I'm with my knitting group

so no photos - but we're having a lot of fun! The conversations run all over the board -- and I've been laughing so much I can't even knit. None of the topics will be repeated here - what goes on in the group - stays with the group. Just like the Las Vegas ads.

I don't think I'm the oldest tonight - but close.

I'm still knitting on Mystic Waters. I'll take another photo when this chart is finished. I've also ordered the kit for Magic Carpet Ride and it will be shipped tomorrow. I can hardly wait and I'll be taking photos of the beads and yarn when it arrives.

Typical spring here - warm then down in the 30's (last night was 30) then up near 60 today. The allergies are running rampant for everyone. I still love seeing the flowers every day - and listening to all the birds.

My funny for today (in my viewpoint) was when I watched a CNN video about the kitten with the I Heart on it. The sound was on and PK went nuts looking for that kitten. Maybe you had to be there but it was funny.

So will probably be back this weekend with photos.

Another one bites the dust

Another chart from Mystic Waters is done. Chart D has hit the trash bin. I'll be setting up on chart E in a little bit. My magnets are not strong enough to hold the shawl in a stretched-out pose, but I'm into the icicle center part.

Other knitting - well I'm working on a Caledonian Mist Sock from Pink Lemon Twist. She's actually issuing two patterns, one simple and one complex, at a time. I didn't do well with the previous Knitty pattern - boy did I lose my place and hosed the whole thing. So it was frogged and I started over with Caledonian Mist.
The other pattern in this pair is called Scarborough Fair. It's gorgeous with twisted patterns on it. I do have yarn for it too!
Tonight is my knitting group get-together. This group of women consists of some amazing ladies. Their stories and what they have going on in their lives are so impressive. I have a huge amount of respect for each of them. So far, no gents have joined in - but I'm still hoping. I know men knit and this group and location are so accepting of everyone.

Adding a final two photos. One shows the state of some of the Bradford Pears here at the condos. The other shows PK watching the birds and anything else that moves. What it doesn't show is how her tail is lashing back and forth. She's showing her moodiness today. Wanting to have her ears rubbed but when you reach, she's fluffed up and batting at you.

















For some reason all today's photos have a very blue cast to them. It's cloudy out and storms are expected late tonight and into tomorrow. That might have something to do with it. The color in Mystic Water seems very close. The sock is a deep teal green. Bradford Pear blossoms are a clear white. The cat is a cinnamon and gray tabby - so maybe that's why she is blue as well. Hopefully better photos next time.

Life after Strep Throat

Somehow I got strep throat. I believe it was a person in front of me at a check out line who coughed and hacked without covering his mouth. This one took me almost two full weeks to get over. So now I'm mean and ornery and ready to do an entry again.

I have been spending a lot of time knitting so I'm here on Mystic Waters. You can now see my new chart holder. Chart D has 4 pages. I went to Schoolbox Supplies (think this is right but can't remember the whole name) and got a 16x20 magnetic/dry erase board and a roll of magnetic strips that I cut into 5 pieces. Also they had highlighter tape (that pink line on the chart). So now the board can hold all 4 pages at one time. After this chart, there are 5 more - but the last one is finishing, I think.

My Tuesday project - to take to our knitting group at a local coffee shop - is Celtic Tote. It now looks like this:
I'm in the process of outlining the cables. I'm doing a lazy daisy stitch rather than the outline. To me, it is neater and will stand up to the felting. This is just the first side. I still have the other side and the edging/bottom to do plus the handles and button tab. I'm also going to line this - so will finish the knitting and do the felting then look for the lining material. My lining will have at least 2 pockets. That's the plan as I have it right now - of course subject to change or whim.

Another project that has now been added to my "to do" list is called Moroccan Days/Arabian Nights from A Few Stitches Short. I have the pattern now and will spin the yarn. I had purchased a beautiful dark blue merino which had 20% tussah silk blended in. The tussah is a light honey color. The MD/AN uses 5,000 beads which may be a color to match the tussah or a silver lined clear color. First I'll have to finish the third bobbin of Blue Suede Shoes then ply that to have enough bobbins for MD/AN's yarn. The small, insignificant glitch in this plan is PK. She is now a devout fiber stalker. She will find my wool anywhere, at any altitude, and attack it. She slobbers all over it! The beautiful roving is now shredded in small pieces and bits. She, of course, declares her innocence of this and all other accusations of crimes committed.

"Tell me, is this the face of someone who would do such acts?"

Please note she is perched on a towel pulled off the couch.

'Nuff said.

One Down...

Chart A of Mystic Waters is done. I've found some dental floss and will insert a lifeline and then start B. It feels good to have no mistakes so far... 7 more charts to go...

Third Time Better be the Charm

Or I may go nuts. Mystic Waters has whupped my a$$ again... I found a major oops of too many stitches on the left side so I couldn't tink just that area. No lifeline so out it all came and I've started again. I'm almost finished with chart A. I am very determined to get this thing done! I love all the photos I've seen - and one lady who has knitted two so far. Amazing!

Right now I've been knitting to Parking Wars (?). This takes place in Philly - home to DSIL's family. Love it when a guy went to tear up a ticket for the camera and it wouldn't tear. Guy looked like a goof fo that. This is actually a pretty funny show. It's also amazing what people have on their cars and the stories they come up with. It's also kind of funny that so few of the people have the accent I associate with the Philadelphia area.

PK stands for Psycho-kat. She goes tearing through the house, leaping into the air and attacking almost everything - but then she turns around and looks like this:
Miss Pretty Innocent Kat.







"Who Me??? I did WHAT?????? No Way!"

Stash Enhancement Experience (S.E.X.)

I've been enhancing my stash - actually in anticipation of at least one Mystery Shawl starting in March. Mystic Light has been described by Anna as the light coming from fire or stars. I bought some yarn from Loopy Ewe, first this: Cool Fire from Dream In Color Smooshy. This seemed to me to be the colors when the fire is dying down including the blue-ish flame colors.

Well, I was happy but then I was browsing another day or two later and found the following:

This is called Sugar Maple and is from Cherry Tree Hill's Sockittome. It does hit the colors of the sugar maples in New England but also the intense colors of fire, except for the blue fire when the wood burns to coals. That's ok. I think I like these warmer colors a bit better.

The final purchase was this:
This is Spring Frost, also from Cherry Tree Hill. Again, hits the colors I envision from the name. This will be a pair of socks for me.

Speaking of socks...

This is the first in a pattern called Azure from Knitty. I'm doing it in a Teal Green from Cherry Tree Hill yarn. It's a nice knit. The camera showed more detail when I was looking at what I was going to snap a photo of, but the detail seems washed out. There is no sun outside today so I'll have to wait for a good stitch detail photo. Or go to the Knitty site and see what the original looks like. This is being knit on size 2 needles.

I'm waiting for my LYS to get some more Addi size 2 needles in and want a 16 or 24" size. The 32" that I'm using is a big temptation to PK.

She is learning what she can or cannot play with but I really don't want to tempt her and then have to say no. Her other thing is to pretend she's a Kilroy character by peeking over the staircase edge.
If you tell her you can see her, she'll dash up the rest of the steps and hide around the corner.

Tagged again!

One of the blogs I read is by Dani in Canada. She was tagged and tagged Claire at Blarney 'n' Grits. I thought that was funny - and then Claire tagged me................. so here I go:

4 Jobs I've Had

• Cashier in a grocery store
• Mother Nature at a day camp
  
• AFDC/Food Stamp worker (welfare)
  
• Material Planner (manufacturing plant)
  

4 Movies I Watch Over and Over

• Sweet Home Alabama
  
• Hunt for Red October
  
• Backdraft
  
• any Pirates of the Carribbean
  

4 Places I Have Been

• Seattle Washington
  
• New York, New York
  
• Cadillac Mountain, Maine
  
• Vancouver, British Columbia

4 Places I Have Lived

• Watertown, Wisconsin
  
• Weston, Connecticut
  
• Corpus Christi, Texas
  
• Chattanooga, Tennessee

4 TV Shows I Watch

• Good Eats
  
• NCIS
  
• Shark
  
• History Channel (various)
  

4 People Who E-mail Me Regularly

• My DIL
  
• My sister
  
• People trying to make things bigger that I don't have
  
• People commenting on this blog
  

4 Favorite Foods

• Lasagna
  
• Cheeseburger
  
• Fried Chicken
• Mashed Potatoes

4 Places I Would Rather Be

• Ireland
  
• Sweden
  
• St. Petersburg
  
• Switzerland
  

4 Things I'm Looking Forward To

• Visiting with Grandkids
• Finishing Mystic Waters
  
• Finish remodeling home
  
• Using Handspun for sweater project
  

4 People to tag

• Peggy
  
• Brigitte
• Joan
• April

This is kind of fun - but off to knit some more.......if PK will let me.