Almost done ~

This quilt started out as the beautiful kaleidoscope colors in the beginning of the weekend, and turned into the cutest bunnies.

We couldn't believe how much Marion accomplished on this quilt this weekend!

Oh so cute! Keep up the great work, Marion!!!

Knitting by the Sea ~

This is the great place we stay for our knitting, quilting and beading weekends.


A super location with a quaint town, a knitting shop, a consignment shop, a great bakery and coffee shop! Look who we found in the quilting shop (below) having a good time with my knitting! AAACCCK!


I wonder if he had ideas of holding my knitting for ransom, or taking it on vacation and sending wild postcards of my knitting in a far off land?!

Done and Done ~

Lisa's sweater is done ~ and so very beautiful! She blocked it on Sunday and wore it home on Monday.....sweet! Doesn't it look great!!! Hurrah!!!

Kathy's quilt top is done ~ she'll have our favorite quilter do the quilting back in Michigan. Isn't it stunning with these borders! Bravo!!!

What a great weekend for finishing projects, starting projects and learning new techniques and having a blast!

Learning again ~

At Sock Summit Debi and I learned to spin with a drop spindle. Then we were lucky enough to win beautiful spindles from one of the vendors on the last day of Sock Summit. I took that to be a sign that I needed to learn spinning with this beautiful tool that Karma had brought to me. So, as part of the beginning of our weekend, we went to a yarn store that also has fiber. The very same store that had the beautiful scarf display that we all wanted the same yarn...



So I had another "first" adventure and bought my first bit of fiber ~ 6 ounces of merino in a beautiful yellow with a mix of other colors. I had to read the instructions on how to weigh and mark the fiber as this was all new to me. The other fiber I'd spun at Sock Summit was packaged as small samples. I love these weekends that let us all expand and grow in our knowledge and experience.



This fiber is stunning in color and soft to work with. Check out my progress.... I'll need to learn how to ply soon!

I hope to keep practicing so I can improve with this new bit of fun!


The spindle is just a pretty as the fiber!

Beautiful yarn ~

Here's my beautiful yarn, cast on in our weekend scarf pattern made famous by the Yarn Harlot.

It looks beautiful, and the silk and merino are a joy to knit...

I wish this was worsted weight yarn, as this will take 100 years to finish...but may be worth working with this luscious yarn!

The wrong pattern ~

I brought my "knit one below" scarf on the weekend, and the pattern, as several of us wanted to cast on this project. As I saw the samples of the "knit one below" scarf in the local yarn shop, I realized it was very different than my scarf. As I sat down to start knitting it again, I couldn't get the pattern to look the same as it was, and the "new" pattern looked terrible.

I think I have to rip it completely back to.....zero..... and cast on again.....and I'd knit so far, and just can't figure out what pattern I was knitting as it must not have been knit one below.. darn it!!! P.S. another great movie, complete with mini coopers!

Learning a purl ~

Remember that great yarn that my sister bought, that was the last one of that color in the yarn store? The beautiful scarf in the store was made out of that yarn, so we decided we would all cast on that scarf.



My sister had to learn to purl. She learned, and now she has beautiful ribs! Hurrah!

Harry Potter done ~

Hurrah! The Harry Potter socks are done! They are the first finished item of our weekend!

They are so beautiful!!


Pictured here, below, with our ceremonial chicken...


There is still yarn left over, and look how long they are?!!? (P.S. Hannah loves them!

Weekend Olympics ~

Although the Olympics started while we were on our vacation weekend.... our room didn't have cable so we didn't see the Opening Ceremonies... or any events.... However we did see Apolo on our way to the coffee shop...

I'm looking forward to catching up on Olympic events next week....

True Yarn Yoga ~

As we were winding up the new yarn, so we could start knitting our special weekend scarves, Debi had some interesting yoga moves to help with the tangles.

This one is called.......Silk Salutation.......

This one called....Mountain Merino..... Very inspiring!

Returning silk star ~

There were a few returning stars from previous weekends. One of the most spectacular is this silk sweater with 3/4 sleeves.... actually, pictured here it has a 3/4 sleeve and a 1/3 sleeve.

Also pictured, is one of our movies ~ a vintage 1966 Avengers set of TV shows ~ with Diana Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel...our favorite was, "The Girl from Auntie" which was about knitting!

Here the sweater is knitting along quite nicely, as Lisa fiddles with the sleeves....Kathy creatively quilting in the background... Wait 'till you see how the sweater turns out!

Did I mention yarn?

Yes, there has been some yarn here on our weekend. Yes, even some new yarn that we couldn't resist. We walked into our local yarn store and all fell in love with one of the scarves on display. We tried to all buy the same colored skein, but there was only one skein left. My sister bought that one. So very beautiful....

I bought this one. Silk and merino......ahhhhhhh, very nice, indeed.....

Beautiful ~ they are both beautiful (the yarn is beautiful......did I mention we watched some movies too?!!)

Piece-full, too ~

This quilt is being pieced by our dear Marion, also of the pumpkin hat and tractor sweater fame.

Very talented lady, there is nothing that she can't do - and she does it all with such style and grace!

Very inspiring!!!! Wait 'till you see how this one turns out (you won't believe it!)

Piece-full weekend ~

Several of us were knitting this weekend, but there was also some inspired quilting. Very "piece full" indeed!


This quilt is being pieced by my sister ~ very beautiful use of Asian fabrics.


My favorite fabric is the parasols ~ isn't this great!! Wait 'till you see how it turns out!

Lovely weekend ~

For Valentines' weekend, we are having a Yarn Yoga away for the weekend...


Three days of knitting socks, knitting sweaters, quilting and fun fun fun....and some special guests that celebrated Valentines' Day in a wonderfully romantic way!

Yarn Yoga surprise ~

Just when we think we're having as much fun as we can at our Yarn Yoga.... and guess who shows up?

Yup....you guessed it...

so we had a chat.....I think he might join our Yarn Yoga group.....

Yarn Yoga projects ~

There were several great projects at Yarn Yoga. The barfly sweater is what I worked on...

It is looking good....

and now I've connected the front, at the V-neck ~ very exciting!!!

Yarn Yoga kids ~

One of the delights of our Yarn Yoga this month was seeing the sweetie kids of our great knitters! Here is sweet Sawyer... of the pumpkin hat fame...and the great sweater fame...

Here is sweetie Finn, of the blanket fame....

They are both so cute!!!

Yarn Yoga fun ~

We had a great gathering for our February Yarn Yoga ~ half the fun was getting there in Lisa's great new Mini!

As for knitting, Lisa and Debi are exactly at the same spot in their helmet liners for our troops.

Marion is working on great socks ~ great yarn....

More Yarn Yoga news ....tomorrow......

Harry and the Spartans ~

By this time, one might think that the Harry Potter socks would be finished. However, that is not true, as I am still knit knit knitting on the ribbing. I knit a bit today during the Michigan State vs Indiana game....


Rats.... Michigan State lost....


Gotta love the coach....better luck before March Madness begins...

Super Harry ~

Super Bowl knitting was pretty good ~


Here's my Harry Potter socks after the 2 minute warning...


Still not done yet!

Super Bowl knitting ~

There will be a lot of knitting during the Super Bowl. Really.

Friends and I will be having a Yarn Yoga at a great meeting place with other like minded knitters who will be enjoying some knitting as a warm up to the big game. Here's a link to a great story of knitting and the Super Bowl. Enjoy.

Secret Pal ~

At work we have a Secret Pal seven month program as part of our Wellness Program. Each of us that chooses to be part of the Secret Pal program lists likes/dislikes, hobbies, favorite colors with our name and office/department. All these information sheets go into a hat, and each of us picks our "Secret Pal" and from February to August we agree to provide a surprise, support and fun to our Secret Pal once a month. There are about 20 of us this year, and we picked names last Friday. On Tuesday I came to work to find this on my office chair - a red backpack of sorts...I was excited already, knowing that my Secret Pal had already struck!


Here is what the note said: Hey Secret Pal! Let's Get this Party Started! Am I a Husky or a Coug?? Knit me something and I'll let you know in August if I'll wear it!!! This is going to be fun.. Your Secret Pal


There is purple and yellow/gold yarn, in case my Pal is a Husky from University of Washington and crimson and grey in case my Pal is a Coug from Washington State.... Plus a book of hats, scarves and mittens..in case I need pattern inspiration.... Do I love this Pal or what? Do I love the Secret Pal program or what? Do I love getting to work and having yarn on my office chair, or what? Even if it is acrylic, it is still yarn at work.... I'm casting on a hat this weekend... which one should I start with???

Time out to chill ~

Take a break from our knitting for a bit of high praise ...."We love Girl Scout Ice Cream"

Oh, yes we do..... Thanks to the Girl Scouts, their cookies and this ice cream... Hurrah!
P.S. Girl Scout Ice Cream is right up there with Ben & Jerry's... we really really like it....

Can't tell ~

Am I allowed to tell you what arrived in the mail? Perhaps, since I did mention to you that I placed an order with a very special company on the east coast....

Am I allowed to tell you about each of the little treasures that arrived in the box that arrived in the mail? Perhaps, although that might cause a *spoiler alert* to an upcoming surprise project of sorts...

Am I allowed to tell you about being excited to cast on a certain project, once I find the perfect pattern? Perhaps, although since the pattern has not been found I can't tell you yet...

Ravelympics are near ~

Several of my favorite podcasts are talking about the Ravelympics that are coming soon. The Ravelympics are the Olympics for knitters. The idea is to cast on a challenging project during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and cast off (and finish) the project by the closing ceremonies. I've never participated in the Ravelympics or the Knitting Olympics created by the Yarn Harlot four years ago. I need to tell you that the "oops" or "whoops" sweater from a few Friday's ago is my Ravelympics project.

Does that mean that I plan to start it when the opening ceremony occurs? no...I've already begun...

Does that mean I plan to finish it by the time the closing ceremony occurs? no, are you crazy? It's a sweater for heaven's sake....

Then why am I calling it my Ravelympics project? Just so I could cast on and knit a sweater for me, guilt free, during February....