MEOW 1, PURRL, TOO!

Happy New year 2015, everyone.

I just finished this!!!!  :)  It was boring because it is all Seed Stitch.  I love the outcome, though.  I used Plymouth Baby Alpaca Brush #1256 and for Bling, used Rozetti Polaris #61002 in Cream.  Pattern called for CO 121 stitches and 15" wide.  I CO 141 stitches and 7" wide.  The 15" is too wide for me.  Cowl came out very soft and lightweight. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gap-tastic-cowl

My Husband is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He is kind, generous, thoughtful, selfless, and, most of all, I know he LOVES me. I just opened my Christmas presents. I got what I wanted, BUT, there was a BIGGER surprise. I have to tell the story first, so there!!!! I used to be a foster kitty Mom way back in 2002. I was asked to go to a shelter every week to go pick out cats, bec ause, at that time, euthanasia was high and the shelter was small and the one I volunteered for had foster homes. On one of my trips, while I was sitting in the office, a lady and her little girl came in. The lady was carrying a shoebox. She proceeded to tell the receptionist that she had to give the kitten back, because it was sick. She said she took it to the Vets and the vet told her it was going to cost her a lot of money to get the cat well. She told her the vet said it was going to cost her about $600.00!!! I felt bad for the little girl. I asked her what she named

Another cowl from the Knit Simple Magazine, Winter 2014.  Pattern is called #14 Picot-Hem Cowl.  It's knit with Cascade yarns Lana D'Oro in colors #1034-Celedon and #1030-Cream, on a US 8 Needle.

This took me just 4 days to knit! This is called Textured Cowl. The pattern is from the new issue of Knitsimple Winter, 2014 magazine. There are quite a few cowl patterns in there. I will be starting one called Picot Hem Cowl, that is a Fair Isle from the same magazine. This cowl is knit with Ella Rae Classic Heathers #117 Purple Heather. It's just a 2 x 2 rib and seed stitch pattern. Really easy and works up fast.

This is my Daughter's Christmas present. I just have to block it. The pattern is called PEACOCK SCARF. I Love this pattern. It's knit in Ella Rae Seasons #19 Ocean Sky. Cat not included!!! Her name is Carmen Miranda and she is 9 y.o. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/peacock-scarf-2

Ready for this????? This took me 2 days. I started it on Sat and finished it yesterday. This pattern was my worst nightmare!!! The pattern is from Plymouth Yarns. It's called "Baby Alpaca Grande Hand Dyed Textured Cowl. It calls for 3 hanks of the yarn. All you need is two, because all they did on their pattern was add one row of a solid color at the end. Can't see wasting $14.99 for just one row!!! I was going to throw it in the trash, I was so upset with it. I started out wanting to to the print for the middle and the solid Plum color for the 2 x 2 ribbings. Well, the problem was there is too much Blue in the print, for me. So, I decided to do stripes. I don't know if I like it or not. it's probably another finished project for the storage "BOX".   http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/f585-cowl

This is our wonderful Beagle, Savannah, who is 5 y.o.  She is our 5th Beagle we've had.  I just LOVE those floppy ears!!!!  She's a lap dog!!!

Friday night, the 5th, our local yarn shop, where I take classes, always has a annual Christmas party. This years project, if you wanted to join in, was Fingerless Mitts.  These are the ones I knit up: I used Noro Silk Garden #338, Lot A.  You can whip these up in a day.  Here's the link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy-fingerless-mitts-3 These, I received in the swap.  They were knit by my friend Alice.

Here's a stockinette cowl, I just finished up.  Have to weave in the ends.  The yarn is gorgeous.  It's called TIARA, by Hi Koo.  It retails for $34.00, for 188 yds.  The color is #46 Crimson and has beads and sequins all throughout. Here's another skein.  It's #73 Midnight Blue.  Very pretty.  It looks more like a Denim Blue. With this I will be knitting the WIGGLE LACE SCARF. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wiggle-lace-scarf The pattern calls for approx 200 yds of Worsted Weight yarn, but someone did knit it up with this yarn of the 188 yds.

My Husband is ready for tomorrow's game!!! GO PATRIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This pattern went very fast and was easy to follow. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/quilted-lattice-ascot This is a $7.00 pattern.  Kind of pricey to me.  I got it free, because it was the project of the month for our class. I have to sew on the snap strips and buttons.  There are no button holes.  The buttons are decorations, because you snap it closed. I used Plymouth Baby Alpaca Worsted in Color 100.  It's very, very soft. I will upload the finished product next week.

Coffee, a lighted Yankee Candle, and cats.  What more could you ask for when you're sitting at the table trying to craft!!!!  Our cat Lucky, who is 11 y.o. and my "big" boy is helping me.  The Black cat on the right is my Onyx boy, he's about 2 yrs old and the Black cat eating in the background is Romeo, he's 4 y.o., and a Bombay cat. I went outside my comfort zone of knitting scarves and shawls and decided to take a Christmas stocking class.  It was a blast!!!  This stocking is for me.  Decorating it is the most fun. The stocking is called MIX-and-MATCH Socks from the book Knit Christmas Stockings! by Gwen Steege.  I ended up buying the book on Amazon USED.  The book is in excellent condition. I'm still putting the Green beads on for Santa's eye and he will have a Purple nose.  I will be done decorating and will be sewing up the heel. I purchased some micro fleece to line the stocking with. More pictures of different sections:

My LYS (local yarn shop), where I take classes, had a Black Friday sale and a raffle.  I won a $25.00 gift certificate.  SO, I purchased these...... The hank is Cascade Lana d'oro color #1072 and mixing it with Rozetti Polaris Color #71003 "Aries".  I'm knitting the "GAP-tastic Cowl.  It's all Seed Stitch.  , which is one of my favorite stitches. Pattern is FREE!!!  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gap-tastic-cowl

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all.

My Husband is all excited.  Green Bay Packers vs New England Patriots on Nov. 30th at 4:25 p.m. EST.  I bought him a Green bay shirt off of Facebook and he wore it to work, today, because every Patriot fan, there wants to bet him on the game!!!!!

Mittens, who is will be 10 y.o. in Dec., loves to lay on  my knitting stuff.

I'm on Sweater Babe's email list and every month she sends us a FREE pattern of the month.  This is her Deluxe Lace Seamless Cowl and it is knitted with Ella Rae Seasons yarn.  It is a bulky weight and knits wonderfully.  The color is #9 Rainbow.

I just whipped up these Easy Fingerless Mitts.  Our local yarn shop, where I take lessons and social knit, is having a Christmas party next Fri. Dec 5th.  I made them in two days. I used Noro Silk Garden #338 Pattern is a FREE download. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy-fingerless-mitts-3  

My Husband made up the name.  I decided to use it, among some other choices.  The title makes it sound like Knit 1, Purl 2, at least to me. I have been a crafter since I was 13 y.o.  I'm a certified Decorative Artist, I do rubber stamping, quilting, sewing and now knitting.  I used to crochet, but, really didn't like it. I have been knitting for 13 yrs and love it.  There's always something new to learn. So, get yourself a cup of "joe" and sit a spell.  You can find me on Ravelry:  InLuvWithYarn is my name.