Hookin' Month

Although I'm a dedicated knitter..especially socks...my first yarn experience was with crochet (hooking). Once I learned to knit, the texture of crochet stopped being as appealing to me. So I might finish one or two crochet projects a year (not counting bead crochet).

But today....I saw an advertisement for the next issue of Crochet magazine.



I'm loving the top on the front cover. Potentially something that I'd love to finish. OK, that project is enough to entice me to see what other projects are in this issue.

As I browse Interweave Crochet Magazine website with other project pictures, I find this...



Oooohhhhhh! I want to do those too! Looks like April will be a hookin' month.

Ravelry Loom A-Long

If you are a member of Ravelry, drop in on the Loom A-Long group. This month (March), has been the conversion of this dishcloth pattern from needle knit to loom knit.



Thank you! to Rhonda, the designer of the needle pattern, for letting me use her pattern to show how to convert.

Friday Fill-Ins

Friday Fill-Ins #64

1. Seeing my designs on the cover of Isela's new book is so exciting! It's a pleasure working with her. The book is to be released in May but you can pre-order it now.

2. Strawberry Fields Forever. A Beatles tune that had Penny Lane on the flip side of 45 rpm. I still have the vinyl around here somewhere. ;-)

Image borrowed from Rare Beatles sheet music site.

3. Chicken Fried Pickles sounds like it would taste delicious! We watched this show on the Travel channel Wednesday night that mentioned it. I love pickles but never thought about deep fried?! I want to try it. And I found this recipe. It needs to be modified to include a few spices mentioned on the show... like cayenne pepper.

I realize how unhealthy fried foods are but since it would be a treat instead of a regular food dish, I think I'll live through it. And apparently breathing in some parts of the country is unhealthy too, and I'm not going to stop that.

4. Why does chocolate make me feel so good?! 'Nough said.

5. The pryamids of Egypt is something I've always wanted to see. I am fascinated by Egyptian history. Perhaps someday....

6. It's sad when you read about a senseless, stupid, irresponsible action that has caused the loss of life. Story posted here and here.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up on some sleep, tomorrow my plans include to start the packing for our beach trip and Sunday, I want to do nothing...but I'm sure I won't be caught up with my "to-do" list. Oh well, not terribly exciting.

Sunday is Easter. How could I forget that? We have plans for dinner with friends. Good thing I looked at the list, eh?

Safe driving to all that are traveling.

Good grief......

....it's Thursday already. Fast paced week here, but then most weeks are like that. I managed to finish a pair of socks this week.



This is crosshatch lace from More Sensational Knitted Socks. Yarn is Lornas Lace (I forgot the colorway name). I love the colors (very spring-ish) but the lace pattern is lost in the variegated colors. I have another hank for a 2nd pair of ankle socks. I think the 2nd pair should be a simple pattern to show off the colors.

Loads of other creative musing going on here...but nothing that can be shown yet (a little tease haha).

Happy St Patrick's Day

Tis the day of my favorite color.

Friday Fill-Ins

The Friday fill-ins continue! I really like these. My sincere thanks to Janet taking her time to think these up. ;-)

Friday Fill-Ins #63

1. Contact may cause irritation. I'm actually thinking of skin contact with chemicals....not with me. hehe

2. The parties hereto do mutually agree to disagree. Happens here all the time.

3. Disney parks are always crowded! Living within driving distance of Disneyland California, I know this is a fact.



4. More sleep sounds really good right about now! I'm burning the midnight oil too often lately.

5. I positively have to update my website.

6. My daughter always makes me smile :-) She is such a wonderful young lady. I'm proud.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to playing with the WII (family time), tomorrow my plans include pizza with friends and Sunday, I want to listen to audio book and knit!

Wordless Wednesday (Cookie Monsters)

Loom Knitter's Circle Magazine Spring Issue....

....is live! Check it out.

And don't forget to use the advertiser's links while you're there. It lets the advertiser know how many people see their ad in LKC.

Psssst....If you are a Knit Picks customer, they're advertising with LKC!

Friday Fill-Ins

Friday Fill-Ins #62

1. Ahhhh, it's so nice have a long soak in a bubble bath. Take one really good book, a bottle of water, favorite bubbles scent, and hot water....paradise.

2. One of my favorite things on my desk or bureau is photos. I have photos everywhere but my favorite is one of my daughter when she was 2, with her natural curls wearing her little Mickey Mouse dress.

3. Japanese Cherry Blossom trees.

4. My bed is my favorite place to sit and read. It is such a treat to get to bed early enough to read! Normally I'm up late and just too tired for reading in bed.

5. Cara cara oranges and chocolate is delicious! Well, what else did you expect? I've already admitted to being a choco-holic. But I'll bet the fruit reference was a surprise.

6. I love to watch Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in movies. I enjoy many actors but these two together is priceless. Favorites are Bringing Up Baby and Philadelphia Story.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having a loom knit tutorial finished, tomorrow my plans include pesky housework (the only day I'm usually home long enough) and Sunday, I want to knit of course (and maybe bead a little)!

Yarn experiment

What happens when you start one sock with the center pull of a skein, and the 2nd one from the skein's outside end?



The stripes are reversed! Yes, I did it on purpose. Who says socks have to be exactly the same?

Wordless Wednesday

Friday Fill-Ins

Friday Fill-Ins #61

1. I'm looking forward to hearing from a magazine editor next week. I submitted a bead design and the editors are suppose to meet today. I'm really hopeful to get a positive answer. Keep your fingers crossed!

2. I don't handle waiting very well. Whether it's a skein of yarn, a new tool (or toy), or book...I want it now, not someday.

3. Chocolate is something I could eat every day. I admit that I'm a choco-holic. It's the once vice I don't seem able to kick. Actually isn't it a food group? ;-P

4. Warmth and sunlight are key ingredients to my emotional well being. I suffer from the winter blues. Then feel re-energized with spring (even with my allergies).

5. San Francisco here I come! Right back where I started from......
OK, so those that's borrowed from a song. But I do have friends driving to San Francisco today.

Saturday edit: That should be California here I come! Talk about C*R*S*!! hehe

6. I have no tattoo(s). It's not that I dislike them. It's the needles involved. I hate needles.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to down time with my family, tomorrow my plans include housework and a movie, and Sunday, I want to kick back with some serious sock knitting.

Wordless Wednesday (FO beading)

I have FO to show you....

....but the pictures are stuck on my new cell (complicated Smartphone). I haven't read the info on downloading them yet. Lucky for me that hubby has! Hopefully he will have a few moments soon to show me....since I am technologically challenged. ha!

Wordless Wednesday

Which Lost character are you?

A little fun for all the other Lost fans that visit....

Which Lost Character Are You?

More on Lost. Created by BuddyTV

*NOT bald* lol

....while I finish with some patterns. I'm planning to update my website someday eventually soon.

Valentine's Day 2008

I hope everyone gets the chocolate of their choice. ;-)

And speaking of sexy (we were weren't we? hehe)



Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (click for movie trailer) is going to be released in May! He just gets better with age!

P.S. Yes, this is a knitting blog. I am knitting and hope to have something I can blog about someday.

Am I cute or what?

Tapestry Crochet blog

I've been so wrapped up in knit and bead designs that I've not had time to crochet. Then I visited Carol Ventura's Tapestry Crochet blog. Scroll through....look at her new afghan design....then look at her post about the mandala's. Double WOW. There must be more time in the day somewhere!!

And since I haven't had a chance to pick up a crochet hook, I'm re-cyling this photo of the kitty bag designed by Carol Ventura and available from her website.

More Knitting Wheel Fashions...

...is now available from Amazon. There aren't any reviews yet so if you have a moment, please stop by and review it.



It would be lovely if the reviews were positive...hint, hint. hehe

Super Tuesday in California

Remember to vote!

Series of Unfortunate Events

This past week has been filled with a Series of Unfortunate Events that didn't include the Baudelaire orphans nor Count Olaf...but enough trials and tribulations to keep us wondering "why me?"

No worries....I won't bore you with the entire pitiful list. However....



Somewhere out there amidst the snow and ice of the last weekend in January is the transformer that blew...causing loss of power...and thus, no internet (among other conveniences). The folks at Southern California Edison couldn't get to it to repair until middle of last week.

I'm now back on-line but haven't read through all my email yet. If you emailed me, please hold on....I will respond.

You never realize how much you depend on your internet connection for things like reading the news, checking weather, communicating with family and friends...until it's not there. We live so far out from the city that jumping in the car to use public library's connection is a major effort (assuming that the car is in the garage instead of at the mechanics....again....oops, I didn't plan to mention that).

Holding cell phone while driving becomes illegal in the state of California later this year (yay!). While I don't use my cell phone in the car daily, there are times when I find it handy. And so, I have to upgrade my cell phone to a model that's blue tooth adaptable....as I have an older model (a "brick" as one of my young students calls it).

What did I choose?



The Smartphone from Verizon. Now I can easily check email whenever I'm near a WiFi connection - library, restaurant, coffee shop, school.

Through all of the Series of Unfortunate Events, I tried to keep my perspective. But the worse of it all was the loss of a dear friend and neighbor. Today was the memorial service.

RIP Chuck. We miss your wonderful sense of humor. And we'll keep an eye on Nancy for you.

My Mother always told me.....

...if you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all. See, I did listen to you, Mom!

With that in mind, I may not be blogging for a few days....as we deal with a roof leak....in the rain/sleet/snow. ...sigh...

January blahs

I've never liked the month of January. The glitz of Christmas is over. It's cold. It gets dark early. blah...blah...blah

Plus nothing is finished!! I keep adding to my to-do list and marking nothing off. Geesh, I'll be happy to see February.

Part of the fun of knitting...

...is choosing the yarn. I try to get my daughter to choose the color of whatever I'm knitting for her. She loves color - more is better in her book. Like these slippers I did for her...



Felting actually toned the color down. Otherwise you'd need shades to look at them...the color is so bright! ;-)

I really wish she had more of an interest in learning to knit. But alas, she prefers woodwork and painting.

However I am able to teach her friends at Easter Seals (where I volunteer) to loom knit. We're making hats for a local NICU.



As I make some of these hats for preemies, I'm reminded of just how small daughter was. She was 16 weeks early and weighed 1 lb 5 oz at birth. These hats would have been too large for her.



Wow....just look at her now.

And speaking of choosing yarn, this link is very helpful! It allows you to choose yarn by gauge. Nice.

A peek at More Knitting Wheel Fashions

Here is a little peek at the projects you can find in the loom knit pattern booklet I did for Leisure Arts.



Most were snapped the day the box was shipped. Definitely not the professional quality you'll find in the booklet.



And some of the patterns were re-knit in different colors, sizes, etc. from what you see in these pictures.



As you can tell from the above picture, I'm no longer a petite size 5. So you might like to know that the sweater pattern is for up to x-large size (42 in).



You can order the booklet from Decor Accents. Or you can order directly from Leisure Arts. And I'm sure....well, hoping....to see it at JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby someday.

If you buy it, I'd love to hear what you think. And I'll even read the criticisms.

Ultimate Harry Potter Personality Quiz

I found this on Monica's blog


Find out your Harry Potter personality at LiquidGeneration!

Back to knitting. ;-)

New loom knit booklet

More Knitting Wheel Fashions is being released. And guess what? It's by me!

I'm so proud to see my designs being worn by people I've never met! I haven't seen the booklet yet. But I know you can definitely order it at Decor Accents (love their looms!)

Absent blogger

I suppose a better description is - blogger didn't have anything interesting to blog about! Boring life here. No one really wants to know how many loads of laundry, how many trips to the grocery store or pharmacy, how many bills, etc. You don't, do you? If so - get a life!

I have been knitting but since it's for publication, I can't show you. And I have been beading, but I hope it's for publication too. So what can I blog about?

How about what this little beaded rose...



...that I posted here in December but couldn't tell you about until after Christmas (it was a present!)

It's a beaded pen cover for disposable pens.



A good friend of mine loves to have flower(s) on her desk. She normally cuts one from her flower beds (which are lovely). And as she loves roses. I was inspired!

The cover is removable when a change of pen is needed.



I'm pleased that I was able to surprise and delight her this Christmas.

BTW, she developed a passion for loom knitting last year...and I'm to blame (evil laugh!)

Hooked on Lost!

Unless you're....ummmm...."lost" on an island, you know that LOST returns Jan 31st for season 4. There are suppose to be 8 episode ready to air (taped before the writer's strike). I'm definitely ready!

I'm still unpacking and catching up on laundry so have little to say about knitting or beading. Darn housework.

Holiday coming to an end

As usual, we have been traveling in our motor home during the holidays. Today, we're in Arizona for a little fun before heading home...complete with WiFi! ;-)

We had a good Christmas. All the "kids" were with us.


And we even had our tree...

...on the new steering wheel table (love it!).

We've enjoyed being with family for the most part. The worry over health for our mothers (both 84 yo) continues but.....well, we're just happy they are still with us.

My small amount of leisure time was spent working on the next article for Loom Knitter's Circle and loom knitting hats for Easter Seals to take to NICU of local hospital. I truly love volunteering with these wonderful young adults (at Easter Seals). The camera batteries are ka-put! and the battery charger is at home (of course), so I can't show you the preemie hats. Those pictures will come later.

We'll be home this weekend. And even though we love motor home travel, I miss my washer/dryer, dishwasher, big bed, and yarn stash. As Dorothy says, there's no place like home. ;-)

Happy Holidays

Nirvana

When hubby's away, I can't sleep. I *think* it's because the house is so quite at night. But whatever the reason, I get loads of cleaning done.

During the sorting of my knitting, beading, craft book shelves...



...I found this...



Oh joy!! Nirvana for this knitter/beader!

How could I forgotten about this one? Oh yeah....it came about the same time as Deathly Hallows.

OK, Bead Knitted Bags is being packed for the trip.

P.S. I'll tell you all about the beaded rose after Christmas. It's a surprise for a good friend who loves flowers of any kind. But I will tell you this....it's useful too. ;-)

Wordless Wednesday

Looking forward to getting....

Release date is next week. Even though I thought the movie could have been better(read the book!), I am looking forward to seeing it a second time.

Plus the anxiety of getting hubby off on his trip while I stay behind (medical appointments) make the smallest of pleasures even more pleasurable.

Now where did I hide put the chocolate?

Loom knitting makes news in local paper

Check it out here.

A soap opera (plus a little fun)

The month of November was particularly difficult for my mother-in-law. She had some health issues which had her in the hospital. While recovering at her sister's house, her home was burglarized. And if that's not enough, she fell on Friday and broke her wrist. Really, it's like a soap opera in which she has landed the role as the "long, suffering heroine." And she's not enjoying it!

While we're working to make life a little easier for her, I'll be absent from blog-world. But I am knitting since that's how I handle stress.

Here's what I've been working on.

A sample knit for Knit Picks....



...which is a beautiful pattern. I'll have it finished before we leave on our trip. And as soon as it's live on Knit Picks website, I'll post the link so you can see just how nice it is.

Then there's the "life is stressful so I must knit socks"...



...from More Sensational Socks. I just need to close the toe on this one. Then knit it's mate.

For the trip, I think I'll pack nothing but sock yarn to keep stress at a minimum. I suppose I'm thinking that as long as feet are pampered, life is good. ;-)

*****************************************************************
For fun:

This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying it
over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but you can't!
It's preprogrammed in your brain!

1. WITHOUT anyone watching you (they will think you are GOOFY......) and while sitting where you are at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand.

Your foot will change direction.

I told you so!!! And there's nothing you can do about it!

You and I both know how stupid it is, but before the day is done you are going to try it again, if you've not already done so.