multiple layering

Multiple Layering would best describe my life for the past couple of weeks and contributes to some of my blog silence. Change is a hard one to swallow for most of us, but the end result quite often is one of emotional and personal growth. Hey...I'm the first one to admit I'm one of those that can easily find myself fitting into a very comfortable and sometimes jaded life style.

One of those layers that released me of such a "laid back" life was a knee replacement for DH! My daily concerns now include "Putting DH First", ice packs, sponge bathes, preparing drinks and meals of the patient's choice, keeping tabs of the meds for the patient and using my layman nursing skills at a moment's notice.

DH is progressing marvelously and about to graduate from the walker to a cane (we are sure the Dr. Man will be most pleased with his progress this week)! Look at the new knee of 2 weeks. O-U-C-H!

I am the official full time dog walker around our house till DH (the patient) is back to 100%. This additional layering of my life gives me the opportunity to start the day with a (3) dog walk at 5:45 am. Joy...Joy, but aren't they just too cute! The Italian greyhounds are thin, muscular and nearly hairless, making their anatomy intriguingly apparent, while the Papillon is sturdy and compact. Yeah, there's not only lots going on at home, but lots happening at work as well. This is one of the busiest times of the year with Open Enrollment meetings and the additional tasks that go along with it. Surprisingly, I have been focused and quite accomplished at the office thru all the changes at the homestead. You know I can't post without mention of a knitting project! Luckily I have the Log Cabin blanket on the needles that I have been knitting on in small lots of time. By luckily I mean...what a great project to work on in small increments. By working LC in squares, there is a reason to celebrate with the completion of each square. My LC will consist of 20 blocks of which 17 are finished. See the layers of finished squares.

fall and a log cabin blanket

Fall has come.

October is here.

The local fair has come and gone.

The maples are at their showiest.

The leaves are in waiting for a long slow rain before exposing their branches.

Hey, any knitter knows these are signs to start some serious fall and winter knitting. So brings me to my latest WIP - The Log Cabin Blanket. My pattern selection was designed by Kay Gardner and Ann Shayne from Mason Dixon Knitting.

As my fingers are in constant Log Cabin motion these days, I have come to a comforting realization...there is no pressure, no questioning my size selection, not a grain of worry if my color choice works with my (pink) skin tone, and no doubting my fiber selection...you see, I know this project WILL FIT! One size fits all type thing. Let this sound unusual if you may, but I'm finding this realization to make for an awesome, easy and stress-free project.

Here I am in my Log Cabin Motion.
Upon review of 750 Log Cabin blankets in Ravelry, I discovered that a blanket knit in individual blocks was the design that suited me best. So, I'm enthusiastically churning out a square every two days with no brain input.

My LC is knit with nine different colorways of glorious Berroco Ultra Alpaca on #7 needles. I wanted a blanket that had a modern and sleek flair and chose shades of whites, browns and turquoise with a dark grey border. The colors used are: 6208, 6279, 6293, 6204, 6246, 6201, 6203, 6294, and 6289.

This blanket will be pieced with four squares width-wise and five squares in length and connected with a dark grey two inch wide panel of garter stitch while the outside border will be finished with the same dark grey two inch wide panel. The piece should measure about 54" x 72".

A blanket that rocks!

easy peasy fuzzy wuzzy

best describes this knit!
I know it's only a scarf! But Oh. My. Gosh ... how fabulous! This One Skein (mine is actually Two) Portrait Scarf was knit with Artful Yarns Portrait Yarn. Using two skeins made for a nice, long scarf that can be wrapped and worn in many different fashions. See the simple fun lace pattern........

Deciding which way to wear this piece is more difficult than knitting the simple lace pattern.

knitting the blues

....and wondering how I have a shawl and a scarf on the needles in blue tones. No problem 'cause blue is always good in my book.

On September 9th, I started the Swirl Shawl. I purchased the Jojoland-Melody yarn and the Swirl Shawl pattern over a year ago and thought 2009 would be the year of the Hexagon for me. My first experience with Jojoland was THIS project using Jojoand Rhythm and now I find the Jojoland Melody fiber to be just as pleasing, their color combinations and tones are fabulous!

My piece is knit using the Magic Loop method with #5 Lace Addi needles. How interesting reading the many different methods and needles selected by different knitters. I think everyone has to find those perfect needles and the method that works for them and only after completing a couple of Hexagons do your really know what that is. My project was started on regular circular addi needles (which I love), but I quickly realized I would have to invest in some Lace Addi needles. Well, the Lace Needles made all the difference when knitting all those K3togs! Yea..lace needles for the K3togs and a #D crochet hook were the perfect tools for my Swirl Shawl. Now I'm moving right along without incident.

Here is a copy of a worksheet used to keep me on track with this project. I have a sheet for each row (my shawl will be finished in 5 rows), one for row A, B, C, D and E. Each sheet consists of a row count for each Hexagon.

My next blue project is

the One Skein Portrait Scarf. This is a simple, but lovely scarf using Artful Yarns/Portrait. The pattern is actually on the inside of the yarn band. I chose to use 2 skeins of the Portrait yarn to make a longer 80" scarf. This is such a wonderful and simple lace pattern and perfect for TV and movie watching. I love multi-tasking! Actually, I think I will pick up this project and put in the DVD, Race to Witch Mountain by Walt Disney. You just can't go wrong with a Walt Disney movie and a mohair scarf on a Sunday afternoon!

strolling

I was aimlessly strolling around my house last evening taking notice of some things. Example: my house was dusted, vacuumed and picked up (with the exception of DH's usual kitchen table clutter consisting of his unopened mail and the last three days' newspapers that had already been read and processed - just not deposed of). Moving from the kitchen to our dusted and vacuumed bedroom was the very noticeable unmade bed! While my home is quite orderly (kitchen table being the exception), I found the unmade bed felt quite liberating and even rebellious in a strange kind of way. My rebellion only goes so far as it is still made up when we have company.







While I may feel a twinge of guilt when looking at the daily unmade bed and the 10 decorative pillows resting on the floor in the corner of the room, I only smile as I realize the extra knitting time earned by such liberation.

Extra Knitting Time......

time I cherish

time I relish

and time I totally bask in!

my winter leggings

My Super-Easy Leg Warmers were not finished to enjoy last winter, but are now complete and ready to profile soon as the weather permits! Many knitting friends couldn't believe I was knitting Leg Warmers and certainly didn't think it was something I would really like, let alone wear! Well....let me be perfectly clear about two things, I think they are fabulous and believe me they will be worn a lot.

This project was knit with 2 skeins of dark dark grey cascade 200 heather and 2 skeins of black madil kid seta yarn on #8 - 32"circulars. The madil kid seta really adds a depth and softness to the cascade 220 without feeling itchy. Such Softness! Ahhhh...leggings with straight leg jeans and velvet flats or how about my lace up construction boots and a long sweater! And don't think I won't be wearing these around the house with my birenstocks on those cold days and evenings! If you think you would enjoy a pair of these, you can find the pattern (and many many other lovely knits) in Last Minute Knitted Gifts book by Joelle Hoverson.

Cabled Rib Wrap

What a sophisticated and luxurious wrap! I found the ribs and cable definition to be awesome when knit with the Shibui Baby Alpaca and Silk Cloud. This yarn combination is the coziest, yummmmiest yarn ever that results in a divine garment with a nice halo effect.
The Skinny:

Yarn: Shibui Baby Alpaca DK

Color: #220 Peony

Amount: 4 skeins

Yarn: Shibui Silk Cloud

Color: Peony

Amount: 3 Skeins

Needle Size: #7

Finished/Blocked Size: 74" x 20"

My wrap will adequately accommodate those cold weather coats and jackets.

Cold weather.........bring it on!