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CB

OK, here we go.

The chicks went up to the island and much knitting and laughing was done. The hardest part was coming home. Wish we could spend all summer up there without a worry in the world. While up at the island I worked on my felted purse and a baby sweater. Baby sweater done but still needs buttons, am also doing a blanket for the baby out of the same yarn. need to get it done and in the mail before the sweater will not fit! I did finish my felted purse here are some photos of it before and after felting. I did make the buttons also. was a fun project to do and will make more since no 2 look alike.

Well I will be the first to post this year and will let everyone know that I did finish a project! I know it is shocking but I did it. They really are the same size just don't look like in the photo. I do like to do the mittens but the thumbs are a pain. Hopefully the other chicks will update more often this year.

Can not wait for the annual yarn festival trip and the trip to the Island!

Bad Blogger!

I know . . and I have tons of photos and projects finished. Bad news is that some of them were on RRB's camera and he deleted them. I finished about twelve hats, one sweater, three pairs of socks, many mittens & scarves. A Lucy Bag that is waiting to be felted.

But next week we will be here . . . I promise to catch up then!

Guild Violation?

Ok, so is this a Guild Violation or not? Inquiring minds want to know. MMT got her wisdom teeth out yesterday. I, of course, being a good knitter put the materials for a baby sweater in a sweet plastic shopping bag from Amazing Threads (in addition to great yarn, they have great bags). I cast on a cute little sweater and worked on it while the oral surgeon removed MMT's teeth. She came through surgery just fine and right around 10am, we headed home. I has asked the nurse to call her meds to the pharmacy so I could just stop and pick them up. I left MMT in the car while I ran into the pharmacy. I came back out (sans meds--it's a long story) and she was complaining of nausea. I thought ok, then I noticed in her drugged state, she had dumped my knitting on the floor of the car and was about to THROW UP in my knitting bag. I tried to hurry home as fast as I could, hoping to get her to a bathroom, rather than my car. I made it to the driveway, where all h^*& broke loose. The sweet bag from Amazing Threads is now in the dumpster and the only reason MMT is still alive is the fact that in her drugged haze she did manage to dump out the yarn.

Guild violation or not??? You decide.

Playing Catch Up

June 1st! I checked the blog today to check the "countdown to the Island" and it was not there! It seems that we have really slacked off on this whole blog thing. Well, let's see if I can remedy that.
Knitters gone wild weekend to Duluth in April. We spent a lovely Saturday/Sunday retreat at the Canal Park lodge in Duluth the last weekend in April. We discovered a great yarn store in Gordon on our way to Duluth, a real hidden treasure! While in Duluth (when not trying to avoid the 6 zillion kids there for a church retreat) we ate, went yarn shopping, ate, took a lovely walk along the canal, ate and knit while eating. We went to Yarn Harbor on Sunday morning. This is a great yarn store, they have a whole wall of Cascade 220. We all got yarn for several projects, including the pattern for the February Lady sweater, which we all plan to make on the Island this year.
Lake Elmo Fiber Fest on Mother's Day weekend. I missed it again this year, drat, drat double drat!! I had a family obligation at the U of M, but it is my understanding that much alpaca yarn was purchased. I am very jealous.
Next adventure? The Island, we leave on Father's day for a glorious week of knitting on the shores of Lake Superior. This year the trip will be very different. First off, NK can't come, she will be on the church mission trip to Georgia. And the guys are coming!! The men plan to drive up later in the week to spend the 2nd weekend with us. How strange will that be? They better not expect us to spend time with them, knitting comes first on the Island.
I know I have been knitting a lot this spring, I have completed several small projects. A silky scarf for Dora (foreign exchange daughter from Brazil), 2 felted handbags (that NK jazzed up with needle felting!) that I donated to a silent auction. Each bag sold for $30! Heavy wool socks for the boy, to keep his feet warm in his new "student rental". Currently, another felted handbag for my sister-in-law. I have also ripped 2 sweaters, one that was more then 1/2 done. I think I am turning into AJ.
I have been too lazy to photograph my knitting, so a picture less post, but oh well, so goes life.
Knit on!

Long Time

It has been a long time since anyone has posted. Here goes. Everyone still knitting and we are still getting together which is the best thing ever!
Can't wait for the trip to Duluth! And that means NEW yarn stores with more yarn to touch and drop on the floor. I will promise to try my best to be on my best behavior and not laugh so hard to drop anything on the floor. But ya never know.
Happy Easter to everyone!

Jamaica Bound

Well, it is finally here, tomorrow we leave for Jamaica. We have been fund raising and planning for this trip for 2 years and now it is here. We have packed, repacked and packed for a 3rd time trying to get everything into the bag.
Enjoy Spring Break guild girls, I will think of you while I am gone, however, I don't think I will make any attempts to find a yarn store in Kingston. I know this is a violation of a guild rule, but oh well, whatchagonnado? Besides, since our recent trip to the Ukraine, I have plenty of "imported" yarn.

Great Friends

I have the best friends ever!!! After a call from my husband saying his parents would be stoppping by in 45 minutes and my house was a big mess. Mind you I live with teenagers who do not pick up after themselves or help out usually. My wonderful friends who were over for an afternoon of knitting and talking heard about it and into action they went. Helping me clean the living room and kitchen. We got it done as they walked in the door. Dusting ,loading of the dishwasher and everything! Can not ask for better friends. I do like the saying "No knitter left behind"!!!!! Love the Guild Girls! Thanks again hugs and kisses to ya.

Silent Auction Uptdate

Well, it is over. And I totally forgot my camera today to take pictures! Drat!! The silent auction to raise money for Mission Jamaica is over for 2009. I had 18 knit items for the auction. Many thanks to the Guild for their help in getting my projects done. NK for felting, CB for the scarves and NK again for help with MMT's bag.
My felted handbags went for $10, $14 and $15, since all 3 were knit with "scraps" I am ok with that. The bag MMT knit and NK helped me to jazz up went for $12. The 2 pair of fair isle mittens went for $15 and $25 (both knit with scraps). The clogs went for $15 each. The 2 multi-directional scarves went for $7 and $10. The fingerless mittens and headband a steal at $3, but the little girl loved them and looked too cute! The baby sweater (scraps from clogs and mittens) $10, the child size hat and mittens $5 (cheap--but scraps so ok) So I think I did ok with the help of the guild. The spirit scarves that CB knit and donated for MMT and I went for between $5 and $10. I was sort of sick about the one that went for $5, but what can you do??? The only projects I bought yarn for were the clogs and multi-directional scarves. From the clog yarn I got several projects, so I think my money was well invested. Now to see how much MMT and I earned for our trip to Jamaica.
On other knitting fronts. I finished my blueish green hooded tunic. This was the second time I have knit that sweater. This time I paid attention to gauge and tried it on several times. Thanks to the 2 "cold days" I finished it, blocked it and wore it to a party at AJ's last night.
I am currently between projects, but that will change this afternoon.
On other fronts, GBT has been back at school for a week, and other than the terrible snow, cold and car trouble, she is doing great. The husband is in Stevens Point right now moving ZT back in for 2nd semester. So our house will be much quieter!
Thanks again for all the help for the Auction. I could not have done it without you.

CAN YOU SAY COLD????

Ok,
We all should be home knitting. instead some of are working and the rest of us got to stay home with the fun and warm yarn to knit. Oh if only we could stay home everyday to knit. Maybe someday soon.......
Stay warm and wear mittens!!!!!

Phase Six!

Birthday day celebration for CT did involve Phase 6 “Shots!” How lovely. We journeyed to Color Crossings. Had a tiara for the girl as well as a surprise B-Day gift (a gift certificate for said Color Crossings.” Made her call her husband and tell him he was on his own dude. We had kidnaped her! After the yarn store, we went to Twisted Sisters purse shop. I bought a wallet and the zipper fell off in my hand once I was home. Then out to eat at San Pedro’s in Hudson. Yummy. Definitely going there again. The food was outstanding, and the dessert was divine. The Birthday Girl and I shared egg nog creme brulee with a homemade gingerbread cookie and a sugar plum shot. Yippee. I am liking Phase 6.

I have finished much knitting. Still working on Dad’s Christmas socks. And they will not be done. But then I am not going there for Christmas, so it is okay! Knitting grey tube socks on silver needles is not as much fun and variegated sock yarn. Oh well. I did finish a sweater for my sister and gave it to her (no photo). Mom’s socks are wrapped. Have knit a lot of baby sweaters too. Oh my. Some scarves for gifts, and I finished my alpaca top down! Yeah for me. Love it. It is especially snuggly and warm. I am thinking with this cold trend, I will be wearing it on a regular basis.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Delivery

I finished up the alpaca sweater for GBT, blocked it and gave it to her this weekend. She wore it to church on Sunday. In my personal opinion, it looked great and fit her great. But I am biased.
I did not photograph her in the sweater, so you will have to trust me on this one.
I have decided (after consulting with NK) that I have enough items for the Jamaica Silent Auction. I have 13 items (12 from me, one from MMT). I still have scraps left that could be made into one more baby sweater and a pair of bulky mittens, but for right now, I am taking a break. To celebrate I cast on a hooded pull over for myself.

Knitting Blues

I said it out loud in the car on Saturday on the way to our little yarn adventure to Roberts, but yep, I have it, the knitting blues. (or in my case the knitting greens, since I seem to buy a lot of green yarn, also lucky for me NK did not kick me out of the car) While I have finished several projects:

• 2 baby sweaters
• 2 multi directional scarves
• 2 pairs of clogs to be felted
• 2 bags to be felted
• 1 pair of ballet slippers to felt
• 1 pair of fair isle mittens
• 1 alpaca sweater (for GBT)

This knitting has almost all been for the silent auction to raised money for MMT and I go to on Mission Jamaica. I feel like it is a task, a job, a chore. I need to be done with this and knit something for pleasure. I do feel somewhat proud of myself, I have knit almost everything for the auction from scraps, so I don't feel like I am spending a lot on yarn for the auction. I have a hat left to finish for the auction and then I am pretty much out of scraps and can move on to another more fulfilling project. I did buy yarn on Saturday for a sweater, perhaps I can get that started over Thanksgiving break. The auction is not until February, so I think I can take a break for a little while.
Great outing to Roberts on Saturday! I have had a couple of flashbacks of "chatty" girl, but the time with the guild, the stop at the DQ and the laughter definitely out weigh the negative effects of chatty girl.

Where is the camera?

Yes it has been a very long time. And I have all kinds of knitting to show you and I can't take any photos! Argh!

One jacket needs to be blocked

One top down alpaca sweater needs to be blocked

Two top down baby sweaters, needs buttons and to be blocked

Three Spirit Scarves COMPLETE

One pair of socks

Heaven help me, I am going to look for the camera

Who knew?

It all started at 1 am on Friday morning, MMT woke me up with a bad stomach ache. I told her take 2 ibuprofen and some Tums and it would be fine. At 3am the husband and I both awoke to the terrible sounds of MMT being violently ill. We got the situation contained and went back to bed, only to go through it all again 20 minutes later. This continued on and on and on and on. It was awful. At 4:30 am MMT went downstairs (how she had the strength I don't know) to check WEB MD, convinced she had appendicitis. She continued in her miserable state downstairs from that point on, at 5:30am she was a wreck, I was a wreck and the situation was deteriorating rapidly. At 6am I called her swim team carpool to them the that MMT had the flu and would not be needing a ride to swim practice that morning. She stopped throwing up around 10 am and was finally able to take a short nap. She was unable to eat even a cracker or much more than a sip of water. The day progressed, she did not throw up, but spiked a low grade fever and her pain was increasing, at 5:30 I checked WebMD for appendicitis. She had all the classic symptoms. I said "let's wait for dad" . Dad came home at 6:30pm with a pizza for dinner. At that time I caved and called Urgent Care, the nurse, said, "go to the ER, that sounds like appendicitis". So after I had a couple of pieces of pizza (don't want to be hungry and crabby at the ER) we headed to Luther. By 8pm, after the doctor exam, she started drinking the dye for her CAT scan. 9pm off to CAT scan. 9:30 back to room 9 (of the newly built Menard ER at Luther--oh baby, very nice!). As we passed the ER doc, she says to me "her white count is through the roof, I think it is her appendix. 9:35 CAT scan results are uploaded, guess what?!?! Appendicitis. By 10 pm we had met with the surgeon (it was his 2nd appendix of the night) . By 10:30 she was in surgery.
The doctor spoke with us about midnight and said for some one whose attack started less that 24 hours earlier, her appendix was in bad shape. Dad stayed in the room with MMT I came home to catch a few hours of sleep with the dogs. Driving down Water Street at bar time is a real experience!
She was released from Luther about 2pm today, and is now resting comfortably in the recliner.

Who knew???? MMT knew!!!

Back to living in the real world

There has to be a better way. There has to be. You work all day, and when you get home from work there is either something to do, or you are too darn tired. Either way, the job takes away quality time and energy from what is truly important, knitting. The only good thing, is the job provides money for yarn, but I would still rather spend my time knitting.
Since returning from our glorious week on the Island, and my subsequent return to school, I have finished 2 projects. TWO. A pair of felted clogs (lavender and black) and a pair of fair isle mittens (made from the clog left overs---thus my 2nd Indian knitting name: Shewhoknitswithscraps). How lame-O is that? Don't answer that. I did not even think they were worthy enough for a picture to accompany the post.
I am continuing to work on the brown alpaca sweater for GBT, but fine yarn on a size 6 is going to be the death of me, dead from boredom, around and around and around on the brown yarn. I am on the bottom ribbing, however there are 9 inches of ribbing, I still have a long way to go. Knit 2 purl 2 round and round and round.
Otherwise, all goes well, I am loving this warm fall weather! I could live like this year around, who needs snow? The boy seems to be enjoying college and life in the dorms, GBT seems happy to be back at MI Tech and in the full swing of being a college kid again. MMT is finally better after fighting off a virus for over 2 weeks. She swam a 1:16 in her 100 fly at the meet on Saturday, she was very excited! (This will only mean something AJ or other swimmers-sorry)
Let's see, walk the dogs or knit for few minutes???? duh!

Compliments

Well.... I did finish my 1/2 sweater on the island trip and am now wearing it at work and have received many compliments about it and so now everytime I hear I like your sweater I say "thanks I made it". I am very proud that I have FINALLY finished something. I did buy yarn on the island to make another 1/2 sweater and am looking forward to getting it started as soon as I get some of my other project done like my other 2 sweaters and about 3 pairs of socks and many pairs of mittens. Sometime I will take photos of them and get here. If only we lived on the island and could knit all day long, if only.

It's about time . . .

It seems like AGES, AGES ago! But I am finally blogging the chick week at the island! We didn’t all get to go together (bummer) but we all made it there eventually.

CT and I made our obligatory Starbucks stop and headed North. We stopped in Bayfield and ate at Maggies (such good food, such long lines). They off to the island! On Monday we successfully erected the gazebo (usually a four person job), hauled the chairs down to the beach, and set up shop so to speak. We knit in the sun, read in the sun, and swam in the lake! The weather was gorgeous and was the water.


On Tuesday the Birthday Girl arrived! We had her banner and birthday tiara ready to go!. I watched from the beach so we could see her vehicle coming, So we were on the road waiting, waving and jumping! A spectacular sight I am sure. Tuesday was a bit cloudy in NK’s honor, because she was hoping for not-so-nice weather, because it’s better knitting weather!

On Wednesday we were up early and in the water getting ready for our trip back to Bayfield! AJ would be arriving around supper time. She would leave her vehicle in Bayfield for the remainder of the week. So we went over to help her with her luggage and to eat at Maggies AGAIN. Just as good this time, lines not as long!

Thursday and Friday were comprised of sunbathing and knitting. Oh, and a naked lady. Poor CT went for a walk. I passed, and opted to just read on the beach. NK and AJ hadn’t made it down to the beach as of yet. Off she trooped, only to be back way quick. It seems that at 2:00 in the afternoon, a less than young woman decided to take a bath in the lake. As she turned around CT got an eyeful, and managed to compose her self enough to get her self back to our beach!

On Saturday we went to Fly Away Fleece Farms. So here is the deal, if you ever go to Madeline Island, call Fly Away Fleece Farms! Make an appointment to go see Cynthia, her sheep, her looms, her yarn, and her HOME. It is nothing short of amazing. BTW, you can purchase the yarn directly from her on your visit, or there are a couple of shops on the island that carry her yarn. Cynthia and her husband are restoring the farm, and it is beautiful. After we came home after the trip, I was discussing the farm with my mother-in-law. I found out that my husbands family stayed their at the farm when they were building our cabin. My husband was so young, he didn’t remember it! Cynthia has a degree in design if I remember correctly and you can certainly tell it as you walk thru her home. Please note that the bottom part of the bathroom sink washed up on their shore. She would not let her husband burn it!

It was a lovely little vacation for the guild girls. A the serenity and quiet. Except for the occasional gale of laughter! Oh, and a new game. There is a great A.M. radio station out of Ashland, 1400. The game goes as follows, name the artisit, name the song, and dead or alive!

Since we have been back. Well it’s been busy. Three out of the four graduating seniors have been packed off for college! AJ really has an empty nest! School has started for the remaining children in town.

By the way. This last photo. That is all the yarn we brought to the island. Heaven forbid you should run out of yarn whilst on an island!

P.S. We finished many, many projects, and started many, many new ones!

P.S.S. Habib the camel belong to another farm on the island, no Cynthias! In addition to Habib, they have Hudson (an Imu), and a lama, goats.

It was wonderful