Grab your knitting needles and come relax with me.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Knitting for Nerves
Last night I was very tense and anxious. (Don't ask me why--and now I can't blame hormones). My neck was incredibly tense. All I wanted was to relax. For me: the prescription is to knit with some lace weight (weird, yes, but for some reason it makes me relax). The kicker? Could_not_find_it! WTF!?
So I dig out my I-Pod from purse (and wash off all the chocolate that has somehow found their way all over the darn thing--doot doot!) and listen to some Joshua Tree. The GOOD stuff. But I really need my lace.
My neck is still incredibly sore. Oh well.
Yesterday, the kids and I spent the day with Anne (at her house) and then went to our weekly knit meet up at Starbucks (and dinner elsewhere). I bribed the kids with milk shakes and chocolate milk.
It worked. Mostly.
We had a nice time talking and knitting. It was hot sure, but there was a nice breeze. I got to work on both my super secret projects. I am still not totally sure where they will go, but that are both chucking along. And they are admired.
Although, I am pretty sure that THIS might be why I had a head ache.
Both kids were less than stellar at the restaurant. I left a good tip at least.
My neck is still killing me and after I publish this post I am going to try to knit away the stress (I did find my lace--yip yip!).
On some blog related business: thank y'all for commenting in regards to my various questions and queries. Very helpful and makes me feel read. ;-)
Question my dear readers, I am presuming all y'all knit (if you don't wow thanks for reading and ignore this question). It's summer and here in San Antonio we have unofficially hit a hundred degrees already and it's been in the nineties for a while now. Are you still knitting.
I was at my Stitch and Bitch yesterday and every one (okay two folks but it was half the group--me and Phisto being the other half) weren't knitting and said lately they didn't feel like knitting because it was SO HOT!!
Huh?
Not_knitting_because_it_was_hot. I am not shocked at not knitting in the heat--I understand the idea, but well not the practise. I told them, "Really? I can't NOT knit. I knit all the time, in fact the last thoughts of mine before falling asleep IS knitting. If I am not knitting I am thinking about knitting (so much so that I have to GO back to knitting--esp. when it keeps me up and night)."
So folks--how many are still knitting and how many are as obsessed as I am and knows that someone will have to pry my knitting needles from my cold dead hands.
Completely unrelated to the question BUT related to the fact that we went to SnB: after the SnB ended (it was short)--we went to the ice cream shop (homemade gelato--YUM) and who should I see on the couch? A knitter and I recognised her from Ravelry (I run the San Antonio group and and try to welcome everyone personally and have been known to hunt the San Antonians down making sure they know about the group-got over a 140 knitters woot!). I exclaimed, "I know you! You're on Ravlery and I am Birdy!" (See famouz in my own head!) So Phisto and I had another (impromptu) knit meet up, for about an hour. It was a great way to end the evening. (Well for me...P. met someone one the way out and her own brand of fun ;-) )
Jamey had me in suspense last night--trying to surprise me--told me this was better than yarn.
Kodak EasyShare M753, with 7.0 megapixel and 3x optical zoom. And no optical view finder.
See:
I have been taking a lot of pics of the kids today at the pool. It fun and easy to operate a vast improvement over my old Kodak EasyShare C300. It's very trim too.
Here's a comparison of pictures too.
Old Camera (Jamey's actually his Fuji):
New Camera (NO editing-can't remember what editing I used with the Fuji):
I think this will give us better stitch definition when we take pictures of my patterns and such. Better for blog and for patterns.3:13 PM -- Email --
Link --
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Thursday, May 22, 2008
A plea and a tempation
Sorry I have been out of pocket. Life got super busy there.
The Samara Scarf has entered an ugly phase and I am not so sure about it.
Okay it looks pretty here...lot's of purples, and mauves.
Not so bad...the green adds some interest. But then...
A BRUISE!!! It would be different if there wasn't such a big expanse of pretty purple-ness. But the colour change is too shocking after so much soothing colours.
Am I nuts? What do y'all think? Does it work? I am very tempted to tear out the bruise colours and cut it out, continuing with the purple.
In other news:
I got attacked by a new knitting bunny and it's going to be a Super Secret Project. So no pictures, just lot's of hints and I am sure grumping and groaning (right now it's all about the wedge of EVIL!). Hmm let's call it Super Secret Project 3. It's going to be entered for submission somewhere--just haven't decided where yet. And it's going to be a gift.
Reading my knitting blogs I came across the most fantastic knitting accessory ever. Growing up Mormon, we are drilled in emergency preparedness--we take the Boy Scout code very seriously. We have 72 hour kits (for evacuations), food and water storage (the goal is a year's worth), and so on. Bad things happened: BE PREPARED! I myself have laid awake nights what I will do in case of a fire: how to save both my children and my yarn and not come off looking like a putz. But, this idea is just right up my alley! I really want to get it--but what I really need to do is convince that I need another knitting bag. (Someone buy a pattern so I can justify my knitting existence!!)
Last night we moved our weekly informal (it's started out as a cry for company and now it's a week;y thing) knit meet up to Anne's house. Quite lovely. We talked and cooked/chopped/snuck pieces of food more the knitted, but we got a few rows in I think. And it's the companionship that's important--not the actually knitting, right?
This weekend was awesome and exhausting. We had our monthly pot luck. Everyone admired my socks and new Rav shirt and I even sold some stitch markers! The food was great and the gabbing was terrific. So awesome in fact that no one noticed when the clock struck midnight, then 1 am then---we finally noticed at nearly 2 am the time. Thankfully, Anne and I only had a short drive home, the other live across town. I took just a few pictures...lot's of incriminating pictures with a certain fervently childless knitter who seemed to be quite taken with a certain baby.
I was exhausted because well I didn't get home till 2 am and the kids were still UP! I put them to bed and then I went to bed, but they did not stay in bed. Sigh. So I was up at 7 am, when the kids got really loud because after all the sun was up! So I stayed on the couch in semi comatose state.
And if you peeked in here and read my twitters, I cooked my very first pot roast in my new crock pot (which I learned later was not the first time...I made it YEARS ago--but really if I can't remember the first time--then it doesn't count, does it?). It came out awesome! I cooked the meat and potatoes, carrots and onions with some merlot, garlic, salt and pepper, Quimby's pepper mix, fresh thyme and tarragon. I had to eat it by my self because Jamey had to work late--but it worked for him to when he came home.
This weekend I worked on the Samara scarf. Got raves for my super secret project. And frogged and re-knitted a wrap I am knitting with that blue mohair with silver bits in it yarn. And of course worked on the tiger sock some more (it's an awesome chat with the girls about all sorts of inappropriate things project).
I really want to start the design work on my Spring Stole. So far I have a sketch in my mind and now I need to translate that to charts and to yarn. BUT, I need to finish the Swallowtail Shawl, to free up my lace needles. Of course I could just move my stagnating MS3 to a holder (or fix it and finish it!)
Front end knitting right now is pretty boring. I am still knitting on the scarf and tiger socks. But they are both boring to look at...the scarf has grown a foot. Well no--that's not true...I am really enjoying the tiger socks. Watching the new colors that grow under my fingers is just fun to watch.
So pretty and I can't decide which side I love the most (which is important once I start turning the heel).
And yet, there is a sweet spot on this side of the sock, that just thrills me (Yes I am easily amused). Isn't it neat? Yeah I thought so, just me.
Oh and most importantly: the Ravlery merchandise I ordered Saturday came in the mail yesterday. Woot!!
It fits beautifully and I can't wait to wear it to the Knitting Potluck tomorrow. It's even nice and long (perfect for my long torso)...no belly shots!
And a wee pin for my knitting bag: the Ravelry logo. It's so cute! It's about the size of a dime.
And I had intended this to be a photo free post--haha! I also got a decent picture (finally) of the lace stitch markers that have become popular among my customers.
Because of Jamey, I have definitely become a stitch marker girl. I am finding so many uses for them. I am using the dual use ones to mark the placement of random _____ and ____ in my super secret pattern. I even used the extra large size lace markers for the tulip blanket.
Jamey brought home some beads on Sunday that we had been looking at a few days before (Beading 2 Go had a half off sale). I have settled on some yarn/beads pairing and I am excited to start something.
First, there is the Friendship Shawl. It's from Alison Hyde's new book, she calls it Michelle. It's called friendship because there's going to be three of us--one of whom lives in Australia--will be knitting on this. (I do need to see if everyone else is ready--heck I need to get some needles free!)
Then there's a brand new bunny that's been sparking in my brain. I am seeing perhaps a faroese-style shawl...with a leaf panel down the back in this yarn/bead combination.
Funny--while the yarn color was a bit washed out--the beads look perfect--although the smokey grey ones are a bit more light--esp one on one.
So between this brand new shawl bunny and the new sock bunny--there's bunnies everywhere.
I am glad I am not alone, both Wendy B. and Stephanie are going through clutter problems. I do keep a messy house because (like Stephanie) I'd rather be knitting. But it really does bother me, I feel heavy with all this clutter. Thankfully, the dreams (like Wendy) haven't started yet. But I have had the ol' you are back in school panicking because not only did you forget that you should have been going to English class all semester, but you have NO idea where that class is held!
It's hard: clutter makes it hard to be creative, so I should roll up my sleeves and get dirty, HOWEVER I still have that spark of creativity that needs to be nourished.
Oh and after my rare Tuesday knit night: I've got a new knitting bunny in the form of a new knee high sock! I have got to start nurturing them. The knit night was fun: met a new knitter and got more acquainted with another. Although if you read the twitter to the side there: I had horrible OLD cheesecake. Shudder, it was hard/gummy and tasted like the freezer.
Tomorrow I will be doing some babysitting--I am hoping to do some tidying--namely laundry. Then another knit meet up (this week is raining meet up opportunities!)
I've been in a mood--since yesterday. I blame stress, my cycle, and aggravating words from a "friend." I vegged on Mother's Day--I wasn't even up to knitting. I forced my self to knit two rows on the swallowtail shawl. I have been neglecting that shawl shockingly.
Pfft.
This morning I decided to finally join Twitter [see red box on the side bar] (makes sense--I always have some silly small thing to say--why not broadcast that too). I may get a cell phone soon (yes I know one of the few people left in the free world to get one) and it'll be fun to blog from my cellphone.
A. and I took the kids to the Witte Museum--her son in law came too--so we got some knitting time in while he chased the kids. I am looking forward to some quiet knitting tonight. cross your fingers for me
We did stop by the Yarn Barn--eh, I am reserving finally judgment until they move to the new location this summer. I like the increased floor space, not crazy with the pattern storage (hidden away in binders) and yarn selection I am hoping will improve at the new locale, which will be on San Pedro, near Jackson Keller--it's going to take over a day care.
The Tulip Blanket was finished on Wednesday and has made its way to the B&M shop.
It was a fun knit and I am sure faster knitters (most every one knitter besides me) it can be done in just a few days....took me three weeks of non-monogamous knitting (which probably explains me knitting so slow ;-) ).
Details- Pattern: Lacy Tulip Blanket Yarn: Three Skeins Yarn Bee Angel Fleece. Needle: US size 15 circulars Size: About 36 inches square
I used just under three skeins and even had enough to almost knit an entire baby hat. I forgot to take a picture of it today...I'll update this post with it tomorrow (hopefully). Lookee a picture!
I have a love/hate relationship with Ravelry. It's always opened in a tab on my browser. It's easy and fun to find patterns for yarns I buy, see what others have done, keep track of my projects, and my patterns. And then there's the community....whoa...it's great. But then again, sometimes I can't sleep because of a post I want to write in a forum that I know won't be as articulate as I would like and won't be received well because for some reason every vocal person on it tends to be an ultra liberal socialist that thinks stripping is empowering to women and think USA sucks hairy goat balls. (Oops I am going off on a tangent--FULL STOP). Most times: a pattern will hook me and I will want to start it right now, but I can't; I got Knitting Bunnies chomping on my grey matter.
Right now the is one particular pattern that is my siren: Isobel (Rav link) (non Rav link). Happens to be the yarn I have and it looks lovely! I don't think my super secret idea will work with the Debbie Bliss silk I bought. So enter Isobel!
I am almost done with the Lacy Tulip Blanket. A reward? Thunk. I still have the lacy skinny scarves to finish up for the shop. And the knitting bunnies have to be dealt with...I keep putting them off...soon instead of me blogging you'll have fully formed knitting bunnies with blood dripping from their mouths (a la Monty Python) rampaging the blogosphere.
Okay back to the blanket--this baby needs to be finished! I am almost there.
It's May! And I am a bad knit blogger. Sorry 'bout that. This week was one of those weeks were I had stuff going on every single day and no time to sit down and write any thing. But I did get to knit.
I am about half way done with the Lacey Tulip Blanket.
However, I still have a ways to go in the scarf department. But it is progressing...
These are at a foot now...if I match them to my orginal scarf--I have 5 more feet to go. And of course detail shots--this is a really really simple pattern--easy to memorise.
This week I also had time to knit the tiger sock-this particular shot was taken at the zoo! Very apropos--next time though I will take a picture of it in front of the tiger enclosure.
I had to do some pattern re-writing/editing for a friend who loves designing but hates actually writing out the pattern. Totally understandable. I would much rather watch the design in my head grow under my finger tips than write out the pattern itself (it's fraught with headache and anxiety--what if it makes no sense to any one but me!?! What if it's riddled with errors?). But it's part of being a designer really....you just gotta do it. While I complain about how slow I knit and how many Knitting Bunnies I have yet to knit up, it's been suggested I just write the pattern and hand it over to a test knitter. But then I won't get the treat of knitting up my creation. It might be more productive, but no fun and if I am not going to have fun well I might as well get an office job if my goal is to make money but have no fun. And to further summarize: I am a terrific friend.
I am hoping to treat myself after I finish the scarves and blanket for the shop, with some design time. Especially since in about a month we are going to Virginia, design time would be a rare find.
On Row 23 instead of end k5; it ought to read ending rep. with k6.
I also clarified some little things in the pattern. This has been cleared up as of May 1, but if you have a pattern that does not say Updated May 1, 2008 on the lower left corner, please contact me for a download if you are finding the original pattern...un-clarified.
