Startitis Hits Again, but so does the frogging.......

Happy Happy Tuesday everyone!  How was your week?  Mine was good....I got some knitting in, so that is always a good week!

I did however run into some startitis and frogging.  You know my awesome Nuvem...that I started over a year ago?  Well....I think it will probably hit the frog pond.  I have not frogged it (yet) but I started a new Nuvem.  It is still with wollmeise lace garn, but it is a more true black.  The first one was with a color called Heavy Metal and the second one will be with one called Schwartz.....The reason for frogging you ask?  Well, look at the increases.....I am not sure if you remember, but I had the same problem with my Viajante (In this post) and I frogged it and went with kfb instead of backward loop.  Well, that is what I am going to try with Nuvem.  I did try make one right and make one left increases, but I think I like the kfb better.  I cannot seem to bring myself to frog, so I figure if I get this next one far enough along (maybe to the same spot) it will be easier for me to rip-it all out!  Here are pics of the soon to be frogged Nuvem and a picture of the new big honking skein of yarn on my scale...it is about 309 grams (once you subtract the weight of the lazy susan).

I finished the third and final (three times' a charm) crochet bag...but I still need to crochet the handles and flowers.

I also started a new hat.....I was looking at the Dead Or Alive fish hat (Steph from The Muststash Podcast is making 2) and I saw a bunch of nemo colored ones in the projects on ravelry....so off to order yarn and cast on....I tried to put it on Antonio and he was not having it...so my knitting may be wasted on this project.

I have also been knitting on the super secret Scarf Swap Scarf...but I cannot share those pictures, so I will share a picture of some Stash Enhancing.....there was a lady destashing some wollmeise on ravelry that I just had to have...it is WD Saami.

Did you notice how I kind of blamed the whole Dead or Alive fish hat on Steph from The Muststash Podcast?  Well, one more thing to blame on them.....they have a give away from Unic Designs.  Natalia makes these awesome project bags (Yes, I know I am a little addicted to bags....get over it!).  She donated the cutest Double Bubble project bag as a give away and I saw the bag on the podcast and just had to have one (I do hope I still win....one can never have too many bags!).  I emailed Natalia and she made me one....I LOVE IT!!!!  Isn't this the cutest material ever?  Thank you Natalia!  Natalia said I can share a 10% off coupon with you guys.  Use Discount Code LOVEUNIC for 10% off.

I have mentioned my knitting sisters in a group called "The Lonestar State Knitters" (LSSK).  Well, this is a group of exceptional women....I have become good friends with a lot of them.  One friend, Ruby, it just beyond exceptional.  She is one of the ladies that got me addicted to The Loopy Ewe (TLE) with Camp Loopy last year.  Well, TLE has these reward levels for how much you spend with them (too much for me) and I had made a comment to her about how I really wanted to make the next level so I could get the TLE coffee mug, but of course finances are always tight and it would be the most expensive coffee mug ever....so what does this awesome lady do?  She sends me one (she had 2 and one was not being used)!!!!  On top of that, she sends me 3 skeins of yarn and an awesome book!  She sent two skeins of Madeline Tosh Prairie Lace yarn in Copper Penny and Moccasin and the skein of Navy yarn that came with the mug and The Yarn Whisperer by Clara Parkes.  Ruby, I could never thank you enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had two of my grandkids this weekend....Celeste and Antonio.

I leave you with a picture of Celeste and Antonio playing...I had both of them with me this past weekend!

Happy Happy Knitting!

Happy Grandparent's Day!

Happy Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!  Did everyone know that yesterday, September 8th, was Grandparent's day?  I did not.  However, Alexxis sent me a nice card and some cute pictures.  I am taking pictures of pictures here, so I hope they come out.  Isn't she a cutie!

Do you remember my gun fiasco of last week?  Well, I traded my pink ladies .38 special for a .22 magnum. I have not shot my new gun (yet) but I am certain I will be much happier with it.  It is pretty much the same size...just not pink.  I got some hollow point bullets for it.

When we went to the gun show to trade this gun, I actually walked around knitting....I had the yarn coming from my purse and I gut quite a few weird looks.  Most of the weekend I worked on Tauri for my friend Marie.  It is plain garter stitch for 52 inches so it takes no thinking.  I am at about 22 inches and just added my 3rd skein of yarn (It takes 6 skeins total).

I got a few rows done on Paige's sweater......

Now, isn't that the cutest project Bag?  My friend Darlene sewed me a bunch of these bags...she made me this M&M one, and it has brown material with white polka dots on the inside...they are reversible.  I have some with sock monkeys on it, and red and white polka dots, and bumble bee ones with black and white, and coffee ones that are brown....I love them!  She is probably tired of me asking her to sew things for me (even though she says she isn't...she is awesome). She also sews the lining for the crochet bags I have made.....

Speaking of project bags, I forgot to mention that when we went on that knitting retreat to my sister's lake house the gals all pitched in and one lady made a couple of UT project bags for me.....they are so awesome....I LOVE all my project bags!!!

In one of the bags above is my scarf swap scarf....I wish I could show you a picture, but I can't....just know that I am working on it.

I also decided that I want to get that 3rd and last crochet bag done, so I am hoping to work on this more this week so I can just count it as a project done.

Antonio and I had fun this past weekend....I am not sure if I have mentioned how much Antonio loves "Balls"...all kinds of balls.  He decided to sit in a rubbermaid tub with some of his balls but he would not smile for me......

 However, I do not give up that easy.....I was able to sneak this picture of him trying to not smile in the tub with bubbles (Don't bubbles make all kids smile?)!

I hope you all have a great week......Oh, I got this from one of the ladies in my LSSK group.....too cute not to share......

Happy Happy Knitting!

Labor Day Weekend

Happy Happy Hump Day.  Did everyone have a great Labor Day weekend?  I did.....And I have lots to share.  I hope this post does not go too long!

First, I finally cast on that sweater for my daughter.  She says it has to be done by December 1 (I hope that is plenty of time).  It was her 18th Birthday this past Saturday....I cannot believe my 'baby' is 18.  She put the sweetest post on Facebook for me.  She is an awesome daughter!

Speaking of birthday's......I went to the cutest birthday party this weekend.  It was for a 2 year old that was born on the same day as Paige.  It was a Mickey Mouse themed party and the cup cakes were so cute, I had to share.

I am not a quilter or sewer, but a friend of mine did a quilt hop/shop thing and she got a sample of the cutest material.  It is shapes of Texas all over.  If you look at it one way (the way in the picture), the black part makes a Texas shape, and if you look at it upside down, the white part makes a Texas shape....pretty cool, huh?!!

Oh, I also knitted on that super secret scarf swap scarf...but I will not be able to show you pics of that for a while.  We mail them between October 15th and November 1st....so I have plenty of time.

I am not sure if you remember, but a friend of mine went to Tin Smith's Wife with me a while back and bought some yarn and a pattern book and asked me to make it for her.  Well, I went to her and her hubby's house this past weekend....they have the Longhorn Network (Direct TV does not carry) and they are kind enough to let me intrude on their home whenever there is a game that is only on the Longhorn Network.  While I was there....it seemed fitting to knit on her Tauri.  I have to do 52" of garter before I even start the shaping, so I have quite a bit to still go.

I am sure I have mentioned a couple of ladies that are here in San Antonio, TX that do a podcast called MustStash Podcast.  Well, Stacie (one of the podcasters) has decided to open an online yarn shop of hand dyed yarns.  It is called Must Stash Shop.  She had an awesome debut and sold out in like 25 min or so. Well, on a form post we started talking about college affiliations and she is an Aggie but I have always said that fiber enthusiasts come before college rivals.  Stacie said she would dye some yarn for me (yeah me!).  I gave her a picture as the inspiration and this past weekend when the newest episode of the podcast came out...she showed the yarn she dyed for me....I cannot wait to get it in my hot little hands!!!

OK, I know this is almost a book....but I have one more thing to share....without going into a long story let me just say that I decided I wanted to get a gun for protection.  So I told my boyfriend and he said the gun show was coming up and he would look for a gun for me.  I have only shot two different guns and I really like the .22 caliber.  So I asked him to get me a .22, revolver, with a short barrel.  Well, he got me a .38 lady special revolver.  He said (and many people agree) that if I need it for protection and I hit some intruder with a .22, it may just sting and not really 'stop' the intruder so I can get away.  He felt that a .38 is a much better gun to have and often a ladies gun (hence the name, Ladies Special).  Well, we went to the shooting range to shot both my new .38 and his .22 semi automatic.  While I agree with him that a .38 may 'stop' the person better, it will not stop anyone if I cannot hit the target.  I really am a big wimp because the .38 is very hard for me to pull the trigger, and it hurts once I pull the trigger, so I am hesitant to pull the trigger because I know there will be a big kick back that will hurt the palm of my hand under my thumb.  Maybe I need more practice, I have no clue...but I am hoping to sell my .38 (I am sure I will lose money, but I hope I do not loose too much $) and get a .22.

Here are my targets and a pic of my pink gun (Yes, I wanted orange, but they did not have it in orange). You probably cannot tell, but I got like 5 or 6 shots in the target with the .22, and zero with the .38 (the .38 target is the first picture)

Well, that was my week.....pretty jam packed.  I leave you with a picture of Antonio playing with a new tool kit and peg board with hammer that I got him....he was playing pretty intently and would not look up for the pic.

Happy Happy Knitting!!! 

Knitting Heaven.........

Happy Happy Tuesday everyone!  My knitting retreat this past weekend was a blast!  It was pure Knitting Heaven!!!  I finished my camp loopy #3 project, Groovy, on Thursday night before we left for the retreat and I was even able to block it so I could take it to the retreat to show everyone.

Now for some knitting retreat pics......great view, great friends, some texting (even though it was not allowed), lots of knitting and drinking and we even had a bird hang out with us some of the time.

I could go on and on with tons of fun stories....but that would make this blog into a novel.  The bottom line is that we had a great time!  I got 2 inches on my Nuvem done (about 27 grams over the whole weekend).

There were a couple of Wollmeise updates at The Loopy Ewe before I left.  I snagged some Regenbogen in Twin, some TuTu Light in DK and some Feldmäuschen.

I am not sure what I will make with these yet, but I do love them!

I leave you with "No Mom.....I do not know who got into your yarn!"

Happy Happy Knitting!

Setting goals with the Magic Scale!

Happy Happy Monday everyone....I have not been able to knit as much as I wanted to this last week.  I did finish crocheting the second awesome big crochet bag and gave it to one of my best friend's for her to line it with material for me (she sews and I do not even own a  sewing machine).  One of the things I did not like about either of these crocheted bags are the flowers....they are a pain to crochet.....but here is a pic of my bag and my 4 flowers for this newest bag.

Other than that......I've been knitting on Groovy for Camp Loopy #3.  I feel like I have been knitting on this thing for a year.  My BF that I mention above, Darlene, is also knitting the same thing and we wrestled in another lady from work to join us for Camp Loopy.  So we have 3 Groovy's being knit all in the same color.

Well, Darlene is kicking our buttox's (is that a word?)!  For this next part of the story, I have to take you back to when I was knitting Viajante.....do you remember how I said I did not know how big the Viajante would be so I had no way to set up a goal to knit per day (to finish by a certain day) except going by weight....so I made myself this little calendar that showed me what my ball of yarn should weigh (in grams) by the end of each day.  I was behind a few times, but always caught up because I knew where I needed to be with my little calendar of grams.

So, Darlene and I were talking and she was worried she would not finish her Groovy in time for Camp....so I told her that since we have 3 skeins of yarn, and there are 31 days in August, to be on the safe side, we would need to finish a skein of yarn every 10 days.  She was at the end of her first skein when we had this discussion.  So I told her to take her second skein of yarn, weigh it, divide the number by 10 and that is how much she had to knit per day.  He skein weighed in at 117.5 grams which is 11.75 grams per day....round that up to 12 grams per day and she would be good to go.

Well what does she do......she goes to town!  She loves watching those numbers drop on the yarn scale (she calls it a magic scale) and she knit one whole skein in less than a week.  I know......can you believe it?  She has about 56 or 57 grams till she is done and we are not even to the 20th of the month (where she should be finishing her second skein).  I am telling you, setting goals is always helpful!

I am only on my second skein and I do not think I will finish it tomorrow, but I sure will try (so I can make my goal).

One of my knitting groups, LSSK, has a scarf swap.  This is the second year for me to do the scarf swap and I am super excited.  I will probably not be able to post much about this super secret project as I am not sure if the lady I am making the scarf for reads this blog....so know that I am knitting on a super secret project, Scarf Swap, that I cannot show pics of.

On an exciting point, I have helped organize a second annual knitting retreat with my SNB group.  In the fall of 2011, a lady from our SNB group had to go move to the Houston area.......so, in February of 2012, a bunch of us regulars went to her house for a whole weekend SNB.  We had such a great time that we wanted to duplicate it.  I asked my sister if we could use her lake house for a knitting retreat.  My sister said yes and thus the plans began.....at the end of the retreat in February 2012, we said our motto was to drink more and tink less....because we all did a lot of drinking that weekend and hardly anyone had to tink back.

So for the 2nd annual retreat, we had shirts printed up.....

I am really looking forward to this retreat!  I need a break!

Lastly, I leave you with a picture I found on ravelry.  It is about goals so I figured it tied into this posting very well....it is a very good saying that I will try to remember more often:

Happy Happy Happy knitting everyone!