Mera Bags! Nana Sadie Rose & Show Schedule

I've been a little busy the past few days, doing a few bags to show at craft shows over the next few weeks. I'm trying to convince people that cats are not all I do - lolol! So here, you can see my compulsion with pink is almost as strong:
 
This is Paris Lingerie, an already out of print fabric in this colorway, but I understand I can still get brown and red and it's supposed to be every bit as nice as this!
 
An Alex Anderson print, I call this Garden Party, and the colors remind me of vintage prints from the turn of the century (and I don't mean this one!)...
 
But if your tastes run more to retro - how about Full Bloom by Michael Miller? This jazzy fabric, reminiscent of the days of flower power and peace signs is a visual feast.
  
Finally for the ballerina in each of us, Alexander Henry's Ballerina fabric - this has a coordinate piece of toe shoes (those that allow you to go en pointe!) for the pockets...

This weekend, you'll find me (if you're local) at the Oak Grove Elementary School Craft Show and the weekend of the 17-18th of November, I'll be at the Northside Middle School Craft Show. If you're not in the Roanoke, VA area though, you can catch me online at Nana Sadie Rose or just click on the cluster of roses in the sidebar...I'll be happy to help you with your holiday shopping (or maybe just something special for yourself!).
(((hugs)))

Hmm....What's A Mohair?

I usually leave Mommie's yarn alone...but this has the most delish smell and feel...
 
  
What's a MO-Hare anyway? Rabbit? ...The Meezer

Retest! I Like This Better...

You scored as Elizabeth Bennet. As one of Austen's most beloved characters, Elizabeth Bennet represents what most women would like to become: strong, independent, and loyal. Of course, she has her faults including a stubborn will of iron and a clinging to first impressions. Overall, Lizzie is bright and lovable...something to admire and aspire to.

Which Jane Austen Character are You? (For Females) Long Quiz!!!
created with QuizFarm.com

Lacevember KAL

I'll try again. Catharina HAS to get finished. Big Sis knows about her now! lolol! So...I'm joining THIS KAL in addition to the earlier membership in Amazing Lace, and oh, btw, Catharina is also my Faroese Style Shawl, too! (yes, I own that group on yahoo - *blush*)
Maybe I'll get Catharina done in November? Or not...but I'm going to try. Do you have a lace project you need to complete? Why not jump on board?

Slight Variation in Pattern...

Which do you like best? The top is by the pattern, the bottom my *mistake!*

Please Don't Panic...

But did you realize that there are 61 days till Christmas...OMG!
(((hugs)))

Rhinebeck? White Lies...Forgive Me?

In response to Karrie's contest, here is the stash yarn I want to show off in lieu of attending and overextending my credit cards at Rhinebeck this year...
 
It is (indeed) The Meezer colorway from Roxanne's Zen Yarn Garden, created especially for me, or The Meezer - I'm not completely sure which, but The Meezer looks pretty pleased with herself, don't you think? - that I intend to make into the Wing o' The Moth Shawl...eventually. I'm truly having to put it "out of sight and mind" as much as possible, because you see...

I have to come clean here and admit to a teensy, tiny, white lie....

You all remember that I was working on Catharina Faroese Shawl from Knitters Best Shawls & Scarves in anticipation of a very special day - all for the Amazing Lace this past summer? You probably know that I'm not very far along with it (there's a photo a couple of weeks back that shows that little bit).

I have to admit that I had to dupe the entire blogging community into believing that the shawl was for me. It's not. MFMPPF was in on the secret the entire time, and promised to participate in leading you all astray.

You see, and some of you know this, my Big Sis is turning a major milestone birthday. On Friday - she'll be (shhhh....) sixty.

Last fall, when I showed off Catharina and another shawl here on the blog, asking my readers to help me pick a very special one for a very special day (and I really was planning for me at that point) I discovered that my Big Sis was reading my blog regularly. AND...SHE WANTED THE CATHARINA shawl for - gasp - HERSELF!

I suggested that she knew how to knit and could make her own. And that I'd be glad to help her...

But then I thought...hmmm...wouldn't that be a great gift? For a milestone birthday?

Of course, she reads my blog. So I couldn't say a thing about it. But I wanted the Amazing Lace to help me stay motivated (all of this was prior to the decision to do the National Capital Cat Show, of course, which wiped everything else off my plate for months). So the fantasy was created that this would be my shawl for a very special day...

Now I'm not saying there won't be a special day for me. And my Big Sis knows (now) that Catharina is for her. (She's even suggested that I wear her shawl if I do decide I need it - you know, "something borrowed?")

I hope you can forgive me?

And once I finally get Catharina off the needles, Wing o' the Moth is next ... with my LOVELY "not from Rhinebeck" Meezer colorway, Zen Yarn Garden yarn...

(I can't wait!) 

Mail Call!

Once again. I do order things, and yes, sometimes it seems as if that's all I do! Today was one of those days. This morning the package of tea I ordered from Lisa's Tea Treasures (because someone on the KTS2 received some of her teas, specifically the My Lady's Respite an Earl Gray blend (with rose and lavender - yumm!), and I decided I had to try it) arrived at the office!

Remember a little while ago I told you about buttons?
Specifically Suzann's buttons! The first of them arrived today! Oh they are just too pretty! Make sure you stop by her blog and let her know you love them, okay?

Last week, I heard from a friend about a website for Jaggerspun Zephyr yarn (other yarns, too) at good prices. I was hoping to try some, and I was surprised to find that she carried DK weight - just what I needed for Jackie's Thinking of You Scarf. I wanted to try something like the Zephyr because I see everyone using it for their gorgeous shawls (in laceweight of course!). Well, I just had to order two 2-oz balls of it in claret...such a reasonable price!
Let me tell you Sarah's Yarns is perhaps one of the best kept secrets on the internet...well, maybe not anymore! And you know what? Not only did the yarn arrive today, but Sarah included color cards for ALL the yarns she carries (it's free of charge with your first order!) Oh my. And her service is amazing - within 30 minutes my order was confirmed via email and my notification of shipping arrived, too, just as fast. The package arrived fast! Wow! I will definitely be making this one of my favorite shops on the internet.

Now on the left in front of the yarn, you can see the other item that arrived today and simply took my breath away! A beautifully crafted nostepinne!
Shelly's Hubby makes them and this one is just stunning...now I know Shelly told me what the wood was, but I'm not good at that, I just knew that it looked as if it were cherry or walnut - a dark wood which is my favorite...So go see them - and let them know you'd like one of your own, okay? Shelly's Oressa dpn case is on her way to her now as I not only received today, I shipped as well! lolol

Done! Finis! Oh...I've EARNED a Break!

Wow! In spite of a nasty sinus infection, my normal SLE (Lupus) symptoms that flare in the fall, and tendonitis/bursitis in my shoulder (the one that PUSHES the fabric under the needle, no less!)...

TA-DA! On time, on schedule! (I'd hoped to be early, but - hey! - on time is GOOD!)
The very last bag order from the National Capital Cat Show!
This is from Robert Kaufman's Whisker's & Tails Collection, a fabric my pal Leslie calls "Pretty Kitties." It's a gorgeous, quite large print that is reminiscent of sepia toned photos...and the cats are so life-like (and ALMOST life-sized!)

Anyway...it was my last. I still have some orders but I have a little breathing room and I need it. So tonight...what will I be doing? Well...I'm a member of Fiber Flix and have borrowed the original 1944 film Gaslight with Charles Boyer (the October film noir selection!). I haven't seen it before, I don't think, so I'm going to watch tonight while I work on another Peace Fleece Coronet hat. edited to say: and as he tried to twist her mind, I twisted another cable around a Coronet band...how's THAT for combining fiber and flix? lolol!

And, oh, btw...for all you KTS2 folks who flashed your stashes some time ago and admitted to being collectors of blue and white? Well...take a look at THIS! Isn't it gorgeous? I'll be getting some of this in soon, for anyone interested in having a bag made of it for a holiday gift!
hint...hint...
(((hugs)))

Minding My Own Business Surfing Blogs...

and Robin had a generic tagging for this meme (apparently from Crazy Aunt Purl. I think I did this a year or so ago, and the number was 5, but here ya go anyway. I tried to choose a couple of new answers...
Four jobs I’ve had:
1. Bookkeeper/Receptionist in an upscale hair salon (my FIRST job!) 2. Cocktail Waitress 3. Data Entry Operator 4. Accountant
Four movies I can watch over and over:
1. Gone With The Wind 2. Thelma & Louise 3. Singin’ in the Rain
4. Dirty Dancing
Four places I have lived:
1. Roanoke 2. Salem 3. Alexandria 4. Manassas (all in Virginia)
Four television shows I love to watch:
1. Criminal Minds 2. The Unit 3. NCIS 4. Golden Girls (reruns)
Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Myrtle Beach 2. Virginia Beach 3. Vermont 4. Montreal
Four of my favorite dishes:
1. Szcheuan chicken & vegetables 2. Cheese quesidillas w/ jalapenos 3. Ratatouille 4. Asian salmon (my own recipe)
Four websites I visit daily:
1. yahoo.com 2. Google.com 3. nanasadierose.com (no surprises there) 4. Bloglines.com
Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Home 2. Home 3. Home 4. Home
Four bloggers I am tagging:
If you read this consider yourself tagged – if you’d like to tell us about yourselves, that is.

When in Doubt-Follow Directions!

 
Ok. Coronet #1 is complete. Think this one is mine. I know the pattern now. What's wrong with this? Well...I'm notorious for thinking I know what I'm doing and bumbling along - I tried to pick up stitches with the wrong side facing as the directions said. Then my stockinette was on the wrong side - take a look at the pattern photo really closely - it sure looks to me as if the body of the hat comes straight off the cabled band. It doesn't - the cabled band is turned up. Of course, I looked at how I'd picked up the stitches and said, "That's not right." Ripped. Did I read the entire pattern? Nope. Picked up stitches with the right side facing and went merrily along! Well...long story short - I have a lot more Peace Fleece than I expected to have when I finished this because I have about 2.5 inches less hat! Live and learn!!! It's just fine. It's just not as warm as it could be. So that's what someone who lives in my climate needs. But for gifts? Well, I think I'll follow the pattern from now on! LOLOL! 

Project: Coronet from Knitty.com
Yarn: Peace Fleece in Moscow Magic Pink (worsted weight)
Needles: size 8 US Denise circs and Crystal Palace size 8 dpns
Started: Oct. 18, 2006
Finished: Oct. 20, 2006

It's an Art...

Mommie tells me that Chaos is teaching his new little sister Mayhem the fine art of playing with tearstrips...My advice? Listen well, to me, the Mistress of Tearstrips: Find one that suits you and stick with it. Don't lose it, May, as your "Big Kitty" lost his SRM...You must make your Mom realize that it's the very best toy ever...so she doesn't throw them away, either!
...The Meezer

Oh Wow! Cables!

Okay. Today isn't a great day, in that I'm sick with a really lousy sinus infection -triggered by attending the symphony on Monday night and getting my allergies all in an uproar by sitting behind someone who doesn't understand about "fragrance-free environments."

But when I finally managed to wake up today, I picked this up...that's the Moscow Magic colorway of Peace Fleece! I'm making Coronet from knitty.com. The links are in the entry below, please forgive me for not adding them again here? Consider that it's all I can do to put two words together to form a coherent sentence, please?
 
I just love this yarn...which is good, because I have a lot of it to make this pattern over and over again for Christmas...

That's my very first cable! I'm loving that, too!
 

Oh, and I finally finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife and got it back to the library today. If my memory is correct I was supposed to finish reading this last month for Knit the Classics but I always say...better late than never!

(BTW...what's up with blogger? I'm back to having to use Picasa to load photos - which I hate - b/c as soon as I click on the picture button in "create" mode, I get the funny sound you get when your pop-ups are being blocked in McAfee. WHAT IS GOING ON? I'm just not computer savvy enough...I know. But I miss just clicking that little button and uploading my pics...)

Packages! Packages!

If it's not a gift - like this below...from Geraldine & The Mitz - Thank you gals, so much! The Meezer and I will enjoy!
Included are soaps from Olea Soaps (yumm...I think the lavender is my fave), Hearty Recipes for Happy Cats, and the Cat's Paw Socks pattern. What a Purrrfectly lovely gift!

If YOU haven't already touched base with Geraldine's blog, you must, she has a special going on thru Oct. 27 for 2 of her wonderful NOT Just for Vegetarians cookbooks for the price of one...I'm ordering several for Christmas gifts and you should, too!
  

Then we have a few things I've ordered. Like the Lamb's Pride Bulky (Patternworks)to go with the Noro Big Kureyon I got to make a Booga Bag - yes, finally! - and more of the Peace Fleece from Kary! I love the Latvian Lavender and Moscow Magic colorways...these will be hats from Knitty.com for some lucky gals this Christmas...not saying for whom they will be made! And the needles (from Patternworks, too) are also for the Coronets - but I really did think I was getting bamboo, not Plymouth Speedway metal needles for these hats. I really don't do metal needles, as you all know!

Christmas? Winter Holidays? Oh MY!

I hate to bring this up. I really do. But...in two and a half months...yup. Christmas! The only thing I really don't enjoy about being Nana Sadie Rose is being in retail at the holidays! But...if you think you'd like to give a Nana Sadie Rose bag or accessory as a gift to someone special (or if you want one and need to give someone else a strong nudge!)...well....
Time's a wasting! I hope to take orders up thru the Thanksgiving weekend, but it's better not to wait...(oh and these Kerri bags shown above with a checkbook are just samples from the National Capital Cat Show - I am NOT just a CAT bag lady! lolol!)

{edited 10/16 to add: you can email me at siameezercat AT yahoo DOT com}

New Sock OTN!

Remember the Cherry Tree Hill Supersock yarn in Green Mountain Madness? I bought it after my aunt died this summer, with the plan of making Wendy's Feather & Fan pattern socks (which you can find here.) My aunt loved feather & fan patterns and enjoyed knitting socks. So in that she lived in the Green Mountains of Vermont, it just seem appropriate to make these socks in remembrance.

Now The Meezer finds endless fascination in my dpns, but she also seems to be interested in the incredible, velvety softness of the CTH yarn! And can you see how beautifully the blues match The Meezer's eyes? (I love this yarn...I love this yarn...I know, you can't tell, can you?!?)
Can someone tell me what my Mommie sees in these skinny pieces of wood that she doesn't see in my tearstrip? The Meezer...

Yup, Looks like The Meezer approves. I hope my aunt is smiling favorably down upon this project. I think she'd love knitting this yarn! Someday maybe I'll get up to Barton VT to visit...
(((hugs)))

My Prizes!

Wow! My mailbox held the prizes from Rebecca's two contests that I won a couple weeks ago - just look at that wonderful Socks That Rock yarn and pattern, and the Debbie MacComber Knit Along book! How cool is that? Thank you Rebecca! I can't wait to try out that yarn, I've heard only the best reviews of it!
(((hugs)))

Scratch That - It's Yarn Collecting!

Judy tells me that I'm not a Yarnoholic. I'm a Yarn Collector.

Well, since I've always had a penchant for collecting things...why not yarn? See the button on the sidebar over there? Um...in that COLLECTION of buttons? Well, I've joined up!

My Name Is Knitnana And I'm A Yarnoholic...

They say the first step in recovery is admission of the problem. Well, I think it finally hit me tonight when I brought home my latest purchase. TAR-JAY had this wonderful storage ottoman on sale (a STEAL at $32!). I just happened to be looking for this exact thing (tho' I wasn't intent on what it looked like, just it's purpose). The color was serendipity! I've needed an ottoman forever. I decided I really needed it to do double-duty (as most things in the apartment have to do) as storage for yarn. Well...here you go, the problem in full color:
It's mostly sock yarn, but there's a little laceweight and the remaining balls of the Steeler's Aiblinn yarn as well as the Rowan Yorkshire Tweed I just bought. Do I have a problem? And HOW! (I won't tell you how much more is stored elsewhere in that room and in my office...)

Is there any doubt in your mind that I have a problem? (That ottoman is 18 inches deep!)

And I'm not sure but I think it was Crazy Aunt Purl who wanted to see photos of our knitting spots, so here's mine (better late than never, huh? Oh, that's the Catharina Faroese Shawl down there (my Amazing Lace partner - yes we're still together...working along!) sitting so prettily on the ottoman.
And isn't the color just perfect? I couldn't have planned the purchase of this ottoman any better!!!
(((hugs)))

Long Weekends...

It's a long, holiday weekend for me (something I'm always happy to have, as I usually don't get much chance at long vacations) and I've been playing "catch-up" with orders from the National Capital Cat Show. Below you can see an intriguing mix of fabrics in a Rose Case for straight knitting needles - I had such a limited amount of the main fabric (which is now sadly, out of print) that I could only use it as an accent. But I think it turned out well...

Then while watching the Steeler's tonight (it was a sad game), I finished the scarf on the left of this photo - it's for DD, who is moving to the north country at the end of the week, and will need the warmth! The scarf on the right is for charity. I also spent time this weekend working on the Catharina Shawl...moving along with it, but photo-ing it isn't easy!

I managed a bit of "reconstruction" on the blog last night - you can see on the side-bar over there, the addition of two new sections. One is a completed items list for this year, and the other is what I'm working on...I can now move DD's scarf up the list!
Tomorrow (oops, today, now!) will be spent on more Nana Sadie Rose bags...
(((hugs)))

Trekking Socks DONE!

Yarn: Trekking XXL color 78
Needles: size 1 Plymouth bamboo dpns
Start Date: July 31, 2006
Finish Date: October 7, 2006
Pattern: Wendy's Simple Lace Rib knit toe up

I LOVE THESE SOCKS! They're my second pair in Trekking XXL - great yarn! And I have now knit 3 pair of socks total - both pair of Trekking were Wendy's patterns. Now to cast on CTH...

It's Friday & That Means Playtime!

But we're having a little disagreement...
The Calico Curmudgeon gets a little bit wild when the air gets a might bit crisp!
Mom, it's MY toy...
Even the Blonde Bombshell has a bit more energy in the fall.
You don't understand.
It's my toy.
It's NOT their toy.
I want it back. The Meezer
(sigh)
Sometimes they're just like children...

Pipe Dreams?

Kim has posted a challenge on her blog:

"I'm going to be talking about some of my own "pipe dreams" and I would really love to hear about some of yours! What would YOU do if money was no object? What would you become if you had a guarantee that it would pay all of your bills? If you could choose to become ANYTHING you wanted, no limitations or risks included, what would you be? Or maybe, are you lucky enough to already be living your pipe dream?"

I’ve been thinking a lot about the "what if’s" of living life on my own terms without worrying about finances for at least a couple of years.

I have a vision of myself living in the country in a home with enough land for gardens (mostly for vegetables, fruit, and herbs, but also flowers), having a German Shepherd Dog, rescue space for Siamese cats, and a large, large interior space similar to what I described here a year ago...(But I have Lupus, I cannot spend time in the sun or I risk a flare, and frankly with my physical limitations, I’m really overwhelmed taking care of a small apartment and balcony garden!)

So where is this rather irrational pipedream coming from? It’s probably a throwback to my youth. I always wanted to live in the country, have a husband who was as interested in a "back-to-the-land" lifestyle as I was, and have animals all around. I came of age in the 70s and we really did believe that this was the best lifestyle for successful families...okay, I’ll admit I was a flower child.

But an unpleasant divorce killed the idea of a husband and family. I was a single parent trying to survive in a highly competitive environment with limited skills. I was a feminist. Life got in the way of my dreams.

Ok…How about another pipe dream? One that’s more in tune with who I am today?

I’d love to live in a loft in a small city, near an art and cultural center and good libraries, with lots of coffee, tea, yarn, book, and fabric stores within walking distance. I’d love to ditch my reliance on a car and use public transportation, except for unusual circumstances.

The loft would have to be large enough to accommodate my yarn and fabric stash and the business end of Nana Sadie Rose, The Meezer and a smaller dog – perhaps a Boston Terrier - and of course, the MFMPPF! I’d want the kind of public spaces in the place to be large enough to entertain for large family gatherings. (The private spaces can be cozy and off-limits to the rest of the world!) NO carpets, just hardwood floors, and perhaps a single wall of rough brick. The entire space would be easy to clean, and open, and furnished with what I call minimalist antiques like a very long, rough-hewn, walnut trestle table in the dining room surrounded by continuous-arm and fan-back Windsor chairs in a black, hand-rubbed finish with a black step-back cupboard for white ironstone dishes. Simple overstuffed couches, chairs, and ottomans in the living room, with everything covered in white denim slipcovers you can toss in the wash.

A life that allows for plenty of pleasure – reading, knitting, sewing, good food, good friends, close family. Um...may I add in a housekeeper that comes in once a week? lolol!

It’s probably a pipe dream. I’m fairly resigned to living the rest of my life working where I am (and I’m not complaining, I like my job), knitting and sewing when I can, and caring for The Meezer & Co.
(((hugs)))

Friends, Swaps, Gifts!

As good as last week was, is how bad this week started out! Beginning with the felting of the Entrelac Bag (I felted again, just FYI, a third time, and it came out lop-sided and really dingy from the color in the dye - (sigh) - I should have left well enough alone). Then a bill with erroneous charges that I'm having trouble getting straightened out. I hate wasting precious time with people who either do not understand how to fix it or won't fix it, for whatever reason... (double-sigh)

So I stopped at the post office today to mail some photos of the DGS's to my sis. And what do I find?? A lovely thank-you (calico kitty) card from an elderly lady who recently was gifted with one of my Kerri bags and TWO packages! This one from Jessica my Chocolate Swap Pal...The box was so cheery with all the different colored tissue in it, and a lovely note...

Of course, I couldn't wait to unwrap...and here are the goodies...
Let me tell you, I've never had dark chocolate espresso beans nor have I had chocolate covered cranberries - they are just divine! Thank you so much Jessica, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Claudia Hanpaint in LEOPARD - dark chocolates and caramels...it's soooo soft!
There was another package in my box, too, this one from Lindsay
The picture of the bag is on her blog, but this is what she wrote on the bag...so cool!
And inside were not just the bracelet I ordered, but a neat pair of knitting needles in lavender (one of MY colors!!!).
Here's an up-close of that gorgeous bracelet she made me - isn't it stunning? The colors are red, lavender and pink (my trademarks) and the charms are hearts (one with little kitty paws!), butterflies (for Lupus) and the awareness ribbons...as well as lots of pink and lavender beads...The Lupus Foundation has a lovely bracelet that was made to raise funds for them, but while it spoke to me, it didn't include the other issues I'm concerned with. I showed it to Lindsay, and she made this one just for me!

As if all that wasn't enough, when I went to the post office, I had those photos to send, so I stopped at the counter to ask them to hand cancel the envelope. The gal behind the desk fell in love with my Nana Sadie Rose bag and ordered one on the spot! Wow. That rarely happens...
My day has greatly improved, and I can't thank you ladies enough! I'm sending you
((((hugs))))

Mad Blogging! Meezer Yarn is HERE!

It's here, it's here! The yarn Roxanne dyed in The Meezer colorway! I was so tired last night when I got home I never got to my mailbox to check - THANK YOU, Roxanne, it's just gorgeous!!!!
I showed The Meezer...
What? Begging forgiveness...bearing gifts?
Hmmm....smells interesting...is that eau du SHEEP?
Well...I think she finally approved...at least she faced the camera - almost. Maybe she's forgiven me for yesterday?

Oh...and I may use this for the Wing o' the Moth shawl! Whatcha think?

It's Done!! Wheee!!! A FO!! A FO!!!

I know it was just making you nuts last night, not to know what I was knitting all day yesterday at the NoSo Knit-in?!? Right???? Well...it was THIS (and yes, I know I'm a little late to the party...that's the story of my life!):

And last night - THAT's RIGHT - I FINISHED IT!!! Finally!
(I think I started knitting this on ... July 20, if my archives are to be believed...and finished Sept 30! Told you I was not a fast knitter!)
Here it is felted, stuffed and drying on my balcony! That's Knitpicks WOTA yarn and I followed the pattern exactly. I wish I'd done what my friend Alice had suggested. There's apparently a "color-safe" sheet from (maybe it's) Shout! (??) that absorbs excess color in the wash...well, I was too far along in the felting process when her email arrived suggesting I use that...ooops. Yes, the WOTA did bleed. It's not horrendous, I can live with it. After all, this bag is for me, not for sale! lololol!

I know....Nana Sadie Rose making felted bags? Well, probably not. I thought my washer was going to take off for Mars...! And I can't afford a new one....