Packing For Paducah!!

It's finally the last day before hitting the road. Tomorrow morning I go pick up Jan in Midwest City and head out to Paducah. We are going thru Tulsa and plan on stopping to do some shopping. Then on as far as we feel like it and stopping for the night. Then on to the Kentucky Dam Village where we will stay for the quilt show. I have never been to the Paducah Quilt show and don't know what to expect but I am sure I will be pleasantly suprized. I will be taking lots of pictures of the girls-oh and the quilts. Plus shopping, shopping, shopping. Some people say that quilt shows don't have enough quilts lately but I am fine with more vendors!!

I only finished 2 projects this week. First of all I finally got the Horcrux socks finished. These were made with a pattern from my Six Sock Knit Along in about 3 weeks. I used Regia Bamboo color that I bought from Carol's Knit Studio back before Christmas on size 1 DPN's. The basic stitch count was 60 which was about right for the yarn and needles. They are short socks and hopefully perfect for the in between weather we get every spring. I am still not happy with my cast on for socks. I tried long tail for one sock and knitted on for the other. The long tail was slightly to tight around the top and the knitted on was kind of floppy. I will keep trying until I get it right.

My other project just took a day but I love it. It is too bad my husband can not focus the new camera well as the picture is not the best. Once again I cropped out my face!! I made the Hanging Vines necklace out of the lasted Bead & Button magazine. It took 4mm bicone crystals, size 6 seed beads & size 11 seed beads. If I were to make it again the size 11's would be delicas. The precise shape of them just makes things work out better especially when doing the peyote stitch bar. I wouldn't mind if the size 6's could be a little more regularly shaped too. The necklace is beautiful but it doesn't always want to lie flat on my neck but I love it overall. I want to make it in at least 1 more color combo. Maybe I will try another thread when stringing it to see if I get a firmer end product.

I started book #4 of the Outlander series. Jamie & Claire have been thru more trauma & tragedy than any 2 people could humanly survive and still they keep throwing each other down and having their way with each other. Drums of Autumn have Jamie & Claire in early America living on his Aunt's plantation. The story promises to have daughter Brianna jumping back in time to join them. I am taking my book with me to read on vacation but it remains to be seen how much I can read while visiting with my Lizzies and sipping wine on the porch of our cottages. Til next week-CrazyAnn

Not much Going on

For once I do not have much in the way of finished projects. I did do 3 more washcloths this week but I did not figure anyone was that bored that they wanted to see those!! I did finish my first "Last Horcrux" sock and got to the heel on sock #2. Of course they are short socks so they worked up quickly. Hopefully I can finish sock #2 before I go to Paducah next week.

I did get more yarn bought when I stopped in at Carol's Knit Studio in OKC. I was set on buying more Misti Alpaca to make a sweater just like the one I just finished. But of course my eye drifted to a beautiful red Merino called "Autunno" by "Di-Ve" out of Italy. I think Carol said it was imported by Cascade. Carol said it was worsted weight but it looks like heavy worsted to me. I have yet to get it out and swatch it-maybe next weekend. She had a hat knit in this exact yarn and it was so slightly variegated-not at all stripey. I will be knitting it this spring and summer and then having to wait til winter to wear it-Wahhhhhhh!!!

One week to go till my trip to Paducah and to meet lots of Lizzies(my Weight Watcher's on-line friends). The quilt show will be a blast with lots of shopping, visiting, relaxing, food and drink!! We plan on stopping on the way at Loop's in Tulsa for yarn and at one quilt shop to yet be determined. I plan on looking for beads mostly and of course polka dot fabric for my next sane quilt project. Other than that I am mostly going for the Lizzie get-togeather!!

I finished the 3rd book in the Outlander series "Voyager" and have started book 4 "Drums of Autumn". Clair and Jamie are supposed to be in their late 40's now which was old back in those days but they sure do get it on alot still!! I do not dare tell DH about that part of the story or he will get jealous!! Until next week-Let's hope it stays warm and the sun shines once in awhile.

Done At Last, Done At Last-Thank God I Am Done At Last!!

I am finally finished with my sweater. It is so worth the effort and the wait. I am wearing it today on what may very well be the last chilly day of spring(one can only hope!). There are only a few things I will be changing on my next effort which will be as soon as I can get to Carol's Knit Studio for more Misty Alpaca. Next time I will be using a solid. The varigated has always shown up better in the pics than in real life but still it bugs me a little. Secondly I will change the neck just a little. I seriously need a size 5 Addi Turbo in a much shorter length so that when I get to where the neck narrows up then I can switch and I won't end up stretching out my stitches like I did on this one. Also I will start the neck itself just a little lower and do some short row shaping to raise the back neck and lower the front just a little. Other than that I am so happy with this perfectly soft, custom fitted dream of a sweater. PS-I love the cabling I did up the sleeve decreases although next time I may do the decrease stitch 1 stitch in from the cable instead of right next to the purl stitch.

Here is a pretty project that I have had on the burner for a few weeks. First I had to order the crystal beads from the internet and wait for them to come in. Then I had to find Delica's I wanted to use. Luckily I found some at Hobby Lobby on sale that worked perfectly. Then I could not find the right thread!! Finally I seemed to have everything-no wait-I could not find my Thread Heaven to pretreat the Nymo. But I made it anyway and except for being a little big on my wrist and the toggle is slightly to long for my taste I love it. The pictures don't do it justice -it sparkles so wonderfully. It has kind of a victorian feel to it although with different beads it could take on all kinds of moods. I learned a lot of things about beading I did not know such as the peyote stitch and following beading diagrams. I will use Thread Heaven next time or use the alternative thread suggested which I think was Fireline. I will make the toggle only 8 stitches long instead of 10. I also understand the pattern now so hopefully I will not make the same little mistakes I made early on in the project. I will also work on a better surface than my lap and not spill the beads several times!!! I also worked on my Last Horcrux socks a bit this week and am now well into the foot. I have tried them on and they look pretty good although I would have liked them a little taller. I should have made the ribbing after the lightening bolts a little longer. I don't like the way the dutch heel fits my foot. It is too narrow and the decreases are under my heel not along the edge. I love the yarn I used tho as it has so much color but none of it pools or stripes at all. Off my feet the socks don't take a great picture as the ribbing draws in and the lace does not but I did not have anyone to take the picture of my foot when I had it on!! These will be summer socks but I need to find the right shoes to show them off!!

The rest of my week was occupied by work, work and more work. I stayed late 2 nights out of 4 and came home dog tired each and every day. The weather has been dreary and cold. Thank goodness I still had my winter walking appearal at hand cause I needed it every day. I am still in the middle of "Voyager". I will probably finish this weekend, just in time to use my extra 15% off at Barnes & Noble for book 4. I also have 2 free movie passes so I may go to Bricktown and see a movie or 2. I am on call so I have plenty of time to kill. At least once I go buy the rest of my spring plants, go buy more beads, more yarn, more...more...more...!!!! Till next week then...