Secret Pal Contest # 4

The oldest yarn in my stash is.......

Berroco Medley

I purchased it 3 years ago to make a free blanket pattern from the Berroco website.

I love the colors but I didn't think that the mitered squares showed up well with this yarn

so it's on hold for now until I figure out something else to do with it !

Make Your Own Stitch Markers

Here are the first stitch markers that I have made.

Supplies:

Wire Cutter

Needle Nose Pliers - both ends flat

Needle Nose Pliers - one end rounded

Rainbow Glass Beads assortment

Head Pins with Beaded end (16 pieces/package)

Crimp Beads (125/package)

Toggle Clasps - medium and large round



There are several good online tutorials ......


http://www.sheepinthecity.prettyposies.com/archives/000201.html Sheep in the City

http://knittgeek.blogspot.com/2005/07/guide-to-stitch-markers.html Knitting by Geek

CROCHETOHOLIC

STITCHMARKERS.COM

http://cjsachiko.blogspot.com/2005/03/stitch-markers-la-cee-jay.html CJ's Knitting Basket

http://loxosceles.org/crafty/stitchmarkers/ Loxosceles.org

BEADED STITCH MARKER SWAP

Stitch Marker Swaps

Here's a new SWAP for 4 handmade stitch markers and 2 balls of yarn ...... click on the stitch markers photo to take you to the swap blog where you can JOIN



Sponsored by:

Crochetoholic's Swap Blog

My favorite colors: Blue, turquoise, mint green, purple

My hobbies: Knitting, reading

My kitchen theme and colors: White

My bathroom theme and colors: Fish and ocean colors

My crafts..what I like: Scarves, shawls, felted bags, beaded knitting, modular knitting

My allergies: Cats, perfume

My favorite pets: Fish

My favorite scents: Lavender, Bergamot, Eucalyptus

Other stuff about me: I am a dentist. I am divorced, single mom of 3 busy teenage daughters.

Another stitch marker swap is:

The Stitch Marker Exchange

Make and receive 5 stitchmarkers from

as many pals as you like.

Partners will be assigned in June.

Spring Felted Bag Exchange Questionnaire

SPRING FELTED BAG EXCHANGE

How could I pass up another felted bag exchange???

Click on the picture above to see the blog.

Here are my answers to the Questionnaire.........................

1. How long have you been knitting or crochetting? How did you learn?

I learned to knit as a child and picked it up again about 3 years ago.

2. What are your favorite yarns to knit\crochet felted bags with?

Cascade 220, Noro Kureyon, Lamb's Pride Worsted, Karaoke,

Knit Picks Wool of the Andes

3. What are your favorite needles to knit\crochet with?

Addi Turbo circulars are the best for the wool used in making felted bags.

Sometimes Bamboo is better if you don't want it so slippery.

4. What are the last 3 bags you knitted\crochetted (include URL for Yahoo! or flickr album or your blog if you have them!)?

My own pattern for Noro Kureyon Ruffle Bag, Lucy Bag with Interlacements Oregon Worsted, and Comfortable Sling Bag with Karaoke.

See pictures on my blog at JAG WALDEN KNITS

5. Do you carry the bags that you make, give them as gifts, or both?

I carry, give as gifts, and sell them in a local contemporary

art museum gift shop.

6. What is your favorite felted bag that you have made for yourself?

Hyphen Boy Modular Felted bag.

7. What are your favorite colors? Do you like bags in these colors or choose other colors?

My favorite colors are blues, aqua, colors of the ocean, anything self-striping.

In bags I also like black, brown, or pink accents.

8. Chocolate: White, Milk, Dark, or not so much?

Not so much.

9. Coffee, Tea, or Milk?

Coffee, green or Chai Tea

10. Do you prefer sweet or salty treats? What kinds?

Salty.

11. If you went into Bath and Body Works and could only come out with one item, what would it be and what would it smell like?

Lavender bath oil or Lavender bubble bath.

12. Do you enjoy any other crafts or hobbies? Do you collect anything?

Reading, blogging, and old button collections.

13. Are there any bag patterns you have not yet knit, but hope to someday?

Ball Band pattern, Skacel Loft Felted Bag, Rosebud,

other patterns by Two Old Bags, Fetching fingerless gloves.

14. What is currently OTN (on the needles) for you?

Feather and Fan Shawl with Interlacements Rick Rack Rayon yarn.

15. What is your most recent finished object before that?

Lion Brand Cable Comfort Throw Afghan.

16. What's cutest: Puppies, Piggies or Pixies?

I haven't a clue about any of them.

17. Do you enjoy reading? Books, Magazines, or both?

Both.

18. Do you have any children? (kid-kind or pet-kind apply!)

3 teenage daughters. No Pets. Allergic to cats and dogs.

19. What are some of your favorite yarns for other projects?

Soy Silk, Interlacements, anything NORO, Koigu, HandPainted

20. And for the final question, one I see debated all over: Novelty Yarn: Love it! Hate it! or It depends!

Novelty Yarn: I like it.

A Knitter's Fantasy April 14, 2007

We did it !!

After months of planning, my

Northcoast Knitting Guild presented:

the 12th annual A Knitter's Fantasy in Warren, Ohio

Here are some highlights of the event...

Co - Chairs Mo and Sue gracefully put everything together

Ann & Louise were busy at our "For Sale" table, selling mugs, T-Shirts and note cards.

Louise also organized the 40 teachers for 51 classes.


Gloria and Rose sold RAFFLE tickets and we had terrific DOOR PRIZES.

Here is guild member, Marianne, with the clown she made for our raffle.








Thank you to Kathy, for handling the blankets and the Caps for Kids campaign.


We made 150 baby blankets which are being donated to a local Cleveland hopsital. Here are just some of them on display.

CAPS FOR KIDS is always a big success with contest winners in both the "Commerical" (Pictured on the right ) and "Original" (left) pattern categories.

I also found some double pointed needles and an assortment of sock patterns at our
SWAP TABLE.

Cleveland knitter and writer, Connie Lane, was present at the

Soft 'n' Sassy booth to autograph copies of her book,

"Knit Two Together".

Also among the 37 vendors were some of my favorite local yarn shops including.....

FINE POINTS

KNIT WIT KNITS

YARN KNIT BY SUE

YARNSMITHS

SUSAN YARNS

STITCH PIECE 'N' PURL

RIVER COLORS FIBER STUDIO

FRENCH CREEK FIBER ARTS

As a committee member, my job was to put together all the

name tags.

Teachers had flowers and committee members had a sock on their name tag.

Here I am !

I also had to time to take a class on MOSAIC KNITTING.

I actually practiced and figured out how to read the chart, thanks to the 3 generations of knitters on hand to teach and help in this class.

I TAUGHT my first class "FELTED BAG WORKSHOP".

This is a picture of the Noro Kureyon Ruffle Bag that I taught while explaining the felting process, showing examples of my bags, and giving tips and design ideas.

Here is Barbara, in my class, with a felted bag of her own made from LOPI.

I modeled my Hyphen-Boy Modular Felted Bag in the fashion show at lunchtime.

Other fashion show highlights included my friend (and fellow Dentist!) Marilyn with her

Einstein Coat. This project is on my To Do list from the book,

"The Knit Stitch" by Sally Melville.

In addition to handling the sale items, teaching, and offering her technical computer expertise in ALL the areas of our event,

Ann also had time to

show off her beautiful shawl......

and Guild Members, as group, made a SHEEP SCARF !

The pattern, from the book,

"Vogue Knitting On the Go Shawls"

is actually for a shawl, as seen here on Sue, but the rest of us made just

one strip for a fun scarf.

For more information about the NORTHCOAST KNITTING GUILD click

HERE

Spring Felted Bag Exchange Questionnaire

SPRING FELTED BAG EXCHANGE

How could I pass up another felted bag exchange???

Click on the picture above to see the blog.

Here are my answers to the Questionnaire.........................

1. How long have you been knitting or crochetting? How did you learn?

I learned to knit as a child and picked it up again about 3 years ago.

2. What are your favorite yarns to knit\crochet felted bags with?

Cascade 220, Noro Kureyon, Lamb's Pride Worsted, Karaoke

3. What are your favorite needles to knit\crochet with?

Addi Turbos are the best for the wool used in making felted bags. Sometimes Bamboo is better if you don't want it so slipery.

4. What are the last 3 bags you knitted\crochetted (include URL for Yahoo! or flickr album or your blog if you have them!)?

My own pattern for Noro Kureyon Ruffle Bag, Lucy Bag with Interlacements Oregon Worsted, and Comfortable Sling Bag with Karaoke.

See pictures on my blog at JAG WALDEN KNITS


5. Do you carry the bags that you make, give them as gifts, or both?

I carry, give as gifts, and sell in a museum gift shop.

6. What is your favorite felted bag that you have made for yourself?

Hyphen Boy Modular Felted bag and Lucy Bag.


7. What are your favorite colors? Do you like bags in these colors or choose other colors?

Blues, colors of the ocean, anything self-striping.


8. Chocolate: White, Milk, Dark, or not so much?

Not so much.


9. Coffee, Tea, or Milk?

Coffee, green or Chai Tea

10. Do you prefer sweet or salty treats? What kinds?

Salty.

11. If you went into Bath and Body Works and could only come out with one item, what would it be and what would it smell like?

Lavender bath oil or Lavender bubble bath.

12. Do you enjoy any other crafts or hobbies? Do you collect anything?

Reading, blogging, and old button collections. I used to collect salt and pepper shakers.

13. Are there any bag patterns you have not yet knit, but hope to someday?

Ball Band pattern, other patterns by Two Old Bags.

14. What is currently OTN (on the needles) for you?

Feather and Fan Rick Rack Shawl with Interlacements Rick Rack Rayon yarn.

15. What is your most recent finished object before that?

Lion Brand Cable Comfort Throw Afghan.

16. What's cutest: Puppies, Piggies or Pixies?

I haven't a clue about any of them.

17. Do you enjoy reading? Books, Magazines, or both?

Both.

18. Do you have any children? (kid-kind or pet-kind apply!)

3 teenage daughters. No Pets.

19. What are some of your favorite yarns for other projects?

Soy Silk, Interlacements, anything NORO.

20. And for the final question, one I see debated all over: Novelty Yarn: Love it! Hate it! or It depends!

Novelty Yarn: I like it.

3 Generation Cable Comfort Throw complete

I have mastered CABLES with this

CABLE COMFORT THROW

pattern from Lion Brand.

This afghan is made by putting 5 strips together. When checking the lengths of my strips, I noticed that, by accident, I made one longer by adding a full cable repeat.

I decided that I liked the longer length better, so I went back and added on to all the strips. This, of course, meant using close to 12 skeins and running back to JoAnn's a few times.

The afghan is for daughter # 3 who sewed up all the strips and put it together. My mother weaved in the ends. So all 3 generations took part in the creation of this afghan !

2 Hats Finished

I enjoyed making these 2 hats to donate for our Caps to Kids program this weekend.

The first free pattern called

Noro Kureyon One-Ball Wavy Gravy Hat Pattern

can be found on this blog:

Strand in the Hand Patterns

I used 2 skeins of Noro Big Bebe for the second hat. This thick and thin yarn is a pleasure!

This free pattern called the

Scallop Brim Instant Hat is found on the blog:

Just One More Row

The brim on my hat did not turn out to be scalloped like the actual one pictured below,

but I still enjoyed this quick knit.

Spring Blizzard in Northeastern Ohio

For those of you who aren't familiar with "LAKE EFFECT",

let me tell you about the

weather living on the coast of

Lake Erie in Northeastern Ohio.

4 days ago it was 80 degrees (which warmed up the lake) and my kids were sitting out on the patio by this table getting a sun tan and.......

now we have THIS:

I was out picking daffodils...........

and the Cleveland Indians Opening Baseball Game was

SNOWED OUT !!

It's a good stay to stay inside and KNIT !!

Passover and Miriam's Cup

I held Passover dinner at my home this year and I want to share with you a new ritual whose purpose is to honor the role of
Miriam

the Prophetess in the Exodus of the Jewish people out of Egypt and to highlight the contributions of women to Jewish culture,

past and present.

Since I have 3 daughters, I like to empower and inspire them with this tradition that I hope will stay with them throughout their lives.

My father was outnumbered by all women at our seder, as my sister, my mother, my girls and I all took turns putting water from our cup into Miriam's cup

(handpainted and adorned with bells)

"We fill Miriam's cup with water to honor her role in ensuring the survival of the Jewish people. Like Miriam, Jewish women in all generations have been essential for the continuity of our people. As keepers of traditions in the home, we pass down songs and stories, rituals and recipes, from mother to daughter, from generation to generation. Let us each fill the cup of Miriam with water from our own glasses, so that our daughters may continue to draw from the strength and wisdom of our heritage."

Then we got out the tamborine and maraccas and sang together,

"And Miriam the prophetess, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her, with timbrels and with dances......to praise God for the miracle of splitting the Red Sea. So we now rejoice and celebrate the freedom of the Jewish people today."

This universal theme can inspire women everywhere.

Happy Passover to all.

Secret Pal Contest # 2 FAVORITE & LEAST FAVORITE

For Contest # 2, my Secret Pal 10 hostess has asked us to post our favorite and

least favorite knitted projects:

MY FAVORITE is the HYPHEN-BOY Modular Felted Purse

MY LEASE FAVORITE is the Bowling Bag Purse from Curious Creek that I simply

could not figure out !