The Long and Winding Week.....

I have been convinced all day that it was Friday. That this was the last day I would come to work this week and the last day before I could sleep in and snuggle my pillow for two days (I live a simple life - and simple things tend to bring me the most comfort - so yes I like to snuggle my pillow.) This has been a rough week for me in terms of health, as the plague decided to visit me for 5 days, plus a sinus headache to beat all this afternoon. That headache tells me it is Autumn in Illinois. The crops are coming out of the fields so the air is filled with stuff that makes me sneeze (this part will pass.) However, there has been good success with my new pattern, which thrills me no end, so that offsets some of the yuck from the week. My sweet nephew, Nic turned 9, my sweet, Kate calls me by name whenever she sees me now (that thrills beyond anything.) On the personal front a great week. And I also had lunch with two wonderful friends. Just us girls - very nice and we're considering making it a habit. Yeah! However, it was at this lovely lunch that I was informed that is was only Thursday. After I did some counting backwards on my fingers, I realized they were not playing a dirty trick on me and that indeed it was only Thursday.

I could be disappointed, sad, depressed (that tomorrow is not snuggle the pillow morning,) but instead I have decided that I am the most fortunate person I know. I was just given the gift of another day. A day that  apparently I thought I had already lived. How often does that happen? Another day to knit, another day to get my Autumn collection finished (believe me when I say I need it,) another day to love my DH, enjoy my home and care for my friends. Yeah!! And a big thanks to Nancy and Sandy for giving me back my Friday.

In regard to my Autumn collection, I'm getting ever closer to finishing. I really think there's a chance that I will not have to extend my deadline even a day, but I still need every minute in order to make that deadline. I picked up the last of the test yarn today, the names for the patterns are done, a few pieces have been test knit and the rest are almost complete. I've sent the muse on vacation for a week in order to stay focused on the pieces I have to finish. As soon as the collection is published, the muse can once again work her magic.

So, all in all a good week and I still have another day left. Hope yours is going well!

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

The Holiday Sparkle Scarf.....

This pattern is now available on Ravelry as well. Enjoy.

Holiday Sparkle Scarf

By:

Diana Mullins-Atkinson

Oz Dust Designs and The Green Girl Studio

#GG022010

This scarf is made from a Aran 10/ ply yarn with just a bit of glitter in order to give the Autumn and Holiday season a little sparkle.

This scarf while having some yarn overs (for the girly effect) in the sections between the gathers still has enough density to give warmth during the colder parts of the year.

The yarn used for the test scarf is “I Love This Yarn – Sparkle” which can be purchased at Hobby Lobby craft stores or from their online store. I highly suggest trying this yarn. I was highly suspect of the quality, but with some sage advice from friends, I gave it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. I think this would look lovely in an angora or other natural fibers as well. However, I truly believe that a pattern is just a jumping off point to make an item truly your own, so choose the yarn of your choice, the color of your choice and have fun!

Peace and joy to you all…

The Green Girl

Close-up of pattern: Gathers with yarn over sections between.

 

Skills:

Knit stitch

Purl Stitch

Cast On (CO)

Bind Off

Weaving ends

Yarn over

Knit 2 together (K2tog)

Yarn: Red Sparkle – I Love This Yarn – available at Hobby Lobby stores or their online store (www.hobbylobby.com). If not available or if you prefer a different yarn, choose an Aran/10 ply or comparable.

Items:

2 skeins yarn (approx. 502 yards/460meters)

1 pair size US 7 (4.5mm) knitting needles or size to obtain gauge

1 yarn needle for weaving in the ends

Gauge:

20sts = 6 inches/row

Pattern:

CO 20 stitches

Rows 1-2: Knit entire row

Row 3:  Pattern stitch (K2, yo, K2tog). End row on K2tog

Row 4-6: Knit entire row

Row 7: Increase each stitch for the entire row. You should end up with 40 stitches.

Row 8: Purl entire row

Row 9: Knit entire row

Row 10: Purl entire row

Row 11: Knit entire row

Row 12: Purl entire row

Row 13: Decrease by K2tog across the entire row. You should now have 20 stitches again.

Row 14: Purl entire row

Repeat Rows 1-14 until scarf is approximately 50-55inches long and end with a section of Rows 1-6. Bind off all stitches. Weave in the starting tail and ending tail.

Feel free to make the scarf longer or shorter depending upon your needs.

The yarn used for the test piece can be blocked using steam if you want a blocked look, but it is not necessary.

Viruses, Birthdays, and Sparkle.....

Hi Folks - Well I'm back after a several day hiatus (due to stomach flu.) Whatever this little virus was, it has put me down good. I am finally back on 7-Up and crackers today. The best part is that the nauseating headache has finally gone. Ugh!!! It's good to know that my immune system did it's job (don't want a lazy immune system - not good.)

Today is a special day, as my nephew Nic is turning 9 years old. Nic is my brother's youngest son and middle child. He is smart, kind, loving and so funny! This kid has a sense of humor to rival most professional comedians. He keeps us in stitches. Nic has wanted to be a vet since he was about 3 years old. He adores animals - horses - cats - dogs - fish - you name it.... So, when his uncle Dave and I asked him what he wanted for his birthday he said, "I want a stethoscope. Not a  baby one, but a real one. I have to start learning about the heart and lungs for when I'm vet." I'm just sayin' if this kid doesn't become a vet, I'll be quite surprised. He has great focus for a nine year old. Anyway, that's what he's getting from Dave and I. As I'm the only family member with a medical background (almost 30 years) I'll be thrilled to pass on my skills and teach him how to use the stethoscope. I know this as well, whatever Nic becomes in his professional life, I will always be proud of this child. Just thinking about him makes me smile. I'm lucky to be his aunt!

OK - in between the virus and the birthday, I have had a few moments of un-nauseated clarity  and  I have started my own holiday scarf (pattern to be on Ravelry in a few days.) It's a simple gather stitch with sections of yarn overs between. The thing that makes this really special is the yarn. I've said it before, I don't typically use acrylic yarn unless someone has requested it and basically never for myself. However, I've been chatting with some fellow Ravelers in Hobby Lobby Harlots forum (ok - this name cracks me up - Hobby Lobby is craft store that makes no bones about that fact that they a Christian oriented establishment. They even play hymns as their background music - so the whole harlot thing is just too funny!) All that aside, this store has a nice yarn department as they are one of the best yarn stores in this area, I shop there. They have a brand called, "I Love That Yarn" and "I Love That Yarn Sparkle."  100% Acrylic! I have ignored this product for a long time for reasons already mentioned. However, the Harlots (hee hee hee - gets me every time) cannot stop extolling the virtues of this product line. So, while there one day last week before the plague set in, I noticed this lovely red yarn with a thread of silver sparkle running through it. Very Nice! I touched it and thought perhaps it wasn't acrylic after all, but the label said that indeed it was acrylic. Well, I'll be tossed in the river... This is pretty good stuff in terms of feel, but how would it work up. I bet the thread would split and look awful. Nope - wrong again. It works up well, too. It's obvious that I bought a skein, just one, I mean let's not push this thing. And after working and ripping out four versions of this pattern that the muse planted in my brain (it's all her as by this time, the plague was upon me and I couldn't think straight) I came up with what I consider a soft, sparkly, pretty little holiday or winter scarf. As I love red, this is will be worn at times other than the holidays. As is it my scarf, I don't care if anyone else likes the yarn or color. I like it.

Now, when I went to take photographs, the one with the flash turned out the right color, but lacked in showing the pattern detail. The one with no flash, looks orange (which I would love just as well if the yarn came in that color,) but shows the pattern well. All in all pretty and sparkly!!!

OK - must sign off for now, as headache is returning. I think I've done too much work on the computer to fast. 7-Up and crackers here I come.

Peace and joy and health to you all.....

The Green Girl

The Changing Season.....

The sunlight has changed. It's rays are softer, it's intensity more filtered. How does it know that Labor Day has gone and it is time for it to change. This shift in the sun's presence always marks the beginning of Autumn for me regardless of the date on the calender. I love these days of soft light and cool breezes. The harvest has already begun as well. Fields are being taken in like the sheets that we dry out on the clothes line. Windows are opening and air conditioners are being turned off at night - it seems that the world is preparing for bed like children putting on their pj's and brushing their teeth. I love this changing of the season.....

This change also means that the holidays are ever closer and it's time to think seriously about the holiday knitting. I guess I should have said, do the holiday knitting (I can sit and think about it all day, doesn't get the job done.) I have had a list of projects for about two months, I also have the yarn for most of the projects - life just seems to get in the way of the doing. You know things like, getting a new patterns collection published, doing the laundry, working the day job, working on my group squares, knitting the chemo caps, doing the laundry, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, cooking and freezing easy week night meals, doing the laundry (yep - there's a pattern there - you're not imagining things.) So, now I have a challenge - get the knitting broken down into units, mark the calender and knit until my fingers bleed. Given the list I have given myself this year, I should be done right about Christmas Eve. It doesn't help that nine family members had to go and be born during the holiday knitting rush, but they're here now (some for many years), what ya gonna do? I've learned that knitting at a birthday party is acceptable as long as you give your wishes to the birthday recipient, say a quick hello to the party goers and then sneak off to a quite corner and knit away. This works really well if the party is for a child as all they really are interested in is cake and presents. I'm cool with that! It's a little trickier with adults as they like to talk to you as you are their cohort. I'm cool with that as well, as long as they are cool with letting me knit while we chat. They have to understand, I'm not a speed knitter and these two hands can only work so fast and each hour spent at the task makes for much better odds of my having a sunny disposition on Christmas morning.

So, for all of you that have been "thinking" about the holiday knitting. Start your engines, tune-up your needles (or hooks if you crochet,) get your yarn ready and go..................................

Peace and joy to you all......... even during the holiday rush!
The Green Girl

Starry Starry Night......

Saturday was the most beautiful day of the entire summer in my humble opinion. The heat finally broke and the temperature was around 74-75F with a light breeze. It could not have been any better. A perfect day to celebrate Dave's B-Day with his parents. It made driving down to Bloomington a lovely experience, sitting and talking with my in-laws (with no AC -finally) a lovely experience. I saw twin sisters in their wedding gowns (they had stopped at Starbucks of all places) on the way to their ceremony. I hope they remembered the mints. Those girls could not have planned for a nicer day to be wed. All in all the trip was fab!

I love knowing that I can knit in the car. I surely cannot read in the car and on family vacations as a kid, I basically slept my way across country to keep from throwing up the entire time. Made my mom as mad as an old wet hen. "Diana, wake-up - stop sleeping you're missing everything." "Mom - I can't help it if I open my eyes I'll throw-up." On and on it went for 18 years. However, as an adult I have found that this does not apply to knitting. Yeah!!! So, as DH and I drove down to see his parents, I began to knit a headband for a friend going through chemo. The pattern is a freebie from the web and is tres' easy! Basically you just increase the purls every so many inches, which widens the pattern to make a basic rib look like peaks and valleys. I'm using the Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe yarn in a mid-tone gray. This yarn is part wool, part bamboo and very, very soft.

After our nice visit with Dave's parents, we headed back up the highway to home. It was about 9:00pm so it was completely dark. The days are once again getting shorter. We could see the planet Jupiter out the window plain as you please. It was just so bright. Now, as I am and have been my entire life a star gazer, I twisted around in my seat and looked up. What awaited me there was no less than a sight that was truly breath taking. The night sky was full of stars. More stars than I've seen in ages. The weather had been so clear that it had made for a perfect evening sky. Constellations were everywhere and so plain to see - it is the one time I wish the CRV had a moon roof. I finally started to nod off , but every little bit I would wake and look back up at that beautiful sky and then WHAM! She got me me! You know who I'm talking about - the Muse! Somehow she had stowed away in the back of the car. Before I knew it she was sitting in the back seat whispering things in my ear - like Starry Starry Night.... Scarf in navy blue with lighter flecks - maybe a lace idea. Every time I waved her away, there she was again. Apparently she didn't realize that the trip from Bloomington to home late at night is for listening to the highway and sleeping. However, I suspect she did know and was just being a pest. Anyway, although I did no knitting on the way home, a new pattern was born thanks to a pesky muse and a truly awesome night sky.

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

All About Dave.....

Today, September 3, 2010 is the birthday of my DH, Dave. So, no knitting in this blog - it's all about Dave.

Dave is/has/was. etc....
1) The most conscientious person I've ever known. In 31 years he's never missed an appointment, been late or forgot our anniversary.
2) A smile that still after all these years makes my stomach do a little flip.
3) A mother that calls him at exactly 11:02am CST in order to re-live the moment of his birth. He was an actual Labor Day baby and was born during the pet parade.
4) Lost 70 lbs in the last two years - with effort and as he says, "pulling away from the table." He's always looked good to me, but now he looks good to him and that's important.
5) He flew for the US Navy. That's how we ended up living in Seattle.
6) Is a biochemist by profession. He is pure genius on two legs. No kidding!
7) Loves all his nieces, nephews and god children as if they were his own: Beth, Jim, Tom, Jason, Nic, Kate, Katrina, Kayla and Mason, JT and Jacob.
8) Is a wicked horse shoe thrower.
9)Is now participating in his second stage production. (Winkie General in - The Wizard of Oz.)
10) He is the middle of three brothers, Bob, Dave and Steve.
11) Enjoys lap swimming as a form of exercise and a time to ponder his thoughts.
12) Is married to me for the past 28.5 years. What a ride!
13) Has a lovely singing voice and sang in the Turbo-Tones, which was the DuWop group for the US Navy's School's Command Choir in Pensacola, Florida.
14) Has seen the stars from the middle of the ocean - how totally cool!!
15) Wrote a tremendously insightful book a bit before it's time, but now watches as science, religion and humanity in general are catching up to his thesis. That makes him quite happy. As he says, "Baby steps will get us there."
16) Is my best friend!!!

I could keep going, but this gives you some idea of who Dave is on paper anyway. You will never meet anyone quite like him and you'll like him immediately. Dave has enriched my life and others in more ways than I can count and in more ways than any of us realize. Yes, I am married to a super man!!!

So, Happy Birthday, Sweetheart. Have a great day and know that on this and every other day of the year, I love you!!!!


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

High Speed.....

Line from Ghostbusters (read blog about a Book With No Name and you'll understand why this movie quote was chosen.) " I recorded a workout and played it back at high speed. I got a 30 minute workout in 10 minutes. Saved time - that's good."

Well, that quote says it all for me today. I feel like my life has been at high speed all day. That is after I woke-up 30 minutes late. Things just kept spiraling out of control from that point on. It's almost 3:00pm CST and I think the top is slowing and things are settling back into normal time. However, I'm not willing to place a bet on anything right at the moment. There's still a lot of agenda left for today before I can say for sure how the second half is going to trend.

I did find a real bargain today at Michael's Crafts store. Loops and Threads yarn 4/10$. I don't typically knit with acrylic, but I have a lot of people in my life that love it and as I was not put on this earth to crush anyone's groove, I oblige and find the best quality acrylic I can when on sale and put it in the stash for their gifts and projects. And I must say that they had an ombre yarn with a color scheme that made me want to faint. I actually bought some for myself - it'll be a pillow for the studio. The colors are fuchsia/Velveeta orange/and about three others that I can't remember at the moment, but they were good, too. You see color is my weak spot - if Interpol wanted to come after me for something, all they would need to do is set-up a sting that had something to do with color and they'd have me good! So, I tell myself that the universe knew that today would be at high speed and it waited until today to put this gorgeous color yarn on sale so that I could get some to help others and have a little treat for myself. Pretty sneaky!

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