sheep in the city

Knitathon in Stars Hollow

**you'll have to excuse the blurry pictures...that's what happens when you pause and take pictures on your TiVo**

I was so tickled last night when I started to watch Gilmore Girls. First, I noticed the title of the episode, "Knit, People, Knit!". So, I figured that along the line, somewhere in the episode, one of the characters would knit. Well, I was pleasantly surprised when most of the show centered around knitting.

Obviously, Lorelai doesn't own a ball winder, just a swift. She was talking on the phone while winding a ball by hand off of the swift. Sheesh! Someone get this girl a ball winder!

The town was having a knitathon to raise money to fix the Old Muddy River Bridge. Someone has even made up tee-shirts that you can buy!

People were pledging money, per skein of yarn that you knit, from what I could gather. Seems like it would have been easier to pledge money per stitch, but that's Hollywood for ya. Everyone in the town was decked out in handknit garments and hats and gloves. I even spotted a felted bag or two. In Luke's Diner, where a bunch of knitters were camped out, I spotted a Cat Bordhi Knitter's Bowl. (it's on the table in the right foreground) In the town square where the knitathon took place, they had someone giving hand massages, Sookie had knitting related food available (read spaghetti and breadsticks), and there were many booths with knitting stuff. One was called the Knit and Doodle. The following pictures were a few of my favorite knitting moments:

Lorelai wearing a "Knit or Go Home" tee-shirt. You can have one of your very own too!

Kirk wandering around yelling, "Free needles!".

One of 2 giant yarn balls that stood at the entrance to the town square. There were giant knitting needles sticking out of them.

Taylor was wearing an awful ensemble...matching sweater, scarf, and hat. This is definitely a knitters no-no. Never wear everything that matches from head to toe. Yikes.

Overall, this episode just made me laugh. I loved trying to spot which stars of the show were probably actually knitters in real life. Lauren Graham, most-likely a knitter, while Melissa McCarthy aka Sookie probably is not.

It's snowing and about 15 degrees out right now in Denver. Ummm...brrr! I wish I was home, sipping on some hot chocolate, and knitting, but alas, I'm not. I'm at work...working. Maybe tonight there will be a freak storm, and I'll have to stay home tomorrow?! Probably not, but a knitter can dream, right?

Has it really been 10 days?!

I just realized that it has been 10 days since my last post. I have been a busy, busy knitter though, and I have lots to share. First, let me say, that I had a blast with Cynthia in town. So much fun...and so much food. One day we all felt like we were just going from restaurant to restaurant, which we kind of were, but it was good stuff!

We managed to get a little shopping in too before she left to go home. I had to take a picture of her new Tepper Jackson bag (color- Dial) because she was so darn color coordinated that day. As you can tell from the picture...she really loves it when I take her picture! Ha!

I didn't manage to make it to any "Black Friday" sales, but I did go shopping at Colorful Yarns both while Cynthia was here...and when I worked there this weekend. I did a little bit of damage. Here's what I picked up...it all makes me happy.

4 skeins of Lion and Lamb. I've been eye-balling this stuff for a long time...and so I finally took the plunge and got some. It is more than likely going to be a Clapotis, or at the very least a shawl of some sort. I just love this colorway called "Bittersweet".

3 skeins of Malabrigo in the Velvet Grapes colorway. Just.Couldn't. Resist.

My favorite purchase of the weekend though was my new PINK Denise needles! Love them! Already have them on 2 projects! The sterling silver bracelot was a gift from my mom...that reads, "Cast on a dream". I just love that. I've hardly taken it off since I got it.

Thanksgiving day, and the days following, were very low key. It was just me and my parents and grandparents. All the siblings and their spouses/families were visiting the in-law's out of state. This meant that my mom and I got to hang out and knit...alot! One of the highlights of the holiday was when my mom and I went to a little off the beaten path Italian place that we'd wanted to try forever. It was nice to be able to just hang out and be still. My parents joked that I was on a vacation too...at their house because I spent so much time over there! It was just what I needed.

Sunday...I spent some time (not nearly enough!) knitting over at Nachaele's house. Since shenow lives less than a mile from me, we've instituted that Sunday is for afghan knitting. We're going to try and knit together each Sunday and work on various afghans that we have in progress. I worked on...my first Mod on Mod square! Rudy, Nachaele's little dog was trying to help!

All in all, I worked on a ton of projects:

•started and almost finished my first Mod on Mod square
•started and finished the right front piece of my Sienna Cardigan (only one more front and 2 sleeves to go!)
•picked up all 312 stitches and started knitting in the round on my Noro shrug
•worked some on the mystery project
•cast on, along with my Grandma and Mom, for an Einstein Coat
•started a class sample

No wonder I didn't have time to blog! But...vacation is over, and it's back to my normal routine. I'm hoping to keep up the knitting pace though!

Busy weekend ahead!

Cynthia is town! Yay! This weekend is going to filled with lots of knitting, eating, and fun...I just know it! I'll be writing a more detailed accounting of the weekend later...but for now I'm too busy getting ready to host a knit gathering. I am now the proud owner of one finished back piece. It belongs to my Sienna Cardigan. I am lovin' that sweater, and knitting it with the Malabrigo Yarn. I'll write more later...and to all of you who have sent me and my family your well wishes and prayers, thank you. What a blessing and encouragement it has been to me in the last few days. I'll leave you with a picture of my niece that always makes me smile. This was taken in September during my sister's birthday...and man, can Alice enjoy a piece of cake!!

Perfect timing...

I received this in the mail yesterday:

We heard back from the doctors about my Dad's bone scan, and it wasn't the news that we wanted to hear or were hoping and praying for. They found a number of spots on the scan. He immediately started taking two new medications, they are wanting him to try them and he'll be tested in the near future for their effectiveness. If you want to read his words, visit his blog, and read his latest post. The words that he has written humble me.

I'm going to take the advice of Elizabeth Zimmermann to heart.

"Knit on with confidence and hope, through all crisis."

A little yarn binge...

What do I tend to do when I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Well, I'd like to say that I just bask in the glory that is my stash and knit away the days using said stash. Ummm, no. I've been on a bit of what I call a yarn binge. Granted, I've been working at the shop and teaching classes, so I have yarn money...but still...I need no more yarn. But, the stuff that I got is oh-so lovely!

First off, if you haven't picked up a copy of Yarn Play, by Lisa Shobhana Mason, you need to. What a fantastic book. Most of you know by now that I love owning books. I dream of someday having a library in my house with one of those ladders that go around the room...you know the kind I mean, right? Well, needless to say, my "knitting" section is going to be quite large. This was a must-buy the minute that I spied it at the shop. I had been reading Lisa's blog, My life in Stitches, for years now. I am so excited that she has written a book! I snatched it up, thumbed through it, and immediately fell in love with the Mod-on-Mod afghan. It is so me...just the way she designed it. I wouldn't change a thing about it. I had Tiffany order in the yarn then and there. I can't wait to get cozy under all that pink and orange yumminess.

What you see here is Arucania Nature Cotton and Patagonia Cotton in colors 16 (light pink), 11 (fuschia), 203 (variegated light pink), and 209 (variegated tomato). I'm still waiting on one more color...#4, a shade called tangerine. But that didn't stop me from picking up the rest of it! The other lovely yarn shown above is Ultra Alpaca (in #6281 Redwood Mix). I got enough to knit a sweater...and I'm thinking about this one called,Picchu Picchu. Of course...I'm just thinking about this one. I'm still keeping my eyes on different patterns, I just couldn't pass up the fact that it's on sale this month! (if you're wondering what I'm talking about...go check out the shop blog! This yarn is $7.00/skein for the whole month of November!)

Lastly, I've got a little secret knitting going on over at Sheep in the City. But that's about all that I can say. I'll leave you with a picture though!!

You guys are the best!

I really appreciate all the prayers and words of encouragement...they've helped alot. Just knowing that there are people out their praying and thinking about my family. You guys are awesome! I actually haven't heard yet about the results from my Dad's bone scan. The scan was on Friday, and they hoped to know the results sometime today. The only thing that is a little scarey...is that after they did the bone scan, they went back in and did a more thorough scan of his head, which they weren't originally going to do. But, I won't dwell on that and speculate, I'm going to trust the doctors and wait to hear what happens.

In contest news, I'm shocked to announce that no one got all of the answers right. The first person that came the closest though was Christine, of SheKnits. So Christine...send me your info and I'll get some goodies in the mail! Here are the sweaters that I loved enough to knit in the latest Interweave Knits.

1•A Cardigan for Arwen: I must make this sweater at some point. Kate Gilbert...you are a genius! I continue to love the designs by she comes up with on a regular basis, and now that she has melded two of my favorite things, knitting and Lord of the Rings...it's over! I have to knit this! I haven't decided what yarn I would potentially use, I'm not crazy about any of the colors in the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran line. I'll be thinking about this one for a while...looking for the perfect yarn. Any suggestions?

2•Enid Cardigan: This one just appeals to me, I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the geometric design...I just like it.

3•Equestrian Blazer: Something about this jacket looks so classy. I have yarn in my stash that would work perfectly for this design if I choose to knit it. We'll see. I love it when I have something already in the stash though! Bonus!

4•Jawbreaker Cardigan: How could I not love this one?! It's named after candy! I just think this one looks like a cute, fun knit that would be comfortable to bum around in.

5•Nantucket Jacket: This one is classy all the way, simply gorgeous. A little fussy with the all over patterning, but well worth it in the end I'm sure.

6•Refined Raglan: I love the shoulder detail on this sweater, but as I discussed it with Wanda, we decided that the neck would need to be changed a little.

7•Venezia Pullover: Last, but certainly not least, is Eunny Jang's masterpiece. She just plain amazes me. What a talented girl...and have you seen her spinning? She just recently learned how to spin too! Unbelievable!?!

Most people thought I would like the Rambling Rose Cardigan...but I have to say, there is just too much junk in the trunk of that sweater. Too busy for me. Not to mention that the sizing sucks on it. They've made it for a 30" bust and a 43"bust. Isn't that a little bit weird?! What about all the other people that are in between those sizes, or over those sizes. I've been carrying this issue around with me all over the place, reading it at restaurants, at the knit shop, at my desk at work. Like I've said before, this issue is a keeper!

Random thoughts.

Do you ever get weighed down by your works in progress? Sometimes I feel like I'm trying so hard to get further along on all the various projects that I'm working on, that I get nowhere on any of them. I know that it's totally my fault that I've started so many projects, and I really don't feel bad for starting them, but all of a sudden I'm feeling weighed down. Then, there is the fact that I feel like I'm always trying to come up with stuff to talk about and show here on my blog. Now don't get me wrong, I love writing my blog. I love all the people that I've met, both online and in real life. But there are days when I have nothing to say. Or at least nothing to say that is at all interesting.

I'm not really sure what is going on in my head, or my heart. My Dad has a bone scan tomorrow morning. (you can read all about it on his blog) That is weighing heavily on me. I would really appreciate it if you could pray for the doctors that are doing the scan and the coming results. That the doctors would finally figure out what is going on.

I don't have an update for the bloggers afghan again this week. It's one of those things that I work on...but the big corner square just isn't getting any bigger. So frustrating. I've been going home most nights, knitting a few rows and then just crashing...I hate that feeling. Just so that I don't end on a bad note, through all of this though, I continue to knit...and it does bring me comfort. Even if it's just one row a day. Just keep knitting. I met up yesterday over my lunch hour to knit with my mom, sister, and a few of my mom's friends. It was such an encouraging time of fellowship with other knitters that when I left, my heart felt full. I know that I'm going to be okay. My family is going to be okay. My knitting works-in-progress will continue to pile up...and that will have to be okay too.

Thanks for listening.

It's beginning...

...to feel a lot like Christmas! Christmas is by far my favorite holiday. I love decorating my Christmas tree with my Radko ornaments, getting out my small santa collection (my mom has a huge collection on the other hand. Her's is awesome!) and listening to Christmas music, etc. This year I've decided to start a new tradition. I'm going to knit a stocking every year or two, so that someday my mantel will be full of handknit stockings! I knit one from the book Christmas Stockings by Elaine Lipson a couple years ago using Noro Kureyon and it turned out great. This year I've chosen a free pattern by Berroco, called Sean. It's another felted stocking, but this time it's knit with Ultra Alpaca, which just so happens to be on sale this month at Colorful Yarns! How convenient for me! I'm using Fuchsia (6235) and Pea Soup Mix (6275) to knit mine. These are colors that I like to think of as modern Christmas colors. All I've done so far is cast on...but the Ultra Alpaca is already a joy to work with. I've heard how warm Alpaca can get, so I've been hesitant to knit a whole garment out it. I'm liking that this gives me a small taste of what a pleasure knitting with Alpaca can be. I plan on making something that is wearable out of this in the future for sure.

You may have noticed that my yarn is sitting on the latest issue of Interweave Knits?! Oh my, oh my! I love, enough to knit, at least 7 of the sweaters pictured on these pages! (calm down though, that doesn't mean that I'm going to knit them all!) Can you guess which ones that I like enough to knit? If you correctly guess all 7 of the sweaters...then I will send a little yarny goodness your way! To help out those that don't have their magazine yet, I'll even send you to the preview of the magazine! Believe me though, you are going to want to pick up this issue...it's a keeper! I'll be running this contest through Sunday, November 12th, at midnight. I'll announce the winner here at Sheep in the City on Monday morning!

**for those of you that wondered yesterday, I bought the buttons at Colorful Yarns.**

A little bit of sweater knitting!

**I've been trying to post this all day...and our network has been down! So frustrating!**

This weekend I pulled out a project that I have long neglected and desperately want to finish. It's my pink Malabrigo Sienna Cardigan. I found the perfect buttons to go with this cardi, they are vintage clear glass buttons. So cute, and totally unique!

I just got an email from my yarn dealer...and the shop is going to be carrying this new line of Opal! It may even be here this week! I'm very intrigued with this stuff because all the colors are based on paintings, it totally appeals to my artistic side. I would have posted some pictures here...but the site has big warnings about using their images. Be sure to click on the link to see the yarn colors. They also have a pattern on their site for a Sideways sock. Have you ever seen such a thing?! It's kind of weirdly cool.

Happy Birthday Mom!

I meant to post a Happy Birthday greeting yesterday for my Mom, but I got too busy picking up and delivering her presents! That's a good excuse, right? My sister and brother and I all pitched in and got her the large 5-tiered Lantern Moon Basket. (like this one that we bought for Michelle) It totally surprised her, which is an amazing thing since I'm usually no good at keeping secrets from her! As many of you know, I have a very close, very special relationship with my Mom. I feel privileged to call her one of my best friends! I love you Mom...and I'm glad that I was able to play a small part in you having a happy birthday!!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the two of us. Many of these are where we are on some knitting adventure together! I love it!:

Why I'd knit more in Boston...

Two words. Public. Transportation. Although Cynthia has her car in Boston, for the most part, we rode the train everywhere we needed to go. That meant at least 20-30 minutes of knitting time, each way, that I wouldn't have normally had. Who wouldn't want to knit on their way somewhere, instead of being the one driving? Okay, so I know that some of you know that my commute to work is only like, 2 minutes, but I'm trying to prove a point here! There seemed to be more "extra" time to knit. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

I had to take a picture of Lucia's daughter, Miss B. at Rhinebeck. Dude, she was knitting with pencils...it doesn't get cooler than that!

Here's my last picture from Rhinebeck...which I totally snagged off of Jeni's blog, but it's the only one that I liked of all three of us together. This trip was so fun...I still can't believe that I went clear across the country in pursuit of fiber, but I'm so glad that I did!