Okay, I am getting buried in knitting projects!!!

This is my first time using lace weight wool - and I think it will be my last. lol It is a simple enough pattern and it is going along good enough - but it is a Christmas present for a co worker and I hope I get it done in time for Christmas! I can hardly wait for the purple to turn in to the sof green color!

Now you see that I am definately keeping myself too busy!



This is what I call a pencil scarf - a pattern I got from my Mom. I like it because it makes a long thin little scarf - I make it about 90 inches long so you can wrap it around your neck about three or four times and still have long tails hanging down. It is a real simple pattern and one you can do with your eyes closed!!!!

This little gem is going to end up being a Toadstool Rattle! I found it on a blog and since I have a passion for all things having to do with mushrooms (I even love eating them!) I am knitting this up for a soon to arrive baby! Hope I get more knitting time in so I get it done in time!

A trip home...............

I went home to spend the weekend with my Mom and Dad. I left early this morning and driving by the lake on my way to get to the thruway, the lake called out to me!

You know, growing up on the end of one of the Finger Lakes - you take for granted the beauty of the lakes. I spent many many hours at friend's lake cottages, sailing, swimming, and always fishing with my grandpa on the old pier (which is now gone).

So I stopped at the Lake Park - put on my coat and walked and walked and walked......... it was GREAT! The waves were white caps and splashing so hard on the shore that most of the time I was getting a shower! It was so early that there were not too many people out there. It was a refreshing walk and really, I was not alone......... I asked Jesus to come with me!!!

Just wanted to share.

MY CURRENT CHRISTMAS PROJECTS .....shhhhhh

Finished a snood hat and pencil scarf for one co-worker and now I am working on a lace scarf for another co-worker. In case they find my blog, I will keep names out of this entry!!!!

I have never used lace yarn before, but I fell in love with Paton's lace!!! The color I am using is the one with shades of purple and green. I started it last night and go very frustrated, not with the yarn but with the needles I was using. I used my clover bamboo needles, my fave stand bys ------ but the lace pattern calls for lots of yarn overs and k2tog and it was near impossible to accomplish that with the fat pointed wooden needles I was using. So I pulled out the couple rows I had started and got out my Knitpick's needles (they have super fine points) and will start it over again this afternoon after work. I don't know that I will ever be a big fan of lace work, but thought this was a good thing to try it out with.

Easy Slouch Hat Free Knitting Pattern at Jimmy Beans Wool

Easy Slouch Hat Free Knitting Pattern at Jimmy Beans Wool

Making this hat is a lot of fun - I have made a couple and just finished one for a Christmas present. Thanks Chris for sharing this!

CURRENT HAT IN PROGRESS

So this is the current hat I am making and this is a swatch of the Paton classic wool that I am doing it in. It will be felted after it is knit up - so it should be very interesting to see how the fibers will melt and blend together.

The pattern was a little bit of a brain teaser for me, so I went to Ravelry and had some of those nice ladies help me figure out the earflaps. If I pull this hat off and it looks nicely done I might enter it in the fair next year. I am taking the attitude that everything I knit from now until August 2011 is a potential state fair entry.

I have to show you the other hat I am working on too. It's a traditional old stocking cap
- like the kind of hat gentlemen wore to bed to keep their heads warm. The color is wild too - I'll post it on another entry.

I am on a hat "kick" right now, but I am sure I will move on to something else.

Keep knitting and trying not to think about the long dark winter days ahead............

Two recent finishes..........

So here is what I have been working on for the last couple weeks. The blueberry hat is for someone at church who is having a baby boy and the pink hat is for someone who is having a baby girl! Now I am working on a couple other hats - no one in particular is getting my next batch. I am making a felted "helmet" type hat with earflaps. I was having a hard time with the directions and so I went to my new fave place, Ravelry and those ladies were super and they helped me to move along with the directions.

I really am getting frustrated with not being able to move pictures around within my blog, but I guess they don't look so bad today on this entry. There is so much to learn on the internet and this computer........ all the little tricks I just don't have the patience to learn!!!! Mrs. B. showed me the photo thing and I still can't get it working!

Well, I don't dwell on the frustration and I in turn it into knitting time!!!! I am really finding my knitting time very precious to me....... that means winter is coming and I need my stress points relaxed by knitting.........

Speaking of that..... I am off this computer and on my way to knit!