It's been a long time!

I have been really busy lately between Jim's school work and my work and Thanksgiving and starting to get ready for Christmas. I was able to finish my Central Park Hoodie and My Baudelaire socks. I'm working on some stuff now from a couple of years ago. I'm in a Finishupitis contest and it's been a good motivator towards getting things done that have been on the Needles for a while. Here they are!!











Now back to my regularly scheduled knitting!! More Finishing to come soon!

Halloween Haul

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted!! Well...We bought 4 bags of candy to pass out on Halloween. I figured that we would take Rebekah around for about 20 minutes and then come back home and pass out candy for the rest of the time. It didn't work that way. The weather was so nice! People in our neighborhood were out on their porches sitting in lawn chairs to pass out candy. The kids were out without need of coats. It was like a scene from those Disney movies with the kids trick or treating in California or Florida where it's always warm. Anyhow...we took Rebekah out as Angelina Ballerina. So was absolutely adorable!! I did knit her some ballet slippers but they weren't appropriate for walking outside in (although she loves those slippers!!)

I sort of figured that she would get tired. Should have known better!! She walked the entire way about 1.5 miles around our neighborhood and back home. I only helped her up some of the steep steps. She got to the end and was saying "Treat" and then she'd wave and say "Bye Bye" when we walked away. Even some of the other kids were commenting on how cute she was. Can you hear the pride in my voice as I write this? We had so much fun as a family and I am so glad we had this beautiful day so that we could enjoy Rebekah's first Trick or Treat!

She ended up with a shopping bag full of "CANNY" and chips. So far, I am very proud of her...She knows were the candy is and hasn't been pestering up for more. We do limit her candy intake because she's already a handful without being hyped up on sugar!!

I just had to throw in this one...Rebekah and Daddy love to build tall block buildings. I absolutely love watching Rebekah play! If there is one thing I am praying for as a toddler...I want my Daughter to have fun playing! I don't want her to grow up so fast and join the ranks of kids who hide out in their rooms on computers and cell phones and video games. She loves her Mommie and Daddy and demands their time and attention to play with her and I think this is a good things for her and for us as a family.

I the knitting way...I have been working on my Fall shawl. It is coming along really nice. I decided to take it off the needles and put it on fish line to sort of spread it out and take a picture. It's a yarn blob on the needles and I can't really take a picture of it, So I quickly spread it out on the bed...This is one of those quick snap shots so it doesn't show the beauty of the shawl as nicely as it really is. I wish I could take classes in photography so I could compose better!!

Can you believe...All that work and I forgot to measure it!! It's still on the fish line right now so I will lay it out again and measure what I've done so far. This picture is through clue 5. I think it's a lovely way to use this variegated yarn that I love from Knit Picks. The pattern and the yarn don't compete.

I'm starting work on The Charlotte Bronte shawl. It's for Knit The Classics Yahoo group. We are going to be knitting this shawl or another project of your choosing and listening to or reading classic Bronte. I'm still finishing up the Craft Lit episodes for "The Turn of the Screw" and when I'm finished with those, I have "Jane Eyre" ready to listen to and "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" as well.

I really like Craft Lit for a podcast. Heather Ordover is amazing! Classic books that are in the public domain are read each episode. Well, chapters of the book that is. Right now we are listening to Little Women (one of my favorites growing up) But what makes this podcast so great is Heather's explanation of the literature and things to be aware of. It's like having a mini Literature appreciation lesson. I'm really enjoying it. I just found this podcast, so I am also going through back episodes of it as well. It keeps me company on the long drives when Jim and Rebekah fall asleep in the car. I would recommend this podcast to everyone. I also recommend Faery Knitting with Erin. She reads the fairy tales that are public domain and discusses knitting, goats, milk and cheese...all very interesting. There are several other podcasts I listen to, but these are superb for the book and story telling!

SOTS3 is finished!!

I did it this time, I finished the Secret of the Stole III in time! I loved knitting this one and it looks beautiful. Rebekah loved it too and posed for a couple of pictures. I still have to block it but it looks like I will have to wait until Friday to do that.

I also started to work on the Fall shawl by Wendy McDonnell. It's a shawl that she designed for using the variegated yarns that we like but never seem to be suitable for most stoles or shawls. There is a lot of design choices that we get to make, like where to place the flowers and buds in the second clue. I am finding it very interesting. Not like others I've done that just chart the whole thing out. This is my shawl. I'm sort of designing it a little because I get to pick how the sections will ultimately look. So far, all I have are pictures of the first clue. I'm still working on the second clue.

Catching up on my Knitting

It has been a profitable kniting weekend (even if the laundry hasn't all been folded and put away). I completed Clue 8 of SOTS3. I can't believe that this stole will be finished next week!! It's been so nice to knit and is turning out beautiful. I don't have a clue as to the theme except for snow. Maybe Aspen or Colorado. We will know soon. I just want a chance to win the grandprize of that yarn from Colourmart!!

I also started the armholes on the Central Park Hoodie I'm working on. I didn't have a clue as to how to keep this going in the round but it seems to be working for me this way and I'm controlling the 3 skeins of yarn at one time so far. I like how this pattern is turning out and am planning to maybe knit it for myself without the hood, just a collar. It's also a nice easy nit and the cables make it look fancier than it really is. I use the cableing without a needle method that I learned from Grumperina's Blog.

I also started the pansy shawl from Schoolhouse press. As if I'm not already in enough KALs!! I have started and frogged a number of shawls...so it remains to be seen if I will end up finishing this one also!! I bought the yarn from Wendy of http://www.wendysmodestdress.com It is hand dyed and smells wonderful even while I am knitting with it. It is simply beautiful yarn to knit with, soft and smells scrumptious!!

Next month Wendy is hosting a Finishupitis contest on the Icelandic Shawl Yahoo group and I plan on being involved in that. I promise not to start anything else (fingers crossed) and will figure out what projects I really want to finish and which will end up in the frogged forever pond!!

Really!! I have been knitting!

It's been a bit of a hard week. Jim and I have both been ill, Rebekah has the sniffles. I worked 3 nights in a row (which totally kills me). I also started Precepts Bible study at church (the best in deapth Bible study I've ever done) and today is Rebekah's 2nd Birthday!! We had a little family party with Grandma and Grandpa T and Uncle Brian and Aunt Jennifer last night with Spaghetti and salad and cornbread muffins and cake and ice cream. I have been waiting for her 2nd birthday for a while!! Here's why...

When Dad was 2, my Grandparents gave him this wagon. On my 2nd birthday, I had cake on the same wagon. Mom and Dad have this wagon now and Rebekah plays with it when she visits Grandma and Grandpa....so....

Rebekah had a great little birthday party! And I have documentation that a Ride-Em wagon will last over 60 years!! And still provide lots of fun to children of all ages.

On other fronts, I am working on the Central Park Hoodie and got to the sleeves. I don't know if I am doing it right to qualify as knitting in the round, but it looks good to me and is working in my mind. Maybe I'm "unventing" something in my own way. Anyhow, it's fun!! And I promise to take a picture soon. Check here for further updates or on my Ravelry page (joylinnknits).

I also finished Clue 7 of SOTS 3. I can't believe that I have kept up with this one!! I hope to finish in time and be entered in the final drawing for the Colourmart yarn!! That would be so great!!! This is not the greatest picture. I took it at work over the only thing I could find that was big enough. It's not such a great backdrop, but it's done! I should have posted it earlier. I finished it on Wednesday night.

Yarny Goodness in the Mail

Remember when I won the completion prize for Clue 3 of SOTS3? It came in the mail yesterday! YEAH ME!! Its scrumptious yarn. Hand spun/hand dyed from Yarnzone. It's naturally dyed in green from mexican Olives. I think its gorgeous! And there is a pattern for a lacy scarf that I can make with it. Rebekah took the bag with the yarn and added a couple of skeins and was trotting around the house with it yesterday. Also in the package was a tiny skein of yellow yarn that Rebekah claimed. She made me take the staple out from the card and give it to her and immediately, she rubbed the yarn on her cheek! I'm raising a Yarnaholic already!! I wish I'd taken a picture of it. I can't post that because she is spending the night at Grandma's tonight and I don't have the picture. But I can post this picture

Drastic changes

Ok, I've been thinking about this lately and just up and called my hairdresser today. She had an appointment at 2 so I colored my hair, rinsed it out and went to see Kacie who cut it off. She cut off about 6-7 inches in the back. I love it!! I guess I should have taken a picture of it and I will, I just felt a need to post today and that's the big decision I made. It made me feel so good that I had to put on makeup to go to work, it just didn't feel right without makeup...ya know? I'll get a picture tomorrow and post it up.

I'm still working on SOTS3 and am really surprised to still be keeping up. We are into clue 6 now and it is beautiful!! I love my yarn and plan to send a finished picture to the dyer that I bought it from on Etsy. I am also still working on the last sock of my Baudelaire pair. I am also loving to work on Julie's Central Park Hoodie. This yarn is scrumtious!! It is so soft. The pattern calls for Donegal Tweed. I used some of that a few years back for another project and while the colors are beautiful, the yarn is not soft. I decided to use Shepherd's Wool from Stonehenge Mill in Michigan. Heritage carries it and it is lovely. 250 yards and soft!!! Beautiful!!

Anyhow, that's all for now. Some day soon I will bake some cookies for Jim. He's been hinting pretty loudly for them!!

UFO Wednesdays

I had an "I got it" moment today. I have had several projects languishing as UFOs and have been trying to decide what to do with them. So I had this idea (or brain fart, call it what you will) and decided that Wednesdays will be Work on UFO Day for a while. Having decided this, I picked out my Peacock Feathers Shawl from Fiddlesticks and began to work on it. I had to do some reading of the directions because this particular pattern is mirrored. You have to work the chart right to left to the center then work it back left to right from the center to the end of the row. Then you also have to reverse the stitches on the second half. It's not really as complicated as it sounds, I just had to get my bearings about me before I started it again. I hope that this idea will help me to get some of those UFOs completed that have been sitting around for quite a while. I started with my shawl like this:

And ended the day with it looking like this!

I've been working on Chart 2 of this pattern today while watching Rebekah. I was able to finish the whole chart but found that I was making a few mistakes and really had to tink a lot more than I should have. It's probably the cold. Jim has been hit by the cold bug that Rebekah had earlier this week. I am coming down with it as well but colds don't affect me like they do Jim. But this has been a great day for Rebekah and me. She is learning new words every day and I am having a blast watching her grow! Thank you Lord for the gift. Right now she is dancing to a commercial because she loves music. How blessed I am!!

Catching Up...It's September already!!!

It's a busy time for us at the Catanzaro house but some of us still have time to play and reflect on nature and all that God has created. Rebekah has found books!! I am reading to her now from a children's bible story book for her naps and before bedtime. She loves reading now. I like this picture. It sort of speaks for itself. Rebekah is such a good child. We are so glad that God has given us this precious one to take care of and raise while we are on this earth.

September is always a busy month for everyone, especially those who have children going back to school. My Stepson, Chris, started a new school in CrosLex, but Rebekah doesn't start school for a few years. However, I find myself as busy as anyone with kids in school! I Completed Clue 5 of SOTS this week. It was so nice and only took 2 evenings of knitting. (However, my evening goes from 10PM to 2AM because of the night shift work) I sat up alone and watched all 6 hours of Pride and Prejudice. It flowed so easily. I finished on Sunday night and because I knew that I would be finished early, I had gone to Heritage (http://www.heritagespinningandweaving.com/) to pick out yarn for the Central Park Hoodie that I decided to do for Julie (my Stepdaughter) for Christmas. I picked up some lovely yarn in green, actually, it's Ivy. It's Shepherd's Wool from Stonehenge Fiber Mill. It's wonderfully soft and is knitting up beautifully! I think that Julie will be happy with it. I also picked up 2 of these Fiberspheres. They are wonderful for yarn that is wound from hanks when you are using them, as the ball gets smaller and more messy to manage...it's all kept neat inside the ball!! I love it!

I also started practicing with Attitude of the Heart (our worship team at church) on Mondays and Resounding Praise (our bell choir) on Thursdays. It's a busy time!! But I love being part of these groups.

In the meantime, I have been working on my second set of Baudelaire socks (these are for me). Jim is going to school, and Rebekah is being herself. She is learning so much and her vocabulary is growing on a daily basis. She surprises me with words. She is also learning to knit. I have no doubt that she will be knitting soon!!

I WON! WOO HOO!!

I posted my Pictures of Clue 3 last week at the last possible moment for me (after a 2 hour last minute knitting marathon after getting home from a 6 hour drive to Lexington to pick up Chris). So there I was, sitting in a chair all alone with the TV on and everyone else in bed, finishing Clue 3, snapping a picture and posting it quick enough to count for the drawing. DK and Mr. K picked me!!! I won!!!! And best of all...I finished Clue 4 already. i just don't have a picture yet and probably won't be able to get it done and posted until Thursday or Friday (due to work and sleep). I just can't believe that I won!! YAY ME!! And thank you DK and Mr. K!! Stay tuned now for pictures....

Life has a way....

Life has definately gotten in the way of my knitting this week! I barely finished SOTS3 clue 3 in time for the completion prize cut off. I am posting this right before midnight...I just finished and laid it out on the couch and snapped a picture so I could get it posted! Jim started OCC for the fall semester this week and I have been working in the ER every night that I work. Let me tell you...It's been a little brutal to be knitting. Anyhow, I was able to get it finished and finished a set of Baudelaire socks last week for Kristine.

SOTS3 starting off much better than its predecessor

When I determined to knit lace last winter, I signed up for SOTS2 and spent 3 weeks on the first clue then 2 more weeks trying to catch up. I was never able to finish the clues on time until the very end. I blamed it on being on vacation, I blamed it on Rebekah, I blamed it on being in the car while knitting...everything except the fact that I was learning how to read at the time. Since then, I have done a few other KALs and learned how to read charts and most of all, my lace fabric. I learned how to identify when I made a mistake before I had to frog or tink. Actually, when I started this shawl, I was amazed that I only had to tink about 20-30 stitches a couple of times to correct a mistake. I didn't have the numerous mistakes I encountered the first time. I was excited!

I already love this stole and I don't even know what it looks like! I just know that the first clue took only 3 days to knit instead of 3 weeks!! I finished it tonight and took a couple of pictures. They aren't that great because I'm at work and the lights are fluorescent and the background is a rough towel, but at least it's done!! Now I need to finish my Baudelaire sock so I can get it done by Friday morning to qualify for the Ravelympics WIPSwrestling.

Speaking of Olympics, is anyone else a little mystified over some of the judging inconsistencies that have been going on? Chinese girls who fall and still medal over others who do not. Ties that go in favor of China. Chinese girls whose birth certificates say they are 12 but whose passports say they are 16...all smells a little fishy to me! Anyway...Michael Phelps is AMERICAN and goes to University of MICHIGAN!! Can't make his medals Chinese any way you cut it.

Knitting Baudelaires in style!!

Tuesday night I had a WONDERFUL opportunity! My Dad won a raffle for the Pepsi Party Suite Tuesday night at the Tigers Baseball game. I have never seen the suites and it was awesome!! Jim wasn't well so he stayed home with the kids while I watched the Tiger game and knit socks in true luxury that I probably will never experience again. I finished one sock and started on the second sock while watching the game and eating! We had a spread to begin with Chips, veggies and dip, hotdogs, sausage, and chicken. During the second inning, we were treated to Pizza. During the 7th inning, we were given desert. Plus, the fridge was always full of Pepsi products to drink. This suite was right up from the first base line. It was a great view and wonderful time. There were 12 of us all there to watch the game, plus a TV inside the suite that we were able to watch Michael Phelps swim to another gold medal. On top of this all, the seets were padded and comfortable to knit in! It was such a treat. I will be spoiled now and always remember this. We are supposed to go to a game tonight. I know I will be comparing the nose bleed seats to the suite life! The guy in the picture is my brother...the DOCTOR. He's married though. This is Brian and Jennifer and Lyle (friend of my Mom and Dad), perusing the chips and veggies.

We had a great view of the game as well. I can't get over how much we enjoyed that game!! Even if they did lose.

Today, I tried to get my little helper to hold up the finished sock so that I could take a good picture of it. She was having none of that! She had better things to do with her time!

She learned this little trick from her brother!

Gearing Up for Secret of the Stole III

I finally had time to swatch!! I have been watching in lace envy as others swatched and posted getting ready for SOTS3. I've been waiting for this one since DK finished up the last one (Savannah). I ordered some lace yarn from an Etsy Independent Dyer Beyond Basic Knits. I Love this yarn. I originally ordered it in purple Ice Queen which is gorgeous, but I decided to order some more yarn from BBK and I ended up getting the pink from them. I also ended up getting 2 skeins of Superwash sock yarn from them--Black Cherry Soda and Frost Bitten--They are gorgeous! When they sent my order, I got a coupon for 5$ toward my next order. Great Seller!! The colors are gorgeous. What do you think??

I plan to use the Black Cherry soda to knit a pair of Monkey Socks during the olympics. That will be my Ravelypics contribution.

I am still working on Casablanca although it has been slow. I have been assigned to CCU and ICU at work but ended up in the ER even night because of their low staff levels. Working the in ER leaves no time for knitting. It's been really slow knitting! But I will get there. I really like this stole and am looking forward to completing it.


The picture is crappy, I didn't put it on blocking wires and pin it out. But you get the idea and the story being told in this clue 4. I think that's what really impresses me about this KAL, the story in the knitting.