nemesis: One-Row Buttonhole

For the last couple of weeks I have been struggling with accomplishing a buttonhole for the Prairie Boots by CocoKnits. The pattern is great, well-written, however it uses a two-row buttonhole that I find to be sloppy. Granted, in the heavy fabric of this boot it will not be that noticeable, but I wanted a neater, cleaner look.

Yesterday at my Knit O Rama class, the gal that is making the Prairie Boots and I tried again from the instructions that I had found at Knit Picks for the one-row buttonhole and we still had problems with it.

I had seen Lucy Neatby do this buttonhole on her Knitting Essentials 1 video. I had looked all over the Internet to find a version but until today had not been lucky. I finally found one at YouTube and practiced along with it to be sure it works. It does! and here is where you can find The one-row buttonhole.

One more knitting nemesis conquered. My weekend is going good now. I hope yours is as well.

Sock Progress: Monkey and Bilingual

When last you left this sock knitter I was working on two socks, one - the mate to the Monkey socks on dpns and the other - a plain ribbed sock done on the newly learned Socks on Two Circs method.

Here is where we are now: Monkey sock is into the heel turn and the two circ sock, I am calling Bilingual, is into the gusset. Bilingual is knitting up much tighter than Monkey. I am knitting on size ones in both cases and with similar fingering yarn. The only thing I can think of is it is because I can keep a tighter tension on the circs versus changing dpns every lace pattern repeat over 4 needles.

I am going to try the Bilingual's mate on a 16-inch circ instead of the 12-inch circs I am currently using to see if there is a difference there. I really like the feel of the circs. I think they will make a much better travelling sock project because I feel more secure knitting on them. No chance of flipping a needle across the plane. I do have to find out if HiyaHiya makes these needles with bamboo tips instead of metal. That will prevent a standoff with TSA.

I hope everyone is making progress on their favorite projects!

How To Mix Knitting and Reading

Prior to my current knitting schedule (craze, obsession) I was an avid reader. Like movies, I will read anything with a preference for thrillers and mysteries, as well as travel memoirs. Once I took up knitting in all my spare, and seemingly, leisure time I found that I could not knit and read a book at the same time without dire results in the fabric.

So I took up audio books. There are some downsides to this like availability in anything but the most current releases by the most popular authors. As a matter of fact, I am number 110 or 132 patiently waiting for the release of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol which is the sequel to the Da Vinci Code, in audiobook at my library. Obviously, it will be a while. I usually "read" while en route to and from work, my commute is about 25 minutes. Then I also "read" in the car at lunch while I knit on my portable projects, as pictured above, currently this is sock projects. So, I can get a book read in about a week of commute and lunch time. Also, I have books loaded on my Creative Zen player that I can listen to while traveling or cleaning house. Those take longer to read because I usually clean house to a favorite, much watched movie that I do not have to actually watch, just listen to.

In the evenings at home I knit while watching movies. As I have said in the past, for some movies I have had to put the knitting down to watch the action so not to lose my place. Most of the time I can watch, listen and knit simultaneously without a problem. I love my Netflix membership. It is my well-spent entertainment budget every month.

Recently I made a command decision that there are some books I really want to read and have not found on audiobook, like Julie and Julia. So my evening schedule changed a bit to accommodate that wish. I knit and watch a movie. When the movie is done I put down the knitting, turn off the TV and read a chapter before bed.

It is working very well so far. I am really enjoying the book. It is all a matter of organizing your time to fit all the things you want to do into the finite amount of time we are given each day.

I hope everyone has all the time they want to do the things they love!

Note: Tinkerbell bag was purchased at WalMart; Hot sauce bag is a Sock It Suzie wrister bag designed by Wendy Sloneker and purchased from her at Sock Summit. This is the handiest bag for sock knitters that I have found. And for those of you who know me, I am the bag queen. :-)

Smoke Haze Knitting

This is what it looked like at my house at sunset yesterday evening. It was really murky, grubby air looking around here with the smoke haze coming in from the BIG fires in California.


Even though the weather was cool I did not open the windows when I got home, just turned on a little AC to stir the air, did not want to bring that grunge in the house. I really feel sorry for those having breathe that stuff in CA.


Pedro begged to go outside and did not really like the air either, just laid and looked around for a few minutes before I said he had to come back in the house.

He thinks he is the king of his domain on his concrete version of Pride Rock. In reality, he never gets off his leash to prowl outdoors and does not realize that he is a cat.

Once we came back in and got settled for the evening I picked up the Reversible Vest and made some more progress on the right front of the project. As the picture shows it has been divided into the parts that you have to knit.

The front sections go very fast because you are only knitting across 25 stitches for the small size. The back will take a little more time because it is over 41 stitches.

I plan to use a three-needle bind off on the shoulder seams with the seam showing in two colors to add a little more interest to it.

Once you get the pattern technique down, this is a very relaxing knit. I can hardly wait to try it on a hat and some handwarmers for myself.

I hope everyone is finding fun ways to relax!

September Days to Celebrate

This month we will start with the reasons to celebrate nationally something for the whole month. Here are my favorites for this month: Chickens, Pianos, Rice, Sewing and School Success.

Did you know that Mary Had a Little Lamb was published in 1830? You do now.

Labor Day is being celebrated later than usual this year on September 7th. Get out your favorite childhood friend on September 9th to celebrate Teddy Bear Day. The Teddy Bear was named after the U. S. President, Theodore Roosevelt (Teddy for short). President Roosevelt liked to hunt, but a cartoon in a newspaper showed him refusing to shoot a bear. This stuffed animal toy soon took on the name of Teddy.

On September 10th you can celebrate TV Dinner Day. Swanson's sold the first one on this day in 1954.

And, please take a moment of silence to commemorate the victims of the 9/11 tragedy. Yes, it has been eight long years.

On September 12th you can slurp up one of these to celebrate National Chocolate Milk Shake Day. Then plan to celebrate National Grandparents (grups) Day and Scooby Doo's birthday.

September 15th is Make a Hat Day. I think you will also have to wear it to show off your handiwork or it does not count.

Then help the world celebrate Lance Armstrong's birthday and National PlayDoh Day.

My favorite day of the year is finally here - Talk Like A Pirate Day on September 19th. I think this one should be celebrated for a least a month. There is a two day celebration planned in Portland, OR for all things piratey. Wish I could be there.

After you have aaarghed for a couple days you can celebrate Miniature Golf Day, followed by the First Day of Autumn on September 22nd. And, did you know, the US Post Office opened in 1789.

To wrap up the month we have National Bluebird of Happiness Day on September 24th, Crush a Can Day on September 27th and on September 30th many years ago the safety pin was invented.

I hope everyone finds some reason to celebrate this month!