Holiday

I love holiday weekends. Especially when the holiday happens to get nice weather. I was busy this weekend - Saturday spent with Meagan (getting very little knitting done), Sunday was family day - Ellie has much better pics (I only managed to get a few of Aubrey - who is getting big, by the way), and then Monday I went to the South Euclid parade with Kaylee and company.
Kaylee is also getting big, as you can see. It was a very nice little parade - only one marching band, which I thought odd. But there were plenty of lollipops - and that was all that mattered.


After the parade, I spent the rest of the day with Meagan, crocheting furiously on what is the last project for the month of May in the HC. Sunday I was finally inspired for Herbology. It's going quickly, which is good, but mostly due to the fact that I didn't do much else but work on it on Monday. This will actually end up pulling triple duty - HC, baby blanket contest at KotS, and actually be done way ahead of time since the recipient isn't due to enter this world until December or January. But this way I'm not slogging along on it when I'm busy with Christmas knitting. I finished up the other projects for the HC this weekend too.
The book scarf. In all of it's double knitted coolness. Even if you think I live in a realm beyond Dorkdom, you need to see the coolness in this technique. Both sides get knit at the same time, on the same needle, no sewing the 2 pieces together. Seriously cool. And if you don't think so, please don't leave a comment telling me so - I'm enjoying my new trick. I didn't manage to get a decent picture of the hat I finished. I'll do that some other time.
But that's it for now. Gotta go get ready for work, hopefully there won't be any impromptu add ons to the schedule today - track is at regionals and baseball plays tomorrow so we should be good to just get paperwork done.

It's May

You know that song from "Camelot"? The one that talks about May being the month where everyone goes a little nutty? Yeah I think I might fall into that category this year. More on that later.

Did you see the Derby? I know I didn't do a pre-post this year, and I didn't take any photos of the party or the pie, but wow, was it nuts. Who picked that horse to win? I mean really- when we went to check on who got the pot here, we had to drop down to people who had picked the 5th horse (Chocolate Candy, btw). The FIFTH horse. That's just nuts. Somehow I don't think that people are really thinking that Mine that Bird will get the Triple Crown this year. Hmmm.

So what else is new with me? I animal sat for the Perryites this weekend. Luckily, no dogs were harmed, and the goats were still alive when I left. TAR is down to the final 3 (no spoilers here) but I can't believe how it ended this week. I saw an ad for So You Think You Can Dance? - May 21st people! And somehow, even after eating Derby Pie and splurging on Doritos this weekend, according to my scale (not the official WW scale) I am down another pound this morning. Seriously don't know how that happened, but I'm definitely not complaining.

Onto the craziness - I signed up for the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup Spring Term on Ravelry. Yep, I'll admit it, I'm a big HP dork. So the premise is that you get sorted into a House (I got Gryffindor!) and then you sign up for classes each month (3 month term). The classes are all classes that appear in the books and the assignments are somehow linked to the ideas of what that particular class teaches (ie- Herbology this term is focused on Mandrakes and the assignment is to either knit or crochet an actual mandrake, or to make a baby blanket for a mandrake). When you complete an assignment, you get points that go towards your House in hopes that you win the House Cup.

I've so far submitted for an OWL (a 3 month big project) in Herbology - which is to knit a cabled sweater. And since I've been wanting to do the Moss Cabled Cardigan in this very nice Northampton yarn from Webs since last summer, I'm doing it.

Such a pretty heathery green. Got started this weekend, swatched and adjust needle size. Did the 3.5 inches of ribbing and then started the pattern. Got past the first bit of cabling and realized that the single purl stitch between the cables looked all stretched out and horrible. Went to bed, and then ripped back in the morning. Changed the needles so that size 9 knits the right side (the pretty side that is the out side of the sweater) and a size 8 purls the wrong side. Results are much better. However, after 7.5 inches in less than 24 hours, this happened:
See? I suffer for my craft. I rubbed my knuckle raw in all the purling, i was so focused on getting it nice and tight to maintain the tension throughout, I sacrificed my finger. And now the sweater is on hold until it heals. See, this is how I purl:
So, yesterday I had to work on non-sweater projects. Did a little on the Lily of the Valley scarf, but not enough to show. And made it through the gusset on the second Sunshine sock.
Should get the sock done this week, then it's on to the second Rivendell sock before I'm allowing myself to start a new pair. Hmmm. I also have to get going on the regular homework for the Cup. But I'll blog about that later. Need to go get ready for work.