sunnelite

knitting has been plentiful here...

2009-08-25T19:52:00.003-06:00

While there has been quite a bit of knitting around here lately, the picture taking has been lagging. I did get a fancy new camera for my birthday, so I am learning how to use it and hope to have it up and running for better picture quality soon.

In the mean time, here are my two blocked lace projects. The raindrop shawl with Smooshy from the Woolgirl sock club -- which, yes, gives you alternate patterns to just socks! Jen at Woolgirl rocks!! I did have to toss the shawl over Roscoe, since it was his color. He did not appreciate it, but was a good boy for the photo.

The other lace piece is my stonewall stole. I love knitting it. A co-worker had traded yarn with me, so this was her one ply alpaca. I doubled it for the stole and love everything about it - the feel, the colors and the pattern. It blocked to almost double the size it was when it was just knit.

I did take a photo of my make-shift blocking area and Roscoe helping with the blocking process - which really was him laying on the floor sighing and yawning loudly... He did get an extra walk after everything was pinned :)

Soon there will be more photos...
Happy KNitting!!

It's all Roscoe's fault...

2009-07-12T10:42:00.006-06:00

In the last three months, Jordan, our foster lab, had a name change to Roscoe and was adopted as a forever member of our family. He has greatly cut into my knitting time - along with a number of other summer activities - like camping, mr.sunneshine's mountain bike racing, yard sales, and family visiting. Roscoe has added a lot of love and joy to our house - so it is worth the lesser time to knit. He has started to carry his own gear hiking and camping, which he loves. And generally is a great dog! And really, who could resist that cute face looking up at you....

There has been knitting. I just have had the camera pointed more on Roscoe then knitting, the next post will have FO's and a couple that I am really loving that are in progress :).

Happy KNitting and happy summer!

Meet Jordan

2009-04-15T22:34:00.004-06:00

This is Jordan - our foster lab. He is wonderful, well behaved, loves to be pet and walked and generally a joy to be around. He will infringe on my knitting time, but with a face like that, it is hard to hold him responsible. We are really enjoying him!

Happy KNitting!

One more reason to try on as you go...

2009-04-13T11:53:00.003-06:00

Please excuse the not so great cell phone photos. I was so proud of my sock, I decided to try it on... Then I realized, that being the tight purler that I am, it was too small... So the lovely ball of yellow yarn is now the yellow sock. I have re-cast on - it will be easier the next time around, right? Next time, I will try it on much more often... And I jumped up a needle size as well!

Happy KNitting!

Things I am proud of...

2009-04-06T18:21:00.003-06:00

And one thing that I am excited about - but I purchased it, so no need to be proud. Let's start with that one - the Susan Bates sock needle sets with 000, 00, 0 and 1 needles all bundled for a better price. They are jones-ing to start on a new pair of fair isle mitts with some sale jade cashmere, I purchased last week... That's another story, that my husband doesn't know.

Then there is the Cleo sock from the Woolgirl sock club - I am not worried about spoiling, since everyone I know in the club has finished theirs already. It is a fun knit - takes some concentration, but isn't really difficult - its beautiful, though!
Finally, we have my new Double Point storage . For $15.00 - I found these little clear vials at the science supply store down the street - cut up some pretty paper that I had - added some fun labels that I had and changed their centers to numbers - to mark the US size of the needle. They are not really full yet - but it got all the needles off the stitch marker table - YEAH! And I am very please with how they look. I am feeling a little "Friend" today (you know who you are - wink). Now I will not have to search through the knitting bag and measure every needle to distinguish between a two and a three....
Happy KNitting!!

Here are some FO's finally!

2009-03-31T19:27:00.003-06:00

Soooo, see there really has been knitting. Two pairs of socks - and I don't think I showed my cashmere knee highs here, but they are on ravelry. The green and purple socks are my first opal socks - such pretty patterned yarn, the other set is the peppermint patty kit from Woolgirl - they are really pretty but the pattern was really picky (and I gave up on the feet and just knit them - I liked the yarn patterning better in the plain).

Then there are all the mitts. Two complete sets that are gifts and 2.5 unfinished sets of mitts in cotton. I can now say that I have mastered this pattern! Should have the left overs finished this weekend, which will be nice.

Since I have done so well with getting things done, I went ahead and cast on the large wings shawl from Vivian Hoxbro's book, Shadow Knitting and the Cleopatra socks from the Woolgirl sock club - stay tuned for updates.

I have posted twice in March - a standard that I hope to improve on!
Happy KNitting!

Its not like I don't knit...

2009-03-29T10:23:00.002-06:00

Its not like I don't knit, but somehow the photo upload part of blogger stops my sharing said knits... Actually, I have come to the realization that I am a little over committed. There are a few things in my life that I could do without, so I am working very hard to re-evaluate my extra work activities and get rid of those that do not enhance my life. So far so good. Hopefully, this means that there will be more time to blog, keep up with ravelry, knit and see my husband.

In the meantime, there have been bunches of finished objects - 10 hats for knitogether, not photographed - the cashmere socks, done! - several pairs of mitts from the classes that I have been teaching, mostly done - peppermint patty socks, done (although I chintzed on the foot as I got sick of the pattern) - a couple misc. socks, done! - and there are several things on the needles... There have been so many socks and mitts, I am thinking its time to get back to a bigger project. I'll let you know how that goes...

Right now there are only photos of the cashmere knee socks - watch tomorrow for more finished project - and two posts in one month!! The photos aren't great, but that's what I get for using my phone...

Happy KNitting!!

goodness in the mail and more...

2009-02-13T16:13:00.002-07:00

First, we have the first (and possibly last) pair of socks knit for mr.sunneshine. They turned out well, but he is still not thrilled with them... Boys....

Then there was this wonderful coffee swap package from Paige! It has the Noro sock yarn that I have been coveting and yummy COFFEE - that smells amazing! There was also some handmade goodness and chocolate and a beautiful card. I am feeling very spoiled right now... Thank you, Paige! And having a huge debate over what sock pattern to do with my new yarn... Suggestions are always appreciated and I am going to check over at Ravelry as well...

Happy KNitting!

The brown alpaca mitts

2009-02-04T07:23:00.003-07:00

Well, the brown alpaca mitts are finished! I LOVE them... I love them enough that I finished them a week ago and dressed every day last weak to be able to wear them. This week its just too darn warm to be wearing alpaca mitts. Since we are about 50" of snow shy of where we should be, I am hoping for snow - the 60 degree weather can come back in April.

So with every triumph, there is a challenge. I bought this amazing cashmere yarn from Woolgirl. When I spun it, the ball was huge. So in the true thought of luxury, I decide to make knee socks. The pattern is simple - the yarn amazing!! However, as I got close to the ankle, I realized that there is not nearly enough to have pure cashmere feet - however, this may be okay, I am not sure how durable the cashmere yarn is - there is only 20% wool. So now I am mixing it with a similar but darker color of interlacements sock yarn to finish off the feet. Just a few more inches to go...

Happy KNitting!!

Coffee Swap Questions

2009-02-02T15:15:00.002-07:00

QUESTIONS
1. Whole bean or ground?
Generally whole bean

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

3. Regular or flavored?
Regular - just good old black coffee in our house...

4. How do you drink your coffee?
Since I answered that above, I drink my coffee in bed in the mornings with my husband. The perfect way to start the day.

5. Favorite coffee ever?
It seems to change... Really what I am drinking at the time is generally wonderful. I just stay away from Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts...

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?
Not too fussy...

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?
Chocolate... wheatless waffles... chocolate covered pretzels...

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?
Nope

9. Yarn/fiber you love?
I love natural fibers. I have been knitting a lot of socks and fair isle lately. I have however knit just about everything and enjoyed most of it. Really, I am thankful to have time to knit whatever the project...

10. Yarn/fiber you hate?
Synthetics, fun fur, hairy and acrylic yarns - I know there are reasons to love them, I just don't...

11. What's on your needles?
Two pairs of socks for me, one for my husband, a sweater and two pairs of fingerless mitts... Can you say knitting ADD... And there is a shawl/scarf, bathrobe, sweater for my grandson and more socks in the cue...

12. Favorite colors?
For socks or fair isle mittens, I will knit with anything! Color is fun! For hats, scarves or anything else, black or neutrals... I don't wear much color.

13. Allergies?
I am allergic to wheat. However it is mild and my DH will eat anything that I can't...

14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?
I love this swap! Paige, I am really excited to be paired with you. While I have just briefly lurked around your blog, I think this is going to be very fun! I am pretty easy to please and thank you for all the time and thought I know you will put into the package!!

More knitting posts soon... There are pretty finished objects to share...
Happy KNitting!!

Has it really been so long?

2009-01-24T07:57:00.004-07:00

Hello blogworld,
It apparently has been forever since I have been here. There are a laundry list of excuses - the holidays, working on closing the yarn shop (almost done - 1/31 is fast approaching), my real job, husband with the flu, visiting grandchild, and I am sure there are more... However, there has be knitting, so I really am overdue! It appears that everything that I have to show right now is in progress - so here it goes... Oh and sorry for the not so crisp camera phone photos!

So the grey and white mitts are a proto-type for a class that I am teaching on fair-isle knitting. I have yet to add the thumbs, since that is the most intimidating part - I want to have both thumbs to demonstrate with...

Then we have the anemone sock that I messed up with the Rockin' Sock Club yarn - so I started again with some yarn a
co-worker gave me (after I spent 4 hours rolling some mohair for her - one more reminder as to why I do not knit with mohair). They are turning out really nicely - and will show up better on blockers when they are finished.

Then there is the brown mitts - I realized that I didn't have any, so these are wonderful brown alpaca mitts with a little orange and white detail. They have been a joy to knit. Started last Sunday, I expect they will be finished and wearable by the end of next week at the latest!

And finally, I found this pattern on ravelry and thought it would be fun. It was! However, I did not gauge before I started, and I know better. So the mitten turned out HUGE. I won't be making the second. However, if I ever break my right hand, I have a lovely large glove in superwash wool to wear. I will be trying this again (complete with a swatch) as soon as a few other things are off my needles.

Happy KNitting!!

Finished!!

2008-12-01T09:54:00.005-07:00

There has been lots of finishing around here lately. It feels good to get these projects - especially the gloves that were started in January - off the project pile!! There is a little Christmas knitting to do, but I am getting on that....

Thanksgiving was lovely. We has people over and a good time was had by all. It is nice to finally have the house in good enough condition that we can invite people over - even though there are 1000's of projects for the future...

Back to stockings...
Happy Knitting!!

My PRGE package arrived!!

2008-11-30T17:18:00.002-07:00

It was such a nice treat to have my PRGE package arrive yesterday! And I can't tell you how good the box smelled with the blackberry tea!! My pal, Requim, really spoiled me with treats from her home. There were yummy chocolates (good thing I got the photos before they disappeared), beautiful green yarn to felt into a tote - and we all know how bag crazy I am right now, stitch markers for larger needles :) and the yummy blackberry tea. It snowed here all day today, so there was a lot of tea drinking this afternoon... Thank you Kirsten!!

Merlot mitts and almost hat

2008-11-15T10:35:00.002-07:00

Mr.sunneshine and I left for a long weekend last weekend. We were going wine tasting, so I decided it was the perfect chance to make the pink and burgandy mitts that had popped into my head. I had some of Vicki Howells silk bamboo that I had purchase, that was begging to be knit so with the pattern from the Majolica childrens sweater in a Fall 2006 IK, I had the mitts finished before we arrived at our destination. They have been worn for a solid week - I forgot to photograph them earlier, oops. Thankfully, I brought another project, too.

I kept looking at all the left over yarn and decided to make a hat with a whimsical pattern to go with the mitts. It looks like, with two skeins of each color, I will just barely finish it :) And as an added bonus, it matches my Northface jacket from last year...

And the trip, was relaxing and wonderful. We rented bikes, rode through town, saw some friends and just decompressed...

Happy KNitting!

Halloween

2008-11-02T14:45:00.003-07:00

Halloween was fun! I LOVE this holiday... Being something that you are not able to be every day, giving out candy, cute little kids all dressed up, big kids all dressed up - too much fun!

Here are a few photos from Halloween with some of my co-workers...

There will be knitting soon...

Halloween is almost here!

2008-10-26T13:05:00.002-06:00

This is just a quickee...

I finished a market bag this morning - it is a hybrid pattern, and I love it! I have learned a good market bag lesson, though. This projects are darn hard to frog - so they should not travel with me, where my attention could be less or a couple stitches will escape. There are a couple lines where the stitches weren't perfect due to these type circumstances... However, my other experience with these types of bags is that they will stretch and bend and the mistakes will pretty much go away with use. And honestly, for a grocery bag - I will take these over a cloth/paper whole foods or safeway bag any day - mistakes and all!!

I pulled out the Halloween bin today! Its fun to have a few decorations up! And apparently we have an affinity for Halloween candles... I will be working on my costume all day tomorrow - yeah!! The kids come to our offices to trick-or-treat at work... I can't wait!!

Happy KNitting!!

Where does the time go?

2008-10-20T11:10:00.003-06:00

Where does the time go?

We had a great trip to Omaha - saw the grandbaby, who turned three - the bounce house was a hit - and a good time was had by all... And isn't he so cute!
While I was there, LimenViolet made me a featured ESotD chum seller on their blog - so I got home to a mad scramble to get the stitch markers off to their new homes...
There was a plane ride, so 1.5 market bags were made. I finished the second one last night. Loved one pattern - the one that you have to purchase from Hempathy - hated the other which was free from a LYS. Figures... Still really like this pattern from Knitty... There is enough stash yarn to make three more bags, but for now I think I am going to take a break and maybe do some felted bags, like these. Plus I have an itch to try to write a sock pattern, and I have been contracted to make a Christmas stocking.
The hat was just a fun way to use up some scraps, and it matches the bedroom rug so well... Not sure who to give it to as it is little kid size.
My PRGE pal, gave me some beautiful wool to make a market bag, so I am thinking that with the three colors, I may do a fair isle felted market bag. I have never tried that and it sounds like fun!
There is still tons of house work being done. We are down to the last few boxes - I spent yesterday getting art on the walls. There are only a few difficult pieces left to hang...
I added a picture of my
Studio, which is still a work in progress - but getting there... And a picture of my boots living above my armoire (yes, the one that broke my foot this summer). I love the way they look with the flag behind.
More soon...
Happy Knitting!!

Bags, bags, bags...

2008-09-27T11:20:00.005-06:00

This week, I got the cutest little bag from here on etsy. She let me customize the photo, so my bag is my house... FUN!

So for a while I have been thinking about market bags. I have been arranging and sorting my studio, organizing my stash - only about half is listed on ravelry, so I need to work on that - and thinking about holiday gifts. There are two see through yarn cabinets in the studio - one holds all my cottons/flax/hemp, one all my felting wool. So as I am looking at all this hemp - and quick, easy projects are appealing, since there is more time dedicated to moving then knitting still - so I have been back into market bags...

The first market bag I knit is this green one. I love the bag, but the pattern (which came with the yarn) was a disaster - the strap was so long and the bag so large, the first time I used it, it was hitting my ankle as I walked to my car... That cured me of knitting bags for a while... I did finally take the handles apart, tie a knot for the join in the straps and it is now getting a lot of use.

The next one, the small green hemp bag, was an experiment to see if I could knit a small but functional bag, for when I walk to my garden and harvest just a few veggies... The hemp that I used was pretty scratchie - but with the hempathy bag pattern (not their yarn, though), it came out quite well. This yarn is weird though, the bag has been washed several times and seems to be felting a little... Since the knitting is far from perfect on it, I am not worried.

So as I have been staring at my cotton - I picked up this tan cotton that was already rolled and made a produce bag off the top of my head. It is knit from the bottom up and I used an alternate stitch pattern from my green bag - k1, k2tog, yo - the bottom and the handles are garter stitch. I haven't used it, as I think I am going to give it as a christmas gift....

Since the produce bag turned out so well, I decided to do a
compagnion market bag off the top of my head. I changed the bottom to stockingette, straps as well. I changed the stitch pattern slightly - p1, k2tog, yo. I would have like to have made it deeper, but it actually works quite well. I ran out of yarn for the strap, however, the length appears to be perfect. I have not used this one either - although I have stuffed it and walked it around the house a bit. I don't want to give away a bad bag... It could used to be blocked, as well.

I bought some hemp from my LYS a while ago, and they gave away a free pattern, I think it was for earth day. I found the pattern a couple days ago and have started that bag in a dark brown cotton - so far, I love it, but it is still only about 4" tall.

Finally, yesterday, while cleaning out some knitting from my nightstand, I found a strap that I made with the remainder of the first hemp bag and decided that I should used my last skein of the green wierd hemp (200 yards) and some pink
flax that I bought for $0.50 a 65 yard skein and make a bag. I found an old pattern from knitty for the stitch pattern - easiest one yet - yo, k2tog - and was off to town while watching the debates... I have one more skein of flax, the bottom will be the green hemp - should make a good bag.

I am teaching a market bag class for our staff knitting group on Wednesday - probably the next few. By the time class is done, there should be a whole arsenal of knitted bags for my grocery use, and some for gifts.... And I will feel really good about getting rid of this cotton (and flax) that I have been holding onto for at least 3 years!

Happy KNitting!!

I have been a bad blogger...

2008-09-22T15:48:00.002-06:00

I have had so little time lately. My grandmother fell and broke her other hip last week - so there has been lots of stress and trying to work out schedules. I am supposed to go on Friday to see her for the weekend. If she does not move into a care facility, I will have a weekend of travel and knitting.... I am already rolling yarn in hopes of that!

These two shelf brackets were my awesome vintage finds of the weekend. They will hang in my studio holding up the knitting books. Now I just need two more sets... The studio is coming together. I have opened an etsy destash shop for all those things I was sure I was going to use, and now know that I never will.

There will be knitting to show soon, I just need to weave in the ends...

Off to overnight Dad's birthday card...
Happy KNitting!!

Rudolph

2008-09-09T21:59:00.003-06:00

I feel like Rudolph the red nosed reindeer - and we are not even close to Christmas. This cold has been kickin' me around for the past four days - but now I feel like I might be on the upswing! Finally!

The really sucky part is I haven't even felt like knitting!! However, there is some knitting that hasn't been shown here yet. I love my stripy hat - and its actually been cold enough here on a couple nights, I have gotten to wear it! Okay, it may have been overkill, but with my cold, I had the best excuse... And nothing makes me happier then fall and winter clothes!

And the beginning of X-mas knitting - a small cotton grocery bag. I like this bag - but its pal in the next picture is turning out even better! Now I just have to get back to it - and finish that second spectrum scarf!

That's the quick update - there will be more with prettier pictures soon!

Happy KNitting!

PRGE questionnaire

2008-09-02T18:51:00.003-06:00

1. Why did you join PRGE?
I love this swap - everyone treats each other so well (punk without the attitude...)

1.a. Have you done other swaps? Are you doing other swaps right now?
I have done bunches of other swaps - the only other one that I would consider right now is the coffee swap that starts again in October, I think...

2. What are your five favorite things? (these don't have to be knit related)
Creating, finally having some space, good food, good hugs and my husband

2.a. Do these things allow any hints into your personality for your punk pal?
probably...

3. What are your three favorite things that you have made with knitting/crochet?
stockings for the whole family last year, Hush dress, Monster knucks

3.a. What do you tend to make with knit/crochet?
I tend to make a lot of hats and fingerless gloves... oh and socks are running close behind...

3.b. What do you hope to make (or complete that you have started) someday?
My Secret of the Stole 3 shawl - I love it, but it really takes concentration for my to work on it and I haven't had any lately...

4. What five things would you love to see in a swap box someday? Why?
I love new patterns that I have never tried with the yarn, great project bags (since I won't purchase them), chocolate - self explanitory, something that I cannot get in Denver, anything with thought behind it!

4.a. What do you hope to never see in a swap box again (or ever)?
acrylic yarn, silly yarn books, and anything melted...

5. What are your three favorite yarns? What are your three least favorite yarns?
My three favorite yarns are any handspun sock yarn, black wool or cotton yarn, yarn to knit latvian mittens with in colors and any yarn that is pretty, natural fiber and pretty to look at...
Least favorite yarns are acrylic, scratchy, and mohair.

5.a. Do you like solid, self-striping, or multi-colored yarns?
I don't mind self striping for socks, but I don't like yarn that doesn't strip but has color flecks (learned that one the hard way about 15 times), generally though, I really like solid color yarns, I find I actually wear what I make out of them.

5.b. What are your favorite colors? What are your favorite colors to knit with?
My favorite colors are purple, burgandy, gray and black - I will knit with most any color but grey, black, olive, creme and taupe are the projects that I wear... The others tend to get donated...

6. What are your five favorite delicacies?
Good steak, good wine, good french fries, veggies from my garden, and good friends

6.a. What yarn do you hope to one day try and why?
I am not sure... I tend to love whatever I am currently knitting with...

7. What are your three favorite guilty pleasures?
Bad TV, chocolate cake with white frosting, and driving to work

7.a. What are your favorite tv or movie charactors?
I only rarely see movies, though I could be convinced to see the new Cohen Bros. film - I love Chuck, My Name is Earl and The Office

8. What are the five things you look forward to every week?
Going to work, seeing my husband every night when I return home, knitting during staff meeting, cooking on my day off, getting more settled into our new house

8.a. What do you do during your week (ie - work, take care of three kids, race walk)?
I work at a daytime drop-in shelter for women and children experiencing poverty and I love every second of it - great staff, great clients - I also try to commute by bicycle - knit a little - cook a couple days a week - garden and sleep

9. What do you collect?
Everything - but I am trying to quit collecting so many things.

9.a. What collects you?
Yarn

10. When is your birthday?
July 31st

10.a. What is your favorite holiday and why?
Christmas - I love giving and receiving gifts! Halloween is a close second - its just so fun to dress up!!

11. Do you have any wishlists?
I have a wishlist on amazon.com

11.a. Do you have a "favorites" collection anywhere that your pal should know about?
I do have a favorites list on etsy.com

12. Do you have any allergies or health related conditions that your pal should know about?
I am allergic to wheat - however mr.sunneshine benefits from anything that I do not eat, so I never worry about it

12.a. What drives you nuts?
Not much - I am really laid back...

13. What do you do for work and what do you do for fun?
I am the director of programs at work - coordinating programs in health, jobs, education, and art -- for fun, I garden, sell things on etsy, teach knitting, knit, and read...

13.a. What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
I am not sure - I think I would try to sell my art

14. What would you like your pal to know that is not covered here?
I am super laid back and love swaps - I will love anything that you do as long as there is a little thought to it! That is why I love this exchange - its all about the people! I know that what ever you do, it will be great... Thanks for playing!

14.a. Are you excited for the contests or will you just pretend that they do not exist?
I enjoy the contests - its so fun to see what everyone does - the entries are generally so diverse!

Today it rained...

2008-08-16T17:43:00.003-06:00

Today it rained, and rained and rained! There was one 30 minute break... it never happens in Colorado that it rains like this. Its wonderful! This is our second day of steady rain.

I am unpacking my studio today. There is a lot to go through, but I should be done by the end of the day tomorrow, if the rain keeps up. It is nice in the studio while it is raining, good light, able to hear the drops hitting the house and seeing the puddles in the yard.

Went to an Outstanding in the Field Dinner with Britta on Saturday. The dinner was in a field where they had plowed under four rows of sweet corn. Food was amazing - dinner with 150 people, food fresh from the farm, great chef - it was so nice!!

It inspired me - now that we are at the garden time of year
where dinner can be dictated by what is fresh - we have started with wonderful salads, great fresh herbs in everything and it all tastes so good! Plus it is so nice to go to the store, looking for something to go with what is in our (old) yard. Looking forward to getting back to cooking for Girl's Dinners this fall!

There will be knitting soon!!
Happy Knitting!!

Look mom, finished knitting!!

2008-08-14T08:09:00.002-06:00

Everything even has its ends woven in!!
So there has been knitting here! And I need a larger sock drawer!! It just seemed that during the moving - and currently the unpacking, smaller projects were more managable and so we have a basic pair of ribbed socks made out of Collinette Jitterbug, the Naive Socks from Spilly Jane made out of Mud Creek's beautiful handspun yarn (I loved knitting with this yarn - it was heaven in my hands and always beautiful to look at the delicately plied colors - plus the finished socks are matchingly unmatched - which I love!), the monkey socks in a longer length which worked beautifully with Tiny Toes from Interlacements and finally the Spectrum Scarf made with Malabrigo and Fino Alpaca - wish that I would have looked up the pattern on ravelry before I started, as there was a major correction - however it turned out well...

There is knitting on the needles right now - orange socks that are being knit during the Olympics (I will admit there has been more watching then knitting during the watching lately) - one more Spectrum Scarf for me - and still my sweater that I will get back to next week...
Right now the studio is done, but I have not had time to really move in, so maybe this weekend....

Happy Knitting!!

And we're back...

2008-08-02T18:07:00.003-06:00

And we're back! There is DSL, the great sort and put away is still going on - but the house is livable and I have no illusions that it will take until at least Christmas for us to really be settled. And even longer to get the furniture that we want and have the art hung on the walls that make us love it. Right now, it is nice to sleep in the new house, have a place of our own and think about how we want our life to look and flow with the house - and to have an air conditioner in the bedroom!

I worked the Mile High Music Festival a couple weeks ago. This was what The Dave Matthews Band would have seen from the stage mid-show. I don't know how many people were there, but it was amazing to me to not be able to see the end of the crowd!

There are socks soaking in Eucalan, I will photograph them soon. Yarn that has arrived and socks that are close to being off the needles. I will post all of those this week. Also, the PRGE sign ups have opened for PRGE v.4. Now that I have (or almost have - the workers should be done in the studio this week) a dedicated knitting space. It is time to get back to PRGE - to spoiling - and to dedicated knitting time.

Happy KNitting!!

Next week...

2008-07-25T19:54:00.002-06:00

Our DSL service will be active at the new place next week! I had no idea how spoiled I was, until it was gone...

This weekend is major sorting and putting away - there is light at the end of the tunnel! We got screens for the doors and windows today - that is major. Tile guy comes on Monday to get the knitting studio tiled - yeah! Then I can really settle in...

Back to the great clothing sort - see ya soon...

And the work begins...

2008-07-15T07:42:00.002-06:00

They guy that we bought our house from was a SLOB! How in the world do you have beautiful wood floors and you tape on them, slop paint everywhere because you are an "artist" then just carpet over it for 23 years - this does not even take into account what the cats did...

Sunday, I spent my day gently removing paint and tape and cat stuff - this is a sample typical before and after. Coit is doing restoration on the house for one more day and the movers come on Thursday... Its nice to have all the elbow grease be worth it - the floors look beautiful... This house really just needed some love!

Since the new house is becoming a reality - here is one thing that I will miss about the old house. I had painted poetry on walls, here and there... I can do this in the new house, but it will need to have a little more thought and purpose... Mr.sunneshine has given his permission, as long as we discuss it first - ideas for favorite poetry/quotes/sayings suggestions are running wild... Stay tuned... The quote below is a favorite from the book Ahab's Wife by Sana Jeter Nasland...

And once again, there is no knitting - I can't seem to coordinate the camera and the yarn - it will happen soon, really!!

Happy KNitting!!

Knitting Studio

2008-07-13T19:42:00.003-06:00

The best part of the new house - and the one that really made us love it (keep in mind we had been looking for over four years without ever making an offer...) - is THE KNITTING STUDIO!!
Mr.Sunneshine could not be happier - the knitting will now be contained in one room - and I am so excited to have a dedicated art space that is beautiful! Well, except for the floor...
The Studio will be the first room to get some love - our hand tile mosaic dining room table will be deconstructed to become the center piece of the floor with white tile around - new shelving and cedar yarn cabinets have been ordered - 6 weeks on the cabinets...
Here are the photos of the knitting studio, in its current state - and a photo of my view out the windows into the back yard.
There really is knitting to show - maybe tomorrow with more house progress photos... We have been working very hard...

Happy Knitting!!

We Got It!!

2008-07-11T21:05:00.002-06:00

We got our house!! Woot!!

Now it is the fixing up - removing carpet, bright colored paint and cat bi-products (on that note, you really don't want to know!@!)

However, we LOVE our new house and as it progresses, we will keep showing you photos... Right now I am gracing you with some lovely photos of mr.sunneshine in work mode. I love the fact that I have the camera - so you can't see how wonderful I look in the white suit with the mask!!

There is knitting - more then I would expect actually - so I will update on progress in the next day or so...
Happy Knitting!!

Midnight Diamond Socks

2008-07-02T19:39:00.003-06:00

Wheeeee.... There is finally a finished object here! The Midnight Diamond yarn with silver in it from Crash into Ewe has morphed into the Reverse Psockology Socks from the Stitch'nBitch calendar from this year. They were super boring to knit. I lost the first sock twice - and they were hard to block to get the lace to even up. However, I think they are wonderful! And just because there is a lot of stress on the home stretch... I cast on two new pairs of socks on Monday - the Monkey Socks (yes, I realize that I am the only sock knitter in America who has not made a pair of these yet!), and the Salto from knitty this spring - just for a little challenge - mostly since I have no attention span. The Naive socks are coming along well... I am going to need more space in my sock drawer...

Happy KNitting!!

The day of being overwhelmed...

2008-06-26T18:19:00.003-06:00

Today was a day with a list a mile long - I did finish most of it before getting overwhelmed. All of the change and moving and maybe not moving got to me today. So what to do... I started the Naive Sock from SpillyJane - I thought it would be a really great pattern with some yarn that I bought from MudCreek. Much to my surprise, the yarn is self striping - it is a pleasure to knit with and I love how its turning out.

However, I really didn't need another project on the needles, since I am still trying to finish my Reverse Psockology socks. Yesterday, I had a little panic because I thought I lost the finished sock - and socks this tall take time... Thankfully, it revealed itself this morning!

However, since I could not find the finished sock yesterday, I took my sweater sleeves to staff knitting and got a couple inches added on. Its hard to find the patience when I knit two at once. It just seems like it should go faster. I do love how the possum/merino feels - I know this sweater will get a lot of wear this winter. And mr.sunneshine is thrilled, since he gave me the yarn.

I spent a bit of time on the deck today. Its so peaceful and the flowers and veggies make me smile. The bike is out being cleaned.
Mr.sunneshine and I are hoping to move in mid-July. We have found a wonderful house that is perfect for us. We have been jumping through hoops to make it ours. Up until yesterday, there were no hitches - we got through all the inspections and negotiations easily. Now the appraiser will not value the house at what we are purchasing it at. And to be honest, we are not sure why. There will be another appraisal before July 1st, so we are crossing our fingers and hoping for better results... Especially, since we have started packing and organizing to move and our house looks mostly like the last photo. Thank goodness, knitting is so centering and
relaxing! One more good thing, we have not yet packed up the kitchen, so I am off to make a chilled tortilla soup!
Happy Summer and Happy Knitting!!

Slow progress...

2008-06-22T08:49:00.002-06:00

There have been a lot of small projects around here - soap sacks with matching wash cloths and baby hats - all of which were gifted and not too exciting, so not photographed.

The soap sacks were inspired by The Seven Deadly Spins club. I put off this project, thinking it would be tedious. Instead, it was blast! And the yarn was so soft!!

The bottom picture is the beginning of the sleeves for the Lucky wrap sweater from SnB Nation. Since we are moving and things are crazy - of course, I start a sweater! It is made out of the super soft and luscious possum merino blend that mr.sunneshine gave me for Christmas last year. I hope to have it finished by October!

Happy KNitting!!

The art piece

2008-06-14T17:24:00.002-06:00

While there has been knitting, there has not been blogging. And I expect it will be a bit, till the blogging gets back on track. Mr.sunneshine and I found a house that we love, and are now jumping through all the hoops to make it our own. July 10th is the scheduled closing. If you could please send us some good closing energy - we would appreciate it.

Until then, here is my piece that I made for the art show at work. It is called "Socks for Dobbie; Knitting to End Enslavement". It is a wooden box that came with some tequilla that we purchased, paper mache on the inside, found objects, beads, and little mini knit socks. The meaning of the piece has a lot to do with my new job - which I still love - and the women who I work with... Sorry the photo is not great - since it is going in a public space and I did not want anyone to touch the inside, there is a plexiglass front.

Soon, I will show off the knitting. I started a sweater last week, before we found the house. I am sure I will be thrilled if it is finished before November now... Oh, Well...
Happy KNitting!!

There has been knitting...

2008-05-31T21:23:00.002-06:00

Its just camera shy! I did pin down these two skull hats that were knit last week. They were really fun to whip out. One is for a friend - the other will go to the Grandbaby for his third birthday in October. As soon as I can pin down the other knitting, I will post it here!
Happy Knitting!!

Camping

2008-05-29T07:09:00.003-06:00

There has been knitting - but it also been really busy around the sunneshine household. I have been trying to blog these photos for four days now... We had a nice quick camping trip in Rocky Mountain National Park - it looks colder then it was. The scenery on the hike was stunning!

There will be knitting soon!
Happy Knitting!!

KnittingKnut is amazing

2008-05-16T16:26:00.003-06:00

First and most importnatly, Thank You Cheryl for the amazing PRGE package!!! It arrived on Monday and I do apologize for not getting this posted sooner!!! It had so many amazing things in the box, a couple didn't make the picture... There is a wonderful sock pattern that I started at work and some Iron Godess Tea that is in the kitchen, I have been enjoying it. There is also some wonderful Lorna's Laces sock yarn, and Yarn Pirate sock yarn - both in beautiful colors that I don't have socks in yet - there were bamboo dpn's in two sizes - an awesome tiny bamboo crochet hook (for picking up those stitches that I drop), some cool knitting jewelry, a cycling mag and cycling glove keychain (mr.sunneshine was sure those were for him and has already run off with them :) And a beautiful project bag from Mama Monkey - every part of the bag is well thought out and the details are amazing, I will treasure it!! Thank You Cheryl - you really spoiled me and I appreciate it!!!

There hasn't been much knitting lately - we had 6 tons of flagstone delivered last Friday. We did get it all moved and laid Friday. Now between the rain storms, we are trying to get the stones set and the plants planted. It has been a long process - but its starting to look really good! This photo is from Friday afternoon - I will try to update with a finished picture on Sunday. Unfortunately, early on Friday, I had a 200 pound flagstone smash my right hand - it was tolerable for a while, but lately has been getting much worse lately, so I go in to see a doctor on Monday - the upside, I can still knit - its the typing that is difficult!!

THanks Again Cheryl!!
Happy Knitting!!

Show and tell...

2008-05-03T15:47:00.002-06:00

So all the projects that were started last week are finishing up. The Gluttony Socks (from WoolGirls 7 deadly spins club) are done and I love them - I plan to adapt this pattern to other left over sock yarn that I have.

The undulating rib socks from stash yarn and pattern from the Favorite Socks book - are done. I did drop the needle size for gauge, so the pattern doesn't show up as well - but I love the socks.

There is a hemp bag that I made from stashed Hemp yarn - based on the Shop Till You Drop
Bag - is done - I wanted a small bag for quick grocery trips - we'll see how it wears. I have an idea that I am going to work on for Christmas gifts...

And finally, there are the Rockin Socks Club socks that I have completed one sock... I hate the heel, but love the front of the socks. I would have frogged these but my PRGE pal gave me some pretty green sock yarn and a Leaf sock pattern - so the next socks will be those. And these sock club socks will go on our two hike in camping trips this summer :)

The weather here is crazy - it snows every Thursday, then gets back to the 80's on Monday... Work is going really well - I switch to 4/10s next week, more knitting time... Found a wonderful house, think good thoughts!!

Happy KNitting!!

Sorry Somehow...

2008-04-20T20:02:00.003-06:00

Okay, so last weekend with Mr.sunneshine away mountain biking - it was time to cast on a bunch of new projects. In the photo, you can see three pairs of socks and a washcloth were started - there was also one shopping bag that didn't make the picture. So through the week, I did finish the 7 Deadly spins socks - I thought the pattern was going to be a drag, but really ended up loving it!! As soon as I kitchner the toe, they will be posted. I am working on the hemp shopping bag and other socks still...

On a happy note, I am almost done with the washcloth - and my grandma is back knitting washcloths for all her friends!! Yippee!! I am sending her another 6 skeins of cotton - she lives in a tiny town and can only find acrylic (ick). Its just such a good thing, that she is feeling like knitting again!

On to the PRGE contest - Valeria, your song is Sorry Somehow by Husker Du (with an umlat over the u that I can't get my computer to write...) Its an oldie but goodie! Sorry it took me so long to post it!

Happy KNitting!

Spoiled by Cheryl!!

2008-04-14T20:46:00.002-06:00

Thank You KnittingKnut! I got an amazing package today from Cheryl - it was beautifully wrapped - an amazing gift all the way around! There were really interesting pyramid teas - cola flavored jelly bellies (yum!!) - an octopus necklace - very punk - black cascade and purple multi noro for the tree beret hat pattern, and green smooshy sock yarn for the leafing sock pattern! A very earthday box -- I am feeling very spoiled! Thank You Cheryl! I have to get back to my knitting, so I can get to these new projects!!

Bucaneer Booty Socks

2008-04-07T07:46:00.004-06:00

I was inspired by the Punk Rock Knitters and Jules to try the Bucaneer Booty Socks. They were a fast and fun knit. I used the last of my Nature Spun from my mittens in the last post. I will have to say I love how they turned out. I did knit them a little big, hoping that since they are wool, they will felt a little as I wear them. (I'll let ya know if it actually happens!) And they are displayed on my new cedar sock blockers from Fearless Fibers. More on the blockers and the amazing Deb and Fearless Fibers in the next post...

Happy KNitting!!

Last week

2008-03-31T22:18:00.004-06:00

So last week, I followed Washington State to Charlotte for the sweet 16 basketball tournament. It was a father/daughter trip - and no I don't care how old you are, there can always be father/daughter trips.

Charlotte was beautiful, we went to the Mint Museum of Arts and Crafts - which was really cool - no knitting, though. And Charlotte was a really nice city. I was a little worried though - in two days of walking through downtown, by the courthouse, jail, and city/county buildings, I did not see one homeless person. I realize that working with the homeless makes me more sensitive to this. But a city of 600,000 probably has homeless somewhere...

Most of these photos are from the green in the center of the city - very nice public art! And a photo of me, my dad, my godfather and an old friend. The sign is for a dear family friend who we missed on the trip - he has bone marrow cancer - he was with us in spirit!

I made a pair of mittens in the last two weeks to remember this sweet 16 run - far better then any t-shirt. The right says Cougs and the left 2008. They are made with NatureSpun on size one needles. The design was from Latvian Mittens - graph 96, the pattern was improvised.

The socks are finally finished - they are fearless fiber yarn with a pattern from Favorite Socks. I love the socks and the pattern. For whatever reason, it took my forever to weave the ends in and finish them!

Okay, that is all for this post - more soon!
Happy Knitting!!

I am still knitting...

2008-03-29T18:58:00.002-06:00

...but the batteries on my camera are dead! So here is a bad camera phone photo of my bucaneer booty socks that I started this morning. They are going really quick - gotta love sock knitting with a size 2 needle!!

There will be more to show tomorrow - I made a really cool pair of mittens while I was gone. Oh, yeah, gone...

My dad called on Monday, and we decided to go to Charlotte, NC to cheer on Washington State in the Sweet 16 basketball tournament. More details on that tomorrow when I can actually post the photos :)

There are a couple other pairs of socks that have been started or finished in the last few days, too... Sorry for the teaser, but I have to make dinner for Mr.Sunneshine now...

Happy Knitting!!

GO COUGS!!

2008-03-20T21:06:00.003-06:00

Mr.sunneshine and I just got back from the first round of the NCAA tournament in Denver, watching the Cougars pummel Winthrop in the second half of the game. While this picture is not the best, it was taken from our second row seats. I was so proud, they played a good game, they played with sportsmanship and they won!! I can't wait till Saturday for round 2!

GO COUGS!!

PRGE CONTEST

2008-03-20T10:21:00.006-06:00

Okay, my pal gave me rockin' songs for the PRGE contest, so it required some thought to pair them with the right patterns...

I wanna be your boyfriend by the Ramones

http://www.flickr.com/photos/95001526@N00/463052987

I picked the classic Seamless Hybrid Sweater - a classic pattern to go with a classic song (this one is from tigerlillith on Ravelry.

Radio, Radio by Elvis Costello

I saw this in Craft Magazine a few months back. Of course I would change the plush animal to this one (and I can't get the picture over - so here's the link)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ysoldateague/337599856/

Its not quite a radiohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif - but it has the right feel for the words, I think...

Finally, there is Welcome to Paradise by GreenDay

This song reminds me of work - people struggling to make ends meet - so the two things that the women ask to be taught to knit most often are bags and hats -
There are both pdf patterns and I couldn't lift the photos so follow the links (sorry!!)...

http://dorkybestfriend.typepad.com/blog/2007/03/the_string_bag.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26915247@N00/2069729096

Thanks for playing

Seven Deadly Spins

2008-03-14T17:03:00.004-06:00

I just had to show this off - I joined the Seven Deadly Spins club with WoolGirl. Could this be any cuter!! Its gluttony - complete with four different sock yarns, and one mini sock blocker keychain kit, jelly bellies and sock point covers for needles - I Love It! Now to go cast on...
Thanks so much - Jenny and WoolGirl!!

prge questionnaire

2008-03-09T13:51:00.002-06:00

1. Why did you join PRGE?
I love this swap - everyone is so good to their pals!!

2. What are your five favorite things? (these don't have to be knit related)
creating, a good bottle of wine, wearing an outfit that feels great, having someone understand a concept that I have been trying to teach, being with my husband

3. What are your three favorite things that you have made with knitting/crochet?
My christmas stocking series, my new black and gray handwarmers, a simple black cashmere hat.

4. What five things would you love to see in a swap box someday?
yarn with a corresponding pattern, chocolate, knitpicks harmony needles, thought by my pal, anything with skulls

5. What are your three favorite yarns? What are your three least favorite yarns?
favorites - sock yarn - especially dark solid colors, any natural fibers (or organics) from lace weight to worsted...
not favorites - acryllic, recycled silk, fuzzy, itchy, bulky

6. What are your five favorite delicacies?
cashmere, handmade, pectin jelly beans, artisan cheese, home made cinnamon rolls

7. What are your three favorite guilty pleasures?
chocolate, steak, bad 80's tv

8. What are the five things you look forward to every week?
My Name is Earl, friday knitting class, making Sunday dinner, completing one craft project, Sunday's phone calls

9. What do you collect?
I am trying to get rid of some of my collections, though, yarn, wine, art and skulls don't seem to be leaving

10. When is your birthday?
July 31st
11. Do you have any wishlists?
there are a couple on the sidebar of my blog - I will make sure they are updated this week..

12. Do you have any allergies or health related conditions that your pal should know about?
I am allergic to wheat, but its really not a big deal - with moderation its always fine...

13. What do you do for work and what do you do for fun?
I am the Director of Programs at a shelter for homeless and low income women and children - I coordinate art, health and education programs and seminars for those trying to rebuild their lives.
For fun, I cook, knit, garden, ride my bike occasionally, and hang out with my husband.

14. What would you like your pal to know that is not covered here?
Thank you for joining this swap! I am not hard to please, and really appreciate all your efforts!!

More tiny hats

2008-03-06T06:53:00.003-07:00

I finished this hat forever ago, finally blocked it and mailed them yesterday.

Just thought I would share quickly!
Happy Knitting!

My time away...

2008-02-25T18:19:00.004-07:00

So while I was away with my grandmother there were two overriding themes. Mittens and socks. Today, I am showing off my mittens.

The top two are my favorites. Both took a while, but I am so happy with how they came out! The first was an adaption of a sweater from The Art of Fair Isle Knitting. I really loved Eunny Jang's end paper mitts, but didn't care for the pattern (and couldn't get the charts to print), so I adapted the pattern with my Favorite Mittens book for hints.
Those turned out so well, I took some drops alpaca and adapted a chart from Latvian mittens into mitts. They feel like cashmere, and what doesn't go with black. These used a lot less yarn then I thought, so these colors will pop up again!

I was having so much fun talking to my grandma and knitting, that she decided she wanted some mittens. I let her pick the colors and pattern and we came up with a really traditional mitten shape with an EZ snowflake design and the backs were improvised. She looks so cute wearing them!

Then I was on a roll, and at the old job, I wore mitts constantly - so I made a handspun pair, a cabled pair for my mom, and the WCTP mittens just cuz I have wanted them for a long time. Now that I am back to working, the knitting has slowed down. But I love my job, and once I am settled, I know the time will come back!

Oh, and let me mention, as soon as I got on the good mitten roll - it warmed up in Colfax and there was no snow to shovel and really very little need for mitts or mittens. Now that I am home, its been the same. Although, I think the weatherman is going to cool it down for me a bit this week!

Okay, back to housework...
Happy Knitting!!

Its been a small project week...

2008-02-23T15:05:00.003-07:00

While getting acclimated at the new job, I have been working on small projects. Lots of baby hats! And it seems that I have lots of demand for them in my life right now. Most of them are fair isle made from the graphs in Latvian Mittens by Lisbeth Upitis and Lorna's Laces Shepard Worsted yarn and a size 5 needle. With just a couple hours work in each, they are so enjoyable!!

I started with two baby hats to finish up some yarn scraps while at my grandma's house. Now I am just enjoying the practice.

I am loving my new job! Learning a ton! The people that I work with (clients and co-workers) have been very welcoming! I still have a long way to go, but I really think it was a good move.

I just opened sign ups for PRGE! Its so enjoyable to think that I will have the time to do this - and knit - and craft - because I will only be working 40 hours a week. I am off to look at your blogs - my bloglines has over a thousand entries waiting - YIKES! I will probably just lurk, for now....

Happy Knitting!!

I'm Back!!

2008-02-19T19:13:00.002-07:00

I'm Back!! Its so good to be home, but it was a great trip! A little like going to knitting camp, since I can talk and knit. Mubs is doing so much better!! I am unpacking and its my first week of work - so this is short! But I leave you with a photo of the completed projects for the first week of my hiatus (on grandma's patterned carpet). There will be more about theses knit projects and those of the second week soon!

Oh, and PRGE sign ups open on Saturday, February 23rd, for anyone who is interested....

Happy Knitting!

New Beginnings...

2008-01-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

The big news is - I am closing my remaining retail store and have taken a job! Sunneshine will close on Sunday - not much time to get rid of what is remaining... But I work well under pressure.
I have taken the Director of Programs position at The Gathering Place in Denver. It is a drop-in shelter for women and children experiencing poverty. I have been volunteering there for almost two years, and in the last 10 days this opportunity opened up. I could not be more thrilled! While I have loved my stores, I have given up a lot of things, experiences and time. I am ready to work 5 days a week (not 7), be able to vacation (not having my cell phone with me and WORRYING), and, best of all, spend more time with mr.sunneshine. I know there will be ups and downs, but at the end of the day, it will be nice to feel that my work matters.

Since the camera batteries are dead, you will have to wait to see my knitting - which is going slowly, but going... So I left you with a Christmas Eve family photo - my dad, Linda his SO, me and mr.sunneshine.

Happy Knitting!!

The knitting has been slow going...

2008-01-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

The knitting has been slow going around here. Somehow time just seems to fly by faster every day. Smaller projects seem more appealing right now - so I started a set of Fair Isle mitts for myself. I am just kinda winging it with my Latvian Mitten book - wish me luck! They match the new puffy jacket that mr.sunneshine gave me for Christmas. I am sure they will get worn alot!

Yesterday, was a really stressy day. I came home from work and just needed a relaxing project. Pulled out the mitten book and some Lorna's Laces stash yarn - and in less then three hours - Done! We have several friends who will be

having babies soon, so this is probably the first in a series. This particular hat is for Todd and Kristin's baby girl - to be born soon.

Things are still crazy so back to work!
Happy KNitting!!

The Second Hemlock Ring Blanket

2008-01-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

So now that the holidays are over, its time to finish some knits that got put off.

This is my second Hemlock Ring Blanket. This one is for me - I used up all the Cascade Eco Wool that I have left :) And I love lace projects - they look so wrinkly and weird when them come off the needles. Then they block to a thing of beauty.

I even caught mr.sunneshine staring at the blanket blocking this morning. He said it was amazing how such a simple thing like knitting could become so beautiful.

Happy KNitting!!

I am still here, really...

2008-01-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

I am here still, really....
Things have been really super crazy - but I am thinking all in a good way. The Boulder store is closed, done, we are out of there - it is such a relief! Onward ho!

While there hasn't been time for blogging, there has been some knitting time here and there :). And I have been thinking about everyone in blogland - and there are a couple blog posts to come that have been roaming around my head for a few days...

Since there is not much time, I thought I would show my re-knit hat. A couple years ago, when I found good yarn, I made a hat. A simple roll brim hat. It was too big, too short and just wasn't right, but I couldn't bear to tear it back. On the 30th, I wore said ill fitting hat to work and got fed up - came home that night ripped it out and re-knit it while watching The Big Lebowski with mr.sunneshine. Now it fits right, I love it and I have a nice little ball of extra yarn to do something with.... I realize that this is one of the most basic hat patterns ever, but every time I finish a hat and it looks like this at the top with the perfect spiral, it makes me happy.

Happy New Year to everyone!!
And Happy KNitting!!

Stockings...

2007-12-16T17:18:00.001-07:00

This is how my knitting basket looked this morning - stuffed full of finished, woven, blocked, sewn, and looped stockings! Yes, there are two that are still in progress and one yet to be started, but those are not for my family and the timeline on these was not to be finished by Christmas.

I thought all day about how to try to get them all in one photo - and then I thought of the big brick wall of the neighbors house that it in my back yard... To be nice I did use those hooks that come off the wall without leaving a mark. It was the perfect backdrop! (Or would have been had the tuck pointers done a better job...)

The first photo is all together. The next photos are how they will be gifted by household. First, the grandbaby and his parents - then my dad and his girlfriend and her dog - finally mr.sunneshine and myself. Last there is the skull stocking that I love, but currently has no place. I am
working on that...

I can't wait to get the other three finished and off to their new homes as well :) There is one stocking missing from all these photos and that is the red one that I am giving to my grandma for Christmas. She is doing better - attitude is improving (but feisty-ness never leaves) - and she will get home from the hospital Monday night. I told her she could open her present when she gets home, and that has been a good carrot to get her to try harder, do her therapy and such! I really appreciate all the thoughts and prayers!! She is not out of the woods, but she is
making progress every day!

And on one other cool note, I had two of the knitters that were in my stocking class, drop by the store with their complete/almost complete stockings to show me. Both Nse and Anne did an amazing job - I was so proud!!

Happy Knitting

Blocking stockings...

2007-12-12T11:44:00.001-07:00

Mubs made it through surgery and through the night. Thank you everyone for your prayers and well-wishes!! I talked to her for a minute this morning, she was kinda cranky and not feeling well from all the drugs. I took cranky as a good sign - she has a sparky spirit. They are only keeping her in the hospital for 4 days, so I am just waiting to see how things go today - to see if I fly back to see her Sunday and Monday. She has such great friends where she lives, they are all stepping up to help her, which is so comforting since we all live far away. By Sunday, she will be surrounded with family as well. If you could please keep her in your prayers, I would be so grateful!

And on a lighter note, I leave you with the first batch of stockings blocking. Three of these will be send to Omaha tomorrow!

Happy KNitting!!

She taught me to knit...

2007-12-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

My grandmother fell this afternoon and fractured her hip. She has been mentioned many times here and is the most wonderful woman. She was taking the neighbors trash can in and slipped in their driveway and fell. Thankfully, someone found her quickly and took her inside where it was warm and got her to the hospital. She goes into surgery tonight at 8. If you have any spare prayers or good thoughts you could send her way, I would really appreciate it. She is the strongest woman that I have ever met, but she is scared. She is the matriarch of the family and she could use more prayers and love then we can give.

Thank you so much!!

Let the drama begin...

2007-12-10T10:02:00.001-07:00

Sorry that i have disappeared, it has been a long and stressful couple of weeks since I last blogged!

There have been a couple really fun things too! Mr.sunneshine and I went Christmas tree hunting with some friends and bagged a great tree. The Ent gods pointed this one out for us to grab - we came to a clearing where everthing was shaded but this tree and the bottom 4 feet were dead. That was great for us, since our house doesn't have super high ceilings. Now its cut down to about 6.5 feet and looks great and the forest has one less dying tree...

I ripped back my ex-christmas stocking a bit and have my new one almost finished. I spent a couple hours weaving in ends yesterday, so I will be blocking the stockings for my grandbaby and his family tonight. I also started one of the two paid stockings that I am doing. I would like at least one of them to be done by Christmas.

If you don't want to read the work drama, feel free to end your post reading here. I just need to vent.

Five months ago, I offered my Boulder store for sale to my manager. She said that she was interested and we signed a pre-sale contract. Since then, she and her boyfriend have been stalling when I have asked about the sale - they decided to take a different financing route, there were just a couple more hoops, they needed more information from me, they were waiting on the bank for their loan, ect.

In the meantime, I decided to move my other location a couple miles down the road, where rent is a fraction of what I am paying now and I can carry different lines then what I have now. Plus it is a great excuse for a sale to clear out things, instead of moving them. I knew that I had my lease till the end of January at the moving location but that the store for sale only had through December. So I kept trying to push, so I could know how much merchandise, I needed to put on sale.

The landlord was holding the space for them for these five months as a courtesy to me, since I had been a good tenant for 10 years. Finally, on the 1st of December, the landlord called me and the interested parties and said a lease had to be signed or he would send someone in to see the space. Long story short, the other party signed a lease on the space. I have to be out of the space at the latest by Dec 31st. On Tuesday the lease was signed, the sale was officially off. The boyfriend called to ask me to please not talk to my manager for a day or two because she was "fragile". Wednesday, said boyfriend's father had an adverse reaction to medication and was rushed to the hospital. Thursday, boyfriends father appeared to be on the mend, he was out of town with his family, I called my manager to try to make an exit strategy as my time is running short and there is a lot of merchandise that needs to be liquidated. She hangs up on me - in a "I'll call you back" - way. Then I get a scathing call from the boyfriend who is crying and yelling at me about how unfair I am, how mean I am to be closing the store, how is she going to pay her bills (keep in mind she has been offered a job at the other location, which is a 45 minute drive, until the end of January - if she would like to take it), and how poor my timing is by calling her. WHAT?? They had five months to get their sh@t together and couldn't do it - knowing that I was not going to keep that store - I now have a huge amount of merchandise to liquidate and the money that I was counting on getting from them for inventory is kaput. And I am the bad person. She still won't talk to me, I have told her that I will not talk to her boyfriend about her job, and right now am making the best decisions I can for my well-being assuming that she has sacrificed her voice in that process by not talking to me. AHHHHH! How did I get to be the bad person here?? She had a sweetheart deal to take an established store, with great lines, turnkey and pay cost for the inventory and a nominal fee for build-out/display/consulting... It really is crazy!

Thanks so much for letting me vent!!
Happy Knitting and less drama to all!

Stocking disaster

2007-11-30T17:45:00.001-07:00

It was stocking disaster this morning - okay disaster may be a bit of a stretch....

While I was finishing the third band of colorwork this morning, I looked at my stocking and realized that it was quite long - then I set it with the other stockings and realized that somehow it was REALLY long - longer then any of the other stockings and I haven't even gotten to turning the heel! YIKES!! I realized that if I ripped out the last band of color work, that it would be about the right size, so I did. Now I don't like the way that it looks.... So I have decided to set the stocking aside and start another one for myself. When all the stockings are done, stuffed and sent and my two paid stockings are finished, I will then go back to this one and figure out what to do to make it right... And who to gift it to.... The sucky part is it was almost done and I loved the way it was looking, the good part, I have plenty of yarn to make another in the same colors and slightly modify the pattern to something I think I will like even better... The glass is always half full, right?

I love the way all the stockings look together - so even though, you can't see the freakishly long length of the stocking - I leave you with the pretty fair isle all stacked...

Happy Knitting!!

Santa Hats are done!

2007-11-28T20:15:00.001-07:00

Grabbed this pattern from someone else who did them on Ravelry - its the HoHoHat from Cider Moon. They were so fun, so fast and so soft made out of stash alpaca and cashmerino chunky!
Hopefully, there will be a good photo of me and mr.sunneshine in them finding our tree!!

Happy KNitting!!

Land of the unfinished - v.2

2007-11-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here are two more of the stockings - that are almost finished. When I am done with mine by the end of the week, it will be all weaving and blocking. Then one photo of all of them together! Then we get to stuff them and send the three off to the Grandbaby and his parents... and hang ours and our guests, so Santa can easily find them.

Then there will be two more stockings to do... more on that one later...

Happy Knitting!!

Living in the land of the unfinshed

2007-11-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

So I am living in the land of only mostly finished projects. Here are two of the newest - Santa Hats for our photos during Christmas Tree Hunting on Sunday and the the cuff of my stocking. The upside is within the next ten days - all my holiday knitting should be complete!!

Happy Knitting!!

Go Cougs!!

2007-11-25T10:17:00.001-07:00

Apple Cup 2007
Washington State - 42
Washington - 35

Go Cougs!!
Ho-Hoo!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!!
There are so many people, I am thankful for - including all the knitter and knit bloggers who have inspired me with inspiration, ideas, tips, and friendship!!
Much Love to you all!!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Box!!

2007-11-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

This last week has been crazy stressful - and we are just getting into the holidays... Then I got this great box from KnitKat!! It is so well thought out - Thanks again Kat!!

It is comprised of the Little Miss Sunshine messenger bag, the Daily Stitch and Bitch Calendar, two skeins of SWS by Patons with a pattern suggestion :) a skein of C*EYE*BER Fiber sock yarn, a cherry card and Cherry Hershey's Kisses (devoured mostly by mr.sunneshine). I LOVE all of it and now get to use my new Favorite Socks book after I finish my Christmas knitting!!

Thanks so much Kat!! You were a great pal and I really appreciate everything that you sent!

One more stocking and some progress...

2007-11-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

One more stocking down! I finished the stocking for my SIL. With a few modifications, it is the Scandinavian Stocking from IK holiday 2006. I have to admit I got a little bored at the end. I do like the color and think it turned out well and he will be happy.

The grandbaby's stocking is coming along. I was really nervous about the colors, but I think its turning out really well. Now that I am back to the fair isle, it should go quickly...

Finally, there is Emma's stocking - she is my dad's girlfriends dog. I wanted to do a colorful stocking that used up my scraps. She was the one designated to get it, since I was unsure about how it would turn out... However, its great! There is a little 70's vibe with the heel (and soon to be the toe), but I am really happy with it! And I made it smaller then the giant people stockings, so its going really quick.

Now I am closing in on the end of the stockings - I would like to do 5 more, but really only HAVE to do one - mine, which I haven't written the pattern for yet... Of course, once they are all knit, I have to weave all the ends and block all of them except three... Oh the excitement...

Happy Knitting!!

Catching up again....

2007-11-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

So mr.sunneshine and I spent three lovely fall days in NYC. Now I am paying the price catching up.... Our trip was for mr.sunneshine's birthday - which is actually in a couple weeks, but both of us working retail - its hard to properly celebrate. It felt so good to have the weather be in the 40's. We got to see the Rockafeller Plaza Tree when it was raised off the truck, we shopped and ate well. There was very little knitting... I leave you with the photos of the view from our balcony (yes, we had a balcony!! Granted it was 3'x4' and looked out onto a LOT of construction, but it looked great at night...) and mr.sunneshine with the RP tree in his knit wear!

Coffee swap winnings....

2007-11-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

I want to send a huge thank you out of Knittymama J (great swap hostess) and Knittindiva (check out her etsy site) for my coffee swap contest prize! Its beautiful mostly solid dark brown sock yarn in a colorway called coffee bean... Thank you both so much!!

a little bit of everything...

2007-11-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

So, while things have been super busy around here.... I have apparently needed some retail therapy. And yarn shopping in my world doesn't count if (a) you are also buying for your swap pal and (b) you can pay with the paypal balance. I think I need to re-think this doesn't count thing, I seem to be accumulating a lot of yarn... Today I spent an hour cataloging the new yarns that I have purchased. I did leave out the Noro cashmere that I bought for my short row scarf - oops...

So while going through this much larger then anticipated job. I think Ravelry should allow you to copy your yarn entries - so after you enter it once you can have some in the used section and some in the stash section. Since I know that I have used more then 4 balls of yarn since I stashed everything, but I haven't used up all that yarn, so it is still sitting in my stash section. And at the same time, if you could use the stashed yarn when entering projects, so everything doesn't have to be double entered... That's just my rant...

I did want to share some pretty yarn pictures... The brown and purple are my alpaca from a local farm in Morrison, it is softer then cashmere.... mmmm.....

Then there has been some knitting - of course its mostly stockings but I am closing in on my stocking count of 12 - there are one small, two big and three partial left! Yippee!!

I just have a sec...

2007-11-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

I just have a sec.... So I thought I would share some photos from my last trip. The LA part was work - enough said. The Washington part was glorious! Seattle was amazing, as always. And this trip more then most, made me want to move to Eastern Washington - beautiful scenery, great fall weather, a wonderful visit with my 88 year old grandma who I adore, and WSU beat UCLA and we were at the game! Here are some photos of our trip...

ps - Mubs loved the Hemlock Ring Blanket, she curled up in it while we watch the Rockies lose in the World Series...

Thank You!!

2007-11-04T08:06:00.001-07:00

I am still here - really!! Just spread a little too thin at the moment... Hopefully, I will get back regular posting next week...

I do want to send a HUGE THANK YOU!! out to Laura, my coffee swap pal! She rocks!! My box had tons of chocolate - and yes, some of it is already missing, two kinds of coffee, two little Soak packets and YARN! There is local JR Alpaca, beautiful purple Cabin Cove Merchantile sock yarn and - the best - yarn that she dyed using coffee and tea!! So beautiful and thoughtful! Thanks Laura!!

Happy Knitting!!

So many cool things...

2007-10-16T12:41:00.000-06:00

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...

2007-10-13T19:30:00.001-06:00

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!

2007-10-12T08:34:00.000-06:00

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...

2007-10-11T11:12:00.001-06:00

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

2007-10-10T09:02:00.000-06:00

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

2007-10-09T13:53:00.000-06:00

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...

2007-10-08T08:53:00.001-06:00

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

2007-10-01T10:35:00.000-06:00

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!!

Skulls!

2007-09-27T14:38:00.001-06:00

My skull stocking is finished! I am quite happy with it! Its a little wonky, but that was truly on purpose - however if I do it again, I would adjust the crossbones so they are a little to the left - about 5 stitches - and about three rows lower. I am really happy with the stocking shape - and this was the tester for the dog stockings that I have added to the stocking list....
The current tally:
8 people stockings - 4 done/4 to go (one cast on)
2 dog stockings - 2 to go
1 skull stocking - done

And just for scale, I put the smaller skull stocking next to one of the Stockings that Ate Christmas (which all y'all seem to think are normal size - how many presents do you get??) Yep, its kinda funny....

And just on a happy side note - The Pilchuck Glass School's auction is coming up and my dad has a piece in the auction. I am very proud! Its amazing company to be in!! You can see his piece by following this link - and there is a lot of other amazing art in the catalog, if you care to browse!

Happy Knitting!!

A little bit of everything

2007-09-24T10:11:00.001-06:00

Its hailing here right now - sounds like little tinkling breaking glass... Guess summer really is over. We lost half the peach tree in our back yarn last week. Apparently the nice peach harvest and a little wind was too much for it. I would show photos, but its just sad. However, I did have a lovely harvest from the garden yesterday morning!

I got this amazing card from my PRGE pal! It sings... Kung Fu Fighters... I have had far too much fun opening it up all weekend! Thanks Amidala!

Friday, I had a couple spare minutes and there is a little crafting shop in my neighborhood. I try to support them, since I think its a cool thought. I wound up with two new books (There are two sweaters in Classic Knits that I am dying to make - the v neck and the turtleneck...), the new Bust and a cute rubber stamp. Fun!

And Finally some FO's. My felting trial worked. I think it needs to be re-felted, but as it is I am happy. And for the moment it is a Chunky soup cozy.... I finished Ashley's stocking too! I am really pleased with how it turned out. I still have to weave and block - but I will wait till a couple more stockings are done and do a marathon session.

Okay, this was super long - Have a great week!
Happy Knitting!!

Its all about the WIP's this week....

2007-09-20T10:19:00.001-06:00

So I finished writing the fair isle for my last two stockings. Yes, I still have five to knit, but the other three will be pieced together from previous stockings, so everyone gets an original.

I finished the fair isle on my step-daughter's stocking and am almost half done with the heel. I love the fair isle part and dread the foot part - but it should still be done by next week.

The schoolgirl socks are coming along. They are errand knitting right now, but I think they have gotten about 4" longer this week.

Finally, there was a large donation of really scratchy wool yarn for Friday knitting class. So this morning, I knit a quick little fair isle hat (which may turn into a needle holder cup) to felt. I used a bunch of colors to see if they felt at the same rate - and if the natural will felt at all. Hopefully, this will be done by the end of the day.

I am off to get the rest of my needles updated on Ravelry, list needles on ebay and organize my house...

Happy Knitting!!

swatch

2007-09-18T09:58:00.000-06:00

I am not a big swatcher. When the LYS ordered new yarn for my stocking class, I did need to know if it would work right, so I took a skein to swatch it. To make it more exciting, I decided to fair isle the flower that I drew. Its my first original design. I a quite happy with it. Its a little delicate for the colors that it is done with, I suppose that is why its a trial run. As far as the yarn is concerned - Jamison's Shetland is fine. It makes a nice fabric for stockings, but I still prefer the way that Philosopher's Wool feels in my hands when I knit.

Happy Knitting!

Almost there....

2007-09-17T10:24:00.000-06:00

There was very little knitting at the sunneshine's this weekend. However, I finished cataloging my entire stash - woot!! Lets just say that mr.sunneshine was horrified by the amount of yarn living in the house that he was unaware of . . . I even came up with a bag of yarn that I will never use, so it will be donated to my friday ladies, who will love it! Now I just have to finish my straight and dpn's. Hopefully, the buckets o'needles will look more organized after that!

Happy Knitting!!

An entire day and so little to show...

2007-09-13T18:40:00.000-06:00

I spend the entire day today, cataloging yarn and needles for Ravelry *sigh*... I kind of feel like I didn't get anything done - but in reality, its only because I did not finish or even come close to finishing. I have about 1/3 of my needles (or all the circs) and 1/4 of my stash listed - and only about 1/2 of that photographed.

There were some cool moments when I found my grandmother's crochet needles and shoe hook, in the little red box that she always kept them in (see the photo). And I have cleaned out almost 100 circular needles that I refuse to knit with, but still lived in the circs bucket.

The whole experience has left me very happy knitting from my stash. And now that I know what I have - or that is the eventual goal - it will hopefully be more fun!

On other fun notes, inspired by Shannon, I have joined Secret of the Stole, which starts in October. Lace knitting will be a nice change from all the fair-isle work that I have lined up.

The progress on the stockings is coming along. Have a great weekend!
Happy Knitting!!

An old show and tell...

2007-09-11T13:08:00.000-06:00

This is an old finished knit that didn't get blogged this summer. Yesterday was cold - not cool, Cold. We only had a high of 50 degrees, so I finally got to pull this scarf out and wear it!

It is the Montego Bay Scarf from summer's IK. It was an easy fun and fast knit. And used up a whole ball of sea silk that I really had wanted to get out of my stash. Its quite long, which is great! (And the monster mitts jumped in the photo since they were worn t0 and from work yesterday, too).

And speaking of stash - I started listing my stash
on Ravelry today. It was kind of addicting. I listed my two smallest stashes, and in the process organized them. I still have to figure out the flickr thing - and I will spend some time on Thursday - but it felt good to start listing it, so I will know what I have and where it is. And crazy enough, I was going to order some yarn that I thought I had already used up - just to find it...

Heard from the Step-daughter today, there will be 6 more stockings made before christmas - yippee!!

Happy Knitting!

First round is finished

2007-09-09T11:12:00.000-06:00

The first round of stockings is finished. I need to block the one with the green cuff again - but all in all I am glad that they are done. I have started round two - I still have a little bit of my dad's stocking to write and one other one that is in my head. I started a stocking that I had thought would be mine - but as it turns out - I am not very happy with it, so I will finish it for experience and knit another one for me. (Actually, I like it better in the photo - then in reality).

The store was slow yesterday, so I turned the heel on my schoolgirl socks, and can now use them for errand knitting :) Since it is quite cool here this morning, I am thinking that I need to get a move on and finish them so I can wear them and apparently sock season is fast approaching! Oh, and I found my vinnland sock and a quarter - so they will be next...

Went to a cool benefit show for John Stabb this week. Its a sad and scary story, but good to know that there are good people in the world willing to help. He has been a fixture in the DC punk scene for years. He was randomly targeted by a bunch of kids who broke his face, literally. The link to the whole story is here.

On a lighter note, have a great week!
Happy Knitting!!

My title

2007-09-03T21:25:00.001-06:00

Found this on some of the prge girls blogs - too funny to not try!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Empress Sunne the Sardonic of Pease Pottage
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

PRGE v.3 Questionnaire

2007-09-02T15:23:00.000-06:00

1. Why are you punk?
I am punk, because I grew up in (the end of) the real punk years and have always had a mentality that it was better not to conform. Its always been better to think for myself, even if it involves making more mistakes.

2. What are your five favorite things? (these don't have to be knit related)
knitting - pretty self-explanitory, except that I am sure I am way more sane with it
food - I love to cook and I love to eat
clothes - I own a clothing store, and love clothes - they are art for the body
being outdoors - whether its just sitting outside knitting, hiking, running, cycling - I would always rather be outside
my husband - yep, I am a huge cheeseball - but he rocks and I love that we make time for each other everyday

3. What are your three favorite things that you have made with knitting/crochet?
The stockings that I am working on right now - a combination of the challenge, the way they look and I get to teach them
Sleepless in Seattle Socks - I love the colors, the pattern and the yarn (which was dyed by a swap pal) was heaven
Wavy Lace Shawl - it was my first big lace project, I learned so much and wear it a lot!

4. What five things would you love to see in a swap box someday?
yarn and patterns that my pal likes
chocolate
handmade things - I do love all things handmade
vintage knitting patterns
yarn that I have not tried before...

5. What are your three favorite yarns? What are your three least favorite yarns?
favorites - cashmere, louet gems, blue sky alpaca ( really any natural fibers - and I love trying new things, and I have had great luck with etsy yarns :)
least favorites - novelty, hairy, acrylic

6. What are your five favorite delicacies?
milk chocolate, good red wine, Steak au Poivre with frites (I am an expensive date), pectin jelly beans, Cougar Gold cheese

7. What are your three favorite guilty pleasures?
Watching The Hills, thrifting, shopping for yarn/knitting supplies

8. What are the five things you look forward to every week?
Thursday night TV, morning coffee with my husband, knitting, college football, cooking sunday night dinner

9. What do you collect?
Everything - no ummm, salt and pepper shakers, vintage knitting supplies, needles and patterns, plant pots and vases in the shapes of animals and people, pyrex

10. When is your birthday?
July 31st

11. Do you have any wishlists?
Wishlist.com, etsy and Amazon - I will link them to my blog sidebar

12. What would you like your pal to know that is not covered here?
I own a small business and I really try to give my business to the little guy. I love everything handmade, etsy is my heaven. Anything well thought out, will thrill me to no end! Oh, and I am a hippy punk. I am pretty green, love things that are recycled into something useable and cool... Really, I am not very hard to please!

Fourth time was the charm...

2007-09-01T09:02:00.000-06:00

So I finally got the foot of the stockings to work out on the fourth try - by decreasing the number of stitches by slightly more then a third. It still looks a little wonky in the photo, but I think that is my less then masterful camera skills. When they are woven, tacked and blocked, I will re-post them looking beautiful.

In the meantime, I wrote the pattern and fair-isle for the red stocking - making all the changes that I wanted from the first stocking. I used a different yarn (smart yarn from Norway), but I don't really like the overall look of the stocking as well. The other two look like vintage stockings, the red one looks too new.

I have the toe and heel worked out for the floral stocking, so I am going to be working on that this weekend. Also, on the to do list is the finishing work on the stockings, finishing writing the fair-isle for my floral stocking and my dad's Star of David stocking and getting those on the needles. Plus, I just asked my Step - Daughter if her family would like stockings, we'll see what she says.....

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!
Happy Knitting!!

Linda's Stocking

2007-08-26T09:57:00.000-06:00

There has actually been a lot of knitting or planning for knitting this week. First, I wrote the fair-isle for three stockings. One was completely original, two were patterns from books or vintage pamphlets, that I combined and re-wrote to work with the size constraints of stockings. All of which was much more time consuming then I had thought - now I just hope I like how they knit. There are still two more designs roaming around in my head, but I think I want to see how the others knit before I write those out...

I have finished the leg of the first floral stocking. I am not sure about the colors, but I do love the way that the patterns are working out. This stocking will be for my dad's girlfriend. I still have to finish the foot, but haven't decided exactly what I am going to do yet. So I am on to the leg of the next design. I would like to have four stockings done by the end of labor day weekend - or at least the legs.

I am not off to start the next stocking leg - then going to look up some EZ fair-isle and MSKS for heel and toe ideas.

Happy Knitting!!

Scattergories

2007-08-25T19:53:00.001-06:00

I found this on Monica's Blog - it was just too fun to pass up!

I saw this on Cyn's blog who found it on Carrie's blog.

SCATTERGORIES ... and it's harder than it looks! Here are the rules:

* Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the questions.

* They MUST be real places, names, things ... NOTHING made up!

* If you can't think of anything, skip it.

* You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

* If your name happens to start with the same letter as mine, sorry, but you can't use my answers!

My name: Sunne

1. Famous Singer/Band: Spinal Tap (just saw it on Thursday for the first time and its still on my brain!)

2. Four letter word: S**t

3. Street: St. Paul

4. Color: Scarlet

5. Gifts/Presents: sunglasses

6. Vehicle: Saab

7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: shirts

8. Boy Name: Samuel

9. Girl Name: Suzanne

10. Movie Title: Say Anything

11. Drink: Scotch

12. Occupation: Server

13. Celebrity: Scott Baio

14. Magazine: Sunset

15. U.S. City: Seattle

16. Pro Sports Teams: Sonics

17. Fruit: Can't think of one - sage is the flavor that comes to mind

18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Screwing around

19. Something You Throw Away: Scraps

20. Things You Shout: S***head!

21. Cartoon Character: Super Man

It really was fun!!

In my last post, I am remiss in posting the link to Sharon's blog, who was my awesome Virtual vaction swap tour guide. Now you can check out her site and find out about her soaps - which are heavenly!!

My virtual vacation...

2007-08-23T22:22:00.000-06:00

I would like to send a HUGE Thank You to my Virtual Vacation Swap Spoiler Sharon! Not only did I get a quick tour of her hometown, Philadelphia, I also got a history lesson, Tasty C
Kakes (umm, no some of them are not gone in the photos - what are you implying...), stitch markers, soap (Mint that she made and chocolate, made by her friend Lisa), beautiful handspun yarn, and so much more!! Sharon really spoiled me - Thank you so much!!

Just to be on my soap box for a moment, I would really like to thank Sharon for being green in her packaging. Some of it was recycled, all of it was beautiful! And on that same note, I love boxes where people really think about the box and spend their dollars wisely, and give an amazing gift. Sharon sent me an amazing knitty pattern - that I had never seen - which is sooo cool... As soon as the stockings are done, there will be felting...

Finally the last photo shows the colors of the stocking yarns. I am on a stocking terror right now and the color that she sent me, will be beautiful with the colors that I had started working with. I am going to finish my dad's girlfriend's stocking, then add her beautiful lavender pink to my stocking's colors.

Thank you so much Sharon - I love everything!!

The next one begins...

2007-08-21T10:25:00.000-06:00

This is just a super quick post, since there are a million things I should be doing - like getting to work on time - instead of posting. But I am so thrilled with how the cuff of the second stocking worked out last night, I wanted to show it. It is fair-isle pattern from Poetry in Stitches (also shown). I am winging it with this stocking, not sure how the toe and heel will look, but I can work on that in a couple days. I ordered blocking wires and a blocking board yesterday! Can't wait to get them...

Off to work...

Happy Knitting!!

Ribbit

2007-08-17T14:37:00.001-06:00

I won the ribbit contest on Calling on Kahlo's blog a couple weeks ago. The gifties arrived yesterday - look how amazing!! A cute little green frog to keep notions in (and I really had been coveting one of these, but none of my LYS stock them yet), a couple Chibi needles in a green case, a great tape measure, and the most amazing little crochet needle (so great for picking up dropped stitches - not that I drop stitches...).

I won this for the heartbreaking story of ripping out my Hush dress - I am sure you all remember that. And the day that I got the e-mail saying that I won, I was wearing the dress. Coincidence? The day that I got the package, I realized that I was going to have to rip out the toe of my "stocking that ate christmas" and start again.

There are photos below of the completed stocking - and as you can kinda see the foot is awfully blousie. The heel of the stocking is kitchnered to make it flat. When you pick up the stitches long the side of the green and white check, you pick up 8 more stitches then were in there to begin with (in my stock experience, you generally have as many stitches in the foot as are in the leg for balance and fit). I am going to try taking the stitches down faster by ssk two on each side of the beginning of the round. I am hoping that this makes the foot a little flatter. I am also going to try a traditional toe decrease (on the top and bottom of the toe - not the sides like normal) to see if that helps to take some of the blouse out of the foot. If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them!! I want to make three more stocking using this basic pattern with different fair-isle - so while all are different, they all have the same shape.

Happy Knitting!!

The stocking that ate christmas...

2007-08-15T09:16:00.000-06:00

So apparently, when reading a pattern, I need to pull out my measuring tape to see how big the item will really be. Since my stocking is slightly larger then the pattern said, but looks to me much larger then the one in the photo. It was supposed to be 7" across the leg and 22" long - mine is 8 1/2" across the leg and 25" long. Not a huge difference, but compared to what was in my head - its huge!! Now that it is almost done, I am not changing it - and the other stockings that I am planning on making will be about the same size. It just makes me giggle a little when I see it. And there is no way that the stockings will ever be full again :)
Happy Knitting!!

Super quick update

2007-08-13T14:44:00.001-06:00

So I was planning on playing on Ravelry today, updating my blog and doing some knitting before I had to leave. But a cold KO'd me today and now I am just doing a super quick update.

So for starters, I bought this yarn from knitboy1 during his stash sale. He made it and it was packaged so well, I just had to show it off.

Then we have my school girl knee socks and vinnland socks that are getting packed up for plane knitting. Slowly but surely, the second socks are coming along.

Finally, there is an in-progress of mr.sunneshine's stocking. It is from IK's holiday 2006 mag. This one is turning out substantially larger then it was supposed to. Which really is fine - mr.sunneshine usually had a pile under his stocking because his last one was a little skimpy. So now he will have
a super-sized one for his treats. I am using philosopher's wool to knit this with and it is a treat to work with. I think I am going to adapt some flower patterns from Poetry in Stitches for my stocking. They won't match, but I never like doing the same project a second time :)

Happy Knitting!!

Lost and Found...

2007-08-09T18:36:00.000-06:00

Oh, so much has happened since my last post...

Lets start with the amazing parcel my PRGE(mini) pal Alison sent. I really could not be more spoiled!! First the package with the so SOFT green cashmere arrived. It is a beautiful lace weight yarn - 400 yards, plenty to make a beautiful scarf! Then the next package arrived with some souvenirs from Droitwich Spa - where she lives, beautiful yarn, stationary, and so much more! Alison, thank you so much!!

My MIL has been in town for the last four days - which has run me ragged. She is a wonderful woman, but mr.sunneshine has to crazy clean for a week before hand, and every moment of her time has to be planned with some activity. It was a lovely visit, but I am exhausted!! Oh, and my MIL gave me a photo box for my birthday - yippee!! I am hoping that it will make my photography better.

Since, I last wrote, I have lost then found my Vinnlands socks - still working on the second one, and the Great Adirondack Yarn that I am making my school girl socks with. Both of these are still in process, but getting there! I still haven't posted a photo of my Montego Bay Scarf from IK summer '07, which has been done for 10 days now. And I am done with the cuff of mr.sunneshine's christmas stocking. I love how quickly fair-isle goes!! I think I should be getting back to a more normal knitting schedule! I have all that beautiful cashmere from Alison to get knit into a scarf before it turns too cold!

Happy Knitting!!

Monster Mitts

2007-08-01T22:11:00.001-06:00

It has been quite a week and its only Wednesday.
Monday, I spent 4 hours working in LA and 10 hours in airports - ick! I did get some good knitting done....

Last week, I was flipping through etsy and I found an Insubordiknit Monster Hat kit, that I had to have! I have been lusting after one for a while, but hadn't seen one that I loved. So I was really excited when this one arrived...

When I got to the ticket counter 15 minutes before it opened, I sat on the floor of the airport and rolled the yarn. Then I started the hat. It soon became obvious that with the fabric density that I wanted - there was not enough yarn to make a hat (see above photo). Really this wasn't a bad thing, since the more I knit, the more I doubted that I would wear this hat....
Then while sitting for 8 hours at the airport, thanks to a cancelled flight - I decided that this would make great monster mitts. Of course, I didn't have the right needles, so I worked on my knee socks. On a side note - I left Harry Potter at home, brought my knee socks, my monster hat - no patterns, no extra needles - trying to travel light - and I have a huge delay, so I quit the hat and make up a pattern that I hope will work for the socks...

Tuesday was my birthday and Mr.sunneshine gave me a wonderful relaxing day with meals out, a long nap, a great gift and champagne and cake on our deck last night.

This morning I got up and knit up the mitts while my car was going through emissions. Sewed on the monster, while watching "Scott Baio is 45 and Single", which was surprisingly engaging *guilty pleasure*. And now I am the proud creater of Monster Mitts - so anytime Mother Nature decides to cool us down, I am ready!!

Happy Knitting!!

Ravelry!!

2007-07-18T19:46:00.000-06:00

I got my ravelry invite today!! Woot!!
Unfortunately its my busiest time of the year, so there won't be much playing or uploading till August...
I am sunneshine there too, if you'd like to add me!

Happy Knitting!!

Knitting!!

2007-07-15T13:34:00.000-06:00

I finally finished my Socks for Soldiers legs this morning (the legs were knit by another woman and I turned the heel and did the feet). A size 12 mens foot is a lot of knitting!! But definately worth it for the cause... These will be washed tonight, then sent to Oklahoma to be dyed black, then sent to Ohio to be put in a box to go to Iraq or Afghanistan. It feels really good having comleted something with so little time to knit lately!!

Then there was this wonderful package that came in the mail yesterday from Jana - my coffee swap pal! She made the anklet - which fits perfectly!! And sent me this beautiful CD - which you can't tell, but it is in my stereo - mr.sunneshine and I listened to it during dinner last night. Thank Jana!!

Things are getting crazy around here with sidewalk sale coming up :) Lots more work then play - but it really is all worth it in the end! I have been lurking around blogs - but there hasn't been much commenting - as soon as things settle down, I will be back to my normal opinionated self - just bear with me a bit!!