Knittin' and Lovin' It

It's All Moved!

In the last post I promised photos of my new stash set up.

It's now in my bedroom. We were going to try to put it in the walk-in closet at the top of the stairs but as we started moving things around we realized that when we put the drawers in the closet it would be very difficult to open the drawers. With some creative rearranging everything fit nicely in our room. It's not as if I need to hide the yarn from hubby. He really doesn't care that I have enough sock yarn to insulate a 3 room cabin. Besides if he ever gives me a hard time about it I can calmly point out that I didn't raise a fuss when he decided to get a motorcycle. ;~)  

I now have my sock yarn stash split up into groups...semi solid, variegated, self striping, and workhorse sock yarn, ie Opal, Regia, Patons, basically anything that doesn't have to be wound into a center pull ball. Lone hanks of sock yarn that were bought for the girls socks are in with the self striping I have a few single skeins of Lorna's Laces and Claudia Handpaint that isn't enough for adult socks. My roving has it's own drawer now too. I'm using the cedar chest to hold sweater quantities of yarn and all the plastic drawers that have wool now have some cedar balls that I bought from The Loopy Ewe a while back. I haven't seen them sold there in awhile now. I may have to hunt for more somewhere else.

Anyway, I've been knitting too.

Bree decided that she needed a bunny blanket, which has been named Bunny Boo. I used the Bunny Blanket Buddy pattern (ravelry)(non ravelry). The non ravelry link is to Lionbrands website and you have to log on to see the pattern. I didn't have any suitable yarn in my stash so we headed out to Michaels to browse through the yarns and pick out an appropriate color. I went with Lionbrands Baby's First yarn which is a super bulky acrylic/cotton blend which passed Bree's snuggle test. It took less then one skein and it's really soft and cuddly. It would definitely be great for a quick baby blanket.

My birthday gifty from Colleen.

Well actually she sent me a gift card to Amazon. I was originally going to buy a knitting book until I stumbled upon the fact that Adagio sells a few things through Amazon. So I picked up the ingenuiTEA. All I can say is AWESOME! I picked up a cheap electric kettle. I'll eventually upgrade to one with temperature control but for now this one does the job.

I've made more progress on Cassidy. I'm actually hoping to have it done by the end of the this weekend but that may be wishful thinking. I have about 4 inches left on the sleeves then I'll have to block it so I can seam it all together to knit the hood and button bands. I'm actually contemplating leaving the hood off. I don't really use the hood so not sure if it'll be a waste of time. I may go with a nice fold down collar.

Until next time....Happy Crafting.

A Measure of Common Sense

** I actually started writing this on the 3rd of Jan but things got in the way of me finishing my post and it's sat unfinished for the last few days. It's warmed up into the 40's and the snow is melting now....woot! I'm kinda sick of snow right now. We had a record breaking 30.5 inches of snow for the month of Dec....well record breaking for this town anyway. A good 9 inches of that fell in one night. Lucky for us our neighbors borrowed a snow blower and cleared our driveway when they cleared theirs. Shawn was sick when all of this was going on so I would have been the designated shoveler. 9 inches of snow + a bad back and knees = lottsa pain later on.

Today we're going to talk about common sense or lack there of. The stupidity of some people gives me blog fodder so I'm going to run with it. Lets set the scene:

The sun has set, the parking lots have been plowed, although anyone who lives in snow prone areas know that there is still plenty of snow on the ground even though it's been plowed. Anyway back to the set up, the temp is a balmy -10F not factoring in wind chill....I have no idea if there was a wind chill or not my car only give ambient temps. So anyway, you get the picture it's freezing ducks and the ground is slick. Now the sensible lady (that's me) is sitting in her warm car with her heavy winter jacket and warm winter boots happily knitting on her new pair of socks while patiently waiting for her Super Hubby to get back from a quick trip into the store when into the wintery wonderland parking lot drives Pretty Pretty Princess and Hunky Boy Prince in their BMW SUV (no I don't have a problem with people who drive BMWs or SUVs, I drive an SUV). Now Princess and her man step out of their car dressed like they were strolling through LA on a balmy spring day. The sensible lady mutters to herself about the craziness of some people when she notices that Princess is trying to walk through a snowy, icy parking lot in 3 inch heels and a very lightweight 3/4 sleeve jacket. This of course made the sensible lady think WTF! Princess did manage to make it through the parking lot and down the sidewalk without falling. She had a very bony butt so I'm sure it would have really hurt if she fell. The entrance into the store has you going at a downhill slope so it's easy to slip if you're not careful. Cutsie little jacket $200, 3 inch high heels $600, walking through a parking lot while wearing these when its -10F outside, Stupid!

Now that I've had my fun I can move on to the things I've finished knitting and some of the projects I've started.

First up, another stupid monkey.

I should have made one for Bree for Christmas but I didn't think she would want it since she isn't a stuffed animal kid. Boy was I wrong. She kept running off with Kaity's monkey which of course caused fights between the two of them so I cast on for another monkey post haste. I knit this bad boy in a record breaking two days. So now both girls have monkeys and everyone is happy.

I finished my modustar cloth (Ravelry).

This cloth is way bigger then a standard cloth. I gave it to the girls and they're using it as a blankie for their dolls and beanie babies. I'd definitely use thinner yarn if I wanted one about the size of a washcloth/dishcloth. Someone on Ravelry gave me the idea to make these in wool and then felt them down to coaster size. Love it! They would make great gifts and wonderful extras for swaps and such.

I finished moms Errant socks (Ravelry) from the second Mason-Dixon book.

The foot is pretty stretchy but once you get past the heel and start working on the leg there isn't as much give in the socks because of the cables. Hopefully they fit her. Oh well, no point in worrying. If they don't fit mom she can send them to my sis and I can make her a new pair.

I finished my Mocha Chai socks.

These are just a basic toe up sock with k3, p2 ribbing on the foot and leg. The yarn is Crystal Palace Merino 5 print and the color is #9814 (if I remember correctly). I had no problems at all getting a pair of socks out of two skeins for my big foot with a cuff that measures around 8.5 inches long not counting the short row heel. The yarn is a worsted weight (if I remember correctly). At less then $14 for a pair of boot socks, I'd definitely buy it again.

I've also started a few things for myself. I know, I know! It's about time I started something for myself.

I've finished cowl for myself.

The pattern is Forest Canopy Cowl (Ravelry)(non Ravelry) and the yarn is Tosh Worsted, colorway: Jade. This pattern worked up very quickly and the cowl has a nice close fit....very warm!

My Stripey-Stripey socks.

I'm using some Red Heart sock yarn I bought awhile back. I originally picked out a skein of Beyond Basic Knits self striping out of my stash but as it turned out the yarn was variegated and had the wrong label on it. The dyer has kindly offered to swap the skein out for some self striping so I picked the Red Heart to use this time. The yarn isn't to bad. It has the typical feel of a wool/nylon sock yarn. Not super soft but I'm betting it will soften up quite nicely. These socks are going to be bright! I shooting for matchy matchy stripes which isn't as difficult when you are knitting from two 50g skeins.

I'm also planning on starting a pair of Urban Necessity Gloves (Raverly)(non Ravelry) for myself out of some Tosh worsted and the swatches for Shawn's cabled hoodie. This is going to be a big project so I want to knit up a bunch of swatches to wash to see which one will be best. The last thing I want to do is spend all that time on the sweater and not have it fit right.

I'm not making any New Years Resolutions this year. I've never really been big on New Years Resolutions. What's the point, most people never follow them and aren't committed to them when they write them down in the first place. I'm sure there is something new I can add to my knitting bag of tips and tricks. I need to exercise more, lose weight, eat better, etc etc etc. I do want to make more time to really put in the effort to spin. It's been hit or miss for me when it comes to spinning. I will say that if I'm not using the wheel more by the end of 2009 I'll find it a new home where it will be loved and used.

I was planning a big contest this month but with a root canal and crown looming in the very very near future I've decided to put it off. All extra spending has been curbed until that's taken care of. Thankfully we have insurance so part of it will be covered but the portion we have to pay is still going to hurt. The only exception is the few clubs that I'm in since I'm already obligated to continue them and I hate having to back out of things. Plus two of them will be done very soon anyway. Never fear I have plenty of stash to keep me busy and now have confirmation as to why it's good to have a stash. You never know when you might need it.

Happy Crafting!

I'm Still Here......

I think! Or did those darn aliens get me again? I swear it's a pain trying to keep up with things. One of these days I might become a little more organized...I doubt it but there is always hope. The good news is the tomatoes are doing fabulously. Here's a shot of some of the tomatoes I've gotten off my plants.

Beautiful aren't they? This isn't counting the several we've already eaten and the 5 or 6 tomatoes we've given to our neighbors. They'll be getting about half of what's in the pic. We've figured out what we've done wrong and will fix it so hopefully next years crop of tomatoes will be bigger. I'm going to try for a total of 3 plants. We're also shooting for some green beans too.

I found another yarn shop, Old MacDonalds Craft Barn. It a little bit outside of town but it's only about 11 miles or so from the base. They're only open on Saturdays but that's fine since weekend shopping works best for me. Plus I was told that they are able to open the shop up through the week if there's something you need to buy. Super nice people with a nice selection of yarn. The shop is small but they do carry Cascade 220, Brown Sheep, Plymouth, and Fiber Trend patterns....just to name a few. I'll definitely be going back.

Here's what I picked up from Old MacDonalds Craft Barn.

3 Skeins of Plymouth Galway Paint and a skein of Lang Jawoll Aktion sock yarn. Kaity picked up the Galway Paint for a new scarf & hat. It'll match her snow suit. The Lang sock yarn is soft and with the Aktion line it looks like Lang Jawoll has taken out the acrylic. The label says it's 75% wool and 25% nylon.

I knit another dishcloth. I'm on a dishcloth kick right now.

The pattern is the Double Diamond Circular Facecloth (Rav)(non Rav) from the Dishcloth Boutique. I used the Sugar N' Cream Stripes yarn I got from my TLE swap pal Janice. I wasn't trying to make it match up it just worked out that way.

The Twisted Flower socks (Rav)(non Rav)are finished.

I love these socks. I have about 36 grams left from the skeins of DIC Smooshy which is more then enough to make Bree a pair of socks.

I started another pair of socks for Kaity.

I'm knitting these two at a time, toe up using Knit Picks Essential sock yarn. The colorway is called Princess Multi. These will be like the last pair of socks, just simple ribbing on the cuff and a picot bind off since Kaity thinks it gives the socks a girlie appearance. As if the purple/pink yarn wasn't girly enough!

I've finished a test knit for Woolgirl but won't be able to show it for awhile since it's for an upcoming sock club shipment. I'll probably start swatching for Kaity's coat and I've been contemplating make a shrug for myself out of the Malabrigo worsted I bought from Woolgirl awhile back.

I knit Scoop for Bree.

I think it came out pretty good but Bree doesn't seem to like it. Oh well, I'll see if Kaity likes it. You win some you lose some. If Kaity doesn't want it it will probably become a dog toy. I can always open it up and put a squeaker in it for Zeus.

I picked up a couple skeins of Red Heart for the Special Olympic scarf project.

Red Heart Classic isn't my most favorite thing to knit with but it's for a great cause so I'm going to suck it up and knit with it.*** They are asking for scarves made out of two specific colors of Red Heart yarn. If you're interested head on over to the website for more info.

***No I am not a yarn snob and yes I use acrylic but I prefer Carons Simply soft or one of the other softer acrylics. Red Heart is scratchy. That being said I do prefer wool and will use it the most.

I trade Wollmeise sock yarn colors with another Ravelry user.

I saw this color (Sultan) some time back and fell in love. When I found the chance to swap I jumped on it and trade my Lowenzahn for the Sultan colorway. I think it's 80/20 Twin but not sure. Any Wollmeise experts want to clue me in on how to tell the difference between Fluffy, 80/20 Twin, & Superwash? I have Superwash and 80/20 Twin and the only difference I can tell is that one has a little more yardage then the other.

I think that just about sums up everything that's happened since my last post. I have my sock club shipment from TLE which if the USPS is being nice to me will be here before the weekend. I'm really excited to see what's in this shipment.

Not Much to Report

I'd love to say I've done lots and lots of knitting since my last post but I can't. I still haven't cast on the second sock for Kaity or myself but am itching to cast on some new socks for myself. I'm holding out until I finish the other two pairs of socks. I do have some FOs to report.

I finished seaming Bree's Bear the other day.


I swore that I was never going to finish seaming this thing up. I think it turned out pretty cute and Bree loves it, which was the true test. I put two very small plastic easter eggs fill with rice in the center of the bear so he makes sound when she shakes it. I taped the eggs up really good so they won't burst open.

I knit a dishcloth.


Here's the pattern if you're interested. It was a fun knit. A nice change from the tiny needles I've been handling here lately.

I'm getting ready to attempt the Garterlac Dishcloth pattern again. I tried the other day and messed it up. Never try something new that requires attention when a 20 month old is running around the house yelling "ow, mama, ow". "Ow" is Cow in Bree talk. She has the Little People Farm set and it came with a cow. Right now it's one of her favs to tote around the house.

Finally the Piece de resistance...


I finally started my Bee Fields Shawl and I can't put it down. Thus the reason I haven't cast on the mates for the socks. It's a combo of Anne's wonderful pattern and the Malabrigo lace. I don't think I could have picked a better yarn to knit this shawl with.

I do need some lace stitch markers bad!!! I'm using those cheapo plastic markers from Wally World and they're too thick. Most of my markers have stuff that dangles down and I don't like using them for lace. I love Hide and Sheep's needle huggers but they are on vacation and they can't keep them in stock, they are so popular. These are the ones I really want but I'd need to buy two sets for this project and just can't do it right now.

On a non-knitting note, I have been wanting one of Montezumma Mudd's stoneware coffee mugs. One of these days I'm going to buy one. Hi, my name is Trish and I have a coffee mug problem. I will warn you, if you have a weakness for mugs, bowls, and other various handmade stoneware this is a site you may want to avoid. I want some of the soup bowls too. Kinda hard to avoid a site if I keep putting little linkies for you to click.....muuuuahhhhha!

We have another appointment scheduled for my little monkey. Bree's meds aren't working as well as they use to and we want to talk to the doc. The doc said she might need an Upper GI to make sure there isn't more of a problem then we realize. Which could possibly mean a trip to Spokane, WA to see a pediatric specialist. Do these type of doctors not exist in Montana?....sheesh! Or do they exist and not except my insurance? Do they not realize I don't want to make the 6-7 hour drive with two kids in the car? We'll know more after her appointment on Thursday. Guess there's no point in borrowing trouble, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

A Little Progress

It's been a little busy here. I've made some progress on my projects and made a couple of stash enhancements. I also finished my sample knits for Woolgirl. I'll show you them when I can.

First up, the first purchase from TLE.


I bought this a few days before the Wollmeise sneak up. I didn't really think I'd get any Wollmeise so this was my consolation order. I've been wanting some of the Trekking Hand Art and Heather of All Things Heather is dying yarn again and I couldn't pass up the gorgeous Apricot colorway.

Now the Wollmeise sneak up which was the last one I'm ever going to participate in. They are just too intense and way too crazy. It sold out in a record breaking 5 minutes this time. I have 3 skeins....I'm happy!


I bought Campari Orange (skein in front) and Wilder Mohn (skein in back). Both are extremely gorgeous. I also picked up the Loopy Lace toe up sock pattern. I really like Wendy's patterns and will probably pick up more now that I've figured out how to knit toe up socks. I bought some BRS Bergamot Mint Knitters Hand Soap which smells great, leaves my hands smooth and doesn't dry them out. I have a problem with soap drying my hands out and causing red rashes....very painful! I'll be buying more of this soap soon.

Now on to the knitting. The drool fest is over for now, I promise!

I finished Kaity's toe up sock.


I found a short row heel technique that I like. It's the Next Step Diagonal short row heel from the Sock Wizard program. They' make the software for Macs and PCs. I finished off the sock with a k3, p2 ribbed cuff and did a cute little picot bind off. Now I need to cast on the second sock.

Last night I finished the first Reims Stocking watching Are We Done Yet?...cute and funny movie!


I cut out 10sts and knit the cuff a little shorter. I really like this pattern and will more then likely use this one again.

And for my final knit project, I give you a Bear in many pieces.


I just finished knitting all the pieces for Bree's Bear. I'm planning on seaming and stuffing it this afternoon while she is taking a nap.

Now it's time to put my wee monkey down for a nap and attack laundry mountain. Yup, it's that time again. There's only a few loads today because I scaled part of the mountain yesterday.

Happy Crafting! I think that should encompass everyone, knitters, crocheters, quilters, etc. You all will probably see more then yarn on the blog soon. It's time to dig out the sewing machine. It's been neglected for too long.

I'm going to start working on some pjs for Kaity, plus I have a small quilt to finish and a blankie to make for Bree. This will be the first time making clothing so there might be a bit of cursing. I promise not to throw the scissors....that's dangerous!

Sheldon is Done!

Sheldon is finished. I didn't attach his shell using icord because it was causing me to think longly for a big glass of Capt and Coke. Since it's not socially acceptable or responsible to be drinking booze at 9 in the morning, I opted to save my sanity for sewing his shell together.



Now I'm going to tuck him away because he's a gift for Bree for Christmas.



Stats:

Pattern: Sheldon the Turtle from the Winter 2006 Knitty issue.
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport in colors River and Sky. Used less then one of each 50g skein.
Needles: 3mm for the body and legs and 3.5mm for his shell.
Mods: Sheldon's shell has been sewn together.

I found someone on Ravelry who was destashing some books and nabbed Miss Bea's Rainy Day which I've been searching for weeks for. Seems the book is out of print, go figure and the only copies I could find were people selling their copies for $32-50. I don't think so. Sheesh! So I got my for $13 which included shipping. I love Ravelry!

Lots of Updates

Is it just me, or my titles lacking in creativity. Oh well, better luck next time. I have a lot of things to put in this post so it's a little picture heavy.....sorry, dial-up user! Don't mean to slow you down.

A few questions before I continue on with my post. Does anyone who reads this blog use dial-up internet service? Am I a horrible person because I decided not to send out Christmas Cards this year? Anyone else out there not sending Christmas Cards. Just curious!

Were to start, oh yeah, FOs.

I finished up Kaity's Forest Canopy Shawl.

I'm going to try very hard to get it blocked either today or tomorrow. This is my special gift for her for Christmas. Believe it or not I'll probably be making one more of these shawls as a gift. This time in a yummy Malabrigo worsted. I'm going to be my moms knitting hands, she's going to be the yarn purchaser. Sounds like a great deal to me.

I also started and finished a crocheted cloth yesterday. It's folded in half for the photo.

I was in the mood for a little crochet and found the link to this cloth out at Lion Brands website. It's called the Almond Back Loop Stitch Washcloth. I kept crocheting until I ran out of yarn so mine is a lot bigger then a washcloth. It's almost the perfect size for a hand towel. I think I'm going to use up some of the cotton I have on cones to make a few more of these. Super easy and super fast.

Sheldon is moving right along.

He now has all 4 legs and I started his shell last night. I have the tails of yarn tucked into each foot so they won't tangle into a hopeless mess. I'll probably try to finish him up before the end of the weekend.

My mom's sock is coming along nicely.

I'm over halfway through the heel flap. It won't be too much longer before these are in the mail on their way to my moms feet.

Finally, an addition to my stash.

I picked this yarn up for Kaity. The Opal 6 ply was bought on sale from Little Knits. The one on the left is #1712, Lollipop and the one on the right is #1715, Tutti Fruitti. The Regia is from another Ravelry destash. I have a small amount of this yarn left in my stash from the very first fingering weight socks I made Kaity. I want to make her some more since she loves the socks so much.

I'm suppose to be eliminating my stash and so far I've made one pair of socks and bought enough yarn to make somewhere around 4-5 pair of socks. I'm losing my campaign which is not bothering me one bit. How in the world can you pass up on sales for stuff you've been wanting?

Wow, I think I'm finally to the end. Time to go put a few more rows on Sheldon's shell before Bree wakes up.

Updates

Lets see if I can make this quick. Shawn and Kaity should be back from the Commissary here soon and I need to help them put away the groceries.

I started Sheldon the Turtle again.



This time I'm using Knit Picks Shine Sport which is working up a lot better. I even managed to find the safety eyes because I stink at embroidering eyes. I'm hoping to have this done to use as a stocking stuff for Bree for Christmas.

Next up, the reason Ravelry can be bad for managing your stash.

Knit Picks Dancing sock yarn for Kaity.



This is a Kaity color hands down. This will be used to make the girls summer socks.

Next is 3 hanks of Koigu KPPPM and 1 hank of Mountain Colors 4/8's Wool in the color Wild Raspberry.



I don't have plans for the Koigu yet but the Mtn Colors will probably be made into fingerless mitts.

I also have some Regia coming in from another Ravelry user and some Opal 6 ply from Little Knits. The Opal is for boot socks for Kaity. Little Knits has it on sale so I picked up a ball of Tutti Fruit and Lollipop.

Kaity wanted to model her hat.



The hat ended up being too big so I got it wet an threw it in the drier with some towels. It worked out perfectly so now the hat fits snuggly on her head. The rest of her hats will be simple ribbed hats.

Kaity's Forest Canopy Shawl is 2 pattern rows and the 2 bind off rows away from completion. I should have that finished tonight after she's in bed.

Time to go put groceries away....fun, fun, fun!

Toy Knitting

I gave the shawl a break and yesterday afternoon I started this:



This is Sheldon from the Winter 06 Knitty.  Well it's Sheldon without his legs and shell.....those will follow soon.  I have one leg on the needle right now.  I don't have the plastic eyes so I used some yarn for the eyes.  Lets just say I'm not very good at it.  I'll practice a little more before I make the next one. 
I don't want the plastic eyes because I want Bree to be able to play with it and small things like the plastic eyes are too much of a worry for choking on.  So I'll be sticking with the yarn eyes.

I need to go feed the kiddos some lunch.  For some reason they think they need food....I'm not sure who gave them that idea.   :~)