april is almost gone..........and

I have spent most of this month spring cleaning.......or meditating or planning.........and throwing away mounds of papers.......about 43 bags full.  I decided to take time off from managing the estate, it was really
burning me out.  I am just starting to feel back to my old self, after a month and a half break.

I have a ton of storm damage.....roof, back door, deck, fence, walkways, trees limbs to be removed.........and these contractors take forever getting back with the quotes.

My knitting group at bucks county knitters on ravelry, met for the first time at my home last saturday.......it was wonderful sitting outside and knitting.  We are going to do it again this Sunday.....hopefully, I will take

some pics to put up here.

I have been working on recreating the lettuce leaf scarf by lucy neatby........being too cheap to buy the pattern...I have come up with my own version using the photos as inspiration.  After ripping it out a few times, I think I have captured her basic concept, but you be the judge. I am using the leftovers from the skew sock, since I ripped out the heel up sock that was too tight.  Here is a pic for you of my progress to date. I cast on 20 stitches and am using size #2 US needles.

The bottom is composed of six short row sections beginning with 20 stitches and worked around  like half a pie.  Then I begin to go across on 40 stitches, doing a ten stitch short row to create the side ruffles.  Once I get further and know that I like it, I will post my recipe for this unvented scarf....tentatively named the savoy cabbage scarf. 

I also started on the drop 181 pattern.......I love how it is coming along. I am using stash yarn, filaturi di crosa....ganimede.  It is turning out great, almost done with the flounce.  It is 416 stitches for 6 inches.
Here is a pic of the finished pattern.

This is a free pattern and can be found here. Here is a pic of  my progress so far.

I am hoping that you are enjoying the wonderful spring weather........

SMILES TO YOU,
DC

Craft Couture? Wow!

Buy your very own fendi baguette and make it your own....
with creative needlepoint.  This interests me.  Price tag $995.

Here is what it comes with ( Neiman's description) :

Baguette Needlepoint Kit


Craft couture—this innovative kit has everything you need to make your mark on the signature Fendi baguette. Get silly, get serious, get crafting. The entire bag is your blank canvas.

•Natural fabric bag.

•Golden hardware.

•Adjustable, interchangeable top handles; one fabric and one leather.

•Flap top with magnetic zucca closure.

•Assorted multicolor thread, three design cards, five needles, and three thimbles.

•5"H x 10 1/2"W x 1 3/4"D.

•Made in Italy.

If anyone gets this kits, please link to my post.......as I would love to see how this turns out.

Neiman's promoting crafts, what's next a Neiman Marcus Yarn shop???? 

Other KNITTING news:

I like the idea of toe up socks, but, in looking for another pattern, I found that most toe up socks seem to have an issue with the heel .........in any case, I started a new pair last Monday evening,......Overlapping Leaves Toe Up Socks by Lynn Wiemelt.......with the leftover skew yarn  ...........and I love these socks, but after doing an inch of the leg......I am afraid to say, they will end up being frogged, because I am unable to get them on, because the leg is too narrow.....ARGGGGGGH!

I have frogged them back to the heel turn where I have 8 gusset sts on each side......and I am sitting here trying to develop a solution that will work, not really understanding toe up socks, quite yet.  My only experience to date, was a bit SKEWED........as in the Skew Socks, by Lana Holden...  ;-)

Currently, I am thinking of knitting the backs in plain stockinette st.......and leaving the extra stitches on the back till I get the sock over my instep.  I have high insteps......but, thin legs , ankles and heels.....so this does not quite make sense to me yet.

If anyone has any advice for me......other than knit cuff down socks......please, please......comment away.

I Was Feeling a Bit Mentally Skewed After..........

my latest debacle with guess who.......and happened upon the new Knitty pattern by Lana Holden.....called SKEW.

Without delay, I cast on.......with some sock yarn I had bought at a LYS sale........but did not like the look. We started a KAL on the Bucks County Knitters group on ravelry. Feel free to join us......

I went hunting into the stash room, when guess what I should find......my missing digital camera from almost a year ago......LOL!!! Now I have two cameras...UGGGH!!! In any case, I did not find a sock yarn that I wanted.....so went hunting in my bedroom and found some alpaca and silk singles perfect for this sock on my schacht spinning wheel.

I spent two days spinning the remaining roving, which I love. I began the Skew again......as soon as it was dry. I am happy with it so far. The directions are well written, it is fun to knit....and I am finished both socks. It is tough knitting with the #1 needles though, not sure I will venture this small again.......

The heel is a bit tight to get on, but feels fine once you are in them. Lana has offered several suggestions for modifications to her pattern....which you can read on her blog. My own suggestion is to go up a needle size if your sock is a bit too tight.....I wish I had knit them on 2's.

I was so excited about finishing my first toe up socks, I decided to cast on for the Overlapping Leaves Toe Up Sock Pattern, which is a free ravelry.com download.  I have read comments that the heel maybe an issue......will let you know as I progress.


Smiles to YOU,
DC

Get Your Fairy Name here.........

Your fairy is called Oak Elfglitter

She is a cheerful sprite.

She lives in forests of oak and lime trees.

She is only seen in the light of a shooting star.

She decorates herself with leaves and berries. She has delicate green wings like a cicada.

Get your free fairy name here!

Smiles to You........
DC

Crochet Thong Sandal.......Friday INSPIRATION

Friday morning inspiration Crochet Thong Sandal
at Neiman Marcus $235, crocheted out of silk ribbon.

Makes me want to take out some ribbon and
crochet an old pair of thongs....and see what I come up with.......
Looks like a basic crochet stitch......How about you?
 

By Elizabeth and James


Crocheted detail with an artisan twist.

•Beautiful silk crochet detail along shaft and upper.

•Zip along sueded back.

•Leather sole.

•Flat heel.

•Imported.

Happy Friday ..........
Smiles To You,
DC

Novel Zucchini Recipe.... for Yarnies

Here is a low cost yarn spindle, that you can make yourself.....this summer when you have run out of zucchini recipes...just the kind any Yarn afficianando can appreciate.......enjoy!

Smiles to you,
DC

The Big Dig Out.....Blizzard of February 10th, 2010

My aching....aching back!!!  I could have dug to china by now..... :-)  I dug dog trenches 7 times, the pathways to my front door, 7 times....the driveway.....once.  Oh my.

I lost 5 large trees, my fence is broken.....and I fear more damage will occur before it all melts....from the weight of the snow.  I could hear the limbs cracking all night long from the weight of the snow.  It was sooooo very beautiful.....but, damaging!  Tomorrow, we will deal with the trees.....thank God, I have a friend here helping me.....or I would not be dug out today.

A train of 3 snow plows attached to big heavy trucks, went back and forth 14 times, before the street was passable for vehicles.  Someone said, we got plowed out first because, of the number of physicians that live on my street.

Just the amount of snow on my SUV, was a massive shovel.....I have not seen snow like this, since surviving the Blizzard of 1978 in Boston, Massachusetts.....  It was much worse, no driving for a week or so and the National Guard was there. 

We got about 18 additional inches on top of the snow from last weekend.  There are walls of snow piles, everywhere you look.  My dogs run through their trenches and are crazed because, they can not see above them. 

It is 4:30 pm, and I have been digging out since 7:30 am this morning!  Nap time :-)

Wishing you a safe, warm winter evening........

Smiles to YOU,
DC