The Scottish Lamb

Dangnargit!

Argh.  I kinda feel like this dog.  I ran out of yarn again for the Flower Basket Shawl.  I'm going to have to trek on down to the marktplatz to get yet another ball.  On the bright side, I get my morning walk in *and* get to go to the yarn shop.  Might even stop in on the chocolate shop for a treat on the way home.  So much for walking off the calories.  I'm on my way right after I finish my morning blog reading.

~ I interrupt for a commercial break:  If you are a blog reader and you don't already know about it, run, don't walk, over to Bloglines (there's a little sign up link in the sidebar to the right) only takes a minute to sign up and then you have all your favorite blogs in one spot and instantly know which ones have updated.  This way you aren't spending half your time clicking each link just to find out there's no update that day.  So much easier and quicker then going down your list with your coffee each morning.   Seriously, check it out.  You'll thank me later. ~

Back to the Flower Basket....  I promise, I'll have a photo up tomorrow of it blocking.  All I have left is the edging.  Funny how much more time (and yarn) each row takes as you're knitting up, eh?

I worked on it while watching The Bachelor last night.  I know you all got to watch the Final Rose on Wednesday last week, but Armed Forces Network usually shows it over here a day later so we watch it on Thursdays.  They didn't show it till last night because last Thursday was Thanksgiving and most everyone travels on long weekends.  Usually I trip over the outcome somewhere on the net or the news but this time the surprise was not ruined.  I knew he was going to pick Mary for weeks now anyway.  I know.  I'm a sap.

Take my turkey.... please!

We had a very nice Thanksgiving here with our friends.  Friday night and Saturday were busy.  We watched my friends' kids so they could make a pottery shopping trip to Poland.  I was rewarded handsomely for locking their kids in a closet babysitting the little angels.  Three pieces in my favorite Polish Pottery pattern.

Thank God the turkey will be gone after today.  One can only stand so much turkey so many days in a row, know what I mean?

It must be the Christmas Season now because they've finished setting up the Christkindlemarkt down in the marktplatz.  I'll have to take some photos to share. Christmas is one of my favorite times here in Bavaria.  Everything looks so quaint and beautiful.  We just need a little snow to finish the picture.

During the long weekend I cast on some cranberry colored sock wool for the Flower Basket Shawl from Fall 2004 Interweave Knits.  I'd take a photo but it looks terrible.  Lace just looks like a big lump until it's blocked.  I ran out of yarn Saturday night so I walked down to the marktplatz to buy another ball this morning (German stores aren't open on Sundays).  I only have five rows left so I should be blocking it tomorrow and will take a picture then. 

My fingers were fidgety so I thought I'd cast on a mitten.  As I was browsing through my Knitter's Almanac to make the top down baby sweater last week,  I came across the mitten chapter.  I'm now wishing I'd done the blue as the background on the cuff.  I also wish I hadn't started the side pattern until I got to the large one. 

I changed the thumb.  Truth be told, I screwed up.  I didn't pay much attention to the pattern and realized too late that EZ used a shaped thumb.  Fear not.  Slip a little waste yarn in the row that corresponds with the bottom of the thumb and no one will know!  You can see the thin line of pink waste yarn.  I'll pick those stitches up later when I'm finished and then knit the thumb up from there.  Oddly enough, I'm sure I learned this technique from some EZ pattern, book or video in the past.  This is probably the reason that I just assumed that she would use this technique on the mittens.  Go figure.

Pretty in Pink

This is my all-time favorite gift to knit for a baby girl:

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Practically Seamless Baby Sweater from Knitter's Almanac.  I've knit this pattern so many times, my copy of this book automatically falls open to it.  It's a classic that's easy to knit with great results.  I have notes written all over the page.  I've also replaced the Gull Pattern with a Little Shells pattern.  For the Little Shells, you knit the 1st row, purl the 2nd and 4th rows and here's Row 3: K2 * yo, p1, p3tog, p1, yo, k2 - repeat from * across.

I knit this one up for Elann friend, Libby, who's baby girl was born just last week.  You can see a photo of her on the Elann chat page (scroll down and look on the left side).  Karolyn Ann is a beautiful for a beautiful girl!

I'm also plugging away on the Dale Hardangervidda.  I cast on the first sleeve and have just finished the ribbing.  I'm looking forward to finishing this one so I can dive into my Highland Wool.  Did I admit yet that I placed another order in panic as colors disappeared?

I probably won't be posting again before Thursday, so Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends.  We'll be celebrating with friends at Dan's office.  Tom Turkey won't fit in our itsy bitsy German oven here at home so all 20 pounds of him will be roasting to perfection in the office kitchen's American oven.  With so many of the guys downrange in Iraq and all of us so far from our loved ones back home in the U.S. we become each other's families in our home away from home and we'll all fit nicely around the office conference table.  Thanksgiving Military Style.  Blessings to you all!

It's the Little Things in Life

It never ceases to amaze me how much joy I can get out of a little fleece, a drop spindle and a pair of knitting needles.  Fellow Army wife and knitting blogger, Erica, could be in the hospital as I type having her baby boy.  Happy Labor Day, Erica!  Hopefully her hubster made it back from Iraq in time for the blessed event.  I met her a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to make something special for her (it's always nice knitting for another knitter).  I had some scrumpdilicous Shetland fleece in my stash from Judy Colvin's ranch in Montana.  I spun it up and knit a little pair of oh-so-soft booties.  Not a moment too soon because the wind is howling outside right now.   They'll go in the mail today.

My sock-knitting friend, Lynn, made a pair of these with her handspun when I was pregnant for Joseph six years ago.  Her's were a gorgeous shade of hand-dyed deep maroon with jewel-tone fair isle knit into the leg.  I remember how touched I was that she did that for me.  I've been making them ever since.  I must have left them in storage in the States because I searched and can't find them.  Lynn is known to many as "The Sock Lady".  You can check out some of her beautiful work here.  I won't forget you, Lynn, when I get to the Opal Factory!

Those booties and a baby quilt and sweater (also in storage) knit by my friend, Jessica (I met Jessica on the knitlist about seven or eight years ago), are my most prized items of Joe's baby gifts.  I thought of how kind Lynn was every time I put those booties on him when he was a baby and I think of Jessica every night when I tuck Joe in with his quilt that he still drags around as his comfort when he's sick or wants to snuggle.  One day his children will be kept warm with them all and that just give me the warm fuzzies.

You'll find many renditions of this pattern as it's been out there for eons.  With Lynn's permission, here is my version of her version of the bootie pattern (when you knit something this many times, the pattern is bound to change here and there).  As EZ would say, these are "pithy" directions.  If you are a beginner knitter or something doesn't make sense, just holler:

You can use any yarn from fingering to worsted.  Worsted makes a pretty big bootie.  The handspun I used for Erica's is about fingering weight and they should fit the baby till he's about four months (I hope).  I usually use DK weight.

Cast on ten sts.  Garter for 18 ridges.  Knit up 18 sts down next side, 10 across cast-on edge, 18 up other side.  Knit in the round now.   **Four rounds purl, four rounds knit (x2) and then knit four more rounds.  Now you're ready to do the top of the foot.  In the booties Lynn did for Joe she did a 4x4 garter sts up the foot.  I like that better, but I forgot about it and just did st st on these.  You can do about anything you want to here.  A small lace pattern would be cute.  You'll be knitting back and forth across the ten end sts.  As you come to the last st of each row, knit it tog with one st from the 18 st side until you have 10 sts on each needle.  Knitting in the round again, knit 3-5 rounds and then do an eyelet round for the ties (k2, yo, k2tog).  Now you are at the leg and can do whatever you want.  Add some lace or fair isle here.  I just did a plain 2x2 ribbing.  Garter st would be cute here too.  For the ties you can do I-cord (I tried but it was too big for these booties), twisted cord (which is what I used for these) or crochet a chain.  Have fun.  They make great gifts.

Last week I posted a photo to show the snow here in Germany.  The back of our truck is in the picture and a few people emailed to ask what the "5 with the F in it" was on the back of our SUV.  That's the brand for the ranch in Texas.  When Dan's grandfather was alive it was the Rocking F Ranch (that's the old gate and brand in the photo).  After he passed away it was split between his eight children and Dan's dad named his ranch Cinco Flores in honor of his five children.   How cool is that man?  Have I mentioned that I lucked out and got the best in-law family there is?  No wonder my husband turned out the way he did.  He's one of those guys that everyone likes... just like his dad.  He's kind, fair and almost always in a good mood.  No easy task with the job he has.  Don't tell him I said that, he'll get a big head.  ;-)

Loose Ends

I'm trying to update my knitting journal this weekend.  Thought I'd share some photos of a  couple of recently finished items.

Booga Bags!  Pattern courtesy of  Julie at Booga J. Need a quick gift? These are da bomb.  Knit in Noro Kureyon they are quick and easy.  A lot of bang for your knitting buck.   I blocked them on two different sized boxes to get the slightly different shapes.  The one on the left is in color #116 and the one on the right is #51.  They're a little more muted in person.   Check out Julie's other patterns for sale.  Love her newest, The Heidi.

Next up is the Fiber Trends Field of Flowers Shawl.  Designed by Evelyn Clark.  It's a beauty and a pretty simple knit for lace.  I gave this one up to my Gram.  She and my Grandfather sit outside early in the morning in the White Mountain area of New Hampshire.  I knit this one from a cone of weaving yarn I scored on Ebay a few years back.  It fulled perfectly when I blocked the oils out of it.

Troop Support

I've been asked by quite a few people for ideas in reaching out to troops in Iraq.  A good start is the  Prepaid Phone Card Program.  I'm sure it's obvious that it's expensive to call home from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Nothing boosts morale more than to hear a loved one.  With the holidays coming up, this is really a worthwhile cause.  Also, check out Books for Soldiers and Operation Hero Miles.

I got an email from my Jeremy yesterday.   Things have picked up quite a bit in Mosul and he knew I'd be worried.  I've spent a good portion of the last few days surfing all the news sites trying to keep an eye on what's going on.  Can't really watch it all on TV with the little guys running around.  Please keep Jeremy and all our troops in your thoughts and prayers.

Need a Laugh?

  Who are we really if we cannot laugh at ourselves.  I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  Brace yourselves, I know it's hard to accept, but I can be a dork at times.  I know.... it's hard to believe.  My friends all know it but are kind and let it slide.  I have good friends.

One of the benefits of being in the military is the opportunities that we've had to travel to places we might never have gotten to see otherwise.  This summer we wanted to do something different.   We've seen pretty much all of Europe.  We decided on Egypt.  It was Dan's idea, not mine.  I was skeptical at first, but after contacting the State Department and being told it was safe I thought it'd be a terrific experience for Daniel and Joe.  Let me add a tourism note here.... NEVER go to Egypt in July!!! It was 120 degrees and the only AC was in our room at the resort and on the bus we took to Cairo and Giza.  We couldn't even go through the museum in Cairo because Joe was passing out from the heat.  We ended up sitting outside for two hours talking to some Egyptian students while waiting for our tour group.

In my rush to pack, I grabbed my "Knitters" magazine thinking what a great shot I could get to send in.  After coming out of one of the Pyramids we got the boys back on the bus and then we went out to take the "Knitters" photo.  The tour guide had warned us not to accept anything anyone was selling or to let them take our photo until we were clear on a price.  As soon as we got off the bus there were two men there asking us to get on their camel for a photo.  As I was saying no one of them lifted me onto the camel as the other one wrapped a towel around my head.  I was telling them to let me off and Dan yelled, "Just go with it! It's a great shot"  Yea.. he wasn't the one six feet off the ground against his will.  I played the trooper, held up the magazine and smiled.  Here's the photo Dan took:

Great photo, huh?  Look a little closer:

Yes, my name is Jean and I'm a complete dork.

What's sadder is that I didn't realize what I'd done until I went looking in the magazine for the address to Knitters to send in the photo.  At least I realized it before I actually sent it in.

In my defense, the knitters that did see the photo didn't pick up on it.  Either that or they were just being kind.  So there, I've outed myself.  Now you know, I'm a dork.

When I posted the photo yesterday of the snow I know there were those saying, "Heck, that ain't snow!"  Well, take a gander at what we woke up to this morning:

When I told Daniel to go in the house and get his hat on, my very-fact-based son told me that it's not winter yet.  Au contraire mon frere.  Albeit early, it's here, my dear.

Hot Chocolate Time!!

  Time to break out the hot chocolate!  Look what we woke up to this morning in Bavaria:

Yep... that's the white stuff.  I've never seen it snow this early in Germany and this will be my ninth winter in this country.  I think we're in for a doozy.

Luckily for the kids, it's five days off starting tomorrow.  Teacher Parent conferences and Veteran's Day. 

Remember the photo of the Highland Wool Command Central Planning table last week?  The order already arrived!  One week from the West Coast to Germany!  It sure doesn't look like that much yarn, does it?  The bad part is some of the colors aren't going to work.  The good part is I'll have to order more!  It's a necessity, right?  It's not worth the postage to send back the ones that don't work out and I don't want to clog up the Postal System this close to the Holidays.  So I'll do my part, sigh, and just hold on to the extras.

Here's two of my guys arriving home from school.  They didn't even come in the house.  Handed me their stuff and left.  That snow is awfully wet.  Better go put some water on to boil...

Just Zip It!

I had to redo the zipper in the KP&S Top-Down Jacket.  Can we just talk about how annoying that was?!  This was my first lesson with zippers in knitting and let me tell ya...  If you think you aren't stretching the knitting as you're sewing in the zipper, you're wrong.  What seemed to work for me is to actually scrunch the rows of knitting together as I pinned the zipper in.  It came out perfectly the second time around.  I knit it with Berroco Uxbridge Tweed (from Elann) in Granite Tweed in honor of The Granite State.

It's been a great few days here.  I got to meet fellow knitter, Erica, and her adorable little ball of energy, Reilly.  My friend, Mariana, and I drove up to Würzburg on Wednesday to meet her at the PX (Post Exchange for you civilains) for lunch.  I wish I'd remembered to bring the camera, but alas, I did not.  I'm sure the next time I see her, the new addition to the family will have arrived.  Happy Labor Day, Erica!

I got RAOK'd by Kim yesterday.  She knows how much I miss New England so  she sent me a little bit of home in the form of maple syrup.  There was also a cute card and a bath fizz ball.  Looking forward to using that.  Kim, I was expecting to open it up and find a puppy!  LOL.  Just kiddin'.  There would have been airholes.  It's funny because there was another package from New Hampshire.  My grandfather sent me a little statue of a Chickadee (my fave) in thanks for his last pair of socks.  Thanks, Gramps!

I've been plugging away on the Hardangervidda.  Almost done with the body.  It's a dark and rainy day here in Germany so I couldn't get the light quite right for this photo.  I wanted to show anyone who hasn't done fair isle before that it's pretty lumpy before you block it.  It's like lace in that you see the real beauty after it's blocked and evened out.

Other than that I'm just biting my nails off patiently waiting for my Highland Wool order to arrive.  Won't be till next week.  It takes some time to get over the Atlantic.

65 balls of yarn on the way... 65 balls of yarn...

Take one down, knit it around, 64 balls of yarn.... You'll have that tune in your head all day now. You can thank me later.

Yesterday was a very big day in knitting land. All you Elanners know what I'm talking about. The re-release of the much coveted Highland Wool. Not only did Elann have it spun up again, they did it in 98... count 'em... 98 colors!! Happy happy joy joy!! It's almost too much for one knitter to take, but I'll try.
So Sunday night I prepared.....

After a couple of hours and a dining room table covered with patterns and books (I should have taken an after picture... it was ugly) I went to bed thinking I was ready. Six hours later I woke up in a frenzy. What to do, what to do. Lucky for me, being in Germany, I had until 3pm to decide. At 2:56 I sat at the computer and AOL decided that was a good time to upgrade my software. Broadband is a wonderful thing because it only took a couple of minutes. At 3pm I was ready to go. I got about half way through my list and my COMPUTER CRASHED!!! What the heck?! Most people would have taken this as an omen, but I was not to be stopped. Being an Army Vet, I soldiered forward. Twenty minutes and 65 balls later, here's my plan of attack:
The Stained Glass Pullover from Green Mountain Spinnery in the 2nd colorway

The Color Your Own sweater from Fair Isle Sweaters Simplified in the peacock colorway. Actually, I changed a few colors, but it's the blue/green jewel tones.

I bought 15 balls of the Dark Indigo Blue for a V-neck sweater for Dan.
Two balls of Charcoal for the Chic Knits Bottoms Up Felted Hat.
And last but not least two balls of Malt Heather and two of Mocha Heather to do the Cottage Tea Cozy in Knitter's Stash.
When I finished I had to sit down and take a breather. Had I made the right choices? Will the Highland still be there if I think of something else? Will we have to eat Mac and Cheese for the rest of the month? Seriously... which is more important? Feeding the kids or keeping them warm with extra insulation in the house? How does a mother choose?!