Squares, Squares and more Squares - Two more to Go

I have been busy knitting comfortghan squares for my dishcloth group. I need to get 12 done before the end of the year. I feel better because I only have two more to go.

I finished 2 in the Seven Inch Square using Red Heart Supersaver in Cornmeal with 7 inch needles.

I did 2 in the Seven Inch Square using Red Heart Supersaver in Woodsy with 7 inch needles.

I also completed 2 in the Basket Welt Square using Red Heart Supersaver in Woodsy with 8 inch needles.

So now I have to pick out another color yarn and a pattern (or maybe I will just use one of the two patterns above) and get them completed by the end of this week. I shouldn't have any problem doing that. At least I hope not. I still have to block the squares I have completed and will also work on that this week. Maybe early next week, I can mail them off. Keep your fingers crossed.

My Thanksgiving Day was very nice. We went to my brother's for dinner. My niece and her new fiance were there. Yes, she is planning a wedding for sometime next October or November. How exciting.

I picked up more yarn recently. I had to get Vesper Sock yarn in Christmas colors. So I got Candy Swirl and Merry Christmas. I may have to wait until after Christmas to knit these up.

I also got some Malbrigo worsted yarn in Stonechat to make a sweater. I love the new Malabrigo knitting book and saw the sweater there. I just had to make it.

I was also intrigued by Polar Knit yarn. Loopy Ewe is carrying it, so I got 2 skeins in Deep Red to make mittens.

Off to plan on the last two comfortghan squares so I can be finished with this project and goal.

Read, Read, Read to Make a Year End Goal

The end of the year is fast approaching and I am getting closer to my goal of reading 65 books before the year is finished. The most recent books I have read are:

Stand in Wife by Debbie Macomber

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger

8 Sandpiper Way by Debbie Macomber

Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux

Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs

Why Women should rule the world by Dee Dee Myers

Dockside by Susan Wiggs (I love this series by Susan)

A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber

The Funny Thing Is by Ellen Degeneres

Foreign Body by Robin Cook

Fleece Navidad by Maggie Sefton

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison

Return to Promise by Debbie Macomber

Mail Order Bride by Debbie Macomber

I love books and I love to read. I recently decided to purchase a Kindle (ebook reader) from Amazon.

I didn't know if I was going to like it because it's different from a book, but I love it. It's nice because you can increase the size of the text and you can store books on it (saves paper and space). I also think that I read faster using it (it may just be my perception, but I did talk to a few other people who have one and they feel the same way). You can bookmark pages and highlight passages. I have read two books on the Kindle. They are:

One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell and Pieces of My Heart by Robert Wagner

This brings me to a total of 61 books for 2008. I only have 4 more to read to reach my goal and we aren't at the end of November yet. So, I think I have a good chance of making my goal (as long as I don't get too side tracked by knitting).

I did get some sock club yarn this month. Socks that Rock sent a medium weight skein of Muddy Autumn Rainbow. I love the colors!

I also got my first skein of yarn from the Color Coop by Unique Sheep. The yarn is fingering weight superwash merino by Tactile Fiber Arts. I like the color and the softness of the yarn.

And, this wasn't from a yarn club, but I got a washcloth kit from the Unique Sheep that includes a skein of their Pima Petite cotton yarn in the Brilliant Blue colorway. It also includes a bar of soap and a pattern for the Sheepy Washcloth and Soap Sack Set. Can't wait to knit up the pattern.

Well, off to knit or ........ maybe read!

Time Flies when you are having....fun?

I can't believe that it' over a week since I posted. The holidays are just sneaking up so fast. I got some decorating done for Christmas and I am ready for Thanksgiving. But, I have been knitting.

I started another sock using Yarn Chef's Bouillabaisse yarn in the Moldy Jack-O-Lanterns colorway. I really love the yarn. It is very soft and I like how it's striping. I am back to using double points for this sock with a basic sock pattern and size 1-1/2 needles. I was lazy and wanted something easy.

I also knit up two 10 by 10 squares for a surprise afghan for a member in one of my Yahoo groups. I used the Belt Welt Square pattern by Mary Dixon and adjusted it for a larger size. I used size 8 needles in Red Heart Supersaver yarn with the Cornmeal colorway and knit another in the Woodsy colorway.

I liked this pattern so much that I did two 7 by 7 inch comfortghan squares for another Yahoo group. I am committed to 24 squares by the end of the year and I have not knit 16. Eight more to go. Will I make it? I knit two in the Cornmeal colorway and will do two in Woodsy.

I finished the November Mid Month KAL in my Dishcloth group. The pattern is the Candy Cane Illusion Cloth. I used size 6 needles with Peaches and Creme in Red and White. This was a fun knit.

I was listening to the Webs podcast and they are starting a KAL for a scarf. I checked out the pattern and liked it so I checked my stash and found Noro Silk Garden in the colorways 201 and 205. With a size 10 needle I cast on for the Inside Outside Scarf. The pattern is from the book Knit One Below by Elise Duvekot. The scarf stripes vertically instead of horizontally because you knit in the stitch below. The pattern is free at this site. I am enjoying knitting this scarf.

Time is flying by too quickly. Soon it will be Christmas. Yikes, I better get moving!

My Pocketbook is Hurting!

I have been knitting, but mostly dishcloth or squares for afghans.  I have to get 12 squares finished for one Yahoo group I belong to before the end of the year.  I am currently working on my third square, so I have to get knitting.  For another group, I have two squares to make.  They are finished and I blocked them.  I just have to take pictures and mail them off to the person who is putting the squares together.

I did finish the November Dishcloth KAL.  It is called Native American by Lisa Millan.  I used Peaches and Creme in Army Tan with a Size 6 needle.  I think it came out pretty well.

I have been buying yarn.  From the Loopy Ewe I got sock yarn from Zen String.  It's Lotus Toes and Loopy Legends.  I just love this yarn and I'm glad I got some.  From left to right:  Lotus toes in Bart & Louise in the Garden, Stephen, Loopy Legends in Lauries Carolina Morning, Michelles Pretty Pink Cactus, and Ronnis Jewel Box.  Aren't they great colors?

From the Loopy Ewe, I also got The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga in the colorway Periodical Cicada, Eidos sock in Cleitophen, Claudia Handpaints in Antique Jeans and Eat Your Veggies.

Of course I had to get the Malabrigo Sock yarn from the Loopy Ewe.  I got Malabrigo Lace in Natural and Malabrigo Sock in Tiziano Red and Cote D'Azure.

The Loopy Ewe is hurting my pocketbook!

Vote Today!

Thank God it's Election Day. I will be so glad it is over. I am so sick of the phone calls, the junk mail, and the TV commentators. It's as if they know who the winner is so why should we vote? I know there is free speech in this country, but they over analyze everything and I believe that they make things worse.

Back to knitting....... I finished the Sereknity socks I was working on. They were a fun knit. I used size 2 needles with a basic sock pattern. The colorway is Vineyard. I finished them just in the nick of time for the end of Socktoberfest 2008.

I also completed a dishcloth called Spooky Pumpkin Face by Rachel van Schie. I saw this on another blog and knew I had to have the pattern to knit it. I really am not fond of the seed or moss stitch, but it was too cute to pass up.

I'm currently working on afghan squares for some knitting groups I belong to and I am trying to finish up some projects that I started awhile ago. Next up is the sweater I started a number of years ago. I am determined to finish this so I can start a new sweater.

I still have my cold, but I found the perfect solution. I used the neti pot. I saw this on Oprah awhile ago when Doctor Oz was on the show and bought it, but was chicken to use it. I finally couldn't stand it and got it out a couple of days ago. What a great invention. It wasn't bad to use at all. You can find more information on it at this web site.

It's been awhile since I posted a picture of Maggie. She loves playing with a ball, so I had to buy her a football. She just loves it can't you tell?