Together Again

It's been awhile since I've posted a blog entry, but we've been busy, busy, busy with Dia de los Muertos. Time to put the dead to rest and get back to the unique creativity that winter and knitting provides.

Karen made this lovely mint green baby blanket for her great grandchild, who is not here yet, but will be soon. She's making a sweater to match. I'll post a photo of that when it is finished ~



I'm still working on my son's afghan from the Babette's blanket pattern.

Yolanda has a scheme to get us together this coming Thursday to all start a "Design your own sweater" in the round, based on a video she watched at at Easy Knitting Design.

I look forward getting together with the sisters again.

Nonknitters can think what they will about the value of knitting on earth, but know this: No knitter will ever depart the earth without leaving evidence behind.
~The Yarn Whore

I can only imagine ...

how huge I'd be if I didn't knit. Apparently, the Hippest, Old-Fashioned way to keep from overeating is to knit. Maybe if I could knit my jaw shut, it would prove to be true for me. Personally, I don't think you are an accomplished knitter until you've learned to purl and eat Cheetos at the same time. Yes, I am that good. And, yes, I am fond of orange yarn.

In other knitting news, Karen (aka "Meaner") and I (Linda, aka "Mean") finished making shawls from the free Lion Brand pattern, Spendid Triangle.



The pattern called for using Lion Brand Homespun yarn, which neither of us have had great experience knitting with. Karen used an alternative bulky weight yarn from Lion Brand (Jiffy), but wasn't pleased with the results. The pattern pops out with this yarn, but it isn't as soft and flexible as Homespun.

Meaner went with Homespun on her second attempt at this shawl. It is really lovely. If you use sharp pointed needles such as Denise or some other brand, it is much easier to knit Homespun. Forget about crocheting with that yarn, though. It's a biatch.

Here's Karen's second shawl in a beautiful green and then mine in variegated fall colors.





When Karen was trying to add some line to her Denise needles, she accidently pulled a large portion of the shawl off the line. This is her cussing and trying to fix her mess (hee hee) ~





Oh, and to leave you with a smile, here's a photo of my grandson, Mason, shaving with his "da dee." (When you maintain the blog, you get the privilege of occasional lapses into cuteness.)

Meaner's Entrelac Scarf

Karen finished the scarf she's been working on. It turned out beautifully.



What's next, Karen? Where's that afghan you've been working on?

This is ... something ... something very strange that creeped out of one of Yolie's many bags of yarn when last we were at her home. I'm not sure what it is, but if you see it, poke it with a stick to see if it moves.

Since you last joined us ...

The sisters got together at Ms. Yolie's house for another knitting session. Well ... actually we really got together to see this little one ~


Meet, Daveena Honey, future Knit Sister

We did a little knitting, Laurie a lot of untangling, Ms. Yolie some organizing, and Meaner gave crochet instructions to Sue.



Doesn't Sarah look like the Knitting Madonna? Don't let that calm, cool demeanor fool you. She's as feisty as the rest of us.

But, mostly, it was all about Daveena, who, as you can see, got a little tired of the attention.



Since our last gathering as Knit Sisters, Maureen, the official Non-Knitter sister, and I joined Ms. Yolie at Pismo Coast Village where Yolie did some knitting around the campfire. A serious knitter will have one of these ~

Meaner's Been Busy; Sisters Pushing Tattoos

Karen decided to give the Fan Bookmark by crochetroo a try. She did a great job on them, using some beautiful variagated yarns.



Then she turned her attention to a fun crocheted bookmark pattern called The Golden Bookmark. Karen crocheted the bookmark up in red, rather than gold. It makes a dramatic statement against the written page.



All in all, she had a busy bookmark day.



Ms. Yolie sent out an image of a tattoo she suggested the sisters get. I'm pretty sure there are only a few of us who'd be game for a tattoo, but I think this one is pretty groovy.



Laurie found this one and all I can say is that this is a very dedicated knitter ~

Mean and Meaner and the Two Beautiful Step Sisters

Some of the Knit Sisters got together at Yolie's house last night to work on our projects and visit. We got a whole lot more visiting and laughing done than knitting, which is what makes it such great fun.


Karen working on her latest crocheted afgan. "Colorful Squares Afghan" published in Donna Koolers Crocheted Afghans.

Karen and I took one of the finished Babette's Blankets for Yolie to see. She loved it and immediately envisioned getting rid of all of her scrap yarn to make one for herself. The only problem: She doesn't crochet.


Yolie working on a poncho for one of her grandgirls.
Yolie asked me to show her how to make the squares, but I suggested Karen help her instead since she is a far more experienced crocheter than I. As Karen was instructing, Yolie got frazzled and Karen got more direct in her directions. Finally Yolie turned to me and said, "You didn't say she was mean." I replied, "I didn't say she wasn't mean. She's meaner than me, but she's a better crocheter."


Sue was working on a simple lacy shawl pattern in greens.
Then Sue arrives, sees the afghan and wants to learn to crochet too. Yolie turns to her and says, "Who do you want to teach you, Mean or Meaner." We howled. So, I'm afraid the Sistie Uglers have forever been dubbed Mean and Meaner. The truth is Karen is one of the kindest persons I know. She's all bark and no bite. Me? I'm a barker and a biter. ;)

Karen showing off the entrelac scarf that's a work in progress.

Mark this spot

Little Sister, moi, made this cute, old-fashioned fan bookmark yesterday evening from a free pattern by crochetroo. You can find the pattern by clicking on her name.

It didn't take very long at all to make up, but I confess that I am crochet pattern illiterate. I usually have to work at something and tear it apart several times before I get it right. The fan bookmark was no exception. The next one won't be nearly as difficult now that I've got the idea down.

I'm giving the bookmark to a friend who is celebrating a birthday. I think she'll appreciate a little home made giftie. At least, I hope she does.