Oh my Gosh! I can't believe you posted this! My friend and I who are obsessed with knitting just went plant shopping yesterday. We laughed about how we wanted to buy every plant we see, even if we have no where to put it, just like we want to buy every yarn we see, even though we have a million projects to do!

But I still plan to knit this summer, on the rainy days and in the evenings when it gets too dark to work in the yard.

Donna, I was wondering what happened to you, and to some of the others who are so helpful here! The forum has practically come to a standstill. I have been gardening, working on the shade garden and roses, but also knitting a lot since I've been off work for two weeks. Still working on socks! Finished the Irish Hiking Scarf finally.

Back to work Monday.

Susan

Susan, I've been lurking here. I check in several times a day. It just seems that there are no new posts. Nobody needs our help anymore, I guess.

I want to post a picture of the snakes I recently made for my grandson's kindergarden class, but I'm an idiot about such things. I think I have to have the picture posted on my website first, right? Or is there a way to post a pic another way? I made a couple of snakes for Elijah and he has had such fun with them. They talk to each other and tell his fighting fish that they are going to eat him when he comes up for air. Such fun to watch. So I decided to make them for his entire class. They loved them as much as he did. And they all wrote the cutest thank yous and the picture presented me with a book they made out of the thanks. As soon as I can get my husband to put the pic on my site I'll share it with you all.

Donna, check on the quilting forum re. posting pictures - they had the instructions there in a recent post.

I just finished knitting a baby blanket for my hubby's boss's daughter. We've also been laying flooring in most of our house, so we haven't had any time for fun stuff lately! Thankfully the floor is done now!

Tell us about the snakes, Donna. How many did you make, how long were they, knitted, crocheted or what?

That was a really nice thing to do. Kids love things like that.

Susan, the snakes were knit. I didn't measure them, but they averaged about 6 or 7 inches each. Most of them were made with variegated yarn, but some plain. I made 37 of them. I found the pattern online. Instead of sewing the eyes on I strung beads onto the yarn and knitted the eyes in. My first attempt was gluing the wiggly eyes on, but they wouldn't stay on. The beads worked out fine.

Here is a link that might be useful: snake city

Absolutely adorable! So cute! You are the best grandma! The bows and tongues are great finishing touches.

Well, the conversation has settled in to be just you and me, so maybe everyone really is gardening!

Bye for now.

Susan

Those snakes sure are cute. I *have* been gardening, getting to work too early and leaving too late, and taking care of everything with my husband unable to help now. He broke his leg. I just don't have enough free time. But I have been knitting whenever I do have some.

Donna, I'd like to make one of those snakes.

What's an I cord? Something like a drapery cord you work around?

Do you make it like a sock starting with 2 stitches on each needle and a cord in the middle?

Many thanks.

Susan

Susan, I don't know why it's called an I cord, but it's simple, and there is nothing inside them. Look at the pattern and this is the key - After each round, do not turn work, slide sts to right end of needle, pull yarn to tighten. You never turn your work. You start each row at the same end, pulling the working yarn from the last stitch to knit the first stitch on each row. Give it a try and if it doesn't make sense (but it will) let me know.

Yes! I'm one of those people who has sort of cut back on my knitting and crocheting projects to work in the garden...for a few days.We have a few rainy days comming up apparently so I'll get back to my projects as soon as I give my neglected house a bit of a spit polish.(thats been neglected also due to my gardening binge.I love to sit outside in the shade and knit when it's not too hot,so I won't be giving it up anytime soon.have all those christmas projects to complete.

happy knitting...Eliza ann

The "I" in I cord is for idiot cord. Why, I don't know, except it's really easy to make.

I'm still here too, but in between projects. I just finished making a baby blanket, booties, hat for my husband's grandson's new baby girl. I finished that about 2 weeks ago though and am trying to decide what I want to start on next. I'm thinking about trying another sweater or maybe some socks again. I have been checking in here a couple times a day too and have noticed that there's not too many postings, but I just got a new printer/scanner/copier and hooked it up 4 days ago and it is giving me a little trouble. I've been putting all my time into that the last 4 days and I'm about ready to pack it back up and ship it back to them. Anyway, I plan to pick up my needles soon as soon as I decide what to do.

knitn4--I searched under "I cord" and found a little more about the Idiot Cord. I guess the snake IS the Idiot Cord. Pretty interesting. Thanks for telling us.

Eliza, I recently enjoyed knitting outside also, late one afternoon, as the sun went down, slight breeze, poured myself a glass of wine and hauled the project outside. It was so pleasant, but I finally had to stop because it got too dark.

Susan

I LOVE sitting by the garden and knitting. Just love it.
P.S. I've made I cord for the top of a top-down hat. It's cute like that.

For all those that haven't ever made I-Cord, you use a double pointed needle. As mentioned above, you knit your stitches, then slide them to the other end of the same needle, tightening the yarn just a bit to snug the first to the last stiches, and knit them again. Repeat until the cord is as long as you want it to be.

The double pointed needle is the key, though. If you try to do it with a regular needle you'll drive yourself crazy. Don't ask me how I know this, but that lady at the yarn store sure was nice.... ;-)

I too,check in here often. I have learned so much from you all. So I lurk to see what's new. I'm just starting a baby bonnet for my first grandchild. Due in Ocober, so I know that I'd better start now! I had already knitted a baby sweater many years ago for my little "surprise" late in life, but he outgrew it before I finished! So I just put it away for my older children to have for their babes.
I don't really like working on size 5 needles, but I want to do this so, have to get used to knitting on a much smaller scale.
Keep posting everyone. You're such a nice group!

Great to know that many knitters here are gardeners too. Spring seems to be late this year here in New England so I've had that much more time to knit!

I love the many uses for i-cord: bag handles, drawstrings, edgings etc. Recently I made one for a felted bag and it inadvertently looked like a snake because of the striping effect from the hand-painted yarn I used. I believe that the i-cord was originated by Elizabeth Zimmerman, the grande dame of knitting.

Went to the library today and saw among the new books "Vogue Knitting Baby Blankets Two." The whole book is blankets, throws, etc. for babies, and some of the patterns are really cute. They are ranked from beginner to experienced. There is one with 6 white sheep and one black sheep, a sampler, and there is even one which looks like the Irish Hiking Scarf, expanded! Some of them are too difficult for me, but some look doable.

I riffled through the Vogue Knitting Baby Blankets Two book yesterday at a yarn shop. I saw the blanket with the sheep and the one with the cables. I almost bought it, but I think I'll look for it first at the libraries in the area. By the way, I just finished my red Irish Hiking Scarf yesterday. How is yours coming along, socks?

Today I have little time for knitting or gardening, unfortunately. Besides, it's raining.

Wendy, I finished my hiking scarf.Was going to put fringe but decided I was tired of the whole thing. Wish I had used a bigger needle, but it's ok. I'm tired of cables, for now! I couldn't even "think" of making that baby blanket with all the cables!

Sorry about your husband. Hope he isn't too miserable and heals up well.

Susan

Susan, I'm sorry to hear you're tired of cables, for now, at least. Maybe you'll get the cable bug again sometime.

I almost got discouraged when I had to frog a big section in the middle of my scarf because I purled where I should have knitted on the edge. Everyone said nobody would notice, so I kept on going. It kept bugging me, though, so I finally stopped and unraveled it back to the mistake.

I showed the scarf to a woman who works at the yarn shop where I bought it. She admired it, then she told me to be careful while washing it, because the Plymouth Indecita Baby Alpaca Grande felts very easily, and it would be a shame to lose all that work. You betcha. At least it's for me, and I know I won't throw it in the washer.

Thanks for caring about my husband. Thankfully he is healing well. It does take a long time to heal a broken bone. At least it was only one.

Wendy

Well it's nice to see that I'm not the only one obsessed with both knitting and gardening. A couple of weeks ago, it got up to the 70's and 80's here in Iowa. I went crazy buying plants; then the temp dropped to highs in the 50's and I still don't have the plants planted. Good thing I have a gazebo to store them in; keeps them above freezing at night, but they still get the sun during the day. DH says if I want to go plant shopping, just go to my gazebo (that's how many there are in there). It's been a bit too cool in the evenings for much garden work, so I just keep knitting away.

Happy Knitting & Gardening!

Renata in Iowa

Who's gardening in California? It's muddy everywhere. Well, I should be gardening, instead I'm knitting and trying to organize clutter so I can spend less time housecleaning and more time on everything else. I keep checking this forum because it teaches me so much and is a good companion in this rainy weather.

Yes! I put in such a big day yesterday that my poor battered garden hands hurt too much to crochet. I have a dozen new plants in pots that I ordered from Krazy Keith's at a terrific bargain. I would never have ordered from such a doubtful sounding website except the folks on the Rose Forum revealed that it was related to Wayside Gardens. Check out the Gardenweb if you want to be tempted.