That's What Friends Are For

This is my week for surprises that have moved me to tears. The mailman delivered a very large box to my door this morning. It was from my BFF (that's kid talk for best friend forever) in NJ. We've been Bff's since 7th grade! Once I got the tape off the box, I pulled out this beautifully wrapped package. The card on top said "For my forever friend, with love, Dot. Too pretty to open - right? But I did! And inside was this adorable bear. Her shirt says "The most valuable antiques are old friends."

Cute!

Then I pressed the button on his paw - and, well if you can hear the music playing on my blog you know why I was in tears! Dot and I don't see each other too often - a couple of times a year. But, we e-mail every day so there is probably nothing that we don't know about what the other is doing! Thank you my forever friend! She will sit right here by my computer - warming my days (see the towel on the windowsill to keep the cold wind from blowing in and the thermometer that says 29.5 degrees?) and my heart - 'cause 'that's what friends are for!"

Have you hugged your BFF today?

Speechless!

When Shelly, better known as Kadezmom posted about this project gone wrong on her blog I jokingly commented - ' send it to me.' When I saw a package from her on my table when I got home today I couldn't imagine what it was - and really couldn't believe my eyes when I opened it! Yes - it was the beaded shawl that she had, in her own words, spent hundreds of hours knitting!

Just take a look at the lace pattern and the beads! It's gorgeous! I still can't believe she sent it to me! She also included a couple of skeins of Bernat Lana wool to fill up the box. I'm pretty sure it's going to become a felted bag or a pair of felted slippers.

Thank you Shelly. I love the shawl and I love you!

Stormy Monday=Knitting and Reading

Lots of heavy snow that started out as rain, which left a nice layer of ice under it, closed schools and left us without power for most of the day = Lots of knitting and reading today! Reading: Nora Roberts - Born In Ice (how appropriate is that?) Knitting: The Smoke Ring Cowl and my huge, boring, felted bag.

Thanks goodness for our SIL who plowed us out and our grandson who shoveled the walk - and our generator, which makes a lot of noise, but is music to my ears!

It really is a pretty sight out there tonight!

Game Night

Wii bowled, wii golfed, wii played horseshoes, and....wii never left our living room! It was a fun night playing with our new toy - the Wii Nintendo - with our friends Layne & Tim. I made a crockpot stew, and Layne brought the salad, so no one had to take time out to cook. It was a perfect way to end vacation week. (Do you notice the bowler on the right - that's right, no legs! What's up with that?

I need a bit more practice on my golf swing!

And it looks like we may get an extended vacation if the weatherman has his way. 5-9 more inches of heavy, blowing snow expected for late tonight into tomorrow morning.

It will either be a day off, or a very scary drive into work!

My SIL wrote that when she was in NYC recently she saw a vendor selling knit hats with earflaps and braids. She wanted to stop and get one to wear when she was out shoveling snow, but was in a hurry at the time, and didn't stop. Her birthday is next week, and I didn't have time to knit one, but I did come up with a crochet version of what I think she was describing. This took less than two hours to crochet and I will be able to get it in the mail to her in time for her birthday. It's a modified version of the Kirsten Hat. I'm hoping she won't have to shovel any more snow this year (she's in NJ), but just in case......

I also CO for another Old Shale Smoke Ring using the Plymouth Happy Feet that I received from BJ in my prize package. I love this yarn! And I love the Knitpicks Knitting Chart Keeper. This is a really easy pattern to do - but I still have to remember which line of the 4 line pattern I'm on (I'm easily distracted!) I think with this chart keeper I could actually do a more complicated lace pattern. I'm also using my Knitpicks Harmony Options, which I love. This sounds like an add for Knitpicks - hmmm - maybe they will give me some free yarn??

Snow Day - Okay!

Nothing like a package full of yarn to cure the snowstorm blues! It snowed all day yesterday. The pile of snow that had finally gone down enough to almost see the road is now back up there and more. But when the mailman showed up with this package, it really made my day! It was a prize that I won on BJ's blog just by commenting on it. Look at the goodies! Four skeins of cotton yarn, two of Mohair, the burgundy color one is alpaca, and I love, love, that color green on the sock yarn. I think it's going to become a smoke ring (cowl) or a skinny scarf, instead of socks.


Thank you BJ - I love it all and it did indeed go to a good home!

The next little package contained these adorable sheepy pins that I ordered from Patt. Aren't they the cutest. If you want to order your own sheep pins, or stitch markers, or magnets, or even want to special order your own favorite animal (she does cute frogs and even ferrets too) go to her Etsy shop and check out what she has. Patt also has a great yahoo group called My Knitting Circle where she is currently holding a contest to name her latest creation - a very toothy dinosaur.

In the afternoon I watched the DVD movie Mama Mia, which my DS gave me for Christmas - it was the perfect feel good movie to ward off those winter blahs, and I made a lot of progress on my felted bag while I watched.

So, all in all, a pretty okay snow day!

Knitting May Delay Memory Loss

According to recent findings at the

Mayo Clinic knitting regularly may significantly reduce your risk of developing dementia. Now we have one more reason to be compulsive knitters!

And according to Richard Rutt in A History of Hand Knitting- "In the 1500's knitting was often seen as a way of keeping people out of mischief and of relieving their poverty" As the Yarn Harlot says on today's calendar page - how things have changed! While it may still keep us out of mischief, it hasn't done much to relieve us of poverty!

So yesterday in order to ward off dementia and keep out of mischieve while relieving poverty...... I sat in front of my picture window with the sun beating in (well beating is an exaggeration) and I finished my bamboo/silk cowl. It's kind of tight - fits snugly around the neck, but it's very soft so I think it will be comfortable.

Then I switched over to crochet - from a book called 24-hour crochet projects I found a hat that was supposed to take 'about two hours' - I sat down to watch Oprah at 4 o'clock, and by the time the early news was over at 6 I had this hat finished. It's going to go to my best friend in NJ - I'm going to call it her "Welcome to the Red Hat Society (or medicare) hat" because she has reached that magic age!

After supper (a ham/spinach/cheese quiche I had made up earlier in the day)

I worked on the felted bag I promised a friend while trying to follow an episode of Lost in which I had no idea what was going on (exercising my brain again, you see).

Today is a snowy day..........

Hmm - a perfect day to keep out of mischief , ward off dementia, and relieve poverty by reducing my yarn stash!

A is for Afghan around me warming my lap

I got a very nice surprise in the mail today - It was this little booklet "Knitbliss from A to Z" Danielle, a longtime friend from my Whoduknit Group sent it to me along with a very nice note saying how much she appreciates the group.

You made my day Danielle! This book is adorable, I love it! - you can take a look at some of the inside pages at http://knitbliss.com/.

Thank You George Washington!

We learn a poem about George Washington in 2nd Grade that ends with - "but most of all we thank you for a day off from school!" Yes, thank you George Washington! I actually have the whole week off. This week is Basketball Tournament week in downeast Maine and school vacation week. Our local HS made it to the tournament this year so the excitement is high!

I spent my first day of vacation doing some beading. Stitch markers, bookmarks, and even a beaded watchband. In between I chatted with friends on the Internet, got my hair cut (my dd is a beautician among other things!) and knit a little bit too. And oh yeah - a load of wash and some vacuuming just to keep my conscience clear. I don't know if you can see those little things to the right of the stitch markers. They are the parts left after I use the ring part of the toggle clasps - maybe they are the toggles? I save them - I don't know why. If anyone can give me an idea of what to do with them I'll send you a set of stitch markers or a Book Thong - your choice. If there is more than one suggestion - well, you know the drill - a drawing.

Here is an enlarged close-up in case you don't know what I'm talking about. There just has to be a use for these!

Valentine's Puppies & Grandchildren

I came home yesterday to find flowers and candy - and DH had also picked up some salmon for dinner, my favorite! As you can see I haven't put away my snowmen yet - could that be why the snow keeps on coming?

DD and her family + friends went skiing for the weekend. We got to puppysit. Casper is so sweet - he is our Valentine present for the weekend!

Here is Tori on the chairlift (sent by text message) This is her first time skiing, so I'm axious to see how it went!
She looks warm enough anyway!


Today I'm working on that knitting for myself I talked about yesterday - a cowl in a ridged feather stitch made with a new bamboo and silk yarn by Patons. It splits a little bit, but not too badly. I suppose you have to expect that with bamboo!

VACATION next week - YAY!!!!!!!!!

Love Yourself!

I'm borrowing the Yarn Harlot's idea for Valentine's Day knitting. Knit something sumptuous, luxurious, and expensive for the only person you know is going to stick with you and love you for all the rest of your days: YOU!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Traveling Baby Blankies

On my Whoduknit Group we are making traveling charity baby blankets. There are 6 members in each group and we each add about 4" to the blanket and then send it along to the next person on the list. At the end the blanket will be washed and sent off to warm a newborn baby.

Group One was started by Karen - she did the lovely bright yellow section. I added the bright blue section in a checkerboard pattern.
I started Group #2's blanket in pastel pink in a quilted diamond pattern.


I'm also starting a crochet version - which will be on its way soon. I'll post a picture as soon as I get my section done.

Catching up on 52 in 52

Here are a couple more FOs to add to my 52 in 52 challenge. I finished my Noro sock yarn shawl - really a shawlette.

Another pair of Norwegian slippers - same colors, difference sequence. I made these a little bit larger. I think they need something - like maybe a button on the front.

Cabin Fever Contest Winner

Thanks so much to all of you who entered my contest! I tried to reply to each of you if there was an e-mail address or blog to comment on. There were so many good suggestions for beating cabin fever. Get out and walk! Look through the seed catalogs, use a sun lamp or tanning bed,

have ice cream for breakfast (one of my favorite suggestions!), surf the net for places you wish you were, spend time with friends, eat chocolate, and most of all, just knit, knit knit! And the winner in the random drawing was.............Nan from Nannybird Crafts! Congratulations Nan. Please send me your mailing address (grammieknits@yahoo.com) and please let me know if you are allergic to any types of yarn.

And now for some ice cream for breakfast..........................

Punxsutawney Phil

Stupid little rodent saw his shadow this morning and ran back in his hole for another 6 weeks. Hope he has some good books and yarn and needles stashed away in there. Think I'll do the same!
And I'll have some new yarn to do it with - I won a contest on BJ's Blog that I didn't even know I entered! Thanks BJ!!!