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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
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 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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Jan 30, 2007
AmbitionSo, I have decided a few things for myself over the next few months, knitting related of course.
First, I plan on making a pair socks a month and a sweater for every two month period, that would be one for every ProjSpec color group. It's my "Sock-a-Sweater-Two Me" deal. lol (look it took at least half an hour to come up with that, laugh) No, there's no official KAL, I just wanted to make a deal with myself, since the KFYS thing didn't go so well. ;) Second, I want to try as many new things as I can. So far on the list are:
Entrelac
Fair-isle
- Steeking
- Intarsia
Raglans
- Ganseys
- Lace Shawls
- Shadow knitting
- Argyle (which is really intarsia)
Spinning
- Needle Felting
I'm also participating in a lot of things this year. As many as I can anyway. Right now, it's the Alpaca-along, Project Spectrum, Sock Swap, Manly KAL, and the Green Sock KAL. My plans are to join the Punk Rock Gift Exchange and maybe some other KALs throughout the year. Also, I plan on designing my own sock pattern and offering the pattern free through a KAL. That won't be until August-September time frame though. Oh, and figuring out that damned sweater from Craftster, the one that was designed to reflect the spine and whatnot. Yes, there's a link to it over on the sidebar somewhere. I will make this sweater this year. I'm thinking Bollicine Dolly, but I may go with Cascade 220 for financial reasons. UGH! I have to knit Wicked, such a simple pattern. Yet, every time I see it I fall in love with it. Maybe I can fudge something similar...I'm having a hard time paying $6.50 for the pattern. Okay, I just bought the pattern, in a moment of weakness I checked our bank account and remembered I gave him a $40 check to deposit from some bonds or something I had. I only spent like 15 of that...so another 6.50 won't hurt. It seems like only a bit, but really, it's about the cost of a ball of Cascade 220. I even know what color I want to make it in. That settles it.
On the spinning front, I will practice with my drop spindle until I figure out which wheel I want. That way I can still be spinning even without my wheel. I hate the drop spindle, but it's better than not spinning.Labels: ambition, determination, KAL, planning, spinning 09:55 | |
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Jan 16, 2007
No Sleep Til Breakfast!What? No, that's lying. I am totally going to sleep. We're not going to talk about how tired I am, or how Justin is already back from work and in bed, or how he had to kick me off the couch this morning.
We will talk about socks. I stopped working on the swap sock for now, at least until I can get a new set of DPNs. Don't wanna push my luck. Besides that, I'm awfully excited to finish both of my Harley Quinn socks. The first one has been blocked and I'm on the gusset of the second one. I got an entire set of the 16 row pattern repeat finished while waiting for my stupid old computer to load pages. Is that ridiculous or what? Good thing Justin got home kinda early.
Oh, let me detail the happenings of this past weekend. Alright, Friday I was knitting waiting at Pass and ID when this gentleman comes in. He asked me if I was knitting and if that was how you had to make a tube (referring to my DPNs). Thus began a lovely conversation about knitting, spinning, and Civil War reenacting. Until, of course, more people began to show. I believe he was a bit embarrassed to talk about it in front of "muggles"*. It was nice because I like to talk to people about my knitting, especially when they can share or understand. Later Friday night I went out with Tyler and some of his friends for his birthday. Which is today (meaning Monday) actually. To prove that I was a geek, despite the way I looked, I pulled out the socks that were currently OTN. hehe
Saturday was a lazy day. The argument over the computer was silly, what happened was this:
I was using the computer.
Justin needed it for "a second".
I handed it over, he does this for me countless times when I need to check patterns and things that I have stupidly not yet printed out.
He brought up the link to play WoW.
I freaked out.
He insists that his intentions were pure. I still have my doubts. Anyways, the needle was broken while I was in the middle of the heel flap! Ugh. Not that I didn't know it would happen. Actually, I had specifically switched my working needle with the fifth and unused needle because it felt too weak already. Which means, with one broken I had to substitute a needle of questionable strength. Blah. I'm hoping to finish these before Project Spectrum starts. Though I'm sure I will. Psht. I still have what, 15 days or so of the month left? That's two weeks. Yep, I've got this on lock. lol
Right now I am still staring at the IK subscription page. I have to ask hubby if I can at least buy the Winter 06 issue. Seriously. This is bad. Not like I don't have enough on my plate. Those Old World Booties would be perfect for Renfaires. I want to make a pair for each of the boys and for Mali's daughter.
Tomorrow I will print out the patterns I will be needing for the months of Feb/March. Other things I've been thinking about are: removing my whole KFYS thing and replacing it with a Enhance your Stash! button. Gotta use the paint or something on my old comp though. Maybe find someone with PS or Paint to make one? Not only am I giving up on knitting from my stash, but have decided to flash my (miniscule) stash with pride! I will still be using my stash as much as is possible, but I am happy with who I am. I'm a packrat, a stasher, a knitter who LOVES yarn. It's wonderful being me. More so, I'm focusing on trying new things than using my yarn. That should be my resolution regarding knitting, knit my first sweater, do colorwork, some lace, a shawl, more cables, new techniques...etc. You get the idea. Joining the Sweater a Month KAL. I could do this...couldn't I? No. Maybe. UGH! I dunno. But I probably have at least twelve sweater patterns I want to knit right now. Or what if I just try for one every two months? My raglan for Feb/March, Tubey for April/May (unless you want to count that lace cropped tee, but it says tee in the name), Would Mom's top count for June/July? Probably not. Okay, well Justin's for Aug/Sep. As my crowning acheivement I'd like to do that Spinal sweater thing (look on the sidebar okay) for Nov/Dec. Yes, I know that leaves out a month or two. October can be used to knit gifts or as a break. How about that chunky Eskimo pullover for June/July? It should knit up fast. And it will be ready for autumn and winter. If we have one next year.
*I hate the use of this terminology to refer to people who are non-knitters/crafters. The people that do not understand that, just because I carry yarn and needles in my purse everywhere I go does NOT make me a dork. However, I cannot think of anything better to use. Let me know if you do?Labels: ideas, KAL, life, planning, rambling, resolutions, socks 00:55 | |
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Jan 8, 2007
I Wish it Was RainingOh wait, it is! lol Sorry, been glued to my Start Static CD lately. I randomly woke up with one of the songs in my head a couple days ago and popped it in. I get in these moods and will listen to the same CD for weeks. Sick, isn't it?
 Anyways, I have lots of pictures for you! Where should I begin? Um...let's see, how about what's in progress? The Harley Quinn socks are coming along nicely. This is what I've decided to call them, after the Joker's lil assistant/girlfriend in the animated series that I watched when I was growing up. Even though it is really starting to remind of an ice cream cone. The pattern I'm using on the top of the sock makes it look like a waffle cone. lol
The yarn for my swap sock came in today!! Hooray! As did another surprise.  I'd tell you what but, that would ruin it. Actually, I took a picture to give you a clue, but it came out all fuzzy, and I don't feel like taking anymore. lol Nice, aren't I? Except, it feels kinda like a small gift. Part of me wants to send yarn along with it, but I can't afford that right now. *sigh* Which is depressing because I really wanted to grab a spot in Mama-E's Project Spectrum Sock Club, except the price is comparable to a week of tuition for Heather!! Bleh. Oh well. I'll make due.
 My mommy also sent me pics of her modelling the socks, AND an overdue pic of my brother's Knucks. Yeah, the ones I gave him for his birthday. In October. hehe Anyways, I'm pimping him out on my blog. Click the pic to see a close up of the knucks themselves. I'm still mad at him though. We'll talk about it later.
For now, I'm adding this  to my list of things I want to do. For March or April. Hm. Maybe in a pale yellow? Yeah, that'd be freaking gorgeous. That way I can make an excuse to work yellow into my wardrobe, and my Project Spectrum list. Plus, using KP will save me tons of money. Besides, there is way more yardage. I would only need like 2 or 3 skeins, and the leftover can be used to make a lacy scarf or something. That'd be...like $12. Not bad I think. AND if I use the Alpaca Cloud as desired, it will qualify for the Alpaca along too. Which is up by the way. Then I'll have three projects for the Alpaca along. :)
Speaking of lace, did I mention that I have decided to buy some from the LYS and dye that? I'm hoping to acheive something similar to that Lorna's Laces I wanted. That would be lovely. Also, planning some fun little ProjSpec things. June and July are gonna be FUN!
 Oh, you might notice I organized my to do list. Obviously, I was bored MAJOR yesterday. Since it was Monday in night crew land. Didn't I tell you? Night crew lives in an alternate dimension where Sunday is Monday. On the plus side, that means Thursday is Friday! WOOT!
*gratuitous sock pic*Labels: alpaca, KAL, knitting, knucks, life, pictures, project spectrum, socks, yarn 18:46 | |
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