Grab your knitting needles and come relax with me.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Bad bad Birdy
I know I have been baaaad...all knitting and no blogging.
Now I have three posts worth of knitting news and pics. I should spread it out over three posts. Maybe I'll just spread it over two. So stay tuned tomorrow for sock socks socks!
Today! Is WIP day.
I jumped my queue and started a swiffer cloth.
I have been on a eco binge and I am tired of throwing things away. Remember when we were kids (I am talking to the 30 year olds now), it was all about reduce, reuse, and recycle...now we have all sorts of things we are encourage to put in the trash. Swiffer cloths (both wet and dry), toilet bowl mops, handy wipes for the counter, dusters--I could go on and on. So on my eco list? More swiffer clothes and a shopping bag.
The pattern for the cloth is quite simple and I'll put it on the blog once its finished. It's too easy to even put it on a PDF.
I got the mojo for Lorelei's sock! So that has been plowing through full steam ahead.
Only thing that is stopping me now is the fact that I have been consumed by the swiffer cloth.
I have stalled on Lorelei's socks. Sigh. A design element is frustrating me and I am practising avoidance. Adolescence is alive and well, I know.
Problem is I might have to frog it and I don't want to. I need to make myself a new button: "Don't be afraid to RIIIPPPIT!!!" with a cute froggy or something.
Poot. But, my house is A LOT cleaner. Anne (bless her soul) and I have spent these past two days cleaning and scrubbing. And so: NO knitting. I was so tired last night I only managed a few rows on Lorelei's sock...maybe two rows.
Anne also has some lace that needs some surgery. I'll have her take pictures (perhaps EVEN a video) of the process and post it here.5:56 PM -- Email --
Link --
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Monday, February 18, 2008
Power Through!
I love this Celtic Tote--the cables are awesome, but darn it--I keep forgetting the supporting increases and decreases. The latest: I have to tink back because I forgot some big increases to start a closed cable. Not my favourite thing to do. So it's taking me forever because I keep putting it down. So, I chant to my self power through, power through!
And of course, what am I doing? Blogging instead of tinking.
Folks, I am nearly at the point where tearing my hair out, screaming and frogging the entire celtic tote sounds like a great idea. And it's not the pattern--it's just me and...argh!
First I had issues with the grafting on of the strap--did it like 5 times--twice before I went to bed last night. (It was stupid of me trying to graft after I spent the entire day getting sunburned at the rodeo) Now I can't seem to make a decent button hole.
So the tote is in time out.
And I am working on itty bitty lace. I ought to take a piccie. I am knitting a wedding garter for a friend on size 000 needles and tread (DMC Perl 12). Much more relaxing than a stupid button hole.
It took me 3 tries to make the button look half way decent but the hole is much much too small. Maybe I'll just make a snap.
What is really sad: I am just on the back of the bag--I still have the front and side/bottom thingy to do--of course the front doesn't have a button thingy.
I am knitting on the Celtic Tote (I am almost finished the back end--one row away from BO and the handles), Lorelei looks at me and screams: KNIT MY SOCK!
Argh! I don't think I've been able to remember to decrease when I am supposed to on my Celtic Tote. I got to the bind off part--and oops I forgot to decrease two rows before. THUNK THUNK--so I get to tink back!!
Woohoo!!
I was so disgusted with my self, I started Lorelei's Heart Socks today. Lorelei was so excited--are those for ME!?
Happy Valentine's y'all--my sweetie got me our traditional chocolate dipped strawberries--this time a beautiful bouquet of a dozen of them--that he helped make.
See the "B" and the bee?
Jamey always gets me something the night before on his way home and then leaves it for me the next morning so I get to wake up to this:
Amazingly the kids didn't get into any of it. They LOVE chocolate dipped strawberries and frequently decimate my stash before I can blink. Two years ago I woke up to this:
And sorry no finished pictures. I'll put some up after they finish blocking with all the specs. I have a few people that have volunteered to test knit adult and toddler sizes (these socks are child sized--I keep thinking my niece IS a toddler but she's not--if I had my way my kids and niece would be babies forever). So in the coming weeks the pattern will be available for sale...with all sorts of sizes toddler to adult.
I had five yards of yarn left (you didn't think there wouldn't be any pictures--I am not that cruel).
It's a lot more than I thought would be left--I was fully expecting to run out of yarn. And I certainly did not have enough yarn for ANY extra repeats. I am very happy with the sock--although I do need a break and will finish knitting the back side of the celtic tote.
CONTEST! If some one submits (in the comments) a rockin' name (that I actually use) for these socks you'll get the sock pattern for free. I am not naming the socks "Sweetheart Socks" as the name is already taken.
Sorry for the no Tuesday Tip. Maybe I'll make it a bi weekly thing (I am all out of tips--sad huh?) I have now knit two pairs of socks for other people and the socks i started my self to teach me to knit socks are still unfinished (almost done though).
In this case the elephant is the ever dwindling ball of yarn.
I am done with the heel and I have 4 more repeats of heart motif.
And that skein is ALL I have left for this sock. I've never tried completing a pair of sicks with one skein--all I did with the Neverending Sock was to knit until it was all gone--so the end of the skein was exciting--it meant the sock was almost finished. Now I am sweating bowling balls.
Here's more cute little pictures:
Not to worry right? Granted the yarn skein looks more substantial than it is--it's pretty hollow...
I am working the heel right now on the heart sock. I have officially become tired of these socks. Not sure if it's the frogging or the fact that sometimes I seem to knit so slow that I am knitting backwards.
In any case: woot! I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Although I am nervous about the amount of yarn left. We shall see.
I worked on the celtic tote last night--tinked back, fixed the mistake and now I am back to where I was before all the mess. I felt guilty that I was ignoring the sock so back to the sock. I may work on finishing the back of the tote after the socks are done, rather than jumping on the purple heart socks for Lorelei--just to give myself a sock break. I don't know if it's the pattern (you know the mind numbing sameness) or the pink that is chaffing me so.
I have a confession: I am beginning to wonder if there are sock knitting elves. Seriously, I am NOT joking. I swear I'll put down the socks at night disgusted because there is an issue or something and I just don't want to touch the thing. And when I go back to it--the mistake or whatever is GONE. It's happened a few times...and I am beginning to think about putting food out for my nice wee elves.
Yesterday when I collapsed on a sofa at the museum (while the kids explored the science tree house), I pulled out some knitting. First my heart sock since it is terribly late. I was only able to do a half round because I lost my special tooth pick cable holder. (It IS only a tooth pick, but it was sanded just right.) So I put the sock back and pulled out the celtic tote. I hadn't worked on it in a good two weeks (more sock love) and then I realised I had forgotten a decrease row two rows back. I was too exhausted to fix it (I told you I had collapsed on the couch.) In my knitting bag went the tote. LACE! I'll work on the swallowtail. Yeah for Birdy lace equals relaxation. I miss knitting with lace weight. I am hoping to get back to it soon. After all I knit all the socks I promised.
I still don't know how I am going to knit up Micci's tiger socks. Not sure what sort of heel and if I do a flap I need to decide on a gusset increase. Thank goodness I decided to do plain stockinette! Or I would be in another circle of hell trying to decide a stitch pattern.
I am still ignoring a small error in my gusset increase in this current sock. I am hoping the one row diff won't make a big diff...
I had a hard time coming up with a tip this week. So, I look around my knitting "station" and wondered what I always had on hand. My little notebook!
A lot of knitters favour sticky papers on their patterns. I tried those, but I kept losing them--especially since my knitting is mobile. (Actually lost my nieces foot measurements because I wrote them down on a post it.) However, a tenny note pad is perfect. It fits in your notion bag or in a pocket in your big knitting bag. Not only can you notate your row counts;
But you can also write down your knitting notes for upcoming projects or what have you...and of course the knitting bunnies get written down here as well.
I also use a 1/2 inch three ring binder for my knitting journal. I really explore my knitting bunnies there, as well as patterns I plan to do in the near future. I have a folder with those prongy things (what are they called again?) for current project patterns.
(Isn't my new pen a scream? I got the "syringe" pen from the Witte Museum gift shop today and it's SO neat! And it even writes in red ink. I got one for my combat medic brother as well.)
I am feeling as dull as a butter knife. I was trying to come up with product descriptions for things in my shop. Nadda...but it did remind me I needed to get some dimensions written up.
I also need to come up with a Tuesday Tip. Not feeling particularly clever on that count either.
So I am knitting on this sock (guess which one) because it's late, very very late.
Well, Wednesday I checked the mail and I found a PACKAGE! My Opal Rainforest yarn in Tiger had come in! It's so wonderful and I can't wait to start these socks for Micci.
Now my conundrum...good girl or naughty girl. Lorelei's socks are next in line--it means knitting the same socks--albeit in a smaller size. I am SO tempted to skip these and start on the Tiger socks. I already know I am going to do a plain stockinette sock...what I don't know is heel construction. Short row or one of the fun sock-tectures from Cat.
I JUST started the arch increases on the second Heart Sock...(yes a bit slow--we were doing errands on Thursday)...so I have plenty of time yet to think.
I know if I do go onto Lorelei's heart sock--it'll give me a chance to proof the pattern for smaller sizes. And because it's smaller--it shouldn't take long.
I am looking forward also to a sock break--I might take a day or two to knit OTHER things besides socks after these pink socks are done. I am also dreaming of a pretty liner for the Celtic Tote--hmmm blue or green...
