Another Chick with Sticks

Happy Game Day! I’m not particularly a fan of either team playing today, but I’ll be watching anyway. I am a Springsteen fan, so the half time show will be a bonus, as well as the commercials. The kids are going to don their 3D glasses for those special 3D commercials too.

I have to update you all that last night I decided to abandon the Spring Forward top for now. I began the pattern for the top half of the back, and was not happy with how it looked. Discouraged, I decided to put it aside and instead cast on with my next queued cardgian, the February Lady sweater. Very lovely and I have very pretty vintage looking buttons for it. I have started on the yoke and am past the first buttonhole. I’ll post a pic of my progress soon.

If you would like the pattern, visit www.flintknits.com/patterns/ladysweater.pdf. Here’s a pic….

I’ll probably end up lengthening the sleeves, but haven’t decided on that yet.

Since it’s Game Day, I thought I’d share some knitting games from around the net. Yes, there are knitting games out there. I was surprised when I came across them, but have to admit they’re unique. lol.

BellaOnline’s knitting editor, Marjorie Colletta, put together a great list of knitting related games which you can find here:

http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/216.asp

Games include Hangman, word search, word scramble and a learn to knit quiz. All knitting related, of course.

Also check out:

http://www.funnygames.co.uk/knitting.htm for a knitting game where you can choose a pattern and color.

So, if you’re not especially into the game on tv, you can always play some online.

Have a great day! Stay warm!

Another day of ice and snow…at least it’s not falling from the sky today.  Now it’s just a messy, sloshy, gross kind of vibe when you step outside…sigh. I cannot wait for spring and sunshine.  In the meantime, I’m preferring to hibernate with my yarn & books, in between cleaning and laundry, of course.  Since I didn’t have to work today (yayy), I’ve been working on the Spring Forward top from Creative Knitting magazine. The pattern is easy, so I was able to get a good start on the back while I was watching Hell’s Kitchen last night. You’ll have to excuse the crappy pics…my new camera hasn’t arrived yet so I’m making due with a webcam. ugh. Whatever works, right? lol

I went with Vanna’s Choice in Dusty Purple for this top, which I’m really liking for it’s washability and it is soft for an acrylic. I have put aside my yarn snobbishness for now. The pic is of the back, which I’m hoping to finish up this weekend.

Jocelyn’s sweater is finished. I wasn’t happy with the neckline in the pattern….once I finished it, it wouldn’t fit over her head, so I frogged it and crocheted an edge around the neck line. Much better. She really likes it.  The  sleeves and edge are actually dark pink – for some reason, they’re showing up red in the pic.

I also picked up the Winter/Spring 2009  issue of KnitScene magazine and I’m loving the Audra Crewneck.  I’m planning to order the yarn this weekend for it…it’s Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Chunky, a 75% wool and 25% alpaca blend. Here’s a pic….

Stay warm!

Hope everyone is staying warm today! 25 degrees here in Connecticut with the added bonus of a snow/ice storm tomorrow. I see lots of hot cocoa in my future. My March 2009 issue of Creative Knitting arrived this morning…I love seeing all the spring patterns starting to emerge. While flipping through this issue, nothing really stuck out as something I would really want to cast on anytime soon. This issue seemed to be put together with no imagination or wow factor – sort of humdrum in my opinion. The only pattern that I may want to knit up is the Spring Forward sweater.  I am anxiously awaiting the spring issue of Knitty. In the meantime, I have finished my lacy mock cable rib socks in the Caron country yarn. I love them! I will post a picture as soon as possible – my camera is on the fritz, and I must pick up a new one before the end of the week. I’m very happy with how the socks turned out.

Anyway, I am hoping to bring all of you something that I find “too cool” every Tuesday. (Thus, the blog title Too Cool Tuesday) lol. To kick things off, I have to tell you I was reading through one of my fave knitting magazines and it included a very short blip of an article on the new movie “Coraline” and a woman named Althea Crone. Althea is a knitter of miniatures (i.e. mini sweaters, gloves, etc) and she knitted some items which were worn in the movie by Coraline. Too cool! I really can’t wait to see this movie, based on the book by Neil Gaiman.

Althea hand knits each mini garment on the tiniest of needles. Sometimes I find that knitting socks on dpn’s can resemble wrestling with an octopus..I can’t imagine the patience and talent it takes to knit 1:12 scale gloves.  Browsing her website, www.bugknits.com, you can view the galleries of her amazing work.  There is also a youtube video on the main page which you must watch – very interesting!

Also, visit www.Coraline.com! The website is awesome and contains hidden secrets…shhhh.

I’m off now to finish the dishes and put away laundry…housework can be cool too. lol.

Stay warm!

About a month ago I received my invite to Ravelry.com and I am in love with this site! I can only compare it to being a kid in a candy store ~ so many awesome patterns and people! While I was wandering there today, I stumbled upon my next project…

Bella’s Mittens!

I have read and re-read each book in the Twilight series over and over again, and did see the movie on opening day…I remember commenting to my sister how awesome the mittens were that Kristen Stewart was wearing in the film.

So you can only imagine my reaction to finding the pattern, for FREE no less, on Ravelry! Cue the hootanany. lol. A HUUUGE thank you to subliminalrabbit for re-creating these and writing up the pattern. So much work went into them and they are gorgeous!

I am hoping to get my mock cable rib socks finished by tonight/tomorrow. THEN, I’m alllll about Bella’s Mittens. I’m going to go shop for the yarn right now….so excited!

I can’t wait to knit these and no doubt, I’ll wear them everywhere.

I’m so tired of the cold but wearing these mittens may just be worth it.

Have a great night!

For the pattern, and more, visit www.subliminalrabbit.blogspot.com

First, let me say that I am not a fan of winter. Never have been. I’m an Autumn and Spring girl. Those are by far my most favorite seasons…and I am anticipating Spring like you would not believe! The Flower and Garden show is in just a few weeks at the Convention Center, and I am sooo excited.  I did end up with primroses on my last shopping trip, just to add some springy-ness to my kitchen.  The cold has been not to be believed. Waking up to 3 degree weather is horrific. Did the freezing cold temperatures stop me from shopping? I think not. lol.

On the way home from work, after letting the car warm up for a half hour, I made a pit stop at JoAnn’s (again) to grab more yarn. I am on an it’s-cold-so-I’ll-be-knitting-socks-galore fest, and I’m loving it. I simply cannot just sit and do nothing. My hands need to be creating something, even while watching tv.  I picked up Caron’s Country yarn in charcoal and another skein of Vanna’s Choice in dusty purple for my stash. Mmmmm. Fiber.

Then, I did need something new to peruse, so I  grabbed the new issues of Piecework and Knit Simple magazine and I’ll be subscribing to both since I love them so much. This was my first time reading Piecework and it was their 3rd annual historical knitting issue, where, omg, they included an article on knitting two socks at once on dpn’s. My wrists hurt just thinking about that. lol.

There was also a really great article on Eleanor Roosevelt and her lifelong dedication to knitting. She definitley knit her bit.  After being appointed to the first U.S. delegation to the United Nations,  ‘as the initial procedural squabbles dragged on, she asked if she could take out her knitting; the surprised male delegates agreed’.  lol.

So, I will be subscribing to Piecework.

Speaking of work, here is a pic of Jocelyn’s sweater…the front and the back.  I have since finished the two sleeves since this photo was taken, so I will be finishing it off this weekend. I think the seed stitch blocks in the center look great. The photo is not the best – lighting issues – but it should look pretty cute when it’s all put together.

My pink  socks, as I’m referring to them, are coming along swimmingly. Almost finished with these and am planning to cast on a mock cable sock in the Caron Country I just picked up this weekend.

Hmmm. Somebody is going to need some new pairs of cute shoes to show off all these awesome socks when I’m through. lol.

Since it’s so icy cold out today, I am going to do some shopping at KnitPicks.com and treat myself to some Harmony Wood needles…..they are so pretty in all their colors. sigh.

I’m also going to add more to my stash this weekend, online of course, so I’ll let you all take a peek at my finds in my next post.

Stay warm

&

Go Knit something!

I have a Christmas Wish for all of you….

Here it is….

Peace & Serenity

With all of the rushing, wrapping, baking and festivities going on I wish you all peace, serenity, and a blessed calm; the time to just take a moment to stand in the snow in your hat and wool mittens, watching your breath in the cold air, hearing the silent crunch of your footsteps in the snow and enjoying the scent of the snow. Yes, snow has a scent; it is a crisp, clean scent that brings to mind visions of hot cocoa swimming with marshmallows and warm mittens. I wish each and every one of you a blessed Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!

I will be enjoying Christmas eve at my grandmother’s and then my in-laws, before tucking the kids into bed. I will be up before the sun on Christmas morning, making the annual Christmas pancakes and cocoa.

With only a couple of days to go, I still have much to do. I need to wrap the gifts, which I hope to finish tonight. I need to curl up on the couch with my favorite blanket and warm socks and watch Holiday Inn, which is one of the absolute best movies ever made.

Second only, of course, to White Christmas which I watch religiously each year. I absolutely adore Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney.

I must make snow angels with the kids. We’ve had so much snow here in CT that making a snow angel is a MUST.

Oh, and I have to tell you that I will be baking Macarons!!! Not to be confused with macaroons, macarons are sweet cream/ganache filled French cookies that are chewy and sweet, but so worth the time to make.

When I go to Paris, which will happen when all the kids are grown and out of the house, you will find me sipping tea and enjoying macarons at Laduree.

Laduree is a tea house & bakery in Paris which offers so many kinds of macarons…take a peek!

So, for Christmas I will be baking macarons, anxiously watching for their little ‘feet’ to appear through the oven window. Apparently, if your macarons don’t have ‘feet’ appear while baking they will not turn out right at all.

I especially like the blue ones…so festive. The white chocolate raspberry macarons are on my list first, though. (I adore anything raspberry)

Welcome to my little blog! A blog about me, my family, and my love affair with yarn.  I’ll start by telling you a little about me. My name is Jessica and I live in Connecticut with my husband and 3 children.I work part time in medical billing and claims, run my crocheted sweets shop on Etsy, and am thoroughly in love with knitting. My blog name might have you wondering, so I shall explain. Delina and Louise are the names of my great grandmothers; both were strong, exceptional women who absolutely loved knitting, crocheting, tatting, and sewing. Delina loved to crochet…everything from gorgeous afghans to sweaters…even those toilet tissue covers that look like dolls. I remember sitting in her living room when I was younger, watching the Sound of Music while she crocheted, her basket of yarn next to her feet. Louise loved, loved, loved to crochet granny squares. She would delicately crochet each square, neatly stacking them in little piles on the arm of her chair. When all were complete, she would take time and care in choosing the placement of each square before stitching the afghan together.  My grandmother has one of her afghans on the chair in her den, and I must sit next to it each time I visit.  sigh. So lovely. She also emroidered and tatted like nobody’s business, lol. I have not attempted tatting yet, but it’s on my to do list. So, in honor of both and the inspiration they gave me, I named the blog after them.

It’s snowing here again…..the perfect day to curl up with my knitting. I have been so busy filling orders for the shop the past couple of months that I was absolutely excited (nearly running) to grab my knitting needles. The shop is all crochet, so I have missed knitting like you wouldn’t believe.

My mom and I went to A.C. Moore on Wednesday night, in the midst of finishing christmas shopping, and of course I bought yarn.  I picked up 2 skeins of Patons Stretch Socks yarn in Plum. It is more of a spring color, but I couldn’t resist. Maybe it was all the snow outside that part of me just wanted to look at spring colors. So, I am knitting myself a pair of socks….for spring! I love this yarn; it works up very nicely.  I cast on and here is a pic of one of them in it’s awesome sock goodliness…..I love socks.

I will keep you updated on my progress with these…because I know you love knitted socks as much as I do.

What else….Oh, among my Etsy purchases this Christmas I ordered a second time from Dennis Anderson Soaps. Oh My Goodness, do I LOOOVE this shop!! You absolutely HAVE to visit. www.dennisanderson.etsy.com. My current favorite is the Holiday soap…smells like balsam fir & cinnamon. mmmmm.

He even threw in a Free Pomegranate Lip Balm!!! Love it!

I also cast on a scarf for moi with a skein of Red Heart Cot’n in Plum. I love the color and the yarn is amazing to work with. Very warm, too. I and knitting this one in a simple garter stitch, which looks great with this yarn, and hope to wear this on christmas. We shall see. Once it’s done, I am going to embroider a few small flowers in some vanilla and green shades on the scarf ends.  Keeping it simple.  I will also post a finished photo of this when it’s finished.

The winter issue of Knitty is up! Go take a peek!

www.knitty.com

~ Jess