Well, I'm a First Class Dunce

Can you believe it? Turns out my camera just needed batteries. I bought those cheap $1.00/pack AA's at Target, and they lasted such a short time, I just assumed it was the camera that was to blame. Stoopid batteries! (I can still buy a new camera, right? It's just not as urgent now?) Anyways, here's the first Pomatomous, live and on my foot:

It's a bit big on me, but it's not for me, so whatever. The toe's a little pointy, too, but it'll look better on a bigger foot. And no cankle-- I've got slender ankles for being such a large gal (5'7", 225, hell yeah I could play in the NFL.) I should be a foot model like Fran Fine!

BBXCU (beezie's blog x-treme close up):

Blurry! Wow, are my YO's kinda big. I think I learned to do them wrong 20 yrs ago, but I'm an old dog now so it's too late.

Oh, I should have taken a picture of the "tons" of yarn I had left (not!) I had maybe 2-3 yards. Whew! I hope I can motivate myself to cast on for #2. It should go quicker since I know how to do this thing now.

Seven Things About Me

I've seen this meme on other blogs. I think you're supposed to be "tagged" to do it, but no one reads this blog but me really, so no one's tagging me per se. I don't really blog things except as notes to myself, really, so I consider this a challenge to tell things about myself that doesn't tell that much about myself, if you know what I mean.

1. I've seen almost all of Ewan McGregor's movies. I just love him & I made our library buy his "READ" poster, and hang it back in my work area, so he's looking at me every day. Thanks to Netflix, I've just about run down every movie the guy has been in. Because of this I've seen some real crap movies (Nighthawks, A Life Less Ordinary, Serpent's Kiss) but also some real gems (Down With Love, Velvet Goldmine, Young Adam.) I just love it when he sings.

2. My right ring finger has a dent in the side. I got it slammed in a car door at age 2. Or maybe it got hit with a rock, I don't really remember. My two ring fingers don't match, mostly because of that but also the nails are different shapes. Kinda weird.

3. I hate wasabi. I ate some wasabi flavored trail mix when I was sick once, and I hurled it up, so I forever think wasabi=barf. Makes it challenging at the sushi bar, but you can get around it.

4. My favorite baseball players growing up were Johnny Bench, Ray Knight, and Ron Oester. And, anyone from the Big Red Machine. I always liked the cute players (see my profile in re. Scott Podsednik.)

5. I think certain letters are girl letters, and others are boy letters. Girl letters = A, Q, V, Y. Boy letters are everything else. Why? dunno. Maybe I saw an alphabet with girl characters acting out those letters. Also, my first name begins with A. Coinkidink?

6. People drinking directly from the community milk carton/juice bottle makes me angry. I mean, really angry. Homicidally angry. No one at my house does this, but when I see some teen on a commercial or t.v. program doing it, as a shorthand joke for their laziness and insensitivity to others, I have to change the channel I get so mad. I used to do it myself as a kid, so I don't know why it ticks me off so much now.

7. I'm a born cataloger. It's my job, because I truly believe it was destined to be my job. I used to sort my Halloween candy into desirability cagegories, and be annoyed when they wouldn't stay sorted in the bag. I organized my home library from an early age. I had a written catalog for my baseball cards, in spiral bound notebooks; everyone sorted by teams, each team ranked according to likability, each player card alphabetized, each "extra" card duly marked in pencil. I've long since lost the cards but still have the notebooks. When I started cataloging for a living, as my trainers taught me AACR2 and such, all those rules just fit into my brain, like Tetris blocks falling into place and being absorbed.

OK, all these things do tell a bit more about me than you probably wanted to know! I'll get back to yapping about knitting soon. If my camera cooperates!!!

(picture) document dump

It's like Friday afternoon at the Bush Whitehouse-- all the bad news when no one's around to notice! My camera is barely functioning, but I managed to coax a few pictures out of it before it punked out again. I was snapping as many as I could! So of course when I needed it to take a picture of my finished pomatomous sox, yeah, fuggeddaboutit.

Here's a dishrag I did during "Ratatouille":



It's a simple basketweave of my own devising. Easy peasa to do in the dark theater.

Next up is the oh-so-easy sweater:


Not much progress, there.

Here's another dishrag, from my honkin big dishrag pattern book, made from leftovers from the big green bag I made last month:


It's for my friend's thank you package. She's the same one I'm making the pomatomous socks for (gee can you tell she likes green?) It's actually done now.

The last is my latest acquisitions to my stash:


There's some Paton's Twister, clearanced @ $.97 per ball; Jo-Anne house brand "Licorice" in both red and blue, destined to be roll-brim hats for charity; random Sugar 'n' Cream, for dishrags; and some bedspread weight cotton, in a nice rainbow coloway, also clearanced @ &.97. I also bought a steel crochet hook so I can try either a dishrag or an ornament. I shouldn't have bought so much but it was (mostly) clearanced??!!? Well, I've made so much recently, I actually did need to replenish my stash.

Darn this camera. I'll be shopping online this week, but being a notorious cheapskate, I don't want to pay more than $100 for a new one. My preliminary investigations reveal that $150 is more realistic... problems ahead, I'm thinking. If I can get this piece of crud working, I'll make a nice long post about my wool baby blankie. I'm pretty excited about it!

The Status of a few Items

My camera is still acting wanky, and my network card on my laptop is completely fried. So I'm illicitly posting from work, picturelessly! (I do have some pictures of my WIPs, but didn't I forget to bring the camera here to download them. OOpsie!)

Works in progress:

Oh-So-Simple Cardigan, which is about 2.5" started. I've been working on that a row here, row there-- it's all garter st so it's kinda boring.

Pomantomus: I'm on the toe decreases for the first sock! woo! WOW am I cutting it close for having enough yarn. I really hope they're long enough for my friend's foot.

Generic Lorna's Laces sock: about to turn the heel for the 1st one. That one is waaaaay on the back burner.

Baby blankie for Afghans for Afghans: I'm making that one up as a go-- I want to do a whole post on that one. Stay tuned!

Quickie post for Sunday night

Just kickin' back, enjoying the nice July weather. It's my hubby's birthday today so we had a low-key family grillout. I made a cake (Cinnamon Swirl) because I didn't get a cake on my b-day from my family, so I made the one I would want, tee hee. Hubby and I almost share a birthday-- I'm exactly one week older than he is.

It's not too unusual to be older than your husband, I suppose; the only problem is we have to share birthdays sometimes, like twins. When we turned 30 nine years ago (ack) our mothers each had one nice dinner for us, and his sister decorated our house, once. Man, when we turn 40 next year, we'll be lucky to get a single "geezer" party. Hmm, maybe I should throw us one.

Anyhoo. Fun fact about our birthdays: in 1968, in the week between our births, (ie. the only week where I was alive and he wasn't,) was when Elvis filmed his famous '68 Comeback Special. Ironic, since Elvis is the only artist we both like (but not the same Elvis-- I like 50's bouffanted Elvis and he likes 70's Vegas Elvis. I suppose that would be double irony, since "comeback Elvis" sort of exists between the two we like.)

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.

As Promised

The baby blankie, in progress:




Pringle, inspecting my tassel work (she approved)

Hanging on my shower curtain to dry

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!

pant, pant

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

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!!!

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.

$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!

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.

Magic 28 FP, Pseudo Magic 28, and a Bag

It's not a big whooperdoodle, but I finished the Lion Brand hobo bag, commissioned by a friend. I used (shocker) Lion Brand Cotton, in the Fern Green colorway. I was going to use Sugar 'n' Cream, but they didn't have the type of colors she seemed to want (dark). So I spaycially ordered something from, uhm, joann.com? i think? whatevs. It's done yay for me. Supposedly she's paying me for the yarn, but I'm almost too nervous to ask for it, because it took me so long to finish it (oops.) Eh, we'll see in a few days.

Lion Brand Cotton is teh awesome, by-the-bye. It's, I dunno, smoother than S'n'C? not as rough? dunno how to explain it. So expensive, though, and there are only ever 5 colors to choose from in the store. I'll have to special order some more, for my own nefarious purposes (evil cackle)

Also, I finished my Magic 28 red socks, and immediately cast on for another Magic 28 (well 32, truth be told) using the leftovers from the kid's vest I made. (ooh, I forgot to take a picture of that! and it turned out so well, too... I'd better snap a photo before I mail it off to Dulaan.)

I really like this colorway, Paton's Classic Wedgewood. It's browns/grey/blues, looks very stripey in the sock but better on the vest. too BAD i DOn't have PIX [/sarcasm]. I should get the other sock done soon, this one only took a day or so.

I splurged on some brown wool for another vest...can I get it done before June 15th or so?

Knitting Meme

Hee hee, I totally cribbed this off someone's knitting website. Feel free to steal it as well, assuming you're not me talking to myself. You're meant to list the things you've done in bold, what you want/plan to do in italics, and stuff you're not interested in left plain. And it makes for a nice long post (I swear I'll post some FP pix soon...)

Afghan/Blanket (baby)
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl (wrap?)
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money (I've knit for compensation ie. free yarn)
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backward
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
JewelryKnitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Gee, I've done more than I thought. Some of the stuff under the "wanna do" category are things I have actual plans for; most of them are just gee-wouldn't-be-nice. Like 2-circ socks. No hurry on that, I assure you.

tee hee

Permanent linky http://kscakes.com/LolCats/Detail.aspx/im-in-ur-houze-rockin-ur-wurld/

Magic 28 is a go!

Since I joined the Magic 28 webring, I figured I'd better commence to knitting some Magic 28 socks already. Well, I think the other socks I've made sorta count, but this is the first using the "official pattern", which I have to say I like.
Cute little sock, works up quickly, and I should have an easier time of making the 2nd since I'm following a pattern and not winging it. I like the heel flap also, not boring like my usual stockinette but not as fusty as the LB magic stripe pattern (what with all the slipping and picking up). Also, it helps that I love the yarn-- Patons Classic in Regency. I'm using what's left from the other pair I made.

I will be sending this to Dulaan. I really, really want to knit a sweater for them, or at least a vest, but I have to realistically assess whether I have the time to swing it. It seems like everyone does hats, so they probably don't need any more. Maybe I'll do some mittens? I have a whole month to decide! what luxury!

Returning to my First Love-- Hooking

Tee hee. I like crochet a lot, and get a kick out of doing it on occasion. It was the first craft thing I ever did for reals as a kid-- when I was 10, my dad's girlfriend taught me how, to keep me out of her hair, probably (she was a wicked fast crocheter, Lily Chin fast, afghan in a weekend fast.) It wasn't a first love, so much as a gateway drug to the craft world. So it holds a special place in my heart.

After spending a whole post whinging about all the unfinished/unstarted projects I have piled up to do, NATURALLY I spend a couple of days goofing around, crocheting doll clothes for my "grandkids".

Crochet is so versatile, it's a lot easier to wing it and make odd shaped stuff. The moose is wearing Hammer Pants (overestimated his waist size--the waistband cinches to compensate.) The doll is in a long sleeved grey dress, and holding her alternative outfit, purple top/green skirt. All colors chosen by the kids, from my acrylic stash. Specs? Don't need no stinkin' specs! Completely winged it. (Which explains the Hammer Pants?)

Latest Dulaan socks, almost done. See, I ain't completely a slacker.

Also....

I went back to the LYS & was naughty. But it's sock yarn & that's not supposed to count towards the stash, right? Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn, Funky Stripe colorway. I had to buy two skeins for a pair & the yarn store rolled it into a center-pull ball while I waited. This will be fun to do but I need to swatch... Good times ahead.

What am I thinking?

As I write, I'm printing out a sweater and a vest pattern. I think I am crazy enough to try one or the other for my Dulaan knitting. They're kids sizes, so they won't take long???

What am I thinking? Should I not knit something for myself? I'm always thinking I'll do that when the charity knitting is done, but it's never done. So I need to step back from it, I think.

Lemme see, my WIPs:

Slytherin scarf (1.5 yrs)
Socks (for Dulaan)
Baby blankie (for friend)
Various dishrags (for ??)

OK the WIPs aren't that many. It's the projects I'm planning that eff it up:

Crochet bag (for coworker)
Sweater or two (for Dulaan)
Socks (for friend)
Gajillion socks (for charity)

Way down on the list, projects for me:

Sweater
Socks
oh, I guess Slytherin scarf should go here, but it is started
Roll brim hat
Furry purse

Why do I feel the need to stack the projects on 10 thick? WTF? I need to relax. To quote MST3K's Riding with Death: "Mell, Ow, OUT!" (accompanied by punches)

hooray, my cord came today!

Hot damn, I'm a postin' fool now. A picture of the Paton's Merino Harvest socks (just the two, grrrr...)

These are off to Afghans for Afghans, along with the toddler socks, Lion Brand wool socks, a spare red hat and a random pair of mittens. That ought to hold 'em for a while, until the next special project. Everything from now until the end of May will be for Dulaan.

I was so excited to send off the package for AforA, that I cast on for a new pair socks in the Paton's Regency colorway. What you see is what I've done in about 3 hrs. tonight. It's really pretty in red, russet, orange and pink. I put it on the latest dishrags I've been doing at bowling. Oooh, now that bowling is over for the year, I guess I won't have that time to do them. I think I'll take the skein to work and leave it there for to do at lunchtimes.

I think my next project, after the baby blankie, will be for myself. There's a pair of socks I've been dying to work on in purple....

testing, testing

trying an experiment!!

Daily Kos

hmmm?

Crapdamnula

I apparently had a major brain fade last week. I thought I'd ordered that new power cord for my Dell last week. I just checked the Dell website earlier to find out when it will arrive, and surprise! no record of the order exists. But I printed the order, you say? Psyche! I had apparently only printed a preliminary page, because when I looked at it again, there weren't no order # anywheres to be found. Uhm, duh.

I placed the order (again!) and theoretically the shizzle will arrive by the end of the week, if I didn't funk it up again. Meanwhile, I must post picturelessly from my hubbie's computer. Oh, the agony.

My current progress: I'm about a foot into the baby blankie, and it's very pretty. The yarn is super soft and glides off the needles. I think that was the problem with the hubby afghan from before-- it didn't slide off the needles, so you could only ever knit like 5 stitches before you had to jam things up or down. This one, you squish the stitches up on the left needle, you can knit near on 30 or so before resquishing. Also, the stitches pop themselves down the right needle pretty easy; hubby afghan needed manual squishing on that side also. All that made my hands hurt, whereas this baby blankie doesn't. It's just flowing, yay.

I finished my 3 sock pair, and a couple of dishcloths too. Those are really what I want to post pix of. They're in the camera.... maybe I should take it to work. I think I will send 3 pairs of socks (and one hat) this week to Afghans for Afghans, and every thing else in the stash is heading for Dulaan. I've got to locate my safety pins, though! Can't send the socks without pinning them together. I bought like a million safety pins and I'm constantly forgetting where I put the snerking things.

One is the loneliest number

that you'll ever dooooooooo..... (gawd, save me from lame ass AM radio hitz)

So I meant to have a picture of my sad, lonely solo sock with this post, but wouldn't you know it, my computer at home is having a problem. A cord problem. In that the power cord done busted, from being left on the living room floor once too often, plugged into the back of the laptop. Any time I slid the computer out of the way (5X a day) the cord was bent to hell and has finally, irrevocably, broken. waahh for me. A new one is winging its way to Ohio from the friendly folks at the Dell corporation, but will not arrive until Friday or possibly Monday, so I am forced to illicitly post from work. Heh.

The POINT is, I went back to the movie theater Monday for "Hot Fuzz" (excellent film, btw) and enquired about my missing sock. The chickie went to the back to check the lost - n - found and after 5ish minutes, came back and declared she couldn't find any sock. DAMMIT.

I did not describe the sock before she went away, because I presumed that if it was there, surely it would be the only one. I mean, who loses a frikkin' sock at the movies? Hats, gloves, coats, watches, cell phones (I wish), shoes, money, pens, keys, viriginity-- these are what one expects to lose at the theater; socks are generally left on (knocking one's socks off is never literal, they are too hard to remove, especially when damp from Foot Sweat.) I really wanted to go back into the specific theater in which I presumably left the thing, until I realized there was probably a movie going on, and ranging around under the seats, especially when folks are sitting in them, is frowned upon even when the lights are on, if you know what I'm saying.

So I came close to finishing the 2nd (now presumptive 1st) sock during the movie, duly photographed it, then finished the toe shaping at home. 3rd (now 2nd) has been started. I should have plenty of yarn to finish #3 but I'm peeved (kin ya tell, much?) to be doing it. Good thing it's a simple fast knit. I've got to get it in the mail next week.

Pictures may be forthcoming, if I remember to bring the camera AND the cord to work. Or not.

OMG, I think I lost a sock

I was knitting at the movies yesterday-- I had a freebie ticket which I used for "Blades of Glory"-- worth a free ticket, I'd say. I was knitting on my Paton's Classic Merino Harvest socks during the movie, which I'd started at the film festival last week.

I had the finished sock on my lap to compare, since I was knitting by feel, and I could swear I put the finished sock away before leaving but oops! I checked the bag in preparation for going to the movies tonight (gonna see "Hot Fuzz", can't wait) and that finished sock was not there.

Good thing I'm going to the same theater tonight! I'll be checking the lost 'n' found first thing. "Scuse me, did someone turn in a sock last night, that looks remarkably like this here half-done one, excepting it's a whole sock? thanx a mil!!"

I guess it's no biggie if it's completely missing; I've got enough yarn left in the skein to get off another sock if it comes to that, plus another ball of that color which will do in a pinch. I'm just disappointed because
a.) It was a dumbass thing to do and
b.) I was really hoping to do a pair of toddler socks with my leftovers, and that's right out if I have to do sock one over again.

Let's hope it's there tonight! (the ushers wouldn't have thrown it away, would they????!!??)

wip it, wip it good

The new baby blankie-- so pretty! The screen doesn't do the color justice. And, thank goodness, the pattern seems like I'll get the hang of it pretty quickly, so I won't need to drag the pattern book around after a while. Man, it is nice to knit with soft baby yarn after that rough Pound O' Yarn. TLC just flows off the needles. ETA June, I hope.

Some finished projects

Blogger was acting wanky with pictures last night, so I'm uploading from work today:

Adorable toddler socks, from the same yarn as my 'terrible tension' socks in the previous post (Paton's Classic Merino, Retro colorway-- I finished those others, by the bye.) These are much cuter & were accomplished in the dark--literally, I knit them both at the Sci Fi Marathon last weekend. They worked up very quickly on 5 dps, they are 24 sts around with 2x2 ribbing on the cuffs. I did the toes with even-around decreases to a point, like I do mittens and hats-- I ain't trying to Kitchener a toe in the dark, people.

I think I'll make lots more of these, especially to use up small amounts of wool from all those varigated Paton's I bought. I can get a pair of youth & a pair of toddler socks from every ball, and the stripes look good on both. Keep... knitting! Keep... knitting! [/finding nemo]


Lurve this little bag. I used the Lion Brand pattern for their simple crocheted hobo bag, but instead of Lion Cotton I used Sugar 'n' Cream "Hot Green", 2 supersize skeins (used 1.5 total.) The color is much brighter in person, btw. Hooked up on an H hook in nothing flat! I modified the pattern a wee bit, adding 2 extra rows on the body and both sides of the handles. If I do it again (and I plan to, as a gift) I'd go ahead and add many more rows to make it a little more practial. And a loop and button on top, to make it closeable. And some decorative flowers, to hide the chain joins up the one side. Otherwise, it's perfect [smirk].

A Tale of Two Tensions

ooops....

I never thought I had a problem with gauge. I always knit to gauge; I mean, I know knitting experts laugh at people who say that and it comes back to bite them in the butt, but seriously, I've never had a problem. Until now... (see above for the sad truth. Lefty sock is 2.75" whilst its righty brother is a full 3". That's a good .5" around! Zoiks!)

The difference between sock #1 and sock #2 was so dramatic, I thought I had put the wrong number of stitches on the needles! I had apparently done the gaps between needles on sock #2 extra tight, and forgotten to release that tightness on the stitches in the interim. Stheriousthly, deewwwd, I needed to mellow out. I frogged the second sock and tried again in a less uptight frame of mind, and it came out a little more like the first. It is a smidge longer than the 1st, which happened with the last pair also, but that's what I get for eyeballing it, I err on the side of adding a little too much.

it's done!!!!!!!! w00t!!11!

Almost there...
Just the edging left now...

Done and done!!!! and installed on hubby's "Daddy chair"!

Lordy, what a slog that was. We're talking 50"X50" of knitted bliss, achieved on a now dead set of sz 8 29" circs (After 2 blankets, I'm retiring them. oo, I should post pix of how I wore them out!) It took 2 skeins of Caron One Pounders, Midnight Blue colorway. And I mean exactly two. I modified the pattern to have 2 extra diamond motifs across, and one extra heightwise. I'd wanted 2 extra, but when I did the first extra, it sure looked like my yarn would give out, so I started the edging.

I put a single crocheted border around, then a 4 st scalloped edge. And didn't I run out of yarn with four more scallops to go!!!! Fortunately, I had some long-ass strands left from where I'd joined the second skein (the plan was to have 4 ends to weave: start, join/join, finish.) So I clipped about 18", and used it to finish the edge. Well, it was a little short, so I frogged a few scallops, and with some creative skipping and fudging it was "just enough". Seriously, I'd challenge anyone to tell which is the fudged corner. Ends were woven and I called it a day!!! I will launder it though, to even up the stitches and get rid of the fuzzies it picked up from being worked on since last frikkin' summer.

Also, here's a bonus pic of Nick, sporting his matching blankie:

It's a little smaller and a prettier cranberry color. When he saw Daddy's blankie finished, he expressed a desire to have me make one for him, too... I had to remind him he already had one. So he played with it for a while and he didn't ask again (whew!) I still have to do one for Margo, but she doesn't seem to care one way or the other what it will look like. I got her to pick out a yarn, at least, and since it's varigated (or is it ombre?) I believe I will crochet it.

Next up: baby blankie!!!

I'm trying to be better

and blog more often, so I don't have to load 87 pictures with each post.

Behold my latest dishcloth, which I am both happy and unhappy about:

I was reluctant to try the dropped stitch washcloth from my "Dishcloths by the Dozen" book, since dropping the stitches makes me nervous, but the pattern turned out well. It's got a great texture for scrubbing. I did have to frog it once, but that was because I lost track of the stitch count in a YO row.

I loved the color, BUUUUUUTTT.....

the m#$% f#$%ing dye rubbed off on my fingers (no biggie) and my FAVORITEST BAMBOO NEEDLES (not cool!) My 8's are ruined, as you can see from the photo, they are much bluer than the 7's below them. I had to go get new 8's this weekend, thank goodness for the Joann's coupon this week. This does not bode well for the dishrag's colorfastness, when it starts getting used. I was going to give it to my purple 'n green loving friend, but I shouldn't give it to anyone. Or use it, apparently; maybe I'll just keep it for decorative purposes. 'Cause those colors are still gorgeous, even if they're not going to last.

Hubby Afghan update: I should be finishing diamond motif #15 this weekend. Only 2, or 4, to go!!!

Lucius Malfoy

uhm, drool much? Set your calendars, people, July 14th, for HP&tOOtP.

FP, stash, and projects in the pipeline

My red watch cap, done at last. I bought the yarn on our trip to Evanston at the end of January, and it took me a month to cast on, and another month to finish. Well, it's for me, so I kept putting it on the back burner. It turned out very nice, and soft! Cashmerino rocks. Specs: red DY Cashmerino Aran, red (duh) 2X2 ribbing on sz 8 circs. Easy Peasa, as Miss Margo would say.

WOW can you believe I have this much baby yarn! Some of it is leftover from old projects, and some was given to me by a friend. I could probably do about 7-8 sweaters with what I've got here. I wanted to look at my stash because I've been commissioned by that same friend to make a blankie for her future niece/nephew, and we had to see if I had anything to hand that would work. Sort of, I did, because one of the yarns in the tub there was something she liked. But since I only had one skein of it, we had to go shopping (HAD to, I tells ya...) thus we ended up with this:

TLC Baby in Mint Sparkle colorway. The picture doesn't show it, but it's a beautiful minty green with tweedy flecks of blue, pink, and yellow. She also bought the pattern book and sz 6 circs, which I get to keep. I think I will start on this one as soon as I'm done with Hubby's afghan, which is about 70% done. Fun spring ahead!

Sock notes to self, again

On my current socks: try to remember to start with 36 sts, heel flap 18 X 18, turn heel @ st 11 (dec 2, k1, 5 sts left) and also to pick up 12 sts on the instep. Dec to 40 sts for foot!! 40!!!!

I'll try to post a pic of this mysterious sock when it's closer to being done.

Also, I did a little stash cleanup to see what I've got available to use for making baby blankets. Goodness, I've got a lot of baby yarn! It's filling a 54 qt storage tub. I'll have more details later.

Bored, bored, bored

I'm at work and the one frikkin' computer application I use for every last thing I do is not working. And the boss won't phone in the problem, so I'm stuck counting my eyelashes and trying to stay awake. So I'm playing the iPod shuffle (only, with my Samsung YP-T7J). Here's the next 10 songs in the queue:

U2 - "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (how appropriate...)
Ani DiFranco - "Wishin' and Hopin'" (that the computer gets fixed)
Tag Team "Whoomp! (There It Is)" (yeah, I'd like to whoomp that computer)
Alanis Morissette - "Not the Doctor" (computer needs a doctor)
U2 - "Discotheque" (dunno how to do the accent grave!)
The Rembrandts - "I'll Be There for You (Theme from Friends (duh))" (computer not there for me... sad face)
U2 - "I Will Follow" (I walk away, walk away, walk away walkaway... well, I wish I could)
Collective Soul - "Shine" (computer = shine-ola)
Dwight Yoakam - "Don't Need it Done" (good thing, 'cuz the computer's broken, dwight)
Julie London - "I'm in the Mood for Love" (gahhh!!!!!! julie, not now...)

oh lordy, can I go home yet?

Hubby Afghan Progress and Lots of Pix

First, a little green for St. Patrick's Day: a washrag!

It's an awesome alien pattern I cribbed from the web. It's done in lime color from Sugar 'n Cream, which is totally appropriate to the subject. Hee hee. And it looks good on the reverse (or what they say is the reverse... could be the front, for how it looks):

Su-weet, it's a keeper.

Also up is my progress report on Hubby Afghan Project. First, a reminder of what it looked like in August of last year:

As of tonight, after I added Pounder skein #2:

It's over halfway done! I'm on diamond pattern 11, I think. Thanks to Pringle for providing perspective in both photos. Now that I'm really giving it attention, it's coming along almost maybe sorta quickly. All the progress you see is what I've done since the beginning of February. This puppy is going to be huge, by the bye. I can't properly spread it out to show, but it's way wide. I want to add at least 2 extra diamond patterns to the top, for 19 repeats (pattern calls for 17.) We'll see how the yarn holds out, and how long it's looking, and how ready I am to finish it off.

I have more incentive to finish, also: not only do I want to make a blankie for Margo before summer, I've also promised to crochet a baby blankie for a friend who is expecting a niece or nephew in the fall. So I need to clear the decks so I can work on that over the summer. Of course I'll still chip away at the charity work, and MAYBE I'll finish that darn red hat. Busy, busy, bizzy beezie, that's me.

whew

got a whole pair of socks from the 2.5 oz skein (one's a scosh bit smaller than the other, but never mind)


because this is what's left of the skein:

whew. Lion Brand, I love ya, but your yardage su-u-u-cks.

I hope to report on the Hubby Afghan or Bust project by the weekend. Progress has been made and I want to keep pushing on for a bit before I snap a pic.

Making my dreams come true (sorta)

After my sock dream, I felt the need to start on another pair for charity. That, and I was going to the movies today, and socks with no fancy stitches are the easiest thing to take along. Who needs to see to knit an endless tube? I did the leg during 300, turned the heel at home, and about half the foot during Miss Potter. A day spent in a couple of dark theaters with my favorite Scotsmen... what's nae to love?

These are Lion Brand wool "perfect for felting", Majestic Mountain colorway (kinda pretty, I think.) I did them on 3 dpns to make for a tight fabric. The sock is a little smaller than I wanted (kids shoe size 1 or 2, maybe), but about halfway through it sure looked like I might not have enough yarn to make 2 socks. So I didn't make the foot as long as I was going to. When I used Patons, their 3.5 oz ball made 2 socks with tons left over; Lion Brand skimps and gives you 2.5 oz, plus there's more stitches/in. on these socks. Curse you, Lion Brand.

Oh well, worse comes to worse, I can start sock #2 and if I run out of yarn, go buy some more of this color. If they don't match perfectly it's OK. However, this IS a recipe for me never starting the 2nd sock, in order to avoid having to decide what to do.

Dang it, I should do like the Knit Bit said, and weigh the sock and the yarn left. Then I'd know. I've been meaning to buy a digital scale, dang it! and I am feeling the lack of it now. I'm going to leave the toe ungrafted until I decide if I'm going to 1.) buy a scale, 2.) buy more yarn, or 3.) rip out the whole thing and do it over. My current inclination: just start sock #2 and apply point 2 if needed. I won't cut the yarn 'til tomorrow.

Specs, as a note to myself, assuming I don't frog:

40 sts. on 3 dpns
1x1 rib cuff 1.5"
divide for heel @ 5"
20 sts slip 1st st @ row 1
turn heel, 12 sts
do the funky thing I f'd up
8 sts left on heel
divide 4 needles 16,10,10,16
dec until 10 back on each needle
toe shape @ 6"
dec to 20 sts total

I dream of socks

Had a funky dream last night, no doubt fueled by my inability to clear my head of snot before I go to bed. I kept dreaming that I was buying sock yarn (the good stuff, in hanks) and piling up the projects, never starting any. I'd wake up, then fall back asleep and see a new skein. What does it all mean?
1. I'm buying too much yarn.
2. I'm thinking of splurging on expensive sock yarn, and I shouldn't, really. I only have so many people I can give socks to.
3. I'm piling up too many projects. Thinking about it, I've got about 10 lined up to do, and apparently they're weighing on my snot-filled mind.
4. I love to start, hate to finish? But in the dream, I don't actually start the socks.
5. Colors are pretty, even in dreams.
I need a yarn whisperer, to walk me through this one.

Meantime, I'm going to hanker down on the Hubby Afghan, since I think it's about halfway done. Also, I've decided no new projects on the needles until I finish the red cashmerino hat.

Oh, I resolved my "exsistential dilemma" about that. The problem was, it looked like it was too narrow. It's 2x2 rib (ribbing is a yarn hog), which is very stretchy, but unstretched it's 6-7" across (ie. 12-14" around) which seems like it's too tight, even though I want it to fit a little snug. Well, I've stuck it on my head, and it seems to fit comfortably. I'll be turning up the cuff, so I need it to be between 9-10" long after shaping, because the cuff will be near on 3". I've resolved to just keep on a knittin' the way it's been going. After 1 50g ball, the hat measured 5", so there should be enough for a 10" hat since the top will be shaped, thus using less yarn.

I do hate to dither. Moving forward is best. So I added ball #2 and off we go. I plan to knit that one during lunches and maybe at the movies on Saturday. We're going to see 300... mmm, hunky men w/no shirts.... works for me.

Ca-Razy Pinko scarf

Did I write about this in the last post? I'm too lazy to look it up. I knit this for a friend in Paton's Twister yarn, which is a strand of chenille wrapped with an eyelash yarn. She loves pink and this was the pinkest! I need to weave the ends before I hand it over; it's been done for 4 days and I just can't get up the gumption to do it. I want to get it to her before it gets too much warmer. The chenille makes it pretty warm-- warmer than those Fancy Fur cute-but-useless scarfie thingies.

Some more FPs

I'm done with the charity socks. They turned out pretty well. I wasn't going to post the pictures, but hey, it ain't like it's hard. Here's a sock in action... can you tell I hadn't woven in the ends yet, by Pringle's keen interest in the dangly bit?

Here they are in a more traditional pose, finished and ready to send to San Fran:

They actually fit me, albeit a squidge tight, so I'd estimate them @ boy's size 3ish since I wear a boys 4. Very, very happy with how they turned out & I plan more socks for charity in the future. Oh yeah, the specs: Patons Classic Merino in Denim Marl, done on size 5 dpns in order to make a tighter fabric, without a real pattern just using basic sock techniques. I rambled on about it several posts back. Thanx Yarn Harlot, I love ya!

For my non-charity stuff, I'm kind of at a crossroads. I'm working steady on Hubby's afghan (finally), and making steady progress, but it seems like a knitting black hole. Lotsa work, little to show for it. Curse me for making it much wider than the pattern called for, and for "jazzing it up" with seed stitch in the diamonds. Makes it unnecessarily complicated. But I've got to finish, Margo wants a blankie too and I just can't even think about it 'till Hubby's is done.

I'm also having an existential problem with my cashmerino aran hat, for myself. I'll wait to wax philosophical on that until I've got photos to illustrate my difficulties. I've got to make some decisions regarding that hat & I just don't feel like it yet. I have purchased more yarn for as-yet undetermined projects (more than what I've mentioned below, heh) so I have decisions to make about that as well.

I have to sort out my thinking and post more later. Maybe I'll whip out some dishcloths, to reset my mind, all Zen-like, heh.