Magic School Bus Tour

This weekend, I am going on a quilting trip with three of my quilting buddies! It starts tonight - we are all spending the night at Reta's house here in Tulsa, and then getting up at 6 a.m. to drive to Stillwater (home of the OSU Cowboys - go Pokes!). There, we will board the Magic School Bus and travel to two quilt shops in Hutchinson, Kansas (Cottonwood Quilts) and Newton, Kansas (Charlotte's Sew Natural), and we will eat lunch at what I think is an Amish restaurant in Newton. The shop owners will both be on the bus and we will have snacks, drinks, demonstrations, and mini-classes. We are supposed to get a tote bag too! We are supposed to arrive back in Stillwater around 6 p.m. tomorrow night.

I'm not really planning on buying anything, as I already have what I've decided is an overwhelming amount of quilting fabric, books, patterns, notions and kits at home already. I used to say I was saving for retirement (30+ years away) with my purchases, but now I don't know if I'll ever get it all done. I'm seriously contemplating thinning out the stash selling or giving some away.

These are the same girls I go to Wichita with every October, to the Central Kansas Quilt Shop Hop. This fall will be our eight year I think. We've been doing it every year since it began. It's always a blast!

Does anyone know if there is anything like this in or around Oklahoma for knitters? I think there is a knitting guild in Tulsa - I need to find out when & where they meet.

Do-Overs

Guess what I did last night - That's right, I frogged all 11 inches of my Tempting II. I had been ambivalent about the sizing for quite a while, and finally decided it was going to be too big and I wouldn't be happy about it. I don't know what I was thinking, or wasn't thinking, but when I selected the size to cast on for, I chose the one two inches larger than my bust size. Now this is all 1 x 1 ribbing, so super stretchy. It should have negative ease, correct? So, I ripped and wound, ripped and wound last night. And rather than picking the size two inches smaller, I chose the one six inches smaller. I just started a post-baby diet, and plan to lose lots of pounds. Plus I am pretty ample-chested, if I do say so myself, and I think it will fit nicely through my midsection.

Project Spectrum

I meant to post this all weekend, but was too busy as usual.

I participated in the Project Spectrum yarn swap for July, and got my yarn last week! My swap partner was Michelle, and she sent me this already-wound ball of sock yarn, plus some awesome stitch markers she made herself!

I'll try and post later - I have finished objects to report. I am trying to clear out our guest room for a friend who may need a place to stay next week. Right now its more of a storage room than guest room, so there's lots of work to be done. I did finish Chart 3 of the Mystery Stole 2 this weekend, but haven't started the second side yet. No progress on Lacy Lattice, or anything else for that matter.

Updated Etsy Shop

I've added some new yarns to my Etsy shop. Go check them out and let me know what you think! If anyone's looking for anything in particular, I'd be happy to work with you!

I'll blog more this weekend, with pictures I promise!

Drat!

So I'm knitting along on the Mystery Stole 2 last night at stitch group, spread it out to show interested parties (mainly my blogless friend Susan), and notice one little flower doesn't line up with the YO 6 rows below it. I start counted stitches, re-reading the chart and my current row is A-OK. I look closer at the rest of the lace and see a YO several INCHES back that doesn't line up with the one that should be directly below it.

I didn't run any life lines.

I calmly put it back in the bag, and pick up the Lacy Lattice Stole to start on it, after a month long hiatus or pit stop, whatever you want to call it. I worked 3 rows of the eighth pattern repeat. Then I helped Susan work a provisional cast on over two cable needles, while leaving a neck opening in the center for a new top down poncho pattern she's modifying. After that, we pulled out my laptop to work on designing a quilt. She had asked me to design a few borders for a piece of embroidery she wants to make into a wall hanging. I have Electric Quilt 5 on my laptop, so we designed some borders to go around it.

After I got home and printed of the info for her quilt, joined ediets.com (more about that in another post), then sat down with my knitting. I got out a size 2 cable needle, ran it across a row just above the mistake and ripped, ripped, ripped. When I got down to the size 2 needle, I had a Ramen-like pile of yarn - 38 rows worth. I tinked back the rest of the way and started reknitting. I work 20 rows before I called it a night.

All in all, it was a pretty good night. I was pretty impressed with myself for figuring out how to do a provisional cast on while leaving an opening in the center of it, in a hot room full of many conversations at that. We designed a quilt with 4 borders, I committed myself to at least 3 months of dieting, and I successfully ripped out nearly half of my lacy stole without making it worse than it was to start with! Now the goal is to finish Chart 2 tonight so I am ready to go with Chart 3 tomorrow!

Edited to add: Sorry to say, I was so focused on how I was going to fix this mistake, and so focused while actually doing it, I totally forgot to take pictures, so just use your imagination :)

Knitting UFOs

Tisha is having a UFO contest , with prizes for the oldest UFO and the most. I probably won't win anything, but it did motivate me to dig all the old projects out of their hiding spots. I do have ten (yikes!) UFOs.

This is probably the oldest. I call it the Falling Leaves Cardigan. It was a kit from Lion Brand with Microspun yarn, and I think they called it the Micro Spun Pattern Stitch Twin Set. Very imaginative. I think I started it before BHE and I were married and that was nine years ago. It needs to be blocked and seamed together.















These are two baby sweaters. The striped one is from KnitPicks and just needs some ends woven in and buttons sewn onto the shoulder. The other is the back of a hooded cardigan I don't remember who the pattern is by - it was a freebie. I do remember it wasn't TLC, but I like this color better than what was offered in the patterns yarn specification.














Here are another two oldies. This is another old Lion Brand pattern. It is Lion Brand Chenille, and will eventually be a vest with two decorative eye-hook and loop type clasps in the upper part, with the opening below open. It needs the clasps (not sure where they are), and a single crochet edging around all the openings. The ivory color sweater was to be a pullover to be worn during and after my first pregnancy, with a super stretchy rib pattern. I wasn't that motivated to knit it back then - I don't care for this color on me. It was the only color I could find at the time, and I wasn't brave enough to substitute yarns back then. I will frog it now, and probably dye it another color. It's superwash wool :)



















These are my two lace projects. The black is mohair, and it the Lacy Lattice Stole from Fiddlesticks knitting. The red is hand painted merino and is Melanie's Mystery Stole 2.














This is another KnitPicks pattern, the Fair Isle sock. The first one was full of problems. Three bamboo needles got broken in transit, the heel seems tight, the toe too loose. I started the second sock, but and a little hesitant to continue....














The knitting on the left is the first nine inches of Tempting II in TLC Cotton Plus. On the right is a One Skein Wonder in Brown's Cotton Fleece.














So, unless I've left something out, that makes ten UFOs. I have a two other things in the frog pile, but don't count them since they are both completely finished.

Now, if this were about quilting UFOs, I bet I could win, hands down!

Amazing Lace Challenge 4

My project for the Amazing Lace is the Lacy Lattice Stole by Fiddlesticks Knitting. At this point I have completed 7 out of 18 repeats of the 2nd chart, making it about 38% complete. So, the fourth Amazing Lace Challenge asks, if my project were cast off today, what could it be?

How about some fancy art to complement a pair of horns? No?

















How about a baby blanket? Too hot, too many holes? She's not really old enough for black yet anyway...
















Dish towel? No, the holes don't make it very practical. Not to mention the felting issues.


















Blanket for the wooden horse? Again, the holes are a problem.















Ah! This would make a perfect wrap for a coconut monkey!

What's lost has been found

I found the missing sock! It was 11:30 at night but I still found it! I looked in all the tote bags I've used lately, and some I haven't, to no avail. I took all my recent purchases and left over skeins of yarn out of the baskets they were in, with no luck. Finally, I gave up for the night, and started re-sorting my yarn, when I found it! It had fallen down between a big basket and the bookshelf in my sewing room!

I'll post more tonight, hopefully with pictures. By the way, I've added more yarn to the Etsy shop - Go check it out!

Ggrrrrr!

So I cast on for the second Fair Isle sock last night with my new needles from Knit Picks, worked the cuff, and got to the part where I tie on the self striping yarn for the color work. Now I can't find the first sock to see what color I started with! And of course they must match! I looked in all my baskets of yarn (trust me, there's a lot), and it's not where it should be! The only other place I can think of is that its in a tote bag, but which one? Or buried under a pile-o-crap on my sewing table. The search will continue tonight......

My new needles from Knit Picks you ask? Why yes, I did get a box of goodies yesterday! No, I sent it to myself. I got the dpns in sizes 1, 2, & 3 ( and I think 0 too), as well as some circs for my KSKS pal. I cast on for the sock on the size 2s, and I really like them. The points are nice and pointy. The only drawback was I had to put the sock down when I had just 3 or 4 stitches on the fifth needle, and it slid out of those stitches. That wouldn't have happened with my bamboos. But, on the plus side, I don't think I will be able to snap these, like I did my first set of bamboos!

I also got six more balls of the Palette yarn for the Palette Fair Isle cardigan. I'm buying my yarn a few balls at a time, like Laura. And finally, I ordered some of the Dancing sock yarn they have on clearance. I ordered Tap and Jig. I really, really like the colors in the skeins - I hope it knits up prettier than it looks on the website :)

Progress Report

Remember my resolve to finish some projects? Well, I finally completed the Simple Stripes Pullover for Sweetpea. Actually, it still needs some buttons for the shoulder, and I'll get those tomorrow. It's a little scratchy, so I'll also need to get a long sleeved onsie, or maybe a turtleneck for her to wear under it. That's why she isn't modeling it for you now :)



I also skeined the yarn I hand painted last weekend, and dyed and skeined some more this weekend. Tonight I dyed my last skein of sock yarn, plus 4 skeins of lace weight. I have more sock yarn on backorder. I hope it gets here soon!

Update

Catchy title, isn't it? Well, today isn't a creative day for me. I spent three hours in the doctor's office yesterday, and last night on the couch. Yuck. I'm feeling better now though! One benefit of long sessions in the waiting room: One knitting mag read cover to cover, lots of ribbing knit for new KAL!

I thought I should post, since it's been a week since I did, other than my entry for the Amazing Lace Challenge 3. I've been busy - here's a quick recap:

• Painted five skeins of sock yarn, 400 yards each.
• Painted two skeins of lace weight yarn, 400 yards each.
• Cast on for Tempting II for the Sexy Knitters Club KAL, knit nine inches of ribbing as of last night.
• Partially seamed together the Simple Stripes Pullover.

I didn't knit at all on the Lacy Lattice stole for the Amazing Lace, didn't cast on the second Fair Isle sock, didn't block the Falling Leaves Cardigan. I guess I can put that on my to-do list for this weekend! Also to do this weekend: Cast on for the Mystery Stole 2 (first clue released today!), and paint remainder of my sock and lace yarns, plus re-skein the yarn already painted and take photos for Etsy, and blog, of course!

The Amazing Lace Challenge 3

My most profound apologies to Mr. Poe...

The Knitting

Once upon a midnight steamy, while I pondered tired and dreamy,
Over many a chart, stitch and yarn o'er.
While I counted, nearly cross-eyed, suddenly there came a creaking,
As if someone gently sneaking, sneaking down the upper stairs.
"'Tis too late, much too late to be someone coming down the upper stairs,
My imagination and nothing more."

As I counted tiny stitches, quietly the stairs kept creaking,
Tiny footsteps, softly sneaking, big blue eyes, quietly peeking,
Peeking 'round the hallway door.
'Twas a boy, my little boy, and no other.
"Mommy, what are you doing," he whispered,
As he tiptoed 'cross the hardwood floor.

"Knitting," I replied, to this little boy of four.
He watched me count the loops once more.
Then he answered. "I want some knitting."
Oh these words, they made my heart sing,
'Til I knew, he wanted special knitting,
He wanted to knit my lace mohair.

Dropping, tinking, frogging all three
Flashed before my eyes suddenly.
As the room stopped flipping, spinning
I promised the boy some knitting
We'd find some worsted and size eights,
But not that night, 'twas much too late!