Them's Sure Gonna' Be Some Purty Cowgirls!

I think this came out fantastic!

A close-up of the trim!

And, I also made this version for one of the LittleOne's friends!

Isn't it funny how the same pattern can look so different with just a change of fabric?

I think they both came out great!

They're going to be some 'purty cowgirls'.

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

All day long I've been wondering if today was my actual blogiversary (I was thinking it was the 15th), and it is today. A year ago today, Cactusneedles was born! Well, not really, but you know what I mean. I can't believe how fast this year's gone, and how much knitting I've accomplished this past blog year.

I've "met" some great blog friends along the way and for all of you out there who checked my ramblings out after I left some first tentative comments on your blogs, I thank you very, very much!

So, I have some blog and knitting goals I'd like to write down here. (I don't really do new year's resolutions, so these are I guess sort of like my new year blog resolutions.)

1. make a complete sweater for me (finish it, don't frog it, and wear it proudly)
2. branch out of my comfort zone, ie: colors, patterns, color work, etc.
3. knit a skirt
4. create some of my own patterns

Those are just a few I can think of off the top of my head!

Happy knitting and may your day be bright (or your evening).

So Much to Do...So Very, Very, Very Little Time

I've got so many things I want to get done in the next month or so, but got sidetracked by these:

When I saw this (thanks Tiennie), I just had to cast on my own!
Pattern: Evangeline
Yarn: Cascade 220, colorway of sapphire (it's like a light blue, almost denim color).
Needles: #7 dpn
Modifications: I, like Tiennie, did an extra pattern repeat above the thumb opening. If I did these again, I'd make the thumb opening bigger. It's a little tight for me, but it'll work. I would also move where the opening is over by two stitches. It was difficult to pick up the thumb opening stitches and make it look neat on the side. I also did 9 rounds on the thumb, and purled the 10th, and did a purl bind off. But they were a quick knit.

(Edited: I just wore these to walk Ella this morning and they were great! They kept my hands warm, but not overly so as it's not too cold here this morning.)


Now, what's all this yarn you ask?

Don't you just hate it when you go into a store, say Michael's for instance, on a totally unrelated errand and you just happen to walk by the yarn and see that it's on clearance! Yes, I had to buy all seven of these! (They were $2.oo!) I think they will become this after I finish this! It's Patons Classic Wool Merino in burgundy.

Now, this next picture is what I have to get done this week.

Out here there's something called Rodeo Days. Yes, the schools close for two days for the rodeo! Weird and strange, I know! But anyway, the kinders at my LittleOne's school do a rodeo program. They're supposed to dress up in western gear. So, I'm going to sew up the cowgirl outfit for her, but instead of the traditional brown (as shown on the pattern cover), she wanted pink! So, the fabric in the back will be her outfit. And the ball trim will go on the bottom of the skirt and the vest instead of the fringe. I'll let you know how it comes out!

(Man, the spell chekc sitll is'nt wroking!)

Dogs on Thursday (all day).

Today I'm going to send you all to the Dogs On Thursday site.

Why? You ask?

Well...Ella is the spotlight dog! (and she's very, very excited about that!)

And for those of you who are wondering, we think Ella has some Australian Kelpie in her (a sheep dog for a knitter without sheep!). A goggle image search shows some of her great relatives!

Happy DOT day!!!

CPH Yarn

Okay. I've gone and done it. I bought the yarn for a Central Park Hoodie today!

Isn't it pretty?

Six wound balls (the un-wound is an extra, a just to be sure I have enough) of Cascade 220 wool in a lovely butter yellow. They call it lemon, but it's a little more buttery (to me anyway).

I wanted something different. I was originally thinking of using a dark red or something, but I saw this and went way out of my color comfort zone. I'm ususally gravitating towards the purples, blues, teals range. I think it's going to be a great color change for me!

A Strange Weather Day

Today was some of the strangest weather we've had in the desert for quite some time. It rained most of the morning and the sun came out for about ten minutes, just long enough for me to take these two pictures of the mountains and the snow.

This is looking north east from the kids' school parking lot.

So, the sun came out for this little bit, I went inside to give something to the LittleOne's teacher, and came out and it looked like it was snowing! It was sleet/rain! (No picture of that!)

These are my geraniums with the pea sized hail about an hour after we got home from school. (Oh, yeah, the sun came out for about 15 minutes and then hail!)

Now the sun's out again! What a strange weather day.

I Got Mail

This lovely package came in the mail on Thursday! Yes, that's how the package came out of the mailbox. What happened you ask? I don't know. Maybe the postman got attacked by a coyote or a bobcat on the way to my mailbox. Or maybe a moose stepped on it! I say a moose, as my great-aunt in northern Maine sent this to me. (What is the USPS doing these days?)

This lovely shawl was in that package. With no damage done! I did wash it and let it dry. My great-aunt knit this, when I'm not sure, but it's probaby, at least, ten to twenty (or more) years old.

A great surprise!!!