Learning how to add crochet symbols to my library of stitches. The mechanics of publishing quality patterns.
Nice!
My local library never ceases to amaze me
On the Go
I’ve downloaded WordPress App so now I’m mobile. I like this wallpaper.
Busy Busy Me
These days I’m all over the place when it comes to working and summer classes. My downtime includes taking a few pics of traffic control boxes. There are a number of these designs created by various artists. The brochure “Gallery 24/7: Art on Traffic Control Boxes” provides a map and index of 17 locations throughout the county. As always, the artist’s background and comment gives a glimpse into his/her vision. My township has 3 (Flowers II, Peacock, and Untitled).
I started swatching for a new project. My yarn label reads: Lace weight, 470 yards (50 grams). I would normally pull out US 2 needles but I decided to use US 4 and 5. I want a more open airy look. I cast on with one size and switch to the next. It takes a little patience to swatch, block, and wait to compare, but well worth it to acquire gauge results.
In other news:
(I’m a little teary eyed and happy right now)
In honor of all my sleepless nights and zombie mornings, I plan to release a couple of knitting patterns this fall. I have a degree in teaching so my format will include photos and instructional tidbits.
Thanks guys for the encouragement! Accolades to social networking!
Hopefully this blog theme makes my posts easier to read.
A Quick Weekend Post
We discovered an “Oasis” this weekend. The grounds are beautiful and definitely worth the price of admission! There are a number of sculptures on the grounds and one day is not enough. Every morning, I check out the Weather Channel. I was a little bummed when the forecast for our area was a 50% chance of rain. The lack of sunshine supported my pessimism. Guess what? It didn’t rain.
A serene restroom
Pretty flowers
Green, green grass
After hours, the peacocks take over the parking lot.
How many sheep can you count?
The end of a party. The food was um-um good!!!
I’m a Continuous Learner
I’ve been busy working on a few stitch patterns from this book
A few DVDs to help me pass some knitting time:
The Tempest – 2011 DVD release
Nova
Japan’s Killer Quake
Typhoid Mary – The Most Dangerous Woman in America
PBS
The Atom Smashers
What I Love!
A rainbow in the morning
A new book and this gorgeous yarn I found in the clearance bin.
Every jacket in this book is awesome. The schematics and charts are excellent visuals for structure and shaping. I will be adding this book to my collection of knitting resources.
I’m swatching with a Gold bamboo wool for a scarf or hat.
Finally a Sunny Day
All done and it looks good!! After days of clouds and fog, I took a pretty good photo of the finished hat. It’s a little slouchy because my kids love to wear their hats this way. With just one circular needle, I can knit this up over a weekend. This is a quick and easy pattern I use all the time for a basic hat.
PDF Download
Check out the 75% off bargain below:
A vinyl binder with dividers and writing journal for notes.
Ouch!
I love a banana smoothie at my favorite stop but I never paid attention to the ingredients. The smooth creamy taste is a result of soft serve ice cream mix, ouch! To combat my craving, I blended up a healthier one at home. Of course, I Googled and found a recipe I could experiment with. I added chocolate soymilk, strawberry yogurt, frozen bananas, honey, and ice to my smoothie. I even made a chocolate orange banana smoothie with regular soymilk and carob powder. I wanted just a hint of chocolate so I used carob.
Did anyone watch a news report about “Groupon Dilemmas?” I never thought it could happen to us. A “sorry we’re going out of business” message was left on our voicemail. We had already given a deposit and they waited till the LAST minute to make the call. To make a long story short, I called Groupon and without hesitation they refunded our money within two business days. However, our deposit to cover additional fees for our dinner cruise took time. We had to notify our credit card company and fill out some forms. Finally, we did get our money back.
My advice:
Use a voucher AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
It’s a wonderful service and we will continue to purchase more deals, but Groupon can only refund a Groupon payment. Any additional money paid to a business will not be refunded by Groupon! In our case above, we made a reservation and a deposit was needed to cover the remaining balance after a Groupon discount was applied.
Knitted Hat Results – Part 2
After you’ve completed 1-1/2” of K1P1 ribbing begin knitting in stockinette stitch.
Simply continue knitting in the round until the hat measures 8 or more inches.
My hat measures 8-1/2” and it’s time to begin decreasing.
Next Post – Part 3
Time Flies
OMG, where did the summer go? September means work and back to school.
I love to spend time in DC and visit the museums. Last month while traveling back to our hotel, we experienced our very first hail storm. A lot of rain came down fast and Route 66 began to flood in sections. The noise from the nickel sized hail was scary and believe it or not interesting. In Jersey I’ve only experienced small bead sized hail.
We completed our list: Sackler Gallery, The African Art Museum, Freer Gallery, American Indian, Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center Air & Space Museum, Smithsonian Castle, The National Zoo, Museum of Natural History, and a little bit of time in Georgetown.
Check out this rock!! The “Hope Diamond” is on display at the Museum of Natural History. This beauty as well as many other diamonds, emeralds, turquoise, and sapphire stones are not to be missed. The clarity alone took my breath away.
How I Knit a Basic Hat – Part 1
Head Size: 21”
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool
Weight: 1 Ball 100g/3.5oz (223 yds.)
Color: That’s Blue
Gauge: 5 sts. = 1”
Supplies: 1 US size 7, 16” circular needle, ring marker, tape measure, and darning needle.
Cast on: 110 sts
Join and place ring marker (slip at the beginning of each round)
Begin with K1P1 rib until edge of hat measures 1 1/2”
Here’s my ribbing below:
Part 2 – Next Post
Marnie Renner 