New Blog
I'm switching over to a new blog for this particular category (knitting). Please go to my site - prattlebox.com, then choose blog city.

Since I'm going to be utilizing this category a lot more and since I like the other place a lot I'm switching - I don't want to run the risk of losing entries I've posted, you know? Granted there aren't that many here but if it makes me feel better, than that's what I'm doing.

See ya!

Resolutions!
I resolve to get my web site updated (www.prattlebox.com). I have to find some solid time to work on it, it's in need of a fresh look, different photo layouts (I don't like the way I have pics in there now) and I need to update with new pics as well.

I can't believe I haven't been out here since last May. Course, that was right after hubby found out he no longer had cancer and had the kidney and tumor removed. I guess I prioritized differently there for a while. Good for me, right?

Well, now it's a new year and I'm going to make an effort, not making any promises here, to try not to have more than 4 projects going at once. I'd like to get some things done!

Next up, preemie baby items for a charity organization in California called Stitches From The Heart, a silk and kid mohair sweater for ME, water bottle cover for someone special and socks for ME. I'm capping the ME because I'd like to have something to wear that I've knitted - 99% of what I knit goes to someone else and that makes me feel really good but I'd like something for ME and then lastly, I want to make my hubby a sweater. He wants one with cables and a zillion other stitches, I can't wait to get to that one. I'm calling it the 2 Year Sweater because I think that's how long it's going to take me with all those stitches!! (Hey, wait, that makes 5 projects, not 4...and I'm in Finance??)

Pretty amazing how life can get you all wrapped up in 'stuff' and time just whizzes by.
I've been studying my brains out for two exams through work. Hubby had (note the tense "HAD") kidney cancer but is now a SURVIVOR! And now it's time to get back to life as we know it.
That's all the time I have for today - later gators!

Holy mackeral, it's been a while since I've been out here. Oops.

I finally finished the sweater I was making for my step-daughter (see pictures below), it was a hit. She really loves it and so do I!

I've torn out my husband's fisherman sweater and am going to make him something else. Something with a bit more detail in it - but he's going to have to wait a little longer because I'm going to be selfish and knit something for myself. In fact, I'm halfway done with it. I took some Berroco Suede and began knitting a poncho with it. Didn't like how it was turning out so I am now crocheting one. Just crocheting two panels that I'll stitch together and add a bit of fringe. Oh, I'm just doing single crochet, no pattern, just a basic stitch.

More later this week, I have to get to my studying (yuck) now.


The first picture is my sd wearing the sweater and the second picture is a closeup of the cable on the sweater.

Awesome Restaurant!
Once again I have neglected the blog...oops. No excuses, I promise.

But I can make up for it by recommending an incredible restaurant that we went to on Saturday in Minneapolis. Found it by accident! We planned on eating elsewhere but the place just too loud for us so as we were standing outside THAT restaurant, my husband looked around the corner and this is what we found Victor's 1959 Cafe.

You have to check this out, the food was awesome but even better, or equally better, the ambiance was so cool. The tables have oilcloth tablecloths on them in bright fun colors, the walls are written on by the patrons and it's NOT loud like that OTHER place were going to go to. And the service was very good as well.

I had the Mango Chicken sandwich with plantain chips (YUM!), KEA and my MIL had the Cuban Pork BBQ sandwich that came with plantain also but it was called something else, it's not fully ripened-yet plantain, and the birthday boy, my husband had the Cuban Hash - every meal was top notch.

For dessert I had the Cheesecake with Guava Sauce, my MIL had the Key Lime Pie and KEA and my husband both had the coconut ice cream (which came on a plate with the word CUBA in chocolate syrup and two palm trees in chocolate syrup decorating the plate). Very nice touches! I have to admit, we all were part of the clean plate club for this outing!

Okay, today is Super Bowl Sunday so I have to get some studying done so I can watch the game and get some knitting in.

See ya!

Time to go watch some football but before I do I wanted to come out and update my project list. See the October 18th entry below. Funny thing is, I've actually made progress on my knitting - just not with the ones I have listed! Okay, some of them but there are others that I've done that I didn't put on that list.

Really must stay focused and finish at least two of what I'm working on before starting another. Yeah, THAT will happen!

Okay, I know the photo below has nothing to do with knitting but he's just so dang handsome I have to put this here. His name is Walt Willey and he plays Jackson Montgomery on the soap All My Children. I saw him do his comedy routine last August and boy, was HE naughty. He even said that after hearing his routine that we'll never think of his character the same again. Yikes, he was right. :-)

I've posted pictures of the other gift I knitted for someone for Christmas on my website. It's a felted sheep and is it darling! (My site, in case you don't know it and came to this blog another way is: www.prattlebox.com) That was fun to make, I hadn't experienced wrap/turns before so it was a nice challenge. You should check it out - if you liked felted animals you might want to make it. I've listed the reference to the book I got the pattern from on the site.

Well, I started my SD's birthday present last night and I love the yarn but I can't give details or pics until I'm done, darn it. The yarn is awesome to work with, it's a super chunky in cashmerino. Her birthday is in March so it will have to wait no matter what, now that I think of it.

Oh, I also bought some yarn to make a neck cozy. I received one for Christmas (I'll get a pic out to the website this week) and now I want to make one! It's so cool. Think neck warmer but very elegant and tasteful, it can be dressy or casual. I think it is absolutely cool. You really need to see it up close to see the detail, it's so pretty. The yarn is Koigu, a premium merino and it's so soft you can't even tell it's wool. Note: the pattern is exclusive to patternworks.com, you have to call them to get the pattern, it's free when you purchase the yarn.

Ok, back to work - have a great day!

Here are pics of the neck cozy, note that the color is really more of a grape jelly color, this shows it lighter than it is.

Missed some work today due to a nasty migraine. Took some meds and slept for 4 hours straight. Could have slept more - in fact, on my way back there now.

But I wanted to get the picture of the wristers I made for my MIL for Christmas and the capelet I made for my SD out here. If the pics don't look very good here, feel free to go to my website and check them out under Knitting Projects. Good night.

The wristers are made from Cascade 220. And the capelet is made from Micro-Spun in Lily White and Debbie Bliss's Cashmerino in Pink. I've included a pic of the capelet, the neckline and the bottom border.

Charity Knitting
As usual, something has come along that will give me an opportunity to create something for a charity. The company I work for is collecting hats, scarves and mittens and will be donating them to an organization for folks who need them. I've already got a couple of scarves that I personally didn't care for once I knit them, and a hat I knit that doesn't fit and so those will be donated along with anything else I can knit up prior to the deadline in January.

I like doing hats and scarves because they're fast and they give me that feeling of near-instant gratification of having finished something.

Oh, a cousin of mine had a baby at the end of November so I might whip up a little hat/booties for her baby. I have some white Microspun left over from the capelet I made my step-daughter and it's so soft that I think it would be a nice yarn for baby items.

Time to pay bills. Have a great night!

Oh, this picture? Grand Rapids, MINN - back when we had snow - I WANT SNOW!!!

Knit, knit, knit, knit...
Tried last night 3 times to start a knitting project and for reasons unknown, I just didn't have the 'whatever' I needed to do it. Not only could I not make up my mind on WHAT to knit but right when I thought I had made up my mind, another idea popped into my head. Arrrggghhh!

I'm at work right now and quite honestly, it's so quiet it's going to put me to sleep. It's still the holiday's so the number of people who are usually here is about half. Even my typing sounds loud!

Thankfully, I have some studying I can do for a class I'm taking but if that doesn't pan out maybe I'll start thinking again about what knitting project I should start. I'm currently still working on hubby's sweater and probably should start on a certain someone's birthday present but I'm not ready for that one yet. Maybe I'll make a pair of felted mittens (fast knitting, there, boy, I'll tell ya!) and alternate between those and hubby's sweater.

But then who gets the mittens??