The Long Hot Summer...

Clara: Well don't throw in the towel yet, Agnes, dear. Those tranquilizers may see us through yet.


New Jersey is usually tolerable.  I lived in Baton Rouge, LA for 5 years and after that I thought I was immune to the heat up here.  I can count on two hands how many times I have left the AC on in the bedroom at night let alone kept it on all day to just maintain the status quo. 

This year I have not turned it off since Sunday.  I hate AC but it has its place.  I am moving to Florida as soon as I can sell this @#$% house sold and I know I will need and have it there. But, I am not one of those 68 degreers.  I like to keep it just at the level where the humidity is staved off.

Knitting Update...

Khodachrome is DONE!!!!
Breezy Cardigan is almost done - I am on sleeve 1 of 2.


I am now faced with having to Fix Marin and have it done for a BFFs Bday

My sis saw a cute cowl when we visited her LYS and wants me to knit as well.  Problem - I LOST what I have started.  I have 28 inches to go and bind off.  When I came home, I cleaned out my tote.  I "moved" it somewhere and can't put my finger on where.  UGH!


I am a bad bad shopper...
I have added one skein of Breathless in Black Truffle colorway and joined the Plucky Knitter's subscription club for 4 skeins of fingering weight (first to ship end of August).
Oh and another skein of Pura Lace (but I NEEDED it to get ready for one of these...)

Ta'

De reir a cheile a thogtar na caisleain(It takes time to build castles)

I kissed a frog...

Well my first official frog of a half done project....

I was knitting with a fun dyed yarn and it was a pretty shade of cream, pink and tan.  The first skein was very pale.  The second skein was noticeably darker.  I thought it would be okay.  Finished the second skein and wow - huge dark line from one to the other.  I thought hard and couldn't live with it.

Agree?

The stripe on the back looked so very noticeable.  Two skeins are darker and the third, which i started from, is very light. They all say the same dye lot number unfortunately.  It is a huge bummer.  If I had started with the two dark I might have not frogged it because the light would have been the ribbed collar.  I think i will turn the yarn into a cowl for someone for Xmas.

I think this yarn has to go in the time-out bin.

Bad yarn!

Perfect day

Yoga and knitting.....

Level 2/3 class and got quite a workout.

70 degrees... Cool breeze... Sittin in the shade...

Need I say more?

Coming to terms if half the battle...

I had to admit it... "How many WIPs do you have???"  I started counting....

Newest to oldest:
Adrift by Carol Feller
Kodachrome by Lindsay Ingram

Nanook by Heidi Kirrmaier

Marin by Ysolda Teague

Java Summer Scarf by Johanna ShiM

Flaming June by Cheryl Niamath

Breezy Cardigan by Hannah Fettig

Barb's Koigu Ruffle by Churchmouse Yarns

Plein Air Tote by Amanda Scheuzger

Still Light Tunic by Veera Välimäki
Milky Mitts & Fingerless Gloves by Renae Jones

Cinnamon Bay by Carol Feller

Anthemion Wrap by Miriam L. Felton

Okay, its out there.  I have all hopes to finish all of them and start new ones!

In my defense, when I make a blunder, I usually put the project in the bad project box till I can figure out what happened and how to fix it. Marin falls in that category.  Adrift I have to tink back three rows to find a mistake. Anthemion falls in this category too, I have to figure out what I did wrong. As far as Milky Mitts is concerned, I am not sure what I will do.  The thumb is huge!  I followed instructions and it is just plain weird.  I have started mitt #2 but it sits...

Plein Air is awaiting the move to Fla as the fabric to line the inside is in the Pod.

Nanook is almost finished and I was working on it last weekend.

Breezy is almost finished and I took it on vacation to work on it.

Flaming is halfway done and I was working on that last week too.

Kodachrome back is finished and I am almost to the second decrease on the front (I knit a few inches while waiting in long lines at Disney World this weekend.)

On going projects just because they are long are Java and Barb's Koigu and Cinnamon Bay (which is 90 percent done but it has almost 525 stitches and I have to wrestle with it to work on it.

Lastly there is Still Light (which I love)... it was my first sweater attempt.  I thought because of my 34DDDDs that I needed extra raglan increases to accommodate.  However I got down to the pockets and started the sleeve which I finished and bound off (I needed to do extra decreases because I thought it would be too big - that was a understatement).  Second problem was one pocket had 10 more stitches that the other... "How'd that happen?"  Third problem.... I had the DDDDs reduced to Ds, so..... I put it away for a bit till I could think of what to do.  When I pulled it back out, the moths had lunch.  So I plan to rip back to raglan's and start from there.  I did start ripping back though.

Did I cover them all????

Sin an fáth a bhfuil mé ina amadán cniotála ...

(That's why I am a knitting fool...)

 

Booty

I have NO BUSINESS buying more yarn! But I can't help it and give me the excuse "but they are going out of business and marking down to incredible prices"....

I truely hate to see my fav LYS close. In an effort to support I have gone twice so far. Don't get me wrong, I have supported them plenty in the four years I have retaken up knitting.

I have been also stocking up on my favorite circulars.  I found some yummy yarn. I also was on the hunt for some magenta cotton to try to creat a crocheted pullover I have in my head. BINGO. Eleven skeins of the lovely prima cotton pictured here....

I also want to knit/crochet a tunic and I think a lovely yarn called Cozette will be a great choice (I was able to snag 10 skeins in a natural color).  Plus I'll have left overs to make something else too!

If I could win the lottery and not have to have an income - I would knit ALL DAY and pet my kitties.  LOL  If only life were that smimple.

Chífidh mé tú (I'll see you later)
Fionnuir

Progress

This is a really good knit. I like the ease of the pattern. I am over halfway done first set of raglan increases. This yarn is heaven!!! Malabrigo lace in the color way Molly. I love the color and the way it is knitting up.  So soft.
Link to my Ravelry

This is the beginning of my Adrift by Carol Feller



Sad spring for four LYSs

UPDATE!!!!  The store has been bought and will reopen in June! Hooray!


It's always a tug at the heart when a local yarn shop decides to close. Many time when trolling maps on my iPad I see a shop they never noticed, take a Saturday drive only to discover that the shop has long been closed.

Four shops in my driving circle have journeyed down this road. One shop actually bought the contents a shop that closed a few years ago near work (my lunch trips saw many a skein of yarn). The second shop was a great shop to stop by on the way to other places as it was not far from Route 95. the third shop is a good haul but I try to get there two or so times a year. She had KPPM in every color and great cashmere.

Lastly and most sadly, my "go to" shop is closing. This shop in Basking Ridge got me back on my craft. Provided me with 80% of my over 125 types of stash and offered great advise when needed. 95% of my needles are from there as "where the heck are my size _ needles" required a quick stop. They had such luxurious yarn. High quality. I know for some shops it's too expensive to carry cashmere or art yarn but they have an amazing selection. often you can get yarn cheaper slightly by buying online but it nice to see the color variation and hand for yourself.

I will truly miss them, but my purse might be fatter.

I understand the how hardworking these LYS owners are and I try my best to support them all. I never walk out of a shop without a purchase. Even if I need nothing. I get something that reminds me of that shop, perhaps a brand I never bought or a kit of a sample they have on display. So when I knit that I reminds me of where I got the yarn.

So, everyone, remember to shop LOCAL. Visit your LYS and help keep them around.

An rud is annamh is íontach.
Translation: What is seldom is wonderful.