Scruba Dub Dub...

Yesterday was a day filled with fun, laughter, and food poisoning. Rewind - day started out well (except for the ants, but let's just not go there as it's too depressing.). DH and I went to lunch together at one of our favorite local sandwich shops and then I dropped him at work so that I could keep the car, run errands and go see a friend that is recovering from knee replacement surgery. Forward - I'm standing in line at Walmart after having a major shopping attack in the cotton yarn section of the store. All those colorful little balls of cotton on sale for 1.54$ - no one could pass that up. Oddly enough I had only gone into the store for pasta so that I could try out a new recipe that I've been working up. Well, as I stand there in line I became violently ill - everything started to move in slow motion - sweat starting running down my forehead - then the wave passed and I went to the car with my purchases. As soon as I got back home the next wave hit and I was shall we say indisposed for the next hour. I called off the trip to visit my friend and relaxed for a while sipping tea. Muse never noticed me as she was enthralled by all the new toys I had apparently brought just for her pleasure - aka the new cottons. As soon as I was better, I pulled out a new yarn - Peaches n Cream Ivy League and started to make a Nubbie Scrubbie. This is another dishcloth pattern suggested by my Dish Cloth Swap group.

The cloth lives up to its name as a scrubbie - it is very nubbie. I can see it also being used as a body loofah, but it is too rough for the face or neck.

After completion of the scrubbie it was once again time to go get DH from work. I'm still not feeling 100% this morning, but I believe I'm well on my way back to the living.


Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl

Sharing - Caring - That's What Knitter's (and crocheters) Do.....

It's Wednesday and it feels like Friday already - actually, I don't know what day it feels like as they all seem to run together during the summer. Yes - that's right sports fans, it is officially summer now! For those of you that love this time of year - enjoy to the fullest - the rest of us will wait patiently for our lovely fluffy snow to return. I think seasons are fantastic as everyone gets a choice for what's just right for them, you just have to remember to be patient when it's not your turn. A lesson that hopefully we learned in kindergarten.

Well, the members of the Dish Cloth Swap chose their favorites from amongst the nine that I made and now I have to type up the tags and send them off. However, we have someone in the group that is a huge enabler, she is willing to pass on all kinds of new patterns and ideas just for the asking. Well Ellen, you have made Muse ecstatic - she's juggling the colored cotton and making up rhymes and songs every day. As it is my place to keep the peace, I have indulged her and made a practice version of the Mitered Cross Square . This pattern is well worth the donation to Japan's earthquake relief fund. As Ellen tempted us all with a super lovely version of this as a dish cloth, I decided to try my practice square as a dish cloth as well. Ok - it is easy to see that Ellen's is better, but I shall carry on as I begun and make more and then one day mine will hopefully look as nice. This is my first effort and it has not been blocked yet in this picture. It's on the blocking board now. I used US size 4 bamboo needles to make this smaller than a blanket square. 

Sugar n Cream - Crown Jewel Ombre & Hot Purple

As I am a lefty the problem how to knit this in the proper order arose. After a little fiddling in order to get the directions correct, it was a very easy pattern. If you are a lefty you knit the miters in the following sequence -1,4,3,2. I added a single crochet border once around in order to keep the size from growing too large.

So, to all the knitting and crocheting enablers out there- enable on.... You're all the best.

Peace and joy...
The Green Girl

A Tisket, A Tasket.....

Well all of the lovely dishcloths for my Annual Dishcloth Swap group are made and the group members are voting on their favorite five (I got on a fling and made 9 and now I can't decide.)

These are two of my favorites. The blue is a self striping cotton (Sugar n Cream) and the yellow is a speckled cotton that reminds me of fiesta corn (also Sugar n Cream). So, far these two have several votes from the group as well, so it looks like I will be parting with them. Yes, that is the idea, but I fell in love with them during the process. I'll just have to make more.

As I was knitting the cloths, I fell in love with all the lovely cotton/cotton blend colors and decided to whip up a self-designed crocheted basket. I'm sure there are other crocheted basket designs running around, but I whipped this one up all on my own in about two hours (I had to have a pizza break along the way.) I love the color - it is called aloe vera, which I think is perfect. I am considering designing a line of these in different colors and sizes as an offshoot of the Green Girl's - Oz Dust Designs. As Oz Dust Designs is a knitted fashion accessories line, I'm considering this as a home accessories crocheted line. I'll let all of that stew around in my brain, get some input from Muse and see how it all melds together. DH is working all weekend, so this is a bit a of design weekend for me. I'm hunkered down on the sofa, watching old movies, knitting and drawing all day and night. Then, presto, flip - I'm crocheting. Muse is having a grand time. She was sitting in a pile of cottons earlier and throwing them at me - this is her favorite way to inspire, she throws colors at me. Let's just say that dear old, Muse knows what works!

Well, I'm off for a cuppa tea and a biscuit and one more hour of designing and then to bed with a book (in my case a Kindle.)

Peace and joy...
 The Green Girl.

Monday's Knitter.....

Monday's are interesting days. Sometimes they go as planned, sometimes they throw you a curve, and sometimes they flat out knock you over. I wonder why Mondays are so unpredictable in this predictable way???

Here is Monday's Plan of the Day (POD for those with a military background.)

1) Finish dish cloth number 5 for the annual dish cloth swap.
2) Work for three hours on the new shawl design.
3) Send out two angel squares.
4) Photograph cotton stash for Ravelry group.

Here's how that turned out in the real world.
1) Woke up at 5:00am and fell back to sleep at 6:30am - ended up waking for real at 9:20am. What happened there????
2) Finally got the day going and the laundry started just in time to make DH's midday meal (he works at his lab on 2nd shift now so we have our together meal at midday.)
3) Was well into making a yummy summer garden salad with black beans, when my knife slipped and YOW!!! the fingertip of my middle finger (rt hand) was sliced 3/4 of the way through.
4) Cleaned the finger, added a butterfly stitch from the med kit along with ointment and a large bandage. Put a glove over the hand and finished the meal.
5) Sat down to knit - I had high hopes that the huge bandage would not get in my way. Wrong, wrong, wrong!
6) I was finally able to knit a few rows, but must take breaks to let the throbbing and pain subside.
7) Everything from today's POD will now be moved to tomorrow's POD.The rest of Monday's POD is now canceled.
So, I ask -whose idea was Monday anyway??? Ah well, hopefully there will be many more Monday's to try again. See how I just put a positive spin on this - no need in letting Monday have all the fun. Think I'll go make a cuppa tea and read a good book.

Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl

Presenting....

Orla

This is Orla - the second original design in my Autumn 2011 neck warmer series for Oz Dust Designs. Orla is a pre-made neck warmer and can be viewed in my Etsy Shop. For now, Orla comes in two colors. There will be more in the near future. 

There will a third pre-made scarf in this series and I will also have at least two patterns available by September/October as well.

Thanks to one and all for your support of my artistic ventures. And to Dave, my dearest husband - your love and support leave me without words. 

Peace and joy to you all....

The Green Girl

Ravelry Shares the Spotlight on Two Blogs....

I decided to share the blog entry from my Knitty Scribe blog here as well. If it weren't for Ravelry, neither blog would have stood a chance.

Peace and joy to you all....

The Green Girl.

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I Ravelry, Do You????

I suppose that many people that read this may already know what Ravelry is, but for those that don't here's the skinny. If you do, maybe there will be something new for you as well.

Ravelry is a knitting/crocheting web based community. I like to think of it as a Facebook type social network for knitters and crocheters. You have a Notebook page of your own, you can add your projects, stash , library, send messages, list your blog and website, befriend lots of lovely people and join numerous groups with specific themes. For Me Ravelry is a place where I have met some very dear people, learned tons of things in regard to my art, rekindled my love for other art forms, promoted my own designs (did I mention that you can sell your own personal designs - great way to get started) and basically made myself a village. Joining Ravelry costs you nothing - you can be as involved or not as you like.

Here are five things I love best about Ravelry:
1) the people- I've made some great new friends and they all have interests like my own. Yeah!!!

2) Being able to sell my original designs and get feedback on those designs before going public, from people with a similar interest (see a theme there?). You can offer your designs for sale or for free, which is fab!!!

3) I love the pattern database. This one function has saved me days worth of time in finding a pattern or a pattern book. Searching the internet at large can be a daunting task.

4) Being a member of group with a special interest that I share. For example: The Annual Dishcloth Swap. This swap is loads of fun and has a small time commitment. So, if you're really busy and how many of us aren't, eh?? - you can enjoy the fun and be done quickly and move move to the next thing on your To Do List. I highly recommend checking this group out - the moderators are awesome women and know how to have fun!!! There are other groups as well, things I never thought would fit into a knitting/crocheting social network, such as - IKEA Fans. Now, to be completely honest - next to knitting there is nothing more I love more than a trip to IKEA - I mean you should just see my home! And right there on Ravelry, I found a huge group of others that love their art and IKEA just like I do - and my goodness can we get chatty. There are other types of groups as well, things like design support, groups dedicated to specific people (The Yarn Harlot - Alan Dart or Debbie Macomber). You name it there's a group for it or you can start one of your own.

5) The fifth thing I love about Ravelry is the people that I've met. Yes, I know that was #1 on the list, but I'm using a literary technique here of book-ending. Start and end with the most important thing. If it weren't for the people and the developers of Ravelry, all the stuff in the middle wouldn't exist. So, "the people" is worth a double hit on the list.

I highly encourage anyone that's never taken a look at Ravelry do so. If you are a knitter or a crocheter, you will find yourself and your art opened up to a world made just for you and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I've never done this before, but I love this site so much and it has meant so much to the growth of my art, my skills, my business, my social connections that I am also going to share this blog thread on the Green Girl blog.
If you do Ravelry, tell us what you love best. If you don't yet Ravelry, go - go now - spend some time on yourself and have a blast. Ravelry

Knit On, Read On....
The Knitty Scribe. 

Drum Roll Please......

Esme'

Well, finally I can announce that the Esme' scarf/neck warmer has arrived at an Etsy Shop near you. This design has been eight months in the making. That includes designing, testing and knitting pre-made items. This a close fitting neck warmer that will go perfectly with a winter coat, sweater or as a fashion item for however you see fit to wear it in your wardrobe. 

Each Esme' is made of different color and has a different ornament (a few ornaments are repeated). It is sized to fit a small to a large neck. It closes with a keyhole opening in the center. I have used numerous fiber types   in order to accommodate folks with allergies or fiber preferences. Currently there are seven Esme' scarves listed on my Etsy shop. I will be adding about two dozen more over the next few days. 

This has been one of those designs that felt like birthing a child. Late nights, food cravings, worrying, choosing just the right yarn or ornament. However, I am happy to finally show off my little cozy neck warmer to the public. Please stop by my Etsy shop and take look. Many thanks.

Peace and joy to you all.....

The Green Girl

Sunshine - Sunblind - Muse is having a wild time....

When you are as pale as the white horse and you turn red within five minutes of a hot August sun - you learn to be thankful that you love to knit. It is officially still Spring on the calender and only the first week of June. However, it is 97 skin burning to a crisp degrees here in Chicago land and has been for a good week. I've actually gotten red from walking out to the mailbox at two in the afternoon. And when I walk back inside I'm blind for a good minute from that brazen yellow orb that's plastered itself in the sky.

Now, I could pretend that I have no idea why we are getting this kind of weather at the tail end of Spring, when it usually doesn't show up until late July and August, but that would be playing down what little smarts I have and my thought is to never play dumb when you know better. You don't have to push your knowledge at people, but if you know, you know!! All you need do is take a look at a map of the Jet Stream and you can see that we are sitting right under the break from cool to warm or should I say blazing heat. My nightly prayer is now to have the Jet Stream move lower so that I do not melt when I go outside.

So, as sitting on the deck in the morning is kinda out as it is in the 90's before noon, I've taken the positive approach and grabbed the knitting and let Muse run wild on a new shawl design. As per her thoughts, I'm making a pre-made item to sell on my Etsy shop called the Orla neck warmer.  Muse decided that I should use the same design idea and make an Orla shawl, but it will be a pattern for those that wish to make their own. I'm thinking about making about 5 shawls as finished items for a special one time sale. Muse and DH think that I should offer something to those that do not wish to play with sticks and string, so the five special pieces is my decision thus far. What's your opinion???

As long as the sun continues to warm us past the point of toleration, Muse and I will settle in for nice days of design and knitting and when she takes a break, I'll get in a great Pilates workout to keep the old bod in shape.

Stay cool - use sunscreen and knit one, purl fun!!!

Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl

Party Time....

Wow - this has been a productive and busy week. As you may notice, there is now a link to my Etsy Shop, the Facebook page and a search bar on the side of the blog. The Etsy shop and FB page are both in their infancy, but I'd appreciate your stopping by and sending me some feedback. Many thanks!!!

Getting these pages done was a nice aside from working on the actual website which giving me fits. I think the company that supports the page was on vacation all week as well as I was never able to get them on the phone. However, I shall not give in and will prevail. It may take some bribery with chocolate or something, but I'm not beyond that. Or perhaps one of the support crew has always wanted to learn how to knit of crochet. I have been know to use that as a ploy in the past. Hoot hoot - want to learn to knit??? Hmmm????

Anyway, after getting quite a bit checked off my list, I decided it was time to party!!! Let's have a party - get down - that's right!!! Did that little chant get you in the party mood, too??? So, what does party mean to me on Friday night at home alone (poor DH was working)? It meant getting out what is a new yarn to me and I think relatively new on the market, Caron Simply Soft Party in Black Sparkle (or as I call it Black Diamonds) and starting an evening wrap all for me! This is one of those yarns that has a metallic sparkly thread running through it and I can say so far no breaks in the thread, which is what I always look for in these types of yarn. If that thread breaks easily, you'll end up with a rough and scratchy item - no fun! This black is truly like looking into a sea a black diamonds. The thread is black as well and makes a lovely and elegant look when worked up. These pictures are just swatches, I'm starting the actual wrap today. I know - the Green Girl actually did a swatch!!! Does the muse know??? Yes, she does and I think I have traumatized her. However, I wanted to gt a good feel of how this yarn works in pattern and I can say it passed with an A+++.

Specifics - 99% Acrylic - 1% polyester. Machine wash and dry, but as with all my hand knits, I hand wash and lay flat for a longer and more gentler life of the item. Each ball is 164yds/150meters - 3oz/85grams. On this particular ball band there is a pattern for crocheting a cute pair of wristlets.  They would make a great gift for a teen. This is a mid-weight yarn - #4.

Now you know how the Green Girl parties on a Friday night. Oh, I added a bowl of popcorn and some tele to that line-up as well and had an enjoyable evening.

Peace and joy to you all...

The Green Girl.

Don't forget that you can now that the Green Girl blog with you on your Kindle e-reader. Just got to Amazon.com/Kindle store and type in The Green Girl. Thanks!!!

Feeling a bit Sheep(ish)....

Occasionally something comes along that really gets the muse to doing her happy dance and when the muse is happy, it is usually really infectious. Of course that means that I get the infection. The great thing in this case is that the medication is a trip to the yarn store and several balls of Vickie Howell's new Sheep(ish) yarn line for Caron.

Hot Pink(ish)

This is one of a few times that having an infection is a really good thing. Sheep(ish)  comes in 21 lovely retro colors. With names like Robin Egg(ish) and Plum(ish) - colors that really take me back to my childhood and teen years in the 60's and 70's. The colors are saturated and you just can't help reaching out and touching each lovely colored ball. Sheep(ish) is a combination of 70% acrylic and 30% wool. It is a lovely mid-weight yarn that can be washed in cold water on the gentle cycle and dried flat.

Plum(ish)

As many of you know, knitting is my passion, but as I also crochet, I can see these colors being done up in some fabulous retro granny squares or crocheted beanies with crocheted flowers. Currently the muse and I have our heads together working on the Autumn 2011 line-up for Oz Dust Designs and at least one neck warmer will be made exclusively from Sheep(ish). The color line-up follows the Pantone colors to watch and they will add a lovely pop to our typical Autumn color offerings.

Robin Egg(ish)

This is a small swatch of Robin Egg(ish) knit up on US size 7 rosewood needles. The texture is fantastic and  the feel is soft with no scratchiness at all. I'll be making a swatch project on my Ravelry page for those of you that follow the Green Girl on Ravelry (greengirl7). As I make new swatches in other colors and patterns I'll upload the pictures to that page as well.

Chartreuse(ish)

 Sheep(ish) can be found at your local Joann's and online through Vickie's website (http://vickiehowell.com/). They yarn is very reasonable in price and is great for beginner - advanced knitters and crocheters. So, grab some girlfriends and go for lunch and a little yarn crawl and check out Sheep(ish). I think you'll be very happy with what you find.

Peace and joy to you all...
The Green Girl


Remember you can now follow the Green Girl on your Kindle e-reader. Just go to Amazon.com/kindlestore and type The Green Girl.