Well, I can certainly appreciate your migraines. I have a friend with those and she is incapacitated more often than she would like. Glad yours are under control. I'm sure that you don't like taking the meds but its better to take meds than experience the headaches. I wouldn't be knitting either if I had a migraine, so it's understandable.

I'm still working on my sweater and on Lisa's. I really enjoyed frogging her sweater and knitting it again. I also altered the pattern to knit it in one piece rather than 2 fronts and one back. I've completed everything but the sleeves. I'm starting those right after the holidays.

My sweater from Interweave knits is turning out great. I decided that I wanted to make long sleeves, instead of the 3/4 length sleeves in the pattern. I hope they work out. One sleeve is done the other just needs the shaping at the upper end. So after the holidays I'll work on finishing that sweater as well.

You know, I am on the road this week, not to return home til the 30th. Because of this I had to have something to knit on. Neither of the sweater projects that I just wrote about are portable at this time, so last night I drug out some yarn and started a scarf for my hairdresser. I'm too late for Christmas, but I have a hair appointment for Jan 6th, so I'll have a scarf to take her as a gift. I played with the yarn and created a pattern that I like. Then I got some knitting time on the plane today. Here's what I've done so far. What do you think? I just started knitting without a plan in mind, I'm sure that violates all we've read about knitting, and Steven Covey - Start with the end in mind, right?


I think it will end up OK. The yarn is the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, which I've heard that despite the label doesn't contain any cashmere. Don't know what makes it so soft without cashmere. At least it is a knitting project for the trip when nothing else would work.

Oh, I still have the socks, that I'm working to finish. I just got caught up knitting the sweaters and dropped the socks. They are in my briefcase, so I can finish them this trip as well.

Looking forward to sharing Christmas with you, Heidi, Kevin and your mom. We'll see you Thursday or Friday somewhere. My Heidi is taking skiing lessons, 10AM - 3:30 PM on Friday and Saturday, so you know where to find me. Knitting by the fire and watching her progress. See you soon.

Rally Warmer

Football in the south is a religion and it really doesn't matter what level of football you're talking about - high school, college or professional. The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) State Championships are this weekend and my alma mater, Northside High School, is in the AAAA State Championships for the third time in six years and the second year in a row. The Eagles have a great chance to bring it home this year and we lucked out and won the coin toss to host the game this Friday night.

Now it's been a little cool out in the evenings these last few games. Last week, the semi finals were held indoors at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, so no winter gear was needed. Thank goodness for indoor football since it was an unseasonable 16 degrees last Friday night. But this week it will be 30 something at game time and I felt like I should make something blue and white for the occasion.

The new winter issue of Knitty was out and this cute little head scarf seemed to be a quick and easy answer. Then two things happened that I never thought would:

1. I was in Walmart buying groceries and saw this cheap and perfectly colored blue and white colored yarn, which I thought would be interesting. I'm kind of a yarn snob. I really don't like acrylic and I knew, since it was at Wally World, it was acrylic, but I figured it was for a once in a while kind of thing, I'd take a second look.

2. The yarn, upon further inspection was actually camouflage colored yarn. Yes, camo yarn. I never in my life have liked anything camo colored. But this yarn seemed interesting to me. And I still can't quite figure out how blue and while qualifies as camo, I mean, maybe if you're hiding in an ocean or tropical area, but not in Middle GA.

Anyway - I bought the yarn. Acrylic, camo yarn to make this great pattern.

Now, I didn't make a gauge swatch. Why should I? There really wasn't a size. It was just a head scarf. I guess if I wanted to make something that didn't end up the size of my youngest cat, Nomie, I should have made a gauge swatch. Although, my finished measurements do match up to those of the pattern, the size is way too big and I hated the way it looks on me.

So, first try was no good. Second try I cast on 90 stitches instead of 120 (yes I know that 90 is not divisable by 4, but neither is my head), and it came out great. So, now I have a great head scarf to rally my Eagles on to a win on Friday night. I'll be sure to have my DH take a photo of me in it as we cheer the guys on to a victory.

Oh - by the way, both of our college alma maters are in the IAA National Football Championship Game this Friday night. UMASS (my husband's school) and Appalachian State play each other at 8p in Chattanooga, TN. It was a hard to decide which game to go to, but since we have cheered the Eagles on all season and we could both sit on the same side of the stadium, we decided to go to the NHS game.

Bad Blogger... Bad Knitter...

I'm ashamed of my neglect of this blog. I couldn't believe how long it's been since I posted here. I've been struggling with migraines lately and now that it seems that I have those under control, thanks to some new meds that I take everyday, I am back up to speed. But for about three months there I was struggling with as many as 8 or 9 headaches a month, which really interfered with my knitting time, not to mentioned made me pretty much useless in general. Things are much better now.

I did finish a few things since my last post:

1. My Somewhat Cowl is now complete. Photo to come later. I hate finishing. I really need a class on this to feel more confident.

2. A great hat and fingerless mittens. Photo to come later.

On the needles:

1. My Einstein Coat - yes, I'm still working on this darn thing. It gets so darn hot in GA during the summer that I can't work on it or else I burn up. I want to have it done by Christmas. I WILL have it done by Christmas. I'm 1/2 way there.

2. The Fisherman's Shrug - even though I've read that people continue to have trouble with this pattern online, I've started the large size of this pattern as it is written, while using the revised measurements and keeping my fingers crossed. I'd like to try and finish this in a couple of weeks. We'll see. I got a great deal on the Lion Brand Yarn at Handcock Fabrics a week ago when it was 2o% off the regular price and I had a coupon for an additional 10% off.

I'll drag the camera out tomorrow and take a few photos of the finished objects. The good news is I have two new work assignments in Orlando and in Phoenix this winter - two places warm enough to wear short sleeves in January.

Knitting again

I've really enjoyed being off work this week, so I could do more knitting. I finished the sweater for Lisa, but was disappointed that I had made it too large. So I got to rip-it out and start over again. In a way that was good as I was able to improvise a little. I decided rather than knit it in 3 pieces, back and 2 fronts, to cast on enough stitches to do it in one piece to the underarms, then split it for fronts and back. I have done that and am now working on the back separtely. I will knit the 2 fronts at the same time, but that will need to wait a while.

I got really fed up with the Sunrise Jacket. It wasn't working out with the row gauge. The stitch gauge was OK, but my rows count was off. This sweater requires too much math and too much time for it not to work out great. I decided to frog it as well. About that time I bought the winter Interweave Knits and fell in love with this Nantucket Jacket on the front.

I thought the black Wool of the Andes yarn that I was using for the Sunrise Jacket would be perfect for this. So, I started it as well with the frogged yarn. I have knit about 6 inches on the back and I really do like the pattern. I hope that I like the finished jacket and don't find my self frogging it.
I really should get back to my pair of socks, but frankly haven't been too interested in finishing them.
OK, so much for the knitting or frogging of this week.
Here is the scarf that I did a couple of weeks ago from the front of Vogue Knitting. I used Lion Brand Wool Ease and it's OK. Color is great, but it isn't as soft as it could be if I had used another yarn. I'll be glad to use it for the winter and it really stands out on a black coat. It was so much fun to finish - can't believe I'm saying that. I hate finishing, but the weaving of the long tubes to produce the scarf was amazing.

Catching up

That You Tube video was too cute. I really identified with that poor lady. She must have been knitting the scarf from the front of the new Vogue Knitting When I got the magazine, I was so impressed with it that I went right out, purchased ome Lion Brand Wool Ease (I know, but I wanted to start it right away and since I really don't have a good LYS I decided Wool Ease would work.) Well the scarf is clever, but seems to go on forever. Seems that it is knit as gigantic "I" cords, 9 sitiches each on 2 sock needles. I spend more time changing needles than I do getting into a knitting rhythm. There are six of the cords each about 90 inches long. So far, I've finished 4 of the cords. When I finally finish all six they are braided.



I thought I would post the pictures of my latest finished projects. Here is the baby sweater I knit for a friend of mine. I used a ribbon yarn called Phoenix from Yarn Market.





Now I am working on the scarf from Vogue and some socks. Here is what the socks look like.

I'm using some Cascade Fixation yarn, very colorful and I think will look great with my Crocs flip flops over the winter months. I used the Jaywalker pattern for the top and then I'll use a pattern for summer socks for the foot portion. I'll post again when I finish them.



I've finished the Selkirk jacket from Ram Wools.
The yarn is great, but full of pieces of straw, sticks, weeds, etc. I was constantly picking all that stuff out as I knit. The yarn softened up when washed for blocking. It also "bloomed" and makes my knitting look great. I did like knitting with it and think the finished product will be super, once I get time to finish it. I would much rather knit than finish, right?


I'm also doing the Sunrise Circle Jacket from Interweave Knits, using some great wool from Knit Picks. I wish I could post a picture of that project, but can't. I got the pattern free with a subscription to the Interweave Knits on line magazine. It's a pretty good deal, free and has free downloadable patterns. I'm hoping I can wear it for work, since I'm making it in black yarn and the style is fairly professional.

Now, to work on the socks tonight, before going to work tomorrow. I've got the socks and yarn in my brief case and since there is nothing to do in this location (near the airport in Newark, NJ), it will be a good night for knitting. I'll be doing an engagement here for the next few months, so maybe I'll find your favorite yarn shop in Manhattan. If you are going to be here, let me know and we'll plan a dinner and yarn shopping trip.

No FO

That's right - it shouldn't be a shock that I have not finished my Somewhat Cowl sweater. I feel like the slowest knitter in America. I read all of these blogs with people who finish sweaters in three nights. I can't finish three inches in a night, much less any significant progress. The good news is that it does fit and I'm almost done with one sleeve. By the end of the weekend I hope to have the other done and at least pick up the stitches on the neck. We'll see.

So instead of looking at my finished sweater, a good friend of mine sent me a link to this great Knitting Animation on You Tube. Enjoy!

Closer and Closer

Well, I'm down to the bottom ribbing of the Somewhat Cowl sweater. All that's left is the sleeves and neck. I'm hoping that maybe by this time next week I may have a completed sweater to brag about. But of course, I'm already looking for other things to work on.

I joined the Sexy Knitters Club (SKC) and I think I'm going to start their KAL for either Sizzle or the Simple Knitted Bodice (SKB). I love both patterns and I've enjoyed Wendy's top down pattern for the Somewhat Cowl sweater. It really all comes down to yarn. I've not found a substitute yarn for SKB that I'm crazy about. I cannot spend $140 on the yarn that the pattern calls for. Finding something for Sizzle would be easier, but even though it won't be cool enough around here to wear something with long sleeves until November, it will take that long for me to finish either of these pieces with the work schedule I've been keeping lately.

I did treat myself to two knitting magazines today: The new BHG Knit It! and the newest Vogue Knitting. Hidden in the editorial section was a note that there was a pattern correction to the Fisherman's Shrug pattern from the Winter edition of this magazine. I loved the pattern when I first saw it - chunky yarn, big needles - sounded like instant gratification to me. Plus the yarn called for was inexpensive and looked like something I could throw on even around the house. Well, while lurking in the Blog-o-sphere, I found out that there were SEVERE problems with this pattern and it required way too much math for my math-challenged brain to figure out. Needless to say I didn't attempt it. Maybe this corrected pattern will be easier to follow than redoing all of the math.

Fingers crossed - we will have a FO photo to post here next week...

I'm In the Same Boat

Well, I've neglected this site as well during the summer. I've not had the energy to knit since I've been working 60 to 70 hours each week. I hope that this insanity is coming to an end soon, but I'm not so sure that is going to happen.

I've picked up the needles, determined to finish my Somewhat Cowl sweater that I started in March. I've knitted about an inch or so after the join. I like knitting from the top down so far. Here's what it looks like so far (sorry for the bad photo).



I may wish that I had knit this in a size smaller, but it seems to fit fine, just seems big right now in the arms. Maybe that will be better determined once I actually do the knitting on it.

Oh, I have to introduce you to my newest "child." This is Clyde. He is the new love of my life. He'll be 2 in November, so too young to ride, but I'm doing a lot of ground work with him right now. I work with a trainer once a week with him and it is amazing to watch a 1000 pound animal learn like a child would. It's the one thing I really force myself to make time for once a week and I just love my time with him. I'll have a reason to knit some cute hats, scarves, sweaters, finger-less gloves, etc. to wear at the barn this winter!

Mea Culpa

I am feeling like the worst blogger on the face of the earth. I haven't posted here in forever, but I guess that is because I haven't been knitting either. This summer has been like a blur to me and now it is about over. Of course with the heat, it sure doesn't feel like summer is anywhere near ending. Today it is supposed to be 101, right now it is 97 and tomorrow's high is forecast to be 105. Somehow, I can't get too excited about knitting while it is baking outside.

Part of the problem with the weather is also how it affects flying. Due to the weather and forcing me to miss connectioning flights, I have been stranded for the night twice in Denver, once in Houston and once in Pittsburg. I hate summertime flying. In the winter they keep the runways clean of snow, de-ice the plane and off it goes. But in the summer, let there be a thunder cloud anywhere in the vicinity of take off or landing and the pilot keeps the plane on the ground. I hate summertime flying, or did I already say that?

I've also been too busy with work to have any free time to knit. I used to knit in my hotel room at night, but this summer I have had so much work to do, analysis and reports that I've been putting in some very long days work. I've got to get my priorities straight and put knitting farther to the top. I have been working on a baby sweater which is almost completed. I will see the new father this week, so I plan to finish it tomorrow. It is a pattern from Yarn Market called Nana's Hooded Baby Jacket.
The yarn is a ribbon in a cream color and the size is supposed to be 1 - 2 years old. It looks a little small to me, but then it's been a while since I've been around a baby. The baby who is getting the sweater is a few months old but lives in Chicago, so the sweater should come in handy this fall.
After the weather cools down, I want to knit a sweater coat for Lisa. I picked out a kit from Ram Wools. It is wool so I am definitely waiting til it is cooler to start it.
Will try to be a better blogger in the next few weeks. Keep adding to your stash. The urge to knit always hits at the oddest times (usually when the LYS is closed!)

Stash Flash

As promised, here are the newest additions to my stash.



Prior to my trip to Boston, I bought Jaeger Siena 4-Ply in black for Orangina. I hope to get started on her soon. I really want to finish my Jaywalker socks before I start this. I'm flying to Raleigh for the week of the 18th and then Kevin and I will be in San Francisco on vacation the following week - so I'll have some air time to make some progress

In Boston, I visited one of my favorite shops in Newburyport, MA called Three Bags Full and purchased a skein of awesome pink, brown, and cream striped Trekking XXL sock yarn and some J.Knits turquoise, grey and black striped sock yarn. They are both really different, I love the colors and I can't wait to find the perfect pattern for these two.

We took an impromptu trip to Boone, NC for the Fourth of July (yes, I do work) and I visited a new yarn store in town, Laura's Yarn-Tastic. I went in just wanting to look around and came out with four hanks that were died in Mountain City, TN. How could I pass up local products? The yarn, died by Miss Babs is really different. I came home with two skiens off superwash sock yarn, one in pinks, purples and olive tones and the other in , bright purples, blues and greens (I thought of you, Nancy. Totally your colors). I also came home with a skein of her 100% Merino Wool in really cool shades of brown and gold. I will use this with some Cascade that I have and felt a neat bag with it.

The last skein I spotted while checking out (isn't that where all the best stuff is?) was in the half-price bin. It was a skein of Miss Babs 100% wool in the neatest shades of black, grey and navy blue. You may be able to see the colors in this close up. I think this combined with some Cascade 220 I have in gray, I should come up with something neat.

I'm Jaywalking, Too

On my flight to Boston, I started the Jaywalker socks that everyone seems to have made by now. I was a little late to the party, I guess. I made a lot of progress during my trip and I'm almost done with the first sock. I like the way they are turning out. I've never used size 1 needles, I've found they are pretty easy to use.



Here's a close up of the stitch patern. It's really easy and gives a great effect.



I've added to my stash and boutght yarn for Orangina. I'll give you a sneak peek into my shopping spree in Boston and Boone tomorrow when the weather is good enough to take photos outside.

The Honeymoon is Over

I've always wondered why clothing designers didn't cut their clothes larger so that women would be forced to buy a smaller size. Talk about brand loyalty. I don't know many people who wouldn't be drawn to a specific brand if the size on the tag was at least one size smaller than all the other pairs of jeans, shorts, skirts, etc. in their closet. The ego boost of a smaller number on the tag is really unbelievable, even if it doesn't happen very often.

Maybe Bonnie, my Honeymoon Tank, was trying to give me an ego boost. I measured myself, measured my swatch, adjusted the pattern, frogged it and adjusted it again and even though she measures right when flat, as you can see, she's a little big on me. I guess she's just trying to make me feel better about turning 30. I'm guessing it's the weight of the cotton I used that didn't allow it to drape like it should and instead she is a little saggy. I tried to block some of that out of her, but it really didn't help much. You live you learn I guess.



I'm not going to frog her. I'll be able to wear her around the house, outside while tending to my flowers and maybe to the pool. I don't think she'll become a staple in my wardrobe. I do think I will actually make a size smaller in a sweater than I think I should if she is supposed to be close fitting.

I'll apply this concept to Orangina, who I'm going to start while we're on vacation next week. I really like the way it looks and based on some of the results the girls at the Sexy Knitters Club have had with this pattern, I think this will look awesome in black. They did this as a KAL in April and I really like the finished product. I'm on the search for the right yarn and I hope I'm successful before we get on the plane on Wednesday night. Knitting with cotton really hurts my hands, but Orangina is also made of cotton, so maybe the soreness is just making my hands stronger.

Until then, I'll keep plugging away on my Somewhat Cowl. The back and forth knitting is so slow, but I know it will pick up once I join the round. But, for a little instant gratification, I made this little cosmetics pouch for my purse last night. Easy and it only took a couple of hours to finish.

Bonnie Blue

I've been pretty busy knitting this weekend and I'm almost done with the blue tank. I think I will call her Bonnie. Real original, huh?



I finished the right side yesterday and hope to make the same kind of progress on the left side tonight. I still have the i-cord straps to do, but I think I'm going to try it on first and then knit the straps based on the fit. I like the decrease method used in the pattern, so I learned something new.



I wonder if I'll have the guts to wear it when all is said and done. Maybe with another tank under it or something. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have a finished product up for review. The cats are unimpressed, as they think mom suddenly made them a blanket for them to relax on while sunning on the back deck.



Today is sad for me. Sasha, the dog I got when I was 16 years old, has gotten too sick for us to stand by and watch her suffer through her last days. We're taking her to the vet today at 11:45a to say goodbye. She's been a good dog for 14 years and was my father's devoted companion. It's going to be a tough day, but my mom and I know it is the right thing to do. We're going to bring her ashes to Boone and spread them at the graveyard so she can be next to dad. Here's a photo of my girl just a few months ago. It's not the best picture of her, but it's the only one I had this morning.

First Official Day of Summer

Each morning I usually go upstairs and run on the treadmill. It's too hot in Georgia, no matter what time of year it is, to run outside, so I run while I watch the morning news. Today is the first official day of summer for our house because school is now over for the 2005-06 school year and my husband is home now and is sleeping in as I write this, which interrupts my morning routine.

I work from home. Kevin will be home all day, too. I'm not sure how this is going to work.

My current plan is to run from 12:30 until 1p each day on my "lunch hour" and use my quiet morning time to knit. Between my morning knitting and my pre-bed knitting I may get this darn tank done after all.

30th Birthday Blues

So, I turned 30 on Saturday. All of my friends and my husband are all older than I am, so I received no sympathy. I was stressed about it as the date grew closer, but it really wasn't a big deal after all.

Someone told me that their 30s was when they really figured out who they were. I hope that's true, because I have no idea. I just keep waiting to wake up one day and someone has figured it out for me, but I guess what I'll really come to grips with in my 30s is that the only one who can figure it out is you.

I'm trying to cure myself of my knitting ADD, although I've not done a particularly good job of it. I bought some craft store yarn to make the Honeymoon tank from the Knitty archive. Once I did the swatch I found that it didn't match the gauge called for in the pattern - so I knit a swatch on a size 7 needle (up one size) and although it gave me my gauge, the fabric didn't have the look I wanted. So, I decided to alter the pattern using the new gauge and knit it based on my measurements.

Let's pause here for a moment to realize that I don't do math. I hate math. I despise math. I hate everything about the possibility of adding two, two-digit numbers together without a calculator. Yes, I married a math teacher, who I use as my human calculator when I need him, but he would be little use to me in adjusting this pattern. Oh - and let's not forget that I've never finished any garment that I've EVER started.

So, I did some math (with my husband mocking me the entire time) and did a pretty good job in adjusting the stitch count as necessary. Even the decreases seemed to really work out, but when I got to the second set of increases I decided that I should try this thing on and see if it fit. I used some waste yarn to keep all my stitches in tact and slipped it on. The bottom wasn't too bad. But something had gone wrong when increasing. It was way too big. I liked the way it fit at the last set of decreases, so I decided to frog the thing back to there and continue to knit without increasing for the remaining of the tank. I think it seems to better fit my body type and I certainly don't need extra room in the bust.




I'm 1/3 of the way done before dividing for the v-shaped neckline. I was hoping to be almost done by my 30th birthday, but I guess I missed that deadline. I hope to have it done by the time we go to MA for vacation. I do have 8 hours coming up in the car when we go to Memphis in two weeks, so there's hope.

If it's true what they say about finding your true self in your 30s, I guess I confirmed for myself this weekend that I don't do math.

What day is it?

I know what you mean about Monday. Kinda like the movie "Ground Hog Day", right?

I'm not even sure what day it is or where I am. My travels are out of control as well as my WIPs. Since I last blogged it has been like this...Youngstown OH, Chicago, Youngstown, Bryan TX, Youngstown, Byan, and Youngstown. I'm really glad to get the work, but give a woman a break. How can I knit with all this traveling? I have to have time to yarn shop! I used to knit on planes, but lately have been either completing work from last venue or preparing for the next place while flying. So, I've got to get it under control and have more time to complete the knitting projects.

This past week of travel was absolutely the pits! I was flying from Houston to Denver to home. Got to Denver OK and the gate agents announced there were mechanical problems with our plane, then they proceeded to load Portland OR passengers on our plane (it was in our gate) and send them on our way. We waited for them to fix the Portland plane so we could take off. At 11PM they finally tell us they are cancelling the flight. I was re-booked on a 4PM flight on Saturday. Well there were about 60 of us booked on the Friday night cancelled flight, so 5 of us rented a car, left Denver at 12MN and drove 8.5 hours to get home. I was beat and am still fuming at the airlines. I really hate flying United and take all pains to avoid them whenever possible. I still haven't written my letter to the customer relations department of United, but believe me, I will. I don't usually get all bent out of shape about the trials of flying, but for them to outright lie to us, make us wait 3 hours before cancelling the trip and then don't have anything to offer til 4PM the Saturday afternoon! Meanwhile, I couldn't knit at all on the road trip home that night, it was pitch dark in the van all the way down the interstate in CO and KS.

I've frogged and restarted the ecru shell that I was knitting with the Cascade Yarn, then put it aside because Lisa wanted me to knit something for a silent auction that the ice skating club is having to raise some money for the club. She specifically wanted a ballet sweater. I found an adult pattern on the Lion Brand web site for free, got the Lion Brand Color Waves yarn while in Bryan and started the project. The pieces of it are finished but not put together. The yarn isn't the greatest, but the sweater will be washable and that is what the ice skaters will need. Maybe someone will buy it, but I'm totally prepared for it not to bring even the amount of the yarn. Next time, I'll just donate the amount of money that I would have spent for yarn and forego the knitting project.

Then I wanted to knit a scarf (the balloon pattern) from the Interweave Knits Scarf Style book for a very dear friend. I wanted "good" yarn, so I went yarn shopping at home. I really don't like my LYS but have nothing better. The lady there is really into weaving and always treats me with a snotty attitude. (Maybe that is a pre-requisite for owning a yarn shop, who knows.) I finally ended up with some silk/cotton/merino blend and began the scarf. After only a few rounds, I found that the yarn didn't really show the stitches, so I frogged that and started another scarf from the book. I don't remember the name of the scarf and don't have the book handy. It's shown in a really nice blue yarn. I knit for a while and didn't like the width of the scarf, frogged that and started over. I'm into skein #2 on that one. I like it but probably won't use it. I may put it in the silent auction as well. There is no way it will bring what I paid for the yarn, should've just donated that amount, right? There's a pattern of behavior developing here.

Meanwhile, I ordered yarn from Knit Picks to do the balloon pattern scarf for my friend. I'm really glad that I did! The yarn is great (again don't remember the name and am at work with the ball band in my hotel room a few miles away), it's soft, a color called Mulled Wine, and the stitches look great. I started that scarf last night in the hotel room. The pattern is a 42 row repeat, so I'll probably never have it memorized and the knitting will progress slowly. Glad it's spring and she won't need it til the fall/winter. This one isn't going in the silent auction. It's turning out too pretty. I'll post pictures when I get home (strike that - IF I get home this weekend).

So, I'm not sure what day it is, I am still in Youngstown and will probably be back here next week, with our without getting home this weekend.

I'm ready for a knitting retreat, Camp Stitches????TKGA conference????? Stitches Midwest or Stitches East????? What about you? I swore I wasn't going to one this year, but I'm getting itchy fingers and of course, I don't travel enough so this would be an excuse for a trip! HAHAHAHA Maybe we should plan something...Camp Stitches is June - in North Carolina, TKGA is July, Stitches Midwest is August, Stitches East is November. Lots to choose from. Last year was so much fun.

It's Still Monday

Ever had one of those weeks where it feels like Monday every day of the week? Well, I've had one of those weeks for the last three weeks. Last night was the first time I actually got to knit anything that I really wanted to work on. All I have to show for three weeks time is one baby sock. ONE BABY SOCK! How horrible. I really want to knit a cute tank to wear while I'm in Boston this summer. So, this weekend I plan to go and buy yarn and start this tank - come hell or high water.

On top of me missing my knitting terribly, Kevin and I have decided to start eating better, so I'm cranky and hungry. ARGH. It's still Monday, isn't it?

Baby Things

I love the cute hat. What yarn did you use? I got an email today that a co-worker's wife delivered yesterday so I need to make a baby gift as well. I haven't given much thought about what to knit. What do you think new parents would like to get?
Am finishing the shell that I started with Cascade Fixation. I chose to short row some bust darts since I am ample in that department. It was a challenge, even for a master knitter! ;-) I got the instructions for figuring out how to make them from Margaret Righetti's book on sweater designing. It's a great reference book. The shell is very comfortable because of the elastic in the yarn. I think I'll wear it a lot for work.
I really admire your confidence to experiment and knit without instructions. That is very difficult for me to do, but am trying to stretch my ability and knit freely with just an idea of what I want the finished piece to resemble. I can learn a lot from you about freeing up my knitting.
I'm on the road for several days now. I'm in Youngstown, OH this week, will be in Chicago over the weekend, Mon and Tue then back to Youngstown for the remainder of next week. I'll be in Texas for the first 2 weeks of May which might be good knitting time, if I can decide what to make. If you will be there, maybe we can meet for dinner or something.

I'm No Master Knitter, But...

First, congratulations on completing your work to become a certified Master Knitter. That's so exciting. I have thought about looking into starting this process, but I'm a little nervous. We'll see.

I've been collecting baby patterns over the last couple of weeks. We have friends who are due this summer and I thought I would have time to knit a few little things before their due dates. When we came home from vacation, we found out our friends who were due at the end of April/early May delivered on March 31. Britten Taylor was 6 lbs 10 oz and 18 inches long when she was born - a little on the small side, but can you imagine how big she would have been if she was born five weeks later! I made this little hat by combining several patterns and I'm almost done with the baby socks.



I don't like booties. They look silly and never stay on. And after they come home from the hospital, who puts these things on their kids. I ordered a book on baby socks off of e-bay that should be here any time now. Baby things are so remarkably small. I knew this before I started, but I kept looking at the hat thinking that it would never fit. But, it did.

I hope I can stay ahead of everyone else's birthdays so I will have a gift to take to the hospital. Britten and mom are doing fine and she's been home for over a week now.

Vacation Knitting

I was on vacation two weeks ago and being a road warrior for work last week, so I've not had time to post. In fact, my husband chose a vacation spot with no internet access and very little cell coverage in an effort to make me slow down. I really think it did more harm than good since I almost had a nervous breakdown without my e-mail or web access for a week.

I can admit it. When packing for vacation I had illusions of grandeur. I packed all of the yarn I needed to complete my Somewhat Cowl sweater. I packed enough yarn to make two pair of socks. I also packed some kitchen cotton to make my cute purse. I thought I would have all of this time to lounge around and knit. I guess I also thought that I became the fastest knitter in the world overnight. Needless to say I made progress on all of my projects - some more than others - but progress on each.

Somewhat Cowl Sweater: I've found out that the ragglan sleeve measurements may be off and I'll need to alter this to be sure it isn't too loose.




Mulligan Socks: I've frogged this damn thing four times now. I hate the way the heel is working out and I need to frog it AGAIN.



Polly Purse (Cute Purse): Polly was easy, but hard on my hands. I've got the embroidery to finish (four flowers) and I think I'm going to line this before I seam it up. We'll see how that goes.