One Skein Baby Bolero

Here is the Baby Bolero from One Skein for my friend Amber's first baby. The baby's due in June, so I am ahead of the game. Yeah for me!

The yarn called for in the book, One Skein by Leigh Radford, was a Blue Sky Organic Cotton. I used Lion Brand Yarn's Nature's Choice Organic Cotton in the Pistachio colour instead. I couldn't resist using the 30% off with coupon for LBYs at Hancock Fabrics for the Martha Stewart Yarn Show tie-in from last Monday (03/23). The only real difference in the yarns is the amount on the skein. This sweater took one plus skeins of the LBY Nature's Choice Organic instead of just one of the Blue Sky Organic Cotton. I have used the Blue Sky yarn as well and it is a lovely yarn to work with.

I finally bought this book after I realized that I had taken it out of the library about nine times. I have already made five of the thirty projects contained therein. I realized it was silly to not own it, even though I have a self-imposed moratorium on buying books right now. Knitting Daily from Interweave Press had it on sale tho right around my birthday, so I took the opportunity to buy it and ran.

Here's the link to Interweave's Knitting Daily: http://www.knittingdaily.com. The email newsletter is a very useful one for me. There are also links to some great patterns. There are free ones as well as patterns for sale.

Making this sweater was a learning experience for me. I had never done a provisional cast on before. I really need to read up on these for the next time I try a provisional cast on as it was fiddley to pick the stitches off the cast on and onto the needles again.

I really liked making this sweet little sweater. The little motif at the back neck is an Arabic symbol of protection. Babies need all that they can get, of that I am certain.

Check this Out - Another Contest

"GIVEAWAY: Ball & Swift Winder" over at http://musingsofafatchick.blogspot.com

Webs Plastic and Metal Swift and Ball Winder Combo
The swift is sturdy and lightweight and opens to 60". It can hold skeins up to one pound. The clamp at the base allows it to be easily attached to a table edge or shelf and can pivot for use at any angle. The ball winder will create 4 oz. center pull balls. Separately, the swift retails for $39.50 and the ball winder for $39.50.


All you have to do is go to her blog, leave a comment for an entry. To get two entries, check out Webs and pick a yarn that you like and leave a message on her blog about it and to get three entries, blog about the contest on your blog. Done, done and done... Good luck, everyone.

I also think that you should check out the rest of her blog as she is as irreverent, funny and well spoken as I am and just might amuse you.

Creative Every Day - Altered Book for Dreams

Here's is the current Creative Every Day effort. We are still on the suggested theme for March of Dream. It's a wee paper covered book to keep by my bed in hopes of remembering the things that wake me up in the night. By a wee book, I mean it's small, it's only 3 x 5 inches...

I am a big fan of Tinkerbell. I fell in love with the little 3-D stickers of her and some fantastic plants and the colours contained therein. Then I found the papers on sale at the store to match the colours and a vision was born.

To cover the book, I use a glue stick to attach the torn bits of two of the papers. I really like polka dots and these were pretty irresistible. I cut the words Dream, Create and Inspire from a third piece of coordinating paper. I then glued on the 3-D stickers of Tink and the dandelion. I know what you are thinking, why did she use more glue on the stickers? I have discovered that most 3-D stickers don't adhere as well as some others, so I err on the side of caution.

I also made and added a ribbon bookmaker to the inside of the back cover. It's a olivey green chiffon ribbon that has a purple and olive green beaded tassel attached.
To cover the glued on ribbon I covered the insides of the covers with some of the coordinating papers as well. However, I neglected to take pictures of those steps.

Rejoice and Be Glad of It!

Grace and Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church Trial Update:

The Lord has been Very Good to Us.

It is with gratitude and a thankful heart, that I can report that the announcement came down from the judge in the legal case within our Parish. We are getting our building back! The judge has deemed it to be a property of the Diocese of Colorado and WE are a Parish of the Diocese.

There will likely be an appeal on behalf of the break-away congregation.

For now tho, we can return to the historic building that has long been our home (over 100 years). This building was designed by the same architects that designed our National Cathedral in Washington, DC. I have never actually worshiped in this building as the split happened at Eastertide 2007, before I moved here to the Springs. I so look forward to seeing the inside of this wonderful building at the first opportunity.

It was two years ago, that the congregation of Grace and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Colorado had to scramble to find a place of worship for Palm Sunday and the rest of Holy Week. We have been and are very grateful to the Shove Chapel at Colorado College for giving us a home for Holy Week then, as well as in 2008. We are also there for the 2009 Easter Season, that is if we aren't back in the Tejon Street building by then. The timing of our return to Tejon Street will largely depend on how difficult it will be to get back into the building. The Lord watch over all those involved in the transition.

Here's the link to the Colorado Springs Gazette article.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/property_50484___article.html/church_tejon.html

Here is the link to the Colorado Springs television report.
http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/41759617.html

Now, we can get back to the business of worship, good works and the rebuilding of our ministries where we rightfully belong.

My hope going forward is that the split between the two groups of parishioners can be mended and that we can be reconciled with each other with no carry over of the hard feelings and strong emotions this experience has generated.

My other hope is that the members of the Parish who have died during this time of strife, separation and contention can now go to their final resting place in peace, love and tranquility. (We were denied access to the Columbarium during this time as well.)


Thanks and Praise Be to God.

It's Mine, All Mine, I Tell You!

The skein is about 115 yards of worsted/bulky 2 ply is a supersoft squishy merino in the “California Poppy” colorway. Dyed by Girl on the Rocks and spun by Kiriko Moth!

I won it! How cool is that? I never win anything, but isn't that what everyone say? Thanks to Karrie of Girl on the Rocks, the dyer and Kiriko Moth the spinner. I really appreciate it. I shall make something kewl from it and share it here when finished. Thanks again so very much.

Saint Patrick's Day Parade and the Mail Box Gnome was Good to Me

Saturday was the Marching o' the Green in Denver. This is just some of our Blairs, we were 20 strong for the parade. It has become a regular March event for us and the weather smiled on us this year. Not too cold or hot and certainly no snow.

I came home from the St. Patrick's Day parade and got in the bed and didn't get out until this morning. I am getting to old for this stuff.

That said, I was a kid in the candy shop just now as I got not one but four packages in the mail. Trader Joe's goodies, fiber goodies and I am so grateful to all that sent me something. I guess that the Trader Joe's stitch markers have a new owner.


Some of the goodies from Miz Emily on Ravelry.com.




My Baby Lini, also from Ravelry.com sent me some goodies for my birthday as well, here's just a few of the bits and bobs contained in the graphic designed box with the turquoise ribbon.



Then there was Ginger Roos and a lovely beaded bag of Lavendar from Rebecca aka KnitswithPenguins, also from Ravelry.com.

The last package contain two Moleskines for me to add my artistic endeavor too. I shall try to do them justice as always

Happy Birthday to Me - Today is My Birthday

Today is my ???? birthday. I have been overwhelmed and humbled by the outpouring of well wishes for this day.

Thank you to all that have sent them and please know that I appreciate each and everyone of you. I am incredibly grateful and blessed that you all are a part of my life.

Again, I as I said in an earlier post, I often feel I don't express my appreciation for the value, art, laughter and thoughtful prods, new authors and other too numerous to list goodies that you bring to my life.

Thanks again, now off to Sushi for the Birthday Supper with the Dear Daughter, Erin.

Edited: 8:17 pm. Well, the best laid plans and all like that there. We went to three, count them, THREE Sushi Bars and none of them were open when we were ready to eat or even when they were suppose to be. We then decided to go to Whole Foods instead and cruise the hot foods and the rest of the departments in search of something that struck mine/our fancy. We settled on Steamed Clams with Steamed Asparagus and a Sourdough Boule (Crusty Rustic Bread) and we then shared a Whipped Cream Filled Eclair for dessert. Yum, not sushi, mind you, but a great meal none-the-less and I DID NOT HAVE TO COOK or clean up. Whoo-hoo! We are still going to go out for Sushi before the end of the month, tho.

I GOT KNIT PICKS Interchangeables, Size 4 for a start, YEAH!!! and Season 2 of the Tudors and still more on the way apparently...

Gratitude for the Quilt Mavericks

I belong to an on-line quilt group called the Quilt Mavericks. Our motto is "My Quilt, My Rules." They are a wonderfully irreverent, bright, talented group of women and men who have inspired me and carried me through a horrible time in my life when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. They have caused me to think, laugh, love, learn and expand my quilting horizons. I just want to express my gratitude to all of the Quilt Mavericks for being a part of my life.

The reason I am writing this up is because one of our members has had the week from Hell and the outpouring of compassion, information and prayers for Luana (owner of eQuilter)and her family at this time of trial has amazed and humbled me. This is the evidence that makes me appreciate them all so very much.

Since I am not sure that I tell the people that mean the most to me how much I appreciate them, I am writing this post today as a public way of expressing how much I appreciate all those in my life who bring so much to it.

Thank you all for being there.

My First Award

I just got a message from Mixed Media Artiste and Extraordinary Friend, Anne of the El Milagro Studio blog and she was awarded one of these and choose to honour me as well. In reading her blog post about the award, I realized how small is this cyber world we inhabit. This award was to sent to her by a friend we have in common, Quilt Artist Extraordinaire, Tristan and she also passed the award onto another friend we have in common, our dear Mixed Media Artiest Extraordinaire Marion across the pond.



The accompanying text with the award is as follows:

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."

So, here is the list of bloggers I choose to honour with the Proximity Award, in no particular order and for no particular reasons.

Lini - http://essexhooker.blogspot.com
Rebecca - http://danceswithpitbulls.blogspot.com
Nic - http://nicknits.blogspot.com
Tala - http://corvustristis.livejournal.com
Camilla - http://soulshamans.blogspot.com
Hope - http://loopy-love.blogspot.com
Gina - http://sleepyeyesknitting.blogspot.com
Erin - http://bewitchingwickedsway.blogspot.com

Creative Every Day - Dragonfly Socks

Here's today's Creative Every Day effort. It is a pair of pages in a 3.5 x 5.5 inch Moleskine Notebook from the E=Mc2 IME Group on Ravelry. This book is part of the Moleskine Round Robin, which I have blogged about before. This particular book is from the second group. This is the same group that I did the Ravens and Roses themed 5 x 8 inch book for. (See post of 01/22/09 for a look see at that book)

This page says "Dream Bigger" and the "R" of Bigger goes off of the page. It is collaged from torn bits of scrapbooking papers. I made a ribbon page marker with a fob from a recycled bob of plastic that some stickers came on. I am trying to be a greener crafter and repurpose things. I stitched plastic letters of the book owner's name inside the plastic sleeve and attached it to the ribbon with an initialed brad (This part is missing from the picture as the book owner doesn't need to know what I have been up to: wink, wink). I used stickers for the lettering. I also sketched and used altered bits of stuff on the two prior pages.












Here is a picture of one of the latest pair of Dragonfly Socks. This pair were knit on Size 2 Brittany DPNs from a Cherry Tree Hill Sock yarn in the Blue/Green Colourway. I got two little bits of pooling from the knitting of the heel flap, not enough to bug me though, for which I am very glad.

The previous pair of Dragonflies(the purple/green stripey ones) were knit on 4s. I definitely like the smaller needle size in terms of the fit of the socks but hated them for the fact that I broke two of them just knitting along on this pair. Never mind, that they all look like smiles from bending as I knit.

What happens when knitting fast with wooden needles also known as How to Put a Smile on Your Wooden Needles? Apply Heat and Humidity from my hands.

These needles are only a week old. There really is no excuse for the breakage, in my opinion. They are made of birch wood and have a lifetime guarantee, so it's no big really. Except, the LYS doesn't have any of this size in stock at the mo. Yes, I know there are metal needles, but they fatigue my hands faster than anything and I like to knit for long stretches, sigh.