Happy Birthday AJ!! March is an important month for the guild, 2 birthdays (CB and AJ) so 2 reasons to get together, knit and have a great treat. AJ's birthday treat was over the top today, CB will have to post that recipe for all to have.

So I finished the flip mittens, (as modeled by GBT-while home for Easter) and decided to go back to an old project. Watching AJ knit on Kathmandu make me decide to finish my half sweater, so I will no longer be Princess 1/2 sweater. It took a while to get my brain back in gear to start the second half of the half sweater, but I got it started. I had forgotten how much I enjoy working on Kathmandu.

We are in the final quarter of the school year, pray for the guild children. We all have seniors! I personally think the boys need more prayers than the girls as they are boys, need I say more???

With grad parties to plan, and 18 year olds to keep track of we will be busy and the time will fly by. Before you know it we will be on the Island enjoying the knitting, eating, and the ISLAND!! This is my favorite time, the pre Island time, the excitement of the Island trip is all I need to get me through these last few weeks of school.

Spring Break Knitting

Even though it is officially spring, the weather man is predicting snow, I have no interest in snow, I only have interest in spring and sunshine. Every day I check to see how much grass is showing and how fast the snow is melting. Enough already with winter!
I finished the baby top down. I had to knit the hood twice, I misread the pattern and kept increasing on the hood, when I cast it off I realize what I had done. No one would want a hooded baby sweater for the hunchback of Notre Dame. So I ripped and re knit. I was watching March Madness, so I could justify the extra knitting time. I am still toying with adding several rows to the bottom, it looks short. However, I only have a few yards of yarn left, so I don't know if it would to much good.

GBT is coming home tomorrow for the holiday weekend. She has not been home since moving to Green Bay, it will be nice to have all the kids home, even if it is only for a short weekend.


Have a great Easter guild girls. ASJ---glad you are back, we missed you.

The felted tote is done. It was a guild project. While under the influence of all the yarn at the Yarn Garage I found Lamb's Pride bulky. CB helped me pick out the colors, NK developed the striping and I knit. NK felted it last night and I put it together today. I knew Lamb's Pride would felt nice and boy did it!

Cabin Fever!

Who has “Cabin Fever?” I do. I have two kinds of “Cabin Fever.” First the one I always have. The snow needs to melt, the air warm, the ice needs to be gone. I want to go to the cabin! As you can see by the countdown on the right. The chicks are now under 100 days to our annual cabin trip. For some reason they (me too) feel compelled to travel to the cabin every year. Sans, husbands, children and dogs. Just us. We knit, we eat, we shop for yarn, and what ever else we can find.

“Cabin Fever” two, was a birthday gift from my dear knitting friends. Sock yarn, Claudia Handpaints (for moi) and the colorway is “Cabin Fever.” Can you tell I am enthralled with this yarn. The purple hues in the yarn remind me of the lupines on the island (which by the way are always in full bloom when the chicks are there). So thank you my friends, truly it is the perfect gift!

Today I went to the local LYS with the “Yarn Teacher.” I used to work with the YT (she left for greener pastures). She taught all four of the chicks to knit (we were all in the same class). We had lunch and at the LYS we did this! I think I was number 427. So he has a way to go. I also heard that some of the knitters from the cities were going to be there. I heard Bead Slut’s name mentioned but I did not see her anywhere.

Here is my new toy. I had some gift certificates, with instructions to purchase something I normally would not. Well this is it. I must admit I have looked at them, but never felt I actually had to have one (depsite the fact my children have them). Maybe mom should have one for her walks with the dog? Why not? But what a lot of work. I apparently have way to many cd’s. Then once you get them on, you then organize play lists, then I had issues with every cd that was entitled “Greatest Hits” they all wanted to be together in one album. I am still missing my “Journey’s Greatest Hits.” Can’t find it anywhere. And I do have one episode (the pilot) of “Big Bang Theory.” My daughter loves the show, and I do too! And now that the writers strike is over, we will finally get a new episode this coming week.

No guild this week, NK is skiing with the family, ASJ is on a mission trip with her daughter. Only CT and I are left in town. I believe that CT is going to see GT in Green Bay this week. It will be lovely not wake children in the morning. I will have the whole house to myself as they sleep. No rushing, no searching for shoes, jackets, papers, etc. So I am considering it down time for myself also.

I Love Polka Dots!!!

They're here!!! NK and I were naughty and called Steve at the Yarn Garage on Saturday to ask when our bags would be in. He said he was expecting them on Monday, well they arrived on my door step today. Talk about service!!! Included in the package, a lovely thank you note from Steve.

Hey chicks, did you notice??? We are under 100 days until the Island!!!

So how do you ladies feel about polka dots?

What follows is photos of my booty from the field trip to the cities. We did make it to a couple of new shops and a couple of favorite shops!

New shops were Needle Work Unlimited Outlet store, Linden Hills Yarn Shop, Knitting from the Heart and the Yarn Garage. Plus we had lunch at a new (to us) place, Cafe 28. Cafe 28 was great. One of the best burgers I have ever had. I would definitely eat there again. The owner of Linden Hills is quite sweet and recommened Cafe 28.


But as far as yarn goes. I can’t wait to get back to the Yarn Garage! WOW! Floor to ceiling yarn, seriously. I kid you not. If you have never been there, get yourself there quick. We are already planning a trip back. I never even made it back to the sock yarn. So I really must return. I think we all agree we need to get back there for sure before our knitting retreat. A day trip!

I was a good girl, I only bought one skein of sock yarn. Some Cherry Tree Hill in lovely blues and greens. Then I added some Nashua Equinox Stripe Yarn colorway "Storm." Which shall become the Knitting Pure & Simple Weekend Jacket. I picked up this book "Fitted Knits." Plus another Knitting Pure & Simple pattern, a cable scarf pattern, and some needles to knit the aforementioned jacket.

So the polka dots. Owner Steve (we love Steve) of the Yarn Garage asks "so ladies how do you feel about polka dots." Knitting bags, lined with polka dots no less. CT asked about us getting matching knitting bags. I mentioned that we already had nice knitting bags in the vehicle. She took exactly three steps and then quickly turned around and said "but we used gift certificates for those bags. We didn’t actually purchase them." Well who can argue with that logic! ASJ/Green, CB/Brown., CT/Royal Blue, NK/Royal Blue. But they really are lovely totes.

Twice now I have tried to post this. First the computer didn’t want to go to the post page, second time I was interrupted by having to leave. Let’s hope I can finally get this uploaded. And as long as I have a little time I will post a little more!

The hotel messed with our reservation. The poor desk clerk was dreading our arrival all day. But they ended up giving us two very nice separate mini suites (instead of the mammoth suite we reserved) so we could sit and knit together. And a huge discount. So we go there again!


I did manage to finish another EZ Baby Surprise. But surprise . . . I ran out of yarn. Grrrr. I had one skein of orange Cascade 220, plus my Schaefer Little Miss Priss leftovers. Three rows to go and I stopped. I rummaged thru my stash and found some leftover red Cascade 220. Managed the last three rows, plus I went around the neck. Then wala . . . no red! Too close for comfort.