Convertible Wrap

Yesterday I posted some pictures of my Convertible Wrap if you click on the words Convertible Wrap (the ones in blue....) you will be taken to Ravelry.com an online group for knitters and crocheters.  This is where I am keeping many of my projects in the Ravelry "note book". You can look at larger versions of the pictures if you click on any of the pictures on the left. A window will pop up with a larger picture, then click on each picture on the right to see them large!
Again, Cameo is in my pictures. Doesn't it seem like she's done this before!

ISHBEL DONE!!!!!

Blocking. Yes, that is correct.... I actually blocked something!

See! Proof that at one time it was wet! Has to be wet to block!

Detail of the shawl, the blue area on the left through the first section of the blue and grey is in stockinette stitch. Then as the colors change it is lacy..... and wonderful! I am in love!

My friend Cameo was gracious enough to pose for a few pictures. She says she has never modeled... so obviously she is just this darned attractive without practice!

Another way to wear it. I love, love, love!

Note to me: Used 4 ply cotton color changing yarn named Silver Navy 2 from Wolles Yarn Creations found at http://www.etsy.com/ (had to use about a yard or two of the silver from my Navy Silver 2 ball also), used a US 6 circular needle. Bound off a bit too tight, which caused rolling at the lace edge.

FINISHED PROJECTS

Today I am going to show you lots of pictures!!

First picture: The yarn I used to make my Ishbel. My Ishbel Shawl is COMPLETED!!! Yippie! As I write this I am wearing it! I will get pictures up here soon.... I haven't pulled them off of the camera yet.

Pictures 2-5: The hat I made for Chelsea!

Pictures 6 & 7: The completed Martha Shawl!

Picture 8: Caden. If you look closely, you can see the Sue Bibs tag! That tag is on his Taggie Blankie that I made him. Sue Bibs is the business that my mom, Naomi Sue and I (Karen Sue) are trying to get going.... Slowly but surely.... Taggie Blankie is a recent trial. Obviously, Caden is a fan! By the way, he is amazingly handsome!  (Also, this picture was on his dad's Facebook page! YAY for free advertising!)

Picture 9: Well a picture would be here, but that would be stealing! After I make my sister's Ishbel in a beautiful Cotton/Rayon/Silk blend in sunny yellow.... I am going to make a new capelet... however, there is no pattern. I will be doing a trial and error as I go along.... I saw this capelet idea on someone's www.etsy.com page. I didn't want to purchase it.... I wanted to make it. I keep telling myself that I copying is the sincerest form of flattery... and since I am not buying hers, then making one from that I feel that I am not stealing her design.... just the idea/style. Would this be any different from seeing a cute sweater on someone at the grocery store and going home to make something that looks similar? Can you see I feel a bit guilty about not only stealing her photo... (for reference.... but I will not be posting it... that seems REALLY wrong) but now her Idea..... Oh the dilemma!

Motivational Posters

This week Kathy (the Resource Special Ed. Teacher that I share a classroom with) and I are busting our rear ends to teach and also figure out how we are going to spend the money that Special Ed. is allocating us for the 2010-2011 school year, because our orders are due THIS FRIDAY!!!. We each get $1000.00. If you just fell off of your chair, you know where I am sitting currently. What an awesome amount of money, right?!? We each asked for a computer for student use in the classroom each computer is $905.00.... SpEd. said no.... argh....
So what the heck do you spend $1000.00 on!?! Well I decided I needed a new easel, headphones for the student use computers, some other organizational items, and teaching supports like math manipulatives and posters that explain key ideas for reading, writing and math.

What I landed on today in a magazine was the Motivational Message posters.... Here are a few I liked!

• We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others are bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box. 
• Experience is what causes us to make new mistakes instead of old ones.
• When it snows you have to choices: shovel or make snow angels!
• Our five senses are incomplete with out the sixth...... a sense of humor!

And my favorite!!!

• Give people a bit of your heart instead of a piece of your mind. 

I hope that you can find ways to give your heart instead of your mind. I know that it is hard for me to do! (gotta run I need to give some of my heart to SpEd for not letting me get a computer..... that would have been easier and much better in the long run for my students..... give heart, give heart, give heart........)

Martha Shawl

The Martha Shawl is completed!! Look!!

Martha Shawl, Ishbel, Lace Edged Head Hugger, and Socks

The Martha Shawl is done! Gave it to her Sunday.
I thought I would work on my shawl the Ishbel, but I obviously got side tracked by Chelsea at work! (see "I stand in awe...." post below)
I also have to say that I like God's little pushes that he gives me. All day yesterday I had little moments when I thought "yippie I get to go home and knit on MY Ishbel! I am only 4 short rows away from starting the lace edging! I can't wait!!!!" then, I would see Chelsea's face and think, I should make her a soft hat. She has already lost most of her hair due to the Cemo. It should be feminine and sassy and incredibly soft! So, I cast on the hat, Lace Edged Head Hugger,  which actually meant that I had to take the Ishbel off of my circular needles and place them on a holder. Because the hat need the same size needle.... and after buying 2 other circulars that are a different size for my upcoming sock class, two skeins of yarn for said sock class, double points for Head Hugger, and yarn for HH I decided I was done with purchases... plus, now I am not tempted to work on the Ishbel instead of the Head Hugger!
So again, Thanks to God that yet again he is showing me how to put others first. Something that, in the way of knitting, I love to do! Maybe one day I will get to post a picture of my Ishbel, instead I will post the pictures that are in the pattern! 
(www.ysolda.com)

(www.ysolda.com)

Mine will be made out of this yarn though!
(http://www.etsy.com/shop/WollesYarnCreations)

Both pictures from Wolles Yarn Creations' Etsy Shop.
4 ply Cotton.
Navy to Silver color changing. One is wound with the Navy on the outside and one with Silver on the outside. I started with the Navy of the first ball. I am now to the second color change (meaning the yarn is now two strands of navy and two strands of he navy silver combo). Very Pretty!!

(ps. I have been administering Stanford 10 testing.... hence the double posts (and long posts!) I am sitting here watching 2nd graders take a test.... I am about to fall asleep.... if only I could KNIT!!!!)

I stand in awe....

I stand in awe of a girl named Chelsea. Young and beautiful and going through cancer. At 22 years old she had her abdominal lining removed (you know the part that holds all of your organs in place....) and a mesh insert put back in, to hold/support her internal organs. She is going through her cemo right now. You would think that she would stay home and sleep and cry and do all of the things that I think I would "choose" as my coping mechanism.... However, she doesn't do that... instead she comes to school every day and stands in front of her 5th grade students and teaches. She is a student teacher. She is bound and determined to graduate from college in May. She has even used her cancer and explaining to her students about her condition to teach her 5th grade class about inferencing... She is AMAZING! I stand in awe of her beauty, her courage, her determination, her strength, her perseverance, her sense of humor, her heart, her dedication. I am making her a knitted hat. It will look like this (only black):

http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/kpatt18.htm

I hope that it fits her comfortably and is super soft on her skin! It should be soft because, it is made of  blackRowan RYC Cashcotton DK  a luxurious mix of 35% cotton, 25% polymide (nylon), 18% angora, 13% viscose (rayon) and 9% cashmere.

(from www.yarndex.com)

I may have to make myself something out of this amazingly soft yarn!

Attack of the sinuses and shawls!

Today is my 5th day of recovery from my sinus surgery to fix my deviated septum, too large turbinate, and false wall in my sinus cavity.  I am doing pretty good. Just struggling with heavy congestion as I have eased myself off of the Tylenol with Codeine and the congestion is causing some headaches. That I probably had with the Tylenol w/C but I didn't notice them.  
I have been busily working on Martha's shawl as she will be home in less than a week. I would like to give it to here while she is here.
I also just started my Ishbel. I am using a finger weight cotton from Wolles Yarn Creations (find them on Etsy.com). It is Navy and changes to Silver with a Navy Silver two tone in the middle. I am excited to get this one done because it will be for me!