tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-133321892011-04-21T20:02:37.225-05:00Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.comBlogger4521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-40245421519684448282009-01-27T11:12:00.003-05:002009-01-27T11:17:46.653-05:00

Winter just isn't letting up for a minute this year. Another foot or so of snow is headed our way tonight and all day tomorrow. It has been brutally cold these past few days, so at least it has to warm up a little to snow (I'd be happy to hit the mid 20's!). The snowblower is getting quite the workout this year!Dad's mittens are progressing quickly, as colorwork seems to do! I am just about done

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-25297467966008666722009-01-22T09:22:00.006-05:002009-01-22T11:01:35.204-05:00

We got hit with another blast of winter weather this past weekend - another foot of snow (luckily more light and fluffy stuff that's easy to move) and more bitter temperatures. This week seems to be a break in the pattern of snow every few days though. Sunny and bright all week, though this weekend the temps are supposed to plummet again. When does Spring start?In order to warm the mind (and the

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-83075323077182500192009-01-16T08:25:00.003-05:002009-01-16T08:42:38.024-05:00

It is cold. Beyond cold. Way beyond freezing even (heck, if it was 32 degrees, we'd be breaking out the shorts!). Yesterday was cold. Single digit temps, with a bit of a breeze. This morning, it was just brutal.It actually dropped to -7, but my hands were too cold to get out the camera again. It hurts to breathe outside. The air is so dry that the snow is now "squeaky". I piled on all the fleece

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-36547821332566726592009-01-15T07:28:00.001-05:002009-01-15T07:29:26.880-05:00

Need I say more? (it has actually gone up a few degrees - my car thermometer said 3 on my way into work.) Time to layer up the handknits!!!

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-39813053961643814772009-01-12T09:22:00.003-05:002009-01-12T09:44:55.166-05:00

When things are up in the air and seem hectic and unorganized, we find comfort in the familiar - be it a dinner we've loved since childhood, a cozy blanket or even, in my case, socks. I have been trying to start a sock for my sister. I've tried the Herringbone Rib Socks, but the pattern and I just didn't click. I also tried the Stansfield 304 pattern, but no luck there either. Things just were

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-38122875614690531832009-01-08T14:09:00.003-05:002009-01-08T14:32:30.541-05:00

I'm trying to start the year off with a bang. My knitting momentum seems to be up right now - I'm really enjoying it and am itching to cast on quite a few new projects. But, the monogamous knitter in me keeps things in check. One sock and one other project on the needles. That's it. I'm not too good at multi-tasking my knitting!The first hat I knit my dad turned out a bit too big. So, I cast on

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-3842018132434525792009-01-07T09:30:00.006-05:002009-01-07T11:50:40.146-05:00

I didn't mean to be away for that long without a post. It's been a bit crazy around here lately. Tucker and I went away for a long weekend up to New Hampshire to an agility trial. There were so many entries that they actually had to cancel some classes. The days were very long - starting around 6:15 and going until about 7pm each night. Days were busy too. Five runs per day for us - kept us on

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-66526423659314057962008-12-31T10:03:00.003-05:002008-12-31T10:14:03.640-05:00

I can't believe 2008 is coming to a close already! Like usual, time has just flown by. Summer seemed like just yesterday! Mother Nature has managed to keep us on our toes right until the very end. We are getting quite a bit of snow today - right now it's coming down at a frantic rate, and the winds are very gusty too. Makes for some nice sideways falling snow.Of course, Ace loves being outside in

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-35722378153800488002008-12-24T07:03:00.003-05:002008-12-24T07:18:51.315-05:00

My sister Naomi has really come a long way in her spinning. She is mostly, if not all, self taught and I think the yarn she has made so far is amazing! She started a year or so back with some Alpaca she got at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival. It was a very short staple, and that is what she learned to spin on. Not the easiest. Now, she is flying through ounces of roving at a crazy pace! In

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-84156363377353410152008-12-22T10:28:00.003-05:002008-12-22T10:37:00.877-05:00

We didn't get quite as much as the weather people predicted, but we did end up with about 17" total from the storm Friday and Sunday. It was all light, fluffy snow, so it made for wonderful snowblowing and playing in.This was after Sunday's snowfall. The snowblower died about 1/3 into removal of Friday's snow - Naomi and I ended up shoveling the rest of the driveway. It took a couple of hours and

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-66083361323613223492008-12-19T10:53:00.003-05:002008-12-19T10:59:34.292-05:00

Not like the ice storm we had last week was enough, we are about to get slammed with a huge snowstorm!See that "Higher Amounts" area - well, we are right in the thick of it. In a way, I'm actually looking forward to it. I came into work super early at 5am so I could leave around noon before it really hit. With nothing planned for tomorrow, I plan on letting it snow to Mother Nature's hearts

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-25632394227918998002008-12-17T08:53:00.003-05:002008-12-17T09:31:19.937-05:00

While the weather outside is frightful this morning, the knits continue! We had about an inch of snow overnight, then this morning it turned to a wonderful freezing rain and sleet combination. Made for a slow and long commute into work. The weather people are saying we get a one day reprieve tomorrow, then should expect about 6" of snow during the day on Friday. Ahh, the joys of winter in New

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-31950623326838541422008-12-15T11:00:00.006-05:002008-12-15T11:28:06.360-05:00

This past weekend was quite the adventure. We got hit full on with the ice storm that pounded the entire central Massachusetts area. We lost power on Thursday and didn't get it back until late on Friday. We are one of the lucky ones. The kennel still does not have power. A generator was hooked up to give heat and water for the dogs but it's just bare bones. There are still many trees down and the

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-71168681827936054352008-12-09T09:16:00.006-05:002008-12-09T11:21:29.227-05:00

Four days in Boston was wonderful. It was all dogs all the time. Everyone had a great time, and it was really nice to be able to hang out with the dogs for four straight days! Ace and Tucker ran agility. Ace got his Novice Jumpers title - we now move up to the next level! I only entered him one day as the crowds and noise can be a bit overwhelming and I didn't want him to have a bad experience.

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-65469017058708155192008-12-02T08:31:00.004-05:002008-12-02T09:06:12.844-05:00

Believe it or not, knitting has been happening at a pretty good clip around here lately. It helped to have some motivation on Sunday when my sister and I trucked down to Sarah's and had a fun craft day. Her sister Jeanine got to do her talent as well - check it out!Both Naomi and I were pretty sick of our hair - it was long and for me, just getting really annoying! I had Jeanine chop it off and

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-71874749038675919492008-11-28T10:35:00.004-05:002008-11-28T11:17:51.961-05:00

I know it's been a while - somehow the time slips away and before I know it, weeks have passed! There is still little knitting progress to report, though I am slowly but surely making an effort to get the needles clicking again! I did finish a cowl for my sister, and I hope to get modeled shots this weekend. It is soft, comfy and extra long.There is big news on the four legged front though. If

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-70763151110836612232008-10-15T10:08:00.004-05:002008-10-15T10:40:47.867-05:00

I'm still getting back into the knitting groove, but I did manage to cast on something new. The Sherbrooke Cowl pattern written by my good friend Lauren. My sister got some yarn at Webs the last time we went - super soft and cuddly Valley Yarns Colrain. She got white, but dyed it a really pretty green. Two skeins are just enough for a cozy cowl for the ever dropping temperatures! Naomi looked

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-13702139426773297192008-10-10T07:52:00.003-05:002008-10-10T08:13:36.385-05:00

I am happy to say, I think, just maybe, I have found some knitting "umph". It may have something to do with casting off and finishing these.Pattern: Basic toe up sock using Magic Loop cast on. I didn't increase at all for the calf. I knit straight up and decreased after 10 rounds of ribbing.Needles: #2 KnitPicks 32" circularsYarn: Noro Kureyon Sock #185I used every single last little bit of this

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-22386205013372660612008-10-09T08:36:00.002-05:002008-10-09T08:49:34.551-05:00

I know it's been a while. Lately, I've been making a conscious effort to start knitting again. Even for a half hour before bed, just knit a little. Try to get the motivation back again! I didn't have much more to go on my Noro stripey knee socks. In the "old days" they would have been done weeks ago. They have languished with only a few inches left of sock two. Sad. But, last night I was bound

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-88342538265276629952008-10-06T08:28:00.003-05:002008-10-06T09:37:14.865-05:00

Just a quick post to say thank you to everyone who has been emailing and asking where I am! Life has managed to take over and one of the first things that has seemed to suffer is the blog. Especially with Socktober starting, the crisp fall weather taking hold, and a pair of socks nearly complete, I promise to post this week.....

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-74916149261700383502008-09-03T09:06:00.002-05:002008-09-03T09:32:22.136-05:00

With my knitting progressing at a snail's pace, and my true knitting mojo yet to return, I figured I'd showcase Naomi's spinning. She has really come a long way, and learned quite a bit. Her little wheel, bought a few years back from a friend of mine's mother for a song, has no brand name but is quite a workhorse.This year, at Maryland Sheep and Wool, she actually bought some roving. Beautiful,

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-8709260535131252832008-08-28T08:30:00.004-05:002008-08-28T08:45:40.628-05:00

Finally! Some knitting progress to show!! The Noro stripey socks have reached the halfway point.So far so good. This comes up to about 1" below the back of my knee. I have not done the ribbing yet as I'd like to see how much yarn I have left after it's mate is knit. I think I have enough yarn for a few inches of ribbing, but if not, I'd like to make both ribbings match in a contrasting yarn. The

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-27651503855705499032008-08-26T10:49:00.002-05:002008-08-26T11:00:17.984-05:00

Tucker, Ace and I headed West to New York state (Chenango Forks to be exact) for a three day agility trial. The weather was spectacular, and the accommodations, provided by my friend Tracey, were amazing.She has a few hundred acres with many spring fed ponds. Needless to say, we did lots of hiking! The bugs were minimal, and no ticks to be found.She has all sorts of trails all over her property.

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-45308867938308343842008-08-21T07:50:00.005-05:002008-08-21T08:21:28.361-05:00

Though there wasn't much in the way of knitting accomplished last week in the Outer Banks, there was a lot of beach time, relaxing and having fun. The house was amazing. Plenty of room for all of us - my little cousins even each got their own room. It had an elevator, huge kitchen, hot tub and pool along with a great extra room that got plenty of use.A home theater! The seats were super

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-41237344696216623042008-08-19T08:41:00.002-05:002008-08-19T08:54:42.370-05:00

It's hard to believe a year has passed already. My little boy is almost all grown up! A year ago today, about now, Deuce starting having her puppies. One by one they popped out - different colors and markings. All adorable.I had to wait though. The last little guy to make an appearance instantly won my heart.From that day on, we cuddled and bonded. I had never had a puppy before, so I was smitten

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-20789079374502550432008-08-18T11:32:00.002-05:002008-08-18T11:34:07.115-05:00

That was the sound of our vacation. I can't believe it's over already! Back to reality. Lots of pictures and updates coming - I'm waiting for the shock of getting back to work to wear off and to download all the pictures! I will say, it was a great time.

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-3571822418012236842008-08-07T05:54:00.002-05:002008-08-07T06:13:54.619-05:00

With Phyllo off the needles, and a trip to Webs under my belt, and a vacation rapidly approaching, it was only right to cast on a few new things.The one thing I wanted at Webs was a skein of the Noro Sock yarn. I had been browsing both Flickr and Ravelry to see what the colors knit up like. I finally decided on color 185. I'm hoping with 462 yards in the skein, I have enough for knee highs. I can

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-54806553867109918682008-08-06T07:57:00.003-05:002008-08-06T08:14:56.126-05:00

This past weekend could not have contained much more yarn and fiber if it tried. On Saturday, Sarah and Jody picked up my sister and I for a trip to none other than Webs. Jody had never been, so we were more than glad to take her for the first time. The store itself is huge - one of the biggest yarn stores I have really ever seen. After mulling around in there for a bit, we finally went out back

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-9758772278185463872008-08-04T08:21:00.002-05:002008-08-04T08:29:23.866-05:00

It's done! Thanks to Sarah for the great location and Jody for the super photography!Pattern: Phyllo Yoked Pullover from Knitting NatureYarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Chocolate BrownNeedles: #7 KnitPicks CircularsMods: Not a one!Ravelry Page here.There is a slight boo-boo on the back where I missed some decreases, but it isn't very noticeable. I love the fit. I made the small which was

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-30234121272100161262008-07-31T08:02:00.004-05:002008-07-31T08:16:58.092-05:00

Weaving in the ends on the Phyllo pullover! I really can't believe it's this close to done. I do have a few rounds more on the neck, but I'm trying to figure out how many extra rounds to do so it will be a "normal" neck and not a boatneck. I tried it on and the neck is really wide, so I'd like to do a few more decrease rounds and tighten it up a bit. I do love the fit though. I'm weaving in the

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-25194828972434223492008-07-28T08:05:00.003-05:002008-07-28T08:13:20.746-05:00

It may have cooled down a bit this weekend, but still not quite cool enough for these yet.One of the pair is now done! Because it has been a long, long while since I started them, to refresh the memory, these are Mostly Mittens Pattern #25 (Rav link). The yarns: Cherry Tree Hill in Slate and Tess Supersock and Baby in Gray. This one still needs a good soak, but I love how it turned out. It fits

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-67626645927353883362008-07-24T07:58:00.004-05:002008-07-24T08:11:22.527-05:00

It's been a strange week. It started out blazingly hot and extremely humid. The temperatures have now cooled down a bit, but it has been raining for the past few days. Nice for the garden, no so nice for everything else. I'm expecting the grass to grow about ten feet and the garden to explode the minute the sun comes out. We've been getting some great thunderstorms too - those really seem to make

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-57126907815606718622008-07-18T08:21:00.003-05:002008-07-18T08:36:54.206-05:00

It has been hot as blazes around here lately - not good for knitting progress. But, I have been plugging away at my two projects.My lunchtime/work project are the colorwork mittens. I am thoroughly enjoying knitting them and look forward to lunchtime when I venture up and out of my hole of an office (literally - I work two floors underground in a hospital!) and out into the warm sunshine.

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-66610860312307009002008-07-16T09:13:00.003-05:002008-07-16T09:26:13.471-05:00

Week three of our CSA and the supply of organic, local veggies continues.(click through for more)More Rainbow Chard, Cabbage, Summer Squash, Japanese Cabbage, Zucchini in several varieties (heirloom and Eight Ball), parsley and basil (fresh pesto tonight!), carrots and lettuce. Not shown is the quart of blueberries we got. They have been frozen for consumption when I don't have 13 pounds of them

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-28209271507424451442008-07-14T11:22:00.003-05:002008-07-14T11:35:45.766-05:00

Summer in food form. Nothing like strawberries and blueberries just picked. Right off the bush even! My sister and I headed out Saturday morning for a berry picking excursion. We were planning on blueberries, but imagine our surprise when they still had strawberries! Thirteen pounds of blueberries ended up in our flat in no time. Many of the bushes had tons of unripe berries on them. It is just

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-77422936985258742302008-07-10T09:27:00.004-05:002008-07-10T09:44:59.931-05:00

Actually, a lot of green! CSA delivery #2!(click through for all the particulars)Tons of green goodies this week. A HUGE bunch of basil (we used some last night), more lettuce and some great scallions. Rumor is, next week carrots and blueberries!With all the zucchini and summer squash we've been getting, I've been trying to look for some new ways to use it. This week, we made grilled vegetable

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-56019818014283363412008-07-08T08:08:00.003-05:002008-07-08T08:28:49.420-05:00

Working through the bounty of the CSA last week, I did come up with a few new recipes that I think will be keepers. The first sounds really strange, but was strangely good!Roasted Crispy KaleRemove stems from one bunch of kale. Tear leaves into large pieces and wash thoroughly. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper to coat. Place on cookie sheet or rimmed baking sheet and bake at 375 until they

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-21454155965003024212008-07-03T08:50:00.004-05:002008-07-03T09:04:42.711-05:00

I know - two posts in two days! Don't fall off your chair! We picked up our CSA delivery for this week, and the colors and variety are just amazing!(click through for all the details)I now have two HUGE bunches of cilantro. It is one of my favorite fresh herbs, so I'm going to see what I can find for recipes. The lettuce is abundant along with Kale and Chard. This time, we got Rainbow Chard -

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-88264976491725326822008-07-02T08:05:00.003-05:002008-07-02T08:17:17.490-05:00

It was blazing hot again this past weekend. There was only one place to be.Lucky for me, my folks have a great pool and backyard to cool off in. The water was still a bit chilly for me for swimming, but it felt great just to sit at the edge and dunk my feet. Some, however, found the water just right for a dip.That is Simon, my cousin's 14 year old Golden Retriever. He spent much of the weekend

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-63643853332375692152008-06-26T08:12:00.006-05:002008-06-26T10:13:31.187-05:00

We got our first CSA delivery this week. All organic, grown locally. A great resource to find one, or any type of local produce and products is Local Harvest - just punch in your zip code and all your local options appear!Lots of goodies this week including strawberries. There is just something about fresh, local strawberries. The flavor is unlike anything you can get in a store! They are intense

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-75751826195389345672008-06-24T08:22:00.004-05:002008-06-25T05:44:54.640-05:00

I'm just starting to get back into the swing of things after a long weekend in Maine. A whole bunch of my agility friends went, and we had a blast. None of us did very well in the qualifying department (I think there were only about 5 qualifying rounds total amongst the 6 of us and our 36 runs!) but we had so much fun just hanging out and wandering around Freeport at night. We ate at one AMAZING

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-79292637177975833812008-06-16T08:13:00.004-05:002008-06-16T08:41:13.989-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Father’s Day yesterday. Me, hubby and the boys spent the day with my dad (and mom!) yesterday. We had a great day. We ate some good food, played cards, took the dogs for a nice walk (one of my dad's favorite activities) and just had a really great all around day. You're the best, dad!!Another one of his favorite things is Sourdough Bread. I have been feeding and

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-43175545566144097982008-06-12T08:40:00.002-05:002008-06-12T09:00:51.754-05:00

There has been little knitting around these parts lately - the lack of posting probably tipped you off. Agility trials, gardening and just wanting to be outside during the short New England spring has pushed my needles to the back burner for now. The recent heat wave had me thinking even less about knitting. When I got into my car after work on Tuesday, the heat was staring right back at me.Not

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-51912269130825394912008-06-03T09:49:00.001-05:002008-06-03T09:49:23.931-05:00

June 1st marked the third year of this here little blog. I can’t believe how fast time has gone by.Looking back, I realize how much has changed since I started. My knitting skills have increased tremendously. Pretty much everything I have learned, I learned from the internet. Helpful people answering questions and making suggestions. It all shaped me into the knitter I am today! I gained the

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-51051940344365102262008-05-28T08:29:00.004-05:002008-05-28T09:48:04.699-05:00

Well, I didn't finish it nearly as fast as I thought, and not on my birthday, but never the less it's done and I really love it!Pattern: Birthday Cowl by NovaYarn: Classic Elite Princess - about 2 yards over one skein's worthNeedles: #8 CircularsMods: Made it about 8" long before starting the garter stitch border as I don't like a lot of bunching around my neck.What a great stashbusting project!

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-60110932638658360632008-05-23T07:29:00.005-05:002008-05-23T08:12:34.543-05:00

After reading Nova's Birthday post yesterday, and realizing our birthdays were only one day apart, I just knew it was fate and I had to cast on for my first cowl. It's well known around the blogsphere that cowls are the new scarf. Megan did it, Lolly did it, Elinor did it, Whitney did it, Ashley, Kirsten and Christy too. So, what was I to do? Cast on, of course.The yarn is a super squishy soft

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-5676163373252419272008-05-20T07:32:00.004-05:002008-05-20T08:55:42.070-05:00

I was all excited to photograph the really neat corrugated ribbing for the mittens. It's all done. It looks really nice. Not bad for a first attempt at two color ribbing. Picture? Yeah, a picture would have been great, but I left the mitten at my parents house this weekend. Lucky for me, my dad is coming to stay with us tomorrow for a conference he's speaking at, so the mittens and I will be

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-15034270240526216962008-05-15T10:23:00.002-05:002008-05-15T10:52:14.950-05:00

Mostly Mittens Pattern 25!! (the one on the top right) Pattern 29 (lower left) came in a close second....I really like both patterns, and I'm glad I didn't have to decide!I managed to cast on yesterday after a horrific experience trying to wind the yarn. I'm not sure if the yarn gods were just not wanting me to knit or what, but in winding the skein of Cherry Tree Hill, the whole thing got

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-69373680561854524432008-05-13T08:21:00.004-05:002008-05-13T08:47:39.057-05:00

Well, I finally made a decision about the yarn combination I'll use for my next project. Both Kelly and Lolly suggested maybe a more subtle color combination with a "gentler" contrast. I sat down and looked at the yarns again. Usually, I often go for the brightest, most severe contrast. This time, I looked at the yarns with a new eye. This is what I ended up with.Subtle, classic, refined. Love it

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-82140463213263689392008-05-07T09:26:00.004-05:002008-05-07T10:19:29.759-05:00

I'm never good at making decisions. Ask my husband. Where to go to eat, what color shirt to buy, where to go on vacation. Making a choice means excluding something else. I hate exclusion. It's no different with knitting. When I'm faced with picking a new project to start, I have a hard time picking the yarn, and an even harder time picking a pattern! Sometimes, but very rarely, it all just comes

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-84406341910326439552008-05-05T09:00:00.005-05:002008-05-05T11:28:23.608-05:00

Where do I begin? It was a fabulous, amazing, fun, tiring, beautiful weekend. I got to hang out with friends and family, and the weather turned out to be just perfect!It began on Thursday bright and early. Sarah and I had a great, leisurely drive down. We didn't really hit any traffic (except in Connecticut where you ALWAYS hit traffic!) and managed a stop at Chick-Fil-A when we crossed into

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-50918180597023280512008-04-30T08:18:00.003-05:002008-04-30T09:14:43.566-05:00

Three days and counting until the fiber event of the year! Sarah and I are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning on our road trip down to Baltimore. We both have family to visit, so the extra day will let us catch up with relatives before the fiber obsession kicks in.My list for the festival this year is pretty short. Basically, I'm really wanting to just kick start my knitting engine again.

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-2069758316090801292008-04-28T11:33:00.003-05:002008-04-28T11:48:57.027-05:00

Time is really starting to fly by. I blink, and the knitting event of the year is now upon us. Spring has finally sprung, and things are growing. My seedlings are doing well, and the rhubarb I got as a cutting is taking off. The lawn needs to be mowed and leaves are starting to appear on the trees. I love this time of year!Unfortunately, knitting has suffered. Weekends have, like much else around

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-29118028873457179642008-04-21T09:05:00.002-05:002008-04-21T09:14:46.971-05:00

What an incredible weekend! We had temperatures in the 70's both days, and more sunshine than you could imagine. I did get a bit pink on Saturday, but we remembered and brought the sunscreen on Sunday. The weather was a lot more successful than we were though. Tucker went 0 for 4. It was our first outdoor trial of the year, and it was a bit frustrating, but we did have good things about each run,

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-17350094189572626982008-04-16T08:18:00.005-05:002008-04-16T09:04:53.650-05:00

This weekend marks the beginning of the 2008 agility trial season for Tucker and I. It is at one of my favorite venues in Wrentham, Massachusetts. This will be our third season of agility, and he is only getting better (hopefully I'm improving some also!)It is such a great experience - the bond you create with your dog is just amazing. I thought we were pretty close before we even started agility

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-68224089340242198242008-04-10T08:32:00.007-05:002008-04-10T09:47:33.088-05:00

If you haven’t heard yet, Magknits has shut down it's website and taken the site totally off line. No real notice, no archive, no access to patterns, nothing. I heard through Ravelry, and let me tell you, people are pretty darn angry. I did read somewhere that they gave the designers 24 hours notice to get their patterns down off the site if they wanted. That isn't much time. In the middle of

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-19639056662461712072008-04-07T08:39:00.005-05:002008-04-07T08:52:02.754-05:00

The countdown is officially on. Under a month to go. Twenty Six days until the Sheep and Wool Festival!!!! That must mean that spring is around the corner, right? Last year I had such a good time. It's going to be hard to top, but I'm going to try! This year is going to be extra special though. On Friday, I'll be helping out (and hanging out) with a bunch of friends setting up the booth for

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-58784199500107814682008-04-04T08:34:00.003-05:002008-04-04T08:48:07.512-05:00

Today is cold. And wet. One of those days you call "raw". The mercury has climbed to a paltry 37 degrees and it's not supposed to get much higher. The rain continues and even is mixing with some (sigh) snow. When will it ever stop?!? I go home and look at my seeds and dream of spring. I know it has to come. I guess it's just a question of when.Cold, wet weather always leads me to baking. I knew

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-51756231679570876802008-04-02T07:47:00.003-05:002008-04-02T08:14:50.396-05:00

There won't be tons of knitting to post in the next chunk of time. I'm doing some super secret sample knitting (SSSK) for Cookie, and the sock is under lock and key until the book comes out. All I can say is that it's a classic Cookie pattern, and has been quite fun and challenging to knit so far.This one is going to be hard when the pair is done. Since it's sample knitting and not test knitting,

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-71700199964683967902008-03-31T09:51:00.003-05:002008-03-31T10:05:47.984-05:00

Believe it or not, we got another dusting of snow this weekend. I was going to take a picture, but I really don't want it as a "lasting memory". Tomorrow is April! Where is Spring? We managed to get some nice sunny weather yesterday. It still isn't warm by any stretch (I think we managed the low 40's) but the sun did help get me in a bit warmer mood.Nothing can go into the ground around here

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-3145474877033484872008-03-27T07:43:00.003-05:002008-03-27T08:10:04.605-05:00

Thanks for all the well wishes! It's hard to believe it's been almost two weeks and I'm still not back to 100%. If you see this thing around, run screaming!It was pretty sad that I was home from work for a week and really got no knitting done to speak of. I was just so tired and my brain just wouldn't function. Before I got sick, however, I did manage to get both sleeves done for the Phyllo Yoked

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-92044046437633727582008-03-24T10:48:00.002-05:002008-03-24T10:54:30.753-05:00

Sorry for the absence last week. Whatever I had really knocked me for a loop. In the five years I have worked at my current job I have never called in sick. Last week I was out for the entire week. The flu or whatever hubby and I had seems to have developed into bronchitis, so now I'm on antibiotics and a powerful antihistamine as nothing over the counter seems to be touching the congestion I

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-52256356855649469032008-03-17T09:20:00.003-05:002008-03-17T09:38:59.569-05:00

Hubby was nice enough to pass on his hacking, muscle aching flu-type thing to me this weekend. I spent most of Saturday on the couch taking meds and napping on and off. I feel better today, but now I'm just coughing a lot. Not fun at all. But, at least we are sick together. Saturday was a good day to stay on the couch. I woke up to this lovely scene outside our windows.About an inch and a half of

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-90633251690180536792008-03-14T07:44:00.003-05:002008-03-14T07:57:32.762-05:00

So goes the month for small projects. I'm really enjoying casting one one day, casting off the next! Makes for lots of FO's! Some projects go so fast I don't even have time to blog about them!!! Like these mitts.They are the Peekaboo Mittens from MagKnits. I do love my fingerless mitts, but sometimes even the tips of my fingers get cold. These are a perfect solution. Flip top mittens, to me, take

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-12671593356717118502008-03-12T07:17:00.004-05:002008-03-12T07:29:04.996-05:00

They aren't socks, but they sure make the most of colorwork!Pattern: NHM #7 from SelbuvotterYarn: Pink is Louet Opal in Pink Panther, and the Eggplant color is Henry's Attic Kona Superwash DK (hand dyed by me!)Needle: KnitPicks 2.5mm 32" circular (done Magic Loop style)Modifications: None!What a fun and quick knit. It definitely gets the colorwork fix in, yet takes half the time of socks! The

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-38306769454272786642008-03-10T08:09:00.003-05:002008-03-10T08:22:44.816-05:00

This month is going to be all about the small projects. Things that take only a few days or a week or so to complete. There is something about completing a project that rejuvenates a knitter. Casting off, seaming and finishing - all the closing ceremonies of whatever you had been working on, and for me, permission to cast on for something new.The mittens made great strides this weekend and are

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-49104309557457749712008-03-06T09:08:00.005-05:002008-03-06T10:22:17.071-05:00

It's pretty common knowledge that I like stranded knitting. Like it a lot. Like it enough to knit hubby's large size feet stranded socks. Like it enough to knit pair after pair of brightly colored foot coverings. But, all the while I had forgotten about another extremity that adores to be covered in stranded knitting also. The hands! The number of patterns out there for stranded colorwork mittens

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-72863504350737710322008-03-04T10:09:00.003-05:002008-03-04T10:17:42.168-05:00

It turned out exactly how I wanted it. A comfy, soft, basic sweater to wear in the cool spring and summer nights over a tank or bathing suit.I took advantage of the recent warm snap and ventured outside for some pictures.(Squinty pictures ahead! That big round thing was out and we haven't seen it in quite a while!)Pattern: Kniting Pure and Simple Wrap Cardigan #263Yarn: Naturelle 8/8, a cotton

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-3613799067245202772008-03-01T18:20:00.003-05:002008-03-01T18:32:17.480-05:00

Hubby makes a great sock model! Look at those sexy legs!!!Pattern: Sigrid by the ever talented KirstenYarn: Scouts Swag in Hunker Down (purple) and Sage (green). I have quite a bit of yarn leftover! The skeins were huge!Modifications: I knit the largest size for hubby and they fit perfect. My row gauge must have changed from the first to the second sock though - the second one is a bit higher

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-74091102739595597582008-02-29T09:16:00.003-05:002008-02-29T09:30:35.196-05:00

I apologize in advance for a pictureless post. Time got away from me last night and before I knew it, the evening was gone and I was asleep.Two projects teeter on the edge of FO status. It will be a very exciting weekend full of photo shoots. I just hope it warms up. The thermometer in my car read zero as I drove to work this morning. That and the six or so inches of snow predicted should make

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-67829974311597963982008-02-27T09:00:00.003-05:002008-02-27T10:47:55.604-05:00

Another great accessory for the cool spring days to come.Pattern: Merletto Mitts (Ravelry link) beautifully designed by Jody (she is going to put the pattern up on her blog soon!)Yarn: Tess Supersock and Baby (leftover from the Turret Socks)Modifications: I made the hand 2 repeats longer and made the thumb a few rounds longer as well. I like my fingerless mitts long!These were a quick, fun and

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-25314109259704489982008-02-25T09:13:00.003-05:002008-02-25T09:39:14.697-05:00

I managed to make it out of Massachusetts on Friday during the storm. Hubby was super sweet and drove me to the airport on the messy roads. The only airline flying out (lucky for me) was Southwest. I not only made it to Baltimore, but my flight was only about 10 minutes late! I have to say, I was quite impressed.Saturday was spent with family - I love hanging out with my cousins, and do so every

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-4847983008610682552008-02-22T09:08:00.003-05:002008-02-22T09:33:36.990-05:00

With the flakes already flying (since about 5 this morning!) and another 10" of snow expected, my travel plans for this weekend have been severely hindered. I am supposed to fly down to Baltimore this afternoon to catch up with my sister and cousins, and have a fun breakfast with some very missed friends. I'm watching as flight after flight is canceled. We'll see how it effects the rest of the

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-13202843944657421252008-02-19T09:06:00.003-05:002008-02-19T09:22:08.763-05:00

Terri and Deuce arrived home safe and sound to tons of congratulatory emails and visitors. On Saturday, we had a little celebration for their huge accomplishment.Deuce got a nice sized piece and was enjoying all the attention being lavished on her. Like a true show dog, she was basking in the glow.While I ended up at the kennel most of the long weekend, I did manage to make some knitting progress

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-36507921722399708822008-02-14T14:34:00.001-05:002008-02-14T14:35:43.048-05:00

You are the best......

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-43951603271808772712008-02-13T08:35:00.006-05:002008-02-13T10:00:47.179-05:00

Well, though Deuce didn't win best in show at Westminster (I honestly don't think any of them stood a chance against Uno the Beagle - he was in perfect form and so "on". It was his night!), she had an amazing few days. We are all super proud of her! She was the #2 Aussie last year, and the rate she's going this year, she may top that! Yay Deuce!While all the dogs were strutting their stuff (I

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-73638580821808296792008-02-12T07:38:00.001-05:002008-02-12T10:31:11.496-05:00

How thrilling was that?? Ace and I watched with great excitement to see his mom WIN the herding group last night at Westminster. A huge congratulations to Deuce and Jess (her handler) and to Terri!!! Cheer her on and watch her tonight at 8pm on USA compete for Best in Show! To make it even more special, she is the first Australian Shepherd EVER to win a herding group at Westminster! Go Deuce!!!

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-58771801990185291922008-02-11T09:34:00.000-05:002008-02-11T10:08:55.570-05:00

Very exciting news! I just got the call that Ace's mom Deuce just won the breed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show! Australian Shepherds were on bright and early at 8am. If you remember, I made the trip down to New York last year, and she unfortunately didn't win. I guess motherhood and a little time off agreed with her! She not only beat the dog that won last year, but beat the #1 dog in

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-35474963431460622092008-02-08T10:10:00.000-05:002008-02-08T10:34:25.708-05:00

A while back, when I knit a certain single sock it was kind of an eye opening experience. Knit only one sock, the move on. No second sock to knit - not right away anyway. What a concept. Taking a break between socks. Evidently, there is awhole group dedicated to this concept. I had never done that before. My methodical and analytical mind rarely takes things out of order or out of context. Sock

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-39044221806477816032008-02-06T08:48:00.000-05:002008-02-06T09:31:24.794-05:00

After rescuing the camera cable, I got down to business and downloaded my newest Sigrid progress shots. It's coming along fast.I love the chevron pattern down the foot, and the striping on both the heel flap and sole. Even for such a big sock, it's working up quickly. At this point, I don't need to look at a chart or anything. It's just plain knitting. (well, with two colors) I still need to have

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-25338395741189199002008-02-05T08:53:00.000-05:002008-02-05T09:06:51.352-05:00

Namely the photos from this post! Progress photos for Sigrid were taken, but I went to download them and the cable was missing! I'm guessing it is sitting on Hubby's desk (but that's just a guess....). Anyway, that means I can give you shots with even more progress tomorrow! I have finished the heel and gusset and am knitting down the foot. The long, big man's size 11 1/2 foot. It's not too bad

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-77589859833204102632008-02-01T08:38:00.000-05:002008-02-01T09:07:35.684-05:00

Once again, I am dumbfounded as to why knitting colorwork goes faster than "regular" knitting. Two yarns, knit with two hands, following a chart, yet it seems to fly by! I think it is the anticipation - what will come next and seeing the pattern evolve and develop before you.This is one fun knit. Nice chunks of colorwork mixed in with some plain rounds and some easily memorizable patterns.The

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-58824955871831634432008-01-30T09:17:00.000-05:002008-01-30T10:02:30.801-05:00

Thank you so much for all the compliments on the yoke sweater! It was really a fun knit, my first self designed sweater, and it was nice to have it come out the way I wanted - fit, design and all the little details. Perfection in sweater form. I did reply to all the comments, but my email got a little nasty and gave me some delivery errors. Unfortunately, it didn't bother to tell me WHICH emails

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-77416808543853074072008-01-28T09:48:00.000-05:002008-01-28T10:09:26.948-05:00

I can't believe this, but this is my third FO of 2008. Crazy.Pattern: My own. Loosely based on the EZ percentage system with lots of mods thrown in. It is knit bottom up. I cast on provisionally for all the edges (cuffs and hem) to make sure I'd have enough yarn. The edges are garter stitch. I tried on as I went and literally just winged it. When it looked like I should decrease, I did. I never

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-29956587392275197292008-01-25T08:53:00.000-05:002008-01-25T09:10:17.259-05:00

(how exactly would you spell "yokey"?)I knit like a fiend yesterday. This sweater was going to be done before I went to bed. Not just done with the knitting, but ends sewn in and blocking. I only ended up loosing about an hour of sleep. Well worth it.A good twenty minute soak in, what else but Soak, and it was ready to block.This morning I put a fan on it to speed the drying. It's supposed to be

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-43269173070109384732008-01-23T08:59:00.001-05:002008-01-23T09:07:21.187-05:00

Determined to make significant progress on the yoke sweater, I knit like a fiend at lunch yesterday. By the time my half-hour was over, I was at the point to start the colorwork.Before I could do that, a few hours working at the kennel, and Ace's agility class took precedence. My sister came, so she shot a quick video of Ace having way too much fun in class. It's a very short video, but shows how

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-65503181172931424742008-01-21T09:15:00.000-05:002008-01-21T09:43:29.888-05:00

Not quite as momentous an event as our team winning the AFC playoffs, but with all the football watching, I finally joined the sleeves to the yoke yesterday.I forgot how many hundreds (300 to be exact!) are in yoke sweaters! Fingers be saved though, because I decreased a bunch of stitches right away to end up with the right multiple for the colorwork pattern. I plan on decreasing one more time (

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-58720296212818206262008-01-18T09:08:00.000-05:002008-01-18T09:47:45.656-05:00

1. Enhancement for the feets - check!Yarn: Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop in the Crazy Love colorwayNeedles: Ever trusty #1 KP 32" circularsPattern: Your basic top down 68 stitch sockThese were the epitome of a simple knit. The yarn is a work of beauty, I felt that the best way to show it off was just to let the yarn do the work and not do any stitch work to interfere. (Plus, my pooling and

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-653215016889660692008-01-17T10:01:00.000-05:002008-01-17T10:50:56.844-05:00

By the looks of my Ravelry friend's activity, the next "big thing" pattern has appeared:.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } It was pretty funny because I headed over to Ravelry after I had read Ashley's post about her Bird in Hand mitts. My friends activity page

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-66789643200405084482008-01-15T10:42:00.001-05:002008-01-15T11:48:35.556-05:00

It's been really nice being able to chronicle the trip for both me and for you guys! I'm so glad you're enjoying the pictures and stories about our trip. Without further ado, onto the last three days!Day seven was the one hubby was looking forward to all week. His day of scuba. The group split and took out two boats - one holding the three scuba divers in the group, and the rest of us snorkelers

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-24755701143842502432008-01-14T09:15:00.001-05:002008-01-14T10:48:40.441-05:00

The trip continues with days three, four and five!Day three was pretty much the longest and most exhausting day. We remained on Isabella island at our super cute hotel. This day started early - we were hiking Sierra Negra, one of the five volcanoes on the island. It was an 8 mile round trip hike, but we climbed about 4800 vertical feet..flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-57376190416468855782008-01-11T07:44:00.001-05:002008-01-11T11:29:43.348-05:00

Ok - here goes! I'm going to probably break it up into three posts as there are a lot of pictures! If you want to take a look at ALL the pictures (about 900 total that we uploaded) they are all here sorted by day.Day One found us in Quito, Ecuador. We had flown in the night before (once the pilot found the airport that is. It was foggy, and we did a few fly by's and circled for a bit and he had

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-30783925394359785012008-01-10T08:57:00.000-05:002008-01-17T10:17:22.035-05:00

When I cast on for these socks back in August of last year, it was recently after I had finished both the Heart Crook and Turkish Stockings. I was on a colorwork sock roll. The first sock went pretty quick, but then I hit the skids. My knitting slowed to a crawl as time ran at a premium. Dog shows, family events and just life in general kept getting in the way.But, after a twelve hour plane

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-28678415701177710202008-01-08T13:10:00.000-05:002008-01-08T13:13:25.226-05:00

A quick post to let you know we arrived back home late Sunday evening safe and sound. I'm wading through emails (work and personal), and hubby working on uploading the 1200+ pictures we took! In short, it was the trip of a lifetime. Truly incredible. I'll probably have a knitting post ready before a full travel report - organizing my thoughts from a 10 day adventure is going to take a day or two!

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-60983951483436768952007-12-26T12:39:00.000-05:002007-12-26T12:59:06.886-05:00

Since we will be celebrating the coming of the New Year at the equator, I wanted to take a look back at the year in knitting - what came off the needles and what I learned.For me, 2007 was the year of the socks. I knit quite a few! I challenged myself with pattern - both colorwork and texture. I also learned that I should stick to solid yarns...Many of these have been gifted, but a bunch do

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-24904873478690837372007-12-24T10:24:00.000-05:002007-12-24T10:47:16.811-05:00

Thanks for all the well wishes for the trip! Don't worry - we have enough memory cards for over 4,000 pictures! There will be plenty to see when I get back!The packing for the trip iteslf was, like I mentioned before, pretty easy. I've been breaking in my new hiking boots this week (so comfy!) and all our clothes and toiletries are ready to go. Now for the hard part.What do I bring to knit???The

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-87713337808680897362007-12-19T11:29:00.000-05:002007-12-21T10:09:46.913-05:00

Next week starts a grand adventure for hubby and I. We haven't been on a real vacation (just the two of us) since our honeymoon 5 years ago. With hubby's passion for scuba, and my passion for anywhere warm, he set out to look for an active, warm, scuba friendly vacation spot for us. He found it in the Galapagos.With my love of nature, it is perfect. It is somewhere I have wanted to go since I

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-48810486908806202832007-12-18T11:05:00.000-05:002007-12-18T11:35:22.448-05:00

With many, many thanks to Jessica, I present the completed pair of New England Socks. (Appreciate these photos - I braved single digit temperatures to get pictures with real sunlight!)The fit is wonderful and the yarn - I can't rave enough about the yarn. Cherry Tree Hill Supersock - it comes in tons of great, saturated solids that you can't find elsewhere. The twist is tight, it holds up great

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-53046115390558076062007-12-17T09:59:00.000-05:002007-12-18T10:36:56.560-05:00

Sunday was another big storm for us. It came down in freezing rain, and snow all day. Another 4" was piled on top of what we already had. Lucky for us, we had no where to go and just had to stay toasty warm inside and enjoy watching from the window. Unfortunately, the turkeys had no such warm place to be.They were out eating the berries again. Hunger doesn't stop for the weather! Oh, and thanks

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13332189.post-84845643549701364702007-12-14T10:55:00.000-05:002007-12-14T11:11:12.635-05:00

Well, we got wolloped. The snow started about 1pm and lasted until about 8:30 or 9. We got about a foot. It's the really light, airy, fluffy stuff that you could clear with a leaf blower. Makes for some pretty pictures too. (all photo credits to hubby)Today, all is clear and life returns to normal (until the next big storm we are suposed to get on Sunday). There were tales of six and seven hour

Staceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12532520712528416610noreply@blogger.com0