deputyknittersblog

I am a self employed paraprofessinoal and mom of three beuatiful children. Knitting has become an absolute passion and stress buster and my true addiction! I go no where without my knitting bag and alwyas have mutliple projects in the works!

Sunday, July 30, 2006




Well, it is FINALLY DONE!!! My first sweater. It is for my niece who is a toddler and I pray it will fit - I am pretty confident it will. It was a fun project and I am psyched to say I have a sweater accomplished. I feel like I am a graduated knitter (of course this pattern was very simple - but STILL!!!).

Looks like I have yet another new member for the Guild and Shelia, Good News!! She's a crocheter!!!! I told her all about the guild and she is new to the area and I think she will fit right in and she seemed excited - I am hoping she will be at August's meeting. Still working on the cuff - now necklace and hope to have it done and post a picture before vacation!

Still waiting for memebers to send pictures so I can spotlight their achjievements! Keep cool and keep the hooks and needles flying!

pattern:
#046 Childrens Button Jacket (Mac & Me 22 Hay Street Newbury, MA 01951 978-465-7940 or macnmeprod@aol )

the yarn:Frog Tree 100% Alpaca Wool - Type 2204 Sport Wieght
Colors: Green:#46
and Watermelon: #213

I purchased the pattern (in Summer2004) and yarn (finally in Summer 2006) at Adventures in Knitting a great shop up on Cape Cod in Harwichport. I know the shop still carries the Frog Tree and they are wonderfully helpful www.adventuresinknitting.com 557 Main Street Harwichport, MA 02646 (508)432-3700

Thursday, July 27, 2006


Exciting moment today! After having a childs sweater pattern purchased in July 2004 and having it in handd for an entire year before finally buying the Alpaca wool yarn for it last July - I was so scared and intimidated to start it I was sure there was NO way I could do it! Today I finally put my final row on it!!! A sweet sweater and once it is blocked and the seams are all sewed I will post a photo as well as the pattern and yarn info. It was a simple pattern and I marvel at how easy it was I have to stop being so intimidated.

My tassar silk (from Habu Textiles) and sterling silver cuff I was knitting went wrong! As I bounded off it started to curve! I was so upset but after 4 hours of knitting and three hours of stringing on the glass beads onto the silk and the pearls onto the silver - I think I may actually end up with a beautiful necklace - The picture above does not do it justice! It is beautiful and I know the second "life" of a necklace will work! I am releived I could envision a second life for what is a GORGEOUS piece!

Our Guild Member Shelia emailed me yesterday to tell me she has finished a hat for the Save the Children "Hats to the Capital" project (www.savethechildren.org ). She said it is adorable and tiny! She is a die hard addicted crocheter. I can not wait to see it in corcheted form and I guess I better get off my butt and get knitting!!!! Shelia does not have a digital camera so the picture will have to wait until I can photograph it at our next meeting (August 24th 6:30 Lula's) I am hoping there will be a BUNCH to photograph - it is such a good cause.

I hope everyone is keeping cool and their needles and hooks flying! A new posting soon - with pictures I hope!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

A very busy day today - I had the day off from work and have been taking all day to do a bunch of work for the Guild - Knit Happens. I am busy trying to plan two field trips to Massechusetts and Vermont. Both have fiber fairs coming up that sound wonderful. If interested check out the sites for each. The Vermont Fair is the 18th Annual Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival www.vermontsheep.or/festival and takes place on September 9th and 10th. The Massachusetts festival is Saturday, October 28th in Old Deerfield MA the site is: www.fibertwist.com . I am hoping we can arrange the guild to travel to both depending on interest. I have requested information from both groups and am awaiting that. Meanwhile, I am arranging for disocunt train tickets for the NYC Knit out and have set up a sign up for the Guild members on that as well. Our membership forms for TKGA and CGOA are prepared and waiting for officer signatures and checks and I am waiting to hear from Hartford on our incorporation status. Those documents went out last week.

In addition I have contacted Melissa Leapman and Margaret Hubert for potential dates for workshops for the Guild. I also contacted the yarn craft council and asked that our group be added to their mailing list. I am awaiting a reponse. I am excited and our schdule for the Fall is shaping up nicely. I am hoping to start planning some form of a Holiday party as well - an opportunity for the guild to get toegther and perhaps do a crocheted or knitted grab bag? We may even think about incorporating a charitable work into that as well. I am waiting to pitch top the group at the next meeting for which I have already started to create an agenda. The next meeting is Thursday, August 24th at 6:30 at Lula's - 26 Church Street . Keep checking the blog if you are unable to make the meeting to be sure to keep up to date on the Guild's activities and plans. Meanwhile I welcome any member's photos of projects, information and or articles that they may want to post. I do not want to get stale and I know we have alot of talent so I would love to draw from that!

Keep cool and keep the needles and hooks flying!

Sunday, July 23, 2006







FINALLY!!! The dreaded purse is done and I LOVE IT!!!! Lining it was a bear but I found wonderful fabric to use and I lucked out and found a purse handle (yes I only use one - two was too overpowering!). The original tortoise purse handles I got were too small and I ended up with a really large tortoise handle that I can slip over my shoulder. They say not to stitch the suede together but I do not like the way it kind of hangs. I am afraid to sew those ends as it may interfere with accessing the purse. Maybe I just need to get used to it. The lining is folded on bottom so the only seams I had were on either side. I am hoping it will help make it stronger. For this pattern go to www.berrocco.com The pattern is the free Lorraine purse. It is a Feragamo bag that reatils for $1,600.00! SO...... if you are up for a challenge and want a gorgeous bag I say GO FOR IT! Despite all the frustration - it was well worth it!






Habu Textiles 2006 Knit and Crochet Show









HABU TEXTILES AT 2006 KNIT and Crochet Show


Knit Happens - Naugatuck Knitting and Crochet Guild
Meeting Thursday, July 20, 2006 6:00 Pm at Lula's Melange

- Among the topics discussed:

Dues - $15/ year. Dues will carry members through September 1, 2007 and can be submitted at the meettings or mailed to Kristin - Treasurer. In addition, membership cards are being created for all memebrs so that they may start to use them for discounts when purchasing yarn.

Trip to NYC in September for NYC Knit out on Sunday, September 17th - also trip to Habu Textiles. Discussion on visiting while there for the knit out. Tammy to look into that possibility. Also Tammy will look into getting a group rate on the train.

Charitable project - Save the Childrens Kntiing and crocheting of baby caps. More information and patterns available at www.savethechildren.org Deadline is January 2, 2007. Great way to get our Guild known! Anyone interested in particiapating is encouraged to start working on caps and a box will be kept by officers to fill and mail to appropriate address for Save the Children.

Discussion of Boston Knit out in Boston on September 24, 2006 - Possible guild trip.

Guild is registering with Hartford Secretary of State and funds ($65) will be used from Guild account for this.

Tammy in process of registering guild with TKGA and CGOA

Name tags for meetings will be created by Joelle and will be used for meetings to help everyone get to know names. A basket will be at door at beginning of every meeting so everyone can grab tag and leave it behind at end of meeting.

Would love to create website for guild. Officers looking for any member willing to help with this. in addition anyone with pictures of projects or ideas for articles or desire for writing articles for guild should see Tammy about getting them to her for posting!

A choice of logos will be presented to the guild hopefully in August - member Kim will be creating them and a formal vote will be taken in order to adopt one.

Member (and our official Crochet point person) Shelia discussed a crochet instructor that she would love to see come to the guild. She will get information to Tammy and planning will be made to have that happen.


NEXT MEETING: AUGUST 24, 2006 6:30 at Lula's Melange

I have saved this vendor to stand on their own! They were by far my most favorite of all the vendors and had Lula and I transfixed. While the booth was only about 7 feet by 10 feet with a large table in the middle it took us hours to get through! They had the most incredible textiles I have ever ever seen!!!! If you are ever looking for something different and non traditional Habu Textiles is for you! Many of the material LOOKED to be one way (rough - heavy etc) and upon touch would be totally the opposite! We had a blast touching EVERYTHING in this booth!

Habu Textiles has a studio right in the city and we are planning a guild trip to their studio which is open to the public and you are able to buy at the studio as well. The textures and materials put you into sensory overload and the best part is believe it or not the fibers/materials are very affordable. Lula tells me the studio actually has panels knitted up of the different yarns so that you can see exactly what it looks like in finished form. At the show the only thing they did have room for were sweaters that were so unique in design and material that I KNOW I will be buying a kit on the trip with the guild. There will be more news to follow on when we will take the trip. It was hoped that perhaps we could do it on the same Sunday as the NYC Knit out!

Here is my review and pictures of Habu Textiles. Please do check them out and I promise you will not be disappointed!!!

Habu Textiles Booth Number: 307
135 W 29th St Suite 804
New York, NY 10001
(212)239-3546
Fax: (212)239-3546
Email: habu@habutextiles.com
http://www.habutextiles.com/

ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!!!!! This booth was tiny and yet it took me 40 minutes to get through it the first time and Lula and I returned three more times! It was a tactile DREAM. Truly the MOST INCREDIBLE fibers I have EVER seen or touched. Fiber after fiber I would touch expecting one thing and finding it to be different than I thought ! You would expect one fiber to be heavy and rough and it would be light as air and as soft as could be. The most incredible combinations including bamboo, banana thread, traditional fibers mixed with real metal. There are NO WORDS to describe what an incredible display this was. The best part was that the skeins are small and affordable. Kits were available and there were some of the most incredible sweaters – VERY unique and different! I was on overload on this booth and returned multiple times to admire and touch these INCREDIBLE fibers! Lucille stated that their studio is incredible and has the various fibers knitted into pieces on display. I confirmed with vendor that the studio was open to public and that we could have a guild visit and as long as it was 20 people or under it could be done without even calling first if we chose. She stated we were welcome and could call and let them know we were coming but that the studio was open to the public.

IN FUTURE: Order the grayish sweater that was loose and with a collar (do NOT remember the fiber – VERY light and airy!!!) – kit was $90.00. Purchase the twine for the chair seat knitting pattern (to redo an antique chair)
ALSO: Arrange for a Guild trip to the studio – the Guild Members would LOVE this trip.

Purchased:
1 Spool of green nubby thread with an iridescent purple running through it.
Item # A-172 1/14 spiral slub Color 5, 51% wool, 20% polyester 29% nylon 435 yards/ 1 oz $6.45

1 skein creamy grayish ecru100% tassar silk. Item #A-142, 1/7.5 tassar silk, Color 41, 100% silk. 116 yards/0.5 oz $7.30

1 reel of fine silver 30 gauge Item # AC-1 fine silver Color 1 99.9% fine silver 33 yards $19.50

Thursday, July 20, 2006




White bins - Blue Santa BEads

Colorful buttons - Copeland Glass

Wednesday, July 19, 2006




Well, I waited a little long to post the next entry BUT I have been busy compiling a book for me and one for Lucille to document our trip. Both of our cameras crashed on us so pictures were limited BUT we got some! I have catalogued our classes as well as all the vendors we visited with little notations and pictures. I am sharing with all of you because they were wonderful vendors AND I hope you would keep them in mind for future projects as they had WONDERFUL fibers and goodies. Lucille and I will defnitely use them in the future!

2006 CGOA TKGA Knit & Crochet Show – Valley Forge, PA
Impressions:

Upon signing in we received a bag from Berroco loaded with 5 skeins of specialty yarn and a Red Heart bag with three skeins of yarn and a couple of free patterns. The Marketplace was enormous and we stayed at the Raddison Hotel which was connected to the Scaticon Convention Center. Room was a special rate of $106.00.

So upset that camera batteries died on last day when Lucille and I wanted to take pictures of various vendors!!! While we did not photograph as much as we wanted to we were able to get some! Also disappointed I did not have one of Melissa Leapman’s books for her to sign for me – she was incredible as was Galina Khmeleva (lace Knitting FULL day class and the Leader of the Gossamar shawl cottage industry out of Russia). I would have loved to have one of her lace books to have her sign.

Affectionknit Booth Number: 612
296 McCaffrey Rd.
Newmarket ON L3X 1J4
CANADA
(888)836-9187 or (905)836-9187
Fax: (905)836-8962
Email: info@affectionknit.com
http://www.affectionknit.com/

Lucille and I met the husband and wife team of this shop on the elevator and we fell in love with the name of the shop! We did not make it to their booth until Friday but were NOT disappointed. They had beautiful fibers and incredible sweater kits and beautiful sweater clasps in pewter that looked very Irish!
Purchased:
Norwegian made pewter sweater clasp $7.00
(plan: on using on the green Mohair blend sweater I will make from Mohair purchased at Newtown Knits!)
IN FUTURE: Remember they had a wonderful silk blend lacy cardigan kit for $90 (the yarn by itself was $45/skein and the pattern in the kit (which included all yarn) kit required 3 skeins! Great deal! Would be a nice project in the future

Blue Santa Beads Booth Number: 213,215
18 N Pennell Rd
Media PA 19063-5520
(610)892-2740
Fax: (610)892-2847
Email: bluesantabeads@aol.com

Tons and Tons of Wonderful beads! An incredible selection of beads, bugles, crystal beads, hand painted and fired beads and an incredible selection of buttons! Both handmade and unique! The vendor told us she will be in Connecticut on September 9, 2006 at the bead show in East Haven.
Purchased: 1 tube iridescent grey “tube” beads - Item number: 8R-29AF-T $3.50,
1 tube purple, green iridescent matte oval beads – Item number: 6R-134FR-C $3.50
Panel of 2 Reproduction Vintage buttons made in Czech Republic. Clear buttons with iridescent purple glazing background with gold paisleys encrusted on them (Wave of the Wand, Designer Buttons) $12.00

Copeland Glass Booth Number: 315
Judith Copeland
201 Ray Street
Manchester, NH 03104
(603)623-3294
judy@copelandglass.com
http://www.copelandglass.com/
The most beautiful buttons and shawl closures. Judith does all of her own work and her tables in her booth were just explosions of color!!!! She has her own studio and NO two buttons are exactly alike! We spent a bit of time in her booth admiring all of the buttons which were like mini art pieces. She had many that were iridescent and we LOVED her things!
Purchased : 1 square button. White background with specks of brownish purple dots and a light and dark pink swish in the center (hope to use this with the hand made silver, silk (from Habu) and freshwater pearl cuff I want to make for me) $8.00
IN FUTURE: remember her for buttons for future knitted works whether garments or jewelry. Lovely woman and so talented!

Damaris Booth Number: 609
California (not pictured/listed)
(415) 334-1414
Damaris_hanson_@yahoo.com

An incredible Asian woman from California with incredibly gorgeous Asian jewelry – she had a necklace Lucille fell in love with and on I fell in love with – both out of our price range at $150.00 a piece ( we still had yarn to buy!). She deals wholesale and mentioned beads in her closet from the 70’s she would love to wholesale to Lucille. She had the most exquisite simple shell circle clasps with either simply carved dark wood sticks or sticks with charms (one had shells another had wooden beads etc) hanging off of them. These were the perfect shawl and sweater closures. The ones with the plain sticks were $15.00 and those with the more ornate were in the $20 range.
IN FUTURE – remember her for ordering of these shawl and sweater Closures.

Decadent Fibers Booth Number: 505,507
7 Cortland Drive
Kinderhook NY 12106-1800
(518) 758-8670
Fax: (518) 758-8671
http://www.decadentfibers.com/

ONE OF MY FAVORITES! Besides being just the friendliest and fun people – the yarns were fantastic! The yarns hung in huge loops on racks in the most delectable colors! All hand dyed, Pat encouraged that you buy enough yarn due to the fact that there was no guarantee that one lot to the next is exactly the same due to the fact that the yarns are all hand dyed. The most spectacular felting kits were available. Felt kits – pumpkins, carrots and full floral arrangements – referred to as “penny candy”! Also incredible Sunflowers and belts that were all in kits for felting! They also carried supplies of felting needles and Lucille and I watched Pat work on a felted Southwestern belt that was full of vibrant color and was a real piece of art! The belt kits come with the cords already felted and you do the rest! There was a beautiful belt kit with pink flowers that looked perfect for a little girl or person who loves pink and delicate flowers!. Lucille purchased a skein and received a pattern for an incredible scarf with hanging cords.
Purchased: 1 skein of “Cookie Dough” 80% Merino blend, 20% Mohair Approx 8 oz 490 yards per skein $28.00
*** received free pattern for the Cookie Dough shrug with purchase!**** The shrug is SOOO different and GORGEOUS!!!!!!!
IN FUTURE: remember the pumpkin felting kit and the baby blanket kit with pocket in middle for adding a felted plane or elephant. Also the belt kit in pink for daughter.

Dream Weaver Yarns, LLC Booth Number: 413,415
158 Division Avenue
Massapequa, NY 11758-7106
(516) 316-0367
Fax: (516)570-0786
Email: ann@dreamweaveryarns.com
http://www.dreamweaveryarns.com/

Drawn to this booth because of the HUGE selection of knitting bags. Fabric hobo slough knitting bags with wooden handles and the plush leather bags for knitting needles. Beautiful selection and a higher end retailer for sure! Also carried incredible needles including Namaste needles (made of a pyrex glass http://www.namasteneedles.com/ ). My one really guilty purchase was a set of these needles and a silk Lantern Moon needle pouch. The most difficult part was deciding what type of top and the size of the needle.
Purchased: US 13 glass cone toped (with dark and light blue spirals) Namaste glass needles $42.00
Lantern Moon silk Needle sleeve $7.00

IN FUTURE - remember them for the beautiful round Namaste knitting needle bag – perhaps ask for a Christmas present?


The Elegant Ewe Booth Number: 308
71 S. Main Street
Concord, NH 03301-4828
(603) 226-0066
Fax: (603) 226 – 0601
Email : infor@elegantewe.com
http://www.elegantewe.com/

ONE OF MY FAVORITES! They had incredible fibers and WONDERFUL patterns. They had a wonderful scoop cardigan of which I purchased the pattern and a wonderful shawl stick closure in the shape of a sheep. The bonus is after three years I have FINALLY found someone who carries Pre de Provence! Lucille bought a small tub of bunny cream. It smelled so wonderful – we think it was because of the lemongrass. I was afraid to purchase as there is a nut extract in the cream – keep in mind though (it smelled so wonderful!!!)! Young women manned this booth and they were friendly, helpful and very enthusiastic. Lucille and I loved this booth!
Purchased:
Pre de Provence Lavender Body Lotion 5% Shea Butter $12.95
Pre de Provence Lavender Hand Cream 20% Shea Butter $12.95
Pewter Sheep closure pin $12.00
Back Scoop Cardigan sweater pattern $5.00

IN FUTURE: Keep them in mind for the cabled sling bag pattern. Also remember they carry the complete line of Pre de Provence (distributed by European Soaps, Ltd. Seattle, WA 98133) and wonderful patterns and fibers.

Sunday, July 16, 2006








Well, we are back!!!!! What an incredible trip and there is just so much to talk about! The show was fantastic and the classes unbelievable! There is so much that Lucille and I want to share about all that we learned but do not want to spill the beans before sharing with the Guild. The classes were incredible and we learned so very much and we are so excited to share everything with everyone!

We left Lucille's house on Thursday at 4:40 AM - both exhausted from not sleeping well (due to excitement, a lightening storm and fear that we would miss the alarm and get up late) We arrived in King of Prussia around 7:45 and immidiately registered and figured out where our first classes were (they started at 9AM). The classes all weekend were not only fun and the instructors informative and experienced but we often left with added goodies which was awesome.

The Market place was incredible and a sensory overload was experienced the first two visits! After getting through our first class and checking in - The Radisson was wonderful and we had a great room! - we were off to afternoon classes and then our (paid for) sneak preview of the Marketplace Thursday night! My first postings will cover our favorite vendors and email links to help you be able to "discover" these incredible shops/ suppliers as well!

The classes were wonderful our only tough ones being very technical classes from 6PM to 9 PM on Friday night! While we both enjoyed the classes - Friday night was tough for everyone!! We were not the only tired ones that night - even the instructors stated it was a tough time DESPITE the fact that all classes were suspended for Friday afternoon which meant we had from 12 noon until 6 PM to cruise the Marketplace and chill out- which we definitely did!

Lucille had "Lily Chin's Hints, Trips and Tricks with Crochet". I had "Cable Ready" with Melissa Leapman. Funny story.... I signed up for the Cable Ready class - which by the way was fantastic!!! I am cabling like I never thought possible!!!! Anyway, I signed up for the class and did the homework and reviewed the information without every connecting the fact that Melissa Leapman was teaching the class. I walked into the class AGAIN not ever making the connection - yeah, I know ...............DUH!!!!

Well, Melissa starts the class and still no light on upstairs for me. She starts to talk about her Cable book that is coming out THIS November - it looks INCREDIBLE!!! - Still nothing - then she starts to pull out her other books: Hot Knits and Cool Crochet - well, ding... ding..... ding!!!! The light FINALLY goes off - I know, I know I AM slow! I finally realize that this is THE Melissa Leapman!!! I have always loved her books and admired her talent!

Classs got underway and we were transferring our saved homework to our needles. She wandered my way and I told her I could not believe I was in a class with her. I am convinced she thought I was a kook! I got the picture from her after class and I was sure she probably was convinced by that time I was some derranged stalker! Lucille's running joke the rest of the weekend was what an impression I made on Melissa and that she thought I was some whacko! We even bumped into her coming out of the elevator late Saturday - just before heading home and again Lucille teased me that Melissa was probably frightened of me and we had a great laugh over it!

All joking aside, Melissa is incredibly talented and sooo down to earth and I learned so much from her. She has another book coming out next year. She shared it with us and explained it was intended to teach people who only knit scarves and do simple straight forward knitting some extra techniques and knitting (like purling!) and actually gives BEAUTIFUL projects to practice and put it all to use. The projects looked fantastic and I can not wait for it to come out! I think I will get it! Meanwhile, Melissa is headed to Italy to finish writing her latest book. I wish her so much luck! She was really excited and very animated when talking of her trip. Her class was fantastic!

More on our classes and details of our Marketplace experiences in next entry - off to spend some family time with kids and roast marshmellows over the barbque!

Upcoming events we learned about in the knitting and crocheting world:

Save the Children and Warm up America's effort to knoit and crochet baby hats for children around the world struggling to survive:
savethechildren.org

Eighth Annula Knit out and Crochet:
Sunday, September 17, 2006 Union Square PArk - NYC 17th Street Noon to 5 PM

Sunday, July 09, 2006

What a gorgous weekend! Successfully completed all of my "homework" for the TKGA knitting convetion and show and am so looking forward to leaving for that! I really hope to gleam much new and exciting information and ideas to share with everyone! I am especially looking forward to the "make a skirt" class. I need to finish picking out all of the different yarns for that - I decided to go with suede and I REALLY think I will love the results. I also have to choose some bulky weght yarn for a tunisian crocheted shawlette I will be learning in another class! I am TOTALLY intimidated by the crocheting element as I barely know how to make a chain and I can NOT rememebr the "rules" but I am sure I will muddle through the class. Saturday is an entire day (6 hours) of learning to knit lace and I really am interested to see how that class goes. Very busy getting house - children - husband and myself ready to leave the end of the week. So far my wonderful husband has been encouraging and I PRAY he will be able to hold down the fort and somehow manage to get all three children to their three camps as well as manage the house and animal menagerie and still get to work and do what he has to. I am grateful to him for letting me take off like this as I KNOW it will really do me good! I Map quested the directions and looks like by leaving at 4AM on Thursday Lula and I will have plenty of time to get down to PA and settle a bit before our 9AM classses!

Great day today at the lake and my oldest son's ball game - I FINALLY finished panel one of the Berrocco bag - without ONE mistake!! A miracle!!! What a sense of accomplishment I feel on that! Perhaps the second panel will be easy??? I DOUBT it!! But I am looking forward to taking it on and trying to do so with no help and guidance from Lucille! We'll see how many rows I last! It really is looking beautiful and I am DEFINITELY keeping this one for myself. I love it so much I may have to do a second one in more wintery colors! I will post pictures of my progress as soon as I can.

Meanwhile my niece's sweater - which I was ALMOST done with - until I ran out of yard ARGH!!! - will be done soon! I panicked as I was working in Frog Tree Alpaca sport wieght which was purchased at the same store as the pattern - Adventures in Knitting - Harwichport Cape Cod (MA). I just hopped on the internet and it looks like they still have the color I need THANK GOD! I am so relieved as I need to get it done before her birthday! As soon as that project is finished I will post pictures as well! It looks beautiful and I know she will be adorable in it! The pattern was soo simple. The pattern is written by a mom out of Massachusetts: Mac & Me 22 Hay St, Newbury MA 01951 978-465-7940 the email is listed (I am not sure if it is still a valid email though!) is macnmeprod@aol. I was so afraid to try the pattern but it was so easy and it really is a darling sweater (#046 - childrens button jacket)

Wednesday, July 05, 2006



Still working on the Berroco purse pattern that Lula gave to everyone at the initial Knitting Guild organizational meetings. I wanted a challenge - YIKES! I guess I got one! The ONLY solace I have had is that I am NOT alone in the difficulty I have experienced. Lula assures me EVERYONE has been having problems - even the most experienced knitters. A hint and helpful trick that Lula finally did for me is to place markers for every grouping of nine stitches. I must say that this did help tremendously. While the orginal of this designer bag retails for $1,600.00 I have to say that it will be priceless to me if I ever - ever get it done! I was actually sitting on the beach over the holiday weekend with sweat beading on my forhead CURSING this pattern!!! I REFUSED to let it get the better of me and figured out my mistake - an hour later!!!! BUT I got past it and was stumped again when I visited Lula today and she got me back on track. I am cruising and in a decent rythym and am now on the SECOND round of rows 1-20 - I am keeping my fingers crossed I will keep the rythym!

I am determined and I LOVE the color I am using - the top border will be a cream colored suede and I changed the handles a little and decided to go with tortoise handles. Actually everyone I know knitting it has choosen such incredible colors! Joelle has an incredible and vibrant red, Kristin's is the coolest plummy, purple grey - just a really cool color - and Lula has a soft and plush looking purple - hers is actully not a cotton like Kristin's, Joelle's and mine and the texture is different so although the colors and yarns are varied I have to say I cannot wait to see all of them becasue they are all incredible colors!I really think the end result will be incredible but I have decided not to make myself nuts trying to get it done before the TKGA convention next week. Lula and I are headed to King Prussia PA on Thursday morning to go for three days of realxation and some AWESOME classes. It is my hope I will come back and be able to share a bunch of tricks and tips that I gleam from the 20 hours of instruction I will be taking. Lula and I are in diffrernt classes so hopefully we will come back with all kinds of new and fresh ideas and tricks and tips. We are also really excited to explore the "marketplace" and sample all the different knitting and crocheting items and supplies! It does not hurt that we both have no classes on Friday afternoon and we have been told King Prussia is home to a huge mall as well! YAHOOO!!! We will be shopping. I am really looking forward to the break and change of sceneary. More news soon - I hope (if I do not throw this darn project to the wind! (HA!) )on the progress I am making on this Berroco bag!