Zeneedle...needleart as life

Musings on Not Much

The LYS crawl didn't go so very well, but it started on Friday night not Saturday. On a quick trip to 3 Wishes, to pick up a spindle for someone I have helped into the spinning vortex, I ran into none other that Susan. She and Kristine, the owner, were happy to show off the new rovings from Snake River Fiberworks, a producer Susan likes very much.  I did my best to not be drawn in by the beautiful colors, but the blend of alpaca, silk and merino was just too tempting.  Besides that, it was/is PINK.  After a little more practice I will give this beauty a try. 

As an aside, the spindle in this picture is a Priscilla Gibson-Roberts spindle purchased from Paradise Fibers.  Susan (she is such a great enabler) has one and said it was very good for plying.  I plied up the red merino and found it to be perfect for the job as it spins forever and holds a ton of yarn.

Kristine had many new and beautiful spindles from Greensleeves, too.  They were very small and light, which would be perfect for spinning a fine thread.  It was difficult to walk away, but fortunately I left with only the spindle I had come to buy.

The needlepoint shop where I teach classes is in the same shopping center as the Wool Cabin.  The shop just sold and I stopped in to wish the new owner well and find out when we could start classes again.  She is redecorating, so it might be a month before we can get back to a regular schedule.  The shop will be so much better as the new owner has more energy and inclination to promote the shop and make it a success.  While we were chatting about the new looks she mentioned that the Wool Cabin was closed as they were having new carpet laid.  Ah, well….I didn't need anything anyway.

Off to Black Sheep I headed to put my name of the list for Stephanie's visit on September 8th.  (She'll speak in the Salt Lake Art Center and then return to the shop to sign books.) Once again I was able to get out of the shop without purchasing anything.  It was fun to stop and chat, as it had been awhile since my last visit. There were plenty of yarns and other delights available, but it was nice to realize I had plenty on the needles and plenty more in the stash.   

I haven't found anything to knit for this months Project Spectrum neutral colors.  Lolly suggested September could be clean up month for our PS projects and that's a great idea.  I'm starting in August, however, so I can finish the Manos Cardigan and Jóhö, as they will never be finished otherwise.  They don't deserve to become forever UFOs.  UFOs don't belong in my knitting world and it's time to clean up the excess.  Speaking of   Project Spectrum ....my Post Card pal for June was Amy Artisan and she sent this beautiful card of blue hydrangeas.  If we could grow hydrangeas in Utah I'd have dozens. Thank you Amy!

Knitting In Purple

Scout thought that since so many of us love purple, and this is OUR Project Spectrum month, that we should do something special.  Nothing came to mind right away but, the best thing I could think to do is to KNIT PURPLE!  This month, partly by design, and serendipitously too, there will only be purple yarn on my needles.

The first thing finished this month was a pair of purple socks.  Utah Grrl, Karen gave me some of her hand dyed yarn for my birthday and it was fun to watch the many shades of purple melded with the pattern.  The socks hug my feet tight in the Slipped Stitch Rib pattern from Sensational Socks.  The color reminds me of flowers and sunshine.

As soon as that pair of socks were finished I cast on for another pair, following my self imposed rule to always have a sock on the needles. The new sock is knit with the yarn that Birdsong dyed as my DyeORama pal. She had intended it to be red, but the results were wonderful and I've named the yarn Vintage Victorian. To keep with a theme, I picked the pattern Little Child's Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks.  Between the two books mentioned I could knit socks for years to come and be happy.

After finishing CeCe (did you see Bonne Marie is adding 3/4 sleeves to the pattern!?), I cast on for an Eyelet Cardigan (couldn't find an on-line picture) out of Manos Cotton Stria. This should be a quick knit as the gauge is 18 st. to 4".  The yarn is soft and should be comfortable, but it will surely grow and, perhaps, fuzz up a bit, too.

Occasionally, while at Stitch 'n Bitch, I work on the MDK After Dark Robe.  There isn't much to show except rows of stockinette in a deep eggplant linen yarn. 

And, last but not least, is Jóhö in the Violet yarn from Plain and Fancy Wool Co. Jóhö  is teaching me so much about lace knitting, often more on how NOT to knit lace. The beauty of the yarn will insure her continued growth.

This song has been running through my head.  As an early teen I visited an aunt who had a player piano and many rolls of songs from the 30's and 40's.  This was one of my favorites..

When the deep purple falls over sleepy garden walls
And the stars begin to flicker in the sky
Through the mist of a memory you wander back to me
Breathing my name with a sigh
In the still of the night once again I hold you tight
Though you're gone, your love lives on when moonlight beams
And as long as my heart will beat, lover we'll always meet
Here in my deep purple dreams

Tangled Up in Blue

Blue is one of my favorite colors.  The biggest reason might be because it is the color of the sky on beautiful days. While we were in Southern Utah my eyes were constantly on the lookout for anything blue.  Here is what I discovered.

This is the first time I have been successful in knitting the color of the month for PS, and it happened by chance, not design.  Branching Out (pictured above in progress and on the left finished) was knit on the way down,and completed on the way back from Cedar City. It was a very nice traveling companion and the Elsbeth Lavold's Silky Wool was, as usual, a delight.  It has become one of my favorite yarns to knit (and wear). The picture in the Zen garden is closer to the true color of the yarn.

Dave's fabulous hand dyed yarn is in the process of becoming an Openwork Rib sock from Sensational Socks. In the off chance that you don't already know what a knit nerd I am, I'll confess to putting the sock on the table while I wolf eat lunch just to make googoo eyes look at the colors as they spiral up the leg. The turquoise blue and bright blue are complimented by  barn red and touch of purple.  This project could work nicely next month for Project Spectrum, if need be, but I don't really expect that to happen.

Knitting Langsjal Jóhönnu may be an extreme challenge without any thing else thrown in.  The first edge went smoothly after a rhythm had been established and my fears overcome. Then came the tough part with patterning on both front and back rows.  Three rows in I found a mistake and had to rip back to the last purl row. That turned out to be good in that I was able to see (while tinking) how the stitches formed the pattern and everything fits together. Hopefully it will now move forward with out too many problems but, you can bet, I'll be using a life line. The yarn  from Plain and Fancy Wool Co. will make this effort worthwhile. It is a beautifully dyed, elegantly soft lace weight single, in subtle shades of blue violet. Grayce's booth will be my first stop at the Estes Park Wool Market next week. 

Knitting the blues will make this a very happy month (and so will Estes!).

May PS Meme

There certainly isn't much fiber around this house in the merry month of May's PS color of green.  In fact it is difficult to find anything green in this house. The few items found all were gifts, wonderful, thoughtful gifts and very welcome bits of color in my rather dark home.  The bright green (my favorite green) jar was a gift from Roz, the small Chinese stone pot was a gift from our late friend Thom, and Neena gave us a set of small Japanese bowls. Cara's beautiful flower photo sits with the papers that will become this months Project Spectrum post card.  Jane is my PS pal and it's very exciting to 'know' the person the card will be created for! It's in the works, Jane! All the other greens in this meme are from the great outdoors. 

 
   

Last Saturday many of you guessed that the color I knit with less than any other was orange. While orange isn't a favorite color, it is green that rarely touches my needles. Green just doesn't look good against my skin. The color of the sky is more compelling than the color of the ground.  Since my head is always in the clouds it may influence my feelings on color, eh?   Greens can be wonderful, especially when mixed with other colors. A flower is often more beautiful with foliage around it and many multi-colored yarns are more interesting when a touch of green is added.

A case in point is this beautiful Art Yarn UltraMerino6 sock yarn spied at the Unraveled Sheep last week. It caught my eye with it's subtle coloring of grayed greens and pinks. Doesn't it look like crushed dried roses?  It was hard to walk away from it but, with thoughts of all the sock yarn in the stash, I left it behind. However, the President of the knitting guild was kind enough to give me a gift certificate for services rendered, and so to the rescue I ran. It was just in time, as I got the last two skeins on the shelf.  Some things are meant to be.

It's May, It's May

The last day of April lived up to the well known rhyme "April showers bring May flowers".  We wandered up to breakfast in the canyon but it was pouring rain in the higher elevations and the views were not so good. The hummingbird feeders had been set up on the deck at Silver but, nothing had been sipped away as the birds won't show up for about another month.

At the mouth of the canyon the trees were beginning to leaf and the rain had left a shine on the rugged rocks. The creek has started to rise with the run off peak still weeks away.  We stopped to enjoy the verdant shoreline along Big Cottonwood Creek and the beauty of the cloudy peaks. It was a perfect way to show off May's Project Spectrum color of Green!

Looking up the canyon...

Looking down the canyon and the shoreline greenery.

Nearby peaks with a bit of blue sky and low clouds.

On the drive home this office building at the top of our street commanded attention with its trees bursting with white blossoms and the mountains reflected in the glass.

The merry month of May has started off right with green showing up everywhere and the spring blossoms in full glory.  After writing up this post I headed out to meet the Utah Grrls for High Tea.  More on that fabulous bash soon!

PS and Mother Nature

This month of Project Spectrum colors have been fun to look for as the world is full of yellow and orange flowers.  Flowers are always beautiful no matter the color and such a welcome sight.  However, it is a rare winter when the flowers of spring aren't covered with snow at least once or twice. Luckily I took pictures of the flowers in our neighborhood over the warm weekend.  The miniture white daffodils were so pretty!

Mother nature has a way of teasing us and forcing us to play guessing games. It is difficult to figure out what will happen day to day.  Sunday, as you can see from yeterday's post, was a full of sun and blue skies. But, Monday the snow came early and we had near blizzard conditions on a day that felt more like February.  Tuesday we woke to a winter wonderland.  The poor lilac buds were under a blanket of white.  Good thing spring blossoms are hardy little folk.

Project Spectrum has been instrumental in stimulating the learning of something new.  For some time now I have wanted to make my own greeting cards and just didn't quite know how to go about it.  By making a few trips to a scrap book store and reading a couple of magazines, I  have been able to collect a small supply of necessary items. Each card I make encourages new ideas and another trip to pick up more supplies.  Each month the shop gives a 20% discount off one item so, next month I'll buy a paper cutter. This month I bought a set of chalks. Paper crafting is much more fun, and more creative, than I thought it would be. If  I make enough cards, it will be less expensive than purchaing cards, right?

Many of us feel the 'funk' or have a real sense of ennui about our knitting and, perhaps life in general, as mother nature changes her mind.  Having the likes of four seasons in one day can lead to an unfocused feeling.  We want to play in the garden but, its too early and muddy to plant. The sky is blue one minute and raining, or snowing the next. The warm clothes we don in the morning can't come off fast enough as the afternoon heats up.  Nothing feels right, nothing is enticing...but,  maybe that's the point. It's time to relax and let spring come, as it will, and then we'll know just what to do.  Let's suspend anticipation and desire and just 'be'...just sit back and enjoy mother nature's antics.

Maybe all that we can do
Is to cast on something new
Take time to refocus,
Knit and take care of you. 

The Euroflax robe from MDK is now on my needles....ahhh, that feels good.

My World of Orange

Perhaps I did protest too much that orange isn't a favorite color of mine.  It's true that I never wear it and I'm not drawn to it often in yarn.  It is hard to admit, or acknowledge, that I really did forget the main floor of my house is full of shades of orange (as highlights).  But, let's think this through...orange is rarely just orange, right?

Orange can be rust, terracotta, warm red, salmon or adobe. Yellow can be the color of straw, a flower center or burnished gold.  One hue can be a spectrum of color all on its own.

Project Spectrum Meme for April
Living Room

Rest of House

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Thank you Sue M. for the 'Thank You' postcard which started my April off right!

PS for April in Silver Fork Lodge

The world is full of rich warm hues of orangey goodness and sunny yellows.
Now I need to find a sock pattern to knit up in the yarn Laura dyed (above).

Project Spectrum has been a very fun Along and, while it seems to have little to do with actual knitting, it does help us see more of the bits and pieces of color that make up our lives. Because of embroidery I studied color for years and know the technical terms and aspects. PS makes color more fun and less 'technical', which has made it pure pleasure for me.  My eyes are always on the search for the color of the month. When I saw this yummy yarn on my PS Postcard April Pal, Woolerina's blog, I had to buy it.  It is so bright and happy...perfect for a sunny spring days knitting.

The jonquil's are in full bloom and enjoying the sun (yesterday was beautiful again and we hit 70!-more rain late today).

Be inspired by color and venture to knit with some thing new for you.

The P-Word

After pondering the preferred sock to knit for Project Spectrum in the perfect color pallet yarn, Fire on the Mountain, my preference is Potu...Pomi...Porti...Pormth...Pomatomus. From here on out to be called the P-Word Socks. While I'm not very far along I can tell you this is one fun sock to knit. There are only a few stitches created with each color, so it's like knitting with a riot of color. The pattern is a hoot, too! I'm so lovin' it!

Today will be my last post about Pink and Red for Project Spectrum's first month. Sigh...it's a sad day, as I love both color so much more than the colors for the next two months. Despite that, it will be fun to play with new color and I hope to feel more favorably towards Orange, Yellow and Green by the end of May. (Yes Norma, I do love Typepad's color feature.)

During Saturday's yarn crawl I did buy more PINK sock yarn. Can you stand it? I tried to put it back. I tried very hard, but you know how sticky yarn can be. While it is pink there are some lovely shades of salmon floating around in it, too.  I have yet to knit with Shaeffer Anne and this makes the third 'skank' in my stash.  If I hadn't already crashed on the StashAlong this would have ended it.  It is the only yarn I bought besides plain yarn to dye and the sweater yarn (for which I had enough on my gift certificates).  I wouldn't call that a StashAlong backlash (yet) and I hope there isn't one.  I do have enough yarn to enjoy through the summer. (Please be kind and don't laugh or poke fun, I do mean it...*cough*.)

Another P word is my new purse!  It's a perfect size to carry a knitting project. While decluttering last year I handed over, to a friend who sews, a big bag of fabrics and patterns.  The bag was full of good intentions too but, we know what the road to hell is paved with and I needed to improve my track record.  Carolyn took some of the fabrics and one of the patterns, made a purse (that I had intended to make) and gifted it back to me. (She is a real sweetheart!) The inside has several pockets for tools and enough room for a sock project!  It now holds the P-Word socks.

Judy sent some of her beautiful pure silk hand dyed yarn for me to test. The color is so rich and the yarn so shiny!  I will start knitting with it to see what I think and give her a report.  It had to be included with this post because it is such a fabulous red!

And, just in time for the end of the Pink and Red month, I finished the Child's First Socks. I've knit them three times and still love the pattern. I hope my pal loves them, too.

Child's First Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Hand Jive  Nature's Pallet – Indian Paintbrush
Needles: DPN Bamboo size 1.5
Time to Knit: 2-7-06 – 3-19-06
Knit for: Alison’s SockapalOOOza and Becky’s  Red Hot Sizzling Socks KAL

This post brought to you by the letter 'P' and Project Spectrum.

My Oldest Sweater

This sweater is the main reason I wanted to learn to knit, circa 1974.  The pattern was from a craft magazine published in the 70s that I think it was called American Home Crafts. It was my favorite of all the magazines at the time but, it was short lived.  I knit several sweaters from their pages and still remember each one; however, this is the only one I still have.  I am amazed I can even get it on.  In the 70s I still had a grrlish (maybe boyish would be a better description) body…today you can see I'm a little 'boobilicous'.  The yarn was French and not a natural fiber, with slubs like little rolls of pink and yellow. It was hard to knit, as the plies would separate and bunch up, so it had to be handled delicately. For more detail click here. The fabric was so beautiful that I persevered and also knit a dress of the same yarn, in yellow, for my then 3 year old sister.  (I think it still exists, too and may be in my mother's cedar chest.)  I share my first sweater with you as it is pink, one of the PS colors this month.

My current knit is Cutaway in a brighter pink.  I do love, and have always loved pink but, I'm a big fan of blue, too. (You shouldn't be surprised at all by yesterday's post.)   This yarn is one I bought at Estes Park last year (the LYS, 3 Wishes currently carries it, too). I used the same yarn for Blaze and found it enjoyable that I was moved to buy more.  It's a fingering weight yarn which makes the fabric very loose and soft.  The plain stockinette and the unique shape of the cardigan make a great canvas for some fun embellishments.  The flower idea is from the newest Rowan magazine and a trip to the bead store produced some appropriate beads.  I'm excited about the possibilities.

In nearing the end of my Sockpal socks and have wondered what sock to knit next. When this colorway, Fire on the Mountain by STR, arrived from Regina  I knew the answer. This is the perfect yarn for all the months of Project Spectrum.  Maybe a simple stockinette sock will show off the color best unless you all have a suggestion.

Don't forget to get your answer in for the contest in last Friday's post.

Project Spectrum Projects

Thank you all for your wonderful birthday wishes. Blogland is so full of good people, warm hearts and knitterly love. Tomorrow I'll share with you some of the Fabulous love that came my way.

Knitting several things at once may slow forward progression on any one item but, it produces a lovely phenomenon of several things being finished up in a flurry. Rosarie's photo shoot was on February 26th, Gloria's March 5th, and Seaweed on March 12th.  As the end of any knitting journey nears a bit of obsession sets in and nothing else is touched until the last steps of a project are finished. When last Friday came around I was left with only 2 items on my needles, Cutaway and Child's First Sock (for SockapalOOOza), perfect projects for this months Project Spectrum.

(Oh yes but I forgot, that isn't totally true, as I'm knitting simple, warm hats while at Stitch 'n Bitch, until Easter for '40 Days for Others'.  Hats for the local men's shelter will be my main charity knitting this year.  Susan's Amber hat is easy, quick and with a plain hem it creates extra warmth around the ears.  This one is in Mountain Colors Weavers Wool and it is working up very handsomely.  It seems I am socially inept at knitting more than simple stockinette in a crowd.  I can only KNIT in public.)

I'm enjoying the SockapalOOOza sock as it has been a long time since I've even touched a sock. Deadlines drive me crazy and, while I am good at procrastinating, I don't like to wait until the last minute to finish something. What if something happens and I can fulfill my obligation?  The finished pair can hang around here for awhile until it's time to mail…so a concerted effort has been put into finishing them. I'll share how much fun I'm having with Cutaway (on the right) later next week.

The yarn for my Sockapal is Hand Jive   in a bright pinkish red, Indian Paintbrush.  Last year I knit a pair of socks for both my pal and myself and thought that would be a nice thing to do this year. But when I returned to buy more yarn the color was gone and the shop decided to discontinue it. When  Laurie came to town and she gifted me with two balls of a beautiful Shelridge Farms sock yarn in Cranberry, which was very near the color of my Sockapal socks, so it will become a like pair for me. I will not only remember knitting socks for my pal, while enjoying a weekend of friends but, also Laurie's warm hug and the night we chatted through a delightful dinner to become fast friends, not just blogland buddies.

I pawed through my stash to find yarn the PS colors of pink and red. As you can see there isn't very much red.  The pile on the right is sock yarn and the pile on the left is lace weight.  I'll show my sweater yarns in pink and red later. Red, pink, blue and purple are my favorite colors but, I try to buy sock yarn in colors other than my favorites just to have a chance to play with, and try out, something that may not look good near my face. However, there is an over abundance of color in the purple/red/blue end of the color spectrum in the stash.

Eliza had a contest on her blog a couple of weeks ago and three of us had the right answer.  She made each winner a charming little knitting bag, which is perfect for a sock or other small project (maybe the Mountain Stream Scarf?). My bag is pink inside and a very nice brown on the outside.  I love it! Eliza is having another contest and this time she'll draw a name randomly, so check it out and see how lucky you are.

Clare sent a "yarn collage" for the PS Postcard and she did a nice job of playing with the colors, don't you think?  Have you found more red or pink in your world?

Grrly Grrl With A Twist

How far back in your life do you remember?  I remember a recurring dream I had when I was 3 or 4.  We lived in a very small house that had a tiny living room with a steep, narrow, slightly spiral staircase at one end.  In the dream I stood at the top of the stairs, with a large crown on my head, while wearing rather large bloomers (my goal in life was to become Queen). I would fly down the stairs and walk right up the living room wall.  I walked up the living room wall almost every night, I believe.

When I was 5 my parents bought their first home and I remember visiting the house during the building process.  I have many memories of that house, as our family lived there for 4 years, my first years in school.  Before we moved in my mother had me pick the color of my room, my OWN room and the ceiling light fixture, too.  The color I picked was a bright pink, slightly darker than pepto and the light fixture had cowboys on bucking horses, throwing lassos, etched into the surface.  I was so into Zorro, Roy Rogers and Hop-along Cassidy. (I also had recurring dreams that I WAS Zorro, no National Velvet for me!)  A friend said that my first room is a true picture of my (lifelong) personality….all grrl with a rough edge of a cowboy at heart.

I enjoyed making the Project Spectrum postcard over the weekend and also looked around my house to find what I could in my everyday life that was pink or red.  My house is mostly gray, the furniture black and highlights of color here and there. Not much in the way of bright colors can be found. Laura had a fun post last week of all the red things in her life. So, I'm making this into a meme. What can you find in your home that is red and pink, the PS colors for March?


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(*Thanks Kim for the chocolate!)

If you're in Project Spectrum you are tagged!

Kristi sent the most wonderful prizes for a comment contest I won on her blog. She wrapped all the little goodies in pink and red paper.  Just look at the little lamb with a pink rose on its neck (and she's holding some Bert's Bees lip balm).  It was so much fun to unwrap each item and find out what treasure was inside.  Each piece was hand picked to help me have some fun with Project Spectrum.  There is a scented candle, a little soap purse, tiny pink sticky notes, and a large notebook to keep track of ideas.  I love the "M" stamp and the red stamp pad and also, the can of caramel chocolates so I can munch while I create.  The tiny Zen garden is so fun and unexpected! It's something I've always wanted to have on my desk! It's such a thoughtful and lovely package Kristi!

Kristi has a set of post card templates that might be helpful if you are making a PS Postcard. And she is a sock designer, too so check out her patterns because she's having sale!  Kristi is very talented and creative and she teaches on-line classes.

Think I'll go create and have some fun!

Project Spectrum Begins

A couple of years ago I purchased a book called Landscapes for Small Spaces: Japanese Courtyard Gardens to help me decide what would work in my own courtyard.  One of the gardens in the book had a bright red umbrella that changed a very small courtyard from dark to bright and cheery.  I have long looked for a red  umbrella of my own but, they are either not available or just way out of my price range.  Some how Kim was able to read my desire and when she sent the new header I about fell over!  It was like a dream come true...my own red umbrella.

Yesterday Project Spectrum started and it made the red umbrella more meaningful. Thank you Lolly for such a great idea!  Just as I was bogged down by winters lack of color and knitting on brown Gloria, along comes March and a reason to knit with pink and red!  The planets have aligned and several of my other KnitAlongs will come together nicely with Project Spectrum.

This will be my third sweater for the StashALong and I'm so thrilled to use the beautiful pink alpaca, purchased at Estes Park Wool Market last year, for Bonne Marie's Cutaway. It's the same yarn I used for Blaze and it will become a perfect spring cardigan. The new Rowan magazine gave me some ideas for embellishments, too.  It will be a very Grrly Grrl Cutaway. 

The sock I'm knitting for my SockapalOOOza pal, is a bright pinkish red, which such a happy color.  With Project Spectrum thrown in this one is a 3fer as it will also work for the Red Hot Sizzling Sockalong. The pattern is one that has been seen on many blogs lately, the Child's First Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks. It is nice to have a beautiful sock to knit as there has been a sock drought for a couple of weeks.

I also joined the Project Spectrum Post Card Swap. I have long wanted to make my own greeting cards, so this was just the push I needed. There is a scrap booking store next door to my gym (which is very near my home) and I ventured in for the first time last Saturday.  To say it was mind boggling is an understatement. The walls were full of pictures and colors and racks of paper and trinkets filled the floor.  I walked over to the counter and told the clerk I was a novice and need some help.  Truthfully I just couldn't imagine how any of this could be decoded into a final project but, I had to try. She took me around the store pointing out the way items were sectioned off by events, colors, adhesives, cutters, etc.  Things started to make a little sense. She also gave me a magazine with ideas to help the creative juices start to flow and then left me to wander.  I went up and down each aisle and tried to absorb what I could and look for a place to start.  After I found a pretty pink card stock and a section called 'Spring' the ideas started to flow and I picked through the many bins of cutouts and stickers.  It took about 40 minutes to gather what I needed.  This jumble of color and paper should be a post card for my first pal, Clare.  I'll let you know when it arrives at her door so you can see the finished product.

On Monday this beautiful needle case arrived from Mim. She made it with pieces leftover from a special dress she made. I love the fabric and thought it would be a nice way to start out  Project Spectrum, too.  It's gorgeous Mim! (Click the picture for a peek inside.)

Speaking of Utah Grrl, Mim...another Utah Grrl, Susan has a fun hat in the newest MagKnits.  I test knit a couple of hats from this pattern for her last year and it is such a quick way to knit a hat.  No DPNs needed!

In other knitting news  Gloria is having her first date with a 'needle with an eye' and should be 'coming out' soon.  While the needle has his way with her I am tangled up in Seaweed...it's her time to be finished. Als