CarmelKnits, etc.

We Call Them Pirates I pretty much adore my newest hat. It only took a couple days. It's chock-a-block full of errors but I don't give a rip. I knit Skulls & Crossbones and to me that's pretty cool. Plus I knit them in pink. Which in my mind makes them cooler. Yarn is Knit Picks Palette Size three needles Pattern is free on Ravelry. Take that Monday. I'm ready for you in my pirate hat!

Dear Dogs,  We've had this talk before but apparently you need a reminder.  6:00 a.m. On Sunday is not an appropriate time to wake me up, especially since you have not yet mastered the art of coffee making... To add insult to injury you wait until it's too late for me to go back to sleep before settling in for your mid morning nap...  Sincerely,  The Girl Who Feeds You. Carmel Creager

that at the crossroads of Knitting & Addiction you will be in the colorful warm town of FairIsleville... You'll find me there...

My yarn stash goes back years. It's grown over the years. That stint of working at So Much Yarn for a little over a year really gave it a boost. Mom's find a couple years back of all the cashmere, merino, and silk in the basement of a consignment shop gave it a super boost that still makes me dizzy to think about... I remember everything most of the stuff I buy and why I bought it. There were a few that I questioned my grasp on reality when I picked it up. There was more that I said 'Oh, I remember when I bought you, don't worry, you'll still become something fabulous' Last night I had to dive deep into the stash. Really deep. I told D I was going in and that I might be a while. He told me to put up a beacon so he could find me if I didn't make it out. I was looking for the 6 skeins of Ultra Lite Alpaca I bought four years ago to do a colorwork pattern that I never got around too... I didn't even have the pattern but I knew I had those six...

Five days that is... Even I'm surprised. It's incredibly addictive. You just want to keep knitting upward to get to the next color section and pattern to see how your choices are going to meld together. I took Sheila Joyne's 'I can't believe I'm Fair Isle Knitting' class on April 12. The second class is April 26 and we were supposed to have the ribbing on our hats done. Apparently I'm a Fair Isle over-achiever So I started my house on the 15th and finished it the 20th.   This past Saturday we went to the horse races and I knit the entire anchor section while enjoying a few a lot of beer and picking horses to bet on... I picked about three and D was nice enough to go and place the bets for me. It was after I finished the anchor section that I saw in Sheila's pattern instructions that she suggest using markers to divide up each repeat. That would have made it easier for certain, but I really only had to back it out a couple ...

The Fair Isle Rabbit Hole... I'll come up for air soon. Maybe...

My Knitters Brain is pretty dominant. I usually go to a yarn store with a specific project in mind. I know the yarn I want. I know the notions I need. I give myself small pep talks the whole way. I walk in. I grab the yarn I want. The notions I need. Then I turn around to head to the register and I become mesmerized by color, texture, and possibilities. Oh the possibilities of a well rounded, well stocked yarn shop. On the car ride home I give myself comforting talks on how to explain the 3-9 extra skeins that usually end up coming home with me. I didn't go to a yarn shop last weekend but I did organize my stash a bit. Which is a lot like going to a private yarn shop. Two partial balls got set aside in my big bowl and I've been eyeballing them all week. Yes. I know what you're thinking. Yes. I have had therapy. Not necessarily for this... YES! Yes, I have four projects in various stages of almost to not-even-close completion. Yes I ...

Our racing group lost a champion today. My heart is heavy with sadness and grief for my friend Nancy who had to say good-bye to her beloved. For the family they had together. Thoughts, prayers, and love for Nancy and her family in the coming days, weeks, months and years. You were called home too soon Chad. #12 *photo from Roger H. #76

From my trip to visit mom... Sorry if some of these have been repeated.  These little birds were so funny! Their little legs moved so fast. Mom and I couldn't stop laughing at them...   Mom's friends sent her a set of plastic flamingos as a joke. She stuffed them in a closet where I found them, grabbed one and spent the rest of the week moving it around her garden. It's currently between two fountains in the pool. If she wants to get rid of it she either has to go into the pool or maneuver along the ledge and hope she doesn't fall in the pool. I'm a great daughter.   Morning knitting with coffee   afternoon knitting with something that's not water.   Prime realestate, and I'm not talking about the yellow house.   mid-day knitting   I took two pictures of my husband on our trip. This is the first one.   Knitting a linen and cotton poncho for mom at the beach. Linen and Cotton fi...

Remember the movie 'Beaches' with Bette Midler. *side note, I'm a huge Bette Midler fan When her friend was dying, Bette went to visit her at a beach house and that beach house was in Sarasota. From that point on I've wanted to go to Sarasota. Of course the movie came out 26 years ago... so maybe the dream of going to Sarasota had dwindled but every time Sarasota has been mentioned I think of that movie and the beach house and I think...'I bet Sarasota is perfect' Fast forward 26 years and in that time I; still love Bette Midler Have learned how to knit Had a mom who moved to Florida. Moved within 2 hours driving of Sarasota and look Sarasota has a yarn shop and according to the hive mind on the American's Knitting Ravelry Group, the yarn store is Fantastic! It truly is... If I was in Miami I'd find a way to get there for the day. The staff are amazingly helpful, and happy, and kind, and you feel like you're ...

I think it's possible maybe that I have finally have all my ducks lined up better move fast ducks don't stay lined up for long Here is Part 1 of like a gazillion posts to tell you about the past two weeks. The Finished Linden Mitts: I joined the Jane Richmond Linden Mitts KAL It was perfect. The pattern was perfect I had the yarn called for in the pattern. I have been wanting to knit and own fingering weight mitts for a while. I think Jane Richmond is perfect. Her patterns are classic and beautiful in their simplicity. Fun to knit in her little details. The pattern calls for Felici Fingering or Sport by Knit Picks... Unfortunately Knit Picks has discontinued the Felici line, not quite sure why. Everyone loves it... but I digress. Knit Picks and their discontinuing of my favorite yarns will have to be for another post, because I am hot about it. Back to the Mitts. I love them. I may never wear them because I love looking at them so much. The colorway is Mi...

We're home... I have a ton to catch up on with all of you and I'll do it toot-sweet  probably Saturday morning when I'm not running around like a hurricane catching up at home, at work, on sleep, and cuddles with the dogs... Things I have to tell you involve: 1. A trip to A Good Yarn in Sarasota 2. A finished Object 3. New objects on needles 4. Visit with mama 5. The trip home to Seattle from Fort Myers 6. Upcoming events for America's Knitting for now, here are a couple sneak peeks