AFTERNOON WALKS (POST IS PHOTO HEAVY)

The Lake


















Ibis

Mama Duck and Ducklings Oak with Spanish Moss

Staghorn

Poinciana Flowers & Tree

Fuzzy Bush



Every afternoon or at least every other afternoon, I try to walk around the lake that is close to my home. There's an asphalt path around it and it's community property so that everyone can enjoy. I took some pics of some trees, plants and wildlife (if they can be called that) that live around the lake. The orange blooming tree is a poinciana tree (native), I took a close up of the flower which I think is really beautiful, and tropical. The bush with the red fuzzy things I don't really know what it's called but I thought it was neat, then there's the giant stag horn on the ficus tree, the oak tree (not indigenous) with the wonderful Spanish moss also not native. The mama duck and ducklings, and the white birds with long beaks are white ibis, they stick their long beaks int the water's shore and eat the bugs and small fish, they're neat to watch for a while. Then there's the shot of the lake with the backyards that face it, the lake is about 1 mile around and I walk 3 to 4 laps not much but in 98 degrees its a task, I enjoy it better in the winter when is 60-70 degrees or lower.

Now for some Knitting News:

I have been (gulp) needle knitting for four days actually evenings and I really am liking it, will I give up my looms na, but I can see some potential wandering hehe. The pics are of the jean vest, I consider, I got for a steal and the sleeve I'm knitting for it. the last pic is of my sleeve stretched out for you to see the detail of which there's a mistake I need to correct. Once I get past my elbow I'll need to learn to decrease and then I'll need a rib stitch for the cuff.

Knitting Updates

Not too long ago someone (and I forget who, I'm sorry if you read my blog please let me know it's you) posted on the boardknitter group a project that consisted of a jean vest with knitted arms, I thought the idea was great. A few weekends ago on one of my outlet mall shopping trips I picked up a jean vest from JC Penney's for only $7.99 and I of course was already planning on the sleeves. Yesterday I went to Michael's and got this really yummy yarn from Patons it's 75% acrylic with the rest in wool this is what I got //www.patonsyarns.com/product.php?LGC=shetlandchunkytweeds I love it I held it in my hands for 20 mins or so to see if I would have an allergic reaction, and I didn't so I bought 3 skeins and I also bought circular knitting needles. Yes I am going to try to knit the sleeves with the needles instead of the knitting board. I started last night and it's going well, I'm using my Creative Knitting Mag for stitch instructions and Mary Thomas's knitting book for the cables I'm doing. It hasn't been as complicated as I had experienced in the past, maybe the board knitting has helped me understand how needle knitting works, I'm actually excited to see how it goes. Since there are some items I'd like to make and the board it not adequate for them. I also finished the doggie sweater for Sasha, she wasn't happy (hates to have clothes on but shivers to death in the cold) that was an easy knit and I used my FG knitting board and some Red Hart baby yarn in pastels and I knitted a baby hat to go with the baby blanket. I think I've been pretty productive this weekend althought I think I need to pace myself would want this to become an addiction. That's an understatement LOL. ;0)

Baby Blanket Finished

I finished the baby blanket I was working on, I think it turn out well. I did the rib and alternate rib stitch (at least this is what I think it's called) honestly these stitch names. To me the stitch was K2P2 for four rows then switch P2K2 wrapping the board in ewraps. I'm writing the pattern with the stitch description and will post it this week.

Ruana

Since my last post on the ruana, I thought I would finish that weekend, well that didn't happen. Instead we met with the realtor and started moving some things that the realtor thought were "too personal to show at open house" that meant most of my craft items. Since my looms, yarns, and fiber fun stuff is "too personal" I move all of it including lots of boxes, family pictures to my office, we have more room than we have office personnel to fill it and my boss was nice enough to let me have an office to put up my storage. I had one of the guys put up my loom in the lunch room and now instead of knitting on my board, I'm weaving on my loom. At my current pace I "will" be done with the first panel by Friday and hopefully taken off the loom by Monday or Tuesday, I get 45 mins of uninterrupted weaving time which is bliss, apart from the various questions from my co-workers although I have fun explaining what I'm doing and what I'm creating.

Pattern Section

I've reworked the pattern section and added a few more patterns. Please note that I didn't seperate the KK patterns from the board patterns so take a look before you print and make sure you have the right loom, board etc. to accomplish the pattern. If anyone needs any help with any of these please drop me an e-mail and I'll be happy to explain.

SUMMER PURSES

I've updated the pattern section with these two new items the summer purse and the woven bottom summer bag. The summer purse was done on my fine gauge knitting board and the woven bottom was done on the the green KK. I hope you all enjoy the patterns and the purses.

NEW CAMERA, BABY BLANKET UPDATE

I got a new camera a Canon Power Shot A560 and am learning to use it. I was a photography minor in college, you think I could pick up a digital camera and take great pics NOT, these things have gotten complicated, I long for my Nikon SLR 35mm. whaaaa!! I bought the camera right before the kids' graduations, read enough to set it up and take some pics, not all the pics I would have taken with the 35mm because there is always a delay with a digital that I don't have with a film camera, so I missed a few pics I would have liked to have, but I'll get better ( I hope).

The next pics are an update to the baby blanket I've been working on. I have the first panel completed and I started on the new panel. I took a close up, somewhat blurry, I guess I need to play with the ISO, the other pics were on auto.

I also ordered and got the little flower loom and the double sided corder from Knifty Knitters **happy dance** now I can make baby booties to go with the burp bib, hat and blanket. OMG, I need to really start concentrating on these since the baby is due late August.

The last Graduate and Translations

As promised here's a pic of my youngest at graduation!! That's it we're done, and off to college they go whew!!! I'm so proud of them.

I have had some personal email's on translating my patterns, instructions from the yahoo group, to which, I have agreed to allow translations in any language the end user needs. I have also been asked if the translations can be used in groups like yahoo in other countries, that too is fine with me. I just ask that everyone refer back to the blog as it's original source and because I update often. Please enjoy the patterns, blog and groups after all this is the reason most of the blogs and groups exist to help, teach and share.

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WEEKEND GETAWAY & GRADUATION

We took a 3 hour drive down to Key West, FL on Saturday, Memorial Day weekend. It was so much fun, we rented scooters, had a dip in the ocean and ate Key Lime Pie from the Blond Giraffe Key Lime Factory as Rachel Ray would say "yumo".

Beautiful beach and white sand.

From left to right our friend, hubby and me. (gosh I need to loose #'s) you don't realize how you've spread until someone takes a picture. hehehehehe.

On the right is a two seater scooter it has two wheels in the front, one in the front and it drives with handle bars. Loads of fun!!

This is the southern most point in the USA only 90 miles to Cuba, my birth country. There is a line at this point that is at least 20 mins. long to take this one shot, if your Cuban is totally worth it, cause it's the closest you'll ever get to your parent's homeland.

In other news my daughter graduated from High School on Tuesday, although the school district picked a historical site, they must not have realized that it was under construction on the exterior and everyone's pictures would have fencing, scaffolding etc.. but, she was so happy and mom was emotional. Amazing how 18 yrs fly by before you realize the kids are growing up. On Friday my son will graduate and then we're done with the high school portion of their education, geez, I guess my paycheck and the two of them will go to college soon. 8o( **my wallet is wimpering** That's gonna put a kibosh on fiber art spending for a while, I guess I will need to stock up over the summer. LOL

Hubby gave me a graduation present that totally floored me, he said it was for being his kid's mom, and help him raise them, we've had his kids since we married in 95, they were only five and four at the time. He gave me a 1.75 tcw diamond bridal set WOW!!! I took a photo but it was really blurry so I couldn't show everyone, of course I loved it haven't taken it off since I received it.

The Happy Graduate!!

Ruana Progress

This is a close up of the weaving for the Ruana, and an updated pic on the progress I've passed the half way point and am starting to see the end of the one panel. No pattern yet, which of course, leads me to believe that I have made a mistake somewhere along the way, either or I will need to make another panel exactly the same so mistake or not it's a done deal.

Chunky Sweater, Baby Ghan and Prom

It's been a busy week and weekend, with my DD's Prom (that's her in the white and her BFF) I thought they looked gorgeous. They were so excited to go and have fun. I was really happy for them, they've been friends since 6th grade.

Mom's day was also wonderful, I got to go to my SIL home and spend time with my hubby's family, this was a real treat since they really don't get together that often.

On the looming, I have two new projects, along with the rest, although I have neglected my weaving and am getting ants in the pants about not working on it. But in my defense I have been working on the new "chunky sweater" that's the great yarn I got over at Joanns.com called beach. In my opinion, for what it's worth, I think they should have called it ocean, because the colors are true to the Atlantic Ocean from an areal view and since I live only 20 mins from Miami Beach, I really know what the colors look like up close and personal (it's almost beach season for the locals). I really like working with the yarn it's holding together nicely, specially since I frogged that sleeve (in the pic) eight (8) times already with the old adage running in my mind on rewind "If you do it right the first time you don't have to do it over".. even the DH had something to say on the fourth (4) rip out, but he wised up after threatening him with bodily harm with very pointy knitting needles, he's decided not to make any more comments on my frogging. **wicked smile** I can get into Prozac needing mode when I can't figure out what I need to do on a project. LOL. Yes I know what a pain in the a#$, but I really wanted it a certain way and since I'm writing the pattern as I go along I really can't accept it, if it isn't done correctly. (we're being a bit of stickler on this one eh? hehe).

On the baby ghan, this one is my relaxer knit, sooooo very easy and I only need to count to four (4), quite frankly at times that's the most I can count to without loosing the little bit of sanity I have left at the end of the day. So this one I knit when I'm watching tv, or listening to talk radio and the brain cells can just relax in the monotony of the stitch, funny I never thought monotony was something I would like, go figure...

There's a baby on the way

One of our friend's daughter is pregnant, so I started a new baby blanket, thanks to some help from a group member. I saw this stitch on her blog http://www.theresasknitting.blogspot.com/ and asked for the basics after some sample and frogging I think I've got it (Theresa's looks a lot better than mine but I like the chunkiness of it). I used a camera from work and of course the pics are awful, I must take a better shot. But the stitch is a rib and alternate rib something or other, really the names of these stitches are getting ridiculous, I've look through some knitting books to see if there is something compatible in them for a real name but I have found anything yet. At one point last year I thought I'd seen this stitch in another blog http://amoonsinger.blogspot.com/ which was a K2P2 in this stitch you wrap the K2P2 then reverse, it really is a pretty stitch once you get the hang of it. I'm using the KKII blue with two strands of ww 4 ply soft acrylic Wintuk, which was in the "yarn estate" we here at work inherited last year.

Florida is burning up this spring, there are eight brush fires in various counties, we are getting the smoke, ash and haze from the west coast and everyone I know is having difficulties with their allergies, your truly included. We need rain and it's no where to be found, I pray it comes soon because there are going to be a lot of sick people and damaged acreage. If you want to see what's going on this is a good report. http://cbs4.com/local/local_story_128183951.html

Almost done!!

This will be the new collar for the cable sweater, I've measured and re-calucalted and re-measured and I think its right now. WHEW!!! what an ordeal this one has been a true test of paitence, but I'm going to be happy to wear it this winter when we go house hunting in NC. I have been debating on the pattern for this one. I haven't started writing yet, but since I've had my difficulties I don't really know if a can. I guess I should have been writing as I was knitting and then I would not wind up with this dilema in the end. I cabled so much on this one that I've given up on cabling the new chunky sweater I figure I could use the break of twisting and pulling yarn , hehehe. The "beach" sweater is a simple K4P2 pattern that I'm doing on the KKII's I really like it and I can relax my mind as I knit. I 'll take a pic this weekend so you all can see. The ruana is coming along, although I thought I would finish the first panel last weekend of course that never happened so I'm hoping for some time this weekend. It's getting hard to work on yarn project when the sun is shining and it's beach season, although I have been known to take knitting to the beach and sit under the umbrella, much to my husband's caringe!!

Ruana & Cable Sweater Progress

I know it doesn't look like much, but I really truely have been working on it. I couldn't resist my new chunky yarn and started yet another sweater soI think I've put in two (2) hours into weaving, yes I know it's shameful but true, must make note to self NO MORE NEW YARN!! hehe as if that really makes a difference. I have some free time this weekend so I'm going to try to finish it up and have a posting and pic on Monday. On the cable sweater project I have completed the arms **happy dance** which I will also be attaching this weekend . I've started re-designing the collar portion I'll be working on that at lunch time, so I can be done with (hopefully) the next two weeks.

In other news I got a new CAR!!! I'm so excited it's sooooooooo cute I've been wanting a sports car for well forever!! I had one when I didn't have (ahem) kids, *wink wink*, but since they are all graduating and drive YES!!! I don't need a SUV anymore!! What I'd get check it out here http://www.pontiac.com/solstice/ yeah that's what I got. Really cool, or as my adult children would say "off the hook, it's kicking" "old lady with a twin turbo charge" I really didn't appreciate the last one, but you know to a 19, 18, & 17 yr old - 41 is ancient.

Update on the new Ruana

I decided to stop calling this one a shawl, and call it by it's final outcome a ruana. For those of you who have not seen a ruana or want to see a really great ones, here is an awesome website for these http://a-wee-bit-of-ireland.stores.yahoo.net/ruanas.html I love the red one here. If you knit check out the fisherman's sweaters, beautiful cable work on those. Of course my ruana will be different in which I will have to points in the front and one in the back. After having to frog the first attempt this is the second try . I likey this one! Although I'm not getting the same effect as my sample one below, I hope it will show up after I remove it wash it etc.. If not then it will still be a great ruana for me. I'm going to have to figure out what to do with the fringe thingy I really don't like fringe that much, I may cut it short or do some kind of macrame knot to it, I don't know yet, and quite frankly I'm really well away from that, but since I can already picture it in my mind it's hard for me not to plan ahead. I received my booklets from Linda Smith's Tri-Loom http://www.geocities.com/elelsmith/and I have to say they are packed with information very well written with content page, and a resource page, her personality really comes through in her writing style. Lots of different weaving techniques on the tri loom and very interesting, my only complaint is that for me, I would have liked more photos. I'm a visual learner so pictures to me are very helpful with instructions, but I'm going to experiment on my small loom with the weaving patterns and then take digitals and put them in each section this way down the road when my mind has forgotten what it looked like I have it in the fiber library, which I'm slowly building up.

The second pic is of my new yarn called "beach" with this one I'm planning a sweater which will be chunky warm and oh so soft, can you tell I'm going to really like this one? I going to knit up a swatch today and see how the gauge is on my purple KK loom.

Fun Stuff

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ESTJ)

Your personality type is serious, fair, independent, and competent. Only about 9% of all people have your personality, including 7% of all women and 11% of all men You are Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

MY DUH MOMENT!!

After finishing my 4th set of 12 plus 4 repeats on my shawl I noticed that I wasn't getting the effect I so love with the cut thread technique. Well, that's because I did WRONG ARRRRRRGHHHHHH!!!!!!! So take it apart I must, (in Yoda's infinite wisdom) which I did this morning OUCH!! Back to square one or should I say peg one, hehehe. THIS WAS THE DUH MOMENT OF THE WEEK!!

NEW SHAWL, CABLE SWEATER AND MORE

It didn't take me too long to get started on a new shawl. This one will be a ruana, I'm going to make two shawls and crochet them together to make the ruana (this one is actually for me). I started last night and decided to do 12 blocks of heather grey and 4 blocks of cream white. You can almost see it in the picture, I figure once I get some more done I'll be able to notice the color change. (keep watching for progress pics).

On the cable sweater front I had to frog the hoodie, yes it was painful, but I couldn't get it to attach to the sweater the way I wanted it to so, I shifted gears and changed the pattern, (it's easier to do this if your the designer and not a pattern hehehe, trust me I use the word designer very loosely) I'm now knitting a collar instead. If I counted right ( you all know that's my challenge counting stitches and rows) the collar should work out just right. I'm planning to make a loop for a button but I'm not really sure yet I'll have to see once I finish what kind of details I will add.

On a happier note I received my Jo-Ann package today with you guessed it more yarn!!! It's called "Beach" it's blues, greens, lime and turquoise terrific deep ocean colors, I LOVE IT. The yarn is Red Heart Grande, super bulky. I'm planning another sweater, on the larger gauge looms the KK long looms I'll have to do a swatch and see what would work out.

I just found out that my kids will be graduating different days one on May 29 and the other on June 1, which is the week of Memorial Day on Monday, guess who's going to miss a lot of work?? WOOHOOO!!!! I'm so proud of them, to think not so long ago they were babies. Scary how time flies by.

I was emailed a website that I thought was so inspiring check it out you wouldn't regret viewing this presentation. http://www.pathways-to-peace.com/ Touch the ‘view presentation’ button

Peppermint Stick Shawl

Modeled by Sexy Susan (my usual model my daughter is on strike and soon to be off to college so I have to get use to Susy LOL).

Finally it's finished!!!!!!!!

Peppermint Stick?! Well, of course there's a story behind that name, one of the more talented ladies on my TriLoom Group gave my shawl this name, she's followed my annoying progress for awhile and I liked it so it stuck. I crocheted the edge which to my surprise did not take as long and wasn't as despicable as I thought it would be. I'm a professed non-crocheter, not because I don't know how, but because as a kid my grand always gave me a summer project to complete and she only knew how to crochet so guess what I spent summers learning and ripping out and doing over. Well now that I've gotten older I can really appreciate what she taught me, cause I really haven't forgotten, even though I haven't crocheted in years, just little edges here and there. Funny how your perspective changes with age.

Well some of the things I learned make this one; patience is not only a virtue but an absolute resolve when working on the large loom. Yes the process is beautiful but it is not painless, of course I have boo boos in it but now I know better. My loom is 7' with the nails 3/8" apart with 756 nails / 252 on all sides. The shawl turned out to be 6'2" across the hypotenuse, which I thought would be really large but in wrapping myself around in it really wasn't enough material , I'm a size 12 or x-large.When I first got it off the loom the fabric was as stiff as a board I use Red Heart WW yarn since I planned to give it to my grand and I knew she would wash it and dry it in the machine, I needed something durable. After I washed it and air dried it soften up quite a bit but really doesn't drape much. I think it's because the nails are so close and the fabric is so dense, but since this is the first I'm not sure, but I will figure this out. Since I'm allergic to natural yarns, I knew I needed to work with acrylics, mostly 4ply WW usually my preferred choice of yarn is Caron's Simply Soft in whatever color, it's really soft and fluffy and everything I make with it I love. The next shawl will be a cut length shawl I've made a few samples on my small tri and I really like the concept and the look. I'm going to use sport weight yarn and make a ruana and see how that works out since the yarn is thinner maybe I'll get the drape I'm after, if that's not the answer then I guess I might pull out every other nail and try again. I'll keep you posted and hopefully this project won't take 5 months to complete since I have to do two shawls to get the one ruana (hehehe). Cut Thread Sample (next big shawl project)

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO?

Cable sweater back, sides and part of sleeve

Tri Loom Shawl Completed!!

Well I finally finished the triloom shawl I've been working on since November, why so long?? No excuses I've been lazy about it, plus since it was for my grandmother, I just couldn't work on it without crying, which hinders sight and enthusiasm. Now my only concern is how to finish it off, fringe, crochet edges or spoolie knit edging? I didn't give it much thought past finishing it last night maybe tonight I'll come up with the answer. It looks squiggly in the center, this is because I could push the yarn over as I wove, my pick was not really that great for this loom, but I got an afro pick with long teeth and the next one will be better. I can't believe I'm already planning the next one ;o) (as is with all fiber addicts LOL)

On another note, I've been working on my cable sweater, at work on my lunch time and I'm getting close to finishing. YES! I'm really excited about this one since it's my first sweater. I've notice that I have some mistakes on the sleeves that need to be fixed, I increased more on one than the other, and the hoodie has one leg that attaches to the front longer also, must be somethin' up with the counting of rows hehehe.. hard to watch Maury and knit and be part of a lively conversation in the lunch room but all in all I think it's going to turn out great. I have about 20 more rows to go and then I should start assembling the back and sides. Can't wait!!

MINI VACATION

PINEWOOD ESTATE CHALET SUZANNE HISTORIC REG.

PINEWOOD GARDEN FOUNTAIN

ENTRANCE AND BOK TOWER

CHELET SUZANNE'S DINING ROOM AND ENTRANCE TO THE INN

The hubby and I went on a mini vacation this weekend to celebrate our 12th year anniversary!! We've been taking mini vacations together without the kids since we first got married, we alway take a family vacation then we take our "real" vacation. I have to say it has been the best thing we have ever done for our marriage and relationship "we time" is always the best. We went to Chalet Suzanne, which is a country inn in Lake Wales, Florida you can check out the website here http://www.chaletsuzanne.com/. We had gone there for part of our honeymoon and decided it was time to re-visit. I love this place, as you drive into Lake Wales which is in the central part of Florida by Lake Okeechobee, you hit the orange grove farms, since it has been unseasonably warm all winter, the groves have blossomed early, what a wonderful sweet smell, of orange blossoms everywhere, it just takes you by surprise. Every time we walked out of our suite we would smell that wonderful aroma, someone should bottle that stuff they'd make a ton of money. We visited Historic Bok Sanctuary http://www.boksanctuary.org/ where there is a 205 ft Gothic and art deco Carillon Tower which has bells in it that is played by a carillonneur. On the property there's a Mediterranean Revival home called Pinewood Estate, it was the winter home for Mr. C. Austin Buck, an early 20th century industrialist. This house was beautiful, (I love old architecture, houses and public buildings) all of the doors and windows were hand made carved by woodworkers, tile brought in from Spain, Italy and Cuba (which is my birth country) Lots of interesting furnishings and history. We weren't allow to take photos of the the interior but boy did I get photos of the exterior and surrounding gardens. The next day we did the real Florida Tourist Trap and went to Universal Studios, I hadn't been there in six (6) years, can't say I would go again anytime soon, way too many people and I didn't feel it was worth the $77.00 /plus tax per person to get in. Well needless to say we enjoyed our anniversary and had a great time, I can't wait to do again!!