Jenna Lou Loves You

knit Lite knitting Giveaway

Let's do a giveaway!! Just because I'm happy and I can and I want to.

The prize at stake? One complete set of Knit Lite needles. This includes sizes 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.5, 13,and 15!! These babies are valued at $120.00! I love the bright colors and now you can sneak your knitting into bed. Who knows maybe some rows will even get done while you dream away the night.... wouldn't that be nice!!

If you're not a knitter yourself feel free to enter anyway... think of the great gift they would make for your purling friends.

How to enter? A couple ways.

1. Leave a comment here. Bonus if you leave me the name of the last great book you read!

2. Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a separate comment with a link to it.

3. Join the mailing list (if you already are a member of the list then you get 1 entry automatically). 

** Open to the worldwide audience **
** Drawing will be done randomly **

Ready Set GO!

Edit: SORRY I forgot to put an end date on the giveaway. The Giveaway will close on Sunday the 29th around noon central time.

This giveaway was sponsored by me. I highly doubt the folks at knit lite even know who I am.

Warming my heart.

With the completion of the last toe they slipped on my feet and warmed my toes. Something so special about the time put into something so mundane. Each stitch a moment in time forever saved. So soft, they warm my heart.

The next pair is already cast on. The next heal is being turned. There will be many more socks in my future.

xo,
Jennalou

** It's hard to photograph feet!
** Yarn is OnLine Supersocke 100 in Holiday. Holiday doesn't seem to be a fitting name for this colorway... unless it's a Birthday of course.

A Slow Comeback

Well I certainly didn't expect to be gone for such a long time. Summer turned to fall and all of the chores that come along with that happened around here. I put my garden to bed and planted the last fall bulbs with hopes of a great spring show. We had a garage sale to declutter a bit. We turned the fireplace on for the first time yesterday and watched snowflakes fall from the clouds. It has been quite nice to reorganize life and to take the time to enjoy it too.

I'm hoping to make a slow comeback to the blog. I've really missed sharing my projects and having fun conversations with many of you and I look forward to having that back!

Now to share some of the fun stuff!

I've been knitting socks! This is my first pair and I'm having so much fun with this self striping sock yarn. At first it was terrible to hold onto those tiny needles and control that impossibly thin yarn, but like everything in life, practice makes perfect. I can't wait to try them on!

Also I have to share a tiny bit of shop news because it's been SO long. While the blog may have been asleep, the shop has been a busy mix of new items and new PATTERNS!! I recently added the all time best seller: A Girl's Best Friend Wallet Sewing Pattern in PDF format. It was highly requested because so many of you love the speedy delivery of PDFs and I have to say I'm starting to like them too! Paper is always going to be my preference.... but PDF's sure are a snap!

Added just this week the Wristlet PDF Pattern in now availbale too! The Wristlet is the perfect beginner project! It includes super easy step by step insturctions with clear color photos to help you sew a wristlet to give, SELL, or keep for yourself!

As always you can find these patterns and more in the shop.

Thanks so much to all of you who have hung around while I was on my break!! I'm excited to be back!!
xo,
Jennalou

It's done... but lost.

hmmmm.... I've had the scarf done for a couple days now.... but where o' where did it go?? I've already worn it all over town... all soft and warm on these brisk winter days. I cleaned the house as we have had guests over several times this week and I stashed it somewhere not to be found.

Craft room?... no. Box in entry with mittens, hats, and the rest of my scarfs?.... no. Car?... no. hmmmm.... under the bed... YES! Hey...How did it get under there??

I don't know sometimes... I just feel like I'm loosing it. At least I have this lovely blue scarf to comfort me.

I'm cabling along!

As part of my goals for the New Year I really wanted to expand my knowledge of knitting. Everything I know thus far was taught to my by my wonderful Grandmother. She's been the knitting, sewing, cross-stitching guru in my life for as long as I can remember. We started out back when I was 16 or 17 with simple garter stitches... just learning the basic knitting and purling. Then just this New Years I asked her to teach me mittens. So now that I got the increases and decreases mastered I really wanted to learn cables. Grandma was never into the fancy knitting... her work was more practical... so I signed up for a class at our newly opened knitting shop in old downtown.

Last night I got to indulge myself in 2 hours of cable learning and chatting with some wonderful gals and just enjoying time out of the nest. I was quite intimidated going in because all of my teachings are hand-me-downs so I don't really know the "knitting language", but our instructor was really great. It was a nice small class so we each got one on one time and to be honest I was quite astonished with the ease that it came to me. News flash: Cables are EASY... and FUN!!!

We worked on scarves to keep it simple and quick. I used some baby alpaca in a beautiful dusty blue shade. It was my first experience knitting with the "good stuff" and now I know what all you gals are raving about! The cable looks a bit untraditional because it has turns in it so that we could learn the right slant and left slant cables. I'm about 1/2 done with my scarf and I've already picked out my next project... more on that later.

Can you believe it's Friday already? I sure can't! Happy weekend everyone.
xo,
Jennalou

In 2008

Can you believe it? It's hard to believe that 2007 was here and gone. In the blink of an eye. Thanks for such a great year!

So in the past I've never been huge on resolutions, but I think I'm going to give it a try this year. I am, after all, a 'list-maker'. Nothing motivates me more than a big list of things to get done, so this should be a positive thing!

So here goes. In 2008....

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I would like to expand my knowledge of knitting. I just learned to knit my first pair of mittens (thanks grandma) and now I'm itching to know much more. To help me along the way I signed up for a couple classes at my local yarn shop. I'm going to start by learning cables and then I'll be knitting my very first sweater!

I also would LOVE to step up my camera skills. I take TONS of pictures for the shop and blog, but I know little to nothing about how my camera actually works.

I think it's becoming clearer and clearer to all of us that we need to watch our lifestyles and try our best to live a healthier and greener life. We've been pretty good around here about recycling and conserving energy, but I know that there is SO much more we could do. So no better time to start than the present.

I would like to read at least 12 fiction books this year. Sounds a little lame, but I've been so busy with the business and life that I don't find time for this anymore and I would like that to change. So one book a month is a reasonable goal for me.

And lastly I would like to publish at least 2 more patterns this year. Hopefully a few more than that, but we'll keep it realistic.
++++++++++

Ok... sorry if that was a bore. I just had to get it out there, all official and everything. Thanks again for such a great year in 2007!! I've read and dearly appreciate every comment left here and can't thank you enough for reading! It's been so much fun to meet many of you via blogland and I hope that 2008 is just as wonderful!!

xoxo,
Jennalou

Brrrr.

Brrrr. Today has been a COLD one! It was gray and cold and windy... and did I say cold?? I just got back from my run to the Post Office and my little toes are numb.

To warm myself up I've been doing quite a bit of knitting and crocheting. It chases away the cold... all that yarn. I made another Sensations scarf this time in pinks and grays. I'm thinking it'll be a gift for a special little girl in John's family. Then I made this crocheted scarf in colors that just sing fall. Chocolate and Cherries.... mmmm. This one's waiting in the shop for one lucky girl (or guy :D)

Thanks for all the comments on the Fabraholic posts!! It was fun to see that there SO MANY other fabraholics out there!!

xoxo,
Jennalou

Weekend Warrior

What a great weekend. So much was accomplished around here including lot's of cooking, gardening, reading and knitting.

I spent my Saturday in a luxury of laziness. I joined a new friend for coffee and sewing talk, then came home to knit and read. The scarf took me no time at all and was finished by bedtime. This was the first time I've used yarn with that thick and thin handspun texture and I couldn't be more pleased with how it came together. If you've never tried it before I'd say just do it... You'll love it!

I've been reading lots of gardening books, particularly ones which talk about perennials. They are so beautiful and the thought of only planting once and then enjoying blooms year after year is so charming. As I was removing all the dead veggies from the garden, where next year I plan a patio, I couldn't help but wish (as I have done many times before) that I was on HGTV. They make all the madness and work look so easy peasy. A complete garden reconstruction in just a weekend? Impossible. And although I know they have crews of many people doing many things all at once I can't help but wish that real life were like that. If it were I would have a newly decorated house/garden/garage in just a few short weeks where along the way the HTGV crew asks us to leave for the day and come home to a place we didn't even know was possible and lots of expensive surprises. If only.

I kid though... I really do enjoy doing the work for myself. There is a lot of satisfaction in putting in a long day of hard work when you know it's all yours to enjoy.

Now I better be back to my sewing... I'm sorry if you're waiting for your custom work... I promise I'll be done with all the orders by Wednesday!

** Scarf was knitted on 10.5 needles with Sensations Licorice #2347(2 skeins) which I picked up at my local JoAnn's craft store.

xoxo,
Jennalou

Fall Knits

The cold fall weather has really kicked in over the past couple weeks. The leaves are gorgeous, golden, glowing. It's my favorite time of the year! Inspired by the beautiful knits all over blogland I've pulled out my needles and bought some new fall yarn. I wanted something quick (*instant gratification) so I just went with a simple knitted scarf. As you can see it's not nearly done, but I'll show pictures in a couple days or so when it's ready for the fall debut.

Of course I couldn't knit without the watchful eyes of a certain little helper. She's so cute I could just pinch her! She likes to sit right in my lap and especially on the ball of yarn, so I put her up in the papasan chair to stay out of my hair.

I think I'm just going to take the rest of the day easy. Knit, drink tea, maybe get outside a rake up some of those crunchy leaves into a pile which I will then run through with the glee of a five year old. Yes.... that's sounds lovely.

I hope you all are enjoying the fall weather this weekend.
Jennalou