Happily Plugging Along

I've been working on a little of this and a little of that.

I ripped out the baby sweater, I'll make it soon but use a different yarn, the shetland was just a little too scratchy.

I've got the Mosaic Knit Lace Runner from the First book on Modern lace Knitting by Marianne Kinzel on hold for now.

The Aran weight Lace shawl from Elann is coming along nicely. It's easy to work and there are 3 pattern sets so it keeps me interested.

The Twined Mittens are holding still. I love those mitts though!

I haven't touched my old afghan but I did work out some planning for the From Square to Eternity afghan for my mother. I love the work from Woolly Thoughts. They're so creative!

The other afghan in mind is a Harlequin type idea, and again Pat aka Woolhelmina on ravelry has helped me come out with an easy way to get the effect I'm thinking of.

I've started an easy doily, Hearts and Diamonds, that I found from chatting with the Thread Addicts yahoo group. They're a great bunch over there and always friendly and helpful.

Also, I've started on the Mlle Riego Antique Runner from her Crochet Book Sixth Series that I've been updating into today's terminology. This one goes quick and easy too. The hardest part was to figure out what exactly is a "plain" stitch, the old version of a "single" stitch...
So far as Mlle Riego's work goes, I've gotten the new wording worked out and at least chained the thread!

Translation of Terms Used:
chain = chain
single stitch = Slip Stitch (Slst)
plain stitch = US Single Crochet (sc)
treble stitch = US Double Crochet (dc)
long stitch = US Triple Crochet (tc)
extra long stitch = US Double Triple Crochet (dtc)

Thankfully, they're not all used in the Anti-macassar that I'm working on, the Diamond and Star Pattern.

I read up on the sets of her books that these pieces were made for the House of Wales Princess. Knowing that Lady Diana, May God Bless Her, was Princess of Wales makes me think of her.

Being of french descent myself I feel a kinship to french work.

Enough for now. I've got laundry to wash.

apropos Maine Winters

From another Mainiac Mainah.
Read thoroughly to the end and you'll know why Maine has 5 seasons!
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Mud Season.

If you ever get up here for a nice visit, you'll need tha Mainah glossary.

Gotta love Maine, it's home.

Blog it Today

So……I'm thinking……….Hmm…

I've got on hooks and needles:

Baby sweater

Lace runner

Shawl

Twined mittens

Crochet afghan started over a year ago

2 afghans in mind, make that 3

So, well…

No hurry on the baby sweater;
lace runner, no hurry;
shawl, going quickly, ww yarn;
twined mittens, contest got me jump started, no hurry, not gonna win a contest anyway and I want them to turn out my best, just taking it easy on these;
afghan started eons ago, just don't know what I'm lagging on that one for because I love the colors and made my own stitch pattern, couldn't find what I wanted so I just improvised, maybe it's just too easy…glutton for punishment here, perpetual learner;
the other 2 -3 afghans in mind are just creatively stimulating, plus one of them I'm going to crash the stash big time.
I want to buy yarn!
Not with all I've got here and there and everywhere, dimmit.

I'm going to go knit on the shawl and recuperate from all this decision thinking.

My Mother

I don't know what I will do without my mother.

She has so much talent!

Her skills with music, art, fibers, spinning, quilting, knitting, gardening are awesome; just endless talent!

She now has alzheimers. She might not remember what she went to the kitchen for, or ask me the same question 5 times, but her creativeness comes so natural to her and she still has all of that info embedded into the very core of her whole being.

Her spinning wheel is still; her sewing machines sit; shelves of fabric show their colors, her taste is impeccable. What heppened to me I ask ya? Can't have everything.

I can still ask her any "how to" with knitting or color and the knowledge is still there.

I'll ask her to play the organ for me and she could play for as long as her arthritis will let her.

She'd still be kitting but for the arthritis.

Her artwork too, arthritis has taken it from her.

She had to let go of the paintbrush and switched to oil pastels, arthritis.

She passed her needles to me and got 3 knitting machines; not at the same time, she just gradually outgrew them and kept advancing.

Her stash of yarn has my dad out of his own garage.

He just added on and built a new garage!

Once he said that it would be a dull boring world without her and I agree.

She still makes me tell her what I plan to make before she'll let me use any of her yarn stash!

I love that lady, she's very precious to me.

Yeah, I'm getting sappy.

I just had a really nice visit with her and she only asked me the same question twice which is a great day for her.

I asked her once if she won't be able to remeber who I am, will she still know that I love?

She told me that she thought it would always stay with her and she would know.

So, like James Taylor sings, "shower the people you love with love, show them the way that you feel..."

Cherish everyday, and make good memories!

Baby Sweater Sizing

Well, the cumulative data on Baby Sweater sizing is way out. The dimensions and proportions definately are not consistent.

Browsing around Ravelry and a yahoo group I belong to Baby Sweaters I finally found some good links already worked out.
Raglan at woolworks.org and haiku at knitty.com both have good charts for dimensions that you only have to plug in your gauge.

Never mind the Baby Aunt Anna Blouse, I've already cast on and worked 1/3 of the Garter Yoke baby sweater from Jennifer Hoel's blog.
I'll get back to the Anna Blouse eventually. For now, I've learned enough on baby sweater sizing.

Setting up Blog

Setting up a Blog is a pia.
I'm not really happy about this set up but I'm working on it.

I've got some Mittens going for NaKniMo09 and just started a baby Aunt Anna Blouse.

Mittens are going good but the baby sweater dimensions seem to be off a little to me. Now I gotta go and research baby sweaters sizes. Just don't want to get 1/2 way through and have not fit. I think the pattern has the dimensions swapped. 6" long by 8" wide just doesn't sit right with me.Then sleeves at 5" seem feasible.

Well, going to go for now and Bang my head on the wall where the Big Red Dot is, it's getting pretty dented by now, might need to get a new spot to put it!