Such a Slacker

Yep, that's me. I just realized how long it's been. Somebody should have smacked me way before now.

First off the important stuff. I'm a participant in the Traveling Shawl that's working it's way across the country being worked on by knitters in all fifty states. The purpose is to raise funds towards breast cancer research and hopefully a cure very soon.

For all the details and links and such, someone else put it much better than I can, so here you go:

• During the coming twelve months selected knitters from across the United States will be going Passionately Pink for the Cure® by working on the Traveling Shawl to raise funds for the fight against breast cancer.
• It’s passionate, because the need to end breast cancer is so urgent. It’s pink, because that’s the color we’ll wear to accomplish our goal.
• Participating is simple. One knitter from each state is adding six to eight rows of intricate lace knitting to a beautiful pink shawl that when completed will be raffled. To enter chances to win the Traveling Shawl make a donation of $5 or more to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the leader of the global breast cancer movement.
• If you’d like to contribute online, please use the link below. In return for your contribution, you’ll get a pink ribbon pin and the satisfaction of helping to move us closer to a world free of breast cancer. To enter the drawing, when you receive an email confirmation of your donation send a copy to travelingshawl@gmail.com . For each $5 donated you’ll be entered in the drawing for a chance to own the completed Traveling Shawl!
• Thanks in advance for your help and for showing your true colors by going Passionately Pink for the Cure.
• Donation page
  
• Follow the progress of the shawl and share the journey!
• http://traveling50statesshawl.blogspot.com/
• Here is a picture of how far it's been knit as of Saturday (12/20/08)

Raffle.. $5 for a chance to win the shawl.. Did you read that? wooohoooo.

Sometimes it gets a tad bit crowded around here to knit, so you HAVE to take breaks...




Sometimes you have to power through and do the sweater and beaded backpack anyway

Lots of cool stuff

If I were getting grades for originality of blog titles, it would have to be at least a D, but what the heck. It's mine and that's that.

I finished up the 'Hey Teach' from the Summer Knitty. It's funny. A really quick knit, easy to remember lace pattern and stash yarn, yet it's gotten more compliments than things that have taken much more time and effort to complete. Just goes to show that a good design shines through.

I've also joined a cooperative knitting effort. You can read about it here. When it's all done, it will have been to all 50 states with people from every state taking a part in knitting it. It will be raffled off to benefit the Susan G Komen foundation for breast cancer. It looks like the raffle tickets will be $10 each. For the winner, that's going to be a great deal. For everyone else, they should get a great feeling of doing something good for not a whole lot of money.

That's it for now. If I ever get around to putting batteries in the camera, you guys can see some pics.

Hi - Whatcha doin?

Good grief. Seems like we've been busy, but it's spinning our wheels. Which is ok, cause we do like hanging out with each other. Here's about as energetic as it gets:



That's two stubborn animals not about to give up the bed for each other. The cat is Friday and the dog is Skippy. Friday just doesn't look like her old self anymore. She's lost about 13-1 4 pounds and is now a downright svelte 15 lbs. I know, I know, it's HUGE. She really IS a biggish girl, but she's tall and long and carries it well.

As far as knitting goes, I've joined the MS4 knitalong and have finished clues one and two. So far it looks like this:



It's a bit of an odd combination, but to me it seems really 'fallish'. I'm using a fingering weight yarn called Breeze that's 40% alpaca and 60% wool. It just feels squishy and soft and warm. Just the thing for the cooler mornings on the horizon very soon.

There's been some random knitting. I'm working on a little backpack thingy for the oldest granddaughter. How many kids do you think will have a beaded purple alpaca bag? That's what I thought. Not many. Thank goodness the girl likes beads - and purple - and soft stuff. She's most surely a girly girl in every sense of the word. Not like her grammy at all.

Also sent out a few 7x9 inch squares to a local knitter who's working on a blanket for a family member from TX. I guess Ike hit them really hard and comfort items will be a real blessing for them while they're getting re-settled. It makes me wish I was a quicker knitter and could provide more.

FOUND!

The dog from the post the other day is home with his real family.

We found out where he lives. The people are great. He's loved and cared for as a part of their family. He'd just gotten out and gone visiting.


It's GREAT when things work out.

Look What Came to Visit

When we got home from the grocery store, this is what we found on our porch.



The dog, that is. We're trying to find his people. He's wearing a blue collar, is a kissing fool and will sit on command.

Anyone, anyone, Bueller????

Cowgirl Butterfly Astronaut Vest

Love the name of this pattern. I found it here. This lady has some really cute patterns, and I am so glad she chooses to share them out. My worst problem with making this was finding buttons I thought were cute enough. (I'm actually still debating).

The fine folks at Ravelry are holding Ravolympics (not sure I spelled that right), and I entered an event for making a sweater while the Olympics are going on. It's running a tad bit behind for two reasons. The first was company for two nights (which was great!) and the second was that I apparently can't count to 39. I did the same set of 39 increases a couple of times and didn't come up with the right number at all. After the second frogging, it's finally right and ready to move on.

Here she is so far:



Not much to look at yet, but hope springs eternal.

Finally, a few pictures

I told you that there really was some knitting going on around here. This is the baby sweater I talked about in my last post:

It's the Kipling Baby Sweater from Yarn Abuse.
That creepy stuff hanging down in the top right corner of the picture is my hair. My bangs are out of control and will probably stay that way for a while until they grow out to a more manageable length.

Here are the Spring Forward socks out of the last Knitty. They were a nice quick knit and the yellow colors seemed to fit them.

Last is a little raglan/lace sweater I made up as I went along for another baby girl on the way. It isn't laying too straight in the picture, but it hasn't been washed or blocked yet.

You can see that there are threads to be woven in, but all that is the last thing before the final wash before it gets gifted away.

There are more, but company's on the way and I'm out of time for now.