The Post from Yesterday

Yeah - totally meant to post this yesterday, but... the puter decided that it did not want to let Norton work. Don't know why. Still not working - have some other kind of spyware working at the moment. So, here goes. What have I been doing? Working. Big surprise right? It's a busy week. Games every night except tomorrow night, but Elizabeth is coming into town and tomorrow is the only chance to see her. So my schedule is booked. Yay fun. And did I mention that I'm fighting a cold. Yeah, even more fun. But anyway, I've been knitting (also a huge surprise). I finished the Monet socks. And they are so wonderful. Totally mad scientist, and wonderful. There was a scary few moments, I got the toe of the second sock and had this much yarn left.

So I sat there knitting and praying and checking the yarn every row, or needle. Very scary. But all was well and I ended up having a little left over. This is seriously the closest I've ever been to running out of yarn on socks. Don't like the feeling. Especially because when I looked at the skein photo at the Loopy Ewe the other day, the green was much lighter and closer to lime green than the skein I have. So I definitely would not have been able to match dye lots. But it's okay.

So then, I had to cast on another pair. I'm coming to the realization that I may have a problem. Not there yet, but maybe. So I got out my "Clara's New Shoes" yarn from dkKnits on Etsy and cast on the "Waving Lace Socks" from Favorite Socks. Here it is:

Notice anything different? Yep, these are being knit on 2 circular needles. The first time I've done this. Yay. New technique! And, I'm using the Norwegian method of purling - so very happy with it, for the first time, my knit stitches before purl stitches are not all wonky! Will definitely use this way from here on out. Note: I don't think that the color will ever come out in the photos. But it moves from pale pale pink, to ballet pink, to blush to a warm tan. So great. Definitely capture the essence of ballet slippers without the satin sheen.

And now just for fun, I finally saw Kaylee - the first time since Christmas - and gave her the tam that was modeled so wonderfully by mom if you'll all remember. Too big, but so cute.

I feel like

I'm not accomplishing anything. But in reality, I am. For example, last night I finished the sloggy sleeves for my Notre Dame sweater. Yay! Nothing I could really get excited about because I know that the next step is sewing in ends. Yuck. But they're done and that's one step closer to a complete sweater. And that's definitely a yay.


And I finished the Embossed Leaves socks. Which puts me ahead on my Sock-a-Week project. Double yay. They're just so dang pretty to look at.
And I started my new sock today. I'm using my very very pretty "Monet" yarn from Cherry Tree Hill. So pretty.
BTW, the color in the photos is so wrong it's not funny, but it's after dark in NE Ohio in the middle of January, it's the best it's gonna get for this post. Hopefully next time it'll be better. It's "Bartholomew's Tantalizing Socks" pattern from the "New Pathways for Sock Knitters" book by Cat Bordhi. Holy craziness in this book. Like take a look at this "baby" sock that I tested like the book suggested. Gussets totally not in the "normal" place. So cool. Not baby sized, but who cares, it's hot pink. So, see, I have been getting things done, it just doesn't feel like it.

Not Much... again.

That's right, once again I don't have much to offer. I finished the first Embossed Leaves sock. It's really pretty. Everyone at SnB was oohing and ahhing over the yarn last night. A few even threatened to sneak it into their knitting bags. But it made it's way home. Once again didn't get too much knitting done, much chatting though. It's fun that way. But back to the pretty sock. Can you see how cool the pattern is? Can you see how the toe shaping ends up completing the shape of the leaf? So cool. Yes, once again I am gushing over a sock, what do you want from me? I don't get to see the cute nephews and niece as often as I should, I have to gush over something.

Sadly, that's all the knitting I have to report on. Didn't get any done this weekend at all - well, a little on the sleeves, but you don't want to see it. You'll see them when they're done. Eventually. The reason for no knitting? Ill on Sat, Pittsburgh on Sun and BB on Mon. I'll get back on track tonight though. And speaking of Pittsburgh... here's what Liz and I did. Went to the zoo and aquarium. See?

Went to dinner, attempted to make a brownie thing from the slow cooker recipe book I got her for Christmas (there was some misreading of the directions, and it didn't turn out too well) and an attempt to hook up her dvd player to watch a dvd (also didn't go too well, we could get audio but nothing other than a blue screen, no matter how we configured the wires). Next time it needs to be longer than a 24 hour visit. And maybe a little warmer.

First FO of '08

Yay socks! I finished the second Bellatrix yesterday afternoon. Didn't get a chance to blog until now. So here they are:

I really love them a lot. Can't wait to wear them. And last night when I got home from work, I decided that I just HAD to cast on the Embossed Leaves sock from "Favorite Socks," in my Dream in Color Smooshy "Happy Forest" yarn. So great. So pretty. Here's where I'm currently at:

It's working up much faster than anticipated. So, yay. I'm ahead on my Sock-a-Week project. I'm thinking this is good. I've got hockey game tomorrow and Saturday night and I've planned a short sojourn to Pittsburgh for Sunday. It's been much too long since I've gotten to see best friend Elizabeth who moved away for work. So I don't foresee too much knitting happening this weekend.

Sadly, in my zeal for sock knitting, my sleeve knitting has nearly vanished. I did a bit at the new SnB group that's been started to meet here in Mentor, on Tuesday, but spent more time chatting with new knitting friends, and not so much on the sleeves. Oh well, no worries.

Very excited, Mom just found my Snapfish order in the side door (who knows when it arrived)! Last week I ordered 131 prints (give or take) to be scrapbooked. Something about the New Year made the scrap bug bite me hard. I haven't done any scrapping for myself in ages. So, I've been impatiently waiting, made a trip down to the Cord Camera in Macedonia to stock up on supplies, sketched out ideas for all the pages I have in mind, so I should be ready to go. Maybe tomorrow night.....

A New Goal

Not much to offer today. Had a busy weekend at work - 11 games in less than 48 hours - and therefore didn't get much knitting done. The Steelers game didn't help either. I started the sleeves during the football game, and have gotten this far: Less than 6 inches. Very uninspiring. It's good that I'm doing both at one time, I'm running out of steam for the double seed stitch. Need to hurry up and finish these so I can block them. Last night I started the second Bellatrix sock, and got this far:
Most of the leg. Here's a close up of the pattern. Still loving it. And over on Ravelry, I found a group to join - the Weekly Sock Group. The idea is that you knit a sock a week, from stash, for at least 6 months. How cool is that. Last night, I went through my sock stash and found that, I have enough sock yarn to complete 6 months of this challenge and a little bit more. So by the time this is all done, I'll be able to re-stock. Anyway, I figured that this would be a good way to use up my gorgeous yarn that I love and adore, in a more timely fashion.

So here are my own personal rules.

1. A week begins Monday and ends Sunday.
2. Time is able to be made up in the following week, as long as the next sock is finished too.
3. Challenge time: 30 weeks. Which would put me at 15 pairs of socks by July 27. I know it's more than 6 months, but I like the number 15.

So, I'm counting last week as the first week, because I did complete a sock. Wish me luck.

First Project of the Year

And it is... the Bellatrix Socks by Gigi Silva. I first stumbled across the pattern this summer, but didn't have the right yarn. I mean, the pattern is based on a Harry Potter character, and although most of you think I'm a dork for loving HP, it had to be just right. Enter Black Purl. As soon as I saw this yarn on the Loopy Ewe, I knew that I HAD to have it. It was just so gorgeous. And then once it was in my hands, I knew, it had to become Bellatrix. And then I had to wait because I had so many other things going on. So behold, Bellatrix.

Seriously, for those of you who have read HP or have seen the last movie, is this yarn not absolutely perfect? It is rare that a project works out so well that the yarn is perfect for the pattern and ends up looking better than you hoped, and this is how this sock is for me so far. That's how far I got yesterday. The leg went SUPERFAST! (as Leo would say). Love it!

I also managed to finish the front of the Notre Dame sweater - there really wasn't that much left. So here's where it stands.

I'm going to replace the stitch holders with waste yarn, this after realizing that it still needed to be blocked, and I think that the plastic holders won't fare as well as some yarn. But I think it's coming along very nicely. Onto the sleeves.

Yesterday, I came to the conclusion that I have a child sized head. In circumference at least. I broke down and tried on Kaylee's tam, since my hair wasn't in a pony tail. And it fit. But not in length. So, I'm thinking that I'm going to make it again, with fewer cast on stitches and more increases so that the top, patterned part is the same, but it will fit her head. Maybe then, I can give her the hat I promised back in November. Here's Mom modeling it.

She's so going to kill me when she sees this. So leave comments on how cute and very Scottish she looks.

Happy 2008

Happy New Year! I had meant to post yesterday, but I didn't get around to it. I had a nice quiet New Year's, lots of football, a couple movies, and some Bailey's. I know, it's not the traditional champagne, but I don't really like champagne. I managed to get a whole bunch of knitting done. This is how far I am on the Notre Dame sweater:Yeah, that's the front piece. That means, in a week, I am halfway done. Insane. I have a feeling that my hands will soon launch a revolt and I will start to have symptoms of arthritis. Might need to slow down a little - rrriiiiggghhhttt.

And, on Sunday, I decided that I wanted to make a hat for Kaylee. Again. And I did. Yep, one last FO for 2007. The knitting was done in an evening. A long evening, but an evening none the less. And then I blocked it on a dinner plate and went to bed. I had decided before I started that I wanted to add a pom-pom and not finish with an I-cord. What do you think?It's my first attempt at a pom-pom. Totally digging it. Not sure I would put it on a hat for myself, but then again, this is for a toddler. It really doesn't fit Pooh Bear, but he was the best I could do (Pooh Bear was made for me by my Aunt Ginny when I was little, my brother and sister also received one each). Alright, so onto the mandatory year-end wrap-up. So my lists of 2007:

Knitting Firsts:
- socks
-stuffed animal
- lace
-sweater (although started in 06, I didn't know how to finish until 07)
- mittens
- tam
- Fair Isle
- pillow
- Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern

Things I learned about knitting:
- I hate knitting with cotton, and it doesn't like me either
- I'm horrible at setting in sleeves
- I don't like corrugated ribbing
- Frogging is good
- Swatching is better
-I love Fair Isle
- I can, in fact, have the patience to complete a scarf
- I love socks

Knitting Goals for 08:
-EZ sweater
- finish a lace project
- more socks
- a scarf for myself
- design a pattern myself

2007 was, all in all, a pretty good year. There was some not so good stuff (Dad's illness, best friend moving away) and some really great stuff (Mason and Sarah being born, watching C4, Elliott and Kaylee growing, actually working at the same school for more than one year). Here's hoping that 2008 can have more of the good, and less of the bad for all of us.