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Gifts from Kate

Today was a good day.

For one thing, I didn’t have a subbing assignment, and the timing could not have been more perfect.

I kept myself busy burning DVDs and completing other tasks in between…multi-tasking like a pro.

One of my chores involved folding a huge mound of clean clothes.  Because of the crazy schedule I’ve had the last few weeks, I’ve had a difficult time keeping up with the housework.

As I folded, I came across several washcloths and dishcloths that I made during the 2008 Summer Olympics.  You might remember my posts about them.

Well, life happens, or rather DOGS happen, and Molly got a hold of a few of them.  She has made a game out of stealing socks and dishcloths and running under the bed with them.

So, a few of my treasured cloths are deteriorating.  It has been rubbing me the wrong way (pun intended, sort-of) to see the frayed ends.  I’m anal.  I like things to be fairly neat.

Today, I gave in and threw two or three of them in the garbage.  Oh, but it broke my heart, but they were well-loved and heavily used.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been toying with the idea of making new ones…even considering purchasing more Sugar ‘n Cream.

“Say it ain’t so!” said my friend, Rabbitrescuer, who enjoys teasing me of my dislike of cotton yarn.  During the last Olympics, I had made so many dishcloths that my hands hurt.  The yarn is not very soft when you first knit with it, and it is also thick and, thus, hard on the hands.

Of course, wanting to get more yarn and having the funds to do so are two totally different things.  Given my job situation, knitting dishcloths has been put on the back burner.

And then I received a package from my friend, Kate.

She’s a sweet gal…one of my internet knitting buddies who has a generous, tender heart.  She has commiserated with my coupon frustrations and has been sending me the inserts from her paper.

A few days ago, she sent me a message, telling me to keep an eye out for the mail.  She hinted that she “might” be getting me a little something extra if she had time.

Hence, my anticipation when the mailman arrived.  I caught him before he could reach for the doorbell, a huge smile on my face.

“Did I do good?” he asked.

“Only if you didn’t bring any bills,” I replied with a grin.

I happily carried my box inside.  When I cut through the tape, I saw this…

Underneath the goodies on top were my promised coupons…

But on top of the coupons…

Oh my…

Take a look at the little somethings (as in plural) she had alluded to…

Now…are you seeing something here?

Yep.  Yarn and a new pattern booklet!

You see, I believe that God heard the small, inconsequential, material yearning of my heart and put my name on Kate’s heart.

I had tears in my eyes as I felt a great sense of awe.

God is incredibly wonderful and ever mindful of His creatures’ needs and desires.  He knew I needed an emotional lift and a reminder that He hasn’t forgotten about me.

Though I have not been granted my dream position yet, He will give it in due time.

In the meantime, I’ll be making more dishcloths (as soon as I finish another secret project and a comfort shawl already on my needles).

To Kate, thank you, my sweet internet Friend.

Thank you for heeding the Holy Spirit’s prompting.  Thank you for seeing a need (the coupons) and being willing to fill it.  I know you have a busy schedule with school and work.  The fact that you took time out of your week to shop for me is a reminder that, though my family teasingly describes my internet friends as “imaginary,”  you are all very real indeed.

You have a very special place in my heart.  ♥

College Football and Knitting

Can I tell you how happy I am now that football season has begun?

I am a huge college football fan.

Rooster created a group on ESPN’s College Pick ‘Em site.  Each week, the Mr., Rooster, and I make our picks and eagerly await the results.

It makes each Saturday a lot more fun because I now have a vested interest in the results.

I haven’t done so well this year, but it’s been fun all the same.

Sometimes, I pick for upsets, and sometimes I go with the flow and pick the teams favored to win.

The thing I enjoy most about college football Saturdays is the relaxed atmosphere around the house.  We’ll usually open the windows, because the weather has gotten cooler, eat “football” food, and just chill out.

It makes for great days of knitting.

On Friday, I learned that my friend, the Attendance Lady, has a birthday coming up.  So, I printed a couple of Joann’s coupons and headed out to buy some yarn.

I quickly churned out two Spa Cloths (Creative Knitting, January 2008).  I used Yellow and Cornflower Sugar ‘n Cream.  The cloths are blocking right now.

When they are dry, I’ll package them up with one of the candles I purchased a couple of weeks ago.

You’ve just gotta love the Fall and all of the activities it brings!

Happy Birthday Sis!

Today is my sister’s birthday!  Woo Hoo!

In true AuburnChick fashion, the kids and I called…early.  Nothing like the sound of semi-awake voices to get you going, eh?

Now that she’s unwrapped her present, I can share it with you.

First, the gift…

And now, what was inside…

I went with a “Spa” theme this year.

And individual pictures with descriptions…

Turn Back Time Spa Cloth - Creative Knitting Magazine January 2008 - Sugar n Cream Light Teal

Turn Back Time Spa Cloth - Creative Knitting Magazine January 2008 - Sugar 'n Cream Light Teal

Waffle Stitch Spa Cloth - Creative Knitting Magazine January 2009 - Sugar n Cream Light Blue

Waffle Stitch Spa Cloth - Creative Knitting Magazine January 2009 - Sugar 'n Cream Light Blue

The Waffle Stitch cloth pattern had an error.  You have to cast on an even number of stitches.

Waffle Stitch Soap Sack - Creative Knitting Magazine January 2009 - Sugar n Cream Country Stripes

Waffle Stitch Soap Sack - Creative Knitting Magazine January 2009 - Sugar 'n Cream Country Stripes

And last…something fun…

Chinese Zodiac Tiger - Knit 1 Magazine Fall 2008 - Woolease Paprika

Chinese Zodiac Tiger - Knit 1 Magazine Fall 2008 - Woolease Paprika

The tiger (cause we’re Auburn fans) was my FIRST crochet project!  I’m extremely pleased with it.

Happy Birthday Sis!  You are a blessing to this world.  Your solid faith and life of prayer inspire me in my own walk.

Olympic Knitting – Part 2

As you probably already know, I went on a dishcloth knitting spree during the Olympics. I organized an Olympic Dishcloth Knit-a-Long on KnittingHelp.com. You can find the thread here. My objective was to use up my cotton stash, which had grown quite large in the two years I’ve been knitting. We travel quite frequently to soccer tournaments, and I’m always surprised at the different colorways that Michael’s and Joann’s carry. I remember one find that was especially delicious…self-striping Sugar ‘n Cream! Lovely stuff, I tell you.

When I left off of this topic (you can refresh your memory by going to this post), I had completed Dishcloth #8. I wasn’t nearly done.

Dishcloth #9 is called Flurries Dishcloth. Here’s the link for the free pattern. I used Tahki Cotton Classic.

Flurries Dishcloth

Dishcloth #10 is the Dayflower Cloth, and it’s a free pattern that you can find here. I used Sugar ‘n Cream, and the color is Natural Stripes. The yarn is self-striping and really pretty up close. The pattern was so much fun and literally flew off of my needles. I’m really surprised how quickly it went by.

Dayflower Cloth

Next, I knit up 4 Corners Dishcloth, and I used Sugar ‘n Cream. The color is Rose Twists. I loved this yarn, and the pattern was fairly easy, except for the provisional cast on (used the video here on KH), and the garter stitch graft (instructions found here). You can find the free pattern here.

4 Corners Dishcloth

The next dishcloth begged for me to use my I Love This Cotton, and the color is Buttercup. The pattern is called Christmas Lace Dishcloth. It’s free, and you can find it here.

This was a FAST knit…took me under two hours. I’m not sure exactly because I started it while in car loop picking up my children and then stopped while I cooked dinner and cleaned the house a bit. I picked it up and finished during the diving events one evening.

Christmas Lace Dishcloth

This dishcloth (I’ve lost count by now) is called Eyelet and Bead Cloth. The pattern is located here. I used Sugar ‘n Cream, and the color is Ecru.

Eyelet and Bead Cloth

The next pattern was a bit different for me. I found it on Ravelry, and it was written by Eloomanator. You can find it under her name. The pattern is called Eloomanator’s Diagonal Knit Dishcloth. What an awesome pattern! I used the rest of the skein of I Love This Cotton (Buttercup). Here’s the finished project:

Eloomanator's Diagonal Knit Dishcloth

Dishcloth #15 is called the Squidge Cloth. Here is the link for the free pattern.

The reason why it has this name is because you’re supposed to use a much smaller needle than normal…to tighten up the stitches for a tight gauge, which makes the cloth squishy.

I used Sugar ‘n Cream, and the color is called Tie Dye Stripes. It is a self-striping yarn. I used size 3 needles, cast on 48 stitches (the pattern calls for 40 or a multiple of eight) and completed 60 rows.

The Squidge Cloth

The next cloth called the Mason Dixon Washcloth, and you can find it in the Mason Dixon Knitting book. I used Sugar ‘n Cream Twists, and the color is Country Twists.

This was a fun pattern! It was a bit tedious, at first, but once I got through the third or fourth round, I was set.

Mason Dixon Washcloth

Dishcloth #17 is called Intertwined Dishcloth. You can find the free pattern here. I used Sugar ‘n Cream. The color is Ecru. This one gave me a fit! I think that’s because I was getting pretty burned out by now, but I desperately wanted to use up that yarn! I made it 3/4 of the way through before I discovered I had made a mistake. Unable to fix it properly, I frogged the entire thing and had a tantrum on the floor, determined that I was done with this KAL. About ten minutes later, I picked up my needles and tried again. I guess you could say that the Olympian spirit has infiltrated my person. I dove in again, adamant that a pair of needles and yarn would not get the best of me. The effort was worth it.

Intertwined Dishcloth

Well, my 18th (and final) dishcloth leaves a lot to be desired. I wanted to use up the Cornflower yarn I had, and that’s just what I did. However, it wasn’t enough to finish up the pattern. I debated about buying more of that color but decided I wanted it finished, so I pulled out the remnants of the Tea Rose yarn and knit the last third with it. It’s a bit funny looking, but oh well.

The name of this pattern is called Springing Up Flowers. The pattern is located here. I used Sugar ‘n Cream, Cornflower and Tea Rose.

Springing Up Flowers

Here’s what all of my cloths look like, stacked on top of one another…

18 Dishcloths Completed - Olympic Dishcloth KAL - 2008

And here are the remnants of yarn leftover…

Perhaps one day I’ll get around to knitting up some “scrap” dishcloths. I know it won’t be for quite a while, though. I’m a little dishclothed-out.

Olympic Knitting

I’ve spent so much time lately discussing non-knitting things, that I thought it was about time to catch you up on projects that I’ve been working on.

First of all, I realized that I never posted a picture of the completed bag I started on my trip to Virginia. The pattern is called A Little Slip of a Thing. You can find the pattern here. The yarn is Lamb’s Pride Worsted. The colors I used are Spruce and Dynamite Blue. The pattern was very easy…something I did not expect with the color changes. It is knit totally in the round, and you only carry one color around as you go, using slip stitches to incorporate the different colors. You can find helpful instructions for the i-cord bind off at this site.

I-Cord Bindoff

Pre-felted

Pre-felted

A Look at the Inside - Yarn Carried Over

A Look at the Inside - Yarn Carried Over

The Finished Product

The Finished Product

After finishing the bag, I began work on a series of dishcloths. I started a Knit-a-Long on KnittingHelp.com. I’ve named it the Olympic Dishcloth KAL, and the purpose is to use up the stash of cotton dishcloth yarn that has accumulated. I started out with this pile of yarn.

One of the gals who is participating worked up a pattern for the Olympic rings. That was my first dishcloth. I used Sugar ‘n Cream, and the color is Cornflower.

Olympic Dishcloth

Olympic Dishcloth

Since Opening Ceremonies, I’ve completed one dishcloth almost every day. All but the last dishcloth patterns came from this booklet, which you can purchase at almost any craft store:

For the Bee Stitch Dishcloth, I used Sugar ‘n Cream, and the color is called American Stripes. It’s self-striping yarn. The yarn was very rough and thick. The pattern was easy. The rough texture will be good for cleaning dishes (yes, I do use these…what’s the point in having them?).

Bee Stitch Dishcloth

Bee Stitch Dishcloth

The next cloth is called Elfin Lace Dishcloth. I used Sugar ‘n Cream, and the color is Ecru. Again, the yarn is a little rough, but the color is great for knitting lacy patterns.

Elfin Lace Dishcloth

Elfin Lace Dishcloth

The next cloth is called Zigzag Eyelet Dishcloth. I used Sugar ‘n Cream, and the color is Tea Rose. This yarn was fabulously soft. I don’t understand how you can use the same brand of yarn but a different color, and one be different from the other. Strange. Oh well. The pattern was extremely easy, and I like the result.

Zigzag Eyelet Dishcloth

Zigzag Eyelet Dishcloth

The next cloth is called Climbing Lattice Dishcloth. I used Sugar ‘n Cream, and the color is Lime Stripes…another self-striping yarn. The pattern was easy but seemed to take forever to knit up. I like the end-result though.

Climbing Lattice Dishcloth

Climbing Lattice Dishcloth

The next cloth I knit is called Slanted Squares Dishcloth. I used Sugar ‘n Cream (big surprise, eh?), and the color is Potpurri. I really liked this pattern.

Slanted Squares Dishcloth

Slanted Squares Dishcloth

Next, I knit the Shapely Diamond Dishcloth. Sugar ‘n Cream was the yarn of choice, and the color is Ecru…again, a perfect choice for the pattern.

Shapely Diamond Dishcloth

Shapely Diamond Dishcloth

And last night, while Michael Phelps was winning his seventh gold medal, I knit the Papillon (Butterfly) Cloth. Very appropriate considering the timing (Phelps’ medal was for the 100m Butterfly). I used a new yarn called I Love this Cotton, which is sold by Hobby Lobby. The color is Buttercup. What fabulous cotton yarn! It is unbelievably soft and not as thick as the Sugar ‘n Cream.

I Love This Cotton - Buttercup

I Love This Cotton - Buttercup

You can find the pattern here, a site with many great, free patterns. The pattern was a bit difficult, for a dishcloth, and I had to learn how to p2tog through the back loop…not an easy feat. The result, in my opinion, was well worth the effort. The picture does not, unfortunately, show the color. It is a soft yellow.

Papillon (Butterfly) Dishcloth

Papillon (Butterfly) Dishcloth

Believe it or not, I still have more cotton yarn. So, I’ll continue staying up very late and knitting my little heart out as it swells with pride for the valiant efforts of all of these amazingly talented human beings.

A Busy Week

Whew! What a busy week!! I am so glad that tomorrow is Friday!

I work at a law firm. Part of our business is real estate, and today we attended an condo auction. I sat, for eight hours, in one room, keeping a watchful eye on the computers. Fortunately, the room had a great view. I was able to watch the approach of a storm…common for this time of year in Florida.

I got nervous when I saw several bolts of lightning, and I quickly unplugged all of the machines so we wouldn’t get zapped.

The storm passed, and the sun came out.

Oh to be rich and have a boat…

After a few hours of severe computer problems, everything straightened out, and the rest of the day progressed smoothly. I finally left for home about 5:30 — a long day since I’m usually home by 2:00.

Despite the crazy week, I have been doing some knitting, although not too much.

On Sunday, I finished my portion of the Forest Greens Baby Blanket. I used Baby Bee Sweet Delight Baby, which I found at Hobby Lobby. The yarn is unbelievably soft. It’s a DK weight. I had a little problem with yarn puke, though. Oh well, it all worked out.

Here’s a close-up of my portion. The stitch is called Farrow Rib. I really like it. It was simple and looks nice on both sides. It’s probably one of my favorite stitches that I’ve used on these blankets.

I made the Summertime Spa Cloth, from the Creative Knitting, July 2008, issue as a gift for the next knitter on the blanket.

I used Sugar ‘n Cream. The color is Potpourri Ombre.

I really like this pattern. It’s pretty easy, although a chart would have been better. As you can tell, my blocking skills need work.

Next, I finished the Black Sheep Booga Bag that I’ve been working on for a friend. I used Noro Kureyon #149. I bought the yarn during my Vegas trip. I think this is one of my favorite colorways…very natural and soothing.

After felting it, I let it dry for a couple of days.

Just when I thought I was almost done, I realized that it wasn’t sitting up properly, so I threw it back in the machine again and let it shrink a little more. The extra effort was worth it. Here’s the finished product. I can’t wait to give it to my friend.

I’ve also managed to start the Froot Loop socks. I’m using Fiesta Baby Boom yarn. If I had to describe this yarn in one word, it would be “squooshy.” The colors are fantastic! It’s a dream to knit with.

Here’s the progress so far.

Oh, and a shout-out to Littlest Chicklet. Look at what he brought me the other day…

He and Mr. AuburnChick went grocery shopping on Sunday. When he passed the flower section, he asked if he get them for me…”For Mama’s graduation.”

::::sigh:::

I really love that boy. How nice to come home after a long couple of days and spy those flowers, which are still alive (yes, I remembered to water them). They are a reminder that no matter how busy I get, I always come home to my family.

AuburnChick Finishes Some Projects

With the kids out of the house last weekend, I was able to get a couple of projects finished…rather quickly too.

This is the Embossed Daisy Washcloth from Creative Knitting, May 2008. I used Sugar ‘n Cream. The color is Cornflower. I made it to accompany one of the Oddball Baby Blankets that I finished working on…as a gift for the next knitter. It was an easy pattern. The chart is a great intro for those who have never knit from charts before.

The next picture is my fourth completed pair of Greenaway Fingerless Gloves. I used Alchemy Sanctuary. The color is Ruby. I altered the pattern slightly by knitting the beginning ribbing for 35 rounds instead of the 28 mentioned in the pattern. I gave them to my friend, who was really surprised.

My friend, KnittinMitchie, just started The Fuzzy Lamb. It’s a web site where she plans on hosting online knitting classes. I will be teaching a dpn class, using the Greenaway Fingerless Glove pattern…since I’ve kind-of become an expert on them. I think we’re going have these classes in July. She’s also got some other neat classes planned. The classes are very reasonably priced, requiring Skype, which is free. Check out her site!

I currently have another Black Sheep Booga Bag on my needles. I’m using Noro Kureyon…the skeins I bought in Vegas. The bag will be for a friend who has been admiring the two I made for myself last year. Here’s the yarn…

I hope to have the bag finished by this weekend so I can cast on a pair of socks. I’m thinking about making Froot Loop, a pattern on Knitty.

I’d like to use the yarn I bought last week:

We’ll see, though. I haven’t visited Ravelry yet…which means I’ll get sucked in and disappear for a while. I’ll let you know what I decide on when I resurface…

AuburnChick Turns A Year Older

Today, I turned 38. What a great day I’m having too!

We’re at a soccer tournament, which is fitting given that almost everything I do is for my children (except the knitting, which they do not appreciate at all). On our way here yesterday, we stopped very briefly to meet my sister. Look at what she gave me…

This is a name plaque thingy for my desk! I had to crop the right side of the picture because it has my last name on it, and I have to be careful, you know. This gift really touched my heart because y’all know that I just finished college. I am working on passing my state exams so I can have my own classes in the fall. Hence, the apple motif. I love my sister.

While driving in last night, I noticed a Michael’s just down the road from the hotel. What luck! I live in a relatively small place, so every time we go somewhere, I always sniff out yarn stores or any other place that might carry stuff I’ve never seen “in real life” before.

I got up early and made it to the store right after they opened. They had a pretty good selection. I picked up a few items…

Can you see the Lion Brand “Cupcake” in there? I don’t think I’ve seen this before! I picked up a little extra to send along with the Oddball Baby Blankets I’ve been working on. It’s so much fun to get little surprises from the previous knitter. Not that it’s required, but what fun to send stuff too!!!

When I got back to the hotel, here’s what I found waiting for me…

My daughter had set up everything. My son was still in bed asleep…dead to the world.

The bear is blue (for Aquamarine — March’s birthstone). Mr. AuburnChick had purchased it on the sly at M&M World in Las Vegas. The Kohl’s card is loaded with $50! Yippee!!! And the notes…well, they are the work of my daughter and her best friend, otherwise known as AuburnChick’s Daughter #2. I had to cut off the bottom of the picture because some of the girls on the team had signed it. AuburnChick is protective of her girls.

But the picture! Ha, ha, ha! If you look closely to the right, you’ll see the head of a person. The person is pushing a walker…down the hill of life. 😀

Here’s a close-up of the other picture specially drawn for your’s truly…

Apparently, the girls think they have a sense of humor. I think it comes from their fathers.

Then, we went to the game, and the team won! Yippee!

We went out for lunch afterwards, and guess what store happened to be in the plaza? Joann Fabrics. Well, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity, even though the one by my house kind of stinks, so I was doubting that the store would have much. My store is small, and the yarn selection is quite pitiful.

Not so this store! This was the most ginormous (is that a word? who cares) Joann’s I’ve ever seen! Oh my gosh! I would have taken a picture, but I’ve had a hard time getting pictures off of my camera phone (see previous post). Take my word for it.

Here’s what I found there…

I will use the Microspun for the Oddball Preemie Blankets. My real find, though, was the self-striping Sugar ‘n Cream! Oh my gosh!!! I bought a few extra to send along with the blankets. Hubby was NOT amused.

I guess I’ve officially become a stashie.

So folks, AuburnChick is having a great day! It can be fun turning a year older!!