Yeah. No. My computer's AC adapter broke, and since my battery is basically useless...I was without the internet briefly. If nearly three weeks can be considered brief. Actually, can I admit to somewhat enjoying it? It was nice to get in some actual knitting time as opposed to just reading about it on Ravelry! Not that I don't love Ravelry, it really would have come in handy when I realized that somehow my Digitessa and the charts/pattern were not syncing up. :( More about that in a second. Basic life update first. In the time I was gone, I've been going to the gym three days a week, knitting, and getting together with my friend Brandy every Friday night. It's really helpful to have a friend who truly understands what I am going through. Heather is five now, I missed doing a birthday post for her since the computer was out of commission. Kyran will be three on Monday. Expect one for him. And Nolan got his very first haircut! He looks older, or so everyone says. He still looks like little Nolie Bird to me. This is gonna be a long post guys. So, settle in.
finished one of the Serpentine Mitts, and finally finished Tree Jacket. Come on, you guys knew I'd be knitting in my "time off" from the internet. When Tree Jacket was finished, I thought my Denise needles looked bored, so I cast on for the Somewhat Cowl. The Berroco Ultra Alpaca is really nice to work with. It doesn't feel as soft against my face as it does on my hands though. Which is strange. I'm really thinking I will like this sweater a lot. Tree Jacket is great, it fits perfectly, and my best friend said it makes my boobs look big. lol That's always a plus. Right now most of my projects are simple, mindless TV type projects. Unfortunately, those are the type of projects I tend to stall on. However, I needed something either simple, or that I had a pattern for once my computer died. As I didn't have a lot of patterns printed out. Oh, and I had a slight problem with my one complex and interesting pattern.
Labels: birthdays, Digitessa, disappointment, finished object, kids, Knitter Project, life, memes/blogthings, penguin, pictures, progress, rambling, Somewhat Cowl, sweater, Tree Jacket, updating
In knitting news, I did start Mad Color Weave with Amazonas. Actually, I started them later that evening. There were several "false starts", I couldn't decide which size to do, then I couldn't wrap my head around the pattern. It's funny because it's such a simple pattern. Could have something to do with using 3 needles instead of 4, ya think? All that is left now is the toe, then I can start the second sock. They are a little snug, but that can actually be a good thing. Thelonious has a tendency to sag a bit, and I hate that.
started another pair for a friend's baby, and nearly threw the yarn across the room. Why on earth did I make the toe so complicated and ridiculous?! Oh yeah, because it looks good. >.< Anyways, I ended up modifying the pattern so it could be done in the round. When I am through with all of my posting I will go add those alterations to the little pattern so that it can be done either way. Still a lot of ends to weave in, but at least there is no seaming. Finishing the second booty is part of my goal for today. Which includes: finishing the booties, finishing the first Amazonas sock, swatching for the Somewhat Cowl, and knitting at least 1 rep of the pattern on Goddess.
you how much I loathe it. It is only 4 rows, and I'm lucky if I get half a rep done. I'm trying to do at least one a day, I should need about 13 total. Right now there are about 4 of them...so only 9 to go! If you don't see a FO post about Goddess in two weeks, start complaining. Apparently when I put things into hibernating they go in there for several months. Currently in hibernation (thanks for reminding me constantly Ravlery), I have the Uber-crop Raglan, Butterfly Headwrap, Harley Quinn, and the Martha/Nermal socks. I guess 4 out of 57 isn't bad, right? That leaves 47 things I have finished (4 in progress, and 2 frogged), including mom's top. If I can finish that I can finish anything. Once the cold starts to hit, I'll probably pull Harley Quinn back out, they are actually almost finished. Just gotta do the entrelac cuff on the second sock. Okay, now I am just rambling!
Twinkle's Big City Knits for a skein of CTH Supersock in Yellow. I think I got the better end of that deal. :) This is why I love knitters though, we were just pondering sweaters together and I mention thinking about buying the book. She says, "Ah, I have that and can't use it! Would you like to swap?" Would I ever?! Oh, but what do I have to offer? A quick look over the stash 
Labels: alpaca, blah, blogging, booties, Goddess, gratitude, procrastinating, progress, purchases, rambling, Ravelry, socks, swaps, Wollmeise, yarn
and sewing on buttons. After I made the first pair, I realized that...I didn't have anyone to give them to!!! No problem, I took them to the LYS with me and found someone. Unfortunately, Mr. Shad was paying attention when I mentioned wanting to give them to someone, and asked around at work. His Gunny gladly accepted the offer. Which meant, I had one pair of booties, and two takers. lol That's okay, I just whipped up another pair! Then, I saw that Hello Yarn had knit a pair in the round...hey I can do that. Right? Yep, so I bought some sport weight cotton (aiming for a slightly larger bootie) and using a Turkish CO, started a third pair. Being the genius that I am, I purled all of the stitches (except the first) to create a garter ridge on the bottom. More closely matching the original design. Not sure if it is worth all of the hassle though. Besides I just got the Vogue Knitting Quick Reference. A great technique book with pictures and illustrations.
Labels: Baccarat Player, booties, Eiffel, knitting, progress
Damn it's hot out there. Makes me want to sit in my living room with the air conditioning and a glass of ice water. And knit. So, that's basically what I've been trying to do. Except life keeps interrupting me. This past week was not great. Really, I don't want to think about it. Mostly just a lot of little things. Like the fact that only one couple showed up to Nolan's birthday party yesterday. He still had fun and all, it just hurts to know that I've got lots of fake friends. Mr. Shad is deploying soon and I'm not sure I have many people to count on. Anyways, here are some shots from Nolan's party. Plenty of messy faces.
feet. Seemed to fit her perfectly. Also, I think I gave her a whole new view of knitting when I showed her my Ravelry queue and projects. Once that was finished I wanted to dive into Eiffel, but uh...forgot the needles. lol Instead I just worked on Mom's top for a bit. And read some comic books that Mr. Shad picked up for me. Did I mention I am a huge Stephen King fan? Especially The Dark Tower series. Specifically, Wizard and Glass. Awhile back, Marvel mentioned they were co-oping with Stephen King to create a comic series based on that book! Woot! Mr. Shad saw them at the comic book store he likes to visit while in Maryland, and bought all of them for me. Oh, and my brand new IK arrived the day before we left, so I perused that as well. Eunny's long awaited (for me anyways) Tangled Yoke Cardigan is in it!! My LYS owner got me all hyped to spin my own yarn for this...we'll see how that goes. Maybe use some of that Alpaca I got for Mother's Day?
Blue. Let me tell you, when I saw this on Kpixie, I had to have it. I was afraid at first, because the swatch pictured on SWTC's website was darker than the yarn pictured at Kpixie. Still, I figured it would be worth the risk, besides, if it really was as bright as it was on the Kpixie site then it would be a perfect match for Goddess. Oh, they really are that gorgeous. Castonitis hit me hard when I opened the box to see the bamboo (my fav fiber!) calling to me, and the pattern...just begging to be swatced for. Grrr! No. I had already swatched Eiffel, plus made a deal with myself to knit an inch a day on Mom's top. Still, it calls to me, sitting in my little bag of yarn in my bedroom. Oh yeah, it's next in my queue for sure!
away from completion. Then I can weave in ends (which I have been trying to do as I go along for the front), and *gulp* seam. Linda has already been warned that I am bringing it in for her assistance when I finish it. Generally...I suck at seaming, and I want this to be well done, besides, the yarn is so slippery and fiddly! My number of FOs is really growing, and I am very happy about that. The pair of socks a month thing, and the sweater every two months... well that was shot a long time ago. It's okay, because I am still making things, getting things done and all. Ew...Christmas is coming up soon. Alright, I'm going back to my water and needles.Labels: babies, Baccarat Player, birthdays, Eiffel, family, frustration, funny, kids, knitting, messes, progress, project spectrum, Twisted Flower, yarn
There is so much to say, I keep forgetting to take pictures of things and post them. lol Last night I was up til 5am on Ravelry. Knitting keeps me up at night. Really, I couldn't sleep last night thinking about my latest projects/ideas. First there was the impending spending spree. Justin told me I could spend $50 since I hadn't been buying much yarn lately. (The yarn from Philly was bought on my card) So I was online doing some pre-shopping, and then I realized that I actually have plenty of yarn. And that what I really wanted to do, I didn't want to do in Project Spectrum colors. However, I did just buy that lovely hemp for a modified Eiffel. Instead of long sleeves I plan on just doing a little cap sleeve, maybe with some lace detail. What do you guys think?
17sts to 4". Boo. But I'll just go up to size 7s. I swatched...kinda. lol However, I plan on finishing Twisted Flower before I actually cast-on for Eiffel.
We've had this yarn in the shop for awhile now, and every time I see it I want it. Even though it is red, and I don't like red! It is just very pretty and soft. Next up, I bought the Goddess pattern from StitchDiva. They were having a sale, and I've been kinda loving this pattern since I spotted it on the site. Way back when the Sexy Knitters Club was doing their Sahara KAL. So, I snagged it. Then, of course, I had to find the perfect yarn for it. Something with a lot of drape...and fingering weight?! So, I swatched some sport weight cotton I had sitting around, 29sts over 4" on size 3s. The exact same gauge as the example yarn. Woohoo! I knew SWTC made a great bamboo yarn (because I have some), and I remembered it being really lightweight. When I looked it up it turned out to be sport weight (yes!) and I saw this. Could it seriously be any prettier? Hopefully it is really that color, because it's gorgeous and I'm excited! That was where the extra money went. Goddess will be next on the needles after Eiffel.
I took a ton of update pictures, better shots of things for Ravelry and whatnot. Finally put the elastic into my boy shorts, so I took a picture of the halter/shorts combo. Oh! And I got some shots of Nolie in his little hoodie. This is such a great pattern, generally I don't like the Knitting Pure & Simple patterns because they have no shaping really. However, for a baby that is perfect. Also, I've been spinning a little. It's Beaten from Serendipity Fibers on Etsy. I love the colors as well as the name. Get it? Beaten black and blue? Get it? lol Lastly, I snagged a shot of the huge sweater on the mannequin in the shop. It looks better on something other than my floor. As usual, click any pic to see it larger.
Labels: babies, Eiffel, Gracefully Gathered halter, knitting, Knitting Lingerie Style, pretty, progress, project spectrum, purchases, Ravelry, sleep, socks, spinning, sweater, tunic, Twisted Flower, yarn
Actually, I had no really good title. That's just completely random.
Took it into the shop on Saturday. So my pictures were taken at night. Sorry about that. Linda (LYS owner) loved it. Which is great since it was for her. I still stand by my conviction that it is the ugliest sweater I have made. It pretty much reinforces the "old lady sweater" knitting cliche! How am I supposed to convince my friends that knitting is not only cool but hot too?! (wow...did anyone else feel that was contradictory? No? Just me.) To show you exactly how big it is, I put my Wicked sweater on the floor with it. It seriously made me laugh. I still don't know why she had me knit that size, Linda is not that big. Eh, maybe she wants it to be oversized? Either way it's done. Which means...I get to CO for a new project!! Woohoo.
don't think so. But I am not other people. It's a lovely book, with amazing patterns, beautiful photographs, good instruction, and fun informative writing. Totally worth the $30. Okay, back to the newest WIP. When I swatched I got 15sts over 4" on size 10.5 needles, instead of the 14sts over 4" on size 10 needles. Of course, that could be because I was using a worsted weight yarn instead of a bulky weight. *duh* Oh well, I am convinced that this will work. So far it is. Just to make sure I tried what I have done on. It fits. So all is well. Knitting this made me realize that I am way more attracted to dark color combinations than bright ones. Anyways, this is going SO fast. The piece measures 9" already, and I start the shaping for the back and bust at 11! Thanks again Sunne for the yarn! My LYS owner was impressed that you bought me anything with cashmere in it. lol When I told her you bought me four whole balls she said you must really like me. :D I'm totally rambling. I had to buy some yarn to compensate, apparently I need like...400yds to make the halter and the boy shorts. All four balls of yarn only add up to 350yds. So I bought some Cascade Cotton Rich. Five dollars for 80yds. Not too bad. The white was the only color that I could buy that wasn't like...horribly mismatched. There was a blue and a purplish color, but they were both too light.
Labels: Coachella, finished object, Gracefully Gathered halter, happiness, knitting, Knitting Lingerie Style, progress, sweater
been uploaded yet, but I will get around to that. Right now I just want to start the process of blogging. I have a new camera! So...that means much better quality for my photos. Whew. Also, I wanted to thank everyone for being here for me and all of the touching comments you have left, it all means a lot to me. I can't believe I forgot to say that before.
We took the kids to the Baltimore Aquarium, they had never been to one before. I was so amazed by the way the kids reacted. Kyran was just fascinated by all of the fish. He would stand by one tank after another, content to sit and watch them all day. My MIL would have to drag him away, and he would be upset until he saw there were more fish. Heather liked the dolphin show, but Kyran wasn't really impressed.
We are everywhere, and we are always happy to see another one of our kind. So when I found out that we were making a trip to Maryland again, I emailed Elizabeth and started arranging a meetup. Finally we settled on a date (teehee! a date!) and I steeled myself for the 2 and a half hour drive up there. Actually, I did pretty well, and only got lost for a little bit and wound up in VA. Let's not talk about that. lol When I got there we each had a glass of water (soooo hot) and discussed our plan for the day. See the sights, go shopping, hang out and knit. Good times. I was thinking...man that's not a whole lot, we're going to have SO much extra time, since I also planned on sleeping over that night. The idea of driving home in the dark didn't really excite me.
Elizabeth is a self-proclaimed terrible tour guide. Which is fine, because apparently I am the worst tourist ever. The Liberty Bell has a whole building full of displays and things that you can read...we breezed past all of this, going straight for the bell itself. Snapped a few photos, and were gone. On to Independence Hall, where we encounter difficulties finding an entrance. Too hot to be bothered with asking, we just snap pictures from outside the gates. Hey, it's the thought that counts, right? We decided to end the tour there, since neither of us were really too hyped to see any of the other touristy stuff. lol
I collected my senses! All of that yarn definitely reminded me of why I knit. What is it about yarn that we all love so much? Who cares, it's gorgeous! I fell in love with two skeins of yarn, one came home with me, sadly the other had to stay behind. Love does have a price, at least my husband thinks so. I ended up spending a (not so) grand total of $43.50. A dollar and fifty cents more than the cost of the Claudia Handpaints Silk Lace (in Turquoise Jeans) I was drooling over. After visiting it several times, I realized the price tag would not magically change, and resigned myself to the idea that it was not meant to be. This time. Instead I picked up a single skein of Koigu KPPPM (shush! I know I hate it, but it was all sad and lonely...so prettttyyyyy), and three of Allhemp6 in aubergine.
The Koigu turned out to be problematic. It was unsure of what it wanted to be. Since it was a single skein and I couldn't find any that I wanted to pair it with...well, there wasn't much it could be. So, I tried out several things. A panta, a Dreamswatch Head Wrap...and so on. Finally, after returning home the next day and searching Ravelry. I discovered a pattern for a head wrap that I liked. The Happy Butterfly Head Wrap, I think. Wow...I just went to hunt down a link to the pattern and got totally side-tracked. Gotta love Ravelry. Right? As if there wasn't enough for a knit-blogger to do online? Now that I am home I think I will block 
>this on the needles and see how I'm liking it. It will probably end up more as a thin scarf than a head wrap. Not to mention I'll probably gift it. But to who?
Labels: accidents, aquarium, babies, Coachella, knitters, knitting, life, Maryland, Philadelphia, pictures, progress, purchases, rambling, Ravelry, stalking, Truly International Sock KAL, vacation, yarn
Kitty's Story
On My
PRGE Questionnaire (the third?)
8 in 2007/0 in 2008
