There are the humbling moments in our lives that make us stop and think about who we are, what we are doing, where we are going. Yesterday was one of those moments.

My sweet great-Grandma Katie (Actually she's my step-great-Grandma but my stepmother's family has always been so wonderful to me that I dropped the step's a long time ago.) passed away early this year. Yesterday was her memorial service. She was 106 years old and lived her whole life as a kind, generous, positive ray of light. She was fascinating and to think of the things she lived through...

WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, the Iraq War.
Theodore Roosevelt was President when she was born.
The first car.
The roaring twenties.
The Great Depression.

And so much more. It was wonderful to listen to her family members stand and describe what she meant to them. Her revered described her as a perfect example of someone who doesn't grow older and bitter. She relished each day.

Thank you, Grandma Katie. It was privilege to have known you.

Vacation is here--with a vengeance!

The weather has been so kooky here. I can't recall getting this much rain in quite a long time. Maybe back in 1993 when the Mississippi flooded. Anyway, the rain and the tornado warnings have been in abundance lately, but I did manage to use my new clothesline on Saturday! Hubby was kind enough to install a new one for me after the dog broke my last one. The weather was perfect for hanging clothes on the line--sunny, warm and breezy. Four loads dried in record time.

On the work front, I have been slower than usual because the kiddos keep me running, running until I'm so tired at night I can't stay up and work. I have managed to get some things finished lately, though.

I have some "Chloe" sock yarn instock at Necessitae. I also stocked some "Hot Mango" on 2 ply targhee, but that has sold already.



I finished this zipped jacket the other day. The yarn is Full Belly Farm dyed by Morwenna at Mosaic Moon in her Blue Goblin colorway. It's such an amazing colorway, I loved knitting this up.



Up next are two skeins of self-striping cashmere/merino blend sock yarn. Are you drooling yet? This is for a charity event called True Colors. Dyers are given a set of colors to dye and we each create an item in that colorway and the proceeds are donated to a charity of our choice. It's such an amazing idea and I am thrilled to be participating!



The charity event starts on June 19th, my auction is HERE. There are other lovely yarns and other dyed items, so please go and see if you can find something to bid on.

Next up, I have a dress I knit that is going up for auction tomorrow. The talented Christy over at Fussybutt has created a pair of sweet pink wool bloomers to match this dress. Here's the AUCTION LINK. Go bid! :)



Lastly, I leave you with a picture of some goodies I found waiting in the garden during a brief respite from the rain. Garlic scapes!!! We have them once a year and are they ever a treat.



Take care, and stay dry, please!

Borscht!

Borscht
Originally uploaded by Knitter Kim

I've been having fun this weekend, playing with some recipes I've never tried before. Yesterday, I made a Ragu Bolognese which was quite rich and delicious on some farfalle pasta. It was served with Italian bread and a salad and for dessert, an apple pie made completely from scratch topped with real whipped cream. We all staggered away from the table too full to even discuss the meal properly.

Today, I left Italy and went to Russia. I made borscht which is a tantalizing mix of flavors. Meaty from the beef, earthy from the beets, a little tangy from the apples and the vinegar, and sweet, too. Top the bowl with a dollop of sour cream and it's a complete meal. Very filling and satisfying and the kids enjoyed calling it "vampire soup" due to the really lovely red hue from the roasted beets.

Swap Bag
Originally uploaded by Knitter Kim

Over at Wooly Wonder forums, some of us are doing a sock kit swap! Each participant created a sock project bag, and include goodies and yarn for a pair of socks. Here's my contribution, it went out today to my swapee. The yarn is cashmere/merino and I created the colorway for the recipient. Also included is a set of brittany dpns, a chibi, and some beautiful lampwork stitch markers made by my friend Sue at Pink Lemonade.

Who Said I Could Leave Things Alone?

Not I.

I decided to add a little bit to the orange and green shrug.



There was something holding me back from stocking it at my store. I decided to pick it up today and add flowers. I love how it turned out!

I forget I have an Etsy shop set up. I decided to spiff it up a little bit and stock some new BFL sock yarn there. Two are continuations on my Project Runway series:

CHRISTIAN:



SANTINO:



Both are at my Etsy store along with a few other colorways:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5169850

Thanks for looking!

Vintage Garden Shrug

shrugfront
Originally uploaded by Knitter Kim

It's been a bit of a shrug mania here. This one is knit from BFL I kettle dyed shades of orange and green. Then, I knit it up and added the green trim. I love it!

If you want some punk rock feet, come over to Necessitae.com! I have stocked a skein of my yummy BFL superwash sock yarn in my "Hard Heart" colorway.

I am aware that my level of obsession with Project Runway has reached epic, unhealthy proportions, but I decided to use that obsession to make something beautiful. Tonight at my store, I'm debuting the first two colorways based on my favorite people from PR.

TIM GUNN:





HEIDI KLUM:




Both go on sale tonight along with two other new colorways,

SILVER BIRCH:




ESPRADILLE:



To get to the store, click here. Thank you!

When your day starts out with this, it has to be a great day, doesn't it? What did I do without these in my life?

So, the last month or so has been blurry.

These are the things that I know happened:

I managed to finish some knitting (pictures later)

I accrued late fees at the library (BAD girl--I work at a library!)

I killed a fish and a plant.

I blanked out on a wedding shower.

My brother and his wife had their first baby, a girl named Kennedi.

That's about all I can recall. The flu killed my memory, I swear it did.

Now, on to the knitting! A wonderful soap maker,Rachel, and I did a trade and I shipped off my part of the trade this week. It's a bodice knit in a cotton/wool blend yarn. I knit it so that she can attach a fabric skirt to it. It also contains an adjustable neckline so that her girlie can always have the "perfect" fit as she grows.



Bear with me as Flickr and I figure out this blogging thing together!

Next up is a shrug I designed on the fly (meaning I made ZERO notes in my notebook and will have to re-figure everything if I want to make another one--which I do, of course) . I especially love the sleeves and want to make another one so I can make those sleeves again. The yarn is 3 ply Merino I kettle dyed in my "Crest" colorway, which is one of my faves. This little number is being sent to a paper artist mama for her birthday celebration.




That's all for now, don't forget to change your clocks tonight!

It's Sicksville here. First time in a long time that a bug has managed to hit all five family members of my family. So...this will be brief.
I finished a sweater to celebrate the Lantern Festival for Chinese New Year. I really love the way it turned out.

If you like it, it's up for grabs at www.Necessitae.com

Also, a sweet sweater for a customer:

I need to go to bed before I fall over from exhaustion, so more soon!

I need a PR person.

I forgot to mention ages ago that I've had a pattern published! Remember the secret orange and brown project of a year ago? Well, here it is:



This is the High Top Hoodie in the new SnB book, "Son of a Stitch n Bitch" and the book has been out since Novemember. (Proof I need a PR person.) It's been exciting to see my work in print in a book that thousands of people buy! So, go get one and knit your man a hoodie in his favorite colors.

A creative buzz has been happening around here. Many of my projects are in the middle and it's driving me nuts that they're not all done. SO many ideas, so little time.

However, in the middle of the drawing, the dyeing, the knitting, I've been doing some reading. I was off of work during the holidays and started one of the saddest books of my reading history. Mary by Janis Cooke Newman is a page turner which leaves you disheartened but compelled to move forward, hoping to find that the woman's life contained any joy. Not much is known about Mary Todd Lincoln, save for the usual references to her insanity. This book has been an eye opener for me and my husband and I plan a trip to Springfield, IL this summer with our children to visit the Abraham Lincoln Museum.

Here is a recent finished object! This is a cabled wrap made from Hempathy by Elsebeth Lavold. It was an interesting yarn to work with and it has a beautiful drape.

Oh! Also, some exciting news! I've been asked to become a part of Necessitae which is a huge privilege, considering they have several immensely talented knitters already. I will begin stocking there on the 30th of January.

MIL gift

MIL gift
Originally uploaded by Knitter Kim

Deck the Halls

IMG_2002.JPG
Originally uploaded by Knitter Kim

Our tree was easy to decorate and I admit I like having it around to keep me company at night as I knit on presents.

Ballband Washcloths
Originally uploaded by Knitter Kim

IMG_2016.JPG
Originally uploaded by Knitter Kim

These were Teacher Gifts this year! The recipients seemed appreciative of the beautiful soaps and marveled at hand knit washcloths. :)

And one more...

One of my favorite musicians:

chaiglovesandearwarmer.JPG

chaiglovesandearwarmer.JPG
Originally uploaded by Knitter Kim

A few more FO's--warm earwarmer and fingerless mitts from cozy 2 ply targhee in Morwenna's "Chai Latte" colorway--www.Mosaicmoonyarnstore.com

Tonight, it's fun on YouTube. It seems I'm always the last person to get into the cool things on the net. I have been having a TON of fun tonight looking up videos from some of my favorite bands from the 80's and 90's. One of my finds--Camouflage! Anyone else remember this German techno band?