Knits For Sanity

Lots of Fun Mail

I love days when I get more fun stuff in the mail than bills.  Yesterday was one of those days.

First, some donations for The Preemie Project arrived. YEA!!! It's starting to look like setting a donation date was the way to go.  I'm hoping that helps motivate the volunteers to get those needles clickin.  I know that it hs definitely done that for me.

These preemie hats came from Preemie Project volunteer, Tracy from Texas. Oh aren't they just adorable?!  My mom loved the little square ones so much that she started one tonight.  Here's the pattern for the little square hat.  I will have to make a couple too.  So CUTE!  Thank you Tracy!  Everything was perfect.

   

These two preemie hats came in the box with Tracy's but were from her friend Linda.  They are SO precious!  Thank you Linda!

I had yet another box in the mail yesterday.  I received my final package from my ICK secret pal.

Thank you Kelly!  You obviously know me well b/ this package just screams "LAURA!".  I've already looked through the magazines and marked the patterns I want to try in the future. 

Kelly, you said that I could never have too many water bottles and you're very right.  I was just thinking about how I could use another one.  That needles organizer is so cool.  I've always wanted a sewn needle organizer like this.  I'll post a pic with it open and my needles all organized once I do so. Oh I just love it!

The two small packages in the middle held these goodies.  Some very cut ekitty beads and sun tanning charms on the left.  Some great homemade stitch markers on the right.  I just love everything Kelly.  Thank you for being my ICK SP!

 

I received this wonderful RAOK from my friend Annie.  Thank you so much.  It came all the way from New Zealand.  You were so incredibly sweet to think of me.

Everything was inside the little coin purse with the star.  Did you sew it yourself, Annie?  It's so cute! 

I am going to have a lot of fun with the beads and beading wire.  I really need to fit in some beading time soon.  I'm going through beading with-drawl.

Great News!: My back has been feeling fantastic the past week.  I haven't felt this good in three or four months.  The spine therapy must really be working.  I've getting up and around twice as much as I aws before last week.  I can't possibly express how good it feels to be a bit more mobile.  It's an excellent natural mood elevator!   

This means that for once I'm actually feeling like I can bead without pain.  It also means more computer time.  If I feel like I'm getting enough work accomplished for The Preemie Project I should have some beading to share very soon.

Thanks again Annie.  I appreciate you thinking of me.  As I said Thursday I was having a tough couple of days.  The letters, emails and giftie definitely help keep my chin up.  Thank you!

More Knitting Progress:

I've been knitting like crazy on my felted tote bag.  Grandma, thanks again for sending me that gorgeous yarn.  Anyhow I started the straps yesterday and finished them this evening.  Next it was time to felt.

Here's a pic of the tote bag pre-felting.  It was so huge!

 

Here's a pic of it the tote shaped and drying.  We placed a piece of covered cardboard in the bottom and stuffed it with plastic bags.  Hopefully having done so will help to keep its shape. 

It only took one 15 minute cycle in the washer to get this result.  It's been a long while since I last felted.  I knitted myself felted clogs this winter that I absolutely LOVE.  I didn't remember them shrinking this much so fast.  Does Lamb's Pride felt more quickly than Cascade 220? 

Pattern: Two Old Bags, Felted Tote Bag (large)

Yarn: 3 skeins + a couple yards Lamb's Pride worsted

On the needles: 6/29/2005 - 7/16/2005

I'm fairly happy with how it turned out.  Although I think I would have liked it to be a bit bigger.  I suppose I can always knit the next one a bit larger.  A girl can never have too many bags!

I'll have a finished bereavement gown set pic tomorrow.  I just have to crochet the booties.  I also hope to start my sockapal-2-za socks this week. 

Have a great weekend!

Thank You

I want to thank a couple of people.  I apologize as some of these are way over do.  I'm such a scaterbrain right now!

This postcard came from my wonderful secret pal.  It was postmarked from Canada.  Now I'm wondering if she is actually from Canada or if she was just visiting.  I'm intrigued.  I was too excited when I received my last package to pay attention to the postmark.  My detective skills are definitely lacking...

I received this thank you note from my Iowa Chicks Knitting secret pal.  You're welcome Adie!  I'm so glad that you enjoyed the packages.  I loved being your pal.  I hope you can make some cute socks out of the sock yarn.  I love the Geisha yarn I sent you.  It's so SOFT!

I received this in the mail today from Dani, my sunshine.  The baby yarn is just gorgeous.  You really made me smile today.  I'm going to put this yarn aside to make items with for The Preemie Project.  When I opened it I told my mom, "I call this!"  I especially like the one in the middle.  Thank you for being such a ray of sunshine Dani.

Well I'm off to watch TV and work on my burial gown.  I need to get to bed early as I actually have to get up in the morning.  I have an early physical therapy appointment.  I cannot let myself stay up till 4am tonight.  So I have to get off the computer now.  Yes, step away from the computer... 

Thank you again ladies!

Hey Mister Postman!

Today was a mail day at my house.  I recieved some yarn that I ordered over a month ago and my first Iowa Chicks Knitting secret pal package.  Fun Fun!

I ordered this Cascade 220 from WEBS online store.  I like the color even more than what it looked like on the computer.  It's a much darker pink than it's looks like.

My wonderful grandma sent me some felted bag patterns awhile ago.  I ordered this yarn to knit one of them.  I haven't decided on one yet.  I'm thinking maybe the tall one on the left.  I going to use this bag to carry my knitting around in.  So it has to be BIG! I'm excited!  I just have to find time to get it done.  Maybe once I finish The Softest Baby Blanket I'll have more time.

I also got a package from my Iowa Chicks Knitting secret pal!  I have the best pal.  I LOVE everything! I had a lot of fun opening up the individually wrapped packages, and so did the cats.  You'll see why...get ready for a lot of pics: (click on them to see larger images)

Here's a cute card and some yummy treats.  That was good chocolate.                                      

I love love love these notecards.  I've been looking for notecards like these for along time.  Where did you find them secret pal?!

Here's some beads and charms to add to my collection.  The beads are so pretty and the charms are very sweet. My pal knows me well!

A vintage pattern book and some Crystal Palace Shimmer.  Very neat!  The yarn is variegated and the colors are so me.  I saw a lot of great patterns too.  It's giong to be hard to decide on one.

My idea of a great relaxing evening involves a long, hot bath. These items are so perfect are will come in handy! 

I bet you were wondering why the cats had such a great time opening this package.    Here's the answer.  They really love this catnip toy.  Having it on a string is perfect for little Miller.  He can play for hours with a toy like this.

This leads me to a funny story.  Once I opened the package from my pal I first took pics of eerything.  Then I put the items back in the box with the tissue paper on top.  I put the box on my bed and left the room. 

Two minutes, later I heard a rustling noise in my bedroom.  My parents have an old dog who gets into the trash in my bedroom multiple times a day.  So the noises l;ed me to think that she was the one making trouble.  So I yelled at her to get out of the trash.

The sounds still didn't stop, so I went into my room and found that the dog had been framed!  I felt bad, but the sight I saw was hilarious and I couldn't help but laugh.  Who was the little monster that framed the dog?

As you can see it was a Miller monster.  I found him like this on my bed playing with the cat toy.  He must have smelled it b/c he dug it out of the bottom of the box on my bed.  Unfortuantely he also dug everything else out with it!  That toy has been a big hit with my cats this evening.  I think my dad played with Miller and Oliver for over an hour.  They're dragging the thing all over the house.  I'm going to have to knit a couple of catnip mice for them so they won't have to share.

Stash Enhancement and WIP Updates

 

I received my KnitWerx order late last week.  I order this Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora.  It was going for such a great price that I bought enough for two gifts.

 

This is going to be a gift for my boyfriend's neice.  She is the cutest three year old you've ever seen.  I know everyone says that about little boys and girls.  This little girl is so gorgeous. She is so smart too.  She really melts my heart.

This is going to be a baby gift.  I'm not sure for who yet.  Someone has ababy due that I don't know the sex of.  So, if that baby is a boy I am going to make this for my newborn cousin, Emma.  don't you love the name Emma?  It's so sweet.

                     WIP Update

-Sirdar Cardi: I just finished the right front this evening.  so, all I have left are the sleeves.  I'm casting one on tonight.

-Preemie Project: I'm working on more little pink hats currently.

I made a bunch of stitch markers today.  I'm getting ready to send out a bunch of RAOKs.  I'm also getting ready for my ICK secret pal and Secret Pal 5.  It's all gonna be fun!

Knitting With-drawl and Long Overdue Pics

  I've spent the last 5 days going through a knitting with-drawl.  Oh the with-drawl symptoms are so terrible and SO PAINFUL!!  In the past three years I've experienced first hand how a person's pain threshold can change.  One thing's for sure, I know I'm in pain when it hurts too bad to knit. 

  I've had terrible, incredibly painful back spasms for 5 days.  I finally got a medication to calm my back muscle's down yesterday afternoon.  But hey, what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, right?  Anyhow, that's what took me SO long to post some long overdue pics.  Today I woke up feeling somewhat better.  Well, better enough to be able to post these long overdue pics.

                                                                 I sent off my stitch markers to my Bead It pal last week.  My stitch markers arrived on Saturday.  Look how pretty!  Thank you Gina!  Gina claims to be new to beading, but you can't tell from these.  Didn't she do a great job?!

Gina also sent me this lovely smelling soap.  Its a good thing that I had someone take a pic for me on Saturday, b/c I used it soon after.  Thanks again Gina!

I also received a wonderful RAOK on Saturday from Susie.  Susie, you touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes.  You're really a wonderful woman!  Thank you so much for the thoughtful RAOK.

Here's what she sent:

- a donation of four skeins of baby yarn to The Preemie Project.  Thank you for your generosity!

-a very sweet card, some KnitPicks sock yarn that I can't wait to use, and some very sweet stitch markers.  Not pictured is some chocolate that I already ate.  Susie, it couldn't have came at a better time.

                                                                         Here's a pic of the stitch markers.  Aren't they sweet?  I can't wait to use them.  Thanks again for the sweet RAOK Susie!

Now I'm off to lay on an icepack!  I hope that by next Monday I'll be finished talking about my aches and pains and back to babbling on about my knitting.  I need my sanity back...

Lusting no More...Well, Not Quite

  I've been lusting after Tartelette in Misty Mauve, from Knit One Crochet Too, for at least 6 months.  Now it's finally in my possession.  I received my order from FuzzyMabel.com yesterday.  Tartellete is the most beautiful ribbon yarn.  It is shiny and matte and the colors they offer are gorgeous. I bought three skeins to make a ponch, but I don't think that's enough.  So I'm going to knit a fancy shawl instead.

  Lately I'm doing most of my yarn buying online since I can't get out by myself.  When my mo mtakes me, I take a really long time to decide what I want.  That drives my mother nuts.  I don't blame her.  She's actually very patient.  I do take way too long.  I just can't help myself.  I'm like a kid in a candy store.

   Anyway I've browsed at a lot of online stores and did some comparisons.  I am giving my full recommendation to FuzzyMabel.com.  Why, you say?  I'll tell you. 

      -Their prices, including shipping, are very competitive and fair.

      -reasonably FAST SHIPPING!!

      -The Fuzzy Dozen.  Check it out here:

              http://www.fuzzymabel.com/fuzzydozen.shtml

      -they package their yarn in a plastic bag  (the packaging is pretty cute)

No I don't work for Fuzzymable.com.  I just really like them!

  With my FuzzyMable order I also recieved yarn for the Branching Out knit along.  I am going to use Knit One Crochet Too's Douceur et Soie in Snow.  That yarn is luscious.  It's 70% Baby Mohair, 30% Silk and OH SO SOFT!  I can't wait to get started.

You can see the tartelette much better on the up-close pic.  I am going to have to get some more of that yarn.  Now that I have it in Misty Mauve I am lusting after Spring garden.  It never ends does it?

Package in the Mail

  I got a package in the mail today and I was expecting it to be from either The Knitting Garden or Jimmy Beans Wool.  I wasn't expecting anything else.  I got a wonderful surprise!  The package was from my grandmother and my aunt mary! 

  My aunt sent me a latchhook rug and The Holy Rosary Mysteries and Meditations.  She is a really thoughtful person.  she has been worried about me.  So she sne tme something to occupy my mind and something to help me spiritually.  I couldn't ask for a better aunt.

  I can't say enough about how great my grandmother is.  I'm really lucky to have her in my life.  Here is what she sent me:   

Two patterns for felted bags and Brittany size10.5 double points.  Now I have to decide which pattern I like the best so I can get the yarn.  I think I like the ones on the left the best.  I'm finally going to have a cute knitting bag.