The weekend

Since it's the official ending of the weekend and a new week is just about to begin, I thought I would recap the past 2.5 days.

Friday - after wrapping up my work week, I bypassed the gym and went straight home and cleaned out my guest room closet.  It needed to be cleaned out because over the course of three years, it has become a catch-all...and I knew there was stuff hidden in the depths that I had not used nor needed in the last 36 months so why in the world am I holding on this stuff?  No idea.  

My first task was to pull out 5 plastic stackable storage containers.  I went through them and moved Christmas gift bags to the Christmas box.  I sorted through all my birthday gift bags and threw out torn or ripped ones.  I threw out other random things that were not worthy of the thrift.  

Three trash bags and I unearthed something maybe growing in the corner.  {Before my sweet mother has a coronary, I have since scrubbed the spot with some cleaner and it's fine.  The growth has been removed.  Ick!}  

I went through and removed 3 I-won't-wear-this items from my spring/summer wardrobe.  This wardrobe for the most part is housed in the guestroom when not in my closet.  

Somewhere inbetween the sorting and throwing away, the sun came out from behind a weeks-worth of clouds.  IT WAS GLORIOUS TO SEE THE BALL OF FIRE IN THE SKY!!!!!  

My wild Friday night ended with reading.

Saturday dawned bright and early and full of coffee.  After proper caffeination, I headed to Meijers and then Woodmans.  After Woodmans, my sweet little Corolla brought me home to put away the groceries and whatnot.  After grocery putting away, I ran to Ulta where I was disappointed.  From Ulta, I went to the library.

Have I mentioned just HOW MUCH I love the library????  I do.  I do so very much love the library.  I checked out three books although my heart wanted a dozen.  My brain said, "You do not have time for that!"  My heart said, "Oh come on, they're books!"  My brain won this battle but I know my heart will win the war.

After the library I ran home and whipped up (for the first time in life) egg salad.  Here's the deal - I love egg salad.  I have no idea why I'm my current age and I am just now making egg salad.  I made egg salad with avocado.  Thanks Pinterest!!!!!

After egg salad, I broke out my springy cotton yarn.  This reminds me that I forgot to mention that after my Ulta disappointment, I went to Hobby Lobby and picked-up three skeins of cotton yarn.  It might seem more expensive than Sugar and Cream cotton yarn, but the Hobby Lobby stuff has more yardage which means MORE DISHCLOTHS!!!!!  I opted for a springy rainbow.  I have 4 dishcloths.  Yeah, I binge-knitted.  I will probably be one of those old ladies with claw hands (picture me doing lobster claws with my hands).  Maybe if I am struck with claws, I could come up with some cool claw mittens.  I COULD KNIT THEM...you know since I'm going to take one for the team and be clawed.

I digress.

At 3ish I met my coworker/friend at Rock Cut State Park and we walked the paths for almost 2.5 hours.  We didn't really track how far we went...it's just safe to say that we went quite some distance because one of us had flaming sore feet while the other one had a really sore ankle today.  It was glorious to be out-of-doors on a sunny Saturday.  

Saturday night was a rager.  All the knitting and reading and Netflix half-watching/half-listening.  

Sunday morning church was a such an encouragement.  Pastor John ended the James study with the last 2 verses.  *sigh*  I love James.  He casually mentioned he might recap the whole book next week (YEAH!).  

After church since my ankle was bit sore from all the trail walking, I ran a couple smallish errands (went back to Meijer for gas and for 4 things I forgot) and then I came home and painted my toenails.  YES - SPRING IS FINALLY HERE!!!!!  Since it has arrived, I thought what better way to welcome spring than to paint my toenails a lovely springy coral-orange color.  

Once my toenails were painted, I kicked back and relaxed the afternoon away.  Kicked back and relaxed is code for knitted and enjoyed the quiet.

Tonight my small group met at Culver's for supper and then we went to church for an hour of prayer for Easter.  It was such a wonderful encouragement to come together as a church family and pray interspersed with praise and worship songs.  My heart is full.

And now my coffeemaker is ready for its big debute tomorrow morning when it brews me some liquid love in a pot.  

I should pick out what I'm going to wear tomorrow...I have an idea, mostly because I hear Rhonda (which last weekend Starbucks wrote her name as "Honda" and I cannot stop laughing about that!) saying, "Do yourself a favor and wear a skirt!!!!!"  Such wonderful words of wisdom.

Oh and it should be noted - I exercised great amounts of self-control this weekend when I did not once darken the door of a thrift.  I wanted too...but then I remembered the upcoming sibling shenanigans and Bryan's research showing many lovely consignment shops interspersed amongst the very vintage-yet-Hipster downtown Boston.  Yes, BOSTON!!!!  Forget pronouncing R's cause we are going out East!!!!  Pak the cah in the yad.  :)  

It's mer-mazing!!!!!

I have 7 more inches of knitting which means 2 more regular pattern repeats and then I get to begin the 32-round decrease.  It is looking more and more MER-MAZING!!!!!!!!!!

AND WE HAVE MERMAID GILLS!!!!!!

This pattern has been such a struggle.

First of all - I have never knitted gills.

Second - when I have gone fishing, my brother always removes the fish so I never have gotten a good look at gills.

Third - I don't have gills so I cannot look on my person.

Confessions of a knitter

I have a baby blanket that I need to get done.  The little guy was born last month.  I have been knitting like a ninja.  I have restarted and started and restarted the project.

My co-workers keep interrupting me and getting me side-tracked.  And then I forget which row I am knitting....

Today I have taken to hiding from everyone.  I am not anti-social...I am just a gal who wants to finish a baby blanket before the kid is 18!!!

A preemie hat

I love knitting!!!  As if I need to state that outloud.

Today I found a micro-preemie hat pattern on Ravelry's website.  Cast on 33 on tiny size 3 double pointed needles....

It is so small...

The writer of the pattern said to knit it with a prayer for the baby who would wear it and for the mommies and daddies too.  It was a precious blog posted pattern.  I can't wait to make more of these for my local NICU.

#knittingforothers #babyhats #size3knittingneedles

Fun new hat pattern

I found a fabulous knitting book at Cherry Valley library.  The book is titled "Last-Minute Knitted Gifts" by Joelle Hoverson.

Today I made two of her cute baby hats.  One is a shower gift and one is for the Crisis Pregnancy Center.

Oh how I am going to miss her...

My friend Leah has this beautiful gift of extending grace.  I am so blessed with a couple dear friends who are grace-extensions.  What gifts!  What wonderful examples!

During a time of waiting, the Lord sent Leah and her mom to Hobby Lobby to have our paths cross.  To share with me a burden.  To offer a hug when I needed one almost as much as I needed my next breath.

She is the best gym work-out partner.  One time she forced me to use the weights in the "guys' area" which typically makes me nervous.  I am pretty sure I could hurt myself.

This past summer when I said goodbye to my sweet thirteen year old feline, it was Leah and her mom who met at Meg's Daily Grind and let me be sad about putting to sleep my beloved (and at times naughty) pet.

While in Ukraine, I received a beautiful gift of being on the other end of the phone and oftentimes computer to send and receive messages which allowed me to pray specifically and at the same time share in my life's journey.

Leah let me advance my simple knitting skills by "making" me buy circular knitting needles. 

Leah showed me mercy and love.  She has allowed me to be.  The good (no pun intended), the bad and the ugly.

So as I hugged her goodbye to go begin her New York life, I thanked the Lord for the gift of her friendship.  It is not just one thing...it's a million things.

A Very Hungry Caterpillar for a very special little one...

About a month or so, I got word that my friend's baby shower theme was the children's book, A Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle.  I immediately went to www.ravelry.com and found a darling knitted cocoon & caterpillar hat combo.  

I contacted the author of the pattern in regards to doubling or singling the yarn...as I was kind of under the gun to get this fabulous gift completed.  

I'm more of a leisure knitter.  I like to think and plan ahead so that my knitting is not tense - thus making my stitches tight and myself unraveling...  I prefer to knit at my leisure so there's no tenseness and no unraveling of my project and myself.  

The author was immediate in her response.

The yarn was purchased.

Shortly thereafter, the cocoon was made.

The hat was a bit tricky...

There was a mis-reading of the instructions and Hat #1 was created for a conehead child.  Not even kidding.  I didn't realize that when the pattern said, "If knitting the newborn size, start here..."  I thought it was "repeat here."  It wasn't.  Unfortunately - as with a majority of my knitting conundrums - I did not realize my mistake until I had binded-off which means the the hat could not be taken apart and redone.  This meant the conehead hat was garbage.  {Sad day.}  I do not like throwing away gone-bad veggies and fruit...so imagine my sadness when I had to throw away a beautifully begun (note: not finished) soft red hat.  

I made Hat #2 and it turned out fabulous.

The eyes were a bit tricky - which no worries - the author said the eyes would be tricky.  I appreciate her honesty.  

The first 2 eyes were made per pattern specifics...which turned out too big for the newborn hat.  Seriously - this caterpillar looked like it had creepy eyes which would probably cause the wearer of the hat to require therapy well into her adult years.  And let's face it - if you are going to have to go through therapy, you do not want it because of a baby picture of yourself.

My second eye issue was that I had followed the instructions and glued the lime green yarn and the yellow yarn...and THEN realized that I could not stitch the eyes to the hat.  The instructions said to glue them - but I thought they would be more secure if they were stitched to the hat.  Naturally I thought of this after-the-fact.


The first two eyes joined Hat #1.  I did keep them around for a week or so because they made me laugh.          

Two new eyes were made...which is a huge feat for yours truly because I don't crochet.  The eyes are 2 chains each - one lime green (the inner eye) and a yellow chain (the outline of the eye).  Four chains total.  I used my b-day present from several years ago - a book titled:  I Taught Myself to Crochet.  During the first attempt to crochet, I did not infact teach myself to crochet.  I ended up with knots.  This time - my second attempt - I said a quick prayer for help and chained away.  

I carefully glued the lime green yarn going around-and-around the felt oval.  More prayer.  Stitched the eye to the hat.  Another quick prayer.  Hot glued the yellow border.  

The antenae were knitted flat which was a piece of cake.  They, then, got stuffed with some fiber fill and sewn to the top of the hat.  They are a bit floppy which I do not think can be helped as they are antenae made out of yarn.  

So there you have it...the tale of my Hungry Caterpillar.  I hope the recipient loves it as much as I do.

Things that make me happy...

Fridays...coffee...good books...coffee...sunshine...coffee...flannel sheets...coffee...knitting...coffee...spring...coffee...  :)

A knitting tale...

Once upon a time, there was a damsel who lived in a faraway land called Rockford, Illinois.  The fair damsel loved knitting.  She found great enjoyment in taking skeins of yarn and transforming them in to objects for her loved ones.

Around Christmastime, the damsel's friend requested two bear-eared hats for her beloved daughters.

Our knitting damsel searched high and low for the perfect yarn.  After weeks of searching, she procured peacock and orchids alpaca-blended fibers. 

The damsel chose the peacock yarn and began knitting single-strandedly....  Half an hour later it was determined that single stranded would not suffice.  The just begun project was pulled off the needles and re-started with two strand of yarn and a tall decaf mocha.

Several hours (HOURS) later, our fair damsel inspected her work only to find a mistake.  A skipped row or a duplicated row. 

Near tears, the damsel removed the yarn from her circular knitting needles and began unraveling the project.

Tonight we find the damsel contemplating - too pick up the needles or not too pick up the needles.  {Sigh.}

Christmas Sewing and Knitting...

My Thursdays – as of late – have been full of Meg’s Daily Grind and knitting with the girls.  I’ve gotten quite a bit done in those evenings.  I like it that the time is set-aside.  It’s marked on my calendar and I don’t schedule things on Thursday nights.  We are going to continue this in to 2015…and change up our “theme” – instead of a Christmas focus, we are going to knit items to donate…which makes my little heart go pitter-patter…so many cute baby hats for the area crisis pregnancy center.  Lions and tigers and bears – oh my!

Speaking of baby hats…I already have my first skein for a newborn bear hat.  It’s a soft brown – almost a tan.  It’s thick and should be a quick knit. 

The beauty of knitting for the pregnancy center is the hours that I knit can be spent praying for the recipient...which best explains why I love to knit for others. 

I do need to set aside the needles, however, and work on my brother’s Christmas present.  If you promise to keep a secret, I will let you know – it’s a fleece blanket.  The fabric is totally going to get me the award Sister of the Year and since I am not converting to Catholicism…I’m going all out with this gift.  Infact, when I searched the JoAnn’s database, I only found this fabric at their Janesville facility.  Within an 80 mile radius, only Janesville had the material in stock.  One Wednesday night inbetween clocking out of work and Bible study, I ran up to Janesville and purchased the beloved fabric.  The clerk, bless her heart, even let me use an extra coupon…thus saving me quite a chunk of change.

Since November 29th...

November 29^th was the last time that I blogged…that was 18 days ago.  While asking myself, “Where did the time go?” I realized that I know WHERE the time went…it went to me swimming in a sea of yarn and the clickety-clack of knitting needles whipping up hat after hat and lastly a penguin ornament or two…or three.  Well, technically, the third one has a bit of an ocular situation…as in, he’s missing eyes.  I forgot that before stitching him closed, you are supposed to add two safety eyes which snap in place.  Now my poor eye-less penguin will be forced to become something other than a blind penguin.  I’m hoping my Thursday night knitting peeps can help me fix him…lest I get creative and make him some sunglasses.  {Sigh.}  Thankfully Penguins 2 and 3 are not orders…they were more for fun. 

It's gnome-ish!!!

Made this for Jackson Gear

November

I’m completely and utterly amazed that today is November 20^th.  November…there are 10 days left and then BAM – December will be here. December in all her glory and busy-ness and hustling and bustling and holiday cheer-spreading opportunities. 

I’m so glad that I have turned back in to a calendar junkie.  My work calendar has important work obligations plus after-work appointments.  My red leather calendar is my BRAINS.  This has so many notes that I cannot even possibly list them.  My coffee wall calendar at my apartment has fun appointments and reminders.  Oh – and I use the calendar function on my cell phone.  This little gem has reminder notifications – fun bells and whistles – that announce schedule fillers.

So back to this whole November where-did-the-month-go nonsense…

November started out with milder fall-ish weather and many days/evenings out with friends.  Thrifting…and knitting…and coffee…time well spent.  Thank you very much. 

The 9^th brought about a roadtrip to Lanark to help celebrate Emma Kate’s 7^th birthday.  The following day was a holiday observed which was celebrated with coffee with a friend and her daughter. (No worries, the daughter had a steamer – lest you think I would give a child coffee.  My mom always said, “Coffee will stunt your growth.”) 

The 13^th began a Thursday Christmas knitting group.  Technically we embrace knitting AND crocheting and crafting.  At the time, there were 6 Thursdays (not counting Thanksgiving) until Christmas.  This pretty much put fear into the hearts of crafters worldwide.  Crafting takes time sooo to help our little hearts return to normal palpitations, we decided to set aside one evening to knit / crochet / craft and what better place than at a quiet little coffeeshop.  There’s a backroom with a round table and plenty of light.  Not too mention – fabulous coffee and gluten-free treats for yours truly. 

The 14^th was an PCC alumni reconnect…and although I did not reconnect with any out-of-towners, I did manage to gab with some friends from across town.  The food was deeeelish.  They served a potato leek soup which was safe for me and I know of its safety because 4 bowls later…  Do not judge me.  It was good.  Potato leek soup and salad.  Oh – and decaf coffee. 

What I appreciated most about the reconnect was the new president of the college spoke.  He shared his heart for the school and the positive changes that were being implemented.  My college is still a college with a focus on serving Christ in the capacity that He has enabled you to serve.  After the reconnect, it has made me want to go back and visit. 

The following Saturday (which would be last Saturday) I helped out at Gloria’s Christmas consignment sale for a couple hours and then ran a gazillion errands…including a trip to the mall where my only purchase was a large gingerbread tea from Teavana.  I love their tea!!! 

We’re getting down to business in church choir so our Sunday practices are now 90 minutes.  The cantata is coming together bit-by-bit.  The director is changing things up and moving the altos and the sopranos.  Change is good, right?  Right!  We’re singing an old song this Sunday called “Listen to the People” – it talks about listening to people and hearing their heart struggles. 

Monday, which was Revolution Day in Mexico or so my calendar says, was spent in a sea of phone calls and running here & there as it had snowed and contractors were doing what contractors do best – freaking out that they have not gotten nearly enough work completed before winter.  One would think that in June, they would pause and realize winter is coming…  Kinda reminds me of people who say “Christmas just snuck up on me!”  Really?  ‘Cause according to my calendar and since forever, Christmas has always been on December 25^th. 

Tuesday night I got stood up!  Totally stood up!!!  Thankfully while I sat at the coffeeshop wondering where my coffee date was, I had some knitting to work on. 

Wednesday night was Bible study.  And today is Thursday.  The 20^th.  We’re back to square one.  And tonight is another set-aside-time-to-knit at Meg’s.  I’ve reminded the troops.  We are going to have 2 new attendees – Alana and Lexi.  Turns out when given the choices between going to church for cantata practice or coming to Meg’s with Miss Angie, they choose Miss Angie.  I’d like to think that I would win each and every time. 

Tomorrow night I have set aside the evening to clean my apartment.  It’s not a complete pigsty, but it ain’t spic-n-span.  It’s lived in and I don’t mean in a bad way.  There are NOT dishes heaped in my sink or baskets of clothes over-flowing.  I just need to clean.  Bryan is coming out next week for Thanksgiving and I want my apartment clean so that we can enjoying sibling shenanigans without me thinking about mopping my kitchen. 

If you were to glance at any of my 4 calendars, you would read the words “HALLMARK” handwritten in my beautiful teacher cursive on a diagonal across Saturday, November 22^nd.  My friend has invited me over for a Hallmark movie marathon and Chipotle and knitting / crocheting / crafting.  Yes, a glorious marathon of all my FAVES!!!!  This particular friend has been such an encouragement to my weary-people-pleasing-learning-to-say-no-kindly-is-tough heart.  I have been looking forward to Saturday, November 22^nd for some time now.

Sunday will be busy – busy – BUSY….teach my Sunday school kids about the first Thanksgiving and then church followed with a potluck and then afternoon church and then choir practice and then the Light the Parks Christmas parade where I have volunteered to pass out cups of hot chocolate.  A) I love Christmas!  B) I love hot chocolate!  C) I hope it snows!!!  {My friend Rita would slug me if she read C!}

Monday begins Thanksgiving week…which by the way means that there are 30 days until Christmas.  Soo much knitting and soo little time…

The cowls...an update

Remember last week - in my last post about the adorable cowls that weren't going so well...  Well, I have an update for you. 


Today I had a one hour lesson with a crochet expert.  She helped me figure out how to complete the cowls. 


Kudos for her ability to explain the blanket stitch - which helped me sew up the seam on the head.  GOOD NEWS:  NO SHARK FIN!!!!  the blanket stitch is amazing and the seam magically disappears.  True story.


After we sewed up the head, she showed me how to crochet around the face opening.  I must admit that crocheting is not my cup of tea.  It's funny...most people either like knitting or crocheting.  Today I spent the afternoon knitting with a delightful friend who loves both.  I suppose it's like algebra and geometry.  In middle school, I remember my math teacher saying that you love one or the other.  Well - guess what?  I kinda like both. 


Soooo us girls knitted the afternoon away.  It was fabulous!  We drank coffee, chit-chatted, knitted, and we were together "the day the music died."  :)


After the afternoon knitting shenanigans, I managed to procure 3 wooden buttons for the cowls and tonight, will hopefully finish them.  I still have to knit the ears and attach them.  They don't seem too complicated...I mean, FOR REAL, they are ears.  Small bear ears.


Once these three are complete, I have one more to make...and then I got a couple of hat orders to fill.  Looks like I will be knitting and purling until Thanksgiving.

Once upon a time, I said I would knit three cowls...

A couple weeks ago, I was asked to knit 3 bear-eared hooded scarf and hat combos.  They were just darling in the picture.  I said, "Yes."  {Note to self:  In the future, before saying "yes" - read the pattern in its entirety first.}


If you don't have a mug of hot chocolate or a cup of coffee...go and pour yourself one before you read the remainder of my knitting tale.  It's good.   Trust me.


Sooo when you purchase a pattern from Ravelry (an amazing crocheting and knitting website that I recently discovered), you are not allowed to read the pattern before purchasing it.  Kinda rude.  I mean, even Barnes & Noble, let's you take a sneak peak inside their books. 


With more knitting confidence than necessary, I clicked "purchase" and was then the proud owner of the Burton Bear Cowl pattern. 


My first heart palpitation came when I read that the perimeter of the hood is to be crocheted.  I don't crochet...YET.  I'd love to learn to crochet, but I have not yet mastered this yarn art.  My dear grandma tried to teach me to chain.  Pretty sure that when she got to Heaven, the Lord gave her extra jewels in her crown for attempting to teach me the fine art of crocheting.  I didn't get it.  I cannot make a chain even though I recall her mentioning that it was really easy.  Ummmm...not for me.  In college, my roommate Tanya sent me a I Taught Myself to Crochet book complete with the necessary tools to begin my crocheting career.  I should tell you - even after reading the book, I did NOT, infact, teach myself to crochet.  A couple months ago, I met my friend Stephanie for a crocheting lesson.  Yeah - I didn't get it then either.  I did get to enjoy some girl time and coffee so it was totally win-win. 


After telling myself that I have a college degree and am perfectly capable of learning crocheting, my heart rhythm returned to normal...until further down the pattern when I read the ears are also crocheted.  What is this nonsense?  Mixing knitting AND crocheting? 


Again - I told myself, "These hats will be lovely and Kathy's girls will look darling.  You have a college degree and you knit.  Surely, you can learn to crochet 6 ears total and around the perimeter of the hood."


I purchased 6 skeins of yarn - 2 per cowl.  Which by the way - Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Yarn is quite tricky to track down in the greater Rockford area.  I had to hit 3 separate stores to find matching dye lots. 


Attempt #1
I was so naïve with this first cowl.  I began the pattern with the three purled rows - these were delightful and made a softer edge.  Then came the 23 knitted rounds.  Round-and-round the needles I went...laughing and listening to "While You Were Sleeping" - I love that chick flick and it's the perfect one to listen too...as I have watched it fourteen gazillion times.  After all the rounds of knitting, you are supposed to turn the hood inside out and knit row 1 and then flip it right-side-to to knit row 2 and you repeat these flipping shenanigans (which does sound slightly naughty - however I really had to keep flipping the project...inside out and right-side-to) for several rows...which would've been lovely and worked well HAD I KNOWN THE FLIPPING BEGAN WITH ROW 1.  I didn't realize this until row 2 when I looked and saw a giant (all the way around the hood) ridge.  No worries.  I was just 28 rows...and BAM - a mistake.  So I pulled the yarn off the needles and promptly took a pen and marked up the pattern.  I put next to Row 1 "TURN INSIDE OUT!!!"  {Later I highlighted this note!}  No yarn was compromised during Attempt #1.


Attempt #2
The following day, I casted on the appropriate number of stitched.  I purled and then I knitted and then I flipped and knitted/purled...  During the flipping session, I thought (KEY WORD:  THOUGHT!) the pattern said that the entire piece was supposed to be 12.5 inches.  I continued the flipping-knitting-purling until the cowl measured 12.5 inches. Every couple of rows, I would look at the hole opening for the child's face and would think, Do those girls have that small of heads???  {Note to self:  If something seems wrong, stop what you are doing and consult another knitter and / or get professional knitting help!}   I, then, in my naivety did not bother to re-read the pattern.  Nope, I casted-off the needles and looked at my supposedly finished project.  I must digress...


There's a PIN on Pinterest that is an adorable cat wearing a hooded shark hat.  The cat is sitting atop one of those robotic vacuum cleaners.  It's hysterical.


Sooo I take the "finished" cowl and I attempt to sew up the top seam (that will close the top of the hat before you add the ears).  Apparently I do not know what "sew seams with a blanket stitch" mean because the cowl ended up with a ripple similar to a giant shark fin.  And then I noticed the head opening was REALLY SMALL....smallish, like maybe it would be great if I wanted to use Celia to re-create the shark-vacuum PIN.


This 2nd attempt was an epic fail...as once you cast-off, it binds the yarn and you cannot rip out what you did wrong.  Period.  And into the trash went 1.25 skeins of fabulous yarn...which it turns out that since I didn't knit the cowl completely, I'm left with 3/4 of a skein of fun yarn. 


Attempt #3
By this point, it's been about 5 days...in between Attempts 2 and 3, I have taken a break from knitting and read an entire fluff read and I managed to convince myself REPEATEDLY to not give up on my beloved hobby of knitting.  Oh and I may have consumed 4-too-many cups of coffee and laughed myself silly.


Once I was caffeinated and in a better place {read: talked to Jesus extensively about this troublesome project...begging for knitting wisdom}, I picked up just the pattern and read it thrice...and this would be when I realized the 2nd error of my way - the hood part should measure 12.5 inches.  Not the entire project.  Just the hood.  PRAISE JESUS -- it was like a light shown down from Heaven and my knitting eyes were opened.  I could almost hear the Hallelujah chorus.  Not the shortened one either - I mean the full 3 hours Mormon Tabernacle Choir...and they were wearing robes. 


Attempt #3 went without any hitch.  I purled and then knitted and then did the flipping thing and made sure that just the HOOD measured 12.5 inches.


Attempt #4 - same as #3.


After #4, I realized that I was out of yarn soooo I headed back to my favorite little fabric store on IL Route 173 - Hancock Fabrics only to find they did not have anymore Charcoal Wool-Ease.  No worries...I drove to their E. State Street store.  They had Charcoal - however the dye lots didn't match.  Due to my nervousness and Attempts 1-3, I did not want to take a chance.  I headed to ALL the other craft stores in the greater Rockford area only to discovered I apparently had rid the entire area of Charcoal Wool-Ease.  {Sigh.}


Thankfully this past Tuesday, I met my cousin in Chicago for lunch...and on my way home, I remembered my yarn situation.  A quick stop at JoAnn's on Randall Road and I had THE LAST 2 SKEINS IN THE STORE!!!!!!!!!!!  Seriously - this yarn is amazing, but why isn't there any left???  (Aside from my knitting shenanigans....are people just that smitten with Wool-Ease?  I am...but still...)


Attempt #5 went smashingly well and is done.


I'm not done-done with these cowls...I'm done as far as I can go without professional help.  Knitting professional help...lest you think I need for-real professional help...which maybe I will when it's all said and done.


Today I scheduled my one-hour lesson with the fab gals at Knit One Purl Two.  I told the owner my woes of crocheting around the perimeter and the blanket stitch at the top.  She said it wasn't any trouble at all and we set it up for next Saturday (November 8th).  WHICH MEANS....IN A LITTLE OVER A WEEK, I COULD BE BURTON BEAR COWL - FREE.  I will miss these cute hats.  I love the yarn.  The texture is soft and warm but not scratchy like wool.  The yarn wrapper says they can be machine washed and even machine dried but I don't think this should be chanced. 


I wanted to blog about this because re-telling it is therapeutic and if I ever knit these again, I want a post to remind me of what not to do.

Bad things happen to good knitting needles

A set of size 11 circular needles gave their life for a cute knitted hat.... 

But I followed the pattern....

This hat is supposed to fit an upper elementary student.  It won't.  Infact I bet it's going to JUST fit a toddler. 

Starting over again and using ginormous needles!!!!

Taking a break...

It was not going so well. 

What wasn't going so well? 

My new knitting project.

It's a another hat. 

 
Are you thinking, For the love of yarn, why is she making another ridiculous hat?  It's simple. There's a birthday at the end of this month...and the b-day girl loves hats.  That would be L-O-V-E loves hats.  She also happens to love sparkles so imagine my delight when I found variegated gray yarn with sequins randomly attached throughout the yarn.  {Let's get one thing straight - I'm not the kinda gal to attach my own sequins.  Are you kidding me right now?  Sew those little shiny things into the knitting?  Ummmmm...no thanks.  Infact, if you scroll down to the next post - Chicken Tortilla Soup - you will read all about my laziness in that I just dump the ingredients in my crockpot and turn it on and walk away.  Infact, the irony is - that recipe came from my beloved cookbook, Fix It and Forget It, and 9 times out of 10, I usually do forget about whatever it is that is simmering and cooking in my crockpot all day while I am answering the phones, typing, and occasionally filing.}


Where was I?  Oh - yes, I remember.  I NEEDED A BREAK FROM A VERY BAD KNITTING PATTERN soooo I grabbed my needed-to-be-returned Hallmark DVDs and headed to the library.  {Knitting disclaimer:  It's not a BAD project....it just wasn't going well for me which translates - I had about 28 rows done, which happens to be a good chunk of the project, when I noticed that the ribbed part that sits on your head looks ripply...think Little House on the Prairie night caps.  Those (Little House ones) were supposed to be ripply.  The hat for the b-day girl NOT SO MUCH!!!!!!!  I removed the project from the needles and unraveled all my work and looked at Celia cat and said, "I'm going to the library and Hobby Lobby."}


First I stopped at Hobby Lobby and picked up a skein of yarn to make yours truly a winter hat to go with an orange wool coat.  The yarn - DEEEEEELIGHTFUL!  It's variegated with mustard, a muted vintage-ish blue, brighter-than-sage green, and I think there's some cream.  I feel as though I am missing a color from this description so if this is the case, please don't shoot the messenger.


I love the library.  I always have.  As a child, our little village library was only open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and every-other-Saturday.  The library was 4 miles from our house and my brother and I would ride our bikes there.  We would, then, sit for hours skimming books.  We didn't have the Internet back then {I love telling my Sunday school kids this awesome fact because then they equate my age with that of a T-rex.  No, I was not alive when dinosaurs roamed the planet.} so going to the library was actually going for books and only books.  The library late fee fine was a whole nickel.  I'm wondering if this nickel fine is similar to when my grandpa would tell me that when he as a kid, gas was a quarter a gallon.  Suddenly, I am feeling my age...no Internet and 5 cent fines.  I digress.


Speaking of my childhood... 
In like first or second grade, I had a lovely cream colored Holly Hobby dress.  Holly Hobby was wearing a green and orange print dress.  With my snazzy dress, I wore a pair of orange tights with brown buckle shoes.  I loved this dress.  I have a picture (somewhere) of me holding a book, sitting on a vintage trunk, wearing my beloved dress.  I love this picture.  It's my childhood summed up in a snapshot.  You see, I'm quite reserved...until you get to know me.  Once that happens - I'm sorry.  :)


Anyway....the orange tights. 
Yesterday I wore raspberry colored tights with my knee-length denim skirt, a cute striped shirt and a leopard print scarf.  {Insert me rolling my r's...rrrrrrrrrrrr!  I heart leopard print.}  Any-whoooo...those fab raspberry tights got me thinking about my orange tights and Holly Hobby dress.  I love that my childhood memories involve lovely dresses that were handmade for me by my mom.  Such a wonderful treasure...time and sewing.  I didn't quite appreciate it as a child, but now that I am an adult (Ugh - adulthood!), I really do appreciate more and more.


Next week I have mustard tights and teal tights to wear!  Have I mentioned today just how much I love Fall and sweater-y weather-y outfits????  I do!  I do!

A skein of yarn and a couple hours

I think I may have a new knitting obsession:  hats!!!

It all started with a newborn cupcake hat....and then a brown hat with adorable bear ears...and now THIS....a fun vintage pattern for a sweet first grader.

Knitting for others is perhaps my favorite thing about knitting.

Finding the perfect yarn and then imagining the yarn becoming a THING and then presenting the knitted-with-love item and watching the recipient's reaction.