Yes, Mom I am still alive!

It is a lively Sunday afternoon at the yarn shop.  We have 7 friends gathered around the table knitting and chatting.  Kim is helping Charlotte put the finishing touches on her toddler's blanket.  Jean is working on the "Mystery Shawl by Steven West" using Madeline tosh Light ( a yarn we are working on ordering!!!   YUMMY YARN!   Nancy is knitting a sock with Scarlet Fleece Sock yarn in pinks and greens and choosing buttons for her Sublime cardigan.  Kim is paging through the new fall issue of Vogue Knitting Magazine while Elaine is starting a summer shell out of Misty.  (we have a sample on the wall at the shop --really cute!!)  Adrienne is working on her second pair of socks.  Conversation is lively ranging from "out of control teens"  (lots of opinions about this!!) to healthy eating which has led to a conversation about celebs with MS  and some advice from Dr Oz.   This conversation is interupted frequently with comments about knitting projects currently on needles and plans for future projects as well as suggestions for ordering lunch!  

Big Boy Toys

Baby Riley is now starting to toddle and was clearly enthused with all of his birthday gifts but most especially his Kawasaki four wheeler (motorized).  His cousins (Selena and Addy are pictured)  were quick to remind Sabrina that he needs to wear his helmet. 

There is just something not right about riding a Kawasaki with a diaper, but he was very cute and really excited when he managed to push the "GO" button.  Uncle John already has plans to show Dave how to put up a safety net of some type so Riley doesn't make the trip down the long steep driveway unsupervised!  Aunt Lisa feels better about the safety of the baby swing in the front yard!  

Shortly after the gift opening the party started to disband when the birthday boy needed another nap to recover from the excitement of opening all of his birthday gifts. 

Family Time

This photo is my "baby brother", Grampa to my little Riley.  We sat (with Mom) to watch Sabrina and her sweet Riley open his birthday gifts and reminisced about the days when our kids celebrated first birthdays.  He is the first great grand child and there was much discussion about who will give Grammy the next great grandchild. 

Abby was not at the party to vote that her brother should have that honor since she is in no hurry to settle down.  She is really loving her life in NYC!   Noah admits he would like LOTS of KIDS but has girlfriend Amber is quick to tell him that there are other things that need to happen before they have kids.  Maybe a wedding in the future?  We all hope so!

John's girls, Sara and Karen were also at the party.  Karen is a recent college grad and newly single and she has been quite vocal about the fact that she is "never going to spawn!"  Her sister did point out that Karen is the grandchild most likely to kidnap a baby, which  brought on a funny story about the time she almost didn't give back someone's small child.  Absent from the discussion was Sabrina's brother Travis who was at the party with his new girlfriend who did look very comfortable holding Riley!!  I think he has my vote for producing the next baby!! 

Fun in the city

We have a lot of birthdays in my family in July and August and three of them on the same day  --July 16.  My mother and sister are here from Florida to celebrate Riley's first birthday which is also my mom's birthday.  To celebrate Mom's birthday Tracy, Mom and I traveled by train to NYC to see my daughter Abby,  show "Grammy" her apartment in Brooklyn and introduce her to Abby's boyfriend Peter.  It was a day full of travel,  at least 10 hours sitting in a car, train or subway!  We had lunch in Soho at a cute restaurant, The Antique Garage and a brief visit to PURL SOHO.  Tracy and both bought Medelinetosh sock yarn.  New York is a great city to visit, but I wouldn'd want to live there!!

Sweater Fever

I am on a big sweater kick.  Now that our weather has cooled to the mid 80's I am actually thinking fall and have 3 different cardigans going.  Pictured here on the top is my "Contented Cardi" by Hannah Fettig.  It is a top down and a really easy knit.  I am using Cascades 220 Superwash Paints  and the color is really gorgeous.  I am hoping to make it long enough to mostly cover my butt.  This may become my favorite sweater and superwash means it will be great for my "gooey boy" , Riley!

The pink sweater is a free pattern from Knitty.com called Amiga.  I am using a washable wool from Colinette "Hand dyed in Wales".  It is really a lovely pale pink!

Buying Yarn

I LOVE to buy yarn and that I own a yarn shop I NEED to buy lot of yarn!  I get to buy it in bags of 10 and I don't have to decide on one color I can buy it in ALL the colors I like!   It is one of my favorite part of owning a shop!

This week i met with 2 different sales reps, both women that I really enjoy working with.  They are both knitters and besides yarn they always have good ideas for projects and pictures and samples to share!   On Tuesday I ordered from Skacel and stocked up on more of their sock yarns plus some of my favorite wools:  Trekking sock yarns, Ambiente sock, Fortissima Socka, Nimbus, Murano, Opus, Unisono, Urban Silk.  I ordered lots of colors of Cascade wool and superwash wool:   220, Eco Wool, Eco Duo, Magnum 128, 220 and 128 Superwash, baby alpaca lace, and heritage sock yarns.  By mid July we should have new yarns arriving every week!!   Fun!!  

Lisa's Stripey Shawlette

This is a small shawl, more of a triangle scarf.  I used one skein of yarn and wound it into 2 balls so that the stripes were finer.  I used both balls of yarn alternating every 2 rows and carrying the other yarn up the side. 

Yarn: Unisono sock yarn, 1 skein  (100% superfine merino with aloe vera and jojoba, 300 meters, 330 yards.)  I wound the skein into 2 equal sized balls.

Needles:   Size 6  32" circular
YO = yarn over
pm = place marker
sm = slip marker


For stripe pattern alternate yarns every 2 rows, carrying yarn up the side as you work.


Directions:  
Cast on 7 stitches.
Row 1: knit
Row 2: purl
Row 3: K2, yo,k1,yo,pm,k1,pm,yo,k1,yo,k2.
Row 4: K2, purl to last 2 stitches, K2

Stockinette section
Row 1,3,5,7,9:    K2, yo, knit to marker, yo, sm,K1,sm, yo,k to last 2 stitches, K2.
Row 2,4,6,8,10:      K2, purl to last 2 stitches, K2.

Garter section: 
Row 1,3,5:   K2, yo, knit to marker, yo,sm, K1,sm,yo,K to last 2 stitches, K2
Row 2,4,6:   Knit


Work these 2 sections to desired length.  My shawl measures 16 '" tall by 32" wide.
Try to end with a section of garter stitch.   Bind off loosely.