Oops

Oh hey! I didn't have to rip it out because as I was reading the instructions they are the same up until the point where I finished.

I read them as I was frogging, and now I don't know what row I was on.

Hahah. That totally blows.

Probably a bad time to be thinking about sizing.

So I'm knitting on the Feburary Lady Sweater. All of a sudden this morning in the car I think "hmm, I wonder if I'm knitting the right size?".

So I'm knitting the Small. The SMALL is a 41" bust. My chest (36") is smaller than the EXTRA SMALL size (37.5). Does this biotch need ease?

WHY am I not knitting the XS? Because for fucks sake people, I am NOT an XS. I KNOW I should have cast on by the measurements but that seems stupid.

Should I frog it?

Pros to being big:

1. It's cotton, I can put it in the washer and dryer and it will probably then fit. I think this was my original plan

2. I won't have weird gaping at the closure.

3. I won't have to rip it out. I'm over a ball into knitting it

Cons to being big:

1. It will fall off if it doesn't shrink in the wash

2. I will never wear it (but that is pretty likely anyway)

3. I'm gaining weight, so it would be depressing to have this be too small

I don't know. This cotton isn't a dream to work with. I'm thinking it might shrink up and wash really nice though. It is a top down, so technically I can edit or stop while it is fitting, just make sure I have the proper number for the lace.

What a pain in the ass pattern. Seriously people, I'm a 10-12, not an XS.

[edit] Why am I even contemplating this. I'll rip it out tonight *sigh* The XS is even "big". Jeeze.

Robin's Dark Blue Hat

I love this hat! Good thing I finished it on Sunday with a bunch of knitters since I was on a stockinette spree and read the directions wrong. Had to frog a few inches to make it normal size, but that's okay. I might have made it 5 inches instead of 5.5 but I really like it covering my ears currently with this horrible weather. This alpaca is so beautiful. I hate taking photos indoors since they always turn out fuzzy for me, but hey, I needed to show off my hat!

And then a pic with my husband, because he wanted to know what the hell I was doing in the bathroom ;)

Take a Deep Breath

Finally finished! This turned out fab. What a boring knit though. It has pretty cool construction where you knit the arms before the body, but it is all still top down and one piece. I used less than half of my cone, which means I have enough for the other sweater (Vintage Vest) that calls for this yarn. I didn't do any modifications which is weird. Maybe I would have made it an inch longer, but really, I'm pleased.

I can't believe it took me so long. Crazy.

I'm just sayin'

If a new Knitty is released, maybe it would be awesome to pre-populate Ravelry or something so at least a few people can see the damn photos that day.

In other news, I have been done with my sweater for days, I just need a photo. It was wet for one of those days and today I had to take pictures of my mini chocolate orange bundt cakes instead. The sacrifices I make in the morning are harsh.

So I'll probably have a pic up in a day or two ;)

No really, I'm still knitting the same sweater

I feel like such a bad blogger, but really nothing new is happening. However after just measuring it looks like I'm a few inches from finishing this damn sweater!

Good thing I swatched out my next 5 projects on Sunday!

Yep 5 (I think I have 8 that have the yarn pulled out of storage). I figured I might as well be organized so I can get ready for my trip. 2 international flights plus 5 hours on a train probably make for a bit of knitting time. And only one of them is a sweater, the others are all smaller projects. I'm pretty excited about smaller projects.

Not that I'm going to get to them all, but I was a boy scout when I was little. (No, really, I was a boy scout, I got badges and stuff, my mom was the leader, muahah!). Be prepared. What happens if I run out of things to knit? *gasp*. Okay, I could go shopping I guess, but that is the easy way out.

How lazy am I? Sheesh

I finished this Wednesday and was too lazy to post about it. The yarn is just too floppy for a beret. It is very soft but not amazing for a floppy hat. The pattern was easy as pie. I'll make it probably again but with something with a bit more body. Hey, I used up some of that lilac yarn, so that was the whole point of it anyway.

Now I'm waiting on the green yarn to show up from Knitpicks (Webs was out of stock of what I ordered, boo) and I'll knit a bit on my sweater today. Made peanut butter bomb cookies, hope that people show up to eat them!

Preemie Hat

As I said, the mom is in the hospital trying to stop contractions. I did end up deciding against the booties as this might be a bit more useful for her little girl. I wish I had thought to cast on with the MC to match the sweater, but oh well. It is a really easy and really super fast pattern, I might turn out a bunch of these for donations (in a washable yarn of course). It could use some better blocking, but I was impatient.

And since I don't need an extra post for this one, here is the progress on my sweater:

I have just the body to do, which isn't that bad. However, I started a beret for the mommy out of that pale lilac that the sweater and hat is made out of. I can see myself using the eggplant color, but really I should use the other for a gift, and not everything needs to be for baby!

Ribbed Baby Sweater

This is a great little sweater to make. I do feel bad that I made it in hand wash only yarn, but it is SO soft. This Elann Baby Silk is just so nice to work with. It only took 2 days and it was a really fast knit. I ended up doing the bind off in the MC since I didn't want to open up a new ball just to bind of. All in all, 3 balls of this yummy yarn. I hope she likes it! I kept the bunny buttons for myself ;)

Why was I panicking again?

Er, I cast on Wednesday night for the sweater and bound off Friday night. Yup. Why do I forget that baby items are really tiny? Unfortunately the mom has been in the hospital with premature labour. Ack. Poor woman. She's not due until January 1st so they are keeping her drugged up for as long as they can.

Today I had to venture out for a button. I got a few options and I'll sew one on when it is dry. I have a feeling it is going to take awhile to dry.

As for the booties, I don't know anymore. I'm considering a hat instead. I guess you'll find out when I'm finished because I can't seem to blog processes anymore ;)

I had to buy yarn for the Irish babies, and damn that was hard. Since I was out I stopped in the LYS and held my breath and even had help. Couldn't find something just right. A few HOURS of shopping online I finally got some Rowan 4ply Cotton that should work. Well, I hope so!

Pics as soon as the sweater dries. It is Alpaca and cold downstairs. Could take awhile.

Babies wait for no knitter

So I got an email this morning that at work we are having a baby shower for the baby who I have decided on purple for. On the 21st! ACK! I finally started knitting again on my sweater and I'm on the body home stretch. I planned to be done by Sunday. Not so much anymore.

I have to put it down and cast on for the little one! Kinda sucks but hey, babies have their own timeline. The lady who sits beside me cr*chets and made a blanket and little mary janes! I was planning mary janes too. I think I'll start the sweater and see if I can finish that. Then add the booties if I can get to them. Time to bust this stuff out.

Patterns I'm using:
Ribbed Baby Jacket
and
Baby Mary Jane

Casting on tonight? Damn, I hope I can get through all of this. We find out the twins sex either today or tomorrow. Personally, I hope they are girls, that way I can bust out a quick and easy girly set of sweaters ;)

Kickass Tea Swap

I was paired with SFCorgi (who lives in Napa) for the tea pal swap. Look at all the great stuff she sent!



I can't wait to try it all. She gave me a recipe for a blend that uses most of the teas which is really cool. Looks like tonight will be a good night. If not, there are chocolates and preserves to munch on! Woo!

I should be knitting

Wow. I thought when I would finish reading I would totally be back into knitting. I did knit on Sunday but I haven't picked it up in a few days. I'm still really exhausted after work, and this week is insanely busy. Hrm. I know it would help me relax (doctors orders, no more stress) so I should pick it up tonight and continue with my raglan increases. I might have messed up but I can't see it yet. Figures.

So if I can just get through today, mail my swap package for my tea pal (yay! tea!) and knit a bit, things will be looking up!

Batty Wristlets

Okay, I kind of cast on for a new wristlet project off the cuff (ha ha) since I had this microspun staring me down. I found a cool pattern and just went for it. I'm not one for pink, but these are going to be excellent in the car, at least for touching the cold steering wheel. Hell, I might give them away. Who knows. The pattern is a bit sloppy, because my jogless join that never fails, fails in microspun for some odd reason. So I didn't even bother on the second and it looks the same. Hrm.



I plan on casting on tonight for the Deep Breath Sweater from webs. It is pretty much a top down raglan plain sweater on a bigger gauge than the yarn. Also, you do the sleeves as you hit them, then finish the body. That sounds fun!

Vine

The best thing about this was the yarn. This Classic Elite Blithe is just so amazing. I love it. However, it is expensive as hell, so the most I would shell out for is a few skeins for a scarf I think. It is really nice and super easy to knit with. I'd love a sweater out of it, but I'm cheap and well, I probably wouldn't wear it anyway.

The pattern is from magknits, and I used the way back machine to get it. It is a bit short in the wrist, but pretty nice. Hard to knit in public since you have to count pattern rows and other rows at the same time. But I'm easily confused, so don't judge me on that ;)

Very pathetic.

I've been done my Vine wristwarmers since Sunday and haven't hooked my camera up yet. Also, I'm 80% done my bat ones and haven't felt like doing much. If I finish them tonight, I can toss them in the wash and get a pretty picture for y'all! Then maybe cast on for a sweater.

Who knows?

I'm pretty pathetic though that I can't even plug in my camera. Hah. I should really do that. Look forward to at lest 2 FO posts tomorrow or soon ;)

The rain was delayed, but it hit today

Everybody thought the storm had passed. Nah, it was just late. So with torrential downpours last night I slept mostly on the couch trying to comfort our cat that howls at all hours. This lack of sleep thing is getting to me. I'm so tired I didn't knit this week really. How pathetic is that?

I still have half a handwarmer to make. Good thing I'm going to knitting today. I ended up buying some Baby Uggs at work since I didn't really feel like trying the bootie thing again for this kidlet. I'm bad. I get a good discount okay? And the mama loves her Uggs. I hate them, you know, lined with death (sheep) and all. But hey, I'm a good gift giver. Plus, they are pink.

And a quick Hello to a new stalker, my tea pal. I also have a blog on Livejournal which is mostly a Twitter feed because I'm lazy. I also have a baking blog that I always forget to update. Hah.

Okay, maybe I'll dig out my knitting so it is ready to go this afternoon.

Grr.

If I thought that the baby Ugg boots turned out huge, these will fit a 6 year old. Probably not finishing the second. Or the icord. The foot is just HUGE.



UGH. That is my iPhone beside it. Seriously. The foot is ridiculous. I can't give a newborn sweater and a 2 yr old toddler bootie. Oh well, I tried. The cat will get a new catnip pillow ;)

Punk Rawk Baby Sweater

How many weeks did it take me to sew on some freaking buttons? Ack. I'm horrible with buttons. Make out of 1 and a little bit of a skein of black microspun and not so much pink. I kind of winged it, which is fine. It's for a baby!

I'm a little over half done my vine wristlets and I cast on for some darn baby booties last night. Yes, I have 2 WIPs, no matter now small that is just crazy talk for me!

So the baby booties match this sweater, and I'll post a pic of them together when they are done. You know, if I knit again this week! Hehe! I figured if I could turn out some booties, I can start the Feb Lady Sweater for me guilt free!

I now have 3 babies at work though. 1 purple gal and 2 very irish kidlets (twins). Looks like lots of little projects!

Knitting with Camel is Yummy

I've been slacking on knitting. The olympics really took a lot out of me. Okay. I'm totally lying. My game got resurfaced and now I'm allowed to pay the xbox again. *hangs head in shame*.

I have 99% of a baby sweater done. I just need buttons and I'm really lazy about that. I'm not sure if I should make the booties to match, or some cute wrist warmers for the mommy in the same colours. She does live in SF and they might be handy. Obviously I'm stalling on the booties. They are done with duplicate stitch and I'm not too into that but not sure if I have the attention span to include the chart into the booties. I'm a sloppy stitcher.

So I've been working on little fingerless wrist warmers for myself to see how the camel yarn I have knits up. I love it so far. And after weighing the first one, I probably could have made something bigger. Oh well. Stupid yardage requirements. I didn't want to spend another $15 for being a few yards short. I had to get the pattern via the wayback machine because it was on magknits. It gets confusing as you have to follow a pattern for half and a line count and change for half. The way it printed out it is on the wrong side of the page. Whoops. So paying attention is an issue. I brought it to a bbq last week and couldn't get much done with all the flipping and having 2 row counters. If I ever write a pattern, I'll write it out. I swear.

I really want to cast on for the Feb Lady Sweater next, but I should knit something for punk baby or something for purple baby. I got yarn for a sweater and cute maryjane booties for that kidlet too. Or a coffee cozy. I have to talk myself into any new project it seems. Maybe I'll just take over the world instead. Hah!

The Olympics are Finished for Me

Here is my shawl!





I'm so happy I finished on time!! I'm used to both of my Clapotis being a lot wider, but this is really nice as a scarf. I'm sure I'll use it. The pattern was pretty easy, you just needed to pay attention once in awhile.

I totally take it back

I'm done, and it is blocking. It looks really pretty. I probably should have used blocking wires, but I didn't. I just laid it out and it just looked so good I left it that way. No need for ultimate perfection. It's alpaca...it's gonna stretch weird if it feels like it.

I'm SO happy to be done. The house is a huge mess, and the husband is starting to "pile" things in bad places. Like the recycling in the dining room. WTF?

Nevermind. I guess tomorrow I'll be knitting on that baby sweater!

Another post when I have photos ;)

Math freaking sucks

Okay, I'm on chart 7 of 8. Woo! That means 48 rows till I bind off.

Except I can't make it freaking work! I've knit the row 3x now. Just not enough (or too many) stitches. WTF? I'm so frustrated.

UGH!!

Time to try to put in a life line I guess and figure it out manually stitch by stitch. I wasn't off in chart 6, so I don't know what my issue is. K4tog is knitting 4 together right? Sheesh.

[edit] obviously I just needed to bitch and add a lifeline, because all is good now that I can read. Har har.

Getting there

Okay, I have 8 more inches in the long stretch till I start the lace charts. I have until 11:59 am on Sunday to finish this all. Eek! It took 3 days to do the lace chart on the other end, so really, I need to be done 8 inches in 2 days plus starting the decreases. Hrm. Oh, and that whole blocking thing. Really, if I bind off, that is really damn finished to me. I'm not nit-picky. A lace shawl on size 2 needles in 17 days? Okay, that deserves a gold.

Makes me want to stay up late and knit! Almost, I'm exhausted. Ugh. I have to hustle, but today it looks like I could actually do it! I'm inspired now!

It's shrinking

So I'm trying to bust my butt to get back on track. I WAS 1" away from mid point, and now I'm 3" away. Did I rip back? Nope. Just the knitting black hole at work.

GRR.

I slept weird so my neck and back is all messed up. I'm on a heating pad, wondering where the heck my stitches are going!

Knitting my little fingers off.

So I'm not knitting as fast as projected. This is bothering me. I'm 10" into the 42" middle stretch, and this is behind. I need 3 days to finish the final triangle. Hrm. I'm sure I'll knit more on the weekend, and then Ben is gone to Chicago on the 19th, so I have a bit of time to veg out and do that.

For those who thought I was a speedy knitter, I'm obviously not. There are people who have completely blocked and finished lace weight shawls. How? I have no freaking idea. Really. I don't think I could be done if I didn't have a full time job, had to work out, or had to sleep. Hrm.

It is also really bugging me that I have a UFO. I know, I'll live. I really need to think about going out of the house for buttons for the thing. The craft stores in this state blow for that kinda stuff. However, one of the knitting shops is right beside a shop that has a ton of buttons, I'm sure I can find plain black buttons in either. I wonder if I can match up the pink. Hrm.

Thinking of baby #2, who turned out to be a girl as well. Pink isn't the best bet for this momma, as she's not very into it. I'm thinking a little baby kimono or cardigan for this tyke, but unsure of the colour. She's excited she might have a redhead who will look cute in purple. There's always that!

Oopsie

Oopsie, I went yarn shopping.

So I made the trek out to St. Peters (again) because the first time I didn't buy enough yarn. No, really. 6 skeins is not enough. So I added 7 more to my Urban Silk stash and 6 more to my Amaizing corn stash. They didn't have any more Frog Tree in black or else I would have bought that out too.

Now I have 10 delicious skeins of Urban Silk, and I don't know what to make. I'm a few short for the Holly jacket, so hrm. Maybe I'll just sit it all on my lap and contemplate.

SO meme!

Stolen from Becka I thought this was a really fun MeMe. Have your significant other fill it out ;)

What is your favourite thing about my knitting?

It keeps you sane.

What is your least favourite thing about my knitting?

Being snapped at " I'M COUNTING! " :D

What is something I have knitted, that you recall as good?

My Matrix binary scarf. :D

Do you think knitters have an expensive hobby?

Not any worse then my hobbies.

Any hobbies?

Comic collecting

Do you have a stash of any kind?

I can answer that or I get arrested. *laugh*

Have I ever embarrassed you, knitting in public?

Nope.

Do you know my favourite kind of yarn?

Nope.

Can you name another blog?

xanthia.livejournal.com

Do you mind my wanting to stop at knit shops wherever we go?

Nope.

Do you understand the importance of a swatch?

Yes.

Do you read my blog?

Of course.

Have you ever left a comment?

Nope.

Do you think the house would be cleaner if I didn't knit?

Nope.

Anything you'd like to add?

Nope. *grin*

Button whoops

So I got some really kickass skull and crossbone buttons for the baby sweater. I was so happy! I bought some bigger ones for me too! Then I got them, and they are just way too big. Bummer. I guess I need some little black buttons or something for this. Not too hard to find, its just I really thought these ones were cute.

Oh well.

I'm trying to fight the urge to start my Olympics project. So hard to wait! I do have half a sweater to finish, so I should work on that anyway. The motifs got a bit messy on the back but well, its the back. I'm liking the pink and black. I'll get a photo soon, its just been hard to sit down and take a photo when it is light out. I've started jogging again, so I have to do that when it is light out since I've been doing it outside, and all of my workout gear is black ;)

It's wonky because of the shift in time and space

I finished this last night, and ya. 1. It needs to be at a tighter gauge, or felted. 2. I needs structure on the inside, I suggest a foam form.

So ya, I'm done. Next?

Getting there.

So I cast on for the last panel of my Tardis. I'm still not sure if I should line it or not. Okay, I'm pretty sure I should, but if I will...that is another question. 4 panels of 96 row color work that is the same is a bit...dull. I will have a nice pillow though.

Next up before the Olympics I was going to make Baby's First Tattoo from SnB Nation. In pink and black for my old coworker. I'll probably do booties and a hat too, if I get to it. I'm still not sure if I will use that pattern as I really love seamless garments...and I'm using Microspun which is a bitch to seam. Why am I doubting this? Because the photo of the original project looks a bit "home made". I'm not trying to dig, but if I get half of what the photos show, it will be not too good to give as a gift. And I'm already confident my seaming abilities are lacking. I'm pretty sure this is a sweater that would be best in wool.

So then my thought train goes to a striped kimono type sweater. Maybe with a skull on that. I don't know. I do have to finish the Tardis panel anyway. Why am I worrying? Hehe!

I think what I will get out of the Olympic knitting is that I should knit every day. That doesn't happen, at all. If I do knit a little bit each day for 17 days, I will consider it an accomplishment!

Travelling through time might be quicker

So this is how much I have done on the Tardis. I was thinking it was going to be cute and quick. Its not quick, and its not small and cute. It is going to be huge, and I'm using sport weight yarn. Hrm. Not what I thought.

I'm already spent on knitting the panels, and I have 2 more to do. I don't really want to start anything before the Olympics though. I'm just not happy with it overall but I don't know if I should ditch it or not. I wish I had done it in Alpaca so I could felt and shrink it. Oh well.

Liesl

Okay, the photos do not do this justice. Stupid black on black, what was I thinking? Anyway, this was a really fun knit. I was worried when I was binding off for the armholes that they were too long but I did make the right choice. The Knitpicks Shine Worsted looks good even before blocking. It is so soft and nice. I can see myself even wearing it without a closure. I haven't fully decided on one yet anyway, the brooch that is holding it in the photo is a bit too heavy and is dragging down the cotton. I have a 36" chest, so I went down a needle size and made the 38, and with the stretch of this cotton, it was a good idea. Or so it seems for the 5 minutes I've had it on ;)

Knit Olympics

Yep, I'm joining again. I think I'll make Juno Regina or at least as much of it as I can in 17 days. Yes, this one WILL be a challenge, even for me!

I'm also almost done Liesl. What a great little knit! I'm not sure about the fit because I'm way too lazy to try it on. Hrm, but now I have to figure out something to knit between finishing and the Olympics!

Well, that was short lived

Ben washed and dried my Orangina. It shrunk. A lot.

It doesn't scream "pithy" but it is cute

I don't know why this pattern is called the Mary Jane Pithy Hat. I mean, the original hat didn't have a pith on it. But whatever, it is cute. I read the pattern wrong and thought for the slouch on the original I had to knit 11" instead of 8". It was the other way around so I got a really floppy hat, which is fine. It is more my style that way. I used my Blackberry Patch Alpaca I got at Stitches West and still have some leftover. It will be really warm with it being made out of alpaca!

Baby!

One of my old and very cool coworkers is pregnant and just found out it is a GIRL! Okay, I was kinda hoping because her favourite colour combo is hot pink and black.

Now...what to knit? She's very punk and weirdo friendly! Hah! Probably not a blankie because her mom makes really cool cr*chet ones. They are in SF so perfect for handknits. They live in the fog belt.

Orangina isn't so Orange

So here is my finished Orangina. It could be a bit longer, but it is cotton and I do expect it to get a bit bigger. Plus, I was lazy. I really do like it, and I think it is flattering. Made out of Anne Circulo, it took a bit more (.1oz) than a full ball to make! SO ya, I have a lot left over that might be a summer bag or something. It did take way too long to knit mind you, almost 7 weeks. Sheesh. I did knit the 2 8" pieces at the same time and then joined them in the round after the armpits. There is a bit of stockinette down the sides but you can't notice it really. It was easier than seaming!

Grr

Something went screwy in my purse and I had to pull out 2 nights of knitting. I spent an hour trying to figure it out, but I couldn't see the issue. So now, I'm back at the join of the front and back. K2tog at the ends didn't seem to make things even in this darn pattern and was getting confusing, so I'm just keeping the pattern as-is until I see some of it attached. Then I can decrease a bit to make it more smooth, maybe. It is under my armpit anyway, so why should I care?

But I'm still grumpy after losing 3 or more inches of work. So maybe I won't decrease. Hah! Photos? I don't have no stinking photos! (I'll do some for the next entry, promise!)

Oh hai, a Clapotis

So it is finally finished and not raining. How cool is that? I love the colours on this, even if it is a replica wannabe of Kims. But hey, she doesn't mind! I do suggest doing this pattern once, twice if you like to knit insanely boring things.

Orangina is coming along. Slowly mind you, I only knit a few rows a day. Had work drama so I was too stressed to knit. Figures. I'm knitting the front and back at the same time, then joining them after 8-9 inches and working in the round.

It is about this time in a project (you know, the beginning) that I plan my next, but nothing has called out to me yet. Hrm. I do have a lot in my queue, so its not like I'm short of projects, just haven't chosen yet. Maybe I just need to buy new yarn for inspiration ;)

WTF?

So I finished my Clapotis on Sunday night. It was still wet this am! I might have to toss it in the dryer soon, sheesh. Also, it needs to go in the wash anyway, since my hands are literally BLUE from the dye. Good thing I don't wear light colours ;) I'll post pics when it is finally dry. Sheesh.

I know its stupid

So, I think I'm going to make the Vegan wrapped in Scarf eventually, but I'm not in love with the jagged chart. So what's a girl to do? Uh, do it in alpaca and felt it. Hahah. SO not vegan.

Then again, my friend Tinny/Christine from SF makes felted bacon scarves and she's vegan. Obviously she crafts in wool, so alpaca isn't that bad, eh? Plus, I think this sucker just is begging to be felted. In a nice bulky yarn it shouldn't take too long...

Oh, ya, I'd knit but I painted my nails this evening. Haha. One day, I'll finish my Clapotis. Hope to have it done by Sunday evening.

Funny, but not really

So I haven't been knitting much. I'm bored with Clapotis, but really I should start the decreases. I haven't been knitting during the week, so it looks like I won't get this done in April.

That, and I'm waiting for Ben to bring me home Mario Kart.

Nice knowin' ya. Hah! Oh, here he is! Yay!

SO weird.

I'm such a slacker, I haven't knit all week. Next time I should go back and read my blog entries about projects I want to repeat. I mean, I'm glad I'm making another Clapotis, but well, I need more entertainment than TV to knit on it a lot. Like fun conversation and such.

Oh well.

Doin' it again

This yarn just needs to be a Clapotis, so I started it this morning during a thunderstorm. This one is going to be fun! The yarn was too big for my yarn winder, so it is an old school ball, that is HUGE!

Best Blankie

So after 6 skeins and I wasn't done, I decided that this looks okay as a rectangle. Ugh. I'm very happy with the pattern, but NOT at all happy with how this washed up! It pilled everywhere. It looks used and blah, and the little girl hasn't even gotten it yet. I'm glad I did wash it though, so that it won't freak the mom out when she washes it herself.

Bernat cotton tots, you steered me wrong man! I'm sure they won't notice though.

Progress Photos

Here is what Best Blankie looks like as of today. I'm about 60% done I think. Who the heck knows anymore. I should have ripped back when I figured out it was way too wide. Oh well. I think it might be nicknamed "Best Afghan" since it is going to be a lot bigger than a blankie! Who knows though...its cotton and will probably shrink in the wash *sigh*.

Checking in

Thought I would take this opportunity to say "hi"! Yep, still working on the baby blanket. It is almost half done. Ugh. I made it wider than I anticipated, so that means it has to be longer. I guess I will use close to all the 8 skeins I have. Figures. I haven't been knitting much during the week because I've been so darn tired. When I do start knitting though, I'm eager to finish!

Think this would make a great clapotis? Its about 740 yds.

Not Plaid Mittens

This is the second time I've used the pattern for 'Plaid Mittens' but these turned out way better. I had knit 75% of the first one when I realized it was way too big. Reduced it by 4 stitches, only did 8 increase stitches on the thumb as well (but still went to 12 rows). These are knit at a pretty tight gauge so they should be really warm. Glad they aren't a gift because one of the two skeins I had to use had a lot of pink in it, and the other had none. So freaking weird. Same dyelot too, if that makes a difference with Bernat Black Lites. I'd have to go back to my sweater to see if there was pink in it or not.

Now I have just enough yarn for a coffee cup sleeve. If I feel like making a bulky one. Who knows!

The Best Blankie Guilt

Once upon a time there was a 5 year old who had a troubled time. She went through many phases. One of them was biting. Biting others, biting herself, biting things. Like blankies. A little vampire in the making.



So the little girl saw the error of her ways, and wanted to commission a new blankie. She wanted it made just for her, and promised that she wouldn't eat it. Her mom found a wonderful talented knitter to guilt into making a new 'Best Blankie' for her. The knitter of course panicked at the machine made 8 sts per inch pattern, and told the mom that it would have to be a bit bigger gauge. She sent the yarn home to have the little miss approve of the squish and the colour (it had to be just the right colour) and the little miss approved, even of the gauge change. The stiches would be bigger because there would be more love put into them. Little miss is very excited.



A little bit of the blankie that wasn't dead. Poor blankie.

Tudora

So this turned out pretty cool. Mad out of Caron Simply Soft Shadows, the leftovers from my Gretel. The button is pretty cool, I didn't have much of a choice at the LYS though. It doesn't go well with my current jacket, but hey, I can buy a new one to go with my knit goods ;)

Tree Jacket

I LOVE this sweater. Too bad I couldn't get a clear photo. Anyway, I wore it all day and just love it. The Berrocco Comfort is really great to work with, and it has been through the washer already (to block it) and seems to wash up well.

Damn, it is comfy and warm too. I LOVE it! Hehe! So worth the stockinette in the round.

Tea Swap!

Take a look at my kickass Mug (and yarn) swap that happened over on Ravelry. I got a kickass pal who totally spoiled me. The bunny mug? Oh ya. Totally me. In fact, she did just an amazing job. Even got some Canadian chocolate tucked in that photo, and Tilli Tomas yarn. The blue is just amazing.

On a Roll

Tree Jacket finished? Check

Tudora finished? Check

Next project picked out? Check

The Tree Jacket is trying to dry in the basement since I decided to block it a bit. You know what? I LOVE it! The Tudora knit up fast too, but the weather is so crappy out there is no way I'd get a decent photo. Maybe this afternoon/evening.

Next project? Well, I want some more bulky mittens since my rings get caught in my Spidey Mitts. Also, I have a baby blanket to replace. The old one is shreds really, and 8sts per inch. I'm hoping that the yarn I chose will be squishy enough for the 5 year old customer, and the gauge is okay too (I'm going with 5sts per inch). She knows it isn't a full replica...hrm. Working for kids makes me nervous! This one is all about the colour, so I'm sending a skein home with her mom to see if she likes it or not before I even start.

One sleeve down

Okay, now that I have a full sleeve knit, I've committed and need to get the other one done? Yarn yardage, doesn't look so good. Good thing they carry the yarn at the LYS, and it is black so a dye lot difference shouldn't be very obvious.

18 inches to go. Eww.

The plague got me

OMG, I was so sick Thursday evening to today. UGH. I had the plague from hell. I was embarassed that I was taken down by a cold. I didn't knit, I didn't play video games, I didn't eat much either. I was so sick I couldn't sleep.

Funny, I was hoping my sleeves would knit themselves. But they didn't. So I'll have to work on that. I'm at the tail end of the plague, maybe I'll knit a few rows tonight. Or maybe I'll catch up on sleep.

Stupid boring sleeves.

Not very exciting when knitting a sleeve.

Things just aren't very exciting when you are knitting sleeves. Nope. They take forever, I think I have 4-5" out of 19 done on the first sleeve. Woo woo.

However, I went to the LYS on Saturday for my tea pal (*waves*) and was lamenting the pretty sock yarn that was all wool. The owner pointed out they got some non wool sock yarn in, but the colours were Meh. But today I get an email from Webs and it comes in black!.

Not that I want to knit socks currently. But now, I have the option dammit.

Doh!

So I didn't knit this week, I was busy or something. I don't know. Sweaters can get a bit dull. I know I just need to bust it out but I didn't feel like it. I really want to start and finish Tudora, but I don't want to get sidetracked.

Today is a snow day! The office is closed so I thought "Yay! Knitting!". However, I just shoveled 8 inches of snow, and now have shooting pains in my arms. At least my whining got me a hot chocolate.

So really no knitting for me, and even though the plow totally just snowed my freshly dug out driveway back in, I'm still happy I get a long weekend.

Knitting...in black

I know, what a suprise. I had a burst of colour with that lime green, so black knitting is a very welcome thing now. Here is the progress on the Tree Jacket so far:



I'm still unsure if I'm going to end up with the small or medium. I'm tending towards the medium, since the lowest measurement really IS my size, but I don't want something baggy from hell. Then again, I'd like to wear something under this. Hrm. I just already know my habit of making sweaters too big...ugh.

And I did get pretty yarn this week, and finally got a photo of it.



Yummy rowan cotton rope for the Frontier Jacket. It is just a plain cardigan really. It has been awhile since I bought some black yarn! Okay, not counting the kidsilk haze...and...oh nevermind. My first yarn order of 2008.

So tonight I'm just sitting home alone, knitting while my husband goes and freaks out at random people at work. Because he gets cranky like that when people unplug his ethernet connection at his desk.

Not so 3 way

So this is the scarf/cowl/poncho. There is NO way in hell this will work as a poncho or scarf. However, it makes a fine cowl. Okay, it can be a scarf, but not in the sense that that pattern thinks.

Anyway, it was a good use of "fun fur"ish yarn. Now I'm done with it, and have swatched for the Tree Jacket.

Bonus shot of the 3rd Fetching I finished last night as well!

Jaywalker Scarf

Here is the final jaywalker scarf. It is made of Maizy and this yarn is really nice. I'll definitely pick some up for myself. The elastic didn't allow for complete flat blocking, but it still looks okay. I wasn't really aggressive with the blocking either, so that could be a part of it too. I didn't use all of the 2 balls, but still made it 70" long. She's quite short, so I didn't want to make it too long.

I hope the recipient likes it! She loves lime green!

Things

So last night I finished the Jaywalker scarf, at about 4am. I didn't stay up till 4am, I was up at 2am tending to a puking cat. Ugh. Have I told you our cat is bulimic? She gorges and purges a lot. Poor thing.

So I decided to do the last 4 inches that I had left to make it 70" total instead of using all the yarn. Because I was pretty bored with it. It is sitting downstairs wet, and I'm hoping that the corn fiber will block, they did seem to lengthen, but I didn't pin it so who knows what I will get. It does have elastic in it, so I'm a bit worried. Will it feel the wrath of my iron? Ben thinks it is too skinny, so I'm kinda nervous. However, it is 10 degrees out today, so in his mind he thinks a winter scarf is a more appropriate gift. Do I go buy some big chunky fuzzy lime green yarn and make her two? I have no idea anymore.

Speaking of big fuzzy and chunky, I started a 3-way scarf. I have to use my Moda Dea Dream, and no projects called out to me, but I have to get this yarn out of my stash. Since it is quite cold out, I figured I could use a cowl. And if I make this simple one, I'll see if I will ever use the Ice Princess one I have lined up in Kidsilk Haze. However, I'm sure the Ice Princess is a much more fun knit.

I still plan on swatching for the tree jacket too. Oh, and I think I need to make a Dalek tea cozy. Because I'm THAT big of a dork.

Fessing up to Fetching

So this is a photo of one of the Fetchings. The other is lost in limbo. Made out of Elsebeth Lavold Cable Cotton. I should actually weigh the yarn to see if I have enough, but I probably do. Just not looking forward to a 3rd. The cotton could do with a wash or two to soften up.

2007 Finished Items

2007 Finished

Well, I didn't knit about half the year. I took it back up and enjoyed what I made. I'm not looking forward to making a 3rd fetching out of the yarn I have, but oh well. Gotta do something. The lime green scarf is slow going, I haven't knit in a week. Whoops. Damn Wii! Hopefully this year I will have at least 1 FO a month, or a damn good excuse for not having one (a big sweater/afghan or something).

February 2007

• Lionbrand Scarf and Mitts
  

July 2007

• Clapotis
  
• Ruffle Stole
  
• Binary, Knitty.com
  

August 2007

• Something Grey
  
• Le Slouch
  

September 2007

• Torque
  
• Hoodie Scarf
  
• Gretel
  

October 2007

• Cherie Amour
  
• Kitty Pi
  
• Aveline
  

November 2007

• My So Called Scarf
  
• Dragon Scarf
  

December 2007

• Baby Uggs
  
• Mens Rustic Scarf 2
  
• Matrix
  
• Fetching -I DID finish them, I just need to make a 3rd!