The Crafty Lizzard

So far this has been an awesome birthday weekend! (Well, technically my birthday's not til Sunday but...)
It all started with the awesome ladies that I knit with on Thursday nights. Some were missing because of the all-important Knitter's Connection (stay tuned...) but it was a lovely night. We had a few extra party members (S, L and E) and boy, did they party hard. I know it was very hard for her but kudos to E for keeping this...
a secret! All enjoyed and now I have WAY TOO MUCH cake at home. If I could virtually send some to everyone I would. Really. But thank you thank you anyway.

Much delight and laughter was had over the CPH FO (thanks to K and her FB status) even though it's 100% wool and it was about 85 degrees outside! K had the camera out and was documenting the entire shindig so here ya go...this might be the only time you see me in a wool sweater in the summer.


Today was the wonderful, wonderful class at Knitter's Connection with Cat Bordhi! It was such a fun day with lots of knowledge, lots of laughter, seeing new socks, and praising Jeni's Ice Cream! How can that ever equal anything but a very cool day? Oh, I forgot, a wonderful goodie bag full of yummy goodness and shopping!!Even Bailey had to check it out!

I also have something to admit to the knit knite ladies...after all the talk last night about not doing another lace project...I bought more lace yarn today. (She hangs her head sheepishly.) You have to admit it's pretty. It's hand-dyed merino and was worth the money. I promise to bring for closer inspection. Now just to figure out what to make with it...

I know it's a weird combination but with the lack of knitted FO's to share I thought I would least share a little cuteness.

I had an attack of the must-get-this-sweater-finished energy this past weekend. After the small setback with my Central Park Hoodie (Not blogged about here because I was still mad at myself and hated admitting my own stupidity!) I desperately wanted to get the thing finished. So this weekend I managed to finish the second sleeve (again!), block the second sleeve (again!), finish the edging, and sew in the fist sleeve and side. The plan is to sew in the seond sleeve and side tonight -- pics will follow shortly.
Anyway, while I was working on that I had a gaurdian making sure that my yarn made it from the ball to the sweater correctly. I thought I'd share the fluffy cuteness that watched over me...


As far as the fruit...summertime is one of my favorite times of the year because of the berries. I love fruit and berries most of all. Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, but especially blackberries. Last spring I planted a blackberry bush in my backyard and over the course of the summer reaped a total of 7 (that's right - 7) blackberries. Bummer. This year the bush has been growing exponentially and I've been checking it all the time. Waiting for the day when I can have fresh berries. After a very long day yesterday I came home to a surprise of blackberries ready to eat! So I had a nice small cup of blackberries for dessert!
(with more to come....yum!)

during Choir class of my 8th grade year, I was summoned to the Principal's office. I guess I must precede this story by saying I wasn't the type of kid to get called down to the office. My brain shorted out until my dear friend turned to me with great excitement and said "It's the baby!" This being my best friend (who's part of the family), she knew that my brother's wife was pregnant. I got to the office and there was my dad with my 2 year old niece. To make a very complicated story short -- My niece, Amy decided very quickly to make her appearance in the world. No one was left to watch her sister so I was called into Aunt duties from school.

Tonight, that niece looked like this....
Amy has made it through high school. Loving band, hating math, laughing with friends. All the trials and tribulations that make up the drama of high school. And yes, she will learn to deal with some of us saying, "Oooh, the day you were born..." (and to us it will feel like it was just maybe 5 years ago.)

Sitting up in the balcony, paparazzi-like were her sister (Cora-now 21) and I. With cameras poised we were set to catch the action in the beautiful venue.
This is the beautiful Civic theater in downtown Akron. An old remade movie house. Awesome. As I walked in tonight, memories kept flowing. I realized that I had not been to this theater since my prom was held here 14 years ago. They've made some changes and it's nice to see it's still wonderous.


May the good frenzy that surrounds you in this picture stay with you. Congrats!

So today on my little mini-vacation, my mom and I took a trip to the local yarn shop her are of northeast Ohio. Yes, we visited Miss Chickpea's Funky Fiber. Personally, I was on a mission to pick up some Malabrigo Sock -- and to see the store because a new yarn shop is always heaven! While I was searching the sock yarn rack, mom found a vest pattern that she wants to make for my niece. She asked me how they got the color like it was on there and as I looked up...I whooped in excitement. Mom was standing in front of the many, many colors of Noro. It has been a long time since my mom has knit with any really good yarn and I was bound and determined she needed to experience the love of Noro. After showing her how the colors go and that the particular Noro she was looking at was a worsted weight (so therefore, easy for her to knit with) and she really didn't need that much for the project she jumped in. Pretty soon my mom will not only have a vest for my niece but one for herself as well! Yay!

As for me, I did find the Malabrigo and couldn't resist 2 of the colors there....Grape and Turner.
I will have to come up with the perfect patterns for these.


I also picked up a hank of Happy Feet in a bright, bright pink.

So now, after today's field trip and Kristie's generous de-stashing Thursday, I am not allowed...repeat, not allowed....to buy yarn for a while. (read: major yarn diet for the next few months. I was supposed to be on one anyway.)

Well, I'm off to bed for tomorrow is my niece's high school graduation...I know that it's cliche but wow... time has flown. She is 18 and no longer the little girl that said "double-me" instead of "double-u (w)". Now she's a very beautiful young woman with so much road to wander.