You can call me Countess

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Countess-Palatine Lynda the Laconic of Pease Pottage Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Just a bit of silliness, mirth, and frivolity on Saturday afternoon, the 24th of February, in the Year of our Lord, 2007. Yes, just call me "Countess" for short.

Here is a little collection of new items that I can now check off of my "to do" list for Stashalong. I did them in between "bigger" projects that I am working on. I have been working on this group of little things that will be gifted to family members next Christmas. Doing the Stashalong is helping me with my gifts for next Christmas - wow, a bonus I had not anticipated.
Here is what I was able to make from only 2 cones of Lion Brand Cotton Yarn. I got 3 dish towels and 4 dish cloths from each of the cones! Unbelievable. I have finished up two cones, and now I have begun making more from the other two cones I have - pictured here. At the same time, I have 6 balls of Sugar and Cream Cotton yarn in a Moonlight color. I am making them up into dish cloths for Christmas gifts for a family member who likes "dark" dish cloths. They are very beautiful.

The pattern I used is found here: http://www.knitlist.com/99gift/towel-and-cloth.htm

This pattern is by Donna Stratioti and I just love the way these towels look and feel.
The pattern is "sand" stitch. It gives them an elegance and they FEEL so good to the touch. It is a four row pattern, so even I can remember that.

Lunesta

Lunesta was rescued from a tiny cage outside where she had no food, water, or even hay to keep her warm. The night she was rescued, the temperature dropped to below 0 degrees and the weather here has been sub freezing ever since. We have had her about 3 weeks now. She has an entire room to herself. She is a delightful little bunny. She is very tiny.

At first she was greedy for any food that she had. If you tried to touch her food she would growl and thump and lunge at you. But shortly she figured out she had "enough" food and it was not going to go away, so she quit those behaviours very quickly.

We named her "Luna" or "Lunesta" because she was rescued on a night when there was a full moon. Now our pet family is Lunesta, a guinea Pig (Sparkles), and two cats (Blaise and Angel). The little critters are very special and we are blessed to have them.

You have been tagged...

I just tagged FIVE other people this morning...ha!

Here are the rules:
1. Get tagged
2. List five things that have not been revealed on your blog
3. Tag five other people

Please TAG yourself and join in the fun...you don't have to wait to be tagged. Just do it.

OK, in good spirit here are my answers:

1.) I am an artist and my career is archived in the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. My degrees are in painting and fiber arts.

2.) I have three biological children and two adopted children. All area grown up now, thank God!
Two of my children are avid knitters and bead workers, just like ME. And, three of my grand daughters are knitters. One great grand daughter knits, too. I am so blessed with knitting kin.

3.) I got a rabbit recently...I will post photos of her soon. Her name is Lunesta because she was "rescued" during a covert operation on the night of a full moon.

4.) I visit Puerto Rico every March; Austria and Germany every June & July.

5.) PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is my favorit charity. I fully support the philosophy of this organization. I love animals, but would never even think of eating one.

Making Progress - Here's Allison

Allison Bolero Sweater

Here I am today, happily modeling my new Allison Bolero Sweater. It was made out of my stash. Since I joined the stashalong blog I will be working on project for this entire YEAR, using only my STASH. I have a LOT of stash! This "Allison" was not on my list of UFOs nor was it on my list of New Projects for 2007. Instead, it was one of those "Screaming Stash" projects. downloaded and remembered the Paton's Pebbles (Moonstone color) yarn in my stash. This yarn is so nice to work with. This color is a DEEP Chocolate BROWN with flecks of ivory in it. It is MUCH, MUCH more beautiful in person than it shows up here. And, I cannot tell you how comfortable and soft it is.

See this yarn here: https://secure.webquarters.ca/wooltrends/detailedproducts.asp?pid=20
I have knitted up 10 balls of it by making this sweater.

I took this sweater over to the gym yesterday and the girls there were all trying it on and LUSTING after it. They WANTED my ALLISON! I, too, am CRAZY about this sweater.

Another 13 or 14 balls will be finised up because I am making another project from Paton's Pebbles, but this pea coat is in the Sandstone colorway. It is a very soft ivory with small very soft pastel lavender running through it.

Allison Bolero Sweater

I finished knitting the Allison Bolero Sweater out of my stash. It was not on my list of UFOs nor was it on my list of New Projects for 2007. I guess it is what you have called a "Screaming Stash" project. I was looking through some magazines, and my binders full of pattern. I saw this pattern I had downloaded and remembered the Paton's Pebbles (Moonstone color) yarn in my stash. This yarn is so nice to work with.

See this yarn here: https://secure.webquarters.ca/wooltrends/detailedproducts.asp?pid=20

I have knitted up 10 balls of it by making this sweater. That FEELS GOOD, to know I have de-stashed so much yarn in one project. I still have another 3 1/2 balls of it left over so I am envisioning a scarf or hat. That will be my next project, to finish up this very beautiful and lofty yarn and not return any of it to my stash.

You can find the pattern at http://www.dailyknitter.com/allison.html

I will sew it all together later today and plan to wear it this week to work. I will take photos an post them after it is finished. I LOVE making things I can wear. It feels so good to know you are wearing one of a kind original works of art.Of course this project has led me to think about another "Screaming Stash" project. I have another 14 balls of Paton's Pebbles in a very light "Sandstone" shade. Now, I am searching through my patterns and books for just the right pattern. I bought a pattern for the "Trends Peacoat" by Sudha Mehta of http://www.glory-ousknits.com last year. I think it might be perfect for this bulky weight yarn.

I am envisioning using up another 14 balls of yarn from my stash and that is exciting!!! It is soft and oh, so, beautiful to work with and the finished product is lovely. I am excited to know I will be able to wear it this week.With these two projects, I will use up approximately 28 balls of yarn from my stash! Way to go, huh?

Yesterday, in between working on this sweater and another bead work project, I sat down and typed up a list of my UFOs. I have it hanging here with my computer, at my desk so I can view it and keep my goals in mind to stay focused. My progress is slow, but I am vowing to knit from my stash for the next year. Can I do it?

I AM a CENTAUR -

You Are a Centaur

In general, you are a very cautious and reserved person. However, you are also warm hearted, and you enjoy helping others in practical ways. You are a great teacher, and you are really good at helping people get their lives in order. You are very intuitive, and you go with your gut. You make good decisions easily.

What Mythological Creature Are You?

DIGGING for STASH - Better than GOLD

Digging into the Stash - it's the BEST feeling imaginable. WOW. I love doing this!

Well, I took a little side trail a couple days ago. I had been working on my poncho out of Cherry Tree Hill's Baby Loop. It is slow going. I have it 1/2 done, and now I am working on the second 1/2 of it. But, I was leafing through some knitting books I had bought recently and found a really cute bolero. I remembered my stash. I have some really nice Moda Dea "Pebbles" yarn that I bought a year ago. I am now working on that bolero as a break from the Baby Loop piece. Sigh!

I think I have been pretty good at not buying yarn. I do admit that on my one free day, I bought only 6 balls of Sugar and Cream cotton and that will be made into dish cloths and towels for my daughter for next Christmas. I have really, really RESISTED the urge to BUY yarn. And, I don't plan on having a free day to buy yarn in February at all. I am staying TRUE to working from STASH...I really AM!!!

I am hereby extending my 2 month Stashbusting Yarn Diet to the entire year. Yes, I am feeling so good about doing this. It is a FREEING experience. I do not HAVE to buy any more yarn in 2007. I can and will work from my STASH...I pledge to do it.

I will write more later with some photos of finished projects.