This is making you sleepy, very sleepy!

A 1924 Gearhart Sock Knitting Machine is shown here making heels, toes and ribbing. It is fascinating - and oh, so stupefying. Think of this Friday Film as a little dose of sleeping powder!

My Winter Warmer Hat? A little more exciting as I am having to add short rows to even out the oval shape into a round, head-shaped object.

A HSKS 6 Package for Me!!

A lovely little UPS owl dropped this off today - straight from Aurora Curlyfur in Gryffindor! It is just chock full of handmade goodies - hand dyed yarn, a knitted purse and a cute felted zip bag for needles and such. The tea was delicious, the sock yarn is soft (and a muted shade for Hufflepuffs - not the curse of lurid House colors for me!) and the sock needles are short. I also got a great stitch pattern directory. Really, you couldn't ask for a nicer package! Let's hope it helps me get ready for Hogwarts finals!



Knitting wise - I've moved below the neckline on the February Lady Sweater and made a cute little beginning of the Winter Woolie hat from Lucinda Guy's Crochet Designs for Kids.

The Saturday that kept on giving

Let's get this out of the way:

Saturday Seven this week came courtesy of Youngest Child - six nice outgrown teeshirts and one really nice designer polo shirt. This was a hand-me-down from a friend and it got pushed to the back of the closet. So, it was never used and still has it's tags. Off to the rummage sale!

I was delayed in my blogging because we went to the Minnesota Opera on Saturday night. It was a lovely production of "The Abduction From the Seraglio" set on the Orient Express train. A very cool 1920s kind of production.



This week I can finally talk about my HSKS 6 swap package - my spoilee was Chrysta the Cursed - because I sent out the package and she received it. It was lots of fun to follow her interests and pick out some lovely yarn. I used as my theme "What Santa brings to Good Knitters" and I enjoyed exploring Christmas before it was even Halloween!



I made the little bag for Chysta and liked it so much that I made one for Good Friend Melissa - Happy Birthday Missy! - now, I need to make one for me.

As for knitting, I am just past the yoke of the February Lady Sweater and about halfway through one of the Gentleman Socks. I took them to the opera but forgot the pattern and needed a little more light to figure out my place in the repeat. The man sitting in front of me did exclaim, "She's knitting!" to his date. I was just glad he knew the difference from crochet.

Which brings us to today and the "Great Crochet Date." Some of the ladies in my book group and their kids got together today and learned to crochet. I really needed a review and thanks to Mel and Anna, I think I turned the corner on flat crochet. I am working on a winter hat pattern from Lucinda Guy's "Crochet Designs for Kids: 20 Projects to Make for Girls & Boys."

Sad, so sad

What could it be? Theoretically, it's supposed to be the head of a little teddy bear. Unfortunately, it looks like a upside down baby booty. I had to have another quick crochet lesson from GFM (we had a secret meeting in the middle of an Open Gym full of preschoolers this morning. Don't ask - those little kids are really anti-crochet!) and figured out my stitch issues but, obviously, I don't have the "count your stitches in between increases/decreases" issues put to rest yet.

ON the knitting front, I took my baby sweater with me this weekend and, in between bouts of intense cross country skiing, crochet and swimming, I finished the two sleeves. I'll be working on the body this week. And, once I get this lumpy bear head ripped out and re-crocheted, I'll be working on the Little Teddy Bear pattern from Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts' Amigurumi.

Back to working on Lumpy the Bear.

No kool aid will be drunk . . . but I am taking the plunge!

Between these cute little beasties . . .



and this podcast . . .



I have been inundated with crochet lately. Miss Marley over at Yarn Thing really makes it sound fun, too! So, I am taking the plunge. This weekend, while at my church's winter retreat, GFMelissa will be teaching me to crochet. After that, I'll be rushing back home on Saturday in order to pick up the World Travelling Daughters at the airport. Then, on Sunday, my first masters swimming meet at the University of Minnesota. I'll be swimming backstroke in a relay and, if there's time, the 500 freestyle.

Then, the Minnesota Knitters' Guild is having it's Winter Tea. So, when I was complaining about not having a social life, the Big Guy Upstairs must have heard me!

Since its likely I won't be around a computer on Saturday, I am posting my Saturday Seven early - without a picture.

While looking for suitable crochet yarn in my stash, I weeded out all my needles and yarns and got together a box of: two sets of straight needles, three skeins of Rowan Big Wool in pumpkin, three skeins of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed in the color Sigh, one skein of something unknown - worsted weight, a sock pattern and several tools like yarn bras, etc. It's a collective seven that's going off to Interim House for use in their substance abuse programs.