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My Knitting Library

 



 


Angora linen sweater b.jpg
I had a lot of white angora yarn, but not enough for an entire sweater.  I finally decided to create this sweater using the 100% angora for the bodice and 100% linen for the off-the-shoulder sleeves.  To give it some more panache, I added the knitted bobble clusters of grapes made out of the linen with angora leaves and vines.  It looks fabulous with a long black skirt and a strand of pearls. Click here to see the whole thing.
Recent Site Changes
Friday
05Sep2008

Funny Things Said!

THIS ENTRY WAS MADE BY LISA, NOT ROB.

I had a hysterectomy on Monday, August 18th.  My children and husband have been wonderful as I recover from the surgery but there have been some funny conversations.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

I asked Jack to move a flower arrangement that someone sent and as he moved it he said, "It's like a funeral...or a wedding." 

I replied, "Yes, it's the death of my uterus." 

Jack responded, "And the beginning of your new life!"


Thursday, August 28, 2008

Charlie started the school year with a cold AND really bad allergies.  He woke my husband up in the middle of the night because he was having difficulties breathing through his nose.  He told Rob, "Dad, I thought I was going to wake up in Heaven!"

Thursday
14Aug2008

Birthday Gift from my Dad

My Dad made me a really really cool gift for my birthday this summer.  He carved a large Ginkgo leaf and stem out of cherry wood and hung it on my wall.  I love it!

Thursday
14Aug2008

Summer Knitting

As most dedicated knitters I have had multiple projects going at once.  Usually a brainless one along with a couple of more intricate project to switch to when I want to work on something a bit more interesting.  My summer is almost over due to a couple of things:

  1. I'm having surgery on Monday to receive a hysterectomy and will be laying low for 6 weeks
  2. My children start school in less than 2 weeks

So, now that summer is almost over I am lining up my fall knitting projects:

  1. Lisa's birthday sweater (first priority)
  2. A maroon and gold scarf for my younger son to match the hat I have already made him.  I purchased the Plymouth Oh My! yarn from WEBS and should have it next week.
  3. Felted purses for gifts this Christmas
  4. Felted and funky Christmas Stocking for a local contest in December.
  5. Rob's hooded sweater that I started last spring - maybe I'll have it done for Christmas.

This also means no more special treats for me.  Now I'm knitting for everyone else!!!

Friday
25Jul2008

Updated website

Changing the look of my site has been full of fun and frustration. 

Fun in the sense that I have been learning how to format and FIX mistakes (put a band-aid on a gaping wound that actually needs stitches).  I know more than I did a year ago and more than the average person.

Frustrating because I don't know enough to DO IT RIGHT!

I'm beginning to really get into this and have become more interested in taking computer classes to get to the next level.

Monday
21Jul2008

New Additions to my STASH

I have bought some yummy new yarns in the past few months to the HORROR of my husband.  I have to be a good girl now and not buy any more yarn. 


This was actually a birthday gift from my parents.  60/2  100% silk lace yarn

5886 yards


Great Adirondack Yarn, Funky rayon ribbon yarn, Color:  Starburst, 100 yards

Claudia Hand Painted Yarns, 20/2 Silk Lace Yarn, Color: Country Kitchen, 1100 yards


Scalamandre 100% silk yarn, impossibly thin - hairlike yarn.  YIKES! ???? yards

Claudia Hand Painted silk yarn on left (20/2 weight), Cream 100% silk yarn in center (60/2 weight) and the ridiculously thin hair-like Scalamandre silk on the left (no idea but I'm afraid to touch it).



Sunday
06Jul2008

My Father's Independence Day

I have never laughed so hard in my life when I read my Dad's email about his Indpendence Day. This is the same man that would take one look at us when we were sick and promptly, within one to two hours, come down with the same illness. He gets queezy at the sight of blood for crying out loud!

Dear family,

Hope you all had a happy July 4th. Our day became very interesting as it progressed this afternoon. I left home around 1:30PM to check out an AVCHD DVD that I made and wouldn’t play on my Blu-ray player, so I thought I would take it to Circuit City to check it’s playability on different brand players. It did, but as I drove out the garage, I asked my bride if she would like to join me for a latte at Starbucks. She did. After these were done, I went to the hangar to do some woodworking before our guests arrived for the afternoon and dinner. They first came to the hangar to check out the flight dept, then came to our home. Lee and Jane are members at the Baptist Church we’ve been attending, are our age, and own a funeral home in St. Charles. During dinner, he received a phone call to pick up a body of a 55 year old man who just passed away at his home from a rare congenital disease, so when dinner was over, he asked to be excused for about an hour to do his business, mentioning he needed to call someone to help him get the body. I volunteered out of courtesy to help, and to my surprise, he accepted. Now I’m committed. I said to myself this is a new road I’ve not traveled before. We first went to his funeral home to get the van and gurney, change his clothes, then go to the residence. I acted professionally, used the rubber gloves, transferred the body from the bed to the gurney, into the back of the van, drove back to the funeral home, parked the van in the garage, transported under our own locomotion our bodies to Lee’s car and returned to our home where we had a great visit until after 10:15PM. What an experience.

Now I’m looking forward to a normal week end.

Wednesday
14May2008

Felted Cashmere Purse - GASP!!!

45863-1568527-thumbnail.jpg
Felted Cashmere Purse with Black Wood Handle
Yes - I really did felt cashmere for a purse!  One of the store clerks at Miss Chickpea's Funky Fibers gasped when I told her that I really did felt cashmere.







Wednesday
07May2008

Charlie's Music Lyrics: INVINCIBLE

These lyrics are for extra credit in Music.  The first verse and chorus are pretty good but the second verse needs a little work but overall not a bad piece.

INVINCIBLE

By Charlie

Verse 1

I'm invincible,

as far as I can tell.

I can't feel any pull...

No one stops me when I say,

I can't get hurt at all.

Chorus

Invincibllllle, Invincible

My heart won't stop

My brain won't pop

'cause I'm invincible

Verse 2

I have an iron lung,

a lung that can't be broke

I know many people,

most of them are dopes.

They could not understand

that I am invincible. 

Wednesday
07May2008

Jack Fact #856 EXTRA PRESENTS!!!

I started this site to chat about my knitting but I'm finding that it's more a diary of life, family, and knitting.  There are so many excellent knitting blogs out there that actually take the time to explain and describe everything from their latest project to how-to knit to cool hip patterns.  I don't have time or inclination to try to compete at this point in my life.  So with that said here's another Jack Fact:

Setting:  After bedtime prayers on 5/5/08 (Cinco de Mayo)

"When I'm a father; when I grow up, get married, and have children, and my birthday is on Father's Day, I'll get twice the gifts".  

Friday
25Apr2008

Boys Seek Danger

Boys - I love them. 

There is just  something so unpretentious and open about boys.  I thank God daily that I have boys.

They somehow find danger without a whole lot of effort.   On Wednesday they were riding their scooters and bikes with the neighbor kids and J-dog managed to jump on his scooter high enough to fall down hard on one knee. 

It looked O.K. when I ran out to check on him but by the time we got into the house it had doubled in size.  We spent three hours in the emergency room just to find out that it wasn't broken (thank God) and that he needs to take it easy for a week while it heals.  

Spending time in the ER twice in 2 months is not  my idea of fun but J-dog is fearless.  I'm sure this will not be the last time I'll be visiting.

Jack ended up being in the same exam room he was in last month.  I made the comment that we were in the room where he vomited into the sink.  The nurse laughed and told Jack that he was quite famous around the ER as the kid who vomited into the sink.  He said that it took them awhile to clean it out.  Disgusting!!!