Where has Barb been?

Barb has been sucked into a black hole called, "Genealogy". For those of you who don't know, I've been researching my family tree since July 1. I have over 1,000 people in it to date, with more climbing up the branches every day. I've run into a few mysteries, including these unidentified photos from the album of my grandparents, Kenneth and Katherine Link (Schoenrock) Gee. If you click on a picture during the slide show, it will take you to a larger version of the photo. Leave me a message if you spot anyone you know!


Unknown Photos from Gee Album

In Loving Memory of Dee Harten

Gnorman

Another pattern that is virtually impossible to find in the United States (well, impossible if you want to pay less than $50 for it) is the Alan Dart "Yuletide Gnomes" pattern. After whining about it for quite some time, my very dear friend, Sue from across the pond shipped it over for me. She put a surprise in the package, beard yarn!!! So...after finishing up all of my WIP's (you know the rule), the Gnome was begun. Many names were tossed around for him, but Sonja won with "Gnorman".

The baby afghan is finished

This blanket was a joy to knit. The pattern was easy and the edging not fussy at all. You can find the pattern here in case you missed it when I posted it earlier: Grandma's Afghan

Sonja goes to the prom...

...for the last time. My babies are all grown up now.


Prom 2007

...and the white flag is raised

Look who came back last night

Mr. Bear apparantly has a taste for sugar water. It's hard to see in this picture, but he broke off the pole at ground level. At this point, I think I declare defeat. I will look for options to hang the feeders from the neighbors tree, but it is in pretty sad shape, and the limbs are quite high off the ground. He didn't come in the back yard this time, but there were lights on...maybe that deterred him. I am wondering if a motion detector light will keep him away from the patio. Anywho, I hope they catch him soon, I miss my birds!!

Autumn's Second Birthday

Autumn’s Second Birthday

The Never Ending Saga of the Lucy Bag

Did I ever tell you about the Lucy Bag?
I first saw this pattern in the LionBrand catalog. I loved it, but couldn't bear the thought of paying all that shipping...so I started my search. First, I looked for free patterns that might be similar. This lasted months. Nothing. Looked on E-Bay.....no deals there...people had the pattern, but it cost just as much, by the time the bidding was done. Searched all the chain shops, since that was all I could find....nothing even close. This behavior carried on for over a year.
In the meantime, I was also plotting a shawl, and saw the beautiful shawls hanging on the porch of Olga's so I stopped in to take a peek at them. The shop is amazing, even before you get to the yarn room! Olga is even MORE amazing, and after a bit of conversation and a glass of wine (my two favorite hobbies combined!) she showed me the work area, where she also keeps the books and magazines.....and what to my wondering eyes should appear.....The Lucy Bag pattern! I snatched it right up, and off I went,,,happy as a clam. Of course, I forgot it on the counter, and Eric had to go back the next day to get it.
Thus, the first bag was begun. I made the small version, which turned out VERY small, but large enough to carry a sock in progress, along with it's paraphernalia.
Rod, a co-worker spotted it, and asked if I could make one for his wife in a pinkish kinda color...which was impossible to find in wool, so I had a minor outbranching into Kool-Aid dying, and the bag was made. Then Sonja wanted one for Christmas. She wanted it done in natural color wool, with stripes of blue and brown. The blue was easy, but the brown was a challenge....until I found the PERFECT color. In alpaca. Well...I decided to take a chance, at felting the mixed fibers, and it worked. Her bag came out beautiful.
Another co-worker, Lori, had seen the bag I made for Rod's wife, and asked if I could make one for her. She wanted hers brown, so off I went to Olgas for some Cascade 220, which I have decided I like the best for felting.

As I was knitting that bag, another person wanted to buy one, so once it was done, I started another....but this time, I decided to try some colorstranding on the bag...so I found a simple pattern online, and worked the bag...using leftovers from Sonja's bag and Lori's bag. The girl who had wanted it changed her mind, but Mom decided that she wanted it, and she bought me a skein of Jitterbug in Lapis as a trade for it. The bag seemed to take me forever to knit,

but finally, into the washer it went for the felting. That's when the trouble started. The stranded parts felted much more quickly than the solid color parts....my bag had a perfect hourglass figure! Two more rounds of washer felting did not help. I tried hand felting it, I tried boiling it. The poor thing has been washed, stretched and re-washed so many times, I was afraid of wearing it out. It ended up looking like a tube with a wavy strap attached. I put it in the bad corner for a week long sit, and think about its sins, which brings us to today. It is in the washer, as we speak(along with an old crocheted acrylic blanket to teach it some humility), having it's last wash because we are about to do the unthinkable. It is going into the dryer. Pray.

...and here is how it turned out. Still WAY too long, I gave Mom the option of opting out and I would knit her another, but she insisted that she loved it.

What are you working on now, Barb?

Everyone has been asking this lately, so here ya' go.

The Feather and Fan baby afghan. What a pleasure this is to knit! I am about 1/3 done, despite the urgings of Kathy, who is buying it from me. The baby isn't due until July, Kathy!!!

Stamp out UFO's

Autumn's kitten is finally done. It was going to be a bunny for Easter, but I ran out of time. I used the Alan Dart pattern from the February issue of Simply Knitting.

This is a Lucy Bag that I made for Mom, in exchange for a skein of Jitterbug that she bought me. I added a himalayan pattern that I found somewhere on line. I have felted it, but it went wonky on the bottom, so I will work on it some more today.

The socks are done with the yarn that Suemoon sent me for my birthday. The pattern is the

Quick Knit Eyelet Pattern found here: http://www.knitaddicted.com/html/35.html

I can't bear it

When I let the dogs out this morning, this is what I saw... This is a cast iron pole, broken off at ground level

Here is where the bear broke the fence to get into the yard

This is the pole on the side of the house. It's also cast iron, and is about 10 feet tall. He bent it right over.My poor feeders, lying so sadly on the ground. And look what he did to my favorite feeder.

So....I guess I will be taking down all of my feeders, until they catch the thing, and take him to the woods where he belongs.
Anybody good at fixing fences??

Every evening, around 9:00 P.M., deer have been coming down to feed. They cross the yard just outside my fence. I have been trying to get pics, but it has always been too dark. Tonight, around 7:00, I was giving the parrots water, and I walked past the dining room windows, and there they were. So...in my nightgown and bare feet, I went out in the snow to take pics.

Plant your peas and potatoes on St. Patrick's Day

I don't think so.

St. Patrick’s Day 2007

A Package from Scotland!

A package arrived, but look what it said:

But when I saw Fee on knitty chat, she said we should open the ones in the tartan paper this weekend, when Autumn was visiting. So when she came to stay with grandma, we opened the package.

Look what was inside!

Two Kit Kats, Autumn's favorite "cookie" and a Nessie shirt!

Well, she had to phone Fee right away to say thank you.

"Thank you Fee!! Luv Ya!

Autumn models her new hat and mitts

New Hat

The hat is done

Mission accomplished.

PJ is a bad bird

Parrots don't eat asparagus.























...and here is Bijou...who is eyeing the peanut I am holding out for her.

Honor Knitting

Today, I knit in honor of my friend Bekah's mom, who died two years ago on this day. She was a crocheter, and I inherited part of her amazing stash. I am making a hat, with the Red Sprinkles Wool-Ease from her stash.

I hope to finish the hat today, and give it to Bekah on Monday, for her to donate to whomever she chooses.

Here is the pattern I am using: http://www.knitscene.com/projects/earflaphats.pdf

And here are Bekah and Barb.

This picture was taken when Bekah directed

"An American Daughter"

I was her assistant director.

Leaf Lace Scarf

The Leaf Lace scarf is done. Here it is blocking. I'm not sure I like where I pulled out the points, so it may get re-blocked after I wear it the first time.

The pattern is from Vogue Spring/Summer 2005. The yarn is PureLuxury Organic Peruvian Alpaca in DK weight.

...what I woke up to on Valentine's Day

it
snowed
again

Sunday afternoon at Grandma's

...and on to the second envelope

...I open the second envelope....and here is the first thing that pops out...this cute little bag full of goodies!!

Followed by a card from SP and a mysterious pink package!

Autum couldn't resist the paper, so she decided to help Grandma

And look what she found inside!!

Now...what to make with this beautiful yarn?!?!?!

What the postman brought

...so I go to the mailbox to pick up the ususal bills, and there are TWO large envelopes in the mix

Being the good girl that I am...I opened the bills and letters first. JC Penney bill, letter from the school (Sonja, watch those grades!), Jo-Ann's coupon...then....on to the packages!
Look at this interesting sticker....how could I NOT open this one first?!?!

Pretty blue paper and notes from not one, but TWO of my favorite Knitty chatters:

Bumblefee and Suemoon!

I open the paper, and here's what we see!

My granddaughter Autumn, who has a vocabulary of about 10 words said, "OH! My cookie!" and snagged the Kit Kat. Of course, we immediately opened it, and shared the wonderful treat!

But... the REAL treat was here:

and WHY is barb so excited about a magazine??

Look here!!! Alan Dart Cows and Sheepies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woo Hoo!

Now...I must get some laundry folded, so I'll come back in a bit to post

THE OTHER ENVELOPE...