Ooo yes.. we are Simpsons..!!! So funny.. Check out Megaknits.. she has the info.. (^_^)

a rainy daY (^_^)

What do u do on a rainy day...


Well for one reading is good on rainy days.. and projects.. little by little I'm working on my moogle pattern... I'll be done in a day or 2... Harry Potter is getting deap.. I've been reading that little by little too... Reading blogs.. helping someone work on their myspace... blah blah.. etc.
Then .. as I was reading blogs I came across Yarnish's blog.. and she mentioned how she had some Ravelry invites she was sitting on and wanted to share.. So she decided to have a raffle so I figured what the heck.. and decided last minute to join the raffle.. she has a list of what u needed to do and I did what she required and then... and then... I won an invite!!!.. I never win anything.. but I actually won..!!! So I am now on Ravelry and my screen name is apixiegirl of course.. so I'll be there on and off today checking it out... Thank u Yarnish.. hello Ravelry!!!
I still can't believe I won.. omy..(^_^)

Spinning has been happening.. I actually worked on my sock yarn yesterday and almost have the second spool done... and I'm almost at the end of the roving... It's so hard to get both spools with equal amounts of yarn on them.. I use the good old "by eye" method...it's not very accurate.


Progress on the rib lace bolero: I really like working with lion brand cotton ease.. it has a nice drape quality to it.. but... with that comes the tendency to unravel from the skein... so before I go any farther I have to rewind that mess into a ball... I need some type of skein management for the next skein of yarn.. maybe a piece of old pantyhose... or something like that.. maybe a yogurt container minus the yogurt with a hole in the lid.. either will probably work and save a lot time untangling and rewinding. OOOO ... yes I got Harry Potter #7.. I haven't read much yet..I plan to make it last.. take my time... enjoy it.. I'm sure there are quite a few people who have finished it already.. I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!.. that said I will avoid all references to the book until I finish.. hopefully I will be successful.. (^_^)


My daughter Brooke shared the link to the Purlsoho news letter with me.. there are some very nice patterns .. all different mediums.. knit, crochet, quiting and embroidery ... here is a link to a nice tutorial on making a granny square.. check out the site...and have fun crafting today(^_^)

Today was a lazy.. kind of relaxing day.. it's been cloudy all afternoon and has been raining for about an hour.. I decided to start an easy project that would be more of the mindless knitting type. I choose a ribbed lace bolero.. a pattern that was originally posted on craftster.org. The designer was kind enough to offer it as a free pattern.. the yarn I'm using is Lion brand cotton ease in the light grey color... and ... this is my progress so far. Speaking of being lazy.. I sit a lot at my computer and if I'm not using my computer.. I'm probably knitting... too much sitting going on.... so.. I was thinking that maybe u could exercise at the same time while your surfing or knitting or sitting.. that would be a plus.. and I came across an article that suggested doing exercises right at your computer.. hummm... well this is what it says..

You can start by squeezing. No, not your abdominals. Your booty! Here's the three-step exercise you can do all day.
Do It Now -- And Wherever You Can
Yes, while you're reading this tip, try this exercise for flatter abs:

Walk your way to weight loss with this audiobook.

1. Suck your belly button in tight.
2. Squeeze your butt as if you’re trying to pull on a pair of too-tight jeans (pretend the top of your head is being pulled toward the ceiling by a string).
3. Hold that position.

Do this often (on the elevator, waiting in line, at work, every time you walk somewhere) and you'll quickly firm up your middle by working your transverse abdominis -- the muscle that supports the abdominal wall. And you'll have better posture to boot.

anyway.. hehe.. it's kind of funny but hey if it works.. why not..(^_^)

FFXI obbsessed.. >.<

All this talk of moogles and FFXI with friends... caused me to want to play again.. so I did the unthinkable and reactivated my account.. probably only for a month.. I played a little yesterday and visited with old friends .. went to new lands.. and had to remake my many magic spell macros.. One thing I really enjoy about the game is the spell animations and the music.. so fun.... and...I got to visit with my moogle.. (^_^)

Sunday was the Orlando knit wits meeting , which I attended.. I worked on my diamond shawl (OMG I know.. I still haven't finished it!!!) the turn out was small.. maybe it had to do with the terrible weather.. while we were chatting and knitting away it was storming away outside.. the lights actually went out twice.. lots of lightening , wind and rain.. scary...

Today I'm working on some patterns.. the process boggles me.. but I'm working through it. So many words to describe a simple process.. I'm starting simple and will work up to the harder stuff... unfortunately I can get too detail oriented sometimes.. and twist my mind up in a knot... 0.0`

mY MoOGLe !!!

Yesterdays moogle progression .. he is sewn all together... but I still have to make the wings and his little messenger bag...


Wings and bag finished... all sewn together ... I placed his arms to look like he was talking.. but that made me have to hang his bag on the opposite side from the picture ... more views of the moogle.. enjoy Kupo!!.. (^_^)------>

Yes!!! It's done. don't mind this bad picture.. my bf took it , man he could have told me to fix my shirt in the back (^_^)... It's been really humid and very hot here in Florida.. (to hot for real long hair and not a day to model sweaters)


This is a close up of the sleeve edging I decided on. I'm finally pleased with it. Just enough green and not so much green that I would have to run and buy another ball of yarn for a few rows of edging.



Here is a not so good picture of the finished shrug.. I'll take better pictures maybe today.



The moogle report: all the body parts are knitted.. I wasn't sure if a moogle has a tail.. so I looked up pictures online and didn't see a tail anywhere .. so my moogle has no tail.



He is almost assembled.. and still needs wings and the bobble on his head needs to be attached. Then I have to make his little messenger bag. I'll be working on that today.. I still have to figure out how I'm going to knit the wings .

HiDden TrEaSurEs

Yes again... I don't like how the sleeve edging looks so off it comes..


Hehehe .. these odd pieces are what will hopefully be the moogle.. I need to run out today and get some fiberfill and start stuffing and sewing it together.. If I'm unhappy with it .. I will do it again in the crochet version.


Some time ago.. I used to quilt.. then life got very busy and stressfull so I left quite a few unfinished quilt tops tucked away in drawers with plans to finish them some time in the near future. Well u know how that goes.. anyway.. here is a Christmas quilt in the making.. all that was left to do is the applique' stitch around some of the berries and sewing on the boarders and latice strips in between the blocks.. I have all the fabric for this quilt .. even the backing fabric. I always purchased all the fabric for a quilt at the same time. I don't really know if I will ever finish it.






Here is another not so complete quilt top. This is actually a baby quilt that never got finished. This one needs all the applique and lattice strips to complete just the top and then of course the quilting. I'm not sure where the rest of the fabrit is for this quilt atm. I'm sure its here some where. 0.0


More hidden treasures in the next post..

It's that time of year in Florida ... the time of year where every afternoon there is a thunderstorm .. So much rain!!!.. then after the rain .. so much heat and humidity


Well ... from this picture there doesn't seem to be much progress on the medallion ... I have been working on each sleeve simultaneously and added 4 pattern repeats to each sleeve and I just picked up the stitches around the body for the edging.. little by little .. This shrug seems to be taking me so long to finish.. longer than I thought it would take me for some reason... and I think I will have to run the the LYS AGAIN to purchase ANOTHER green ball of Berroco love it for the edging.. sigh.. it's the curse of the green yarn.. I promised myself I wouldn't buy green yarn this year.. and now that seems to be all I'm buying.. green yarn!!



Planning my next project.. the Moogle... I have picked out yarns from my stash.. and I think these colors will work after some discussion with other FFXI players as to the correct color of a moogle. I have also decided to not stick to the pattern for a more authentic looking moogle if I can.. I have some ideas.. off to knit..(^_^)

Lately there has been lots of talk about FFXI (Final Fantasy 11) among friends.. and for me.. it's been all about the moogle....>


How cute is that!!! In FFXI the moogle was the caretaker of your mog house and all of your treasures...he was also found playing a roll in some of the special events.. giving hints and directions and prizes.. he also wore a few different outfits according to the area he was in...no matter where he was or what he was wearing.. the moogle was just darn cute.. and thats a fact Kupo!!! Although I no longer play FFXI there are a lot of fond memories of fighting the evil powers and joining in with friends and family members to be victorious .. we developed the bond of friendship .. camaraderie.. that has lasted.. so.. When Amy Shimel first posted her design on craftster.org of her moogle.. I have wanted to make one... I had to have it!!!.. but there was always something on the needles that I had to finish and other things to do.. Now that she has posted the pattern.. I'm going to take a break from my other projects and make one... finally.. well that will be when I finish my shrug because I'm almost done and I don't want to leave it in that state with just the edgings to finish..
Also I think I stated in an earlier post that I scrapped my turtleneck tank from fitted knits.. and I'm actually using that yarn for the shrug I'm working on now.. I don't know if it was the yarn or the turtleneck..which ever it was.. it wasn't working for me.. so.. I might attempt it again with different yarn.. in the mean time I have wanted to make a large bag... I'm thinking about the Larger than life bag..(that is the link for the crochet-a-long) which I have also had my eye on since I first purchased the spring issue of Interweave crochet... why do we knitters/crocheters want to make so many projects.. and there is also holiday knitting to think about.. ooo my.. too much rambling on .. about so many projects... ok I'm stopping now..

So I leave you with a fond picture of my moogle and I..( Pooka).. it's all about the moogle Kupo!!

I other things besides knitting sometimes.. 0.0
These are some books that I have read recently.. they are knitting mysteries .. I enjoyed them. After reading 3 in a row I felt like I knew this group of knitters.. there were lots of deaths mixed up with lots of knitting.. cute light reading..So now I need something new to read.. and I found this on the shelf.. the odd thing is that I'm enjoying it.. Byron lived in the same era as Jane Austen.. so it's interesting to me... Speaking of books.. are you ready for the new Harry Potter.. Deathly Hallows.. and the movie .. Order of the Phenox.. some much Harry Potter this month.. I can't wait!!

Ok back to knitting..
Finally there is some progress on the sleeves.. Yay.. I have worked out all the necessary decreases to allow for stitch pattern changes and planning what I will do to finish off the sleeves. That little ball of yarn is all I have left of the Berroco Love it.. I'm hoping that there will be enough for a small edging.. if not I will have to run to the LYS ..again.. and purchase one more ball.. if that is going to be the case I will add more of the green around the neck edging. weeee.. I'm liking this project.. and part of the reason I like it so much is the yarn... I really love knitting with this stuff.... I like the feel of it on my lap.. it's smooth and soft without being overly hot.. ooo yeah I forgot about this book...> Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac seems to be all the rage lately... I actually have one and it's been around for a very long time. Seeeeee.. how much did u pay for your copy.. snicker.. snicker.. I paid $3.00 usd. 0.0