A New Look .... For A New Start

Hello out there ...... to anyone who may remember that I used to blog. I needed to step away for a while, .... and then just a little longer .... and now - dramatic pause - flip of the hair (okay, I have short hair) - so - glasses pushed firmly onto bridge of nose with right pointer finger -

I AM BACK!

I have to admit that I have not been knitting much over the past months either. I am now making progress on the needles. I have a pair of socks in one of my favorite patterns in one of my favorite sock yarns. Since they are a gift that is all I can say about that until they have been given.

I have also made quite a bit of progress on The Cardigan For Allena (which is exactly like the Cardigan for Arwen - but that isn't my name). The only thing holding up completion is all if the Kitchener Stitching .... and the sleaves which were knit long ways with short-row shaping - this is the ONLY time I may be minimally grateful to have petite arms. However, I absolutly must have it completed by THE knitting event of the season - The Sit 'n' Knit New York City Holiday Party!

Speaking of which there is obviously something in the works from my stash for the gift swap. Oh, it is tons of fun, read all about it here. Anne-Marie is so good at explaining things where they still sound fun after all of the details. I highly recommend this style of exchange for any knitting get together swap.

I am working on a very special project right now. More about these very special hand warmers later.

KNITTING EWE ON THE GO IS BACK!

I have started making my small knitting project bags again! Once again, Alison Hansel was the inspiration when she posted the bags that she had made with The Knitmare on Elmstreet fabric.

And don't worry Sock Monkey fans, all of the Sock Monkey fabric is still available.

I had a love/hate relationship with blogger ALL day and here is:

www.knittingeweonthego.blogspot.com

Gettin' stuff done!

A while back, what seems like a lifetime ago, Forbes Magazine came to Sit 'N' Knit New York while doing an article about Meetup.com. Long story short, a picture of me with the name tag that I designed and knit based on the Meetup.com logo appeared in the April 23, 2007 issue of Forbes in an article about Meetup.com. So .... I got it framed. It came out WAY BIGGER than I expected, but hey, why not go big?

It didn't photograph so well. That's me in the bottom right hand corner of the page on the left. I will fully admit that it is an extremely unflattering picture. The caption reads: "Hooking up: Meetup's Scott Heiferman (top) and knitting group member Allena R. (with full ridiculously long Polish last name).

I have been slowly getting ready to re-launch Knitting Ewe On The Go. Today I finished the first "Tester Pancake" aka prototype of the Knitting Ewe On The Go Knit Kit. The idea is to create a kit that will contain all of the basic notions. Perfect to take with you on the go or keep things together at home.

Here is the inside. The left-side pocket currently holds slip n' snips and a tape measure. It was hard to photograph, but you can see that there is also a large pocket behind those pockets. The notebook that you see on the right will be replaced by one which is slightly larger.

There will also be other notions in the pocket behind the notebook as well. Most likely handmade stitch markers, a row counter, and ... If there is anything that you think that the kit needs PLEASE let me know!

There is a zippered pocket, large enough for a 7" Double Pointed Needle.

I cannot be the only knitter who has lost a DPN while knitting away from home and wish that they had an extra along with them. Well, as long as you remember to put an extra in your kit...

Oh, and the Melanshawly is really knitting up beautifully! I have 12 of the 15 repeats of the 8 row pattern complete. Since it increases every round each round has been taking a little longer than the first, but I am currently in love with my Melanshawly.

Super Sunday and The Melanshawly

The Yarn Garden, in Meriden, CT, had their annual Super Bowl Sale today. In honor of Super Bowl XLII, all yarn was 42%off. I actually shopped with a pillow case (provided by the shop).

I did go prepared with several projects that I want to knit this year. I was able to find yarn for two of them.

Yeah, there are A LOT of little balls! Those are 19 balls of Jo Sharp - Luxury 8 Ply DK Pure Wool in Lilac. I plan on using it to knit Marcel's Sweater by Veronik Avery from my new favorite knitting book - The Best of Interweave Knits.

The second project that I hoped to buy yarn for is a shawl that I want to knit for me. We had a conversation at Stitch and Bitch New Haven, a great group that I knit with twice a week, about having hand knits that you wear specifically when you are not feeling well - both physically and emotionally. Somehow this morphed into the idea that I HAD to knit myself a shawl in a melon color - so that it can be my Melanshawly. Get it - melancholy - melonshawly!?

Anyway, I searched and searched for the perfect shawl pattern and finally decided on Knitspot's Wind-o-the-Moth Shawl. When I saw the Louet Gem's Terra Cotta, I knew that I had found the perfect "melon" colored yarn. I took the plunge and bought the four skeins even though I need 6 or 7, certain that I could find more on-line. My good freind Google - with the yarn name and dye lot - found more here.

I met up with a few of the ladies that from Stitch and Bitch New Haven at the sale. After we had our purchases we went to a friend of Katy's house and knit on his enclosed porch. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to start my Melanshawly with such wonderful company while sitting in actual sunshine!

Check out the awesome ornament that my Sherry Godmother sent me for Christmas. I still have to find a place to display her in my apartment, but I cannot imagine only putting her on a tree once a year. Her skirt is even hand knit!

And Knitting Ewe on the Go will be up and going again soon!

Holy hyperlink Batman, she's actually blogging!

Okay, so it has been a while since my last post. Alright, the Red Socks were in the playoffs during my last post. Moving to a new city and starting a new job has taken a lot out of me - mostly my joy and enthusiasm. No, it hasn't been THAT bad, but I have just been too exhausted to blog.



So, without further ado, here is my 2007 year-end review (that I had planned on doing before the year ended.)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, FROM ALLENA

Just about everyone at work put their family Christmas cards up on a bulletin board. A few were just of their dogs. This got me thinking about making a Christmas card. I got as far as this picture. I love it. Even though it may need this caption (think The Far Side).

"Allena realized that her Christmas Card may not increase her chances of finding love in 2008, but she knew she would be happy knitting, spinning and sewing anyway!"

This picture contains most of my highlights from 2007.

First, I need to pay tribute to the ornaments on my first fake tree. My grandmother Elizabeth did incredible needlepoint and embroidery. Every year she made Christmas ornaments. Now I have 25 beautiful handmade ornaments.

Except for the one on the top. "The Ballerina Pig", is a bit of a family joke. I don't know why, but my mother HATES pigs. Not actual pigs, just stuffed animal pigs, pigs on mugs, the pig on a tractor figurine I got for her at a truck stop in Texas, etc. So, of course this means that people are often giving her obnoxious pigs. I don't know who, but someone gave her a set of pig Christmas ornaments.
I cannot remember all of them, but "The Ballerina Pig" was always my favorite, probably because my mother hated it most of all. I was honored to receive the most hated pig - so thought it deserved the top spot.

My mother may HATE pigs, but she loves camels. She bought herself this little tree just for her camel ornaments.

The rest of 2007 ...... coming soon!