Chronic Ennui

Another Weekend Gone too Soon...

It's Sunday evening, and I find myself in an unusual place - I don't know what to knit.  I'm still trying to decide about the tweedy cowl, and I've finished a couple of other things since my last post.  First my ripoff of Nora's beautiful scarf is blocked and awaiting one incredible button, which I am assured is "on its way."

Then I cast on and finished a Shetland Triangle Shawl in Grinasco Tango.  This pattern was a delight to work, but I am sorry I went against my better judgment and didn't do more than the eight repeats it called for.  I kept thinking it was very small and that I had a lot of yarn left over; but somehow I thought it would all work out in the blocking.  Now I don't think it will be larger than a small square scarf folded diagonally. 

It's all good though because I love the pattern enough to make another, and I can't really be too sure about the size until it's done drying.  And before you all start commenting on what a fast knitter I am, it's just not true.  I will have you know that we went to a concert on Friday night.  No, I did not embarrass myself by bringing my knitting into the concert.  But you definitely know you are getting old when you show up three hours early just to get a good parking spot and eat dinner and knit in the car.  You really know you are old when you feel nothing but derision for the young, drunk people setting up lawn chairs in the rain.  But you console yourself with the fact that the lead singer is the same age as you are and that you are undoubtedly his biggest fan! 

Yesterday we took a trip up to Northampton, MA, to poke around in the shops and have lunch.  Of course, no trip to Northampton would be complete without the pilgramage to WEBS.  And guess what I bought?  Not.one.thing.  Nada!  Tracy, I am looking directly at you!  My only purchase of the day was the gorgeous, pink velvet ribbon I have been searching for for months.  "Yes, I'll take four yards, please."  To which, the saleswoman said, "Oh, it seems we only have about a yard and a half left."  UGH!

And under the category of "How Dumb Do I Feel?" - I was in Borders today and passed the magazine wrack with Vogue Knitting on the end case.  I glanced over and saw the title, "Smitten with Mittens" - DUH!  I didn't even realize that was on the cover when I named my second-to-last post.  Of course, it was most likely in my subconscious... 

I may be dopey, but I'd never do this to MY kid...  Auntie loves you, Gianna!

Preparing for Fall

I finally finished my first pair of Druid Mittens. 

I say "first" because I've already bought some of the Jamieson Spindrift in Tundra and Black to make more.  This clever mitten clips along fairly quickly given its intricate pattern.  It'll be interesting to see how the Spindrift knits up on larger needles compared to the yarn I used on size 1.5 US needles.

I just cast on for the Blue Sky Alpaca Cabled Cowl with Jo sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in Twig.  Much to my surprise, I am not loving it.  It looks pretty enough I guess, but it's not fun to work with.

What do you think?  I fear I may have made a mistake by not going with the Suri Merino.  Do I continue?  Because this also arrived in the mail from Pigeonroof Studios, and I am itching to start this gorgeous scarf, copycat that I am.

I'm thinking y next big project may be the Linden sweater from Twist Collective.  I don't think I will ever be able to knit everything I want to or use all the yarn I have.  It makes me sad.

Last night Jim's sister brought over her new puppy she got from Maggie and Marcello's breeder, Picture Perfect Yorkies.  Her name is Zoe; isn't she adorable?

My mom and sister came with Marcello and Gianna, and we had a great time.  And speaking of adorable...

I hope you're all having a great weekend too! 

Smitten with Mittens

No sooner had I been lamenting to LYS Judy that the mitten is such a highly underrated knitting garment and that people tend to dismiss them due to dexterity issues, than I began seeing mitten pattern previews from Vogue Knitting Fall 2008 in Ravelry.  And they are fabulous!  And they have bobbles on them!  All over! 

I then began to hound Judy every day until the new VK came in and I could begin my own Druid Mittens, which I did last Thursday.  I kept knitting until I finished one on Saturday. 

Not that I would expect anything less from Jared Flood, but this pattern is extremely creative and well thought out.  It is very detailed, yet all the pieces fit together in a tidy, little package.  I could  not love it more.  I did not use the yarn the pattern called for and therefore had to go down to size 1.5 needles, which made it a bit tedious.  But I plan on making another pair in the Jamieson Spindrift just as soon as I can get my grubby hands on it.  In the meantime, I'm using Harrisville Designs New England Shetland in Shetland Tundra #7.

In a related story, I whipped up some fun, little Cabled Snowman Mittens with a free pattern I saw on Ravelry.  These were done with Berroco Ultra Alpaca in Latte (my favorite color).  I think I may just add a carrot nose, as several people have suggested, to make them look more like snowmen.

And, naturally, I must try out the Yellow Harvest Mittens by Tikru also in VK Fall 2008.  That should keep my mitten love satisfied for a little while.  But I can't promise that I won't slip in a cowl in between.

It Wiggled my Toes...

My mom always used this phrase to express delight.  If she was offering food to someone and they hesitated, she'd say, "It'll make your toes wiggle...."  Or if we were shopping and saw something we just had to have, she'd say, "It wiggled my toes!"  I thought of this yesterday when I opened a box of goodies that arrived from Theresa.

She had an extra copy of Bouton d'Or baby patterns and had generously asked if I would like it.  I had no idea how beautiful the book actually is nor that it would arrive with other wonderful treasures.  Although, I really should have known...

Much to my surprise, there were two luscious skeins of Noro in the prettiest shades of brown and grey...

But even better--and much more exciting--was a handmade(!) sewing roll.  I remember admiring it on Flickr, amazed at her creativity and craftiness. And there it was - all mine! 

Have you ever seen anything so adorable right down to the little tag?!  I'm still smitten with it today, and I'm keeping it on my desk so that I can glance at it every now and then.  Thank you, Theresa - so much.  It wiggled my toes!

Another Grey Scarf....

There are so, so many things I want to knit and do.  So many projects I've got lined up.  Certain times of the year seem to bring out the crafty in me, and right now I'm in the midst of one of those cycles.  The only problem is finding the time to do them all...

Last week I just knew I had to try Henry again after I saw this gorgeous version on Ravelry.  Now why hadn't I thought of using a heavier yarn?  Such a simple solution!  Then maybe I would not have had such issues.  Genius!

I dropped everything else and found some yarn I thought would be suitable - Simply Shetland Lambswool & Cashmere.  I really wanted a black tweed, but it was next to impossible to find exactly what I had in mind, and this seemed to do the trick.  The cashmere tones down the itchiness of the Shetland, yet it has just enough texture to make the pattern interesting.

This is one of those patterns that is very simple, yet one could easily make a mistake that requires hundreds of stitches to be unpicked.  It is also very hard on the hands for some reason, and I found the need to put it down and take "rests" from time to time. 

Three skeins of yarn gave me almost five pattern repeats.  I was four rows short of a complete repeat, and three inches short of yarn on the cast off.  But, you all know I have plenty of charcoal in my yarn arsenal, and I doubt anyone would ever notice that I switched at the very last second. 

I'm pretty pleased with this scarf and may actually keep this one for myself!  I was worried that it may be too masculine, but I think it can be jazzed up with a pretty pin.  If not, I know a dog statue that would love it!

A Matching Hat!

I've always felt that baby sweaters are not complete without matching hats.  So even though the Sublime Baby Cable Sweater had no matching hat, I threw one together.  While I was babysitting today, I figured it was the perfect time to finally get a modeled shot.

Okay, Gianna, look surprised!

Now look like you're not sure what I'm up to.

Don't forget the angelic pose.

Now look as though this entire thing has just embarrassed you!

Good job!  I think we will have more work for you soon.  I'll have my people call your people....

Bobbling Along

I finally finished the Sublime Little Cable Baby Cardigan.  I'm not sure why I say 'finally' because it was actually a very quick knit.  My only regrets are that I wish I had not used cotton and that I had made a smaller size.  I think I made either 18 mos or 2T because it's quite large. 

Oh, well.  She will grow into it, right?

I was surprised at how many of you expressed your dislike at making bobbles.  I've never been bothered by them and always love the effect.  I'm in the processing of making a matching hat, and then...

Then I'm not sure what I'm doing.  I feel so at a loss with the Twisted Vines Cardigan even though the designer emailed me back with further instructions.  It just isn't looking right, and it's putting me in a funk.  I wonder if it would look bad without the short rows...

Wrap and Turn...

I am not fond of the short rows.  Never have been.  Don't see that changing in the foreseeable future.  So, when I was clipping along on the Twisted Vines Cardigan and reached the part where I was supposed to "insert a 1-stitch, 2-stitch, or 3-stitch short row," my knitting came to a screeching halt.  Wha?  Where?  How am I supposed to do that? 

So, hey, let's try something else.  How about the cute, little Huckleberry Ascot from IK's Holiday 2007 issue?  I found some nice Olympus Make Make yarn I had tucked away in my stash that would be just perfect for a mindless, garter-stitch project that uses ... short rows!  UGH!  Does anyone else sing the Alley Cat song when they're knitting short rows?  "Wrap and turn..."  No?  Well, anyway.... it wasn't so bad, and I found that I actually loved working with this gorgeous yarn.

And check out my favorite part - Bobbles!  They remind me of little raspberries.

I'm going to pick up the cardi again tonight.  This time, I will concentrate really, really hard and try to figure out what the heck I'm supposed to do (still no effin' clue). 

I have decided not to attempt a third Chick sweater.  I don't think I can stomach it.  Instead I have chosen Little Cable from the Sublime #611 book -- unless Rachel comes through with something even cuter. 

And thank you to all you well-wishers who knew I'd survive the marathon babysitting last weekend.  Baby G only had one really fussy spell.  But thanks to Tracy's sage advice, I put my sister's pajama top over my shoulder, and the baby nuzzled it and fell right to sleep.  Genius!  Most of day, she was just bored with me and gestured her feelings of love to me....

Sometimes We Just Have to Entertain Ourselves...

Laughing all by herself...
Originally uploaded by yorkiegirl4

I took today as a vacation day from work. There were a lot of things I wanted to accomplish, yet I wasn't really getting anything done. I decided the one thing I really wanted, no needed, to do was to get a pedicure. This is not something in which I often indulge, mainly because I have neither the patience nor the time to sit still for an hour. But the situation was dire. I really, really needed a pedicure.

I was a little nervous, but I chose the least intimidating salon in town. In fact, I wasn't even sure I was still in town because they barely spoke English. But I was able convey my desire for a pedicure - just a pedicure. The little lady seated me at chair number three, settled herself down, took one look at my feet, and gasped. An audible gasp! Then she pointed to a sign on the wall that advertised a treatment called "Callus Eliminator." I sort of shrugged, not knowing if I should bother or if indeed there was any help for my sad, cracked heels. That's when the lady next to me piped up, "Oh, it's amazing! If I had the time, I would have gotten it today." She convinced me. I nodded to my pedicurist.

I didn't know if I should have been more frightened by the fact that she put on rubber gloves to apply the solution to my feet or that it burned like a mother. But I tell you what, I saw skin leftover from the 80's just melt off my feet. That woman was right. It was amazing! Even now, I keep looking down wondering who those feet belong to. Certainly not me! I just wish I'd bothered to shave my legs this morning...

I hope you all have a great weekend. My sister is off to Newport for a wedding, and I will be babysitting Baby G. It will be the single longest stretch of time that I have been alone with her and the longest she will have been away from her mom. I just hope that she's in as good a mood tomorrow as she was this afternoon when she was cracking herself up in the backseat of the car.

And Then There Were Two...

Or four...

I finished another Chick sweater, and, as predicted, I am not as pleased with it as I was with the original.  Maybe it's just that it's a bit anticlimactic.  I am not happy with the puckering on the button band, nor did I do as well "winging" the embroidery as I did last time.  Regardless, I'm sure the recipient will like it.  There is only one problem....  Another one of my girlfriends had a baby girl this week.  How can I not make a third?  

Shades of Grey

Do you ever knit and knit and knit and feel like you have nothing to show for it?  I've been knitting - A LOT - for the last few days.  Rows and rows of stockinette stitch in a yarn that is listed as "sport," but you can't prove it by me.  As far as I'm concerned, I am knitting an adult sweater out of fingering yarn.  I'll give you a moment for that to sink in.

I'm quite sure this sweater, SundayKnits Twisted Vine Cardigan, will become a staple of my Fall wardrobe.  I'd like to think that all of this teenie-tiny-yarn knitting will be worth it because this sweater will not have the extra bulk that worsted weights add to my middle-aged body.  I'd like to think that anyway...

"But another grey sweater?" you ask.  So?!  Look at how pretty the yarn is?  Here, take a closer look... 

Yeah, so that's what I've been up to post-Chick exhilaration.  Oh, and for those of you who are wondering about the Chick sweater, I am making another.  Once my mom saw the first one, she said something like, "Oh, Kim, we have to keep this!  You can make another one..."  And she's right.  Because that's the way we roll in our family.

Whatever Fussy McCrankyPants wants...

Happy Father's Day....

To the new ones....

To the ones who have been at it for awhile....

 

To my Dad and two Grandfathers who made my childhood so sweet...

And to all the fathers out there - Happy Father's Day!

Here a Chick...

...There a chick...

Everywhere a chick, chick.  Oh, how I enjoyed making this sweater.  First the yarn, Reyolds Revue, is a nice, sproingy merino, not unlike Sublime or Debbie Bliss.  It was a pleasure to knit up what would otherwise have been a boring, stockinette sweater.  The finishing of the raglan seams was a bit odd, but when I began the neck, it became apparent what was intended. 

I had decided to use the same yarn I used when I made my Easter Chicks, GHH Apart, instead of the Kidsilk Haze it called for.  I think they are a bit fuzzier and more substantial than the ones in the pattern, but not too crazy.  I had agonized over the embroidery of the chicks, which is not a particular talent of mine.  But I decided to just wing it, and I can honestly say I'm pleased with this little sweater.  So pleased, in fact, that I am not sure I can pass this one onto its intended recipient.  Is that terrible?  I want to keep it for Baby G.  My mom suggested making another, but you know how that goes.  The second one never seems to come out as good as the original.  I'll sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning. 

In the meantime, I took all of your advice on the scarf, especially those of you who said something to the effect of "If Nora says to block it, then you should block it."  I had actually sent an email to Carol, the designer of the Sunday Scarf, and asked her as well.  She basically told me that she soaked hers to let the fiber expand and then just draped it over a railing to let it dry as it pleased.  And that is what I did as well.

And now, Joey is just begging for a belly rub...

In a Cool, Dry Place

You'll all be happy to know that the air conditioning has been replaced.  We are no longer 'cellar dwellers.'  Instead, we are chillin' like DX1300 villains.  Look, it's shiny and new! 

 

Of course, the weather immediately dropped by fifteen degrees the minute I lifted the pen from my check.

And where there is cool and light, there is also knitting progress.  I finally finished my Sunday Scarf, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Okay, maybe not so much the short rows, but the effect was brilliant. 

Just look at the lovely, fluttering drapes.  I tried to get Joey to model, but he wasn't having it.  I believe his expression says it all.

Yeah, back it up, Sista.  Forced was I to resort back to my old standby model who never speaks back or lets me down.

Oh, yeah, the scarf.  Anyway, it's knit in two pieces and then grafted afterward.  This posed a bit of a dilemma for me since it is basically k6, P8, K8, P8, K6.  I know how to Kitchener knit stitches, but what about purls?  I quickly emailed my trusted knitting sage Leslie who seemed as perplexed as I.  After a few searches, I found a similarly-knit pattern that suggested inverting the work when you get to the purl stitches, back and forth, so that you are always Kitchener-ing knit stitches.  It worked like a charm!  I am uncertain if I should block it or leave it scrunchy.  Thoughts?

Next up, stay tuned for a finished baby Chick sweater.  Have a great weekend!

If There's a Hell...

 This must surely be it.  Temperature?  100F.  Air Conditioning?  Broken.  Living quarters?  Basement.  Admittedly, the basement is quite nice.  I could see the TV if I were down the street, let alone six feet away from it.  But after day three with very little light, I'm a bit stir crazy.  Maggie doesn't mind a bit. 

This is Sabine.  Isn't she lovely?

 

Gauge, schmauge.  Yeah, I was off.  So what?  Another time.  I'm not ready for her now -- little French whore!  (No offense to the French.  But you must admit it does make a great French Whore name, no?)

Instead I'm back to making another baby sweater as a gift for my boss's granddaughter.  I decided to make one I hadn't done before.  I chose Chick  from Rowan Classic Babies in a pretty green Reynolds Revue merino. 

The knitting was done in two nights, but the finishing is not something I want to do in a heatwave or in the dark basement.  So, it's back to the Sunday scarf, which is clipping along just fine now.  At least something is going well.  The AC guy called and won't be here until tomorrow morning at 8:00 am... I hope.

Rock the Casbah

 

Do not covet my Casbah....  So admiring was I of Nicole's gorgeous Inside Out Cowl that I gushed and swooned until she generously offered to send me a skein in a swap.  I naturally jumped at the offer.  It's beautiful, no? 

There were other little lovelies in the "brown paper package tied up with string" (literally! - so pretty), such as these...

Soothing teas, yummy chocolate, and handmade stitch markers! 

What I enjoyed more than anything else is the witty banter that I've come to love and expect from Nicole.  Because what I failed to mention is how I fretted greatly when I thought my package to her was lost, lost, lost.  And how she assured me that I should just breathe deeply and, as "Frankie says Relax."  But I just could not because, people, the USPS has failed me before.  You don't even want to know what incredible goodies from Australia are hopelessly lost but considered delivered by the postal system.  But I digress...  On a day when we both had to endure dental torture (Well, not really.  Only if you consider cleaning torture, which I do!), the package arrived!

So, do I go all the way and just be a big, old copycat and make the Inside-Out Cowl?  Or do I just savor the yarn and let it marinate until I figure out the perfect project?

Joey seems "whelmed" by my nonsense...

More Frenetic Knitting...

So, does anybody else hate the new and 'improved' Typepad as much as I do?  Do they know that by definition of the word, upgrades are supposed to be better?  Anyway...

I think I finally have the Smoke Ring thing out of my system.  I got a bit too cocky and made several mistakes on this one, forcing me to rip back at least three times.  By the time I cast off, I was oh-so done with it!  But that seems ages ago...

I tried to focus as much as possible on the Sabine, which did not get any less 'fiddly' as I progressed.  I frogged to the beginning and started again using bamboo straight needles, which helped only slightly.  Like anything else, once I got focused, I was in the zone and just forged ahead.  I just started the decreases for the front and then only the sleeves will remain.  I still can't see how this lightweight fabric is going to come together, but I'm trusting the pattern.  Also, I don't want to let Rachel down since she already bought the yarn.  Although, I must say, this gorgeous yarn would make for one soft and luscious scarf!

One last knitting thing.  As soon as I saw this pattern was available, I had to order the kit.  I love this sweater, and I think it could be a wardrobe staple (especially in grey).  But now I'm done buying yarn for awhile.  I mean it.  Shut up, I'm serious!

There was not a lot of knitting time this weekend, mainly due to this:

Baby G's Baptism.  She was such a good girl in church too!  The most difficult part was sharing her with other relatives...

And Then Came Maude...

Do you suppose that my obsession with scarves, cowls, and smoke rings has something to do with "crepe-y neck syndrome"?  Because I remember hearing that Bea Arthur always wore scarves to hide her neck, and I have my fears... 

So enthusiastic was I about the Flared Lace Smoke ring, that I immediately cast on another - this time in Misti Alpaca Lace.  Things were going along ever so nicely--in fact, one might say that I was "smoking"--when I found a mistake.  Many rows down.  While not necessarily noticeable, it throws off the entire pattern.

I was okay with throwing it across the room putting it aside because my scarf kits from Sunday Knits had arrived.  I only just found Carol's designs on Ravelry last week, and quickly queued three of them.  I couldn't wait to begin her Sunday Scarf.  After about 33 rows, however, I became hopelessly lost, which hurt my pride since I've been knitting forever and ever and longer than I even care to admit.  Not wanting to admit defeat, I pulled out the trusty Excel spreadsheet and began charting the pattern, but I still could not "wrap" my mind around how all of the short rows worked.  I sent an email to Carol and looked for something else to work on.

I cast on for Sabine, a pattern from Cocoknits (the other Cocoknits) that uses a mere two skeins of Superior cashmere and which is drapey and feminine.  I didn't love the color selection available to me, but I figured I would try to break out of my box and go with the Wine color.  Wine goes with black, right?

Using yarn this wispy on size 8 needles is decidedly un-fun and fiddly, but I am trusting that the finished sweater will be worth the discomfort. 

While I was working on this sweater, Carol wrote me back with the answers I needed for the Sunday Scarf, and she even sent me a revised pattern.  Now that's customer service!  I jumped at the chance to put down the flyaway cashmere and pick up the lovely cashmerino scarf.  I am happy to report that I'm back on track.

My picture does not do this pattern justice, but it is written in such a clever way that each change from knit to purl and back again drapes like a little flutter.  Simply beautiful.  I can just picture myself tossing the end over my shoulder.  You know, like Maude!

Go Ahead....

...You know you want to.  Flared Lace Smoke Ring by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer.  I first heard about this pattern when Brenda Dayne mentioned it on her Cast-On PodCast.  She spoke so emphatically about it, that I immediately went to the site and downloaded the pattern.  A few days later, I saw that b r o o k l y n n t w e e d had started one, and the obsession began. 

Thus started the quest to find the right yarn for the project.  After considering several--both laceweight and fingering, merino and fuzzy--it was the color of this Life in Lilt yarn that got me.  "Alium," a merino/tencel, fingering yarn found on Etsy.  I wished I'd gone with something fuzzy, but I still think it's pretty.

And the pattern?  Addictive.  Completely and totally.  Go ahead, Cowl lovers, you know you want to...

Which Way is Up?

It's a question I ask myself a lot, but this time I'm referring to Grassy.  Logic would tell me that the way it's knit is the way it's worn.

But aesthetics tells me that it looks better upside down...

And, clearly, that is how Joey prefers it...

Grassy was such a joy to knit that I am sure to cast on another toot sweet!

Finally, finally, finally, I finished the Garter Stitch Jacket.  As usual, I cannot capture the true color or the beauty of it.  I don't think it's obvious that one sleeve was knit in a different dye lot from the yarn that RoseRed sent me.  It came out exactly as I envisioned.  Except... It's large.  Very large.  I may have to gift it.  Or put 80's-style shoulder pads in it.  Or move the buttons.  I have not decided.   I only made one modification; I used the crocheted (knitters, don't be haters!) crab stitch around the neck instead of a button band.  Until I can get a better picture (if ever), here is an idea of the finished sweater.

Jim claims that I am promoting the slaughter of animals by buying antler buttons.  I countered with, "so is buying the steaks you eat." 

Mmmmm - Brulee...

I'm so close.  So close to finishing the Garter Stitch Jacket.  It would have been done sooner had I actually read the pattern and not had to go back and add three inches to each sleeve in order to roll the cuffs.  But it's all coming together now.  The yarn that RoseRed sent was a very close match, and it allowed me to knit away without worry.  The only thing left is sewing and blocking -- my dreaded enemies.

In the meantime, I started Grassy (thanks to Heather).  Can I just tell you how much I am enjoying this pattern?  Immensely.  Not only is the pattern awesome, but the Berroco Pure Merino Nuance is just beautiful to work with.  I find that with every stitch I knit, in my head I say, "Sproing!"  The color is 8630 Brulee. 

I'm sitting at my desk, staring at it longingly and wishing I could hide in the ladies' room to finish it.

Happy Mother's Day!

I tried to find a picture of my mom and me as a small tribute to her on Mother's Day.  However, in keeping with her personality, it seems that she was almost always the photographer and never the photographee.  My mom is a beautiful woman who has always shied away from the camera.  I never understood it--was it insecurity?  Vanity?  Oddly, she has passed this quirky trait on down to her daughter. 

So, as I'm scanning in all the old family photo's, imagine my chagrin when I found that in a fit of vanity insanity, my mom had gone through all of the old albums and removed any pregancy photos; and those that she didn't like, she just cut herself out of entirely.  How I would have cherished this photo of us together...

Oh, well, I suppose we are all products of the women who came before us.  It's no wonder my mother dislikes having her picture taken, every photo of her mom looks something like this...

I swear we do not have one picture of my grandmother smiling! Not one.

I know someone who is going to make this Mother's Day a special one with plenty of smiles...

To all the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!

Turtles and Birds and Berries - Oh My!

The Nutkin and I have parted ways.  I don't know what it is about me and socks, but they just seem to frustrate me no end.  This time, it was a combination of the dreaded short-row heels, which despite my best efforts, wound up with holes; and the fact that the damned sock was too tight to fit a normal human foot.  My fault again since, not liking holes, I knit the yo's in the back of the loop.  Maybe the yarn is cursed.  This is the third sock I've knit and frogged with it.  Speaking of reptiles...

Nice segue, huh?  In the midst of my frustration and not having another project readily at hand, I knit up this little guy:

The pattern is Trudie the Turtle by Squirrelly K.  Size 5 Needles on scrap Berroco Alpaca.  I felt a bit stupid when Jim's daughters informed me that I had actually sewn the eyes on the underside of the turtle.  This has since been rectified, and she can now see rightside up and down. 

Also, in a fit of domesticity, I tried a couple of Leslie's recipes that have been in my queue.  The first was Molasses cookies, a tasty, little treat.  The second was her Strawberry Cookie/Cake, which, my friends, is the easiest and yummiest recipe that one can whip up in record time!  I wish I had loaded it down with more strawberries, but it was delicious and highly recommended.

This weekend was/is somewhat of a blur.  I stayed overnight at my sister's on Friday because my brother-in-law had to go out of town, and we didn't want to leave her alone with the baby.  So, we girls had a little pj party.  Heather and me in the big bed with Gianna in the Snuggle Nest between us.  That little girl is LOUD!  I don't know how parents can go with so little sleep night after night.  It's not for the faint of heart or for those over 40!  My mom was on duty last night, so we'll see  how those over 60 fair...

While I was struggling to figure out my next project, I started another Bird in Hand Mitten, which was a request from my friend Heather at work.  Cream and teal this time. 

I'm so very proud because I learned a new technique from the EZ video my sister bought me for my birthday.  I learned how to "trap" the yarn.  I can't believe I never knew about this before!  In the past, I would laboriously twist my yarn and then stop to reverse the skeins.  No wonder it took me so long to knit the last pair.  I'm so excited to finish these now. 

Oh, and in the meantime, I've got two other projects lined up -- Grassy (Thanks to Heather who generously bought me a copy of the pattern!) and Hanami.  I can't wait to read all the posts about the MS&WF.  I'm so envious...

And finally, Marcello wishes you Happy Knitting...

Panicky Good Times

Whatcha been up to?  Nutkin.

It's been awhile since I've made socks, so I figured it was time to give it another shot.  Besides, I'd gone as far as I could go on the Garter Stitch Jacket for now, and I needed a quick-fix.  Oh, yeah, that and I went to WEBS to see the Yarn Harlot on Sunday and felt compelled to bring a sock. 

"Huh?" you say.  "But where are the pictures?"  Uh, yeah, I got so overwhelmed and panicky that I completely forgot to take any.  Not one.  You would have been sweaty and gaspy and forgetful too if you'd been there.  On a normal day, WEBS is rather overwhelming with it's massive inventory.  When you add over a thousand knitters into the mix, it takes it to a whole new level of "Holy shit!" 

Tracy, LYS Judy and I arrived at 11:30 and found a parking spot surprisingly quickly, which fooled us into thinking this would be no big deal.  We immediately found MadMad, which is when I think I began to hyperventilate.  All of a sudden, my imaginary internet world collided with real life.  Yes, of course we had discussed this for weeks on end.  But here she was in the flesh, and I was completely dumbstruck.  Rachel was pretty and nice and welcoming and even pointed me towards the yarn I needed.  Had I known how long it would take to get through the lines, I might have given up.  But I followed the lemmings through the maze and watched the ceiling swirl a few times.  Water bottles were kindly provided by WEBS, and that made things a bit easier.  I wasn't even that embarrassed when a rogue mannequin tried to wrestle me to the ground.  Tracy swore it wasn't my fault, and I choose to believe her. 

We met up again with MadMad and her group for lunch where we met Persnickety Knitter and Amy from Rhode Island and Suburban Correspondent and a table full of other very nice knitters whose names blurred past my spinning head.  Starting to calm a bit, I somehow managed to steal Rachel's fork and embarrass myself yet again. 

It was just a quick jaunt up the street to the theater to listen to the Yarn Harlot.  The lights were left up so that people could knit while she spoke; and she was even more animated and delightful in person than she is in print.  I also learned that despite my many idiosyncrasies, knitting may actually prevent me from losing my shit as I age.  Which is good thing because I wouldn't want the little peanut to have to deal with crazy Auntie Kimmie in my declining years, would I?

See what I did there?  I worked in a baby shot! 

One of the best parts of the entire day?  When I got home, Jim had vacuumed and dusted for me!  Dudes! That is huge!  At least in my little book of crazy... 

It's All Knitting and Sunshine

It's amazing how sometimes things just fall into place, isn't it?  Minutes after my last post about the Garter Stitch Jacket and the possibility of my running out of yarn, RoseRed commented that she thought she might have some of the same yarn leftover from her gorgeous husby's sweater (or is that husby's gorgeous sweater?).  Anyway, how lucky am I?  And how generous is she?! 

I may have some hat eating to do since there would be absolutely no way six skeins would have made it to the end unless I took Nora's advice and used larger needles.  But I don't like to fiddle with patterns and sizing, as it seems to be a recipe for disaster with me.  I just hope this jacket turns out as adorable as I envision it. 

I also finally blocked and put the buttons on the blue Razor Shell Scarf.  I just used simple shell buttons for this version, since I don't have anymore of the antique ones and couldn't find anything else I felt suited the fabric better.  I can just see this with a white t-shirt and denim jacket (which I don't actually own)...

Just in case you haven't had your fill of cuteness today, here is a picture of Joey hiding from my big, bad cooking.  He is terrified of the sizzle.  We found him cowering between the screen and the door...

And here is an early-morning shot that Jim captured of Maggie sunning herself and contemplating her next meal.  'Maybe they're having steak tonight...'

Pushing My Luck

I finished the blue scarf last night, all ready to be blocked and buttoned up.  I'm finally feeling that I've had enough of the insane scarf craze enough to begin something a bit more challenging.  So, just in time for the 80-degree weather that arrived without warning, what project did I choose?  That's right, I decided to make a heavy, aran-tweed jacket for Fall. 

The Jo Sharp Garter Stitch Jacket is a very simple construction, yet this one may be a bit tricky for me in that I'm using the Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran left over from Juno.  I have enough to make another Juno, yet this pattern warns me that this short, boxy sweater will take eight skeins of tweed of which I have six.  And it's discontinued.  I consider it a challenge.  Because I'll eat my hat if this sweater takes more than seven.  But, Kim, you say, you still only have six.  Yes, yes, of course, I know... BUT I found a supplier online in a pinch.  What do I care if one sleeve may be a whole shade different than the rest of the sweater?  I'm funny like that.

I have not enjoyed endless garter stitch so much since the ill-fated nosewarmer of 2nd grade debacle.  Row after row of knitted stitches.  It makes me feel so Elizabeth Zimmermann-ish. 

Wish me luck, won't you?

Nothing in Particular

Wow, so I really didn't mean to be away for an entire week, but you know how it goes.  First there was the whole congestion/achey sick feeling that just set my week off, and then I was playing catch up for the rest of the week.  Briefly, my week went like this... Monday/Tuesday sick, blah, blah, blah...  Tuesday night, dragged myself out to pick Jim up from the airport and was presented with scads of lovely yarn.  Can you even believe this guy?  It seems like a nice gesture, sure, but I asked for an actual alpaca! 

In keeping with my scarf obsession, I bought more of the Berroco NaturLin -- this time in blue -- and started another Razor Shell Scarf.  Because, as we all know, if one is good, then two is even better!

Friday, when I finally felt well enough, I got to visit the peanut (after my sister said, "Um, why don't you give it one more day....").  She naturally slept the entire time I visited.  Apparently, the girl needs her beauty rest...

But seems to perk up just fine whenever I'm not there...

Then there was a very relaxing weekend with some of this...

Oh, and finally, remember when I thought that Tracy might just take pity on me and sew that beast of a scarf together for me?  She did!  Now that is friendship!

And that brings us right back to Monday.  I promise my next post will be more interesting.  I swear!  Don't be hating!

All Buttoned Up

This past weekend was unusually busy, leaving very little time (or much less time than I would have liked) for knitting.  Saturday afternoon we had family over for a birthday party, and Saturday night Jim brought us to Kooza - Cirque du Soleil.  I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did given my aversion to clowns, but the "bendy people" were amazing.  AND, a brush with celebrity - I saw Brian Dennehy!  You know, Tommy Boy's dad?  Of course, this is where the nutty in me kicks in, and I want to know, "What is Brian Dennehy doing in Connecticut?  Does he live here?  Does he have a son who is a clown - Little Timmy Dennehy, Juggler? "  Inquiring minds...  And you don't think that Kooza bothers to put cast names in their very expensive programs, do you?  Nah, that would be too easy.  But I digress...

Today I was home sick, and although I slept most of the day, I managed to finish a couple of projects as well.  The first one is a baby gift for a coworker's new grandson.  Pattern:  Rowan Classic Babies - Wills done in Loop-d-Loop Moss.  I.love.this.yarn!  It's like knitting with felted yarn.  Well, it IS felted yarn.  And I just loved it.  Two and half balls of yarn made this entire sweater!

Even more exciting to me was that I finally got the opportunity (and the nerve) to sew the buttons on the Razor Shell Scarf I'd completed last week.  I don't know that a project has ever titillated (how do you like that one, Peaknit?!) me as much as this scarf has.  It's a simple pattern, yes.  But it was as though everything I envisioned it to be just came together.  I wanted to use antique buttons (idea from Hello Yarn's version) to finish it off or at the very least give the appearance of having used antique buttons.  It was LYS Judy to the rescue.  "Oh, my mom has tons of buttons.  I'll have her bring them in!"  I almost felt guilty using them, as they were incredible buttons.  And then I had anxiety about having the buttons look too contrived.  But I think I have done them proud because if I love something I've made, then it must be okay because I am my harshest critic. 

And finally, Maggie went to the vet.  She has gained three ounces in one year for a total of 6.5 lbs.  Sounds small, doesn't it?  Yet, she should weigh 4.5 lbs.  The vet said she would not put her in the "obese" category, but she would like to see her lose at least half a pound.  So, I guess we'll be walking more...  Right now, her feelings are hurt and she is a bit sleepy from her vaccinations.

Joey Says, "Put Down the Scarves and Go to Bed!"

Joey is such a sweet and gentle soul, yet he can be rather aggressive when the situation necessitates.  He is also a creature of habit who suffers from separation anxiety.  (My mom wonders how in the world I found a pet with the same personality as myself).  Joey has the most adorable (and annoying) habit of never leaving my side, which makes it difficult to knit or get things done.  But what really drives me insane is that when Joey is ready for bed (at precisely 11:00 pm!), he goes halfway up the stairs and whines.  Then he comes back down, sits in front of me and stares into my eyes - soulfully.  Then back again to the stairs - just in case I don't get the message the first five times.   Typically, I, too, am ready for bed at this time, but last night, I was on a knitting roll and thus annoyed at his persistence.

I have finally finished the Razor Shell Scarf.  After reading all the pattern notes, I had decided to knit this scarf all in one piece.  I realized that the points of the scarf would not be the same, but I figured it mattered less than having a nasty seam or graft in the middle of the neck.  The perfectionist in me just couldn't reconcile this even though others have said it doesn't matter because it's on the back of the neck.  It matters to me.  But when I cast off on the purl side, my edge was straight instead of scalloped.  I was so upset thinking I would need to rip this back halfway and reknit this scarf with a graft.  I tried again casting off on the front side, and while the scallops were not as marked as the cast-on ones, blocking seems to have done the trick.  I just need to slap some antique buttons on this, and it's done!

While I was on a roll, I also finished the Flutter Scarf.  I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this pattern and working with this yarn.  Others might find it tedious, but I think the 4-row pattern was just challenging enough not to be boring, and the yarn was so smooth that row after row just seemed to flow off the needles.  I blocked it last night, and wore it to work today.

Oh, and remember the Anniversary Scarf that I sort of passively begged Tracy to take from me and make into something wonderful?  Well, she grudgingly graciously took all the pieces.  So stay tuned...

I'm All About the Scarves

I've been knitting a lot of scarves lately.  Knitting them, but not finishing them.  Unlike neckwarmers, they can't just be turned out in an evening or two.  I've been enjoying having projects that seem to just flow on and on without a lot of thought.  It's nice to have a project that can be just pulled out and knitted; and since I'm not really a sock knitter, scarves seem to fit the bill.  Of course, I've been carrying the Lace Leaf scarf around with me for over six months now, and I realize that that's one that really needs to get finished because I love it.  It just requires some concentration, and lacy knitting is never my first choice.

Another love is the Flutter Scarf I've been working on but never seem to get to the end of.

And then there's the Anniversary scarf that I finished knitting weeks ago but just cannot bring myself to sew together.  Every time I look at all its pieces, it seems so daunting that I just put it back in the lovely Zakka bag that's keeping it warm and knit something else.  I've begged Tracy to put mine together since she did such a lovely job on her own, but she just smiles at me.  Do you think that's a "yes"?

And then last week as I was browsing around Ravelry, I saw a scarf that was so simple yet so pretty, with buttons adorning it.  I thought it would be a great Spring scarf made from linen.

Who knew that it would be like knitting with straw?  It's very rough on the hands; but it's pretty, and I'm not giving up that easily because I'm funny like that. 

Speaking of hands... (nice segue, huh?), I've been watching the DVD "A Knitting Glossary" by Elizabeth Zimmermann this weekend.  I felt rather comforted that neither Elizabeth nor Meg had well-manicured hands.  I looked at my own dry and unmanicured hands and thought, "See, I have knitter's hands!" 

This DVD is not only jam-packed with ingenious tips and techniques, but it's a joy to watch mother and daughter together and hear small anecdotes along the way.  My only small criticism of the DVD is the most annoying, little sound byte that is used between scenes.  I think the sound byte should be sold to the military and used for torture. 

Hope you're all enjoying your weekend.  I got to babysit today - maybe again tomorrow... 

Mid-week Minutia

I think I have finally solved the Leaf Scarf problem.  The solution?  Well, it's something I didn't want to face, as I normally don't.  Blocking.  Yes, blocking seems to have cured the cone problem I was encountering with these little scarves.  I had actually made another from a different yarn (Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK) and was still getting the same result.  After blocking, it definitely flattened out quite a bit.

I also decided to add a few seed beads for interest.

At first I thought the scarf would be too floppy in this fabric, but an appreciative coworker/friend tried it on, and it looks fabulous on her.  So she has a new gift, and I'm ready to make another.

A few of you asked about my adventures in babysitting.  It was fine, but a little disappointing because Gianna slept almost the entire time I was there.  I did get to feed her, but she immediately went right back to sleep.  Luckily, I spent most of Easter Sunday with her, and I must, must, must show her off to you just a bit more.  Here she is in her little cashmere outfit...

and angora booties....

I'll bet that with all this talk about babies, you all thought I was neglecting my own babies.  Go ahead, admit it.  You did wonder why there hadn't been any pictures in such a long time.  Well, you may be a little bit right because they both were in desperate need of haircuts.  That all changes today because today, my friends, is haircut day. 

What Did I Do to Deserve This?

Well, nothing really.  When I left a comment on Lin's blog, I never expected to win anything.  And when I did win, I certainly never expected so many generous lovelies would be in the package.  Thanks, Lin - I love them all!

And that seemed to be the theme of my week.  Little gifts just kept cropping up everywhere I turned.  A coworker friend handed me the cutest, little wallhanging and said, "When I saw this, I knew I had to get it for you!"

I also received two "sisterly gifts" (hint) this week as well, but one sternly warned me, "No Posting!"  And so I won't.  ;)

So, all this kind karma kinda of freaks me out a bit, and I begin to think that when too many good things happen, then surely something bad must follow.  But I won't look for trouble, and I'll hope that if there is bad karma to come, it's in the form of running out of yarn when I'm ten rows away from finishing a project like this one, which specifically stated only one skein is needed:

Portia Beret - Louisa Harding - Kimono Angora Pure (1.15 skeins or something like that!)

I also had a bit of knitting, frogging, knitting, frogging, questionable success with the Little Leaf Scarf from Make it Modern.  The first leaf came out looking like a cone.  Well, that can't be right, I thought.  So, I ripped and tried again.  Same result.  Checked Ravelry.  Others got it right.  It must be me!  And it was...  Sort of.  I missed the EOR (Every Other Row) on the increases and decreases.  But still... It's sort of cone shaped.  Maybe with blocking???

And I'm still working on the Flutter Scarf, which I LOVE! 

Oh, and guess what I get to do this afternoon?  My sister is entrusting me with her little human while she goes to the mall with my mom.  It's the moment I've waited ten months for!  Me, alone, with the baby!!!  I may be just a bit over eager, as my Easter gift is on the table ready to go...

Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

What's Up With This Chick?

Hey, chickie, chickie, chickie...  I can't help it.  I saw the yarn today (GHH Apart Color #21), and it was just what I had envisioned for these birds.  I know, I know - I swore off fun fur years ago, but this was the "high-class" fun fur (is that an oxymoron?), and it wa