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Feb 27, 2007
Darn Southern WeatherI hate North Carolina and it's bipolar weather. You can be driving down the road on a sunny day and actually see the rain before you drive into it. Yesterday it was high 40s - low 50s outside. Not freezing, but not warm either.
While I should have been mopping the kitchen floor or folding laundry, I watched Heroes and knit on my Wicked Slouchy hat. I love it. It's awesome. And I was SO excited to wear it today...except it was 70 degrees! What?! Ugh. I wore the hat anyway. It's still cute. *mutters under breath*
  I posted the pattern over on craftster. It actually matches the shirt I'm wearing today. Labels: finished object, rambling, slouchy hat, Wicked 15:26 | | 
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Feb 26, 2007
Yessir I finished my socks for the month of February! Oh, I joined the Sock-a-month thing too, just to encourage me further. There is a lot of yarn leftover from knitting these. It'll probably end up as socks for Kyran, and maybe even a pair for Nolan. Depends on exactly how much is left. I also just figured out that taking pictures like this one upside down and then flipping them in the viewer makes for cuter pics. lol
I started the Slouchy hat over the weekend. It's the leftovers from Wicked and some yarn I had in the stash for a fulled belt. The blues look really great together,  it's exciting. I was almost burnt out on the ProjSpec colors for these two months (wow, that was quick!) until I started this hat. Not that it matters though. I've still got the sweater for my LYS. Which is all sorts of colors. So, I ended up having to knit a few rounds in the dark Friday night. Somebody decided to drive into a power pole. Hopefully nobody was hurt. Otherwise my biting sarcasm is just plain cruel. One of my knitting buddies drove by the scene and said that it didn't look bad enough to have caused severe injuries. Then again, she also said it didn't look bad enough to for them to be  putting up a new pole.
Got to spin some on Saturday! Not enough to yield any yarn yet. Right now I'm working on spinning up some chocolate colored roving. It's so scrumptious. My spinning is getting a bit better, or my drafting is anyway. Still a bit uneven, but I'm not (surprisingly) too worried about it. Spinning just feels good. Whatever I do with it will be for me anyway. I'd like to get good enough to make sock yarn. But I'll settle for a thick/thin worsted type. It balances out a lot when I ply anyway. Oh! Great news! My mom agreed to go half and half with me on a new wheel when we get our refund in!! Isn't that fabulous? We should get about 7 grand from the refund, plus about 7 more from an "incentive" bonus that Justin is getting. So I get a new tat as well! Very exciting for me. :) Alright, guess I'm either gonna work on my slouchy hat or the LYS sweater. Which had an accident. Let's not talk about it.Labels: accidents, happiness, KAL, progress, project spectrum, socks, spinning 18:14 | |
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Feb 23, 2007
PRGE Questionnaire1. How long have you been knitting/crocheting/spinning? I've been knitting for a year on March 16! So, not that long.
2. Do you consider yourself a beginner, novice or experienced yarn artist? I consider myself experimental. As in, I can knit anything I want as long as I try. But I am by no means an expert.
3. What fibers (materials) have you knit/crochet with? Hm, I've used wool, alpaca, soysilk, bamboo, cotton, novelty yarns...fakey acrylic yarns, blends
4. What are your favorite yarns? My favorite yarns (brands) Cascade 220, Mama-E's C*eye*ber Fiber, and Classic Elite Bamboo. My favorite fibers are alpaca, bamboo, and wool blends.
5. What fibers are you dying to try? I want to try hemp, linen, and angora. Yarns I'm dying to try are Koigu, Malabrigo, and Tofutsies.
6. Do you prefer solid, self striping, or handpainted yarns? Handpainted. But really, I love it all.
7. What fibers do you dislike? It's more about yarns I dislike than fibers. I mean, I don't really like acrylic...but I use it sometimes. I hate Lion Brand Homespun, Red Heart Supersaver, Fortissima Socka, Berroco Gem (and other slippery ribbon yarns), Lopi, and not really into novelty yarns.
8. What are your favorite colors? I hate to be redundant, but purple. lol Also, grey, blues/teals, brown, and green.
9. What are your least favorite colors? Yellow, orange, and white. Though I don't mind them when they are complimented well enough.
10. How did you learn to knit/crochet/spin? Taught myself to knit with a book I got on sale for $5. My LYS owner taught/is teaching me to spin.
11. What projects are you currently working on? There is always a list on my sidebar, but I'm working on a Slouchy hat, Endpaper Mitts, a sweater from Knittig Pure & Simple, and a pair of socks.
12. How old is your oldest UFO? What is it? Will it ever be finished? Currently, the Baccarat (or however you spell that) Player, affectionately referred to as "mom's top". Obviously for my mother. I hope to finish it for her birthday in July.
13. What is the most heartbreaking project that you ever frogged? That would be my husband's Thuja socks. My first FO for the year! I had them about to the part where I was going to do the toes and realized there wasn't enough yarn. So I ripped them out completely and started a toe-up version.
14. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars and DPNs. I love DPNs, seriously. Circulars are so versatile, and harder to lose too. A problem I frequently have.
15. Do you own a swift and/or a winder? I own a swift! Yay! But no ball winder yet. Am I backwards or what?
16. Where do you keep your needles? In my needle udder! Right now I have plans on a DPN/circ case for all my sock needles. Gotta have some place safe in my purse to put them.
17. Do you enjoy helpful hints about your knitting or does it just piss you off? I love it! As long as it's tactful. Something like, "You're doing that all wrong!" doesn't go over well. But most of you are nice, so I haven't had that problem.
18. What techniques are you still a virgin in (lace, cables, ect.) and are you interested in trying them? Intarsia, steeking, Ganseys, lace shawl, shadow knitting...and I'm sure there is more but my mind is blank. I'll update it if I can think of it
19. What knitting magazines do you subscribe to? I just subscribed to Interweave Knits...still waiting for my first issue. :)
20. Are there any books, needles, yarn, patterns that you are dying to get your hands on? I'd like some EZ books, this pattern, or the Kitri sock kit, Fiesta Yarns La Luz Multi in Taos (acutally Watermark would be fine too...anything but the Rayon Boucle)
21. Do you enjoy knitting socks? How big are your feet? I *heart* knitting socks!! My feet are 8" around at the ball of the foot, 9" around the arch, and 9.75" from heel to toe. I wear a size 8 shoe, but always knit the smallest size sock as my feet are narrow. Usually my sock is about 9-9.5" long...a little bit of negative ease.
22. Do you have a wish list? Amazon.com, search my email addy. I guess I'll link you.
General wish list
Knitting wish list
Anime wish list
23. What are your non-knitting, crochet, spinning hobbies? I read, watch anime, sew, draw, and Renfest! (okay so Renfest isn't a hobby, but I love it)
24. How do you feel about sports? Uh...it's nice to watch other people do them. We're baseball fans, hubby is a Red Sox fan. Me, I just like baseball. No football at all.
25. What is your favorite season? Least favorite season? Why? Spring. It's encouraging. More colors...and I don't have to be cold all of the time.
26. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas, because it just feels so homey. I love to give someone a gift that they really, really love. It's awesome.
27. Do you like handmade gifts? Of course! I'd be silly not to.
28. Do you wear jewelry that isn't real? Sure? I mean, I don't really wear a lot of jewelry. Unless you count forgetting that I'm wearing a row counter on a string around my neck....
29. What are your favorite foods? Scents that you love? I could go on and on about food. I'm a junk food junkie. I don't really like salt though, so no chips really. Mostly cake, cookies, brownies, candies, peanut butter, pizza. I also love steak. :D And mashed potatoes. Potatoes of all sorts really. lol
Scents I love are chocolate, lavender, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, and baking bread. Okay, so maybe the last one isn't one you'd actually find anywhere, but I still love it.
30. What is your family situation? Do you live alone? Situation is a good word for it. lol I am married and have three children ages 4, 2, and 6 months.
31. Do you have any pets? Not currently.
32. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3's? Music? I love music. Seriously, I don't think I could list all of it right here, right now. My favorite bands include: Sugarcult, Kenna, Muse, Ramones, FallOut Boy, Social Distortion, Everclear, Offspring, and Green Day. There are tons more though. I assure you. Check out my myspace if you want some more. Oh, and yes, my computer plays MP3s, we have a radio that we can plug the Ipod into...it's hubby's and I don't really know how to use it! lol
33. What are your favorite movies? TV shows? Actors?
- Movies: Princess Bride, Edward Scissorhands, Cry-Baby, Sleeping Beauty, Pirates of the Carribean, (noticing a trend yet?), Love Actually, Shall We Dance (original Japanese version), Better off Dead, High Fidelity, Empire Records, Mulan, SLC Punk...that'll do for now
- Anime: Loveless, Paradise Kiss, Princess Ai, Midori No Hibi (or Midori Days in America), Bleach, and Fruits Basket...I prefer subtitles to dubbed.
- Tv Shows: Dexter, Law & Order (and SVU, but no CI), Forensic Files, Weeds, Heroes, Psych, Crossing Jordan, Cold Case Files, Nip/Tuck
- Actors: (much harder) Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Depp, Matthew Lillard, John Cusack, Julia Roberts, Halle Berry (except when she played Catwoman, that upset me), Kathy Bates, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
- Authors: Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, Laurell K. Hamilton
34. What do you collect? Cows and Cheshire cat stuff. Oh, and buttons for my purse. Right now there is a Cheshire one, 3 knitting related ones, and a Fruits Basket button.
35. What do you do in real life -- besides knit and blog? I'm a SAHM, so I take care of the kids. Occasionally go hang out with friends...um...yeah. My life is not an exciting one.
36. When is your birthday? Is it a national holiday or just another day? December 9th. My husband wanted to think it was on the 7th...you know the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. Nice, huh?
37. Do you have any allergies, medical conditions or disorders that your pal should be aware of (ie. diabetes, food/pet allergies, ect.)? I'm allergic to rodents and Ajax. Also, walnuts and apples, but I eat them anyway so it's not like a life or death situation. Seasonal allergies too...yay pollen! lol Um, other than that I think I'm fine.
38. Are there any scents, phobias, or sensory thing (ie, the way certain objects feel) that your pal should be aware of? Good question. Snakes. Badly. Sensory things...I don't like sticky things. Like syrup, candy covered apples, those weird sticky hands kids get.
39. What is the most difficult thing that you have ever knit/crochet? Hm...the Harley Quinn/entrelac socks? Just because it was a new technique I suppose. Really, I don't think most of the things I knit are that difficult.
40. What is your personal style? Is there a time period/fashion movement that you take your cues from? I'm ecclectic. It's all mood based. I love the Renaissance, and the 20s, the 50s, the 60s, and 80s. Hm...yeah, I'm weird. I love bell sleeves, flared pants, bright colors, subdued colors, layering, legwarmers, socks!!, circle skirts, peasant tops, plaid...I have this crazy punk, goth, diva thing going on. lol My fashion sense used to be a lot more outrageous than this. I've chilled out a lot.
41. Anything else that you would like to say? Well that was open ended. Hm...I've got very unique taste. I'm from Maryland and excessively proud of the fact. My boys are my stars, my daughter is just like me at her age. I love to go dancing and drinking with my friends. I love a challenge (in knitting). Slight OCD...very slight. Usually only in conjunction with Oreo cookies. Very open/honest. Ask and I will answer.
That enough? I hope so.Labels: lists/surveys, PRGE, questionnaire 21:16 | |
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The Unthinkable Has HappenedI have nothing to say really. That's so strange for me. Or more appropriately, I have nothing to really blog about. I started the sweater for my LYS, but I wanted to ask the owner a question before I got too far into, so I put it aside. Still working on the sock, but you've already seen how it looks...no new pics until it's done. I don't really need to make the other foot thong this minute as my best friend won't be here until the 22nd of March.
Mostly I've been thinking about shiny new projects. What do you think of a nice slouchy hat? They're doing a KAL over on craftster. I can stash-bust the leftovers from Wicked and I have a full skein of light blue Cascade 220 too. Spirals made hers out of brown and blue Cascade 220, so I'm seeing how much she ended up using. I think I'll need a new circ tho...My Denise 16" is awkward to work with. I could put little cabled crossovers on it, then it'll REALLY match Wicked. How hot would that be? Of course, I could always scoop up the last skein of #2448, then it would really match. But I kinda wanna stash-bust. Originally I was going to make a newsboy cap (which I have a feeling is a similar pattern) but then I won this from Anne-marie. So now I'm thinking Newsboy Cap might look better in this. Hm...or maybe I should do it the other way around?! Argh...so befuddled. What do you think?! Quick, make my decisions for me so I can run to the yarn shop right now and buy a new circular. lol
I wasn't going to post this, but this is what I got honestly and on the first try. So:
| Your Blog Should Be Purple | 
You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything.
You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey.
You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say. |
Labels: blah, blogging, decisions, gratitude, KAL, procrastinating 10:33 | |
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Feb 21, 2007
A Couple of Couches, Sleep on the Loveseat* Yeah, I made my hubby sleep on the couch so that I could block Wicked. lol I had it pinned down to his side of the bed. hehe It was SO worth it though. Although I was really worried that I might give the sweater too much width, I didn't. I could actually wear it without the shirt underneath, it just looks better that way I think. Not to mention it's very Project Spectrum-y. Don't mind the picture, I threw all of that on specifically for this photo shoot and then took it ALL back off. I did leave my hair up though.
So, yesterday we were dealing with some technical difficulties.  Mainly our wireless internet wasn't working. Now, don't ask me why I didn't think of just...plugging it in. At any rate, I was without internet all day yesterday. Which gave me plenty of time to knit. I swatched for the sweater I'll be knitting for my LYS, I turned the heel and completed the gusset decreases on the I Dreamed of Africa socks, and made one of the foot thongs for my best friend. Can I just say that I got gauge the first time? This is only the second time EVER that this has happened.
Now, I altered the pattern a bit, picking up stitches, using a lighter weight yarn, and I didn't do the I-cord for the tie. The reason for that though was because I couldn't (for some reason) get a 2 stitch I-cord to work right for me. For now I just have two pieces of yarn twisted together. When I modelled it I also tied it up  differently because it was a bit too big for my foot. Admittedly, I'm kinda smitten with this thing. It's ultra-cute. Too bad it's entirely impractical for me. My best friend is a lifegaurd, who lives in Florida...by the beach. I never get to the beach, hate things around my toes (still can't stand flip flops), and rarely wear sandals. Oh yeah, do yourself a favor and get OTHER people to take pictures like this. We're not even gonna get into what I had to go through to get this picture. lol This was super simple to make though, I did the entire thing (including frogging several times to acheive my desired effect) while watching The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Maybe I'll make a pair for myself with the leftovers...or maybe some bookmarks. Way more practical for me.
*Anyone ever notice that I like to use lyrics for my post titles? I'm just sayin....Labels: foot thong, happiness, knitting, LYS, progress, project spectrum, Wicked 17:56 | |
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Feb 19, 2007
Doo Wha DiddyI don't know what that's about. Generally I'm feeling pretty ill. Not sure if I've got something or if I just had too much fun over the weekend. Went out to a club with a couple of my friends and had a BLAST! Though I felt really awful that my one friend paid for everything.
 Mostly I've been plugging away on Wicked. I can see the finish line and can't wait to have it ready for wearing! Last night I attached the pocket, bound off the sweater, wove in any ends that I had (which were few due to the use of the spit splice!), and started the right sleeve. The sleeve proved to be a real pain, first I picked up 6 sts, which would have been great for the ribbing pattern, but I wanted to decrease a few out. After decreasing to the original number (54) I realized, hmm, 54 is NOT divisible by 4, go figure. So, I tinked and just knit around instead of the doing the extra decrease. There's not going to be enough leftovers to do much with, that's what I get for knitting a couple of extra inches. Oh well, not a hugely big deal.
The socks have made a tiny bit of progress, not as much as I would like, I really need to turn the heel. They should still get done before February is over though. Even if it is a ridiculously short month. The mitts are still waiting on replacement needles. Until then I've been toying with the idea of casting on something ultra simple, like the fulled belt I was going to do. It doesn't get much easier than that.
My LYS got in a BUNCH of new yarn this weekend. I was SO excited. The owner gave me the yarn and pattern for the project she wants me to do. It's about $125 worth of  yarn, so she said that 25 of that is for paying off my spinning class, which leaves me $100 to play with. Do you have any idea what I could do with $100 in a yarn shop?! Gee I'm happy I decided to ditch that Knit-from-your-stash idea. lol There were also a couple of free patterns that were going to be coming in! I really hope she gets this in, excuse the camera phone pic, I didn't think to bring in my camera. One of her fellow Red Hat members also brought in a couple of vintage pattern books. Mostly it was just funny and interesting to see. But there were a couple of patterns that actually caught my eye. My absolute favorite was a simple ribbed cardigan, the thing about it is they have the zipper placed just slightly off center. It amazes me how something so simple can look so cute. It very much appeals to my "slightly off center" fashion sense. lol I'm hoping she'll make a copy of it  for me. I'm thinking simple black, it will go with everything. That's for later though. Right now I have to concentrate on the patterns I'm doing, and the knitting I'll be doing for my LYS owner.
I think I can show pics of that on here...I mean it's not a new pattern or anything. She just wants to showcase a new yarn. It's bulky weight yarn, so hopefully it'll knit up fairly fast. I was hoping to get back to my grey raglan before April, that's probably not going to happen though. Well, I bought a couple skeins of Project Spectrum worthy yarns. Some Cascade 220 in a linen grey-ish color that I will use to supplement/match my own pink/white/brown handspun. It matches up  pretty well. Still no real goal or idea for that though. I still say it's a bit scratchy for armwarmers. The white is Saucy Sport yarn for some cute little beach foot thongs that I want to make for my best friend before she comes up. Which is near the end of March. She has offered to let me and Justin use her apartment for a week while she watches the kids so we can kinda...get away for a bit. We've never had any time alone with each other.
Alright, that's enough (more than) for one post don't you think?Labels: gratitude, ideas, knitting, life, LYS, planning, progress, project spectrum, purchases, Wicked 13:28 | |
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Feb 15, 2007
Reasons to SmileAlright, I think I'm done whining. I'll just email Brittany and have them send me more replacements. I just feel bad needing replacements again so soon. It's a different size and all...maybe I'm just weird? Until then, the first pair of  Endpaper mitts will be put aside. They'll still be done well within the blue/white/grey months. Although I might not finish in time for Fair Isle February. That's been a really great KAL, everyone is friendly and they've done some beautiful colorwork!
Anyways, to cheer myself up, I bought a swift! Yay! Actually, my dad told me he'd pay for it, since he didn't feel like making one. lol We got paid last night, so I also paid for my IK subscription, I can't wait to get the spring issue. :)
Even better than buying things for myself, check out what came in the mail for me today!! A gift from my friend Ann-marie,  the one who wrote the I Dreamed of Africa sock pattern. She sent me a great package with a lavendar sachet, some wildflower seeds, and (best of all) some yarn that she hand dyed! Isn't it pretty? Normally I don't like pink, but I love the way this looks. Maybe it's the brown in it that calls to me. Now I just have to figure out what to make with it.... Maybe something simple? haha That would be so out of the ordinary for me. How about Knitty's straight laced socks?
I think I'm a bit burnt out on knitting. Or I was. I'm going to try to knit on Wicked tonight until I reach the end of my second ball of yarn, which really isn't  all that far away. Speaking of Wicked, I took some photos of the progress for you all. I realized that I hadn't taken a picture of it for inches. lol It's like 10.5 or 11" by now. Which is when I'm supposed to start the ribbing, except I have a longish torso (can't you tell in the picture?) and plan to knit an extra inch or two. Definitely doing this pattern again, maybe with a different stitch pattern on the collar and sleeves? Or some stripes? Fair-isle? Intarsia? The possibilities are endless. I do want to see if I can find a way to make the neck wider, maybe it's just me but I like open necklines on sweaters.Labels: gratitude, happiness, knitting, progress, project spectrum, purchases, Wicked, yarn 16:28 | |
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Feb 14, 2007
Let's Celebrate... Valentine's Day with gratuitous Johnny Depp love! Okay, well, actually, it's just a t-shirt. But it's my favorite, the fit is fantastic, plus I like the way the neckline is a bit wide, making it almost off-shoulder. Not quite though. So I did a mini photo shoot with the shirt on. (talk about boredom) Oh, and I'm so in love.
Actually, I don't feel much like knitting right now. I was so excited about my projects and all, then I suddenly hit a knitting rut. There is something wrong (okay, it's probably just me) with every project! Here are the problems I'm dealing with, please help convince me that this is all in my head (or not a big deal)!
- Endpaper Mitts - I started the second mitt, got 1 rep of the pattern done, and then broke two needles! Not actually sure how they got broken, anyway, I replaced the broken needles with two of my Addi 2.5mm DPNs...now the mitt isn't snug enough! The Addis are just slightly larger than my Brittanys. It's ridiculous. Crazy I tell you.
- Wicked - There are several uneven stitches, which I guess aren't really noticeable to non-knitters, especially on the right side. To me though, I see these HUGE gaping holes and obviously larger stitches. Please...explain to me how silly that is. Especially since I'm so far.
- I Dreamed of Africa socks - I have no clue what my hold up is here. Except maybe it's a bit tough to tug them on...and the stupid bowknot stitch makes me want to scream every time I can't pull it off properly. Which is at least twice each time.
Ahem.... Oh yeah! I got the yarn for my second pair of Endpaper mitts in yesterday  (or the day before). It's awesome, I really like Knitpicks Palette and the colors are beautiful. Obviously, my slight current disappointment isn't at all quashing my general love for this pattern. I'll just have to get some more needles. lol I think I might go down another needle size though, since Palette tends to be a bit fatter than regular sock yarns. It was the yarn I used for my Hederas and I used 2.25mms for those. The picture of this yarn came out beautifully, I was really excited. The colors match one of my hoodies too. So what do you guys think? Which color should be the main color? Or should I make reverse mittys like I had wanted to originally?
Yeah, that's all for now. Think I'll go work on those socks...or Wicked. I don't know.Labels: blah, disappointment, endpaper mitts, hesitation, project spectrum, socks, Wicked 19:00 | |
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Feb 11, 2007
Now You're Even Older Well, today was Kyran's birthday. He's two years old today. This picture is actually from the first, I thought it was funny that he happened to be wearing a blue and grey shirt. lol None of the pics came out very clear though, he wouldn't stop moving. Once upon a time, he was this chubby little critter that cried continuously. Now he is a big, active boy, and he still cries when he's cranky. I wouldn't trade the world for him, even though at one time I was sure that the beginning of his life meant the end of mine. Just look at him. :) Happy birthday baby bugga!
    Not much knitting was actually done this weekend. My parents were in town, Justin had to work on Friday, and I was just so tired. I did take my dad into my LYS, he really was fascinated by it all. He usually is, it amazes him that people just seem to fall in love with certain hobbies and crafts and how proficient they become. He likes to know how things are created, what's happening, why it works the way it does...so I showed him the spinning wheels, and the drop spindles, the hand carders, the drum carder, needle felting, different fibers, etc. It was really a lot of fun to show him around, he has a way of making a person feel incredibly talented just because they can do something he can't. Anyways, I did finish my first I Dreamed of Africa sock (pattern by my good blogging buddy Ann-marie), which I didn't even realize I'd been making much progress on. A few things I did differently though:  1) I did a gusset and heel flap instead of a short row heel 2) I patterned the foot of the sock 3) I did the pattern across 60 sts instead of 59. rows 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9: *sl5 wyif, k5* rep til end rows 2, 4, 6, and 8: k around row 10: K2, bowknot st, *k9, bowknot st,* rep from * to * until last 7 sts, k7 rows 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19: *k5, sl5 wyif* rep til end rows 12, 14, 16, and 18: k around row 20: K7, bowknot st, *k9, bowknot st*, rep from * to * until last 2 sts, k2 Now, I patterned the foot so I'd know exactly how many I did for the second sock, it's important to me to make them identical. I'm so crazy. The gusset and heel flap  is a personal preferance, I have high arches and the short row heels don't fit me as well. That and I just don't like the way my short row heels look. It takes a bit of tugging to get the sock on though, due mostly to my high arches, and if you have a wide foot, you may want to think about going up a needle size or two. Otherwise this is a really cute pattern! It works great with longish color repeats or self striping socks yarns. Though, I wouldn't really recommend it for solid colors or fair-isle/self-patterning sock yarns. My LYS owner has a similar pair worked up in self-patterning yarn, it doesn't really make the bows pop. I really like this pic of the sock almost finished, I don't know why though. Also made a couple more inches on Wicked, it's up to 8 past the underarms now. Which makes it about...4-5 inches from being done. Depending on how long I want to make it. I have been thinking for making it a bit longer than the pattern calls for. 19:26 | |
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Feb 7, 2007
Can't Stay AwayDo you have ANY idea how hard it is to NOT post?! Seriously. And I had so much to post about last night! Not as much as I had on Monday, but still, it's something. Apparently contests are a good way to encourage comments. lol
First and foremost, we have my halfway FO!! Yep! I finished my first Endpaper Mitt,  and can I just say how much I love it? Seriously, when I finished it I sat around typing wearing just the one mitt. If you don't believe me, ask my best friend, I made her watch me on webcam. lol Mitten porn? Maybe. ;) And, I ordered some KP Palette in yellow and green (Project Spectrum much?), these will be brighter. The question now is, which one will be the main color? Or should I make these ones like reverse images? Wait, am I getting ahead of myself? Yes, probably. Anyways, one mitten down, the cuff for the second is OTN! These will be finished way before I had originally planned. Apparently the free yarn I got was acrylic, so I can't block the mitt (darn!), which is why I got 100% wool for the second pair. The pic actually links to a better one, I just thought that one fit in better.
 Wicked is about 4" into the body and I finally tried it on. The cord wasn't allowing me to at first, it wouldn't go over my shoulders. So I attached an extra bit of cord (gotta love those Denise interchangeables!) and got a picture. Of course, I'd been wearing one of Justin's old sweaters, so I just kind of...um took it off and tried Wicked on with only my sports bra on. lol Who says knitting isn't sexy? I'm so putting this up as my Myspace profile pic. haha I'm thinking of adding a bit of extra length to this top though, because I have a long-ish torso and all.
In the middle of cleaning last night, I found my bag full of fleece and my drop spindle...yeah I spent an HOUR playing with the drop spindle and some leftover pink pencil roving. No clue what I'll do with it yet, I don't think I'll ply it, or maybe I will. Who knows. Or if she has the white, maybe I'll use that to make some Endpaper mitts for my best friend. I keep showing them to her, probably because I'm in love with them (I had a dream about them last night folks...come on) and she is like "Yeah, I can't lie, they are really cute." So yea...that's all for now, I'm off to work on my Endpaper Mitts some more and further the romance. :)Labels: endpaper mitts, happiness, knitting, planning, project spectrum, spinning, Wicked 17:37 | |
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Feb 5, 2007
Gets Ta KnittinYep, I'm ridiculous. And busy. The thing I love about the weekend is that Justin soaks up the computer (to play WoW nonstop), so I get more involved with my knitting and get LOADS done. Which means more pictures for all of you. I'm going to have to lay off the post tomorrow and possibly the next day just to give all of you time to read, look, and comment! lol Most of  these pictures were taken Friday, which means that they are deceiving, I'm further along by now than I was in the pictures.
Wicked's sleeves are off on waste yarn, and the body has about two to three inches finished. In the picture there is only about one inch. This is a great sweater, I may make it again, maybe with a different collar? Who knows, either way it's wonderful and I will be so happy when it's finished! Cascade 220 is just about the best yarn ever, I can't wait to start Tubey in April. Sweaters definitely are not as scary as I once thought.
The Endpaper Mitts are fantastic! Even if the greyish color looks almost purple sometimes. Is that weird? Either way I LOVE them, I love the pattern. I think I'll make another pair in some fun colors, green and yellow anyone? My floats look pretty good to me, for someone who is a fair isle newb anyway. They fit...well, like a glove. Which is great because I have ridiculously thin wrists. I'm hoping they fit around my hands though, which are slightly large in comparison to my wrists. The thumb is now off on scrap yarn, maybe I'll try them on later to make sure. The first mitt should be done by tomorrow, way ahead of schedule I might add. Actually, that's good because I had a few projects I was afraid I wouldn't get around to during Feb/March. Now I don't have to worry too much about not being able to finish things and  having to wait until after Project Spectrum is over to return to them. lol
Finally started my I Dreamed of Africa socks on Saturday. The pattern is super easy to memorize, making them a great portable project. I only had one little thing to tweak on it though, which is good. The pattern is written very clearly. Just a note if you make them though, the bows might look a bit wonky at first, that's normal. When they stretch (as they will around your ankle) they look just fine.
I didn't just knit this weekend though. Nope, I did some spinning and painting too! My spinning is getting much better, probably because I did a better job carding and  drafting this time around. Still got a few slubs, but not as many. I managed to spin up some of the pink Icelandic pencil roving too, which I just couldn't get for some reason the last time I tried it. Apparently I wasn't putting enough twist into it, so it kept breaking, bleh. It looks a bit like neopolitan ice cream apparently, because of the pink and white and brown. Now I need to buy more fleece I suppose. hehehe And a wheel...must get a wheel. I didn't really like the Ashford Traditional that I tried out this weekend though, the bench kept getting in the way of my legs. Maybe it's because I am all knees.
 Friday evening I tried something new, fabric painting! When I was in high school it was a very "in" thing to wear t-shirts with fabric paint on them. The designs were usually either semi-gang related or else very strange though. I went for a more demure, scrolling design. Something abstract and pretty. Although I should have used a lighter color denim, the jeans still look pretty cute. There is plenty of paint leftover if I decide to try again, or paint some more on the back of the jeans. Is that all I did this weekend? I want to say yes. Sure, why not.
Oh, I did get some new things. New yarn, Patons Classic wool for a pair of Jester booties, and some Patons SWS for a fake-isle hat. Those will come later on though. Also, the Winter 2006 issue of IK, and a really great fiction novel Knitting Under the Influence by Claire LeZebnik. It's pretty good, I've already started it. Gotta love reading about knitting. No, I don't have a problem...I can stop any time I want. Right after this row.
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Feb 1, 2007
OrganizationWhy does that look like it's spelled wrong? Oh well, let's not dwell on it.
This morning I spent enjoying the quiet morning light, with the pitter-pat of sleet (yes, I know the difference between sleet and hail, unfortunately) on the siding. It was a good morning and I revisited the Endpaper Mitts. My dear mitties, how wrong I was to ignore you! Currently, three of my WIPs fall under that "perfect yarn + perfect pattern" category I posted about previously; they are my Wicked sweater, the Endpaper Mitts, and the grey raglan. I can remember how I longingly stared at the lonely cuff of my first mitt and couldn't wait to get back to work on them while I knitted with dedication on the Hedera socks. Before I could get back to them though, there came my "involvement" with Wicked. What a sin I have commited for leaving the mitt out in my freezing cold garage!
Woops...sorry got carried away. Anyways, I decided it was time to prioritize. The Wicked SKC KAL ends in February, so that needs to be done by the end of Feb; however the Endpaper Mitts can be knit throughout the next two months. To reach my goal of Sock-A-Sweater-Two Me, I went through the patterns and gauged approximately how much progress I should make per sock, per day to complete them in a timely manner. With these things in mind, I made a list of how much I needed to knit on my projects every day. If I want to do more, that's more than fine, but I need to get at least the following done for the months of Feb and March:
- Wicked - knit 1" every day
- Endpaper Mitts - knit 5 rows (or half patt rep) every other day
- I Dream of Africa socks - knit 1 full rep stitch patt (20 rows!) every day in Feb
- Monkey socks - knit 1 rep lace patt every day in March
Any free time I come up with I can work on any of the other projects I have designated for this first color triad, but those are the main projects I'd like to complete by the end of March. I joined another KAL, Fair Isle February, to encourage my progress on the Endpaper Mitts. For some fun I stole this meme from Rhonda.
1. I've been hooked on the needles since: I taught myself to knit in December 2005, but didn't get really into it until March. So, I've decided to make March 16th my knitversary (first day I went to The Tail Spinner)
2. I'm still a virgin, but not for long: steeking and intarsia
3. She's crafty - she gets around...to : knitting, sewing, and drawing
She's crafty - she's always down...for: reading, watching anime, and learning
She's crafty - she's got a gripe...about : gossip. I hate it. I'm sick of American Idol, and Celebrity news and all that blah blah blah.
She's crafty - and she's just my type. What type of knitter are you? I'm a right-handed (English) sock-knitter who loves her DPNs and knitting in the round. Anything without seams baby!
4. I'm dying to try: Aurora Karabella 8, Bollicine Dolly, Cherry Tree Hill, Yarn Pirate, Koigu
5. I gravitate towards colors like: Purples, browns, teals/blues, greys, and greens.
6. My most cherished possession (kids, pets, family don't count) is: my cute office space Justin put together for me. It's like I really have something all my own. Also, my necklace and wedding rings. Once I lost the ring, in the mall bathroom and Justin went trash-diving to get it for me. That's love baby.
7. I'm stuck on an island, what am I reading? King or Koontz
8. If I were about to be executed and I was offered a last meal , I'd be dining on: Steak, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and ENDLESS dinner rolls!
9. Music to knit by: hmm...Muse. btw Under the Tuscan Sun is a great movie to knit to, just a thought.
10. I have a crush on: (other than Johnny) Matthew Lillard
11. Least favorite celeb: Keanu Reeves
12. Choose:
Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp? Johnny Depp, did you have to ask this, seriously?
Madonna or Janet Jackson? Madonna
June Cleaver or Peg Bundy? June
Jackie or Marilyn? Marilyn
Love or Money? Love
Brains or Looks? Brains
Math or English? English, unless we're talking Algebra, I'm all for that.
Cat or Dog? Cat (duh)
Leader or follower? Leader, I'm a control freak sometimes. But I know how to play follow the leader well enough.
Beer or Champagne? Neither, I'd prefer vodka and cranberry juice :)
13. My favorite smell? Kyran's hair
14. Not many people know this about me: Both of my parents are lefties, but my brother and I are both righties. My husband and 3 of my former boyfriends are lefties. So far, Heather is a righty, Ky is still at that "ambidextrous" stage, and well Nolan is just too little.
15. My hidden talent is: hidden so I don't know about it? lol I'm kidding. Most of my talents are pretty obvious. My mom can talk like Donald Duck and touch her nose with her tongue, my brother can do that flower thing with his tongue and make his eyebrows dance, my dad can coo like a dove...I guess mine is I can put my foot in my mouth. Literally. It's just a gross idea.Labels: KAL, lists/surveys, memes/blogthings, planning, rambling 14:52 | |
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