WIP Wednesday

I might as well call this WIP May, since I seem to be posting so infrequently these days. I'm still alive, and kicking. I'm still wwwwaaaaaaaay behind in my blog reading, although I have made the decision that I'm going to just catch up on my very favorite blogs. A few Internet friends who I really enjoy reading like Laura and Minnie and a handful others, plus more famous blogs like the Harlot and Pioneer Woman. Then I'm going to wipe my Bloglines clean and start over.

As for my knitting - I've finished Hey, Teach with the exception of buttons. It took me, oh 3 weeks to find some buttons I liked with it, but I have yet to sew them on. I also have no photos of it. I hope to remedy that tomorrow.

I'm working on yet another pair of Trekking Socks, nearly finished. I also cast on last weekend for the Pleat Neck Top from the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Knit Simple. I'm using Bebe Cotsoy, and I love it!

Those are my two active projects right now. I have several hibernating, and I need to just bite the bullet and finish them up.

I did pull out my spinning wheel last weekend, and I spun a lot Monday night, and plan to some more tonight. I am leaving for Yarn School tomorrow, and can't wait! Tonight I'm going to figure out what fiber I want to take with me, although I know they'll give us tons there. I'm taking my camera, so when I get back I'll post lots of pics!

Conversation overheard:

Between Monkeyboy (6 yrs)& Sweetpea (3 yrs), after Sweetpea's first overnight visit to Grandma's new house:

Mommy - S, where did you sleep at Grandma's?
Sweetpea - Well, I slept in my bedroom!
Mommy - Your bedroom? You weren't at home, you were at Grandma's!
S - Well, I slept in my bedroom at Gramma's!
Monkeyboy - You have a bedroom at Gramma's?
S - Well, yes! I have a bed and K's [cousin] bed is next to mine, and your bed is next to the window so you can see when it's wake up time!
M - What window?
S - Well, the window that is by your bed!!
M - Wait. S. What. Exactly. Are-you-talking-about??

They crack me up.

Time Flies...

...And all that. I was just wishing today I could figure out how to clone myself. If there were more of me, I would have one clone work and provide income. Another would cook, clean house, and take care of the flower beds. A third would study for the CPA exams (a full time job in itself), and I would knit, quilt, design, hang out with family and friends, blog, and occasionally cook and garden. Oh, and I would probably bake sourdough bread a lot.

Anyway, I just realized it's been about 3 weeks since I last blogged. I'm very busy at work and home now, plus I've been sucked into MafiaWars on Facebook. I've lost track of how long I've been playing it (3-4 weeks maybe?), and I'm an Enforcer at Level 38. I have several friends who are at level 100 and above. If you are on facebook and play, let me know - I'll join your family if you join mine ;)

I've been spending a lot of time on facebook lately because my 20 year high school reunion is coming up, and that seems to be the place where everyone is reconnecting. The people I'm "friending" seem to all be from elementary and high school. It's fun catching up with some of them after all these years. I didn't stay in touch with hardly any people I went to school with, and I'm starting to look forward to this reunion more than dread it :) Facebook has become a big time-suck for me, almost as much as Ravelry. I'm also on Twitter and Plurk, but I rarely login. The un-read blog posts in my Bloglines list is through the roof - but I can't wipe them out b/c I might miss something really really important, LOL!

On the knitting front, I have finished my Hey Teach! I looked all over Tulsa Saturday, and cannot find buttons I like with it. I'm reluctant to order any online, since color and fit are important factors here. The yarn is really a strange color. I used Lion Brand Cotton Ease, in Taupe, although its really more of a mushroom color. The only buttons I semi-liked with it were at Hancocks, and were the wrong size. I think I'll wait a couple of weeks, and see if they get them in a different size. If not, I'll start considering other options.

I've also finished (a long time ago) a Yorick for BHE. Well, finished except for felting it. I have 2 pair of socks in progress, one in Cascade Fixation, and the other in Trekking. The ladybug cardigan and the black cropped cardigan have been on hold forever.

I've also been trying to get my yarn stash in Ravelry, but so far have just entered a few, and not taken photos at all. I'm waiting for a good-light day on a weekend. So far, I've barely touched the tip of the iceberg.

OK, enough rambling for now. I really will try to blog more often, but it may be more life related and not 100% knitting. Ravelry has stolen a lot of my blogging mojo, but I do want to keep this one up.

FO Report: Cosima

Pattern: Cosima from Berroco Booklet #281

Yarn: Elann Superwash Chunky, Merlot (can't find the yarn on Elann's website to link, so this link is to Ravelry)

Needles: US size 7 / 4.5 mm & US size 9 / 5.5 mm

Started: December 27, 2008

Finished: March 6, 2008

Modifications: The only things I really did differently were the cast on and bind off. I really like the Kitchener cast on and bind off. I think they give a really professional look to the garment. I did a little bit of work swapping knit and purl stitch positions to switch from 2x2 rib to 1x1. If any one wants detailed instructions on that, I'd be happy to oblige. The bind off did take quite a bit longer than a normal bind off, because basically you are Kitchenering 168 stitches to each other. In the end I think it was well worth the extra time and effort.

The yarn was a little splitty to work with, but I didn't have any problems since my needle tips are so sharp. It really didn't take that long to knit, but I procrastinated on the seaming. I typically do sweaters in the round that require very little seaming, but am becoming a big fan of Norah Gaughan's work (I'm not sure if this is her design or not), so I followed the pattern, with the exception of the cast on and bind off.

Also, washing and blocking really improved my love for this one. I washed it on delicate with Eucalan, and laid it out flat to dry. It dried quickly, and the fiber really relaxed. I was afraid it would be a little too tight, but after washing and blocking, it fits perfectly!

FO Report: Trekking 52 socks

Pattern: my own basic toe up sock pattern that I use over and over and over again

Yarn: Trekking XXL, color 52

Needles: US size 1 1/2, 2.5mm

Started: February 9, 2009

Finished: March 14, 2009

Modifications: How do I modify my own pattern? Seriously? Ok, the only thing I did semi-differently this time was use and Eye of Partridge heel (which I love on these socks!!), and I tried a Kitchener bind off for the cuff. Once it's on and stretched out, it doesn't really look and different or feel any stretchier than any other bind off I've tried. I might like the looks of it better in a solid yarn, or near solid, so I'm not going to rule it out completely. I did use it on the neckline of my Cosima (FO post to follow in a couple of days), and I LOVE it on the Cosima!!!

WIP Wednesday

Sorry for the pictureless post, but if I keep putting this off until I take the pictures, it may be weeks before it gets posted.

What am I working on? I cast on last week for Hey Teach, and have finished the back and half of the left front. I'm using Cotton-Ease in taupe, but someone I work with referred to it as mushroom, and I think that is really a better name for the color.

Last week I finished Cosima - I don't think I ever posted anything about starting it.... Anyway, I love it so much I've worn it three times since finishing it, but I have yet to get a photo of it :)

I also finished a pair of socks last week in Trekking. Pictures of those to follow as well as a proper FO report.

The ladybug sweater and the little cropped cardi I'm designing on the fly are in serious hibernation. I need to break out my sewing machine so I can reinforce the steeks before I cut into Marihone. The yarn is superwash, so doesn't cling to itself as much as regular wool, so I will not be cutting it until it is reinforced. The cropped cardi is on hold while I figure out how I want to do the sleeves. They will be set in, from the top down. The body is finished, and I've picked out buttons, so I only need to do the sleeves, buttonbands and collar, and it will be finished.

BHE recently built me a light box (as per Lolly's instructions), so my stash will be documented and entered into Ravelry as I can find the time.

OH! I'm going to a book signing tomorrow night for Sally Melville and Caddy Melville Ledbetter's book Mother-Daughter Knits, and then to a mini-workshop with them the next day! I flipped through the book briefly yesterday, and can't wait to spend some serious time with it! I'm also reading The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil. I'll post reviews on them both when I'm finished :)

Sock Blank Swap

Check it out! I participated in another swap in the Ravelry Sock Blank Swap group. I received my package from my upstream pal, and she turned out to be my downstream pal in the last swap!!

Our swap theme this time was "Where I'f from." Carol based her theme on her local school! I love the colors, eggplant purple is one of my very favorite colors! Carol (mullub on Ravelry) also sent a magnet with a photo of an Ontario lake, a pen (I love pens!), a lanyard from the school, and the cutest, softest little stuffed huskie keychain! This is really cool, because after I moved out on my own I had a dog who was part huskie, and the keychain looks just like her!

Another cool fact? Carol lives in Kitchener, Ontario! How cool would it be to live in a town with the same name as a knitting techniqe!?! Thank you Carol, I love everything!!

FO Report: Princess' Sweater

Pattern: February Baby Sweater by EZ (Ravelry link)

Yarn: Knitpicks Shine Sport, Hydrangea

Needles: US 5 / 3.75mm

Started: January 10, 2009

Completed: January 26, 2009

Modifications: How many times have I made this one now? As always, I knit it on circular needles. When I got to the sleeves, I put the rest of the body on hold, and knit one sleeve at a time, in the round, Magic Loop style. Once the sleeves were finished, I continued on with the body of the sweater. Another thing I did differently, as have a lot of knitters, is put the buttonholes in the yoke portion only, rather than continuing them on down.

This sweater was commissioned by one of my quilting friends for her yet to be born granddaughter, although I think she is scheduled to be induced later this week. They haven't decided on a name yet, so Pam is calling the baby "The Princess" for the time being.

She didn't have buttons picked out when I finished it, but she later told me she chose some antique grey pearl buttons. When she sends me a picture I will update here !

Christmas 2008

I think I mentioned a while back that I got some knitting goodies for Christmas - and then I didn't blog for a month. Well, I'm slowly trying to catchup...

I have a wonderful husband, who despite my huge stash of yarn, fiber, fabric, and books, isn't opposed to buying me more ;)*

The yarn and fiber, left to right are: Farmhouse Yarns, Fannie's Fingering Weight in Caribbean; Cascade Heritage Sock Solid, in Royal; and Mountain Colors Targhee Roving in Northern Lights. I think the photo of the books is self explanatory :) All the yarn and the two patterns can be found at the Loopy Ewe. When I say what BHE had bought, I said "You have an account at the Loopy Ewe now!" He acknowledged that he did, and I plan to remind him of that every time the occasion arises :)

*Although I've put a hold on the buying of stuff until the job situation blogged about yesterday is resolved....

Desperate

I'm desperate to start the Whisper cardigan in latest KNITS....researching yarns, checking my stash, and I really want to use Malabrigo Lace. Then I find out Loops, which is withing walking distance of my office, carries Malabrigo Lace. The problem is, I gave up yarn buying for Lent, because my husband gave up his job for Lent.

All joking aside, he did lose his job last week, so please send some good thoughts our way. Oh, and any leads on graphic design jobs or freelance work!