Some Catching Up

Wow, so it's been a while since I blogged. Sorry - for those of you that read this and actually want to know what's going on. I had pictures ready to go for another post after the Maddie one, but I was overcome by the evil sinus infection that I've been fighting for a month. It's all good now, I've got antibiotic horse pills. I guess that means I'll kinda do two posts in one.

So what's happened in the last week and a half? Officially, basketball season ended last Tuesday and Wednesday. And I haven't really gotten much knitting done, the illness kinda took over for a few days there, as well as the basketball.

Before the last post I had the Ireland socks done. They're amazing and I can't wait to wear them tomorrow (BTW, I've figured out how to guarantee nice weather in March, knit a bunch of woolen things for a specific day, and it'll end up being 60 degrees, like they're predicting for tomorrow).

You saw the state of Kaylee's sweater last time (bad kitty!), and last night, I FINALLY sewed in the ends to finish it while watching TAR (SPOILER, but not about the outcome of the episode - Phil in his skivvies!). Yay it's done! I have to admit that I got to the point where I really really really didn't want to knit it anymore. And then when I forced myself to, there was a bump, but I kept going, I resisted the urge to rip, as I usually would, and just kept knitting. And it's adorable.

Granted Miss Kaylee probably won't get to wear it tomorrow, maybe next year I'll knit her a (eek!) cotton one, and it'll snow. I can't win.

That officially concludes our green knitting season for 2009! Onto other stuff. As soon as I was done with the Ireland Socks, I cast on for a new pair. It's the Interlocking Leaves pattern from the fall Knitty, in some Smooshy called "November Muse". Once again, I'm a bit in love with the Smooshy. It's working so amazing perfectly with the pattern. So here was the sock for the last post:

And here it is now:

It grew a bit in the interim. I'm about to turn the heel, if that gives you any idea as to where I'm at, for you knitting muggles, that means I've basically got the foot done. A close up on the pattern:

Gives you an idea of the color too. It's mostly a russet-y brown, with little splashes of purple and orange and green and red - just beautiful.

I started another quick little project before the last post, some Mitered Mittens by Elizabeth Zimmermann using my handspun.

Of course, they've since been finished (a really quick easy and fun knit). And I love how the handspun looks, this is the first use of wheel spun handspun for me! And they're perfect!Finally, this weekend I picked up the long neglected November Ruffle. After a misstep (the cord on my needle popped right out of the metal end), I got the last few inches of stockinette done, and last night I started the ruffle. Big excitement! 15 inches is A LOT of stockinette. And now that there are more than 300 stitches it's A LOT of stitches. But it's easy knitting for the rest of the way so it should go quickly.See the nice black and white blob?! Hard to tell that the knitting is going around 3 sides.

If you look close enough, you can see the difference. Mostly because the ruffle gets knit in with a bigger needle. Yay! I'll have it done just in time for the warm weather!

More Green

It's a new month. March, already. Crazy. Still more of the same though. Basketball - both boys and girls - continue, as does hockey, but I am less involved with the hockey. The spring sports (lacrosse, baseball, softball) have gotten under way, and the power struggle for the field house has begun. And I'm still knitting green things. St. Pat's is fast approaching, and I think I might actually get everything done. And more besides.

I got the body of Kaylee's sweater done the other night, and tried it on her this weekend (it fits!!) So now I can get going on the sleeves.

And here's where I'm at on the second of the Ireland Crack socks.

Haven't knit on it since Wednesday night before the girls basketball game, for those who like to know, we play Richmond Hts on Thursday. Back to the sock, I should be able to crank that out today. Yay finished socks! Now I just have to figure out what pair to start next...

Friday, I decided that while waiting to measure Kaylee, I needed a quick easy project. So I started a hat. And this is what I had by the end of the night:

I think it's pretty sweet, if I do say so myself. It's destined for Kaylee's dad, that way the whole family has a handknit for St. Pat's. I need to get a picture with it on to give you a better sense of it, but for now you get the idea.

And because that was so quick and satisfying, I decided on Saturday that I wanted to make another hat (this is the downside to being exclusive to just 2 projects for a few weeks, startitis inevitably sets in). I've also been itching to knit with some handspun. So I grabbed my first ever, the blue/green Erin that's a bulky weight. Printed off the Urchin pattern, and started after the boys basketball game on Saturday night (once again for those interested, we play again on Saturday night against Kirtland). I got through half of the hat and went to bed.

Sunday, I compared the hat in progress to the Bulky Tam I did recently, and thought that it was going to end up too short, not covering my ears. So I ripped it out and re-started with more stitches. After the Amazing Race and most of the third Lord of the Rings movie, I had 6 wedges, which I deemed large enough. Sadly, I now think that it's too big.

Hard to tell from that photo I know, but in attempting to model it both on me and Ellie, I figured out that It really would be too big. So now, I think that I'll go back and do the pattern as written and it'll probably end up fine. Sometimes, my knitting makes me feel really stupid.

So yesterday, my nephews came to play. And since Aunt Ellen was here, they thought it was a good idea to play Attack! with her. I'll throw in some shamelessly cute pics too, can't help myself.

Oh, and I finally managed to snap a finished picture of Peggy's Christmas slippers, because I finally got around to making them and Mom's flip-flops non-slip (I'll get some modeling shots from Mom soon).

Hopefully, next blog will have some more finished objects!

Back to the Norm

Well, it's back to February here in Ohio. The several days of 50-60 degree weather are a memory. Oh well, it was a nice melt down.

Life has also hit the normal mid-winter doldrums. All of the winter sports are winding down, starting playoffs, and the spring sports start conditioning on Monday. Crazy.

I didn't have to go to work on Monday, so I spent a good portion of the day playing with my spinning wheel. Sunday I finished the first 1/3 of the "Redwood Forest".

Close up so you can see the colors. The next close up is just me be excited about how thin the spinning is.So cool. Anyway, Monday I got going on the second 1/3 of the fiber, made pretty good progress too, in between eye rolls and snorts of derision as Ellie had "The Bachelor" on the tv in the living room (where I spin). Due to the floor installation going on at her condo, the Tivo and tv are de-commissioned for the week, so lucky me, I got to watch with her. The 2 hours just re-affirmed why i don't watch that show. Ugh!Okay, rant over. Such pretty fiber. The second 1/3 appears to be coming out a bit darker. Hard to tell if it's just that bit in the fiber, I can't really remember if the first bobbin had any that was that dark. Can't wait to finish so that I can see what it ends up being.

Monday night, I ended up finishing the first Annetrecrack sock. The foot surprisingly didn't take that long. Normally, when I'm doing a top down sock, the foot feels like it drags on forever, like it's a knitting black hole, but this one didn't.

I did end up re-doing the toe on Tuesday, it was just a pinch snug. And then I was not allowed to cast on the second sock until I got through the split for the sleeves on Kaylee's sweater. Guess what happened last night?

Yeah, I got through the split for the sleeves. Should go a bit faster now, seeing as each round has been decreased by almost 100 stitches. Isn't it great? I love me some cables, and my sweet Irish princess is going to look great in it. Finally visited my long lost friends the other night before Knit Night, and I really can't believe how much Kaylee has grown. Not just in size because, toddlers tend to do that, but she's talking up a storm, and the way she says everything, very deliberate and the words go up and down, it's so funny.

Well, that's about it. I warned you I was back in the doldrums. Basketball and hockey this weekend, is it really Thursday already?!

The Knitting of the Green

The green season has begun. All preparations for St. Patrick's Day have begun in earnest. This is the first year that I've done any knitting based around this holiday, and of course, I'm over doing it. I have to admit though, I am loving, loving, the knitting that I'm doing.

Monday I cast on for my socks. I'm using some Fleece Artist Trail Socks in Ireland and the Annetrelac pattern that was in the 2007 Holiday edition of Interweave Knits. OMG. Seriously, this pattern is like crack for knitters. At least, the knitter that is me.

I couldn't seem to stop, just one more tier... I mean, look at it. You see why I just need a little hit right? This is my first attempt at entrelac, the wonderful knitting technique that makes the fabric appear woven. So cool. The colors are amazing, the yarn fantastic... I'm gushing and I can't help it. I think that these may end up being my very favoritest socks to date. And that's saying something.

Yesterday though, I forced myself to cast on for the sweater for Kaylee. I figured that bigger needles would give my hands a break, and that I would be able to prove that I could overcome my need for the entre-crack.

But then I couldn't stop on the sweater. I just wanted to keep going, see more of the cable, make sure that it was looking like a sweater... Oh the things I tell myself to justify my obsessions. It's going to be a seriously cute sweater, which is good, because my god-daughter is a seriously cute little Irish girl. Let's just hope that the weather cooperates and she can wear the sweater on St. Pat's. For those interested, I'm using some Swish DK from KnitPicks, in Asparagus.

Alright, enough of the green, you'll see more of that in the next few weeks. I've got some FO's to show off. First, the Herringbone Rib Socks.

Not the best picture I know, but when you have a sunny, 60 degree day in February in NE Ohio, you take the picture when you can. Wore them Tuesday so everyone could fawn over them at group. And they did. They're very comfy. And look great with jeans. And did I mention that I got the yarn for 50% off? Makes me love them more.

Up next is that little secret knit you heard almost nothing about. It was the "Ribbed Baby Jacket" (free on Ravelry) for a friend's baby shower on Sunday. So cute, and easy. Will probably make another, possible for a little girl who's on her way...

I love that picture for scale. I knit the 3-6 month size out of some cream colored Cascade 220 Superwash, added a wooden button, and voila! The baby's sex is unknown, so I tried to make it as gender neutral as possible, but still cute.

In case you hadn't figured it out yet, I survived my crazy work schedule this past weekend. I lost my voice on Friday (and it's still not 100% back yet) while sitting in the rinks until 12 am. That's right. When I went out to my car, which displays in military time, it read 00:08. Freaked me out. Was back at work at 12 pm on Saturday, had a 45 minute break between the end of the girls games and when I had to be back for the boys games. It was fun. I then stayed up entirely too late trying to make another gift for the shower, it didn't work.

I had gotten an idea from a scrapbooking magazine that makes a photo album into a scrapbook, and it didn't work. It's sitting on the craft table unfinished, and cracked open to 60 degrees. Can't close it more than that without ruining more of the binding. Oh well, I'll try to do something else before the baby comes in April.

I'm thinking that all the late nights aren't helping my recovery. After the shower, I went out to visit my nephews. Let me amend that, I went to play with my nephews. Constant motion and entertainment is a requirement at their ages. So I have some shamelessly cute kid pictures to share.

Mason, it's becoming apparent, is a bit of a hellion. He's sneaky though, he's so mellow and quiet, he lulls you into a sense that he's a sweet angel, and then he's doing something he knows he's not supposed to, smiling at you as you repeatedly tell him no. Sneaky I tell you. Too cute to get mad at though.

This was the only semi-decent picture I got of Elliott. He didn't have a nap, so this picture is a bit more representative of his behavior. Kid has got some lungs, let me tell you. Alright, I'm off for another hit of entre-crack...