Dude...

I suck. SUCK.

My blogging habits of late are abominable. My poor little blog, which once was fun (and, to put it bluntly, frequent) has all but died recently.

Oops.

Make A Little Birdhouse In Your Soul

I think I've done something right. My son, who is knocking at the door to Age Six, is a They Might Be Giants fan.

In fact, his favorite songs are "Whistling in the Dark" and "Particle Man." He knows every word.

When I was in middle school and high school, their album Flood was huge with all of my friends. We would sing the songs from the album constantly.

And now my little boy loves their music. And not just their music geared toward young children, no. Their goofy-make-you-take-another-listen-because-you're-not-quite-you-just-heard-those-lyrics-right music.

You gotta love that.

My First Sweater

Here it is! Omgoodness, I absolutely love this sweater. It fits perfectly and is sooo cozy.

1. Angled Side View
2. Button Detail
3. Shoulder Seam and Set-in Sleeve
4. Hood Closure Detail
5. CPH
6. Set-in Sleeve Seam
7. Front Pieces
8. Mattress Stitch Seam
9. Front View




I wore it yesterday and I'm planning on wearing it to work tonight to show my boss and our regular knitters who come in for Knit Nite.

Details:
Pattern: Central Park Hoodie, Heather Lodinsky
Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic, Crushed Velvet (825), 7.5 balls
Needles: Addi Turbo US6, US7, and US8 circulars
Started: January 8, 2008
Completed: January 22, 2008

Modifications: Knitted sleeves 2 at a time in the round rather than flat. Only did 3.5" inches of ribbing on pieces instead of 4-5" as written. Made the back and fronts and inch longer than pattern called for. Rather than three needle bind off, I grafted the hood together until the last 10 stitches (5 stitches on each needle {this was the center tip of the hood}) then threaded the yarn through and pulled tight (like you would close a hat.) This produced a less pointy tip of the hood. Picked up for the button band in one large piece rather than separate. Also, paid no attention to how many stitches I was supposed to pick up for the button band and instead just picked up 2 for every 3 stitches along edge of whole piece. Worked out very well.

I really enjoyed knitting this. I can't say enough how absolutely thrilled I am with the way it turned out. It fits perfectly, the color is exactly what I wanted, and it's soft and cozy.

Rowan's Kid Classic was a wonderful yarn to work with. It was soft to the touch (and got even softer after washing for blocking) and has a lovely drape to it when blocked. I'm so happy I chose this for my sweater.

I have to admit, the seaming made me a little apprehensive but once I started I realized it's not that bad. I'd done mattress stitching before, so that was ok, but shoulder seaming and seaming the sleeves on was new to me. I bought a couple of great books: The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancy M. Wiseman (great book) and Interweave Press's Knitter's Companion, 2nd edition (excellent book!) Both were very helpful in the finishing of this sweater.

I can't wait to wear it to work tonight!

*Edited to add book links.*

*Grin*

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I have finished my first sweater.

Tune in tomorrow for the full story (with pics!)

Something New

Last night I took a yoga class.

My friend, A.P., just joined a new fitness center and asked if I'd like to come as her guest for a class. We decided on "Fitness Yoga", though neither of us had ever taken a yoga class before.

With the word "Fitness" in the class title, I wasn't sure what to expect, but of all things I didn't expect was how much I would enjoy it! I was nervous at first (I mean, I've never even set foot in a gym before), we were among the last few to arrive to class and therefore had to be in front, and I didn't know how my super-competitive personality would do if I couldn't stretch and pose the way I was supposed to, or how everyone else was.

But the instructor was very good, the music was relaxing but not overbearing, and after about 10 minutes into the class, I became totally unaware of my surroundings and just moved and posed and breathed. And I loved it. I discovered that I am very flexible and had no trouble getting into the poses and even adjusting to try most of the more advanced ones.

During the end of the class final relaxation/meditation period, I was so very very relaxed and probably felt the most inner-calmness that I've experienced in months. It was truly exhilarating.

What started off for me as a class to go with a friend might end up being something I'd like to pursue on a regular basis.

2007: A FO Report

Looking back at my knitting in 2007, I feel it was a productive year.

- 10 pairs of socks
- 6 hats
- 6 scarves
- 3 felted bags
- 2 lace stoles
- 2 pairs of Mrs. Beetons
- 1 vest
- 1 shrug
- 1 pair of sleeves for a sweater I co-knitted with my boss
- 1 Woodin

WIPs carried over from last year: 5

Not too shabby!


Happy Belated New Year to you and yours!

Here's hoping 2008 will be a good one.

Tis The Season

As I sit here, slowly sipping a nice glass of good wine, I'm thinking how relieved I am to be completely done with all of my Holiday shopping and knitting.


Whew! Believe me, it was getting down to the wire. As of three days ago, I still had everyone to shop for, and a couple to knit for. But after a few days of marathon shopping and major speed knitting, I can say that I'm finished!

Holiday knitting started off being just a pair of socks for my MIL. (I'd long ago abandoned cozy images of knitting a pair of socks each for my sons, some fancy colorwork hats for both of them, and a pair of socks for my husband. Those were pipe dreams. Maybe next year. Or birthdays.)










Then a couple of days ago, my brother timidly asked me if there was any way I could knit him a hat for Christmas. Of course! As he's a huge Chicago Bears fan, he of course wanted Bear navy blue and orange.

This is the first time I've ever done any real colorwork (other than practicing on swatches) and I'm pretty pleased with how it came out. Most importantly, the floats have plenty of give so they stretch nicely when donned.










As for other knitting, I made another pair of Mrs. Beetons. I ended up giving the brown ones that I'd made to Steven for the shop, so I needed a pair for me again.

This 2nd pair I made in white with the most delicate frosty white beads. They are so adorable and will be a nice touch to my Christmas attire.

I also made myself my Onduleux Cables Cloche. This one is in a burgundy red angora yarn that really shows the pattern well and it's so next to the skin soft.

I suppose I should have really made this for someone for Christmas, but I really wanted one of my own and I don't think it's to the taste of any of my female family members.


I found myself being a little gun shy this year as far as knitting anything for anyone on our gift list. The two items I did knit were both requests. Oh well. Again, maybe next year.

Mmm this wine is good. Off to enjoy it. Happy Holidays!

Mrs. Beeton Goodness

Another finished object! I've been working on these little projects all week and they are flying off the needles!

Pattern: Mrs. Beeton, knitty
Yarn: Adriafil Carezza (angora), Brown; Rowan Kidsilk Haze, Ice Cream
Needles: Addi Turbo US 7 32" circular, Addi Turbo US 5 32" circular
Started: December 6, 2007
Finished: December 7, 2007

These are so cute! They were quick little knits, too, and would be perfect as a Christmas gift, if I were to give them up. But I'm keeping them.

I changed things up a little bit. I didn't bead the MC cast on (as I didn't have beads that would fit over the Carezza angora.) Instead I beaded the CC cast on using a cable cast on and beading every third stitch with a tiny crochet hook. It was a bit fiddly at first, but I really like the look of it. I also didn't pre-string the nine beads on there to go on the top of the bells on the Top Bell Edging. I added those with a tiny crochet hook to each stitch as I came to it.

I also changed the picot edging, making the picots line up only over the purl stitches in the ribbing.

I know I'll make these again.

Major (photo-heavy) Update

So um, I've been a little absent. *Ahem.* Ok, a lot absent.

While I don't want to make excuses, I have got a couple of reasons. (Which are really glorified excuses, let's be honest.) My computer was one of them. It died early November and I got it fixed over Thanksgiving weekend. Yay! It was just a fried power supply, nothing major.

Another reason was getting ready for Thanksgiving itself. We had hubby's family up and it was not only my first Thanksgiving that I hosted, but my first actual Thanksgiving dinner that I've prepared. So I was a little nervous. I don't know if I mentioned here, but I'm not that big on cooking. I can, I just don't enjoy it. My husband does most of the cooking in our house. So when I took on Thanksgiving, I was very preoccupied with making sure I got everything just right. (Which it was.)

I also think I just needed a break from blogging. After more than a year and a half, I think that's ok.

But I have been knitting. A lot. And I've got some things to show you.


These will be a Christmas gift for my mother in law. This is the 2nd incarnation of socks for her. I started some earlier this year out of Lorna's Laces and uggh. I just don't get it. There are so many knitters who just go crazy over that yarn, but its appeal is completely lost on me. I hated knitting with it, I hated the colors, I hated the fabric it was producing, and I just didn't think they would be socks that I'd want to give to someone, much less have them actually wear. So those have been frogged.

These are made with Schaefer Anne, one of my favorite sock yarns. This yarn has actually been overdyed by me twice. I posted an after shot the first time I overdyed it, but forgot to shoot another.

You can see in this post what the yarn originally looked like and what colors I overdyed the first time. A few weeks after that, I thought how much prettier it would be if it was 90% one color, with the other ones peeking through. So into the crock pot it went again, this time with a couple of packs of grape Kool Aid and some purple food coloring. Since my MIL's favorite color is purple, I thought this yarn needed to be for her socks.


The pattern I'm using is based on Cookie A's Monkey. I modified the pattern rows to accomodate 8 more stitches around and I'm eliminating the lacy holes by knitting the yarn overs through the back loop. MIL is diabetic and I want these to be warm and practical, while still being pretty.

This is also my first foray into knitting socks toe-up. I did these this way because if they're not long enough on her or if the cuff doesn't fit right, I can just undo the bind off and make adjustments. (Theoretically, anyway. I hope it will be that easy if necessary. Actually what I really hope is that they'll be perfect right out of the wrapping. But I digress.)


This will be a hat and mittens (gloves? I haven't decided yet) set.

One of my coworkers at the stop designed these some time ago and they are just the cutest things ever. They're called Lori's Fabulous Fuzzies and are they ever fabulous. Sock yarn and a silk/kid mohair blend run together make these warm, soft, and colorful.

I'm knitting mine out of Austermann Step in Grass and Rowan KidSilk Haze in Ice Cream.

Now, which to do? Mittens or gloves? I have never been a big mitten fan. My mother forced me to wear them when I was little (while my brother got to wear gloves) and I hated them.


I've never had a pair of gloves that fit or kept my fingers warm. (Not that my mittens did, either.) Granted, here, I can make them fit my fingers exactly, which will be lovely, but will they keep my hands and fingers warm?

I guess I can finish them one way or the other and if I'm not happy I can frog back and knit the other option. It's only knitting, right?

Here's a close up of the hat to show detail in the texture and that wonderful fuzzy halo.

I *love* Lori's pattern. The hat flew off my needles and the mitten/glove is going quickly as well. I'd love to make these for my sons. At least the hats, anyway.


I did make a few changes to it, though (because I can never knit a pattern as written.) I did my favorite twisted rib cuff because it makes the knits very tidy and I did the decreases at the top differently, too.

I just love the way the top came out! Those perfectly straight decrease lines intersecting with the hexagons of color make an interesting star pattern.

I wore it last night when we went to get our Christmas Tree and it was just as warm as I'd hoped. (Our tree, by the way, is gi-nor-mous.)


Here's a little something I've been meaning to blog about for quite some time.

Brandy was so sweet to me! She sent me a belated birthday package in November and inside was this GORGEOUS alpaca. And not just any alpaca. Handspun alpaca but Brandy herself. The yarn is beautiful and so silky soft.

I've started the Eiffel sweater from Knitty with it, and I think it will be just beautiful.

Also in the package were the 2008 Knitting Pattern-A-Day calendar, a cute as a button needle satchel, a sweet little book about knitting and spinning tales, and bare silk hankies to dye and spin!

Thank you so much, Brandy - as always you are too kind and it was a lovely birthday gift!!


I'm finally knitting myself my Onduleux Cables scarf - the one I designed for work back in early summer.

I managed to get my hands on the hard to find white of the Elsebeth Lavold Angora late summer and I cast on for this a couple of weeks ago. It's stalled at the moment because I've been doing other things lately, but I expect this to be finished within the week.




Here's the matching hat I designed to go with my scarf, modeled by my older son, T.
There are a few ladies in my knitting group that are also working on the scarf and hat, too. (Which is super flattering.)

Speaking of them, I'd just like to say how much I enjoy going there and knitting with them. I'd been looking for a knitting group and when I was invited to join this one, I jumped on it. I'm so glad I did!




Look, ma! No purls! (I saw that on a blog once, but can't remember where.)

These are another pair of Monkeys but without the purl stitches. On me, these fit much better. They don't fall down my leg anymore, which I like.

The yarn is Schaefer Anne (told you it was a favorite) in blues and greens. Can't remember exactly when I started and finished them, but I think it was late October.

After these and my MIL's Monkeys, I'm pretty good on that pattern for a while. ;)


Lastly, this is going to be a sample for the shop I work at. It's a shawl jacket, easy peasy construction and stitch.

The yarns are Tilli Tomas silk and Grignasco mohair. I'm almost halfway through this. I was booking through it, but I've got holiday knitting right now that is taking up my time. (Some of those aren't pictured because I don't know who might be reading this.)

Other than that, things have been good here. We got a *lot* of snow last Saturday, we're getting more today, and are supposed to get more throughout the week.

If you're still here at the end of this long and photo-filled post, I thank you! If not, well, I can't say you missed out on a whole lot.

I promise to be back more regularly again.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Busy. Working. Cleaning. Was in a sling for two weeks. (Fell.) Catching up on knitting. Finished two pairs of socks. Finished hat to match my cabled scarf. In-laws are coming for Thanksgiving. Cooking lots of food. Still waiting to hear if computer can be fixed or not.

Sorry about not posting for almost a month. Have a great Thanksgiving.

Happy Halloween!

Hope you had a good time trick or treating!

We decided to do a character pumpkin this year. I sketched out the silhouette of Michael Myers from the cover of Halloween 5 and then carved it. It's not perfect, but I like it!

Here's where it came from:

















Oh, and I hope you don't see this guy anytime soon.

Sniff

My computer died.

RIP, old girl.

Eye Candy

Nothing exciting here, so I thought I'd give you an (old) pretty to look at.

The kids have a Halloween Dance/get-together at school tonight. They're supposed to wear their costumes and they sure are looking forward to it!

Birthday Flowers

My sister-in-law and mother-in-law (and their families) sent me birthday flowers earlier!

Aren't they gorgeous? My SIL knows me well. She asked the florist to do a "Halloween" themed arrangement. It's perfect! Very autumn, very Halloween.

I just love it!

Oh! And my new issue of Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts magazine came! There are some absolutely stunning designs in there.

And... this is my 300th post. Interesting coincidence of all these 3s and 0s today. ;)

Twenty-nine .... Plus One

(Note: in honor of this unwelcomed birthday, I'm hopping aboard the pity train and throwing a bit of a pity party for myself. Choo Choo.)

Thirty. The big 3-0. I'm thirty. It seems like such an impossible age to be.

Letting go of my 20s is proving to be very hard for me. I've been in quite a state for a month or so now, literally counting down the days.

My 20s are gone. In place of them comes 30, a formidable number to me.

Everyone tells me it's just a number. Some have told me that it just gets better from here. Others have said they loved everything about turning thirty. A few lovelies have told me I look much to young to be this age. (To those of who you said that, you're my new best friends. Thanks!)

I'm the youngest in my family, in my husband's family, and in my small circle of friends. As I've watched the rest of them shed their 20s over the last couple of years, I've secretly gloried in the fact that I still had mine. And now my day has come.

Meh.

Dear Hair

Note that I'd like to take a meeting with you at some point to discuss the status of your ... er, madness.

I'm not sure anymore exactly what look you're going for, but clearly I'm not able to style it.

Please get back to me ASAP on this matter or I will be forced to cut you.

Thanks.

Embossed Leaves Socks

And they're done! Socktoberfest socks: pair 1.

Pattern: Embossed Leaves, Mona Schmidt, Favorite Socks, Interweave Press
Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Fingering, Pretty Posey, 2 hanks
Needles: Addi Turbos US1 32" circular
Started: September 29, 2007
Finished: October 4, 2007
Modifications: short-row heel, continued purl stitches on foot so that both sides of instep would match

I LOVED knitting these (which is probably why I finished them so quickly. ) My prettiest pair of socks.

The Claudia yarn is just amazing. It's soo yummy and the dye job has such a richness to it.


I wanted to finish these so I'd have them to ready for the Knit-Out at Brookdale this weekend. Our store is going and Steven asked if I could have a little Sock and Lace knitting corner. So I'm bringing (and preparing) some of my favorite pieces. I can't decide whether to wear these or display them!


I really wish I had shoes that could/would show off my handknit socks!

Socktoberfest 07!

It truly IS Fall! And with the lovely colors of Autumn comes Socktoberfest!

This will be my second Socktoberfest year. I enjoyed it last year when I was just beginning the down the road of hand-knitted sock goodness. And during the 'fest last year, I completed, oh, let's see. ... *blink* Wait, that can't be right.

One. Pair.

That's it? I thought surely I'd knitted more than that! Oh well. I've got a better start this year. ;)

The sock in the photo is the Embossed Leaves socks from Interweave Press's Favorite Socks. They're gorgeous! I'm using Claudia's Handpainted in Pink Posey. Mmmm, I've found another favorite sock yarn. Claudia's is a yummy yarn, very similar to Koigu.

I started this sock Saturday night and finished it yesterday afternoon. Cast on for its mate last night. This pattern moves fast! (I like fast.)

There's a Knit-Out this weekend in Brookdale and I want to have these finished for that.

Other socks I'd like to finish this month:

Hubby's socks (one sock down, the other one is well into the leg.)
Mother-in-law's socks (I HATE the yarn I'm using and will probably buy new yarn for them.)
A pair each for my sons. (I think it's high time I made them some.)

That should be a good start! ;)

More Monkeys!

Pair #4! Hey, you can never have too many handknitted socks, no matter what pattern they are!

Details:

Pattern: Monkey, Cookie A, Knitty
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, Autumn shades
Needles: Addi Turbos US1, 32" circular
Started: July-ish, 2007
Finished: September 26, 2007
Size: US 6.5-7
Modifications: Short-row heel and short-row toe

I literally finished these yesterday afternoon, slapped them on my feet, and went to work.

I've spent most of the morning (and early afternoon) putting stuff up on Ravelry. Damn, that's a cool site. I've got a lot more to add, but it can't all be done in one day, now can it?

WOOT!

I'm there! Look me up and add me to your friends!

My Ravelry name is myyarns.

My word, I can see what I'll be doing for, like, oh, the next few years.