You all were there and know the story. My brother and SIL were having their first child. In honor of that child, I knitted an EZ Baby Surprise Jacket. I spent months knitting the BSJ. I agonized over the yarn, changing my selection twice. I had to overcome my apparent inability to count. I then found the perfect buttons to sew onto the jacket once Sarah had been born.
And if the jacket weren’t enough, I knitted a duck bib and a Spartan tribute bib for the baby to wear. I created the pattern for the duck bib, the first time I ever felt confident enough to not follow a pattern. I accidentally learned intarsia when I crafted the Spartan tribute bib (also a PeachyQueen creation).
I have been so proud of these gifts. I actually brought them to “Show and Tell” at the Atlanta Knitting Guild in June. The BSJ received compliments from both the Atlanta Knitting Guild and from the Ravelry BSJ Forum. Other people have asked me to write down the pattern for the duck bib.
With pride, I carefully wrapped each item in tissue paper, tied them with a ribbon, and sent them to Phoenix last week. (Okay, I was a little late in sending them out, but the baby isn’t two months old yet and is in no danger of outgrowing either the bibs or the BSJ anytime soon.)
So today I get the phone call. “Hi. It’s me. I’m calling because first I received this package today and I wanted to thank you. But I really wanted to know if the kids are at home because I’d like to show them Sarah on Skype.” (Skype is a free program that allows you to chat with, call or video-call other people through the Internet. It really is cool. During the last week, I’ve been able to video-call my nieces and nephew in Greece; my SIL, brother and niece in Phoenix, and my parents in Tennessee. But enough about Skype. Back to my rant.)
Okay, that wasn’t the entire phone call. It was, however, the gist of the phone call. The gift was nice, but she really wanted to talk to the kids. The hours spent agonizing over the perfect yarn and knitting the perfect baby gifts . . . I can’t even finish the sentence.
I think we all know who is getting a scratchy acrylic neon scarf this Christmas.
August 25, 2009
August 8, 2009
It's Calling Me. . . .
I’ve had this strange calling over the last few weeks, and it’s not my knitting needles. It’s my crochet hook.
I picked up the crochet hook years ago. I worked in an office where a secretary avidly crocheted. At night, she sat in front of the TV making granny squares. When someone had an event, such as a baby shower, she would sew the squares together to make a blanket. I really liked the idea of being able to throw together a homemade gift.
I took crochet classes at Michael’s, and later I took a few private lessons with the instructor. After a few lessons, the instructor stopped returning my calls, and I lost her address. I feel a little guilty because I still have some of the crochet square samples and a book that she loaned me.
Despite the lessons, I never really took to crochet. Granny squares in dark, bland colors just weren’t that exciting. I never have been a big afghan fan (I sleep with comforters). Lace doilies also didn’t interest me. I crocheted a few baby blankets for friends, but that’s about it.
Then came Ravelry. I started looking through the patterns available and realized that many of the patterns I admired were crochet. For example, I found a great little Christmas tree ornament in the shape of a Christmas tree. Being Jewish, we don’t celebrate Christmas in our house, but what a great gift for friends! Recently, I saw a pattern for a children's rug in the shape of 4 crayons. It was all I could do not to run out of the house to buy the yarn.
The final straw is the clown my grandmother made for me years ago. I absolutely adore him even though he’s in desperate need of repair. I took him to a knitting group to find out how he was made. An experienced knitter explained the pattern to me after looking at him for two minutes. Of course, it is a crochet pattern.
Crochet seems to be an art form on the rise. It is no longer restricted to granny squares and dark afghans. I am excited by the patterns I see on Ravelry and by the artistic windows crochet opens.
Having resisted my impulse for weeks, I finally grabbed some yarn, a hook and crocheted a doll leg. (I was going to show you a picture, but the leg sitting alone looked obscene.) I also am ordering a book of crocheted yarmulke patterns to make gifts for various family members during the holidays.
At the risk of sounding trite, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
I picked up the crochet hook years ago. I worked in an office where a secretary avidly crocheted. At night, she sat in front of the TV making granny squares. When someone had an event, such as a baby shower, she would sew the squares together to make a blanket. I really liked the idea of being able to throw together a homemade gift.
I took crochet classes at Michael’s, and later I took a few private lessons with the instructor. After a few lessons, the instructor stopped returning my calls, and I lost her address. I feel a little guilty because I still have some of the crochet square samples and a book that she loaned me.
Despite the lessons, I never really took to crochet. Granny squares in dark, bland colors just weren’t that exciting. I never have been a big afghan fan (I sleep with comforters). Lace doilies also didn’t interest me. I crocheted a few baby blankets for friends, but that’s about it.
Then came Ravelry. I started looking through the patterns available and realized that many of the patterns I admired were crochet. For example, I found a great little Christmas tree ornament in the shape of a Christmas tree. Being Jewish, we don’t celebrate Christmas in our house, but what a great gift for friends! Recently, I saw a pattern for a children's rug in the shape of 4 crayons. It was all I could do not to run out of the house to buy the yarn.
The final straw is the clown my grandmother made for me years ago. I absolutely adore him even though he’s in desperate need of repair. I took him to a knitting group to find out how he was made. An experienced knitter explained the pattern to me after looking at him for two minutes. Of course, it is a crochet pattern.Crochet seems to be an art form on the rise. It is no longer restricted to granny squares and dark afghans. I am excited by the patterns I see on Ravelry and by the artistic windows crochet opens.
Having resisted my impulse for weeks, I finally grabbed some yarn, a hook and crocheted a doll leg. (I was going to show you a picture, but the leg sitting alone looked obscene.) I also am ordering a book of crocheted yarmulke patterns to make gifts for various family members during the holidays.
At the risk of sounding trite, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
August 3, 2009
Ripples in the pond
Do you remember the movie “Awakenings”? The doctor, Robin Williams, described Robert DeNiro’s character as having so many ticks and twitches that he (DeNiro) was paralyzed. That description describes my blog writing as of late. I’ve had many stops and starts, but I’ve been pulled in so many directions, I have not finished any of them.
The source the craziness - I got a job. About two weeks ago, I accepted some contract work. It’s nothing glamorous; I'm reviewing thousands of pages of documents for litigation. It is good work and reasonably interesting. Of course, accepting this job is the equivalent of throwing a pebble into the cosmic pool of life, and we are dealing with the ripple effects.
Naturally, now that I have time commitments, my husband’s contract work has picked up as well. That means we need a babysitter for the kids, and our primary sitters are out of town for the next couple of weeks. With our regular sitters out of town, we have needed filler babysitters for this week. Life should get easier next week when PeachyKids 1 and 2 (PK1 and PK2) start school on Monday. (Hooray!) I now need daycare for PeachyKid 3 (PK3), which means I need to research daycare options. A new preschool opened up the street from us, and I’m hoping it has an opening.
In addition to finding childcare, I also need to adjust my stay-at-home-mom schedule to a working mom schedule. All the chores I saved for when the kids were at school now have become my evening chores. Unfortunately, I still need to take time during the day to complete some tasks, such as going to the tailor to alter my new suits. However, this may have to wait a few weeks until I finish this job. In the meantime, I need to figure out how late I can call my insurance company. We have had several health insurance companies in the last 17 years, and I have never spent so much time dealing with any of my insurance companies. I’m going to start billing this one for my time, and, unlike my doctors, I don’t accept discounted reimbursements.
I’m also trying to balance professional development with contract work. I’ve networked with several people and need to follow up with a lunch or coffee. On one hand, these meetings are important to helping me identify my next job. On the other hand, I have a lot of documents to review in the next couple of weeks.
As if those issues weren’t enough to occupy my mind, we just returned from a fantastic trip visiting relatives. We visited with my DH’s sister, her husband and children at my in-law’s house in Flordia. I finally met my Scottish nieces and nephew, and they are wonderful. (I’ll tell you more about this trip later.) My SIL and her family extended their visit in the US through August, and they would like to visit our house in Georgia. I suspect that their travel plans will be last minute, and I want to make sure that I am far enough along in my work to enjoy a visit from them.
My big concern is that working has had a detrimental impact on my knitting. I used to do all of my CEO (Chief Everything Officer) work during the day and knit at night. Now, I’m doing my contract work during the day, CEO work at night, and knitting only if I do not collapse from exhaustion. I need to figure out how I can squeeze more knitting time into the day. I think I have a few free minutes between 1:30 and 2 am . . .
I am excited about what I am making. I am knitting Debbie Bliss’s Zippered Vest from her Essential Knits for Kids. Originally, I planned to knit the vest for PK2. After measuring the bottom half of the back on both PK1 and PK2, I decided that the vest probably will fit PK1 better. I’ll knit one for PK2 next.
Although the knitting is slow, I have adopted Kelley’s habit of listening to audiobooks while I knit. I’m listening to two books right now – Ken Follett’s the Pillars of the Earth, and Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl. I started the Follett book first, then realized I needed to “read” Gregory’s book for book club next Sunday. The last book I audio-read for my book club was The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I was so inspired by the book, I actually wrote most of a book review. I hope to finish and publish the review in the near future.
In the meantime, it's off to bed with me. I have a full workday tomorrow.
The source the craziness - I got a job. About two weeks ago, I accepted some contract work. It’s nothing glamorous; I'm reviewing thousands of pages of documents for litigation. It is good work and reasonably interesting. Of course, accepting this job is the equivalent of throwing a pebble into the cosmic pool of life, and we are dealing with the ripple effects.
Naturally, now that I have time commitments, my husband’s contract work has picked up as well. That means we need a babysitter for the kids, and our primary sitters are out of town for the next couple of weeks. With our regular sitters out of town, we have needed filler babysitters for this week. Life should get easier next week when PeachyKids 1 and 2 (PK1 and PK2) start school on Monday. (Hooray!) I now need daycare for PeachyKid 3 (PK3), which means I need to research daycare options. A new preschool opened up the street from us, and I’m hoping it has an opening.
In addition to finding childcare, I also need to adjust my stay-at-home-mom schedule to a working mom schedule. All the chores I saved for when the kids were at school now have become my evening chores. Unfortunately, I still need to take time during the day to complete some tasks, such as going to the tailor to alter my new suits. However, this may have to wait a few weeks until I finish this job. In the meantime, I need to figure out how late I can call my insurance company. We have had several health insurance companies in the last 17 years, and I have never spent so much time dealing with any of my insurance companies. I’m going to start billing this one for my time, and, unlike my doctors, I don’t accept discounted reimbursements.
I’m also trying to balance professional development with contract work. I’ve networked with several people and need to follow up with a lunch or coffee. On one hand, these meetings are important to helping me identify my next job. On the other hand, I have a lot of documents to review in the next couple of weeks.
As if those issues weren’t enough to occupy my mind, we just returned from a fantastic trip visiting relatives. We visited with my DH’s sister, her husband and children at my in-law’s house in Flordia. I finally met my Scottish nieces and nephew, and they are wonderful. (I’ll tell you more about this trip later.) My SIL and her family extended their visit in the US through August, and they would like to visit our house in Georgia. I suspect that their travel plans will be last minute, and I want to make sure that I am far enough along in my work to enjoy a visit from them.
My big concern is that working has had a detrimental impact on my knitting. I used to do all of my CEO (Chief Everything Officer) work during the day and knit at night. Now, I’m doing my contract work during the day, CEO work at night, and knitting only if I do not collapse from exhaustion. I need to figure out how I can squeeze more knitting time into the day. I think I have a few free minutes between 1:30 and 2 am . . .
I am excited about what I am making. I am knitting Debbie Bliss’s Zippered Vest from her Essential Knits for Kids. Originally, I planned to knit the vest for PK2. After measuring the bottom half of the back on both PK1 and PK2, I decided that the vest probably will fit PK1 better. I’ll knit one for PK2 next.
Although the knitting is slow, I have adopted Kelley’s habit of listening to audiobooks while I knit. I’m listening to two books right now – Ken Follett’s the Pillars of the Earth, and Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl. I started the Follett book first, then realized I needed to “read” Gregory’s book for book club next Sunday. The last book I audio-read for my book club was The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I was so inspired by the book, I actually wrote most of a book review. I hope to finish and publish the review in the near future.
In the meantime, it's off to bed with me. I have a full workday tomorrow.
July 7, 2009
Lace swatch 9; PeachyQueen 0
Yes, it's been one of those projects.
I mentioned the Atlanta "Secret" KAL which is supposed to be my first lace project. I'm having some .... challenges, and I've only started the swatch. First, I needed the find the right gauge. I am using fingering weight yarn because lace weight seemed a bit ambitious. I started with a size 4 needle (which was recommended), went down to a 2, and now I'm up to a 10. The many attempts I've made do look lacy. Unfortunately, I can't seem to hold onto the yarn overs. I literally have not successfully completed the second row of the pattern. ARGH!
I'm not sure what's more frustrating - the swatch or the lack of other projects to distract me from the evil lace project. I've completed the BSJ and three bibs, including a bib with intarsia in honor of my brother, the Michigan State alum (I was impressed).
I've woven in the ends, fastened them with thread, and sewed on velcro closures. I cannot look at another bib. I officially have fulfilled my knitting desires for my new niece or nephew (who is due any day now).
I even found a bunch of old crocheted granny squares made of somewhat rough acrylic and sewed them together to make a blanket for the cats. They seem to appreciate it.
On a related note, I did have a stroke of genius over the weekend. My MIL really liked the granny square blanket and could not believe that I was giving it to the cats. I decided to make her a granny square purse for the holidays. I have a lot of left over acrylic in very pretty colors, and I even think I found a pattern on Ravelry that uses eight granny squares.
Now I need a new project. I need something that will challenge me but that will not further injure the part of my brain (and ego) already damaged by the lace project. I need something that will use up my stash and will not require a new set of needles. Time to hit my growing knitting library and see what strikes my fancy.
I mentioned the Atlanta "Secret" KAL which is supposed to be my first lace project. I'm having some .... challenges, and I've only started the swatch. First, I needed the find the right gauge. I am using fingering weight yarn because lace weight seemed a bit ambitious. I started with a size 4 needle (which was recommended), went down to a 2, and now I'm up to a 10. The many attempts I've made do look lacy. Unfortunately, I can't seem to hold onto the yarn overs. I literally have not successfully completed the second row of the pattern. ARGH!
I'm not sure what's more frustrating - the swatch or the lack of other projects to distract me from the evil lace project. I've completed the BSJ and three bibs, including a bib with intarsia in honor of my brother, the Michigan State alum (I was impressed).
I've woven in the ends, fastened them with thread, and sewed on velcro closures. I cannot look at another bib. I officially have fulfilled my knitting desires for my new niece or nephew (who is due any day now).
I even found a bunch of old crocheted granny squares made of somewhat rough acrylic and sewed them together to make a blanket for the cats. They seem to appreciate it.
On a related note, I did have a stroke of genius over the weekend. My MIL really liked the granny square blanket and could not believe that I was giving it to the cats. I decided to make her a granny square purse for the holidays. I have a lot of left over acrylic in very pretty colors, and I even think I found a pattern on Ravelry that uses eight granny squares.
Now I need a new project. I need something that will challenge me but that will not further injure the part of my brain (and ego) already damaged by the lace project. I need something that will use up my stash and will not require a new set of needles. Time to hit my growing knitting library and see what strikes my fancy.
July 6, 2009
Drum Roll Please . . . .
I am very happy to introduce you to the finished gecko. He is adorable, if I do say so myself. I hope my nephew likes him. Otherwise, I'm taking him back!
(Gotta Get a Gecko pattern by Fiber Trends)
June 29, 2009
Back to Reality
I'm back from Franklin, TN. While I really enjoyed spending time with my parents, it is good to be home. Their house is just not designed for two rambunctious boys.
My mother and I agreed that knitting camp was something of a bust. Our plan was to take a bunch of knitting or fiber-related classes at the LYS. Unfortunately, few of the classes were offered at times convenient to us, and private lessons were more than we wanted to spend. I then borrowed EZ's DVD Knitting Workshop from the Atlanta Knitting Guild. While we enjoyed watching some of the DVD, my mother had no desire to actually knit the items EZ demonstrated in her workshop. We eventually abandoned the DVD as well.
The two weeks were not an entire waste, however. I finished knitting the gecko for my nephew:
I still need to felt and stuff the gecko, but I'm so pleased with how well it turned out.
Felting the gecko looks like a project. You have to pull it out of the washing machine every 5 minutes or so to check on its progress and shape the toes. I'm waiting until an evening to felt it. With temperatures in the 90s, I'm not anxious to run any unnecessary electrical equipment.
I’m starting to feel a little pressed for time with some of my projects. My SIL is due in two weeks, and I need to finish the details on the baby projects. I still need to fix the clasp on my duck bib, secure the ends to the baby surprise jacket with thread, and finish the clasp to a second bib. I cast on a third bib on Friday and realized that I need to review some knitting-with-color techniques. (I’m not sure, but I may have stumbled into intarsia.) I had hoped to knit at least two more bibs by the time the baby arrives, but that may be too ambitious.
I also need to start my first lace project. The Atlanta Knitting Guild is having a KAL sponsored by one of our recent speakers. I've been a little hesitant to mention the project since it is open to a limited group of people. However, we have our own KAL forum on Ravelry. If we have our own forum, I think we can mention the KAL in public. Anyway, we are knitting some sort of lace shawl or stole. The project does call for beading for those who are ambitious. With a baby learning to crawl and pull himself up and the older two boys (a/k/a "the terrorists"), I've decided against beading. I'm very excited about my first lace and KAL experience.
For this project, I purchased KnitPicks Gloss yarn (parsley color) for the KAL. It was on sale [go me!] and is a wonderful earthy color, which was recommended. The swatch was to be completed last week, and the first clue was published Friday. I'm a bit behind because I haven't started the swatch yet. I hope to start on it tonight while the gecko is drying.
Since the baby is still sleeping, I guess I should return to my other project in progress - cleaning out my office. Once either my husband or I are employed, we plan to put the house on the market. I'm trying to clean the house room by room. My husband did an amazing job cleaning the boys' rooms, the playroom, and the garage while we were gone. My office, once one of the the neatest rooms in the house, now looks like a paper and yarn tornado hit it. I'm trying to organize both the paper and the stash, but I'm not sure I'm winning the battle.
Happy knitting!
My mother and I agreed that knitting camp was something of a bust. Our plan was to take a bunch of knitting or fiber-related classes at the LYS. Unfortunately, few of the classes were offered at times convenient to us, and private lessons were more than we wanted to spend. I then borrowed EZ's DVD Knitting Workshop from the Atlanta Knitting Guild. While we enjoyed watching some of the DVD, my mother had no desire to actually knit the items EZ demonstrated in her workshop. We eventually abandoned the DVD as well.
The two weeks were not an entire waste, however. I finished knitting the gecko for my nephew:
I still need to felt and stuff the gecko, but I'm so pleased with how well it turned out.Felting the gecko looks like a project. You have to pull it out of the washing machine every 5 minutes or so to check on its progress and shape the toes. I'm waiting until an evening to felt it. With temperatures in the 90s, I'm not anxious to run any unnecessary electrical equipment.
I’m starting to feel a little pressed for time with some of my projects. My SIL is due in two weeks, and I need to finish the details on the baby projects. I still need to fix the clasp on my duck bib, secure the ends to the baby surprise jacket with thread, and finish the clasp to a second bib. I cast on a third bib on Friday and realized that I need to review some knitting-with-color techniques. (I’m not sure, but I may have stumbled into intarsia.) I had hoped to knit at least two more bibs by the time the baby arrives, but that may be too ambitious.
I also need to start my first lace project. The Atlanta Knitting Guild is having a KAL sponsored by one of our recent speakers. I've been a little hesitant to mention the project since it is open to a limited group of people. However, we have our own KAL forum on Ravelry. If we have our own forum, I think we can mention the KAL in public. Anyway, we are knitting some sort of lace shawl or stole. The project does call for beading for those who are ambitious. With a baby learning to crawl and pull himself up and the older two boys (a/k/a "the terrorists"), I've decided against beading. I'm very excited about my first lace and KAL experience.
For this project, I purchased KnitPicks Gloss yarn (parsley color) for the KAL. It was on sale [go me!] and is a wonderful earthy color, which was recommended. The swatch was to be completed last week, and the first clue was published Friday. I'm a bit behind because I haven't started the swatch yet. I hope to start on it tonight while the gecko is drying.
Since the baby is still sleeping, I guess I should return to my other project in progress - cleaning out my office. Once either my husband or I are employed, we plan to put the house on the market. I'm trying to clean the house room by room. My husband did an amazing job cleaning the boys' rooms, the playroom, and the garage while we were gone. My office, once one of the the neatest rooms in the house, now looks like a paper and yarn tornado hit it. I'm trying to organize both the paper and the stash, but I'm not sure I'm winning the battle.
Happy knitting!
June 21, 2009
Knitting Camp Continues
Knitting Camp with Mom continues. Well, sort of.
I drafted my last post on Tuesday evening. By that night, I had a heck of a migraine, completely derailing plans to knit with Mom that night. Wednesday morning, the migraine continued. In addition, my older two did not have camp that day because of thunderstorms. So, we had to postpone Knitting Camp until Thursday.
I have been able to get a fair amount of knitting done the last few days. I started knitting a Gecko for my nephew. The pattern ("Gotta Get a Gecko" by Fiber Trends) looked very intimidating when I first purchased it. The pattern is also knitted on double points, which I have never used before except to make I-cords. My friend H assured me that the pattern is very do-able. It is just very detailed. H was absolutely right. In this pattern, almost every line is knit differently, but the pattern itself is not hard. It's been a quick knit. I started knitting on Thursday, and I'm ready to bind off the head and begin to knit the legs. With a little time (and a little luck), I should be ready to felt it by mid-week.
Oh, and the yarn I'm using for the gecko is Nature Wool by Araucania. It's thick and has variegated shades of green. It's going to make a very cool gecko.
Before I forget, in my last post I mentioned my yarn and pattern purchase from the Haus of Yarn. I am so excited about knitting this sweater. The pattern is Chunky Little Jacket by Ella Rae Designs. Haus had knitted a sample in Magallanes Hand Dyed by Araucania Yarns. The yarn is variegated in various shades of bright pinks. I looked at that jacket and knew that it would look great on me. Now, the pattern and yarn are mine. (Insert wicked laugh here.) I'll have to post pictures of the yarn and pattern once I get home and have access to my DH's camera.
I've made a very cool observation recently - I actually can read patterns and understand what I am supposed to do. I even know how to make the stitches in the patterns. When I looked at the Ella Rae pattern for the jacket, I wasn't at all intimidated. There is one line that is a little unclear, but I think I've figured it out. I really feel proud at how far I've come since October.
Anyway, everyone is out of the house right now except for the baby. I'm going to take a few minutes to enjoy the quiet and play with the baby. I hope everyone has a Happy Father's Day!
I drafted my last post on Tuesday evening. By that night, I had a heck of a migraine, completely derailing plans to knit with Mom that night. Wednesday morning, the migraine continued. In addition, my older two did not have camp that day because of thunderstorms. So, we had to postpone Knitting Camp until Thursday.
I have been able to get a fair amount of knitting done the last few days. I started knitting a Gecko for my nephew. The pattern ("Gotta Get a Gecko" by Fiber Trends) looked very intimidating when I first purchased it. The pattern is also knitted on double points, which I have never used before except to make I-cords. My friend H assured me that the pattern is very do-able. It is just very detailed. H was absolutely right. In this pattern, almost every line is knit differently, but the pattern itself is not hard. It's been a quick knit. I started knitting on Thursday, and I'm ready to bind off the head and begin to knit the legs. With a little time (and a little luck), I should be ready to felt it by mid-week.
Oh, and the yarn I'm using for the gecko is Nature Wool by Araucania. It's thick and has variegated shades of green. It's going to make a very cool gecko.
Before I forget, in my last post I mentioned my yarn and pattern purchase from the Haus of Yarn. I am so excited about knitting this sweater. The pattern is Chunky Little Jacket by Ella Rae Designs. Haus had knitted a sample in Magallanes Hand Dyed by Araucania Yarns. The yarn is variegated in various shades of bright pinks. I looked at that jacket and knew that it would look great on me. Now, the pattern and yarn are mine. (Insert wicked laugh here.) I'll have to post pictures of the yarn and pattern once I get home and have access to my DH's camera.
I've made a very cool observation recently - I actually can read patterns and understand what I am supposed to do. I even know how to make the stitches in the patterns. When I looked at the Ella Rae pattern for the jacket, I wasn't at all intimidated. There is one line that is a little unclear, but I think I've figured it out. I really feel proud at how far I've come since October.
Anyway, everyone is out of the house right now except for the baby. I'm going to take a few minutes to enjoy the quiet and play with the baby. I hope everyone has a Happy Father's Day!
June 16, 2009
Knitting Camp days 1 & 2
The kids and I arrived in Franklin, TN on Sunday around lunch time. We immediately began to prepare for DS1 and DS2 to attend soccer/science camp the following day. After heading to Publix for lunch goods, it was time for dinner and bed.
Monday morning, I dropped off the boys at their camp (could you hear the screams of joy?) and returned home for our knitting camp. There was a bit of a delay with DS3 wanting to eat. My DH and I also realized over the weekend that DS3 had outgrown his clothes and that we needed to take him shopping. So instead of knitting, it was off to Kohl's, Walmart and Target for baby bathing suits and pajamas. Can I tell you that no one is carrying baby PJs in 12 month sizes? We managed to find 3 pairs of pajamas. I'm hoping I can find a couple additional pair when I return home.
That evening, after the kids went to bed, we were finally able to begin knitting camp. We turned on EZ's Knitting Workshop. What a character! We didn't knit much, but we did learn a lot of different techniques from the few programs we watched. I'm not sure EZ would approve of the way I purl. I was excited that I properly tought myself her method of "making" a stitch. I love the way EZ would show a technique saying, "Some people do x this way. I'm not going to do it like that. I'm going to do x like this. . . ."
For knitting camp today, we went to Nashville's Haus of Yarn. We went there several months ago, and I have been thinking about a sweater I saw ever since. Today I purchased the pattern book and the yarn, both of which were on sale. I also purchased a size 15 knitting needle, which was not. I thought I had a size 13 needle, but I only have size 11. Oh well. I guess I'll have to hit another yarn store, darn it.
I'll have to tell you more tomorrow. My boys performed experiements with electricity at camp today, and they have decided to repeat these experiments in their bedroom. I probably should intervene before they burn the house down.
Till tomorrow.
Monday morning, I dropped off the boys at their camp (could you hear the screams of joy?) and returned home for our knitting camp. There was a bit of a delay with DS3 wanting to eat. My DH and I also realized over the weekend that DS3 had outgrown his clothes and that we needed to take him shopping. So instead of knitting, it was off to Kohl's, Walmart and Target for baby bathing suits and pajamas. Can I tell you that no one is carrying baby PJs in 12 month sizes? We managed to find 3 pairs of pajamas. I'm hoping I can find a couple additional pair when I return home.
That evening, after the kids went to bed, we were finally able to begin knitting camp. We turned on EZ's Knitting Workshop. What a character! We didn't knit much, but we did learn a lot of different techniques from the few programs we watched. I'm not sure EZ would approve of the way I purl. I was excited that I properly tought myself her method of "making" a stitch. I love the way EZ would show a technique saying, "Some people do x this way. I'm not going to do it like that. I'm going to do x like this. . . ."
For knitting camp today, we went to Nashville's Haus of Yarn. We went there several months ago, and I have been thinking about a sweater I saw ever since. Today I purchased the pattern book and the yarn, both of which were on sale. I also purchased a size 15 knitting needle, which was not. I thought I had a size 13 needle, but I only have size 11. Oh well. I guess I'll have to hit another yarn store, darn it.
I'll have to tell you more tomorrow. My boys performed experiements with electricity at camp today, and they have decided to repeat these experiments in their bedroom. I probably should intervene before they burn the house down.
Till tomorrow.
June 9, 2009
Crazy Camp week has begun!.
The elder members of the PeachyQueen gang seem to be enjoying camp. DS1 is at cub scout camp and is having a blast. Normally, I can't get a word out of him about his day. This entire week, he couldn't wait to tell me about camp. He even wanted to cook dinner with a recipe he learned in camp. I'm still not sure about this recipe. You crack and egg into a Ziploc bag, add milk and cheese, and mush up. Then you are supposed to put the mixture in to a pan of boiling water. I figured we were making some sort of poached omlette. I'm pretty sure he left out a step or two. At some point, you are also supposed to put the egg mixture into an oven. Eventually, we had scrambled eggs.
[I have to interrupt this thought with a mental picture. DS1 just walked in wearing shark pajamas, Star Wars sunglasses, and two large pearl necklaces hanging down to his waist. Where's my camera . . . .]
DS1 also has had a great time with archery and shooting BB guns. He even received a special award today for shooting the target with more than 5 shots. I'm not sure how I feel about DS1 holding any sort of gun. I guess I have a mixture of pride, concern and absolute fear. He's all boy with all of the little boy destructive tendencies. I guess I will feel proud of his accomplishments and happy that we don't have a BB gun at home.
DS2 is reluctantly having fun at camp. He would much rather stay home with Mommy. Mommy, however, has a few things to do. In addition to the normal doctor appointments and errands, I need to get the family ready to go to Tennessee next week. I also think he may be a little bored at this camp. It sounds like the camp moves at a slower pace, and nothing DS2 does is slow. He is supposed to return to this camp later in the summer, but I may find a different camp that week.
Having the boys at different camps in different parts of town has taken a toll on my car. I'm driving over 100 miles every day. The only good aspect of spending my life in the car is that I have found the most wonderful audiobook: The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It received great reviews as both a well-told story and a well-read book. It's fabulous. I don't want to put my IPod down. The biggest problem is that the story is set in Jackson, Mississippi. After listening to the Southern accents all afternoon, I tend to talk like a character in the novel!
I need to go help prepare the boys for their last day of camp this week. Have a great night!
[I have to interrupt this thought with a mental picture. DS1 just walked in wearing shark pajamas, Star Wars sunglasses, and two large pearl necklaces hanging down to his waist. Where's my camera . . . .]
DS1 also has had a great time with archery and shooting BB guns. He even received a special award today for shooting the target with more than 5 shots. I'm not sure how I feel about DS1 holding any sort of gun. I guess I have a mixture of pride, concern and absolute fear. He's all boy with all of the little boy destructive tendencies. I guess I will feel proud of his accomplishments and happy that we don't have a BB gun at home.
DS2 is reluctantly having fun at camp. He would much rather stay home with Mommy. Mommy, however, has a few things to do. In addition to the normal doctor appointments and errands, I need to get the family ready to go to Tennessee next week. I also think he may be a little bored at this camp. It sounds like the camp moves at a slower pace, and nothing DS2 does is slow. He is supposed to return to this camp later in the summer, but I may find a different camp that week.
Having the boys at different camps in different parts of town has taken a toll on my car. I'm driving over 100 miles every day. The only good aspect of spending my life in the car is that I have found the most wonderful audiobook: The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It received great reviews as both a well-told story and a well-read book. It's fabulous. I don't want to put my IPod down. The biggest problem is that the story is set in Jackson, Mississippi. After listening to the Southern accents all afternoon, I tend to talk like a character in the novel!
I need to go help prepare the boys for their last day of camp this week. Have a great night!
June 6, 2009
A Sad Day to be a Tree
The word came down today - the Kwanzan cherry tree outside my office window must go.It's actually a pretty tree, maybe 10 feet tall. We planted it when we first moved into the house 10 years ago. In the spring, it sports these beautiful cotton puff pink flowers. I have fond memories (and several great pictures) of the kids pulling the flowers off the tree and blowing the pedals into the wind.
This year, I noticed a large branch that died. Not a problem, I thought; we'll just cut it off. When I inspected the tree yesterday, I noticed that leaves on several nearby branches were dying. I asked our lawn care person about the tree, and he noted an area of rot in the trunk. I had hoped that I would find some sort of cure on the Web, but all the information that I can find states that Japanese cherry trees are sensitive and that they will not survive the rot. I may send out one more e-mail to the local celebrity gardning guru, Walter Reeves, to see if he has any last suggestions. I probably should call an arborist, but my husband is reluctant to spend the money since we both suspect the tree's days are numbered.
I guess next week, I'll call someone to take down the tree. I'll miss the pink flowers next spring.
June 4, 2009
I knitted a Baby Surprise Jacket
Yes, it's true. It's not finished, but it's knitted. I still need to sew in the ends, the top seam, and add buttons, but here is what it currently looks like:
It is knitted in Knit Picks Comfy Sport, a cotton-acrylic blend that will be perfect for a baby who is going to live in Arizona. I brought the almost-finished piece to the Atlanta Knitting Guild tonight, and I received many oohs and ahs from the membership both on the yarn selection and my workmanship. It is appropriate that I finished knitting the BSJ tonight since I began the BSJ at the last guild meeting. Okay, actually I spent the May meeting fighting a ball of yarn intended for the BSJ, but I think I cast on that evening or the morning after. I hope to weave in all the ends by my next weekly knitting meeting. Once the baby is born, I'll add the appropriate buttons.
On some level, I felt a little silly in that I had a lot of problems with what essentially is a garter stitch pattern. I do feel I learned a lot from the pattern, and I take a great deal of comfort in the fact that most people seem to find it a challenging pattern.
I also learned an important little fact from my knitting group last night. Apparently, I do not make my knit stitch correctly. I knit into the back of the needle and purl into the front. My understanding is that many self-taught knitters make the same mistake. While this is not a problem for many patterns, it may be a problem when I start to use patterns that require I knit into the back of the stitch. I decided to knit several washcloths and baby bibs to re-teach myself how to knit.
Anyway, I'm going to celebrate my accomplishment by curling up in bed and watching The Deadliest Catch (I'm addicted). I hope ya'll have a great evening!
It is knitted in Knit Picks Comfy Sport, a cotton-acrylic blend that will be perfect for a baby who is going to live in Arizona. I brought the almost-finished piece to the Atlanta Knitting Guild tonight, and I received many oohs and ahs from the membership both on the yarn selection and my workmanship. It is appropriate that I finished knitting the BSJ tonight since I began the BSJ at the last guild meeting. Okay, actually I spent the May meeting fighting a ball of yarn intended for the BSJ, but I think I cast on that evening or the morning after. I hope to weave in all the ends by my next weekly knitting meeting. Once the baby is born, I'll add the appropriate buttons.
On some level, I felt a little silly in that I had a lot of problems with what essentially is a garter stitch pattern. I do feel I learned a lot from the pattern, and I take a great deal of comfort in the fact that most people seem to find it a challenging pattern.
I also learned an important little fact from my knitting group last night. Apparently, I do not make my knit stitch correctly. I knit into the back of the needle and purl into the front. My understanding is that many self-taught knitters make the same mistake. While this is not a problem for many patterns, it may be a problem when I start to use patterns that require I knit into the back of the stitch. I decided to knit several washcloths and baby bibs to re-teach myself how to knit.
Anyway, I'm going to celebrate my accomplishment by curling up in bed and watching The Deadliest Catch (I'm addicted). I hope ya'll have a great evening!
June 1, 2009
How can it be June?
I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks because, well, I haven't had time. I usually try to put a lot of thought into a blog. I compose an essay with a definite theme and some sort of conclusion. Now that the summer has begun, I need to get over my legal self and just write.
The past two weeks have been crazy busy. The week of May 16 was our children's last week of school. Sunday, my oldest child "graduated" the religious school first grade program in the morning, and in the afternoon he graduated to a "wolf" in the Cub Scouts. Monday and Tuesday were filled with doctor appointments and non-stop errands. I also spent the week finalizing camp plans. On Thursday, my oldest had a school awards ceremony and camp orientation. Friday was my middle child's preschool graduation and my oldest's end of year presentation and school party. Friday afternoon, my parents and sister arrived for a quick overnight visit. Not much knitting happened that week.
To add to the crazy week, we had an unexpected houseguest. Our friend, S, suffered a broken ankle from a nasty car accident. S is single and has no family in the area, so she stayed with us after she was discharged. So while we were running around from school event to school event, we were also taking care of S, who was far more disabled than we had realized.
Taking care of S had an additional unexpected challenge - her duplex. Eventually, S would need access to her own bedroom and bathroom, both of which were impassible. I spent over an hour cleaning her bedroom floor, and I was not even close to being done. I hauled her laundry over to our house for cleaning and gave her keys to a friend who was bringing a cleaning person to the home. My friend and the cleaning person spent an additional 4 hours cleaning just the bedroom and master bath, and then they returned another day to clean the rest of the duplex. S has been informed that her bedroom is to stay in pristine condition; there are now several people who have a vested interest in seeing it clean.
Immediately after my family left town on Saturday, I turned my attention to getting our family ready to go to Florida on Wednesday morning. I spent Sunday doing nothing but laundry and creating packing list for the kids. S's mother arrived on Memorial Day, which worked out very well for us. We were able to take S back to her house home that evening and begin to pack for our trip to Florida on Wednesday, May 27. As you can imagine, packing for a family of 5 for a six-day trip took all of our time on Tuesday, and we left town early on Wednesday morning.
From a knitting perspective, the trip to Florida was wonderful. I was left in charge of the baby much of the time, which meant that spent a lot of time sitting and waiting for him to wake up from a nap or watching him roll around on the floor. That was great knitting time. I made considerable progress on the Baby Surprise Jacket, and I should have a picture of it in the next couple of days.
Unfortunately, because I was watching the baby, I really was not able to take advantage of the beach or my in-laws' pool. I took the baby to the beach once, but he spent his time trying to get off of the beach towel and eat the sand. Normally babies eat a handful of sand and spend an hour trying to get the grains out of their mouths. My baby, of course, loved the sand and spent his time trying to eat more of it. In our six day Florida trip, I spent a total of 2 hours on the beach. Sigh. Maybe next summer. . . .
I wish I could say that the rest of the summer would be more relaxing, but I suspect it will be just as busy. In fact, I know it will. I just updated my calendar for June, and it's not pretty. The next two weeks are packed with appointments, medical procedures, and playdates. I did hire a babysitter today to come by two days a week to watch the kids, which will be extremely helpful. Also, the older two have camp next week, which also should free up some time.
Then in mid-June, the children and I head to Franklin, TN to visit my my parents for two weeks. This should be a lot of fun. For the first week, the kids are going to an awesome camp. They will play soccer with Nashville's semi-pro soccer team in the morning, and in the afternoon they will perform science experiments and learn to build Lego robots. They should have a blast. The second week is Mommy and Nana Camp where we take them to cool places around the city and on day trips. Again, we all should have fun.
While the boys are in Soccer/Science camp, Mom and I will hold "Knitting Camp." We plan to check out all the LYS we can find and take as many classes as we can cram into two weeks. Knitting heaven.
My husband is staying behind on this trip to focus on his work, on finding a new job (know anyone who needs a CIO?), and on his "Honey do" list. I am very proud to say that today alone, he staked six tomato plants and fixed the pantry door. More importantly, for the first time ever, the water closet door in the master bathroom actually closes and locks. You have no idea how important a locked WC door is until you have little boys pulling it open demanding to know whether you have a penis and what exactly you are doing at that moment. I can't wait to see how my house improves during his two weeks as a bachelor.
I had hoped to have pictures to show you from our trip, but my husband apparently has not downloaded his photos from his camera yet. Look for them over the next few days. In the meantime, wish me luck. I may need it.
The past two weeks have been crazy busy. The week of May 16 was our children's last week of school. Sunday, my oldest child "graduated" the religious school first grade program in the morning, and in the afternoon he graduated to a "wolf" in the Cub Scouts. Monday and Tuesday were filled with doctor appointments and non-stop errands. I also spent the week finalizing camp plans. On Thursday, my oldest had a school awards ceremony and camp orientation. Friday was my middle child's preschool graduation and my oldest's end of year presentation and school party. Friday afternoon, my parents and sister arrived for a quick overnight visit. Not much knitting happened that week.
To add to the crazy week, we had an unexpected houseguest. Our friend, S, suffered a broken ankle from a nasty car accident. S is single and has no family in the area, so she stayed with us after she was discharged. So while we were running around from school event to school event, we were also taking care of S, who was far more disabled than we had realized.
Taking care of S had an additional unexpected challenge - her duplex. Eventually, S would need access to her own bedroom and bathroom, both of which were impassible. I spent over an hour cleaning her bedroom floor, and I was not even close to being done. I hauled her laundry over to our house for cleaning and gave her keys to a friend who was bringing a cleaning person to the home. My friend and the cleaning person spent an additional 4 hours cleaning just the bedroom and master bath, and then they returned another day to clean the rest of the duplex. S has been informed that her bedroom is to stay in pristine condition; there are now several people who have a vested interest in seeing it clean.
Immediately after my family left town on Saturday, I turned my attention to getting our family ready to go to Florida on Wednesday morning. I spent Sunday doing nothing but laundry and creating packing list for the kids. S's mother arrived on Memorial Day, which worked out very well for us. We were able to take S back to her house home that evening and begin to pack for our trip to Florida on Wednesday, May 27. As you can imagine, packing for a family of 5 for a six-day trip took all of our time on Tuesday, and we left town early on Wednesday morning.
From a knitting perspective, the trip to Florida was wonderful. I was left in charge of the baby much of the time, which meant that spent a lot of time sitting and waiting for him to wake up from a nap or watching him roll around on the floor. That was great knitting time. I made considerable progress on the Baby Surprise Jacket, and I should have a picture of it in the next couple of days.
Unfortunately, because I was watching the baby, I really was not able to take advantage of the beach or my in-laws' pool. I took the baby to the beach once, but he spent his time trying to get off of the beach towel and eat the sand. Normally babies eat a handful of sand and spend an hour trying to get the grains out of their mouths. My baby, of course, loved the sand and spent his time trying to eat more of it. In our six day Florida trip, I spent a total of 2 hours on the beach. Sigh. Maybe next summer. . . .
I wish I could say that the rest of the summer would be more relaxing, but I suspect it will be just as busy. In fact, I know it will. I just updated my calendar for June, and it's not pretty. The next two weeks are packed with appointments, medical procedures, and playdates. I did hire a babysitter today to come by two days a week to watch the kids, which will be extremely helpful. Also, the older two have camp next week, which also should free up some time.
Then in mid-June, the children and I head to Franklin, TN to visit my my parents for two weeks. This should be a lot of fun. For the first week, the kids are going to an awesome camp. They will play soccer with Nashville's semi-pro soccer team in the morning, and in the afternoon they will perform science experiments and learn to build Lego robots. They should have a blast. The second week is Mommy and Nana Camp where we take them to cool places around the city and on day trips. Again, we all should have fun.
While the boys are in Soccer/Science camp, Mom and I will hold "Knitting Camp." We plan to check out all the LYS we can find and take as many classes as we can cram into two weeks. Knitting heaven.
My husband is staying behind on this trip to focus on his work, on finding a new job (know anyone who needs a CIO?), and on his "Honey do" list. I am very proud to say that today alone, he staked six tomato plants and fixed the pantry door. More importantly, for the first time ever, the water closet door in the master bathroom actually closes and locks. You have no idea how important a locked WC door is until you have little boys pulling it open demanding to know whether you have a penis and what exactly you are doing at that moment. I can't wait to see how my house improves during his two weeks as a bachelor.
I had hoped to have pictures to show you from our trip, but my husband apparently has not downloaded his photos from his camera yet. Look for them over the next few days. In the meantime, wish me luck. I may need it.
May 16, 2009
Is Change in the Air?
How many times have I started this blog post? About as many times as I’ve cast on the Baby Surprise Jacket. It’s been a tough week from a blog and a knitting perspective. I’ve been very distracted and have a variety of issues muddying up my head.
The main issue with which I have been grappling is whether to go back to work. My DH has been working on contract for a while, longer than we expected. While we are fine financially, we both are more than a little tired of the instability. I’m just a little hesitant about getting a steady, sit-at-your-desk-all-day type of job. Will I physically have the energy to work a 40+ hour week? Will I be able to keep work commitments with three small children, two of which have medical needs? And what if my DH finds a job that requires travel? After his last consulting gig that required full-time travel, I informed him that I would not be a Working Weekday Single Mom. That job as a WWSM is for the birds.
In some respects, it is good for my ego to review what I accomplished in my last position. I accomplished a fair amount of experience in a fairly short period of time. I was even gaining a good reputation for my work. Unfortunately, I had my own practice, and owning your own business requires a 60+ hour a week commitment. I’m not doing that to my family. Or to my own sanity, for that matter. (My DH wants me to add that my 60 hour weeks do bad things to his sanity as well.)
I do think I have matured considerably since I closed my practice. I’ve learned a lot about what situations I do and do not want to handle. For example, I’m a straight shooter who is not interested in office politics, and I do march to my own drummer. I would be a poor fit in an office where I would be measured by my United Way donation and the number of navy blue skirt suits I own. (BTW – I never owned a navy blue suit. Teal blue, yes; navy blue, yuk.) I do have a fabulous bright apple green suit that I wear in the spring and summer. I will know I am working in the right place when I can wear that suit and receive compliments instead of surprised glances.
Of course, returning to the law may delay my ultimate goal of becoming the next Yarn Harlot. She gets paid to knit and to write about knitting and her broken dishwasher. I know she’s not a perfect knitter; I’ve read her knitting horror stories. I can write, and I certainly can knit horror stories. I even have a dying oven. How do I get her gig?
Despite the frustrations of the week, we did have a high point – my middle son’s birthday party. For his fifth birthday, we had a roller skating party. Most of the children had never roller skated before, and they all had a great time. I love watching small children learn to skate. They remind me of does first learning to stand. They get knobby kneed just before their legs go different directions and their body hits the ground. Then they look up with a big grin on their faces. It’s priceless.
My DH made my son’s cake from scratch. I am so proud of him. It was almost too cute to eat.
DH spent hours putting this cake together. In fairness, the design comes from a kit, but he made the frosting from scratch and decorated it by himself. Okay, I helped a little, but he did a better job.
My DH is a great baker. We joke that when he retires, we’re going to open a bakery. I even have the name picked out: Mike’s Sweet Stuff. At some point, I’m going to send him to the culinary institute for a class in pastries. While it would be deadly from a Weight Watchers perspective, it would be a lot of fun. Cake decorating also has a yarn benefit - cake frosting dyes are supposed to be great for dying yarn.
My knitting, well, it’s making slow progress. I’ve only done a few rows this week. I became a little paranoid when I checked the BSJ forum in Ravely and discovered a series of YouTube tutorials on the BSJ. I watched the first four, and I think I’m doing okay. I’m marking the decreases differently that the video suggests, but I’m being consistent. I’m also bravely using a cotton blend instead of wool. Cotton just makes more sense to me since the baby will live in Arizona.
I feel a little boring don’t have anything else on my needles right now. On some level, I’m ready for a new challenge. I really don’t want to make another scarf or baby bib. On the other hand, I seem to have trouble counting (thus the slow progress of the BSJ). Lacking the ability to count, I’m not sure that I’m mentally prepared to handle the challenge of a pair of socks or a baby kimono.
The more I blog, the less I knit. So I suppose it’s time to sign off and hit the needles. Or maybe the pillow. I roller skated for over an hour today, and I’m not the high school skating queen I used to be.
The main issue with which I have been grappling is whether to go back to work. My DH has been working on contract for a while, longer than we expected. While we are fine financially, we both are more than a little tired of the instability. I’m just a little hesitant about getting a steady, sit-at-your-desk-all-day type of job. Will I physically have the energy to work a 40+ hour week? Will I be able to keep work commitments with three small children, two of which have medical needs? And what if my DH finds a job that requires travel? After his last consulting gig that required full-time travel, I informed him that I would not be a Working Weekday Single Mom. That job as a WWSM is for the birds.
In some respects, it is good for my ego to review what I accomplished in my last position. I accomplished a fair amount of experience in a fairly short period of time. I was even gaining a good reputation for my work. Unfortunately, I had my own practice, and owning your own business requires a 60+ hour a week commitment. I’m not doing that to my family. Or to my own sanity, for that matter. (My DH wants me to add that my 60 hour weeks do bad things to his sanity as well.)
I do think I have matured considerably since I closed my practice. I’ve learned a lot about what situations I do and do not want to handle. For example, I’m a straight shooter who is not interested in office politics, and I do march to my own drummer. I would be a poor fit in an office where I would be measured by my United Way donation and the number of navy blue skirt suits I own. (BTW – I never owned a navy blue suit. Teal blue, yes; navy blue, yuk.) I do have a fabulous bright apple green suit that I wear in the spring and summer. I will know I am working in the right place when I can wear that suit and receive compliments instead of surprised glances.
Of course, returning to the law may delay my ultimate goal of becoming the next Yarn Harlot. She gets paid to knit and to write about knitting and her broken dishwasher. I know she’s not a perfect knitter; I’ve read her knitting horror stories. I can write, and I certainly can knit horror stories. I even have a dying oven. How do I get her gig?
Despite the frustrations of the week, we did have a high point – my middle son’s birthday party. For his fifth birthday, we had a roller skating party. Most of the children had never roller skated before, and they all had a great time. I love watching small children learn to skate. They remind me of does first learning to stand. They get knobby kneed just before their legs go different directions and their body hits the ground. Then they look up with a big grin on their faces. It’s priceless.
My DH made my son’s cake from scratch. I am so proud of him. It was almost too cute to eat.
DH spent hours putting this cake together. In fairness, the design comes from a kit, but he made the frosting from scratch and decorated it by himself. Okay, I helped a little, but he did a better job.
My DH is a great baker. We joke that when he retires, we’re going to open a bakery. I even have the name picked out: Mike’s Sweet Stuff. At some point, I’m going to send him to the culinary institute for a class in pastries. While it would be deadly from a Weight Watchers perspective, it would be a lot of fun. Cake decorating also has a yarn benefit - cake frosting dyes are supposed to be great for dying yarn.
My knitting, well, it’s making slow progress. I’ve only done a few rows this week. I became a little paranoid when I checked the BSJ forum in Ravely and discovered a series of YouTube tutorials on the BSJ. I watched the first four, and I think I’m doing okay. I’m marking the decreases differently that the video suggests, but I’m being consistent. I’m also bravely using a cotton blend instead of wool. Cotton just makes more sense to me since the baby will live in Arizona.
I feel a little boring don’t have anything else on my needles right now. On some level, I’m ready for a new challenge. I really don’t want to make another scarf or baby bib. On the other hand, I seem to have trouble counting (thus the slow progress of the BSJ). Lacking the ability to count, I’m not sure that I’m mentally prepared to handle the challenge of a pair of socks or a baby kimono.
The more I blog, the less I knit. So I suppose it’s time to sign off and hit the needles. Or maybe the pillow. I roller skated for over an hour today, and I’m not the high school skating queen I used to be.
May 10, 2009
The Best Husband and Mother's Day Ever
I just have to rant and rave about my wonderful husband. He got me a set of Harmony interchangeable circular needles for Mother's Day. In fairness, when he asked me what I wanted, I did tell him I wanted this set of needles, but this is a super nice gift for what I consider to be a Hallmark holiday. He also enclosed a copy of a book of baby patterns by Debbie Bliss.
And, if that weren't enough, he worked with each child to make decorative cement stones for the garden. You can make these stones from kits sold in a big box craft store, or probably in Walmart. While I was at my knitting meeting this week, Mike poured each of the boys poured a concrete stone and had them decorate it with a handprint and beads. Mike then put a picture of each boy encased in plastic in the top left corner. The stones are so cute! I put them in the corner of my garden near the front door.
Two of the boys also surprised me with gifts from school. My oldest made a flower picture frame out of foam and a card with an origami flower center. My middle child made a "Mommy cookbook" in which each student in the class describes how his mother makes a certain dish. Here is how I make a "potatoe": "Mommy washes the potatoe, then she puts in in the microwave and bakes it for 1 minute at 40 degrees."
Another favorite recipe is Emma's Mommy's Spinach Pie: "Put grapes in a bowl, add corn and apple. Put something over the bowl. Put in microwave for 34 minutes. Put crust on then eat."
What an amazing Mother's Day. I hope everyone had a Mother's Day as wonderful as mine!
And, if that weren't enough, he worked with each child to make decorative cement stones for the garden. You can make these stones from kits sold in a big box craft store, or probably in Walmart. While I was at my knitting meeting this week, Mike poured each of the boys poured a concrete stone and had them decorate it with a handprint and beads. Mike then put a picture of each boy encased in plastic in the top left corner. The stones are so cute! I put them in the corner of my garden near the front door.
Two of the boys also surprised me with gifts from school. My oldest made a flower picture frame out of foam and a card with an origami flower center. My middle child made a "Mommy cookbook" in which each student in the class describes how his mother makes a certain dish. Here is how I make a "potatoe": "Mommy washes the potatoe, then she puts in in the microwave and bakes it for 1 minute at 40 degrees."
Another favorite recipe is Emma's Mommy's Spinach Pie: "Put grapes in a bowl, add corn and apple. Put something over the bowl. Put in microwave for 34 minutes. Put crust on then eat."
What an amazing Mother's Day. I hope everyone had a Mother's Day as wonderful as mine!
May 7, 2009
Sorrow & Joy
t was a sad, sad night for my baby surprise jacket. I went to a local knitting group, and I needed help with a section of the jacket. I was using a wool that has different thicknesses - the yarn goes from very thin to very thick - and I couldn’t tell if I had dropped a stitch. Ultimately, it was determined that I was having a lot of trouble seeing what I was doing with the yarn, and those with more experience strongly suggested that I frog what I have and try the pattern with a more forgiving yarn. As stubborn as I am, I knew they were right. So I frogged the project this morning and will start again with a new yarn. (Ignore the soft weeping you hear in the background.) Let’s hope that the third time is a charm.
There was a shining spot yesterday. I completed my Duck bib for my brother and SIL.
(Lily Sugar n' Cream Solid, yellow and hot orange)
I need to make a couple of changes to finish the bib. The fish button is a functioning button, but it is difficult to unbutton because the yarn catches on the fins. At the suggestion of a knitter in my knitting group, I think I'm going to add velcro or a snap for the closure and make the button purely decorative.
I am very proud of the bib for a couple of reasons. First, it is cute. Second, I adapted the pattern from a crochet duck bib pattern I found on Ravelry. I guess I created my first pattern. Not bad for a beginner, huh.
There was a shining spot yesterday. I completed my Duck bib for my brother and SIL.
(Lily Sugar n' Cream Solid, yellow and hot orange)
I need to make a couple of changes to finish the bib. The fish button is a functioning button, but it is difficult to unbutton because the yarn catches on the fins. At the suggestion of a knitter in my knitting group, I think I'm going to add velcro or a snap for the closure and make the button purely decorative.
I am very proud of the bib for a couple of reasons. First, it is cute. Second, I adapted the pattern from a crochet duck bib pattern I found on Ravelry. I guess I created my first pattern. Not bad for a beginner, huh.
April 30, 2009
Don't Do It!
We all have moments when you act against your better judgment. The Yarn Harlot has made a career discussing those moments. Within the last week, she blogged about a sock she continued to knit even though it could only ever fit the Jolly Green Giant. Apparently, I’m trying to fill the Yarn Harlot’s very big shoes (or socks, as the case may be) by routinely working against my better judgment with my knitting.
Atlanta
I’m also wondering about my ability to prioritize. I’ve been working on the Baby Surprise Jacket (yes, I finally cast it on) for my brother and SIL. Monday night, I realized that my SIL’s baby shower is only a few weeks away. So I cast on a quick baby bib. Of course, nothing is ever quick. The bib is a “Duckie Bib” crochet pattern on Ravelry. At first I fussed with the yarn, deciding whether I was going to crochet or knit the bib. I finally decided to knit. I finished the stockinette body of the bib today and realized that it was one big curl. I should have followed my instincts and added a garter stitch border. I’ll have to attach an I-cord border to the bib over the next couple of days.
I also want to knit an Easy Peasy baby bib for our cousin who had her baby. If I can finish it by Sunday, my DH’s aunt can bring it to our cousins in
My ability to prioritize (or lack thereof) leads to another quandary: Why am I even bothering to knit gifts with a definite deadline? Don’t I know better? Apparently not.
April 23, 2009
Saga of the Pink Purse (Part II) an Other UFOs
It's done, and it's beautiful, if I do say so myself.
(Drawstring Bag by Janet Russell, Patons Classic Wool in Woodrose Heather)
I did have an interesting experience with felting. Thinking I was being clever, I ran a piece of acrylic string through the holes to hold the I-cord before I felted the purse and cord. The purse felted beautifully, even though I mistakenly ran the purse through the spin cycle. Apparently, I did not do a great job tying the string, however, and several of the holes felted over completely. Those that still could be identified had shrunk to the size of the string. I no longer had functioning holes for the I-cord. After a consultation on a Ravelry forum, I took a big knitting needle and punched holes through the fabric. As you can see, it worked beautifully. The flower is a pre-made flower I picked up at a big box craft store (when will I learn!).
I now have the ladybug bib and a felted purse for my two nieces. I still need to make something for my nephew. The good and the bad news is that I may have some time to begin a project. We are no longer convinced they are coming to visit. At first, they told us that they would visit in June, and now they think they may come in July. We're all a little skeptical, but I still want to be prepared.
MODERN CABLED BABY BIB (by gibsongirl, in Tumbleweed of Lily's Sugar n' Cream Naturals)
I finished the dreaded cabled baby bib, though I'm not as happy with it as I had hoped.
First, I discovered a very big oops. The cable pattern is six rows. I consistently did only 2 of those six rows the entire bib. I realize that the consistency of my mistake creates a "design" as opposed to an "oops," but I'm not sure you can call the bib a "cabled" baby bib. Maybe it's more of a "baby bib with rod." I'm also not thrilled with the yarn because it makes both the pattern and the adorable rocking horse button very difficult to see. My nanny's granddaughter arrived on April 10, so it was time to finish the bib and to send it to the new parents.
I do want to go on the record that, after listening to Kelley's podcast about weaving in ends, I took a needle and thread and sewed my yarn ends into the fabric. Go me!
I have more to tell about a very cool scarf and the baby surprise jacket, but that will have to wait. Tomorrow is a big day. I'm going to Stitches South. I'm not able to take any classes this year, but I am going to the market with credit card in hand. I plan to do my patriotic duty and contribute to the economy. Have a great Friday!
(Drawstring Bag by Janet Russell, Patons Classic Wool in Woodrose Heather)
I did have an interesting experience with felting. Thinking I was being clever, I ran a piece of acrylic string through the holes to hold the I-cord before I felted the purse and cord. The purse felted beautifully, even though I mistakenly ran the purse through the spin cycle. Apparently, I did not do a great job tying the string, however, and several of the holes felted over completely. Those that still could be identified had shrunk to the size of the string. I no longer had functioning holes for the I-cord. After a consultation on a Ravelry forum, I took a big knitting needle and punched holes through the fabric. As you can see, it worked beautifully. The flower is a pre-made flower I picked up at a big box craft store (when will I learn!).
I now have the ladybug bib and a felted purse for my two nieces. I still need to make something for my nephew. The good and the bad news is that I may have some time to begin a project. We are no longer convinced they are coming to visit. At first, they told us that they would visit in June, and now they think they may come in July. We're all a little skeptical, but I still want to be prepared.
MODERN CABLED BABY BIB (by gibsongirl, in Tumbleweed of Lily's Sugar n' Cream Naturals)
I finished the dreaded cabled baby bib, though I'm not as happy with it as I had hoped.
First, I discovered a very big oops. The cable pattern is six rows. I consistently did only 2 of those six rows the entire bib. I realize that the consistency of my mistake creates a "design" as opposed to an "oops," but I'm not sure you can call the bib a "cabled" baby bib. Maybe it's more of a "baby bib with rod." I'm also not thrilled with the yarn because it makes both the pattern and the adorable rocking horse button very difficult to see. My nanny's granddaughter arrived on April 10, so it was time to finish the bib and to send it to the new parents.
I do want to go on the record that, after listening to Kelley's podcast about weaving in ends, I took a needle and thread and sewed my yarn ends into the fabric. Go me!
I have more to tell about a very cool scarf and the baby surprise jacket, but that will have to wait. Tomorrow is a big day. I'm going to Stitches South. I'm not able to take any classes this year, but I am going to the market with credit card in hand. I plan to do my patriotic duty and contribute to the economy. Have a great Friday!
April 15, 2009
Decisions, Decisions
I'm heading out of town overnight BY MYSELF to take care of some family business. Yes, you did read that correctly. I will be without my husband and children for more than 24 hours. I will have two plane trips and an entire night in the hotel by myself to knit. Nirvana.
My big decision remains before me - what knitting to pack. Oh, the possibilities.
I will probably begin the Baby Surprise Jacket. As my faithful followers already know (all 3 of you - love you Mom, Dad and DH), I have been planning to knit the BSJ for my brother and SIL who are expecting their first child in July. I committed to completing the BSJ as part of the Counting the Omer Knit-A-Long on the Jewish Fiberaholics group on Ravelry, which means I have about 6 weeks to finish this project. Casting on is probably a good idea.
When I visited my folks in Tennessee, I came across the most yummy superwash yarn on sale at my mother's LYS. It is perfect for the BSJ:
I realized that I crossed a new line as a knitter when I made this purchase. Not only was it purchased in a LYS, but I purchased this yarn even though I had already purchased yarn for this project from another source.
While I could work solely on the BSJ during this trip, I'm concerned about getting bored doing only garter stitch since my current project is garter stitch. And what will I do if I have the overwhelming urge to throw the BSJ out the window?
Initially, I thought I could make a pair of socks. It may be a little soon after my latest sock fiasco, but I recently purchased from Knit PIcks the How to Knit Socks:Three Methods Made Easy by Edie Eckman. (I love book sales!) While visiting my parents, I even bought a long circular needle to learn magic loop sock knitting. Unfortunately, according to the Transportation Security Administration website, I did not pick my needle wisely. The circular needle I purchased has brass tips, and the TSA website recommends that a knitter carry only bamboo or plastic needles onto a plane. I'm not checking luggage, so any needles I have will have to come on the plane with me. I guess the magic loop sock knitting will have to wait.
I could bring a blanket I've been crocheting for several years. I think it's too big to carry on the plane. It's also not the most interesting pattern. It's one big granny square done on a smallish crochet needle (size G or H) in double stitch. I know - what was I thinking. My children will be parents before I finish this project. Unfortunately, I've done far too much work to frog it at this point. I really need to buckle down one weekend and just finish it. Maybe this winter.
I have a bunch of smaller projects, but I'm not sure they are appropriate because they are so close to being done. For example, I could pack the I-cord for the pink purse, but that seems a little silly. Besides, I hope to finish the I-cord tonight. I'm mostly finished with the modern baby blanket with the cursed corded strap. The intended recipient was born yesterday (and she is a cutie), and I can give it to her grandmother who is heading to see her next week. The baby bib has about an hour's worth of work, however. It's just not worth packing.
My nanny's son is expecting a daughter any day now. I had intended to knit her a baby bib, but I'm a little annoyed with my nanny. Her attendance rate is about 60 percent, and we're getting a little peeved.
I think what I may do is, and I can't believe I'm saying this, knit a scarf. I have most of a skein of very bulky yarn that I purchased on sale, and I think it should be enough to make a scarf that has lots of yarn overs. I really like one of the scarf patterns in Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair. Unfortunately, I loaned the book to a friend in mid-divorce. I may try to get that back tonight so I can take it with me. Anyway, the scarf would make sense because it's easy and would even use up some of my stash.
If I'm feeling very brave, perhaps I will take a loom with me and attempt to loom some socks. I know it's crazy talk, but maybe the change in scenery will change my luck with sock loom knitting. The looms also do not appear to be as threatening to TSA agents as the ferocious size 2 circular needles. I'm not sure how a TSA agent would feel about a looming pick, but I may take that chance.
At this point, I probably should focus on packing my suitcase and getting to bed. I expect the knitting will work itself out by morning. Have a great evening!
My big decision remains before me - what knitting to pack. Oh, the possibilities.
I will probably begin the Baby Surprise Jacket. As my faithful followers already know (all 3 of you - love you Mom, Dad and DH), I have been planning to knit the BSJ for my brother and SIL who are expecting their first child in July. I committed to completing the BSJ as part of the Counting the Omer Knit-A-Long on the Jewish Fiberaholics group on Ravelry, which means I have about 6 weeks to finish this project. Casting on is probably a good idea.
When I visited my folks in Tennessee, I came across the most yummy superwash yarn on sale at my mother's LYS. It is perfect for the BSJ:
I realized that I crossed a new line as a knitter when I made this purchase. Not only was it purchased in a LYS, but I purchased this yarn even though I had already purchased yarn for this project from another source.
While I could work solely on the BSJ during this trip, I'm concerned about getting bored doing only garter stitch since my current project is garter stitch. And what will I do if I have the overwhelming urge to throw the BSJ out the window?
Initially, I thought I could make a pair of socks. It may be a little soon after my latest sock fiasco, but I recently purchased from Knit PIcks the How to Knit Socks:Three Methods Made Easy by Edie Eckman. (I love book sales!) While visiting my parents, I even bought a long circular needle to learn magic loop sock knitting. Unfortunately, according to the Transportation Security Administration website, I did not pick my needle wisely. The circular needle I purchased has brass tips, and the TSA website recommends that a knitter carry only bamboo or plastic needles onto a plane. I'm not checking luggage, so any needles I have will have to come on the plane with me. I guess the magic loop sock knitting will have to wait.
I could bring a blanket I've been crocheting for several years. I think it's too big to carry on the plane. It's also not the most interesting pattern. It's one big granny square done on a smallish crochet needle (size G or H) in double stitch. I know - what was I thinking. My children will be parents before I finish this project. Unfortunately, I've done far too much work to frog it at this point. I really need to buckle down one weekend and just finish it. Maybe this winter.
I have a bunch of smaller projects, but I'm not sure they are appropriate because they are so close to being done. For example, I could pack the I-cord for the pink purse, but that seems a little silly. Besides, I hope to finish the I-cord tonight. I'm mostly finished with the modern baby blanket with the cursed corded strap. The intended recipient was born yesterday (and she is a cutie), and I can give it to her grandmother who is heading to see her next week. The baby bib has about an hour's worth of work, however. It's just not worth packing.
My nanny's son is expecting a daughter any day now. I had intended to knit her a baby bib, but I'm a little annoyed with my nanny. Her attendance rate is about 60 percent, and we're getting a little peeved.
I think what I may do is, and I can't believe I'm saying this, knit a scarf. I have most of a skein of very bulky yarn that I purchased on sale, and I think it should be enough to make a scarf that has lots of yarn overs. I really like one of the scarf patterns in Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair. Unfortunately, I loaned the book to a friend in mid-divorce. I may try to get that back tonight so I can take it with me. Anyway, the scarf would make sense because it's easy and would even use up some of my stash.
If I'm feeling very brave, perhaps I will take a loom with me and attempt to loom some socks. I know it's crazy talk, but maybe the change in scenery will change my luck with sock loom knitting. The looms also do not appear to be as threatening to TSA agents as the ferocious size 2 circular needles. I'm not sure how a TSA agent would feel about a looming pick, but I may take that chance.
At this point, I probably should focus on packing my suitcase and getting to bed. I expect the knitting will work itself out by morning. Have a great evening!
April 14, 2009
Saga of the Pink Purse (Part I)
Here’s the problem when I don’t write for a few days. My mind quickly fills up with all of my thoughts and activities, and I have no idea where I should begin. As the song goes “Let’s start at the very beginning / A very good place to start . . . ” (Lyrics from “Do Re Mi” from Sound of Music). So here goes.
I owe my current project to a suggestion from grapesonthevine. After my most recent sock fiasco, she suggested that I work on a garter stitch drawstring bag (pattern by Janet D. Russell) that she had recently completed for her daughter. Once I saw a picture of the bag, I knew that it would be a great project. My 4 yo niece is supposed to visit us from Scotland this summer, and she would love a little girl purse. A quick garter stitch project would also lift my spirits and confidence. By some miracle (and contrary to my list of truisms), I even had the perfect pink yarn in my stash – Patons Classic Wool 100% new wool in Woodrose Heather. With this wool, I could felt the purse, which could be really fun. Talk about karma! I could not wait to cast on.
From a time perspective, unfortunately, getting any knitting done over the last two weeks has been difficult. My 6 month old baby (DS3) and almost 5 yo (DS2) have been sick non-stop, and each have required multiple doctor visits. I even had to miss the monthly Atlanta Knitting Guild meeting because the baby refused to let me put him down.
Once DS2 and DS3 started to feel better, I had to turn my attention to getting the family ready for Wednesday, April 8 – the start of Passover and the day we traveled to my parents’ house for Passover. I had 48 hours to prepare for both. You can imagine the quantity of laundry and preparation I had to do to get a family of five ready for a 5-day trip. Adding Passover preparation to this task is a new level of crazy.
For those of you not familiar with Passover preparation, let me digress. For Passover, you are supposed to clean all traces of bread and things that can be made into grain for bread out of your house. People spend weeks preparing for Passover. They go from room to room sweeping crumbs out of every corner and wiping dust off of the walls and ceilings. I knew the extensive house cleaning wasn’t going to happen in 48 hours, so my goal was to clean my kitchen. Every drawer was opened, every pot and pan pulled out, the entire cabinet or drawer was wiped down, and then all items were put away. I wasn’t able to clean the entire kitchen, but I did do the lower cabinets and refrigerator. The lower half of the kitchen looks amazing, if I do say so myself. For the 48 hours before we left, I was a domestic cleaning goddess. That did not leave much time for knitting.
You can imagine my joy when we finally piled into the car for a 4-hour trip to my parent’s house in Tennessee. DS1 (age 7) played his Gameboy until his eyeballs fell out; DS2 watched a movie, and DS3 slept. I pulled out the few completed rows of the simple garter stitch purse and started to knit. Peace at last.
My knitting joy was short lived. For some reason, I kept dropping the same stitch on the corner of the purse. The first time I dropped the stitch, I tinked the project back to the dropped stitch and started again. The second time I dropped the stitch, I decided to pick up the stitch in stockinette even though the pattern is garter stitch. I thought that maybe the difference in pattern wouldn’t matter since I plan to felt the bag. Then the perfectionist in me took over. I deliberately dropped the stitch and tried to pick it up following the pattern. After several unsuccessful attempts, I asked my mother for help. When she threw up her hands in frustration, I tinked the project intending to pick up the dropped stitch. Well, I over-tinked the project and had to cast on for a third or fourth time.
At that point, my knitting needles and I had a serious conversation.
Knitting went much smoother when I cast on again. My purse is far from perfect. I think there is an extra row on one side of the bottom of the purse. Also, when I picked up stitches from the bottom of the purse, I was off by two or three stitches. Honestly, my 4 yo niece won’t care. I do feel fairly confident that all my circular knitting went in the same direction, which is quite an accomplishment for me.
I finished the main part of the purse last night, and I hope to finish the I-cord draw string over the next couple of days. I’m not sure yet whether I’m going to make a backpack like grapesonthevine or whether I’m going to add handles to make a purse. Once the I-cords are finished, I plan to bravely go where I have never gone before (insert Twilight Zone music) – to the world of felting. It should be quite a journey.
I owe my current project to a suggestion from grapesonthevine. After my most recent sock fiasco, she suggested that I work on a garter stitch drawstring bag (pattern by Janet D. Russell) that she had recently completed for her daughter. Once I saw a picture of the bag, I knew that it would be a great project. My 4 yo niece is supposed to visit us from Scotland this summer, and she would love a little girl purse. A quick garter stitch project would also lift my spirits and confidence. By some miracle (and contrary to my list of truisms), I even had the perfect pink yarn in my stash – Patons Classic Wool 100% new wool in Woodrose Heather. With this wool, I could felt the purse, which could be really fun. Talk about karma! I could not wait to cast on.
From a time perspective, unfortunately, getting any knitting done over the last two weeks has been difficult. My 6 month old baby (DS3) and almost 5 yo (DS2) have been sick non-stop, and each have required multiple doctor visits. I even had to miss the monthly Atlanta Knitting Guild meeting because the baby refused to let me put him down.
Once DS2 and DS3 started to feel better, I had to turn my attention to getting the family ready for Wednesday, April 8 – the start of Passover and the day we traveled to my parents’ house for Passover. I had 48 hours to prepare for both. You can imagine the quantity of laundry and preparation I had to do to get a family of five ready for a 5-day trip. Adding Passover preparation to this task is a new level of crazy.
For those of you not familiar with Passover preparation, let me digress. For Passover, you are supposed to clean all traces of bread and things that can be made into grain for bread out of your house. People spend weeks preparing for Passover. They go from room to room sweeping crumbs out of every corner and wiping dust off of the walls and ceilings. I knew the extensive house cleaning wasn’t going to happen in 48 hours, so my goal was to clean my kitchen. Every drawer was opened, every pot and pan pulled out, the entire cabinet or drawer was wiped down, and then all items were put away. I wasn’t able to clean the entire kitchen, but I did do the lower cabinets and refrigerator. The lower half of the kitchen looks amazing, if I do say so myself. For the 48 hours before we left, I was a domestic cleaning goddess. That did not leave much time for knitting.
You can imagine my joy when we finally piled into the car for a 4-hour trip to my parent’s house in Tennessee. DS1 (age 7) played his Gameboy until his eyeballs fell out; DS2 watched a movie, and DS3 slept. I pulled out the few completed rows of the simple garter stitch purse and started to knit. Peace at last.
My knitting joy was short lived. For some reason, I kept dropping the same stitch on the corner of the purse. The first time I dropped the stitch, I tinked the project back to the dropped stitch and started again. The second time I dropped the stitch, I decided to pick up the stitch in stockinette even though the pattern is garter stitch. I thought that maybe the difference in pattern wouldn’t matter since I plan to felt the bag. Then the perfectionist in me took over. I deliberately dropped the stitch and tried to pick it up following the pattern. After several unsuccessful attempts, I asked my mother for help. When she threw up her hands in frustration, I tinked the project intending to pick up the dropped stitch. Well, I over-tinked the project and had to cast on for a third or fourth time.
At that point, my knitting needles and I had a serious conversation.
Knitting went much smoother when I cast on again. My purse is far from perfect. I think there is an extra row on one side of the bottom of the purse. Also, when I picked up stitches from the bottom of the purse, I was off by two or three stitches. Honestly, my 4 yo niece won’t care. I do feel fairly confident that all my circular knitting went in the same direction, which is quite an accomplishment for me.
I finished the main part of the purse last night, and I hope to finish the I-cord draw string over the next couple of days. I’m not sure yet whether I’m going to make a backpack like grapesonthevine or whether I’m going to add handles to make a purse. Once the I-cords are finished, I plan to bravely go where I have never gone before (insert Twilight Zone music) – to the world of felting. It should be quite a journey.
April 4, 2009
A Week of Truisms
If we learn from our failures, then I indeed became a wiser person this week. Here are a few of the truisms I encountered this week. What is truly disconcerting is that I knew some of these before the week, and yet I repeated my mistakes. I repeated at least one of these mistakes several times. Maybe now that I have documented these truisms, I can not only break the cycle, but also prevent someone else from repeating my mistakes.
1. Big box stores do not carry what you need. Ever. Need a bamboo knitting needle size 8? They don't have it. Well, that's not entirely true. They have size 7 and size 10, but in metal, not wood. They do have your size in the super expensive spend-your-entire-weekly-knitting-budget rosewood needles, but I'm not bringing those into a house with three active boys under the age of 7. The boys are the reason I am shopping for replacement needles in the first place. They do have a size 8 in an extra long knitting needle, but I'm not into needles as long as my leg. And circular needles? Forget it. They start at size 11. Oh, and did you want to pick up circular needles for socks while you were here? Did I mention that the circulars start at size 11? Maybe I can knit a pair of boots instead.
2. Whoever thought a cabled 8-stitch strap on a baby bib is a good idea should be condemned to doing cabled baby bib straps for the remainder of eternity. Whoever thought cable needles were a good idea can have all of mine. I experienced this corollary in a group of experienced knitters, all of whom stated that they had cabled once and swore that they would never cable again. In fact, at least one knitter offered me her cabling needles.
3. As a corollary to item 2, no lap is big enough to hold two knitting needles and a cable needle. You will pick up at least two of the needles from the floor each time you knit a cable. Cabling is, however, a great opportunity to practice seated toe touches and chair lunges.
4. Do not try to cast socks onto double points when watching the Sopranos. If you do succeed by some fluke, do not try to knit ribbing. The columns will not line up. Ever.
5. As a corollary to item 4, when you have cast on the same pair of socks more than 6 or 7 or 8 times, it's time to find a new project. Put the needles down and step away.
6. It does not matter how large your stash is, you do not have the yarn you need for any given project. And no matter how many times you head to the big box stores for your yarn, they will not have the yarn you want for your project either. See item 1.
7. The number of quality yarn shops in a given area is inversely proportional to the number of big box craft stores in your area. Thus, although there are 3 big box craft stores within 15 minutes of my house, the nearest quality yarn store is about 40 minutes away.
8. And, to end on an upbeat note, a ball winder is a great toy for all ages. It provides hours of amusement for the knitter, her children, and even her sick baby. It also provides great amusement for the DH who watches the rest of the family fight over who gets to use the winder next.
Have a great weekend!
1. Big box stores do not carry what you need. Ever. Need a bamboo knitting needle size 8? They don't have it. Well, that's not entirely true. They have size 7 and size 10, but in metal, not wood. They do have your size in the super expensive spend-your-entire-weekly-knitting-budget rosewood needles, but I'm not bringing those into a house with three active boys under the age of 7. The boys are the reason I am shopping for replacement needles in the first place. They do have a size 8 in an extra long knitting needle, but I'm not into needles as long as my leg. And circular needles? Forget it. They start at size 11. Oh, and did you want to pick up circular needles for socks while you were here? Did I mention that the circulars start at size 11? Maybe I can knit a pair of boots instead.
2. Whoever thought a cabled 8-stitch strap on a baby bib is a good idea should be condemned to doing cabled baby bib straps for the remainder of eternity. Whoever thought cable needles were a good idea can have all of mine. I experienced this corollary in a group of experienced knitters, all of whom stated that they had cabled once and swore that they would never cable again. In fact, at least one knitter offered me her cabling needles.
3. As a corollary to item 2, no lap is big enough to hold two knitting needles and a cable needle. You will pick up at least two of the needles from the floor each time you knit a cable. Cabling is, however, a great opportunity to practice seated toe touches and chair lunges.
4. Do not try to cast socks onto double points when watching the Sopranos. If you do succeed by some fluke, do not try to knit ribbing. The columns will not line up. Ever.
5. As a corollary to item 4, when you have cast on the same pair of socks more than 6 or 7 or 8 times, it's time to find a new project. Put the needles down and step away.
6. It does not matter how large your stash is, you do not have the yarn you need for any given project. And no matter how many times you head to the big box stores for your yarn, they will not have the yarn you want for your project either. See item 1.
7. The number of quality yarn shops in a given area is inversely proportional to the number of big box craft stores in your area. Thus, although there are 3 big box craft stores within 15 minutes of my house, the nearest quality yarn store is about 40 minutes away.
8. And, to end on an upbeat note, a ball winder is a great toy for all ages. It provides hours of amusement for the knitter, her children, and even her sick baby. It also provides great amusement for the DH who watches the rest of the family fight over who gets to use the winder next.
Have a great weekend!
March 29, 2009
Better Than Expected
I am beaming with pride this morning. Last night, I sat down and finished my first baby bib, and it came out better than I ever expected. I still need to wash and block the bib, but I wanted to get a picture of it just in case disaster strikes.
[modified Easy Peasy Baby Bib by Michelle Acuavera; yarn is Rose Pink made by Peaches and Creme Solid; needle size 8]
I'm not sure who is getting this bib. My DH looked at the bib, asked who it was for, and then suggested I send it to someone else who would appreciate the effort. So this bib will probably head to Scotland this week to adorn the neck of my 5 mo niece, who I hope to meet this summer.
My knitting goals for today include: nursing my sore fingers. Pushing a needle through two layers of fleece is no small matter. My husband and I watched "The Sopranos" as I finished the bib, and I'm not sure who cursed more - me or the characters on the show. The characters probably get points for using a stronger vocabulary, but I suspect I won points for spontaneity. This morning, two fingers on my right hand have limited feeling, and most of my left hand is recovering from needle pricks. My DH asked if I needed a thimble to protect my fingers, but I'm pretty sure I would have needed an iron glove.
If I have time today, I hope to work on a second baby bib for the original intended recipient of this bib. It's a modern bib with a cable running down one side. It's very cute and does not require any embellishment other than a flower button. My poor fingers should have a day to rest.
[modified Easy Peasy Baby Bib by Michelle Acuavera; yarn is Rose Pink made by Peaches and Creme Solid; needle size 8]
I'm not sure who is getting this bib. My DH looked at the bib, asked who it was for, and then suggested I send it to someone else who would appreciate the effort. So this bib will probably head to Scotland this week to adorn the neck of my 5 mo niece, who I hope to meet this summer.
My knitting goals for today include: nursing my sore fingers. Pushing a needle through two layers of fleece is no small matter. My husband and I watched "The Sopranos" as I finished the bib, and I'm not sure who cursed more - me or the characters on the show. The characters probably get points for using a stronger vocabulary, but I suspect I won points for spontaneity. This morning, two fingers on my right hand have limited feeling, and most of my left hand is recovering from needle pricks. My DH asked if I needed a thimble to protect my fingers, but I'm pretty sure I would have needed an iron glove.
If I have time today, I hope to work on a second baby bib for the original intended recipient of this bib. It's a modern bib with a cable running down one side. It's very cute and does not require any embellishment other than a flower button. My poor fingers should have a day to rest.
March 27, 2009
I Can Knit More than Scarves!
I have mixed feelings about my last post. On one hand, I finally got pictures on my page. On the other hand, I only had scarves to show. (Okay, there was one hat.) One poster commented that the pictures were cute, but I think I got a pity post. Certainly, I have knit more than just scarves (and one hat) since the summer.
I devised a plan. I would finish a bunch of UFOs this week and post them. That would certainly prove (mostly to myself) that I can knit more than just scarves.
MONDAY. The first project I attempted was the pair of comfy socks I made for my father. Two months ago, my father had a kidney removed. The week of his surgery, I decided I would knit him some warm socks to enjoy during his recovery. I figured that he would be in the hospital for at least 5 days, and that would give me plenty of knitting time.
That man had the world record recovery from kidney surgery. He had the surgery on a Wednesday, I arrived Thursday with a half-knitted sock on a loom in my bag, and my father went home on Friday. You got it; he spent 48 hours in the hospital after having a major organ removed. He wasn't discharged too early either. He was fine. He wasn't going to run any marathons, but he was walking up and down stairs and able to take care of himself. Needless to say, I did not have the knitting time I anticipated.
Despite my father's early discharge, I did finish the first sock. It was a solid first attempt at a sock. It was about two inches short on the leg and two inches long at the toe. I briefly considered closing the leg and cutting open the toe, and then I decided that the sock would make a great puppet for the kids. So I started a new sock for my father.
That was January. This week, I pulled out my second attempt at the sock and finished it. It looked great, until I asked my husband to model it. While he couldn't get over how soft the sock is, he also couldn't get over how airy the sock is in the heel and the toe. Literally airy, as in, the sock has holes. Apparently, I dropped a stitch or two at the wrap and turn, and my Kitchener's stitch needs a little more practice. I thought that maybe I could felt the sock and cover these imperfections, but the wool does not appear to be feltable. Wool sock 2; Diane 0.
TUESDAY. Tuesday night, I crocheted my first yarmulke. It was an easy enough project. Crochet 21 rounds of single chain with regular increases every other round. I bought a beautiful mercerized multi-shade blue cotton yarn for this project. I was able to finish it in just a few hours despite numerous interruptions from a baby who decided push his bedtime back by 3 hours and a preschooler with a fever. When I finished, it was a perfectly round little coaster.
The last task was to wet the project, squeeze dry, and shape over a bowl. So I did. As I lay the yarmulke over the back of a small silver mixing bowl, I noticed the yarmulke had grown. The sides ran down the entire bowl and even ruffled a bit at the edges. My husband suggested that I sell it at a "Big and Tall" yarmulke shop. I thought that maybe I could tink it a few rows to make the cap smaller, (can you "tink" a crochet project?), but I realized that the rows within the project were uneven. In short, the yarmulke was a bust.
WEDNESDAY. By Wednesday morning when I faced my oversized yarmulke, I had an epiphany. The reason I only have pictures of scarves is because I have only been able to successfully knit scarves. I have attempted other knitted items, but those projects were "learning experiences," not items to be posted on a website. In fact, they may qualify as "items to hide in the back corner of the closet behind the pair of skinny jeans you hope to wear again someday."
As frustrated as I was Wednesday morning, Wednesday also was the night of my biggest knitting success all week - I knitted my initials into the hem of the Sweater Sampler. I dropped a stitch in the "D," and the "B" is a little hard to read, but the "W" looks amazing. So, here you have it, my accomplishment for the week: a hemmed W.
And you thought I could only knit scarves.
ADDENDUM: At a friend's insistence, I took the oversized yarmulke to a knitting meeting on Wednesday evening. The experienced knitters assured me that the yarn caused this tragedy; I did nothing wrong. All was not lost, however. More than one knitter suggested that I add lace to the edging and turn it into a table decoration. A former art teacher even thought that I could reshape the circle into a bowl and spray it with starch to hold the shape. How creative! Even with these wonderful suggestions, I still suspect that in a few years I will find this project somewhere behind the skinny jeans in the corner of the closet.
I devised a plan. I would finish a bunch of UFOs this week and post them. That would certainly prove (mostly to myself) that I can knit more than just scarves.
MONDAY. The first project I attempted was the pair of comfy socks I made for my father. Two months ago, my father had a kidney removed. The week of his surgery, I decided I would knit him some warm socks to enjoy during his recovery. I figured that he would be in the hospital for at least 5 days, and that would give me plenty of knitting time.
That man had the world record recovery from kidney surgery. He had the surgery on a Wednesday, I arrived Thursday with a half-knitted sock on a loom in my bag, and my father went home on Friday. You got it; he spent 48 hours in the hospital after having a major organ removed. He wasn't discharged too early either. He was fine. He wasn't going to run any marathons, but he was walking up and down stairs and able to take care of himself. Needless to say, I did not have the knitting time I anticipated.
Despite my father's early discharge, I did finish the first sock. It was a solid first attempt at a sock. It was about two inches short on the leg and two inches long at the toe. I briefly considered closing the leg and cutting open the toe, and then I decided that the sock would make a great puppet for the kids. So I started a new sock for my father.
That was January. This week, I pulled out my second attempt at the sock and finished it. It looked great, until I asked my husband to model it. While he couldn't get over how soft the sock is, he also couldn't get over how airy the sock is in the heel and the toe. Literally airy, as in, the sock has holes. Apparently, I dropped a stitch or two at the wrap and turn, and my Kitchener's stitch needs a little more practice. I thought that maybe I could felt the sock and cover these imperfections, but the wool does not appear to be feltable. Wool sock 2; Diane 0.
TUESDAY. Tuesday night, I crocheted my first yarmulke. It was an easy enough project. Crochet 21 rounds of single chain with regular increases every other round. I bought a beautiful mercerized multi-shade blue cotton yarn for this project. I was able to finish it in just a few hours despite numerous interruptions from a baby who decided push his bedtime back by 3 hours and a preschooler with a fever. When I finished, it was a perfectly round little coaster.
The last task was to wet the project, squeeze dry, and shape over a bowl. So I did. As I lay the yarmulke over the back of a small silver mixing bowl, I noticed the yarmulke had grown. The sides ran down the entire bowl and even ruffled a bit at the edges. My husband suggested that I sell it at a "Big and Tall" yarmulke shop. I thought that maybe I could tink it a few rows to make the cap smaller, (can you "tink" a crochet project?), but I realized that the rows within the project were uneven. In short, the yarmulke was a bust.
WEDNESDAY. By Wednesday morning when I faced my oversized yarmulke, I had an epiphany. The reason I only have pictures of scarves is because I have only been able to successfully knit scarves. I have attempted other knitted items, but those projects were "learning experiences," not items to be posted on a website. In fact, they may qualify as "items to hide in the back corner of the closet behind the pair of skinny jeans you hope to wear again someday."
As frustrated as I was Wednesday morning, Wednesday also was the night of my biggest knitting success all week - I knitted my initials into the hem of the Sweater Sampler. I dropped a stitch in the "D," and the "B" is a little hard to read, but the "W" looks amazing. So, here you have it, my accomplishment for the week: a hemmed W.
And you thought I could only knit scarves.
ADDENDUM: At a friend's insistence, I took the oversized yarmulke to a knitting meeting on Wednesday evening. The experienced knitters assured me that the yarn caused this tragedy; I did nothing wrong. All was not lost, however. More than one knitter suggested that I add lace to the edging and turn it into a table decoration. A former art teacher even thought that I could reshape the circle into a bowl and spray it with starch to hold the shape. How creative! Even with these wonderful suggestions, I still suspect that in a few years I will find this project somewhere behind the skinny jeans in the corner of the closet.
March 22, 2009
Ready, Set,, zzzzzzz
That pretty much describes my week. I wanted to knit. I wanted to blog. Both require that I stay awake past 8:30 pm, however. I'm normally a night owl, but, with my DH being sick this week, I have been up before 7 am and crashing at, well, 8:30.
My DH did take a few minutes last night to show me how to upload pictures. I'm going to try to put them in the blog. Wish me luck.
Yes! It worked!
These are my first few "loom" projects. The yellow scarf is the first scarf I EVER knitted, and it is also the scarf that my 4 yo DS promptly threw across the room as a "boring" holiday present. I knitted the blue scarf for his brother.
Pumpkin the bear is modeling my hat, the Garter Stitch Hat from Loom Knitting Primer by Isela Phelps. The picture doesn't do the hat justice. It has a bulky weave and a rolled brim. In this pattern, I had to knit the top in four parts and mattress stitch them together, which I had never done before. I'm very proud of this hat and wore it all winter with many compliments. I need to make matching gloves and a scarf. Oh, and the yarn. I used Patons Shetland Chunky Tweeds "Deep Red." [My apologies to Knit Picks. I did not know your company existed when I purchased this yarn. Obviously, I'll be making fewer of these yarn-selection errors in the future.]
Next, modeling the green scarf I mentioned in my first blog (can you hear the runway music), is Pumpkin the bear.
Finally, I knitted a scarf for my BFF "T." I'm very impressed with myself. T's birthday is in April, and I've finished her present already. That never happens.
What the picture doesn't show clearly is that the scarf has a hole at the bottom third that allows you to pull the scarf through. The pattern is the "Purple Trendy Scarf" from Isela Phelp's Loom Knitting Primer, and I used Yarn Bee Soft Illusion yarn that I found on sale. Several months ago, I finshed another scarf with this this pattern in a very fuzzy pink yarn, which was a wonderful gift for a little girl we know. Of course, the little girl was immediately offended that I did not have a yellow scarf for her brother. I guess I need to add that to my project list.
This week, my goal is to finish a couple of UFOs. I started a loom sock in January, and I want to complete it and the match. I have knitted the Easy Peasy Baby bib by Michelle Acuavera, but I feel like the bib needs some embellishment. The bib has a garter stitch frame around a stockinette center. It reminds me of an empty picture frame. I have an idea, but I'm afraid to reveal it just yet. Look for pictures next week. If you don't see one, assume things turned out very badly.
I probably should shower and dress before the baby wakes up. I hope the weather by you is as beautiful as it is here and that you are able to enjoy it.
My DH did take a few minutes last night to show me how to upload pictures. I'm going to try to put them in the blog. Wish me luck.
Yes! It worked!
These are my first few "loom" projects. The yellow scarf is the first scarf I EVER knitted, and it is also the scarf that my 4 yo DS promptly threw across the room as a "boring" holiday present. I knitted the blue scarf for his brother.
Pumpkin the bear is modeling my hat, the Garter Stitch Hat from Loom Knitting Primer by Isela Phelps. The picture doesn't do the hat justice. It has a bulky weave and a rolled brim. In this pattern, I had to knit the top in four parts and mattress stitch them together, which I had never done before. I'm very proud of this hat and wore it all winter with many compliments. I need to make matching gloves and a scarf. Oh, and the yarn. I used Patons Shetland Chunky Tweeds "Deep Red." [My apologies to Knit Picks. I did not know your company existed when I purchased this yarn. Obviously, I'll be making fewer of these yarn-selection errors in the future.]
Next, modeling the green scarf I mentioned in my first blog (can you hear the runway music), is Pumpkin the bear.
Finally, I knitted a scarf for my BFF "T." I'm very impressed with myself. T's birthday is in April, and I've finished her present already. That never happens.
What the picture doesn't show clearly is that the scarf has a hole at the bottom third that allows you to pull the scarf through. The pattern is the "Purple Trendy Scarf" from Isela Phelp's Loom Knitting Primer, and I used Yarn Bee Soft Illusion yarn that I found on sale. Several months ago, I finshed another scarf with this this pattern in a very fuzzy pink yarn, which was a wonderful gift for a little girl we know. Of course, the little girl was immediately offended that I did not have a yellow scarf for her brother. I guess I need to add that to my project list.
This week, my goal is to finish a couple of UFOs. I started a loom sock in January, and I want to complete it and the match. I have knitted the Easy Peasy Baby bib by Michelle Acuavera, but I feel like the bib needs some embellishment. The bib has a garter stitch frame around a stockinette center. It reminds me of an empty picture frame. I have an idea, but I'm afraid to reveal it just yet. Look for pictures next week. If you don't see one, assume things turned out very badly.
I probably should shower and dress before the baby wakes up. I hope the weather by you is as beautiful as it is here and that you are able to enjoy it.
March 15, 2009
When Ignorance = Accomplishment
My mother likes to tell a story from my high school years. I had broken my leg at summer camp and was in a cast from my toes to my mid-thigh. That fall, I had been asked to lead a prayer at synagogue. The day of the service, I limped my way down the aisle on my crutches, climbed the stairs at the front of the sanctuary, and read the prayer. When I was done, I made my way back to my seat. To me, this was not a big deal. Yet, when my mother tells this story, she always remarks how the cast on my leg did not seem to phase me at all. I'm not sure why my mother considers walking (well, limping) to the front of the sanctuary an accomplishment. Maybe she thought I'd be too self-conscious to get up in front of a crowd. Anyway, I had no idea the cast was supposed to somehow hinder me, so it didn't.
So what does this little story have to do with knitting. EZ's baby surprise jacket (BSJ). I heard on a couple of Kelley's podcasts that there are some tricks to knitting this jacket, and I did a little research to prepare myself. I was amazed at what I found.
Do you realize that on this website and on Ravelry, there are discussion groups devoted to this jacket? Ravelry linked me to a Wikipedia entry devoted to the intricacies of the EZ BSJ. In fact, the Wikipedia article actually has a map to show you which portion of the jacket you are currently knitting. It also discussion variations to the jacket, including creating an adult-size-jacket and collar and hood-add-ons. If you need additional help, you can search the web for knitter's personal notes, watch YouTube tutorials, or you can purchase a DVD to show you how to knit this jacket step-by-step. While I am admittedly a novice knitter, I wonder whether any pattern has been associated with so much intrigue. Clearly, this jacket has taken on a life of its own.
Having done my research, I can now state without hesitation that (1) I am totally intimidated by the BSJ, and (2) I'm almost sorry I did any research. Had I not done any research, I probably would be half-way through the pattern, enjoying the experience and feeling connected to all of the knitters who had completed this pattern before me.
Instead, I've been spinning my wheels (pardon the pun) about the type of yarn I need to use. I have a bunch of textured baby yarn at home, but I'm concerned that the texture will be too difficult to handle with this pattern. So I've purchased several different multi-color baby yarns on the theory that I will be able to focus on the pattern and not on whether it was time to change the stripe color. And a day or so after I've purchased the yarns, I return them since it's silly to buy new yarn when I have many skeins of perfectly good yarn at home. I've been to at least three different yarn stores in the last week to purchase and return yarn. I've probably spent more in gas going to and from these stores than the cost of the yarns I've purchased (and returned).
Despite my wheel-spinning, I don't regret all of the research I've done. I did learn one important feature of the pattern - you have to figure out where each button hole goes before you begin to knit. Apparently, EZ makes her first comment about the button holes somewhere near the end of the pattern. A novice knitter, like myself, appreciates comments about button holes much earlier in the pattern, like at some point before you are supposed to make the first hole. Kelley speculates in her podcast that there is method to EZ's madness; by waiting to mention the button hole, EZ is trying to make the knitter think about what she is doing and not blindly following a pattern. I'm not convinced. My speculation is the buttonhole is not mentioned until late in the pattern because editing on typewriters is far more time consuming than editing on computers. Whatever the reason, I know that, because of this feature, I am going to have to plan out the pattern before I begin.
I guess that means I should decide on a yarn soon. After all, the baby is due in July.
Maybe I should work on a toddler-size Surprise Jacket . . . .
So what does this little story have to do with knitting. EZ's baby surprise jacket (BSJ). I heard on a couple of Kelley's podcasts that there are some tricks to knitting this jacket, and I did a little research to prepare myself. I was amazed at what I found.
Do you realize that on this website and on Ravelry, there are discussion groups devoted to this jacket? Ravelry linked me to a Wikipedia entry devoted to the intricacies of the EZ BSJ. In fact, the Wikipedia article actually has a map to show you which portion of the jacket you are currently knitting. It also discussion variations to the jacket, including creating an adult-size-jacket and collar and hood-add-ons. If you need additional help, you can search the web for knitter's personal notes, watch YouTube tutorials, or you can purchase a DVD to show you how to knit this jacket step-by-step. While I am admittedly a novice knitter, I wonder whether any pattern has been associated with so much intrigue. Clearly, this jacket has taken on a life of its own.
Having done my research, I can now state without hesitation that (1) I am totally intimidated by the BSJ, and (2) I'm almost sorry I did any research. Had I not done any research, I probably would be half-way through the pattern, enjoying the experience and feeling connected to all of the knitters who had completed this pattern before me.
Instead, I've been spinning my wheels (pardon the pun) about the type of yarn I need to use. I have a bunch of textured baby yarn at home, but I'm concerned that the texture will be too difficult to handle with this pattern. So I've purchased several different multi-color baby yarns on the theory that I will be able to focus on the pattern and not on whether it was time to change the stripe color. And a day or so after I've purchased the yarns, I return them since it's silly to buy new yarn when I have many skeins of perfectly good yarn at home. I've been to at least three different yarn stores in the last week to purchase and return yarn. I've probably spent more in gas going to and from these stores than the cost of the yarns I've purchased (and returned).
Despite my wheel-spinning, I don't regret all of the research I've done. I did learn one important feature of the pattern - you have to figure out where each button hole goes before you begin to knit. Apparently, EZ makes her first comment about the button holes somewhere near the end of the pattern. A novice knitter, like myself, appreciates comments about button holes much earlier in the pattern, like at some point before you are supposed to make the first hole. Kelley speculates in her podcast that there is method to EZ's madness; by waiting to mention the button hole, EZ is trying to make the knitter think about what she is doing and not blindly following a pattern. I'm not convinced. My speculation is the buttonhole is not mentioned until late in the pattern because editing on typewriters is far more time consuming than editing on computers. Whatever the reason, I know that, because of this feature, I am going to have to plan out the pattern before I begin.
I guess that means I should decide on a yarn soon. After all, the baby is due in July.
Maybe I should work on a toddler-size Surprise Jacket . . . .
March 11, 2009
So Many Options, So Litte Time
I have way too many options - too many projects that I want to do and no idea how to prioritize them.
I've had this idea about doing washcloths for the holidays next year. My initial plan was to knit a bunch of washcloths and hand them out with homemade soaps to my children's teachers. I got this idea when my mother gave me a bunch of old cotton yarn that she had intended to use for a sweater but then abandoned the idea. While the yarn pre-dates the organic trend, its color is natural, and it is textured, almost like a yarn spun by a new spinner who is still working on technique. I knitted a swatch to see if the cotton absorbs water. The good news is that it does. The bad news is that it looks a little burlap-ish. I'm going to run the swatch through a wash of towels tonight to see how it does. If it survives, then I'm going to knit a sample washcloth. If not, does anyone want three skeins of textured cotton yarn?
I'm also dying to do EZ's surprise baby jacket. My brother and SIL are expecting their first child this summer, and I'd love to knit something other than a baby blanket. When I first looked at the pattern, it looked very manageable. Then I heard Kelley mention in her podcast something about a trick with the jacket, and I was instantly intimidated. If you have any tips on the surprise jacket, I would love to hear them.
If I was smart, I'd sit down and begin knitting baby bibs immediately. My nanny is becoming a grandmother to her first granddaughter next month, and my DH's cousins are expecting their first daughter as well. Knitting the bib for the cousins should be a lot of fun. They are very outdoorsy people - they live at the top of a mountain (not a tall hill - a mountain), wear snow boots most of the year and run run 5 miles every morning. They are having a girl and believe that they can keep her from being a "girly-girl." Naturally, I see this declaration as a challenge. I plan to give that child nothing but pink frilly clothes and dolls for her first five years. So maybe I will try my hand at two bibs - one that is tasteful and one that is over-the-top girly.
As if the washcloths, baby jacket, and bibs are not enough, Sunday morning I saw a fabulous project on the PurlBee blog - crocheted yarmulkes. She posted them today as Passover yarmulkes, because Passover begins April 10. In fairness, these are not really Passover items. One month is not nearly enough time to knit yarmulkes for Passover. Before I can even find the right yarn, I have to begin cleaning out my pantry, refrigerators and freezers for Passover. I need to begin Passover shopping as well. Passover food has been in the stores for several weeks already (!), and I know if I don't go shopping soon, the good sweets will be gone before April. And now I'm supposed to knit yarmulkes for 30 dinner guests? I'm thinking . . .no. However, they will make awesome Chanukkah and b'nai mitzvah gifts. Some people carry socks with them for public knitting; I will carry yarmulkes and washcloths (assuming the yarn works out).
I get the feeling that I had one more project to discuss, but I can't remember what it is. It's probably better that way. I get the feeling I have enough to keep me busy for a while.
Thanks for listening!
I've had this idea about doing washcloths for the holidays next year. My initial plan was to knit a bunch of washcloths and hand them out with homemade soaps to my children's teachers. I got this idea when my mother gave me a bunch of old cotton yarn that she had intended to use for a sweater but then abandoned the idea. While the yarn pre-dates the organic trend, its color is natural, and it is textured, almost like a yarn spun by a new spinner who is still working on technique. I knitted a swatch to see if the cotton absorbs water. The good news is that it does. The bad news is that it looks a little burlap-ish. I'm going to run the swatch through a wash of towels tonight to see how it does. If it survives, then I'm going to knit a sample washcloth. If not, does anyone want three skeins of textured cotton yarn?
I'm also dying to do EZ's surprise baby jacket. My brother and SIL are expecting their first child this summer, and I'd love to knit something other than a baby blanket. When I first looked at the pattern, it looked very manageable. Then I heard Kelley mention in her podcast something about a trick with the jacket, and I was instantly intimidated. If you have any tips on the surprise jacket, I would love to hear them.
If I was smart, I'd sit down and begin knitting baby bibs immediately. My nanny is becoming a grandmother to her first granddaughter next month, and my DH's cousins are expecting their first daughter as well. Knitting the bib for the cousins should be a lot of fun. They are very outdoorsy people - they live at the top of a mountain (not a tall hill - a mountain), wear snow boots most of the year and run run 5 miles every morning. They are having a girl and believe that they can keep her from being a "girly-girl." Naturally, I see this declaration as a challenge. I plan to give that child nothing but pink frilly clothes and dolls for her first five years. So maybe I will try my hand at two bibs - one that is tasteful and one that is over-the-top girly.
As if the washcloths, baby jacket, and bibs are not enough, Sunday morning I saw a fabulous project on the PurlBee blog - crocheted yarmulkes. She posted them today as Passover yarmulkes, because Passover begins April 10. In fairness, these are not really Passover items. One month is not nearly enough time to knit yarmulkes for Passover. Before I can even find the right yarn, I have to begin cleaning out my pantry, refrigerators and freezers for Passover. I need to begin Passover shopping as well. Passover food has been in the stores for several weeks already (!), and I know if I don't go shopping soon, the good sweets will be gone before April. And now I'm supposed to knit yarmulkes for 30 dinner guests? I'm thinking . . .no. However, they will make awesome Chanukkah and b'nai mitzvah gifts. Some people carry socks with them for public knitting; I will carry yarmulkes and washcloths (assuming the yarn works out).
I get the feeling that I had one more project to discuss, but I can't remember what it is. It's probably better that way. I get the feeling I have enough to keep me busy for a while.
Thanks for listening!
March 8, 2009
The Obsession Continues
It's amazing how knitting can take over your life. I've noticed that I have knitting projects scattered throughout my house, a project in my purse, and one in my car. I spend my evenings looking at knitting websites. Knitting books now populate my book shelf upstairs and the end table in the family room downstairs, and I continue to order more knitting books on-line. Housework - who needs housework? It merely takes time away from knitting.
Knitting is taking over my social life as well. I went to my first Atlanta Knitting Guild meeting last week, and I plan to join a weekly knitting group as well. On Friday, I invited a friend over to watch the BritCom "As Time Goes By" and knit. I'm pretty sure that there is some sort of government funding available to study the anthropological impact of knitting, but I'm too busy planning my next projects to draft a proposal.
The last few days have seen many knitting-related events. I finished the scarf. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture yet. My DH crashed his computer the night I cast off the scarf, and he's been recovering data ever since. Anything computer-related sends him through the roof right now, so I'm waiting to learn how to download pictures onto my computer.
DH did suggest I make a matching hat and send both to my nephew in Scotland for his birthday next week. After spending a day running to various local craft stores, I concluded that one of the green yarns has been discontinued, and I do not have enough left to make a hat for a boy. I also decided that the scarf is a little old for a 2-year-old. So the finished scarf is sitting in my dresser waiting for the appropriate recipient.
My sweater sampler is nearing completion! I only have the hem cast off (with initials) and the afterthought pocket left. I'm trying to decide if I show the sampler at the "show and tell" portion of the Atlanta Guild meeting when I finish it. On one hand, I've been working on it for months and am very proud of it. On the other hand, it really is a mess. Anyone who has knitted for any length of time will see all of the . . . .challenges that I've had. For example, I faked the first half of the lace cast off. The second half worked beautifully, but the two halves really don't match.
Speaking of mess, the dinner dishes await, and I'm pretty sure my cats would like to be fed. Thanks for listening!
Knitting is taking over my social life as well. I went to my first Atlanta Knitting Guild meeting last week, and I plan to join a weekly knitting group as well. On Friday, I invited a friend over to watch the BritCom "As Time Goes By" and knit. I'm pretty sure that there is some sort of government funding available to study the anthropological impact of knitting, but I'm too busy planning my next projects to draft a proposal.
The last few days have seen many knitting-related events. I finished the scarf. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture yet. My DH crashed his computer the night I cast off the scarf, and he's been recovering data ever since. Anything computer-related sends him through the roof right now, so I'm waiting to learn how to download pictures onto my computer.
DH did suggest I make a matching hat and send both to my nephew in Scotland for his birthday next week. After spending a day running to various local craft stores, I concluded that one of the green yarns has been discontinued, and I do not have enough left to make a hat for a boy. I also decided that the scarf is a little old for a 2-year-old. So the finished scarf is sitting in my dresser waiting for the appropriate recipient.
My sweater sampler is nearing completion! I only have the hem cast off (with initials) and the afterthought pocket left. I'm trying to decide if I show the sampler at the "show and tell" portion of the Atlanta Guild meeting when I finish it. On one hand, I've been working on it for months and am very proud of it. On the other hand, it really is a mess. Anyone who has knitted for any length of time will see all of the . . . .challenges that I've had. For example, I faked the first half of the lace cast off. The second half worked beautifully, but the two halves really don't match.
Speaking of mess, the dinner dishes await, and I'm pretty sure my cats would like to be fed. Thanks for listening!
March 2, 2009
Wow! I have a blog!
Wow! I have a blog. I've wondered for a while about doing a blog. Would anyone actually read what I wrote? Could I entertain and inspire? Well, here goes.
I need to upload a picture of my Sweater Sampler from Jacqueline Fee's Sweater Workshop. I'm so impressed with myself that I've gotten this far. For those who have done the sampler, I'm up to the lace edging. (And thank you Kelley for inspiring me to start this project with your podcast.) I must admit that I'm a little embarrassed about the Sampler. It's about 3 feet long. I guess that I had a problem with gauge. My mother looked at the sampler and wanted to know when I was knitting the matching pants leg. Hmmm. But I am proud of every stitch and every mistake I made along the way.
I am starting to get a little board with the Sampler, however, so I'm back to my loom. I started looming at some point this summer, I think, and it was a great introduction to knitting. My mother has been trying to get me to knit for years, but I never seemed to have the coordination. With a loom, you don't need coordination. Suddenly, I was making hats and scarves for my small children who totally did not appreciate them. In fact, my 4-year old looked at the scarf and threw it across the room. Heartwarming, isn't it.
Anyway, I started this very cool scarf last October as part of an ambitious holiday gift. My husband's cousin has five children, yet his wife sends us Chanukkah gifts every year. Actually, she sends us several gifts throughout the year; I don't know how she does it. This year, I decided to knit scarves for her family. After all, knitting a scarf on a loom only takes a few hours, and I have quite a stash from my crocheting days.
This scarf consist of two colors - sea green and emerald green. I started the scarf with a patch of emerald green (about 10 rows or so), then knitted a patch of emerald green and sea green together, and moved into a patch of sea green. This flow between greens continues throughout the scarf. I am finishing the scarf with sea green. Then, I am going to put sea green fringes on the emerald green patch and vice-versa. It really is a simple and pretty scarf.
You will be happy to know that I hope to finish this scarf tonight. Okay, I hope to bind off tonight; doing the fringe may be too much to ask. So, five months after the knitting project began, I have completed one scarf. At this rate, the family should have their scarves in about 4 years. I'm not confident that I will make that deadline.
That's probably enough blogging for one evening. Thanks for listening.
I need to upload a picture of my Sweater Sampler from Jacqueline Fee's Sweater Workshop. I'm so impressed with myself that I've gotten this far. For those who have done the sampler, I'm up to the lace edging. (And thank you Kelley for inspiring me to start this project with your podcast.) I must admit that I'm a little embarrassed about the Sampler. It's about 3 feet long. I guess that I had a problem with gauge. My mother looked at the sampler and wanted to know when I was knitting the matching pants leg. Hmmm. But I am proud of every stitch and every mistake I made along the way.
I am starting to get a little board with the Sampler, however, so I'm back to my loom. I started looming at some point this summer, I think, and it was a great introduction to knitting. My mother has been trying to get me to knit for years, but I never seemed to have the coordination. With a loom, you don't need coordination. Suddenly, I was making hats and scarves for my small children who totally did not appreciate them. In fact, my 4-year old looked at the scarf and threw it across the room. Heartwarming, isn't it.
Anyway, I started this very cool scarf last October as part of an ambitious holiday gift. My husband's cousin has five children, yet his wife sends us Chanukkah gifts every year. Actually, she sends us several gifts throughout the year; I don't know how she does it. This year, I decided to knit scarves for her family. After all, knitting a scarf on a loom only takes a few hours, and I have quite a stash from my crocheting days.
This scarf consist of two colors - sea green and emerald green. I started the scarf with a patch of emerald green (about 10 rows or so), then knitted a patch of emerald green and sea green together, and moved into a patch of sea green. This flow between greens continues throughout the scarf. I am finishing the scarf with sea green. Then, I am going to put sea green fringes on the emerald green patch and vice-versa. It really is a simple and pretty scarf.
You will be happy to know that I hope to finish this scarf tonight. Okay, I hope to bind off tonight; doing the fringe may be too much to ask. So, five months after the knitting project began, I have completed one scarf. At this rate, the family should have their scarves in about 4 years. I'm not confident that I will make that deadline.
That's probably enough blogging for one evening. Thanks for listening.
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