Found a Great Site

I just found this Etsy shop with some great handmade crochet items and also some neat patterns. I just ordered patterns for the fingerless gloves, Fisherman's cowl and Cabled Bobble Clutch. She's having a 1-year anniversary contest mentioned on her blogsite so if you'd like, take a peek and see some real unique items.

Time is Flying By

I don't know about you, but it seems like time is flying by so rapidly and I'm not getting anything done. Just think, Thanksgiving in a couple weeks and then Christmas will be here. I've been busy with Treasurer duties for our church - which includes taking care of the money for our recent Bazaar (at which I sold 45 dishcloths), and now we're selling nuts for a money-maker for our Women's Group. Also have hosted Couples Bunco and Ladies Bunco at the clubhouse where we live, as well as hosted coffee-hour fellowship today at church. I'm tired of baking!!!!

As for knitting, I'm not doing so well on the top-down raglan sweater for my granddaughter. I started out fine, but am having a problem now with the increases at the raglan seam - can't figure out what I"m doing wrong and may have to frog it all the way back and start over. I did get the mittens figured out and am working on them. I'm also trying to get a set of 6 dishcloths finished to give to my son-in-law's cousin who has invited us to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. Each cloth has a different design and they're smaller than others I've made, so I think I'll get them all completed.
I start a "socks on circular needle" class next Sunday afternoon for 3 classes. Looking forward to that, as I've only made them on dpn's and that was several years ago(5 maybe) and I remember not liking them so well. So hopefully this goes okay.
"Turkey Dinner"
"Pilgrim Hat"
"Leaf"
"Turkey"
"Cornucioua"
"Scarecrow"
"Wrapped for Gift"

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL FALL

I don't know about where you are, but we've been having the most colorful Fall I've seen in years. It's a pleasure to drive around and see the reds and yellows so vivid. Attached is a picture of some of the colors in our yard - I've never seen such brilliant colors. Particularly the strawberries we have planted in a terra cotta "strawberry planter". The leaves are huge and red.

I'm getting frustrated knitting the "Elegant & Easy Cable Mittens" in the "One Skein Wonders" book. Nearly everyone in the class is having problems following the directions, so it's not only me. I think my cable is running up the side of my hand rather than the middle of the back. I'll have to open up the thumb and try it on to find out for sure - if this is the case, I think these will soon becoming socks! There are a lot of fingerless glove patterns out there also, maybe I'll find one with directions that are easier to follow.

Time to Update

Wanted to comment on the recent Holiday Bazaar at our church. I made 40+ dishcloths - each one a different pattern and was able to sell 35 of them - with all the money going to help hurricane victims.
Just got home yesterday from a visit for 6 days to Pittsburgh to visit daughter, son-in-law and their two children. Had a great time and what a beautiful area. Historical houses, brick streets, and lots to see.
As soon as we got home, I dropped hubby at home and went to my LYS for the 2nd and final class on top down sleeveless raglan sweater. I'm making a size 6 for a grandaughter's Christmas gift. Well, I found out I didn't read the pattern properly: "repeat rows 1 and 2 20 times", means you should have 40 rows. Well I only did 20 before dividing off for the sleeves. When starting to do the sleeves I thought they were awfully small and instructor pointed out my error, so know it's a little "froggin" time back a little ways. Oh well, guess that's how I'll learn not to do it again.
Tomorrow it's time to do catch up laundry and work on the sweater some more.

I'm Outside My Box!!

As I said in an earlier blog, I've been a rut with my knitting - but I've broken loose. I'm taking a top-down raglan no-seam sweater class at my local Pacific Fabrics store and having a ball. This will be for my 6-yr. old granddaughter - that is if all goes well at the next class. What fun to be finally making a garment.

I've also got "on-needles" a heavily-ribbed scarf for the homeless and will do a 2nd one when done with that, and still have 5 or 6 rows to finish on my beautiful shawl.

This month's KAL at Pacific Fabrics is a pair of Mittens knitted on dp's, but I want to them on circulars and am having trouble getting the needles apart enough to make the join. I'll work on it some more when I'm calm instead of frustated and maybe I'll get it going.

Off to spend the next two days at our church holiday bazaar - hope we sell a lot of things. I contributed about 40 dish/face cloths that always go over real well.

FO's - Finally!

Finished up a couple projects today. The Lacy Beanie hat was a KAL project for September at my LYS Pacific Fabrics. It's made with Therapi - a beautiful and soft yarn. Had a few problems - such as purled a couple of rows instead of continuing in the lace pattern. So I just made that a part of the pattern, and instead of 5 lace rows, I only did 3 with some purl rows in between. It's called being too lazy to undo umpteen rows and start again.

The 2 face cloths are a wonderful pattern from PoopsheBear's blog. I'm working on the face towel to go with this set. It'll make a great item for an upcoming Holiday Bazaar at our church.

Sunday - Catch Up Time

After getting home from church today, I ran out to Jo-Ann's to buy stuff for two theme baskets I am making for our upcoming church bazaar. Have to have them all done by this weekend (nothing like waiting until the last minute). One of them will be a "spa" basket and one a "kitchen" basket. I'll load pictures when they're completed. Have been working on knitting the 3-Diamond face cloths and towels for the spa basket. Also have my "LaLa's Simple Shawl" waiting for some knitting fingers to finish it up. I'm taking a "No Seam Sweater" class at Pacific Fabrics in a week. Looks like we're making a toddler size, and I'm so looking forward to it. I'll be attending the first class, then the 2nd and last class will be after we return from Pittsburgh visiting our kids and grandkids. Though I'm retired, I don't understand where my time goes. I was trying to squeeze in 9 holes of golf next week, but no can do, and with the weather here in the Pacific Northwest, maybe our ladies group won't get to play until next Spring. I'm not like my husband - he golfs year around - rain, cold, whatever doesn't stop him and his group. Well, I've rambled enough and need to get to knitting.