Cool Video AND ....new YARN company, YEAH, Fiber-files, that's what I said!!!

Hey Again!
Who knew I'd return to blog in the same day?! INCREDIBLE, if I do say so, myself.
Well, the reason for my quick return is to share the end of a video series/tutorial that I've been watching about a new yarn company's shawl kit.
The video is from 1001 Knits and you can see the entire series on the 1001 Knits YouTube Channel. But, for now, I'll show the end results. Please, go back and watch the other vids from Felice (aka 1001Knits), you will enjoy them and, especially learning about this new yarn company,  and the way in which their yarn is created by helping the disenfranchised in different countries. Please do read about Skeino's vision and the way that they are helping others here.
 AND....do NOT forget to look at their GORGEOUS yarns..I think I'm fallin' in love with a new yarn...uhoh!!



I want to wish ya'll all HAPPY KNITTING as I stick my toe back in these blog waters, so to speak because I'll be back to share my knitty shenanigans and my LOVE of yarn and all things knitty!!
Oh....as a matter of fact, if any of you used to read my blog, you'll remember just how much I ADORE vintage knitting items such as this BEAUTIFUL yarn holder from the 1950's or 60's and I use all the time...using it right now as a matter of fact!



With that said, I'm off to continue my knitting and hope ya'll have a very blessed and knit-worthy weekend!

HAPPY KNITTING and GOD BLESS!

We're Back....

Yes, it's been a VERY long time since I've done any blogging.  It seems that social media has taken over. Well, I'm ready to take it back...so to speak, LOL.
It's time for a bit of chatting. Let's talk KNIT, FIBER and; the FUN of them both.
Chef Knitterie is traveling and will be back soon with some yarn goodies.
You remember Chef K, right?!

He's always been a traveler, but heads back home with cool yarn and knitty goodies often. We'll see what's going on soon. 

I'm busy busy busy knitting, but you can see a few of my finished projects on Ravelry, as YALL know, I'm Becka on Ravelry....which lets ya know that I've been on RVelry since the beginning because I avtually got to choose my name, LOL. 

well....it's a serious knitty kinda day, but I had to hop in to say HEY!!!!

RUN, RUN as fast as you can to the Yarn Zone!!!

I just discovered the FANTASTIC Yarn Zone online yarn shop and had to share with my knitty friends who are kind enough to stop by my site.  The Yarn Zone has lavish yarns with OUTSTANDING prices. For example, right now, SWTC Tofutsies is being sold for $5.00 a skein! The sale is scrolling on Yarn Zone's home page right now!!! In addition to the incredible sale of my FAVORITE SOCK YARN, the Yarn Zone also has other incredible sales. Another example is the sale of bags of SWTC Karaoke yarn for $30.00!! Additional sales are found throughout the site with various yarn companies.  To find these 'huge' or 'blowout deals's look at the top left button on Yarn Zone's home page and click on the button that reads BLOWOUT DEALS and you will be directed to the 'blowout deals' such as bags of yarn at incredible prices!   BUT, dear friends there is a caveat, a favor that I would like to ask of each of you, please. When you make a purchase, PLEASE mention that I sent you as you are checking out; something like,  "Becka sent me!" You see, I am in the process of convincing a few friends that the fabulous knitters that honor me by visiting my site are many and kind enough to mention my name AND.... The FIRST 20 to make a purchase and mention "Becka Sent Me" in the checkout process will receive a gift with purchase!!!

NEW PATTERN!

Hey Everyone!

I've finally posted a new pattern! It can be found right here. I designed and knit a pair of INK Socks for my one and only tattoo artist Kim Reed, have a look at her site here, it's called Mild Made Art!

A little look at the socks:

Show everyone how proud you are of your INK!

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!

HUGE URGENT PRAYER REQUEST! A friend of ours from church is pregnant & due any minute. A couple of days ago her ultrasound showed that there is a possible big time health issue with the baby. I will not go into specifics, but ask that you please pray for her, her husband, and, of course the baby & his big sister. This is in God's hands, as we know He can do all things! His will be done & please pray Our Father give the family the strength whatever may come. Thank you for your prayers, I know my friends feel your prayers.

Brody has Arrived!!!!

Hey Everyone!
We are so excited around here. My new great-nephew has arrived! His name is Brody...cool, right?! The world became a better place on Friday, April 13, 2012 when he was born to my sweet nephew, Glenn and his wonderful wife Nicole! They made the most beautiful baby boy! I know family always says this, but I promise he looks like his dad did when he was born! Although....Glenn was HUGE, the boy looked 3 months old when he was born, whereas Brody was 7 lbs (oops, I forgot the oz!).
I, of course, designed and knit a few pairs of socks for him, 12 pair, I think. I'll publish the patterns on my design blog soon. In addition to the socks I knit a few little tees for him and designed a baby blankie, this one: The pattern will follow shortly, too, although I've not yet decided if I'm submitting for publication of simply publishing it on the design blog...knit decisions, decisions!
I LOVE to knit for babies, especially such sweet ones as family!!!!
Some pictures of his socks and tees:

BABY KNITS!!

I adore knitting for babies! My nephew is having his first child, a boy ;-) Thus far I've knit one placket pullover in natural color fingering wt. yarn; two short sleeved sock yarn sweaters in SWTC Tofutsies...I'm decorating one with a snake up the front (Icord with a face, lol!) and the other with a brown bow tie and football buttons. And one more tee shirt, which is my favorite because it will last several months as he and the ribbing grows, non stop top in camo yarn for my nephew. I've not finished with embellishments or blocking so I can't post pics...
And I've knit 5 pairs of baby socks, hope to knit 5 more. I will post the pattern when I'm done. I didn't have access to a computer when I decided to knit baby socks so I cast on and experimented, then held my sock against a store bought baby sock for size!
So, no pics, but wanted to check in.
My ortho doc says my pain is not surprising because it's only been 6 weeks since surgery. That statement in itself made me feel better, knowing that there was nothing wrong!

Chef Knitterie serves up HAPPY KNITTING wishes to all!

NEW Design .... finally!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Can you believe that it's already mid February, 2012?! My goodness, time does truly FLY! I don't know about you, but we here in the Southeastern U.S. are having a very COLD Feb.! And, Spike so does NOT like it! LOL, she hated changes in weather prior to surgery, but WOW, she is really acting up now! FYI, if you don't know..."Spike" is my hip prosthesis:

I've been knitting for my future great nephew! Baby knitting is such fun! So far I've knit 4 tops and am currently writing a toe up baby socks pattern to go with the tops, after all, infant socks can use leftover sock yarn and you can easily match socks with the baby top or hat, etc.

I designed a new scarf for my daughter's Valentine's Day gift...thankfully she doesn't read my blogs so I can post the pattern without spoiling her surprise! The scarf is titled "Shannon's Valentine Scarf" and can be found on my design blog, there's a link on the sidebar or you can find it "here". It's a fun knit, using a bit of cabling and lace...just enough to keep you interested but not so much as to drive you crazy...perfect for a night of TV and knitting!

Have a fun Valentine's Day!!!

Home from Hospital!!! Surgery was a SUCCESS!!!

Whew, I will be the first to admit that surgery was a bit of an ordeal, but it's over now and PRAISE GOD, I'm home!!!!
I have a few photos...don't look if you have queasy stomach...there's a pic of me with NO MAKE UP!
Okay, here we have the bandage over the incision where the hip surgery was done & drainage tube from incision: I'm afraid that during surgery my blood pressure bottomed out & they had to quickly stick an IV in my jugular....FREAKY!! Obviously my blood pressure is now fine, thank God!
Amazingly, I came home Friday (the last time I had a similar surgery I was in hospital for 10-14 days!) & am doing well! Physical therapy began yesterday & therapist said I was doing well!! I'm very encouraged! I'm brave, as you can see...pics of me with no make up...like I said...BRAVE! Of course, I added cartoon glasses, but I still look like I'm 97 or so and have the lovely "I'm IN PAIN!" and "post anesthetic" glow...as is painfully obvious! Sorry, but I'm being real! For the record, my neck isn't that wrinkly, the tape used to keep that freaky IV in place had some sort of industrial type glue that bunched my neck & part of my face together for a few days..yuck!  (FYI, pic that was posted of me with no makeup while under influence of post anesthetic & pain drug delirium has been removed!!!) Oh yeah, I've had my hair in braids for weeks now...I wasn't able to get a hair cut (trim) prior to surgery &; it's much too long to have left to tangle .... now I realize it was a good thing because I think I might have lost a portion of the hair on the left side of my head had it gotten stuck in that industrial type glue in the tape on the jugular IV!!!!
OH WOW, I looked at that pic of me again...make that 197 that I look...and I must admit, I feel as haggard as I look at this juncture in time. LOL, what can I say?! Side effects of bone surgeries!!


NOW...for some fun, knitty type news! There's a new yarn store app for those of you who have an iPhone, iTouch, or iPad & it's my understanding that it's going to be available for other types of smart phones soon, too. I adore it! I don't know about the rest of you, but I always, always search for LYS in the town of my vacation and/or day trip excursions, as well as shops en route to the destination! Well, this app solves the problem...no need to search, it's all there in Yarn Store GPS AND it's only $2.99!!! I LOVE, LOVE it and HIGHLY recommend it! Run, run, run to itunes App Store & get it!!! You're gonna love it, promise! OH, and if you know of shops that aren't shown on the app simple let Jonelle of SWTC know!

New Computer AND Countdown to Surgery...

I finished two projects for the Lace Wonders book and have a few more projects in mind. I'm not sure what I'll design/knit next, depends entirely upon the mail...if my yarn arrives I'll then decide!
My sweet husband's gift arrived 2 days ago, my new Gateway laptop, it's such fun! I now realize exactly how outdated my 2 year old HP was! Technology is fast, isn't it?!

Next week, Jan. 11 to be exact, is the big day...my 6th hip surgery, 3rd revision on this hip...I'm told it's the last, for some reason I believe it this time (LOL, as the # of surgeries proclaim, I've been told I was having "the last" surgery more than once!). but, alas, I'm a believer, and am looking forward to it because the new pain that has surfaced as Spike began to truly show herself as she was wearing out over the past several months will theorectically be alleviated! So, much as I'm trying to revive my blog, I may be down for a bit due to surgery and recovery....or it may be a surgical walk in the park, as I'm expecting!
Now, I'm off to contemplate the next knit design and continue my "Mad Men" marathon...have a great weekend!

It's a COLD day!!

Hello Knitty People!
I will continue to post, hoping that my dereliction of my blog for so long is soon a forgiven and forgotten thing and soon friends and followers will return
It is very cold  here in the Southeastern U.S., very unusual for us to have temps in the 20's, which makes me feel for you guys who are in very cold climates!! STAY WARM! It is good weather for knitting, though, isn't it?! LOL, of course, all weather is good for knitting in my book!
I finished my shawl and must take some photos but because I'm in bed virtually all of the time as I await my surgery next week I've not had the opportunity to take pictures of the shawl. It did turn out quite lovely, if I do say so myself! As anyone who knows me knows...my fave yarn company is SWTC & their Therapi yarn did not disappoint with this shawl! I used 10 (yes, 10!) skeins and made a huge shawl, I LOVE IT, I can wrap it around me! Especially great in this cold weather (LOL, if I were getting out any!).
I've finished one project that I'm submitting for consideration in the upcoming 101 Lace Wonders book and 1/2 completed the 2nd one! I'm quite excited, SWTC has graciously supplied the yarn for the projects....like I've said, SWTC is my favorite yarn company, not simply because their yarns are spectacular, but the people are, too! I'm off to knit...
Ahhh, my girls are staying wrapped up too...as you can see by the look on Sally's face, they aren't fond of cold weather, LOL!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

HAPPY 2012 Knitty People!
I want to wish you all a very happy and blessed 2012! LOL, I say "you all" as if I have a huge following on my personal blog as I did in the past, but alas I hang my head as I say that I do not. I have been terribly remiss with my blog for the past few years, as those of you (if there's anyone reading these days) who have known me since I began this blog know. One of my resolutions, my "cyber" resolution is to blog as I should .... yes, I know I've said it in the past, but I DO MEAN IT, truly I do! LOL, I feel like the the boy who cried wolf as I'm typing this! As I've been typing I decided to ask...what are your 2012 knitty resolutions?! I have a few:   1. I want to try to design, knit and submit 5 designs for the upcoming 101 Lace Wonders One Skein book for which I was invited to design (I'M SO HONORED and HAPPY!!!) . BUT, the submission deadline is Jan. 31 AND my surgery is Jan. 11! This could present a challenge, LOL! But, I'm happy to say that I will have the 1st design completed this morning, but I must type the pattern before going to the next design! 2. I have a LONG (extremely) "to knit" list that gets longer by the year, LOL...do you have one, too?! I resolve to try to knit at least six items from the list in 2012. 3. Before I add to my "to knit" list I want to knit several things for my new baby great-nephew(after I've completed the designs for Lace Wonders) who will grace us with his presence this spring. Gotta LOVE knitting for babies, I certainly do! I'm so EXCITED, a new baby in the family! 4. Number 4 reiterates #2 because I could continue to list knitty resolutions, but they are all a part of my "to knit" list! 5. I'm going to re-introduce Chef Knitty to the blog world....that is, if he's up to it! He's getting older and has continued to travel the knitty world so he's often not home. He may want to spend his "home" time in a leisurely manner. If he reappears on the blog it will then be known that he's happy to share his knittiness.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas!

Happy Saturday, it's almost Christmas!

Happy Holidays everyone!

My girls and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

 

So, how are you knitting this year?! I've not been knitting a whole lot this year...but that that I usually knit is something for someone else but....a few nights ago I decided to cast on something for me (and right before Christmas with NO Christmas knitting done!). I had 10 skeins of SWTC's beautiful Therapi, it's a make up of fine wool, silk and jadeite...an actual jewel, such fun! I'm knitting a heavy type of lace shawl for cool weather with this gorgeous yarn. One of my very fave patterns, Evelyn Clark's Flower Basket Shawl, I've knit a few of these, but never one for me so I know it's a fun, fast knit. I hope to be done by Sunday so that I can knit a few stocking stuffers for my daughter's stocking. She may be 26, but she'll always be my baby and will always have a stocking! I'll post pics after Christmas!

Speaking of "after Christmas," I'm having my 6th hip surgery, which will be my 3rd hip revision (revising/redoing a previous hip revision, 3rd time it's been done). I have said a thousand times if once that I'd NEVER have another hip replacement, but alas, when the pain reaches a certain level there's nothing that can be done but the surgery... But, that's not too bad because MANY improvements have been done. For example, rather than an 18 inch incision along the outside of my femur there will be a 4 inch incision on the top of it, right @ the pelvis and the surgery is way less invasive (invasive it is, but not nearly so much). Have a look at an animation of the surgery.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Stay tuned...2012 will be a wonderful knitting year! I know of one new book in the works, another 101 Skeins Wonders book, this one will be about lace knitting! FUN FUN FUN!!!

Happy Holidays!

Hey Knitty (and other) People!
First of all, I would like to ask you to please, please check out (AND FOLLOW!) my daughter's make-up and photography site on youtube! It's a lot of fun, especially if you want to learn about different make-up techniques. She's very informative and fun...check her out at Frankly Scarlett Faced on youttube: (click the pic!)
I hope that you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving (if in the U.S.) and are ready to continue your holiday festivities with a glorious Christmas! 
The time has come (rather quickly!) to decide if I'm going to knit any for Christmas this year! I think that I will knit a few little stocking stuffers, you know, quick knits...which are, of course, among the faves! My daughter, like me, loves to use fingerless mitts when it starts to get cool and wears them on into cold weather. I love fingerless mitts, they keep the hands warm while allowing me to use my fingers...I'm useless with a full pair of gloves! So, I think I'm going to knit at least one pair for her stocking, a lacy pair. Now I must decide if I'm going to design a pair or look for a pattern...the timeline (which is rapidly getting much shorter!) will be key in my decision process!
A friend on facebook shared the idea of knitting a coffee cozy which is an excellent idea...I do believe I'll knit a small one, or perhaps the Posy Cosy  that was designed for Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders or maybe I'll do a simple cable pattern for the cozy! Hmmm....we shall see how the knitting goes...
So, what's up with you guys?! I know, I know, I've virtually disappeared from the blog world and into the Facebook world, but I'm truly working on a comeback...

Little Bit o' Knittin'

I'm afraid that with the onset of Facebook I've seriously neglected blogging....no excuses, simple fact.
But I do have a thing or two to blog about. Firstly, as many know, we lost our beloved Moshi several months ago. After a 17 year life of leisure our beautiful big white cat died from cancer. The last month of his life it was obvious he didn't feel well, other than that period of time, he was in wonderful health. Needless to say, he is deeply missed :(

We have now adopted our daughter's hairless sphynx, Liza Minelli!  She is a hoot! Our daughter was transferred out of town with her job. She works far too much and Liza spent most of her time alone. Alas, as much as Shannon loves her kitty she asked if we would take her so that Liza would have someone with her all day. She is a wonderful addition to the family! She and Sally love one another! 

Of course I've been knitting! And I'm fortunate and honored to have designed for SWTC's latest book, Socks a la Carte Colorwork, found on Amazon if you're interested!
Basically, it's been a good year around here!
Onward to the knitting....a few pictures of some of the knitting I've done this month, including a Girasole afghan for my sister, a Girasole shawl for me, a shawl for a friend, a Hemlock ring afghan for a friend and I'm working on a lap throw for our ladies group at church!

  

 

I think that's enough photos for now! I'm off to knit the lap throw for our ladies group...have a good evening everyone!