Impressed by myself

:)

I was cooking dinner thinking about Across the Pond's blog and the fact that she knit 26 pairs of socks this year! 26!!! Apparently Wendy over at Wendy Knit's did 29. They knit things other than socks as well. That is crazy!!! They must not have kids.

As I poured in noodles figuring the logisitics of it all I started counting my own projects. You know how many I did? 22. Yeah, 22 completed knitted projects in 12 months. My FIRST year of knitting and I knit 22 things!! I am impressed.

I managed to do:
1 Tiny Bird's free pattern soaker
5 Warm Heart Woolies wraps
1 pair of LTK Picky Pants Longies
1 pair of LTK Picky Pants capris
1 turtle
1 pair of socks (they didn't match...two seperate socks but since two were done it counts as a pair :) )
4 washrags
1 tarot card bag
3 fish from Toys to Knit
2 scarfs
1 tie for a dress up box
1 kimono

I am so thrilled to see I was that productive. Yes most were small projects and simple but that's a lot considering it's my first year and I have a small toddler. :)

I decided to try toe up socks and was hating it. Short row toes suck. Somone (actually 2 someones) pointed me in the direction of the magic cast on (it's on Knitty...I think it's Judy's Magic Cast On) and oh dear god I am in heaven! It is so unbelievably easy and quick and nice to look at. I tried the short row toe from Knitty's universal toe up sock pattern for FOUR days occasionally trying the yo short row toe from Purly White's blog. It was so atrocious! I cast on this afternoon and despite a foul mood and heathen children I am now onto the main portion of the foot. I was going to try a simple pattern but opted not to. I think I may have to start over though. It seems to loose fore my liking but we shall see. I'm actually looking forward to restarting my mother in laws socks. I have two mistakes early on but I don't think you can notice them. As I kept knitting they sort of corrected themselves if that's possible. :)

Oh so pretty huh?

Happy New Year!

Despite my best intentions for a hand knit holiday very little got finished. The starfish still needs 2 panels and seaming and stuffing. The doll and clothing has yet to be finsihed period! I frogged a leg of my own pattern to start the actual pattern from the Toys to Knit book and lost steam. My mother in laws socks got bumped to being birthday socks. My scarf never made it out of the closet and the wand for DSS got finished but frogged. The hat never got started.

Yeah. I suck. The only things that got finished were the turtle for my nephew and a tarot card bag made on the spur one night for the husband. I did finish the wraps for the triplet mom by washing them, finally sewing on velcro, and are wrapped all pretty like waiting to be mailed. Oh yeah. I need to lanolize them. Still.

Yeah. I suck. :)

STATS: Pattern is here at Hippy Mama Knits (scroll down).
Yarn is Cascade Stripes sock yarn doubled.
Total knit time: one evening.

The husband seems to like it although he wasn't overly joyous. :) He did get it early though so that could have put a damper on it all.

Part of my slowed down knitting was due to the fact that I got my replacement spindle. I quickly spun up a 2 ply and that seemed to consume me. I even tea dyed one of the singles so not only did I whip up a new yarn pretty quick I have color in there! I was going to do a scarf but I only have 2 ounces and thats not nearly enough. I do have some of the tea dyed single left (oddly enough...I had split the roving in the middle...) and I plan on using that for trim but even with that. Not enough for a scarf. I think I may do a hat. I do have pictures but true to it's nature Blogger isn't letting me post them right now so it will come later on.

I still need to finsih the doll for my neice. I cast on for my MIL's socks using the Peaks andValleys pattern from Knit Socks! and I have started a pair of longies for my family in need. Ugh. Sigh. I have a feeling I won't get around to "me" knitting until Feb.

Ho ho ho!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Everything but...

*WARNING: There are NO pictures in this post! The camera is in the witness protection group as deemed neccessary by the youngest wee one.*

I have done everything BUT finish up my holiday knitting. I have done Sheldon and a tarot card bag and 8 of 10 panels for a starfish and THAT. IS. IT. I have cast on for multiple socks (read three toddler ones and one adult one) and frogged them all. The adult one was frogged part way through the gusset!! I tried it on. It didn't fit. It got frogged. I broke a needle prior to frogging. Yeah, damn size 2 needles. Super strong those ones are.

I have been busy though doing yarn things that don't involve frogging. I just finished up spinning a hank of splendidness.
(Ok I lied. There is a picture BBUT this is an old one that has been conviently put into Photobucket. This is the only picture..I swwar.) This is the roving prespinning. I split it in half (although I forgot to do it until some had already been spun. Oddly enough I had more of the color I expected to have less of...) I did one ply in the white that you see there and the other ply I tea dyed. Like I said, I had more of the tea dyed single than the white. Which is odd cause the white was spun first. Who knows. I suck at that whole even amount of yardage thing. Doesn't help that I usually forget to do it until AFTER some has been spun. When I first got this stuff it was like butter...creamy and soft and golden. By the time I got around to it though it had been hastily packed and stuck in a Uhaul which was then snowed on and basically frozen and then crammed into a freezing garage in a box that was left open. It wasn't so soft anymore. Or golden. Or creamy. Eh. I think I felted the dyed portion a bit.I had forgotten I needed a mordant and had gone about the whole business of heating and slightly boiling it. Then I added the vinegar and redid it. It's been heat loved for sure. I wasn't sure I liked it as I was plying it together bbut I think it will knit up very pretty. I like it more and more as I look at it. I have a slight amount left over of the brown and I think I'll use that as trim of some sort on some project. Not sure what it will become yet. I have a lot more than I thought I wouold which is always nice.

I am off to bed where I am sure I will have demonic dreams concerning my lack of holiday knitting. But damn if I don't have some lovely handspun!

The Replacements

D and I went over to the LYS today to replace my spindle and stupid tiny needles. The lady seemed unsure of the fact that she was able to do it. It did happen though. :) I have been spinning for the last twenty minutes or so and I am so happy! It's such a different type of relaxation. I love it. I am very very happy.

I did get the shorter needles this time around. The original sets I got I had one long set and it was awkward. I think part of the reason I broke one of my 2's was because of the length. There was too much needle for it too be that thin. I think I am going to frog the sock for my mother in law and start them on the 2's. While I am loving using my own handmade needles I think they are slightly too big for how unthick the yarn is. It's not making a very dense or warm looking sock.

I finished up some more gifts. I finished the wand for the stepson but it looked totally bad (as in perverse :) ) so I frogged it. I am almost done with his starfish..I have three more panels and then onto seaming and stuffing. I finished up a tarot card bag for the husband. He actually got it last night. I was so excited (this is the first official thing I've made him since I learned to knit) and I wanted to give it to him. I think he likes it. Not sure. :) I want to make him a moth/nose area thingy so he can walk in the mornings. I think I am going to have to wing it but basically a headband for his face so he can keep his breath warm (breathing issues). I have no pictures since the wee wee one hid the camera. It's done in the Cascade Stripes sock yarn though. I doubled it up and used the pattern over at Hippy Mama Knits blog. I like the way it turned out. I did make it a tad shorter than I would like. The deck fits in it and everything but it's a tight squeeze length wise. It sits right below the ribbing and drawstring. I could have done two or three more rows and been just fine.

I'm slacking with all the other gifts. I am almost tempted to do a wine cozy real fast. We are headed to my uncles for Christmas and one happens to be quite the wine lover. Hmmmm....off to spin.

Hello Sheldon

I finished up Sheldon (from Knitty) last night for my nephew! I'm surprised at how easy it was. I know basic crochet so the single crochet was easy. I did end up taking out the second row of crochet though. I tseemed like too much and being un-used to it my links were really tight and pulled the attachment panel in too much. It is prettier to have the two rounds but functionality over rules. I love the attached i cord!!! I usually avoid i cord since I have a hard time making a pretty one but this was really nice and easy. The pattern calls for you to bind off and then sew the end piece down. I thought it looked freaking ugly so instead when I got to the beginning piece I picked up two stitches in that and continued the i cord. When I bound off I tied the yarn UNDER the i cord and when I weaved it in I pulled it up under the icord and through the top (so the needle came out the top of the icord/shell area) and the result is a seamless spot! Well almost. I can see where it ends but I chalk it up to being that I was the knitter so I can see the disruption in the flow of the knitting. My nephew won't notice I'm sure. :) The patern pictures never really show his nose so when it came time to do the finsihing there I opted for a kitchener stitch. I like it although the pictures make it look more pointy than it really is. The head is slightly under stuffed. When you stuff for the second time (it's done in two parts) your opening is insanely small! I used a pencil to push the stuffing through and even that was slightly on the large side. The shell top seemed to be over stuffed at first copnsidering they tell you to stuff lightly so his body can fit but now that he is in and everything is said and done I think it's fine.

STATS:
Sheldon the Turtle pattern from Knitty
Size 3 and 4 needles
Knit Picks Wool of the Andes wool
Wool stuffing
Total knitting time: about two days worth spread out over three days due to insanity at the homestead.

Ohh the giftiness

I think my knitting speed has been amped up tenfold! I have been cranking out stuff left and right.

First up is the triplet wraps. Knit on size 6 straights using a free pattern. I frogged back on the orange one and added length to it since it was short. I'm worried it won't fit right since the front is technically neworn....we shall see. I blocked them correctly for the first time and it kind of flattened them out. It bugs me but I don't think it'll affect function. I hope not. They are just waoiting for some velcro and then off they go!

This is Sheldon from Knitty. I'm making him for my nephew for Christmas. He's almost done!! This is such a fun and quick knit! I have one last piece that needs knitted and then its on to finishing. My sister originally had wanted me to make him a monkey but changed her mind with some persuasion. ;) I'm glad. I'm really liking this pattern. The shell cmoes off his body too!

I need to finish my neices doll and clothes and then my MIN stuff. I'm actually doing this all a lot faster than I thought I would. I did go from three MIN's to one. I felt a need to focus on just this one and so I am. The family will be getting a lot of knitted goods. I'll work on her things last. She is out of town and won't be back until the beginning of the year. That works great for me since it'll give me time to get her a good box set up.

I started on a sock for my mother in law and despite my hate of it right now I think it'll turn out nicely. I originally was going to knit it up for Christmas but her birthday is in January and I thought to minimize my stress I could just do it for then. I think that will be a better idea. The color of the yarn is what gets to me. It's pooling oddly. One side is a nice even color change and another does step like switching and then another side side does stripes! I don't want to frog and recast on but if it doesn't change I think I will go nuts!

Ok, off to finish Sheldon.

Rest in peace Dear Schacht

Sigh.

My hi-lo Schacht spindle is broken. May it rest in pease. I have had the spinning urge lately but have avoided it due to holiday knitting. About a week or so ago I went to a knitting party where I found an odd piece of wood and a hook in my knitting bag. Not sure where it came from I tucked it away and went about my business. Once home I pulled out the spindle and gasped. The top (the part where the hook screws into the shaft) had split in half. I'm not sure..I have a feeling it happened when things got haphazardly chucked into the closet now know as my knitting closet. One can never know. I'm tempted to glue it back together but I know it won't work.

LUCKILY, I called the store I bought it at and explained what happened (minus the closet and the throwing of items). They said as long as I have my recepit (which I do!) I can return it and get a new one or my money back. So I searched for all of five minutes in a totally unorganized manner and you know what? I can't find the freaking recepit!!! I know I have it but I can't locate it. The stupid place does hand written ones to boot. Do you know how many things have writing on it in my house! I have a feeling I may become very angry over this situation here shortly.

I have been composing today's post in my head since about 11 this morning. I have wanted to blog all day long but felt guilty at the thought of doing something frivolous like that when I should be knitting. So instead of blogging I googled knitting blgos and browsed through a ring while I knitted. I didn't get much done but at least I was being knitter-ly. If that's even a word.

In a fit of non-motivated knitting I cast on socks for my mother in law. When I was organizing my closet the other day all my glorious sock yarn was staring me down. A short bit ago I bought Mountain Colors Superwash in Gold Rush. Once I had made up my mind to knit my mother in law some socks (back at Thanksgiving) I decided that this yarn was destined for her. Not so sure now. I'm not liking the color. Due to some very informative ladies over at MDC I was informed that while it is superwash I can indeed dye it and that to make the colors more earthy like I had originally thought they were I should tea dye them. I'm considering it. We shall see. I only worked on them for a minute (about an inches worth of ribbing) last night and have done mnaybe a total of three rounds on them today. I'm not sure I cast on enough stitches though. Doe to various things, diabetes included, my mother in law has some thick legs. It looks like they will be wide enough and it is ribbing after all so it will stretch but I don't want to send her something to small. She's paranoid enough about her size I don't need to make her think her legs are fat you know?

I have been plugging along on Christmas knitting (the socks were part of that until I remembered her birthday is in January so they are now birthday socks) and will soon have pictures to show for it. The knitting blogs did a lot for my motivation actually. It was nice to see other people's knitting. As much fun as I am having doing all these various projects I am thinking more and more about a year of selfish knitting. Just family stuff...mainly socks and diaper covers I am thinking. Maybe toys for the munchkins. I don't know. I am feeling the knitting love but this pressure to produce something isn't what I want. I'm not liking that part of it. I have a sneaking suspiscion that part of that pressure is my fault. I over burdened myself with promises of knitted goods. While I am more than happy to do it I seem to forget that I am not a super speedy knitter and that not only do I have a toddler running rampant I now have a 6 year old boy. Doesn't always make for productive knitting.

I lied

Contrary to what I said I am not currently knitting. I am making the food I said I was but there is no knitting done. :) Instead I have uploaded a aphoto, changed the name, and rotated it. My yarn closet. I FINALLY have some sort of place to store it all where I can see it on a daily basis. This makes me very happy! Not all of it is knitting related. There is a shelf of fabric and hidden behind boxes and under boxes is my sewing machine and serger. The bags on the wall hold needles and yarn. The boxes....more yarn. To give myself credit though....the one large Shur Savings box has maybe four things in the bottom of it. I'm just lazy. :)

LTK proof in pictures. :)

Doesn't it look great? I am so in love with it. I think I've emailed pictures to everyone and anyone who could possibly care. :)

I was talking to a friend today and relized just how much knitting I need to do. So I am going to make up broccoli and cheese and get some Pepsi and attempt to knit something. Here's to hoping the tornados in my house are calm long enough that it's productive knitting!

Finally! Stupid logger. I guess my picture posting was just too hightech for it. Blah. Anyhow..there is the hat! Like I said, Cascade 200 and some from a swap. Isn't it great. Pics on the munchkin to follow!

Self imposed agony

*GASP* Could it be? Could it be that, I, a mere blogger have regular Internet access once again? That I could possibly update and read and do all that good stuff on a regular basis? Why yes, yes it is! After a very prolonged lack of Internet I am happy to have it back! The stupid cable guy took two freaking hours to do it all but that's a different story. And it has nothing to do with knitting. :)

Now...self imposed agony? you ask. My sock, the Art yarns one, has yet to receive it's mate. I have put myself on self imposed SSS. I have so much knitting to do that honestly finishing up a sock for MYSELF would just be silly. We finally moved into a house after deciding to find one ourself (read...I was right all along). I got my yarn unpacked and am in the process of organizing it all up. It has been heaven! Anyhow, I am finally settled in and have been bitten by the knnitting bug once again. I have a crazy insane knitting list right now and a sock is at the bottom. It's been tough. All my fabulous sock yarn is calling to me from my closet. I you listen carefully you can hear it through the screen......"knit me! knit me!"

I have finally finished up the triplet wraps. yes it has taken a long time and yes I am a slacker. :) I am actually not offically done yet. I finished up the green one and decided that the first one (the orange one) needed to be fixed. It ended up being too short so I frogged back my eight rows of twisted ribbing and went about fixing it. I JUST arely finished up. It's still a bit shorter than the green one (and probably shorter than the third) but not by much. It had been about 1-1.5 inches too short before hand. Now I'd say it's maybe 2 or 3 rows off. I decided to stop since I was adding length to the back of the wrap..so techinically the rise. I didn't want to send a wrap with a rise way too long that it over ruled the fact that it was a size newborn. I still wanted it to fit. It looks like it will. I am almost done with the increases on the third one and once that's done with it's 16 rows to the finish line! Then washed, blocked, and lanolized. Followed by some sewing. I was worried at first because of the first wrap but now seeing the two (with the first fixed up) I have faith they'll still fit. These babies have some good stretch to them as well which helps a lot. Heck, my 18 month old can still wear a size small in this pattern.

Moving here I have met a fellow MDCer. She actually lives around the corner from me and we see each at least once a day. It's pretty cool. But the best part? She's a knitter. :) I have some yarn from the first Magic Ball yarn swap that I have been dying to use since I got it. As I organized my closet the other day I found it and wanted to use it. Nothing has seemed right though. Then it dawned on me! This fellow MDCer...she's an LTk hoochie and has the pilot cap pattern. I grabbed a coordinating solid color since I wasn't sure the yarn was enough and asked her to whip me one up. She did and did so quite quickly! This hat fits so perfectly and looks so freaking cute on the wee ones head! I do have a picture but it'll be added later...dumb Blogger and all.

Now..on to my list. I need to get it somewhere I can't lose it!

*finish the last of the 3rd wrap
~sew on velcro, wash, lanolize, and mail
*Holiday Helper wraps
*finish doll for C.
~start clothes for doll
*start monkey for I.
*start socks for MIL
*finish scarf for moi
*finish hat and wand for DSS
*start starfish for DSS

Once all that is said and done I can finally work on selfish stuff. That all has to be done by the end of this month (!!!!) so I am thinking of doing at least a pair of socks a month starting at the beginning of the year. I think I can do it. Right now it's totally se;fish but I'm sure I'll make someone else a pair. :)