a confession

I have a confession to make. I've a new love. Errrr rather have rekindled a passion from high school.With my children all over 21, I've occasionally been convinced to join them at our local family pub. For a Mom whom my children think doesn't know anything about pool, we've got some funny stories. My favorite was when I beat my 22yr old son, Cody, at pool at the local pub, in front of all of his friends. Friends of many ages. He was dumbstruck and moaned about it for days. I loved it! Mom is NOT all work and no play!

On an impulse that was really not impulsive, my son-in-law, Todd and I took a comacasy 4 hour trip to Oregon City to pick up this used table. At 37 years old, it is practically a collectors piece. Left the house at 8am, and drove back in at about 8pm. Todd is a dynamo. He had half the table put together before I told him he needed to stop. Thanks to Ron and John for helping unload those heavy slates, and thanks to Cody and Zack for loading them in Oregon City!!

As much as I wish the day would stretch to allow me to do everything, plus pool, it does not. Todd and I played everynight and of about 20 games, I actually dropped the 8 ball of 2 games before he did. But many, many times we were right down to the 8 ball at the same time. Practice, I gotta practice!!

This afternoon, after some practicing on the table, I sat back down to the knitting machine. Did one sleeve. Darn!! Where that drop stitch come in at!! Do I want to cheat and mend it? I know I can do it invisibly.

In my hand knitting, my neck down summer sweater body is done. Neckband is done, and I'm working on the button band. Once they are done, I'll do the sleeves. Shouldn't take long, right? 3 new patterns from Vermont Fiber Designs. She's really working up some beautiful, feminine looks. I like!!

And from Lorna's Laces, in the color commentary line, in the color Amy's Vintage Office, only until the end of the year they are dying this absolutely to-die-for 49/50 silk/bamboo light worsted yarn. OOOOhhh myyy gosh!!! I immediately put my order in and should have it in hand in a couple of weeks. Speaking of Amy's Vintage Office color, you just have to check out the photos Zonda took. They are really really good, and show off the colors so perfectly I feel like I could touch them. Amy's Vintage Office (AVO) is going to be an incredible color. I'm already sold out on the Shepherd Sock and Helen's Lace, and I've increased my quantity on my reorder!

The LK150 is whispering to me....knit me, knit me......tata for now!

End of Summer?

You know when you don't hear from me, things are very busy. My part time helper Janene got very sick and has not been in this week. Think of Janene in your prayers. She's has a heart of gold and a overly generous personality. That sometimes makes her overdo things. Another huge crate of Cascade Yarns arrived this week. Fixation and Pima Tencel was the majority of this box. It is interesting to see what yarn is selling like hotcakes. Most often it is Cascade 220 and Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. Speaking of Lorna's Laces, UPS is due to deliver the new color commentary color "Knitty" today. It's called Amy's Vintage Office. Her inspiration was her office full of gorgeous old office equipment and furniture. Lorna's Laces worked with images of a charcoal desk, steel grey filing cabinets, a card catalog that was grey with the slightest hint of violet....and a light blue princess phone. With all those greys, Lorna's Laces couldn't resist adding a bit of the princess. Yowsa! This color rocks!

Sue at Vermont Fiber Designs has a wonderful sense of style and she's a really awesome gal!! My fingers are just itching to start one of her newest patterns called Empire Waist Cardigan. Such feminine elegance!! I think the Cascade Pima Tencel would work well. The Pima Tencel has really nice drape.

Summer was a sad deal this year. Most days were very cool, foggy or overcast. This past Sunday was one of a few pleasant days. The morning was warm and sunny and there was no breeze until around noon. The lake was like glass. Hubby convinced me to go a long in the ski boat while he and son-in-law, Todd, skied the ski course. And "oh, by the way, can your bring your camera?" yeah. Oh well, it was a beautiful morning and they got a kick out of the photos.

We moved out to Lakeside in 83. It was because of the skiing mostly. I didn't really care where we lived. But hubby was and is an avid skier. Even to the point that in the 80s he skied in ameteur ski competition. So long ago. Me? I'm more of an indoor sportsman. Lately my love for pool as been getting the better of me and I've been hauling Todd to the local pub or kiddie's game area to make a fool out of myself!! Over the last month I've gotten into pool so much that I've ended up buying my own pool cue. My gosh, have you seen some of them? They need to be hung on the wall as art objects, not used as sticks to knock balls around the table! But no, the one I ordered, while good quality, is not an art object. Enough of playing! Time to get your orders out! Take care and left me messages!

New Addi Lace sizes

Just a quick note.....there are more sizes in the addi lace needle line. NEW, VERY SMALL, sizes in the Addi Lace Needles. Now in stock, brand new in the U.S. Sizes 1.5mm (US#000), 2mm (US#0), 2.25mm & 2.75mm sizes in 24", 32", 40" & 47" lengths. See ALL the addi Lace needle sizes here. Soon there will be 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm and 8mm sizes in stock. These are basically US#10, 10.5, 10.75 & 11 sizes. But I prefer to go by the mm size instead. Manufacturers can and do not always agree on what is a US#size might be, so US sizing is not consistant. But a millimeter is a millimeter is a millimeter and that does not change. Also, I'm on order for the new addi Click interchangeable needles! Watch here! I'm taking orders now! Email me at angelikas@yarn-store.com if you are an existing customer.

Still working on my last T-Top. I'm getting a bit burned out on the machine, so I'm struggling. Seems like I keep finding other things that are a tad bit more important to do. Remaining is the button hole tab, neck band and the sleeves. Easy-peasy, right?

Shepherd Sock Island Blue T-Top

Takes me forever to get a photo I like. So I set up the camera on the checkout counter and set the timer. Needless to say, I took about 50-zillion pics!!

Anyway, here it is. My T-Top knit out of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock on my Silver Reed SK280.

Doesn't show the picot edging, but I'll get closeups of that.

It was interesting to note that the gauge was somewhat looser on this top. The shoulder points really wanted to slip down over my shoulders. To stop this from happening, I took some thread-thin elastic and single crocheted from the shoulder points to the shoulder points and across the back neck. I probably could have just done the back neck because that was where a lot of the shifting was going on.

In really high end tops, you see a lot of stabilization this way. I've seen St John's Knits pants with this black rubber tape stitched down from center back to center front.

The store was really busy today. I had to hold many orders just waiting for UPS who had my Cascade Yarns and another knitting warehouse supplier shipment. They were about 90 minutes late. Doesn't bother me much except that it was getting quite close to the post office pickup. But Janene and I got all those orders out!!

Last night I cast on for another "tyler's cosmetic bag". This is hand knit and felted. I am putting the little pattern in our local guild's newsletter and wanted to proof it. Good thing I did because a lot of the pattern assumes, and is literally incorrect. Maybe you'd like to have it too?

Tyler's Cosmetic Bag
Yarn: Cascade 220 Peruvian Wool. Small amount of waste yarn.
Needles: US10.5 double point.
Zipper: Double Head, large tooth, plastic zipper.
Abbreviations: kfb: knit in front of stitch as normal, but leave stitch on left needle Knit into the back of the stitch, then slip off.
Cast on 30 sts loosely with waste yarn, knit a few rows.
Change to one strand of Cascade 220, and
1. K1R.
2. P1R.
3. K1R.
4. P1R.
5. K1R.
At the end of the 5th row, With a 2nd needle pick up 3 stitches on short edge of rectangle.
With a 3rd needle, knit the next 29 sts of main yarn off the waste yarn.
With a 4th needle pick up 3 stitches on this last edge.
Round 1: *k5, kfb* repeat the starred instructions, 3 more times. K6. change needle.
K 3 sts on the edge. Change needle.
*k5, kfb* repeat the starred instructions, 3 more times. K5. change needle.
K 3 sts on the edge. Change needle.
Round 1 completed.
Rounds 2 through 26. Knit all rounds, being sure to change needles at corners.
Round 27: Bind off loosely while knitting this last row.
Felt in washing machine. Hand stitch in zipper. Zipper shown in photo is double headed, large tooth zipper.

Gotta go!! Talk to you again soon! Angelika

After the Holiday

This is the lower part of our property. It borders the channel that is dredged regularly to keep North Lake open to Tenmile Lake. The field is underwater in the winter time. In the summer we keep it mowed. Because it is kept clean in the summer, it is a haven for wildlife in the winter.

A closeup shows the field better. See the campers. They are hanging around the BBQ, where Steve is cooking oysters. See Ron with his girls (my nieces). The youngest, Aurora, is learning to fish, while Dad chats with the older, Ariel. There were lots of volley ball games. In the far back of the field is the net. Even the little girls played. Volley ball is the favorite group game this summer. And the rules vary from group to group, as long as there's lots of laughs.

Kicking back Sunday morning. Sore muscles from playing games and riding in the dunes. Hubby, John, and my daughter in law are in the chairs. Step-son Scott and step-daughter Greta are in the hot tub. Our son Cody is standing in the background.

A view of our house, from the other side of the channel. The store sign is barely visible. We love to sit on the deck and look over the town and lake.

T-Top #3!!! This is Lorna's Laces Swirl DK on the LK150 Silver Reed knitting machine. This yarn usually knits on a 4mm needle, so I set the machine to Tension 4, and match the stitch gauge of 5.5 sts per inch dead on!! I don't know if Silver Reed did this on purpose or not, but on this machine, I can set the tension dial to whatever millimeter knitting needle is called for and get gauge. This color is Berry. Other than gauge, the style is the same as the Island Blue Tab Front T-Top. I should have a completed picture of that tomorrow.

I finished the Island Blue Shepherd Sock Tab Front T-Top this weekend. 5 hanks of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, and barely a few yards were left over. I added these silver buttons my Mom brought back from Germany. Picture tomorrow!!!

My son Cody is passionate about fishing. He has been ever since he knew what a fishing pole was. I don't often get pictures of him. I took this one from across the channel. He never knew it!! He's down here for the week. He works at ici, a computer business in Wilsonville. OK!! See you all tomorrow!