P.D. James Project Prize

Every good sleuth needs to carry and emergency kit at all times and for this group, that would have to be a knitting emergency! The prize for the P.D. James project is this Emergency Knitting bag (donated by MaryLynn) filled with some emergency On-Line sock yarn, dpns, and some easy portable projects for knitting in traffic jams, waiting rooms, and anywhere else you find yourself with a few minutes to spare! Post a photo or description of your project by July 31 to be eligible to win this prize.

ONE SKEIN MYSTERY SWAP PACKAGE RECEIVED

Last week I received my whoduknit mystery knit swap package. My partner was Lilli and I sent her a cake of pink, blue and white very short eyelash yarn I received from my friend who lives in China. Lilli knit me an ear warmer and even returned the remaining yarn from the cake.

I also received two lovely new mystery books I haven't read yet which will go on my to read list and a mystery book on CDs. I have never "listened" to a book. I read all about people listening to books on ipods and cassettes. I think I have a portable cassette player but I would have to go looking. I do have a portable CD player handy though.
There were three skeins of eyelash yarn in my package to add to my collection. The one that looks like blue is really purple but for whatever reason photographed as blue.
In the box was some Werther's Original Candy AND, of course, Solara wasn't forgotten.
I hope I didn't forget anything.

This and more is on my blog at http://pennypurlsandkittyknits.blogspot.com.

I also have written on my blog I know what I want to knit for the PD James mystery I read. It is only a matter of finding the correct yarn.

Swap Package from Cindi

Swap Package from Cindi
Originally uploaded by mlj1954ohio

As part of our one skein swap, I received this grand package from Cindi this morning. First of all, she was kind enough to not include any candy (thank you so much for that)! She also sent two mysteries -- neither of which I have read (Still LIfe and Club Dead) and a Murder Mystery Crossword book. Along with the books, she sent a skein of Merino Lace in a dark (hunter's?) green lace weight yarn (1,375 yards). And, out of the skein that I sent her, she made me felted slippers that are really awesome and fit perfectly! Thank you Cindi!!

Where There's Smoke There's Fire Solution

Solution: Ms. Dunnit knew that if smoke inhalation were the cause of death, the canary would have died of it long before its owner. She remembered that canaries were used by miners to detect the presence of gas underground - the birds would die when exposed to the slightest amount of gas and long before the miners noticed it. Because the bird was in the bedroom and was unharmed, and because the body was not burned, she knew the man must have been dead before the fire started. Although Lt. Hugh Dunnit suspected Debbie Bliss of killing her husband and then setting the fire, he was never able to prove it.
She is now happily knitting away in the Bahamas with her new husband.


Ms. Dunnit's neighbors were gathered on the street watching with horror as firefighters battled a blaze in the front half of the Bliss family home. "I wonder if he is okay," Ms. Dunnit asked one of her neighbors. I know that his wife, Debbie, left this morning to go on a sock knitting cruise, but his car is in the driveway so he must be home. "It depends where he was in the house. Since the bedroom is in the back, maybe he is alright." A firefighter emerged out of the front door with the family canary squawking in his cage. He handed the cage to Ms. Dunnit and asked if she could care for the bird until they could locate the wife. Ms. Dunnit didn't know how her neighbor could sleep through a fire with that bird in his bedroom. The bird was loud enough to keep her awake. Canaries are only supposed to sing in the morning, but this one squawked constantly. Just then another firefighter came out the front door with a body on a stretcher. "We found him in bed," they heard one of the firefighters say. What a horrible way to die," one of the neighbors said, "It must have been smoke inhalation because the body doesn't look burned or anything." "He didn't die of smoke inhalation," Ms. Dunnit suddenly blurted out. "He was dead before the fire even started."
What brought Ms. Dunnit to that conclusion? E-mail me at grammieknits@yahoo.com by midnight on Saturday, July 19 with your solution!

Overzealous...that's me!

My first idea and second to do project is a dog leash. In this book, people are being murdered by a dog leash. (which cracked me up with the character of the series's name being Dangleash....too funny!) However, I was unable for a long time to find the nylon cording I wanted to use for the leash. After all, I must have a USE for my projects. I'm just like that. Anyway, two days ago, I found the nylon and here is my dog's new dog leash and collar.
This leaves us with project idea number 2 and finished project number 1. The summer skirt. I was quickly making this for dd2 (yes, she has a slip for it, but are you kidding. I got her to model it at 11:45pm....there is NO WAY she was looking for the slip, so sorry 'bout that part......mind you, I've been asking her to do this since Monday. Beggers can't be choosers.) She wanted another skirt to take with her on her vacation with my parents. I had the yarn in my stash, and was waiting for the "right" time to use it. As I was knitting on this during dd1's softball tournament (the day before leaving FOR vacation) it hit me. I could see the charcter Amy, walking along the beach in such a skirt.

I may not have been a big fan of this particular book, but I thouroughly enjoyed thinking about potential projects as I progressed through the story.

Thanks for reading!
Shelly

Mystery kit finished1

I just finished the prize I won some weeks ago, and I really love it, it's so cute (and very rewarding, since knitting it took less than one hour). Since my keychain broke some days ago, I'm more than happy with it. It's a substitute that's much prettier than the one I had before.

Blog Updates

I've been fooling around with the blog a little bit. Can you hear the music? Name that tune! Also, the bookshelf on the sidebar has all of the books we have reading beginning with our very first book, The Tooth of Time. In the months we have done authors, I just picked one of the author's books.

WHODUKNIT YARD SALE

Now that the spring swap is winding up, it's time for a whoduknit summer swap! The Yard Sale Swap was a lot of fun last summer so I decided to repeat it. I don't know if this is true where you live, but here in Maine "Yard (pronounced 'yaad') Sailing" is a tradition in the summer. Everybody loves a bargain and you just never know what you will find - one person's trash is indeed another person's treasure! And who is more qualified than Whoduknit members to track down bargains! So this is what I came up with for our summer swap. You have $10.00 (not including postage) to spend on your pal - that's right - $10.00 - NO MORE! This is a real test of your creativity and thriftiness (read that as CHEAP). Shop yard sales, thrift stores, dollar stores, surplus stores, and of course your own stash. Some things that come to mind are yarn, books, wool sweaters that can be unraveled, or felted down, tote bags, vintage knitting magazines and books, handknit items, etc. etc. etc. I'm sure that you can think of lots more.THE RULES:Sign-ups begin now, July 1, and end July 14. Partners will be assigned shortly after that. You won't be sending to the same person who is sending to you. It's up to you whether or not you want to remain anonymous but you should contact your partner at least once a week just to say 'Hi' or send an e-card, or comment on their blog. Remember - whoduknit swaps are all about getting to know one another.Packages should be in the mail before Labor Day so the deadline for mailing is August 31.To sign up:E-mail me at grammieknits@yahoo.com with
Your Name:
Mailing Address:

E-mail Address:

Blog Address (if you have one):

Also, if you have participated in Whoduknit swaps before, please let me know who you swapped with all so that I can try to match you up with a new partner. LET THE BARGAIN SLEUTHING BEGIN!!!!

The Case of the Dentist's Patient Solution

Solution:

Although Hemp claimed never to have heard of a Dr. Evelyn Williams, he knew the doctor was a dentist, and a man. (photo removed because it was giving people the creeps!)

Dr. Evelyn Rayon, a dentist in Downeast Maine, was preparing to take a wax impression of the right lower teeth of his patient, Nora Kureyon. Silently the door behind him opened. A gloved hand holding an automatic appeared. Two shots sounded. Miss Kureyon slumped over, dead.
"We've got a suspect," Lt. Hugh Dunnit told his brother, Captain Howie Dunnit. "The elevator boy took a nervous man to the fifteenth floor a few minutes before the shooting - Dr. Rayon has one of the offices on that floor. The description fits John Hemp who is out on parole. I had him picked up at his apartment. As far as he knows I want to question him about a minor parole infraction." Hemp was brought in and angrily demanded to know what this was all about. "Have you ever heard of Dr. Evelyn Rayon?" asked Lt. Dunnit. "No, why?" "Nora Kureyon was shot to death less than two hours ago as she sat in a chair in Dr. Rayon's office. The elevator man says he took a man answering your description to the fifteenth floor a minute before the shots." "It wasn't me," snarled Hemp. "I look like a lot of guys. I ain't been near a dentist's office since I was in the Maine State Prison in Warren. This guy Rayon, I bet he never saw the shooter, so what can you prove?"
"Enough to send you to the chair," said Lt. Dunnit.



What evidence does Lt. Dunnit have?

E-mail your answer to me at grammieknits@yahoo.com by midnight, Saturday, July 12.

P.D. James Project

The P.D. James book I read was An Unsuitable Job for a Woman. It's one of her Cordelia Gray series in which Cordelia is hired to investigate an apparent suicide, which of course turns out to be not a suicide at all. As you can see from the cover of the book, he was hung with a belt......so my somewhat morbid project is a belt. I knit it with some Koigu merino in a simple lace pattern:

CO 13 sts with size 3 needles.

Row l: K2 *slip 1, K2tog, passo, yo twice; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2

Row 2: K2, *P1, K1 into double yo, P1, repeat from * to last 2 sts. K2

Row 3: Knit

Repeat rows 1-3 for pattern.

I added two D rings to one side of the belt to loop it through.

My prize just arrived!

My prize for solving the sportscar-mystery just arrived yesterday. I chose the "mystery kit", and I just love what it turned out to be. It's a key ring with a small sock blocker, an instruction for the matching sock and some nice yarn. I just love it, since my key ring broke lately, and thisone is absolutely appropriate for a dedicated knitter like me (a thing like thisone is not available in Germany at all, as far as I know). Dear Jane, thank you very much for mailing it to me.

4th of July Murder Solution

Solution: Ms. Dunnit suspected Kid Merino because she didn't believe that Maize would have her hair done before racing in a regatta.
There were 5 correct answers and the winner this week is....Karen G. Congratulations!

4th of July Murder

Maize Berroco was murdered in the basement of her apartment house yesterday, Lt. Hugh Dunnit told his sister, Ms. Dunnit. The murder weapon was a knitting needle which was wiped clean of fingerprints. We have two suspects, Lt. Dunnit continued, Hunter Galway and Kid Merino, a pair of rival suitors. Maize's body, dressed in sneakers, shorts, and a white handknit cotton short-sleeve sweater, was found by the janitor at noon, about an hour after the time of death. She had been registered as a crew member aboard Hunter Galway's sailboat for the 4th of July regatta that afternoon. She'd been in his crew before. Galway got to the docks around noon, an hour late. He claims he was delayed by motor trouble, which he fixed himself. Nobody saw him do it. He could have spent the hour killing Maize. Kid Merino was seen talking to Maize that morning in front of her apartment. He claims he asked her to go to a 4th of July picnic with him. He says she refused because she had an afternoon engagement and had to hurry to the hairdresser. Merino, a fiber artist, then went back to his studio and dyed wool all day. But he has no confirming witnesses either. "I talked to Galway and Merino for hours," concluded the Lieutenant, "I can't shake their stories. One of them is lying, I'm sure of it." "So am I," said Ms. Dunnit. Who did she suspect, and why?

Solve the mystery and e-mail your solution by midnight on Saturday, July 5, to grammieknits@yahoo.com .

Fabo package from Patty W.

Here is a photo of all the wonderful goodies I got from Patty today.

Yummy and Warm Swap Goodies

After receiving a reprieve on the Lisa Scottoline project Monday I dived guilt-free into my Mystery Swap package. My swap partner Barbara made short-finger gloves for me, perfect for Southern California and I admit I hinted shamelessly. They are lovely. The picture above was taken at night with a flash so you can see the detail of the gloves on my hands. The true color is closer to the picture below. Aren't they great?
The first thing that greeted me was my favorite salt water taffy (and boy, the orange ones were good!) But the box also held home-baked bread, spread, honey, and fudge dipping sauce. We exchanged the same One-Skein book with each other as well as used the same Woolgirl greeting card. Yes, we have found many similarities in taste and are still smiling about that. Barbara also gifted me with the premiere issue of Verena. And what I thought was a box of Altoids is full of cherry little goodies. Plus stitch markers. And there is Berroco boa yarn that I have just the use for (early Christmas planning.)
Of course there is reading material, from one of my favorite authors Charlaine Harris (A Bone to Pick) as well as The Grilling Season (Diane Mott Davidson) and Murder in the Smithsonian (Margaret Truman). I haven't read any of them and so am all set for the 4th of July weekend. The Grilling Season looks especially fun, with recipes interspersed throughout the book.
Thank you, Barbara, for a wonderful package. I had to take the gloves back off right away in this heat, but believe me, they will get plenty of use!

Lisa Scottoline Whatchamajigger

As I got deeper into Lisa Scottoline's Mistaken Identity I became obsessed with doing a project that captured the "twins but not/good twin-bad twin" theme that is so integral to the plot. I dreamed of mirror image fair isle, maybe gloves--but while searching for color patterns with the images I wanted amid other time commitments it became obvious that Sharon was not going to have the time to knit the many tiny stitches required of a detailed image, let alone make a pair.
What to do, what to do... As the month ran out I suddenly got the inspiration to make a single tube in mirrored black and white, my first intarsia in the round ever. What the heck is it, you ask?

Well, in Southern California we don't wear mittens, though I frequently sport fingerless gloves in winter. Some of my favorite outerwear has no pockets--so, how about a portable pocket?

Now that it's finished and had a test drive, I'll tell you what's more likely to become of this little wonder--a 2-sided shoulder pouch. But I had to show you my original concept. And hey, I can use it as a finger-warmer whenever I feel like it, right?

This was fun. Hope you enjoy the pics and the story.

Sharon

Prize Locker

Cell phone sock
sheep magnet with 10 patterns from the 2008 Pattern a Day Calendar
The "Clutch You'll Never Give Up" from One Skein

June Scottoline Project

I took some quickie pix of my Scottoline project for the book I read, Dirty Blonde. My main character was a newly appointed judge who had taken to hitting the bars after work and picking up some stranger for a little one night action. I thought these brighter colors, as contrasted with her professional clothes and judge's robes, hint at her more wild side, and the feline button closure was a little added touch for when she goes "cattin' around", LOL.

I think I may zip it through the washer one more time, and I definitely need to reshape it a tad more. I stuffed some yarn inside to fill it out a bit for the pix, and realized when I took it out I had used SWTC's new one, Jezebel - Freudian slip??

One Skein Mystery Swap

The other day when I got home from errands and such, Hubband informed me that a box had arrived for me in the mail. It was full of wonderful surprises from Sharon, my partner for the One Skein Mystery Swap. She sent some fun books (of course, we are a book group after all!), yarn, a ladybug muscle massager, some potato pops (already consumed-very yummy!), and some (not pictured) very nice Neutrogena products.

 

But best of all was what she had made with the Fiesta La Luz I had sent her to work with. Sharon made the most beautiful scarf for me and included a wonderful scarf pin to wear with it!



Thank you so much Sharon for such a wonderful swap package and beautiful scarf. I will enjoy wearing it!

A Sister's Revenge Solution

Okay - this one was pretty sick! My only defense is that I didn't make it up (only changed the names). You don't really want to think about this one too much as the images can be pretty disturbing - but....here goes - Robin and Violet were Siamese twins. Lt. Dunnit could not put one in jail without putting her innocent sister in jail as well. As for the names being the same - well - we won't go there! There were a few correct guesses (and some great incorrect guesses) and the winner of the random drawing this week is Delores! Choose a prize from the prize locker Delores and e-mail me your address.


When Lt. Hugh Dunnit arrived at the scene of the crime Robin Lily was kneeling over her husband, Emerald Lily, who lay dead from a bullet wound to the chest. Her sister, Violet Lily, was right next to her, still holding the gun in her hand. "My sister shot him Robin sobbed".
Lt. Dunnit agreed - there was no doubt that Violet had shot Emerald. So why did he announce - "I cannot arrest this woman, and she cannot be punished for this crime?" E-mail your solution to me by midnight on Saturday, June 28 (grammieknits@yahoo.com)

Murder by DPNs Solution

The assistant lied when she said she was almost hit by the door when the maniacal grandmotherly type woman came running out of the store (a red herring!). Ms. Dunnit very quickly picked up on that since she 'pushed' the door open when she arrived - the door opened in, not out. I fooled quite a few of you with this one! But five of you got it correct and the handy dandy random integer generator chose Libbie as this weeks winner! Congratulations Libbie on your fine criminal mind!

Murder by DPNs

Ms. Dunnit's knitting group met every Thursday night at their favorite LYS, Opal's Yarn Shop. This week they were going to be working on a mystery pattern written especially for them by one of the group members, Margarete. They had only been given one clue to the mystery knit so far and that was to bring a ball of sock yarn and some size 2.5mm dpns. Ms. Dunnit was the first one of the group to arrive at the shop and as she pushed open the door she was met by Miss Opal's assistant, who was crying hysterically. She said that she had arrived at the shop moments earlier and was almost hit by the door as a maniacal grandmotherly type woman came running out of the shop shouting something about toothpicks. Then she pointed to a spot behind one of the yarn shelves where Miss Opal was lying in a pool of blood with a large, pointy, DPN stuck directly into her heart! Ms. Dunnit immediately called Lt. Hugh Dunnit and told him there had been a murder at Opal's Yarn Shop and that she knew exactly who had 'dunnit'.

Do you know whodunnit? E-mail me at grammieknits@yahoo.com before midnight on Saturday, June 21 with your answer.

Spring Swap Package

I found this package when I got home
today and saw that it was from my
spring swap pal, Joyce Laurie. Since
I only sent her two very small skeins
of alpaca yarn, I was surprised to see
a box this big! I dug into it and was overwhelmed by its contents!



First I pulled out this basket - isn't it
gorgeous! It's hand painted and
those are little sheep all around the
bottom of it. I usually keep the knitting projects I do at home in baskets - easy to pick up and carry with me around the house. I'll have to find a special project for this basket!

And, inside the basket.......




Two books - Alexander McCall Smith's Tears of the Giraffee - I love the Ladies Detective Agency series and haven't read this one yet so I'm thrilled, and Ice Blue by Anne Stuart, who I haven't read before and can't wait to start. Then there was
a Boston Red Sox hat (which I am wearing now trying to turn this afternoon's game around).
A tin of spice cookies that look delicious, a darling tiny sock on a hanger - so cute!
Some 'knitters soap' called "Orange Ewe Knitting?"
from Knitting Sisters, a pom pom maker, some stitch
holders, knitting thimble, needle gauge,felted flowers,
cute stitch markers (did you make them Joyce?) some
chocolate, some perfume samples, and last but certainly
not least......


This beautiful lace cowl made from the yarn that I sent. The picture really doesn't do it justice - it is really
gorgeous - just the perfect thing
for the yarn I sent.

Thank you so much Joyce - you really
spoiled me - I'm overwhelmed by your generosity!

Spring Swap!

This the incredible package I received from Jane in the swap. Wanted to get it posted because I know she is going on vacation! Look at all the goodies! A Grisham book that I have been wanting to read, Chocolate(with a capital C), some cool sock yarn, coffee, really cute note cards and, just look at the bag! Two of my favorite colors put into a felted bad! Another one of my faves - bags! This one will be the one I take to the beach as a knitting bag next week. Planned on taking just sock yarn and this is going to be perfect. Thanks, Jane. You are a wonderful (read generous!) swap partner. Have a great time on your trip!

Susan's "Did Bob Kill Pat' prize

I solved the mystery of Did Bob Kill Pat? and was the lucky winner of the prize draw.I chose the soap felting kit. The kit includes everything needed to felt the soap. I will post another picture after i actually do it.Thanks, Jane!

Susan

Mystery KAL June 08 - done!

I just finished the mitts from the June Mystery KAL, and I'm very happy with the result. It was fun to knit, and they can be worn in two different ways. For all who are still struggling: Keep on knitting, it's worth the effort!

More details and a larger photo can be found in my blog.

The Case of Red Sports Car Solution

Solution: The blood on the seat of the car proved that he was killed before he was thrown from the car, so the murderer must have sent the car racing down the mountain with the dead man's body in it.
And the winner is..... one of our new members - Anne from Hamburg, Germany. Her name on Ravelry is Jinx if you would like to visit her there. Congratulations Anne!




Lt. Hugh Dunnit was responding to a 911 call along with his brother, Captain Howie Dunnit when he suddenly slammed on the breaks. Howie would have been thrown through the windshield if he hadn't had his seat belt on. A red sports car had come racing around the hair-pin turn on the mountain road ahead. Out of control, the car had crashed through the guardrail. The impact didn't stop the car, but it flung the driver straight up. He seemed to land in the air a moment before plunging out of sight.


Hugh Dunnit and Howie Dunnit climbed down the two hundred-foot precipice. The driver's body was a shattered mass of broken bones and blood. About one hundred feet beyond, the sports car lay on its side, a total wreck.


Strange, said Lt. Dunnit, pointing to the seat belt, obviously unused, which lay in the fresh blood that covered the driver's bucket seat. I doubt that even a seat belt could have saved his life said Hugh.


I better call the state police said Howie. It looks like one more traffic fatality for the year. Do you think he fell asleep at the wheel?


No, said Lt. Dunnit. He was murdered. Why murder?


e-mail your answer to grammieknits@yahoo.com by midnight on June 14.

Lisa Scottoline Prize Package

This is the prize package for the Lisa Scottoline project contest. Projects are due June 30.
Victorian Yarn Sampler by Knit Picks

A sampling of Knitpicks cotton yarns inspired by the floral beauty of the Victorian era.

Main Line- Harbor

Shine Worsted- Terra Cotta

Shine Sport- Willow

Comfy- Honeydew

CotLin Island -Coral

Crayon - Beach Glass

Including free patterns for a lace scarf, lace cap, fingerless gloves, lace headband and a tea cozy with the sampler. You can knit all five of these projects with the yarn in the sampler.

June Mystery KAL

I just finished the first clue. I think the pattern looks great, and it was a real quick and easy knit. Since in Europe the dpns come in bundles of five, my whatever looks rather squarish at the moment.
Jinx

Did Bob Kill Pat- Solution

Solution: Yes, that's right - Bob is a cat and Pat is a fish...and Bob was very naughty, but you can't arrest a cat! In a random drawing of all the correct answers Susan Mrenna was the winner! Thanks to all of you for playing - you are all way too smart. I will have to start coming up with some harder mysteries!

Ms. Dunnit lives next door to Tony, Ilene, Pat and Bob. Sunday evening she got a frantic call from Ilene saying that she and Tony had just returned home from a dinner out and found Pat, lying dead, in a puddle of water surrounded by shattered glass. Irene was certain that Bob had killed Pat, (they hadn't been getting along at all) and when Lt. Hugh Dunnit was called in, he agreed that all of the evidence pointed to Bob. However, Bob was never arrested or prosecuted for the crime. Why not?

E-mail your solution to me (grammieknits@yahoo.com) by Saturday, June 7.

Ready for the June Mystery KAL?

I've got my yarn - hand dyed sock yarn (a gift from Deb. B.) and my size 2.5m needles (a gift from Vidgis), did a swatch and got gauge. Yes - I know it's a tiny swatch - but these are tiny needles! I felt like I was knitting with toothpicks. I have knit socks, but size 3 US was the smallest needle I have used and that was a magic loop addi turbo. This should be a very interesting KAL for me- hope you all are joining us!

Miss Silver project

I read "The Girl in the Cellar" and Miss Silver was knitting a baby item, a shawl, and a football sweater for a nephew. I noticed that several other people commented on the amount of baby items Miss Silver made up. I had started a baby blanket for a friend of mine and am almost done with it, so am hoping it counts as a Miss Silver item! I realize she would probably not have used some (and certainly not all) of the colors I am, but these are the ones the mom-to-be-picked.

Cindi's Miss Silver Project

A Little Late, A Little Early

It's taken me a little bit to post my needle cozy pic...my bad. I used Lily Sugar & Cream Twists (a little hard to see the cabeling)

As soon as I finished my Lisa Scottoline book (Mistaken Identity), I got started on my knit for it...here it(they) are...handcuffs! I found the pattern on Ravelry (had to make some adjustments and corrections!)