Mrs. Henry and the Baby Bottle.

This is not a children's story. However, I just finished watching the movie starring Renee Zelweiger and Ewan McGregor about Beatrix Potter, so I gather I'm in the "storybook" frame of mind to come up with this title. I've made my move and decided I just had to get these two projects done. I'm very close on both pieces, so the felting is just around the corner. Mrs. Henry is getting her underside done. She's thrilled, believe me! Wouldn't you like to be tossed about in a bag, in public places mind you, with out your underside. Quite embarrassing, I'm sure. 

And the Baby Bottle . . .  well, a baby bottle isn't a baby bottle  and not much use, mind you,  until the nipple is finished. Just so you know the baby bottle is for my friend Traca! 

NO, she's NOT! 

I also am getting back to Jim's sweater, hopefully, I'll get that done by the end of March. Just in time for the cold weather.

I'm sure my hubby won't read this for a couple of days, so I can say this: While I was watching Miss Potter, I made the"man-of-the-house" an actual birthday cake. I'm a lousy cake maker. Everyone can attest to that. There have been many misshapen cakes at our house. They all taste very good though. But I think I hit the mark on this one. He told us at dinner the other night, that if given the chance, he would overeat on chocolate. Even if he was full, he would keep eating the chocolate. So I made a chocolate cake with really gooey frosting. Sweeetie, if you read this,  act surprised. I hope you'll know that of all your birthday presents, this one took the most effort and love.

Finished Danica

I've been wanting to knit a scarf for me - most of us seem to knit for others - but choosing the yarn . . . the pattern . . . . .  It's worse than shopping for jeans sometimes. I've been hoarding some black Mountain Colors Twizzle for about a year, and have been fantasizing about the Danica pattern on knitty for some time now. Twizzle is a blend of wool and silk and has a lovely soft texture and drape. When Maddie was home for the holidays, she helped me choose a complimentary Twizzle.  So it came together. I love the simple symmetry of the entrelac technique - it lends itself to so many color possiblities.I finished it Saturday nite so I could bring it with me to Bozeman while I chaperoned Alice's orchestra to an orchestra festival.

Alice really lucked out - she stayed with a host family there - a fabulous family, a great home. The mom, Barb Cribb, as it turns out, has a successful home-based craft business, Wild Thymes Pattern Co. She focuses on wool felt kits for home decorating. She dyes her own wool fabrics and creates custom wall hangings, table linens, purse and

more. It is really quite impressive. She has an online presence, and travels to retail and wholesale events.

Barb also took the time to show off downtown Bozeman and took me to the LYS there. Bozeman has 2; The Yarn Shop and Stix. Both great stores and it was interesting to see what we had and they didn't, and visa versa. Here is some pics of some yarn I plucked while I twirled in their shops. Some Crystal Palace, Noro Cotton Hill, some fun mohair, Borreco. Somehow I ended up with lots of purples and greens. Guess I'll have to be on the look out for the patten or inspirations.

Busy, busy, busy

I guess I've been busy! I'm a cheer mom and we cheer mom's know how to stay busy! For the last 3 or 4 weeks  - I've lost track - we've been decorating a whopping 500 bottles of Orange Crush! It's a Valentine's Day fundraiser for the Cheerleaders - you know - A "crush" for your "crush"!

I'm also leaving today for Bozeman for a AA Orchestra Festival for a couple of days - I'm the chaperone  - scarrrry!

Knitwise: I've finished my entrelac scarf and will post pics later. I'm bringing 3 projects with me to Bozo - I'm starting work on a sample for the store   -  a felted stuffed Mommy Chicken and some little chicks; the Target Wave Mittens (Interweave Summer 06), Baby Bottle Bolster Pillow (KnitScene). During my private lessons with Glenda the Good Witch, we are going to start on my fingerless mitts. So Everyone have a Happy superbowl sunday.

The Weather Outside is Frightful!

Oh my gosh, it is so cold right now! -10 degrees! Eek! I just finished work at Wild Purls and was wishing for an "automatic car starter"! It was way to cold to get into your freezing car at 8:30 at nite. Too cold to tip-toe out to the hot tub, that's for sure!

Our store is so nice, warm and cozy, especially when the fireplace is revved up. 

Our customers love our store! In fact, travelers who shop with us always comment on how great Wild Purls is and many of them make sure to tell us we are in their top 5 knitting stores.

This evening, while our classes were happening, a non-knitter named Anne came in and was so inspired, she signed up for beginning knitting, bought some needles, a book and some fabulous Lumpy Bumpy! She also said knitting was on her list of things to do before she died. I'm glad she wasn't 90! Now Anne will have plenty of time to fall in love and become a yarn addict.

Here is a great little headwarmer I made for Alice the week before Christmas. It is an entrelac pattern, from Knitty.com, titled "Quant". I chose the yarn, Lorna's Laces/Lion & Lamb, a wool and silk blend. She'll make a cute snowbunny while snowboarding up at Red Lodge.

Shopping Therapy

I wanted to share about my past "job", which really was not a job but a joy (most of the time!) For five years, I "played" at an incredible boutique called "Aileens". It was full of fantastic clothes . . . . The only reason I'm not there is . . . . . nooo, I didn't get fired! . . . . . the owners, my good friends, Jan and Jolynn, decided a they didn't want to do it anymore! Damn them! I hate it when people make life changing decisions that affect me! Kidding!!!! It's been a great thing for them and me. We are doing things we've been wishing for.
 Aileens was both shopping therapy and instant gratification; enabling every able bodied woman who walked in the store.

Gosh, I loved it.

Now I miss it.

But not Jan and JoLynn.

Now we get to have hang whenever we want, say whatever we want and drink whatever we want (coffee, wine, beer, martini - you know, just the healthy stuff!)

Here's to you!

Fingerless Mitts

Since I've only knit one pair of mittens, designing one from scratch was a  challenge. My hands are quite small , so finding a pattern to fit was frustrating. Most adult patterns seem to be too large in diameter and length; children's patterns are okay around, but a tad short. Also I wanted a snug ribbing  and had to figure out intarsia in the round. I ended up using this ribbing: Round 1: K3 P3, Round 2: K1 P1. The intarsia dilemma? Once I started the intarsia pattern, I started working in the stockingette stitch, actually knitting and PURLING. I would turn my work at the back (palm), and begin working back, purling and remembering to work pattern backwards too. Not to mention working the thumb gusset, while working back and  forth until the intarsia work was finished, then rejoining to work in the round again. It was tricky, and I needed to sew up the hole in the back. I was happy with end result, and apparently so was Maddie.

Energizer Bunnies

I've been talking alot to Mom - she's doing quite well! Her doctor said she was healing fine! Surgery was on Thursday, the 17th, she was released the next day, Friday. In typical Dad fashion, Dad pretty much shoved her out the door (not really, I'm sure he got her settled in) but then promptly went to work. Actually, she says  she doing very well - cooked dinner last nite . . . tired afterwards, but feeling well. Despite all this, she and Dad are still planning their annual winter trip to Kaui, so NOTHING slows my folks down! They just keep going!  

KNITWISE: I've been working hard on my Danica Entrelac scarf. Although I know how to do this technique, I still took a class from Irene. My job here at Wild Purls is relatively new, and classes are a fantastic way to meet the regulars and expand my horizons. The finishing class is on Saturday, so I want to be ready. Sadly, I"ve been putting off other projects - Jim's sweater, some mitts for Alice, Stephen's messenger bag, my baby bottle bolster pillow! But I know I'll get to them.