Getting there...

I've gotten such a great response from everyone in the knitting community about my Rhinebeck contest and while my website isn't exactly "ready" for every day use...you can start signing up for the contest - hooray! Blog readers are the first to know...so spread the word!

choochooknits.com

I'm still looking for notions to include in the prize bags (especially buttons or pins!). If you know of anyone, please have them contact me asap.

Also - I have a yarn company on board who will donate either a Worsted or Fingering weight - but would love to include another vendor to donate the other. Know of anyone who might be interested and has a fabulous product line and would like some exposure? Please send them my way!

Thanks again for all of your continued support!

Rhinebeck Give Away!

I've gotten a little further along in my Rhinebeck project and am working on additional sponsors (the current line up is still being kept a secret a little while longer). If you're part of the knitting community and would like some exposure, I promise this contest is for you!

What I'm looking for (donations of at least 4...or more...since there will be 4 BIG prizes and some "runner's up" prizes each hour)

• notions...anyone who makes custom stitch markers, or buttons
• needles
• misc (t-shirts, bags, etc)

What I already have:

• Patterns and swag from a Designer
• Shawl pattern
• Gift cards and swag from yarn shop/online retailer

I will gladly pay for shipping of these items - please let me know if you or a friend would be interested (pm me at choochooknits at hotmail dot com)

Thanks everyone!

Rodeo Round-Up

Well folks there's been a lot going on at choo choo knits so I'm wrasselin' up a run-down for y'all!

I've been test knitting some patterns for Stefanie Japel (Glampyre) over the past month or so. The first two were children's patterns using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted...let me just say, this yarn is absolutely delicious...seriously, get me a scoop, stick it on a cone, and I want to eat it! And did I mention its MACHINE WASHABLE??? Such a plus when it comes to knitting for kids. I believe the pattern is off at the tech editor for finally approval and should be available in the coming week or two. I'll also be test knitting an adult version of a child's sweater (no info yet) so stay tuned for more info!

I am also sample knitting Seneca from the new Jared Flood booklet using Classic Elite's Lush (50% Angora / 50% Wool). If your budget doesn't allow angora I'm thinking a great substitute would be the new Vintage Wool from Berroco (which is soft and washable!). This sweater is on the intermediate level so you'll have your challenge with the cabling and yoke section. Stay tuned for final photos.

The "Dora" shawl pattern is coming along great and should be ready by mid-October (the latest). The combination of lace, construction, and design make this the perfect gift knit! I used Frog Tree Alpaca Sportweight for the original but will use some stashed Ultra Alpaca Fine (Berroco) for a secret holiday gift - shhh :o)

Other patterns that will be published soon are "Japel's Wings" (top down raglan combining leave motif and fitted elements using a worsted weight yarn) and "Scarsdale" (a cabled summer sweater with simple elements using a dk weight yarn).

Also in the works...I'm proud to annouce...a NEW WEBSITE! Details coming this fall...stay tuned!

I'm also working on an event for Rhinebeck which is expected to be a unique and exciting (and FUN) project!

Hope all is well with you and your knitting - drop me a line so we can catch-up properly!

Happy Knitting until next time!

A great day!

I must must must must must tell you that I am blushing over Stefanie Japels' blog posting today. I am privileged to have such an accolade bestowed upon me. Thanks Stefanie!

KADHD?

One look at my Ravelry projects page lately and you might think "Has she gone mad? How many WIPs are on her needles right now?"

Yes, I think I have KADHD - Knitting Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.

Well, either it's KADHD or RFS (Restless Finger Syndrome).

OR............it's that my brain is SO excited about the many projects I want to make/finish/start/dream/wear/gift that it can't pick JUST ONE...so I'm rotating between them.

Case in point, I'm making up two samples for the shop so I spent a couple train rides working on the baby sweater during the week. I finished the back yesterday morning. Then, during the day, while we were in the car running errands, I worked on my Bateau sweater since it was St st in the round - can't screw that up too badly. For a short period of the afternoon, while trying to keep Ramona inside and COOL, I swatched for the fingerless mitts - Kollage yarn is SO soft and great to work with btw. Then, last night when we were watching the NASCAR race, I knit the right front of the baby sweater and started the third ball of the Bateau sweater.

It's safe to say that I'm not bored of any of them - I'm just spreading my time between them - and, somehow, they all seem to be going faster...is that possible???

Well, it's another gorgeous day here in NJ so I'll probably sit outside and drink my coffee and knit a bit while Hubbin's works his garden/green-thumb and Ramona does her thing...which is whatever mischief the day brings!

Look what we reeled in...

I know a bunch of y'all don't flickr so I'm posting this over here in blogger land as well! Two cute kids, fo' sho!

We had a great Father's day celebration at our home - my sister, her hubby and their kids all flew in from Kansas and NC; my parents and my grandmother were there; as well as my in-laws. The weather held out (AFTER we had cleaned the house from top to bottom) so we were able to stay outside the entire afternoon. The kids were in heaven running around the yard, blowing bubbles, drinking obscene amounts of juice, eating everything they could grab when the parents weren't watching, and filling our yard with giggles galore! What a blessing it was to spend the day together!

Baby Blogging Steps (and NO, I'm not preggers!)

This is for Dora and Adam and Trudy - whom I love VERY much (and who have now guilted me back into blogging...baby steps my friends!)

Alyssa and I spent Saturday up in Danbury with Dora and her knitting friends! What can I say except we had a FABULOUS time - and I, for one, will miss Trudy SO SO SO much! As you'll recall, Dora is my SWS (Sock Wars Sister) and I just love her to pieces! Thanks for a lovely (albeit rainy/muggy) day!

1 minute and 9 seconds - take THAT senor velociraptor!

I could survive for 1 minute, 9 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Alrighty...I've got some pride to share

My little-sis just received an Educator of the Year award from the Army. Here's the article...

I'm still around...here and there...but you can, of course, find me DAILY on flickr

In other news I found out that I had strep late last week (I had been starting to feel pretty miserable) and while it's a week later on MORE antibiotics (long story) I'm still not 100%...but definitely on the mend - hooray!

It's a rainy day (again) here in NYC and I'm SO ready for the weekend...NASCAR at Pocono Raceway on Sunday - yippie, I loves me some racin' boys!

So how are all of you doin'?

Happy Easter Everyone!

I'm not changing my shoes...you can't make me

Today is a Monday. I could end this post there because I know you would understand.

It's a Monday and I'm achy for a multitude of reasons. And I didn't feel like wearing clothes that "fit properly" today...so I'm wearing brown pants that are "full" and an orange sweater (which I actually like - and got on sale for something crazy like $2.99 at Banana Republic a couple years back). I'm pretty sure that I picked up black shoes from my dark bedroom this morning but realized one was brown when I was on the train...and QUICKLY (you don't know how quickly) looked to make sure the other foot also had a brown shoe on it. I have the same pair of shoes in two colors, obviously. Whew....both brown.

And since there's a graveyard shift at the office today I decided, unanimously with my other selves, that I will not change my shoes today and you can't make me. Brown pants and brown shoes is defaulting to a match...no matter if the shoes are more chocolate and the pants are more heathered. Take that fashionistas!

No pictures...because I simply don't want to hear the laughter...ha ha ha

Seriously...I'm smiling!

How's all with y'all?

Why yes...yes it is me!

Hello fellow bloggers...I am back...and I apologize...has anyone been sucked into Flickr like me? I saw Jeannine poke her head in...I'm wondering who is next!!!

So what's new with me in knitting land? And where has March gone?!?!

The month started with a great day of new friends and knitting at Dora's house which Alyssa and I were privledged to attend! Dora, you may recall from prior posts, is my long-lost-sister (in spirit) and we "met" via Sock Wars 3. The War, and most of it's participants, were dreadful. But from the ashes rose a great friendship. Here's a photo of us...so cute!



While at this mini-retreat Alyssa and I worked on our Lady Eleanor KAL For Two. I, however, questioned the sizing of mine? Was it too small? Would it be "wrappy" enough? How much yarn, in the end, would I need to make it everything I dreamed? Well, I frogged it the following day and restarted. Another day or two down the pike I decided that the second try was WAY too large. Urgh. Frogged again. Does anyone know what a pain it is to frog single ply silk? Let me just say, it's not fun. Attempt #3 seems to be the charm...although now I'm questioning if it's STILL too "wide". I ordered more yarn so I will have 2000 yarns invested when all is said and done. Egads! I'm halfway done and into the 3rd "ball" (at 500 yards it seems hardly a ball but more like a brick!). It's also, unfortunately, slightly too large to lug back and forth on the train. So it's slightly on hiatus for now...please pester me about it so it doesn't go into permanent hibernation!!!



Other recent knitting:

Textured Shrug from Stefanie Japel's new book GlamKnits


Finished Tangled Yoke - see above photo with Dora...I wear this Cardigan A LOT!!!

Two 13" x 13" squares for the kyarns.com blanket

Because of the whole can't-carry-on-the-train issue with the L.E. I decided to start my mom's Flower Child sweater for Mother's Day. I'm making it with Knit Picks Cot-Lin in a similar green/sage color as the pattern photo. I haven't worked with the yarn before but so far it's been working up nicely. I have no photos to share of it as yet...bummer.

Instead...I'll leave you with this goofy photo mosaic I made for my 365 Project!

Peek a boo...I've been Flickr-ing...a LOT

Ok, I've been cheating on my blogging with Flickr. My bad. But it's been SO much fun!

I promise to blog more soon - honest to betsy!

How are you?!?!

Cause they're whose clues? Blue's Clues!

For some reason I woke up with this song in my head - yes, Blue's Clues...weird!

It's been a super busy week at work and I am totally exhausted - so TGIF!!!

On the knitting front I finished my white pinwheel blanket on Wednesday evening - it looks great (photos to come over the weekend). I knit it in a sport weight on US8s. I LOVE the drape - esp because I usually like a tighter fabric on most projects. So this one got me thinking outside the box - hooray!

The funny thing about this blanket is that I worked late on Tuesday night and was able to meet up with my old knitting group on the train. Marybeth saw the blanket and asked what I was making. I told her and she laughed. My friend Patty, who later joined us, was also making the SAME blanket, ALSO in white! OMG, we had a good laugh. Right before Patty and I got off the train I put my blanket on my head...it looked like a giant shower cap or chefs hat. Patty put her's on as well and we were laughing quite hard. Sue took a photo - and if I can get her to send it to me (come on Sue!!!) I'll share it - you'll crack up, I swear!

I started my first charity square on the train today - and got about 2.5" done - whoot whoot! I'm hoping to get a few of these done over the weekend - hooray!

In sad yarn news, the shop in our lobby is having a 50% off sale (which is actually great news for Alyssa and me) but I asked one of the nicer ladies if they were going out of business and she said "we prefer to say 'closing our doors'". It's really sad - they've been there for 22 years! If you have any thoughts on yarns you like and want me to look for you...just drop me a line! Yarn for the stash at 50% off - how can you pass that up?

Well - back to work - too busy for words right now!

Happy knitting friends!

Eleven, Twelve, One, Two, Three, Four...

I know most folks don't get routine knitting time each day like I do because I take the train. So maybe this doesn't apply to anyone else but weird ol' me...

Do you find yourself counting even after you've stopped knitting?

I know this happens to me a lot at night when I'm walking home. If I'm working on a pattern that's in sets of 12s...well then I'm counting my steps in twelves...*twelve steps down the stairs, repeat from *, turn right, go through tunnel, go up stairs, two three four, cross parking lot, eleven twelve one, cross street, etc.

Usually it wears off before I get home - mostly due to the cold weather reminding me of how stinking cold and windy it's been lately.

Please tell me I'm not alone :o)

Happy Knitting Tuesday!

Since when...

...do I hold my working yarn like this?



I noticed this change started happening a few weeks back...but it wasn't consistent, and didn't feel "wrong" so I didn't stop.

But it JUST happens. No rhyme or reason. I'll be knitting happily along and viola...there it goes again!

This morning I noticed it on the train and quickly took a picture.

Hmmmm...

*Note: I'm knitting a pinwheel baby blanket for Evelyn. So far I'm up to 460 stitches...and on my 3rd ball of yarn. I'm thinking I'll get to 500sts and see where that leaves me. Has anyone ever done one of these? Any thoughts as to size/stitches? I'm thinking of working a couple rows in pink...to further bust the stash!

I took these photos for my 365 on Saturday. I figured out how to combine them in one shot...so excited when I learn new things! The really cool thing is that my grandmother made that sweater for me approx 20 years ago and I recently found it in one of my sweater bins. The colors might not be stylish (they weren't 20 years ago in fact) but it's cozy and reminds me of my Grandma who taught me how to knit.

Fuggetaboutit Friday

The week is finally over and it kicked my butt all over the place. Let's see how it happened, shall we?

Monday - Tangled Yoke (part one)

As you know, I was battleing it out with the sewing machine on Monday trying to get the ribbon sewn into the Tangled Yoke. Score - Original Singer: 1; Me: 0. I tied up the score using my MIL's machine later that night. I even stayed up late to pick up the stitches and knit the buttonhole band. Whew...to bed around 11:00pm

Tuesday - Tangled Yoke (part deux)

Woke up ready to tackle sewing on the buttons on the train ride into work. I even put my makeup on at the station before the train arrived so I didn't waste a minute of the hour ahead. I started sewing the buttons one one by one. Unfortunately something was a little off where the yolk meets in the front. I made it work as best as possible. No one will really know besides me (and now you if you're reading this, doh). I'm sewing, I'm sewing...button 3, 4, 5, 6...two more to go...7, 8...wait a minute, shouldn't I be done already...9...i'm out of buttons and still have the bottom/last one to sew. HO-LEE-MACARONI...I made too many button holes. Seriously? Are you kidding? I couldn't tell you how I did it if I tried. Was I up too late (yes)? Did I lay out EIGHT holes (yes!)? Then what on earth happened? Oh well. I got to work and wore it anway - and everyone loved it - especially Erin because her favorite color is green!

Wednesday - Commuting/Classic Penn Station/New York

Wednesday morning started off like this...

...just me and my coffee in the wee morning hours! Until...duh duh duhn...my train broke down! Luckily we were partially in a station...so we didn't need to wait for another train to come push us, etc. The bad part was that they kept announcing "We have a mechanical problem, the engineer is working on it" for about 20 minutes until they said "This train is out of service. Please detrain (yes, they use that word!) in an orderly fashion. Another train will be here in a few minutes and you can take that to Penn Station." So a thousand people are now trying to get off the train, a double decker no less, and the platforms are filling up. The train comes. Too many people. I decide to wait (something I learned to do more easily when I was pregnant). The next train will come on a completely different platform so we all shuffle down some stairs, through a tunnel and back up the other side. Turns out that the train coming in is the one my old knitting group takes - so at least I find them and catch up on what's new in everyone's lives. End result: I was one hour late to work. Urgh.

At the end of the day I run across two crazy New Yorker things:

1. Woman w handouts saying: Sin will steal your soul in heaven
   Response: commuters laughing
2. Overhead PA system tip to passengers: Don't be CELLfish when talking on your cell phone. Please be considerate of other passengers.

I realize on the way home that I've left my travel mug on my desk...of course...because that's my day/week.

Hubbins had scheduled a massage appointment for me since I've had a knot in my back for a couple weeks and keep feeling like something REALLY bad is going to happen. The massage is good, the steam shower is awesome, and I return home feeling relaxed and refreshed.

Thursday - One more day!!!

At 6:30 Hubbins says to me "Are you not going to work today?" to which I bolt out of bed and jump into the shower. I guess the massage really knocked those toxins around in my system and I completely ignored (and shut off) my alarm clock! Great!

Seeing as I left my travel mug at work on Wednesday, I grabbed a thermos from the cabinet and headed to the station. While standing on the platform I decide to take a sip. I screw off the "cup", press the button on the top, and try to take a sip from what appears to be the opening. WRONG! Instead of going in my mouth, a whole bunch of coffee pours down the front of my jacket (which I just washed on Monday) and onto the bottoms of my pant legs. I should have just gone back to bed right there and then.

I ran out of pink yarn for the baby blanket part way through the train ride into the city. So I started Sally's Neck Warmer using Tilli Tomas Flurries in a georgeous "burnt orange" color. It's just so niiiiiiiice.



Casey is one of the things that make everything less stressful at the end of my day...can you wonder why? Here she is with her Mardi Gras mask...let's get ready to par-tay!



The "mess" behind her is a painting on her easel - she did not paint on our dining room walls as one friend asked

Friday - Crowded House

I woke up on time, got my regular seat on the train and things were looking good!

But the subway was SO crowded because there was a police investigation at 4th Street. Should I really have expected the week to end any different? Really? Luckily I'm a pro at where to stand on the platform and was right at the doors when they opened. Here's my self-portrait for the day...I wish you could feel the over-crowding, pushing, shoving and attitude better.



I did finish Sally's Neck Warmer - I have to take a picture still - and it looks really great on her!

It's almost quittin' time and I'm so glad to be heading home! I also got a note from Jill that she received the Noro sweater and she loves it - I'm hoping to see some modeling photos from her soon (hint hint).

I've got no big weekend plans - except to catch up on my sleep and figure out my next project - hooray!

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

Happy Knitting Y'all!

Another case of the Monday's? (Part 1)

If you've ever seen the movie "Office Space" you'll know what I mean by the title of this post(and btw...one of my favorite movies ever!)

Do we really get "cases" of Monday's? Nah. But sometimes it just seems like "one of those days"...so when it happens on a Monday, the start to our work week, the easiest explanation is to blame it on Monday. Poor Monday.

But this week a good portion of corporate America had off on Monday...so my Tuesday is a Monday that started on Monday and therefore all blame defaults to it. To be fair, this case of the Monday's/Tuesday's started many years ago.

When I was a little girl both my mother and grandmother sewed because, let's face it, who didn't sew in the 70s. The 70s were all about sewing and matching blue gingham outfits...at least in my small world. My mom even made my sister and me matching Mickey Mouse print dresses for our trip to Disney one year. Those were the days.

So all my life I've sewed on my mom's Singer. I mostly made Halloween costumes and clothes (I vaguely remember making some M.C. Hammer-style pants, red of course, to wear to a Cure concert...with a hand painted t-shirt that my friend Donna and I made in her mom's dining room...Robert Smith never looked so happy as the way I portrayed him). I digress...

The point is...I knew I would always own a sewing machine. Approximately 10 years ago, my grandmother moved from her home to an independent living facility. Since she was downsizing she gave me her machine, complete with table/cabinet. It was an honor to receive such a nostalgic piece of my childhood. The hours my grandmother and I spent on that machine whenever I would visit...I could start listing project after project...it was heaven.

I brought the machine in for a tune up and was kind of disappointed when they said it would take a few weeks. I patiently waited and picked it up as soon as it was ready. Mind you, I had nothing in mind to sew...but the mere thought that I COULD sew...well, that was something. Of course the best laid plans fell to the wayside and I didn't make anything for quite some time. By the time I did want to make something, I realized the bobbin threading wasn't working properly no matter what I tried. I should have brought it back in for servicing right away...but I didn't. Bad Karen. Some more time went by and I tried the machine again. I used an old piece of felt and everything worked great! I moved on to the actual project and it all fell apart...the bottom bobbin was misbehaving. I was SO upset. I closed the table up again and it sat like that for years.

My tangled yoke was the deal breaker. I knew I wanted to reinforce the button band with ribbon but was afraid the machine would pull one of its notorious stunts. I took every precaution. I knit an extra swatch. I carefully examined the machine and the bobbin threading. I tested on the swatch AND some old felt. The old gal seemed to be working!

Until yesterday afternoon. Hubbins and Ramona were happily watching Sponge Bob and I snuck away to the basement to tackle the button band once and for all. I retested on felt. I moved my chair around until I was comfortable. I brought the needle down into the ribbon and through the yarn, dropped the foot and pressed the peddle to the metal.

About5 inches along I could tell disaster had struck. I pulled the sweater out and lo and behold, SNAGGING all along the underside. I could have cried. I pulled my seam ripper from my notions pouch and started taking out the mess of thread. I got some more felt and the knitted swatch and tested on them again. No problem. Ok, maybe it was a human error. Let's try again. This time the machine seemed to be fine...got to about 9 inches...let's just take a teensy weensy peek...NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Yes, full of "clumping". Fighting back the tears and restraining myself from screaming, I took the sweater and went upstairs, leaving the monster machine in the dark to think about what it had done! Hubbins immediately knew something was wrong. I said "It's either the machine or me...and it might be time for a new machine!" My brain raced...Did I still have the President's Day coupons for AC Moore? How late were they open? How much does a new machine even cost? My head hurt. Bad.

Hubbins to the rescue! "Do you want me to call my mom so you can borrow hers?" OMG - his mom has a machine? How did I never know this?!?! "Yes, please, call her, now, please, thank you, what year is it?" came spilling across my lips. "I dunno. My grandmother bought it for her so it's not that old". [**Hubbins' paternal grandmother was an awesome awesome lady - she passed away several years before I entered the picture so we never met...BUT she had a yarn stash the family tells stories about and she was quite crafty. They say she would have LOVED me like it's no body's business...and I know I would have loved her back].

So Hubbins the Great hopped in the car and drove over to his parents house (1/2 mile away). I sat patiently at the dining room table re-pinning the ribbon in place. A swear a white burst of light shone from behind him when he got back home - hooray for Hubbins and Nana!

I quickly set up the machine, wound a bobbin and prayed. I don't even think I tested on anything...I mean...how much worse could it get? I carefully started sewing and immediately knew things were looking up. I stopped about 6 inches in and the stitching was perfect! I kept going all the way to the end and snipped the thread. Can I have a Hallelujah and an Amen.

...stay tuned for the second installment of this story tomorrow...

Here's a photo of me wearing it at work...just so you know there's a happy ending!

Hooray!

Hooray...the Noro Cardi was finished on Friday night and shipped off to Jill on Saturday morning. By my estimations she should receive it on Tuesday (tomorrow). I also sent the Cabled Cape (whew, glad I finally "got it right"). I also made a twisty scarf (with some mods) over the weekend and am busy working on the first of a million baby blankets I am making this year. Here are some weekend pictures (more stories to follow tomorrow!).

Rollin' rollin' rollin'...keep the Noro goin'...rawhide!

Hubbins was feeling better last night so I spent some more time seaming the Noro Cardi - hooray! I also opted to try seaming on the train this morning - which is usually something I avoid because it's easier to spread out a sweater and concentrate at home in a stationary location

That being said, I've got the second sleeve and pockets left to do...and, of course, more loose ends!

Here's a peek...


And here's my SP for the day...I know, thrilling, right?