On My Way Out the Door

I am still hard at work on playing around with making the perfect messenger bag on the Knitting Machine. Even with lining the bag it still looks as if the best way to do it is to felt the bag.

I have been playing around making swatches and felting them. At Waterfront Knitting today I will finish is the Red Heart Rainbow Variegated bag. It will need to be lined and it is not quite everything I have hoped for. Still, it has been a help in making patterns.

On other fronts not much has changed at the Corps. Things are still moving along there. Our officers will be away for the next couple weeks. When they get back it will be time for Vacation Bible School. The Soldiers are getting the building ready for the event. We are having an aquatic theme so foam rubber fish abound. This is our second VBS and it is better put together than the last one. So progress is being made on that front as well. Still, the first time you do something it never goes well.

On the clown front we have decided to start and accordion band. It may be a slap at Army tradition. Still, none of us can play a brass instrument. About half of us have had piano lessons. We also have a bunch of accordions for some odd reason. One of the clown said that was God working things out for us. I am not sure about that. I am reminded of the Far Side Comic where people going to Heaven get a harp and people going to Hell get an accordion.

It is either going to be funny or incredibly offensive to the accordion playing community. And if you know Pittsburgh they are a terribly powerful lobby that has built and brought down Mayors and Governors alike.

Be safe out there and keep your stick on the ice.

Just a Post and an Appeal to the Dark Arts for my Lawn

Not much to report today. Just wanted to put something up so there was something new to read. The Black Bag is coming along nicely. I may have the knitting done on it by the end of next week. I am still considering if I should send a scarf idea as well. I don't imagine that it would hurt. And it would be nice to do some stitches that I have not for a while.

I have been receiving the notes about the group that has started in Shady Side. I may have to stop out there to see how they are doing. Moral support is one of the most important things when someone is starting a new group. If anyone has been out there post a note and tell me how it has been. I am told it goes back and forth from squirrel Hill.

The critters are doing well in the air conditioning. Both Zoltan and Sally should be happier now that Carol will be home most of the time. There is much to with the Day Care. I have planted grass and done my best to get the yard into a reasonable shape. I would like to invite the Hive Knitting Group for a cook out. The only draw back is that the weeks are still winning out in my other never ending quest to plant grass where none has grown before. If this is the measure of my manhood then I am not doing well. Although the chemical steroid and irradiated material that have been pleased on the so called lawn have begun to make a dent. Perhaps in another couple weeks I can be proud of my progress. At the moment I will console myself with my progress on my knitting projects.

I would like to thank the people who have sent in comment or email. It is nice to have feed back and it replaces that love that I never had as a child {sniff sniff}. In addition I am looking for someone who has a supernatural ability to kill weeds. If anyone is interested let me know. As always you can email me at Yahoo or post something here

Keep you stick on the ice and have a Blessed Day.

Away for a While & Pittsburgh Knitting Update

I have been out at my church camp for a while and have not had the opportunity to post. As an up date I finished the blue baby blanket and are well underway on the Black Knitting Bag. At the last Hive Knitting group we decided that on of the flamingo looked cold. So I knit him a scarf. Because it was an ugly scarf I did not want to take credit for it. So we left a note saying the David Arquette knit it. And man that would publish a book wearing a pink scarf would not mind knitting one for a flamingo.

Almost the best news of all happened last week. After four years of marriage my wife has crocheted something. It is not knitting but it is a step. I am not sure how I feel about my wife being a Hooker as Debbie Stroller would put it. Still, it is a step.

I am worried that she will now think she can have at my yarn stash. I know they said until death do we part. Still, they said nothing about sharing the yarn. I supposed I will have to at some point, but, I will not do it willingly.

Well have fun everyone. I am looking for a part time job and it would be nice to find something in the knitting field. If anyone has some ideas let me know.

And for joy for joy I am told my blog is on Pittsburgh Knitting. It warms my heart and is one of the greatest acomplishments of my short life thus far. I would like to thank the Acadamy and and I glad to know they love me they really do.

Have a good week everyone and keep your stick on the ice.

Monday Group

We had a very good group on Monday. I have given up on the cables for the flap on the black bag. My yarn is too thick and I do not want to go with multiple yarn sizes. I will probably use a sport weight yard on the side to put cables in there. The new black bag pattern will leave more room for the tree I wanted to pu on the front. It should be nicer when it is done.

Just for fun we knit a scarf for the flamingo near the disco ball in the Bee Hive. If anyone is there take a look. It is a brick red scarf just for the fun of it. We should probably knit tea cozies for all of the tea pot just for fun.

My wife Carol joined us for the group and even crotched. It was an impressive feat since she had not done it for several decades. She is out now buying yarn and has probably stolen several balls from my stash. I will have to lock up my office in the basement.

Have a good week and drop by the Bee Hive on Mondays if you are near by.

The Evil Black Bag

I continue to have mixed feeling about what the bag should look like. I would prefer a good cable that fits nicely into ten stitches. Maybe I should be doing something lighter with it than a 6x6 cable. I would like it to be more elongated but have not quite found it yet. I am open to any suggestions.

That is my quandary for the day. Carol would like to have a female cat. I like cats but Zoltan and Sally have an odd relationship and think I third may throw it off balance. We will see. And we will probably not get another cat till after the day care is fully open. Time will tell. Perhaps we will get a little Evangeline.

I am heading off to a Fire Association this evening and will probably not get much done. Still, as always it will be interesting.

Have a good evening and watch out for nature.

Accomplishing A lot of Not Much

I am very disappointed with the cable patterns that I have for the edge on the Knitting Bag. I have tried and frogged three patterns. One I thought would be nice for a scarf. So I now have a foot on a green cabled scarf that will probably go to some shelter somewhere.

I also want to make a vest out of this denim stuff that is made by Rowan. It is fairly expensive and more then I usually spend on myself. Still it will be nice to fool around with it since I have never used this type of yarn. They say that it will wear like a denim shirt.

If it turns out nice perhaps I will have found something that my wife would like. It has also been along time since I have made a piece of clothing for an adult. So it will be nice to make something for someone that is more than two feet tall.

The Blue blanket is finished. I have duplicate stitched the child's name and will be giving it to him in church on Sunday. It will be cuddle and fun I hope.

Have a good day and keep you stick on the ice.

Black Knitting Bag and Other Stuff

I have been working on the bag for a couple days and it has taken me a couple trys to get the cabling pattern I like. I will post a picture when I have enough of it done to show. The flap will have a set of cables running up either side and a tree knit into the center.

For those that are interested both Zoltan and Sally are doing well. They have both discovered the joy of Acrylic Floor Paint this week. Neither was injured even though Carol and I were willing to injure them.

The folks at the Water Front were making skeins of yarn for dyeing and fun was had by all. I considering visiting a few of the other local group around here. I have been to the one in Garfield at the Quiet Storm. Perhaps I will try one in the North Hills since I have not been out there.

Thus far my quest to find other male knitters who are willing to knit in public has yeilded no finds. I am told there are a couple out there but I have not made contact yet. Perhaps they are hiding out McKnight Rd.

On other front I have been accepted into the Yinz Knit group on Yahoo and am still sad that I am not on the Pittsburgh knitting site. Hope springs eternal.

Email me if there is anything interesting out there

Yarn for Knitting Bag

This is the Yarn and Needles for my Knitting Bag.