Sit n Knits, The Marley Scarf and Deicing

This first pic is the Ravelry sit 'n knit at Natural Stitches. Steven, AKA Zeeppo (on Ravelry) who's this very cool clown that knits! He even teaches kids to knit! How fun is this guy. When I went to Pittsburgh, I had totally forgot about Zeeppo! I had emailed him about coming to Pittsburgh several months ago and told him, "one of these days I will be flying in to work on the "Marley Scarf" if I may! When Steven introduced himself as a clown, somewhere in the depths of my mind (or was it a dream?) I asked, "Are you the clown with the scarf , while insanely pointing at him!@#$?" And he curtly replied pointing back at me, "Are you the one who said you were flying in from Denver to work on the Marley Scarf, someday?" Laughter erupted and he ran to prep the session to work on the Marley. I hope to work on it some more, Steven is keeping a list of those working on it and if you wish to work on it, contact him! He even has it down to how many are needed to assemble the Marley! I remember that it will weigh 40 lbs. Wow, 40 lbs. of Patons Canadiana Autumn. It is being made for the "Steel City Clown Brigade" and it will wrap around four clowns. I heavily visualize four clowns wearing this abundant accessory! They will have to be just stumbling all over themselves on this one! It's exciting to think the Yarn Harlot has worked on this scarf while on tour in Pittsburg. You may note that Steven taught at Knit One and is now teaching at Natural Stitches.

I got to knit with fellow Raveler's like Melissa, aka stitchinseminary, Martha, aka Dreamdancer Natural Stitches proprietor extrodinare! I think the knitter on the far left knitting a sock out of the most fabulous yarn she had spun - she's the resident spinner at Natural Stitches and her name is a white out in the pic, sorry, I will have to get her name!), Walt, aka wkisser, Robin, aka beekeeper, Now that beekeeper is an interesting guy - weekly crosswords, I linked to the page where you can find Puzzle #19 "Work of the Weavers" dedicated to Natural Stitches store opening! Sorry if I didn't get everyone down!

So, on to Illinois! My acquaintance, Corrie, darn, I didn't get a pic of the cutie Corrie, has this very nice coffee/tea/vitamin/organic/yarn shop named Earthly Goods! Amazing for Pekin, Illinois! Here's some of her small - about 12 x 12 feet of cubicles filled with the very best assortment of Plymouth! Go Corrie! The women were from all over Central Illinois, dying to come out of the woodwork to have a first ever sit 'n knit for the area, yes, they are trying to catch up with the rest of us, they didn't even know what Ravelry was folks!!!!! I clued them in spot on!

So I got to go to my hometown church for the Traditional Service (with mom and dad, he's a deacon) and the Contemporary service! The place has changed alot is it's nice to know that worship is alive and well at FBC! So the next pic is of Lavone Rigby, she's my first knitting teacher. She taught me that I didn't have to knit left handed and how to not twist my stitches being the lefty (in my right mind) that I am! Thanks Eleanor! I will have to show you some of my first projects sometime! So cute, little Christmas ornaments. How serendipitous that she be wearing a sweater (that she knit, of course) with a bowl of yarn and needles on it!!! Hey, look at the Noro Kochocroan jacket my God given sister, Sally, gave me for Christmas, she calls it my Joseph coat! She wanted me to wear it home for Dad's birthday, I did!

Well on the flight back, O'Hare got me again! I look out my window to see this after the captain announces the delay due to deicing! Ugh, so I think to myself, I will get into the goodie bag my sis got me before leaving! I start reading this book by her fav Christian author, Karen Kingsbury, named Oceans Apart. Well, after the middle of the second chapter, I looked out my window to the noice of the deicer. Then I began to wonder why I was reading a book about an airplane crash! What was my sister thinking? She always says, "It's the thought that counts!" Well here's my opportunity to ask, "How much thought did you put into this one, sis?" Yep, I threw the book back into the bag and haven't opened it since. But I have started journalling everyday in the new journal she got me. The neat thing about spirals, sometimes, is you can turn them around and use them upside down when your a lefty, but you have to make sure they are printed right on both sides. Otherwise, well, I just hate spirals! They make a mess of my left wrist! But, you just can't go wrong with tangerines and dark chocolate! Thanks, sis! You must understand, my sis and I are complete opposites when it comes to some things!

I gotta say, I felt like I was Rockin' wearing my alpaca version of the Modern Quilt Wrap to the Cleveland Museum of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! I did get my honey a yo-yo, hat and Tommy shirt! Did I tell you my hubby and I have a past time....pinball machines? Well, I play a little, but prefer to knit and watch him!

Stash news, did I mention I have been collecting a nice assortment of Rowan, Kid Haze. I am inspired by the Modern Quilt Wrap and Kaffe Fasset's Earth Stripe Wrap. I am just going to have to keep it under wraps....hehe....but, I did get some gooooood stash from darling daughter, Sarah! Orange Kidsilk! How's she know I didn't have that color? Well, it's suppose to go into a scribbly scarf (inclued in the pack was Debbie Bliss Soho)? Not! I will just have to design something of my own with my growing Kidsilk Haze stach! Sarah also included som Kid Seta by Madril and some yummy Angora Extra by Knitting Fever. The girl has taste and it's wonderfully complimentary to ole' mom's!

And I just finished a three month project that I too am keeping under wraps, but it was like knitting nine pairs of socks and my hubby kept saying to me, are you weaving socks together?!!!!!


I was working on the Alien Scarf from Debbie Stoller's stitch'n bitch for my son, Josh. I took it on my trip with every intention of finishing it and giving to to him. I am knitting with Lion Brand Cashmere Blend and Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. Lovely mix, so very soft! Well, I forgot my book.....But in the mean time, I had visions that I had left it on a plane! Ugh, I searched everywhere, over and over again, until last nite, I found it cozily tucked away into it's rightful spot on my knitting book shelf! Phew, the anxiety, tenseness, is gone and I started working on it right away this morning!
Talking about Debbie Stoller, so my daughter gets me a copy of Debbie's new book, Son of stitch'n bitch . This book is fantastic! I love it all! Debbie really covers men's knits here from classic to kitchy to fab and fad!

Then, I get a phone call last Saturday. Darling son in law, Timothy, desperatly need the Lucha Libre mask. He is suddenly working in some adverse weather conditions freezing his face and wants it in Chicago Bears with the "C" or "Bears" or a "Bear." Well, Saturday and Sunday completed this project. Intarsia(for the front) and duplicate(for the back) stitches adorn this puppy! Darling husband was torn from his work to model! It was mailed Monday, so he should receive it today?

I was surprised how my embroidery skills have held up after all these years. I remember embellishing store bought sweaters for my daughter with unicorns and such! I can't believe she now 30. Where have the years flown? Blink and I seem to miss them nowadays!

So, this bottom stash has delightfully come from Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania and Pekin, Illinois.
At Knit One, I purchased some Jitterbug by Colinette, in Monet color. Knit one is a fabulous shop. It has everything and then some! Like a funky little beading station! At Natural Stitches, I purchases some Malabrigo Lace, in Verde 203, some roving by Mauch Chunky(green) roving and Periwinkle Fleece by Harrisville Designs - the spinning stuff is for my friend Tamara! Then on to Pekin, my hometown. Earthly Goods is run by and old acquaitence of mine, Corrie Bennet. Her hubby is the son of one of my mother's best friends, Betty Bennet. I have fond memories of Betty, she was like an aunt. Her son married Corrie. Plus her son and my father were heavily involved in Hockey, being coaches and referees. It was so cool to see Betty! Well, Corrie's little health food shop has found a new niche, knitting! I got to go to a Warm up America sit and stitch and see what's up. She has a small but impressive line of Plymouth Yarn. You have to realize people this isn't big ole' Denver (Yarn Mecca, as I call it!) No, this is little ole, po dunk, blue collar, central Illinois, home of the big, fat, Cat Rats (as I call them - Caterpillar World Hdqtrs.) and home to several plant and thousands of plant workers. You know when it's payday there!!! So, I purchased some Sockotta in a lovely Fair Isle colorway and some Plymouth Outback Wool(I wished I would have bought two of these for another great hat and scarf! For coming to the sit and knit we were told to pick out any donated yarn, well, looky here, there are knitters and fabulous ones from my home! I scarfed up some Wildefoot by Brown Sheep Company, Inc. and some Forissima Cotton(I didn't realize it was cotton, darn, not crazy for sock cotton) by Schoeller in such a lovely blue! I will have to next show you some great sit'n knits while vacationing!