Grab your knitting needles and come relax with me.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Nearly Done
I finished one of Jamey's mitts.
It's HUGE compared to my little mitt! I feel freakingly small (which I am-I wear size 4.5 rings). But I had him try it on and it fits great. I think the pattern is done. I just need to upload it. It's a real fun pattern--I am on my third pair of mitts (yeah I am working on two pairs at the same time).
I found my missing Christmas stockings. One unfortunately had a hole in it. (Sorry Mom! She handknit all of them for us. Mien is decades old and the others well obviously they are fairly recent). I was able to fix it. Because I have most of my mom's stash, I had the yarn to match and I think I fixed it pretty well. The repair is barely noticeable.
Of course, all that matters is that the stocking can hold all the goodies. ;-)
Here's all the stockings my mom made for all of us.
In order: Micci's, Mine, Jamey's and Lorelei's stockings. This year I also finally bought a cute santa with his reindeer stockings holders--much better than nails in the mantle.
I am hopeful, perhaps delusional, that I will be able to finish the second mitt for Jamey. Grin, I haven't started the cables yet and I still need to tidy up the living room.
I hope y'all (those who care) have a wonderful Yule, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day AND St. Stephen's Day (be sure to give some money for the wrens).
Based on all the input I received I have decided on a name.
Ring 'Round the Rowses
It's a play on one of my favourite (and gruesome) childhood rhyming games. Jamey's concerned that the name isn't gender neutral enough for these gender neutral mitts.
What do you think??
Pattern should be ready very soon. Tomorrow I should throw it to a test knitter and before Christmas, I'll have a pattern for y'all.
Okay, even after asking my huge group of internet knitting buddies, I still haven't found a name for my mitts that sing to me. I am probably overthinking it--I have my own name issues, so it's not surprising.
So far the list is thus: Twiggy Stones Dashing Pathways Whispers Grey Snap Ribbon Rose (rib and rows said together fast) Ribs and Rings
Eh--when I look at them I see chains--and like Fran said they also look medieval to me. Hmmm, maybe I should look in my Tennyson or Frost poetry for some more inspiration. I do like Pathways and Ribbon Rose.
It was supposed to start warming up today, but it's nearly 4 and I am still wearing my mitts. I am almost done translating my notes into a pattern and will soon toss out a few for test knitting in various sizes. These mitts to wear tight--they leave indents on my hands, but then again I like that. Is that bad? I could also put a note that increasing the needle size a number or so should ease the snugness factor.
I was able to get these done in two days. Woot--just in time for the cold snap. Monday, I wore one while I worked knitting up the other. Nice and toasty. I only had one 50 ball gram of wool and it really came down to the wire whether I would have enough yarn to complete the pair. While we were out on Monday, I picked up an extra ball of wool (not the same yarn but a complementary colour), just in case. Luckily I have 2 or so feet left...I was so worried, I couldn't go to bed until I had either used up all the yarn or finished the mitt.
I am really pleased at how these came out. Elegant, yet gender nuetral and easy peasy.
Jamey wants a pair too. It'll take just a few days to finish them for his Christmas present. I also picked him up some dark blue wool for his pair.
But, I am at a loss for a name for these mitts. Any ideas would be much appreciated. Give me a few days to finish writing up the pattern. This is a real fun knit.
Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to plummet, so I am furiously trying to finish mitts I started early this afternoon. I am hoping to finish at least one by tomorrow. I figure ONE will keep my hand warm while I work on the other one. Grin.
Our "cold" snap will stick around for two days warming up on Wednesday till we are supposed to have a high of 80 on Thursday. Yes, this is early winter in San Antonio: we are teased with cold and then warmth. So I can easily be wearing shorts in the afternoon and a bulky sweater and sweats in the night. Fun fun FUN.
I am a bit worried I won't have enough yarn: I am using yarn I got from October's Bobbin' for Yarn Potluck...I have one ball. It's really pretty. Splooshes of purple, grey, blue and red.
I have a vague idea of what I am doing: I started out with a rolled wrist edge and then I started a 2x2 which I think will grow into cables. Hopefully I can take pictures tomorrow. (I am having issues with uploading pictures from my camera.)
I did succumb to the Knitting Bunny and am a good 5 inches into my Twilight Scarf: it's very mossy and purty. I would show pictures but...see above. Yeah, stupid technology.
Apparently my uploader basey thing just needed a time out, now (2 days later) it works just fine.
So when I am not tagging and meme-ing, I am knitting. Since it's the Holidays, folks have ACTUALLY been buying stuff from my little Birdy's Knits booth, so I am trying to crank out more swiffer cloths. Trying to-is the key--I knit so slow--most folks can knock one of these out in a few hours: me...I am on day 2 or is that 3.
And my Twilight yarn is staring at me...and it's knitting bunny is chomping on my grey matter. It wants, NEEDS to be put to needles. I am thinking a long scarf (if I have enough yarn), in a vine type pattern. I am not sure if I'll do a border....not sure of I have enough yarn for one.
I want to start some of the lace in my new birthday books, but I have other projects yelling at me. Hmm. I need 6 more hands.
I'e been Tagged! with a Meme by @knittybob, you can find her list here.
Tag Rules:
~ Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog. ~ Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. ~ Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their name as well as links to their blog. ~ Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
I may know 7 people with blogs well enough so they won't hit me in the face if I tag them...let's see.
Anyhoo here goes mine:
1. Although my prior history indicates a blond haired blued male preference, lately, I am all about the wildly brown haired and brown eyed. Go figure. My theory? I already have the two genetic specimens I wanted....so I am...I don't know what I am doing. I am Birdwell--that should explain it.
2. Today I bought new lipstick and I LURVE it. Well I bought 3 lipsticks--I love two of them. Lipstick buying is always a crap shoot.
3. My daughter looks like a David Cassidy from the Partridge Family. It works for her.
4. Weird weird...hmmm...I am afraid of writing fiction because once (or twice--okay A LOT of things) what I wrote came to pass. So now I am freaked out AND insane! And a little afraid of a lawsuit.
5. I giggle A LOT at my own inside jokes and it drives my husband crazy.
6. I believe the secret to a happy marriage is TWO separate sleeping blankets. No fighting over one big blanket all night=less marital discord.
7. I don't have a foot fetish, BUT I happen to think my feet are uncommonly cute. Unfortunately I did not marry a foot man--I married a "eeewww feet get those away from my face!" kind of guy.
Okay that is my random burst of randomness.
Edit to add: Oops I forgot to tag! Okay: Michelle, Quimby, Tami, Brenda, Terri, Robyn, and Enid YOU are it! Please don't hit me...
I've gotten so many packages this week, my son has become very jealous. I got my Secret Santa presents from my various knit lists. My birthday presents. And then Jamey got a package too (his 10 year gift from his work).
First on the table: Birthday. I picked these lovelies from Knit Picks (gift card from the 'rents).
I can't wait to dig into these pattern books and yarn!!
This came yesterday from my Father.
Now Secret Santa loot! I participated in two this year. First up my loot from my Lone Star State Knitter sister, Caroline.
A "B" pillow for my back! She had meant to get me some of that purple yarn I couldn't resist at kid N Ewe--but I was naughty and bought it. Grin. The soap is Lavender, one of my favourite scents (lilac being the other). Chocolate--well that's a given...suprisingly, it not all gone yet. hee hee.
Next up: Laurel from my ravelry group, Alamo City Knitters.
That yarn? Her very own silk and merino handspun! Wow, I am naming it Twilight. It reminds me of the colours in the rain forests of Washington. Here's a close up.
Now, I am giving this to my secret santa. Shhh, don't tell her.
I finally finished ONE of the skinny scarves.
It is entirely too cold today. My hands are freezing...and me without fingerless mitts. I think I'll be casting on for some as soon as I finish blogging. My hands are freezing--little ice pops. I think our heater is from Canada and is telling us to fuck off because this cold is NOTHING compared to the winters up there. Suck it up! Grin. Gotta find myself a stitch pattern to use...
But ya know--I start a pair of mitts AND it WILL be 80 degrees. Actually yesterday it WAS 80 degrees and a few hours later snow was falling from the sky (didn't stick of course). But hey, it WILL be cold again.
Well, my Super Secret Project is finished!! Well see in the Spring what becomes of it...
It went much faster toward the end than I thought it would be--I didn't have to do any all nighters...woot! As soon as I was done: I promptly started knitting on the Snow Flurry Blanket and the Crayzee Scarf. After a month of knitting monogamy, I am looking forward to being a Knitting Slut. Grin. I had so much knitting planned this month--when I was actually free to knit something different.
I have been day dreaming of designs for that luscious skein of bison fiber I bought at Kid 'n Ewe. Then some arm warmers from the rose yarn I bought just last week...and a shield themed scarf/stole with the Handmaiden. I also been toying with the idea of making Micci a shoulder bag for his Bakugan.
After my latest trip to the yarn shops I decided I need to lay off the yarn buying. It's not really the wallet--it's the fact that I have a sizable stash and it's waiting for me to turn it into something glorious. I have hanks of silk, laceweight, and sock yarn that is crying out to me: make me into something?! Make me BEAUTIFUL! I have to resist the siren call of laceweight and silk...and stop buying more pretties until I knit up my current pretties.
