Hello everyone!

Happy Sunday!  I am back into my usual knitting routine.  Which is really knitting any chance I get. I am about 75% done with my bodice, which is turning out fabulously.  I am so excited to wear it.  The original pattern also calls for some ribbon at the neckline that you weave in.  I’m actually deciding if I want it or not.  I may try it on and see how it looks. But more likely than not,  I will go ribbon shopping soon.  I think it would make a lovely touch.

In my house, Sunday is chore day.  Hubs and I clean the house every Sunday morning, we call it our Sunday “routine,” I hate cleaning but I like a clean house, so what are you going to do.  Today, I added another item to my chore list.  I washed my hand-knit socks. I have not washed my socks in quite along while and they have been piling up.  I am almost out of hand-knit socks in my drawer.  Many people have many different ways of washing their hand-knit socks.  I know most of my hand-knit socks are knit from superwash merino and I could just throw them into the washer, but all the time I have put into those socks, I prefer to handwash.  My technique is simple.  I put some plain old laundry detergent in the bathroom sink with cold water, throw a few pairs of socks in, let soak for a minute or so and scrub each one.  Just to get the dirt off. Then I rinse, wring, and hang to dry over the shower curtain rod.  I have 7 pairs drying in the guest bathroom now.  Yay for clean socks right before summer.  But knowing me, I will wear them into July.

Socks drying on the shower rod.

In some really happy news, I am a huge fan of Susan B. Anderson’s Blog, A few months ago, to announce the publishing of one of her new patterns, The Ebb Cowl, she had a knit-along on her Ravelry group “Itty Bitty Knits,” so I knit it up. I think I told you about it, here is my Ravelry Page for the Ebb Cowl, I posted it onto the “Itty Bitty Knits” group page, and by random number generator, I won!  Yay!, I was so excited!  I rarely win anything!  I won a skein of Cakewalk Yarns, Footsie Sock yarn in the Colorway “Brooklyn.”  I love it!  It is so soft, this is my first Cakewalk Yarn, but I’m sure won’t be my last.  I think I even know what I am going knit with it.  It is such a pretty hand dyed skein, it demands to become something special.  I can’t wait to get it on the needles.

The Cakewalk Yarn I won!

Ok, well, that all I have for today, maybe I will knit a bit more.

Talk to you all soon.

-Alexis

Hello everyone!

It has been quite a week.  A week of recovery from MDS&W.  I have been resting up, and knitting up a storm.  I have actually picked back up my  Cap-Sleeve blouse and it is coming along nicely.  I haven’t knit on it as much as I have been wanting because I have been so tired this week.  But man, was that trip so worth it!  I got my yarn that I had to mail home on Friday and it was like a got a treasure in the mail.  I got home Friday night and there was this big beautiful box filled with treasure sitting in the entrance way of my house. I was happy.  It is all nicely put away in my stash now, I actually don’t even have room for it all, so I better start knitting.  Or looking for more containers to put it in. More containers sound like a better idea.  My yarn room doubles as the guest bedroom, with all my yarn in the closet, but I could always get an under-bed box to store more yarn in.  Hmmm…..

I am also back to my Monogamous ways, as I have only been working on the Cap-Sleeve blouse.  The sock and scarf are put away, but they are next on my list.

Now, last week when I mentioned that my Maryland experience would be a two parter, I just had a million thoughts going through my brain.  But it really was an amazing trip.  I am so glad I went and so happy of all the friends I made.  I think I will have to recover for a bit though.

However, I really did also enjoy all the other side trips I had in Maryland.  Baltimore was very neat but I really liked Annapolis.  I love how they kept all the colonial architecture. I just walked around the downtown area and shopped and took in the sights.  I also used some valuable information.  When you want to know the good places to eat. Ask a local!  It works every time.  In Annapolis I had dinner at this place on the water called Pusser’s and it was delicious!  Great views and yummy crab cakes.  And in Baltimore, my first day in Maryland, I ate at Pub Burger I think it was called, an English style Pub with delicious burgers you can build, you can even choose your meat.  In honor of my stay, I had lamb.  Both places I heard of because I asked a local.

Annapolis, MD

Ok, speaking of food, I have to make dinner.

I will talk to you all soon.  Happy knitting, traveling and eating!

-Alexis

Hello everyone!  So here I am at BWI Airport sipping a beer, waiting for lunch and my flight home.  I had an AWESOME time. When I decided I wanted to go on this trip 9 months ago, I started saving my money and went on a serious yarn diet. Trying to destash and save my money for this trip.  And MAN was it worth it!  I came away with quite a haul.  I even had to ship my yarn home.

I was a little embarassed but I figure, I came all the way from Oklahoma for this. I better have some fun and walk away with something to show for it.  I got so many great yarns, some I had never even heard of. Some yarns I had always heard about but got my first of.  Like Socks That Rock, Blue Moon Fiber Arts (I know, same thing, but I got Socks That Rock sock yarn and Blue Moon DK single ply for a sweater.)  I also got my first Miss Babs, Cephalpod and Verdent Gryphen.

All the vendors at the festival were great!  The whole thing is really like a giant LYS. Almost all the vendors are small shops, some are even the dyers, and they never get tired of and are truly flattered when you buy their yarn and complement their work.  It’s not hard I must say.  All the yarn I saw and got was absolutely beautiful.

I went to the festival with a list of projects I wanted to buy yarn for, and a serious need of sock yarn.  I am happy to report, I got all my project yarn and then some and LOTS of sock yarn.  I think I’m good for like a year.

If you’ve never been to MDSW the show is HUGE!  It takes up the Howard County Fairgrounds and tons of people come. The festival is free and I hope all of you that did go donated in yellow containers at the entrance to keep it free.  (Shameless plug)  Of course there are also 4-H exhiibits there and sheep from all over, I couldn’t help visiting and taking picutres of the cute little guys. They do grow my obsession after all.  And who can resist fair food.  Yummy Yummy!

In addition to all the yarn I got and all there was to see, I love these festivals because a lot of people do come and I got to meet some great friends that I met on Ravelry and Twitter, a big hello to KnittingKnoobie, BaldguyKnits, Momoffour, and everyone else I forgot to mention.  It was so great meeting and seeing you all!  I hope to see you all again. Another great thing is knitters are everywhere at these things.  When I got back to my hotel on Saturday, there were some ladies knitting by they pool, so of course I went and joined them.  We had never met before, but knitting is such a great way to make new friends, like my new friend from New Jersey, Labraknit.

Ok, I can see this is going to be a 2 or maybe 3-parter.  So I will leave you now and tell you all more wonderful MDS&W stories soon.

-Alexis

Hello everyone!

OMG!  The countdown has begun!  Friday I picked out the projects I want to take with me to knit on my trip and began winding yarn.  I’m taking 4 projects with me to Maryland Sheep and Wool.  Hmm, I may be too tired to knit by the end of the day.  What too tired to knit!?!?!?  Maybe not. Well, I am getting excited.  I also need to make list what I want to buy.  I have it in my head but I know once I get there I will instantly forget in all the excitement.

As for knitting, my cap sleeve blouse is looking nice, much better than before.  However, I have put it down to concentrate on winding yarn for my trip.  I also want to get all these projects cast-on before I go.  So, the blouse will have to wait.

In other news, Hubs and I went to the Festival of the Arts in beautiful Downtown Oklahoma City.  It was held by the Botancal Gardens and in children’s play area I spotted some yarn bombing. Click on my Instagram page to see, also check out the beautiful tulips.  I love tulips.  They are so beautiful and perfect.

Well, that’s all I have today.  I will talk to you all soon and let you know all about the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival.  Stay tuned to Twitter and my Instagram page for picks.  I am Knittingbf on Twitter.

Talk to you soon.

-Alexis

Hello everyone!  Happy Sunday.  It is a bit cool and windy today.  Out bike ride around the lake has been postponed for a less windy day.  I did manage to some gardening and cleaning this morning. Speaking of gardening, love Spring in Oklahoma. One day it is sunny and 70 degrees, the next there is an ice storm.  Or 40 degrees, pouring rain and we are under a tornado watch. Then the next day, its 70 degrees and sunny again.  So because of this, I have moved my container garden inside until the weather is a bit more predictable. The plants seem to be ok with it. They are growing and producing.  I might move them out later in the week.  My husband isn’t to happy, but whatever.

Knitting wise, the other night, I frogged my Capped-Sleeve Blouse and started over.  I have been really tired the past week and there were just too many mistakes.  Probably coming from one mistake that started in the beginning and snow-balling from there.  So I started over Friday night and am being more careful to have better results.  So far I am much happier with it.

I am also getting really excited, in less than two weeks I am going to Maryland Sheep and Wool!  SO EXCITED!!!!!!!  I am going with a shopping list of items I want to shop for (more on that later) and of course will probably buy what ever catches my eye.  Which might be a bad thing and everything so may want to think about practicing a little restraint before I have to buy a another suitcase to get all my yarn home in.  I am also thinking about what I want to bring with me to knit on while I am there. I have a few ideas, and just need to figure out if I have the yarn for it.  Time for more stash diving.  Does anyone else love stash diving as much as I do?  Its like going to an LYS in your own house.

Well, thats all I have for now.  More next week and until then, happy knitting!

-Alexis

Hello everyone,

It is another beautiful yet windy Sunday in Oklahoma City, my container garden is doing  nicely and even spent a few days inside with me during the ice storm we had last week.  The peas and herbs are really sprouting up nicely.

As for knitting, I honestly don’t have a whole lot to report, One row at a time I am coming along on the Paloma Cap-Sleeve blouse.  Last night I separated for the sleeves and am well into the second lace pattern.  Since it is lace, it is kind of one of those projects that really isn’t social knitting.  Better for watching TV with, but you better pay more attention to the knitting than the TV show.  In fact last night at the Knit In at my local LYS, I brought my hexi-puff stuff and got two done.  So Yay! 2 hexi-puffs closer to my quilt.

Well, I better go and put another load in the laundry.  I will talk to you all soon.

-Alexis

Hello Everyone!

What a busy weekend!  Yesterday, Saturday, I went to Target, then to Home Depot to get flowers and plants a put my garden together.  We rent our house so I did a container garden this year, its a small garden right now but I want to add a few more pots of flowers and veggies.  Right now I have 2 tomatoes plants, 3 strawberries, 2 flowers, peas, basil, tarragon, dill and thyme. Maybe some Mesculine greens and arugula.  I also spent a good part of yesterday and some of today weeding.  I feel accomplished now.  Still a little bit left to do but a good majority done.  I just hope I didn’t plant to early and my little plants make it through the forecasted possible severe weather we are supposed to have in the next few days.

In knitting news, on Monday, I started the Paloma cap-sleeve blouse from French Girl Knits by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes. I have had this book in my collection for awhile and had yet to knit anything from it.  About a week or so I promised myself that I would do something from there.  I am knitting the blouse out of Fiberlady Hand Painted Luxury Yarn in the Dusk Colorway. The yarn is actually quite local to me, It was spun and dyed in within a 90 mile radius of where I used to live, I think it was spun in Southern Oklahoma and dyed about 50 miles away in Texas, or the other way around.  Either way, it is quite local and right in my back yard when I bought it as I lived in that region.  Anything local, especially yarn is a great thing.  The color is a beautiful hand dyed dusty blue and really nice to work with.  The pattern however is a bit different.  It’s top-down and in the round and lace.  I like the lace, its making me think.  After doing stockinette for so long on several projects, the lace is a nice change, if a little frustrating at times.

Ok, time for an event announcement, in about 3 weeks, I will be attending the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I am very excited!  Making a list of what I want to buy, but I have a feeling my self-control will bust and I will be in free-for-all mode.  Oh well. YARN!  Also, I have never been to that part of the country, so I am also excited about exploring Baltimore.

Ok, I will talk to you all soon.

Hello everyone! Sorry I am a day late with this, but I have a good excuse.  I was working to finish my latest project so I could show you.  So there!  I have 2 projects to show you again this week.

First of all, last Tuesday at knit group I finished my Wispy Cardi, and then wore it to Easter Mass this Sunday. So warm and soft and COMFORTABLE!!!  Just the kind of cardi I like, I may have to make a few more.  Here is one pic, but you can see a back view on my Ravelry page,

Wispy Cardi – Front

And last night, I finished my Pinky-Purple Eyelet Cable Mitts from the Golden Eyelet Cable  Mitts pattern Cathleen Campbell in Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders, edited by Judith Durant.  It was very quick, only a few days, and it really would have only taken me about 2 days if I had more time this week to devote to it.  Just in time, however, they are done, It is spring and was beautiful warm spring weather all weekend long and then, BAM, its supposed to be in the 40′s tomorrow.  So Yay! I can wear them.  To be honest, however, I have no idea what yarn it is.  I saw it hanging out in my stash, it had already been wound, but had lost the tag.  I think its Malabrigo, for sure sock yarn and wool.  It is a beautiful pink, hot pink, gray, purple and makes great color variation on the mitts.

Pinky-Purple Eyelet Cable Mitts

Ok, I’m itching, because I finished the mitts last night, I currently have nothing on the needles, I don’t even know what I am going to do.  I have an idea, but no real solution yet.    So I better go fix that.  I will talk to you all soon and let you know what I come up with to relieve this itch.

-Alexis

Hello everyone!

It is cold outside. It’s March and COLD!  Last week, I was getting a suntan in the backyard and today and it is COLD!  It’s supposed to be getting warmer.  What’s going on?

Well, at lease this cold weather is giving me time to knit more.  I am steadily working away at the Wispy Cardi, I am almost done, I’m on the last section, the bottom, about 6 more inches of stockinette and 1 and-a-half inches of rib and then DONE!  I could even get it done today if I wanted to.

I got the buttons in the other day for the Garter Yoke Cardi, I need to get some gray thread to sew them on.  Bahhhah,  Maybe I will bundle up  and venture out this afternoon.    seriously, the high today is supposed to be 43 and its windy!  Hmm, maybe I will, I can wear my Side Slip Cloche, by Laura Irwin from the book Boutique Knits.  Ok, I should rename this post Shameless pattern namedropping.  But I just want to give credit where credit is due.  In other knitting in the wild news, Hubs and I went Urban Exploring yesterday to look a bunch of antique stores and I wore my Ebb Cowl,  by Susan B. Anderson it was so warm in the cold day and quite stylish to boot and the bright Madelinetosh Vermillion was really brightening up the cloudy day.  We had a great time antique hunting and urban exploring. I have been around a bunch of the city lately as it gives me something to do during the day, but he hadn’t so it was fun showing him around. We also some great things. We were hunting for something specific and didn’t find it. Oh well, we aren’t in a hurry and when we find it, we will find it.

Ok, time for lunch and then, maybe I will don my cloche and go get some thread.

Talk to you all soon!

-Alexis

Hello everyone!

Just a quick note to say hi!

Well, with all the FO’s I told you about last week, I only have my one WIP to tell you about this week.

I am now working on the Wispy Cardi by Hanna Fettig, I love this cardi, it is knit in sock yarn, so it is a super light weight cardi, and short. It hits right about at the waist.  Its also knit in pieces, with the sleeves and back knit like a bolero and then you do the mid and lower back, then the collar, I am doing the first part now. I am knitting this out of Cascade Yarns Heritage in Sock Yarn. The color way is a light off-white.  It is very pretty.

Other than that the weather here has been interesting. Friday and Saturday it was gorgeous!  Friday I went out shopping and had lunch and exploring in Midtown Oklahoma City and the Paseo Arts District, outside, it was over 80 degrees, how could you not be outside!  I had lunch outside and even got some sun on my shoulder. Yesterday (Saturday)  was also nice, high 70′s, low 80′s.  Hub’s and I ran some errands and went for a walk around the lake, then I sat outside in our back yard, soaking up the sun and reading gardening magazines and planning my garden.  Today, its cloudy and cold.  We had the AC on for 2 days and today we had to turn to heat back on.

Ok, thats it.  I told you it would be just a quick note to say hi.

I am going to rustle up some dinner and do my nails.  I will talk to you soon.

Have a great week everybody.

-Alexis