Quick Update

Hi everyone!  I am so excited with my completed sock I had to share it with people who would truly understand!!! LOL

Here is the completed sock for my hubby:


It's pretty good, right?  For the first one, anyway!  I can't wait to finish up the pair so I can make a pair for myself!!!

Oh, and I tried a new pattern the FPK Felted Slippers and am waiting for them to dry so I can swe on the buttons and wear them!


Do you like?

HAPPY KNITTING!!!

Justine

a new addiction?

Hi everyone!  Well this week has left me with a cold, time off from work, a sore bottom (I'll explain in a bit) and a new addiction!  Where do I start?  OK.  Monday was a holiday from school and a friend from college invited me to her knitting group at a delicious coffee shop in Warren (mmmmmmmm peppermint tea- out of the CUTEST little tea pot... so adorable!).  I went to learn how to knit socks... I have been dying to try them out, but got scared!  So, I go to the group and low and behold- A NEW ADDICTION IS STARTED!!!  I LOVE it.  I decided to try Basic Ribbed Socks for Men by Kate Atherley.  This is my first time with dpns- with yarn soooo tiny- and knitting in the round!  And I cannot stop!  I took this picture on Tuesday afternoon, but last night I already worked on the gusset (and I know what that is, too!!!!) and I will take another picture this afternoon!

Tuesday came and a terrible cold came with it.  When I left school to go to another building, I fell in the parking lot (hence the sore bottom).  Needless to say, I took Wednesday off from school to ice my back and blow my nose... and slept almost all day!  When I started to feel a bit better, I knit in the evening and actually got a lot done.

I had felted some leashes over the weekend and was able to post them on Etsy.  Here are some before and after pictures of the newest leashes:
BEFORE:


AFTER:


I am so thrilled to have so many projects getting completed.  Remember the cabled blanket?   Well, I finished off another skein of yarn over the weekend, too:


I hope to finish the sock by tomorrow and start the other IMMEDIATELY!!  Then, on to more washcloths and continuing with the blanket.  I really need more finished works...  so I can start more socks!!!

Oh boy, what did I get myself into?

HAPPY KNITTING EVERYONE!!!!

NOOOOO SCHOOL!!!

After spending 5 years teaching music at a public school in Massachusetts, there are several things I know for sure:

1. Kindergarten students are VERY funny -  and sometimes wise - one once told me that though airplanes and cars are very dangerous, more people die from coconuts to the head each year than crashes. 
2. There is always one student listening, even when you don't want them to be.   One of my hearing impaired students wears a listening device... I always need a post it to remind myself "she can hear you!!!"
3. Summers are very important!

But the thing I am most certain about, is that though we all remember how much we loved snow days as kids (or maybe some might see how much their kids love snow days now...) the people who love snow days most of all are the teachers.  Who would have thought that when we were wishing and hoping for snow to cancel school, that our teachers were praying JUST as hard!?!?!  Well, all the prayers of my colleagues and I have worked!  There is NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!!!!

And my plan for the day? Well to knit of course!  My hubby, puppy and I will snuggle and keep warm while the estimated 16 inches of fluffy white stuff falls down around our little home.  And I cannot wait!  I hope all of you have a great Wednesday!

Sidetracked... but productive

Well, the weekend is here and I was able to get some things accomplished on my TO DO List...  I finished the green set of wash cloths and finally assembled and photographed the candy colored set of wash cloths.  Hit a bump with the FPK Slippers... I did not have enough of the yarn I started with so I've got a new plan...  I will make the sides and strap in a deep purple and keep the soles (what I've already finished) in the charcoal.  I need to find some great buttons; anyone out there have any advice?

But, the most exciting thing of all is I finally was able to consolidate all my knitting things, clean out a space in our spare room, and make a knitting nook!  I am sooooooooo excited!  Things seem cleaner, more organized and a lot more functional.  I turned a small corner of our guest bedroom into my own space.  I just hope the guests wont mind!!!

Before:

 

And now the finished work!!!

I could not be any happier!  So, though my original plan for the day was going to be a lot more knitting, this new space makes me excited about future projects... plus I have a lot of new TO DO Lists to make at that desk!

Happy Knitting!

To Do

I have always been organized.  well, not just organized... a bit compulsive.  I like things to be done right, I like thing to be color coded (really), I like tabs in binders (they make me happy), I love highlighters and colored sharpies, I live for post it notes and I really like TO DO lists... I have a lot of them!  I am a music teacher and I have over 300 students that I see weekly.  I teach kindergarten through eighth grade... and in order to keep my sanity, to do lists are a must.  I have a multiple colored pads in my desk at work, and nothing is more satisfying then finishing the final thing in order to start a new list!

So here I am on January 7, 2011 and I realize that I need a TO DO list for my knitting projects... how could it really be that 7 days into this new year, and I still don't have one?!?!?!  How will I ever finish all these WIP without a list?!?!?!  So here goes...

TO DO List No. 1 of 2011

• Finish wash cloths (buy new green yarn to do so), photograph, and list
• Photograph and list candy colored wash cloths
• Finish knitting FPK Slipper...  FOR ME!!! and assemble, felt, and wear!!!!
• Finish Cabled Blanket...  probably will still be on To Do List No. 1 of 2012!!!
• Leashes... I've got to assemble 6 new ones, felt them, photograph them, and list them...  I need to photograph them  better than these first ones... the picture doesn't do them any justice that I posted already... any suggestions?  Maya would not cooperate so I couldn't even get one in use!!!

Well, I guess that's my first list of 2011... I plan to start each month with a new one... hopefully all of these items will be long done!  (Except the blanket... I always seem to put it on hold.)

So, are any of my "readers" list makers too?  There must be somebody out there!  Hey, maybe I might get a follower soon! ;o)

Happy Knitting, everyone!

1.1.11

Happy New Year!!!  Wow, 2011.  I hope you all were able to spend some time with your families and friends during these past few weeks.  I have enjoyed traveling to visit family for the last week and it has been wonderful.  But, I am glad to be home now to enjoy some R & R with hubby and Maya.  We went to visit family in NJ in time for the snow...

Then went to New Hampshire for some skiing...

 

Now, we're home and looking forward to enjoying the last day of vacation tomorrow.  

Oh, and the knitting...  

• I finished one leash- I need to assemble and felt 7 or so of them and post them to Etsy, but until the new ones are done, check these out: JMacKnits 
• I'm working on some new things to sell and am very excited to post them ASAP.  
• I'm still working on my cabled blanket... I bet it'll be FOREVER befor I finish it!

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend and may 2011 be a happy and healthy one for you all!

Happy Knitting!

Justine