Knitting Passion

We are coming down to the wire, folks . . . have you made a bag - or contacted me about a bag - but haven’t sent it on, yet? Now is the time . . . we are getting ever closer to June and it’ll soon be time for these kiddos to go to camp. We want to make it an awesome summer.

And, if you’re just not a baggy type of gal or guy . . . well, then maybe you would like to personally help send a kid to camp. Check out this contest and get in on the i-Pod drawing. You know you wanna!!!!

Those are hubby’s socks . . . I’m getting there - I think I was way too impressed with my ability when I thought I could have them finished before we went to Homer last weekend. I finished the first sock a couple of nights ago - and am progressing on the second. The ribbing in this pattern is 8-12 inches long. I make it 8 inches. Hubby’s foot is a size 12!!! so the finished sock looks humongo, but, it should fit him just fine.

During the winter he wears polar fleece socks with his birks. It’s getting a little too warm now (okay, not really - at least not for him) for the fleece - so, he may be able to soon move on to lighter weight socks like these knitted ones.

The nice thing - as if you all didn’t know - about knitted socks is that they are lightweight, but still warm.

yuppers!

Well, it’s bright and early Alaska time at any rate.

Okay - it’s not so bright - it’s just 5 am here and the sun hasn’t come up yet. However, our days are getting longer and the sun is coming up earlier each day and setting later each day - so we are quickly sliding into Alaska’s summer season.

Hubby and I are celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary this Saturday - we were married in Columbus, Ohio and had 9 anniversaries there before moving to Alaska. We had just come off a very loooooong and very white first winter in our new home state when we celebrated our 10th. That was kind of a rough one. But we carried on. (and our kids would say we “carried on” entirely too much for their comfort - heh)

To celebrate this year we are driving south to Homer to watch a couple of the younger grandkiddos in their last swim meet of the year. After we cheer them on and get our wet hugs and give high fives, PawPaw and I have a date - for dinner - a couples side by side massage - and a night at an Inn on Kachemak Bay. We’ll come back home sometime Sunday afternoon.

So, what do you get each other after 39 years?

recognize that symbol? Yup, Star Trek. Hubby is a big fan - BIG fan. I spent several years collecting the entire collection of Star Trek episodes - on videotape, mind you! - and he is the proud owner of every one on cd as well. Not to mention all of the movies and lots of different memorabilia. If it had anything to do with Star Trek - and it was within our budget at the time - he was the recipient of that thing. Christmas, birthday, anniversary, Father’s Day, just because.

This year when I found the baby trekkie washcloth I knew I had to make it up. I almost made it in red, but we all know what happens to the crew member wearing red in an episode - so it was either this teal green or purple. This was the winner.

Hope you are having a great week - I am amazed yet again, and maybe this is just me, but just how quickly is our year going by? I know, I know - that is a true sign of age.

Got a sock pattern you designed? Maybe you are thinking outside the box of sox? Maybe you are the ONE - maybe . . . maybe . . . Head on over and check it out!
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Do you have . .

Flat feet?

Mary at America’s Knitting wrote about this cool new way of knitting your socks – frogging a specially dyed piece as you knit a sock – go and read all about it!

Sadly, although several yarn shops in Alaska carry products from this company, none of them are remotely near me! And, I was craving something new and different, too.

I think I’m going to have to ask Zaynab at Knitting Grounds in Anchorage if she can get some of this – my hands are just ITCHING to get hold of some of it.

In the meantime I have just put a pair of socks onto needles for hubby! Yeah, I know. It’s been awhile since I’ve made HIM a pair of socks and it’s just about time. He’ll be shedding his polar fleece for the summer and a nice pair of knitted-with-love socks will be just right to wear with his birks as he runs out and about.

Not sure if I’ll get them done before the weekend – for our anniversary – but I am going to try. I’ve also found a pattern – it’s a baby washcloth pattern, actually – that I am going to try to do for the anniversary. It’s a star trek symbol! Think THIS without the line around it.

Live long and prosper, hubby moose, live long and prosper!

Yup, a day late and a dollar short . . . but there you go. I promised pics and pics you shall have!

–/–

At left is a picture of Sherry working on a sock in some GREAT colors! The pattern is Tidal Wave - I wrote about it a few entries ago - pretty neat to see someone else working on it. (the link goes to a pdf of the pattern.)

I can’t start on mine yet - and it is for a really DUMB reason! I bought new needles last Tuesday, set them aside until I had finished a project - and when I took them out discovered that I had NOT purchased size 1 dpns as needed. Oh, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (heavy on the sarcasm - can’t help it - I am SUCH a nudge!) I bought size 0 dpns!

sigh!

So, now I need to wait until I get paid later this week to buy size 1s. Well, maybe I will NEED size 0s at some point - but, good golly they sure are teensy needles.

My hands go numb with size 2s! Of course, that COULD be because I was watching I Am Legend while finishing up the baby socks. Have you SEEN that movie? Shiver! Wow! And, that’s all I have to say about that! (ala Forest Gump - heh)

So - am off to bed - have to be up bright and early in the morning - going to take the expectant mama her new socks - for her AND the baby.

I’ll post pictures of the finished project tomorrow. Have a great rest of Sunday - well, it IS Sunday in Alaska still.

So, I met Sherry from the Ravelry knitting group Alaskan Knitters this morning for coffee. We had no clue who the other was . . . so how in the world would we hook up?

Well, I am all about the obvious - so I wore my purple moose pin - my log in name at ravelry is Purple Moose, after all. AND - I had my knitting out on the table and was working on one of the baby socks.

Sherry came in and gravitated right to me and said - oooh, here’s another knitter! I grinned and said - are you Sherry? Yes - are you Barbara? Yes! And, we laughed.

Her hubby, bless his heart, grinned, bought their drinks, grabbed his book - and a kiss from Sherry - and left us to our conversation.

TWO HOURS later he called and told her he was in the parking lot - TWO HOURS!!! I guess it is true what my nephew told his mother back 20 years or so ago when we were stuck in SeaTac airport for 4 days (due to a volcanic eruption in Alaska which had grounded the planes - ALL of the planes - 4 days before Christmas!!!) . . . “Mom, Aunt Barb can talk to ANYONE about ANYTHING - ANYPLACE!!!” Yes, I embarrassed him greatly. Yes, I would do it again.

And, you know what? Deep down, I am secretly a shy person. No, really! Quit laughing at me! Why does everyone laugh when I say that?

heh

It was great fun, Sherry! I hope to join you again another Saturday.

Afterwards I did some book shopping for a grandson who lost his book on the school bus - called to make sure I had the right one - and, guess what! He told me the wrong number on the phone - and now I have to return it! (sigh!) What I won’t do for my grand-younguns.

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New (to me) charity project you might want to check out:

Scarves from the Heart. Here is a little about the founder:

My name is Shirley (Shelly) Heikkinen, I am a wife, mother, and grandmother who in 2001 retired from my office job. I have a 43 year old daughter who is battling cancer, and recently lost my younger sister to cancer. At the time I began this venture, neither my daughter or sister lived close enough for me to be able to help them with physical needs, so my role was that of moral support. Their battles left me with a lot of negative emotions that were not conducive to my own physical health, worry was taking a toll on me and I knew I needed to do something about it. One night lying in bed I got the idea to knit scarves for cancer patients, I knew that neither my daughter nor sister would want it done in their names so I decided to do something locally. The next morning I called the St. Joseph’s Regional Cancer Center (formerly the Sister Mary Pia Cancer Center) and Scarves from the Heart began.

You may view her blog at The Yarn Tart.

I hope you will read more about this project and donate if you can. If you are interested in beginning such a project in your own area, there is information on the site to help you get started.

Soooooooooooooooooo - off you go now - have fun, be careful, and enjoy your weekend.

I am hoping to meet up with some of the Ravelry knitters this morning - from the Alaska Knitters group. We will meet at a Soldotna coffee shop.

Of course . . . . THIS is what Alaska threw at us this morning . . . so . . .

a nice fresh spring snowfall - about 3 1/2 inches or so - and, on the day AFTER I changed over from winter studded tires to summer tires. Bwahahaha! Alaska has such a great sense of humor.

Will a measly 3 1/2 inches stop us from getting out and meeting for coffee? Well, I can’t answer for the rest of the folks, but it won’t stop ME!

In fact, I will be meeting a second group - of dear friends - at 2 this afternoon at another coffee shop for a love-fest of coffee and laughter and hugs.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhlaska!

By the way - for those of you who like to do yarn crawls while on travels . . . here is a GREAT place to visit FIRST - America’s Knitting - just go to the state and town you are planning to visit and you can find most - if not all - of the local yarn shops listed there.

I wish I had found it beFORE going to Ohio in March, but at least I have it for the next time. And, check out the projects page to see a pair of my socks featured. That pair is now finished and I am working on the baby socks. Hope to have them done by Monday to take to the pool to give to the mama. She only has a couple weeks left in this pregnancy and I’m not sure how much longer she’ll be coming to the pool for her lap swimming.

thanks, Mary!

Hope you are all enjoying a snow free day. We got OUR snow for free! lol

Well, I have LOTS of things - in various stages - on various sized needles. Some things have been put down “for awhile” and never picked back up again - those are destined for frogging, I’m sure. I may end up making the very same thing when(ever) I pick them up again, but for now will likely be frogged.

Come on, you know you’ve done the same thing.

I tend to like quick and easy projects - projects that are DONE when they are taken off the needles. I don’t generally like to do TOO MUCH finishing work.

Does that make me lazy?

Nahhhhhhh - I prefer to think of myself as focused. Yeah, THAT’s the ticket - FOCUSED!

heh.

But at least I am not EXTREME - in that I am not an Extreme Knitter. Well, not for now, anyway.

Here’s another very dedicated knitter. That piece looks destined to getting wet.

For now, it’s just socks - I finished the first of a pair tonight - not entirely happy with it, but going to cast on the second sock tomorrow anyway. I may (or may not) frog the first one after the second is finished. These are for a pregnant mama who swims with daughter and me each morning. I hope to get them finished - AND - a pair for the baby finished BEFORE mama goes into labor. She has three more weeks.

Three more weeks! I know! And she is still swimming with us every morning! And, let me tell you - she is no slouch in the pool, either. She does a pretty good workout every day - full out swimming - while I just paddle along. I am impressed, I’ll tell ya!

oh, dang! I missed the wee tiny sock swap signup! Shoot! Well, there’s always 2009. But, I have several wee tiny socks already done - she’s right, you can’t just make one! Hmmmmm - maybe I should do my own swap, huh? Well, we’ll see if any of you would like to do that - or I will just wait for the wee tiny sock swap 2009 to come around.

Whoo, boy! (or as some in my past would say, BOY, HOWDY!)

So, I have been “stuck” in Ravelry for several days. I now know why so many have said it is addictive - and, being one of those addictive-type personalities, I can say - it sure is!

I’m Purplemoose over there if you’re looking for me - and be sure to let me know here so I can find you, too.

I’ve joined a few groups - and posted one picture - of a pair of socks, of course. Remember these socks?
I finished them in Ohio on our trip and gave them to our friend (he was our best man 39 years ago) for his expected grandbaby. Well, the little tyke was born 3 months early and weighed in at a whopping (I jest) three pounds! So, a plea was made from the new grandparents to make a tiny pair to fit his widdle feet.

I made a tiny hat also - and the socks are tube socks. The hat is small enough to fit an orange, I would guess. For the picture I put it onto the hat of the baby on the card I sent with them. I wanted to make sure they arrived quickly - because, well, because you just never know with premies - and whoo! the post office made out on that deal. But the socks and hat arrived in less than three days so I consider it money well spent.

Hubby talked with his buddy today and the little guy is holding his own and seems to be doing well. But they still haven’t named him. He’s 8 days old. It’s time to give that baby a moniker!

Speaking of monikers . . . Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin (and the First Dude, Todd) have welcomed their fifth child into their family. Master Trig Paxson Van Palin arrived a month early. Sarah went into labor while making a speech in Texas(!!) after her water broke (!!!) She was able to get through her speech, get to the airport and aboard an Alaska Airlines jet, get to Alaska in time to deliver the young sir. And, yes, baby socks are being mailed to her tomorrow, too.

Thanks to those of you who commented or emailed wondering if I had dropped from the face of the earth - I’ve just been really busy at work and after winding down by knitting a row or two (3, 10, you know), I either browse through other folks’ blogs - or Ravelry - or drop off to sleep (either still in my chair or in my bed).

Life is good, I am fine, and I thank you all.

So, what’s on YOUR needles?

ha ha ha

Today marks the end of my three month stint as interim executive director. As such, today was just a bit on the overworked side. And, I’m still not quite ready to meet with my boss tomorrow.

Almost - but not quite. I do have the biggest hurdle ready for her to jump. It, of course, is the biggest headache, the one thing that has caused me no end of grief and stomach upset. By the time I left this afternoon I was more than nauseous.

It may be the flu.

I know it is not the flu.

Good thing my boss loves me. Good thing I know how to read (and follow) the Policies and Procedures manual, huh? Yup, good thing.

Of course, all of this has left me (very) little time to knit - and even LESS time to blog about knitting. So, you see several empty spots in this blog over the past month - okay, over the past THREE months. Sorry ’bout that, everyone. I will try my best to do much better.

Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - who knows, there might be a NEW person waiting to take over the blog. I guess only time will tell that tale.

So, I’ve been looking for a new (to me) sock pattern to use up my Tofutsies yarn and found the Tidal Wave over at Southwest Trading Company that I think I’m going to try. It calls for circulars - I’ll probably try it on dpns because that is what I’m used to. Maybe some day I will get brave enough to try something new - maybe - maybe not.

I do like the looks of the leg of this sock, though. And, since I live in Alaska (where I make my own fun, I might add), something named Tidal Wave just seems to fit. (what with our propensity towards earthquakes and the like)

Picture from the website.

Take care - I’ll see you next time.

I’m a bit disappointed, though, because I did not make a yarn run in all the time we were there. There just wasn’t enough time - what with running around visiting with relatives and then doing our sightseeing with our granddaughter. It was SO much fun to introduce Ms. Thang to our Ohio.

I was born and raised in Columbus and hubby was born in W. VA and raised in the Columbus area. Some family still in the area - and, in order to see as many as possible we had a no-host get-together Thursday night at a buffet restaurant. (poor folks there will never be the same - haha) It was good to get reacquainted with everyone.

While I was not able to visit any yarn shops - I DID get some knitting done. I made a pair of baby socks for one of our friends who is going to be a grandpa soon. Okay, the socks aren’t for HIM, they’re for the baby - but you knew that, right?

Right.

It’s the first time he had ever seen self-patterning yarn. He kept asking me how I had done that - did I use several balls of yarn. I had to tell him I wasn’t quite as talented as he thinks, because it all came from one skein.

Gotta love messing with folks’ minds, huh?

So - we arrived back home earlier this week, but it has taken me this long to be reacclimated to the time change (four hours) and catch up somewhat at work. And, this morning I get some extra time as I am only working a part day.

I even logged in to my Ravelry account yesterday - didn’t get to stay for long - I was looking for a pattern for socks using the Tofutsies yarn I purchased eons ago. They had one listed that I’d seen elsewhere (on the Tofutsies yarn site) so I’ll either use that pattern or one from my stash. But I need to get the yarn done up - right?

And, I need to get busy on the second afghan for Shelly’s Share a Square project. I finished the first one before we left. Bought some beads while in Anchorage for the bags. Thanks to the folks who let me know they were working on bags for the project - if you have time to do one or two, drop me a note, too.

Have a great day, everyone!

Oh, my - these are some great (80’s throwback) colors for yarn . . . Jelly Yarns. I am loving the colors and I’m sure the granddaughters will as well.

In fact, I’m so sure, I’ve just ordered the belt and bracelet pattern, black yarn, and pink heart buckle for the Girl’s birthday.

They even offer free patterns. How very cool is that - and it is a great looking little purse, too!

These colors remind me of when Ladybug (my youngest daughter) competed in a scholarship pageant the summer between her junior and senior year in high school. For her talent she decided to sing “Anything you can do, I can do better” from Annie Get Your Gun. (side note - I was in that musical when I was in high school - long, long ago).

Deciding to try to impress the judges a bit, we went for an updated version of Annie toting her gun. Ladybug was decked out in the neon colors that were the rage back then - guess that was actually the 90s that the colors were so vibrant and NEON.

It was also when the super soakers first came out - so, Ladybug wore bright colored tights, shorts, suspenders and shirt with a jaunty little tam on her head. In her hand she carried one of the super soakers. She had greens and yellows and pinks and oranges covering herself. It was really a cute outfit and she wore it well.

Unfortunately - or perhaps not unfortunately as God has it all in His power at all times anyway - she did not place in the pageant and we came back to Alaska to carry on with our lives. Don’t know about her, but I would not have given up that trip with her. It was great fun to visit Iowa and Illinois (the pageant was in Illinois) and see the sights while she was so busy practicing for the pageant.

I saw Ronald Reagan speak at Truman’s Library (? I think it was Truman’s - somebody out there help this old gal remember whose library is where) on the Iowa side of the river. I also visited all of the Amana Colonies and experienced a glorious midwestern thunderstorm. I LOVE the rain, so gloried in it while the folks at the Miniature Barn grumbled.

I also suffered a bout of heat stroke. But I am fully recovered all these years later.

Memories from a ball of yarn. Pretty cool!

I love, love, LOVE this idea! You know, people toss their old keyboards and typewriters without thinking about it. And, here is someone who is making use of the things - recycling at its best. Right?

I am secretly lusting after those many keyboards out there in hubby’s space - okay, not really, but everytime I see these chokers I get to thinking about all of the various pieces of computer equipment out there.

I could knit something around them, right? Right? Heh - yup, just as soon as I find the extra time to do that. LOL

And, from keys to buttons - look at these vintage buttons! I’m thinking a cardigan with these . . . yummy!

And, while you’re in etsy land - mosey on over to check out the “upcycled” hats and clutches. Who among us has NOT accidentally felted a favorite sweater? Yeah, I have one in just that color of pink, too. Sigh! I wore it home after our wedding nearly 40 years ago. I think it is still in my hope chest.

What? You didn’t have a hope chest? You’re too young to know what a hope chest is? They don’t do hope chests any longer? Oh, my. You all do make me feel my age some days.
Not really, but it’s fun to poke fun at myself sometimes.

I have been thinking about how much fun it might be to felt up some sally’s sweaters and making some bags or hats from the results. Had no clue I would be an “upcycler”. I just thought of it along the lines of the 3 r’s (reduce, reuse, recycle). Fun to do my part.

I’ll have to keep my eyes open.

I am a member of Ravelry . . . but hardly ever have time to play there. Is that sad or what?

You see, I do have a reason. I only have just so much time - and when I get to reading other people’s stuff - checking out what THEY are doing, I suddenly find myself with NO time left over to do things of my own.

I can either read online - or I can knit (crochet, etc.) offline.

I can play online - or I can see my Share A Square projects grow.

I can play with others at Ravelry - or I can knit and crochet things for my loved ones here.

But, I LOVE to read about other projects - to see what others have to say - to PLAY!

Sigh!

I was actually able to join the group early on in its beginnings. I was one of the lucky ones who was chosen. And, I’ve fallen down on my duties, I’m guessing.

It’s a nice thing that they still let me come in and update my list of needles and such, huh? Oh, and to check out all of the folks from Alaska who are members - hey, there is even one just in the next town up from me. That’s sort of cool. Because, it is possible I might never meet some of these folks otherwise.

It’s not like we have knit-ins here in the central Kenai Peninsula or anything.

But, I imagine THAT could happen, too. But it would take more time - and time seems to be something that I have little of these days. It is a very precious commodity.

Like fuel for my car.

But that is a whole ‘nother story. (oy! the prices!!!!)

wha??

That would be Yarnivore speak for Knit in Public - your Work in Progress. It, of course, is a slogan on t-shirts for sale in this San Antonio local yarn store. The photos on the store’s website show a nice place to visit, a nice place to shop, a nice place to knit.

Pretty nice if you live in, or near, San Antonio.

Sadly, I do not.

I DO, however, live near enough to two very nice local yarn stores - Birch Tree Gallery in Soldotna and The Knitting Grounds in Anchorage.

But I really love the names of The Knitting Grounds and Yarnivore. The first is a little play on words - you can get a cup of coffee while visiting Zaynab and the crew - as is the second - after all, we who love to knit are like carnivores attracted to yarn.

We must have yarn
lots and lots of yarn
we love to roll in it
lay on it
smell it
feel it
touch and caress it
yarn is a living, breathing part of us.

Right?

Or is it just me?

Yeah, I thought not. I’m a pretty visually oriented person. I love colors - lots of colors - but I stick pretty much to the basics for my own wardrobe. Bright colors draw me to them, nevertheless. There seems to be this little homing beacon going off inside my head . . . beep, beep, beep . . . come closer, my pretties!

And, I am struck once more by the gorgeous array.

Sadly, I cannot bring them all home. Harumpf! A gal can dream, though.

Bag Ladies and Gents still needed. Read about the project here and contact me at prplmoose AT kenaiwriter DOT net if you’d like more information or would like to contribute. THANKS!

Just one more thing about Juneau (well, one more that I can think of right now) - I rode from Anchorage to Juneau with the First Dude! Only I didn’t realize it until later.

You see - I saw him in the Anchorage airport, then again in the Juneau airport. And, I kept saying - who IS that guy? I know I know him. I’ve seen him on TV!

The women with me said they had no clue . . . and it bugged me all the way to the hotel. So, I got the ironing board set up (yes, I still iron - especially after a long trip and the luggage has been dropkicked by the ramp rats one too many times) and was staring out the window as I pressed a pair of slacks. Suddenly the light came on and I shouted THE FIRST DUDE!

By the way - while I was in Juneau, Governor Palin revealed that she is SEVEN months pregnant with her fifth child! She is due mid-May. That is a mighty long time to have hidden a fifth pregnancy. She used smoke and mirrors - welll, jackets and long scarves, anyway.

So, of course, I (and probably thousands of other grammas in the state) am going to knit her a pair of baby socks.

something like these. With our crazy laws against accepting gifts, she will likely donate them to a hospital, but I am okay with that, too.

Sigh! I know, I really need a life. haha