Connor's caps

Here is the collection of hats that I sent out to Wisconsin today.

Thanks Lisa, Mary and Paulette!

November knitting

While it seems I haven't been doing much knitting in November, I think it is just items with deadlines that did not need a lot of brain power, and so I just focus on them to get them done, without thinking about them too much.

I've already written about the scarf for the swap. The other deadline knitting that I have been doing is for Connor's caps. More info can be found on Chocolate Sheep's blog--but in brief, her son's classmate Connor was diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. His school is having a hat day (some of the kids are shaving their heads in support), and Chocolate Sheep was hoping to collect hand knit hats in the school colors to distribute for hat day. So, I knit a couple of hats in gray, blue and gold (in snuggly warm Berkshire), and so did a few of my knitting buddies. I'm collecting the others tonight and sending them off to Wisconsin before Thanksgiving--giving them time to get there before hat day.

So the month of November was spent knitting hats and a scarf. Now that those are done, I'm not quite sure what to do. I picked up that second everlasting bag stopper I started a while back. I'm about 1/3 of the way done. Mindless knitting. That will keep me occupied for a bit. But what to do next. I haven't done any socks in a while. I have some yarn that I bought for a sweater. I've got an interesting recipe for a tank type top (get a jump on summer items--maybe it will be ready in time to actually wear for the season it was intended).

Decisions, decision . . .

Photo contest

As a way to raise money to cover some of the cost of shipping for prizes in the Monthly Adventures group, one member thought it would be fun to create items for sale. She thought that calendars would be fun, and so the photo contest was born. We submitted our photos, yarny and otherwise, for voting by the group. The most loved photos were put into the calendar.

I submitted a few photos, and several made it into the calendar. As a runner up winner (with the 2nd or 3rd most loved photo) I won a one page calendar. It arrived in the mail today.

I will bring this to work. I'm sure it will make me smile more often.

Ruffle rib scarf

It took me quite a while to figure out what to make with the Blue Heron Beaded Wool. Although it is wool, and should have a bit of stretch, the binder used makes the yarn pretty unstretchy. I tried several patterns before I finally used the Misti Chunky Ribs & Ruffles Scarf pattern. This was a pattern some one used for a scarf for me, and I liked it.

To use it with the beaded wool I had to make some modifications to the pattern, since the pattern was written for a chunky yarn, and beaded wool is worsted. The pattern repeat is 4+3 so, I cast on 108 stitches.

When done, this gave me a scarf that was 5 inches wide, and 60 inches long, using one ball of yarn.

I like the way this turned out, and I hope Jinann likes it too!

Lose the U IV

The Monthly Adventures group doesn't just do swaps. They also do KALs/CALs and are around for general support (knitting and otherwise). We have had an ongoing Lose the U Monthly KAL, where you post your UFOs, and try to finish them by the end of the month. We give each other encouragement, and at the end of the month there is a prize!

I won the prize for October--for finishing Hanami. This is a random prize, so everyone who participates and finishes something that month can win.

And what a great package it was:



A great little DellaQ project bag, a handy knitters emergency kit (with handy measuring tape), with the worlds cutest crochet hook, tea , teacup, chocolate, toe up sock pattern, stitch markers, sheepy key chain (on my car key already), hand lotion, lavender sachet, eucalan samples–pheww I thinks that’s everything.


I think the crochet hook is super cute!


J is already putting the cup to good use--can you smell the cappuccino?

Scarf swap

It has been a busy month, lots happening, but not much time to write about it. I hope to do a little catching up today.

The Monthly Adventures swap group is having a big anniversary swap (yes we have been swapping yarn and other goodies for a year). We send yarn (and goodies local to our area) to our swap partner, they knit us a scarf, and send it back with more goodies.

Here is the package I received, with goodies from Jinann in Virginia.

The yarn to make the scarf is a Blue Heron yarn, Beaded Wool–my knitting buddies call it blue heroin, although they are addicted to the sparkly stuff.

As you can see, the Swallowtail Shawl pattern was included–the swallowtail is the official insect and butterfly of Virginia! I received some Bay Lime soap-smells yummy. Unicorn Fiber Wash, and Rinse (I’ve never used this type before). Some very pretty stitch markers made by a friend. DARK CHOCOLATE (yummy). A package of lemon ginger tea (more yum). A postcard of the Shenandoah Valley in Autumn. A pretty note book to keep in my knitting bag. Two nickels :) on one side is Thomas Jefferson, famous Virginian and on the other side his home, Monticello, a must visit if you are in the state of Virginia. And deep in the center of the ball–a skein of Blue Ridge Yarn hand dyed in Virginia. What a great package!

Stay tuned to see what I made with that Blue Heroin (er Heron).

FO--Hanami

Done done done done done!!! does happy dance

Thanks Paulette, for the blocking wires! I think I will stop by the local welding shop and say "can you give me some of these?"

Magic Ball

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween.Yesterday I received my magic ball swap package. Wrapped around some lovely Blue Heron yarn, that I will be using to make a scarf and sending back to my partner, was a whole bunch of fun stuff.
Here is the ball.
And here it is unwrapped.

We were supposed to include items that represented out area/region, and my partner did a great job. As you can see, the Swallowtail Shawl pattern was included–the swallowtail is the official insect and butterfly of Virginia! I received some Bay Lime soap-smells yummy. Unicorn Fiber Wash, and Rinse (I’ve never used this type before). Some very pretty stitch markers made by a friend. DARK CHOCOLATE (yummy). A package of lemon ginger tea (more yum). A postcard of the Shenandoah Valley in Autumn. A pretty note book to keep in my knitting bag. Two nickels :) on one side is Thomas Jefferson, famous Virginian and on the other side his home, Monticello, a must visit if you are in the state of Virginia. And deep in the center of the ball–a skein of Blue Ridge Yarn hand dyed in Virginia.

I have two scarf patterns in mind for this yarn. I need to start swatching to see which would work best.

I have time to work on the scarf because my Hanami is done!! Yes, I bound off yesterday morning. Now I need to block it. I think I really need blocking wires to do the job right. There are some local welding shops that I think may have what I need. If that doesn't work out, then I will order a kit from Knit Picks--but I really don't need a yard stick, or pins, so I hope I can get what I need locally. I'm not going to list it as an FO until it is blocked--I want to post a pretty picture of it.