Sunday, April 10, 2005
Saturday, April 09, 2005
This is cool!
I'm excited! I'm geeked! I'm a designer!
After about 3 months of knitting, composing, arranging for test knitters, tweeking the pattern, etc, I finally got my pattern printed, copies made of the photo, inserted them into the sheet protectors, and it's official! My first pattern design is for sale!!
Here is a better photo of the bag, as the pattern is now written. It has a round bottom and a drawstring top. I'm calling it the "Panes" Bag because as I started knitting it, the pattern looked like window panes to me.
My test knitters did a slightly different version...a little bit shorter with slightly different pattern repeats and a slight change to the bottom circle. They are all really different from each other and all came out really great. You can see Jane's version on her blog. Also seen there are my first version (the one with purple as its main color) and the one my sister Diane did (the black/Kool-Aid colors one with the cool handles!) I also have photos of one that my friend Deb did, and will be posting them all together in a gallery.
Anyway, this morning I took a handful of the patterns up to the yarn store where I work, priced them, and put them in the binder with the other patterns. I feel so special :-)
I am going to set up a separate page to sell them online, where you can buy the pattern with a paypal payment and I will email you a .PDF file containing the pattern and photo. In the email will also be the other photos from my test knitters, before and after felting photos, etc. I hope to do this in the next day or two (or three). If you prefer to buy a hard copy version rather than downloading it and printing it yourself, I can certainly do that too. Email me if you'd like one.
I am currently working on a shawl pattern done in Noro Blossom. Hopefully it will not take me as long to work out the kinks this time, now that I have a little tiny bit of experience.
After about 3 months of knitting, composing, arranging for test knitters, tweeking the pattern, etc, I finally got my pattern printed, copies made of the photo, inserted them into the sheet protectors, and it's official! My first pattern design is for sale!!
Here is a better photo of the bag, as the pattern is now written. It has a round bottom and a drawstring top. I'm calling it the "Panes" Bag because as I started knitting it, the pattern looked like window panes to me.
My test knitters did a slightly different version...a little bit shorter with slightly different pattern repeats and a slight change to the bottom circle. They are all really different from each other and all came out really great. You can see Jane's version on her blog. Also seen there are my first version (the one with purple as its main color) and the one my sister Diane did (the black/Kool-Aid colors one with the cool handles!) I also have photos of one that my friend Deb did, and will be posting them all together in a gallery.
Anyway, this morning I took a handful of the patterns up to the yarn store where I work, priced them, and put them in the binder with the other patterns. I feel so special :-)
I am going to set up a separate page to sell them online, where you can buy the pattern with a paypal payment and I will email you a .PDF file containing the pattern and photo. In the email will also be the other photos from my test knitters, before and after felting photos, etc. I hope to do this in the next day or two (or three). If you prefer to buy a hard copy version rather than downloading it and printing it yourself, I can certainly do that too. Email me if you'd like one.
I am currently working on a shawl pattern done in Noro Blossom. Hopefully it will not take me as long to work out the kinks this time, now that I have a little tiny bit of experience.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Catching Up
Wow, lots to catch up on! Things have been pretty crazy since I got back from my trip to visit Diane, but now the kids have gone back to school and I have a minute to breathe!
First of all, the trip was SO much fun. Unfortunately it went by much too quickly, but boy, did we cram in some fun!
I got in about 10 am on Friday in Omaha. We quickly started moving around the city trying to get to all the places on our list. We hit several yarn stores, Mangelsen's craft store, a couple bead stores, etc. At String of Purls I found some Noro Blossom #5 that I had been looking everywhere for! I was so happy....all day I kept saying (in a little sing-song voice) "I got Blossom #5!" to the point where I'm sure I was getting pretty annoying. Anyway, they said they had been waiting a year and a half to get more of that in, so I guess I was in the right place at the right time. I started another shawl like the one I gave mom for her birthday, adjusting my design a bit from the first one. I really LOVE the Noro Blossom. It's so fun to knit with....seeing what color is going to show up next in the skein, and all the colorful little slubs that are spun in too.
We shopped so much that it was 9:30 by the time we finally got to have dinner (which was at HuHot in Sioux City, IA on the way "home" to Vermillion, SD). I love Mongolian Barbecue, and I was so hungry so it really hit the spot. By the time we got to Diane's house it was about 11 pm. They are in the Central Time Zone so to my body it felt like midnight. I had gotten up at 4:30 am to get to the airport on time, so that was quite a long day, but VERY much fun!
Oh, I should mention that when I landed in Omaha the pilot announced that it was 36 degrees, drizzly rain, and the high that day was going to be 40. Oh grand, the same crap I left at home....
However, Saturday dawned a brighter and warmer day...Easter Sunday was glorious, Monday and Tuesday got better and better and were in the 70s. LOVED that weather. We've had an especially snowy winter this year so I was really needing to experience some spring weather. But, all good things must come to an end. Tuesday night a line of thunderstorms blew in and the rain stuck around for my departure. It was in the low 40s as Diane drove me back to the airport.
While I was at Diane's we did a lot of knitting. She was working on test-knitting my first soon-to-be-printed pattern, and we put our heads together with Queen Kahuna's Crazy Heels and Toes book and taught ourselves how to do Toe-Up Socks. The funny thing was that I had brought along my Trekking XXL socks that I started months ago, Cuff-Down, and had frogged the heel area about 3 times. Instead of continuing down those socks, I broke the yarn, and started Toe Up and here they are ready to be joined together. I wonder if this is the only pair of socks out there that has been knit CD/TU on the same pair. I do tend to do things my own way LOL!
Cuff Down Meets Toe Up
We both decided we love Queen Kahuna's methods and sock knitting will be much more enjoyable now. I'm glad to have gotten Diane off the DPNs and onto the Magic Loop method, doing BOTH socks at once. There's no going back now, Diane. Toss those porcupines!!!!
Another thing we did that was so much fun was get together with Diane's Stitch 'N Bitch group on Monday night at the home of one of the members (THANKS SANDY!) for pot luck dinner, dessert (and wine). I was teaching the ladies how to do the knit/beaded bracelets, so the wine mixing with bitty little beads and #0000 knitting needles...well you get the picture. They did really well though, and I think everyone enjoyed learning how to do the bracelets. You can see a few pictures on Jen's blog by clicking on the links in the paragraph next to the bead tray photo. I wish someone had grabbed her camera and gotten her in one of the pictures! Sorry Jen!
It was really nice meeting all the ladies in Diane's knitting group. I had heard a lot about them and was glad to put faces with the names. I know she really enjoys getting together with them.
All in all it was a wonderful trip. Lots of knitting, lots of good food, lots of good fun. I just wish we didn't live so far apart and could do this all the time. Sniff....
First of all, the trip was SO much fun. Unfortunately it went by much too quickly, but boy, did we cram in some fun!
I got in about 10 am on Friday in Omaha. We quickly started moving around the city trying to get to all the places on our list. We hit several yarn stores, Mangelsen's craft store, a couple bead stores, etc. At String of Purls I found some Noro Blossom #5 that I had been looking everywhere for! I was so happy....all day I kept saying (in a little sing-song voice) "I got Blossom #5!" to the point where I'm sure I was getting pretty annoying. Anyway, they said they had been waiting a year and a half to get more of that in, so I guess I was in the right place at the right time. I started another shawl like the one I gave mom for her birthday, adjusting my design a bit from the first one. I really LOVE the Noro Blossom. It's so fun to knit with....seeing what color is going to show up next in the skein, and all the colorful little slubs that are spun in too.
We shopped so much that it was 9:30 by the time we finally got to have dinner (which was at HuHot in Sioux City, IA on the way "home" to Vermillion, SD). I love Mongolian Barbecue, and I was so hungry so it really hit the spot. By the time we got to Diane's house it was about 11 pm. They are in the Central Time Zone so to my body it felt like midnight. I had gotten up at 4:30 am to get to the airport on time, so that was quite a long day, but VERY much fun!
Oh, I should mention that when I landed in Omaha the pilot announced that it was 36 degrees, drizzly rain, and the high that day was going to be 40. Oh grand, the same crap I left at home....
However, Saturday dawned a brighter and warmer day...Easter Sunday was glorious, Monday and Tuesday got better and better and were in the 70s. LOVED that weather. We've had an especially snowy winter this year so I was really needing to experience some spring weather. But, all good things must come to an end. Tuesday night a line of thunderstorms blew in and the rain stuck around for my departure. It was in the low 40s as Diane drove me back to the airport.
While I was at Diane's we did a lot of knitting. She was working on test-knitting my first soon-to-be-printed pattern, and we put our heads together with Queen Kahuna's Crazy Heels and Toes book and taught ourselves how to do Toe-Up Socks. The funny thing was that I had brought along my Trekking XXL socks that I started months ago, Cuff-Down, and had frogged the heel area about 3 times. Instead of continuing down those socks, I broke the yarn, and started Toe Up and here they are ready to be joined together. I wonder if this is the only pair of socks out there that has been knit CD/TU on the same pair. I do tend to do things my own way LOL!
Cuff Down Meets Toe Up
We both decided we love Queen Kahuna's methods and sock knitting will be much more enjoyable now. I'm glad to have gotten Diane off the DPNs and onto the Magic Loop method, doing BOTH socks at once. There's no going back now, Diane. Toss those porcupines!!!!
Another thing we did that was so much fun was get together with Diane's Stitch 'N Bitch group on Monday night at the home of one of the members (THANKS SANDY!) for pot luck dinner, dessert (and wine). I was teaching the ladies how to do the knit/beaded bracelets, so the wine mixing with bitty little beads and #0000 knitting needles...well you get the picture. They did really well though, and I think everyone enjoyed learning how to do the bracelets. You can see a few pictures on Jen's blog by clicking on the links in the paragraph next to the bead tray photo. I wish someone had grabbed her camera and gotten her in one of the pictures! Sorry Jen!
It was really nice meeting all the ladies in Diane's knitting group. I had heard a lot about them and was glad to put faces with the names. I know she really enjoys getting together with them.
All in all it was a wonderful trip. Lots of knitting, lots of good food, lots of good fun. I just wish we didn't live so far apart and could do this all the time. Sniff....
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Oh I'm Leavin' On A Jet Plane....
I do, however, know when I'll be back again....Wednesday evening.
I'm leaving early tomorrow morning to visit my sister for the better part of 6 days. I'll be arriving in Omaha at about 9:40 and we'll be visiting 3 yarn stores and the HUGE Mangelson's craft store. Mongolian BBQ will be for lunch or dinner. Then we'll drive back to Vermillion, SD where Diane lives and have lots of sisterly/knitting time together.
The current newsletter for the shop has gone in the mail with the upcoming classes for the next 3 months. I am teaching several new and FUN classes this time around. A beaded belt knit with Berrocco Suede or Noro Daria. A beaded bracelet knit with #0000 needles and metallic thread. The Baby Ugg Boots. Some techniques classes (lace knitting, cables, etc). But the most fun of all, the knitted sandals class. I've had the sample pair in the shop for a couple weeks now and they are a hit! I've been trying to get a photo posted here because they are really cute, but I can't get it to upload. So it will have to wait.
I would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter and if you are travelling, have a safe, fun-filled trip!
I'm leaving early tomorrow morning to visit my sister for the better part of 6 days. I'll be arriving in Omaha at about 9:40 and we'll be visiting 3 yarn stores and the HUGE Mangelson's craft store. Mongolian BBQ will be for lunch or dinner. Then we'll drive back to Vermillion, SD where Diane lives and have lots of sisterly/knitting time together.
The current newsletter for the shop has gone in the mail with the upcoming classes for the next 3 months. I am teaching several new and FUN classes this time around. A beaded belt knit with Berrocco Suede or Noro Daria. A beaded bracelet knit with #0000 needles and metallic thread. The Baby Ugg Boots. Some techniques classes (lace knitting, cables, etc). But the most fun of all, the knitted sandals class. I've had the sample pair in the shop for a couple weeks now and they are a hit! I've been trying to get a photo posted here because they are really cute, but I can't get it to upload. So it will have to wait.
I would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter and if you are travelling, have a safe, fun-filled trip!
Thursday, March 10, 2005
3 new books
Like I need more knitting books. Yeah, right. Sure. Just try to convince yourself, Trish.....
Last week at our Border's get-together, I finally spent the gift card I got from Kaitlyn for Christmas. I had looked at the knitting books before, but just couldn't make a decision. Kim had a gift card to spend too, so we browsed together. I ended up getting Knit and Crochet with Beads and KnitLit (too) : Stories from Sheep to Shawl . . . and More Writing About Knitting. I had read the first KnitLit book last year and really enjoyed the stories. I will probably end up adding that one to my knitting bookshelf at some point too. What I really wanted to get was 25 Bags to Knit: Beautiful Bags in Stylish Colors but Borders didn't have it. I ended up buying it at the shop when I was at work on Tuesday. There are some really cute purses/bags in this book. I haven't knit any that haven't been felted so I wanted to try a couple unfelted versions. I think I'm going to have quite a collection of them in a short period of time!
Last week at our Border's get-together, I finally spent the gift card I got from Kaitlyn for Christmas. I had looked at the knitting books before, but just couldn't make a decision. Kim had a gift card to spend too, so we browsed together. I ended up getting Knit and Crochet with Beads and KnitLit (too) : Stories from Sheep to Shawl . . . and More Writing About Knitting. I had read the first KnitLit book last year and really enjoyed the stories. I will probably end up adding that one to my knitting bookshelf at some point too. What I really wanted to get was 25 Bags to Knit: Beautiful Bags in Stylish Colors but Borders didn't have it. I ended up buying it at the shop when I was at work on Tuesday. There are some really cute purses/bags in this book. I haven't knit any that haven't been felted so I wanted to try a couple unfelted versions. I think I'm going to have quite a collection of them in a short period of time!
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Wowsa!
Today my blog turned 7,000. Holy cow. I hope you all are enjoying your visits. I sometimes wonder if I really have anything interesting to say. Who are these people who stop by and peer into my little corner of the knitting world?
Let's see....what is NEW in this little corner???
I finished up the Sheep Tote classes last week (photo in earlier blog entry) and everyone did a great job. It was interesting to see how all the different colorways of Plymouth Outback felted (all the students except one used the Outback) Several ladies chose to not do the needle felted sheep. One did needle felted flowers instead, using some roving and then some pieces of her yarn for stems and leaves (VERY cute and so creative). Another lady crocheted a really cute flower in the same yarn as her bag, felted it slightly, and put it on the side of the bag. Also a nice creative alternative. We really had a lot of fun in that class. I just love getting to know the knitters over the course of a few weeks. There are conversations that happen that give you a glimpse into their lives that you don't get when you are just ringing them up at the register or helping them pick out yarn.
This week I started teaching the Baby Surprise Jacket class again. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't crazy about teaching this one over again. I didn't mind the mittens, I didn't mind the clogs, but the prospect of this repeat was not thrilling me. However, I will also be the first to admit that it was perfectly fine, and once again I am blessed with great ladies to teach...funny, personable, and it just makes me realize how blessed I am to have this job (and I use that word VERY loosely because not ONCE has going to the shop felt like WORK to me...it's always playtime in my eyes).
I relish the fact that I get to use my creativity, and get paid for it. The creative juices are REALLY flowing these days. The other morning a new purse design came from the dream I was waking up from. It was so clear to me in my dream, and while it is an unusual shape/style, and will take some playing around with to get it right, I am determined to make it happen. If you dream it, you can knit it. Right?
Speaking of designing...I am coming closer to the point where I can get my first pattern printed and hopefully on the market. I have lined up 4 test knitters to make sure the pattern is clear, free of errors and confusion, and contains all the information necessary for a frustration-free knitting experience. Some patterns are just not well written at all, and I don't want anyone to feel that way about something I've written. So far one of my TK-ers has finished her version of my bag and I love it! She had some suggestions for the pattern which I implemented. TK-er #2 found another area of confusion today and it was just an oversight that I quickly fixed. My sister Diane is going to start knitting hers when she gets back from LONDON (where she flew off to this afternoon til Sunday....lucky duck). Since I'll be visiting her in only SIXTEEN DAYS I can see her progress for myself. She also has enlisted one of her S & B-ers to test knit for me too.
When the pattern is ready to be released, I'll make a big stink about it right here :-)
I also recently designed a shawl pattern (using the Noro Blossom that I recently found hiding in the back of the bin). In the coveted #5 colorway. This stuff is out of stock EVERYWHERE and I really do want some more!
Anyway, the shawl turned out quite lovely, and I was truly amazed at all the blues, purples, and greens that showed up as I was knitting since the hanks look so predominantly PINK. I did find after finishing it and blocking it, that there were 3 things in particular that I would have done differently. If I wasn't afraid of ruining the yarn by frogging after it had already been wet blocked, I might have torn it apart and made the changes. But I decided to leave it as is. I wore it to work last week and Vicky liked it a lot. She said she definitely wants me to write up the pattern for this one too.
Well that gave me the idea that I'd better make another one, but with the changes I have in mind. But no more #5 to be had anywhere! Then, my mom decided she would like to have a shawl like this, and because I was going to be knitting another one anyway, and who needs 2 (almost) the same, I gave her the beautiful #5 Blossom shawl as her birthday present. I hope she enjoys it. I'll have to visit it once in a while.
Now I am just trying to decide which color I'm going to choose for the next one. I keep inspecting the hanks at the shop, trying to figure out what color stripes might burst from them unexpectedly. I guess that's going to be part of the fun. So, soon you'll be seeing 2 patterns designed by me. I'm so excited! I really didn't think I had it in me to design knitting patterns. (I have a couple more ideas floating around in my head...besides the dream bag...hey! I think that's what I'll name it!)
Let's see....what is NEW in this little corner???
I finished up the Sheep Tote classes last week (photo in earlier blog entry) and everyone did a great job. It was interesting to see how all the different colorways of Plymouth Outback felted (all the students except one used the Outback) Several ladies chose to not do the needle felted sheep. One did needle felted flowers instead, using some roving and then some pieces of her yarn for stems and leaves (VERY cute and so creative). Another lady crocheted a really cute flower in the same yarn as her bag, felted it slightly, and put it on the side of the bag. Also a nice creative alternative. We really had a lot of fun in that class. I just love getting to know the knitters over the course of a few weeks. There are conversations that happen that give you a glimpse into their lives that you don't get when you are just ringing them up at the register or helping them pick out yarn.
This week I started teaching the Baby Surprise Jacket class again. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't crazy about teaching this one over again. I didn't mind the mittens, I didn't mind the clogs, but the prospect of this repeat was not thrilling me. However, I will also be the first to admit that it was perfectly fine, and once again I am blessed with great ladies to teach...funny, personable, and it just makes me realize how blessed I am to have this job (and I use that word VERY loosely because not ONCE has going to the shop felt like WORK to me...it's always playtime in my eyes).
I relish the fact that I get to use my creativity, and get paid for it. The creative juices are REALLY flowing these days. The other morning a new purse design came from the dream I was waking up from. It was so clear to me in my dream, and while it is an unusual shape/style, and will take some playing around with to get it right, I am determined to make it happen. If you dream it, you can knit it. Right?
Speaking of designing...I am coming closer to the point where I can get my first pattern printed and hopefully on the market. I have lined up 4 test knitters to make sure the pattern is clear, free of errors and confusion, and contains all the information necessary for a frustration-free knitting experience. Some patterns are just not well written at all, and I don't want anyone to feel that way about something I've written. So far one of my TK-ers has finished her version of my bag and I love it! She had some suggestions for the pattern which I implemented. TK-er #2 found another area of confusion today and it was just an oversight that I quickly fixed. My sister Diane is going to start knitting hers when she gets back from LONDON (where she flew off to this afternoon til Sunday....lucky duck). Since I'll be visiting her in only SIXTEEN DAYS I can see her progress for myself. She also has enlisted one of her S & B-ers to test knit for me too.
When the pattern is ready to be released, I'll make a big stink about it right here :-)
I also recently designed a shawl pattern (using the Noro Blossom that I recently found hiding in the back of the bin). In the coveted #5 colorway. This stuff is out of stock EVERYWHERE and I really do want some more!
Anyway, the shawl turned out quite lovely, and I was truly amazed at all the blues, purples, and greens that showed up as I was knitting since the hanks look so predominantly PINK. I did find after finishing it and blocking it, that there were 3 things in particular that I would have done differently. If I wasn't afraid of ruining the yarn by frogging after it had already been wet blocked, I might have torn it apart and made the changes. But I decided to leave it as is. I wore it to work last week and Vicky liked it a lot. She said she definitely wants me to write up the pattern for this one too.
Well that gave me the idea that I'd better make another one, but with the changes I have in mind. But no more #5 to be had anywhere! Then, my mom decided she would like to have a shawl like this, and because I was going to be knitting another one anyway, and who needs 2 (almost) the same, I gave her the beautiful #5 Blossom shawl as her birthday present. I hope she enjoys it. I'll have to visit it once in a while.
Now I am just trying to decide which color I'm going to choose for the next one. I keep inspecting the hanks at the shop, trying to figure out what color stripes might burst from them unexpectedly. I guess that's going to be part of the fun. So, soon you'll be seeing 2 patterns designed by me. I'm so excited! I really didn't think I had it in me to design knitting patterns. (I have a couple more ideas floating around in my head...besides the dream bag...hey! I think that's what I'll name it!)
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Wavy
I started knitting Wavy (pattern here, Easy to follow graph here) Wednesday evening and continued on at our Borders knitting group on Thursday. I love how this is turning out. The jog where it changes directions bothers me a little but I think with careful blocking it will look less broken.
This scarf is soft and luxurious. The yarn is 100% silk, and I'd call it a boucle though it's not terribly nubby. The yarn used to be a short sleeved sweater that I found at a thrift store for $2 or $3. I did a google search and found 100% silk boucle yarn selling for $38 for 3.5 oz. At that price, I figure I have about $130 worth of yarn here. Woo hoo! Definitely worth the effort of unraveling. I thought when I started knitting Wavy that it would be a nice Christmas gift for someone, but now I'm wondering if I'll be able to part with it. Maybe this one is for ME!
I have a long way to go. This pattern calls for 10 repeats of 44 rows. So far I am through 4 of the 10 repeats. I may end up making it a little bit shorter, and possibly adding a ruffle to the bottom edge. I haven't quite decided yet.
Monday, February 21, 2005
New project!
Here is my latest project. Tamara was knitting a beaded bracelet at our Borders knitting group on Thursday and I was intrigued. I went online and found the pattern on HGTV--Carol Duvall and then yesterday hunted around until I found some 000 knitting needles (which I never thought I would buy a needle that small, but then, I said the same thing about the 3s, then 2s then 1s when I started knitting socks) and the On The Surface metallic thread and just went with it! It's fun! I'm going to try a couple different variations. I want to try a thicker rope so will add a couple stitches to my next one. I've since finished the pink/green one and added a toggle clasp to it instead of attaching it together. I like the idea, but I don't think I executed it quite right and so I'll work on that a bit too.
UPDATE: I tried working with 4 stitches instead of 3, thinking it would give me a thicker round bracelet, but it didn't want to twist, so I went back to 3 stitches (2 beads per row). However, I had threaded my beads in sets of 3 thinking I was going to have 3 beads per row, so now my rows are alternating solid and mixed. Oh well, I won't get the nice spiral colored effect of the pink and green, but I think it will still turn out ok. This one is lime and turquoise. Pictures to follow.
Meanwhile I am trying like heck to finish up all my projects for my upcoming classes so I can submit the info to Vicky for the newsletter. I guess I should get back to that so I have a least some of it ready to give her when I go to work in the morning.The kids are home from school again today. They've only gone one day in the last 10. Last Monday school was cancelled because of ice. They went on Tuesday, then were off the rest of the week for mid-winter break. Today they were SUPPOSED TO go back. We really got dumped on yesterday, all day long and ended up with about 8" of snow, with some sleet/freezing rain overnight. I'm so ready to send them back! ;-)
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
This and that
Today my Sheep Tote class starts. There has been much excitement about this class and so I have lots of students signed up. I'm hoping it's not too overwhelming! It's going to be a long day...I am working all day in the shop, with my class wedged in the middle of the day, then I have an evening class from 6-8. I'll have just enough time to fly home, grab some dinner (that hopefully Mike has prepared by the time I get home) and fly back to the store for class. Of course I could always just stay up in town and grab something from Tacos, Eggrolls and More (everytime I say that, I want to say OH MY! afterwards LOL) which is a fairly new restaurant right across our back parking lot. Funny combination, but good food at a decent price. Since I love Chinese and Mexican food, they will be seeing a lot of me. They are the only ones in town offering Chinese (since the lousy Chinese restaurant --that never got any business because they were lousy-- closed down recently) T, E & M makes a really good eggroll ($.99) and a decent bowl of wonton (good sized bowl at $1.75). On the Mexican side, I've only tried their chicken burrito but it was quite tasty. They also offer a variety of gourmet soups which are quite delish!
Yesterday I worked all day at the shop by myself. It was pretty slow except for the lunch hour crowd. I straighted yarn bins, did a bit of knitting and basically just hung out with some Celtic music on the CD player to help keep me company in the quiet of the day. It was dreary and drizzly (Rainy days and Mondays.....) but it didn't get me down. I love my job and am happy to be there as much as possible.
I got quite a nice surprise yesterday. I have had my eye on some Noro Blossom, specifically color #5. I would oooh and ahhh over it all the time, but had no clue what I wanted to make with it, so I was holding off. All of a sudden it was gone! (Or so I was told by one of the other teachers who thought she had bought the last of it) When I was straightening the bin yesterday, I found 4 more hanks way in the back. Yeah! I grabbed those babies up, because who knows if/when we'll get any more of that color it. Noro is a yarn that trickles into the store 1 or 2 colors at a time so you never know....
Now.......I need suggestions as to what to do with 4 skeins of Blossom! Any ideas? HELP!
I'm working on several projects for our upcoming class schedule...fun summertime projects that I'm sure will draw some interest. I'm working out the details, and can't wait to share them here when I know they are a success!
And last, but not least, the new little knitting group that started last week at Borders in Rochester was a BLAST! There were only 4 of us, but we had SO much fun. It wasn't uncomfortable at all...we all just started talking away immediately and never quit. We laughed and talked and knit until they turned the lights out on us. It was great fun, and I can't wait to go again! My new friend Debbie and I are planning on going to dinner beforehand this week. I'm anxious to see if more people show up this week to join in our fun. I think we all would have stayed later if we hadn't gotten kicked out of the store when they closed. We were having a grand ol' time!
on that note......
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work I go....
Yesterday I worked all day at the shop by myself. It was pretty slow except for the lunch hour crowd. I straighted yarn bins, did a bit of knitting and basically just hung out with some Celtic music on the CD player to help keep me company in the quiet of the day. It was dreary and drizzly (Rainy days and Mondays.....) but it didn't get me down. I love my job and am happy to be there as much as possible.
I got quite a nice surprise yesterday. I have had my eye on some Noro Blossom, specifically color #5. I would oooh and ahhh over it all the time, but had no clue what I wanted to make with it, so I was holding off. All of a sudden it was gone! (Or so I was told by one of the other teachers who thought she had bought the last of it) When I was straightening the bin yesterday, I found 4 more hanks way in the back. Yeah! I grabbed those babies up, because who knows if/when we'll get any more of that color it. Noro is a yarn that trickles into the store 1 or 2 colors at a time so you never know....
Now.......I need suggestions as to what to do with 4 skeins of Blossom! Any ideas? HELP!
I'm working on several projects for our upcoming class schedule...fun summertime projects that I'm sure will draw some interest. I'm working out the details, and can't wait to share them here when I know they are a success!
And last, but not least, the new little knitting group that started last week at Borders in Rochester was a BLAST! There were only 4 of us, but we had SO much fun. It wasn't uncomfortable at all...we all just started talking away immediately and never quit. We laughed and talked and knit until they turned the lights out on us. It was great fun, and I can't wait to go again! My new friend Debbie and I are planning on going to dinner beforehand this week. I'm anxious to see if more people show up this week to join in our fun. I think we all would have stayed later if we hadn't gotten kicked out of the store when they closed. We were having a grand ol' time!
on that note......
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work I go....
Monday, February 07, 2005
46 days and counting!
I'm taking a little trip at Easter to visit my sister, Diane. I used to visit her every year in the spring....no kids, no hubby....just me. It was always something to look forward to after a dreary winter. The last couple of years the tradition has been broken, and I haven't gotten to spend much time with her at all lately. She lives in South Dakota and I live in Michigan. She flew in for the weekend when we had our 25th anniversary party, but the party was basically the only time I got to see her. So I decided it was time to do it again. I'm ditching my family for almost 6 days for PLAY TIME FOR ME!
Diane is a knitter, too, and we are really looking forward to sittin' and knittin' together. In fact, yesterday I talked to her and she had some fun news for me! She was talking to her knitting buddies at their Saturday S & B and they came up with the idea of meeting at one of the lady's houses one of the nights I am there, everyone bringing a dish to pass, so we'll have dinner, sit 'n knit, etc. It's going to be great!
Speaking of sittin' & knittin'....There is a new group forming that is going to meet at the Borders store once a week about 25 minutes from where I live. It's not right around the corner, but a chance to meet new knitting friends, get out of the house, etc. I hope I am able to go this week and meet everyone. It's going to be the first get together.
Diane is a knitter, too, and we are really looking forward to sittin' and knittin' together. In fact, yesterday I talked to her and she had some fun news for me! She was talking to her knitting buddies at their Saturday S & B and they came up with the idea of meeting at one of the lady's houses one of the nights I am there, everyone bringing a dish to pass, so we'll have dinner, sit 'n knit, etc. It's going to be great!
Speaking of sittin' & knittin'....There is a new group forming that is going to meet at the Borders store once a week about 25 minutes from where I live. It's not right around the corner, but a chance to meet new knitting friends, get out of the house, etc. I hope I am able to go this week and meet everyone. It's going to be the first get together.
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Maria's Bag
I knit this felted bag for my good friend Maria as a combination birthday/Christmas gift. It was adapted from the Oregon Tote pattern available here. I just made it a little smaller than the pattern called for. The lighter colored variegated yarn was Lion Brand Fisherman's wool that I dyed with Wilton paste food coloring. The solid color was Patons Classic Wool.
Buddy Bag
Here is a felted bag I knit up for the shop. It is from a pattern by a local designer. Just thought I'd post a picture.
I am trying my hand at some designing myself. I am about 3/4 of the way through my first design...I'm hoping it's going to felt ok, or it's back to the drawing board (or knitting needles!) I am going to do 2 or 3 versions/sizes of the same concept for the pattern. I'll be teaching a class for this bag in the spring. I am also going to be designing 2 summer clothing items for classes. I'm not saying much more than that at this time. Mum's the word until I see how I actually do in the designing world, ya know?
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