The Goth Princess has a request....

"Grami, can you knit me a voodoo doll?"
Grami can do anything, I did wonder what my mother would think.
Off we went to Spun, in Burlington. She chose green and purple. I mean how threatening can that be??
This is the prototype in the works. It has already been ripped back to the top of the heart.
Nothing I like more than designing on the needles.......snort
I am keeping track of the pattern, with strike outs and corrections, on the back of a Subway serviette. All will be revealed, hopefully, this week.
I have already had one phone call.
"Grami, how is my voodoo doll coming along?"
Reminds me of a story my mother used to tell. My grandmother, the oh so elegant "Nana," was making me a sweater. She had stopped knitting whilst talking with my mother. I reportedly tugged on her arm and said, a little impatiently, "Nana, knit on my sweater." There is nothing worse than waiting.
Bear update: all 16 are stuffed. I am embroidering faces. Too bad I am such a perfectionist or they would be done by now.

Now to stuff

Bears number 13, 14 and 15 are knit and ready for stuffing.

...and because we ended up with a 16th bag we have bear number 16. It only seems right that Granny Ann gets a bear in her name too.

My plan for today is a marathon stuffing session. I am not sure if I can finish the project today but I am going to give it a try.

In-Depth Review of Knitting Yarn

In-Depth Review of Knitting Yarn

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as a matter of interest I refer you to the above article. Now, I have heard of knitting yarn made from a lot of unusual things, crab shells and milk to name two, but, this takes the cake.
I knit the Swallowtail Shawl for the Olympics for about $35.00. Need I say more?

Teddy Bags

There was a sweat shop going on in the dining room today. We worked from 10am to almost 4pm. But they are done. All 16 of them . Sixteen you ask? We thought you only needed 15. Correct, but you see we were cutting fabric pieces in half and well, that made 16.
I was thinking of perhaps making one more bear "for Mom" If the wool holds out!
Yes, they are lined. No half measures here.

Gran daughter Teaghan chose the lining. We just love the little beavers. Her sister, Ryleigh chose the cords.
Top stitching for the cord casing.Julia pressing the last bag. I was trying to take a "candid" shot but she spotted the camera and had to "ham" it up.
There they are in the sunshine. A job well done. Now to finish the bears!

...and THREE more knit

Three more bears left to reach the goal of 15 and then the stuffing begins. Julia is coming for a visit this weekend and we are going to sew up the "bear bags." Mom and I used to sew together when I was a little girl. I would be at the ironing board and she would be at the sewing machine.
I think I will have separation anxiety when it comes time to give these bears away. ...sigh
...and the hoard gathers

Three More Makes Nine

Ready to be stuffed and embroidered.
The Teddy Goose Pile

6 more to go!

At it again...

I feel another tablecloth coming on. My apologies to Marianne Kinzel but this cloth is crying out for a snazzy edging. Ergo I bought 6 balls of "Clea" to play safe. This is a Brazilian crochet cotton that is simply divine to work with. I have knit with this before and if you are into tiny needles, well, you have to give it a try. It comes in some delicious colours. Lots of variegates ( not my choice) if you are into that.

The sooner I finish the bears the better. I keep thinking of what I will do next. Finally I thought I had better list ( I am a list maker) of everything I either have on the go or in "queue." Hence the appalling list to the right.

Speaking of the bears I am closing in on finishing the next lot of three. I almost succumbed and put up a picture of two but that would be cheating. I am knitting the arms on number 9 at present. I said three at a time and three it shall be. I am finally running out of some of the colours from the original "let's use up left overs" idea. Keeping my finger's crossed that there will be no more wool shopping for these bears.
Corinne and the "grands" are coming on Thursday for a girl fest. I finagled the day off. The Welsh cakes should be coming off the griddle about the time they walk through the door. I am going to learn how to crochet some fingerless gloves. I have chosen the "Cloister" pattern, the designer is Danielle Kassner . (Ravelry link) They are gorgeous and I have a stash of sock yarn to pick through tonight.

I like the medieval look of this pattern. They will be perfect for the office. I can type on the computer and keep my hands warm at the same time. The guys will just have to suffer another example of girly in the workplace.

Three More

Still plugging away on the teddy front. I have another one half finished, that would be number 7. I am going to post the pictures in lots of three. This is instant gratification knitting. I can whip one up of an evening whilst watching the TV. At the moment they look like a pile of "Flat Stanleys." So far no two are the same. When all fifteen are knit I will still have the job of stuffing and embroidering faces AND then there are the little bags to make for each one. Lots to do yet. I am enjoying them. Mom would have loved the idea and that is what keeps me going.

Blow the Horn, Ring the cowbells...Finished!!

Click on the picture to see the detail.

Love my "lady bug" tape measure!!

The Men just won a GOLD in Curling!

Something Different

Over on the other blog "Myfanwy" I had determined that I would not go to Little Red Mitten after work. Well, the evening stretched before me and I thought what the heck the weather isn't that bad and getting out will do me a world of good. So I gathered up my Olympic Knitting and grabbed a pattern book and off I went. I stayed for the knitting get together but I had to leave after half an hour. Can't explain how I felt but I had to come home. Nuff said. Maybe another time.
The book in the picture below is the one my mother bought when she was expecting me. It cost a whopping 50 cents. Which was a substantial amount in 1947. Yeah, well now you know old I am, so be it.

The wool is called "Sublime." Ready for this? Merino, cashmere and silk. It is enough to give you a reason to get up in the morning.
I just felt like I wanted to knit something different next. I like to have a baby "something" on hand and in the cedar chest. My mother went through this book and added postie note comments on many of the patterns. This one says, "Dad made you this one." He made this for me again, when I was expecting Corinne. (Thirty-nine years ago) All my babies wore it. It was green.
I have told the story before how my mother bought 2 oz of pink wool, needles and the book. My father had her teach him how to cast on, knit and purl and away he went.
So, with all this nostalgia I am going through I decided to knit the sweater pictured above.