Wednesday, August 30, 2006

That's it!! I am quiting school. Not only do I not have time to knit, I don't have time to remember the other things I enjoy doing either. I didn't remember to write yesterday until this morning when I realized that it was Wednesday. I thought that adding another 3-credit class to my schedule wouldn't make that big of a difference. Yeah, right!! I haven't even had time to watch a movie and knit once since school started. That's just not right. It's killing me. Here I sit at my desk, surrounded by tons (literally) of yarn and all I can do it look at it and wish I was caressing it gently as I turn it into some divine, luscious, wearable. BOO HOO!

Ok, now that that is off my chest. I really should get back to my homework since I have about 4-6 hours of it left to do.

Happy Knitting! I'm sure some of you are!

Tuesday, August 22, 2006



Well, as you can see I never figured out why my latest pictures didn't post. So I am trying again today to see if they will post. At some point I will figure out what is going on, I hope.

School started Monday, for all of us in my house. The daughter goes to middle school, the youngest - to elementary, and me - college. I am exhausted and it has only been two days. Science degrees are for the young I've about decided. I really love my classes, but at my age I need twice as long to learn a concept as the kids that are half of my age. Why can't we have all year to learn Calculus or Chemistry? Four months just is not enough time for me. And on top of classes, I decided to be a math tutor and teachers assistant. I feel a little frazzled after just getting all of the paperwork filled out. I am hoping that I will adjust to all the work quickly so that I will be able to schedule some very important knitting time. After all, I can't let myself get behind in knitting!!!!!! It's like the most important thing I do all day!

YEAH!!!!!!!My picture came up!!! It was such a gorgeous day! (sigh, sigh). It's not every year that this type of opportunity comes along--mushrooms, gorgeous day, plenty of time to hike in the mountains, and spend time with your family. I fully intend to go up there one more time before it snows to look for mushrooms. Just thinking about going back up there makes me feel all fluffy (a term I use because of my angora rabbit raising background. My angora rabbits were so beautiful and fluffy that to pet them or watch them play made me feel all warm and peaceful inside so "fluffy" became my way to describe that feeling).

I just received a new book (I am so naughty!!! another book? Like I don't have enough already) called Andean Folk Knits. I saw it, or something very similar, a few years ago but never picked it up. However, I finally broke down and bought it. It is very, very good. If you are even remotely interested in anthropology and knitting this is a must-have. Beautiful pictures, facinating lore, great projects. Very distracting! when you are supposed to be working on Christmas presents (that you have already found patterns for and ordered the yarn for). Speaking of yarn for Christmas projects, I also received the yarn for a sweater I am going to make. It is by KnitPicks. I must admit, their "Suri Dream" alpaca blend yarn is a DREAM. I love it. I hate mohair!!!YUCK, YUCK! but I love the fluffy, furry, look that mohair yarns give a project. So..."Suri Dream" is like THE answer to a knitters prayer for something dreamy soft (not scratchy and itchy like mohair), fluffy, and furry. (Besides angora yarn, anyway.)

Oh, look another picture came up!!Yeah! So, the first picture is of my kids and some of the great mushrooms we found and the second is of a perfect bolete! (sigh, sigh). I love mushrooms!

OK, well I have to get back to my 6 hours of homework that needs to be done by morning.

HAPPY KNITTING! and if you are so lucky, HAPPY MUSHROOM HUNTING!

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Well, I don't know why my pictures didn't post, but there appears to be some kind of problem. Stay tuned and I'll see if I can get it figured out.

In the mean time Happy Knitting!! and mushroom hunting!

I had a great weekend!!!! Saturday we went to the mountains for the day. As you can see from the pictures, we found some great mushrooms. We found a lot of mushrooms! We found some we call beefsteak or King boletus, Hawks Wings or Scaley Urchins, and Chanterelles. My son had so much fun. He is a die-hard mushroom hunter. When I said it was time to go and that we didn't need to pick every mushroom in the forest he was very disappointed (we had been hiking for about 4 or 5 hours and I was starting to get a little winded at 9,500 feet elevation). He is getting pretty good at spotting them as we drive down the road too. My daughter didn't find it near as interesting and so she stayed at the lake and fished with her dad.

Just the hike through the forest was worth it even if we hadn't found any mushrooms. It was so beautiful. We also found tons of wild raspberries. It has been several years since we have planned it just right so that we beat the bears, deer, and birds to the berries (I promise! I don't take them all, only two cups or just enough for some jam). If you have never had wild raspberries (and I mean the kind you pick in the mountains yourself, not the things the store calls "wild raspberries") you really should make that a thing to do at some point in your life. It is better than a trip to the Carribean. Trust me!

I am currently making Christmas presents. I am so proud of myself for not waiting until December this year. I might actually finish several gifts in time this year. I have my husbands sweater all knit up, and now all I have to do is sew it (yuck! Sewing is not my favorite part!) I have all of the yarn for the projects, all of the patterns picked out, and high hopes of accomplishing every one of them. I will try to post some pictures as I finish them.

I am also knitting several raglan style t-shirts for myself. So far they are very cute! I can't wait to wear them. My favorite is made from a copper colored silk-wool blend yarn. I love it! Again, I'll post some pictures as I find someone who will take a picture of me in it, as the t-shirts look so much better on.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006


This is what every one thinks of when you say Colorado. I took this the other day (yes, my date is wrong on the picture and so is the time, someday I am going to fix it) when we went up into the mountains to look for mushrooms and fish. It was still too dry for mushrooms (don't know how the fishing went, you'd have to ask hubby about that). I thought for sure it would be wet enough after all the thunder storms we've had the last couple of weeks. I did find raspberries!!! When we got back home that evening the news said that a bear had attacked someone in their tent, right up where we were, earlier that day. He must have been looking for the raspberries I found. He definately would have enjoyed them.

I had a great conversation today in Border's Bookstore with a lady about knitting. She was going to be taking vacation in Europe and wanted some small knitting projects to take along. Of course, I recommended socks. Is there a better small, portable, knitting project out there? I don't think so! I have knit a lot of socks while on vacation and I have found them to be the perfect tavel project. Anyway, I was able to recommend a very good book by Nancy Bush (of course, she is the only other person I know who has knit as many pairs of socks as I have, and her patterns are always well done.). The lady said that she had never made a pair of socks (how can you be a knitter and never made a pair of socks?). I reasured her that if she could make a sweater that she could make socks. I then directed her to several excellent sock yarn sources; local and internet. I am sure Border's was delighted that I was there selling their books for them and not asking for an hourly wage.

It is always so much fun to find someone to talk knitting with. It is one of my most favorite subjects. So, let's talk knitting!!!!! By the way, Joni, I don't have an e-mail address for you so if you read this again put your e-mail address in the comment section and I will get back to you.

I am currently working on some patterns to post on here so stay tuned.
Happy Knitting!!!!!!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

I missed writing yesterday. I have been sick for four days with a cold. Who knew you could get a cold when it is 105 degrees outside? The weather has been a little better the last two days because of clouds and some rain, but I think it has every intention of warming back up just as quickly as it cooled off.

I finished the socks I have been working on for the last couple of months. It always takes a while for me to finish a pair of socks because I have to make five or six other project at the same time or I get very bored. I love that self-patterning sock yarn though! That was a great idea who ever thought that up. I have made probably 50 pairs of socks over the past couple of years since that yarn came out. No, not all for me or even my family, though my husband wishes they were all for him. He swears by his hand knit socks and refuses to wear any other kind.

We have begun the count-down to the first day of school. 17 days including today. Where did the summer go? We started the painful process of school supplies and clothes shopping today. At least my kids agree that shopping early in the morning is a good idea. That way there are a lot less people out. It is still a painful process. I feel like I've been inside a tornado, spinning around and around for hours, when we get done. Especially right now with this stupid cold I've got.

I hope to do some serious knitting soon. My daughter's birthday is coming up and she has picked out several dozen things that she would like for me to make for her. I think the socks I just finished will be a good start since she has been begging for them since I started them.

Well, Happy Knitting!! Until next week.....