Purling Sprite

Spin me into gold....

I truly feel like an athlete. I did it! The goal was accomplished on Thursday! Things I learned during the process:

1. My children notice the items I knit. If I tell them that the item I am knitting is going to go to little children in need-especially, if I tell them that the little children have no Mommy and Daddy, and definitely no toys.
2. Trust your instinct and knit something you enjoy--even if what you enjoy is cables. See the cute little cables hat I designed (Miriam--I bet you are proud of me, almost a year after I learned to knit, I am on the go designing my own little hats!)
3. Even though the children in No.1 enjoy me knitting items, they get tired of posing for the pictures.
4. Must buy a child size head for picture posing so children in No.1 don't kick me in the shins
5. Learned how to make horizontal stripes that don't go up one row! Yippee, Dlandra, you see, I got off my lazy butt and looked for the instructions on how to do it, hehehe.
6. I *love* knitting items for others that are in need of them
7. Must get a 16" length needles to make my hat making a bit easier

I loved knitting these items for the Dulaan Project. I would do it again-gold medal involved or no gold medal involved. The feeling of accomplishment has been great.

My great feeling of accomplishment was topped off with this :

My wheel and I were in the local newspaper on a article featuring Spinning Wheels! I am so psyched! I am almost famous. Dlandra's picture is also there, but I will let her show that one on her blog.

I feel like a celebrity, almost everyone at church stopped me to tell me that they saw my picture in the paper....I felt sooo shy, (rosy cheeks).

Getting To Know Me

Here is a little MEME from my friend Val . If you want to  get to know the Purling Sprite, keep on reading. Hold on--revelations will be written--you may have to close your eyes at some points. I added No. 20 to let you see a little bit more into my soul...shocker!

Oh, but before the MEME--The Figure Skating last night was such a heart wrenching scene for me. I was almost in tears a couple of times. Now, it is over, another 4 years to see some of them again.

Back to the MEME

1. What time did you get up this morning? 8:45am

2. Prefer diamonds or pearls? Diamonds

3. What was the last movie you saw at the cinema? The Chronicles of Narnia

4. What is your favorite TV show? LOST

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? No time for breakfast

6. Favorite cuisine? Mexican

7. What is your middle name? Gabriela

8. What food do you dislike? Dishes where you have a sweet and salty item combined--not for me, I like them separately, thank you.

9. What is in your CD player right now? My own ripped CD with a little bit of everything: Hilary Duff, Kelly Clarkston, Avril Lavigne, Shakira, Akon, and others.

10. What kind of car do you drive? Well, I have a chauffer, hehehe, whom drives me around in a Toyata Sequoia

11. Favorite sandwich? none

12. What characteristic do you despise? Those whom say they are your friends and they are just waiting to pounce on you.

13. Favorite item of clothing? My strappy undershirts I wear under every t-shirt

14. If you could go on vacation anywhere, where would it be? Bahamas

15. What color is your bathroom? White

16. Favorite brand of clothing? Banana Republic

17. What do you put on your popcorn? Valentina hot sauce and lemon/lime

18. What was your most memorable birthday present? When I got my first stereo :) at age 16

19. Favorite sport to watch. Hockey--bring it!!

20. First Concert. Metallica

21. Who will you be tagging with this meme? Dlandra :)

C stands for Confessions: D stands for Diapers-No More for Big Boy Bryant

The time has flown. I didn't even noticed that the end of the month is approaching, yeah, I am aware that my knitting time is almost over for my Olympic challenge, but it didn't occur to me that my time was running out for my two monthly entries for the ABC along. Well, I guess I will be doing a Double Dose of it today  to catch up.

C stands for Confessions.

I will confess that I started my blog to talk about my Knitting Without Needles hobby--commonly known as loom knitting. I will confess that as I have learned how to knit with needles, I have fallen head over heels for the needles. I confess that I love needle knitting. There, I came out of the closet to tell you all that I *love* knitting with needles. I feel awful though to admit it in public--why, well, as most of you  may already know, I have a hubby whom makes knitting looms for a living. Yeah, knitting looms feed me and give me shelter, clothes, and money for my needles. Yet, I have abandoned them and I have taken up needle knitting. However, in my new journey with the sticks, I have not completely abandoned my knitting looms. Each time I try a new pattern, a new stitch, the wheels in my head turn trying to figure out a way on how to transfer the pattern over to loom knitting.

D stands for Diapers. My little boy, he has graduated to the fun underwear, the one with Batman, Spiderman, Nemo. He is a big boy now! He is completely, and absolutely potty trained!

No more diapers/pull ups for him. It has been an entire week that he no longer wears pull ups. Even at nights, he stays dry! I thought I would never see the day. Hubby and I always joked that as long as he was potty trained before he went into college that he was ok, inside our hearts, we hoped that he would pick it up soon. He finally did! He did it all on his own too. The trick that did it--we told him he couldn't go to school if he didn't go potty on his own. Then, we took him to his doctor's appointment and the doctor told him that he was a big boy now. Big boys go potty. Big boys go to school too. Well, the doctor's words made it sink in (forget the fact that Hubby and I have been telling him those same exact words for the past 2 years!) Beware the power of strangers!!  I am very proud of my little boy, whom just yesterday, I called a toddler on my post, but he is a toddler no longer, what is he now, a young little man? You go little man with the Batman underwear! Now, if I could find some with the Incredibles, I would be the Super Coolest Mom in the world.

Start Polishing my Medal

I am here to report to you that I have only 1 project left to reach my goal of 16 items. Yahooooo!!! I am almost there...chooo, choooo! I will report back later with pictures!

It must have been all your cheers and votes of confidence in me :)...thank you. I will chug along and go click the needles for one last project.

Trying to feel girlish

Once upon a time, there was this petite, bronzed girl, (even a little comely to the eyes), this chick would spend hours fixing her hair, doing the make up thingy, soaking herself in luxurious baths just so her skin would be as soft as a baby's skin.

Fast forward 4 years and  there is no commely, petite girl, instead, you've got me. Make up has gone downhill, my hair--who the heck has time to do her hair when the baby needs diapering, or when the toddler is calling at the top of his lungs so the whole neighborhood knows that he needs his bottom cleaned! I am lucky to sometimes get a few minutes to get a shower and change my shirt ( that was covered with milk/cookies/cake/breakfast/lunch/and whatever else the baby found on the floor and decided that the perfect spot for it was my shirt) before hubby gets home.

Today though, I woke up with a new view. I really want that "old" girl that my hubby met 6 years ago. No, I don't want her mentality again, but I would like to look a little bit like I used to. I would like to wake up each morning and get in the shower and spend the next hour or two getting ready for the day. I would like to smell like Channel No. 5 again, not like last night's dinner. I would like my makeup to stay on, or at least to visit my face for more than on my two weekly outings.

So, what is a girl to do when she looks in the mirror and then in the "make up box" and realizes that all her stuff is at least 2 years old (yeah! that is how old my make up is), a trip to the mall was in order. I have even forgotten all the numbers/color combinations that I used to purchase. As I stood at the Clinique counter muttering like an idiot--no, I do not remember my foundation number, nor my pressed powder number, can you give me some samples to see which color I fall under--all the while trying to keep baby N away from the shiny bottles containing all the different magic potions. Then, I glanced at one of their mirrors, you know the nice round ones that have the perfec lighting to let you know of all your imperfections--well, I just felt worse! As I looked closer into the mirror, I realized one truth that I hadn't realized--I am older! Yes, I know that I have had birthdays, but I never paid attention to what it meant to my body, to my face, to the impact gravity is having on the body--no wonder I need extra support in certain areas!

The question kicking around in my head--what made me change so much? was it my move from NY to UT? Was it lazyness? Lack of time? Whatever it is, it must stop...even if I have to wake up early to feel more human in the morning. Maybe that is the reason my neighbor wakes up at 5 am each morning--you can knock on her door at 6am and she has her makeup on, her hair is gorgeously arranged, and her house is all arranged...hmm, maybe I should take a page from her book. I must turn my page and open it to the new chapter...wish me luck.

A Sheepy World

The saga of the missing tape came to an end, I finally found it! It was being held hostage by the kiddos, but I was able to bribe them for it. They finally released him and now, he is back in my possession. He is no longer a lonely measuring tape, now, he is in the company of some wonderful little friends: meet the new party animals:

  :). The black little sheep was given to me by my dear friend Dlandra on Thursday  night at Nite in Knots. Yarn Today just got them in stock and they had one, only one little black sheep and D picked it out just for me!

The little white sheep came in the mail on Saturday from my SP, whom also send a few other goodies--check it! A skein of Kid Silk Haze in a deep red color, Raspberry *dark* truffles, and a raspberry chapstick. Awesome package, thank youuuu :).

The Olympic Knitting continues at this house, the clock is ticking and the needles are clicking! 12 items down, 4 more to go. I am in need of a pick me up right now, this athlete is starting to look away from the goal and is getting distracted by other projects---if any of you care to help cheer a gal up, please this is a cry for help!!!!

I have been cranking the hats out as fast as I can. My favorite ones are the ones in the image above. I created the green and blue striped one this evening while watching the Bourne Supremacy. At first, I have to admit that it wasn't looking very nice, but then I started making the stripes and I have fallen in love with the hat. The pink and purples are a very close second. The purple with white was done on a knitting loom--one of my tries at fair isle knitting. All the hats above have been made with my dulaan hat pattern, I just changed a few things like the ribbing, or the top green one has 4 rows of purl, then 2 rows of stockinette which gives it a nice look and it is reversible!

I have 4 items left to do to complete my olympic challenge! What should I make, a scarf? mitts? more hats? could I make a little poncho? I wonder if ponchos are allowed? or maybe a baby vest? The clock is ticking, the needles better keep on clicking!

Oh, Pickles!!!

B: Come see it...Mommmmmm (imagine whining voice)

Me: I can't right now.

B: Come see it...

Me: I can't right now

N: mumbling something that sounds like B is playing with your knitting needles

B: Come see it...MOOOOOM

Me: I can't right now, I am cleaning up-(glancing over the couch to see-B is surely playing pick up sticks with all my dpns). I shake my  head and tell him to put them away. He leaves them on the floor for me to pick up.

B: Mooooom, I have to go potty

Me: Ok, well goooo, hurry

B: I can't open the door Mom

Me: Yes, you can, just open it

B: No, I am little

N: Stretches up, can't reach, goes to get the little stool, steps on it reaches and opens the door for B

Me: Thank you, Nyah.

B: (Goes potty, comes back out) Moooom, I am hungry, make me a sandwich

Me: Ok, what type--peanut butter and jelly, or ham? (opening the fridge door)

Fridge door gets stuck. Fridge door opens about 5 inches and CRASHHH. Pickles all over the darn floor! Glass flying everywhere! My house is a major sandwich--at least it smells like it now! One thing, I am grateful--that it wasn't the molasses jar! It has been a long week....good thing tonight is Knitter's Nite.  Oh--no freaking sandwiches for us today, instead we had chocolate cake!! Somedays I wish I could just hide under the bed covers and sleep all day through.......

Wanted

Description:

• White
• About 3" in diameter
• Get's stuck a bit when retracting it

It is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I always put it in the same "safe" place. Every time, I make sure it is in my knitting bag, and yet, it always disappears. Have you seen it? What is it that I am looking for you ask? My measuring tape!!! Where is it? I started my knitting adventure with at least 3 but every time I need one I can't find one. Who is to blame? The kids, the kids are to blame! They take it in the middle of the night. I am sure they scheme during the night on how to get their little hands on my "precious" and they take it. Then they hide it in the mysterious corners of the house.

Please if you see it, let me know. I really need it. They come in different shapes and sizes, some are fancy little sheep (which I am coveting very much right now), some are little squares, some have little flowers on them, and other's are like mine, little generic cheapy ones. Sniff, sniff, snif. Tape where art thou? I am looking for thee....come homeeeee.

Now back to the Tape Hunting....

Valentine Mittens

Various stories of how the day originated float around in the world. In my mind, it is that day when the hubby better get me something when you make a little extra effort to let people know that they are special in your eyes. As the days pass, we become accustomed to being with our loved ones and at times, we may even take them for granted. Just sit for a minute or two and imagine how your life would be without them. Now, look at your loved ones and you will see them with a whole new light.

My valentine mittens are for a little one whom I do not know, but I hope that he or she may feel the love I felt while making them. My children tried them on and one of them really wanted to keep them even if they were a bit too small. But once I told him whom the mittens were going to go to, he relinquished them immediately. The mittens bring me to item number 4 (or should it be 5?) for my Olympic Challenge--4/5 down, 12 or 11 to go!

May you have a wonderful day :)

Olympics: Day 2

So far, so good. I am keeping a steady pace. An item a day, not too shabby. But, it wouldn't be a challenge without some difficulties to overcome along the way. Difficulties confronting this Olympiad:

1. B just got sick, which means my knitting time is becoming limited. He is really "needy" when he get sick. Likes to be cuddled and be held all the time. He likes to have someone with him while he watches tv. Poor little muppet, hope he gets well soon.

2. I hurt myfoot yesterday while out on a date with hubby. We were dancing away merrily and somehow, between a waltz and a polka, I twisted my left foot in the wrong direction. My ankle is really sore and the entire left side is swollen. I can barely walk now, but that didn't stop me from dancing the night away. If there is music, I must dance, dance, dance till I drop!

Luckily, we were able to enter a little swing competition before I hurt my foot. Came home as the lucky winners--our prize: some twisty pencils which B just loves. 

Back to the knitting news, the Dulaan hat was completed yesterday--on day 2. After looking around for patterns that would work with the yarn I have, I just ended making up my own pattern. It is a simple hat, and it works up really fast on size 6.5mm needles.

Simply Soft Cashmerino Dulaan Hat

Materials:

• 1 skein of Cashmerino Chunky by Debbie Bliss
• Needles: dpns size 10.5 US (6.5mm)

Size: Fits a head circumference of 19.5"

CO: 56 stitches. Divide evenly on 4 dpns. Join being careful not to twist the stitches. Place marker to indicate beginning of round.

Round 1: *K2, P2. Repeat from * to the end of round.

Repeat Round 1 until item measures 1.5" from CO edge.

Change to stockinette stitch. Knit in Stockinette stitch until item measures 6" from CO edge.

Begin crown decreases as follows:

*K6, K2tog*. Repeat from * to * the end of round. (49 stitches left)

Next round: Knit.

*K5, K2tog. Repeat from * to * the end of round. (42 sts left)

Next round: Knit.

*K4, K2tog.* Repeat from * to * the end of round. (35 sts left)

Next round: Knit.

*K3, K2tog*. Repeat from * to* the end of round. (28 sts left)

Next roudn: Knit

*K2tog*. Repeat from * to* the end of round. (14 sts left)

Next round: Knit

*K2tog* Repeat from * to * to the end of round. (7 sts left)

Cut yarn leaving a 5" tail. Thread yarn end through a large eye tapestry needle. Thread the needle through the reaming 7 stitches. Pull on the thread "to gather" the stitches close. Poke the needle through the center to bring the yarn towards the inside of the hat. Weave in the yarn tail ends.

I have only done the one, but I am planning on making more as I have a couple of skeins of this yarn in the stash. As I make the next one, I will revise the pattern and write the exact numbers left after each decrease. If you make it, let me know pleasseee :).

**Edit** I made a second hat this evening and have posted the exact numbers left after each decrease round. The pattern is also available for download on the left side bar.