Quickie....

Quick update before i start work...

Newsboy cap.... CUTE! love it! and it is going sooooo fast. i was at the half way point Sunday night..... i realized i had cabled the wrong way on the 2nd cable on one of the front cables... that's right time to ladder down.... or not... it is a biiiiiiiiiiig mess. i think i'm going to have to pull it out. ah well. i'll knit it back up during the next movie.

turned the heel on the first bellatrix sock....

finished the back on my sweater.... it looks a little funny. i may pull out the last few rows and try it again.

can you tell i'm a bit less stressed? and happier? and much much more productive this week!
i accepted the keyholder position at job 3 so i can cut my hours back at job 2.
and 2 very very very cute boys delivered the new fridge, range and dishwasher this morning. new cabinets tomorrow..... that means full working kitchen before Burns Night Dinner! YAY!


hopefully this means pictures next week!

Happy 2008

Anyone else hate the feeling of time passing? 26 is looming just around the corner. no major mile stones to mark this year. just the passing of time.
though leap years are usually pretty good...?
yay for leap years!

I hope everyone had a happy new years! I spent it frogging. 2 1/2 rows of big yellow and the whole back panel of the shawl sweater (goodness she needs a name!!!). Really, I need to pay more attention to my knitting during movies so I can fix fewer messes.

I made the sweater back a hint bigger.
And I knit it back up to the second decrease. I hope to finish the back before KnitNight.... We'll see if that happens............

Ah to finish the back before knit night.......

Tis a Puzzlement

This sweater is knitting up so fast! It's one I may actually finish!

My gauge was different from my swatch, as usual, and the back is a bit smaller than I planned.
It was also originally planned with some shaping, but then I got knitting during a movie and I was so engrossed in the film, I forgot to do it! I'm debating whether to pull out 12 inches and redo it with the shaping, or to just do the shaping on the front side. Really, it is at 4 stitches to the inch and wouldn't take me long to redo, but then again, it is me. And I'm not so good at finishing things...

Shawl Sweater Started, FINALLY!

So I worked on the pattern for my shawl neck sweater. I have the back mapped out and knit a good 5 inches of it. Very pleased with that!

I was going to try to work from a couple of patterns I have in books, but they were all working with worsted weight (or smaller) yarn and this is aran weight. I really didn't want to have to play with the gauge or numbers that much.

Then this lovely, talented, and very beautiful friend of mine had an extra little pressie for me for christmas. Rowan's Scottish Highland Knits book.... And the first pattern is a chunky weight sweater with a shawl closure. Sure it is all in seed stitch, (and you all know how much I love that!) but it is much closer in the gauge and shaping that I was wanting. I've looked through the pattern and seen a few tweeks here and there (adding some shaping). and of course had to adjust to a larger size. but for the most part, the backs are the same. it is the front flaps that are going to have to be improvised. eh, should be done in a week, right???

ah well, time to knit!

Can I breathe yet?

Holidays

really

we have them why?

It's been a while since I've been online at all.
Between working retail (holiday hours suck!) and a couple of other "normal" jobs AND getting ready for the holidays, i've hardly had time to breathe.

I have done almost no knitting.
I finished lappy 2 a little while back. I still haven't woven in the ends.
I did 3 rows on "big yella" while in the movie theater tonight.
I think that's all.
Oh have I said that I started Bellatrix socks? LOVE THEM! adore them. Can't wait until next christmas when i finish them!
How sad!

And Morgana is having issues. The little flexible piece that connects the treadle to the footman (i think) broke. Madalene has the piece that I need, but she keeps forgetting to bring it to knit night. not that i'd have had much time to work on it anyway.

ah well, perhaps a more interesting update next week. I have a new digital camera (slightly better than the last) to start taking pictures. YAY!

until next time......

More Monday Madness - A.D.D. Strikes again!

Well, I finally have an evening off. How shall I spend it? I guess I could take pictures of my FOs and WIPs, but no, that would take too much energy (the camera is at the opposite end of the house).
I should work on my big yellow ribbing from hell. No, that is, well, I'm not in the mood. Lets see, what else should I be doing?
The lap blanket? Its a possibility, but it's been a lot harder to get in the mood since I realized I'm going to be short on yardage for the size i wanted to make it. And of course it was the only one in its color. Ah well. It'll just have to be patient and wait until it's turn on Thursday. It is after all the perfect Knit Night project.
What does that leave me with?
Start my Christmas Knitting? Na, still to early! I'm not in the holiday mood yet.
Start a project from my queue? Eh, maybe.
Start a new sock? Definite possibility. I don't have any going right now. That's right. They are all finished. Hmmm. I never thought that possible. Must fix that.
I could spin. Almost ready to start plying! I'm definitely excited about that! And as soon as I'm finished with the plying I have some very very pretty Horizon Blue merino to spin up! WOOHOOO! Somehow I think this may be tonights winner.
Or I could do the sock.
Perhaps I should pull out mom's sweater and start my pattern for it. The yarn for mine should be here in a couple of days. Now that is one project for which I might just call in sick from my jobs... all of them!

A Belated Happy Turkey Day to YOU!

Well, another holiday has come and gone. We gave thanks for our family, our friends, our pets and the many blessings we have been given... and are still to receive. This year we give thanks for the time we have been given with those we loved, and have lost. We give thanks for the time that remains with all those hold closest to our hearts. For the food on our over-flowing table. And the finally-no-longer-leaking roof over our heads.

I gave special thanks to my knitting and spinning
For the peace of mind and glimpse of sanity it restores every night.
For the warmth it bestows on my toes and hands and neck and other bits.
And for the huge dent in my paycheck it leaves behind... I can't forget that.

And how better to show my gratitude than to finish a project (my Angelica socks), buy new yarn (more Snow Leopard Trust Handspun Camel), and to start spinning new roving (next bobbin of llama).

And another special note of thanks. To Casey, Jesse, and of course to Bob. For the miracle of Ravelry. For the friends you've given me, my swap partner, the new yarns and patterns you've encouraged. The new techniques I intend to try.... and for Morgana. I can never thank you enough.

Tuesday

So, I had too much to do on Monday and I didn't get to post.
Not too much happening in my knitting micro-universe.
I got a couple of magazines I'd been waiting on and queued a few projects. I am turning the heel of my angelica socks as I am typing...
OH!
And I started a lace scarf with my pastel angora... have I ever said how much I love bunnies????? LOVE THEM! It is fuzzing alot and my nose is filling with fluff, but totally worth it. It is knitting up beautifully.
What else?
Still working on lappy2. i have less red than I thought I would, so I'm making a few slight adjustments.
Should be done by the weekend. I'll be trying to keep myself sane all day thanksgiving so there will probably be several FOs by saturday.

Right. Must go work so I can go to KC this afternoon. Rumor has it that Heather will be meeting me there....

Happy Knitting

Packages

Well, this week has been full of packages.
I've sent a couple.... and received a couple.
Firstly, I GOT MY RAVELRY SHIRTS! AND BUTTONS!!!!!!!!
I bought 2 different shirts because one size is always a little big and the other a little small so get 2 shirts that don't quite fit! they are both awesome. maybe i'll have pictures of them soon.

now for pictures of my other packages. I was in the Favorite Color / Favorite Place Yarn Swap
First you get pictures of what I sent.

package 1 (thanks Sixfeet for the pic, i forgot to take one!)
In her questionnaire she said she collected Eiffel Towers. What do I do? That's right, I pulled out my box from my first trip to France and took out the souvenirs that I haven't looked at since the trip, and I sent them to someone who will appreciate them for her own memories.





Package #2
What good is a yarn swap without really lovely Yarn? and a few other fun tidbits?
I sent her 2 skeins of Dream in Color. I LOVE Dream in Color! It is so soft and knits up beautifully! I never buy it for myself because I can't afford to buy it in the mass quantities it would take to make myself a sweater, and I never can think of something I want to knit small enough to afford! However, when wanting to spoil someone, like a swap partner, who makes beautiful hats and scarves (and has several of each in her Ravelry Queue) I will absolutely buy it for her!
To represent my favorite place, I sent her a Charles Rennie Mackintosh mug, a picture and a pencil i got on my last trip to Scotland, a couple of Snow Leopard Trust toys for her cats, and a jingle tire toy for her doggy.
My mother also sent her an eiffel tower shoe.. yes, that's right, the red and skunk striped shoe has an eiffel tower heel!

okay, now for the package I received this week from Cathy.

2 balls of Lily Sugar 'n Cream in an interesting bright blue variegated color-way. I've been thinking of what to make with it. since it is cotton, i could make it up into scrubbies or dishclothes, but it is fingering weight. i may attempt some house socks for my mom, but i'll have to wait since i'm up to my eyeballs in ribbing right now.
I think it will just head over to the "what do I do with cotton" drawer for now.

She also sent a sand dollar from the beach just outside her house, a bar of chocolate, some post-its, and very nice handmade beaded stitch markers from Alabama Fiber Dreams. They are very sweet.


Well, poo. I can't elaborate any more right now. I have to run to work. It never ends!
I'll catch you up a bit more soon!

Happy Knitting!

Tuesday? Are you sure it isn't Monday?

Right, so if my boss ever finds this blog, i might just get into a bit of trouble.
I'm at job#2 again.
And I have NOTHING to do. Literally. I finished all this week's work yesterday.
today I have 2 things I can work on.
1. put 17 boxes of envelopes with the wrong return address into trashbags.
2. Shread 1,500 sheets of paper in a 3 sheet limit shreader.

Right, i am leaving realtivly early to go try out Thi's new couch since she is just a mile away.

Lets see, what else is on my plate?

Sticks 'n Stitches.
I contacted a friend with the Blues. She is going to attempt (note: there is no guarentee at this point!) to work at getting one of these nights for us here. A night of Hockey and Knitting. Sounds great to me!
She also said that if they can't get this going for this year, we can absolutely get a group together anyway. She will book for us any time we want. I think it is either 15 or 20 people to make it a group, and if we go during the week we may be able to get tickets for as little as $15 a person.

So, if anyone is up for either set of events (or both???), let me know, you can contact me on here, email, or ravelry (we have a thread going in the STL forum)!

Right, off to work! (or something resembling it)

Pics are up! (some of them at least)

I've finally uploaded some of my pictures. My dog decided my mom isn't the best model and hopped up on the couch to model the blanket for me. She's so sweet! And cute to boot!

There are badges below my links that contain my spinning and some of my FO. I'll upload some of those and the small portion of my WIP and Stash onto Ravelry tomorrow.

it's late now so i'm off to spin for a few minutes then off to dream land!

nighty night!
sleep tight!
don't let the lady bugs bite!

Productive Week

Well, its monday again. blogging day?
I'm at job #2. Not much work to be done.

This has been a great week!
I took pictures of some of my lovelies, but haven't gotten them onto flickr yet. I'll let you know when that happens.

I got lots of fun rovings for practicing on Morgana. Ellen is such a doll! She handed me a whole box of Llama and 2 bells of random sheepy goodness. Ball 1 of 3 of the llama is on bobbin #1 and shall very soon be joined by his little buddies. I can't wait! This is the ultimate way to relax! 30-45 minutes (if i can stop) of spinning before bed, and i'm out like a light! I haven't slept this well in months.
Knitting to de-stress and spinning to sleep. I wish I'd have learned these things as a child!!!!!!!!!!

Let's see. What else?
Oh DUH!
Thi's store, Knity Couture (website on the right! -->) had it's grand openning!
So much fun. I went a little nutso, and totally over-ran my budget. However, I got some wonderful little beauties to feed my addiction until (hopefully) at least Christmas. My budget can't handle any more until New Years.

I also grabbed my Spomoni Trekking from Madalene (will you PLEASE get a website so I can link to it!). This time I refuse to do it on #1 needles. 2s or 3s all the way!

My SnowLeopardTrust Camel Yarn should be coming soon. I hope. I can't wait much longer for it. My hands are simply itching to start on the shawl neck sweater. I pulled mom's out yesterday to start attempting to look at it and think about the pattern. Not only am I going to try to make a pattern out of a purchased garment, but i'm going to have to adapt it to a different guage? this may take a while.

Hmmmmm. Speaking of Camels.......
I wove in the ends on Grandma's Camel Lap Blanket. Its very pretty. Very warm. And VERY soft. I used it on the KC Campout. GORGEOUS! So I started the pattern again in red with gold accent. This was initially supposed to be for Grandma #2, but I think it's going to be for me.... Gryffindor colors can't be given away... especially to an anti-HP grandmother! No, I think I'll finish this one for myself and make her a blue one to match Granny #1s.

Right, I should get back to work. They are paying me to at least attempt to look like I'm working. Perhaps I'll reorganize the other office? (insert sarcastic tone here -->) YAY!

Happy Knitting!

Not Bob!

You know, Bob, the ravelry mascot, is awefully darned cute. However, when I am in the middle of upgrading my stash and his little face pops up instead of my yarn.... he really isn't so cute. he's just down right maddening.
I understand that all the things we high maintenance ravelers demand require Casey (god that he undoubtedly is) to temporarily shut the site down for upgrades, but really? in the middle of a SATURDAY. sure it was only 5 minutes (maybe) and just long enough to type this (it is back up!YAY!). but still with an addiction such as mine......

oi
i think i need help.

there seems to be a theme

I guess Monday is becoming my blogging day?
Certainly seems like it.

Well, this weekend was quite eventful... atleast fiberly (is that a word? sounds wrong, but i can't think, i'm at work!)
My new baby arrived. Ashford Traditional. From dear Hattie....
She is beautiful. I still can't quite decide what to name her. I really like Aine (radience, queen of the Fairies) and Morgana (the great circle).
I did a bit of work on her. It was going really well until the single broke. i just couldn't get it going again. I think i'm going to put that particular fiber away for the moment and use something a bit longer (i've got a bit of my practice fiber from my drop spindle left!).

Lets see.
I also finished the lap blanket for my grandmother. It is beautiful!!! I absolutely adore it! I really want to keep it for myself. I am going to make one more for other grandma (quick easy xmas pressie) and then cast on one more for myself, but i'll make it twice the size.

The yarn for my camel sweater is due in to seattle next week. Hopefully it'll arrive at my house soon! And my ravelry shirts too! i can't wait for those!!!! EEK!

I fixed my camera, and have taken a number of pictures of Morgana (yea, i thinks that's going to be her name) and of several of my FOs. I will hopefully post them on Flickr this week (if i get the time) and on Ravelry. Perhaps I'll get some on here too.

see, now you have something not so monotonous as my rambling to look forward to!

happy monday!

I went to a new knitting group over in South City. It was great!
Everyone was extremely friendly and there are alot of beautiful faces to put with all those Ravelry sreen names!
The owner of the new LYS was there and I got to hear about the goings on. I am unbelievably excited about it. She's soooooo sweet and friendly. It will be a pleasure to go in there!
And she was talking about some of the yarns. She's attempting to get yarns from alot of local and small producers. I can't wait! and she's going to have alot of spinning supplies, which is just an added bonus.
the shop opens in 2 weeks (and she doesn't even have the keys yet!) on a saturday morning. the south city ravelrs are planning a campout before the party! (think waiting in line for HP release, but at 7am not midnight.) this should be a blast!

now don't get me wrong. madalene's is still going to be my #1 yarn shop, but it will be GREAT to have this one too!


in other news, I GOT MY SPINNING WHEEL!
it should be shipped to me today and I'm hoping (pray to the fedex gods for me, please!) that it will be here by the weekend.
I actually cleaned my bedroom and organized my stash to get ready for her.
all i need now is to decide on a name......
i'll post ideas after i've officially met her.

until next time....
happy knitting

Insanity? Of Course!

So life has felt a little rough lately. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but rough all the same.
I have been doing all the things I typically find myself doing in those moments of insanity. Shopping like a crazy lady (never a good thing around pay day!), knitting like a mad woman (yes, even in traffic today... it was moving too slow to need to shift out of first gear so why not?), and starting new projects.
Lets see, what have I started?
First I started on a new pair of socks. and i didn't like the way the yarn handled the pattern. so i frogged it.
so i started a different pattern with a different yarn. love it, but i wanted something bigger. with a very very simple pattern.
FOUND IT! YAY!!!!
A lap blanket for Grandma Lou. Pretty blue camel and purple goddess!
I LOVE IT!
and it is going sooooo fast.
and it isn't ribbing!!!!
that's my favorite part. the whole ribbing thing has gotten to me.


and I think I may be buying a spinning wheel.
I was originally going to wait until I got a full time job, but I think a third part time job will qualify.
yes, i now have 3 jobs in addition to my volunteering.
i'm stupid. i will have 2 evenings a week free (that includes knit night! thank the gods!). the rest of the week i'll just go crazy and starve (i have 30 minutes between the first and second job, and the second and third, and i need every second for traffic!). I am going to stock up on energy bars and live on those for a while..... we'll see how that goes.

lets see, other news?

not really. another new LYS is coming soon (two weeks to be exact!) near jobs 2 and 3. I've very excited. I've heard good things about the owner. i can't wait to have another place to go and knit my time away.

right, that's if I ever get time!

Monday, Monday

So I finally got 2/3 of my stash posted on Ravelry. It took forever. I didn't realize how much is really there.... and how much of it is aran and bulky weight.... I'm going to definitely have to search for new patterns out there that aren't calling for dk, sport or sock weight!

Amanda and I went to the movies Sunday to see Elizabeth. Pretty good. I got a good 5 or 6 rows of the corset-t done. YAY! And while I was in the neighborhood, I stopped in one of the LYS. I've been in that particular one 5 or 6 times before, but this was the first time someone said someothing other than, "yes, I can ring you out." I actually recieved some customer service! I was dumbfounded. I bought a new colorway of Trekking. One with solid stripes so I can try the Rainbow Socks.

And I cast on the Falling In Love socks with my Colinette Jitterbug. I don't like the cast on for these socks so I went ahead and did the eastern cast-on and got it up to half the stitches I'll need. It was 2am so I saved the rest of the toe for tonight.

Well, It's a crazy day so I should probably try to do some work.
yeah, right.

BEHOLD! Knitting Crack

Some dear friends tend to refer to surveys as crack. They are absolutely addictive, and I make every attempt to leave them alone. This one however, is a knitting survey. I can usually muster a bit of self control in these situations, but mixing addictions.... its just pure evil!. I just couldn't help myself.

This is a knitting survey……

Mark with bold the things you have knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl (the first two attempts are in bags in the corner, does that count?)
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn (I have 3 skeins and 6 more on order!)
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater (I knit 2/3 of one and pulled it out, but I'm trying again!)
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn (its in my stash!)
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn (stashed)
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn (stashed)
Cardigan (in planning stages)
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own hand-spun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments (in the works)
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Participate in an exchange
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit (start with Guinnie next week!)
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca (roving to spin is in the stash!)
Fair Isle Knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s hand-spun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Knitted flowers
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards (I’m lousy at it, but I can do it in a pinch!)
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Free-form knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm-warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an on-line knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public (Continuously!)

What have you learned to do that has marked a definite change in your knitting life?

Well, I’ve gotten to the point where I can knit without looking as long as I don’t have to remember a pattern more than 1x1 or 2x2 ribbing. It's great fro knitting in the movies and in the middle of teaching class. And it makes knit night a hell of a lot easier!

I’ve also learned to use knitting as a meditation to let go of stress. It's become a life saver! Literally

Work? What's that?

I got in to work late today. I was worried. I feared a huge pile of work to do. My boss hasn't been in with anything for me to do in quite a while. Well, surprise, still no work. And I can't just go back home because that is a total waste of gasoline. Instead, I cleaned out my office and the office next door that is basically used as storage.

Now what?

I played on ravelry (i'm sooooooo not supposed to be playing on the internet!) and now i'm posting here. I think I may head over to one of the coffee shops nearby and sit and knit for a bit. I have one more pair of socks to finish in the next 3 weeks. It is really only a one or two evening project.



OOOOOh, what else to do when you are bored at work?

right.

spend NEXT month's paycheck

on yarn

PRETTY YARN

Handspun Bactrian Camel Yarn

that helps families in Mongolia... and the Snow Leopard.

Go HERE for more information.
The lovely Marissa, who I met at the AZAD Conference, has let me know about all the lovely colors they are getting in next month and has promised to save many skeins of undyed yarn for me for this winter's sweater project.

I like Marissa

and I LOVE this yarn.

While I'm waiting, she is going to send me a pretty cranberry skein to tide me over! YAY!

ah well, I SHOULD at least pretend to work for a bit longer.

Happy Knitting!

TADA!!!!

It has been a GREAT weekend.
The parents are out of town so its just been little old me and one yarn stealing (well, attempted theft, not yet successful) dog.
I spent all day Saturday knitting and scratching the ears of said puppy. it was absolutely fabulous (which was one of the many shows in my all Brit-tv/knit-athon!).
I finished the 9 month old jaywalker socks.
they are BEAUTIFUL!
Picture when I find lost camera (it is in my purse that went missing last week)
I hate my feet, but these socks are soooo cute.
And they turned out to have the exact opposite stripe pattern. the toe color is the same as the cuff of the other, and it proceeds from there. kinda nifty.
and i have almost enough left for baby booties.... or another very tiny project.
any one out there have any ideas for some cool brown, red and pale blue yarn??????


and Vicki sent out the swap partners! YAY!
I'm so excited. I have several plans in the works. Lets see if they work out...........