Atomic Flower

This is a Flower that a friend, Kesam, had made. I met her in Manchester last July.
What a delightfully wonderful and talented lady. She even let me post the picture here. Thank you, Kesam!

It's almost Friday, and then we will have a long weekend, and I am going to knit and creochet until I fall asleep.

Thinking aloud

Now, here is the thing: When I sleep, or am about to fall asleep, I have great ideas, and solutions to problems. This would mean that I should be in bed all the time, when I have drawn my idea bank empty. Of course, other times it's the other way, all the problems come to surface and I can't sleep.

I was thinking of pros and cons of work environment. Of course, I can only think from my experiences, which are not that many, but many years would count to some thoughts.

1. Whining co-workers make my blood boil

2. Lying about how much work they do, when most of the time
is spent on the internet or on the phone, on personal stuff.

3. When the boss wants you to do something five minutes before
you leave for home.

4. High and mighty attitude of some of the management staff. Secrecy
included. The staff is not let know of the important issues, until
the last minute, or via some grapevine

5. Holiday schedules are announced a few days prior a major holiday,
unless it's a statutory holiday.

6. Co-worker's complaining about how much work they have. Would this
have anything to do with above mentioned personal stuff?

Good Thoughts:

1. I have a job
2. I get a paycheck
3. I love my work (it's the co-workers who make my life miserable sometimes)
4. Fun lunch hours. I can knit or crochet, or go out, or whatever.
5. Flexibility, if you are late 5 minutes, nothing is said, if you need an
appointment, you just make up the time...when ever.
6. Casual Fridays
7. An amazing boss makes all the difference


There are more points to both sides, but since I am on my break now, I need to stop.

The story about the picture will follow now:

I want to make a pink scarf for breast cancer charity program. I know that there is one group that collects knitted scarves. Mine is crocheted. However, I cannot imagine that they would turn mine away.

Here is how I am making it:

Stitches: Ch, Sc, Dc, Fldc, bldc

Front and Back Loop instructions are very nicely explained here:

http://www.stitchdiva.com/custom.aspx?id=128

Yarn: WW or DK, whichever suits your likes
Hook: 5.5 mm for WW or if you want looser stitch then bigger hook,
or tighter fabric then smaller hook

Chain 21,

Row 1: sc in second ch from hook, sc in each ch st. You will have 20 sc sts. Turn

Row 2: ch 3 (or 2, if you want) as one dc
dc in each sc (you will have 1-3ch and 19 dc stitches. Turn

Row 3: ch 3 (or 2) bldc in first dc, fldc in next, bldc in next, fldc in next,
continue this way to the end. Dc in the 3 ch loop. Turn

Row 4: Ch 3 (or 2), fldc in the first dc that was done in a back loop on the
previous row. bldc in the next, alternate back and front loops to the end.

If the previous dc is sticking up, you will do the back loop dc,
if the previous dc is hiding behind, you will do the front loop.

Repeat these two rows, alternating the front and back loops. Leave the chain stitches alone, otherwise your edge is going to be messy looking (I tried).

You can make as many rows as you wish. Make a fringe, at ends, if you want.
I didn't write the above to make a pattern, I am sure someone has made a similar scarf already. I am just telling you how I made mine.

If there are spelling mistakes, please forgive me, but the blogger decided to be a pest and not checking anything. Not even letting me use the bold or italic letters.

Hope you got something done from my instructions.

Drawing

It was the dream of drawing a deer. I was looking for a picture of a deer in the web, but could not find anything that excited me. I did hit a link where my norton guy went nuts, but was able to fight back and delete all the nasty monsters. I ran norton guy again,just to make sure.

That was the end for my interest in drawing a deer. My next attempt was a horse. I have always liked horses, and drawing them gives me a great deal of inspiration.

Well, the above picture isn't about a horse, but about a scrumble. I took a break from my knitting, and doodled with my watercolor pencils.

MS3 completed

Here is a picture of the mystery stole in its glory. Also a picture of the baby socks I made yesterday and finished the last one today at my lunch hour.

Mofe Socks

This is my current selection of Sock WIPs.
Don't we just love socks.

Sherri gave me an idea of designing socks and naming them MOFE Socks. Don't we just love that! I might do that one day.

MS3 Done

Finally. I will be thinking twice before attempting to knit another lace weight shawl.
My fingers are looking at me like I had tried to kill them. My left forefinger has a darker spot, where the tip of the needle kept hitting. I need to give my fingers a nice treat, so they will forgive me and happily continue my sock knitting trek.

I took Friday off from work, to knit my socks. But. The mystery stole kept staring at me from the top of the WIP pile. FPS, all right, I'll finish you this weekend, but let me knit some socks first. So I did, on Friday. Remember the sock that had a lace pattern, and I was looking for the instructions, which my friend Sarah was able to get for me. Well, I am now knitting the foot part, not too far away from the toe, on both socks.

Some trips to my stash room resulted in some finds, Kroy Sock yarn. One ball of each color. How clever. However, I bought the yarns at a sale, and they were meant for my freeform creations. For freeform projects I bought different yarns, and many times just one ball. Little did I know that I would get a sock fever.

I called a store near me, and they had Kroy sock yarns. I went there on Saturday, and was able to get one color to match perfectly. Then I bought some solid colors to go with the colors that didn't have a match. One of these days I will be making those up. Starting from the toe.

On the dream scenery, I had a vivid dream where I was drawing a deer. Then I started looking for books of drawings. If my fingers fight too much today, I might just draw and not knit. Although.......see how easily I switch from one project to another, something has to be done with my attention span. Yes, I have a crochet-a-long doily sitting by my laptop, but it's not making too much noise, it's still in baby shoes. Only6 or 7 rows done. There are about 30 or so rows. I don't have the pattern in front of me, so I am just estimating. The doily is going to be a gift since I have no room for doilies in my home. They would get buried alive under my
knitting/crocheting projects and yarns, as well as hubby's photo stuff. Our home is one production house.

That reminds me of the weekly chores I need to do today, since
two days of pure bliss of knitting didn't give enough time to do the laundry or other normal household projects.

Toe Up Sock

I got it, I did.

Playing with letters

M indless blabber rarely creates an interesting
Y arn that would catch the attention of other
B logger who clicks on to find something
L ively and entertaining to read
O nly to find words that follow each other in a desperate
G riping manner amounting to nothing.

First Socks in 2007

the yarn is Fortissima Colori, Socka Color. A friend of mine gave me the yarn some time ago. I had a pattern but it got misplaced and I had to do the other sock using the first one as a model.

What number are you?

You Are 9: The Peacemaker
You are emotionally stable and willing to find common ground with others.
Your friends and family often look to you to be the mediator when there is conflict.

You are easy going and accepting. You take things as they come.
Avoiding conflict at all costs, you're content when things are calm.

At Your Best: You feel connected, trusting, and fulfilled. You feel at peace with your place in the world.

At Your Worst: You compromise your values to make sure peace is maintained. You give in to bullies.

Your Fixation: Harmony

Your Primary Fear: Causing conflict

Your Primary Desire: To preserve things as they are

Other Number 9's: Marge Simpson, Ronald Reagan, Audrey Hepburn, Jerry Seinfeld, and Abraham Lincoln.

What Number Are You

Questions

I "stole" these questions from Janet

Answer each question with a word that starts with the first letter of your first name.
1. Famous Singer/Band: Paula Abdul (she sings, right?)
2. 4 letter word: Phew (I wanted to use another word, but I'm not saying it loud)
3. Street name: Park Avenue
4. Color: Purple, Pink
5. Gifts/Presents: Pearls
6. Vehicle: Paddle boat
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Pins, Pens
8. Boy Name: Patrick
9. Girl Name: Patrice
10. Movie Title: Psycho
11. Drink: Pepsi
12. Occupation: Psychologist
13. Celebrity: Paul Newman
14. Magazine: People
15. U.S. City: Philly
16. Pro Sports Teams: Panthers (I'm sure there is a team like that, somewhere)
17. Fruit: Pear
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Pulled over (could be a reason)
19. Something You Throw Away: Pulp
20. Things You Shout: Payday (there was something else here, but I deleted it)
21. Cartoon Character: Pink Panther

Mine was easy, except for the 4-letter word.

Campanula socks

I have been practicing the toe up method in making a sock. It has taken me several hours, first looking for a yarn to make the socks, then printing Wendy's instructions, and then trying to figure out what I am supposed to do. I am not too fond of frogging, but I have done it several times tonight. I even made the crocheted chain, made a knot at the end, and then followed the instructions....hmmm....I think some of you already know that I am not very good at that skill.

Well, wrapping the yarn around a stitch should be easy enough, but not for me, I knitted and purled the wrapped stitch when I was starting the next row. This is how I used to do short rows on a flat piece, not on a sock toe, where the method is going to make the toe part to come out nice and round and perfect without holes.

I finally figured out that you don't knit the wrapped yarn just yet, you knit it later. Do I always have to be in such a hurry? My next problem is to pick up the wraps and knit them nice and even. These wraps, on my work, were full of stuff, as in chicken wraps, lettuce, tomato, cucu, etc. Oh, no, I think I better go to sleep. It's midnight again, and I have a full work day tomorrow.

Right now all that was done tonight is back in the skein of yarn that I knitted from. I don't like the yarn, it's too thin. Guess what, I have to give in and go to the store tomorrow and buy some decent sock yarn in solid color. I hope to find some sort of pink color.

I'll practice again tomorrow, until I get the toe part nice and pretty. I am going to make this sock, no matter what.

Goodie bag from Stitch n' Pitch

Here is the bag and what was inside:

Yarn, Filati magazine, several loose patterns, and information flyers, as well as some detergent and even a cross stitch chart.

Also included was an info flyer from Campanula for the Cure

http://campanulaforthecure.blogspot.com/2007/08/reminder-contest-number-1-closes.html

You will make a pair of socks, using Campanula pattern, which is available from Ramona Carmelly, who is raising funds for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer.

Stitch n' Pitch night

Some additions for this post, since I forgot important things, like coffee, who won, etc.

Here are some pictures I took tonight at the baseball game. Tatjana is showing her beautiful summer top she was working on at the game. There was an interesting teeshirt, the one side was about a good girl and in the back, whoops, she is knitting now.

As we entered the stadium, we received a tote bag with yarns and some patterns inside. The bag has the Blue Jays logo on one side and Stitch n' Pitch on the other. I didn't take a picture of the bag yet.

I love the beret that one girl was wearing. She also had a great hair color. I must think of that for myself.

One picture has Sherri taking a picture of me taking a picture of her. In the other group picture Drea is saying hello. I think Knitters and Crocheters did a marvellous job in attendance.

There was a group of fun people, sitting in the front of me. One young man decided to go and get drinks for the girls and was telling them that he was buying. When he was walking by me, I said, jokingly, that for me he could bring a black coffee. Guess what, when he came back with the drinks, he had a coffee for me. What a Nice guy!

It's midnight, and I need to go to work in the morning, so I say goodnight all, and good morning to those who visit my blog in the morning.

I forgot to mention that Jays won 2-1.

Stitch n' Pitch

Tonight is the night when a whole bunch of us knitters and crocheters get together at a baseball game. The teams are Toronto Blue Jays and L.A. Angels. I've heard rumors that there might be over 700 of us. This should be a fun night.

I have my knitting bag, two bottles of water, camera and of course knitting project nicely waiting for me to get to the subway station and start traveling towards downtown. I still have a few hours at work. Right now I am taking a break.

I have my sock knitting spree going on strongly. Three projects already on the go. The one I was looking for a pattern yesterday, the one I am going to work on tonight, and the one I started on the weekend for charity.

My hubby might tape the game, if he remembers. I have only reminded him now 5 times. He will tape it, I know. Not that I am a huge baseball fan, but it would be interesting to see if they show us on telly. There are quite a few of our crochet and knitting group members, and then all the other group members, whom I don't necessarily know, but will get to know at the game.

Sock found!

http://files.blog-city.com/files/aa/3830/b/river_rapids.pdf
Here it is.

I made mine longer, though, but the lace pattern is the same.
A friend of mine, Sarah, took matters into her mind, and was able to
get it for me. Thank You!

Where is this pattern?

Some time ago I started a fancy sock. I know I had a pattern, but now I don't.

Does anyone recognize this pattern? Would you please tell me, if you know where it is.

Kitchener stitch

I did it! I was finally able to make a joining with Kitchener stitch. I finished the booties and here is the picture. The doll is the size of a newborn. I am glad the sweater and booties are

big, because when the baby is born, it's still too hot to wear heavy sweaters, hats and booties.

Oh, I guess I didn't tell yet, there is another grandchild due in a few weeks.

Knitting lately

Hi, it's been a while. No excuses, I just didn't have anything to report.

It's been needles and purl and knit and slip and yarn over lately. At times I have felt totally uninterested in anything.

A while back I decided to make a sweater for me with mitered squares. Guess what, I got three squares done and started getting bored. I am just not equipped with long attention span, or following a pattern that repeats itself. Although with mitered squares one could change colors and shapes as in squares and triangles (reminds me too much of high school math). Oh, yes, after I started feeling bored, I began knitting my own squares, in other words, I forgot the pattern at home, and didn't remember what to do next (this happened at work, at lunch), so I started my own thing, but now the project is in the bag, waiting, because I decided to crochet another amulet bag from Melody's book of Overlay crochet jewelry. I got the center square done and some rows around it. It's now sitting in the bag, waiting for the next inspirational

moment.

I had been also working on a baby sweater, and started finishing it off, and did so today. Then was time for a little hat to go with the sweater. Since I am fickle with my projects, I started knitting little booties, yesterday, when the sweater was getting on my nerves. The little booties are truly cute, I got the pattern from somewhere in the web. I followed the pattern (I have to follow patterns sometimes, specially with baby stuff) religiously. I didn't like the way the toe part looked, but I kept going right to the end. The bootie just didn't look right, but I could not figure out what was wrong (I have crocheted booties, but never knitted them, and besides, I am not a fan of making any type of socks or booties). I finished the bootie to the last part and then, only then, read the last part of the pattern: Kitchener stitch!!!! arrrrrggghhhh.

I shed a few tears, took a needle, pulled yarn thru, my way. The bootie looked ridiculous.

Finally, I frogged the dang thing to the cuff part only, and started over. Well, my pattern reading had improved somewhat when I realized what I had done wrong. instead of a few stitches for the top part of the foot, I had taken twice as much. Dingading. The project is now sitting in the bag, waiting for some sort of miraculous system how I could finish the sole part without using Kitchener stitch. It looks really easy, when I follow the pictures or videos. For some reason my brain goes on strike, when I try to do this wonderful stitch.

On Saturday, last, my girlfriend Betty and I went "outing". First stop was for lunch, then Goodwill store, where I found two circular needles, which I didn't need, but bought anyway, and one single dbl pointed needle, which can be added to my set of four, if I have the same size set. I am sure I do. After that I got a bright idea to find a yarn store, and that's where we went. I bought two circular needles (oh, phhleeez, I know I have lots of them, but not the right size or the right feel). I started looking around the yarn bins and told myself several times that I do not need yarn, no sirree. I bought two skeins of sock yarn. Yes, you read it right, SOCK yarn. Oh, why, oh why do they make sock yarns so interesting these days?

BTW, I finished clue number 5, the wing, in the mysterystole3.

I had to fold the work because I only wanted to take a picture of the wing part.