The start of the knitting vacation

Today is the official get ready day for my knitting vacation. More about that tomorrow. First let me say it is necessary to find a wonderful place for my little dog Sammy. He has listened to Emmy and is so very much better about the knitting. Today he went to stay with my grandchildren. I am so fortunate it is less than 2 hours from where I live. Sammy loves it there, children and dogs to play with and the cat Pablo to harass. I took a picture of Lillie, Louis and Sammy just before we left. Lillie is wearing her birthday dress. I used one of the free patterns from Kramer yarns web page. I am still learning this blog stuff and not ready to give you those wonderful links but I am working on it. So in the meantime you will just have to do a regular old fashioned search. The Watermelon dress. I used cotton DK from my stash. I am trying to hard to reduce it. I think it came out really cute and she loves it. That little dog is my Sammy. I shall miss him when I am away.

I was so luck hubby drove and I was able to knit on the emergency sweater for Sunday's christening. I am almost finished and will post that picture tomorrow.

I need to finish that sweater.

A REQUEST! I'M SO EXCITED

I have a request, I'm so excited. I certainly cannot knit as fast as Joan, but I can cook and share recipes! This is a wonderful summer time treat. When fresh peaches are available my family starts hinting for this treat!

Peaches and Cream

1 - 7 inch Angel Food Cake (Freezing makes it easier to slice)
4 cups sliced fresh peaches
1 small box instant Vanilla pudding
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1 pint whipping cream
1 cup very cold water
1 tsp almond flavoring

Combine water, pudding, eagle brand and almond extract. Chill for 5 minutes while whipping the pint of whipping cream. Slice the angel food cake into thin slices. Combine the pudding mixture with the whipping cream. Layer half of the cake, cream mixture and peaches in a 9 X 13 inch pan. Repeat layers. Chill before serving.

My son could eat just the pudding mixture with a spoon, but he's more than willing to wait for the finished product.

Prayer Shawl Finished

Prayer Shawl is finished!
I a have been busy knitting the “prayer shawl”. Yes this is the one I used for car knitting Friday and Saturday. I promised a friend I would knit one for her. She was so interested in prayer shawls after reading “The Return to Blossom Street”. I am not sure where the pattern came from but this is the one I like to use. So soft and warm here it is from that old original pattern:

Lion Brand Homespun 3 skeins
Size 11 needles
Cast on 63
Knit 3, Purl 3 every row.
Knit up 2 skeins, from the third cut fringe. (I wrap around a VCR box) cut 126 pieces. Now finish the third skein and bind off. Fringe both ends. So easy and so practical.

Now I am working on getting things ready for a "knitting vacation" More about that event later. I even have "knitting gifts" to take care of," now does that make you wonder?
Joan

PiNK SWAN

If you notice I had to pin the front of the stole so you could see the lace. Darn it all the dining room chair has no shoulders even with my winter cape draped over it. I am most pleased with this and such fun to have something of a different shape. I have lost track of the lace shawls I have knit at this point.

I had no idea there was such a bird as a pink swan when I knit this in pink. After all when I started I had no idea it had anything to do with a swan. I just love PINK. Last night I decided to google pink swan. Guess what I found? Indeed on August 25, 1992 there was a confirmed report of a pink swan on Staten Island in New York. Mentioned in The New York Times. Then if you continue to search there is the most beautiful picture of a pink swan. I have sent an email to the photographer and asked them to give me permission to publish the pictue on this blog. Just the most beautiful creature.

Today was a glorious day. I am just amazed at how many of wonderful friends I have met through my knitting. Today I met another knitter for lunch. This was great fun we each drove part way. Had a glorious and great delicious lunch. We talked of what will be our next kitting trip.

Since hubby drove I got to knit and so I needed something to knit so I cast on the prayer shawl I had promised a friend. She read "The Return To Blossom Street" and knew she just had to have one. Nothing exciting like the Pink Swan but you know "car knitting". After row 1 it reminded me of the discussion topics I hear about often. What kind of needles do you like? This is a perfect chance to say that no one needle is perfect for all projects. For the Pink Swan I used my Options in size 3 not the recommended 4.. I don't knit tightly. For the prayer shawl I started with 11 but found the sharp tip split the yarn, I went back to an Addi turbo. This is perfect. I think practice is the best way to tell. Personally I prefer metal needles because I feel they knit fast and I have been at this knitting thing longer than I can remember.

Tonight it is a football game on TV with hubby and I will work on the prayer shawl. Tomorrow another short car trip so perhaps the lace I want to start will have to wait.


Joan

Dish rag tag team

PINK SWAN?

Yes I know swan's are supposed to be white or black. When I first became aware of Mystery Stole 3 I quickly reached into the stash and found this merino / silk lace weight yarn. White and black was suggested, however that being said when I started getting involved in the Mystery Stole 3 I had no idea what the stole was or the theme. I just love PINK! a favorite color with me. Lillie ( my grand daughter )says when it is not pink it is "Blappy" who knows what vocabulary words a 3 year old can make up. At any rate I choose pink. After all the knitting it looks dreadful.


And now the fun begins. I use crochet thread to string in the edges. I find I am happier than with blocking wires besides I loaned my blocking wires. Big Mistake! They have disappeared. Next step was to wash. I used a new product I am coming to love called Soak. It is no rinse and works great. I pinned to the cardboard cutting mat until I was happy with the results. Then gave it a quick spray to set every thing in place. I used my favorite mixture:
1 quart distilled water
1 Tablespoon vodka
A few drops of essential oil my favorite scent rose.
shake well and enjoy. The vodka is what dissolves the essential oils. DO NOT DRINK THIS!

I use this when I iron. Yes there are some of us who still do that. I use only vintage pillow cases and I spray with this mixture when I iron. Oh it smells so good. Imagine what my linen closet smells like. This and freshly ironed antique linen sheets makes for a pretty nice sleep.

Not to let it dry and tomorrow the Pink Swan appears. Sammy is banned from the dining room!

Posted by joan and susie at 8:30 AM 0 comments

Sammy did not listen ! & How to splice Bob's Way

No Sammy did not listen and this time did not go for the yarn but the stole itself. So I have spent hours getting it fixed and back on track.

I have now reached the point where it is necessary to join a new skein of yarn. Here is a wonderful way that Robert Powell taught me several years ago. Bob is a master lace knitter and shawl designer. This is also shown in the book "A gathering of Lace" Here are pictures of how I was shown to splice. Much nicer than laping one end of the other'
#1. Divide the plies of yarn into two, break off one of the plies of each piece. Both on the new and old skein
# 2 now loop the old end through a loop made in the new and twist it back onto itself

# 3 place the join between the palms of your hands and dampen your hands. (yes I know and hesitate to mention most knitters use a bit of spit here). The friction and the dampness causes the fibers to felt together. as you can see in the next photo you can not see this join. I have placed a bit of tape where the join is and hope you can see it.



Now I shall return to the knitting and hopefully will be blocking this very soon and post pictures for you.
Joan

Yo, Sammy, This is Emmy, Can we Talk???

Sammy, what's up with the messing with your Mom's yarn. Notice the pictures above.

First is my end of the couch. Notice how I'm just chillin' and waiting for her to finish with her stuff? I'm not chewing on or messing with her stuff.

Then Mom's end of the couch. There's the current sweater she's working on for Mallory.

This is her first project from a book about knitting from the top down. It has intarsia in it. She will not need my help or input. She may in fact need Joan's but I digress.

Basically, if something doesn't have that white fluffy stuff or a squeaky thing in the middle, IT'S NOT YOURS! Don't mess with it. Especially if it's connected to the pointy things. They're really touchy about pointy things and don't share them with anyone! Now, if you have questions just let me know. We all have those sweet little angel faces but that won't keep us out of the "doghouse".

Your friend in fur,

Emmy

You might need some dip before you serve that Cabbage Salad

This dip is fast and so good. Your friends will be saying, "How does she do it? Knit and sew all day then produce such tasty meals and snacks?"

Mexi Corn Dip

1 can Mexi Corn
1 can chopped green chilies
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup grated Pepper Jack Cheese ( if you are bothered by acid reflux, use regular Jack cheese)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Mix and turn into small prepared casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and a little brown on top. Serve with your favorite chips for dipping.


This is yummy and fast.

In the time it took me to type this, check the recipe for accuracy and post it, Joan probably knitted a sweater or made a purse. I'm telling you she's a power worker.

Susie suggests some of our favorite things to cook

Here is one of my favorite things to fix for a summer picnic. No need to worry about keeping it ice cold. I have seen a lot of similar ones out there but this is the one my family likes the best.


Cabbage Salad
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 pkg, crushed ramen noodles (season pkg removed)
Dressing
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white balsamic vinigar
1/4 cup white vinigar
1 TBSP. soy sauce

Pour over 1 bag shredded cabbage toss, serve, eat and enjoy

Let's hear it for JOAN!

Let's hear if for Joan! Isn't that pattern the most fun thing and so fast? For all Nana Sewers it has unlimited possibilities. The friendship Joan and I have started has been such fun. We swear we have parallel lives. I live in Ky, she used to live in Ky, my husband is a quality engineer, her husband is also an engineer. It's a special wife that learns to live life with and engineer! Right Joan? You know the type Ann Landers used to write about. They are hard workers, wonderful husbands but they definitely have their own way of doing things. On the up side, my husband has NEVER in 26 years of marriage, left the commode seat up or left dirty clothes in the floor! You gotta love that. On the other side of the coin, Joan and I can finish something and post it here on the blog with color photos before our husbands finish the planning stage. So here's what we do, we stitch any thing they need for their hunting trips, kiss them on the way out to the deer stand and grab our STUFF! Knitting, sewing, reading......it's all waiting for us when they hit the hunting trail. And that is how you stay happily married!

I can't wait to be able to retire and do as much knitting and sewing as Joan does. It will be great. I'm telling you all, she's a knitting wonder and sewing Queen!

The purse was fabulous, the dress darling and I can't wait to see the finished Mystery!

Ah Yes the Mystery Stole 3

I was so excited to have a chance to work on the mystery stole 3 and complete and block. Well I think I have now lost 2 days. Picked up the knitting and workded ablut 5 rows and whammo I had a tangle you would not believe. Lace weight yarn was a real mess. I call this a real "rats nest" of lovely merino and silk yarn. Now how in the world did this happen to me? Faster than I could bend over to look at the chart. Sammy had done his own knitting. Such a sweet little face and just full of the devil. At least he is getting better I think I can fix this but I have had some of "his knitting" I just had to pitch.

Back to work on MS#

joan

Thursday is for sewing

Hi Susie and all!
Today was a big sewing day. I need these things finished so I can devote a lot of attention this evening to the Mystery Stole 3 where I still have a chart to knit before the next clue tomorrow. Hubby asked for a curtain to hang over the closet in the bedroom he uses when he goes to hunting camp. We took Louis there for a visit a couple weeks ago and he hated that open closet. I guess he thought there were sharks inside. His little sister Lillie sometimes says they are in her bed. So Grumbut (that is what the children call their grandfather) picked out fabric. His absolute favorite pictures are of loons. Does this mean he is loony? It really was not made for a curtain but I think it worked out nicely. I had some left over so I made a pillow to match.

Then it was time to sew for Lillie. Susie sent me this darling dress all cut out and ready to put together and I have been so busy sewing for Bali and a lot of other things so it has been waiting. I thought you might like to see how I gather quickly. I use 1/4" clear swimsuit elastic. Set the machine at a wide width and about a 3 length and stretch the elastic across the top edge of the skirt. You can easily pull or push the gathers to fit. After you sew the skirt to the bodice, this elastic is part of your seam allowance and you just cut it off. Quick easy and lots of fun.

And here Susie and all of you is this darling little dress with the most beautiful ribbon trim. Wish I could show you a picture of Miss Lillie but she lives to far away. Now she and Mallory are dressed alike.

Hubby is cooking tonight so I think I shall have a "cosmo moment" and start knitting.

the knitting progress

Dish rag tag has done a real number on me. I have not knit these in many years and now I find I can not stop. The lace one was my practice for the purple one that went in the box. Then I have decided to just make more and more of these. I love the no think process. Gives my brain a rest.

I am working along on Mystery Stole 3. Friday is the final clue. I need to finish this chart before I am ready. I showed the chart so you can see how I keep track of rows. Photo copy the cart and then use a highliter to mark off what I have knit. This way I can see the previous row and how the new row should line up above it. Ah the beauty of charts. Melanie you are a dear to provide me with so much fun. I dearly loved not knowing what was going to happen and what the theme was. Now I look forward to the finish and the blocking.

I have lots more on needles but those are for another day.

My sewing day

Here is the picture of the purse I designed for Bali Batik fabrics. Great fun to have all these lovely fabrics right on hand. I worked today on some more fun things for them that must remain unsean until they publish their book. I shall let you know about that when it happens. In the mean time if you wish the pattern for this it is free from Bali where ever their batik fabrics are sold. Just ask for the marine blossom bag. In case you wondered the handle is knit from their cotton ribbon. All dyed to match.

picture of marine blossom handgag.

Dish Rag Tag from Saturday

We did it!!!

For a long time Susie and I have talked about our parallel lives and starting a blog. With the encuragement of Anita who told me it would be easy and offered to help here it is.
A bit of background on how we met. We both read the Yarn Harlot, and I sent Stephanie a sample of a holder for sock needles. Please don't ask I can't get them any more. Susie ordered one and then a second and her emails were so much fun we just connected. We find there is a lot in common. Our love for the darling granchildren we are blessed with, the important part knitting plays in our lives, we sew and do lots of things we both enjoy. Then there is the fact that both of us have warm feelings for Kentucky. Susie lives here and I did at one time. You know parallel lives....

What am I knitting that is fun right now. I won't list the items in "the unfinished botique". But the Mystery Stole 3 is on my needles. I just finished my part of "dish rag tag" and the list goes on. Joan