Progress!

Making great progress on this shawl! loving the colors and how easy the pattern is ... tho I did chose the wrong size of yarn ... it called for fingering and I chose lace, which is really, really, thin yarn.

Really loving knitting! love that you can take a string, some needles and make something. Feel that way about most of the things I do ... sewing, jewelry making, stained glass ... now, that's really cool ... taking glass and 'painting'. Haven't done that craft in a long time ...

Really grateful that I have the ability to do the wonderful crafts that I do and that I have friends who also enjoy it ...


Going to feature one of my friends every week and the things they knit!

This is Evan, the 'wonder guy' of knitting! He learned just last August (of 2009) and is one of the most productive knitters I know! Plus, he's a lot of fun to be with!


I have pictures of the kitties that I'll share tomorrow! and a few places that I think are interesting.

Hope everyone has a lovely day! the sun is shining here (sort of) and it's not raining!!!

!

Here's the Angelwing shawl, finally finished (tho it still needs to be blocked) and just loving it! wasn't sure until I got it off the needles if I was going to like it and as soon as I put it on I loved it! there's all kinds of mishaps in it but still, it's a very pretty shawl. Want to make it again in another kind of yarn, something softer. Feeling very pleased with myself!


This is the beginning of another shawl ... it's called Daybreak and I'm crazy to be doing it in lace weight yarn. The pattern called for fingering but what do I know (?). Now I need to get color B, the bottom half of it. Had another yarn I was going to start it with but wanted to make it 2 tone ... and it doesn't go with this yarn, which is Malabrigo lace weight Cognac. Not sure what color I'm going to do the bottom in yet, have to go have a look see.

Hopefully this is what it will look like when I'm done.
Here's to a happy day being creative and staying dry ... it's raining out there.

Citron Shawl

So ... this is my first knitted shawl ... have done plenty of crocheted ones, way back in my hippy days they were the kind to wear (don't have any pictures, darn it).
This shawl has been a bit of a challenge for me, only because there are so many stitches, I'm known for dropping stitches, losing my place (I've gotten better, with the help of a little note book and pencil), ripping out and various other knitting mistakes. But, I persevered and today it will be finished! 4 more rows! so excited ...

Have so many things I want to knit ... love the creativity of taking a piece of string and making it into something to wear! it's amazing how it works ... I think about how, in years past, people made their clothing this way. There were no stores to go buy your clothes.

I am lucky to live in Portland, Oregon! there are so many lovely knit shops here and everyone is wonderful. I've only been to a few of them, Happy Knits is my favorite tho ... Sarah is the owner and a wonderful, giving woman who has created a lovely atmosphere for us to come knit and bond with other knitters. I have met so many wonderful people there and it has given me the sense of community I was looking for here.

We are coming up on 7 months here in Portland. It was rough at first. All the loss that happened in the year before was a bit daunting and then the move was hard for all of us ... my son, daughter-in-law and I. Adjusting to the weather, it's so much colder here than Costa Mesa ... (tho right now they are having more rain than we are! ), making new connections, missing friends and family was particularly hard ... but as the days pass, I see that it's the best thing I've done for myself in a long time!

This is the launch of my first entry in my blog and very excited about it!

My lovely Daughter-in-law, Brandie, designed it for me ... she's ever so creative! She and my son, William live down stairs (we have a lovely duplex, built in 1911) and it couldn't be more perfect to have them there!

It will be fun to document what I'm doing craft wise. Do various things and love to share them with others!

I'll probably be telling you the tales of my kitties, Louie, Ernie and Isybelle, plus Pippy, who comes for breakfast every day (she's Brandie's kitty).

Do a lot of walking around Portland and like to take pictures of random things ... so expect that too!

Today I'm off to lunch with some friends and then to Happy Knits (LYS) for a nice day of knitting with a fun/crazy group of knitting pals! YAY! love to knit and getting to knit with such a great group of people is even better!

Will post pictures of the day later!

Really looking forward to this year and what it has to offer!