Emptyknitster

Chloe A Little Bit will have a new Christmas sweater this year. I'm no fortune teller, I don't read tea leaves laying at the bottom of empty tea cups, and so I wonder - will she like this sweater or not? Chloe's Christmas Sweater 2010 Pattern: Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan Yarn: Plymouth Encore Colorway: Deep Purple Amount: 4 skeins Needle Size: US 6, US 7 I am not pleased with the underarm stitch pick up. They look like they will pull and and be uncomfortable once they are on Chloe A Little Bit's arms. I can't wait for the final verdict to come in!

It's a good thing that I cleared out all the UFO's (unfinished objects) before school started because once again there is a basketful under the family room table! I've put Chloe A-Little-Bit's Irish knit sweater on hold. By the time got to the armholes it was obvious that the sweater was to large. I finished the back of the sweater, put it aside, and will finish it after Christmas. It will be among my stash of completed items until my little grandgirl grows a bit more. This created an immediate problem. What to knit that would provide the little gal with a cute sweater but wouldn't cause the Gram to much stress. (I like to have all Christmas gifts done by Thanksgiving) Any knitter knows this means a visit to Ravelry's pattern section. The tiny tea leaves cardi looked like a cute and fast knit. The pattern was bought, the color and yarn discussed, and finally the sweater was put on the needles: Tiny Tea Leaves Cardi I wish I hadn't gotten such a solid c...

The wicked witch The Incredible Hulk The Hawaiian Cleopatra And proof of what to much candy can do!

Halloween 2010  What a scary surprise to find a Halloween story  and letter in my mailbox. The ghosts flying around on the stationary were very spooky! Thank you Pirate, I love to get mail from you!

In the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz, Snoopy often began his stories with "It was a dark and stormy night..." People think that a good Halloween story must include that setting. Mine, however, is just the opposite... When we built our house fifteen years ago, we chose the location because it is out in the country and surrounded by nature. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets, a view that allows you to see forty miles to the north, and animals everywhere. A few miles to the east is the Crow Indian Reservation and forty miles further is Little Bighorn Battlefield. The moment I set foot on the property I felt a presence. I envisioned a young Indian brave sitting on the edge of the ridge keeping watch over the valley, perhaps patiently waiting for another tribe, a group of warriors or a wagon train to come into view and move slowly westward along the Yellowstone River.  Although the house has central air conditioning I enjoy the clean fresh air. I quickly discovered that ...

Halloween was a major event when I was little. Absolutely NO store bought costumes for us! 1960 Halloween, Judy, Steve and Mike             I ran across this photo recently and even though it is in black and white I remember the clown costume my brother Mike had on was in orange and black and the flowers in my Hawaiian outfit were rose colored. The muu-muu at one time had been curtains, Mom had the ability to take a few snips in the fabric and sew a few stitches, making even a set of curtains into something else. When we lived in Seattle we would Trick or Treat the houses on our block and the one block below us. Often the treats were full size candy bars. But when we moved to Butte we were astonished to find out  teenagers were allowed to knock on doors, the use of pillowcases was standard, and entire sections of town was acceptable territory for Trick or Treating.  The first year we lived in Butte I remember Dad going to the grocery sto...

Over the last few weeks the kiddos at school have come up with some interesting comments. This year I have the last of four little Holidays. Five years ago I had the oldest in the family, the next year the second sibling. We skipped a year then last year the third arrived at my door, and finally the last Holiday arrived this fall. Recently the youngest Holiday came to school with bright red marker all over her face, hands, arms and even in her hair. I asked what her parents had said. She looked up at me with her big blue eyes and replied, "They said that Mrs. G. sure wasn't going to be happy when she saw me." Evidently, I must be the force to be reckoned with in that family! I had a Professional Development meeting one morning and so I was out in the hall when a fifth grader I had taught a couple of years ago was walking slowly down the hall. When I saw this young man moving so slowly I put my arm around him and said, "Let's hurry to your classroom so you wo...