Today is my Dad's birthday. He has been gone for too long. I miss him, but I think he knows that I am giving him a big Birthday hug!

Its also my sister-in-law's birthday...I always remembered her special day, because she shared it with Dad. To make a small world even smaller, my brother-in-law's birthday (her husband) shares the same birthday as my Mother, so I never forget his, either. Who would have thought?

Speaking of coincidence, my best friend was married on my daughter's birthday. Then my daughter had a friend who was born the same day as as my young cousin, who is my daughter's age. My nephew's birthday is the same day as my best friend's son. Too eerie...and there's probably more of these things I don't even realize! I feel like the old song, "I'm my own Grandpa!".

Here's to the end of a wonderful Thanksgiving! On toward the Holidays!

Here it is! The Breadstick Cornucopia turned out great, in my opinion. Took a little more work than I had anticipated, but I ended up making 2. One for my house and I made another one for a friend. I should be an old pro next year!

(Photo (c) Kathy Roberson 2008)

I'm going to attempt making one of these breadstick cornucopias this afternoon for our Thanksgiving Dinner. This is what it is supposed to look like. We'll see what mine turns out like! I'll try to post a pix of it when I get it finished!

Photo Courtesy of allrecipes.com

Here is a shot of the progress I've made on the knitted lace sweater. Many headaches, as I "stuphed" up on the 2nd row of lace and forgot to do a yarn over, so I unraveled it all! Thank goodness, because the back measured elephant size! I started over, the pattern is going well, now. I am using a heavier weight yarn, so I am going by a size "40" on the pattern, which should end up being about a size "48". That should give some wiggle room, or be like a jacket.

Wish me luck! It might not get finished until Spring...

A friend of mine brought me a present today... a "Mayberry-opoly" game! I LOVE the Andy Griffith Show from the 60's. It was a thoughtful gift. Maybe I will get to play it over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Here's a pix of it! :>)

Gawwwwwwlllllllleee...

You have got to go visit this blog...too funny. Unfortunately, they no longer maintain it, but if you like sarcasm AND knitting, this blog is for you! Lots of inspiring "don'ts"... as in this picture from a post titled "Swatching is for Sissies"...





youknitwhat.blogspot.com

There are many knitters out there just like me - you are left handed knitters! Many of the knitting books give a simple suggestion to those of us who are left-handed. That is this: Learn to knit right-handed! Being a left-handed knitter, I refused to take that advice. I have been knitting left handed for over 20 years and have learned to overcome some of the obstacles that left handed knitting presents. If you are a left-handed knitting novice, some of my tips might prove to be beneficial so you can embrace your newfound hobby of knitting.You can learn some of the basic stitches from an experienced knitter who just happens not to be a left-handed knitter.

My mentor was not a left-handed knitter and I loved to watch her sit and knit all of the intricate patterns to create her beautiful sweaters and other knitted work. When I finally expressed a desire to learn how to knit, she gladly told me she would show me how.The first thing she told me to do was to go buy a pair of size 8 straight knitting needles and a ball of yarn (wool). When I returned, to my surprise...she told me to sit on the floor facing her, while she sat in her chair. I did this, but thought that the logical thing would be to sit beside her while she taught me. However, this was not the way for a left handed knitter to learn from one who uses the other hand dominantly.By sitting opposite of her, I did everything in reverse of what she was doing. If she used her right hand to do something, I used my left hand...and vice versa. Before I knew it, I had a grasp of casting on and was knitting and purling in no time. Then came the time I felt comfortable enough to try actually making something I could keep and reading a pattern to do it.

Now, if any of you are left handed knitters and have attempted to read a knitting pattern that was written by and for knitters of the opposite hand, you have probably felt intimidated and frustrated your first time, just like me. It can be a struggle to logically make sense of the pattern, because us lefty knitters go from left to right when we knit or purl. That makes the pattern backward to us and in the beginning, it can be hard to train yourself which way the decreases or increases should go or slant. In our left-handed knitting mind, we might be working the straight side edge, but in the knitting pattern, they are referring to the inside edge, such as a center front. Left-handed knitting can present problems when reading a pattern.The best way to tackle left-handed knitting is to take a good look at the pattern before you start it.

Many times, we have to compensate for our increases or decreases by adjusting the way we do them. If the pattern says, for instance, "knit two together", in order to make the decrease slant in the right direction, we left handed knitters might have to do a "knit one, slip one, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch" or in the knitting vernacular "K1, S1, PSSO".I hope this article will inspire all of you who happen to be left handed knitters and have been frustrated by trying to learn how to knit or want to try more intricate patterns. Knitting can be one of the most enjoyable hobbies you can ever learn and give you hours of pleasure. I hope to write more knitting tips for all of us left handed knitters and also for those who may be of the other "handed persuasion". Happy knitting to all of you left handed knitters!

It's finished....Yes! I finished the sweater on Friday, buttons and all! I wore it Saturday and it was perfect with my outfit, warm too. I am wearing it right now, as I type. I still would like to knit up some patch pockets to sew on for the front, but I am very happy with the finished product! For my next knitting project, a lace v-neck cardigan, it is suposed to be "easy", but I am not sure about all of the slipped stiches. I have only gotten far as rolling my yarn into balls.... I will be knitting up in an off white,brown/black slubbed yarn on size 5 and 8 needles. It won't go as quickly as my red sweater did, I'm sure.






Here is the link for the pattern:



EASY BAMBOOZLE SWEATER

(Courtesy of Crystal Palace Yarns - Free Patterns)


Wish me luck! I will post pictures of my progress on it. In the mean time, I will try and get the crocheted buttons instructions posted, in case anyone wants to give them a whirl. They are easy-peasy!

Here are the buttons I made for my knitted sweater. Aren't they cute? They are so quick and easy to make and I think they will add something special to my sweater. All you do is crochet around a cabone ring and draw the stitches together. I will post the instructions for any of you who would want to try it. By the way, I hope to finish the sweater tonight!!!!

Knitting has been one of my hobbies for over 20 years. I actually knitted this same sweater pattern in 1989, using a pink, fuzzy yarn. ( I gave it to my best friend...I wonder if she still has it?)

In this version, I made the sweater about 5 inches longer and plan to add patch pockets. It is an easy to knit pattern, and the knitting goes quickly as it uses size 8 and 10 needles. I love the shawl collar, too! I hope to have this sweater knitted up, blocked and sewn together by Saturday, as I want to wear it to our Red Hat Murder Mystery Party. I'll post pictures along the way...

I finished it today...well at least the batik part! I haven't decided what I will make with it yet.

The colors turned out nothing like I expected, but I like it anyway.



Here is a close up of the face...







Comments?

If this is RED, then I think I must be color blind! It is a dark ORANGE!!!! Oh, the wrath of the "Dye Gods"... so on to plan "B". I waxed the so called red parts and have decided to add another step...its going into a brown dye to tone down the red-orange. Then on to black. I have a feeling that the black will only be dark brown. So be it, this will be one that is in the warm colors of autumn...

The tools of Batik... While my batik is still soaking in the red dye, I thought I would post a picture of the supplies I use when batiking:

I heat the wax in an old pan and an old electric frying pan. I've used the same brushes for years, they look gnarly, but once they heat up and the old wax melts, they work just fine! I like to use a blend of paraffin and beeswax. I have some tjanting needle tools, but I don't think they are as precise as using a brush. I always cover an old canvas board with paper and put my fabric over that, while applying the wax. It is easier for me to hold while I'm working!

Today I dyed the orange part of the cat design on my batik and got those parts waxed. Thank goodness it is a warm and breezy day! It only took about an hour for the batik to dry outside. Here is a pix of the progress on it.

All of the "dots", cheeks and the irises should stay orange. I now have it in the red dye bath. Hope to have it out and drying by the end of the day. Its looking pretty good at this point, don't you think?

Alrighty, I just finished my first color, yellow and have applied the second waxing. The first waxing was over just the white fabric, and the second waxing is over what I want to stay yellow. It is looking pretty good, I think....hope the orange tomorrow looks as good!

Just in case you don't know what batik is, it is the process of applying wax and dyes to fabric creating a design. I have been doing batik since my high school days and haven't done one for a couple of years. I just love the art of the late Laurel Burch and I'm doing one reminiscent of her "felines". Here is the sketch I used for the fabric...

Wish me luck on how the dyes take on this project!