OK well I need to get a fire wire for my laptop this weekend!  Our “main” computer is in the basement, and I hate going down there to work because there are no windows.  That drives me nuts, even at night…Weird I know!  Anyway that is where my fire wire for my palm and my camera are….Yes I should have 2 but do you think I canfind the other one?  NO…so I need to get myself another one so I can load pictures from camera to the laptop, because that is where most of my posts are written from because then I can be upstairs and have my picts close at hand.

I did get a package from Knit picks yesterday but no Tilli Thomas yet.  I’m thinking tomorrow or Fri for sure.  I know that it’s shipped.  I’m tying to hold off on swatching the Knitpicks stuff because then I’ll want to start that sweater, when I need to start my simple knitted bodice when the yarn arrives…

 School is still going well, much better than my star tlast year when I cried every day after work for about 2 weeks, no tears yet!  I actually haven’t even had that thought, and have had pleasant things to say about my day!  BUT I think I”m getting a cold, my throat suddenly is scratchy and my eyes are itching.  This is NOT a a good week to get sick!!! So I took some of that Airborne stuff and am going to do it again before bed and hope for the best.  The stuff does seem to work!  At least it’s a long weekend and I’ll be able to sleep and rest.  I’m hoping it’s just beginning of the school year I’ve been talking to much business…I’m trying to convince myself of that, but I have a feeling….I’m already getting kid crud!  I do have one with a cold and she’s always got her hands in her mouth then she touches me! (ICKY)  Well I”m off to get a good nights sleep so that hopefully I’ll feel better in the morning!!

Well, I’ve survived my first two days at school!  My class seems better than last year!  No criers either Yippee!  They really haven’t whined to much, you can’t imagine how wonderful that is!  Anyway, I haven’t gotten much knitting done, needless to say. Lots of paperwork, and computer stuff to do. DH is golfing tonight, his last league night for this year.  I plan on some knitting with a glass of wine this evening! I have about 1 inch of the ribbing around the waist band of my somewhat cowl done.  It just takes soooo long on small needles.  I think I’m a worsted weight kind of girl!  Give me size seven needles on up!  I work on the cowl for awhile then have to go to something else with bigger needles so I can see progress!  Anyway it is a great knit and I love my yarn choice!  I’ve started the straps for my cute little tube toporini from Zephyr, still need DH to measure for me so I can get them the right length, then that will be done!!

Also I’ve just joined the Stitch Divas Simply Knitted Bodice KAL. I splurged and bought the Till Thomas suggest yarn.  Kpixie has it and a kit and until Sept 15 is giving a discount with the Code gimmegimme.  I think’s its 10% off. My yarn shipped today so It should be here by Fri. the start of the KAL.  Yippee another reason to start another project!!    The simply knitted bodice is also with my Sexy Knitters Club KAL too…so I’m getting 2 for one with this knit!  I hope I’ll be inspired to finish!   OHH I hear the UPS guy,could that be my yarn now????  Darn,it was something for DH!

OH well Sorry no pictures today!  I’ll try to get some up this weekend.  I got back the quilt I made for my parents anniversary, a King size, I had it professionally quilted..Wow It’s great!  I have to get some picts of it on their bed!

Well today is my last day of vacation.  I know that those of you who aren’t teachers feel no sympathy for me, and I understand.  The end of summer vacation is a strange mix.  I feel very melancholy at that I can’t be home knitting and sewing all day.  My house is always SO much cleaner in the summer.  There is just so much more time.  [Last year was Chaos, I was moving into a brand new building, and that was a crazy mess, aside from the fact that I had 34 ( 24 of them boys) student's show up! Wi th not enough desks or chairs.  It was madness!] But is also very exciting at the same time.  Kids come on Monday, it’s fun to see their fresh little faces, excited about the new year.  It’s good to see my friends again, as I don’t get together with too many teacher friends over the summer (I enjoy being a bit of a hermit during the summer).  But the first few weeks are so hard.  getting those little faces into a routine, getting them to not miss their mommies, etc.  I often wish that I could just drop in in the middle of Sept. when their routines are established.  You see they have forgotten everything they learned in Kindergarten.  OH well.  The weather today is a bit like how I feel warm, cloudy looking like rain one minute, and then the sun is shining the next.

On a bright note I have a few finished projects for you to see!!

I finished my nieces felted purse.  I think she’s really going to like it!  I also got my other little cascade purse finished and felted too. I love how it came out.  It is just too cute!  I I’ve been using the Lamb’s Pride for felting, but I think I”m now a cascade 220 convert!  It’s just harder to find at the LYS around here for some reason!

I also finished knitting my Booga Bag now it too needs to be felted.  This is the only time I wish I had a regular washing machine! Fun too!  I used the Noro Kureyon yarn on it. I’ll probably drop by my mom’s to felt it on Friday. OH I also finished a baby quilt for the 4th, yes 4th baby shower of the summer! I’ll have to get a picture of that later!

I sure does feel good to finish up some of these projects.  The TubeToporini needs the straps still, I need DH to measure for me when I put it on, he’s been working a ton the last few days so it hasn’t gotten done yet.  I’m still plugging away on my somewhat cowl.  I’m working on ribbing on the bottom now.  Then the sleeves, then the cowl around the neck.  I’m sure VERY little will get done next week with school starting! 

August 11, 2006

DUH Moment

I’ve been plugging away at my Somehat cowl, which is great and I like but it’s done on size 5s, so I said to myelf I should take a littel break and make the tube toporini so I can wear ita time or two before summer is over! So I started swatching. 7s weren’t working, neither were 6s or 4s! I emailed the gals at Zephyr Style with a help email! I was sad because I was thinking I cna’t use this yarn that I love the color of! I stared searching the web for others who have made it and looked at their picts., and notes. What was I doing wrong?!? DUH!!!! I realized this morning that I was having a retardo moment! I do not think I should be allowed to swatch late at night or even be allowed to think about starting new projects then either! I was completely going the wrong way with my needles for gague! I should have been going up but instead was going down to smaller sizes DUH! At that point I couldn’t figure out why I kept getting more stitches instead of less! Right now I’m swatching on size 9s and am very close! Yeah I can use the yarn I wanted and had bought in the first place!

Gauge alwyas messes me up. I don’t knwo why I can never figure out the direction to go with the needles! So now I’m off the finish my swatch on 9s, and maybe tyr a 10. But Heather gave me some tips and alteration ideas so I may just go with the 9s! Wish me luck!!

August 09, 2006

Being cool with Kool-Aid

Well my first attempt at dyeing yarn came out really fun.  I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the yarn, maybe felted purses or scarves…It was so easy and fun to do. I got directions form Knitty and kind of just went with it!

Here’s one skein.

                                                                                  Here’s  the other:

Here’s the lovely little skeins drying on my deck! Anyway it was tons of fun.  I will try it again and thinking about my color choices a little more.   I wound the skeins into balls today and they are quite fun!

As for today I’m planning on sitting on my deck and working on my somewhat cowl

OK, so Here were are at my new little home….I think.  I think I”m wasting too much time trying all these different blogs out!

you can check out www.mikki522.wordpress.com or www.funwithquilting.typepad.comfor more about me.  I think I’m going to dump the mikki522 one and keep either this one or the typepad.  I have to decide if I want to pay for my blog or not…I’m thinking not!  Though typepad is really easy to use.  This isnt’ to bad though!