sheep in the city

Knit On...

This weekend I'm heading to Buena Vista with my mom, our friend Jan, Michelle, Cynthia, Jeni, Marilyn King of Black Water Abbey Yarns, Judy Pearce (our lovely hostess!), and a couple other women that I don't know. It's going to be so fun and relaxing! We're staying at a bed and breakfast called the Liar's Lodge and we'll be taking a color work class and a cabling class, needless to say, I'm excited!

This is just what my mom and I need right now. My family has had some rough news recently. My Dad has struggled on and off for the last 14 years with Prostate Cancer. In recent years his PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels have been rising, which they shouldn't be, since he has no prostate. He's been on medication but these levels have kept rising and in the last 3 months his numbers have quadrupled. This is a sign that something else is going on in his body. He'll be speaking with his doctors in the coming days and weeks to try and figure out what is going on. I'd apprciate all your prayers that the cancer wouldn't be back...and that the doctors would be able to figure out exactly what is causing this rise in his PSA, and that it will be curable. Obviously, we've been dealing with this in some form or another for the last 14 years, so I'm kind of used to it, but at the same time I never like to think of my Dad being sick. My family will do what it always does though, rally together and be there for each other. I debated on whether or not to share this with people who read my blog...but I talk about everything else that goes on in my life, I might as well share the tough stuff too. Thanks for listening. I'm going to take the advice of Elizabeth Zimmerman to knit on, through all joys and crises.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my parents, aren't they so cute...and isn't it evident how much they love each other?! I love that.

Knitting spotted in TV-Land

So, last week I was watching TiVo...and twice I spotted knitting references in previews for next weeks shows! Cool, huh?! One is this coming up Sunday on Grey's Anatomy! I don't need to gush, and go on and on about how great this show is...because you all are watching it already?! Right?! If not, rent the first season on Netflix...and get caught up! This is a great show and you shouldn't be missing it.

The second sighting was on Everwood. It looks like they are having a guest appearance this Monday, April 3, by Kelly Carlson, a woman who has risen to fame as Kimber on Nip/Tuck. I had to rewind this preview because I wasn't expecting it, and I thought, "it looks like she was in a yarn shop, and I think that those are Lantern Moon baskets!" Sure enough, they are!! I love that TV shows are featuring knitting and yarn shops in their shows more and more lately.

I know what I'm going to be doing on Sunday and Monday nights...watching T.V. and knitting, or should I say knitting while watching knitting on T.V.?! Have a great weekend everyone!

Knit-Bloggers Afghan Thursday!

What's this? You've claimed Thursday for your own project? Yes, indeed I have! Last night I finally organized all of the yarn that I've received from all of you and cast on! A huge thank you goes out to Genia, for helping me decide what yarn to start with and which ones to use after that...we wrote it all down on a big chart that's included in the pattern. I sure love that I have friends who like to help me organize!! This is going to be such a fun project!! I'm going to have updates every Thursday about the squares that I've finished and who sent the yarn and a little bit about my relationship with the sender. I'm really excited to get going on this, and I can tell that it's going to be highly addictive!

I'll leave you with this teaser of the ball of red and pink Manos in honor of Project Spectrum. I'll have better pictures of a completed square (or two, or five!!) next week. If you still want to participate in my blogging afghan project, email me, I still have about 20 squares that need to be filled!! (it can be any type of yarn...leftover or new, whatever you have and love to knit with!!) Here's a peek at the box I'm storing all my afghan yarn in!! Fun, fun!!

Secret Pals and Pancakes

My final package arrived!! And boy was it a good one! Christina has been a stellar secret pal. She lead me on a wild goose chase to find her...she sent great "themed" packages, and better yet she left tons of comments on my blog just when I needed them! So...what was in the package? This is what I saw when I opened up the box!

My secret pal is so clever...she knows the way to my heart! Here's the latest bag to be added to my collection:

**Click on the picture to see what's inside the bag!!**
She sent me three skeins of yarn, a Reese's PB Cup, 2 mix cd's that have some really cool world music that I've never heard before (but I'm really diggin'!!), a cute rubber stamp, some yummy Harry and David "Milk Chocolate Moose Munch", and the cutest postcard from her wedding last summer! I love the idea of having one of your wedding pictures turned into a postcard and using them as your thank you cards!! How cool. The best news of all though?! Christina is coming to Denver for work in June...so I get to meet her...in the real world!! Fun, huh?! Thanks for making this such a fun round of secret pal!!

Now on to the "pancake" portion of this entry. Last night, I was hanging out with my sister and she had a sudden craving for pancakes. Seeing as it was around dinner time, the three of us girls headed out to Village Inn. (not my favorite breakfast place...but we went with what was open) Alice is very into making faces lately. She can do surprise, sad, mad, cute, and happy. It's hilarious. I think I caught her in her "sad" face. This little girl cracks me up! I love hanging out with my sister and niece, they're my two favorite girls!

It's almost done!!

Finally! My Charlotte's Web is almost done! I'm halfway through the bind-off, and because I decided to go with a picot edge it's taking a little longer than normal. I'm hoping to finish the bind off today over lunch and tonight at home...and then block it in the next couple of days. I'm so excited to wear this shawl...it's the first lace project I've attempted and my first completed project that I've knit with Koigu. I just love the way the edging looks and I'm going to love the lace a lot more once it's blocked. Does anyone have any blocking advice for someone who has done very little blocking and absolutely none with lace?! I'm a little scared!

Hopefully I'll have time to write more later...I have some exciting projects planned (some with the Koigu stash!!), and I'm going on a knitting retreat this weekend to Buena Vista with some of my knitting buddies!! I'll give you all the details tomorrow!

2 Pirates...gone bad!

Arrgh, me matey! My pirate hat is just not going to work. It's way too tight! On Saturday night, I was encouraged a little because Michelle had knit one too...and her's was too small too! Of course we had to take a picture of us in our too small hats. I'm not going to rip this one out...I just can't do it. It's going to be Alice's pirate hat and I'm going to knit Genia another one:) (So Genia, let's go pick out some different yarn, ok?!) Michelle has already re-cast on using a needle two sizes bigger and she has guage, so I'm going to follow her lead! I guess I can just count this as a learning experience, right?! Sheesh!

It's that time of year again!!

It's almost time to "Flash your Stash!". Join me on April 1...and I'll show you mine, if you show me yours!!

Clues, Riddles, & Secret Pals!

I received a letter in the mail yesterday with three clues in it. (Look at the cute little crafty birds?!) My secret pal is holding my last gift hostage until I can figure out who she is! Sneaky, sneaky! Well...I stayed at work until I figured it out! So, last night I found her blog...The Knottie Knitter!! Thanks Cristina! I can't wait to see what's in my final package!!

An almost F.O. and Show-n-Tell

Here's the We Call Them Pirates hat that I made for my friend Genia for her birthday. I love, love, love it! Genia has already seen it, so it's okay that I'm revealing it here. I just need to undo the provisional cast on, pick up stitches and knit a couple inches for a liner, and block it! This was such a fun pattern to knit...next time I'm definitely going to go up a needle size...this baby is a little tight...but I'm going to block the crap out of it and make it work!! Here's a view from the top, isn't it so neat the way all the decreases line up in neat little rows?! Just because I think that it's hilarious...can you spot my mistake? I think it adds a bit of character, right?

Pattern: We Call Them Pirates by Hello Yarn
Yarn: Dalegarn Falk in bright green and black. One skein each.
Needles: US 3 16" Addis, 3 DPN's
Knit: 3/1-3/19

I was also asked to take a picture of all my Koigu. Ask...and most of the time...you shall receive! Here it is in all it's glory.

I love to see it all laid out in color families...it's just so pleasing to my eyes. I was inspired to do this after seeing all of Caryn's Koigu last year and I just never got around to it. She has 88 skeins of Koigu! Holy crap! I think I may have a little less than half that. Someday, maybe someday I'll be up to Caryn's level of Koigu-deliciousness. I took some close up pictures if you're intersted: pinks/reds/oranges, greens/some light pinkish/purples, purples/multi colored skeins, and lastly the solids! I don't have immediate plans for all of this yarn...I know, I know, I have a problem...but I do have a few ideas. We'll just have to wait and see what develops!

Chocolate Bonanza!!

I am in chocolate heaven! My candy-swap partner has spoiled me good and rotten! On Saturday I received this little box, filled to the gills with yummy chocolate from the San Francisco area. I really lucked out because I know from visiting San Francisco that it is a chocolate lovers dream come true out there!! My partner was Carol of Celadon Cupcake! Wow, wow, wow! Most of the chocolate I had never tried before, and if I've heard of it, I've never seen it in person. I took some close up pictures so that you can all see the yumminess! It's times like this that I wish that there was such a thing as smell-o-vision! It sure smells good at mu house...mmmm...chocolate!

First there's the Scharffen Berger. Four little mini chocolates to try...Mocha, Mint, Milk, and Bittersweet. Plus, she included a Ganache for Lips all-natural lip balm in Chocolate Raspberry. Can you say Yum?! I've heard rave reviews for this chocolate...and I can't wait to try it.

Then there is the Recchiuti Confections. Oh...My...Gawd. These are some of the faniciest chocolates I've ever seen. Carol included a brochure in the box and I've been drooling over it, literally, since I pulled it out of the box! The chocolates pictured above are Honeycomb Malt and Lavender Vanilla. I also recieved 2 Vanilla Marshmallows that I quickly ate...yum!

You can't go to California without visiting a See's Candies, and Carol did not disappoint. I have fond memories of my Dad bringing See's candies home from trips when I was little. I've never tasted a See's candy that I didn't like. The little chocolates are a Milk Bordeaux, Peanut Crunch, Raspberry Cream, and a Lemon Truffle. There were some Ginger Crisps and a big peanut butter egg too!! The last three things in the box were a Coconut Gold Bar from Fran's (yeah! I've been wanting to try these!!), a Prehistoric Egg from Jelly Belly (she's been to the factory, fun!) and a chocolate/cardamom bar from Richard Donnelly. I am going to have so much fun sampling all these new chocolates!! Thank you so much Carol...you really did too much...but I am so going to enjoy every bite!!!

I'm a pink girl.

I've always been a pink girl. From the time my family moved into a new house, that my sister and brother and I all called the "Big house", and I got to pick out my own wallpaper and carpet. It was all pink! Can you imagine? I was in heaven! Recently my mom was going through some boxes in the basement and she came across this sweater that I used to wear when I was about 6 years old. Even back then I loved pink and brown! I have a matching hat with a huge pom-pom somewhere in my house. She also gave me all the little "Stacey" customized clothing that she has been saving. There are things with my name embroidered on them, written in PUFF Paint (sweet! I loved puff paint!!), and even air-brushed! When I was younger it was just the coolest thing to have your name air-brushedon your tee-shirt. Do you remember that? Ahh...those were the days!

You had to know...

...that I almost always buy some sort of bag while I'm on a trip. It's just kind of a fun tradition at this point. Well, while I was in Boston I kept my eyes peeled for just the right bag. I saw a canvas bag at The Woolpack that had a sheep on it, and it was cute, but I didn't want another canvas bag. So I kept looking. I saw some cute ones at A Good Yarn, but I was more interested in yarn at that point. On the drive back to Marlborough, I saw that my mom had bought a bag and I knew that I had forgotten. I think I was in a Koigu induced stupor. So the search continued, but I wasn't holding out much hope since we weren't going to visit anymore yarn shops. Then on our final day, we decided to drive through Concord to get back into town and the airport. I'm so glad that we did! We stopped off at the Orchard House, home of the Alcott family, and the place that Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women!

We went on the tour of the house and I learned alot about the family that I didn't know before. It was interesting to hear little insights about the sisters and how Louisa incorporated them into her books. While we were browsing in the gift shop I spotted my bag! It's really tiny, but it's perfect for sock knitting. Mr. Alcott tought all of his daughters from the home, and one of the things he would do for their exercise was bend his body into the shapes of the alphabet. It fits my new sock yarn perfectly. (click to see inside the bag!)

Thanks for all the welcome home wishes. It's good to be home! I'm going to start on my Bloggers Afghan this weekend. I'm trying to decide just how to go about figuring out which yarn should go where. I'm going to lay out all the yarn on the floor and play!! Hopefully by Monday I will have made some progress and have photos of all the yarn that people have sent! This is probably one of the most fun and exciting projects I've worked on, mostly because I've met so many new people through it!! If you are still going to send yarn, there's still time, this is going to be an ongoing project and will proabably take a while to finish! Just email me and I'll give you the details and my snail mail addy.

The Lowdown on Boston

My trip to Boston was a blast! The wedding (you know, the reason for going out there) Saturday was beatuiful and the weather could not have been more perfect. The other days we were out in Boston were filled with going to historical sights, meeting knit-bloggers, and of course visiting some local shops!

On Friday, my mom and dad and I drove to Littleton, MA to meet up with Ruth at a great local shop called The Woolpack. I highly recommend this shop. They have a great selection of yarn and the atmosphere is cozy and very friendly. I found some great used books in their sale section. If I lived anywhere near Boston, I would make this yarn store one of my regular stops. My Dad settled in at the gathering table they had and made friends with Ruth's littlest one...by the end they were fast friends.

I loved meeting both Ruth and Lucia. They were kind enough to take me to two of their local yarn shops. Their kids were out of school and so we were a big group going from store to store...but it was so fun. The second store we went to, A World in Stitches, was great for the kids, it was big enough that they played hide-and-seek and could really hide! So funny. They had a big sale room with great stuff. My mom and I both were able to find some good stuff there. My mom bought yarn for at least 2 baby sweaters, and we found yarn for a poncho for my sister to wear while she's nursing. (If you know any poncho patterns that would work well for this, email me. I'd love some suggestions. We are using a worsted weight yarn, and she wants it pretty solid instead of holey like most patterns. Thanks!) My favorite purchase of the day was a pair of Serendipity needles that had little fimo hershey kisses on the end! So cute! You want to take a look...ok, click away! Friday night was the rehersal dinner at the historical Wayside Inn, and the wedding was the next day at the little Martha-Mary Chapel next door to the Inn. It was just beautiful!

Sunday, we spent some time sight-seeing in Boston, but it was cold and rainy so we didn't do as much as we had planned. Then it was time to meet up with my favorite Bostonian, Wendy! She is one of the sweetest knit-bloggers around! I had met her one other time when she made a trip out to Colorado last year, and I knew as soon as I found out that I was coming to Boston that I'd need to get in touch with her. She was very patient with me and my family as we tried to navigate our way through the unfamiliar city. We hit Circles first, where I picked up a pattern by Karabella for a really beautiful lace shawl. You tell me...doesn't this model remind you of a certain surgical intern from my favorite medical show?! Seriously...seriously!!

Next up was A Good Yarn. I had heard many good things about this shop...it's the shop that Alison, Dani, and Johanna all work at. Johanna was working on Sunday and she helped me pick out lots of yarn...what a great store!! (click to see a picture of the knitbloggers at A Good Yarn!) I found lots of goodies, including some great Koigu!!

Every other store I've been to lately either has the same colors that I already own or are almost completely depleated. So yeah, I got some Koigu! (this is as some of you may know, is my favorite travel yarn. I love to pick up a skein of it when I'm out of town. So far, this has worked on almost all of my trips!) I picked up some Misty Alpaca Lace weight yarn to make the above Karabella Shawl, some ArtYarns Handpaint Stripe to make some stripey mittens, and some Koigu...just for fun!! My Dad was getting into the yarn shop thing, he dubbed himself "The Yarn Chauffeur"! My Dad is the greatest!! At The Woolpack on Friday he was being kind of sneaky and when we got to the car he showed me a surprise that he had found for me. It was a license plate for my car that says "License to Knit" on it! I love that he thinks of little things like that! Awww, I love my Dad!

Finally, what you all have been waiting for...the loot! Here it is (sorry for the poor lighting...I really need to do something about that at my house!) Lots of books and patterns, and lots of yarn!!

I bought a lot of Alpaca on this trip...it's just so hard to resist because it's so dang soft! Here's a closeup of the bowl of Alpaca yarn. It's 4 skeins of Frog Tree Alpaca Sport weight yarn in color #28, to make a "Cape Cod Shell Scarf". (my mom and grandma are going to make one too. We didn't even notice the name of it until much later, and it's so appropriate that we bought it in Massachusetts!) 5 skeins of Misty Alpaca Lace weight in red to make the shawl I've already mentioned, and a skein of Trekking XXL that I just couldn't resist! In the next bowl is some pink handpainted wool (can't remember the info), the ArtYarns stripes in pink/brown and my orange Koigu! Love it! I have a couple other things to show off, but that will have to wait for another day. This post is long enough! I had a blast with my family, and meeting new knit-bloggers. Overall, this trip was a roaring success!!

I'm headed home!!

I'll have a full update tomorrow...I'm getting ready to board my plane in Boston. This has been a great trip and I've had a blast with my family. I met up with some wonderful knitters and managed to buy *just a little bit of yarn*. Ha! More details in the morning, so check back!!!

Headin' to Bean Town

I'm heading out to Boston in the morning for my cousin's wedding...ummm, yeah, bright and early baby. It seems like just yesterday I was in OKC for my other cousin's wedding and this trip was months and months away. And now it's here!! Of course I'm going to fit a little yarn shopping and knitting in. Ruth and Wendy have both volunteered to go shopping with me on different days. I really had to twist their arms to get them to go yarn shopping...yeah right!! Just so that this post isn't completely boring and void of knitting content, I leave you with this...a picture of me and Alice, where I swear she is learning to knit. Look at the concentration on her face! So cute. I may be blogging from the road...it just depends on the internet hook up at the hotel. Otherwise...I'll be back on Monday. Gotta go finish packing now.

**Can you believe the outcome on Project Runway??!! Holy Crap!!! Seriously...SERIOUSLY?**

Candy Swap!!

Hurry! Hurry! There are a few more days to sign up for Mariko's Candy Swap! To join in the fun, head over to the yahoo group and sign up. This promises to be a really fun swap...you have until the 10th to sign up! You better believe that I signed up as soon as I heard about it!!

Weird weekend.

I got lots of rest this weekend...kind of. I went to my knit group on Friday night, thinking that I was feeling better, but about an hour into it I realized I needed to go home. I hate to be the first one to leave a party, but sometimes a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Then Saturday I worked around my house and with my mom's help,I got rid of a ton of clothes and other stuff that I just don't wear/use, then babysat for Alice. I didn't knit at all that day.

Alice was very interested in my sheep clogs...but not very interested in me taking a picture of her in them!! This is her latest favorite thing to do, wear my shoes around. See.This picture was taken a week or two ago. Again with the wearing of my shoes! Funny girl.

Back to my weird weekend...Sunday I went to a funeral and then helped my mom at her house, and didn't knit at all. It feels weird to not have knit more than a total of 30 minutes during the weekend, when that's usually my prime knitting time. If you want to see a picture of my "secret project" click here! (don't look Genia! Remember no peeking!!) I'm kind of playing catch up this week at work...and then Thursday I'm heading to Boston for a wedding. I've made some tentative plans with a few Boston knitters already, but I have to say I have heard great things about Boston knit shops so I am ready to go!! If you have visited any shops in particular that you think I shouldn't miss, let me know!!

The BEST Mom Ever!!

Yes, that's right. I have the best Mom ever! This is the back of her VW Convertible filled with lots of MY laundry. Since I was sick all week she came over, took all my laundry back to her house, and then brought it all back fresh and clean. You can see from the picture that this is no small feat...her whole car was filled! Thanks so much Mom, you're the greatest!!

Project Spectrum

Yesterday was the start of Project Spectrum, a little idea that Lolly cooked up, and boy is it a good one!! Each month you are supposed to focus on creating (this means not just knitting! It could be painting or beading or sewing, etc.) something that is in that month's color. So...in March we are focusing on red and pink. What I have decided to do on the knitting front is work on a few things that I already have on the needles. Namely finishing up my Charlotte and working on my Touch Me gloves! Granted, if I get any wild ideas this month...I think that I just might have an abundance of pink and red yarn!? You think?

I'm itching to cast on some socks with this beauty that I picked up at Colorful Yarns a few days ago! There are so many shades of pink and orange in this one...I love it! If you're interested...it's Cherry Tree Hill supersock yarn and I know that they had one more skein of it a few days ago:) It's going to be fun to see what everyone is going to create this month in red/pink...there are around 400 people participating so far.

Thanks for all your "get well soon" messages. I really appreciate it. I'm not feeling that much better but I'm taking medicine...so hopefully I'll get over this soon! I came back from lunch yesterday and walked in the door and my boss (also goes by the name Dad:) told me to go home and rest. So I did. I took a much needed nap and worked a little bit on my "secret" project. (click to see a picture of the back...no peeking Genia!) I'm back at work today, and the plan is to stay here all day and work...we'll see if I make it. I hate being sick. Enough complaining Stacey! I've got to get back to work:)

This was a very bad idea.

Don't mix this...

...with this...

I cast on for my secret knitting project last night. Big mistake, and here's why. Since Monday night I've had a horrible sore throat, maybe the worst I've ever had. I don't ever remember chilling like I did Monday night...I just couldn't warm up. I was laying under a comforter and 2 afghans, and I went to bed at 9:30, which is unheard of for me! Needless to say, I've been taking medicine the last couple of days. So, I cast on for this project and when I'm up to round 4 or 5, I realize that for the last three rounds I've switched my main color and my contrast color. Argh. I sat there starring at it for probably five minutes. I was willing it to be right, rubbing my eyes to see if it was just a hallucination or a figment of my imagination. I tried to see how I could make it a "design feature". There was just no way it was going to work. Then I heard this little voice in my head. Very strange, it sounded slightly Canadian. The voice was telling me to rip it back....everything would be okay. What? You guys are probably thinking that I've lost my mind. No worries, I haven't completely lost it, but I did keep asking myself, "what would Stephanie do?". Yes. You know exactly what she would do...she'd rip it! So, that's what I did...right after I took another swig of that sore throat medicine.

**I know I shouldn't be complaining, it was only 128 stitches and about 4 rows. But, you have no idea how painful it is for me to rip back! I hate it with every fiber in my being!! (or should I just say, every fiber in my house?) But I survived, and I'm back to where I was before, so all is good!**