It's Draft Day

How do you celebrate draft day? Or do you? Who do you hope your team drafts?

2008 NFL Schedules

The 2008 NFL season schedules are starting to be posted! Please check them out on your team's website. I can't wait for mini-camps and then regular camp and then pre-season games to begin!

During the off-season, I listen to a lot of audiobooks while I knit. My library has a link on their website and as long as you enter a valid library card number you can download books. It is a great way to pass the time until footbal starts again!

How many days until Opening Weekend? Can you tell I am anxiously awaiting the new season?!

Off Season Woes

What are you all doing during the off season? What do you knit to? Do you watch any other sports? Try as I might, I just can't get into anything else like I do football.

I am working on Baudelaire socks from Knitty.com and a pair of plain toe up socks.


Also, my fill in project for when the sock mojo needs a rest is this scarf:

The pattern is Trekking if For Necking. The yarn is Trekking, color # 143.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I'm so excited! I've lost my voice and can only croak out a hello on the phone here at the office!

Anyone going to the parade tomorrow??? I heard they're actually going to start in NJ and then go to NY. It's only fair. They're played here in the Garden State for 30 years!!!

WooHoo!! Eli Rocks!

I am so stoked that Eli Manning and the Giants won the Super Bowl. I'm not a Giants fan but I am a huge Manning fan. I couldn't be more pleased to see that both Eli and Peyton have their matching Super Bowl Rings and MVP trophies. There is no family more deserving in football IMHO.

I didn't watch but bits and pieces of the game which is my norm (I prefer NCAA games and don't watch sports on Sunday as a rule). I didn't take photos either, but my snacks consisted of Diet Coke, saltine crackers, and Maalox (I hate my stupid stomach sometimes). The knitting was casting off the final stitch on the Mystic Waters Shawl--truly my super accomplishment as this is a big honking shawl!

I offer my condolences to all the Pats fans on the list. It would have been cool if they could have gone unbeaten for the season. It's been a fun season of knitting and cheering on my teams with all of you. I hope to do it again next year. Until then.... Go Vols!!!!

My Superbowl Snacks

My Superbowl snack:


And my son's Superbowl snack:

My Superbowl knitting:
This is a Clapotis.

Super Sunday

Well it's Superbowl Sunday and my team(s) are somewhere else but a football field. This saddens me. More than you know. I am a football nut, a Chicago Bears nut and for sure starting to become a Seattle Seahawks nut. SuperBowl Sunday and all I am looking forward to are the overpriced commercials.... saddens me so.


We will fight on! Wait until next year! Go Giants!

Got Snacks?

Ok who's gonna have the best snacks and the super eats for the superbowl?? Take a pic of your super bowl spread and what you're knittin' or hookin' during the game.

Congrats to the Tigers

With all due respect, I must offer my congratulations to LSU for their big win Monday night. They played an amazing game and represented the SEC with honor. Since LSU just squeaked out a win in the SEC championship over my TN Vols, of course I wanted them to win ;-) Just another SEC team winning the National Championship...may it be MY TEAM next year!

GO BUCKS!

Gooooo Gi-ants!

In celebration of their first playoff win in 7 years I give you this rather horrible felted pillow I made for my dad's Christmas present:


On to Dallas!

Our season ends.

Yesterday was a sad day. Steelers are officially done with their season. There was some grumbling and talk of no football team to watch for 7 months. How will we stand it??

My hope is the start of the baseball season!!!

Hope everyone is enjoying their football season or is enjoying football in general.

Happy Knitting to football!!!

Go Seahawks!

the 12th (wo)man

Oh, THAT O!

It started with a business trip to Columbus, Ohio to visit our warehouse. Of course, the IT guys were huge huge huge OSU fans. One of them even went to the knitting store and bought me yarn and needles after I had promised to knit him some OSU socks in time for the BCS game! The "color design" with grey body and toe and heel in red were his idea. Pretty basic and nice! Numerous fitting sessions were involved. These were going to be for a sz 12 foot.



Didn't have time to go to the Knitter's Mercantile myself, and was abit bummed about it. But he also bought some nice Classic Elite Alpaca Sox that I made the Snicket socks from Magknits with, in the buckeye colorway! (Finished today!)


Anyway, the "manly" OSU socks were made with the Encore yarn, size 6 needles (I'm a very loose knitter, so you may want to follow the yarn recommendations of sz 8 needles), 48 stitches, top down, starting with a K2P2 ribbing, regular heel flap, etc.. More details can be found on my blog. If you'd like more details, let me know.


Ended up embroidering the O using chain stitch, modified the initial O with a double row, to simulate the block O more closely. (Btw, photo shoot below was at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, CO. Gorgeous views. Absolutely stunning.)


These are a lightning fast knit on sz 6 needles, but somehow didn't end up sending them until yesterday! He should have them in time for the game on Monday... Have another two skeins of the Encore, another set in reverse colors will be next.

Yes! We Believe!!

GO BROWNS GO!!!!!!!!

Congratulations!

To you Miami Dolphins fans on your first win of the season!

It's Saturday Afternoon...

and there's no college football on TV. I think I'm going through withdrawals. I like college B-ball, but it's just not the same as football. And the b-ball Vols aren't playing again till later in the week...it's finals time. (sob, sob)

Dear Patriots

In the future, if you are going to play like a peewee football team for the first 3 quarters can you please let me know in advance? When you play like that it changes my gauge forcing me to frog a football game worth of work. Now I know you like your fans, and I know you respect us knitters, so I think you will understand and respect my request.
I am glad you won, but can you please get back to playing like a professional team from now on?
Thank you
~~Britt~~

Kudos

I think kudos are in order here. First, To Mik and Hawaii--well done! That Colt Brennan is amazing! I was *so* hoping that my Tennessee Vols would be playing against Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl..we came soooooo close! But then again, I must offer my kudos to Becky and all the other LSU fans here. LSU played through all kinds of adversity, including good ol' Tennessee hard-hitting "smash-mouth" defense. The Tigers came up hobbling and dizzy-headed, but they survived. I can't wait to watch the National Championship game cuz any team that wins the SEC deserves to play for the National Championship and LSU earned it big time. You guys are gonna burst Ohio State's bubble big time!

Any Wisconsin Badger fans here? I just wanna know who I'm rooting against in the Outback Bowl in Tampa on Jan 1st :-D

Oh, and now that the regular season is over for football, my LYS finally did get her custom order of orange and white sock yarn in. I picked mine up the other day. I guess it's a good thing that basketball, Vols and Lady Vols, is just a huge as football.

Still bleeding orange...
Kristina

The University of Hawaii is PERFECT!

WAC Champions, the Hawaii Warriors just beat the Washington Huskies 35 to 28, which left them undefeated (12-0) and awaiting news of whether or not they'll get to play in a BCS bowl game. The speculation so far is that they'll get invited to play in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Hawaii quarterback, Colt Brennan (perfect quarterback name!) was breaking NCAA records left and right, and is a Heisman hopeful, though most are calling him a long-shot.

I don't know how my kids managed to sleep near me in the living room while I screamed and whooped it up during the game. In fact, they're both snoring away right now.

My older son competed in a wrestling tournament today and lost both of his first two matches. The tournament was over at that point for him. The state championship football game was played today but seeing as how we lost the semi-final match in Reno last week, he and his friends had no interest in going to the game. Many of them also wrestle so they used the tournament as an excuse not to go. I don't know how they felt when they found out that the team that beat them last week lost in the championship game today. I was happy that it was a Las Vegas team that won. I'm not worried. I'm looking forward to our team winning state next year!

Okay guys, almost 1 a.m. and time for bed. Hope everyone's college teams won today and their NFL teams win on Sunday!

Mik
www.mikknits.blogspot.com

4 is a lucky number?

It was an unbelievable game--4 OTs! I know the loss was hard for Kentucky to swallow, but not half as hard, I don't think, as it was for the 'Dogs of Georgia. My heart sat in my throat and raced through the last of the 4th quarter and all the OTs, but the Vols pulled it out. The faster my heart raced, the faster my knitting needles clicked during all those commercials and time-outs there at the end. Hey, I made good progress on my Mystic Waters shawl!

Post Thanksgivingn Post

How is everyone's football weekend going? Did anyone see that Tennessee game? Quadruple overtime--I don't think I've ever seen a game go into quadruple overtime. And that was after my LSU tigers lost in triple overtime for the second time this year. The Texas Longhorns also lost, so our football weekend wasn't so hot.

Good news is at least Dallas won.

On my personal blog, I'm having both a contest and a KAL. I'd appreciate it if you would stop by and check them out.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Way Too Close!

Whew! I'm taking long, deep breaths. I think my heart has resumed beating. This game was way too close for comfort. I offer my highest respect, and condolences, to the Vandy faithful for an extremely competitive game. Tennessee pulled this one out by the "hair of their chinny chin chins" at 25-24. I suspect that Vanderbilt would have won had the game been played in Nashville instead of the friendly confines of Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. Gotta love that home field advantage and the very vocal Vol Nation :-)

The good news is the Vols won and are still in control of their destiny in the SEC East. More good news-- our next opponent, Kentucky, isn't looking as sharp as they were a few weeks ago. It's going to be a tough game in Lexington next weekend but I'm confident the Vols can pull it off. And the best news of all, intense football games make for fast knitting, and fast knitting means another FO. This time it's Cookie's Monkey Socks coming off my needles. If you're a sock knitter I highly recommend the Monkey socks for a great knit. I guess there's a reason it's the #1 project OTN of Ravelry knitters :-)

Still bleeding orange...
Kristina

Ought To Be Interesting

LSU is playing Ol' Miss today. This is one of their oldest and bitterest rivalries.



Dallas is playing the Redskins tomorrow. Anyone who knows anything about either of these two teams knows that this is one of the bitterest rivalries in the NFL. Sports Writers writing about these two games are coincidentally using the word "ambush" a lot.

Yep, this ought to be interesting. Good thing I have some mindless socks to work on.

Michigan Wolverine Kitchen towel pattern

Just in case you're a fan and missed this one, there's a nice kitchen towel (with hanging loop) pattern (and apparently the dishcloth to go with also on her blog) at WishingIWasKnitting. Not my blog, but thought you Wolverine fans might enjoy it.

Knitting On - waiting for a miracle for my 49ers!
Cathi in California

Just for Fun - A Knitting Meme!

Apparently this knitting meme has been around for quite some time, but I saw it for the first time today at The Knitting Wildflower and decided to post it here just for fun!

The "official" rules say to indicate items that have been done in bold and things you want to try in italics.

So, for you knitting addicts like me, enjoy!!


Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (I don't have a clue what this is)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Hair accessories
Knitting in public
Knitting with buffalo yarn
Knitting with pygora
Dyeing with food dye/drink mixes
Dyeing with chemical dyes (acid, etc)

Package Arrived!

My football package arrived today from Kris full of wonderful football-y goodness!! Lots of yummy snacks; football plates, cups and napkins; a Baked Cookie candle; a dpn tube and sock needle protectors AND 3 skeins of the yummiest yarn in shades of purple and yellow! (Go Vikings!)










Here is a close up of the yarn that shall someday (hopefully soon) me made into socks to warm my toes! I haven't used either of these yarns yet, so I am very excited.

Thanks so much, Kris, for a great package! What a fun swap!

A Special Christmas Card Request

Hi ! A friend emailed me this request today. Thought I would share with the group.

Please consider the following when sending out your Christmas cards this year.

When you make out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following:

A Recovering American Soldier

c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

Pass on only if you feel compelled to do so.
__________________________________________________

Passionate OSU Fans VOTE

OSU has no votes.........come on Buckeye people!!

Sweepstakes via DiGiorno Pizza, to win tickets to a college bowl game.

Click Here for details.

How Bout Them Cowboys!

I believe this was the play of the day.

How Bout that Jason Whitten!

Browns are on Fire!

Cleveland Browns WIN in overtime !!! 33-30 !!!

Way to go!! Watch Out Pittsburgh......... Here we come!!!

Arrrgh!

I can't believe it happened. I was as silently stunned as the crowd in the RCA Dome. The Colts lost to the Pats. NE scored twice late in the 4th quarter to pull ahead. I'm trying to be positive though, since one of Peyton's favorite receivers was injured, and then there 's the thing about the team who lost in the regular season tends to win when the match-up happens in the playoffs, and all that jazz. (BIG SIGH) Oh well, at least Tennessee won big this weekend so it wasn't a total loss on the gridiron. May bothe my teams perform better next weekend :-)

Go Illini

Snugs Complete
Originally uploaded by piecesofstring

These snugs are awesome! The pattern is Little Snugs, by Pick Up Sticks. The outside is wool and the lining is alpaca, so it's super soft.

Been too long...

Hey Folks,
So sorry that I have kinda been in hiding. The past month has been quite nutty...but I'm back on track.

Just as a general update, we have over 150 members on the blogger page! (A BIG HUGE WELCOME TO ALL THE NEW MEMBERS!! HELLO!!) There are over 200 on the Ravelry site, but it's a bit much to account for everyone on both, so it's really just a matter of waiting for Ravelry to go live for EVERYONE so we can all be in one place like one big happy family!

High five for all the beautiful October projects! Everyone did such a great job!!! November's project is on it's way, and should be posted in the next day or so.

So how are your fantasy teams doing? I started out pretty well, but have since been sliding. But, for my first time playing fantasy football, it's not all that bad. I'm having a blast either way.

And how 'bout those Giants! If you ask me, the London game was a stupid idea...but that's just one girls opinion. I am super siked for this week, when the Giants take on Dallas at home. Should be a good show!

Well, I'm off, but will be back shortly with Novembers project!

Go Giants!
Jen

Where is Everyone?

I haven't seen this group quiet this long since it started! What's been going on in your football world?

My Texas Longhorns and my son's LSU tigers both came from behind and won on last minute scores yesterday, #2 Boston College lost to Florida State, which is probably going to shake up the BCS standings a bit, and Navy beat Notre Dame for the first time in 44 years--in triple overtime, no less! Last time Navy beat ND, the year was 1963 and Roger Staubach was the Navy quarterback, and I wasn't even a twinkle in my Daddy's eye yet.

Pro football this afternoon. My Cowboys are finally back from their bye week and face the Philadelphia Eagles. And what everyone is calling the matchup of the Century, the Colts vs. Patriots this afternoon. Should be some good knitting time.

Finally, just to let everyone know, I'm holding a contest on my blog.

Dangerous knitting

I discovered that knitting a new lace shawl while watching my Tennessee Vols play So. Carolina Saturday night was a risky thing. Oh, the 1st half was OK--the Gamecocks made enough mistakes that the Vols build up a nice lead. Not a comfortable lead, mind you, as there is no such thing for a wise Vol fan this year (we can lose no matter how large the leading margin is--it's been that kind of year). It didn't take long for SC to bring terror to the heart of the Big Orange.The game went awry in the 3rd quarter and so did my knitting. Somehow I managed to goof an entire row, which I didn't discover until I had knit 2 more rows (lace is sneaky that way). After tinking 3 rows and reknitting them correctly, I was a bit too tense to make much progress knitting. So I hit the Halloween candy dish instead (yikes!!!!). Let's just say the best kicker won (freshman Daniel Lincoln) Sat. night in Knoxville, 'cuz the best team didn't win. Lucky for me and the Vols I suppose. Next week is homecoming and an "easier" opponent. Hopefully I won't need anti-anxiety therapy >:-P

As always....GO VOLS!!!

Check this out.

October is almost done but I thought I'd share this cool hat I found!!

Pink Ribbon Hat

I may have to knit this some day. :)

Hope everyone is having a great October and is ready for November and Thanksgiving, I mean Football with turkey!!!

Happy Knitting.

October Mission: Accomplished!

I didn't think I would actually make it this month, but I did it! Even if it is a very plain and simple pattern.

This is a Chemotherapy Hat in Bernat's Bamboo yarn,and the pink color is called "Lotus." If you haven't tried bamboo yet, do! It is so soft you just can't believe that it's really bamboo. But, it is very fuzzy! I hope it doesn't unravel. When I added the second ball, the thread wrapped around the yarn was free and it just turned into FUZZ that kept coming off. I actually tinked a few stitches just to get some firm yarn to weave in.

So, how is everybody else doing for this month's challenge? The blog has been a bit quiet about it...

Go Vols!!!!

All I can say is "WOW!" I have a very soft spot in my heart for the Tennessee Volunteers and I try to watch them every week. Last night, I got lots of knitting done while I watched them play. I knit fast and furious when I am anxious and they certainly made me anxious during that second half. I am so glad that they came out on top and a kid's size 6 sweater is almost done for Christmas gift giving!

Do you knit faster or slower when your team is in a tight spot?

Huh?

How in the world did Dallas and LSU both end up with bye weeks the same week?

I watches MS ST. beat Kentucky and then watched Georgia beat Florida, and will watch something pro this afternoon, but it just isn't the same.

*Heavy Sigh*

Yarn-Filled, Football-Empty Weekend Ahead...

I'll be missing this weekend's games (Go Vols! Go Colts!) but I'm almost OK with it because... I'll be at the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair! The Southeast's answer to Rhinebeck? I couldn't possibly say, never having been to either. But this one's in Asheville, NC and, from what I've read on the sites of others who've been, is pretty darned exciting. And yarn-filled. Packed with vendors is one thing I've read. Really love saying. Packed with vendors. Could a fiber-lovin' girl ask for anything more?
I thought I'd mention it here in case: a) anyone here has ever been and has something to recommend or b) anyone here will be going. I'd love to hear from you! My friend Ann and I leave mid-day tomorrow (Friday) and won't be heading home until after our classes Sunday, and we'd love to know where all the cool knitters hang... or, really, just meet some nice, fiber-y people.
Great weekend to the blog! Good luck to your respective teams!
Em, found here here

Pink Feet

Just finished these "pink feet" not long ago. The yarn is Encore WW. They make lovely house socks. I am in the process of making more as Christmas gifts for this year.... among other things as well. Now all I need is an extra pair of hands to sprout from my sides and I'll be just fine.

American Cancer Society Cap

My LYS is collecting hats for local cancer patients and this is my donation. The pattern is Odessa from www.magknits.com/feb06/. It was a very quick pattern. I had a false-start earlier in the week but was successful yesterday and started it during the UFC match. Poor Franklin didn't do very well. I finished it this evening amidst softball, laundry, football and dinner. That's how quick it went!
Thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Max McGee. He was a favorite of my dad's because of the shared last name and that he was a Packer through and through.

Pro Bowl Ballots

The Pro Bowl polls are now open. You can vote here: Pro Bowl 2008

Wa-Hoo-Wah!!!

"Cardiac Cavs" do it again! 18-17 win over Maryland!! I don't think my heart can take much more...

Vanderbilt Defeats #6 South Carolina

OH, YEAH!!!

(And, a big plus, UT got spanked in Tuscaloosa.)

Women Who Run with the Pigskin

I got off on a bit of a *rant* this morning about us girls who love football. Too long to post here, I think, but if anyone is interested you can find it here on my blog. I'd be curious to see if you girls have had the same thoughts!
Can't wait for gameday!

Package Arrival!

My package from Pen came in the mail last night and I was soooo excited!! She sent me beautiful Lorna's Laces sock yarn in the University of Kansas colors along with awesome KnitPicks Harmony needles. (Yea! Socks!) She then topped the package off with 3-D football stickers and some well needed chocolate and hard candy!

Thank you so much Pen--it really made my day:)

Does this count?

Well, it's pink knitting, anyway. And the yarn was a gift from my mom. You can't tell from this photo, but it's the cable/lace pullover from VK spring/summer 2005 - and it is totally gorgeous. I used o-wool balance (cotton/wool). It didn't make great football knitting, though. My Trojans have been giving us real nail-biters and I can't handle anything more than straight stockinette during the games!

Heavy Sigh.....

So what does one knit when your team is 0-6?? A shroud?!?!

Miami, you're killing me.