Lumpy but soft!

Last week I picked up some cute and very soft Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille. Although I investigated several projects, I decided to go with the designs from "Color Splash Dish Cloths" - by my besty, Evelyn A Clark! I decided to make some chenille wash cloths as graduation presents.



Mauve, pink and green should give me a little wiggle room for those girls who don't like pastel-pretty colors.



I made the Dapper Dab (a silly name!) this time and I think the cotton chenille is working out great. It makes the "dish cloth" designs into something more suitable for "face cloths." I'm thinking the "Spot Free" or the "Soap 'em up" as the next project. I'm pretty sure I could have finished one in a day but I've been doing "back from college" laundry and taking the teens shopping. That growing thing is over-rated if you ask me!

A Cool Wednesday project I've been trying to get started - my printer is acting like an old lady who's lost her keys! - is the Buttercup Bag. This cool and free pattern from Made by Rae looks easy to make if I could just get my pattern printed. It's made from "fat quarters" of quilting fabric so I'm sure to have the fabric.


Buttercup Bag
Originally uploaded by Grandma G.

This is just one of the many Buttercup Bags listed on Flickr - all of them are cute!

My other Cool Wednesday is something to listen to. Mr. Daisy and I are big fans of the band Fountains of Wayne and band member Adam Schlesinger has a side project - a supergroup, if you will! - called Tinted Windows.

It has Taylor Hanson (the grown-up "cute" one from Hanson), James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins and Bun E. Carlos, the drummer from Cheap Trick. Let me tell you, it sounds like you should be cruising past the high school in about 1982. And in a good way! So, I'd recommend the album and point you to this:



Think of it as watching a Saturday Night music show, circa 1982. A very Cool Wednesday!

Just because it's spring

I'm not sure if I can get some asparagus this weekend at the opening day of the Saint Paul Farmers' Market but I sure have a hankering . . .

This Friday Film helped a bit!

In the meantime, I'm working on a Swallowtail Lace Shawl for a friend. I know, I know, I said I wouldn't start something new. I blame Susan Rainey. I ran into her at Yarnover and she seduced me by placing her Swallowtail Shawl on my shoulders. I was lost.

Enjoy your weekend!

I'll be slowing down later . . .

Once again, cleaning out Youngest Child's room leads to seven sad items that need a new home. Tomorrow, I'll have more time to discuss knitting and the latest projects . . .

In the meantime, try checking out this great interview with Evelyn A. Clark over at Franklin's The Panopticon . . .

The Name is Harlot, Yarn Harlot that is!

She's back! And with a new book! Ooh! Of course, I'll be dashing though the snow (in April? She'll never come back again, now!) but GF Melissa and I are off to see the Harlot.



I may take along the Paws to Remember Scarf as I am officially on the edging right now. Last night I wound it around my neck and took a good look. It's not narrow enough to loop at the neck so I think I'll just make it long enough to tuck inside a dress coat. And the intended recipient is tall, so what's too long for my neck will be just right for hers.



More likely, I'll take along the second Dobby Sock. I'm on the mindless foot knitting right now - I did the short row heel on Tuesday while waiting at track practice for Oldest Daughter - and I wouldn't get to the toe in just one evening. That will require another long thinking session - I absolutely do not agree that this is an easier sock heel or toe. I don't think it's prettier or even neater. I also have on large hole at the instep that I never get anymore since I've started making Evelyn A. Clark's sock patterns. Grrr.

It's also going to be a big knitting weekend again as this is the Minnesota Knitters' Guild annual Yarnover. I am taking a class about Bohus Stickning and I am really looking forward to it! I love the Bohus patterns and look - but not the fuzzy yarn. And there will be shopping, of course! The location is at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Mn. All though Western Suburban knitters out there (you know who you are!) need to stop by Yarnover marketplace which will be open to all - even if you don't take a class!

Reddy Spaghetti!

I pulled out the unfinished string bag out of the bottom of my knitting bag and decided to work on it a bit. It still looks like a hideous pile of string or a dish of red spaghetti. I've looked the pattern up on Ravelry and other people seem to finish it quite easily. Me - it's beating me up. I think it's my big Turbo needles - they are just too blunt and slippery. BUT I will forge on - I'm too cheap to buy new needles just to finish this one bag.



I've progressed way past this point on the "Go with the Flow" socks but I haven't been able to catch Oldest Daughter to have her try on the sock. I must just make it to fit my own foot - but add a little something extra. She's about two shoe sizes larger than me!



I cast on Evelyn A. Clark's "Paws to Remember" scarf as a birthday present for my sister-in-law. She is a dog trainer and a dog show judge and I'm hoping this will be a nice surprise. She doesn't read this blog so I am pretty sure that, as long as I don't knit it in front of her, it will stay a surprise. It is going very quickly - this is about one evenings worth of work.

One final look at 2007 . . .

From the first blue sweater of 2007 . . .


. . . to the last warm hat and mittens, the final accounting is a total of 16 knitted items.

My favorite? Probably the Flower Basket Shawl. It was great fun and a learning experience.

My least favorite? Probably the Edged in Lace shawl done as a baby blanket. Too much garter stitch!

My favorite sock? The Lupine Lace socks. They became addicting.

So, Evelyn A. Clark won the knitting trifecta this year at Chez Daisy.

Looking ahead? I am going to finish the Back to School vest, my Interlocking Balloons scarf from Scarf Style, the red knitted bag from "25 Knitted Bags", my red cotton shopping bag, and, possibly, Andy's Big Brown Sweater. Oh, and the socks I am working on right now. That should hold me until about July, especially as I have to pop two baby sweaters into the mix. V from over at Spin/Knit is working on a sweater a month. I'm not shooting for that (I prize my sanity!) but I think I can get at least one project a month. Let's give a cheer for knitting - after all, it keeps me off the streets!

A Blessed and Peaceful New Year to you all!

Wild Wisconsin Weekends - Part Deux!

Yep, once again the Monday Night Book Club took its tacos, margaritas, books and movies to the wilds of Wisconsin. Since we didn't continue setting off the smoke alarms, everything turned out fine!

I started off the festivities a little early by checking out a few of the local yarn stores featured in the Y.E.S. 2nd annual shop hop which began Friday, October 12. The theme of this year's shop hop was "Tools of the Trade" and every shop gave out a small knitting-related tool. I only managed to get to three of the seven shops - 3 Kittens Needle Arts, Zandy's and the Yarnery. I keep hearing great things about the Coldwater Collaborative but I just couldn't fit in any others before we left on the Wisconsin Book Trip.



I did buy a skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Firefly to use in a pair of Christmas socks. I'm working on a pair of Evelyn A. Clark's Lupine Lace socks. Good Friend Melissa said, "Should I have stopped you?"



This weekend's Saturday Seven was pretty easy. Seven outgrown pairs of shorts, sweatpants and a teeshirt - all Youngest Child size. Or what was his size. Not quite-a-baby Karl will be getting some hand-me-downs this week! Now I have to stop and get back to reading my book club selection for the month, "Frankenstein."

Read This Or Else! (a.k.a. Revenge of the Giant Pumpkin)

Here I am, shuffling along with my Giant Mistake of a Pumpkin, and this guy is putting me to shame. He started this Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark in SeaSilk just about the same time as I started my blue shawl and it is gorgeous. And then - he gave it away. Yes (well, he is a guy and it might look funny on him) - off it went. I would have a hard time giving away anything so pretty.

This Boy Knits: Heh, my bad

Oh - here's the flat version of my pumpkin. I loved making the leaf and vines but the pumpkin - eh, not so much. It was just too big. The pattern was great, however, and I recommend it to others. Just give up your social life as it will soon revolve around giant squash.

Who do we love?

My husband can tell you (and so will I - but no one ever believes me) but I don't like to talk to people. He claims that I just keep him around so he can do all the talking. Today? He called the lawn care company. BUT it was a draw because I had to call the piano teacher. It's not that I am anti-social but there is only so much time left in my life and I don't want to use it up talking to strangers. Give me a couple of newspapers, knitting magazines, my knitting and an internet connection and I am A-OK. I generally rate things as "worth losing knitting time over" and talking to telemarketers, door to door people, school administrators, sales people and "chatty people who I don't know" do not make the list.

However, family and friends do make the list. And, while I am not "Hail fellow, well met" with Annie Modesitt, I have taken classes from her, read her blog and loved her patterns. Now, some of her friends have created a great We love Annie blog to help with the non-medical monetary needs that have arisen from her husband's recent diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer that manifests itself in the bone marrow and is quite painful.

Visit this website and consider donating. Visit Annie's pattern website , the Red Carpet Convertible, and consider purchasing one. This is a really nice family facing some serious times and I would have no trouble talking to you about them. And that IS saying something!

As for my own shawl knitting - I am visiting the frog pond. I have only three skeins of Cascade 220 superwash and I am using Eveyln A. Clark's "Edged with Lace" pattern as a baby blanket.



The official photo is much more "shawl" like. My green blankie is going to be very warm!

I was a bit worried that I'll be short yarn for the edging so I am making the shawl a few inches shorter than the pattern called for. But, the knitting was so mindless that I went too far. Time to rip and it's the worst kind of ripping - the counting kind. I need just the right stitch numbers to start the lace edging.

Note to Andy: Don't be silly, honey. I keep you around to get the unblemished fruit from the back of the produce display.

Peepapalooza, Peepolocity, Peepilicious - whatever. Announcing the First Lazy Daisy Peep Diorama Contest!

Call it what you will but we are having our first ever contest here at Chez Daisy.

The First Ever Lazy Daisy Peep Diorama Contest. (I know it's a mouthful - just use the acronym "FELDPDC."

This whole mess started out with our family's traditional frantic, late Sunday night spent creating entries for the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Marshmallow Peeps Diorama Contest. Alas, we left it too late this year and all the relevant mailboxes over at the newspaper were full. Even late night appeals to Contest Arbitrator Richard Chin bounced back.

The teenagers shrugged it off and went back to watching "Gray's Anatomy" reruns.

The adults, however, came up with . . .

Our Own Peep Contest!

Realizing that some Peeps remain uneaten out in the Blogsphere, here are the rules for the First Ever Lazy Daisy Peep Diorama Contest Rules: (with a wink and a nudge to the Pioneer Press)

-Submissions will be accepted from April 4, 2007 until midnight, Sunday, April 15, 2007.

-They should feature Peeps, the squishy, sticky, sugary figurines that are oh so addictive. There should be knitting involved.

Betsy Ross Peep knitting a flag? Great. Guido "2Skeins" Stein as a Peep? Excellent. George W. Bush? Not so good. Unless he is knitting.

-Submit a photograph via email to Humbledaisy1 at hotmail dot com. Don't forget to include your email address. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 17, 2007. I will create a Flicker site where you will be able to view the contest entries but the final decision will be made by . . . ME! More on this site later.

The PRIZES?

Some yarny goodness -

First prize: a skein of beautiful Lisa Souza "Violet's Pink Ribbon" sock yarn. Lovely yarn that benefits a good cause, Miss Violet's Book Rock Fund. Perhaps a pair of "Retro Rib" socks by Evelyn Clark?



Second prize: a "Knit your own Mrs. Beeton Wrist Warmers" kit. Yes, make your own pair of lovely, ruffly wrist warmers as designed by Brend Dayne. I'll include a skein of Artful Yarns' "Heavenly" in the Trumpets/1477 colorway, a skein of Rowan's Kidsilk Haze in the Liqueur/595 colorway and a tube of matching size 6 Czech seed beads. You'll have to go to Knitty.com to get your own copy of the pattern, however.



Third prize: a skein of "Malabrigo Chunky" in the burgandy colorway. Perfect for a pair of Voodoo Wrist Warmers from Knitty!




Oh, and our family's entries? Disqualified. No knitting was involved.



"Battle of Thermopylae" as seen in the film "300"




"Dr. House makes a diagnosis"

And, don't forget,



"I love skateboarding" Peep

All Hail Evelyn A. Clark!

I don't usually go all out for a particular designer but I recently took the "Are you obsessed with Evelyn A. Clark designs?" test - and failed.

It all began so innocently - I've been setting aside some knitting magazines with her designs for use with particular yarns. My Handmaiden Sea Silk is destined for her Flower Basket Shawl. Some of my sock yarn - her Retro Rib socks and the Butterflies and Blossoms pattern. Now, I'm breaking into the Knitting Fund big time and buying patterns like "Versatile Scarves," "Edged with Lace," and "Leaf Lace Shawl."

I've even picked up the shawl yarn I set aside months ago and started up a "practice" Flower Basket Shawl.


It's Davidson Corporation's Domy Heather in Slate - with 490 yards in a 100-gram skein (and I've got two), I should have plenty for a shawl. This is a hard yarn to track down - they must sell through just a few outlets and I got mine at the Shepherd's Harvest fiber festival - but it looks and feels like a slightly fuzzy lace weight wool. I like the color, though, and originally bought it to make the "Kerry Blue" shawl from Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls by Martha Waterman.

The Flower Basket Shawl, however, is knitting up like crazy. I picked it up last night and got up to the second lace pattern in about two hours. It is giving me a chance to use my "Lime and Violet" glass needles, as well! I've been nursing these all winter, sure that I would break them, but they are great needles. My only regret is that I didn't buy them with a shorter cord. The 20" cord is a little long for my tastes. Who knows - maybe it will be the perfect size when I finish this shawl.



As for the Saturday Seven, I am having to admit to yet another little secret in my closet - I am a card carrying member of the SCA. That's right, the Society for Creative Anachronisms. The medieval folks. Although I attended events years ago as a teenager (I was really into calligraphy and history), I joined as an adult because of the great group of knitters and spinners in my local Barony of Nordskogen.



This weeks lot includes four costumes and three sewing patterns. Two of the patterns were used in conjunction with "Pioneer Days" at my children's elementary school and I am going to give them to the teacher in charge of that program. The third pattern is for sewing fleece socks. Who am I kidding, I have a hard time knitting socks let alone sewing them! That pattern and the costumes are going to be posted on Freecycle today. I think a lot of crafty, history types hang out there!



As for the SCA, I haven't been able to attend meetings for a while because of my schedule but . . . that doesn't mean I am going to give away the good stuff just yet. Sad but true. I still have the Mongol Horde costumes, the renaissance dresses, the 14th century English lady costumes or the fencing outfits. I might just need those someday!