Almost Malabrigo March!

Here are some photos of the swatches that I have been working on for Mmmalabrigo March for the Ravelry group. I will be participating in the Mr. Greenjeans sweater KAL
The yarn I am knitting it with is the Malabrigo worsted Merino in Emerald Blue. I got it from www.yarnzilla.com. They have great customer service and I recommend them, plus the shop owner is participating in the Mr. GJ KAL, which is a fun bonus for me!
The purple swatch will probably be for a hat KAL as well. The Malabrigo group in Ravelry is hopeing that with everyone casting on at the same time on March 1, it will push Malabrigo Merino up to number one on the Ravelry Yarn List!

I also finished Clara's Quant headband. I am really ahead with her birthday, which is toward the end of March. Her main present is already up in Everett! I just love internet shopping for long distance gift giving, don't you?

I have been battling a nasty cold that turned into infection this last week. Now that I am on antibiotics, I am feeling much better. I did get some knitting done while I stayed at home, but I had to rest alot and as well as feeling yukky and coughing constantly, I went through an emotional wringer. I got mad and cried and acted out. Being sick really can get me off my even keel. I am glad to be almost back to my happy go lucky self, today.

I also want to thank all of you who check in regularly to this blog. I know I don't respond to each post, but I want you to know how much your comments mean to me. They always make me smile and give me some good things to think about.

D is for DONE!

I finished the Noro vest! It steam blocked just great. I will show it at my knitting guild tomorrow and then take it to the shop to try to get students to sign up for the class. I think it will fit my daughter just fine.

D is also for Dragon. Here is my favorite guardian!


Tomorrow after guild, a few of us will be learning how to decifer EZ's rib warmer pattern. I am making mine out of cotton. I have knit a multi needle gauge swatch and washed it. The cotton really moves, stretches and relaxes when washed! The pattern calls for size 9 needles and 4 stitches per inch with yarn doubled. I think my best needle size to get gauge may end up being size 6!

ABC along

I found this group on Ravelry and decided to play! They started in January, so I am a bit late, but here are the first three letters to get me caught up:
A is for Amethyst and B is for Bird. This is the hand carved Bird that Ann got at the gem show last week. It is so lovely in our living room.

C is for Chiminea. We love having a warm fire burning on the back porch this time of year.
Cis also for Chakras. I feel it helps me to meditate on the different chakra's to align my body/mind connection.

EEk! I Steeked!

Well, I sucessfully sewed and steeked my noro vest! And I sewed up the sides and did the 3 needle bind off at the shoulders. It is amazing how Fear keeps a good knitter down. This is my first time really putting a garment together. So now I can really say that "I am a Fearless Knitter" Enjoy the pictures of my process. And,yes, that is a dirty vodka martini beside my sewing machine, with nods to EZ.

I am now knitting the ribbing around the neck edge, which did need to be restarted, as at first, I kept going in the round, rather than turning and going back. This will help create the overlap in the front for a nice finished look, I think.

We had a nice, quiet Valentines day here. We stayed home and watched "Becoming Jane" which is about Jane Austin's early life as a writer. I do reccommend it, but be warned, we both cryed buckets at the end.

Hope you all are well, and I want you to know that I do appreciate the few loyal readers who comment. I haven't forgotten our comment drawing. I will be coming up with a new one very soon! KC

Good spinning!

I wanted to share some of the pics of my weeks spinning. I really have appreciated having my spinning to relax me when the vest went south. I am getting better and am excited to start knitting some small projects with what I have. I am also thinking I will knit a swatch with the hand dyed commercial for the Mr. Green Jeans! Tell me what you think.
I have Monday and Tuesday off this week and will spend both days at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show. It is a huge, city wide event that is so much fun. On Monday, I will go with two beading friends to the bead shows and on Tuesday I will be with Ann and a new friend, Tonya, and we will do some of the rocks and imports as well as some beads. I hope I won't be tempted to buy too much, as I have most of my purchases from last year sitting in my bead drawers! I just love knitting too much right now to take out any bead projects. How do you handle having multiple craft loves?
Have a great week and hug a knitter this week! KC

Back on track

Well, with the help of Sharayah, I decided to go ahead and continue knitting the noro vest the size it is. She had a great insight, that I wouldn't want to be bitter about the vest if I were to rip it and re-knit it. It is so true.
By accepting the vest as it is, I will no doubt knit on it quicker and since it won't be for me, I will get a chance to "learn" on this one, and tweak the next one that I make that will be for me!
I have been spinning a bunch the last few nights too, and hope to show you some pics. I know we skipped the comment drawing in January, and I hope to re-invent another type of contest/freebie this month, but don't quite know what I want to do. Thanks for staying tuned and until next time, Knit with a smile! KC