And NanaSadieRose.com Goes Dark on March 24

A very sad day for me. But it wasn't worth the headaches of trying to maintain the site when I haven't a clue what to do and don't have the time to learn. We have a backup so the graphics my DD created have been saved, but you know, I loved that site!

Fear not! You can visit my etsy shop for all of Nana Sadie Rose's wonderful designs!! We aren't going anywhere, not really.

(it's still kinda sad, tho')

Lovely Monday!

But only because of a surprise at the end of it! It was a Monday, of course, which everyone knows will be challenging if only because it's the first day after a weekend, right?

And I'm still fighting this bug...slogging along. The feeling better is incremental, and the bug is long overdue being gone! But I managed to get thru it, and ran some errands after work, managing to get to my Post Office Box to check it and was surprised to find much filling it:
Bonnie sent this cute card as part of her Month of Letters, sending a piece of mail each day. I was delighted to be a recipient, and this card was among several things in my box, including a key to a package locker...so I went over to the locker and inside I discovered a package from Bonnie, too!

I hurried back to the car, quickly read her postcard to see that she was sending a package, and then set everything into the seat next to me to savor when I got home. Once the errands were done and dinner finished I opened it:
These are the mini-packages that were inside (don't you love that cat paper? And the Hello Kitty sticker?). I carefully unwrapped everything and here is what I found:
Another sweet handwritten note explaining the contents, including those two tea bags of the Organic Lemon Echinacea tea (which I'm having a cup of now - YUM!). Bonnie explained that when she wasn't feeling well, she uses it and it's soothing. Yes, it definitely is that, and I'm so grateful, as I had been having sore throat symptoms again today and the tea has fixed that right up!

There was also a lovely bar of Almond Honey Goat Milk soap from a woman who sells at the local Farmer's Market (it was wrapped in a gorgeous piece of pale beige silk and tied with a gauzy ribbon), a sizable rectangle of lovely water-blue raw silk from a fabric shop in Vermont, and a William Morris covered blank notebook.

Bonnie, of course, is a knitwear designer, a knitter, a crocheter, and an embroiderer, but she's also a sewist of lovely fine things, and every time I visit her blog, I'm taken to another place and time. She and I have yoga in common, cats in common, concerns about the environment and eating/buying local in common. But when I visit Bonnie, I'm reminded of A Gift from the Sea, Emily Dickinson's poetry, watercolor skies. And I know I'll be inspired by whatever I find at her place.

THANK YOU, Bonnie, for making my day much brighter! Now I'm off to see if this tea is available at my co-op! (I bet it is!)
(((hugs)))

Because I'm Sick of Sickness, How About Some New Items From Nana Sadie Rose?

Yup, still not back to normal, but I had about an hour of energy first thing this morning, so that's better, at least!

I had to get to sewing, and managed to get one of the bags I'd cut last weekend done, and put together the two design requests I've had recently. One is for a pen/pencil zippered baglet and this is what I came up with:

My boss requested one a few months ago, and I made one for her, which she carries and uses and apparently loves enough that she's showing it off. Well, that kinda means I'd best have some made up so I got this cute sunflower print zipped together to share with you. I'm going to offer these for $6.

Then a former co-worker came to me a few weeks ago and asked about something I've had on the backburner and on the drawing board for a bit, but hadn't made up yet:
A Coupon Wallet
with four pockets for your necessaries when shopping. This is larger than the checkbook cover I make, and I added a button/loop closure to keep everything neatly in your handbag. You'll find these in the etsy shop shortly. They'll be $12.

And I thought you might enjoy seeing the bag I made for a friend (she surprised me at the cat show, as I'd not expected to see her there):
This is the new Mera Adorned style with the denim bottom for reinforcement. I find these batik fabrics lend themselves to that sort of reinforcement so will only use a batik in this way anymore.

So now, after a fairly productive day, I'm going to go sit and knit! Hope your weekend is going well!
(((hugs)))

Friday? Short Week...

I staggered into the office yesterday and managed to hang in to the end of the day, tho' I did keep my door shut completely and tried to steer clear of everyone. I know I've been on antibiotics for long enough that technically I am not contagious, but when the cough hits? Well, I know if it were me and I were well, I'd run the other way!

But by making it in, I managed to pick up a copy of this very popular book I managed to snag for a good deal thanks to my B&N membership:

When I pulled it out of the box? Well, let's just say it about took me down to the floor, in my currently weakened state. This thing is meaty! Others have picked it up on Nook (it was pricier that way) and I may have to succumb to that as well, if only to have available as a reference when I'm away from this hefty tome, as I won't carry it around in my knitting bag, that's sure. But the Nook? Yes, I do carry it. Anyway, I think this is an amazing piece of work, I do. It's the sort of thing that's not "good reading" but rather a reference piece to peruse when you have a specific need, or if you're just generally interested in a technique. At least you won't find me reading it straight through! (I don't read encyclopedias either)

Anyway, the day passed (whew!) and I got to come home and practically passed out. Then stumbled in again today. Payroll waits for no one, doncha know. Still I'm so wiped out and struggling with this "bug" sometimes it's a miracle I am coherent.

I didn't even detour on the way home, oh, well, maybe a little teeny bit, but realized how winded and fatigued I was, so it wasn't much of one. Dinner, news, and then I sank into the knitting chair and have spent the evening split between that and Facebook and Pinterest.

I did accomplish something:
I've now managed to drop 7 stitches down on my Clapotis and she's becoming a moderate lap blanket. I think she'll probably be finished in time to put her away to wear spring togs, if our weather is anything to go by - oh yes, yesterday it was 70! Tomorrow it's going to be in the 40s and the high wind warnings are up again tonight and this afternoon as the front roared thru there were tornado watches all over the place.

Dear heaven, it's FEBRUARY! Not May!

Now wish me luck. I have plans to SEW those 3 bags I cut out last weekend, and I'm also hoping that by Monday I won't be dragging and sending everyone for the door with my cough.

Update to Last Week's Ten on Tuesday List

Remember last week, on Valentine's Day, when I listed all 10 of my favorite chocolate treats? Remember I mentioned a new item at my favorite neighborhood haunt? The Wildflour Dark Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake?

On Wednesday night (just before I was felled by this nasty sickness that may have been a sinus infection or conceivably bronchitis - which is what I'm coming to believe I have) friend Lynette and I had dinner at Wildflour, and I asked about the cake. It arrived. We both stared at it, virtually speechless. And took two forks and began to try the delicacy.

if you're in a weakened state, I'm warning you, do not scroll down any further

It was nothing short of sublime...
We'd gotten quite far into it when I remembered that I wanted a photo to share with you.

And I have to tell you. This has made it to the top of my 10 Favorite Chocolate Treats, quickly surpassing everything and anything else I've ever had. Oh, well, maybe not ahead of Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I'm not sure I can even say that! This is good stuff. Sinful stuff. It's going to be all I can do to keep myself from returning over and over to indulge, but I have to remember that my weight-loss comes first and the cake has to be a once-in-a-blue-moon treat.

By the way...for those readers who enjoyed seeing Fluffy Knitter Deb's creations, and especially enjoyed seeing photos of her beloved sweetie, P-Man, there is sad news over on her blog. I think we should send much love flowing her way, so I'm hoping you'll join me in that. This kind of loss is something we all know we'll have to bear, but it's so blasted hard. I'm sending a ton of (((hugs))), Deb. I'm so sorry.

Yup, It's Snowing! Finally!

We've wanted it all winter, but the weather has been iffy ups and downs. Yesterday it was in the 60's and now? Well:
The Tonk got very excited when he realized there was white stuff falling from the sky.
He was quite ready to sit and keep an eye on it...

And now there's a couple of good inches there, and more coming, so he's decided to settle in for the show!

They're Calling for Snow.

And I'm home nursing yet another sinus infection. I'm ticked, to say the least!

But they are calling for snow, tho' at present I'm unsure if they know how much (it's gone from 2-5 down to 1-3 inches and that was a few hours ago - the worst, of course would be sleet and freezing rain, but who knows what will happen?)

Anyway, I've not been of a mind to do much more than surf Facebook and Ravelry. Mostly getting angrier by the minute that not only has one side of Congress lost their freaking minds, but apparently so has the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Virginia (the fair state in which I reside). Women's healthcare is being trounced and the clock turned back decades. I'm spitting mad. (And I know I'm not alone)

So while writing letters and emails to legislators & Congressional reps and reading articles online, I also borrowed The Handmaid's Tale from the Overdrive library and while I've read it, I've knit
and managed to complete my Sis-in-Law's socks (my plain vanilla toe-up pattern with picot edging, using my trusty Addi 16" circulars size 1.5.) The yarn is Opal Ambiente and I'm wishing I had another ball of this, as I LOVE this colorway (color 2996, lot 162)!

When I've needed a break from the small needles, I've picked up my 7s and worked on the Mission Falls 1824 Wool Blankety-Blanket:
I've been able to pick up several balls of black to make the i-cord edging, and am hopeful I have enough of the various colors to use to make at least a lapghan.

It beats spinning my wheels over political actions that I can only work slowly (yet again) to have changed. But change they will. Governor McDonald doesn't have a clue what sort of can of worms he's opened with this, and I expect you'll see quite the backlash against him and his cronies for this issue and you'll see it soon.

Hmm...Mitt? Do you REALLY want this man as your running mate? You want to lose THAT BADLY????? Of course, if you do, that's perfectly fine with me!
:P

Wow. Two Posts in One Day?

What can I say, you're LUCKY!!! *wink*

Today’s Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Favorite Chocolate Treats. Now while I don't usually do these posts on a regular basis, every now and again one speaks to me. And does this one EVER speak to me? YES! So without further ado, here are Knitnana's ten favorite Chocolate treats:
1. Dark Dove Promises. My absolute favorite of all time, got me thru the initial 10 pound weight loss after my heart attack. Still adore them, tho' my dark chocolate horizons have been elevated in recent years.
2. My local coffee bean proprietor's (Mill Mountain Tea and Coffee) Dark chocolate raspberry decaf coffee.
3. La Madeleine's Sacher Torte (which we get whenever we go to Old Town Alexandria VA)
4. Ritter Sport's Dark chocolate bar (in the magenta wrapper), and/or Green & Blacks 70% Dark...I'm easy.
5. Chocolove's Dark Chocolate with Crystalized Ginger bar. Has become my all-time favorite chocolate treat and when I can't find them? I use #4 with real crystallized ginger - *swoon!*
6. Wildflour's Better Than Sex Cake (it's not, but it's close)
7. Godiva Dark Chocolate Raspberry candy bars
8. Wildflour's (see link above) Dark Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Brownie. Yes. Oh, and yes again...! (Ooops...just discovered they have a Dark Chocolate Raspberry Mousse CAKE! Must try that one soon...)
9. My own chocolate sour cream cake with sour cream icing (a recipe given me in my teens by a family friend I haven't heard from since, so while it used to be "Linda's Chocolate Sour Cream Cake, it's mine now!). I haven't made it in years but I don't dare, as it's a huge cake and I won't leave it alone in the kitchen more than five minutes...which would bring my weight back up in a hurry!
10. My mom's chocolate chip cookies. I'm the only one she gave her secret ingredient to and I also have the spoon for measuring it into the batter, but sorry, even mine don't equal hers. DD says the real secret ingredient was love, and I think she's probably right.
Oh! Stop the presses...I just found THESE:

May I have a No. 11?

Happy Valentines' Day

Not totally sure where this graphic came from, but I know it's not mine. Please allow me to share this lovely with the rest of the world, if it's your's. And thank you for making us smile...

Inspirations

"It was a dark and stormy night..." Ok, I'm not Snoopy, but it's definitely a bitterly cold and windy night. A quick check of my iPhone and I know that it's 20 degrees with 18 mph winds. Can you say "brrrr?"

But this is about inspirations and inspirational people, so I'm going to move on along here and connect the two things. That weather is inspiring me to warmth. We're bundled up here in the office/knitting room, the cats and me. I've got Mission Falls 1824 Wool on the needles. I'm making another warm and cuddly blanket:

I've been enamored of this wondrous yarn for a long time, ever since I made my Log Cabin blanket. And then I saw Chawne's blanket. So many of Chawne's creations speak to me. She uses color in a way I can only dream of. Usually, what she makes is not complex from the standpoint of technical knitting. That blanket there is garter stitch. Just garter. Reminds me of another of my inspirations, the woman who got me going with my first Mission Falls 1824 Wool banket - the Log Cabin, and that would be the Queen of Garter Stitch herself: Kay Gardiner of Mason Dixon Knitting. I'm drooling over her Mitered Crosses blanket in Rowan Denim blue & white. That's going on my queue - when I can swing the Rowan Denim.

And then there's Kaffe Fasset. I probably don't need to say anything more, do I?

These folks are all about Colorplay. And I'm inspired.

So much so that, if you find you have some partially finished balls of 1824 Wool you don't intend to use and would like to offer to a good home? Please let me know. I promise, they'll be very happy here.

The Meezer just loves 1824 Wool...I'm sure you remember, right?

And of all this just reminds me of why I started quilting all those years ago: Amish Quilts! Particularly Sunshine and Shadow.

I adore the graphic nature of my Log Cabin Blanket, Kay's gorgeous Mitered Squares projects, Amish Quilts, and Chawne's & Kaffe's lovely blocks of color in their projects.

Now I'm off to knit a bit...but do let me know if you've got any odd balls of 1824 Wool, okay?

I Love Gift Cards!

Ok, the Kaffe Knits Again! is a secondary market find, but the magazines are courtesy of a holiday gift card:

I'm in love with the quilt on the cover of Sew Scrappy which is a magazine from BH&G. It's simple, and will use many, many of the leftovers from Nana Sadie's stash of scrap fabrics (not to mention quite a bit of quilt fabric I bought back in the day.

This week has been a bit crazy, so far, but I'm working a little on my sis-in-law's socks (1 down, almost to the heel on #2!). The next project to complete is a toss-up: sis-in-law's Landscape Shawl, or my Clapotis? (I'll probably work on both)

I'm doing a little on Pinterest, here and there as I find things...yet another social media site, but I love the idea of a virtual pin-up board where I can stash the things I don't want to lose. Hmm...wish I could work backwards in time and pin a ton of things in the magazines I have lining my bookshelves!

Yes, another of the many things I hope to accomplish this year: going thru the books, magazines, and CDs and weeding OUT.

How are you doing on the plans you made for 2012?

HI! I've Got A Lot To Share...

I've been sewing, which should come as no surprise since I just had a show. I wanted to share a few things with you!. Below you can see the first Glady Interchangeable Needle Case I've made in a long time (These are really neat needlecases, just sayin'). The customer wanted sheep (naturally) and found a lovely print with a LOT of sheep in a field with barns in the background:

When I worked on the inside of the case, I found a great flannel that is varying shades of green like grass in a field. I tried hard to showcase the Border Collie in the print as well:

Too cute!

Some time ago, a customer in England ordered this for a friend. I know the friend has it now, so I can share that with you:

That's one of the nicest dragonfly patterns I've seen, with the stained glass effect. This is my largest knitting bag, by the way, the Mavis.

Then my sis-in-law will be off to warmer climes soon, and wanted a fun bag to take shopping:

And she wanted it to be colorful! So there's all sorts of colors and brightness in this print and I stacked a couple of buttons for the closure.

Today, I finally took another class in spindle spinning. I've been wanting to ever since my failed class at Sock Summit 09. My new LYS, Wyrd Sisters offered a class today and the size of the class, I know, made a huge difference (there were exactly two of us!). See the yarn I made?

I'll be working on my technique on some undyed merino I have before I do much else with this, but I can finally write off the "Bucket List" that I want to learn to spin. Thanks, Courtney for a lovely class.

And Cate, thanks for having this wonderful Unplanned Peacock yarn in stock:

(I understand this was a mistake yarn - and she has no idea how she came up with it. Well, Natasha, I'm totally delighted with this lovely yarn - named Mystery, appropriately! Not sure what it will become, but it's mine, all mine!)

Now, in between making bags, I'll be working on spindling...no promises, but as I marked one thing off my list, I wrote one on: Learn to spin on a wheel.

(you knew that was coming, right?)