The elegant Ewe...

I made a trip to the Elegant Ewe in Concord last Friday. I just love that store! It takes me about an hour to drive there. That is probably a good thing. I could spend every penny I make. They have a great selection of patterns and books. They have a lovely selection of yarn too. They offer a spinning class which I would love to take. I might look into that, it is on the weekend. I poked around for two hours. The owners are very friendly and helpful. They answered any and all questions with a big smile. So what did I purchase...You are wondering. Well.... I found the Flared Smoke Ring pattern. I was going to order that from Knitpicks. I bought the "Lucy Bag" pattern , which is from "Two Old Bags". Also, an adorable crocheted earflap hat pattern. I think this will be nice for hats for my Hat and Mitten tree next year. I finished up my final gift for my Secret Pal too. I think the reveal is at the end of the month. I am almost finished with "The Shapely Shawlette". I am very pleased with the looks so far. I also am working on a pair of these Booties. I will post a picture later. I need to Kitchener the bottom seam. It makes the cutest little booty. My step daughter is trying to have a baby. I am making these for her. When she finds out she is pregnant, she will wrap them up and surprise her husband. I can't wait for our first grandchild. I love to knit baby items.. He or she will be one toasty child. I'm off to catch up on my blogs and do some knitting.

Pink Chibi mania and Shapely Shawlette

Can you believe the "Pink Chibi" mania that has taken over the knitting world? I am sure by now most have you have seen this and this .I can't imagine spending $51.00 on a $4.00 sewing needle. When I was showing my husband the auction. He grabbed my old pink Chibi out of my knitting bag. He said, "This baby is going on Ebay tonight". Don't worry friends...I have since hid my pink Chibi in a safe place. I have posted some progress photos of the Shapely Shawlette . I love working with Mountain Colors "Bearfoot". I think it is one of my favorite yarns. This little shawl is a fun knit. There is one spot in the pattern you have to keep an eye on. It is a repeat pattern ending in a yarnover. If you don't remember the yarnover, your in deep trouble. If anyone has the "Flared Smoke Ring pattern? Could you tell me what size needle it calls for. I want to order from Knitpicks soon. I want to make sure I have the right size needle for the project. We have had some nice weather the last five days. A bit of snow is on the way tonight. At least it won't last this time of year. The lake is starting to thaw around the edges. Woohoo!!!!!! Last year we were on the lake for my birthday on April 15th. Ok....There were ice chunks all around the boat and I was singing the theme from "Titantic". But.....We were on the lake.

Shapely Shawlette/

Close-up 

Secret pal and Dishclothes...

I received a lovely package from my Secret Pal the other day. It was two different shades of Peruvian Collection Pure Alpaca.One shade is an eggplant and the other a beautiful blue. She also a a card with lilacs on it. Lilacs are my very favorite and I have never used Alpaca before. She obviously put much thought into my gift. Thank you Secret Pal. I may use this yarn for some mitten from "Magnificent Mittens". I have been knitting some dishclothes to put away for next Christmas. My sister and daughter love these. They are always on the list of what they want. I think the little house ones are cute. The "Spinning Wheel" is a nice way to use up left overs. I have started the Shapely Shawlette using the Mountain Colors Red Ruby River. It is working up beautifully. I still want to place an order from Knitpicks. But, that is going to have to wait till funds permit. I have been lusting after the Flared Smoke Ring pattern for quite awhile. I have called all the yarn store in my area and no one carries it. They do have it at Knitpicks, so I will order it when I order the yarn for the Shoalwater Shawl. Tomorrow is going to be a gorgeous day here. Hoping to get out and enjoy the day. Have a great weekend everyone.

Secret Pal Presents/

Little House cloths/

Spinning Wheel cloth 

Snow,snow and more snow...

We were visited by Mother nature yet again this week. By Wednesday morning we had another 10 to 12 inches on the ground. They are calling for more snow today into Saturday. Spring seems so very far away. Yesterday, Anne had a great picture of some of her daffodils in bloom. I might just have to go out and get myself a pot of flowers today. I finished the "Dream Socks" and posted a picture last night. I really love this pattern and especially the way the toe is worked. So, Off I go to try the pair of socks on.....Guess what? The heel does not fit my chubby foot. It is too short. I have absolutely no idea how to fix this problem. I'll tuck this away for Hailey for next Christmas. I had planned to use this pattern for several pairs of socks. I love the Sockotta yarn,. It makes a beautiful and comfy sock.On to my next project. I dug out my pattern for the Shoalwater Shawl. I had bought this pattern quite awhile ago. I had also purchased some Ruby River from Mountain Colors. I really had my heart set on making this in blue. At the time my LYS did not have any suitable blue shades. I looked over the pattern last night. I think I will be disappointed if I don't make this in blue. So, I went to Knitpicks last night and looked at yarn. I am really thinking of using the Yukon shade. What do you guys think? I know I have read that the colors seem different in person. I am hoping it is not a light blue. If anyone has bought the "Yukon" shade in Sock Landscape, I would love to hear your thoughts. I need to find something to work on in the meantime. All my needles are empty, and that's not a good thing. If you are in need of a smile.....Head on over to Kim's blog. She has many pictures of her adorable puppies. I can't help but smile when I look at the pictures. I lost my beloved cocker spaniel two years ago. I must be healing, all I can talk about is puppies. Please don't tell Peaches I said that. Have an awesome weekend everyone.

Dream Sock  

Dream Sock

I have been working on a pair of socks. I am using the "Dream Sock" pattern from Priscilla Gibson Roberts. If you subscribe to Interweave Knits, you can get the pattern for free . You need to put in your subscriber code. It is a great pattern and has a short row heel and toe.I know...I was ranting and raving about the short row heel on the Stashbuster socks. This heel uses a yarnover wrap at the beginning of the row. It seems to eliminate those gaping holes. I used the zigzag bindoff that the pattern calls for. It seemed too bulky with for the yarn. I ripped it out and did a Kitchener stitch. I like the way it looks. I am using Plymouth Sockotta for these socks. I really like this yarn. I love the feel of the fabric, it is nice and cushy. I have been working on some hats for charity too. I need to figure out what to do with my Kool aid yarn. I wanted to knit the mittens that are on the cover of Knit Mittens. I can't get the gauge that the pattern calls for. I am going to make another swatch this evening. Hopefully I will be able to come close. The Bartlett's is a heavier yarn than Lamb's Pride, yet not a bulky weight.Have a great weekend everyone.