Patience IS a virture

A.K.A. insert foot.

I emailed the two sock related swapees the other night and received prompt responses from both ladies. One was slightly onery so I didn't feel bad about being imaptient with her. The other. Well the other I should have been more patient. Her tiny tot was sick and not in a easy going way. Top it off she has a newborn. Yeah she has her hands full. I take it for granted that my house revolves around the Internet due to the business and forget that not everyone sits in front of their computer on a daily basis like I do. There is a reason my house is usually a mess and we rarely eat on time. I am an Internet addict. :) I pointed her in this direction in case she wanted to see her yarn. I'm sorry for my impatience! I'm not really as onery as my other post makes it seem. :)

Since we have been talking back and forth I got a sneak peek at the yarn she is using for my socks. GORGEOUS!! I cannot wait to get them and put them on my feet. My toes itch at the possible lusciouness of them. I bbought her yarn yesterday. She likes purple and I have some fantastic Art Yarn in purple that I was going to use but everytime I picked it up it didn't seem like her. That and she didn't want an ankle sock...something above the ankle but not too high. I know the Art Yarn makes an ankle sock so off to the store we went! I got her some rather pretty yarn if I do say so myself. The skein (and the resulting wound ball) seem tiny though so I am worried abbout having enough. The husband asked me rather innocently last night why I didn't get three for that just in caseness. Yeah I know. I should have. HOWEVER! The pattern I am using (which I am so excited abbout trying despite his gloomy prediction) calls for this exact amount AND the picture shows a rather nice height of sock. My only issue is it is done on INSANELY tiny needles. Size 1 to be exact. That's ok though. It looks like a really fun pattern and I am excited to try something I've never done before.


I'm not giving any details about it though in case she continues to read here. Nor will I post WIP pictures....we agreed it would be a surprise. Isn't it purtty!? The color here is pretty accurate too....maye a little brighter than in real life since i was sitting nextto an open window but close just the same. She said she liked purple so purple she gets!! There was one there that had three of five of her favorite/preffered colors but it looked like......the 70's and 80's got together, bumped uglies, and then split. yeah. Not pretty offspring. :)

Knitting? What's that?

I'm a big ol' slacker. In the last week I have done some knitting. Not a lot. Like barely anything. I did ten or so rows on an MDK kimono and then stopped. My needles do not agree with the yarn and so everything is sticking. With a capital S. It was so frustrating that I purposefully hid it at the bottom of my knitting bag. I think I will either change needles or frog it. I'm not in the mood to knit baby things right now. I started on a nebornw WHW wrap and did two (2!) rows before it came off the needles. Just not feeling the motivation.

The only other thing I have worked on is a sock. And only because my toes are freaking FRIGID! If our freezer were to dye I could keep everything frozen by placing it all on my feet. No exaggeration.

I'm not sure it's going to fit right. I'm having a hard time with toe up I think. This is the roundest one I have gotten so far but even flat it's stilla little too pointy for me. Almost. It's odd. I increased to a smaller number than I was on my purple ones. Those were turning out to be too loose. These may be too tight. I am done with the increases here and am working on the foot portion. I think I need to increase to my original number and then decrease two so that I have that in between. The color here is actually pretty accurate thanks to the big window behind me flooding the living room with light. It is slightly darker looking but not much. I am hoping I could just finish a freaking pair of socks already. I know it's all about trial and error to find the perfect set of numbers for your foot but good grief! I think my main problem is the first sock I did I was still knitting twisted so working a new oneoff those measurements is producing too big of a sock. Oh well. it WILL happen. :) And yes, I still love the magic cast on.

The other night I decided to sell some things on the Tp over at MDC. One of two sold crazy fast! I was so excited to have paypal I had to buy something! So I did. :) I got the LTK earwarmer hat pattern AND some fantastic Dashing Dachs Superwash Sock Yarn. I wasn't so sure about it at first but got to see the colorway knitted up and now I cannot wait. It should be here so soon! Likely tomorrow or at the latest Tuesday. I cannot wait to get my hands on it and to knit it up!

I am in two sock exchange type things. One is a sock bag swap and the other is a sock exchange on Knitty. I'm irritated with both. I have emailed my sock bag person and asked a yarn specific question and she has yet to email me back. I sent the email over a week ago! I am hoping it jsut got filitered to junk mail and she accidentally erased it. In which case no biggie. I need to know though so I can get everything mailed out. I'll email her again. The swap is neat. You either make or bbuy a bag large enough to hold a sock knitting project. Toss in some yarn and goodies and off it goes! I made her a bag but am thinking i may have to make another just in case. It's big enough but it is on the small side. I don't want her to feel jipped so I'll send her two and hope they bother work.

The other sock exchange is simply that. You knit someone else a pair of socks and mail them off with some goodies. Fine. Good. Easy. My partner and I both checked the list late and didn't get in contact with each other until abbout two weeks after the list was posted. No problem. Out of the 7 weeks we had we still had 5. I have emailed her TWICE asking her for information and she has yet to get back to me. I think I am now down to three maybe four weeks. To knit and for her to receive them. I am getting very irritated with her. I am doing toe up so I need her measurements NOW. I can't wait until I get to the toe decrease to worry about it. I am going to send her yet another message and hope she gets back to me.

And the last sock related thing. :) I had posted on MDC that I was going to be knitting many baby things on the yarn forum. I've gotten many enthusiastic congrats! and even offers for knits. Someone last night offered to knit the wee one (the one currently trashing the living room) some socks!! I am so excited. I have this mama's handywork and love how her socks turn out. I sent her the required measurements and am now waiting for her reply. She is on a trip and has four days worth of driving so she needs some knitting. :) This will be nice since DD has few socks AND sicne she has no mama knit socks. I have tried. Don't get me wrong. But that damn Lion Brand Magic Stripes is cursed. I started on a pair for her FIVE times before i gave up. Too many stitches, too few, a screwed up heel, too short etc. It was ridiculous. I am thinking I may have to trade it so that someone can use it. Although I did use it for some fish. Maybe I'll do more of those....

It's been awhile...

because I have had absolutely no desire whatsoever to knit a damn thing. :)

Why you ask? What could be sooooo pressing that I have not cast on a single project? What could be so dire that everything that was cast on is now frogged?


Well this.

Seriously. I have frogged everything. Even my MIL sock. I'm not sure why my lack of motivation equaled an intense day or so of yanking out projects but it did.

I did start on a Kimono from MDK last night. I got 11 rows in and put it away. :) Go me. I am feeling the itch though so I have a feeling things may start churning out. I am wanting to spin lately. I came close to getting a spinning wheel but the deal fell through. So sad. :( My spindle is in the car right now and it's not here so I am S.O.L.

I know. Super boring blog today but I figured i should probably say SOMETHING. :)

Oh yeah! I forgot to add the link for the fabulous cast on in my last post. why share something if I'm not going to share something right? :)

Magic Cast on. If you use DPN's the directions are nearer the bottom.

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. :)

A sock is finished!

I finally finished it! I am pretty pleased with myself (so much so I wore the single sock to bed last night...I don't wear socks to bed ever). I even had a small amount of yarn left!! I was right..each little ball is enough for an ankle sock for myself. I wasn't sure about the coloring of it all once knitted up but once it was on my foot I really like it. My grafting went perfectly (thanks to Knit Socks!) and I actually have the right length this time. I could probably add a few rounds to the length but as the fabric loosens up due to wear it really doesn't matter. This is such a perfect fit for my foot! Ok so here it is!
Needles: Size 3 Clover Bamboo dpn's (4 of the 5) Yarn: Art Yarns Super Wash in unknown color. Color number on tag of skein is different than color noted on the website. Pattern: Top down generic pattern using the directions in The Knitters Handbook of Patterns for multiple gauges.


In other knitting news, I frogged the mystery WIP. I pulled it out the other day when there was a sudden onset of crappy cold weather. As I looked it over to remember where I was at pattern wise the yarn screamed at me to not continue on. I am having such a hard time using this yarn for something. It has yet to make up it's mind as to what it shall be.
I have started on a doll for my neice for Christmas and am pretty pleased with it so far. The only thing that bugs me ( seriously bugs me) is that every doll pattern I looked at (I couldn't find my Toys to Knit book) is knit flat with a million seams. Why!? I am done with the two legs and am almost done with the body...all knit on dpn's. I just don't get why they make it harder than it should be.

Oh and the best news? We have a freaking house!!! We finally gave up (a.k.a it finally dawned on Dh that I was indeed right this whole time) and went looking for one on our own. Today a friend took me out and about since DH had the car and we found a place. I looked at it, then DH and I looked at it and we decided to go for it. It's a perfect fit for us and the best part? There are closets with built in shelves. I may not get a knitting room but By Jove! I have a fantastic closet to line everything up in!!!

Sock WIP pictures

I have been one lonely girl without Internet for the past three weeks. Getting to randomly use it for very short periods of time sucks ass. :)

I started a sock about a week ago and picked it back up today. I had gotten quite a bit done. I'm using Art yarns Superwash, size three needles, and the basic sock pattern from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns: Basic Designs in Multiple Sizes & Gauges. So far I'm doing well. There is a pattern flaw but that may be a flaw on my part. I'm pretty sure it's the pattern though.

I'm not loving the color of the yarn anymore though. It reminds me of Indian Corn. When I bought it reminded me of sand. Oh well...they are super comfy so far!

Pictures to match earlier

Pictures for last nights/this mornings post. The first is an up close of the twised rib. Nice webbing going on and the other is the wrap blocking. I have no pins so I had to use some glasses to hold it in place. I've never blocked like this before (meaning I've never saturated an item, rolled it out in a towel, and then secured it)...I've always just pinned it down, squirted it with my water bottle, and then pat the water in to make sure it absorbed. This is already so much better. I haven't picked it up yet this morning but it looks better shape wise than my normal method. In real life it looks more pinkish in hue than it does here. Everything I have taken pictures of lately comes out more flourescent than it really is. :)

Pay attention to your directions!

Oh and ummm, no matter how motivated you are DON'T start a project until you have all the neccessary info. :)

I finally cast off on one of three triplet wraps. Yes it took a long time and yes I have the other two to finish. When I first cast on for this project I had PM'd K to ask if a size small was still going to work. She took a couple days to reply what being busy with newborns and all. When she did she said she needed newborn instead. No problemo! I'm not sure if I had already cast on at this point or not. It's been awhile. Fast forward a bit and we have moved and are living in a hotel room. I thought ahead and on the day we left our previous home I had packed my knitting bag with the wraps and other projects I wanted to work on. It wasn't until halfway through our first hotel stay that I pulled out the wraps. I had scaled down to knitting one at a time and was cruising along. I was finally to a point where I start my leg decreases when I thought something was off. I counted my stitches and I had too many. Had I miscounted? I go back a bit into my knitting and count stitches on a previous row. Nope, I had cast on for a small. Irritating to say the least. It certaintly took the wind out of my sails. So I did my decreases and grumbled along the way. The result is a newborn/small hybrid. About 75% is in size newborn portions while the first 25% is in small. As bothersome as that is too me I figure it might actually be perfect. When I had a newborn her stomach was definitely larger than her itty bitty thighs. I'm hoping the waist being a size small will actually be a good thing. We shall see.

As much as I hate 1x1 ribbing I do like it on these wraps. Maybe because there is so little ribbing to be done or maybe because it goes quickly. Either way, I'm liking it. My first one I opted out of doing the tweisted rib. I didn't want to "learn" it being the newbie that I was. Since "learning" it though I am thrilled! I am tempted to do the waist on my next Picky Pants in twisted rib. I thought that on the last wrap I did as well. I just didn't do it this last time. :) The first time I tried it out I was skeptical of it's extra stretch but shockingly enough it really is there. I suggest trying it out.

I was also skeptical of going up in needle size for binding off. Don't ask on that one. I had to do it though on this last pair of Picky Pants. I tried binding off in my 8's but it was so tight it left indents when I tried them on the munchkin. I ended up going up five sizes I think. I can't remember...and even then I have a tight cuff. I figured it was best I size up on the wrap as well and went from a 6 to a 10. It worked like a charm again. Although it is still a bit tight for my liking. I just can't get it loose!

I have pictures but Blogger needs a picture break again. I'll post in the morning. I got one of it blocking sans velcroe and one of the twisted rib. I tried to get a shot of the extra webbing it throws in there to show that there is indeed more stretch.

Holy picture posting batman part 2

Okie dokie. I knew Blogger was just overwhelmed with my glorious pictures and needed a second to mull them over. ;)

The Mountain Colors Superwash is odd. In the hank it appears far more earthy...at least in person it does. Wound into a ball it gets to be more primary colorish and in the picture they look like candy tones. I'm not sure if I like it. When I bought the yarn I had every intention of using it on me. However the gift giving season is upon us and I think I might make my mother in law some socks with it. She has a pair of crocheted socks that I, personally, think are horrendous. Add into the mix that they are plenty old and they beg to be replaced. How old you ask? I have known her for three years and she has had them the entire time. Still not old enough? She's had them since BEFORE I met her. It's time. As I uploaded the picture into Photobucket today I toyed with the idea. I have been wanting to handknit something for her since I learned to knit. Not everyone is that special. Something about her needs it though. I have plenty of that yarn that I may even still get a pair for myself. For now though, they are for her. I'm not sure that the color is in her taste so I shall see. The husband, convienently her son ;), says she would. The yarn is thin though so I would have to double up the yarn I think. I've never done that and it does petrify me to wind the two balls together. There is a reason the second skein isn't wound in that picture. It's insanely long!!! It took me two hours to get it unwrapped so that I could wind it. I don't have a swift so in order to effectively wind my yarn I have to unwind the skein. Not usually a problem but this stuff is never ending and thin. Makes for a lot of knots. My mother in law also has a large foot. Size 10 to be exact. That's a LOT of knititng. Me? I wear a size 7 and have a hard time finishing a pair of socks. It will be an undertaking should I decide to do it.
The next picture is the Cascade Stripes hubbo chose for his socks. I grabbed two skeins based off the non descriptive drawing on the label. I haven't touched it. The first night in our borrowed house I was winding up my balls when I noticed how much yarn was in each skein. I started to get worried. Then I noticed that my Art Yarns and those were close, if not the same size. There isn't enough for manly socks. How do I know? For my female size 7 my Art Yarns skeins are coming very close. I'm thinking of doing a hat (the earwarmer one from LTK) and then a tarot card holder. I want to get those to him for Christmas but I'm not sure. I have a lot of Christmas knitting to do.
The single skein of ArtYarns is not lonely. The other ball is sitting behind it in a half finished sock. I'm into the foot portion and am having doubts that I will finish with one skein. When I bought it I asked the woman at the counter and she said for ankle socks (which I want) I should be fine using my asize 3's and only using one skein per sock. I'm seriously doubting it at this point. I don't want to go buy another skein and I don't want to frog it and use smaller needles. Push comes to shove though and I'll buy another skein. Only problem is all those skeins are for socks for me. I'd have to go either go buy three more skeins (one in each color) or get used to the idea of knitting on smaller needles. I just find the thought of going smaller than a three horribly upsetting. I'm not sure why but socks fit on size 3. They just work best there. Color me odd.

I am so in love with all my yarn and I'm hoping that moving into our house (a whole other issue in and of itself) will prompt me to get going. In the meantime I am slowly getting started on much needed things.