Baby, It's (Kinda) Cold Outside

The chill in the air over the weekend made knitting these Very Cabley Mittens appealing to me. I followed Jenleigh and selected the very soft Cascade Cloud 9 that blocks out with a soft halo - and boy are they warm. Almost makes me long for a cold, snowy day....kinda.

Happy 40th Melanie

It's such a good thing when your closest friend joins the ranks of 40 somethings. Now YOU can stop counting the years too, girlfriend!

Love you and have a great day!

Does It Work?

Q: The Aqua Globe-does it work?

A: Yes, it does!

I'm a sucker for infomercials and don't you know I called right away to get my own set of Aqua Globes and they're working great. You'll get a set of four in different colors and they'll offer you an opportunity to purchase additional sets at a discount or larger sizes. I now wish I had opted for both.

Purpose?? Not only are they decorative but you fill them with water and the globe shape holds the water in and the soil slowly absorbs it as needed. You can't have too many of these!

Tried and True

Call 'em what you want - warshrags or dishcloths. They're always a good project and so easy to whip up. I find myself going back to the tried and true ballband pattern from Mason-Dixon Knitting. I'm going to ship these off as a special thanks to my friends in New Mexico.

A Quilt for Gabrielle

Our friends' baby girl, Gabrielle, turned 1 last week and I got the hand quilted blanket finished just in time. She is surrounded by the most beautiful flower gardens so I followed that theme using shabby chic floral print fabrics to go with the appliqued hankerchief butterflies.

Cowgirl up, Aunt Sharon!

Living in the Moment

I really love working downtown and taking walks on my lunch hour. I've worked downtown before and at that time did not take many lunch breaks let alone take the time to walk around outside. I think it's a good sign my life is in balance and I'm consciously living in the moment and taking the time to enjoy what's around me. I have many special places by the river or fountains that I like to read or knit. Today, I ventured out to one of those places and was pleasantly surprised to find Becca sitting there eating her lunch and knitting.

Guess I'm not the only one living in the moment--that's what knitting will do for ya!

Hit the NM Fiber Trails!

I'm missing New Mexico already but am comforted by the fact I still have one more return trip planned in October for the main purpose of yarn. So, speaking of yarn, I thought I'd share a resource for fiber galleries, trading posts and farms through the New Mexico Fiber Arts Trails. Here you'll find a guide to more than 200 fiber artists and 71 destinations in this beautiful state. So, post this map on your cork board and hit the trails to collect your own New Mexico fiber. I found this lovely hand dyed silk at The Common Thread in downtown Silver City. (Found the matching turquoise belt buckle on my way home in Gallup, NM). Also made a stop at Yada Yada Yarn that was right around the corner.

One Incredible Ride

Melanie and I said a prayer before we left and it was answered as we made it home safe and sound from our 2,440 mile trip to Arizona. We got slammed by rain storms across multiple states coming home but if it just had to rain on us I'll settle for the last day any time. We parted ways in Pratt and I rode the remaining 90 miles home in the dark and rain reflecting on all the good times we had. And there were many. From pulling off a desert highway to discover a lake state park, Elephant Butte, for chips and beer to riding along the scenic Geronimo Trail Byway which took us to a vista point in the Black Range mountains. It was there we stood in the cool pine air looking off into the canyon amazed at how quiet it was all the while overwhelmed that we were actually there, together. Ride On, Girlfriend!

A Couple of Days in Phoenix

We are staying with another couple of Melanie's friends, Anita, Brian and baby Sam, in Phoenix. We've had the bikes in the garage and they've both been wonderful hosts to drive us around town to all the bike shops and shopping in Scottsdale and Tempe. My favorite stop was at Iron Horse Corral, a bike shop and boutique that was loaded with Ed Hardy apparel. I splurged on a pair of ultra cool Ed Hardy jeans with black leather skulls and roses stitched down the side of the legs. Just can't find anything like that in Wichita! We're rested up and will be heading back home tomorrow.

Riding Destination: Arizona

We made it to Phoenix after an afternoon of sightseeing in Tombstone. You know, from the movie and the famous line, "I'm Your Huckleberry." It was kinda weird being that close to the Mexico border but we had no problems. As we were riding down the highway dodging the monsoon season storms I'd look over to my girl, Melanie, and smile from the very idea that we are here doing this. She'd look over at me with a big grin and I knew she was thinking the very same thing. Not very many women can say they've taken off on such a journey and have experienced what we have this week. It's simply an amazing and empowering feeling of girl power. We did have a little mechanical setback this morning when we left N.M., but thankfully, we were only 8 miles out of town and Fred and Cindy came to our assistance and got us back on our way. (We just can't thank you both enough and I can't wait until we visit you again).

Riding Destination: New Mexico

Hola que tal? (Hi, what's happening?) Today is day 3 of our road trip. Our bikes have been running well, we've dodged storms and have made some really cool stops along the way. I've discovered pickled sunflower seeds and Rio Grande beer that's flavored with green chile. We stayed our first night in Tumucari and then a stop at Melanie's friends, Fred and Cindy, who live in Bayard, NM. Today, the four of us rode our bikes through the Gila National Forest mountains and tomorrow we will leave for the big city of Phoenix. Oh, yeah, and I also found some handpainted silk yarn at a women's collective in Silver City.

So far we've logged just a little over 1,000 miles. I love the scenery of New Mexico!

Ready To Go!

I've been talking a big game about riding to Phoenix with my girlfriend for some time and now it's a reality. We leave early tomorrow and I'm packed and ready to go for our week long road trip. I wouldn't dare say I'm scared, but the fact that two women riding motorcycles for such a long distance brings all kinds of challenges as well as big fun and adventure that's got me nervous and excited at the same time.

My bags are small (my patch bag is starting out empty for purchases along the way --- can you say yarn?) so I'll be taking just a few luxury items such as my (crushable) straw cowboy hat, a few belt buckles with coordinating jewelry, a koozie and limes for my Coronas, a can of Slim Jims, a knitting novel and a small Rowan denim knitting project (Thanks, Shelly!). I'll try to post if I get access to a computer -- See ya'll later!

Euroflax Lacey Stole

This stole was knit from 4 skeins Euroflax linen. Knitting with linen is just weird. It's like jute and very stiff to work with but once you wash and dry it, something very magical happens. It gets really soft and slinky - just perfect for a shawl or stole. They say it even gets softer with time and use.

Gee, it matches my felted cowboy hat!

DIY: Hankerchief Quilt Blocks

Now that my stole is complete, I can focus on my next project in line. I'm using old floral hankerchiefs cut in half to form into butterflies and then blanket stitching onto 13" cotton squares with embroidery floss. Then will sew the blocks to floral panels and hand quilt. I'll be under the gun to get this birthday gift quilt finished by mid August but no worries.

Isn't a box of organized floss inviting?

Never Enough Bags

A new shipment of Lantern Moon bags have arrived at Twist and you know a girl can never have too many knitting bags! Jackie got hers with blue lining and I got mine with green. It's a huge bag that has a cell phone holder, zippered pocket and four divided sections surrounded by a roomy interior. It's the kind of bag you can stuff with several projects for a weekend getaway.

Squirrel Whisperer

Half of the fun of golf is the outdoors and being one with nature. I could talk about the temperature reaching 100 degrees today and how hot it was but the highlight of today's game was one friendly squirrel that was hanging around the tee box. I always carry (survival food) snacks and reached into my bag for the peanut butter crackers. I'm pretty sure she's done this before and was playing me and took me for not one but two of my crackers. It was such and ahhhhh moment.

M&M Choppers Open House

We rode to Galva, KS today to celebrate the open house of our good friends, M&M Choppers. The estrogen level was high and husband was a good sport riding around town with my friends, Sharon and Jana. On the way out of town we stopped by Alef's HD anniversary party (found some new bling!) and Cracker Barrel. M&M had a huge showing for such a little town. There was good friends, beer, live music, dyno runs, bikini girls and a bike show. Just about everything you could want from biker party.

Love Thy Neighbor

Love thy neighbor even more when she comes home with her first Harley! I'm so happy for my next door neighbor, Shawndra, who got her rider's license this year with hopes of getting her own Harley. That dream came true this week when my friend, Jaz, offered to sell her an extra bike she had on hand. She's already talking about getting louder pipes and mini-apes -- there goes the neighborhood!!

A Slouch for all Seasons

This slouch hat from Classic Elite yarns can we be worn year round when knit from cotton. I chose Crystal Palace Bamboozle from Twist Yarn Shop.

Road Trip: Blackwell, OK

Mom and I haven't been able to travel anywhere lately so I thought we'd make a quick day trip to some antique malls in Blackwell, OK. It was only about an hour's drive and the two things I found made the trip worthwhile. Coincidentally, Antique Roadshow is in town this weekend so antiques are in the air. Don't know what it's called but found this metal string cone holder that will be a decorative addition to my sewing room. I've seen this chicken pincushion with tape measurer and thimble holder at other sales priced up to $100. This one's in great condition and a steal for $12!

Road Trip: Knit n Golf

Today was filled with some pretty fun things: a day off of work, good friends, knitting and golf as Pattie, Laurie and I made our way to Manhattan for a yarn stop, chips & beer and 18 holes of golf in Manhattan, KS. Let's start with the yarn. I always find inspiration from



Kenita's samples and designs at Wildflower. You can see my loot right there on the counter in front of her -- I can't wait to start the linen fan shawl pictured. Then a quick stop for the mandatory Mexican food fuel up for an afternoon of golf at the #1 (and most challenging!) golf course in Kansas, Colbert Hills. It winds through hills and valleys with some pretty spectacular views of the Flint Hills and started out to be very intimidating.

But, it wasn't long until we got our groove on and finished with some surprisingly low scores....considering.

Double Knit

Tonight, for fun and instant gratification, I took a class at Twist to learn double knitting instructed by Kris. Our project was this super easy soap bag from cotton. You knit with two colored yarns at once and wrap the sides to form a tube. You can also wrap the yarns to produce a two sided piece of work. It's like the ultimate in mult-tasking! I inserted a very fat and fragrant english rose moisturizing soap bar.

Check out Becca's sporty and oh-so portable spinning wheel. She's really getting this stuff mastered! And Ingrid, girl, isn't it about time for you to pop out that baby?!?

Santa Fe Shawl

Just finished this shawl from the alpaca I purchased on my latest trip to Santa Fe. Vibrant colors always makes me think of my love for New Mexico. I started to make the Landscape shawl and decided against the various stitch patterns, instead opting to knit the whole thing in seed stitch with the flirty picot edging. I'll be sure to take it along for my next trip and those cool summer nights in Santa Fe.

Happy Trails Angelique

There goes another knitting friend leaving Wichita. What is it about this town being just a pit stop for so many wonderful people?? We're sad to see her leave but know she will enjoy the adventure of New Mexico.

We had a going away party and I quickly made up a scarf for her from Koigu.

June Sock of the Month

The Twist sock of the month club for June features Glowing Toes -- a fun and practical pedicure sock -- made out of Collinette Credenza. I held off on my much needed pedicure until I got my socks completed so I'd stay motivated to get them done. They'll be so handy to wear during those cold winter months.

June Flea Market

Mom and I had another successful trip to the Colliseum flea market. It's a good thing, because there won't be another one until Fall.

I'm going to fill the galvanized double-bucket with jade plants and it will look great with my collection of watering cans. I'm always looking for ruffled crochet hot pads and I plan to knit some miniature knitwear to go on the wooden drawing figurine. I got this idea from one that Kenita has on her counter at Wildflower in Manhattan.

DIY: Succulent Wreath

1 bag green moss (410 cu. in.)
12" wire wreath frame
3" wired vine ribbon

(Michaels - $10)

4 assorted 4-pack succulents

(Lowes - $20)

Assembly: Place moss in layers on top of wire wreath frame. Then wrap the vine ribbon around matching up the ends and secure together. Tuck plants through the top into moss working through the spaces of the wired vine ribbon.

Hang and enjoy summer!

Date Night

Our Friday night date included riding our bikes over to the shooting range followed by delicious ribeye steak dinners at Julius' RibCage. (Once again, date night took us to the south side of town and I joked we are like birds migrating to our homeland). Every so often we stop in to check our shooting skills. This was my target just over 5 yards away. I don't have a tight pattern but you can see I'm still a pretty good shot and am completely comfortable with my smaller .22 caliber handgun.

New Boots - Icon Bombshell

Since my new bike has floorboards instead of pegs, I've been thinking about getting some fancy new riding boots but it's only been a thought I've said to myself. So, I went into Mid-America Powersports for the purpose of getting a new helmet and I literally stumbled over the only boot box in the place which happened to be a women's size 8 -- just my size. I snatched these babies up and took them to the counter and asked the price. The guy told me and I said "Damn!". At that he knocked $30 bucks off and I walked out with a kick-ass ('scuse the language but there's no other word for them!) pair of boots and a new flat black helmet. Karma works in mysterious ways...

Farm Work

We get the tractor out a couple times a year to mow the acreage where my father-in-law keeps our horse, Duke. It's been such a wet year and the place was a wreck. I enjoy putting on a pair of work gloves and boots and getting after a sweaty day of hard labor trimming trees and riding the tractor. Plus, tractors are cool with all the attachments that mow, plow and scoop.

Drive-In

This is going to give me away as growing up on the South side but here goes. I love going to the drive-in - always have - always will. Best thing to do is load up in the back of a pick-up with lounge chairs, blankets, pillows, snacks and a cooler on a cool summer evening to stay up into the wee early morning watching 2-3 movies. Without sounding too redneck - bing bag chairs work good, too! We've tried the air mattress in the back but that's too comfortable and you end up just sleeping through 2-3 movies so the secret is to stay somewhat upright.

I Met Maggie Sefton

A long black limo brought Maggie Sefton to town today and sat outside Watermark Books while she spoke about her journey into writing, entering the rabbit hole of knitting, and signed copies of her latest knitting murder mystery, Dyer Consequences. Her other knitting mysteries in my collection includes, A Deadly Yarn, A Killer Stitch and Needled to Death. Connie (pictured with the limo) and I enjoyed a bowl of soup and then listened intently while knitting on our sock projects. The time passed by too quickly and Maggie was whisked off to Tulsa for her next gig.

New Publications

This morning I stopped into Barnes & Noble for a book or magazine fix and found a new knitting mag from Europe called Verena. It's about time we get a little more variety! This premier issue is packed with sophisticated styles in the yarns we love so check it out. Then I got to the counter and right in front of me was "How to Knit a Wild Bikini." It's sure to be a good summer romance read.

Fruit Loop Socks

Finished the other Fruit Loop sock for the one I made on my trip. Jackie was right - this cable-like ribbing is form fitting and feels great. In fact, I could probably say this rates high on my most favorite sock patterns. Not too fussy with an easy to remember four row repeat. Ironically, I had a skein of Opal in my stash with every color in the cereal box!