Purple Rules!

My favorite color is purple. I know, I know...some of you long time friends are saying "Duh" but there are a few newer readers who may not know that yet. I found the Purple Rules group on Ravelry and participated in a recent swap.

The swap was set up as a secret, so we didn't know who our "swapner" was until the surprise package showed up. I was assigned DF Jean. This explains why I haven't been able to blog about it thus far. At first I thought that it was very cool to have Jean, but then reality set in and I realized that Jean does a lot of stash enhancement on her own and I had no way of knowing what she might already have! After some fretting, I did pick out a few yarns for her that I believe were not repeats. I delivered her package in person last Friday before Annie Modesitt's class - literally RIGHT before class started.

My package traveled a long way - all the way from Norway! My swapner is Ingvild and it was a huge delight to get yarn (and chocolate) from out of the country.
Two of the yarns are alpaca and the large skein in the bottom right is Merino Wool - it looks a little bluish-grayish but it is actually purple with a thread of blue/green running through it. Now I have to pick out some new projects to work on! Nothing for winter now - may have to save those til fall comes back (shhhh, it's not welcome yet).

And I can't wait to try the chocolate!

Annie Modesitt Comes to Town

Sorry for the tardy post, but my internet was down until late Sunday. Isn't it amazing how cut off you feel when you can't get to that instant news and information?

Friday I went to The Whole Nine Yarns in Woodstock for a class with Annie Modesitt. The class was for the Universal Mitered Bag. I really enjoyed the class. This may have been the first formal knitting class that I've taken.

In order to learn the techniques, we worked on a small swatch version of the bag - maybe American Girl Doll size. Here's what I was able to accomplish:
Although I haven't done much on my Herringbone Block Shawl/Scarf, learning that technique was similar and really helped me in comprehending the pieces that go together to make this bag. Annie's final version of the bag looks like:
Isn't it wonderful? My colors are drastically different from Annie's, but I'm very excited to see how they come together.
On the drive home from class, I was planning/designing my bag in my head. I'm thinking about using the Tan Heather for the base. With the pink as the accent. And then making most of the diamonds from the Noro. The colors in the Noro are very soft, I really think that it's going to make a beautiful bag.

I've been patiently waiting to start the bag in an attempt to reach at least one April goal. I'm happy to show that I finished my 2nd Medallion for the Medallion Capelet tonight!
I'm waiting to block all 3 together. I hope to cast on the 3rd medallion sometime this week...after I make some progress on another April goal - my Hands To Work ornament.

A Great Day

Sunday was a great day! It started with DF Andy and brunch at American Roadhouse (crunchy french toast with sugar, cinnamon and caramel sauce). We then met up with DF Jean and her DH Richard, and DF Heather for Georgia's largest knit in.

Here we are knitting (no, we are not in an alley, we are in a real neighborhood theater).


DF Cathy arrived just in time to hear/see the Yarn Harlot. There were so many funny things, I cannot possibly remember them all. She did speak at length about the misjudgment that us knitters receive from non-knitters - including "them" thinking that we are old, bored, poor, and lonely. Of course, we know the truth! She also told her story of the 14 km trek from the cabin in the woods to the small general store for beer and toilet paper. I did not find that strange at all, these are necessities in my life!

Stephanie signed books back at Knitch
She looks very awake considering the long day she had already had!




During the knit in, I finished the Chemo Cap and donated to Stephanie - Knitch had a nice arrangement on display.




The dark blue/green hat next to mine is from DF Heather.







While at Knitch we did some shopping. I managed to hold my credit card back, after the damage I did last time...it needed a rest. But I enjoyed looking at the yarns with everyone else.

Cathy, Andy and I went to Zocalo for some noisy but "creative" mexican. The food was fantastic and the beer was cold!

Like I said, a great day! The only downside was the amount of time on my feet, my stupid ankles are paying for it today....

April Goals

This month's theme is "Amazon April" - i.e. working on big projects. At the moment, everything seems like a big project! I want to follow the theme, but I also have some specific goals for the month:

1. Finish Chemo Cap for Yarn Harlot (by April 6)
2. Finish 2nd Medallion of Medallion Capelet
3. Finish stitching Hands To Work Ornament
4. Finish 2nd sock
5. Complete 3 blocks on Herringbone Block Shawl
6. Dust off Watergarden (Amazon project) and do something on it!
7. Complete 2 bands on Patricia Ann

Wow, that should keep me very busy!

Marching To The Madness

The stitching theme for March was March Madness. I'm sure that this phrase is grossly overused, but who are we to mess with the universe? In our world (the world of needlework) March Madness means to knit or stitch (or both for extra madness) on something different every day that you knit or stitch. I believe that we all have our own interpretation of what that means and here's mine: I want to knit/stitch on a bunch of things and if my living room is a disaster of projects worked on then I have succeeded in my goal. It probably would have made more sense to post every day (ha) or even every week with what I had accomplished....you should know by now that I don't make sense.

So here it is....ALL of the MADNESS:

Afghan Square for Victory Junction Gang Camp

Neck of a Teddy Bear Sweater for Charity

2007 JCS Ornament by Hands To Work

Complete 1st Medallion for the Medallion Capelet

2nd sock of my 1st pair

Herringbone Block Shawl
Garter Stitch poncho for Melia
Violet Basket Band
Ruffled Shrug
2007 Surprise Ornament
(I can't show you....it's a Surprise, but I least I gave you something!)
2nd Medallion for Medallion Capelet
Chemo Cap for the Yarn Harlot
(it's curling a lot, hard to get a good picture)

As you can see, I have been spending a lot more time knitting than stitching. That is partially due to ankle recovery - it's a lot easier to knit than stitch in a reclined position. But I have really been enjoying the knitting lately. April will bring more stitching, as I have a few goals to meet...stay tuned for those.

Yarn Spree

On Friday, DF Heather and I went to LKS Knitch to end my stash enhancement drought suffering self-imposed diet for Lent. I took the day off as a comp day for extra time that I put into my latest project at work.

Actually, before we arrived at Knitch we lunched at

American Roadhouse in the Virginia-Highlands area.

Heather had pancakes, a huge slab of ham and I had a monte cristo sandwich with sweet potato "straws". PLUS - we shared a veggie plate with sweet potato souffle, squash casserole, glazed carrots and mashed cauliflower. The squash casserole was my fav!

We then proceeded to put Amex back in the black...well, I did at least. Heather was very good and only used birthday credit for her stash enhancement. I actually brought a list, with purposeful purchases in mind. That didn't work out like I planned.




These are "Heather's fault"! On the left is Malabrigo Lace - in a beautiful orchid purple, a little on the pink side. And Claudia's Handpainted Yarn in Midnight beside the ML on the right. They are both very lovely. She forced them on me - right into my hands...what was I supposed to do???!


I also purchased an Araucania Ranco because this
yarn spoke to me. It was actually causing a scene
so I had to pick it up before strange looks occurred. After purchase, I looked over at Nell winding yarn and saw her with a yarn that made my heart stop while I thought "whose yarn is that?!" and then I realized that it was mine!!! Such a good feeling!

BTW - does anyone have a pronunciation guide for Araucania?!

I also bought some sale Artyarns Ultramerino to make 1 or 2 Chemo Caps for the Yarn Harlot - who visits Knitch next Sunday, April 6. Something for a chemo cap was on my list...and this is a very nice aqua variegated that I think anyone would love. I have to get right on to making these!!!

Also on my list was something to make the Fishnet Scarf - from Interweave Knits Summer 2007. I found this, and fell in love with the pinks. It's very springlike.

It's Manos silk blend - by Manos del Uruguay, 30% silk and 70% Merino Extrafine Wool.

I also purchased 4 skeins or Noro Silk Garden for an Entrelac Scarf.
Entrelac is one technique that I want to learn this year. Of course, it could be argued that by the time I made it to the 2nd floor where the "wall of Noro" is, I had enough purchases but no one made that argument.

And so, I found more Noro Silk Garden for my Herringbone Block Shawl (pictures coming soon).

These don't match on purpose. Each block on the shawl can be its own color combo, it's a great effect that I didn't understand until I saw it. Heather's is far along, you can see hers here if you'd like to get an idea.

Sum Total (of yarn, not money!!!):




Heather was loving the Malabrigo Lace she found.


"Mmmmmm, soft......"





We did have time for some knitting after the shopping. Heather was working on her Errant Lace Sock and I on the Herringbone Block Shawl.


































It was a great day! We tapped it off with dinner at Spoon. Then I rolled myself home and fell into bed completely exhausted!

And Mother Nature Laughed

It's Spring! It is!! The calendar says so! Easter is over, white shoes are acceptable and it is Spring!

But when I looked out the window at the office today, it was snowing. I live in Atlanta - the SOUTH and it was snowing today. Now, nothing stuck to the ground or even to the cars...but there was snow coming down.

You may not be able to tell from my writing, but I was not happy. This is seriously ruining my plans to wear sandals. Saturday was a beautiful day, sunny and in the 70's. Tonight we have a freeze warning. Mother Nature, much to my chagrin, does have a wicked sense of humor.