Frog Lips

From the mouths of babes...err, I mean frogs. Because frogs have a lot to say. Who knew? Anyway, let's start at the very beginning, because it is a very good place to start.

Last week, I decided to knit a frog...an endeavor which was highly supported by my beautiful, smart and cool 12-year-old granddaughter. The rest of the family feels this may be confirmation that I should be fitted for that "special" white coat and sent someplace to rest. But I digress. What happened was that I did, indeed, knit a frog. 

Through the process, there were moments of doubt... 

Little Voice, inside my head: That doesn't look like the picture...

Me, right out loud: Well, I'll just keep going anyway. It's kinda whatcha do, there, Pretty!

Me, right out loud, again: Oh! He needed his frog lip! Lol, I am knitting frog lips! I love him and his frog lips!

Frog 1, now that he has a mouth and all his appendages: Hi! May I have a friend, please?

Suffice it to say that he did not have to wait long for the requested friend!

Frog 1, leering a little: She is BEE-YOU-TEE-FUL!!!

Ms Froggy, shyly: Ummm, may I have some clothes please?

As I watched the pair of frogs interact, and knitted them both new outfits, I considered carefully how they should be dressed. I started with a simple sweater and a pair of overalls. Let's see how they like them.

Frog 1: These are awesome!

Ms Froggy: Ooooh! I love this sweater! It is so warm and cozy! 

Ms Froggy: Ummm, Pretty, have you noticed that this guy is a little dull in the eyes? Is that something we can fix? And he keeps taking our clothes off...it's a bit disturbing really...

Pretty: Well, ummm, the eyes go in before the stuffing, and I don't know how behavior modification works in frogs. I could knit a third frog...I suppose?

Ms Froggy, confidently: Yes. Please. Do that.

My knitting needles: Click, clack. Click, clack. Voilà!

Ms Froggy: Oooh...hi, Handsome! Pretty! quick! Put the overalls on him!

Frog 1: Ummmmm...

Handsome Frog, with an educated, British accent: Very nice. Very nice, indeed. I shall also be requiring a jacket, Miss Pretty. Can you get right on that?

My knitting needles: Click, clack. Click, clack. Voilà!

Frog 1: Ummmm...

Ms Frog: May I have a pretty dress, too?

My knitting needles: Click, clack. Click, clack. Voilà!

Handsome Frog, trying on jacket, admiring dress: Splendid! Now, I believe we would like to write a blog. What should we call it?

(Frog one hops away, discouraged.)

Ms Froggy: (to Pretty, with a wink) Oooh! He's a writer! Good thing I take dictation! (to Handsome Frog, wishing she had eyelashes to bat) I also make a pretty good cup of coffee!

Handsome Frog: I'm afraid shorthand is so very out-dated, Ms. Froggy. Can you type?

Ms Froggy: Can we get a smaller keyboard?

Pretty: This is all I've got, friends. Can we make do, if I turn it on? 

Handsome Frog: If it's all you've got, I suppose we will have to.

Frog 1: Ummm, can I have my pants back? Please?

Whoops! I guess that's not an unreasonable request. But do you remember what happened last time? I mean, if you give a frog overalls, he's gonna want a blog...

While the frogs blog, I suppose I'll wrap up here. I apparently have some shopping to do. Smaller computer, smaller coffee cups, perhaps a little desk and lamp. Oh, and I'll need to knit more pieces for Frog 1's wardrobe. Wait. What have I gotten myself into?

Readers, I sure hope your Saturday hasn't gone off the rails like mine appears to have done! I will be welcoming my day of rest tomorrow, and taking a break from the craziness that frog lips have brought to this knitter's life!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Frog Pattern is by Claire Garland
Yarn is by Knitting Lizzard and some leftovers.
My Project Page has all the details
Clothes improvised, notes may be coming.

What Happened? I wasn't looking...

What happened? I wasn't looking...

This is a common phrase for me. Usually it is because I am knitting and not looking at the television. Yes, I think that is the most common time I use that phrase, as written above.

Another common usage is when I was looking at the television (and not at my knitting) and I discover a mistake or split yarn 12 rows back...or more! I say it over and over again as I drop down, rip back or "tink" to the problem area and rework the offending stitch(es)...the "punctuation" may be slightly different:

What...happened...? Gah! I wasn't looking! 

This week, I have had one of these moments as well. A few weeks back I noticed that I was nearing my 1,000th blog post. I took note, and planned to say something profound*...yes, that was most certainly the plan. 

Then I published the May 23 post, and looked up to see that it was post number nine-hundred ninety-nine! So, what happened?!? Because I clearly wasn't looking! 

I started this blog in 2009, never planning to post for 10 years. Yet I have posted weekly (or nearly weekly, even twice weekly very regularly for a time) and now it has been 11 years!

I would like to think that I have had something of substance to say, and I know that has occasionally been true. Other times, I have posted about yarn and knitting, row counters, selling things, and general silliness. I have even let the cats try their hand...err paws at blogging in that time. (They are pretty good. They could maybe have their own blog.) 

So, what now? I mean really, what happened? When did I come up with something to say for 1,000 blog posts? And will I ever run out of words?

Rest assured, friends. I am not likely to run out of words! Bonus! I have learned some things about those words along the way. 

I have learned that some of you want to read about the knitting and all the craft fun. Even more want to read about the Pretty Knitty Family. But the posts that get the most attention are the ones where I have shared my heart and soul. Perhaps you have noticed that those posts are not as few and far between as they once were, and I anticipate that will continue.  

I have found no shortage of words to share these past 11 years, though I am trying to keep it to 500-700 words** at a time these days.  So rest assured that you have not seen the last of Pretty around the blog. How long do you suppose it will take to reach 2,000 posts? 

I am not sure either, but I plan to go for it! I hope that you will stick around and keep reading and knitting along with me, every Saturday at approximately 3:33pm, and I look forward to seeing you here!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

*While I do have lots to say, most of it is NOT profound

**Word count = 498, before these footnotes

Pet the cat!

Dear Blog Readers,

You know how sometimes she blogs, and sometimes we blog? Well, we have decided that we don't like it. If she wants a blog, then she should blog, instead of just knitting all the time. Or cleaning. Or working. Or whatever else she does.

Except feeding us. She should keep feeding us. It would be a tragedy if we could see the bottom of our bowl. Oh, and petting the cat takes precedence over everything, naturally!

The cleaning is the worst. Every week, she undoes all of our hard work! You know, like when we mark our territory with hairballs? She cleans those up! And, and, and, we do our best to make the couch as comfortable and fur-covered as possible, as it should be in any good home..and she brings out the noisy, suck machine, then fluffs the cushions! We protest!!!

Oh, and if she is going to continue to knit with both hands, refusing to pet us every minute of every day, then we will take these hostage until she repents and changes her ways!

Yeah. She better look out. And she should probably change her blogger password. It was super easy for us to decode! 

In closing, we'd like to thank all the cats for stopping by. And we would like to remind all the humans to put down the knitting and Pet the Cat in Good Health!

Sincerely (or not so sincerely, with cats you just can't tell),

The Cats

This one's a quickie...

Just a little note to let you know that I have merged the two blogs. Somewhere along the line, a couple weeks ago I suppose, I started to think about whether the new blog was what I wanted it to be...with the help and opinions of a couple of my Girlfriends, I decided that I'd really rather just have the one. :)

I know that the merge will make some things feel a bit disjointed for a time, but I think this is the fix.  If you find any "broken links" in my posts, please let me know. Bear with me as I get my bearings, and I will continue my blogging every day in December, so Yay! for that, and thank goodness I figured this all out before I had hundreds of posts on two blogs! A little later today, we'll find out for sure if the import worked, as we wait for the Dec. 9th post to go "live." :)

Thanks for coming along on this ride, and Knit in Good Health!

Got it covered!

I've got it covered over here in Pretty-ville!  

You've got what covered?

The beds.  More specifically, the doll's beds!  So excited...

Wait, you still play with dolls?

No, silly!  Don't you remember?  A friend asked me to make blankets for some American Girl dolls...so I did!  Here they are:

They turned out FABULOUSLY!  I have seen this yarn over and over, and I've always wanted to try it...if you can't tell by this post, I LOVE IT!  So pretty!  And for kids' toys, acrylic is a really good choice...tough and lovely.  :)  I also love that this is a lighter weight yarn, so the "scale" of the smaller stitches is right for dolls...can't wait to hear how the girls like them.  

Know what else I've got covered?  I started the new blog.  (squeee!!!)  Check it out at THIS LINK.  This one's all about family, love, memories and all that fun stuff that comes with being part of any family, functional or otherwise.  Follow or not, your choice, both blogs will be active...and I love to hear your comments (and commiseration, as necessary!).  (:

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit (and read blogs) in Good Health!  

iBlog

I know that this is not a shock to you, but iBlog.
I blog a lot...twice a week, in fact!
Also not a shock, iKnit!  
As a matter of fact I knit the letter "I" this week!

Since I had already knit an "A" and an "E," it seemed only natural to knit an "I" next...can you keep a secret?  Ok, then...would you like to buy an "O," round and neat?  A nearly perfect circle, tidy and complete...it'll cost you just a nickle...  Well, I'll be knitting an O soon, so look for me and my trench coat in a couple days.  On second thought, I might keep the O.  Who knows?

So, iBlog and iKnit.  Oh, and iBuy too.  My latest purchase involves evoL.  You see, my friend Cozy makes bags that are good to hold knitting (or other things, they are very versatile that way!).  Well, Cozy listed a bag last week that is supposed to say Love in beautiful batik...only it doesn't.  Poor cozy doesn't have cats to help settle her brain between projects.  That's ok, though, because now the bag she made is not just for Valentine's Day...take a look:

Yes!  You are evoLy, indeed.  So much so that I have already filled you with a project...a hat and mittens for Peanut!

With another winter holiday upon us, I feel the kneed to knit for that girl's knoggin, and here I go!  In general, knitting is better for me than chocolate, so I am pretty happy to have a project going right now!


Don't forget that February is for Finishing, and go enter Jeanne's contest!  (I finished an A, an E and an I this week!)  

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Today's blog post is brought to you by Vintage Sesame Street.  

Hmmm, I wonder what Gordon and Maria are up to these days...

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

There are changes afoot at the Pretty Knitty Blog, but they are not too major.  I am taking a page from a friend's book. . .errr blog (thank you, Life in Cleveland!). . .and I am trying out some of the things on blogger that I have not tried before. . .like Pages!  Who knew that my blog could have pages?  with tabs?  You did?  Good for you!!!  I just realized that this was an option, and I am pretty stoked to play with it!


My first page is going to be (drumroll please. . .)


THE PATTERN PAGE!


. . .and the crowd goes wild!. . .


Because I now have three patterns up on Ravelry, and all are free!  I had them in the side bar of the blog for a long time, but that side bar was getting pretty heavy.  Sooo, without fanfare, pomp or circumstance, I moved them to this page (see the tab right under my blog banner?) last Saturday.  After the move, I felt a little like this in my brain:

Dollface was so tired after her recent move to a new apartment!

Anyway, my brain was tired from the trial-and-error-and-finally-triumph, so I stopped there, and (of course) I picked up some knitting.  I am so glad that I have knitting to rescue my occasionally over-burdened brain!  There is just something so soothing about sheep. . .

. . .and the color PINK. . .

. . .and sheep. . .

. . .and knitting for Peanut!  Even though it's not quite finished (still needs buttons, but I have those on hand!), I am pretty happy with how this turned out, and I have officially called it another finished object!  Yay!!!


Speaking of finishing, some of my friends are embarking on a journey this month.  They are committing that "February is for Finishing," and I am thinking of joining in.  My brain, of late, is just flirting with frogging that bind off on the Abalone.  And there are so many toys I would love to cast on. . .'course, if I choose Mochi-toys, I could call that finishing. . .(that project says "WIP," does it not?).  In any case, whether February is for finishing or for finding freedom to cast-on some things, it should be a fine month!


What will you be finishing in February?


Thanks for stopping by, and Knit (and finish) in Good Health!

"B" is for Blogging

"B" is also for Baby! I am glad, because Army Boy and Wifey-Poo have a new baby on the way. . .very soon, now! You may recall that I took a "mental health day" on Wednesday (the day of "W"), and here is what I did.

I started with a purchased fabric kit to make a couple of bibs, a couple of burpees, and a baby wipe holder, like this:

But I really didn't like those fabrics as much as I liked these:

So I took my favorite pieces from the kit, and I traced the patterns onto newsprint. Then I cut out some flannel linings. . .

. . .and cotton prints for the fronts. . .

. . .and I stitched them together carefully (remembering 7th grade home economics, where I learned how to stitch around a curve on a piece of typing paper, with no thread in the simple singer). . .

. . .and, like a good little sewer, I pressed the seams before clipping the corners and curves. . .

. . .turning each piece inside out, and pressing again, before carefully top-stitching with pink threads. . .

. . .pressing one more time, then stepping back to admire my work!

"B" is for Baby, and Bib, and Burpee, and Beautiful!!!. . .oh, and Blogging!

There was also knitting, but that starts with a K, so more on that next time! Until then, thanks for stopping by, and Knit (or sew, or do whatever you love) in Good Health!

Today's blog entry is brought to you by the letter "B," and the number 13, and also by the anticipation of the sweet smell of a newborn grandbaby.

I Can See Clearly Now. . .bonus post!

I know, it's not Wednesday OR Saturday, but. . .

Do you like my new glasses?
I picked them out in like 30 seconds, flat. . .and I was second-guessing myself a bit. . .

. . .but College Girl says they are really cute! I think I concur!

Now, back to the knitting!!!

Knit in Good Health!

She's Never Not Knitting. . .

. . .or so goes the song by wonderful Alana Dakos of NeverNotKnitting fame! Alana has a podcast and a blog, and she designs and sells knitting patterns for children's clothes and more! Recently, my Etsy shop was featured on NeverNotKnitting, and I want to take a moment to say thanks to Alana (great podcast and blog post, Yay!) and her listeners, many of whom have visited my shop in the past few days! Again, Yay! Don't forget. . .Free Shipping for anyone who leaves a message mentioning "Never Not Knitting" during the checkout process!

In conjunction with the mention, I have designed a line of knitting row counters with three of Alana's designs in mind. . .Spring Garden Tee (pink), Watermelon, and Playful Stripes! Here is Alana's picture of the sweaters with their matching counters.

If you knit, please take a moment to visit Alana's blog, or check her out on Ravelry! She even has a Never Not Knitting group on the forums! I am there from time to time, and I would love to "meet" you there sometime!

And I promised you all more knitting content this time around, so here it is! Below is a photo of my finished Adorable Baby Cables sweater, finished just a few days ago for a baby who has yet to make his or her appearance! Note the neutral cream color, and the softer-than-soft Cottontots yarn used in the knitting! Yummy! It will also get a button, I am waiting to see if I will know the gender before the gifting! (Note: this worsted, cotton yarn knits up at slightly fewer sts/in than it;s counterpart in wool, acrylic or blends with the same size needle. . .for me anyway!)

And here is a picture of the very start of a cardigan for me in fingering weight wool. It is the versatile Simple Set-in Sleeve Cardigan found at http://www.knittingfool.com/, and I have used this pattern for sweaters in all sizes! I love the versatility, and the fact that the website does all the math for me - yippee! The yarn is Knit Picks Palette in gray (maybe heather?) and the carry along lace-weight is Knit Picks Shimmer in the discontinued colorway Happy Dance!

Everything about this sweater makes me happy enough to dance. . .except that my cat loves the Shimmer yarn! This is the lace-weight yarn I knit, single-stranded on size 2 needles, into the doomed Clapotis. After finishing the shawl, I laid it out on the pool table to block the thing, and the cat chewed a giant hole in the cast-on corner!?! I was twitched, to say the least! And it has taken me almost a year to rip out the clap and wind the yarn, and pick a new project for it. . .sigh! Stupid cat!

I have also started another hat project for a friend recently diagnosed with cancer. . .this is the first of at least two hats, knit from the Race For Life 2009 pattern. This one is in Wool-Ease (gray heather) and the one I have not taken a pic of is the same Cottontots (with fewer stitches around) as the baby sweater above. I hope they feel nice and soft and comfy.

And finally, while this next item may not look knitted, it is. I have had a picture in my head for some time now of an angel pin knit in wire with glass beads. . .and here is my first one! This one is a gift, and the recipient may read my blog, though it won't arrive at her home for a few days. . .so I will not give away who's house she is merrily traveling to!

There! Honest-to-goodness knitting content. A little late (sigh), written with a slight case of insomnia (I love the middle of life!), but knitting content, nonetheless. Saturday's post may also be a tad late, as we are taking the Skinny Girl to her college dorm that day. My heart is with all of the other parents out there watching their darlin' babies take flight from the nest for the first time. . .it should be such a natural thing. . .or so I have heard. . .

Knit in good health, everybody!