"Whoops, I did it again!" or "A Tale of Two Ponchos"

Here I go again.  Starting another project!  First, let me say that it wasn't my idea!  At least, not at first.  It all started when I got the Fall issue of Knitter's magazine.  I had it at work looking it over at lunch when I saw the poncho/cape on page 63.  I commented on how pretty it was, and that I would like to knit it sometime. A couple of other knitters in the group also expressed an interest in it.  Suddenly, a knit-a-long was planned!  I don't know how it happened -- honest!  In my defense, I must say that I am using yarn that I already had in my stash.  I am using Homespun in the color Navajo, a pretty wine, navy, and tan mix.  Megan's poncho is still coming along, as are the hats for the cancer center.  There hasn't been as much knitting as I would like lately for 2 reasons.  First, I just seem to be so busy lately that I come home too tired to do much knitting, or reading or anything else for that matter.  And second is the return of the humid, tropical weather.  We were spoiled by that all too brief taste of fall where the humidity and temperatures were low. Now the humidity is back again, no doubt prompted by the weather patterns that keep pushing the hurricanes along their all too familiar path through Florida and on up into the Carolinas and Virginia. What's left of Jeanne is forecast to dump from 2 to 4 inches on us tonight and tomorrow.  The wind has already started to pick up and it has begun to rain. As miserable as all this is here, I simply cannot imagine what all those poor people in Florida are going through right now!  But this weather can't last forever, and soon will be the cool, crisp, knitting-friendly weather of fall.  I am ready!

Poncho Progress

As promised, here are the pictures of the progress I have made on Megan's poncho so far.  The pattern calls for 2 rectangles to be sewn together and trimmed along the neckline and bottom with fun fur.  The pattern is a free one from the Lion Brand Yarn website.  The majority of this progress was made on Labor Day during the CSI marathon.  I have been so busy lately that I have not done much more since then.  September starts the fall festival season around here, and last weekend was the first in the series.  Now, I love fall festivals, so I will be going to as many as I can for the next few weekends.  This weekend will be no exception.  Unless............  another hurricane is lurking.  The latest forecasts for our area show the remnants of Hurricane Ivan will dump from 5 - 10 inches of rain on us somewhere around Friday.  Depending on how fast he moves out of here, that could easily extend into Saturday.  In that case, the festival will be washed out, and there will be a lot more poncho progress to post by the end of the weekend!  As tired of all this rain as we are here, I can't even imagine how those poor folks in Florida feel!  But I am hoping against hope for the rain to be gone by Saturday.  Friday is my birthday, and I am stuck working a 12 hour shift that day, so I really wanted to have some fun this weekend.  Is it time for the fall weather yet?????????????

Marathon Knitting

My niece's poncho is about 60% complete now.  I have been concentrating on that so that once the weather finally changes here, it will be ready for her to wear.  I got most of that done on Labor Day during a CSI marathon.  There were lots of outdoor plans for that day, but the rain ahead of Hurricane Frances put the brakes on those.  So instead, I marathon knitted.  That poncho is really going to be cute!  I went to Michael's on Friday and picked out a lavender fun fur to crochet the trim around the bottom and the neck.  Yesterday a group of us went to a local craft show and Megan went beserk over the knitted scarves and scrunchies (which it seems you do not wear in your hair anymore -- now you wear them on your wrists.  Who knew???)  I will make her a lavender fun fur scrunchie to go with her poncho. I have still been working away on the chemo caps during lunch at work and during the waiting for a doctor's appointment Friday, etc.  I have slowed down on the Carnival Scarf in order to concentrate on the poncho, so there is no more progress on that to share.  I wanted to have pictures to post, but it is a gloomy, foggy morning and I thought I would wait until the sun comes out later on (which the weatherman promises it will!) and I will post them tomorrow.  Well, better go get some laundry and cleaning done so that I can make some more progress on that poncho!  And take another walk, if the sun comes out, that is!  Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Knitting Progress (or lack of!)

So why the lack of knitting progress to blog about?  Two reasons.  First, work.  A couple of 12 hour shifts, to be exact.  Ugh.  I really hate those.  Then there is reason #2 -- the fun reason. A few weeks ago, a group of friends from work and I started walking on the nearby bike trail.  We go anywhere from 3 to 6 miles.  We go a minimum of 3 times a week and we try to go as much as 5 times a week.  The bike trail is actually part of an old railroad that was taken over by the city and paved over and coverted to a bike trail.  It is part of Virginia's "Rails to Trails" program.  I have posted some pictures that I took on one of our walks this past week.  It is really very pretty.  On the knitting front, I actually have been doing some knitting in the last few days, just not enough progress to post pictures of.  I am still working away on those chemo caps.  I will make a couple more and then take them over to the Oncology center.  And I am working on the Carnival Scarf.  As Spunknit said in the comments from the other day, it really is a "feel good" knit!  And I need that today -- sort of in the doldrums.  But between knitting on the Carnival Scarf and this afternoon's walk on the bike trail, that should cheer things up considerably!

A Carnival of Color!

I couldn't stand it any longer!  Last night I was swatching for Megan's poncho when my "start-itis" got the better of me.  I just had to see what that gorgeous ribbon yarn was going to look like knit up.  Soooooo, and I picked up the needles and cast on for the scarf  "to just knit a row or two."  The colors are so much prettier in person than in the picture.  They are bright and shiny and very vivid.  I am going to love this scarf!  I was able to finally get gauge on Megan's poncho, but I had to try 3 different needle sizes. I have the worst time with gauge!  I knit very, very loosely.  Also as promised, a picture of the Unikat yarn that I bought from Roxi (aka "The Yarn Junkie").  Again, these colors are much brighter and prettier in person.  Apparently I do not have the digital camera thing down pat yet, but I am working on it!  If you want to see what this poncho looks like when completed, check out Roxi's blog and scroll down to her "About Me" section.  There is a picture of Roxi wearing hers in a different color.  I will start my poncho when I get done with Megan's (or at least mostly done -- that start-itis is difficult to control, right Bron???!).  The third picture is of my Wild Child cat -- he had been playing in the catnip right before this picture was taken.  Well, back to the ribbon scarf (whoops, I mean housework!!!)

You've Got Pictures!

Finally!  I have figured out how to work the digital camera (sort of!) and I can now post pictures of my knitting projects and of course, the cats!  First up on the picture show is the yarn that I finally chose for my niece Megan's poncho -- Bernat Breeze in the color Violet Crush.  She is a very pink and purple kind of girl, so this should fit the bill very nicely!  The pattern I am thinking of using for this is a new free pattern on  Lion Brand Yarn's website called Knit Scarf Ponchette.  The next picture is the result of a trip to Michael's to pick up a pair of knitting needles.  I came across the new ribbon yarn from Lion Brand called Incredible.  It is really gorgeous!  I was surprised.  It has a lovely sheen, the colors are bright and bold and it is so very silky.  It will make a lovely scarf -- this one is for me!!!  I picked up a couple of balls in the color Carnival to make up the scarf that is also a free pattern on their website.  The third picture is the book I picked up in Barnes and Noble yesterday, Exquisite Little Knits.  It is currently being reviewed by the Feline Literary Guild.  Initial reports are favorable!  As for the human review, I like this book.  It has many fun projects using yarns that are relatively easy to obtain.  A good addition to my knitting library.  The fourth picture is the pitiful look that cats get when it is slightly past their suppertime.  My next post will feature the yarn that I bought from Roxi to do my poncho.  Wait until you see that awesome yarn! 

 

Time Flies!

I can't believe it is the middle of August already!  School will be starting up soon (please don't mention that in front of my niece Megan, it causes her great distress!)  I think that it would be nice for Auntie Lisa to knit her up a nice poncho to cheer her up!  (Another "to do" project, just what I need)!  I have been knitting along on those chemo hats, and they are so cute!  They go very fast and are a lot of fun to make.  I will have a bagful of them soon to take to the oncology center.  I hope to have a new digital camera soon (hopefully within a week) to take pictures of all the hats before they go.  Just as soon as the hats are all done, I plan to start on a poncho for my niece and one for myself.  I am not sure what I will use for Megan's poncho, but I sure know what I will use for mine!  After seeing the poncho that Roxi made, I had a total fit!  I HAD to have it!!!!!  I emailed Roxi and ordered the poncho pattern and the yarn to make it from her store's website.  The yarn has been calling my name (Lisa....LISAAAAAAAAAAAA...............) ever since it arrived, and I won't be able to stand it much longer!  It is fabulous!  Again, pictures very soon, I hope!  I also had to get one of her adorable felted catnip mice for my kitties.  They have been rolling on it and batting it around having a very good time with it.  Thanks Roxi!  You can check out Roxi's blog, The Yarn Junkie (and a picture of that fabulous poncho -- scroll down to her "About Me" picture) on my links to the right.  There is only one fly in the ointment lately.  The Santa Fe Shawl.  It is still not done.  It did not turn out the way I expected colorwise, but it still deserves to be finished.  Who knows, maybe it will look much better after the beaded crochet trim is done.  Guilt is a powerful thing.  Sigh.