Knitaholics R Us

Tribute

Confidante.  Friend.  Pusher.  Enabler.  Counselor.  Guide.  Survivor.  Lover.  Wife.  Mother (in-law).

Today my sweet, dear mother-in-law, was laid to rest.  She passed away in the safety and comfort of her own home with her husband, Mr Wonderful and me by her side as she gracefully took her last few breaths.

And while I am feeling lost without her wicked sense of humor, mad challah making skills, and genuine love for me, I am forever grateful for the amazing son she helped to create and mold into the extra wonderful man he is today. 

In addition, I'd like to thank her for the following:

• I really was knitting the wrong way (dammit)
• Bearnaise and/or Hollandaise sauce really is good on everydamnedthing (even probably shit),
• adding more butter always makes it better
• if you are really depressed and thinking about dying or cancer, you should buy yarn, preferably, lots of the same yarn just in different colors (and Elann is a good place to buy it from too)
• if someone is ever doing something slightly more decadent that what I am currently doing, they are a slut, especially if I would really like to be doing what they are doing right then and there (apparently, even daughter in laws and best friendscan fall into this category)
• even if one is raised by wolves or in an orphanage, they can still turn their life around and become a strong, loving, independent, value and family-oriented woman

Iris, rest in graceful peace.  We love you, always.

Holy Shit, there's Knitting!

This post has, admittedly, been a long time coming.  The beginning of 2007 started off with a roll of knitting projects: one completed Jaywalker sock in Julia's Knit and Tonic Vesper sock yarn, the start of and completion of Camellia, which has taken me an embarrassingly long amount of time to post the craptastic picture (see below) but posted during the appropriate Project Specturm timeframe (yay me) and a cute little cabled handbag.  I was even off and rolling on Flair, which finally gave me the opportunity to put that beautiful Blue Sky Cotton in Tomato to good use. 

Pattern: Camellia by Stephanie Japel

Yarn: Knit Picks Sierra in Leaf

Notes: I love the lace patterns and found them very clever.  I also love the way this is supposed to look.  But mine just does not fit me the way I'd hoped.  It's a little wide-ish across the chest and shoulders and I feel that I am constantly having to adjust myself.  I swatched, got gauge and all.  Oh well, the perfect fit just wasn't in the cards for me on this one.  I will still wear it for now, though.

Pattern: Cabled Handbag from my LYS, LisCat

Yarn: Gawd, for the life of me, I cannot remember right now, but I will edit when I do remember

Notes: Cute, cute, cute!  I love this little purse.  See the nail polish for scale?  It didn't come out very big at all.  It makes a good little handbag for evenings out or the weekend.  I bought the purse handles at Joann's Crafts on sales and just whipstitched them on.  Easy as pie.  This will get lots of use!

Just as things were rolling along, my knitting time started to get interrupted with frequent trips to visit the in-laws and the bout of depression that has seemed to follow lately.  See, in the last couple of months, my beloved MIL, hasn't been well at all.  It wasn't a huge suprise, as she's battled cancer for as long as I've known her (10 years, my gosh), but since January, her health has taken a major turn for the worse.  At the present time, it seems as though we may be spending our last few days/weeks/months with her.  Watching someone die is absolutely shit and it puts your perspective on things in a new order and sometimes, this new order is incredibly hard to knit through.

On the brighter side of things, the needles have been calling to me a bit more and perhaps I just need a change of knitting scenery.  I am looking at starting a smaller scale project, just for a little jump start.  I will keep you posted on things.

Thank you in advance for your love, energy and prayers!

Monday Loves and seriously, I need to talk about knitting one day soon.

I am totally knitting, just super busy.  No time for photo shoot, damn me.  Perhaps the 3 migraines in 3 weeks isn't helping, you know...just sayin'.

• Every ounce of my crafting soul wants this Hello Kitty sewing machine.  Is this wrong?
• I want every single thing in Nigella Lawson's Living Kitchen line, especially this, this and this.
• notscarlett pointed out this website today.  Can I have this shirt, puleeez?  The names are the BEST!
• How lovely are these swatch portraits?  And these as well?  Creative and cheap...I like that!
• Like I needed a new hour-long show to obsess over...
• I just got Stephanie's new book and I love every.single.pattern.  God help me.
• I love Olga's sweater on the cover of Yahaira's new book!  Yay, girls!
• Lolly!  I know it's not just me that wishes that this girl was their best friend, next door neighbor, knit night buddy, and/or workout partner.  Thank you so much for your ever present contributions to the Internets!