Emptyknitster

Upon my arrival to The Bay Area we quickly decided that a visit to Bake Sale Betty's was in order.  As you know, we do love her chicken sandwiches and ginger molasses cookies to distraction!  In fact, I had been told by Hubby not return without a dozen cookies for him. Waiting in line at Bake Sale Betty's It was a beautiful day and a very nice one mile walk to her shop. As usual there was quite a line to the counter. I know the routine, when placing your order there is no messing around. 1. State your order. 2. Fork over the money 3. Move aside! Before I stepped up to the cash register I mentally practiced my order. "Three chicken sandwiches, two dozen ginger molasses cookies and three lemonades, PLEASE!" Pay, Step Aside! But when I got to the two dozen ginger cookies things fell apart. "We have Oatmeal Raisin, or Chocolate Chip - no Ginger Molasses." "Will you have some tomorrow?" "Maybe, or sometime next week." "Can ...

Wow! I'm really getting lazy... These socks are knit with some yarn from Germany... In my own original pattern.... For someone, someday... In size US 1needles (I can't believe I didn't keep better track!)

Last Friday morning I got up before dawn, something I haven't seen since retirement, and caught a flight to California.  Although there was a delay in landing because for weather and a small fright to the California Dreamin' Daughter (At one point flight arrival was estimated for 01/01/2070, code for disaster she was sure) we had a great weekend. I was met at the airport by California Dreamin' Son and Chloe ALittleBit. We had a great morning and then picked up The Pirate after school.  After a quick stop at the ice cream shop we headed home to play some cards. Chloe had ballet and happily it was family watch night:   The Pirate went to a workshop on Saturday morning to build a gravity machine: Later in the evening we played a cooperative game revolving around buying stock, Airline Europe. A fun game with many layers. We went on a hike Sunday... and later to Berkeley Playhouse to see The Little Princess. It as everything I would have expected for a Berkeley ...

For me, our wagon train experience is finally coming to a close. I have completed the quilt square I promised in June. All pioneers were asked to contribute a square, but many knew that upon their return to the real world the everyday pressures would return and a quilt square would be impossible. Feeling the new freedom of retirement, I was easily talked into the project - after all it isn't due until December and I had all the time I needed with the start of school no longer looming over me! Surely my friend and quilter Linda would tutor me though appliqueing a sun bonnet girl. But at the auction for next year's owner of the upcoming quilt, the square took a 360 degree turn. What had started out as a quick project, turned into an important heartfelt acknowledgement of an important person on our adventure. Our wagon master, Marcus, outbid everyone and bought the quilt. Marcus had been so friendly and kind to the kiddos. He was patient with the four kiddos, chatting, answeri...

This blanket is a long term project. Originally I thought I'd just give it a try and perhaps end up with a pillow. My mistake was adding a random big black square. I soon realized it takes real planning to do random! So I added another big black square a little bit down the row and will add them in intervals up the blanket. So my pillow has now grown to a blanket the size of a queen size bed! My goal, since starting this project, has been to knit thirty squares a month or one a day. So far I've been able to keep up. To date I have a total of one hundred and four squares! I now realize that although I have quite a few bits and pieces of sock yarn I don't have near enough. I've taken Blooming Knitter's advice and started dying yarn in nine gram bits.   I have a couple of books on order. Dyeing... another new hobby is born!

California Dreamin’ Daughter has a good friend recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She is in need of something to keep her noggin’ warm. I was happy to knit the hats for her as well as give a nod to October Breast Cancer Awareness Month . Of the four Shea loved the purple hat the best. Doesn't it just suit her?   I also started on a crocheted hat in orange but it soon became apparent the yarn looked like candy corn and therefore, Halloween! Also, I think I would have run out of yarn before I finished the hat. Rather than rip it all out I ripped just a little and a dishrag was born! I had enough to make the Crocheted Flower Dishcloth pattern. I haven’t crocheted for such a long time that the next morning I woke up with a sore thumb!

My yarn winning streak continues! Recently my name was drawn by The Traveling Sock Knitter for two skeins of yarn! One is Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light and a second skein of Malabrigo lace! I look forward to Hannah's weekly video podcast (Hannah and I have a lot in common,we also love to knit socks and have cats that think they are entitled to do as the please!) I also won the beautiful cat knitting bag featured in the photo! A member of art science nature knit podcast offered this bag as a prize in a drawing. We were to take a photo knitting out in the great outdoors. A few days after I'd told Hubby I won these prizes he asked about the photo he'd taken while we were visiting a ghost town. I don't usually request photos of myself and at the time I'd told him I was going to use it as an entry to a contest. When I said the photo had been drawn for the knitting bag he kiddingly claimed it as his after all, it WAS his "photographic ability" that w...