Casting on

Really wanted to make the Betty sweater from the new interweave knits magazine, but ended up with yarn for the Briar Rose sweater. Will be casting on tonight, hopefully, for size 34 with size 6 & 8 needles. This should be an interesting knit.  I will challenge myself to get it done by the end of the year. That way I can get started on my other one.

Hiatus over....

Sorry for my absence. Last year was a mess...school, being called back to work,and trying to get married.  Little to no crocheting or knitting was done.  But, I am happy to say that is all over...I hope.  I have been crocheting and knitting. I've also found a couple sweaters I want to make out of the new Interweave Knits magazine(Betty's sweater).

Anywho......I am so glad to be back blogging. Leaving you with pics of some projects that have been or will be finished.

Falling In Love

With Lorna's Laces "Shepard's Worsted". I've worked with the chunky before, but never noticed the softness it has. At the time I was more focused on learning to do a cable than appreciating the yarn. The color is "Flames" and I chose this because it reminds me of my fraternity "Phi Delta Psi, Inc". The pattern is "Winter in Canada" and can be found here. I love how the colors are going. I just hope it looks nice when I finish it. I am doing the small version on sz. 8 needles. That is the only mod I have made. We will see how this plays out.

Seeing that winter is coming I have just been making new hats for myself. This is the "Valentin Cable" hat and can be found in the Fall 2009 Knitscene magazine. I loved it when I first saw it and had to have it. I used Cascade 220 in a light blue. This was a real easy pattern and can be done in a couple of hours.

Last but not least is my version of the "Vivonne Bay" hat. The pattern can be found here. I used what was left of the Cascade 220 light blue and added Shepard's Worsted in white for the decreasing of the crown and finished with the light blue for the last couple of rows. I think it worked out well.
Now, if I can only finish up some UFO's before the end of the year I'd be in business.

Surprise!

I have finished "The Devil's Queen" by Jeanne Kalogridis and boy was it a fast read. Over four hundred pages of history, court intrigue, astrology, I couldn't put it down. For me not to know anything about Catherine De Medici I think I have a pretty good understanding of her after reading the book. What a powerful woman. What a determined woman. Wow! I highly recommend this book if you like historical fiction. If you haven't tried historical fiction....well your missing out.

Finally.....

Done reading, "Sweater Quest". Let the party begin. I was so happy to finish the book....I jumped for joy. It was just that hard to finish. Now, I stand by my previous post....this book was boring for me. Others may find it enjoyable, but not I. There are a lot of technical things about knitting, about the knitting community, and about "SHE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED". I guess that is what made it boring. The process wasn't all that bad. If she just wrote about that I'd probably would have enjoyed it. But, I guess the technical stuff was necessary though. I did learn some things. That is a bright side.

Now, on to a historical fiction book, "The Devil's Queen" by Jeanne Kalogridis. So, far I am enjoying it immensely. There is something about historical fiction that is so soothing to me. The book is about Catherine De Medici. I have never really read about her. I have stayed with the Tudors up unitl now. I look forward to reading it every time I pick it up. So, I already know I am going to write a positive review on it. (Hopefully!)

Only a Couple of Months In

Let me explain the headline....I have been reading "Sweater Quest" by Adrienne Martini and it is about her quest to finish "Mary Tudor". For me this is another slow read. I am only in July/August and I feel like its going to take the rest of this year for me to finish. For others this may be a great book...especially if you are into "She Who Must Not Be Named" designs. But, one look at that sweater made me want to vomit. I thought, "why would she want to knit that". The challenge. Cool, I'm all for a challenge. I took on socks and am now addicted after swearing they were too hard. I've knitted lace and made shawls....challenge is a good thing. But not this. It's not for me. I've told people it looked like someone drunk a faygo orange, grape, and red pop an threw up on the thing. Now, "She Who Must Not Be Named" has some other designs that I liked, but will not attempt even if SHE paid me because of her.

Seeing that I am still reading it (yes, I will not just put this down and concede defeat) I will put off actually giving a review. There are some good things in the book, but my picture of "She Who Must Not Be Named" makes it unlikely for me to put her in the class of EZ, Meg Swanson, Sally Melville, and the Yarn Harlot.

Moon Spinners

This is the third book in Sally Goldenbaum's "Seaside Mystery" collection. The crew is back to solve a murder of one of their neighbor's. It's nothing like being back on the Endicott's deck enjoying one of Ben's famous drinks. Or being in Izzy's shop sampling the delicious collection of yarns and Purl's meowing. Okay....I wasn't there, but with the imagery Ms. Goldenbaum provides it sure feels like I was. Like her past books, I have enjoyed reading this and couldn't believe how it ended. When I thought I had the culprit pegged......bang......it was someone I least expected. I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys a good mystery. (Whether you knit or not.) Now, on to Maggie Sefton and her eighth book, "Skein of the Crime". Look for that review soon.