The Knitting Type

Maurice Murphy - Last Day in Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:59:00 +0000

Well I've dragged my feet on this long enough so today I bring to you Maurice Murphy's last 2 days in Ireland.

Picking up from this last post, we left Killarney and headed north. We made a couple stops along the way as we headed towards the River Shannon. We were making our way toward Galway.

Along the way we stopped at a sheep farm where sheep and land owner, Brendan Ferris lived and worked. We were privileged enough to watch some professional sheep herding!

I realize this might not sound too exciting for some folks but I was tickled. Maurice was confused. He didn't understand the concept of herding but was very excited to meet some of his long lost relatives.

"Oh, hello. I'm Maurice Murphy. Do you fancy my bow tie? Want to share a spot of grass?"

The herding was quite impressive. There was a very steep hill that the sheep would climb at their own pace but when Brendan Ferris the Sheep Herder Extrorinaire blew his whistle the boarder collies fled into action prowling the sheep this way and that. They zig zagged all the way down until Mr. Ferris blew his whistle again!

You can see in the photo above just how agile these dogs are. They practically fly when they run!

It was quite chilly on this day and while Maurice was enjoying watching his relatives transition from lazy grazing to terrified spurts of herding he needed some comfort. So Husband picked him up and positioned him safely under his arm so Maurice could continue watching the trials (where the dogs could not get too close).

We left Mr. Ferris' farm and made our way to what was suppose to be a Skellig adventure, however the waters were too rough and the fog had settled so we made our way through the gift shop instead and the Husband found himself a wind instrument. After I had purchased my Irish tokens I walked out of the gift shop and found the below image...

Someone was taking his new hobby very seriously.

After the lack of Skellig experience we got back on the bus and headed towards our next adventure, the Cliffs of Moher! Just before we arrived our tour guide stopped the bus at a pull-off location to allow us to stretch our legs and take in some of the beautiful landscape.

Maurice Murphy told me that after our last sheep visit he was not too keen on getting off the bus for a while so we left him stay on the bus as Husband and I left to stretch our legs and see what there was to be seen. While the landscape was beautiful I was taken by some of the residents.

This man played the accordion wonderfully and created such a permanent image in my mind that I will always remember him sitting there, singing his land's stories, staring blankly as tourist crossed his path.

This will also leave a permanent image in my head. I got to hold a baby sheep for the first time ever. There was another local resident sitting on the side of the road by the bus stops. He held the lamb in his lap, a tiny pup sat next to him and on the other side of him was a baby deer. They looked like they had all had a rough life but together they were a little family. I gave him some money and he let me hold this little lamb who could not have been more soft and warm.

Finally we boarded the bus and headed towards our final destination for the day, the Cliffs of Moher. Maurice Murphy was very excited about this stop! He had heard the views were breath taking and the weather was looking sunny and warm.

You might not be able to see it in the photo above but there is a small castle in the distance. We eventually walked over to this castle. Just to give you some perspective though of how large and how expansive the Cliffs are.

Again, the Husband and I lectured Maurice on the safety issues at the Cliffs and that it would best if he stuck by us and did not wander off on his own.

Maurice promised to do as instructed and so we made our way to the castle (see it in the background? It's getting closer).

Here we are at the castle. Turns out it was not as big as Maurice Murphy had expected but still, he was very impressed by the view.

And so our adventure with Maurice Murphy ended. He now lives with us back in Ol' Baltimore which he agrees has its own charm but will never compare to Ireland.

Happy Knitting!

Its a Wrap!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:48:00 +0000

On the last day of the 2011, in the final hours of the day I wanted to make sure I posted my knitted gifts.

This year I managed to produce only 4 made holiday gifts but its the quality that counts, right?

This year's gifts were as follows:

An Ear Warmer for my Be Fri (that's best friend if you don't kno

w the lingo)

The pattern is The Whitney by Jennifer DiMaria. Be Fri had seen this ear warmer in a local trendy store and said she wanted one. I of course scooped it up for closer inspectio

n only to find out that the pattern looked fairly simple. And indeed it was, but thankfully I didn't have to worry my pretty little head with details and was able to find a similar pattern already written out on Ravelry. (*sigh, I <3 Ravelry)

A warm and fuzzy Christmas Cowl for Mamasita

She did not ask for this but I saw the yarn and thought it looked liked something she might wear. I also saw the pattern on a recent trip to A Tangled Skein. They had the same cowl already knit up and displayed by the yarn. I have to admit this was a selfish knit. I just really wanted to play with the yarn and knit the pattern, gifting it was just a nice little side effect.

Koolhass Hat and Mitts was for the genius boy

The last two items I knit were for my handsome and all "grown-up" little brother. Let's be honest, even though this year he techinically became legal to drink and that according to the state he is now 100% responsible for all of his actions and purchases (yet, still cannot rent a car) I had to put the "grown-up" portion of my previous statement in quotes because the reason I knit this kid a very nice hat and fingerless mitts was because the genius put the 100% wool mitts I made him 2 years ago in the washer and then (knitters cover your ears) the dryer! He might be bigger than me, he might be stronger than me, he might even be smarter than me (if you consider a 21 year old applying to Ivy League schools for a Ph.D. in physics smart) but "grown-up"? Not more than me, no. I would never do that to yarn.

It was a wonderful handmade holiday full of family, friends, laughter, and some very nice knitting books I received!

What will 2012 hold I wonder. Perhaps some color work!

Happy New Year, Knitters and Crotchers!

100 Things about Me (5 years later)

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:12:00 +0000

In June of 2006, I was 25 and wrote a '100 Things about Meeeeee' post over at my old blog, YarnCoffee. At that point in my life I knew two things for sure, I loved yarn and coffee and thus my blog title was born. I switched over to TheKnittingType in January 2008. In 2008 I also met my now husband, I lost my beloved cat, and officially decided that going out to bars to meet people/guys was pointless because all I ever did was hang out with my own friends and scream at them because it was TOO LOUD! I was getting older, perhaps a little more mature (I still laugh when I or someone else farts, let's not get too reflective), and I was changing.

I'm now 30 and just today, remembered that once upon time, roughly 5.5 years ago, I created a list. A list of 100 things that I thought I knew about myself. So, I thought it would be fun to revisit this list! To see what I wrote, to see if and how much I've changed.

Ok, here we go!

1. My favorite colors are blue and purple. (Ok, this one is still true but I also love mauve)
2. I don't like to wear purple but I do wear a lot of blue. (I do like to wear purple and blue, and gray and mauve!!!)
3. I have a cat named Bobi after a friend who died when I was fifteen, her name was Beth. (Bobi passed away in 2008 and is greatly missed. But I know have two adorable kittehs named Chalie, after 'Chalie Bit my Finger', and Spartacus)
4. I have fallen in love twice. (This is still true. Since meeting my husband I have reassessed what I thought I knew love was. I know believe that I have fallen in love twice, once with Hubby and once before)
5. I love to travel. (still true!)
6. I have traveled outside the US three times. (Thanks to my awesome honeymoon in Ireland, this is now four times)
7. I question faith, destiny, religion, and spirituality. (I hope this is always true)
8. I believe in faith in people, manifesting destiny, and finding spirituality. (yes)
9. I am an only child. (sort of)
10. I am the second old child. (Ok, so here is the deal. I am the only child born to my two parents when they were together. I am a step child to my step father and step mother, a step sister to my older brother and younger sister, and a 1/2 sibling to my little brother. I have known all these people since I was 5 years old so to me there are no steps or halves, there is only family and this is mine)
11. I am a sister, an aunt, and daughter. (And now a wife!)
12. I love irises and Gerber daisies. (This is still true and I used both at my wedding. I also lurv Dahlias!)
13. I hate the smell of beets. (Still true, I don't care what anyone says beets are the devil's food)
14. I cannot stand hearing the word "moist" pronounced. (yup, gross, don't say it)
15. My step parents names are Ken and Barbie. (so funny and so true!)
16. I love to dance. (I do! I also love yoga)
17. I grew up taking ballet, tap, jazz, and modern dance classes. (this has no changed, haha)
18. I was on my high school Dance Team. (indeed I was)
19. I'm about to move into my very first, very own apartment! (Obviously, this is not a current statement)
20. I have about 5 friends who know me better than most. (I would say that I have three friends who probably know me better than most and I have known them since 3rd and 7th grade. Hi Bridget, Gretchen, and Emily!)
21. I love to dance in the kitchen while cooking. (yes, I do! I also like to listen to audio books on my IPOD)
22. I like cleaning. (Ok, this has changed a little. I really used to take my Sunday, later morning, and do a quick 1 to 2 hours cleaning session. I had this cleaning method down pack and my home always looked neat and tidy. Now I live with a boy and he is messy and never picks up after himself. So I have concluded that I enjoy cleaning up after myself and despise picking up after him but do for my own sanity)
23. When I do clean I like to turn music up to an obnoxious volume and sing loudly. (Because I no longer do my 2 hours of cleaning on Sunday mornings like I used to I kinda just clean as I move through the house and unfortunately don't play the music. But you know what? The 25 year old version of myself was right, cleaning is a lot better when the music is blasting, I shall make it a point to do this! You go girl!)
24. I like to read some fiction. (yes, and non-fiction, and yoga journal, and blogs, and facebook status messages
25. I don't really like sci-fi although i do love Harry Potter (books) and the Lord of the Rings (movies). (um, sure. I don't think really matters in my life anymore though)
26. I LOVE wine. (yes I do!)
27. I LOVE Burger cookies (Baltimore specialty). (yes!)
28. I leave candy wrappers tucked into sofa cushions. (I have really cut candy out of my life but if I had not this would be true. I probably leave other things in couch cushions now.)
29. I leave half drank cups of coffee in the microwave (thanks, Mom). (and tea and measuring cups)
30. I'm learning to cook. Haven't killed anyone yet so I think I'm doing well. (still no one has died, good job me!)
31. I last skinned my knees when I was 11, my mom took a picture as a keepsake. (yup)
32. I am not athletic. (my coordination skills have not changed, nor has my lung capacity so yes, still true)
33. I throw like "a girl". (probably worse than a girl)
34. I can speak in multiple accents. (yes!)
35. I don't crush easily. (I'm sure what the 25 year old version of myself was attempting to define about herself by this statement but the 30 year old version of me has no idea what I was trying to prove. I crush very easily! haha. I love to love things, people, animals, colors, movies, songs, etc. Silly girl)
36. I am in touch with my emotions. (yes)
37. I like math. (I liked algebra and geometry, they made sense to me.)
38. I do not like grammar. (grammar is inconsistent and makes no sense to me)
39. I do like poetry. (yes!)
40. I am the 2nd woman in my family to go to college. (This is dumb and not true. I think I was misinformed when I wrote this. Many woman on both sides of my family have gone to college. My grandmother did not go, my mom did, and so did I. So I guess that means 2nd in that little family)
41. To hide from the world's ugly reality I watch TV on DVD (no commercials). (haha, this is kinda true, but now I have cable and a DVR and still don't watch the news and FF through commercials)
42. This is hard. (not really)
43. I love live music. (yes, in controlled environments when I have a seat. 'old'!)
44. My favorite two instruments are the Saxophone and the Harmonica. (and piano and violin)
45. I once had a pet cat named muffin, I came home from school one day and my dad told me he had thrown my cat out the window because it was a farm animal. I was dumbfounded. (we lived on the 1st floor of the apt. just fyi)
46. I cannot wiggle my ears. (true)
47. I used to hate the taste of pickles and coffee but loved the smell. Now I like the taste of both. (yes)
48. I read before bed. (yes)
49. I tend to say inappropriate things at the wrong time (funerals, weddings, birthdays, etc.) (I also overshare. What? You did not want to know ...)
50. I am 1/2 this number. (not anymore)
51. I used to take violin and piano lessons. (haha, maybe that is why they were not listed as my favorite)
52. I tend to quit things I don't enjoy doing. (I've since learned to power through rather than quit but I will still walk out of a movie, concert, venue, or event if I don't like it)
53. I have moved at least 9 times. (I have moved a total of 18 times, and that does not include packing up and moving in and out of dorms)
54. I have lived in 2 different states. (yes)
55. I have lived on 2 different coasts. (yes)
56. I have lived in 2 major cities. (yes)
57. I once told someone I was a professional job hopper. (yes and have since added 5 more jobs to that profession)
58. I have been at my current job for 2 years. (I stayed at that last job for 4 years. I have been at my current job for 1.5 years and love it!)
59. I am a free spirited, type-A person. (right and left brained, its very confusing in this head)
60. I go with my gut. (And question everything) (*side note: I'm 1/2 this number!)
61. I tend to put all my eggs in one basket. (yes)
62. I over analyze people. (yes :/)
63. I'm impulsive. (yes!)
65. I lived in (not in them, I camped and survived on them) the mountains for 5 days, slept under tarp, hiked miles, rocked and boulder climbed, repelled...I'd do it again. (go me!)
66. I have one tattoo (yes)
67. I do not like spicy food. (I now like spicy and warm foods, bring on the peppers and the cumin!)
68. I will always opt to eat Italian food when given a choice. (Not really, too many carbs, too much dairy, etc. Now I really like Thai and yummy vegan dishes)
69. I'm not very political, I do pay attention. (this is still true)
70. I do vote. (yes!)
71. I sometimes wish I was a little more selfish. (yes. I have a problem saying no to people when I really need to take time for myself. I get myself all stressed out by doing this and then snap)
72. When I was a little girl I used to keep pet worms. (yes)
73. I've never broken a bone. (still true!)
74. I've never been stung by anything. (still true!)
75. I hate my calves, I call them "mamajama beaters". (it makes me giggle). (I've learned to accept them. They are not so bad, they are just meaty)
76. My mother will always know me better than I know myself. (yes)
77. I love popping bubble wrap, it relieves stress! Try it. (yes!)
78. I like Garfield more than Snoopy. (yes)
79. I often have to bug my family and friends to read this blog (who else will I wonder?). (yes!)
80. Hershey Kisses are my favorite chocolate. (yes, I have a bag hidden in the house right now)
81. I have 6 aunts named Mary. My grandma Mary named them. (my mother is also named Mary)
82. I don't believe in Heaven or Hell but have a sneaking suspicion that reincarnation is possible. (yes)
83. I make snap judgments but try to be open minded enough to know I could be wrong. (still true)
84. I want to go skydiving but not bungie jumping. (yes)
85. My all time favorite candy is Necco Valentines Candy Hearts. (yes)
86. I don't believe that Valentines Day should be for lovers. I think it should be for family and friends, those are the people you sometimes how much you love, appreciate, and need in your life. (eh, I have enjoyed spending it with my husband, its the one night a year he cooks!)
87. I am Anti-MySpace. (I broke down and got a profile just before Facebook took off. I don't have one anymore)
88. I like Independent Films. (yes)
89. I think God Father III is a joke. (yes)
90. I have freckles. (in the summer)
91. I never knew I was a dog person till we had to put our family dog to sleep. (yes)
92. I will one day own a dog and two cats. (I have 2 cats, and am working on the Hubby for a dog. He says once we have kids to take care of it. LOL, silly husband)
93. I procrastinate. (doing it now!)
94. I own a 6ft tall wooden giraffe. (yes)
95. I start projects and put them down for months, sometimes years at a time. (yes)
96. I have a problem thinking of 100 things about myself. (not really, I'm quite interesting,right?)
97. I am right handed. (yes)
98. I give all animals I see a personality by talking in a funny voice that I think would suit them if they could speak English, then I name them...All of them. (still do this)
99. My most favorite person in the world is my little brother. (for always)
100. I value friends, family, and my relationships with people more than work or schooling. (yes!)

Man, I cannot believe I did not mention anything about knitting. Thank you for reading!

Happy Knitting

Killarney and Such

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:49:00 +0000

I can't believe i'm still blogging about my honeymoon that happened almost 4 months ago now! But I told myself that I would blog the adventures so I don't forget and if it takes till next year I'm gonna do it! (bare with me there are only 2 more posts about it after this one, i promise!)

So, once we finished up at the Blarney Castle we boarded the bus and continued on our journey towards the Killarney Towers.

I diligently continued work on my Wispy Cardi (at this point it was not complete, remember this all took place in June and I finished the sweater in August). Don't think from the photo above that I did not spend hours upon hours gazing out our bus window and taking in all of the scenic landscape my eyes could gobble up, because I did. But you know, after 2 hours on a 4 hour bus ride you kinda get bored. (shhhhh, I didn't say that. I loved every minute and want to do it all over again!)

When we got to our hotel Husband and I were thrilled that our room was lovely, big king size bed, jacuzzi hot tub, we even had bathrobes, a bottle of wine, sparkling waters, and slippers waiting for us. Although quite parched and eager to drink the wine I hesitated insisting we inquire with the front desk before opening it. I'm American, they'll charge you $40 for a $10 bottle of wine if you just move it in your hotel room in the states! But the woman at the front desk told us it was a honeymoon gift and there was no charge. Yippee!!!!

We opened the bottle and tried on our bathrobes. And after just one glass my sophisticated and serious, never silly, Husband did this:

Yes, the belt of my bathrobe is around his head, a la Karate Kid. Actually, now that I think of it, he very well could have done this before we started drinking the wine.

Apparently the robes, slippers, and upgraded tub were also courtesy of the hotel for our honeymoon but we didn't find that out till later when we asked our fellow travelers how they enjoyed their robes and tubs! Whoops!

We had the night free to explore Killarney, so we gathered up all our money and hit the town!

Irish coinage!

...then 30 mins later we found ourselves back in our hotel room ready to sleep. Its a lovely and quaint town but we were exhausted. We had after all visited Blarney that day and gone sweater shopping.

The next day was to be full of sheep herding demonstrations and so much more!

Maurice went to bed quietly, quite exhausted from day, dreaming of all the adventures left to come.

Happy Knitting!

Wispy Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:39:00 +0000

Does anyone mind if I take a moment and brag? I didn't think so!

I have now completed sweater number 2 this year! (Actually, at this point, its sweater number three but I'm not read to post about that one yet. Just sayin.) I set out with a goal of starting and completing Hannah Fettig's Wispy Cardi before my honeymoon started. Unfortunately a little sheep, who shall not be named, got in my way and I did not end up completing the cardigan till I returned from my honeymoon. But I finished just after I returned and other than blocking it in a my slightly smelly basement I am loving this quaint little cardigan.

Unfortunately this photo shows it falling off my shoulder a little much.

It actually fits better than it looks in this photo.

Pattern: Wispy Cardigan by Hannah Fettig
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace Weight Yarn
Needles: US 4 and US 6 circular needles (love my nickle plated interchangeable circs from Knitpicks)
Review: I really enjoyed knitting Wispy. The yarn was light like cotton candy and although it was lace weight the needle size was big enough and the sections were small enough to complete that I didn't feel like any particular part dragged on foreeeeeever. I guess the only question now is do I make another one? I bought two kits!

Happy Knitting!

CartoonYarn

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:58:00 +0000

Nothing makes me giggle more than garfield, unless maybe he is sitting next to talking yarn!

How to Pick a Sweater

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:46:00 +0000

How does one pick the perfect sweater? To knit? To wear? To buy?

This is the question I was faced with when Husband and I visited the Blarney Woolen Mills. Part of our day trip to the Blarney Castle was then stopping to shop at the BWM. It was a knitters dream and delight. Aran sweater galore, knit hats, knit mittens, knit scarves, and yes, oh yes, yarn! Donegal Tweed, Raw uncolored Merino Wool and much more!

Husband was so patient with me letting me know, "This is your time, I'll hold the camera, we have an hour, go!"

I was off!

"Hmm, maybe this one? Nope!"

Even though I had an hour, which in normal people's time would be plenty to try on a few knitted garments and make a decision, I was fretting over what I might miss by being given ONLY an hour! I wanted to try on every option, crew neck, turtleneck, cardigan, little cables, big cables....

...greens, purples, creams, grays...

Did I really want a sweater? What if I missed out on something? Oh, a caplet, what about a caplet?!?

Could I get a scarf and a sweater? Could I get one of everything? And more importantly, did they sell the pattern with the sweater?

In the end I chose this beauty. I liked the big cowl collar, the large and center cabled motif on the front and back, and the tight looking checkerboard style knit sides panels.

I discovered its important to know which Aran sweater feels like your own. Which one, if you did have a family Aran design, might have been yours. This one spoke to me and then I bought it...and some yarn ;)

Happy Knitting!

Sock Summit Flash Mob

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:07:00 +0000

We interrupt this program to bring you something awesome!

If you are a knitter then you know that Sock Summit just happened this past week. Unfortunately, I am not an avid sock knitter nor did I get to attend and I was not truly disappointed this very moment.

It is my great pleasure to share with you this:

http://youtu.be/yOUL_S6tVr8

It is a flash mob from Sock Summit. This flash mob is awesome for two specific reasons:

1. They are dancing to I've Had The Time Of My Life My Life from Dirty Dancing.

2. They are all dancing their hearts out while holding a skein of yarn.

I love my people!

Happy Knitting!

Maurice Murphy - Visits Blarney Castle

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:33:00 +0000

Have I mentioned yet that I had the best honeymoon? Well its true! We were in Ireland right? So you would expect the usual chilly temperatures, overcast skies, and rainy weather you find in Europe through out most of the year, right? Wrong!

We had temps that ran between 65 and 75, to me this is the most perfect temperature range. Also, almost all of the rain occurred when we were on the bus or in a building. As soon as we stepped outside the rain would stop, clouds would part, and the sun would come out! It was wonderful and again I feel truly blessed to have such luck.

On our 5th day in Ireland (aka: Maurice's 3rd day of existence) we boarded the bus, departed Dublin, and headed back to County Cork! This time we were going to visit the Blarney Castle. And oh what a castle it was.

There is something so hauntingly simple about its construction I think.

Adam and I toured around the castle, climbing the narrow spiraling stone staircases, which I might add were very slippery from years of wear and damp weather. We worked our way up to the top pausing at every open stone entrance way to explore another uneven room and read up on blarney that is the history of Blarney Castle.

Ivy growing inside the castle, it is both beautiful and haunting.

The view from the top of the castle displayed gorgeous green covered grounds.

Once we reached the top we had a 5 minute wait in line to kiss the stone. The old man who sits by the Blarney Stone, located about 2.5ft from the castle's top floor, holds your waist while you drop your head backwards and hope the grate below and his sturdy Irish hands will prevent you from plummeting to your death.

Just in case anyone is worried about the cleanliness of the stone and the likely spread of disease they do have a swiffer type broom they clean the area with about every 20 people.

How many people do you think have a picture of the back of this guy's head?

Once we finished touring the castle the Husband and I agreed it was time to free Maurice from his carrier (aka: backpack). He had been catching some zzz's and we did not want to wake him. The castle while breathtaking was not really a great place for such a small sheep.

So we took Maurice down to a smaller stone tower on the property. And just as expected his excitement over came him and the next thing I knew he was climbing again.

He was so proud of himself and he said the view was much better up there.

Just as I was warning him to get down, that the rocks were slippery and he should probably stick to solid ground rather than curved stone ledges, the worst happened!

Maurice took a tumble. Both Husband and I were probably a little bit more concerned for Maurice's safety than he was. As a matter of fact, I kinda think he was in denial that he had just tumbled to his near death. He got up, brushed himself off, looked at me and said, "So...what's next?"

What was next was Maurice not exploring on his own. I held him close for the next few touristy photos.

And he promised not to go anywhere while took our necessary jumping photos.

But I swear, if I don't keep my eyes on him I have this feeling he is very likely to just wander off...

Happy Knitting!

Maurice Murphy - Is King for a Day

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:34:00 +0000

All good things must come to an end and so the Husband, Maurice and myself had to leave Cork, Ireland. But our adventures were far from over. We all boarded a train to Dublin on the 4th day of our trip (aka: Maurice's 2nd day of existence). Its a 3 hour train ride from Cork to Ireland and since I had finished knitting Maurice I busied myself journaling our adventures, while Husband read, and Maurice napped (its quite a bit of travel for the little fellow).

Husband and I had booked a bus tour for the 2nd half of our Honeymoon. We booked with CIE Tours and I would highly recommend them. Our tour came with over night stays in 4 different hotels, breakfast and dinner every night, an Irish Dance Show, a Medieval Banquet dinner, a ton of tourist stops and much more. We were very excited to begin this portion of our trip!

When we arrived in Dublin we had to find our way to our first fancy hotel. We stayed at the Burlington Hotel in the south end of Dublin city. It was a lovely hotel with a comfortable bed, nice bathrooms, and a delicious restaurant.

Our first scheduled event on the tour itinerary was a personal bus tour of the city with a stop at the Dublin Castle! So we waited in the lobby to meet up with the rest of our tour group and to meet our driver.

I'm not as grumpy as I look here, I swear.

Finally the bus driver arrived and we all boarded our very own CIE tour bus. This would be our bus/ mobile home for the next week so I was very excited to see it was brand new! There were only 15 people in our group (no kids!) and we had a HUGE coach bus! There was so much room to spread out and have your own seat (we found this to be very important when you are traveling for 2 to 3 hours at a stretch).

Maurice really wanted his own seat but I told him it if he sat with me he could easily look out the window by sitting on my knee while we drove through the city.

When we got to the castle we were given a personal tour guide just for our small group. Maurice was over joyed to be at the castle and when heard we had our own personal tour guide I think he misinterpreted what I said. He seemed to believe that someone was going to show us around HIS castle, not THE castle.

He lept from my arms again and begin touring the grounds on his own.

The Dublin Castle was quite impressive with grand rooms, brightly colored walls, various ceiling art applications, and a historical spirit only found in castles.

I attempted a few times to pick Maurice up and hold on to him but with every new room his excitement grew and he just could not hear me when I told him this was not HIS castle.

He did let me place him in a window though so he could see the view. Then he turned to me and said, "So, this is my Kingdom?"

In the Ladies' Parlor Maurice remarked on the lovely curtains and feminine decor. He was very excited to view the Men's Parlor!

The Castle was quite large and while it was not too much walking for Husband and I Maurice seemed a little tired. I turned my back for one minute and when I turned around Maurice had found himself a nice little resting spot.

"Maurice! This is NOT your castle! Get off the couch, its like a thousand years old!"

Towards the end of our tour Husband and I had decided that it might be best for Maurice to hop back in the sheep carrier (aka: backpack) for the rest of the tour. But once again he was nowhere to be found. How had he gotten away? And where did he go?!

"Yes, one day, one day I will be King."

Naturally, I found him in the room with the King's Throne. I don't know what he was thinking and he wouldn't tell me but I think its safe to say Maurice has some pretty big ideas and aspirations.

Later that evening, Maurice decided that he was too tired from his full day of travel and castle excitement so Husband and I left him in the hotel room to dream.

On our first night of the tour we got to see a show called Ragus, a Irish music, song, and dance show. I had never seen Irish dancing in person and was amazed by how quickly their feet could move! Look, they are blurry in the photo, still bodies, blurry feet!

This show came with a wonderful Irish meal complete with an Irish Coffee (my first!).

I know Maurice will be sad to know he missed a great night of music and drink but tomorrow is a big day and he needs his sleep. Tomorrow, we visit the Blarney Castle!

Happy Knitting!

Maurice Murphy - Kneels to Pray

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:56:00 +0000

...(picking up from yesterday)

After leaving UCC, we walked down the streets of Cork and found ourselves in front of a magnificent church. Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral is truly breath taking in its artistic architecture and skillfully detailed construction. It is also, HUGE!

That little person is me standing about 20 feet from the door.

Adam and I walked around the exterior in awe of the detail that was in every door, archway, column, and steeple.

I loved the stained glass. I've seen my fair share of American churches but had never seen celtic designs in stained glass in a church. There were many at St. Fin Barre's.

The Husband and I lit candles in remeberance of those passed.

And of course I could not let these little felted prayer pillows go unphotographed!

Once the interior tour was complete we had to let Maurice back on his own two feet to peruse the grounds as he liked. He too was blown away by the beauty and construction of the cathedral.

He was quite small compared to the grandness of it all.

Can you find the Guardian Angel?

The back of St. Fin Barre's Cathedral

We toured all over the grounds and found a lovely little field of flowers.

Which Maurice could not help but frolic in.

Stay tuned for more adventures of Maurice Murphy!

Happy Knitting!

Maurice Murphy - Goes to College

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:22:00 +0000

The 3rd day of our honeymoon we did more site seeing, and by "we" I mean, the three of us, Husband, myself, and Maurice the sheep.

We decided to tour around Cork and visit University College Cork (UCC). One of my best friends had studied abroad in Ireland and had attended UCC for one semester and I had really wanted to see what her life looked like during that time.

Maurice was quite excited and proud to visit the college. Although, I think he was confused when I told him that today, he would be going to college.

Here is Maurice, looking quite proud on his first...and only day of college.

Traditional sign pose, I could barely hold on to Maurice he was so excited to tour the grounds!

Husband gave Maurice a quick lecture on the importance of campus safety and sticking with the group.

Maurice did not listen and a few minutes later found himself off the beaten path all by himself. (I told you he was adventurous!)

Thankfully we found him and talked to him about the importance of sticking with the group.

In the middle of campus we stumbled upon this interesting statue. Maurice asked politely if he could have a closer look and I trusted he would not run away again. I let him explore a little on his own.

He would not tell me what he and the statue discussed but I think I heard the word philosophical.

We saw many beautiful buildings, flowers, and statues all over campus. UCC is quite majestic. I highly recommend you make it a stop if you find yourself staying in Cork, Ireland.

Before we left, Husband and I had decided it would be fun to take some jumping photos throughout our trip.

Yay, University College Cork!

Husband manages to levitate more than jump.

Yes, that blur is Maurice, he wanted to be included as well...so I threw him. What? Like a 5" tall sheep was gonna jump that high!

Please stay tuned for more adventures of Maurice Murphy in Ireland!

Happy Knitting!

Maurice Murphy - Pleased to meet you.

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:01:00 +0000

My husband and I had the most perfect honeymoon. I know lots of newly weds probably think they had the perfect honeymoon but I would argue to say that no, if perfection were measured on a scale ours would be at the top and a comparison for all others.

Seriously, perfection. Every plane, train, taxi, and car was on time. Ok, there was one defibrillator incident on a plane, and one de-boarding and re-boarding of our first flight but seriously we got to every destination on time and that is really all that matters, right?!

We also were gifted bottles of wine, bathrobes, executive suite upgrades, etc. Oh, where did we go? We went to Ireland!

Ireland from the sky

For 9 days we toured around the South of Ireland checking out small towns, "big" cities, farmlands, cliffs, castles, and more. But we weren't alone. We had a travel companion. He did not fully arrive till the third day but he made his presence known immediately and was quite the social butterfly.

I hinted about a project I was working on back in this post and suggested you might think I was knitting a potato if you heard the pattern name.

Before I introduce him I'll give you a little background. The Husband and I departed the day after our wedding, I had been fretting about completing this project before the honeymoon and of course I had over planned and over extended myself so this little project of mine was only 1/2 way done. Thus I present you with this:

Here I am working on the secret project on our way to Ireland (note the enthusiasm of the man next to me. He may appear to be sleeping but he was staring at me for 1/2 the flight.)

However, I did not finish the secret project on the plane ride. We landed in Dublin and took a train to Cork. I was far too exhausted to knit on the train so I slept instead and the unfinished project remained unfinished in my luggage. When we got to Cork we were tired but excited to explore. We spent our first night just walking around town and getting a feel for the city. The next day we went to Kinsale, a small sailing town in the south east of County Cork.

Kinsale

On the bus ride down to Kinsale we met a lovely older couple named Barbara and Maurice (pronounced "Morris") Murphy. They were in their 80's and had been married 61 years. We asked them what sage marital advice they could give to a newly married young couple and I have to say their words of wisdom entertained us the entire trip and I think I will hold this couple and their advice close to my heart for years to come. Barbara said this: "The first 30 years are the hardest. Have your kids, have them young, educate them, raise them, and get rid of them. Then enjoy your time together and become best friends."

We had planned to visit Kinsale Crystal Shop but were unsure of where it was located. Maurice said that when we arrived he would show us the way. Maurice entertained us while we walked the 1/4 mile or so with stories of fighting in WW2 and being married for 61 years. He was quite funny and charming in a sheepish sort of way. (do you detect a subtle project hint in that last line?)

One of many quaint streets in Kinsale.

Later that evening we arrived back in Cork and rested for the night and I went back to working on my secret project. The next morning I insisted that I could not possibly leave the B&B till I finished my nearly completed friend. Husband was patient and entertained himself with British television and maps of the country.

Almost done, just some finishing touches and...!

It took 3 hours of morning knitting on the 3rd day of our Honeymoon but I must say I think this new little friend was waiting, he was waiting for his moment, and he was waiting for his name. It is my great pleasure and honor to introduce to you Mr. Maurice Murphy!

Here I am showing him the view from our room in Cork.

Yes, we named him after the man we had met the day before in Kinsale. The couple was inspirational and we felt they deserved some sort of tribute if for no other reason than successfully completing 61 years of marriage.

He is complete, he is adorable, and I love him!

Please stay tuned for more Irish adventures with Maurice Murphy.

Happy Knitting!

Hold on to Your Pots and Pans - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:07:00 +0000

Back in April I had the privilege to participate in Pot Holder Swap 2011. Where in I crocheted 5 pot holders and sent them away in the hopes and dreams of receiving 5 different pot holders hand crocheted or knitted by 5 complete strangers.

Well low and behold (who says that anymore?) my dreams came true and not a month later I received this generous bounty!

Starting with the gorgeous green pot holder on the left, made by Betheany, The adorable blue and white one was made by Keri blogging at Knitty Gritty Thoughts, the bright and fun peach one was crocheted by Gretchen (Ravelry'd as Gbaby), the Christmas color inspired one was made by Melissa Williams (unfortunately I don't know her Ravelry name), and finally the spunky pink pot holder was crocheted by Kim blogging at KimTimNashville.

Thank you ladies for your wonderful contributions to my now awesome potholder stash!

Happy Knitting!

Touring the City My Way

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:04:00 +0000

Brief announcement:

I am in shock! Shock that I have not posted in almost 2 months! Shock that I have not updated any readers out there still checking this blog (I hope there are at least a few) that I have not shared my knitting progress with you, there has actually been some! And shocked that my life has changed so much in such a short period of time.

I have a ton to share and so many photos that I think the best way to convey all this information is to attempt to blog at least twice a week. Yes, this girl, who has a hard enough time posting once a month lately, is going to attempt to post twice a week. So watch out, I'm about to take over!

....announcement concluded

So, when we last left off I had just had not one but two amazing Bridal Showers. What came next in this Bride-t0-Be's life (am I obnoxious yet with this whole bride thing? Don't worry, its almost over)? The Bachelorette weekend!!!!!

One of my dear friends since 3rd grade, and a bridesmaid, Gretchen, put together a truly perfect bachelorette weekend designed just for me. All this fun and shenanigans took place in NYC. We stayed in a very fancy Double Tree in Time Square on the 43rd (top floor baby!) floor. While Double Tree hotels don't usually impress me, any hotel in Time Square is impressive and the DT did not fall short. Gretchen had booked us a suite complete with multiple beds and a livingroom/ kitchen area! I had never stayed in a hotel so nice in NYC!

When we first arrived and met Gretchen in the lobby of the hotel she immediately gifted to us all mandatory attire. We each got a t-shirt with our wedding title placed on the front and center. Even Mamasita and the Aunties got t-shirts reading, "Mother of the Bride" and "Aunt of the Bride".

These t-shirts ended up acting as a coupon all over the city. We got free coffees, snacks, and a few well wishes!

Once all were properly attired we headed to a lovely outdoor seating area in front of Macy's to wait....and wait...and wait. I had no idea what we were waiting for because everything was going to be a surprise. And then it happened! This woman approached our table with a bag, which I could not read, and some handouts. She work a knitted scarf which I did not even recognize till later. Her name was Susan and she was with Susan Sez, New York City Knitting Crawl! and her bag said, "Vogue Knitting"! Yes, that is correct, we were all about to go on a yarn store crawl!!!!

I was thrilled! (that is me being thrilled!)

Susan took us to a bunch of fabulous places, some were hole-in-the-wall stores you would never know existed (going into some unmarked building to this odd numbered floor, walking down a hall, and oh! there is a yarn shop!). She took us to some very cute up-and-coming shops and some extremely well known shops! (Hello, Purl Soho!).

whole in the wall - had some very interesting fibers, paper, hemp, etc.

Loopy Mango was a great store that incorporated both antiques and yarn. I met a woman Anna (ravelry'd here) there who had just started the yarn shop not too long ago. They had a beautiful selection of yarn. Common threads like Debbie Bliss and some I had never heard of. I bought myself some yarn made from Milk, can't wait to try that out!

Oh Purl! How I have dreamed of this moment! Mamasita told me to pick out something and she would buy it for me. Such a generous Mama. I had trouble though, they carry so many nice yarns and so many colors. I finally ended up getting some Cascade 220 in a Magenta colorway and some new DPNS since my kittens had chewed an old pair I was trying to work with.

Like a kid in the candy store! (Purl SoHo, front of store)

My bacheloretting ladies were such a lovely crew to tour the stores with. While knitting, crocheting, and other general yarn loving hobbies might not be their cups of tea, they were all quite agreeable and let me take my time purusing all the yarny goodness in each store and I like to think they even had a bit of fun themselves.

These ladies are ready to party

Mamasita is a hippy in knitwear!

Gangs all here!

When the tour concluded I had met my yarn store shopping needs and was ready to get down for a night with the ladies. And that is exactly what we did. We started the evening with light appetizers and Presseco in our suite while listening to 80's music and playing the Ladies Night Out verison of Mad Libs then we hit the town, all gussied up! We had dinner at a fancy french restaurant and finished the day with a burlesque caberet. It was just the right amount of scantly clad bodies for this Bride-to-Be.

The next day we checked out of our awesome hotel, got the required NYC bagel and shmear, and boarded the bus back to Baltimore leaving Gretchen to tackle the city by herself (don't feel bad for her, she lives there). While riding the bumpy bus home I worked on a knitting project to be taken on the honeymoon. I shall not reveal what it was just yet but rather give you a clue.

If you heard the project name, you might think I was knitting a potato. (ooooh the suspence is building!)

Happy Knitting!

A Knitting Shower...or a Bridal Knit...or maybe a Bridal Shower

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:23:00 +0000

I've been dropping hints here and there about planning a little something called...My Wedding, and how overwhelmed I've been. Its true, so so so overwhelmed. I'm a detail oriented, list making fool and I find this whole process almost too much. However, now my most of my to-dos are crossed off the list the bright and shiny stuff is starting to fall in to place.

One part of the process I've really been looking forward to is the Bridal Shower. I had two showers!

The first shower was 2 weekends past and was wonderful. It was themed Irish because my future hubbie (FH) and I are going to Ireland for our honeymoon (my life's dream come true!). My step mother hosted this one and went to extreme measures finding all the Irish things she could. My most favorite detail though was the cake she had specialty made to look like my wedding ring.

Not only does this look delicious, people, it tasted delicious too!

My 2nd shower was hosted by my Bridesmaids, Bridget, Emily, and Gretchen (minus Gabe who could not be there). Bridget put together all those fine detail

s that really make a bridal shower personal and special for the B2B (bride-to-be).

One of my favorite details was the surprise factor. I knew I was having a bridal shower that day but I did not know who would be there or where it was. On top of that I was chauffeured by my neighbor, Megan (pretty blond on the left) and blind folded! I love a good surprise and it is almost impossible to surprise me but this time I was shocked!

Another lovely touch was the knitting and wedding related questionnaire that my Bridesmaid, Gretchen put together. Usually I don't really care for the sorts of games played at these events but Gretchen's creative and personal touch made me wish I had the opportunity to take a stab at answering some of her well thought out questions. Here is sample (note the knitting related questions!):

1. What are 'lazy daisy,' 'french knot', 'stem', and 'blanket'?

2. Is a 'Spinning Jenny' used for making pots or making yarn?

3. How much did Queen Victoria's wedding cake reportedly weigh?

Lastly, my most favorite detail of all, was the subtle knitting related decor.

Do you see the small balls of yarn and knitting needles? Is that a sheep you spy on the left?!!!!

Every seat at the table had its own personal hand wound ball of yarn!

These Bridal Showers were perfect. Everything any B2B could have asked for.

Happy Knitting!

Hold on to your Pots and Pans!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 11:51:00 +0000

Invitations, Registries, and Bridal Showers, Oh My!

I've been swamped with wedding to-dos and have not gotten nearly enough knitting done. 7 weeks and counting and my knitting should be back on its game. Is it sad to admit that I'm looking forward to the wedding planning being done so that I can get back to knitting on a regular basis? No, this is the place for the place for such crazy talk, my knitting blog!

Well I have managed to find time for a little crafting. I joined the 2011 Potholder Swap and I submitted my potholders last week.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Potholder Swap the rules are as follows:

You must create 5 fabulous potholders (knit or crochet, within the size and yarn req.s ) and then mail them and a self addressed, stamped envelope to the Swap Leader's address. Then about mid May I will receive 5 different potholders from 5 different knitters/ crocheters! I participated in this swap last year and really enjoyed meeting new crafty people in the process.

Other than participating in Secret Pal exchanges this has been my favorite knitting/ crochet swap.

Pattern: Jan Eaton's Coffee and Cream
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classics
Needles: Size H crochet hook
Review: Inspired by Easter eggs I choose bright and sunny yellow, pink, purple, green, and cream to make this sweet springtime potholders. I always enjoy making potholders, the are quick to create and give the knitter/ crocheter instant gratification. Jan Eaton's pattern was an easy one to commit to memory using simple single and double crochets. The yarn was a delight to work with it, as the shiny cotton glided through my fingers I found myself looking forward to holding the fabric I was creating.

Jan Eaton's Coffee and Cream (ravelry'd here)

Lorelei's Jasper Diamond Jacket

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 14:39:00 +0000

It is almost the third month of the year and I've only completed one knitting project! Some might wonder if I've lost my knitting mojo. Well the answer is NO! I long to knit, I think about it while at work, while driving in the car, while cooking dinner, and while at home addressing wedding invitations. But that's just it, I have had no time.

Since the winter's 2nd job (which has now ended) and the engagement I have had no additional time to whip up knitted delights. I fear this upcoming month could be even more knit free as A and I have decided to try to complete as much of our wedding planning as possible by the end of March. Why would we take on such a crazy endeavor you might be curious to know? Well, we wanted a short engagement because we wanted to honeymoon in Ireland and the best time to travel to Ireland is the summer. I consider myself a patient (sometimes) person but I do not want to wait another year to get to Ireland if I can do it this year so we are planning to wed in May and honeymoon in Ireland in June.

Thankfully, I have completed a lingering knitting project and my next venture has a due date of mid April, so if the planning Gods continue to smile down upon me I believe I should be able to squeeze in some knitting and meet my deadline.

My most recently completed knitting project was gifted to a very special little girl. Please meet Lorelei:

(ravelry details here)

Why yes, this sweater is a little too big for her. But you see we could say its too big or we could say that I'm such an amazing planner that I predicted she would be a petite baby and so not only did I knit the 3 to 6 month size, but I did not complete the sweater until she was already one month old. I might not have had this gift ready in time for the baby shower but at least the kid has room to grow into it!

Here are the details:

Pattern: Jasper Diamond Hoodie
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport (6 skeins)
Needles: Size 7, circs
Pattern Review: Love, love, love this sweater! This sweater was my first baby sweater pattern and it was a great experience. The pattern was very easy to follow, the seaming was a breeze, the yarn was so soft in my hands and its machine washable and dry-able which we all know is a mom favorite.

My one comment would be about the hood. The hood was the last piece to seam to the garment and I noticed when I got to this step that the base of the hood seemed larger than the sweater neckline. I searched some forum posts on Ravelry.com and found only one other person who had run into this complication. I made no modifications to the hood. I just gathered my stitches together as I seamed attempting to evenly spread out the extra length across the sweater neckline.

I would highly recommend this pattern to anyone thinking of knitting up a baby sweater. You won't be disappointed.

Next on the needles? Potholder Swap 2011 patterns. Time to start Hookin'!

Happy Knitting!

On Resolutions and New Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:42:00 +0000

Knitting? Whose knitting? This girl!

Finally after two months of working two jobs and having no time to knit I found myself sick and in bed for two days straight. Some might say that being sick on New Year's Eve is no fun and those people might be right. However, I was quite content to sit in my living room on the fold out sofa-bed and knit all day.

That's how I ring in the new year, Stitches!

This year has been so full of ups and downs that a full recap would be exhausting. But I can say this:

...for as crappy as the first 1/2 of the year was (and just read my past posts and you'll see how crappy it got) it improved ten fold in the end.

Instead of drowning you in a list of life lesson's learned (which this melodrama queen (shhhhh, i'm not admitting to that I've just heard the term used in my presence) does quite well) I will list my favorite moments of 2010!

1. Got a new kitty!

2. Blizzards! Not fun for others but I knit people, this was my perfect storm!

3. Joined an amazing Yoga studio for a month (loved this, want to go back...will go back in 2011!)

4. Volunteered for Wine Festivals with Mamasita!

5. My older brother got married!

The four kids at Adam's wedding.

6. I had a great beach vacation. (I never blogged about this but I pretty much had the best and most relaxing beach vacation this summer.)

7. Started cooking more and exploring vegetarian/ vegan meals.

8. I turned 30 and had a great Ireland themed party!

9. My dear friends from college got married!

10. I got not one but two jobs that have me laughing on a daily basis (side note: got a raise after just 3 months at the full-time job! (mini high-5 in celebration of me!))

Bet you thought I'd stop at 10...but I have one more!

11. I got engaged!!!!!!!

Yes, Prince William and I will be getting married in 2011! Oh, wait, no, no, no. Not to each other, but still, yay, us!

!!!We just got engaged, on the miracle that is 34th street !!!

2011 is going to be the best yet. I can feel it everywhere, all around me.

Happy New Year!

Giving Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:34:00 +0000

This thanksgiving I had more than my fair share to be thankful for. Its been a rough 2010. This summer was a particular struggle, after having lost my job I spent three months looking for work, second guessing my abilities and questioning what I thought I knew about myself. I realized through all that turmoil that what was most important to me was who I worked with not necessarily what I did. Finding a great occupational fit involves several factors:

-what are you doing for 8+ hours a day?
-what is your physical environment like?
-who do you work with, do you get along with your coworkers?
-are you encouraged to do your job well?

After 3 years of job searching, job hopping, and job disappointment I feel like I have finally found a fit. I am not doing anything different for a living I just work with wonderful people, I go to work and laugh every day. Then, as if I don't feel lucky enough I decided recently that I wanted to get a part-time job at a well known home goods store for the holidays. So I applied and got the job! I am loving both places I work for the first time in probably 5 years! It makes such a difference in quality of life.

The only downside is that I have less time to knit and blog. Here is a look at something I finished back in September:

This is my Mead Scarf (details on Ravelry)

Pattern: Mead Scarf
Yarn: Brooks Farm Yarn, Four play (I love their sense of humor!)
Needles: size 7 circs (who uses straight needles anymore?)
Pattern Review: I’m thrilled with both the simple lace pattern and the soft yarn.

This scarf was about a foot shorter before I blocked so I’m really glad I took the time. Draping is just magic for lace knitting.

Important to note: I reduced the number of zig zag repeats in this pattern when I realized that I was not going to have enough yarn for a longer scarf if I made it any wider. I think four pattern repeats was just enough.

I am also working on some secret holiday knitting but can't share that at this time :)

Happy Holidays!

Birthday Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:40:00 +0000

I'm 30. Its official, I've transcended into another decade in my life. I know some people freak out and hold onto their twenties like its a life ring in the ocean of aging. But I'm embracing this decade for all its possibilities.

My twenties were great and probably consisted of what they were suppose to, the dating, the drinking, the job hopping, the moving out, moving home, and moving out again, the falling in love and out of love and in love again, learning to knit, smoking and quitting smoking, moving in with a boy, traveling around the country, and "finding myself". I'm not sure I accomplished the last part but I'm sure that's gonna be a WIP for a while.

I've received many knitting presents over the years. I've received yarn, knitting books, knitting needles, knitting bags, knitting gift cards, and of course, more yarn. But this year, for the epic 30, my dear knitting friend gave to me the very best knitting gift I've ever received!

It was this:

Its a Yarn Ball of Glory, a pattern, and a roll of the best chalky candy ever, Necco Wafers. My dear sweet lovely friend went looking in my ravelry queue, downloaded and print out a pattern I had saved, and purchased the needles and the yarn to complete the project.

Now if the gift stopped there you would probably be fairly satisfied and think, "why yes, that is a lovely and thoughtful gift". However, I said it was the very best knitting gift ever and so I continue.

My wonderful sweet friend also hand wound this ball of yarn pictured above. Why you might ask? Well because inside of this ball she hid roughly 12 presents! I'm a girl that loves only one thing more than presents and that is unwrapping the presents. I love the paper, the tissue, and the ribbon. I make a game of opening presents. I stick bows on my head adn ribbon round my neck and then tear into the gift. So you can imagine my intense excitment when she told me there were so many more little presents inside this ball of yarn.

I told myself I would do the right thing as others encouraged me to unwind the whole ball. No, no, no I was suppose to knit the project to receive the presents. So that is what I set out to do...but it was really difficult to wait when you are a slow knitter.

I will be honest, I pried out one Philosophy lipgloss tube and a $20 bill (I mean how am I suppose to ignore that little paper corner sticking out of the yarn ball and not try my best to get it out?!). The rest of the presents fell out naturally (or were slightly encouraged).

When I finially completed my project I still had 1/2 the yarn ball left so I just gave in and unwound the whole thing. (having a yarn ball winder made this really fast!) I received a lip gloss, $20, a pair of earrings, 1 little purple rose ring, 2 glass beads, 1 Lemonhead candy, a jelly bracelet, and a few other items.

Additional details about these fingerless mits can be found on Ravelry

I was blown away by my friends thoughtfulness and the time she took to make this fun gift for me, considering she has a 1.5 year old little girl at home and works full time I know she had to give up sleep to create this present.

I highly advise this style present to anyone looking for a creative and fun knit present.

Happy Knitting!

Knitting It Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:45:00 +0000

I've knit presents for people. I've knit scarves for charity. I've knit things for myself. But I've never taken a knitting request for someone else to gift.

However when my sweet and thoughtful aunt asked me if I would knit a baby blanket for her pregnant coworker how could I say no? My Aunt had crocheted me my first handmade baby blanket. She is a great knitter/ crocheter however the craft has taken its toll on her hands and joints and its now uncomfortable for her to work on larger projects.

I told her I would be happy to help out! So she sent me the pattern, the yarn, and 3 months later, Viola!

Pattern: Lace Coverlet by Plymouth Yarn Design Studio (raveled here)
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Dream baby Shine
Needles: US 6 circular needles
Pattern Review:Honestly, I was intimidated at first. When I had agreed to knit the baby blanket I was not thinking it would be an all lace blanket. But once I got knitting, I loved this blanket. The pattern was very easy to memorize and the yarn was as soft as baby's butt. hehe.

Previous to knitting this blanket I had only knit adult sized blanket. I really enjoyed how quickly baby items knit up. For someone with knitter's ADD I felt great satisfaction in how much I was able to knit each night!

Hopefully the baby who receives this blanket will find warmth and comfort in every stitch.

Happy Knitting!

Unexpected Delights

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:08:00 +0000

Have you ever walked through a craft store with the goal and budget to purchase supplies for one project and walk out of that same store with a new goal and a new project?

This happened to me recently at Michael's. I went there to purchase a size 6 circular metal needle and walked out with a new project. Its not like I spent additional money. No, no, no I stuck to that goal, "Sara, you are only going to spend $6.00 on a knitting needle and leave. Do not let your eyes wonder. Keep your eye on the prize. Tunnel vision, Baby!"

But just as I was passing the lovely plush yarns aisle (to get the yarn aisle of course) I saw a pattern that was so fun and bright I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. I couldn't look away, my blinders were down and my hands were magnetized to the pattern. I had to have it, I had to make it and the best part was I already owned all the yarn required!!!

So here she is the Eyelet Strips Afghan

Pattern: Lion Brand's Eyelet Strips Afghan
Yarn: Vanna's Choice
Needles: J Hook
Pattern Review: I was in a very hectic place in life when I found this project and it was the perfect therapy. Each panel is crocheted exactly the same so there was very little thought required. I thought about changing up the color pattern but in the end I really prefered their layout to anything I was attempting. The yarn was a delight, big and chunky so I found great satisfaction in watching the blanket grow quickly.

After my hectic work schedule concluded I found the blanket to be the perfect solace to a hard month's work.

Happy Knitting!

Have you met Lorraine?

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:34:00 +0000

Lorraine is a friend of mine. I met her recently through my neighbor who knew her from work. She's very feminine, quite pale, and does not talk much.

Apparently she recently lost her job and my neighbor told me she was looking for a place to live. Because I am such a kind and thoughtful person, I told my neighbor I would be more than happy to open my door to Lorraine and see if I could help her find some work (apparently she used to be a model).

She's been living with me for about 3 months now and while I don't charge her rent and she does not eat very much and is a fairly quiet roommate every now and then I find her wearing my clothes and this only bothers me because she looks fa better in them than I do!

Lorraine in my Wicked Sweater.

Lorraine in my Clapotis Shawl.

Lorraine in my La La Love You Scarf.

I have not yet figured out how to do it, but I think I'm going to have to talk to her about this.

Happy Knitting!

Kirby's Epic Yarn

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Kirby) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:54:00 +0000

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate this?

I don't play Wii, Xbox, Nintendo (anymore since I beat Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros. 1 in 1998), or any other video game station. However, the BF does play and read about video games. We rarely discuss his obsession/ hobby because quite frankly all I hear is the Peanut's teacher voice squawking at me when he begins talking about something "really cool" he just did in a game. However, there are rare moments when through the squawking a sound becomes clear, words form, and I hear something truly interesting. Most recently was his announcement of this new game!

Now again, I don't really care about the video game itself but I do find the title to be quite catchy!

Happy Knitting!