In the end is a beginning

Here at Snarled Yarns we have ended the easy knitting phase and begun the complicated knitting phase. Yes we have started the lace and it is lovely! We are addicted, no longer will we be knitting plain stockinette or garter stitch, no more ribbing, no more...Anything that doesn't include a yarnover, fine yarn and small needles. ( and plenty of stitch markers. ) No more hats scarves or baby blankets. Just the obligatory sweater, mittens, hats, scarves WAIT a minute! You can put lace anywhere so I guess I will STILL be making scarves, hats baby, blankets....
(SIGH)
I have made some forays into dropped stitch knitting, I would like to say that after years of keeping stitches On the needle Here I am pushing them off on purpose! You know how weird that is? (yes I'm sure you do) Well as soon as I get used to it I will be ok but for now...
On the puppy news, we are huge! Paws, appetite and all! Photos later.
Gotta go, tiny needles are calling me...
Toodles!

Victory! Of a sort...

Lace knitting you are about to be conquered! I have found a nice simple lace pattern. It has a 2 row repeat. (yeah, couldn't be more simple) It's pretty... and still takes more concentration than anything else I have knit before. I have even managed to get it right and knit 1 inch of it. There is a natural picoting of the edge. The yarn is called Silky Tweed, a blend of wool and silk bought at Mangelsons, our local craft store extrodinaire. I've been drooling over this yarn for months! I mean since last fall. So I bought some in a medium purple and then when I returned the clients finished baby afgahn, and got paid, I bought 2 more hanks in the autumn red. The lace pattern is called Arches and Columns, from Crystal Palace yarns. Photo's will come when there is more to show.
Speaking of more to show.. The latest member of our family has grown he was weighed today at
5 lbs 2 oz. Here is a photo taken Thursday.

Same size 10 Nike! Dog is now twice the length.
The baby blanket has 1/2 it's ends woven in and will be Done Done shortly. (Hurrah for Me!)
Well, the knitting calls.. the puppy howls...
Keep on keeping on.
Toodles!

The Baby Blanket that was!

Ok ladies and gents, the blanket is on it's last step. The dreaded, the monotonous, the really important cause if you screw it up it will haunt you forever... Weaving in the ends! Other wise known as finishing. But I do have to say that next time: I will count my rows. I will block all my pieces before seaming. Those came out much better than the ones that were not blocked first but seamed anyway. I will use a 3 needle bind off, and consistently slip my first stitches.
I Am Proud of myself though, it turned out better than I expected, only one real complaint. I'm not sure I should even point it out. My next project is a sweater for Christine (mindless knitting) and I think I will start on that diamond lace pattern in the Brown Sheep Wildfoote Sock yarn. (attention knitting) It's snowing outside like a blizzard, but it's too warm to stick. It's so pretty that it puts me in mind of the snow drop shawl from the Yarnharlot blog. I am not up to that yet. Oh look the snow slowed down...
Now for all you visual types, a photo


Of the puppy at 6 weeks. You cannot see all his markings, but he is definitely a rot chow lab mix. He seems to be taking after the chow in size, paws and the wrinkles on his nose. His ears, eye, and chest markings are rottweiler, and the rest is all lab. Isn't he so cute? That is a size 10 Nike next to him for a size refrence. At that time he weighed 3 lbs 4 oz.
now he is 4 lbs 13 oz. It's been a week.

Next is the blanket that was.. A bunch of pieces last week


(the little pink things next to it are my Hubbies feet. They're kinda cute too!)
Got to run. Keep it cool..
Toodles

In today's news...

To keep you up to date, here's the scoop: I finished the clients piece, started spinning some acrylic yarn for the Battered Women's Shelter, (gold and shiny) and have I mentioned that all the squares for the baby blanket are knitted? Of course I did, The pressure is making me spin. (pun intended) The pressure of binding together 12 squares to make a checkered patterned baby blanket. Wow.
News flash: The knitting meeting was tonight, but I didn't go, instead preferring to play with my new... Puppy! He is soo Cute! and his name reflects that. He was named The Cuteness, after the dog in the movie Master of Disguise. He is black with white tips on his paws and points on his eyebrows and chest. He is as smart as a whip and as loud as... OMG you don't want to know how loud. Lets just say Ear plugs Please!
Now, back to crafting: The teen finished her hat on the knitting loom, my 7 year old started another one on hers. My adult students are progressing wonderfully, (Of course, under my guidance they could do naught else!)
Well that's all for tonight's live at ____ (insert time here), See you next time on Snarled yarns. Be safe, be creative, and "Be Excellent to one another!"
Toodles!

Is it over yet?

Ok, I know there are those of you who really enjoy the holidays. (and more power to you) But I for one cannot wait for them to be over! Holidays are great in spots but they seriously cut into the craft time. Not to mention they signal the fact that I have to count inventory and then compute taxes... Soon. YUCK! Any way, The Tuesday Knit meeting at Joannes in Bellevue went well last night. I got a Very good start on my clients baby afghan, got to see all my knitster girls and meet and warp a few new knitters! Ahh that glowing of the eyes, clicking of the needles , the intense concentration and finally the exclamation " I got it!" Gets me everytime. That's payment enough for me.
On the subject of the never ending baby blanket, we are done making squares, I've ironed 8 out of 12 and am ready to do a 3 needle bind off to put it together. (That will work right? It better, I have a lot of time and hope put in this, like I hope I don't mess it up while putting it together!) Oh yeah and I bought blocking wires! This is wild, I haven't used them but they should be wicked! If you want a set of your own go to Personal Threads. I'm sure the others carry them, but that's where I got mine.
Well I'm listening to MJ and a good song is on, so ...
Toodles!