Sidetracked...must be ADD

I'm convinced that I must have Attention Deficit Disorder...I get distracted so easily!!!

I've been working on another knitted felted bag...I think I mentioned it in a previous post...but I can't remember... so maybe what I'm suffering from is senility. But I am confused and go off in a tangent...so maybe I've got dementia... oh...who cares!!!! LOL

Let's see...back to the felted bag...I needed to work on something different for a while (which means I got distracted, and saw something that I had to do NOW). I decided I wanted to make some little crocheted toys for my friend expecting twins. I have the cutest crochet pattern leaflet - about 20 zillion years old (I can tell, because the original price tag on it was 64 cents!) So I got some Lion Brand Jiffy yarn (soft and slightly fuzzy) yesterday at JoAnn's, and started a cute little crocheted piggy. I also got enough for a little Siamese kitty, and a little lamb. Then I will decide which two are the cutest and give those.

On my CD player, is 'my' newest 'discovery'. Katie Melua She is kind of a soft jazzy/blues singer. I don't even like jazz or blues...well, not really... but I love her music.
I first heard her singing a song on the movie Mrs. Potter, with Renee Zellweger... I heard her singing a song on the soundtrack and I loved it...so I had to look her up.

gotta go get ready for PT...fun, fun, fun!!!!

hugs,
Lissa

long time, no post...

My Momma pointed out that I haven't posted anything to my blog for a while... and I ALWAYS listen to my Momma.... so here 'tis!!!

I had the surgery on my left shoulder on the 20th of July, and the Dr. says I am healing well. I still have the immobilizing sling to wear...but Doc says I should be weaning myself off of it...so in another three weeks or so, I should be out of it. I have been going to Physical Therapy 2 -3 times a week, and that has been going good. I still need to take my pain medication though. so I am either sleepy or loopy (loopier than normal!!!!)

The Dr. also gave me 'permission' to knit carefully. So I am working on knitting a felted bag. The flap is a fan-and-feather pattern, with a seed stitch rim around the opening of the bag, and the body of the bag is in stockinette stitch. I used Noro Kureyon for the flap, and Lamp's Pride Bulky for the body of the bag. I invested in an Addi Turbo Circular Needle for the project and do I ever LOVE it!!
Someone on my Bag-A-Holic group said Knit Picks Options needles are comparable to the Addis...so I will be checking into those. The Addis are great...but I can't afford them. LOL

Well, my shoulder is telling me to stop!
Hugs!
Lissa

Can't Take The Joy

I get daily devotionals from Jason Mitchener and I had to share this one! It is so true!!!!


Can't Take the Joy by Jason Mitchener

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
John 16:22
Some friends of mine wrote a song called "Can't Take the Joy!" The song beautifully expresses one awesome truth about joy ... no one can take it from us.
Jesus told His disciples that when He left them for a little while, they would have great sorrow. But when they saw Him again, they would rejoice and no man could take their joy away from them. The disciples didn't realize at the time that He spoke of the sorrow of His death and the joy of His resurrection.
In John 15:11, Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."
What He had just been speaking about is abiding in Him and obeying Him. As long as our hearts stay fixed on Jesus and we obey Him out of love, our joy will remain with us.
People may try to steal our joy. A husband may desert his wife. A friend may turn against us. A son or daughter may run away from home. A brother may lie to us. Situations like these could easily steal our joy. But if we keep looking to Jesus, they can't take the joy! It's when we take our eyes off Jesus, that our joy can be stolen.
Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus reminds us that no matter what other people may do, He will never desert us. He will never turn against us. He will never run away from us. He will never lie to us. Jesus will always be here for us and only truth comes from His lips.
The presence of joy is not dependent on the circumstances around us. It is dependent on Jesus.
You may be dealing with pain or illness. You may be experiencing the loss of a loved one. You may be faced with debts too numerous to pay. And yet, even with all this, you can have joy in Jesus!
Trust fully in Him and they can't take the joy!
(If this devotional has blessed you, please pass it on.)
From a fellow traveler just passing through,
Jason Mitchener

Finished baby sweaters!!

I finally finished the last little touches on a pair of baby sweaters I knit for a gift. I used the 5 Hour Baby Sweater pattern, which is one of my favorite patterns. I can't make it in five hours, no matter how hard I try!!!!!


But it still is a quick pattern, and easy, and it takes regular WW yarn - so it works for me!!! I usually end up using Caron Simply Soft yarn - I just love the feel of it, and I like working with it. I also made a couple of little hats to give with the sweaters. For them, I used a pattern called the Ripple Eyelet Baby Hat... it's another one of my all time favorite patterns, because it is easy, but challenging enough to be fun!

I use the Simply Soft yarn for newborn size, and slightly smaller needles with baby yarn for Preemie sizes. (I have made a lot of little baby hats to give to the NICU at one of our local hospitals.) Now, back to the sweaters... I found some really cute little daisy buttons, one set with white petals and yellow centers, and another with yellow petals and white centers. Since these sweaters are going to be for twin girls, I really liked the sort-of matching buttons. I used little velcro circles on the sweaters for closures and sewed them on underneath the buttons.
The colors for the sweaters aren't your typical baby colors...but I really like them - and I think they look good together. Reminds me of grapes or vineyards.


I had a physical therapy appt. today. Apparently, my shoulder is healing really well. Which makes me very happy! Pretty soon, I'll be able to do my 'usual' stuff (which means I get to knit, knit, knit!!!!)
I have been 'craving' chocolate chip cookies for the last week or so. Nestle's Toll House cookies. There's nothing better! So I finally broke down and made some yesterday and they turned out perfect. Which is bad, because dang it, they are really good. And I can hear them in the kitchen, calling my name....maybe it wasn't such a good idea to make them after all....NAH!

new blog!

This is my first post to my new blog...so I should say something important and intellectual.... NAH!

I am recuperating from rotator cuff surgery about 2 weeks ago, so I am limited on my typing still. BUT - I went for a post-op appt yesterday with the surgeon, and I have permission to KNIT!!!!! as long as I keep my shoulder still. So the knitting needles are calling to me today!!!!!

I finished the lining for my Stars and Stripes Felted Bag (pattern by Terry Ross) yesterday. I dragged out my poor, neglected sewing machine, and dusted it off, so that I could sew the lining. I remembered, after fighting with the darn sewing machine for an hour, why the darn thing was gathering dust in the first place!!!! After ripping out a pile of tangled stitching, and knotted thread...I was determined that the blasted thing was going to work!!!!! and I finally succeeded in stitching the two seams I needed to stitch!!! I feel like I have conquered a monster or something!!!! Anyhow - today I will finish the bag and stitch on the handle...then WahLa! I will be able to use my new bag with pride!
I am on a knitting group called Bag-a-Holic - it has been great fun so far. There are monthly KAL's and Terry graciously allowed us to use one of her patterns for July. She has some great designs! I can't wait to see what next month's KAL will be!
My oldest son borrowed my digital camera, because he was going to a Green Bay Packer practice last night, and he wanted pictures...as soon as I get it back, I will post a picture of the completed bag.
I made the handle using an old Carol Duvall trick... tying a bunch of lengths of yarn to a hand mixer beater, and the other end to a chair....hold it taut and turn the mixer on high to twist the yarn, then fold it in half and let it twist up. It worked really slick, and felted well, and it is sturdy!