Knitting and I have not been the best of friends lately.  I started the February Lady Sweater with Knitpick’s Cotlin, and got all the way through to the 2nd lace repeat before I noticed this stupid little mistake up near the buttonhole.  It probably wouldn’t have been a big deal, it wasn’t very noticeable, but I couldn’t go through with it.  While I was trying to hype myself for ripping the whole damn thing out, I had decided that the Cotlin at the gauge I was using just wasn’t working anyways.  I wanted a little bit more of a firm fabric for that sweater.

See, my problem has been lately that I have been DYING to do a lace project.  Not a little hat or fingerless mitts. A sweater.  A cardigan.  SOMETHING WEARABLE.  Something I have yet to do.  So off to search.  I only have 2 yarns I have a sweater’s worth for, and they are both cotlin, just in different colors.  So I was really limited on what project I could pick that would work for my lack of skills and my yarn.  But it had to have lace.  That was the big thing.  So I decided on Hey Teach.  I am now almost up to the arm decreases for the back panel.  No problems, it’s turning out beautifully, and is making me fall in love with the process of knitting all over again.  I have done no lace but a little beanie and a scarf for my mom…knitting repeats of lace and being able to look at the yarn just turn into…lace.  It’s amazing to me.  I keep stopping just to admire how pretty it looks.  I love the product, but I really have come to realize that I am a process knitter.  Why it does this, does that…and it’s all just a bunch of loops and loops getting pulled loops!  Truly impressive, knitting is.

OK, WIP pics tomorrow.  I’ll try to get outside during the light of day so I can show off my pretties.

As a lovely British man I know would say.

I have finally gotten my blog to the place I have wanted it to be.  All the grunt work done, so I can just post away.  I am looking forward to getting moving on this a little more.  More than anything else this is the way I am going to document my projects, since writing them down in a notebook works really…well, not well at all.  Besides, notebooks get lost.  And the search function on them isn’t quite what wordpress provides.

I am working in my head (that scary, scary place) on doing a Friday Favorites that will showcase anything I have seen during the week that I think is fabulous and should be shared.  Should anyone happen to read this and have some ideas for this coming Friday’s Favorites posting, please, do let me know!

I know this blog gets little to no traffic, and I would like that to change just a little bit.  I don’t want hundreds of readers, but a couple here and there that remember to stop by once a week or something…I’d be a happy camper with that.

Ciao!

So Project Spectrum just ain’t happening for me this year.  I have all the right colors and all, but I am finding that these days small projects that don’t destract me from the bright and shiny of life are much better for me.  So I’ve been working on an afghan using 200 Knitted Blocks, and that seems to be going really well.  I joined a group in Ravelry where you have to knit a square a month for 12 months.  Well, these squares were coming out small enough that the cat would scoff at a 12 square blankie of those proportions.  So I have decided to knit 4 a month, which really goes so quickly.  I am kind of in the planning stages now as I begin to knit the squares, but I think it is going to tur out beautifully.

Teeny tiny projects that take little time.  I am DYING to knit some socks but am just not in that mode right now, and I know I would end up with 5 or 6 single socks and no happy mate.

I love Ravelry.  Every week I go in and check out the new patterns that were just added to the pattern directory.  There are so many amazing patterns and designers out there.

These are my favorites:

Chevron Scarf Pattern - This is a variation of a pretty common pattern, but I am REALLY digging the colors she used.  I was actually thinking of a more narrow one using some royal blue, lime green, black, and white LB Microspun that I have hanging out in my stash.  A nice year-round scarf.

Golden Rose Sundress - I would love to buy this pattern when I have a little bit of extra moolah.  I don’t really have any little girls to knit for right now, but it is SO cute.  I could see it in a pretty light blue, adding a little pocket on the left front with a little darker blue star double-knitted on it.  Super cute!

Running with Scissors Socks - Um.  HOLY CRAP.  How talented is Phyll Lagerman?   Here is a close-up of the scissor cable.  I adore this pattern.  Once I delve a little deeper into the joys of sock knitting, I am going to make these for my mom.  WOWSA!  She is working on trying to get the pattern up on Ravelry, and wants to start blogging.  For now all we have is pictures to drool over.

Many, many pretty blocks. These are washcloths, but this is really an inspiration to get moving on mom and dad’s anniversary afghan that I wanted to make for them.  I have a book that I bought to assist me.  Between that book and this sites tons of patterns, I have no reason not to make a gorgeous afghan for my folks!

Bekah Knits has designed THE cutest baby sock/shoe combos EVAR!  I can’t believe how darling and perfect these are.  I definitely, as soon as I know someone who decides to breed, am going to make me some of these.  Agh, the cuteness is killing me.

Never have snails and slugs looked so freakin cute.  I have a friend who I jokingly refer to her cubicle at work a nursery because of all of the plants.  I am thinking of knitting her some of these and just randomly putting them in her plants to see how long it takes her to notice them.  She’d get a kick out of that.

And last but not least, showing that awesome things can come in small packages, this little leaf sachet.  How cute is that?  I would love to make my mom a lavender-colored set with lavender in them.  This little guy was beautifully done.   The link is a PDF, so you have been warned.

Oh, and there is one more.  Rather a collection of them.  The new issue of Knitty is just out, and wowee.  They really did great this time.  There are just a couple things I’m NOT a huge fan of.  Usually it’s the other way around.  Nothing at all against Knitty, I think it’s faboo…just personal preference.

Right now I am working on the Frock Camisole from the latest Interweave Knits.  I am using Twize in Twed, a 100% bamboo yarn that is so soft and lovely.  And it’s red and pink, of course, making me step out of my happy neutral and blue/green comfort zone, thanks to Project Spectrum.  Pictures coming soon.

It is so hard to blog, for me.  I have notes and pictures and things I want to blog, and feel extremely satisfied that I am getting information out there, more for my reference than anything, but I like that I have a web presence.

But, to actually sit down and type out an entry?  Seems like it happens once in a blue moon.

I was at Jimmy Beans Wool last week.  Dannette is the lovely gal that helped me out, and boy did she help me.  I think she has enabled me to become obsessed about Lorna’s Laces the way she is!  I hope she posts in Ravelry her finished sock that she talked to me about that she is doing in the Ember colorway.  That yarn was so pretty and I really will want to get my hands on some of that pretty soon.

Right now I am trying to finish up mom’s ankle socks.  Meanwhile. I started 3 new FO’s this week.  I cast on for Rusted Root, a pair of socks for Johnathan, and the Cabled Newsboy Cap from Stitch N Bitch Nation.  The cap is almost done.  I just have to work on the decreases and the brim.  The socks just got cast on yesterday and I am half-way done with the first sock.  I got about 15 rows of Rusted Root done, and I think I am going to have to rip the entire thing.  It is probably better that way, though, because I should be working on Granite, I am really trying to embrace the Project Spectrum mindset.  The cable cap is red, Granite will be red - I have a sweater vest for my poor kiddo that is almost done that is orange and red.  Ahem, perfect time to get that done, Jaimie-girl!  I have several other projects that I would like to work on in the next month.

Man is Project Spectrum AMAZING.  I can’t believe how inspiring it has been to me.  I just wish I could call in sick for a week and stay home KNITTING.  Love love love this idea, and I am thankful that I am able to be a part of it.

Pictures to come soon.  Of all of it.

Thanks to the And She Knits, Too! blog, I was introduced to the eye candy also known as Granite. I WANT THIS, I NEED TO HAVE THIS. I am so freakin poor right now though, I am going to probably do this in a cotton blend that I can wear into spring and early summer. I love, love, love this.

Isn’t it beautiful? I liked a lot of the other designs in this issue of Rowan too, more on that once I actually get the book. I can’t figure out what color I want to do it in, though. I am thinking something that I can wear with brown and black. Maybe a red? Terra Cotta? Maybe something more subdued like a medium gray. I can’t decide. I’ll look at my options and figure it out. I think this is a cute little knit that can be as sexy or understated as you want it to be, depending on what you where underneath it. LOVE! (and damn you, bloggers that enable me!)

I just finished my first sock. It’s for mom, and I think I am going to have a hard time giving them up. The colors are TOTALLY not me, and totally mom, but I LOVE the fit! Now I know what the obsession with socks is about! So I’m working on the 2nd sock, and then I’m gonna make some for JD, then some for me. LOVE LOVE!!! I have enough sock yarn to make about 5-6 pairs of socks…so I am definitely on the lookout for some more good deals. I heart thrift stores! With JimmyBeansWool right down the street from me, it’s oh-so-tempting to just go in there and buy some of the beautiful yarn I have never worked with but hear about in blogland on a daily basis. For right now I will just have to stick to being thrifty!

So, here are the pics. Just a couple of them taken outside, taking advantage of the BEEEEEE-utiful weather we are having today.

Made with Lion Brand Magic Stripes in the crackhead colorway. Seriously? It’s the Jelly Bean colorway. I used size 3 needles and the Sensational Knitted Socks book that I completely adore. I wanted something reeeaaally simple, so I did the garter stitch rib pattern.

I have not gotten grafting the toe down, even though I tore it out and redid it on this sock about 7 times. It definitely is way better than the original try though. I figure it’s one of those practice-makes-perfect things. I was very proud of how the heel turned out, though. Perfect size, perfect fit, no huge gaps like my last attempt at socks that met the frogpond. I hadn’t yet weaved in the ends, just stuck them in the sock…that’s the funny little loopy on the side view on the ankle of the sock. I was so proud I just tried it on, grabbed the camera, and hopped outside to take a pic!

I came across a volunteer program that I am thinking about signing up to do, probably after March of 08.  Financially I will be in much better shape, and hopefully I’ll be able to find a babysitter for Johnathan so I don’t have to depend on mom so much.

Anyways, it’s called Knit for Life.  The cause is something near and dear to my heart.  My aunt has breast cancer as we speak and not doing so well, and I personally know how therapeutic knitting can be.  I just hope that I am able to teach someone else how to knit.  I have given a couple of people refresher courses, but I haven’t taught anyone other than myself to knit from scratch.  We shall see.  I am supposed to be teaching a co-worker of mine to knit this winter, so part of it will be dependent on whether I can get out of my head and into words what I am trying to say.

The other thing I wanted to bring up was this site.  She puts up all these great sites and tidbits that I know I will be checking out frequently.

Christmas knitting is still trudging along.  I am still working on my secret pals scarf.  I am about half way done with it.  I hope to finish it today while I am home from work with the kiddo.

That’s it for now!

Update on Christmas knitting. I completed not Branching Out for mom, but another more simple lace scarf. I figured it would be better to finish something that wouldn’t take me forever because I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, as opposed to having to give her an IOU come Christmas because I have so much other knitting to do!

Mom’s Scarf:

Made out of 1 skein of Joann’s Sensations Bellezza Collection Stellina Yarn. It was actually a pleasant yarn to knit with. It has a nice sheen to it because it has a shiny bit wound into the yarn. Pattern here.

Dad’s Beanie:

This is made out of the Telemark by Knitpick’s in Charcoal Heather. I have one of the fingerless mits done also, but am not going to post that until I’m done with both. This was done on US4’s, my own pattern. Just a simple ribbed brim beanie with basic decreasing. The top of said beanie, modelled once again by baby boy’s red monkey:

And last but not least, a buttload of washcloths. And yes, that’s my technical term! I have more but have yet to dig them out from their hiding place, and I think I still have to weave their ends in. I am 4 rows away from completing another one that is white and rose. Like it a lot. I have yet to get tired of this pattern! It always keeps me occupied.

Now to go post all of these same pics at the Holiday KAL CAL!

Well, I have been a horrid blogger.  Between divorce/child custody crap, work (inventory, audit, AND new system implementation all at the same time?  COME ON NOW!), and some other miscellaneous personal stuff, my life has been kicking my ass!  I have, of course, received all of my Christmas knitting yarn.  I have also been doing some birthday knitting.  I did join the Holiday KAL-CAL because I figured, why not!  Marly tempts me every one of her episodes to join, so I have to give into the temptation.  Especially since I’ve been busting my arse to get my Christmas knitting done!

So, where am I with the Christmas knitting?  I have completed one of dad’s fingerless gloves, and the matching beanie.  I have cast on for brother’s beanie with a brim and mom’s lace scarf.  I have completed 5 of the ballband dishcloths, and I knitted the Banana Republic knock-off for my mom.  I seriously modified the pattern for this though, because when I cast on and knit the first 6 or so rows, I tried it on and my noggin felt like it was in a vice grip!  So I recast on what I calculated would fit my head, and just knit til I thought I should start decreasing.  I was doing decreasing every 10 stitches on a 130-stitch hat, and it was just a little too short on mom for my tastes.  She thought it was fine, but I really don’t feel comfortable giving anyone something that I’m not completely happy with.  So I ripped back to right before the decreases, and am going to do an every 5 stitch decrease to make the top not so squared and to fit her head just a little bit better.  She also went with me to pick out the button to use on the little button flap.  Can’t wait to see it all done up!

I am at work posting right now, but when I get home (if I can get my wretched camera working!) I will take and post some pics.

Seriously, right now, knitting, reading, and my kiddo are the ONLY things keeping me sane.  Knitting, mainly, because sometimes the kiddo makes me insane too! lol  It calms me more than any meditation I have tried, and something that is actually productive comes out of it!

Speaking of reading, a new coworker got me reading the series that is based on the goings-on of a fictional yarn shop.  I have cracked out on the first one, am about halfway through it.  It is called The Shop on Blossom Street, written by Debbie Macomber.  Great reading so far.

I have taught one gal here at work to knit, and there are another two that want me to teach them this winter.  I am excited to share my love of knitting, as I got my mom knitting, and this one gal at work.  My enthusiasm is what sparks their interest, I think.  That and I am always showing progress on all of my knitting projects.  I love the feedback I get from them, because I can see that they can appreciate the work that goes into every piece I create with my hands.

OK, I’ve blathered enough.  Time to get my knit on!