Citrus yoke pullover

I have finally finished this sweater. It really didn't take that long, it's just that I got side tracked by other projects, and then took vacation, and slightly side tracked again.

So here are the particulars:

Yarn: Wool of the Andes Bulky in Sky from Knitpicks

Needle Size: 11

Pattern: Citrus Yoke Sweater by Katie Himmelburg (Ravelry link)

Size: large?

Mods: Only 2 repeats on the neck, added a ribbed/yarn over border on bottom and sleeves,

I did a gauge swatch and fell in between needle sizes 10.5 and 11. Yes, I measured and so did Suzy, so I decided to go with 11. I didn't want the neck too tight. I followed the pattern for the most part. I started out following one size, but as I was doing the yoke, I realized I couldn't do all the repeats for that size. The yoke would have been down to my waist. So I think I eliminated one yoke repeat. Sorry it was a while ago.

From then on, it's straight knitting, so I just did what worked for me. I didn't want the hems to roll, so I added the ribbing/yarn over border. Which I think looks cute and goes with the flow.

I loved working with the yarn and the color. I am just not crazy with the pattern. Cattywampus told me that I will eventually figure out what sweaters work for me, and I can tell you already that yokes like this don't. I want the arm holes to be more fitted. These kind of hang down a wee bit. But since the pattern kind of continues onto the arms....well I didn't realize this was going to happen. Maybe I should have made a smaller size?? I don't want to look like a sausage either. Come on, you know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, my dear friend told me to add a single crochet chain around the neckline in the inside. This should help with the arm hole thing. I have yet to tackle this. I'm thinking raglan increase sweaters work best for me so far. And I think I will definitely attempt a set in sleeve sweater too.

{I apologize for the blurry pictures, but you don't even want to know how many pictures Suzy and I took. They just didn't look good.}

TTFN!

Jenny Girl's Bella's mittens

Are you thinking, "Who is Bella and why does she have mittens?"

Well, if you are familiar with the Twilight series, you know the answer to the above question. If not, then: Bella is the main female character in the wildly popular book series and now movie Twilight. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon, so she needs some mittens for that cold damp weather up there. Even though I absolutely loved both the book and movie, these mittens rock. See:I love the horseshoe cable and the gaunt like length, which comes in handy in windy weather. Stops the draft going up the sleeves of your coat. So here are the particulars:

Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool in Dark Grey Mix (held double)

Needle size: 8 dns

Pattern: Bella's Mittens by Marielle Henault at http://www.subliminalrabbit.com/

(Marielle has a cute sweater pattern too, so check her out)

TTFN and happy knitting!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Susan and I wish you all a very merry Christmas. We hope you all have a wonderful day, whether with family and friends, or just hanging by yourself.
Enjoy and happy knitting too :)

TTFN!

Jenny Girl is....

You Are Blitzen

Always in good spirits, you're the reindeer who loves to party down with Santa. Why You're Naughty: You're always blitzed on Christmas Eve, while flying! Why You're Nice: You mix up a mean eggnog martini.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Bitten by the bug

I'm woefully behind on posting some of my FO's this fall so I'm going to try to catch up before the end of the year. Yikes, that's less than 2 weeks away isn't it!!
First up... my "End of October" sweater.

Shortly after Jen cast on the February Lady Sweater I realized that I wanted to make one too. Yup, Jennygirl, me and 3000+ other ravelers have been bitten by the FLS bug.
So I cast on sometime in September and finished it the end of October. I really wanted to come up with some nice, natural light pictures with some pretty fall scenery as a backdrop but I never found the right time. Finally one evening when I got home from work I coerced my son into taking a couple of quick shots. Not exactly our best work but you get the idea... and Winston looked good anyway. He's very photogenic though he didn't make the cut here on the blog. Sorry Winston. I'll have to be sure to give kitty some blog time next post.



Pattern: February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne based on the Elizabeth Zimmerman baby sweater
Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool Merino in a dark heather gray. I used about 4 1/2 skeins.
Needles: US 8

I really enjoyed knitting this sweater. And I love wearing it!! I’ve gotten several compliments on it. The Paton's merino is very soft and cozy to wear. And it took several froggings and held up well.

I got off to a slow start. I had to rip back a few times; for some reason I had trouble with my stitch count on the yoke and then once I got that under control I decided to make some sizing modifications as well.
Now I had read some of the comments on ravelry about sizing, most of the knitters seem to feel the sweater ran a little large. So when choosing the size to knit I debated between the medium and the large. But this was not long after the green cardigan denial disaster so I went with the large.
The first time I tried it on I thought it was a little big but I kept knitting. Then about 4-5 inches into the lace pattern I tried it on again and this time I was really worried that after blocking the lace was going to widen up the body of the sweater more than I wanted. So I decided to rip back, again. This was probably rip #3 or 4. I took it back to a point in the yoke where I had the correct number of stitches for a medium and just continued knitting. And I’m glad I did. It fits just about how I wanted it to after blocking.


I even found buttons I love!! You can't really tell from the picture but they are really nice buttons, they pick up whatever color they're paired with. But who would have guessed... the buttons cost almost as much as the wool.

Happy knitting!!

Finally some pictures

It has taken me a while, but I have finally whittled down my pictures and added some captions. There are over 250 pictures. Whew that's a lot! Each one has meaning to me, but I'm sure they won't for you. There are a lot of rocks and sunsets in there. I think I took pics every night of the sunset. Those are all from standing on my lanai. I just didn't want to forget it.

Hawaii November 2008

As far as Volcano National Park, it was a very awe-inspiring experience for us. You're driving along enjoying the rain forest, and then wham! you come across a cooled lava flow with total devastation. Then a little later, the rain forest picks up again. Being the city folks we are, we were blown away by mother nature. The day we went it was pouring rain most of the time, and some places had poor visibility due to fog. We never made it to the active lava flow either, but with the rain, we probably wouldn't have really seen it.

The landscape changed in every quadrant of the island, and I really tried to capture that. There were some places we didn't get to visit due to some unforeseen issues, so pictures of flowers are virtually nil. Sorry about that.

I hope you enjoy these pictures. I will leave this link active until the holidays, and then after that I'm going to close it. Also, if you have any questions about the Big Island, please feel free to ask. It is a wonderful place, with awesome people, whose motto is "no worries".

TTFN and knitting photos next time. I mean it :)

How could I?

I had a dilemma this week with regards to holiday decorating. As most of you may know, I ususally have my tree up and decorated by now. Well this year, we have a complication:

You see this couch is huge. There is no other place to put the couch or the tree. So I would have to evict this poor puppy's couch just for my Crhistmas tree, for only about three weeks. I can't do that! What a shame! We are planning on re-decorating the living room some time next year, and getting her a "new" couch/loveseat at that time.

I think one year without my tree is acceptable. I sort of decorated the blog and put some knick knacks around the house. In the meantime, keep posting those lovely pictures and posts of your holiday decorations and things. I am living vicariously through you all.

Knitting Update:

I am thisclose to finishing my blue yoke sweater. The bottom was too short (yes I measured), so I had to un-bind off and frogg my modified rib hem. I plan on finishing and washing today. Model pictures sometime this week. If I don't wear it to work this week, Suzy is going to kick my butt!

Vacation Picture Update:

Uploaded them to Picassa web Albums. Now I'm workin on the captions. There are 295 pictures and that number was whittled down. They need captions because otherwise, you and I will have no idea what some of these things are. Even then they may be hard to figure out. :)

TTFN!

Jenny Girl is

You Are a Snowman

Friendly and fun, you enjoy bringing holiday cheer to everyone you know!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

Why am I not surprised?

First things first

Well, it's been quite some time since I shared some knitting related news. I don't really have a good reason for my lack of attention to the blog. Let's just say I was a bit distracted throughout the summer and fall.

But I have been knitting so I thought I try to catch up a little. Last time I blogged about knitting I think I was working on my "sock blank gone bad" neckwarmer. Well, I've finished that and have gone on to knit a couple of more. And have queued a dozen more on ravelry. In fact, I'm quite taken with the whole neckwarmer/cowl/smokering genre. I've found them to be the solution to a few problems... 1) quick knit, unlike a scarf which can go on forever 2) stash buster for those single skeins and most important 3) they do the job, keeping my neck warm. And when my neck is warm... I'm warm all over. So you'd think I'd share some photos of these FO's, right? Wrong.

First I'm going to share a project I began way back in February. My first sweater!!!


Which doesn't fit me!! So, #2 DD, biggest fan of my knitting, has graciously offered to give the sweater a home until I get my ass back to the gym and take off the extra pounds that are preventing me from modeling it. She wore it Thanksgiving and I took the opportunity to snap a picture of her and Grandmom (who declined to be blogged, especially since she was not wearing a hand knit sweater). Actually #2DD didn't agree to appear on the blog but I thought since I cropped the photo she'd be ok with it. And she does owe me for the sweater.


So the details of denial:

Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple Neck Down Scoop Neck Cardigan #278 by Diane Soucy
Yarn: Ella Rae Classic Wool in Light Green Heather
Needles: US 4 and 6
Size: a smaller version of me

I had heard the KPS patterns were great basic patterns and I'd have to agree. It was an easy knit and I'll definitely knit another.

On a happier note, I also finished a February Lady Sweater this fall, (it fits me) that I wear quite often and I'm working on a Mr. Greenjeans (finally) that I also plan to wear.
And just for the record I did try this on while I was knitting it but kept hoping that blocking would miraculously take care of the gap between the buttons.

Since I enjoy historical fiction

Your result for The Which Historical Queen Are You Test ...

Queen Victoria
You scored 53% on ruling power!




You are: Victoria, Queen of England, 1819-1901. Queen Victoria's reign was the longest in English history. Called the Victorian age, it was a time when Britain was at the height of its colonial power. Victoria became a symbol of British expansionist foreign policy. She insisted on taking an active part in the decisions of the government, and forcefully backed those ministers she liked. She herself was most proud of her role as wife and mother - she had nine children. After the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert, she went into a period of deep depression, dropping out of public view for three years. Her popularity increased in her late years, particularly during time of national celebrations, like the Jubilees of 1887 and 1897.

Try it for yourself.
http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-which-historical-queen-are-you-test

I'm always down for a good read! And a contest :)

Yea for packages

I had two packages waiting for me in the midst of my two weeks of unsorted mail. The first is some beautiful sock yarn I won for second place in a contest from the High Fiber Diet podcast. I don't think this picture does it justice. I'm still not good with the picture taking.

This podcast is by two funny gals, Coggie and Bams, from Michigan. I think it's upper Michigan to be precise. They chat about knitting, spinning, their fiber, projects, and life in general. Just two normal, down to earth gals who try not to take life too seriously. And they almost always make me laugh. So drop on by and give them a listen. There is also a Ravelry forum of course!

And as though I don't have enough blogs and books to read, I won the following book from Booking Mama.

For a full summary of Sarah's Key check the link. In a nutshell, it describes events in Paris during the occupation of WW II, and a brother and sister who become separated . That's all I'll say for now, until I read it.

If you are looking for some good books to read, definitely check out Booking Mama's blog. How she finds the time I'll never know. She also knits, crochets, scrapbooks, and reviews children's books as too.

Happy knitting and TTFN!

Back on the mainland and reality

Yes, I decided to come back from Hawaii. Oh it was so beautiful there! And peaceful, friendly, and no worries, which is one of the mottos there. I was on the Big Island and it was absolutely amazing. The Pacific was a beautiful crystal clear blue. We visited Volcano National Park and circled the island. Each quadrant of the island is a different type of scenery and climate. From the warm sunny Kona side, to the rain forests of Hilo, and the deserts and plains around Honokaa and Waimea. I have never seen or experienced anything like it.

I know we were tourists and therefore everyone tries to be friendly to us, but they just seemed to be genuinely nice people who have a good attitude towards life in general. It was even more apparent to me after I got home and spent a day running errands around South Philly. But lets not go there.

Unfortunately, I did catch a terrible sinus infection before I left, and was sick as a dog when I came home. So, I'm not ready to share my pictures. As soon as I do, I'll put a link up to them.

Of note, I am trying my hardest to catch up on all my blog reading and stuff, but you guys have certainly been busy. My goodness! So please don't think I stopped reading :)

Next time, I'll post my purchases (there is one yarn store on the BI as far as I know), and what I knitted, which was hardly anything. Until then, take care and happy knitting. (This guy moves about as fast as I knit sometimes.)

TTFN!

When in Doubt....

Post a picture or two of your crazy cat.

This is Winston doing what he does best. Isn't he cute!!

But seriously, I hope Jenny Girl won't be too disappointed in my blog upkeeping skills when she gets back. I told her not to worry while she was away enjoying herself in beautiful Hawaii. I'd take care of things back here in the real world.
Well, apparently, I think I'm on vacation too.
So check back! The plan is to set aside some time this weekend and get the camera out and update both the blog and ravelry. I've got 2 or 3 FO's to share and a couple of new WIPs. How's that for pressure.

Yes We Did!!

"Rosa sat so Martin could walk...

Martin walked, so Obama could run...

Obama is running so our children can fly!"

This quote has been making the rounds on some blogs, it apparently was part of a discussion on NPR regarding the election, and it just seemed so fitting.

What an amazing day!!

Packed and ready to go

My bags are packed, the knitting, reading, and mp3 player are set. Thunderbirds are go!

Even Lucky's bag is packed. She will be at Grandmom's house for vacation. My Dad is so excited too. He is lonely during the day, and really misses having a dog. Mom is not too keen on having a new dog, but grandpuppies are okay. So Grandpop and Lucky will be hanging out together.

I'll be back in two weeks or so. I don't think I'll be posting while I'm gone, but you never know. I will try and keep up with all your blogs and i will definitely be checking my email.

Happy Knitting and TTFN!

The monkeys have been set free

Set free from my needles that is. These socks are knit in the infamous Monkey Sock pattern by Cookie A. Here are the particulars:

Pattern: Monkey Socks by Cookie A

Needle size: US 2

Yarn: Seacoast handpainted yarn in the Autumn colorway (won this from Tiennie maybe last year? It's been a while)

Size: Women's 9 for me :)

I really enjoyed working with this yarn. It was soft, the pattern looks awesome in it, and the color is very pretty. So why did it take so long for me to finish? Well, I got tired of socks for a while. Then there is that whole second sock thing. I love the socks, but I did have to set a deadline to finish them. Otherwise they would probably just be hanging out in one of my knitting bags.

Happy knitting and TTFN!

Phinally ! ! ! !

Sorry, but words just can't describe the pride and happiness I feel right now. Gotta go!

This election has gone to the dogs...no, really

Bea from Baa Baa Blacksheep is having a presidential voting contest with her two dogs. Go to this post, read and follow the rules to enter. And please mention me so I can have an extra entry. I would greatly appreciate it, since I'm always thankful, and not good with the guessing regardless of who is picking and what it is being picked.

Thanks Pumpkins!

TTFN!

12 days to go

In 12 days I will be on this beautiful lanai looking at the Pacific Ocean from the Isle of Hawaii. I have been planning this trip for about a year and half, and it's almost here. I really need some rest and relaxation. And knitting time.

That being said I have spent a lot of time trying to decide what to bring to knit. I have lots of airplane time to and fro, plus while I'm on Hawaii. I won't be knitting by the pool or at the beach, but at night while relaxing I need a little something.

So here is what I'm bringing:

1. A pair of house socks for my father-in-law.


2. Scarf for my Dad. The poor guy needs a new scarf. Nothing fancy, but something along the lines of my comfy scarf (Ravelry link), but made from acrylic, so he can throw it in the washer. He uses it at dialysis to keep his neck warm.


3. Leaf T-shirt (Ravelry) in red for myself. Knit in the round and seems pretty easy.


4. Some wash clothes and a back scrubber for a co-worker.

I think that's about it. This should tide me over for two weeks. Lets face it, I'm not knitting while driving in a convertible in Hawaii. That just seems silly to me. Besides, JB thinks if we get into an accident, God forbid, he will be impaled on my knitting needles. He's crazy obviously.

Maybe I'll throw an extra pair of socks in for myself. Just in case. I'll also have some books with me, one of which I just won from Jill at Romance Rookie. She was giving away a copy of The Darcys and the Bingleys. Jill reviews romance books of all kinds, and there are quite a few that look interesting. Who doesn't love a good romance book once in a while? I stumbled onto her site from someone else, and I'm glad I did.

I also downloaded two audio books I'm interested in as well. Two classics, Lady Audley's Secret and ....the other one is escaping at the moment. Either way, I think I have the important bases covered. Don't you agree?

TTFN!

My Tarot Card

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

OMG! YEA!

World Series Baby!!!!!

Citrus Yoke sweater update

So I haven't been knitting this sweater for too long. I showed Suzy Girl my progress and she thought I was nearly ready to separate for the sleeves. Mind you I was following the directions for size B, but where I was in the pattern was for size A.




Yes, I did a gauge swatch for this project. I was falling in between needle sizes 10.5 and 11 with this bulky yarn. It is Wool of the Andes Bulky from Knit Picks, and I really like knitting with it. Back to the swatch, I washed and blocked and still in between sizes. So I went with an 11, because I didn't want the neck to big super tight against my neck, and from the picture the necks looks close fitting. Well as you can see, I am ready separate.

This will lead me to follow the directions for Size A. When I explained all this to fellow knitter Cattywampus, she gave me a look of concern. She is quite knowledgeable;e when it comes to knitting and sizing. She just didn't want me to be disappointed with my mistakes later, which I completely understand. However, I am stubborn and if this doesn't work out, I will learn from my mistake. It's a sweater I know, but it's only stockinette stitch from this point on. I will just frog, live and learn.


Besides, I think this sweater is going to be okay. And I actually did measure myself as a result of this. So something good to come out of this. Not something I wanted to do, but I did it. And i survived.

TTFN!

It is time for the bathing

This event actually occurred a few weeks ago, before I knew Indian summer was going to happen. The bathing of the dog. It is a big to-do and dramatic event for the doggy. Lucky does not like baths. As soon as she hears me cleaning out the big metal tub, Lucky runs upstairs and hides on my bed. Then you have to fake her out after you get all the gear together. I usually wait 5 minutes and call that its okay to come down. then you can hear jump off the bed and down she comes. But Lucky knows all is not well.

Over the years it has gotten a little easier, but in the beginning she would stick out all fours so you couldn't carry her out the back door. Nowadays by the time you get her to back door, you have to put her down because she is heavy. Then she gives you a dirty look and saunters out the door to her doom.

I always fill the tub with warm water, and talk to her the whole time she gets the rub down with soap. I spoil the crap out of her actually. Usually I have to keep her between my legs because she tries to escape. But this time, it was different.

We were in the yard, and she just looked at me. And sat down. Albeit with a dirty look, but she sat down. Lucky has finally resigned herself to bath time. It made me a little sad, because it means she is getting older, and is too tired to fight with me. You think they are going to live forever, and then before you know it years have gone by, and they get a little slower and sleep a little more.

Oh well. All I'm saying is enjoy your pets and the time you have with them.

And give them extra cookies after bath time like I do. I am such a soft touch, and Lucky knows it.

TTFN! And happy knitting.

Go check out this contest!

Adrienne from Knitting in the bellybutton of California is having a contest on her blog to belatedly celebrate her 100th post. All you have to do is stop by and leave comment, and if you mention on your blog, you get an extra entry. Please stop by and tell her I sent you. Who doesn't love a contest :)

Tasty recipe for those in a hurry

Grilled chicken only tastes good for so long. You can bake chicken. Or grill it with different spices or rubs, but after a while, you need a little something different. So the other night, I had some grilled chicken left over from the previous night and made this:

The recipe is Tomato Basil Chicken from All Recipes. And it's pretty damn good. If you don't have grilled chicken on hand you can use those Perdue shortcuts or bags of grilled chicken from Trader Joe's. They would work just as well. This recipe is fast, easy, and delicious. And it makes for good left overs too.

Less time cooking = more time knitting

TTFN! Happy cooking :)

NLCS Baby!!!!

Game 1 Thursday against the Dodgers. Go Phillies!

Late report on Knitting in Public Day here in Philly

Better late than never, here are my thoughts on knitting in public in Philadelphia. The weather was beautiful, I met a few new gals, and got one of my languishing projects done. Specifically, the multi directional scarf done in Classic elite's Inca print.

I like the yarn and the color. I was just so over and done with this scarf. I like boring every now and then, but this was too boring for me. And it took me forever.

Back to knitting in public.... sorry but I didn't take any pictures of the crowd or goings on. I didn't know anyone and I didn't think they would like their picture being taken for my little ole blog. There were about maybe thirty people who showed, so it was a decent turn out, I think. I heard later in Rosie's that the one in June had a lot more knitters show up. Either way, it was a beautiful day to be out, and any day spent knitting is good with me :)

(Next time I will make sure at least one my peeps comes with)

TTFN! Go Phillies!

Jenny Girl is ....

You Are Australia

You have an a great life, and you consider yourself very lucky. Although you're thankful for what you have, you know you're also a bit of an underdog. You are modest, authentic, and sincere. You don't boast... if anything, you're self deprecating. You aren't formal, and people consider you to be very approachable. You remain relaxed and casual in any situation.

What Country Are You?

Tag! I'm it!

Dustinac from A Mountaineer Knitter tagged me today. So here it goes:

7 Random or Weird Facts About Me

1. I would love to be on the Amazing Race. I mean like, if I had a partner, i would do it tomorrow. I have printed out the app, and thought about my application video. It's that whole sense of adventure/discovery thing. JB is so not down on being on TV.
2. Peanut butter and chocolate are my favorite candy/ice cream combo. Hot fudge sundae with peanut butter ice cream, if you are wondering.
3. I love roller coasters. Drove to Cedar Point, just for the roller coasters. If I had my way, every vacation would be centered around an amusement park.
4. I'm pretty sure I would or could live in Europe. Never been there, not exactly sure what I would do for a living, but I'm pretty sure I can figure it out.
5. Have considered becoming a librarian or museum worker or curator. (This is in case i never open a yarn store someday.)
6. I can get totally lost in a good book. I mean totally, totally lost. Like lay in bed all day and read.
7. I am an optimist. I try to always look a t the bright side of life. Most of time anyway :)

Not sure who I should tag, and since I'm behind on my blog reading, consider all of yourselves tagged :)

P.S.

Phillies won today! First playoff win since 1993. Game 2 tomorrow. Have a great night everyone!

TTFN!

Fightin' Phils Win!

Those fabulous fighting Phillies won their division today, and made it into the playoffs. Congrats boys, and make this city proud! Our hearts are with ya! Go Phillies!

TTFN!

February Lady Sweater Complete!

Ta-daa! There she is in all her finery....my red hot February lady sweater. I did enjoy knitting this sweater, my first by the way. There were a few scary moments, such as when I forgot to count, or when I forgot what the multiples of seven were. But all in all, I enjoyed this project. Think I will make one for my mom after the holidays. I can't do this pattern back to back, too boring. So here are the dirty details.

Project: February Lady sweater

Yarn: Caron Simply soft, about 3.25 skeins (which I liked knitting with, plus easy maintenance)

Needle size: 8 bamboo for the most part

Size: large

Now on to my next sweater! Have a great week chickees!

TTFN!

Ahoy ye wenches!

Today, September 19, is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. What do ya mean, ye not 'eard it a fore? See there really is a day for everything. So give yourself a laugh, and maybe someone else too, and try and talk like a pirate today. At least once. Life is too short, so have a little fun.



Besides, pirate gals were no nonsense, tough, and fiercely independent chicks, who laughed in the face of conformity. Aren't you like that, just a little bit? Just a teensy weeny bit?
Arrr and happy knitting!


TTFN!

Philadelphia Knit in Public Day

This Saturday, September 20, is another Knit in Public Day here in Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square. It is being organized by the Third Street Ravelers. Now, none of my close knitting peeps are going, as they have other commitments. So, I am going all by meself, and hoping to run into some other knitters I may know.

Or I could, quite possibly, make some new friends. Gasp...could it be? Me make new friends? I consider myself a very friendly person, but not everybody is. You know how people can be sometimes. They already have their circle or clique,, and that's it. But you know what I say? WHATEVER! I have a good time wherever I go, and plan to do so on Saturday as well.

Besides, Rittenhouse Square is right down the street from Rosie's and I need some buttons. Three to be exact, for my 99% completed February Lady Sweater. Relax....pictures will be posted Monday.

Happy knitting TTFN!

Friday fiction on Saturday

Phoe from Phoeknits just started this Friday Fiction writing thing yesterday. You can either write some fiction (which for meself is no) or take the prompt and write a blog entry. Option two it is, blog entry.

Friday Fiction Prompt:
What do you see from your window?

Well I don't usually see too much. I live in the city, in a row home, on a block that runs on an angle, so I have nothing across the street from me. No houses, no neighbors. It's like I'm on an extra appendage. Across the street on an angle is a school and school yard, which is full of cars today. More so than usual.

Why? Well, my street is closed off for a serenade tonight. I live in South Philly, which is pretty much synonymous with Italian. You want good Italian food and delicacies, you come to South Philly, capeshe. South Philly was settled by Italian immigrants who brought their traditions with them from their homeland. One of them being serenades. Basically, the night before the wedding, the groom-to-be stands underneath the bride-to-be 's window and serenades her with love songs. It was small, intimate, and with a few family members present. That was then, this is now.

Now, the serenade is held usually about two weeks before the wedding. The street is closed off. Big tents are erected. Tables and chairs are put out. Food and drink are a plenty. There is usually a DJ and a small Mummers string band almost always stops by too. Everybody does the mummers strut. (Sorry can't find a video worthy of viewing) Basically the serenade is a pre-wedding party, and everybody gets pretty smashed. All the neighbors are invited too, to get something to eat and drink. I won't go because I don't know them too well. It's not that I'm anti-social, I just don't hang with my neighbors. I actually don't even know that many down that end of the street.

Anyway, that's what I see from my window today.

TTFN!