So many cool things...

Yesterday, I was surprised by an envelope from my PRGE pal, Kat with A Tale of Two Cities from Charles Dickens on CD. Its from a cool website called LibriVox. I haven't listened to books on tape while knitting yet - but I love them while driving! Such a cool gift! Thanks Kat!

And our Colorado Rockies are going the the WORLD SERIES!!! Its crazy! I am really bummed that I won't be in Denver for the Series - I had already planned a trip to Seattle that I cannot change. But I will be watching - GO ROCKIES!!!

My cell phone finally died - it had been almost three years since I bought it, so its been a while. I decided to pony up for an iphone. I have needed a more comprehensive pda for a while, and only having four minutes of talk time before my phone would die was the final straw. Wish me luck - I am not good with computer stuff...

And for your pleasure, more pictures of unblocked lace. The second Hemlock Ring blanket is right at the beginning of the feather and fan. I am not going any further, since I am traveling for most of next week, and its a great airport project.

There is also my Secret of the Stole with the second installment done. I didn't take out the lifelines, again since I am traveling, and I don't want to take any chances of unraveling. And airplanes with the ipod on are good lace knitting venues...

Progress...

So, there has been a bunch of progress around the sunneshine's this week.

There are four baby hats waiting for their finishing (they'll look like lil Hershey's kisses).

The first clue plus 10 rows is done in the Secret of the stole - I hate photographing lace before its blocked, it looks like gobblie-gook.

I got the blog really going for my Friday ladies - if you have some time and nice comments for some beginning knitters who are beating the odds, head here. They are really excited about
the blog and tracking their progress (read successes) online.

mr.sunneshine is in Omaha for our grandbaby's second birthday - guess I can't call him the GB for much longer... We got him a little mini-drum set at his mom's request!! (mr.sunneshine is in the photo for scale - hehe!) And a bicycle and helmet :) I am sure there will be more photos when mr.s returns. Since I am the crafty grandma, I made (assembled) his halloween bucket - of course the front had a skull and the back was too funny!

Started a second Hemlock ring blanket today. I am just starting the feather and fan. Love how quickly these knit!!

Okay, off to make some more stocking progress, while the mr. is away. There will be lots knitting...

Happy Knitting!!

coffee swap!

Its coffee swap time again!!

1. Whole bean or ground?
Doesn't matter - I have a grinder and am not afraid to use it...

2. Fully-loaded or decaf?
Fully-loaded!!

3. Regular or flavored?
Regular - I take my coffee strong and black.

4. How do you drink your coffee?
Its my morning ritual with mr.sunneshine - a couple good black cups to start the day!

5. Favorite coffee ever?
What I am drinking right now...

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?
I am only medium fussy - I won't go for Folgers, but had Dunkin Donuts coffee last week and enjoyed it!

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?
chocolate

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?
Nope

9. Yarn/fiber you love?
Natural fibers - alpaca, merino, cotton, tofu, bamboo... Worsted weight or thinner...

10. Yarn/fiber you hate?
Acrylic, angora, mohair, anything scratchy...

11. What's on your needles?
Fair Isle stockings, Hemlock Ring Blanket, Vinnlands Socks, Baby knits...

12. Favorite colors?
Natural, neutral, purple and black

13. Allergies?
I am allergic to wheat - not a really big deal, and if I can't eat it, mr.sunneshine will...

14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?
I am so excited about this swap - I have had such great pals!! I am easy to please and love anything thoughtful!

Another FO...

So the schoolgirl socks are done. This project is so disappointing. The socks are different colors - more evident off then on, but I know so it sucks. On the upside, they fit amazingly! I love the way they feel on - good thing I have lots of tall boots. And my short row heels are getting better, but you can still see the little lines of o's. Maybe after I wash them, they will be better... At least I now know that I can make tall socks - next time, I will try two socks at once...

birthday calendar

Snagged from Angela's blog...

31 July 1969

Your date of conception was on or about 7 November 1968 which was a Thursday.

You were born on a Thursday
under the astrological sign Leo.
Your Life path number is 9.

Your fortune cookie reads:
Something you lost will soon turn up.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1 & 5.
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 7 & 11.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 4, 8 & 22.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2440433.5.
The golden number for 1969 is 13.
The epact number for 1969 is 11.
The year 1969 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/17/1969 and ending 2/5/1970.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Rooster.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Salmon; your plant is Raspberry.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Paopy, the second month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 16 Av 5729.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 17 Av 5729.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.17.15.17.9 which is
12 baktun 17 katun 15 tun 17 uinal 9 kin

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Thursday, 16 Jumadiyu'l-Avval 1389 (1389-5-16).

Celebrities who share your birthday:

Eric Lively (1981)	Dean Cain (1966)	J.K. Rowling (1965)
Jim Corr (1964)	Wesley Snipes (1962)	Bill Berry (1958)
Barry Van Dyke (1951)	Geraldine Chaplin (1944)	Curt Gowdy (1919)
Milton Friedman (1912)

Top songs of 1969

Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In by Fifth Dimension	In the Year 2525 by Zager & Evans
Get Back by Beatles (with Billy Preston)	Sugar, Sugar by Archies
Honky Tonk Women by Rolling Stones	Everyday People by Sly & the Family Stone
Dizzy by Tommy Roe	Wedding Bell Blues by Fifth Dimension
I Can't Get Next to You by Temptations	Crimson & Clover by Tommy James & the Shondells

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.45988258317025 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

Your lucky day is Sunday.
Your lucky number is 1 & 4.
Your ruling planet(s) is Sun.
Your lucky dates are 1st, 10th, 19th, 28th.
Your opposition sign is Aquarious.
Your opposition number(s) is 8.

Today is not one of your lucky days!

There are 295 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 39 candles.

Those 39 candles produce 39 BTUs,
or 9,828 calories of heat (that's only 9.8280 food Calories!) .
You can boil 4.46 US ounces of water with that many candles.

In 1969 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US.
In 1969 the US population was approximately 179,323,175 people, 50.6 persons per square mile.
In 1969 in the US there were approximately 1,800,000 marriages (9.3%) and 479,000 divorces (2.5%)
In 1969 in the US there were approximately 1,712,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

In 1969 the population of Australia was approximately 12,407,217.
In 1969 there were approximately 250,175 births in Australia.
In 1969 in Australia there were approximately 112,470 marriages and 10,930 divorces.
In 1969 in Australia there were approximately 106,496 deaths.


Your birthstone is Ruby

The Mystical properties of Ruby

Ruby is said to open one's heart to love.

Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Carnelian

Your birth tree is

Cypress, the Faithfulness

Strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give, happy,content,optimistic, needs enough money and acknowledgment, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered,unruly, pedantic and careless.

There are 76 days till Christmas 2007!
There are 89 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waning gibbous.

Hemlock Ring Blanket

Generally I consider my photography pretty sucky. This little lap blanket is so pretty, I actually enjoyed trying to get some photos of it!
I found this in a Ravelry group - she took such amazing photos - I had to knit it! The best part is that it was a super quick knit - maybe 15 hours, maybe less... I started it Sunday night and blocked it the next Sunday night. I am giving it to my Grandmother for her 88th birthday in two weeks. It measures just over 4 feet across - a nice little lap blanket. You can find the pattern from BrooklynTweeds blog or Ravelry page. Its a doily (the one he chose is called the Hemlock Ring, although in searching the net, I found the exact same pattern copyrighted to at least 6 people, under different names) knit with size 10 needles and Cascade Ecological Wool yarn. This project more then most REALLY needed blocking. I loved this project!

The worst part of the whole thing, is I found my "large" blocking board is too small. Even for a small project like this, it was not enough. So sometime in my future, there will be a second blocking board to give me more room...

Happy Knitting!!

Quick week recap...

Race for the Cure was yesterday - Denver pulled through and we still have the largest race in the country. Over 67,000 people walked/ran!! Its hard to see in the first photo, but the masses of people stretch for as far as you can see. Its an overwhelming experience - so many people, most with pink signs on their backs celebrating or remembering those they know/love with breast cancer. And the one the kept me on the verge of tears, the women with cancer who couldn't walk, riding in a bike drawn carriages to be there and feel everyone supporting them. Thank you to everyone who bought stitch markers!! In 7 days, I raised over $400 :)

There were tons of FO's this week, but I have had very little time. The Hemlock ring is done, the schoolgirl socks are done, the lil kisses hats just need to be finished, there are three washcloths of the month, the Hannuka stocking is almost done with the fair isle, and Secret of the Stole started! More soon...

Happy Knitting!!

Race for the Cure

As many of you know, my MIL was diagnosed with breast cancer in June. She is doing amazing - done with her treatment and getting on with her life. My husband and I do Race for the Cure every year - but this year it will have special meaning for us. Due to early detection, my MIL has a great prognosis. So to honor her, I am selling stitch markers for the cure. The stitch marker sets are $10 each, the row counters are $6 each (there are more photos and information on etsy about the markers). For every set that I sell, I will match dollar for dollar. If you do donate to my Race fundraising - drop me an e-mail at sunne (at) rmi (dot) net - with your mailing address and which markers you would like. I will get the mailed out within 24 hours, in a pink organza storage bag. I don't usually sell my wares through my blog - but the cause is so good and it helps so many. If you have any questions, please comment or send me an e-mail, its a lot! Thank you for your support, your thought and passing this on!!