jeannie's hands at work

Knitting, crocheting, other handwork, and personal.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Tuesday a good day to be inside - knitting and blogging.

The weather today has been very schizoid. Snow & rain this morning perpendicular to the ground. This afternoon, rain, wind and cold with black clouds on the north side of the building, sunny, windy and cold, cold on the south side. All in all, a good day to be inside knitting.

I got my yarn that I bought on EBay the other day. It was shipped very quickly from Denver. 50/50 Alpaca -wool, 10,000 yds on a 2+lb cone. So cool.

I also had bid on The Shetland Knitter's Notebook. I won!!! Yay! It's coming from the UK so it'll be a while yet.

I'm going to the Knit Night through Albuquerque Meet Up tonight. I think someone there will have a ball winder so I can wind off some of my huge cone. At least one ball will be a shawl. Others more shawls or socks..... hmmm, what else? Hmmmmm.

Oh, I forget to post pictures of my kitties but I will get their pics up soon. They Love helping me knit & crochet! I think that's all for now.


My yarn came from Ebay! Hooray!!! Posted by Hello

Monday, March 28, 2005


New worsted sock for 1st Socks KAL. Started Friday night! Going much faster than the Magic Stripes. Posted by Hello


Next socks. Posted by Hello


Got more done than I thought this weekend. Posted by Hello

Knitting Update

Wow, another week. I hope everyone had a great Easter. I spent a lot of time knitting and cooking, doing laundry and dosing my one kitty, Bear who has kidney stones.

He hates the eyedropper-squirter-gagging stuff but he's sure perky the last couple of days. I have two more kitties but they're in great health. Bear is my alarm clock but he's already on daylight savings time so he wakes me up by licking my face at 4-4:30 in the morning.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005


CU of swatch Posted by Hello


shawl swatch for gauge Posted by Hello


sleeves Posted by Hello


sleeves progress Posted by Hello


sock progress this weekend Posted by Hello


other side of gussett Posted by Hello


sock CU gussett Posted by Hello

Monday, March 21, 2005

Sleeves by inches...

This weekend I got a lot done on my green sweater sleeves and my magic stripe sock.

The sleeves are ready to knit in pattern till the right length and bind off. By the weekend I hope and more progress to be made if I go to another knitting group I found this weekend. They meet tomorrow night close to my work. A good way to ;) ;) unwind after work!!!

I got through the first sock gussett as well - it's full of mistakes. I don't know if I'm going to rip it out and do it over: I found myself not keeping track of which rows needed decreases and which rows were plain knit.

I also started the swatch for my shawl. My biggest thing is deciding what pattern. I'm going to try a Faroese Litla Dimun from Folk Shawls. The swatch is out of some yarn the same weight that I found (!) at the thrift store this weekend.

The big challenge is that I want to do this project knitting continental left- handed carry. I'm left handed but knit right-handed since my teacher in Ireland only showed me that way. I taught myself to crochet left handed 20+ years ago. I'm going to learn right handed becasue I want to teach a class this fall and crocheting is awkward enough for newbies without having to mirror the teacher instead of follow.

The shawl will be out of this wonderful turquoise Jade Sapphire yarn, wool/cashmere.

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Saturday -all day.

I'm off to my knitting class group in a few minutes. We are meeting in a coffe shop since the class was formally over last Saturday.

I finally found the mistake in my sock and why the heel turning was crooked.!!! I had been looking for my knitting books that had glossaries in them so I could look up the sts I didn't understand, but I haven't been able to find them. I went to the LYS and was looking through a book there. BINGO! There was the info I needed.

My heel is turned and I'm working on the gussett. That was weird because I didn't have as many sts to pick up as it called for. I just picked up some extra loops so there are no holes. I lost a plastic needle so I'm having to use some of my mothers' old metal needles. It's interesting switching back and forth.

I'm almost done with the increases for the sleeves on my sweater. Then knit in pattern for however long the sleeves need to be. Yay! The end is getting closer.

Aren't we funny - knitters, I mean. I'm already getting psyched about my next projects - socks and a shawl of lace weight yarn. CAN'T WAIT. More Later.

Friday, March 11, 2005

Finally Friday!

The sleeves on my sweater are coming along. I had to do the increases twice because I was too tired the first time. I wanted to get far enough to put it on the circular needle before the end of the class here in town, but that probably won't happen.

I'm starting the heel shaping of my first sock. I think I was tired last night because I'm not sure it's right. I may have to rip it back today and do it again. I'll try to get a pic up today.

Tomorrow is my last knitting class at Continuing Education, but the group is looking into staying together and meeting indefinitely. It would be great. I have missed that.

One of the reasons I posted pics of family is so that I can justify all the knitting and crocheting I get to do for people now.... I have 10 brothers and sisters, and 80(?+) nieces and nephews to make things for. And Mama who Loves hats.

I'm so glad to find all of my brothers and sisters and Mama, after all these years. (Actually, they found me and my TB.)

That's all for now. Have a great weekend everyone.

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Button Woes

I tried all day Thursday to put a I Heart Wool button on here, but I'm doing something wrong. I'll keep trying.


summer 2004, Mama, TB, Younger sister Posted by Hello


80th birthday/reunion summer2004 Posted by Hello

Monday, March 07, 2005


EBB side view Posted by Hello


Easter Bunny Basket Posted by Hello


1st time sweater Posted by Hello


1st socks Posted by Hello

Monday update

Today I'm concentrating on getting some Easter Bunny Baskets made for clients. I crochet them and put them together. I had my XH and DS punching holes in juice bottles all day yesterday. It turns out that's the hardest part for anyone -hole punches just aren't as heavy duty as they used to be!

I'll post a picture later this week.

I finished the front to my sweater and started on the sleeves. I'm knitting them on the same needle so my tension is consistent. I made the back 17" long when it called for 27" (measured from the underarm). When I held a tape measure up at 27 " from the ua, it hit me almost at the knee.

I found the pattern on the Lion Brand website and it shows a Guy wearing it. No wonder it's so long. I measure about 15" from the base of the neck to the waist so I made the back of the sweater 17." The front called for 2" shorter then the back. The shoulder shaping and underarm stuff still has to happen so I think I'm ok. I can either rip it out and add on if it doesn't fit or give it to someone who can wear it.

Here are two of my groups: I hope I do this right.

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

My TB called today!

My dear TB called today. He 's in the Big Apple. We hadn't talked in several weeks. He's busy playing his music and being a business coach. We have an amazing story.

I grew up with this brother- we were adopted together. Last year on Good Friday, I think, my youngest sister found my brother, left a message on his phone and changed my TB's and my life forever. Turns out, we have 9 other siblings!!!!!! 4 boys and 7 girls. TB and I met 5 of our sisters and our birth mother for the first time last summer. A miracle and a fabulous gift. I'll post more about this later.

I'm making progress on my sweater and my first sock. My Russian friend at work has offered to coach me through the socks. I'll need it - the first one I cast on loosely and it'll never stay pulled up. I can tell from looking at it. That's ok - it's a process....

My DS was 17 yesterday! I was remembering that I tried to make him a sweater when he was born. I never finished it - I can't remember what happened to it.

I found a plastic baggie of patterns at Goodwill years ago for a quarter. I recently opened it. O, M,G! What treasures! I'm going to knit up some of the patterns and share them with you all. I am amazed at what's been packed away in my yarn stash all this time.

'Anyone know where I can find angora yarn at a rock bottom price? I want some for these hats from the patterns in the baggie.

I also found a shawl pattern I'd like to make. I have LOT of Ironstone Mills mohair that I bought years ago at the warehouse near my hometown. It's black (boring) and why I bought sooooOOOO much is beyond me. But there might be enough to make a shawl. That will be my goal to start by the time school's out for the summer for my kids.

That's it for today.