Amethypi

2010-03-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

Today is March 28, 2010. I decided to update my blog before a year has gone by. I think I stopped blogging when I became involved in Facebook. Now, I have joined a Yahoo group for machine knitting and the rules suggest having a blog. It's important to follow rules.

Yes, I now have a knitting machine! Hence, the picture above. I've had it for a few weeks and am taking lessons. I will be making a lightweight kimono to wear around the house as my first project.

The Temperance socks in the previous post have been finished since August. I wear them about once a week. They fit well once I get them on, but putting on and taking off are a little strenuous due to the short row heel. I don't plan to make any toe-up socks again.

I went to a class at Knitting in the Heartland in Overland Park yesterday. I learned some nifty stuff, like knitting backwards, crochet cast on, and Norwegian purling. It was fun, but being with family was even funner!

No SSS For Me

2009-05-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

Second Sock Syndrome, that is. A lot of knitters struggle with this issue. When I get a first sock done, I can usually hardly wait to start the second one. 11 more rows and I can start the heel. I'd like to think I could get this one finished before my gallbladder removal surgery, but that's just a week and two days away, so I'm not sure. I should have lots of knitting time while I'm recovering, though, although I should be studying, too. Well, I shall try to be balanced.

It's Saturday morning and I'm at Panera, waiting for other knitters to show up. It's 8:30 and no one else has arrived yet. It makes me think that maybe no one will. And that's okay. At least I'm getting some quality knitting time, except for that I'm on the computer, too. Sometimes I like to multi-task. This is actually what I do when I'm at home, too. I have my little baby laptop on while I'm knitting. I can't seem to find time to update my blog lately except while I'm at Panera, waiting for other knitters to show. It's a very nice day, so maybe they're all outside somewhere enjoying the beautiful weather.

Temperance at Panera

2009-04-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

I was knitting at Panera, waiting for others to show up, and decided to amuse myself by taking a picture of the sock I'm working on.

Now that others, there are six, are here; I will continue my knitting.

Swap

2009-04-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

I attended a Swap Meet yesterday with my Knit in Public (KIP) Meetup Group. It was my first Swap event. We were supposed to bring two hand-knitted dischcloths to swap. I only had time to make one because of my studies. I was a little worried about only having one and it being a little plain maybe, but I had confidence in my sister KIPers and it didn't seem to be a big deal.

I enjoyed seeing what kinds of 'dischcloths' others had chosen to make. It was inspiring and I have ideas for what I wil make if we swap dischcloths again some day. I received a dishcloth and a bar of homemade soap from SugarBunnyBlvd. http://www.sugarbunnyblvd.com/ The dischcloth is blue/green/purple, my favorite colors, and the soap is Milk and Honey Oatmeal. At some point in time over the years, I got lazy and stopped washing my face at night. I decided that would be a good way to try my new washcloth and soap. Oh my goodness, it was such an enjoyable experience! The washcloth is stretchy and soft, and the soap smells good. I can't wait to wash my face again tonight.

In other knitting news, a few days ago I decided I was tired of working on the brown Temperance sock, so I decided to start another one. I'm using Panda Cotton in an Ivory color. Wow, it is soft and I am so looking forward to wearing these socks! Hopefully, this pair won't take me as long as the Temperance socks are and I will be able to wear them this summer. We'll see, though, because it's a lace pattern . . .

Time

2009-03-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

It's time I updated my blog. Way past time, actually. Since my last post, I've had a birthday and started a brown sock - five times. And other things like work and school. Oh! And I got a Little Baby Laptop. That's what I'm using now. I'm sitting on the couch, knitting, avoiding my homework, watching The Weather Channel, and updating my blog.

I like my LBL. I've been taking it to KIP on Saturday mornings and I'm going to take it to school tomorrow night. I'm just about finished knitting a dischcloth. I can't post a picture of it yet because it's for a swap on Saturday. It's nothing spectacular.

I will be posting a brown sock pic soon. After so many starts, I will be glad to have one done. And as I've been knitting on the brown sock, I've been planning my next - oh - six or seven pairs! I'm actually starting to gather a stash of sock yarn. Horrible!

Finished Kites

2009-02-03T05:01:00.001-08:00

Socks, that is. It's a little difficult to see the pattern but you can at least tell there is one. It's diagonal diamond shapes. I just LOVE wearing hand knit socks!

I have pictures of the damage; I just haven't gotten around to posting them. I fell down a driveway and konked my head in the street four days after Christmas. The wounds on my forehead looked the worst but the one on my wrist took the longest to heal. I'm still not right, though. My knee and the muscle on the back of my left thigh still bother me occasionally. I think I need Yoga.

32 weeks until graduation!

Yarn Dilemma

2008-12-22T04:35:00.000-08:00

After some deliberation, I resolved my color problem on the black hat to be felted. I decided it would be easier to knit the whole hat in black and then duplicate stitch the colors on. It would be rather time-consuming to duplicate stitch all of the diamonds around the hat, so I decided to just put an emblem on the front of the hat. The emblem will be better than the diamonds, anyway.

So, now that I have that figured out, I have been working more on the black sock. Until I ran out of yarn. Well, I didn't really run completely out of yarn.

This yarn comes in 50g skeins and 'they' say that 50g will make one sock, so I bought two skeins. I have decided that I like my socks a little bit longer than most patterns call for, so when I came to the end of the first skein, I didn't have quite a whole sock. Fortunately, a local knitter friend has an extra skein of the yarn I need. So, when I can get that, I will be able to finish the black socks.

Need Some Knitting Advice

2008-12-07T08:04:00.001-08:00

I'm making this hat that's going to be felted. It's knit in-the-round with color changes. (See my blog post for September 28 for picture) I very carefully measured how long I would need each piece of color so there wouldn't be long strands on the inside. So, now I'm on the second row of color and, because of knitting in the round, the piece of the yarn I need to work with is on the wrong end of the area.

Because of the size of the color blocks in this pattern, it should be done as intarsia, not fair isle. I really don't want to have to measure out a piece of yarn for just a few stitches in each color block on each row!

This is supposed to be a Christmas gift, but that means finishing it some time this month. I don't now if that's going to be able to happen now. I'd rather be working on my black sock.

I'm hoping some knitter out there who has intarsia, in-the-round, to-be-felted experience will read this and help me know what to do.

Kites Sock

2008-11-16T16:53:00.000-08:00

The pink sock in the previous post has been set aside. It's hibernating. I apparently need some more sock-knitting experience before I continuing working on that one.

So, the above picture shows my current sock project. It's called Kites because that's what the stitch pattern will look like when it's done. Because of the yarn being black, it's difficult to see the pattern emerging yet. I'm at about 2".

Well, that's all for now because I came to the computer to create a spreadsheet for homework. I better get back to it.

Socks

2008-11-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Here is the pair of socks I finished yesterday. The name of the pattern is Sugar Maple from the book 2-at-a-time socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes. I did not knit them two at a time, though, as I have discovered that I do not suffer from SSS (second sock syndrome). I'm sorta weird that way. Instead of being for me, they ended up being for L's birthday, which is today, because she admired them more than once while I was knitting them. That's my story.

Now, that I've got those socks finished, and after I do some homework which has been neglected, I will continue on the Pink Ribbon socks, pictured below. I'm anxious to have new pair of hand-knit socks for myself.

Batty

2008-10-07T19:51:00.001-07:00

I'm knitting this batty dishcloth for a friend who likes Halloween and bats. This is the picture from the pattern. I will post a picture of my finished one, hopefully by Saturday. I should be studying. I'm reading about Inventory for Thursday and it's really boring. I'm only half finished with my homework and I haven't started studying for Thursday's test. Oh, well!

I also recently started a pair of black socks that I will be able to wear to work. Some day (or year) I will have enough knitted socks to wear all the time. My cardigan won't be done for this Fall. Maybe next year.

I probably won't be getting any social knitting this weekend because I'm having company. I will have to do housework instead.

In Trouble

2008-09-28T13:09:00.001-07:00

I got chewed out today for not updating my blog recently. So, here I am, struggling with the stupid scanner so I can post a pic of the pattern I'm currently working on. I should be taking a nap. Oops! Did I say that? I meant to say I should be doing my schoolwork. Oh, who cares about when revenue is recognized anyway.

So, I'm making this hat which will be felted. The diamonds will be in three colors: yellow, red, and blue: three each. I'm not sure how I'm going to do the color-changing part yet.

I'm stuck on the pink ribbon socks and haven't had the willingness to try to figure it out while I should be studying. I'm also working on a yellow-ombre sock, which is an easy pattern.

That's about all for knitting for now. I'm going to go study now . . .

M&Ms

2008-08-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

I got to play with M&Ms for my homework assignment last night. I had so much fun with it that I didn't think about taking a picture of my M&Ms until it was too late. I had to search online for a picture to include.

The class is Statistics and we are studying about probabilities. According to the Mars company, who makes M&Ms, there are certain percentages of each of the six colors in any bag of M&Ms. Blue: 24%, Orange: 20%, Green: 16%, Yellow: 14%, Brown: 13%, Red: 13%.

100 samples of two M&Ms were to be drawn. This is 'with replacement' which means putting the two M&Ms back in the bowl before drawing two again. Based on these percentages provided, the assignment asks to calculate the probability of two browns and two blues, and two greens out of the 100 drawings.

I found this very interesting. I made a chart on Excel to record my findings. After I pulled the 100 samples, I didn't want to stop. So, I counted the whole bag. I discovered that the percentages given in the book were not what was happening in this bag of 465 M&Ms. Here is what I found:

Blue: 31%, Orange: 34%, Green: 10%, Yellow: 8%, Brown: 8%, Red: 9%. My blue and orange counts were higher and the others were lower.

Fortunately, I'm not a chocoholic, which allowed me to have fun with this experiment. I did have to fight the other household chocoholics off, though! (Cooper still doesn't understand that her coloring does not come from chocolate!)

Speaking of Cooper, I appreciate the comments from yesterday's post. (Now I know how to get people to respond to my blog!) :) Yes, we think she's beautiful. She's not really that helpful, though. Her head on my leg is what she usually does if I'm eating something and she's hopeful about licking the plate or bowl. Frequently, while I'm knitting she will rest her paw on my arm because she would rather I pet her than play with yarn. And I usually do. That's probably why it takes me so long to get anything knitted, that and homework and the tv and people talking to me.

Advice

2008-08-27T05:00:00.001-07:00

After receiving some helpful advice, I decided to frog the PRS. Cooper is helping. The fabric just wasn't turning out quite like I would like. I'm now using the size zero needle and the largest amount of stitches that the pattern calls for. I'm at two inches on the first sock and I'm liking the results better. Some day (month or year) I will finish the first sock and be able to start the second.

Sunday Chillin'

2008-08-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a fairly relaxing day. It started off with breakfast with my son and his mate. It all went fine except for my little choking incident. I will not be giving any details about that. Then some leisurely shopping and home for studying and napping.

Yesterday started off with a great new Saturday morning KIP venture at a new location. We may not return there for KIP, but the five of us had a good time. It was chilly and I thought maybe it was September instead of August.

I was working on my restart of the Pink Ribbon Sock yesterday and discovered a dropped stitch a few rows back. This was while we were sitting outside. I chose not to mention it and quietly put it away. After some thought, I decided to start over again. I know, you're not surprised. I had been trying it on and I just didn't like how stretched the ribbing looked when I put it on. So, I'm going with a bigger needle just for the top part of the sock.

Meanwhile, I should be studying. OH, and doing my homework problems and reading two chapters in Statistics. Harumph! I'd rather be Knitting.

Calm Now

2008-08-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

Things have calmed down quite a bit, thank goddess. Here is a picture of the Pink Ribbon Sock designed by SugarBunnyBlvd http://www.sugarbunnyblvd.com/. I've already started over on it once (as seems to be my habit lately), but restarting a sock is Much better than restarting a sweater!

I'm making some decent progress on my green cardigan. I will try to post a picture of that soon.

School is going well right now. I began the statistics class this past Thursday. So far, I'm not too concerned about it. There will be a lot of reading and thinking.

My biggest news right now is that I got a new car last week. I haven't taken a picture of it yet and won't be able to until the next few days because it's in the shop having some detail work done.

There was a great group of KIPers at Panera yesterday. We filled up the middle table area. It was nice to see everyone: some regulars, some that I haven't seen in awhile, and a new one. Next week will be a different location, which I'm looking forward to.

Scary

2008-07-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well, that last post sure was scary, but I'm over it now. The doomed lacey v is in the past. I have found another pattern to use the yarn for. I can't seem to figure out right now how to upload the picture, so here is the link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cotton-bam-boo-girl-tank

And, I've gotten back out the wool green cardigan that I barely had started. It could be nice to have finished for Fall. hahaha

This Tuesday is the last night of my 'extra' class. Yeah!!!!

Anyway, I just wanted to post to reassure you that I really didn't give up knitting.

That's It!

2008-07-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

I've had it. I can't take it anymore. I'm going to give up knitting.

And I just recently allowed myself to do it again. I don't know what's wrong with me. I used to be able to sew, too. Maybe I should have taken the clues for those two years when I just couldn't knit a sweater that fit. Maybe I should have taken the clues when I first started this silly lacey vee sleeveless pullover. You know, the ink spot and using the wrong needle size . . . I was just discussing that this morning at Panera, which I was so excited to be able to do since it had been a few months.

SSK, I see you posted about how soothing knitting is. I wish I felt that way right now. Actually, I've just thrown that pretty little pink thing across my living room. And left it there.

What happened? You ask. My needle broke. I'm using Denise needles and have had mostly good luck with them. Maybe I'm just too hard on them; I don't know. There had been a little rough spot at the join on the right side and I had been having a little bit of trouble with my yarn splitting at the rough spot. And I've noticed a few bunged up places because of it. I was going to deal with it.

I'm knitting in the round, which means I'm KNITTING. Knit, knit, knit. No purls or cables or anything to break up the monotony. So, when I saw the few bungs it was actually a relief (because of the boredom) even though I tend to be a perfectionist.

So, we had a friend over and were watching a movie. Now, I really should be studying accounting, but I can't very well do that with company and movie-watching. I can, however, knit. Suddenly - SNAP. The needle broke at the connection and several, maybe about 20, stitches came off. Well, I had to wait until the movie ended and the friend left and then I got my Denise needle case and started to try to transfer the stitches onto a different cable. I got the originally-dropped stitches onto a new cable and was knitting along. BTW, the puppy decided that it was a good time to ask me to play fetch, so I was trying to be accommodating at the same time. I was trying to pay attention to the broken end of the original cable to make sure stitches didn't fall off. I thought it was going okay and then I noticed that six or seven stitches had not only fallen off, but came unraveled a bit, also.

I threw the dog off me and told L to shut up, Neither of which I'm proud of. I shall have to apologize later. I sat there, steaming, and trying to bite my finger tip off. That's when I made the decision. I threw the whole thing clear across the living room and announced that I was giving up knitting. Why not?! I give up on almost everything else - eventually. How long can I stay in school . . . hmmmm???

Update

2008-07-08T04:46:00.000-07:00

I've got a few minutes and it's about time for me to finally update this blog. My hair coloring experience turned out fine. It didn't look much different from normal except for a little bit more pronounced red highlights. I think I was supposed to add something to the green gunk based on what color I was going for, but I thought that was optional.

I'm just past the midway point with my extra class (financial accounting). The second week was rough as the homework took almost every spare minute I had. It's eased up a little bit and I'm feeling more confident about my study habits. Two more sessions and then the final.

June just flew by, didn't it? We had a yard sale and my younger son called and told me I'm going to be a grandma.

Last week I found out that two aunts and two uncles were in a car wreck at 47th and K-15. I visited them in the hospital and have realized I need to reconnect with my mother's side of the family. They really are great people.

As I may have mentioned a time or two, I've been overwhelmed with homework. One day over the weekend I had done a little bit on both classes and wasn't quite sure what I should be doing. I was in the other room, just leaning on a filing cabinet, staring off into space. L came in and asked me what in the world I was doing. I said I was trying to decide what to do next. She kindly suggested that I take a break from homework and do some knitting. So, I did! It was enjoyable. What I'm working on doesn't seem to be growing very quickly.

Well, that's my few minutes. Now I need to get ready to go to work. Have a wonderful day!

Cruelty Free?

2008-06-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

In on of my recent modules at school, I participated in a group project about animal testing. Since then I have tried to purchase cruelty free products when possible. So, when it was time to buy hair coloring, I went to the health food store to see what was available. There were two or three brands and, with advice from the saleslady, I chose the one that was priced in the middle. The box didn't have very much information on it, so I didn't know what I was getting into.

When I started reading the instructions, I felt my brain being squeezed. I had to use distilled water, which had been boiled in a glass container, to mix with the green powder which smelled like something. L and H said it smelled like kelp or poop. I thought it smelled like collard greens. I don't even know for sure if I know what collard greens smell like, but that's what came to mind.

L had to use gloves to put it in my hair, which is normal. But the solution was very grainy and thick and it was hard to tell if it was getting through to the gray. We had to be very careful not to get it on any skin because it will stain. While it was being put on, some dripped and before we could stop it, Cooper had licked it up. I hope she's going to be okay. She should because it's all natural, so it says.

We didn't know how long to leave it on my hair because we hadn't done a test sample. I don't know how anybody could have the time to do this hair coloring the way the instructions say to do it. When you do a test strand sample, in order to see how it's doing, you have to rinse it off and let it dry. I would not have the patience to boil the water, mix it up, and do this several times for different lengths of time just to see which is right.

Then, there are all sorts of things you can add to the solution for special effects: an egg or yogurt for extra conditioning, chamomile tea for lightening, ceylon or black tea brewed with three bags for golden highlights, three tablespoons vinegar or fresh lemon for rich golden or copper highlights, one teaspoon ginger, allspice, nutmeg or paprika to enrich browns or reds and leave hair smelling fresh and distinctive, day-old, black, hot coffee (not instant) (and not brewed in a metal pot) to enhance brown tones.

GOOD GRIEF!!!

Several times during the process, I thought of how I was saving poor little rabbits from the horrible testings that I had read about. I just don't think it should be so difficult to try to save the poor little creatures.

At this point, my hair is still drying. I'm not supposed to shampoo it for 24 hours. That's not going to happen because I will not go to work with unshampooed hair. So some time tomorrow, probably after I arrive at work, I will see what my hair looks like after this escapade. I hope I don't have to shave my head.

School, Knitting, Beading

2008-05-23T05:11:00.001-07:00

Last night was the first meeting of my Business Law class. I have been very worried about it based on what I read in the syllabus. It didn't take me long after class started to realize that I don't need to worry quite as much. The teacher indicated some things in the syllabus that he's not going to enforce. There will not be a presentation, like there has been in my previous classes. Even though, I was doing fairly well with these, I'm relieved. And, he's funny! There is a paper due, which can be turned in early. I really need to try to do that because on June 10 I start an extra class that will last 7 weeks in addition to my regular class. Basically, that means double the schoolwork for me.

I have had a tendency to worry about each class before it starts. Then, at some point, either during the class or when I get my grade, I realize I didn't have much to worry about really. So, I guess I could probably stop worrying. But then I thought maybe I shouldn't stop. Because it seems to be working. I worry about my classes - and I get good grades. :)

Things can't be going too bad because I've been able to get some knitting done and even a small amount of beading. I have managed to get the pink shell to about 4 1/2 inches. At 14 inches, I will get to split for the top part. Maybe I'll get it done in time for Fall. :)

A friend and I decided to do a little bit of beading recently. I made a pink necklace and matching bracelet with the spiral rope stitch. I will try to take a picture of them soon. I still plan to make earrings . . .

I'm glad I could take some time to update this blog this morning, but I really need to be getting ready to go to work. To ALL of my knitting and beading friends, I Miss You!!!!!!

School

2008-05-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

Homework, homework, homework. I'm beginning to wonder if this school thing was a good idea. I certainly hope this is all going to be worth it. I can't get a break. I steal my knitting time, and that's just not enough. Fortunately, I like school. But I feel like I HAVE to do schoolwork EVERY day and that's getting old.

I have four chapters in my text to read in the next week. So, this morning, instead of checking my email while I ate breakfast, I started my reading. Cooper was confused. We have a certain breakfast ritual and I changed it. I have to write a five-year-plan for my life, which is due next time and work on a presentation and paper for the last night. Then, I get to study Business Law. oh goody

After having started and restarted the sleeveless pink pullover several times, I think I'm on track with it now. If I can just keep those open pens away from it! I took time off from it this week to work on a gift item. Now that it is done, I can get back to the pink thing. While I'm not reading and writing. I'm SO looking forward to Panera in the morning. I just hope someone shows up this week.

Another Goof

2008-04-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Rubbing alcohol was suggested for my ink blotch, but I didn't read the suggestion until after I took the knitting off the needle. I will have to remember that for the next time it happens. As I discovered while looking through some old pics, this isn't the first time I've inked my knitting. I've been closing my pens, but who knows how long I will remember to do that.

So, I started again and was doing well until I realized that I hadn't switched my Denise needle points back to the smaller size for the ribbing. I was beginning to wonder if I'm supposed to make this. But I've been planning it for so long. And everyone that sees the pattern exclaims how cute it is. So, my perseverance (stubbornness) kicked in and I cast on again 248 stitches. I'm getting quite good at it.

Thank you to all of my knitting supporters.

Textured Tee and Mistake

2008-04-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

I'm finally happy to have a sweater finished that fits. This isn't the best picture, though. I'm hoping to have Shelly at Twist take a better picture of it today.

I was excited to begin my next sweater. I had gotten a couple of inches done in the round. I found out this week that I will be switching my major at school. So now I have two classes to prepare for tonight instead of just one. Yesterday evening I was editing a paper that I wrote and set my pen down to do some reading. This morning I picked the paper up to finish editing and found something awful.

I always edit with pink or red ink so it can be seen easily. Why in the world didn't I think about putting the lid back on that stupid pen when I set it down. Of course it doesn't help that I have gobs of stuff piled on one little table.

Now, what am I going to do!? WAIL!!!!!!!!!!

A Finished Project

2008-04-10T16:39:00.001-07:00

The Textured Tee is finished. I wore it to work on Tuesday. I have a picture, but I haven't had time to upload it because of homework.

I cast on for Lacey Vee shell. It took awhile - 248 stitches! I'm on the second row. I wonder how long this is going to take? Size 5 and 7 needles with DK weight yarn.

Good Weekend

2008-03-23T06:44:00.001-07:00

We got a new couch. It's a sectional. Cooper has found her aspot that she doesn't have to share. She likes to have a pillow, too. She'll be One this Tuesday.

I'm doing an in-the-round swatch for Lacey Vee Tee. This is the first time I've done a swatch in the round. It's part of my effort to make sure the finished product fits. That's the private side of the Borscht Tee front that is in the background. I'm almost finished with the Front. The yarn I'm using for the Vee Tee is called Svale. It's from Dale of Norway. It's a DK weight and I bought it from someone on Ravelry.

Friday

2008-03-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening, I arrived at the split for the neck on the front of the Borscht Tee. It won't be long now and I'll be able to start the sleeves.

Yesterday, at lunch, a co-worker (who is also in my knitting group) and I met with three other co-workers for what ended up being a short knitting class. Two of them already know how to crochet, but all three of them wanted to learn to knit. I wasn't quite prepared for teaching three ladies to knit. A was quite a bit of help. We're going to try it again next week.

I'm also working on a black sock. I don't know if I've mentioned that here yet. I'm thinking about looking for some sock yarn to match the Borscht Tee -- because I like to match my shirts and socks.

Tee Back

2008-03-15T14:03:00.001-07:00

Here it is: the finished back of the Borscht Tee. On the front, I only have a few more rows and then I can do the garter band which transitions to the pattern for the top part. I'm pleased with the fabric that the Love It yarn is making.

I typically have more than one knitting project that I'm working on. At KIP this morning, I was asked what else I'm working on and I had to say that this Tee is it right now. SO, I decided to cast on for something else. I got out the Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in blue that was given to me and this pattern .

Most of the time on Saturday I go to Panera in the morning and then head over to Twist for a couple of hours. Today I thought I would do something different. Instead of going to Twist this morning, I'm going this evening for SNB. I'm hoping to see some knitters I don't usually get to see.

Borscht Tee Back

2008-03-07T04:59:00.000-08:00

Haven't had time to take a picture, but the back of the Borscht Tee is finished and the fit looks promising. I'm about 3.5 inches into the front. School is cutting into my knitting time, which I expected, but it's still frustrating. Maybe I'll have time to post a picture this weekend.

Rasta Hat

2008-02-21T17:22:00.001-08:00

I managed to finish this hat a few days ago, even though I've been sick this week. It's the Rasta Hat from DIY Network: http://www.diyhelp.com/diy/na_knitting/article/0,2025,DIY_14141_5312018,00.html

I used James C. Brett 100% acryclic Marble yarn purchased from Twist Yarn Shop. It's better than the white hat I made, but the fit is still a little dubious.

I've had the flu this week, and I'm still not well. I haven't been able to go to work and I'm missing school this evening. It's not good to miss class when you're in a concentrated program. I found out from the teacher that I need to answer the discussion questions for three chapters in order to make up for only half of the points I would have gotten for being in class. This is going to take me longer than the time I would have spent in class. Grumble!

I'm into the sleeve shaping for the back of the Borscht Tee and it's still looking good.

I hear it's cold outside. I've been in bed . . .

Wish I Could Knit

2008-02-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday morning and I'm at home rather than with my knitting buddies at Panera. I used to be able to do a lot of knitting on weekends. Now, I'm spending my time with the textbook in the above picture. If I can get 76 pages read today, maybe I can let myself do a little bit of knitting before I fall over into bed tonight. Then, tomorrow I need to write a 2-4 page paper. Then I have three evenings to do the rest of my homework before going back to class Thursday evening. This will all be worth it in a couple of years.

Cherry Tee

2008-01-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

I was never able to get this pattern photo scanned, so I just took a picture of it. This pattern is called "Quick Cherry Tee" from the Quick Knits to Wear book edited by Jeanne Stauffer.

This is the pattern that I'm using the Borscht Love It yarn for. The Wright is no more!

Above is the first picture of my progress on the Borscht Tee. It's about 6 1/2 inches long. I need to get to 14" and then I can do the garter ridge around the bust.

Sunday

2008-01-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

I started school this past Thursday evening. I have 18 classmates. We will all stay together in these classes for the next 18 months. We did some group work the first night and already have a group project due this Thursday. I also have to write a three-page paper. I don't have quite two pages of it yet. This first module is just two sessions. The ones afterwards will all be five sessions long. I will get my book for the second module this week. I'm looking forward to having reading homework rather than writing homework.

I scanned a picture of my current knitting project but it saved in a format that I can't upload to my blog. I guess I'll have to scan it again and see if I can save it differently. I'm making good progress, a little over four inches. That may not sound like much, but I rarely get long blocks of knitting time.

I'm looking for a cardigan pattern for my next sweater project. Why is it I can never find a pattern I like just the way it is? I just want a simple cardigan pattern with a textured stitch pattern, button band, pockets, and collar. Is it so hard?! If you see one you think I might like, PLEASE let me know.

Too Big Already

2008-01-22T18:37:00.001-08:00

I knitted a gauge swatch and measured it. I did the math and cast on the number of stitches that was supposed to get me the width I need. What I have knitted so far is laying on top of a sweater that fits me well. It's too big. How does this happen? I'm just glad I decided to check before continuing.

White Beret

2008-01-20T14:58:00.002-08:00

The White Beret is finished. I don't know if I'll post a picture of me in it or not. It makes me look like the kitchen staff in Mary Poppins.

Now, I'm ready to work with the Borscht Love It yarn again. I have decided not to re-knit Wright. After trying on the too-big one, I realized that I'm just not that crazy about the style of the sweater, afterall. Knitter friends helped me decide on a different pattern for the yarn Saturday morning at Panera.

It is the Quick Cherry Tee on page 116 of Quick Knits by Jeanne Stauffer. I'm going to do a gauge swatch this time - and I'm going to do it carefully.

Tweed Beret

2008-01-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

I decided to try to make this tweed beret from Interweave Knits Winter 2006. Mine will not be tweed, however. I'm using white Berroco Love it. I started with dpns size 7, then went to a 16" circular. Now I'm on an 18" circular and could probably go up again; I just don't feel like it. This makes it difficult to try on the hat to see if it fits, so I'm just trusting the process.

I really like the idea of hats. I don't wear them very often, though. The Kansas wind likes to rip hats off heads. I'm uncomfortable with an under-the-chin tie. It could be a good idea, but I feel like I'm a little too old for that look. I have a black felted hat that I made last year, but I haven't worn it at all yet this year. I don't like how it makes my hair look after I take it off. So, here I am making another hat that I might not wear. What's the deal?

Could it be that hats are smaller and faster than sweaters and easier to make fit? Could I be frustrated with the sweater-making process? I wonder . . . I had just gotten started on re-knitting Wright when I decided I just HAD to knit a hat. Go figure.

What do I need a hat for, anyway?

2008-01-11T04:58:00.000-08:00

I haven't been able to get that white tam from that Christmas movie out of my mind. I couldn't find an exact pattern, so I found one that was close. I didn't get much past the brim. I don't even remember exactly what went wrong now, but I frogged it. Oh, it might have been the RT stitch.

So, the other night I had some friends over. I was looking through my books and magazines, trying to find another hat pattern to try. I found one that looked simple enough and the friends agreed. I didn't have a circular needle that was short enough, so I was using a set of double points. The problem was that it was an old set of double points and there are only four of them. I'm used to using sets of five. And they're a little too long and unwieldy. Again, I didn't get much past the brim. It's a lace pattern, and I dropped several stitches. ARGH! I wanted to bawl. I just ripped the needles out and threw the yarn in it's bag.

I still wanted to knit, even though I'm sick. So, I picked up the Wright II sweater, which I haven't gotten very far on. It's just stockinette stitch, which is easy, but it lets my mind wander. I remember that this is my second attempt at this sweater and start feeling like I'm a bad knitter. Poor me.

I went to bed, contemplating the hat issue. Will I really even wear a hat? Why do I want to make one so much? Will a tam make me as cute as the girl in the movie? I like the look of a tam, but I want a hat that's going to cover my ears. What to do . . .

Finished Gloves

2008-01-04T05:03:00.000-08:00

The gift gloves are finally finished and I will give them to my supervisor today.

I plan to start the new Wright this evening.

New Wright?

2008-01-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

After doing some investigating and calculating, I discovered that I don't have enough of the Borscht Love It yarn to make the alternate sweater pattern that I was considering.

Therefore, I began considering actually re-knitting the Wright pattern, making it smaller. So, I sat down and re-wrote the pattern last night. I haven't unknit it yet, though.

I'm still working on finishing F's gloves. I had a little glitch the other day when I picked up non-adjacent stitches to work the middle finger. It wasn't pretty.

The Wright is Wrong

2007-12-29T12:33:00.001-08:00

It happens again. I knit a sweater that doesn't fit. I finished knitting it last night and worked on seaming it this morning. I was so looking forward to wearing it to a family gathering this evening. I am so disappointed. I was even in a bad mood at Twist. I should be working on the other glove, but I didn't feel like it. So, I took a sock to work on, that I haven't touched in a couple of months.

Before I left this morning, I got out Cindy and measured the finished bust: 41. Wright is 50.5. How did I let this happen?! I guess I didn't do a gauge swatch. It's been long enough, I don't remember and I don't feel like looking at my notes. I need something with about a 46" finished size. grumble grumble grumble

I debated what to do. I briefly considered trying to sell it, but the cost of the yarn is probably too much and, even though the quality of the knitting is pretty good, there are a few places where you can tell where the ends were woven in. So, I guess it will be frogged. I won't make the same pattern again because I decided that I don't like it. I will now need to find another pattern. I would like that, with all the books and magazines I have, I would already have a suitable pattern, but NO . . . And I'm wondering if I don't need to knit something top down so I can try to make sure it fits!!!

I did some therapy shopping, thinking I would find another blouse or top so that I can wear something new tonight. I didn't. I did, however, find several pieces of clothing for work.

Tam

2007-12-16T11:19:00.000-08:00

I watched a new Christmas movie yesterday. It was called Snowglobe. One of the characters in this movie was wearing the cutest hat. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to make one. It looked sort of like the picture above, but not completely. On the next commercial break, I went to the computer to do a search for a pattern like the one I saw. I'm still trying to find it. Did you see the movie? It was Marie, the girlfriend of Douglas, in the snowglobe.

Gloves

2007-12-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

L and S called me Gwen Needle Hand. What's up wit that? The abuse I take because of my Craft. I'm tellin ya! L took this picture and you can see where the focus was. On the many needles. The glove does have a cuff. This was taken a few days ago. I'm now on the index finger and will only have the thumb left. Then I can start the second one. Oh goody!

Finished Scarf

2007-12-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

I have finished the Flying Geese scarf that will be a gift for a Pennsylvania man. It's about 48" long. I'm not sure how long a man's scarf should be, so I hope it's alright. I may never know.

Now, I can get back to the black gloves, which are the third and last Christmas gift I'm knitting this year. I have some things for myself to get back to.

Flying Geese Scarf

2007-11-25T19:19:00.000-08:00

Here is the Flying Geese scarf at 19". That's about 40%. It's going so slowly. I never knew how boring scarves are. I'd rather be knitting 16" of stockinette on the Wright sweater. I did take a break this evening and worked on a black glove. I can't wait until I can get back to working on a sweater for myself again. I found yet another sweater pattern that I want to make. It's called Fifi and it's practically perfect.

Next Scarf

2007-11-23T17:30:00.001-08:00

This picture is kind of dark. When I used the flash, it produced a big shiny spot. This is the beginning of the next scarf. It's a flying geese knit and purl pattern from Vogue Knitting. The yarn is Berroco Comfort.

Finished Scarf

2007-11-22T09:49:00.001-08:00

I'm happy to say I finished this scarf ahead of schedule. I was hoping for the Sunday after Thanksgiving and I actually finished it the day before Thanksgiving.

It seemed to turn out well. I believe I fixed all mistakes right after they happened. I even blocked it like suggested, because it's wool. I planned three stitches of garter on each side for the whole length, hoping that would keep it from curling. It didn't. The blocking helped the curling quite a bit, but not totally.

Here's a closeup of the open leaves lace pattern that I got out of a Vogue Knitting book. The next scarf will be smaller and will have a knit and purl pattern, not lace.

Cute Hat

2007-11-16T16:54:00.000-08:00

I got my Knit Picks catalog today. They're selling the pattern for this Classic Cloche hat. I really like it and I want to make it. I probably won't have a ribbon around mine, though.

I was finally able to go to Thursday night SNB at Twist last night. I made some good progress on the gift scarf. I'm at 29" now. That's almost halfway!

Christmas Scarf

2007-11-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here is scarf I'm knitting as a Christmas present at 8" long. I'm using a stitch pattern from Vogue Knitting called Open Leaves. The yarn is Cascade The Heathers. Each 20-row stitch pattern repeat is 3". I'm hoping to finish it by Thanksgiving. Then I have another scarf to make and a pair of gloves to finish.

Wright

2007-10-28T06:54:00.001-07:00

My digital camera is not working correctly, so I'm having to use my phone camera.

I'm 3 1/2" into the armhole of this pullover. I'm ready to start doing the increases.

You can view the pattern here: http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/wright/wright.html

Different

2007-10-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a quiche today, since it's my favorite food and I have difficulty getting it at restaurants around here. This is broccoli, chicken, and cheddar cheese quiche.

Bolster End

2007-10-21T18:00:00.001-07:00

One end of the bolster pillow cover is finished. The above picture is to show the color. The picture below shows the detail better, but the color is not as good. I had to use no flash in order to get the detail to show up.

I've been thinking. I would like for the cover to be removeable so it can be washed. So, I'm going to have to come up with a plan for the other end to make it removeable. In the meantime I think I'll start the Tree Jumper.

Inspiration

2007-10-19T17:05:00.001-07:00

This marvelous sweater is being worn by a co-worker of mine. She got it at some trendy store in northeast Wichita. The second I saw it, I wanted to make it. She graciously let me take pictures of it so I can try to create the pattern. Actually, I don't think it would look so good on me (without some adjustments) but it made me think of some of my knitterly friends. ;)

Pillow Cover Progress

2007-10-18T05:07:00.001-07:00

I've been trying to focus on working on only one project at a time. We'll see how long that lasts. Here is the progress on the pillow cover. It's getting a little boring, but it shouldn't take too much longer and then I can do the ends.

Catch Up

2007-10-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday and Cooper wouldn't let me nap, so I took pictures of my WIPs.

Wright pullover pattern from Berroco in Berroco Love It yarn in a beet color.

I'm making the bolster pillow cover (the lower one on the right). This pattern is in the Fall 2007 Knitting Universe Knitter's magazine. I'm using Berroco Comfort in two shades of green.

Cookie's Hedera sock pattern. The progress on this project has been very slow.

I'm making some black gloves for my supe for Christmas.

Queen of Cups socks with Opal yarn. I like working with the Opal and it has been going smoothly. However, I had to put this project on hold in order to finish the Halloween cardigan. Now that I got a fresh taste of finishing something, I want to do it again, so have been working on the pillow cover. It could be the fastest project I have going. But, I bought a new pattern today . . .

Finished Halloween Cardigan

2007-10-08T18:05:00.001-07:00

Here it is, the finished Halloween cardigan. It's a little snug, but wearable. It hasn't been blocked yet.

That's some weird kind of moon shape, isn't it?

I'm sure glad this is done!

One Sleeve On

2007-09-26T18:48:00.001-07:00

The pumpkin sleeve is sewed on.

Next is weaving in the candy corn ends.

I'm beginning to think this is yet another sweater that is too small for me. I guess I don't realize how big I really am. Maybe I'll make another one - in the right size . . .

Halloween Checkerboard

2007-09-22T20:10:00.001-07:00

It's not perfect. Oh, well, maybe no one will notice.

Finishing weaving in ends is next.

I'd rather be working on the Wright sweater or the bolster pillow cover or a pair of socks.

I ordered the Rusted Root pattern from Zephyr Style because I saw one finished today at my LYS, Twist. (Some day I'll put that button on my blog.) I thought I was supposed to get an email about how to download the pattern, but I haven't yet. Maybe that's what my white yarn wants to be.

Took Cooper for a drive in my car this evening. She puked - a lot. I won't post a picture of that.

Halloween Upate

2007-09-17T18:35:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been since last October that I posted any pictures of the Halloween cardigan! So, here it is with all the pieces finished.

The sleeve with pumpkins will be on the left.

The right, candy corn sleeve.

Now, I just have to weave in some loose ends. I suppose I SHOULD block it, since it's cotton and wool Cotton Fleece. I've never really understood Blocking, but I've tried it a few times just because I thought I was supposed to. It's never seemed to help. I'm open to suggestions.

Love to . . .

2007-08-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

bead about knitting.

I just finished this bracelet.

Now, maybe I should get back to my knitting.

Hedera

2007-08-25T17:32:00.001-07:00

I worked on my Wright sweater a little bit today, but I also bought yarn to begin a pair of socks. The yarn is Lang Jawoll in Black. The pattern is Hedera from Knitty. I'm using size 1 dpn.

I should be working on the candy corn sleeve. I got some rows done on it and then I decided to make a change, so I'm at the point of needing to start over. I just don't want to!

In addition to the Wright sweater, I've also started a simple sleeveless top in white cotton.

I recently became frustrated with the heel on the second sock of my first pair of toe-ups. I bagged it all up and put it away, planning to frog both of them and do something different. At this point, I never want to do a toe-up sock again.

The Wright Sweater

2007-08-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I didn't follow through on the small socks. I wasn't pleased with how the first one turned out. I didn't really want to make another sock that I didn't like just to match the first one. I could have made the second sock fit better, but then I would have had to make a third one. And the little guy went back home to California. It was just too much pressure.
So, I started a new project.

Here is the link: http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/wright/wright.html

I'm using Love It yarn from Berroco, purchased at Twist www.twistyarnshop.com and so far it's living up to it's name! The color name is Borscht. I think it has something to do with beets.

I didn't knit a swatch for this project. I blame The Yarn Harlot for that. I'm doing this one intuitively. I'm hopeful for a better fit this time.

Small Socks

2007-07-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to do it, but I gave in and said I would make Gabe a pair of socks. How could I resist? Every time I worked on my own socks, he would ask if they were his. So now I'm working feverishly because he leaves Sunday night to go back home to California. I'd at least like to get one done before he goes, so I can be sure of the size. Then I can use my notes to make the second one.

Finished Monkeys

2007-07-23T18:59:00.001-07:00

Yippee yay yay I finished my first pair of Monkey socks! Gonna wear 'em to work tomorrow. May even walk in with my pants rolled up so everyone can admire them.

Tulip Brigade

2007-07-21T09:46:00.001-07:00

I recently discovered this pattern, designed by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. It occurred to me that a bunch of the KIPsters could make these socks and wear them when Stephanie visits Wichita. I can see it now, all of us gathered together in the midst of the other 300 people there to see the Yarn Harlot. Oh, but how will she know we're wearing her socks? I guess we'll all have to synchronously stand on our heads and wiggle our feet. But, then the tulips would be upside down . . .

In other news, I'm about halfway done with my second Monkey sock. I haven't been able to take any pictures all week because my camera has been traveling in California. She returns today.

When I finish this Monkey sock, I will continue working on the toe-up socks I started for the local sock class recently. The colorway doesn't seem to have a name, just a number, 5440, or something like that. I call it Strawberry Parfait. I don't know what I'm going to wear them with.

I recently purchased a pair of pants to go with the Monkey socks. I'm not sure what the actual color of them is, but I call them dark khaki. They don't exactly match the brown in the sock yarn, but I think it'll work. I looked through all of my blue tops and found one that I think matches best. I call it periwinkle, but others call it purple. So, we'll see how this non-matching outfit works.

Standing

2007-07-07T19:04:00.001-07:00

I took this picture of Cooper this evening, so you can see how big she's getting. I had to put a puppy snack on the counter to get her to stay up there long enough for me to snap the shot.

Counting the Days

2007-07-05T08:29:00.001-07:00

I worked a little bit on the Jack-O-Lantern sleeve of the Halloween cardigan yesterday. I have 88 days to finish it before October. I need to finish this first sleeve, design and knit the Candy Corn sleeve, add the front button bands, sew the seams, and figure out how to put the ruffle where I want it. I may have to work on this every day in order to get in done in time. Why did I procrastinate?!

Plus, I've found a Halloween socks pattern that I want to make really badly. I'm going to have to re-chart it, though, in order to use the type of yarn I want.

Monkey Sock

2007-07-04T05:25:00.000-07:00

This is my first Monkey Sock, at the end of the heel flap. I've actually finished the heel since I took this picture. It's going very easily and I can believe Lia when she says they're addictive.

Cindy is Finished

2007-06-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

She's actually been finished for a few weeks now. She's a little too snug for me to feel comfortable wearing her. Another knitter expressed interesting in purchasing her from me, but she turned out a little too snug for her, too. So, I guess I'll have to use her as an incentive to lose some weight. I am pleased with how she turned out. The quality seems a little better than some of my other tops.

First Toe-up Sock

2007-06-24T15:00:00.001-07:00

This is my first toe-up sock. I tried it on to see if I can stop making increases. I'm still not sure.

Felted Bag

2007-06-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

This is the bag before felting. I didn't make it as long as the pattern suggested. Not only was I tired of working on it, I just decided I didn't want it that tall.

After I felted the bag, I laid it flat as suggested. Then I decided the inside wasn't drying fast enough, so I placed it over the tray stand.

It didn't shrink vertically as much as I thought.

Cooper and Orange Thing

2007-06-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Lori teasing Cooper and Hannah knitting prone.

When I took Cooper out this morning, I saw this interesting orange thing in the front yard.

Is it some kind of mushroom, fungus, weed?

It sort of looks like a couple of carrots, with some ugly green dip on the end.

It's difficult to tell from the photo, but they are kind of porous.

It almost looks evil.

I've never seen anything like this before. If anyone has a clue what this is, please let me know.

Phone Cover

2007-06-13T05:00:00.001-07:00

I made this felted phone carrier recently; a spur-of-the-moment project after seeing the pattern at Meetup. It's cute but I'm not entirely satisfied with it. I was hoping for something that would allow me to carry the phone safely with easy access. This strap is too long to loop around my purse strap and too short for me to sling it across my shoulder. So, I knitted a different one yesterday while I was riding in the car to KC for a work training. I just need to get a button and then I will post a pic.

Baby Things

2007-06-05T18:16:00.001-07:00

This is the third knitting project of Hannah, whom I taught to knit recently. These booties are for a neighbor who just had her third daughter.

The booties in this picture are Hannah's second knitting project. She then made a bonnet to go with them. It seems that the bonnet was too small, so she made a bigger one. It doesn't have its ribbon yet.

A closeup of the green booties.

Both be-ribboned bonnets.

Cooper and Cindy

2007-05-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

Here's the fist Cindy sleeve and the second start of the second sleeve. The instructions are a little confusing. I finally had to type up the sleeve instructions, including all of the parts that they just referred to. I'm having a very lazy three-day weekend, so I've got a lot of time to work on it.

Sitting on the couch, wondering why she gets in trouble when she tries to help me knit.

Impatiently posing.

She likes to sleep with her snout pointing up.

With toys; some old, some new.

Cooper

2007-05-20T14:41:00.001-07:00

Here is Cooper at 8 weeks old. She seems bigger every day. We haven't had any inside accidents in several days. She's doing very well. She seems to have gotten used to her new home and the routine.

Square One

2007-05-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here is my first block for the Greensburg afghan. It's kind of boring-looking, but the size is right. I'd like for my next one to have a stitch pattern in it.

Meme ?

2007-05-18T14:15:00.001-07:00

I was tagged for a meme several days ago. http://naplover.blogspot.com/index.html I am just now getting the time to make my list.

7 Random Facts About Myself.

1. In September 2002, I and 7 family members spent two weeks visiting 5 countries in Europe. For some time after this experience, I felt like I could do anything.

2. The winter after I graduated from high school, a friend and I ran away and joined the Army. It changed my life.

3. I have a wonky toenail on my left foot. It's my only birth defect.

4. I am a licensed Tarot reader.

5. I believe there is only one sin: self-hatred.

6. I've read Atlas Shrugged three times. I will probably never read it again.

7. I believe in having a box of Puffs and a pair of scissors in every room.

Valpuri

2007-05-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Berroco patterns. I want to make this one next. Well, not really next. I need to finish my Greensburg square - and Cindy - and Halloween - and maybe the white tank. Who knows? http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/valpuri/valpuri.html Valpuri is made with Bling Bling yarn from Berroco. I won't use it because it has some kind of metal flecks in it, which my hands don't do well with. I might try Lion Brand Cotton-Ease. A knitter in my group highly recommends it.

Cindy Sleeve

2007-05-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

I just can't seem to work on any one thing for very long. Here is the first sleeve for Cindy. I haven't worked on it for awhile. It's almost 3" long here. Maybe I'll finish Cindy and then work on Halloween! It could happen . . .

Silly Me

2007-05-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

I had begun to knit a square for Rebuilding Greensburg http://specialstuff.typepad.com/sugar_bunny_boulevard/2007/05/rebuilding_gree.html . I must have been in such a hurry to get started that I didn't read the pattern closely enough. (Embarrassing because it's a very short pattern) You're supposed to start out with 4 stitches and increase at the beginning of each row until you reach 8". For some reason, I was increasing at the beginning AND the end of EACH row. It was Friday evening, with the group, at Panera, that I realized, with the help of another knitter of course, that it was not looking right.

The next morning at Panera (yes, I do like to knit at Panera), it was decided that I should take a picture of the frogged square and post to my blog. I took a picture with my phone and emailed it to myself. Well, when I tried to retrieve it for my blog, I was unsuccessful. :( By that time, I had already re-started. Well, you can see a little bit of the frogging in this picture.

Puppy

2007-05-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

This is Cooper. She's six weeks old, part Chocolate Lab, part Border Collie, part etc. She relocated from her original home in El Dorado to my home this past Thursday night. She's smart and already knows she's supposed to potty outside. We've had very few accidents. She's a sweetheart!

Beading Etc

2007-05-04T04:48:00.000-07:00

Here are two pairs of beaded earrings that I finished a couple of weeks ago. The upper pair is coffee beans to go with the coffee bracelet. The lower pair is basketballs for my supervisor in the colors of her daughter's soon-to-be college basketball team.

I have another picture of each pair of earrings closer up, but when I tried to upload the next picture, it went to the top of the page and I can't figure out how to make it appear here instead.

The Never-Ending Bag

2007-04-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm wondering if I will ever get this bag done. It is to be felted and, according to the pattern, will need 224 rows in order for it to end up being about 12" tall. I'm only on row 72 and in about 20 rows, I will begin increases every 12 rows. Will it ever end? Here is the pattern: http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/bags/s-on-t-tote.html

For awhile, I've been thinking that I would try really hard to finish this before I start (or continue) another knitting project. Well, there is an all-day, outdoor knitting event being planned for June 9 and I'm thinking I need to go ahead and get started on the sleeveless sweater that I bought yarn for on my vacation. I'm trying to hold off knitting that swatch, but I don't know how long I can control myself.

Strawberry Hat

2007-04-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. I finished the strawberry hat - late last night. I shouldn't have stayed up, but I was driven! :) It's not the best picture; maybe I'll have someone snap me in it one of these days.

Guess I'll work on the bag to be felted for awhile. I really need to start the pair of beaded earrings that I was asked to make awhile back. I need to have those done by the end of May.

2007-04-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

I finished my pair of black socks a few days ago. Alas, one of them had a couple of mistakes that needed fixing. I'm grateful to the ladies at Saturday morning knitting at Panera for their assistance and encouragement. I made the repairs yesterday afternoon and am wearing them today. I was worried that I wouldn't like the fit: the leg part didn't turn out as tall as I thought it would and the foot part is looser than I expected. It turns out that they are comfortable and feel very good to wear. I'm relieved!

Part of the conversation at Panera was about how to avoid jogs when knitting stripes in the round. I'm working on a bag to be felted, so I thought I would look through some books to see if I could find the technique. I found it in the Knit Socks! book. I also found some other things I was tickled about.

On page 9 is a technique for doing a swatch for knitting in the round. I had heard of a couple of other ways of doing that, but this is the first one that appealed to me. I'm already trying it for my next pair of socks.

On page 13 is a fairly easy way to determine how long of a tail to have for long tail cast on.

The jogless striping is on page 127 and on page 133 is how to wrap and turn to avoid small holes when turning in the middle of a round. This was on of the problems on my black sock.

On page 96 is my next sock pattern: Checkered Textures.

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I enjoy Saturday morning knitting at Panera so much that sometimes I go back on Sunday morning, but usually by myself. So, that's what I did today. I was knitting along on my bag to be felted when suddenly the needle broke. Oh my goodness I couldn't believe it. This was a Denise needle, too! Apparently, I was using too short of a cord which meant I had too many stitches bunched up, so when I pulled them to slide them around, the pressure was just too much. I'm hoping that I'll be able to order a replacement cord, but I haven't checked into that yet.

I've decided that I have too many projects going again and I need to finish something. I choose the strawberry hat to finish next. We'll see if I can remember that long enough to make it happen.

Finished Socks

2007-04-09T04:51:00.000-07:00

I finished my first pair of socks last night. I used Patons Kroy Socks yarn, size 2 dpn, and the Garter Rib pattern from the Sensational Knitted Socks book. They felt good when I put them on for the picture, although they might be a little loose in a few places.

There are a couple of problematic spots that I'm going to have to get some help with from a more experienced knitter. Then I can wash them and wear them!

A heads up: I pulled out the Halloween cardigan from the pile in the corner, and dug around for the pattern, so will be working on that soon. I'm still on the first sleeve, but I don't think I've posted a picture of it yet. Maybe I'll do that today or tomorrow.

Cindy Sleeves

2007-03-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Here is my pitiful little start for the sleeves for Cindy. I'll be taking Cindy, the tote, strawberry hat, and black socks projects on my trip. I'll have hours and hours to work on whichever project I feel like at the time.

Felted Tote

2007-03-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

I guess I thought I didn't have enough projects going, so I started a tote that will be felted. http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/bags/s-on-t-tote.html I will be using the teal Cascade yarn I bought in KC and some pink for the stripes.

Strawberry Hat

2007-03-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Next month at work, we're going to have Spirit Week leading up to our annual awards dinner. Thursday will be Crazy Hat Day. I selected the Strawberry Hat from http://thegoldenfleece.com/free_patterns/strawberry_hat.htm to knit for my hat for that day. The pattern says to use green for the seeds. I just can't do that. When I made a pair of beaded strawberry earrings a couple of years ago, I did some research and discovered that strawberry seeds are neither black nor green, but various shades of light brown. Silly people.

First Pair of Real Socks

2007-03-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

Here is my first pair of real socks, in progress. I'm using the Garter Rib pattern from SKS.

The process is going well. Some people have said a beginner should not use black yarn. I can understand they they say that, but it hasn't been too bad for me. I'm just excited about the prospect of wearing a pair of socks I knit myself.

From The Studio

2007-03-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is the yarn I purchase at The Studio in Kansas City last weekend. It's Cascade 220. They were nice enough to roll it for me at no extra charge. I was worried about not having the labels until I set them up for the picture and discovered that they had tucked the label inside each skein.

My plan for this yarn is to make a felted bag. This isn't enough for the size bag I want, so I may add a pinkish shade of wool as stripes.

An Olathe Purchase

2007-03-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of a spontaneous purchase I made while on my Olathe trip. Strawberry flip-flops. Those who know me well know that I can't stand flip-flops. I like me feet to be completely covered and protected, as a general rule. But they had strawberries on them! How could I resist?

I certainly won't be wearing them to work. I'll probably just wear them around the house, to take the garbage out, and maybe a quick run to the store.

'Class' Sock

2007-03-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

According to SKS, I am now a sock knitter. Woohoo! I have measured my feet, chosen my needles and yarn, and cast on for my first 'real' sock.

I had a good time in Olathe. Lots of laughing happened. My sister took me to The Studio in Kansas City. They are very friendly there. I bought some blue-green Cascade 220 wool there that I will make something to be felted with. We went to another yarn shop (can't remember the name) that I wasn't very impressed with. By the time we got to the one in Olathe, it was closed. I'll just have to get up there again. Now, my sister is not a knitter, but she was very impressed with what she saw in the stores. Both of my nieces know how to knit. I helped the younger one a little bit.

Cindy & Dishcloth

2007-03-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here is my first dishcloth. I think it turned out better than the two washcloths I've made.

Here is a link for what the Cindy pattern looks like. http://www.berroco.com/239.246/240/240_cindy_pv.html

I might get started on those sleeves this evening. I'm already packed for my weekend trip to Olathe. I'm going to hate missing Saturday morning knitting at Panera.

Cindy Front

2007-03-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

The front of Cindy is done. I'm more hopeful about this sweater than any of the others I've made. The challenge of the sleeves is next. I won't get started on them today. I woke up tired this morning - some kind of crazy dream with a lot of walking in it. Maybe it's trying to tell me something. I did, however, exercise this evening. But now I need to get to bed. Hopefully, restful dreams for me tonight.

Sock Books

2007-03-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

I went out for breakfast this morning. When I got home, I just didn't know what I wanted to do. It's not like I don't have enough things to do--there's always housework! and knitting and beading--I just couldn't decide which I wanted to do at the moment. So, I checked my budget and decided I could go looking for the Sensational Knitted socks book. I had a coupon for Jo-Ann and a coupon for Border's. I went to Jo-Ann first since it's closer. They didn't have the Sensational book, but I found Knit Socks! It looked good and I wanted to use my coupon.

Then, I went to Border's. They did have the Sensational book. I needed a cup of coffee, plus I had a coupon for a free dessert, so I got a cinnamon roll and coffee and started reading. Oh, did I mention that I also picked up my favorite knitting magazine? Simply Knitting from the U.K. And this month it comes with a free magnetic needle case. I'm not sure why this is my favorite mag; I've never made anything out of it. Maybe it's just all those pretty pictures.

So, I'm all set for sock knitting, except I might need to buy some more dpn's. I read somewhere the suggestion for knitting two socks at the same time on dpn's, section by section. That might work for me.

I think my next step might be to make the Class (mini) sock from the Sensational Knitted Socks book in all of the methods. Then I can pick my favorite method and plan carefully my first actual pair of socks. That means I might just rip out the two I've already started. Yikes!

Lunchtime Shopping

2007-03-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

I decided to go to Hobby Lobby at lunch today. I wanted to get some more double-pointed needles. I've been looking at different sock patterns. Some call for a set of 4 needles and some call for a set of 5. Some call for size 2 and some call for size 3. I already had a set of four size 2 dp's, so I decided I wanted to buy another one plus two sets of size 3's, four each, so that I would have plenty of needles. They only had one size 3 set left, so I got it and the size 2 I needed.

Fortunately, I planned ahead and had printed my Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon. I wanted to get some sort of sock knitting book, but I didn't see any. So, I got this Modular Knits book instead. I got to pay 10.77 (plus tax) rather than 17.95.

This is crazy, but I remember that there was some pattern in the book that caused me to want it, but I can't remember what it was right now. I left the book in my car, so I wouldn't be tempted to read it instead of working this afternoon.

One Step Forward . . .

2007-03-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

And then guess what! Yup - frogging.

I had the upper left of the front all done and it was just fine. Not so with the right front. From the time I started it, I had problems. Here you see that I have ripped out clear back down to the beginning of the armholes. I was so hoping to be able to get the front finished this evening, so I would be ready to start the first sleeve. :(

Fingerless Gloves

2007-02-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

Here are the fingerless gloves. One is done and the second one just needs to be seamed. I wanted to take a picture of it before seaming. I plan to finish that as soon as I get off the computer.

Then, on to Cindy.

Cindy

2007-02-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

I started getting close to finishing the second wristlet, so I decided to get Cindy out. I finished the left front, so now I just need to finish the right front and the sleeves. Then I get to seam it together! :) As always, I hope it fits.

I wish you could see the cable detail better. Maybe I will have to take some close-ups.

Now that I've digressed from the wristlets, I can let myself finish them.