Grab your knitting needles and come relax with me.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A Bit Stretched...
I've not been feeling the knitting lately--basically going through the motions. I am rushing to finish up my Super Secret Projects. I also have a few days till we leave for vacation. We'll be in Virginia for two weeks--posting here will definitely be spotty, at best.
Like I said, I am feeling stretched. I think it's a collusion of things. Family fun stuff (not the one I made, but the one I was put into) mainly--with other stresses sprinkled in. So I found something to put myself in a better mood. While it DID put me in a grand (grand) mood, I was tethered to the couch for a bit.
I chronicled my tethering (smirk) on The other Blog. Really I don't want to have to re-write the post here as well--so go!!
I finally finished one of Micci's socks. Only took a few months--sigh.
I had a lot of questions about how I do my stretchy bind off. I used Peggy's Stretchy Bind Off. But a lot of people were confused about the half hitch loop. So I took pictures of the process. (Some are blurry, I apologise.)
With your right thumb loops yarn as shown, tail in your hand.
Slip working needle into the loop on your thumb from the bottom.
Slip thumb out of loop, leaving loop on the needle.
Pull the yarn by the tail.
Pull tight.
All done! There's the half hitch loop.
In any case this is the bind off I used in my knee high socks. Works like a treat.
This is something I can not fix. I tried to fix it--I started out with two less stitches than I was supposed to have--and it just opened up a can of words. I am not sure what I did. So I must tink...all the way down to that 3rd nub. I am NOT looking forward to this. I figured out how to fix lace mistakes so I wouldn't have to tink, but sometimes...it must be done.
It's too late tonight to tink tonight, so I'll have to do it tomorrow.
Sigh.
I am also goign through some knitting blahs...and this is definitely NOT helping.
One of my good knitting friends, Brenda dropped me a line last night, telling me that my swiffer cloths was mentioned on a podcast on Sunday. Moi? Little ol' me? (I have to say that Brenda did email me as soon as she heard it and some how that email either didn't get to me or my brain lost it--it's been known to happen! So she emailed me again about it last night).
Any hoo the pod cast is here, at Knitting at Night episode 35 (corresponding blog with links). Sweet sweet Casey lovingly mentioned them toward the end of the podcast.
This was actually the first time I ever listened to a podcast and I have to thank Brenda and Casey for potentially starting a new obsession. While listening to the podcast I found my self wondering...hmmm, could I do one too? Nah...actually I hate my speaking voice and I would be worried about my speech fluency--lately it's been really bothering me. AND REALLY do I need one more thing on my plate?? I _don't_think_so.
I am chucking away at the Swallowtail shawl--about thirty more rows left--woot!! I am tired of it being a work in progress (WIP) and I have to admit I am using it to procrastinate a certain super secret project.
Today I also worked on a video for some lace surgery. Sadly my heart wasn't really in to it and consequently my head wasn't there either. The repair is on a very lacy bit, so it's gonna take more brain cells than I had available today.
Here's to brain cells speaking to each other tomorrow!!
I've been feeling pretty blah and tired these past few days. But I did manage to knit a bit. Not much though, however I do have lot's of pictures: go figure!
I got myself another knitting bag. Like my husband said, I don't need another one, but I saw it and it was pretty. I didn't think I'd be able to find another one like it again. Grin.
I got lot's more done on the scarf...well...a few rows at least. I also have enough know to show y'all the scale pattern I am knitting on the flip side.
I really love the color and the pattern. This scarf really is teaching me the loveliness of stockinette. I am now looking forward to the straight knit bits rather than the pattern.
And it's so utterly soft.
Anne dropped off her Dem Fischer again...she needs my lace surgery skills once again.
From how she went on I thought it was a huge mistake. But it's very small. An easy fix.
I could repair it now in five minutes, but I want to try doing another lace surgery video so tomorrow I am going to work on both.
I've been feeling pretty sucky for a few days. I haven't been sleeping right...going to bed very late and waking up very late. It had me very drained. Even so, going to bed at a "decent" hour was incredibly hard. I tossed and turned for over an hour and a half. But managed to drag my arse out of bed before 9 am.
Look at all the sock progress! Courtesy of my sister Kim. Every so often she'll tag along to a knitting group or beg me for some knitting during a Silver Stars game. She's a knitter, but not a Knitter--ya know obsessed. She's made quite a bit of progress. But.
Yes there is a "but" because this is Birdy's blog--and Birdy is short for Birdwell and Birdwell is anal--especially about things she makes.
Can YOU tell what is driving me mad?
Yes, gauge. As I told you last post. I am a tight sock knitter and well Kim is not. It's not that big of a difference. But it is bothering me. And I want to tear out that inch that Kim knit. (She incidentally knit that inch quite quickly--which is totally unfair).
Yeah, I have been incommunicado this week. I took a lot of knitting pictures, but kept them hostage in the camera. I wanted to just take one_more_picture. So I have several different subjects today.
Last Monday (gee the last time I blogged), I helped Anne cast on her toe up socks. Judy's Magic Cast On can be finicky for average fingers, but when one has RA--it can be nearly impossible. I knit the toe, increases and all and handed it off to her once the straight knitting started. I am a tight sock knitter and so the toes were very much cast iron toes. She couldn't poke her needle through my toes, but she could once she had knitted enough. Grin.
I just love the color.
I also started my crayzee scarf inspired by Amy Singer from Knitty. She's started hers back in the beginning of the year and I am sure you remember me ranting about how crazy she was and how if I ever even expressed interest in doing it too--to make sure my husband carted me off to the looney bin. Well...I went off the deep end and started one of my own. (Although I didn't stash dive, but had to BUY some new lace weight)
It's so beautiful. I found the yarn, Claudia's Hand Painted Silk Lace) at Hill Country Weavers. And it inspired me to move past pure stockinette and do a solid pattern on one side. The dark teal just screams scales, so I modified a dragon scale pattern for the other side of the scarf. So one side stockinette, with two faux seams (p1, k1, p1) and the dragon scale. It's maddening.
I love it. Yep that's a penny. And I am about an inch into it now. I hope to show you the other patterned side once I get some more repeats of the dragon scale.
Yes, this is meant to be a long term project.
Speaking of which--I started knitting on the Swallowtail shawl again.
I have finished the main bud pattern and am working my way through the first lily of the valley edge border. I must say I am loving the nupps.
Yes, it does look a bit like cat sick, but once it's finished and blocked--it'll be exquisite. And I am not sure who the recipient is going to be...
I am still working on several projects I am not at liberty to discuss---which probably explains my bloggy silence. I kept some knitting updates under my belt so I can blog again tomorrow with something fresh...grin.
