New Post!! Fall Knitting Classes!!

If you read past posts you will see that fall is my most favorite time of year. What better time to bring some focus back to my poor neglected blog.

I have been working very hard on getting Marvels of Knitting ready for the fall. The new fall classes have been added here and now I am a knitting fool trying to get all the samples made up by next week for the Class Fair.


So far my favorite knit is the Fingerless Gloves by Ysolda. The lace cuffs where easy and fun to do. I love the way the thumbs where increased for and the the little leaf detail is just lovely. There is just enough to keep the interest yet it is a pretty simple knit for an intermediate beginner.

After i finish this post I am going to start the Beaumont Tam by Jared Flood of Brooklyntweed. He is one of my favorite designers. His esthetics's are so simple, clean and beautiful and his photography makes everything look fabulous. I am going to be using Classic Elite's Fresco, the yarn used in the pattern. This is a new yarn for me to try out! It has angora in it so I will let you know how that goes.

On the needles is Damson, another Ysolda design. I am using my Malabrigo Sock Yarn. It is a dream to knit with and the colors are working really well. This is a really easy beginning lace design. Anyone that can knit and do "yarn overs" can knit this. It is a perfect first lace type of project because you can practice all the little tricks for knitting lace without having to concentrate so much on a lace chart.

After I have all these projects done then I will have to rest my hands for a bit. Which means I will have some time to dream about new knits and new yarns while watching the leaves starting to change and hopefully enjoying some cooler weather.

2008 in Pictures

January ~ Finally the whole family was able to be together after the holidays.


February ~ We lost a long time member of our family. We miss Callie a lot.



March ~ There was much knitting going on during the last few months. Baby sweaters, hats, purses, socks. February and March where the very productive months.


April ~ 5 1/2 weeks of jury duty began on April 7. I spent most of my lunches at the wonderful fountain at the LA courthouse crocheting and listening to a book on my ipod. Crochet kept me sane during this never ending stint.


May ~ As soon as court duty was over I was blessed with being able to watch Miss Claire 4 days a week. She has been such a joy and has brought back the magic that only little ones can bring into our house.

June ~ Josh is home for the summer and Wesley and his girlfriend came down for a visit. The house is full once again!

July ~ Was a wonderful summer month with lots of time for reading, knitting, and enjoying the perfect weather before August comes.


August ~ The olympics and ravelympics. Need I say more.




September ~ Claire is sitting up now. Playing on her own. August was a rather mild month. I know that meant we would be in for it in September.


October ~ I visited my mom and sister in Eden Utah. My first time there during fall. It was beautiful and a great visit.


November ~ Fall seems to not want to come to So Cal. Scott and I spent Thanksgiving in San Diego. It was a beautiful weekend. Scott grew up here so we visited many of his favorite places around La Jolla and Coronado.

December ~ December was all about getting gifts made and mailed in time. Success!! Once again only one of the boys was home for the holidays. It really makes for a quiet time. So we are taking Josh with us to San Francisco mid January to visit Wesley and take one more road trip with the whole family to Utah!! I thought family road trips where done. But we have squeezed one more in. The best present ever!!

Merry Christmas

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
~Norman Vincent Peale

Mom's Eden

I went to visit my mother and my sister in Eden Utah a couple of weeks ago. I have been going to this part of Utah since my sister moved up there over 20 years ago. Eden is over the mountains east of Ogden.

My mom and dad retired there almost 11 years ago now and my father passed about 5 years ago. My mother moved down the hill to this amazing condo with a million dallor view. It is play land. She is 73 and still snow skies at a slop that is litteraly 20 minuets from her door. Boating, water skiing and golfing are all close at hand.

This last visit was the first time I was there during the fall. My visits have all been either during summer vacation or over christmas break. Inspiring fall colors where to be found at every turn. I made my mom drive me all around so I could take lots of pictures of this place called Eden.


The View From Mom's Balcony
(yes, those are hot-air balloons in the air)



Reflections on the Lake




Road to ???




My Beautiful Mom and her new "Monkey Socks"

Do You Feel it Coming Around the Corner?

School started in South Pasadena yesterday. All of my jobs have revolved around the school year.

Private flute and piano teacher
Director of Handbells at my church
The "Waldorf" inspired pre-school that I had at my house when the boys where young.
Then I became a real Waldorf teacher for 9 years.

June has always meant that my schedule got lighter and I would have free time. We always spent August away somewhere and September meant the beginning of not just the kids schedule filling up but mine too.

Now the boys don't live here most of the year, I have retired from teaching and handbell directing, and my life can often be the same day in and day out.

But yesterday, even though the weather outside is far from "fall like" I sat on my front porch with Miss Claire watching all the kids walking to school with their new backpacks and it just felt like fall.

The start of school gives me the hope that fall really is on it's way. We may have weeks of hot weather ahead but I can smell sweater knitting just around the corner.

I found this on flickr. Waldorf teachers and parents have been "felting" scenes like this for a very long time. Take a look at her other felted dolls they are wonderful.


Nushkie Design's



I want to start needle felting like this again and making
Nature Tables that will celebrate the Seasons once again in style.

Baby Time

Ok I have to jump in after 5 months and do this quick post so I can be in the drawing for this cute little outfit.

Wandering Waif Collection GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Why would I care about this cute little outfit? Because of the cutest little girl ever. Miss Claire.



I am Claire's "nanny" 4 days a week. We are having the most fun ever, and now I am a hopeless sucker for these cute girly things as I have two grown boys and didn't get to dress and knit and sew for a little girl.

So cross you fingers!

No Posting but a lot of Knitting

When does a knitting teacher get to knit her own projects?
Maybe never.
I have been knitting up samples for the april classes at Unraveled. It has actually been a lot of fun because they are relatively easy knits so the instant gratification comes into play to keep me happy.
Two of the new classes for me are Baby Hats and Booties



and Beginning sock class using a child size sock to learn from.



I have one more class to get samples made up for, a spa set for mother's day. And then it will be time to think about next month.

Along the teaching thread, I am not sure why we have not been taking pictures of our classes and what the students make in them. There have been so many great things made and fun times to be had. So I have started doing that. This was a beret class from last month. Everyone finished their project. Yeah!!!


I will be adding an FO page to the stores website for our customers. If you have anything you have finished bring it in so we can take a pic and but it up on the website!
Gotta love knitting for work. Doesn't get better then that?

Speaking of getting better. Hubby and I went down to San Deigo last weekend. Of course I had to go to a couple of yarn stores.
First I went to Knitting by the Beach. It was a great little store. With lots of good yarn. But the best was the owners own designes, she is really good. She has made up a lot of garments using Habu yarns. Just beautiful. Well worth the trip in if you are in the area.

Then I went to The Black Sheep in Encinities. It was a great store. With so much yarn. I mean it is as big as Unraveled and filled to the gills with lots of things. They use a lot of ribbon yarns in their class projects so they had a wall of yarn from colnette, fiesta, great adirondack and some prisim. Now I am not one to use a lot of these yarns, but the wall was a spectacular sight full of amazing color. I did find something to come home with though.


First some lace weight Alpaca, just because it is so pretty. Misti Alpaca and Alpaca with a Twist which is Alpaca and silk. Be still my little heart. Now I know I won't be knitting on this any time soon. So it will live in the treasured basket in my living room where I can see it everyday.
Bet you can't guess what my favorite colors are?


And some Lousia Harding Cinnabar for the great bag on the front of Knitting Little Luxuries



I can still plan and dream about my own knitting projects.