Secret Santa- A Day Early!

Tonight, when I checked the mail, I had only a package in my mail box. There were no bills or junk mail, either! It was a gift from my Secret Pal. She sent a collection of stitch makers and the Pattern-A-Day desk calendar, all wrapped prettily. I love them. Thanks Secret Pal! :)

New Project

I thought that I had the hat pattern chosen for my MIL's Christmas gift, but when I started on it, the gauge was off. I shouldn't be surprised as I did have to go down 2-3 needles sizes when I knitted with the same yarn to make Yosemite. (The yarn doesn't feel all that slippery, but it does act like it!) It was coming out HUGE, so I ripped and left it for another day. Then, yesterday, I was reading Kimberly's blog, she was looking for a test knitter for a hat pattern. I volunteered and cast on last night. I am using needles that are 3 sizes smaller than called for in the pattern, and it looks perfect! I chose the needles that I did as the set it a 16" circular needle like the pattern suggests. The size 4 was the only one that i had in that short of a needle. I have the hat about a third of the way done and its going smoothly.

Left Handed Knitting

One of my SIL has been wanting me to teach her a little more about knitting. She really wants to make some mittens for her 10 month old son. We've been trying to come up with a day that would work, and then we both happened to be at my parents house last Sunday. I had some dpns and yarn (left over from the vest that I knitted for her son) in the car, already, so we started. First I showed her the crochet cast on. I like the edge on it and, if done just right, can be stretchy. There were 3 things that made this teaching session complicated for me. 1) She has never knit in the round. I knew this and was expecting to have to show her how to use the dpns. So, that really wasn't a surprise. 2) She has never made a purl stitch before. I didn't know this, but its really not that much more difficult and I was showing my other SIL (who doesn't really knit) how that works, when she asked on that same day. 3) She is left handed and was having difficulties understanding my teaching. She had "just figured it out" before as I've seen her knitting and know that the book that she is using is designed only for righties. (I gave it to her as a birthday gift, not realizing she was a lefty.) So, I figured out how to knit left handed! It was fun, though a little tricky at first. I was pretty pleased with myself and managed to surprise her. She figured it out, once she could see me knit it left-handed. I had such a great time. I usually knit by the "throwing" method. However, I found that it worked easiest for me if, when knitting left handed, I "pick" the yarn. I've used this method a little bit when knitting right-handed, but only use it when knitting with 2 colors. I still prefer "throwing" when knitting with just one as I find it quicker.

Its Done!

I finished Yosemite, this past weekend! It looks good, but I think I will give it just a hint of blocking with a little steam, before I wrap it up. I was working on this, yesterday, while I was with my mom. She says that it just looks like my SIL and that it should be perfect for her. I saw her the same day, and she was shivering she was so cold, so I'm sure this will be good for her as the yarn is worsted weight knit with size 5 needles and then cabled and ribbed, too, so the fabric feels nice and thick.
While I was with my SIL, I needed something else to knit (and the sleeve only needed to be bound off, so not much knitting left there.) I picked up Cambridge Jacket, again. I finished the first front and then started the second. Right now, I have this piece about half way to the arm hole bind offs. That's 10% of the sweater knitted in just over 1 day! I am now sure that this one will be done in time for Christmas. :)
I was also surprised by something yesterday. I was getting ready to leave my parents house and put on my Selbu gloves. The patterns on them are so beautiful and my mom was commenting on how nice they look. I smiled at her and said, "I might have made you a pair, but they come out best when knitted with wool." She is "allergic" to wool and so I figured that I'd hear, "Oh, well that's okay." Instead, she said, "Well, on my hands that might be alright. Can I try one on?" After trying it on, she said that she could wear them! I now have a smaller project that I should be able to make for her for Christmas. I love making those mittens, have yarn in my stash already and they don't take more than a couple days, if I concentrate solely on them.
Upon finishing Yosemite, I have an entire skein plus just a little more left over. This should be plenty to make my MIL a new hat. She is still dealing with being very cold all the time and has very little hair as a result of chemotherapy. The hat that she has been wearing is an old, yucky looking acrylic that bugs her. She won't wear it when she leaves the house, either. She needs something warm, so I'm thinking of knitting a cabled stocking cap that is rather plain around the edges. (ETA: I have been searching Ravelry for just the right pattern and think that I will probably knit this.) I knit a somewhat lacy hat out of a fuzzy yarn a couple years ago. It stretched out and then started to look matted. Since this yarn has a little wool in it, it should keep its shape, and since it is a smooth yarn, there should be no problems with matting. I plan to start it right after I finish Cambridge, however, I may take a short brake to make a mini sweater from Berroco's Minutia-08 pattern to take as my white elephant gift to my work Christmas party which is next week.

Another KAL

A couple of days ago, I was catching up on my blog reading and came across NaKniSweMoDo. I followed the suggestion over to Ravelry. Once I had read about it, I joined! The challenge is to knit 12 sweaters during 2009 and WIPs count! I have 2 sweaters already started for myself and have plans to knit several more during the year. I made a long list on the message boards, but I have not lack of patterns to knit. I have over 50 sweaters in my Ravelry queue just waiting for the right yarn and time to start! In addition, I have enough yarn to knit about 7 sweaters more than those that I have already begun. I have already had so much fun reading the message boards and adding any projects that others are planning on, that I also want to make, to my queue. Here's what I wrote on Ravelry about my plans:

I plan to finish up my Bountiful Bohus and then continue on Morrigan. Next up is a sweater for my SIL’s birthday, Tangled Yoke. Then, I want to knit Mediterraneo for my mom’s birthday . That’s 4 sweaters in 5 months. Morrigan may not get finished at this point and if it isn’t, I’d like to go back to it. Next, I’d like to knit Celtci Icon followed by Mr Greenjeans, Charisma and Cardignan in Camelia all for me. By this time, I should be starting Christmas presents and will start a sweater for my husband and maybe another for my mom and one of my siblings. That brings my planned count to 10, but I’m sure I’ll find 2 others over the course of the year to work on. :)

All that, and I forgot one sweater that I've already started and not finished, my Cables and Os summer cardigan.

Yosemite- 82.7% Done!

This isn't a great picture, but the body is done! Shortly after taking the picture, I picked up the stitches for the collar. I have it about a third of the way finished! Woohoo!! I have a few other gifts that I would like to make and finish, so I am very, very happy to see this one taking shape so quickly.

Back to Yosemite

This one, of course! I made the division for the back and fronts, last night and then finished the left front! I hope to finish the right front and begin the back, tonight. Maybe, then it will be picture worthy. Right now, it is a little strange looking as I never move the stitches to a piece of waste yarn as the pattern says. Then, I didn't bind off the left front as I plan to graft the shoulder, or maybe use a 3 needle bind off. It is looking good and I am excited to get it finished!

Christmas Meme

Saw this on the Knit for Joy and decided to join in on the fun. I'd love to see your answers, so if you decide to answer, leave me a comment so I can go read it!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I like the look of wrapping paper better, but have some bags if I’m under a time crunch.

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Definitely a “real” freshly cut tree. One of our favorite traditions is to drive to the U-Cut lot and choose our own tree.

3. When do you put up the tree?
I like to put it up as soon as possible. Usually this is the Saturday after Thanksgiving or the next weekend.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Usually some time around the 1st of January.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Yes, but I like it “watered” down with whole milk.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
I have 2 that stick out in my mind, a 10-speed bicycle and a flute. I had been taking lessons on a fife and had finally grown enough so that my fingers could reach the keys on the real thing.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
The guys in my family. I have 3 brothers and a brother-in-law, along with my dad, father-in-law, and husband.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My mom, sister and sisters-in-law.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, I collect them. I have one that my mom made for me taking the ceramic from green ware to finished product and several others that I have purchased over the years. I like to decorate my tree with various mini-nativities.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
My husband usually takes care of this and always mails them or hands them to people in person.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
I had an aunt who never seemed to realize what age I really was. She would often give age inappropriate gifts, but was always so well meaning.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
I’m not sure. I like them, but some of the Santa Claus type movies get on my nerves after awhile.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I am always on the look out for ideas. However, I do like to make my gifts, so I've been known to start knitting for Christmas gifts in January.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
I have only re-gifted an item when going to the parties at my work and church. There, we play a “White Elephant” game with the gifts and the whole point is to bring something nutty. However, my husband ended up with a used, but cleaned up, cat litter box one year!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Turkey. I like most of the “special” foods that are served for dinners like Thanksgiving and Christmas. I would have them more often, but they take so long to cook!

16. Lights on the tree?
Yes, of course! I like to use 600-800 white lights on our 6-7 foot tree.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
Any Christ-mas song. When the Christian radio stations start playing songs like Rudolph and Frosty, I switch the station. I don’t have anything against these songs, but enjoy others so much more and find that those “Winter Festival” songs just inappropriate for the Christian stations.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Home, for sure. Nearly all of my family lives within a hundred miles of my house!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
No.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Either. It just depends on what I decide to put there when finishing the decorating.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
We open gifts with my family on Christmas Eve as that is when we’re all together. Then, we open our gifts to each other on Christmas morning, following up with gifts at my in-laws in the afternoon.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
The commercialism. People should not need to fear for their lives if they work in retail or if they are standing in line to get into a store. This worry about getting the best stuff for cheap drives me nuts and most people don’t even really need the junk they buy any way!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
I collect blue and purple glass ball ornaments for the tree. I have one set that has the names of God on them in Hebrew and in English. The gold calligraphy on the balls is so beautiful.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Turkey! ;)

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
I haven’t given it much thought. I know my husband and a couple others will want to know, though.

26. Lights, blinking or always on?Always on, always straight, and always white. I can appreciate the fancy stuff that others do with their decorating, but for my house, I like it very simple and elegant.

Feel free to copy this meme and make it your own!

NaKniSweMo Ends

I managed about 20% of Morrigan during this month's KAL. The point was to get it done, but I feel really great about the progress that I've made! I've knit 4 of the 18 balls into the project.

Soon, I need to get back to the 2 sweaters that I'm knitting as Christmas presents. I have Yosemite and the Cambridge Jacket to finish before then.

I have, however, been working on Cambridge some this month. There are some times where I like to knit during another event. If the other event is something that needs my attention, then I've been knitting the simpler pattern of it, otherwise, I've been working on Morrigan. With all the great progress that I've made, I wish I could just keep working on it instead of changing back to presents! :) However, it's all so much fun that it doesn't really matter and I love to make things for others.

ETA: NaKniSweMo may be over, but I've signed up for NaKniSweMoDo for 2009 on Ravelry. This will be my first project to work on once the Christmas knitting is finished.

Christmas is Coming

For a great reminder of what its all about (for me any way) go read Anni's blog post at http://annisknittingblog.blogspot.com/.

Here are the latest photos of my Morrigan. I have 2 balls of yarn knitted into it at this point! Since taking these photos, I have completed about 12 more rows and have about 13% of the sweater completed.

More Morrigan Progress

Morrigan is coming along nicely. It doesn’t look much different than the last picture, but once I finished the second ball of yarn, I will take another picture to share. I finished 7 rows, yesterday! If I could do this many every day, I would be able to finish in just over 2 months. However, I rarely have that much time to knit on it in one day. I really am enjoying all the cables and look forward to any time that I can spend with it!

SP13 Questionare

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love knitting with 100% natural fibers. I really don’t care for acrylic, nylon or polyester. Although, just a little bit added to a natural fiber is alright.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have clear plastic needle rolls that I bought at Elann.com and work great!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I learned to knit about 6 years ago from a friend that only knew how to cast on, knit and bind off. She may have also known the purl stitch but did not show it to me at that time. The rest of my learning has come from books and from reading online blogs, etc. I consider myself to be an advanced knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Loopy Ewe, Froogle, & Amazon.
I did, but it has not been updated in a long time. I will see if I can tackle that this weekend.

5. What's your favorite scent? I like lavender and mint scents, but they need to originate from essential oils and not chemicals as I am VERY, VERY allergic to chemical scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? No. Favorite candy? I generally try not to eat sweetened (whether with sugar or a substitute) items, however a very dark chocolate is wonderful. I do like unsweetened or fruit juice sweetened dried fruit and I love almost any kind of nut. Nuts are especially good when dry roasted or raw.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I am not a spinner, but do know how to crochet. I don’t really like to do crochet any more, but will for an edging on a knitted garment.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (If your buddy wants to make you a CD) I listen to Christian Contemporary music and Classical, with a little country thrown in occasionally. I do have MP3 capability.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I like earth tones and muted pastels. I don’t like very bright/fluorescent colors, nor do I like most oranges and yellows.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? My husband and I have 2 cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I do scarves and mittens, but never a poncho and rarely a hat. I also often wear larger sized shawls.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I mostly knit items of clothing. I have made many sweater, gloves, mittens and shawls.

13. What are you knitting right now? I have around a dozen projects on the needles at any given time. I am currently working on 2 of those sweaters that I have cast on this month.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I use circular and double pointed needles almost exclusively. I don’t like plastic needles as they bend too much, but I do use both wood and metal needles. I have a few sizes of tips for the Knit Picks Options set and also like to use Addi Lace needles.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes, to both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? I have a half-finished crocheted table cloth that was started five and a half years ago. For knitting, my oldest project is a large shawl that I started a year and a half ago.

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe? Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but I also like Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect? No.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I can’t think of any thing that I want, but I do have a subscription to Interweave Knits.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I can’t think of any just now.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes, I am a US women’s size 8. The ball of my foot and ankle are about 9 inches around and my foot is 8.75 inches long. I like a bit of a snug fit to my socks.

23. When is your birthday? May 23

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Yes, of course! I’m danim on Ravelry.

A Lovely, Long Weekend

This weekend I went to Lake Retreat, in Kanaskat, WA, with a group of friends form church. Saturday was lovely. Oft and on, there was SUN! The camp is on the west side of the lake and most of the benches face the lake. So, when I was trying to find a sunny place to sit outside and knit, most of the benches put the sun at my back. However, I did finally manage to find one that let me sit with my face to the sun. It was a great half hour, or so before the wind picked up and I went inside to warm up.

I have been working away on my NaKniSweMo project, Morrigan. It is starting to grow and the pattern is getting easier and a little faster to work! The cabling truly is lovely and the fabric so soft. I took it with me on the women’s retreat this past weekend. Everyone who saw it was awed by the complexity. I have almost 2 inches of the body done and figure that it is probably around 6.5% of the total project. I finished the first ball of yarn on Friday night and began the second after my friend untangled it for me.

I also took the Cambridge Jacket with me. We had 4 lecture style meetings while there and I like to be able to keep my hands busy. Morrigan is too complicated to fully focus on the talk, so I needed a simpler project. This one really worked well. I managed to finish the back a few minutes after the 4 and final session! It looks great and I had many compliments on that one, too.

On Monday, I knew that I would be tired from staying up too late at the retreat, so I took the day off ahead of time. I planned to knit on Morrigan some more, but ended up having a great time outside. I raked the leaves off our porch and flower beds, pruned some of my plants back, divided another plant and put away some little fences that I use to keep the neighbor kids out of the flower beds in the spring and summer. I have procrastinated for many months and finally did it! It looks great and I am happy to have it done.

More Stitches Than Expected

While reading posts on the Ravelry group, NaKniSweMo, I wondered at how many stitches my finished project would have in it. To qualify for the group the sweater is supposed to contain at least 50,000 stitches. After some lengthy calculations, I think mine has around 200,000. I’d say that qualifies! However, I am currently on task to finish in about 4 months, not 1. I don’t feel bad about that as the project is 4 times larger than the minimum requirement, so taking 4 times longer to complete would still be pretty good! Tonight, I am going to try to finish enough rows to get myself set up to finish in 3 months instead of 4. This is a cotton sweater, so if it is finished during the Spring, I will still get to wear it right away.

NOT Impossible

Well, I've been working on Morrigan some more. It is possible to knit once the set up row is finished. It is sssllllooowww going though! I have about an inch after around 6 hours of working on it. I love how soft it is and I the cabling is starting to look pretty! :)

Impossible?

I spent this morning casting on for Morrigan, my NaKniSweMo project. I knew it would be difficult, but, WOW! The directions seemed to read: ajdklfaiowefeefecxkm...when I first started to look at them. Yes, you read correctly, nary a K or P in the list. However, each of about 8 letters used stand for the next line in a chart and then those 8 or so (to begin with) charts are repeated in various orders, creating the patterning. It is pretty complicated to figure out. I misread them and left out 46 stitches. Of course, I had to come to nearly the end of the first row to realize that I had missed 2 sections. At 456 stitches, that really took a while to rip! After 3 hours I have almost 1 row to show for my time.

Later on, I went to Ravelry to add the project to my list of current projects. When it came time to rate the difficulty, I thought, "This has to be the most complicated pattern that I've ever seen," so I clicked to rate the pattern as the most difficult that Ravelry allows. They call this "impossible." If I don't get the hang of it pretty soon (yes, I know less than 1 row is too soon to tell) I may rip and knit something simpler with this gorgeous cotton blend yarn. The yarn is Rowan's Calmer. It is soft and stretchy and I love it! This yarn definitely will not be sitting and collecting dust regardless of my ability to knit the project that I desire out of it! :)

Little Progress

This week has been a difficult one. As such there has been little knitting progress. I get migraines and they are worse when it is getting darker outside. They are also worsened by strong chemical smells. At work, lately, there has been a tar smell in the building. (A neighboring building has been re-roofing using a tar based product. Our building's ventilation system is set to bring in "fresh" air but can be reset to recirculate the air, instead. However, they have not reset the system until there is already a very strong smell in the building.) During the time off that I've taken due to said migraine, I did get a little further on my Alpaca Sox, getting the heel turn and gusset decreases finished on the first sock.
In addition to not feeling well, I hit a wall with the sweaters that I've been knitting. The colors for the fair isle work are not working together as I planned, so I'm waiting on it until I can go look for a different color to use. The mostly cotton yarn for Yosemite bothers my hands after a while and I'm getting tired of the same thing! :) However, I did pick it up again for a while today and have just another 2 1/2 rows until I start working decreases and binding off a few stitches. That will make it new and interesting and I'm sure to get much done on it in the next week or so.
I needed a cast on fix, today, so I started another present. I'm knitting the Cambridge Jacket by Ann Budd (Interweave Summer 2006) in Elann's Peruvian Wool. On the large, size 9 needles, this was a great quick satisfaction project. I have knitted through 2 of the 18 balls of yarn, in just the first day, and am almost to the bottom of the arm holes on the back! I'm not sure how much more progress I'll make as I do want to cast on for the NaKniSweMo KAL. I want to make Morrigan, from "No Sheep for You." I have the exact yarn, yes even the color, as the one in the pattern and have been excited to start ever since I decided on a project. I just finished looking at my Ravelry Projects page and I already have 10 projects started, but I am going to start something new. Ooo, I can hardly wait!

Continuing Onward!

I have been making progress on my two sweaters! On Yosemite, I have finished the increases and have about 3 inches to go before starting the armhole bind offs. Cascade's Sierra makes a wonderful fabric and looks great in the heavily cabled stitch pattern. I also expect this sweater to hold its shape quite well as the cables draw the fabric up very nicely. On my Bohus Cardigan, I am also finding that progress just kind of “happens.” I have finished the sleeves and put them both on the needle with the main body. I have knit about 4 rows and need around 6-7 before starting the yoke decreases. Then, I get to start the color work. That’s the part I am really looking forward to doing. I received the third color of yarn in the mail yesterday. It’s a deeper shade than I thought that I was ordering, but it looks better with the other colors than I would have ever imagined!

While at work, yesterday, I received a call from my husband. He often calls late in the work day to ask what I have planned for dinner, so I was a little surprised that he was calling about a box that had arrived via UPS while he was gone. The box had been almost completely smashed on its way from Massachusetts to me! He first asked, “Did you order anything breakable?” I thought, “Oh, NO!” but then asked him from where the box was coming. When he replied, “Webs,” I laughed a little. He, of course did not immediately understand, so I explained that it was yarn and not to be worried. He used to work for a UPS store and said that he has rarely seen a box more abused by the shipper than this one. I thought he was over reacting, but later I saw it as I came through the front door. One side had been smashed almost completely to the other side. I sure am glad it was “only yarn” instead of a crystal vase! I am also happy that Webs had left the yarn wrapped in plastic before boxing it up.

Christmas Knitting

I've recently begun my Christmas knitting. Last year, my family decided that it would be better to draw names rather than buying for everyone. (I have 4 siblings, 4 of the 5 of us are married and 2 have sons, so that's quite a few people!) They wanted to do it last year, but didn't tell me until I had some gifts completed already. So, they drew on Christmas Eve last year, for this year. I have my newest SIL. While I was looking through back issues of Knitty, I came upon the pattern for Yosemite. She even looks a bit like the model in the sweater, so I immediately thought of her. She is probably going to be living in the Philippines for most of next year, so I wanted a sweater made from cotton. This one is just perfect and the cables keep me from getting bored. I am also making rapid progress because she is a small size, and I am used to knitting an XL or larger, depending on the recipient. I began about 10 days ago and have about 9.25 inches finished. The sweater will be 13 inches when I start the armholes, so I'm getting close! :)

Since I can only work with cotton for a limited amount of time before my hand starts to hurt, I am also making noticeable progress on my Bohus Cardi. I just finished the second sleeve, yesterday and am anxious to start the yoke. I have a little ways to go before I'm ready to start the color work, but I do have to wait until at least Wednesday to start that part. I have ordered (online) another color of Cascade 220 that I could not find at my LYS. I have a deep blue-turquoise for one of the contrast colors and have ordered a pale yellow for the other. Both of these colors are part of the heathered green that I am using for the main color. I can hardly wait to see it all together!

My other projects have been hibernating. I still like them all, but have little motivation to work on anything but these 2 sweaters. LOL! I am also planning on knitting a sweater from No Sheep for You with the NaKniSweMo group on Ravelry. I ordered the yarn from Webs, when I ordered the yellow for my Bohus Cardi, so I'll have it in plenty of time to start with the group. I'm really hoping to finish the 2 projects above, first though! :)

Feeling Green?

Realizing that it has been awhile since I last blogged, I took pictures of my three latest projects. Imagine my amusement (with myself) when I realized that they are all slight variations on the same color! I started another sweater for myself back at the end of September. On this project, I have the body finished to the bottom of the armholes. For this project, the body is set aside while the sleeves are knit to the same point. Then, all the stitches are knit together on one, long circular needle to finish it off. I have about 10 inches of the first sleeve finished. I still need one more color for the fair isle that will be on the yoke. I guess I had better find the color I want and buy it as this is going rather quickly. I shouldn't be so surprised about that, though, as it is Cascade 220 (a worsted weight) on size 7 needles. I often knit with much smaller needles and still finish my sweaters in a rather short period of time, or so my knitting buddies complain! :)
Two weeks ago, I went into the yarn store and purchased 2 skeins of fingering weight super wash wool to make a coworker a pair of Selbuvotter. I have been swamped at work for about 8 months, now. We have been preparing to replace the hospital's patient accounting system. This is a huge undertaking. Then, a person on my team was either fired or quit. She wasn't really pulling her weight, but not having her there meant that I needed to help get the work done and train the two temps that we had, until her position was posted and filled. Each of the three people that have worked the position were intelligent and were rarely kept very busy. As such, they also helped me keep up. However, the third coworker is the one who was the recipient of the mittens. She has been helping all along, and has been quick to do so joyfully, often asking specifically what she can do to help. When I took my little present to her, she responded, "I really like helping you and can't believe that you didn't know that!" I knew, of course, but didn't realize quite how much she likes doing the part of my job that I consider boring. Most of this is time-consuming work, not requiring much thought. Our reviews are being prepared by the supervisor, so I also sent an email to the supervisor commended said coworker for all her help, going beyond what is required and being a great team player. As I was very motivated to give my knitted gift, the mittens were complete in 1 week.

As I had finished my project, I felt I should reward myself with yet another new project. Last Saturday, I was finally able to meet my friend at Village Yarn & Tea for tea and knitting. She was having such fun shopping from the clearance area, that I stepped up and bought a pattern and some great, new (to the store) sock yarn. this is when the Cabled Socks were begun. The yarn is Classic Elite Alpaca Sox. Its lovely, fuzzy yarn that is knitting up beautifully. The pattern is an interesting mix of cables and lace that may be a little difficult to see in this photo, but it sure is keeping my attention! In fact, so much so, that I need my full attention to get the pattern perfect. I'm really having fun with these.
Today, I started a new pair of socks. We went to visit my MIL at the hospital, yesterday, and she said that she needs new socks since all of hers need washing and with feeling poorly, due to chemo therapy and complications, I thought that sounded like a great idea. She is home from the hospital, now, so she could wear them. (While she is there, they have her wear socks with non-slip grips on them to prevent slipping. However, when she is home, she is always walking on carpet rather than linoleum, so the wool socks work fine.) The pattern is Thuja from Knitty and the yarn is Berroco's Pure Merino Heather. Well, its time to get back to them! :)

Thanks, Secret Pal

Wow! Anita really puts together a wonderful SP package! There are several yarns: 2 skeins each of Artyarns Supermerino and Brown Sheep Handpaint Originals, 1 skein each of Ultra Alpaca Fine and Online Supersocke. Then, she added some Eucalan, gum, dark mint chocolate and a wonderful assortment of Numi teas. I love it all!

What: No Knitting?

Last night, I made it home on time and my husband had a wonderful teriyaki stir fry waiting for me complete with brown rice. It was very yummy. Over the past few months, he has been doing all of the cooking. Last year at this time, we seemed to always have little arguments over what was for dinner and who would be doing the cooking. For a couple of months, I spent my Saturday mornings filling the freezer with nutritious dinners. After a while, we had more than we could finish, so I stopped creating more. I was only planning to stop for a little while so that we could eat up some of the old dishes before they needed to be discarded. However, I never seemed to get back into that habit. Since then, he has been throwing something together. I have taken a couple of minutes here and there to cut up meat and freeze it in homemade marinades so that it would be tender, delicious and nutritious when he cooks it, but that isn't quite as much of a contribution as I would like to put into it.

When I coupled this with my mom's upcoming hand surgery, I decided that I would get the cookbook out, again, and create some freezer meals for both her and myself. She is a stay at home mom with just 1 of 5 kids left at home and feels like she is not doing her part if she cannot get dinner on the table for my dad and brother. I know that being told not to use her dominant hand will make it nearly impossible for her to cook and my dad really doesn't mind bringing home a dish to heat up. He told her recently that he would just go to Dinners Ready or Costco and pick up some casseroles so that she would not have to worry about cooking. She didn't really like the idea as she mostly buys organic. I didn't know that they had been considering this when I called to see if she would buy the groceries and then I would do the work. Its really not much more difficult to make an extra set of dishes, following the same recipe, as all the cooking can be completed at the same time and the actual layering of ingredients doesn't take that long.

So, instead of knitting last night, I was planning meals. I wrote up a grocery list, checked to see what I already had on hand, and then headed off to the new PCC that opened near my house earlier this month. I bought a large bag of produce, some dairy, several spices and other bulk items and some canned goods. I figure there will be 19 4-serving meals when I get finished and bought everything except the meat for $120. I plan to visit Costco for meat either tonight or tomorrow. If I spend another $80 for the meat called for in the recipes, I expect that it will make each serving around $2.50 each. That is pretty good considering that these will be all organic, fresh ingredients with no preservatives or chemicals. (Foods that are processed and/or contain chemicals tend to be much less expensive, but also make me feel sluggish and sick.) I am very excited to get these meals done so that we will have some wonderfully quick, healthy meals for our future dinners.

Bamboo Pullover

Well, I have no new pictures, but I have been diligently working on my Bamboo Pullover. Now that I am back at work, I don't have near as much time to knit. (Feeling better is worth it, though.) When I arrived home, yesterday, I had about a half hour to get ready to leave again. My employer, Seattle Children's, was having a celebration at Safeco Field, complete with music from the Beach Boys. They gave me 4 tickets and so I invited my parents to go with me and my dh had other plans, so my mom invited her good friend. It was so much fun to be there with 3 people who knew the music and really wanted to be there. I did take the sweater with me and finished the first sleeve. It calls for very short sleeves, which I am making longer to an almost elbow length. While watching and listening to the concert, I was very glad that I brought such a simple project so that I would not have to look at what I was doing. Stockinette is great for that! I still have about 3/4 of an inch left to knit on the body and then finish the second sleeve. I started the sleeve in the van pool this morning and hope to finish either the body or the sleeve tonight.

When I finally arrived home last night, I was too wired to go to sleep, so I worked with my Hey Teach cardigan to attempt to fix my over blocking of the back. When I knit the ribbing, I bound off the stitches using a tubular bindoff. Because I did this, I was easily able to weave a piece of elastic cord through the edge of the ribbing without it showing. Now, the sweater fits great and doesn't fall off my shoulders. I've been wearing it today and I think I have found a new favorite!

FO Parade

I've been home from work, sick, for way too long now. For the first 4 or 5 days, I couldn't even knit, but as I'm starting to feel a little better, at least I can do that, now. I have started and finished 2 projects. The first is the Beaded Beret that I bought the supplies for when I went to Churchmouse Yarns. It looks so wonderful! The second start to finish project is the Mystic Waters shawl. I knit it up in about 4 days and even have it blocked, already.

I've also been finishing some older projects. First up is my Auburn Camp Shirt which came out lovely, soft, and very drapey. Second, is my February Lady Sweater which I also love. I wore it once, but it was too warm, still. This one will have to wait until the weather cools a bit more. (I finished both of these a while ago, but have just now taken the time to post a picture.)

Then, there is Hey Teach from Knitty. I started this one rather recently, but also finished it while I've been sick. I over blocked the upper back, just a little and since it is cotton, I'm not really sure what I can do about it. The sweater is beautiful and will coordinate with many different outfits as this is one of my favorite colors.

After finishing all of that, I pulled out the Bamboo sweater that I've been making. The miles of stockinette were getting to me, which is when I started Hey Teach. However, there is a simplicity to knitting in stockinette that I've been enjoying while I have been sick and not wanting to concentrate on anything too complex.

While recuperating, I received some wonderful packages in the mail. The first contained stitch markers and a row counting bracelet from a friend that I met through a swap on Ravelry. (She was my down stream, so I was pleasantly surprised by her wonderful surprise!) The second is a skein of Socks that Rock Lightweight that I won through the Sock a Month Blog. The color is called Pebble beach, and is very lovely. Its so lovely that I'm tempted to wind it up and start knitting immediately!

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

I’m sure most of us have a proudest moment when it comes to knitting, a project or technique that you've tackled and completed beautifully. What is your proudest knitting moment??

I remember when I finished my first sweater. It had been about 2 years since I started it. The pattern was a complicated cables and lace stitch pattern. The pattern also called for fingering weight yarn on size 3 needles. It really wasn't a beginner’s pattern, but I didn't really “get” that until much later. When I finished it during the month of August, I was so happy to have it done, that I wore it to work! Yes, it was warm, but it was a cardigan, which I carefully folded and hung over a hanger at my desk. Many of my coworkers know that I knit, and asked me repeatedly if this was my latest finished project. I was so proud to show it off, even if at my desk rather than being able to wear it. I still wear that cardigan that took so much time and effort to finish.

How about the flip side? What is the one thing that you can’t get right? What is that one project that you've never been able to complete? Or that you did complete but then hid away instantly because it was too embarrassing?

I have no problem pulling out knitting that is not making me happy. (Several times I've completely finished a project before deciding to rip it out!) Usually, this yarn goes into the stash for when another pattern that I love comes along. I have ripped many projects, but one sweater sticks out in my mind. I fell in love with a pattern that has lacework for about the bottom 12 inches of the pullover. When I finished the sweater, I tried it on and was shocked that my gauge must have been measured hurriedly, as the sweater was way, way too big. Liking the yarn and pattern combination so well, I ripped it out and started over. The second time the sweater came out too small! However, I did realize this before it was completely finished. The third time I knit it, it cam out alright, but the upper bodice (worked in stockinette stitch) was bigger than the lace section. Since I do learn from my mistakes, I now do a swatch in each stitch pattern, but I didn't know, back then. I wear this sweater occasionally, but not that often because it feels a little snug around the waist and a little too loose around the bust. The shoulders don’t fit as well as I would like, either. (As an aside, when I first began to knit sweaters, I didn't realize that a set-in sleeve looks better on me than any other design and this one does not have set in sleeves.)

Camp Shirt Progress

I've been working, almost entirely, on the Auburn Camp Shirt, lately and its showing! I have all the pieces finished and blocked, have picked up stitches for the collar and am seaming the sweater. When I get tired of seaming, I knit and vice versa. The fabric is even softer and has more drape since it has been blocked. I'm really getting excited to finish! Hopefully, I'll have it finished soon and will post a picture.

Lots of Knitting!

I've been doing lots of knitting, and, yet, not posting! First up, another Wee Tiny Sock for the exchange on Ravelry. The theme was summer, so I made a cotton, roll-top ankle sock. It came out very cute.








Next up, I had another exchange to finish up. These are the Beaded Socks from the LYS Tour that I went on with a friend back in May. I love the way these came out, and so did my pal. Her daughter liked them so well, that she have expects them to "disappear!"

Another gift is up next. My chiropractor's wife gave birth to their first child this week, so I knit a little pair of socks for the baby. He often sees me knitting on some project or another while I'm waiting my turn and has said how he likes it. It really made him smile when I handed him this little pair of socks. I made a size 3-6 months.

Finally, a little stash enhancement from my trip to Churchmouse Tea and Yarn on Bainbridge Island. A couple weekends ago, a friend picked me up and 3 of us went to the Northgate Transit Center, where we caught a Metro bus for Downtown Seattle. There, we walked on the Ferry for a trip across the water. We had wonderful weather and enjoyed the short walk from the ferry terminal to town. We enjoyed ourselves very much, taking time to look through the yarn store and several others. We also had lunch and, of course, ice cream at Mora. It was so wonderful that I keep trying to figure out another trip we could take like this one!

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

Have you ever entered your knitting (or anything else) in the fair? Would you ever consider it?

I have not ever entered anything in a fair. I have, however, entered a design. Mostly, I have entered the contest that I did because it was easy to make the submission. The fair for my county requires that you show up in person to make the entry and the times of day and location are never convenient. The design contest that I entered asked that I email a picture of the completed project. Then, when I was in the top 10 finishers, they had me mail my completed project and pattern to them. Mailing is something I can do at almost any location at any time of day! :)

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

What is your favorite supper for a hot summer evening?
I still like a hot meal, even when the weather is hot. However, I don’t like to heat up the house so we often grill on those nights. I usually marinated the meat for the next night, starting after dinner. Instead of cooking the prepared meat in the house, I just take it outside! When it is hot, we pair the cooked meat with a salad and don’t really need anything else, except for maybe some ice cream. :) I sometimes make my own which is so much better (and healthier) than anything store bought.

Knitting Progress

I've been working away on my knitting. There has been a little progress on the Auburn Camp Shirt. Then, I finished the first of the beaded socks and started the next one. The second sock looks almost exactly like the picture that I took of the first one, at this point. I did cast on for another sweater, the Bamboo Pullover, using the pattern Stripes Go Round by Lana Hames. I'm not doing the stripes, though. The yarn for this one was originally knit into my Green Tea Raglan, which felt to weighty. For that sweater I used 2 strands together. On this one, I'm only using one strand and knitting at a loose gauge. It feels lovely.

Finished Socks

Pattern: Celebrations from Anni Design received from Sockamania for May 2008
Needles: US size 1 (2.25 mm) dpns
Yarn: Maple Hill Hand Dyed 100% Merino Superwash

Both the pattern and yarn were a joy to use. The socks fit well without any alterations to the pattern.

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

What are your favorite places to knit and what supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting?
My two favorite places are at home on the couch while watching TV or listening to music, and Village Yarn & Tea, my LYS. When knitting at VY&T, I like to have a friend or two for good conversation and a pot of tea. When knitting at home, I often put on a movie and usually have a glass of water on the end table. Most of the time, this is all I need to create a cozy place for knitting.

Are the dental hygeine gods against me?

A funny thing happened this weekend: My dh works for my Dad’s dental office. About a year ago, they went to a dental convention, here in Seattle. At those things, they are frequently give samples of various products in hopes that they will buy these things for their office. Among the products that can be sampled are toothbrushes. Dh has a great time collecting these things and sometimes brings them home to try out before they buy them for the office. My toothbrush was ready to be replaced and when I pulled out my stash my hand landed on some of those from the convention. With the first two, I couldn’t even finish brushing my teeth before the head started to break apart in my mouth! With the third one, I finished, rinsed the brush and took a long look at it. There were fine cracks starting to appear in the head! I continued looking at it every few minutes and in about 15 minutes, this third brush had broken apart as well! I had a similar situation the next morning when I pulled out a fourth brush, but this time I did get through one full brushing of my teeth. Some of these brushes are ones that they have been buying. When I saw my Dad on Sunday afternoon, I told him about this. He said that I have been the only one he knows of to have this kind of problem. My response? “I must have very corrosive saliva!” I now need to go to the store and buy a toothbrush...
ETA a response to the comments: These toothbrushes were stored under the bathroom sink, in their original, plastic packaging. I remembered, after posting this, that I put them there because one of them did this when I tried using it when it was brand new. I did get one full use out of it and then it broke overnight. I had forgotten about that until now.

1st Sock Done

Wow! This pair is knitting up very quickly. I was thinking of making them for an exchange partner. I went online, last night, to look up how long here feet are and found that she doesn’t really like green or yellow. Fortunately, her feet are almost the same size as mine, and I love these socks. Yay, another pair for me! I finished the first sock last night and cast on for the second one this morning on the way to work. I’m hoping to have these finished by Saturday afternoon so that I can buy yarn for my pal’s socks and cast on for them. I still have plenty of time to finish them, but don’t want to feel rushed, either.

New Sock in Progress

Since finishing my Celtic Cable Heel Socks, I started another pair. This one is Celebrations Socks from Anni Design. (This pattern was May 2008's Sockamania pattern.) It is knitting up very well. In this picture the cables seem to twist, but that is just because I am working with the stitches on 3 dpns and it doesn't like to be flattened! In reality the cables look like they're going to be perfectly vertical. the yarn is from Maple Hill Hand Dyed, and is a beautiful super wash wool. This will be the first pair of socks that will count toward Summer of Socks.

CelticCableSocksFO

I finished this month's Sockamania pattern, Celtic Cable Heel Socks. What a fun, quick pattern. This is the first pattern, ever, that I plan to make again! DH liked them so well, that I may use the same pattern, but a fatter yarn and bigger needles to make him a pair. These socks were knit on 2.25 mm (US 1) needles with Maizy from Crystal Palace. Started on 7/13 at 12PM and finished on 7/15 at 10PM! I'm wearing them today. They're so comfortable I just might make me another pair, too!

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation?

For me, it depends on the type of vacation. If I were flying, I would make sure to take a small project like socks. However, we usually take camping vacations. We often rent a cabin at a KOA. In these cases, I can take whatever project I want. We spend up to 3 hours in the car each direction. Sometimes, I take a new project that I expect to get well into or maybe finished. Other times, I pack an old project that I'm hoping to finish. Nearly every time I take more than one project, just in case I get bored! Because I like to take several, I nearly always have someone asking if I really need all that knitting. On one camping trip, where we were travelling with friends, I was asked just such a question. When I finished 3 of the 4 projects and made much headway on the 4th, she recanted! {laughing}

Secret Pal Package

When I arrived home, last night, there was a box waiting for me from Yarny Goodness. I have nearly purchased from the site, so I knew that I had created an account with them, but could not remember ordering anything. When I opened the box and found a note saying that this was from my Secret Pal, I was pleasantly surprised. The yarn is beautiful, dyed in many of my favorite colors and the little extras are really neat, too. Thanks, SP!

1st Cable Heel Sock Done

I finished the first of the Celtic Cable Heel Socks from the Sockamania group! This pattern is a pretty plain footed toe-up sock, with an intricate cable on the back of the heel. The socks are anklets and look wonderful! I used Maizy from Crystal Palace and size 1 (2.25 mm) needles. I will be casting on for the next one on the way home from work, tonight. Hopefully, I'll have more than just the toe done by tomorrow! :)

Several FOs

I finished up another old project, this weekend, but before that, I started 2 more. These 2 were one skein projects from the LYS Tour 2008. The first is the Beads and Butterflies Bag from Let it Rain Yarn, knit in Frog Tree Alpaca Sport. I used some black seed beads that I happened to have already. It came out well, and I have it completely finished, even lined!

The second project is a Fishy Soap Bag from Hilltop Yarns, knit in Elann’s Lustrado that I had left over from the shawl that I knit for them. This project was started at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon and finished by 4:00. What a quick project! I love it and may be making more in the future. After all that knitting on Friday and Saturday, I still continued to work on my Serpentine Socks, finishing on Sunday morning.

I stayed home from church as I had a headache. The church recently installed new carpet and the lingering, chemical smells have a forceful ability to give me migraine even when I don’t already have a headache. I played it cautiously and decided it would be best to miss out this Sunday. It has been several weeks still and the smells don’t seem to be lessening. I find this quite annoying, but there is nothing I can do about it.

After finishing my 3rd project in 3 days, I decided to cast on for another pair of socks. I still had 3 others on the needles, but was excited to replace the UFO that I had scratched off the list! I started this month’s Sockamania pattern, Celtic Cable Heel Socks, and have the first sock nearly done! I am working the shorter version of the pattern in Maizy from Crystal Palace. The yarn is very soft and lovely. Occasionally, I have a little trouble with some splitting of the yarn, but haven’t had too much trouble. It even looks like I’m going to get the whole pair out of 1 skein. Amazing! However, I originally purchased 2 skeins, planning on making taller socks, so I’m not sure what I’ll do with the remaining skein. Maybe another pair of short socks to give at Christmas?

Civil War Shawl

I started the edging on my Civil War Shawl! I have 2 repeats done. The border pattern that the designer chose couldn’t be better. It’s very lovely and before any blocking is about 6 inches widthwise. I did make a mistake in the first repeat. Though I tried, I could not figure out what I had done and plan to just leave it, rather than pull it all out. I haven’t taken a picture because I find it difficult to get a good one without pulling the needle out of all those stitches, which of course would be disastrous! :) I figure that each pattern repeat is a little over a half percent of the overall project. Only 49% to go!

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday?

I’m not sure that I have a favorite. Given the choice, I usually go somewhere new, rather than to go the same place again.

2) Where is one place you’d like to go?

I’ve heard many pleasing things about visiting San Francisco and would enjoy a chance to see the city. However, I would like to have my husband go, too, and he hates flying. So, I doubt I’ll ever go. I would also like to see more of Europe as my sister and I enjoyed ourselves so much in the week that I spent there with her. Well, I guess that’s two places?! Thinking of all this makes me want to hop online and buy tickets somewhere! :)

Status Update

This last weekend, being a long one, I took plenty of time for knitting. I finished the first sock on two pair (nearly finishing the second on one pair!) and worked a little on my Civil War Shawl. On the shawl, I finished the main body of the shawl and am ready to begin working on the edging. This marks the halfway point on the shawl. I may finish up a few projects that are closer to being done, and then start working on the shawl again. I’d like to finish a pair of socks or two, and my February Lady Sweater. All of these are nearly done. If I stay in with the current CWS KAL, I have about 2 weeks to wait until the group catches up with me. That should be plenty of time to finish the sweater and one pair of the socks. At least, if I work on the pair that is nearly done! :)

Prayer & Sock Swap

I received a package from Angie, yesterday. I've recently been on a join-everything mentality and have had such fun with this swap. It has given me a chance to have 2 great prayer partners. One that is praying for me, and another that I am praying for who has also told me that she is praying for me in return. I'm still working on my partner's package as it isn't due for a while, yet. Angie really went all out! The socks are one of my favorite colors and she found some snack items that I can eat without causing me health problems! The fruit "leather" that she found has no sweeteners in it! Yes, that's right, no sugar or sugar substitutes! I thought that was impossible. She also included some lotion which has a little book of scripture-based prayers, too. I love almonds and green tea, too, so those were a perfect fit. Thanks, Angie! :)

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

1) What yarn (that you don’t have/haven’t used) would make your stash “complete”?
I can’t think of a yarn that would “complete” my stash. Since I don’t think of my stash as a collection, but rather as a queue of projects waiting to be started, it is constantly changing. I am not one to buy yarn and then either be afraid to use it nor to buy a yarn then like it so much that I don’t start a project out of it. Usually, I buy and cast on within days! I guess that accounts for why I have so many projects going at the same time.

2) What yarn do you never want to be without?
Sock yarn. I always like to keep a couple skeins ready to go at a moments notice. Socks can be completed in a week or two, and the yarn also doubles as good mitten and glove yarn. I mostly use non-striping yarns and especially like dark colored kettle dyed sock yarns. I also like to have the yarn for the next sweater that I would like to make. Right now, I have several sweaters worth, which is unlike me!

Mittiens Finished

These only took a couple of days. They are NHM #9 from Selbuvotter, by Terri Shea. When I first started them, I wasn't sure how well I would like them. In the beginning, the multi-colored yarn seemed to hide the black patterning a little. However, now that they're finished, I love them. The pattern shows up well.
Even after using 1 skein of Knit Picks Palette for 2 pairs, I still have a little left over! I am very surprised at how little yardage was required for the contrasting color. I still have a little of the multi left over ,too. I've knit a pair of socks, and now a pair of mittens with it. There must have been more yarn than I realized in that hank!
Now, I plan to return to my February Lady Sweater. I only have 1 sleeve left to go. This was started this morning. Hopefully, I'll have it finished by the end of the week. As I look forward to finishing another project, I am trying to decide what to work on...I may try to stay with the current KAL group on my Civil War Shawl. That one is half done. Then, there's Summer of Socks, for which I have yet to start any socks. There's also Sockamania. I haven't finished any of Anni's patterns in quite a few months. However, with all the other socks I already have on the needles, I will feel guilty if I don't finish at least one of those pairs first! I suppose only time will tell. :}
Last night I received my book order from the 40% off sale at Knit Picks. I bought Knit So Fine and New Pathways for Sock Knitters. As I've been knitting from the public library's copy of New Pathways and my own copy of Selbuvotter, I've become increasingly annoyed at how the books will not stay open to the correct page. So, I took my copies of New Pathways and Selbuvotter to Kinko's last night and had them spiral bind the books. It cost around $9 each, and now the book will lay flat! This greatly helped me to finish my mitten last night, as I did not have to keep looking for the correct page. I'm contemplating having the same thing done with a couple other books that I think I will need to keep open for reference while knitting from them.

Wool Gloves and Mittens

Just in time for the 85+ degree weather this weekend:
I've finished a pair for wool gloves from Selbuvotter! Of course, not being some one who can finish a project and not immediatley cast on for another, I started a mitten from the same book last night and finished the first one this morning. Yep, I'll be toasty warm today! (No, I'm not reeaalllly going to wear them! LOL)
The black yarn in both pair is Palette from Knit Picks. The white in the first pair is also Palette, but the background color in the second pair is from Crazy4Dyeing's sock yarn club and is the same yarn that I used to knit the Touring socks in yesterday's post.

I'm hoping to take a little time to sew the lavender dress that I cut out last week, in time for church, tomorrow. We'll see how that goes, though.

A Finished Project and new WIP

On Tuesday night, I finished my Touring Socks from the LYS Tour. They fit a little tight. I think that I may have knit them a little too short. I might rip back a little (they are knit top-down) and add some to the foot length, or I could give them to someone with smaller feet.

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As I had finished one WIP, I decided to cast on for another. Just as I was finishing the socks, the yarn for some gloves came in the mail from Knit Picks. The pattern is Annemor #11 from Selbuvotter, by Terri Shea. This is the second project that I've knit from the book and I'm really enjoying it. I have the second glove nearly done to the fingers!

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?
Several skeins of sock yarn (around 3-6) in a variety of colors and yarn for the next 3 or so sweaters. I also like to have a few skeins around that I have one skein patterns for so that I can start and finish a project quickly, if need be. :) All of this needs to fit in my 1 plastic box. Right now, I have more than this, and it is spilling onto the floor in my closet. Its starting to irritate both myself and my husband. However, I did just sell the remaining 10 skeins of yarn from a sweater I knit that took half of what I expected it to! One more bag off the floor, whoohoo, and I have money to buy more yarn. :)

More On Sewing

Last Wednesday, I decided to take Thursday off from work to do some sewing. That night, I stayed up way too late preparing the patterns, ironing the fabric, and cutting out the fabric. I worked on 2 of the 5 projects on Thursday. First, I made the short sleeved version of the blue shirt shown on the package. I used a very light-weight white linen/cotton. As I wore it Sunday, it needs washing and ironing before I'll have a good picture of it. I like the pattern well enough that I plan to use it again. I already have the fabric for the next shirt to be sewn. This, next, time I plan to make another short sleeved shirt, but the button up version, instead. I will leave off any ruffles, etc. that the designer put on the front, though.

The next item that I worked on, was a skirt. I used a black and white bamboo print. It doesn't fit quite the way that I expected and needs a couple alterations and a hem before it can be worn. I love the black and white and expect to wear it with the above white shirt and maybe a black jacket.
On Wednesday night, I also cut out another dress from the same pattern as the light blue one, only this one will be lavender and have short sleeves. In addition, I cut out a jacket and wide leg pant from a medium weight black linen/cotton blend. I'm really looking forward to some new basics in my wardrobe, figuring that black and white can be worn with almost any other color.

Meanwhile, I have nearly finished the turquoise floral skirt. It needs to be hemmed, but I haven't taken the time to do that, yet. I actually have 2 hems to make on that one, as I fully lined it. Since the embroidery on the fabric is a type of eyelet, I wanted to make sure that is could not be seen through. I used a very, very light weight cotton for the lining and the fabric layers move as one.

I have also finished a pale pink wrap shirt, in the past few weeks. I made the view that is in pink on the pattern sleeve. Instead of cutting out my own bias tape, I used packaged white tape. I really like the contrasting colors which both look good with my light, cool coloring.