Thursday, June 28, 2007

WIPs, finally

The baby blankie is scheduled for delivery this weekend! Hallelujah. On to projects for myself, with a small detour:

Behold my Pomatomus sock, in uhm, Brown Sheep Wildfoote, Pine Tree coloway? i think? It's a wool/nylon blend. I'm about to start the heel flap. I like the scaly look & the plain yarn really brings it out. I had taken this project with me to Baltimore, but I sure didn't get much work done on in. I mean, sure, I was busy touristing and all, but the semi-complicated pattern prevented my working on in much. Mostly in the car down to the Eastern Shore, and the plane flights there and back. I'm going to give them to the friend I visited there.

Also on the needles, my long-delayed Lion Brand Oh-So-Easy Cardigan



Oooo, 2 whole pockets! Step back! w00t!!1! I cast on for the body also, but my stoopid sad-assed camera is threatening to die on me, so I could only get off 2 pix of anything before it gave me the digital finger and crapped out.

Screw it, I'll get a new camera, that isn't so BULKY and tempermental. Seriously, for the cost of new memory, IF we could find it, I can get a swanky new camera that's twice as good/powerful as this old clunker.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

As Promised

The baby blankie, in progress:




Pringle, inspecting my tassel work (she approved)

Hanging on my shower curtain to dry

Monday, June 18, 2007

Whew!!!

Almost done! The knitting is done, just the sewing in of the ends remains. I'd have posted pix but wouldn't you know it, I'm having MORE computer problems. This time, it's my wireless card. I'm not surprised, with as much as I kick the thing around on the floor-- it's external, and the plastic cover's been broken off for a year. My hubby thinks I should get a new computer, of course. Uh, No-oo-oo (singsong).

Anyhoo, I did take a picture right before I started the end rows, but forgot to bring the camera to load it here at work. So, picture it: a complete blankie with lots of trailing ends along one side, fringeless. Also, imagine a cat on top of it, if you want to be realistic. I finished it using the Lily Chin method of crocheting the stitches off the needle-- since I was binding off purlwise, it went a lot faster than the traditional 2-needle bindoff. Yarn in front=pain in butt to pick stitches off the right-hand needle. Plus, circulars with a heavy blanket on them don't help the speediness, either.

I should have it completely done before I leave for Baltimore Wednesday morning. Pix soon iswear!

Friday, June 15, 2007

pant, pant


37...gasp...inches...! Whew! Off to knit more... Reporting in tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

More blankie, mule!

I had started on my Lorna's laces socks a couple of weeks ago. I was debating what to do, to keep it as stockinette (not sure if I like the pooling) or put it in a pattern; and is it too wide? For me it is, maybe, but they're not for me. I dithered and knit, but it was all shoved by the wayside...



in favor of BLANKETMANIA 2007!!



Here it is @ 24" or so. It's currently @ 31", or 32" if I stretch it creatively. Work more! more! more! No socks for you!!!


Xtreme CloseUp of lovely pattern and yarn!


back to work... more posting when I hit the required 41" to start the end rows? Look for me after the weekend & before my Baltimore trip. Maybe. I've got to decide what projects to take on my trip (green socks? in Pomatomus?) aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!



Sunday, June 10, 2007

workin' like a dawg

ack ack just promised my friend i would finish the baby blanket by the 30th ack i thought i had till the fall ack! her brother and s-i-l are coming then & she wants to present it then! i just spent most of the week/weekend on it; started with 21" ended with 30" for a rate of 9" on the week. it has to be 41"+3", fringe notwithstanding, so can i finish in 20 days, keeping in mind that i will be in Baltimore from June 20-25 and cannot work on it????

irony of ironies, i just found out saturday was "knit in public day." well i sure did--all freakin' day @ the campsite! we went camping, btw!

so much for the sweater for myself, sigh. i got as far as half a pocket before this latest development. dammit, july is MINE for ME.

Monday, June 04, 2007

$8.95!!!

To mail a 13 oz. box o'knitting from Columbus, OH to Flagstaff, AZ. Yowitch! They said it would arrive Monday or Tuesday. I sure hope they find the inventory sheet in the envelope I used as a mailing label... I sure forgot to put one inside the box. Godspeed, knitwear!

Friday, June 01, 2007

A Box for Dulaan

As promised, a picture of the quickie vest, with finished Magic 28(32) socks for comparison:

The vest worked up in a weekend, and the socks took about 3 days. Easy peasa! Specs for vest: Patons Classic Merino in Taupe and Wedgewood. (I used 2 colors because I wasn't sure if 1 ball would do the trick; after doing it, I think 1 ball will be OK.) Done on sz 10 16" circs, using 10 straights as stitch holders when you divide for the armholes. Basically, you cast on 84 sts, do an inch of rib, then stockinette up 9"; divide for the front, adding a few sts for the arm band and decreases for the neck vee. The back is the same, except you don't do the vee thing. with a 3-needle bindoff for the shoulder, the only sewing is the bottom of the armband, and weaving ends. I might do a few more of these for other charities.

Sock specs: the usual, following the Magic 28 recipe, using 32 sts and Wedgewood yarn. Done on sz 5 dpns, with 2x2 rib on the top. It turned out very stripey!

Behold my Dulaan box. Pringle WILL NOT be included:

Includes 2 vests, 3 hats, 4 pair socks. Sizes? who knows. That's one of the things I'm going to work on tonight as I get it ready for mailing off tomorrow. I'm going to make my best guesses as to sizes--I'm armed with tape measure, foot size charts, old patterns, and small children to use as dressmaker dummies.
I wish I had done more; I still have a bit of time to do so, but I'd really like to get this in the mail before too much longer. Oh well. I look at it this way: I pledged to make 5 items, and I did. 4 of these things I had made a long time ago, so they're the above-and-beyond portion, right?
After these wing away, I am promising myself 2 items for me. Hmmm, what to do? That burgundy sweater, I think. I'll decide item #2 after that's done. Busy, busy summer.