I Won, Really, I WON!

I see lots of contest on line on blogs. Some require lots of steps, some require techy things be done on blogs that go right over my head. Therefore I don't often enter them; but have become increasingly more aware of fun quick ones as I made my way around blog walking.

Through the above process, blog walking found Brenda. Her blog is fun! I'm looking forward to getting to know her better through blogging. She's involved in something called a 29 day give away. She gives something away everyday for 29 days! I won day 1 of 29. Here's the post which shows you a picture of what I won. You can read about it and still get in on her remaining days. Who knows, maybe you'll win something to. It's fun!

But, the best part is, you get to know another blogger and isn't that what we all do this for? For the fun of blogging, the fun of getting to know each other. I know it is for me.

So, don't wait, click HERE and go check out Brenda, her blog and her contest.

AND...don't forget to swing over to my Travel Blog to enter my contest. It runs through the end of the month, so you still have time to get your name into the hat to win.

Winning is fun, but so is playing!

Love my Hubby

Dear Hubby, sporting his new scarf.
This is a nice brownish with flecks of green. I seem to have misplaced the wrapper from the yarn so can't be exact; but remember I used 2 full cakes and that it was a Crystal Palace Yarn; but I don't remember the exact yardage etc. Actually thought I had posted this previously but found this post still in draft form unfinished on my blog. Must have gotten interrupted and never got it done. It's 100% wool, quite light weight which he likes for under his dress coat when wearing his suits to work.

I used the Condo stitch and like the way it turned out. You might recall I've used this stitch before when I made my scarf. My daughter used this pattern as well when she made a scarf over Christmas for a gift.

Daddy's Scarf is Done, YIPPEE!

Got Daddy's scarf done in the car on the way back from St. Louis the other day. It's not as long as I would make for myself; but is the same length as the dress scarf I made hubby for under his dress coat; so believe it will work fine. It's very very soft. I've said this yarn and that yarn is soft; but truly this is the softest yarn I've ever used. Rowan Lima. Two cakes were pretty pricey so am glad I didn't need to make it larger. 109 yards per cake at $13.00 each more than I usually spend; but after all---it's for Daddy. I used size 10.5 knitted needles and Checks and Ridges for the pattern; a four row repeat. I really love this pattern and wonder what it would be like if I made the ridges father apart? Anyone done that?

The yarn is made in Peru and is mostly Baby Alpaca, but also has some Merino Wool, and Nylon.

Remember to click on the photo to enlarge so you can see the pattern. I did loose my count and there is a couple of rows that have the ridges or checks longer; but the yarn is so thin I didn't want to frog it; was afraid it would ruin the yarn; so I played through.

Also started a scarf with black Homespun for The Bridge, and hope to have it done in a day or so. With the thicker yarn and larger needles it doesn't take near as long as Daddy's did.

Moving Day is a Holiday

Staging area, or at least part of it. This photo was taken in our garage a couple of weeks back when we were organizing and getting ready to move stuff to St. Louis for our daughter. We brought things up from the basement and used the garage as the holding place. With tons of snow on the ground we wanted to have everything together to minimize how long it would take us to load the truck and be outside in the cold and the snow.
Another view of the staging area. Daughter did her undergrad in St. Louis at Washington University, and her grad school in Baltimore. So....lots of stuff has been here while she was here, then in St. Louis, then in Baltimore and now.........that's she's back in St. Louis it's time to cart everything back to her; plus some of our older furniture to help her and give us a chance to clean out the basement.
The night was cold, the ground covered. So before we could load we had to clear the walk and the drive....again! Have lost track of how many times we've shoveled snow this year. Tooooooooooo many, far too many I can tell you that.
Loaded, time now for pizza, wine and bed. We plan on an early start. Hubby will drive the truck and I'll drive our car. Luckily we only have to take the truck one way and can leave it there after we unload it.

We knew this would be a working wk-end, loading up here at home and then unloading there in St. Louis. We expected some cleaning and maintenance issues needing attention. However, it was much more of a working wk-end then we expected. We ended up painting and doing far more cleaning than planned; but boy was it needed!! We stayed a day longer due to being snowed in, also something we didn't expect. How many days til spring?

I'm pea Green with Envy

Pea Green I tell ya. LOOK! I'm sooooooooooooo excited. Purple and green are my daughters favorite colors. She wears lots and lots of purple and green. Over Christmas she picked out this purple and green Baby Alpaca Yarn and wanted me to make her a scarf. Well...it is super super soft and I hope she's happy with it, as well as warm. I had to go back and get one more hang of each color, making it far more expensive than most scarves I make. Shhhhhhh, don't tell hubby how much I spent. I knitted this using Close checks in multiples of 6+3. One day, I'll buy some for myself because it feels so nice around your neck.


And drum roll, the purse....no I didn't make it. Not that talented with thread and needle. Karen did. You can look through all her wonderful creations on her etsy site as well as her blog. I highly recommend her work. And in a few days will show one I splurged and bought for myself. Her prices are reasonable, her workmanship is excellent, and her creative flare for putting together colors and patterns is awesome. Be sure and tell her I sent you.

Love it!

Hope you can see the texture in this scarf. Remember you can click to enlarge the picture. I really like this, think both the texture and color look very manly. This is the start of a scarf for Daddy. It's slow going though, so wonder if I'm gonna get it done anytime soon?

I've never used this yarn before, and probably won't too often ($12.50 a skein); though it is the softest yarn I've ever felt! I love working with it, but at this price it's only for special people! And, since I only bought 2 skeins, it won't be a long scarf; though Daddy wouldn't want a long one anyway. The yarn is made in Peru. Rowan Lima 84% Bably Alpaca and 8% merino wool and 8% nylon. A cake is only 109 yards, requires hand washing in cold water etc. So, expensive and lots of care. But...I LOVE it.

I'm using Checks and Ridges stitch which is a nice completely reversible stitch in multiple's of 4 +2

Inviting you all to hop over to my travel blog and enter a contest! Click here, or on my Traveling Suitcase badge on the side./