I bought body parts...

In case you didn't know...Carson's downtown store is going out of business and they are selling everything. I bought this:



Not the child...the torso. I want to do stuff like this:



and this:



Mom and Dad love to make jewelry and I'm hoping to put a web page together and help sell this stuff for them. I love this idea of showing the length of the necklaces. It gives good perspective...although I'm going to need a new camera. The jewelry is blurry. I've looked into one and hope to get my hands on one soon:)

And of course I will be able to do this:



I might even go buy a foot...haha...that just kills me. Happy Friday Folks!

Oh How Fair Is Your Isle

Okay...I'm so in love with this I can't even stand it. I casted-on days ago, took this picture yesterday afternoon to blog about how great the colors are coming out...



To then find myself unable to blog and ended up having knitted so much more. Check this out:



I'm at the point where I start my decreases...talk about a fast knit. Here is a picture I took while at the Stitches Salon...



I didn't take note of the designers name and for that I'm sorry, but it reminded me of stained glass and thought even of making this look like an abstract painting...how lovely it would be. Anyway...I digress. If your not familiar with this knitting structure, it's a fort about 2 stories tall covered with knitted spots of color.

Well...time to buggie off to the SnB tonight...

GO BEARS!!

Not a stitch was dropped the entire football Sunday! –Bears vs. Saints– What a game and talk about some serious knitting time. Brother-in-law came by along with some of E's buddies from down the street. Chili - hot dogs and Becca's Peanut butter fudge (hummmm) filled our tummies.

The kids got out earlier today and played in the snow...check them out:




The playful actions of children in snow, get my knitting juices going...I'm pulling out this project and casting-on right away. My first fair-isle project and I'm so ready to get started. Isn't it just the cutest thing. It is still girlie enough right? I plan on making this for my little stinker.



Here's an update on the Clapotis done in Mountain Colors handpainted yarns. The color name is Mountain Twilight...deep blues, berries and violets – I'm on my second ball and on my way to having this done...oh joy.



I also forgot to mention that I spend my lunch hour at the Chicago Winter Delights Stitches Salon on Friday. I sat amoung beginners and experienced teachers...amoung other chicagoans and visitors form far away. I enjoyed every minute. I also discovered that I don't have to wait till Friday afternoons to spend time there. I wish they where there year round. It will be a sad day come March, when I wont be able to get away from the fast deadline world. Only complaint I have is that the flyer listing all Chicago area knitting circles has our SnB Tinley Park group meeting only on the last Wednesday of the month. I'll have to look into that....

Mark it with a Stitch

Okay...I'm just so geeked that I figured out how to get my custom banner to work. I know, it's cool right? Mary Bridget inspired me to make a button for linking to my blog and it really got my designer mind boiling. Do you like??? Now, if you want grab the button..go right ahead, it's on the side, just scroll down some, then you can link to this blog. What fun:)

Now, as MB guess correctly...yes, the new project is another Clapotis from Knitty.com. The first one I did has a pic in my Finished projects, just click the links (incase you haven't seen me wear this thing since I knit it - gosh, I wear it everywhere!!) - anyway, I need markers to keep me in check and last time I used black rubber bands...but...they suck. They twist and turn and get caught...and lets not talk about taking flight on the train that one random day. Hahaha.

So, after getting back from Wed's SnB...I ran to my Super Walmart and grabbed some toggle's - incase your not familiar with beads and such...you've got to get some. There super easy to make and with a little time, you'll have your own stitch markers. I got the directions off another blogger and for the life of me I can't find the link...my bad - truly sorry.



Supplies needed (L-R Clockwise): toggles, crimper-thingie, wire cutters, file, 2 inch pin heads, small silver beads, larger color beads



This shows the progress of assembly...see it's not difficult.



Here are my finished markers...and here is the markers on the work-in-progess.

I Have Zigged & I Have Zagged

Some serious happy sock dancing going on right now!!! I call these the Zig-Zag socks.



The yarn is: Lang's Jowell – self stripping yarn. It's very nice to knit with and I love that it comes with it's own reinforcement thread for the heel. Knitted these toe-up on two circulars and it took me 15 days to complete. Yes...I know...for ever!! Considering that this was the only project that I was working on...it's quite pathetic. I suppose I could see how fitting an hour here or there could shorten the time it takes me to do these. But seriously...I knit a row in 5 minutes, that is a complete round on both socks. That’s 144 stitches, which is 28.8 st per minute...if it’s 6 rows to the inch...then it’s...300 minutes!!! that can’t be right. Only 5 hours of knitting time. Hell, I know it took me 2 hours just to do two toes. Oh well...does it really matter in the end? I guess not.

Oh, yeah...started a new project as soon as these fell off the needles. Anyone want to guess?