“Wristers (1 strand fingering wool, 1 strand mohair, my own design) - 1 down, 1 to go”
Finished! I used Diamusee Fine and a strand of lace weight mohair. Penny’s hands will be warm except the fingertips now as she packs all your orders! Here’s the pic:
More updates to come. Original list here:
http://knittingtoday.com/knews/archives/2008/09/01/with-a-little-help-from-some-friends/
My snowmen are in hibernation until tomorrow when I go shopping for more beads and such. I am knitting a pashmina for my woman and a scarf for my man. I tell you, I’ve had so many ideas for these guys that I had to start writing them down so I don’t forget! Right now I am finishing Lea-Ann’s snowman to top the tree at the shop. He’s going to be soooo cute! I’ve got to put on his face, give him a light bulb nose and bead a star for him to be holding and then I’ll stick him (with just enough stuffing to plump him up) on the top of the tree. Oh, and a scarf. He’s gotta have a scarf. I’ll post a pic when I’m done and he’s perched on the treetop. - Susan
Check out the picture of my feet. Big deal, you say? It is a big deal because these are my feet on November 6th! Notice that I am wearing flip flops as my feet are surrounded by the fallen leaves. Don’t you just love it when a simple blessing like warm weather in November falls into your lap?
I am not fooled though… I know the cold is coming. I’m knitting my hubby a warm, wooly hat because he has decided that he’s going to continue shaving his head through the winter. We’ll see how long he makes it. 
Happy Fall- Susan
I did! Right after I dropped Sarah off at school I went to my precinct, expecting a longer than usual line. I was a bit surprised to find that although there were people there, there was no line. Only three of the eight booths were filled (four once I sat down). It was steady while I was there but never a line. Did anyone have to wait longer than usual? Just me being curious.
I am looking forward to political advertisment free television/radio/newspapers. Regardless of who wins I will definitely be glad when it’s all said and done and I can knit in peace. - Susan
UPDATE: I talked to my hubby Tues. night and apparently I lucked out and got there at just the right time because he said there was a line when he got there of about 10 people and by the time he was done it had grown to right around 30 people.
I read in a DIY magazine this morning, that if you lower your heat thermostat by 2 degrees Fahrenheit that you could save $180 a year. Many of you know we’ve been remodeling our house in order to quit heating with electric ceiling coil heat from 1968 supplemented by a woodstove from the 1970s and have moved to gas forced-air and along with it A/C [which I am soooo thankful to have!]. In connection with this remodel, we’ve had to tear down ceilings, redo walls, and live in general messy disarray for about a year. Well, Wednesday of this week the downstairs came back together. A lovely Bryson Canyon colorway on the wall [think sunset], the furniture and television center back in place and a new open path to the backdoor. But, while sitting downstairs watching television, we all feel slightly chilly (this is a tri-level, so part of it is insulated cement block). When I read this article this morning, I had a quick vision of Mr. Rogers walking in and changing his shoes and coat for indoor shoes and a cardigan. Isn’t that wierd? What I saw was a rack with decorative knobs and hooks screwed to the wall by the back door downstairs. On that rack were cardigan sweaters with nice matching zipper pulls, one for each of us, all in the new Shepherd’s Wool. I saw this movie in my mind playing itself out, everyone coming in the house, slipping off their shoes and putting them in their cubby by the front door, putting on their Felted Clogs from the Fiber Trends pattern, meandering downstairs and slipping into their cozy cardigan. Now, it might have to be zippered hoodies for my girls but right now I’m personally into cardigans — on again/off again, you know. I’m not sure about the boys, will have to ask them. I have a couple of designs in mind that I’ll need to track down, one of Mary Anne Oger’s from a few issues back in Knitwords and a button-down from the Purl Stitch book (which I think I could interpret to the machine). And I really like the Iain cable hoodie sweater from Figheadh which I need to get ordered and do a knitalong with. Getting off the subject, saving money by reducing heat costs . . . what do you think? Have you done it and how have you used your savings? Did you buy yarn with it? I can get four really nice-quality wool sweaters for $180 out of the Shepherds Wool. Should that be on my next top ten list?
– Lea-Ann
that I would never be one of those crazy women with a “stash” of yarn just sitting around. I know…. how absurd to even think it possible. I was reminded of this comment this weekend when my son snapped at me “Why is there more yarn on my dresser? Can’t you put it somewhere else?”. In my defense, his dresser is in the dining room because we are remodeling the entire upstairs (it is completely gutted at the moment) so it’s not like I ventured into his private chamber to plop my yarn onto his dresser. It was the closest flat surface when I unloaded the bag. To answer his question- No, there isn’t anywhere else to put my yarn. I had already covered his sister’s dresser with a bag and a tub; the extra dining room chair has a bin of Cascade 220 and fun fur waiting to be turned into Alpine Boots - not to mention the several bags of already started projects strewn about the house. What to do with all this yarn that is turning my children against me? Well, I had a brainstorm while packing up the summer clothes in one of those giant Space Bags. I admit that I have some yarn that I have no idea, at this point in time, what it will someday become so why not throw it in with the clothes and vacuum seal it? Yep, that’s what I did. Won’t it be fun next spring to open up that “box” of clothes to find that delicious yarn just waiting for me? And as a bonus my son can stop whining at me.
Susan
a big thank you to Lisa, Patti and Carli — you know, sometimes the pile just gets overwhelming and it takes some friends to help straighten it out. It took 4 hours to sort through the stack on the table, my desk, and my shelves and voila, now I can think again! Do you ever feel like that? So overwhelmed that you just don’t know which way to turn or what project to pick up? And, before you ask, NO, I will not show you a picture of the before and after, but I will give you a list of my top ten UFOs:
Cross Stitch Scarf (Andy’s Merino II, 101 Designer One Skein Wonders) - finishing today
Wristers (1 strand fingering wool, 1 strand mohair, my own design) - 1 down, 1 to go
Mexiko Socks (for moi’, 2 at a time, toe up, jojo heel, stretchy cast off) - at the heel, travel knitting
Peg’s Sweater - repair for a customer
Marilyn’s Sweater - Sally’s Favorite Summer Sweater finish for a customer
Penny’s Baby Sweater repair - Baby Uhl newborn design - I LOVE this yarn!
Felted Snowman - a quick, fun project, I’ve been working on it for almost a year I think
Vicky’s Prayer Shawl - finish by October for the Chilifest
Wrap Me Up - this moved back to my top ten when the sisters from Goshen stopped by with a little show and tell and one of them had this done in a combination of Noro, Donegal, and other odds and ends
Filigree Lace Shawl - this will remain on my to do list for a long time since it takes forever to get across a row — anyone interested in a lace knitalong to encourage me?
Ring of Lace Shawl - had to tear out and restart on bigger needles. This one is the most likely to become something else (I sort of like Anita’s feather and fan scarf she brought in better but am not quite ready to give up on this design yet).
There you have it, the top ten UFOs. The other UFOs went in a container (or two) in the back room. I think they’ll let me pull another one out when I have one finished. Or maybe I can start another one when I have one finished. Now, perhaps, I can concentrate on getting my list of classes ready for the fall. Classes will be Tuesday evenings, Thursday mornings and Saturdays all day. I have a list started, but not all the samples are done. I really like to concentrate on techniques vs. projects, can’t you tell?
Okay, tell me your Top Ten!
The Tofutsies Snack Pack, that is. (we’re really not trying to make you hungry with all this talk of “Yummy” and “Snack Packs”- honest!) Fifteen new colors of Tofutsies goodness just waiting to become a pair of socks or a baby sweater. Ooooh, or a shawl! Not all fifteen colors are in the picture; you’ll have to follow the link to see the rest.
Oh, but did I mention that all of those that I was sorting through did not contain any, none, zip, nadda, junk mail? Indeed Outlook 2003 has incredible junk mail filtering properties. I do scan the junk mail folder though as some vendor/customer messages do come in there.
Anyways, the majority of the e-mails are vendor notifications of new products/discontinued/sales/special programs and customer inquiries. I’ve sort them into: 1) A: KT Lea-Ann (this is for those who use my contact us on the website as I know they are legit and get first response); 2) A: Other follow-up (this is for notifications of things that need done by a certain time for example Ravelry ads; bills that need paid; deadlines for whatever; 3) C: Later for example vendor news; list messages; new ideas to check out. And there are subfolders within those categories so I can quickly find whatever 
. . . And now the FLAG system — oh how cool is that!
It would *really* help though if I ever get time at the store. Haley sewed all day Sunday, all day Monday, and now this morning, Tuesday, the girls have a meeting at 10 and I won’t get to the store until noonish and need to leave right at 4 so we have more sewing time before Band practice tonight at 6:30. Oh yes, I joined the community band with the girls, we call ourselves the three flutes. Tom asked why I am taking the time since I have so much else to do . . . you know, this is just for me and my girls, no fiber or knitting thing involved, that’s why. And, it feels good to take a break and focus on something different and refreshes me project-wise. I finished the Ulmo Multi scarf the other day and have knit at least 10 rows in between sewing questions on the Filigree Lace Scarf.
What do you do to relax and refresh?
Enough blogging . . on my way to the next meeting! Lea-Ann
Okay, all you bargain shoppers! Check out the Yarn Sale category…. we’ve cleaned our shelves for the new fall yarns that will be coming in soon. If you see something you want, you’d better pounce on it because it won’t last long!
http://www.knittingtoday.com/go.mvc?id=YARNSALE
Just an FYI…. Silky Cashmere has been discontinued. What we have is what we have, so if you’ve been on the fence now is the time to snap it up. At 50% off do you really have a good excuse not to get some? I thought not!
Happy Summer and Happy Shopping!
Susan