Whip it Good!

Coming in dead last, after several other knitters (who all started after me!), I finally sat down and survived sleeve island (take four) this past weekend. What a relief to have this done!


Pattern: Licorice Whip from Blue Alvarez Designs.
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Cotton - 4 and a smidge of the fifth skein in Espresso, purchased from kpixie.com. (Wonderful speedy service!).
Needles: Sz 10.5 US Clover Bamboos - Circs and DPNs (for the sleeves)
Started: Labor Day Weekend
Finished: Monday November 20
Mods: I couldn't get gauge with the recommended needle (in fact, I couldn't get gauge at all), so I jiggered the maths and knit a bigger size to get a smaller size. I also didn't follow the sleeve decreases as written as they made the sleeve too big, and then too small, so I knit straight until to my forearm, and then did a few decreases and bound off.
Thoughts: Could be a skotch longer in the sleeves, and not as narrow in the wrists. Seems a bit big in the neckline, but not enough to bug me.

It's been all finishing all the time around here, so stay tuned for more FOs to follow over the next few days!

Thankful

For being home. For dogs happy to see us, and a cat that won't leave my lap. For the opportunity to see my family so many times this year. For a peaceful, safe car ride to see my parents and siblings. For wonderful brothers and sisters-in-law that get along so well with my crazy family. For the wonderful jobs hubbo and I have (finally!). For the financial means to keep myself in yarn! For wonderful friends, real and virtual, who indulge my knitting craziness. And thank you, dear readers, for your sweet and encouraging comments - I treasure each one!
Enjoy your day (well, evening at this point), and give thanks for all your blessings.

Y'all are gonna riot if I don't show you the knitting soon

But I had another loooooooonnnng day yesterday, so no pictures here. In fact, there wasn't much knitting the past two days. My class had their yearly "program" last night, so much of the week we've spent practicing, and we're leaving town tonight, so we've been frantically cleaning/laundering/packing in our home time. We're really probably ready to go, but I hate this rushed feeling.

We made a pit stop at Target last night to get tights for The Girl, and came home with a *few* other items. Including these.





Couldn't resist. I also got some cute sheepy slippers, but I cannot find a picture anywhere on the internets to show you. Take my word - they are cute.

I have a good deal of knitting packed, mostly because of the two 17 hour car rides, and because I'm near the end of several projects. I hope to return with a few FOs. I do have one FO to show you, but it's my sister's birthday gift, so that will have to wait until I gift it.

Don't forget that Knit Unto Others starts tomorrow. Who will you be knitting for?

Pretty Stinkin' Cool

This is.

Wet Wool

During the purging and scrubbing the socks got washed too.



I was pleased to see that I can wash almost all of my socks in "pairs." - Two similarly colored pairs together. Must knit more "pairs."



Miles (the lab) likes to lick the wet wool socks. Momma does not like this. Grrr. But I have them all clean and ready for their trip to Indiana this weekend. Brrrr. Seeing all these socks makes me want to knit up enough to fill the entire drying rack. Soon.....
I washed my Sock Pal socks for the first time (it was too warm to wear them when I got them), and while they are reddish and blue, they turned the water hot pink. Sure am glad I wash like colored pairs together!


My apologies for the toilet picture. Sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do.
We barely made it home with any daylight today.

Just another Manic Monday

I wish it were Sunday (especially next Sunday since we're out of school for a week!).

Sadly, I have no knitting photos for you today, due to the darkness before leaving the house, and upon returning. Daylight Savings Time really screws with my picture taking abilities. And it's not even late in the year yet. Gah.

Instead of regale you with tales of the weekend purging and scrubbing and knitting(!), I'll wait until I have pictures to share.

But I do have a question for all ye expert types out there (and well, anyone with an opinion really). I gifted the cupcake hat and the cute momma didn't realize it was a handknit. (In all the excitement - and with three kids helping her open her gifts - she missed the note.) Then, on Friday, during our inservice, she met one of my dear knitty friends Kerri (fellow art teachers they are). And Kerri mentioned that I *probably* made the hat. Art teacher was astounded, and immediately, upon her return to school, pulled me into her room. She's a crocheter. She wants to learn to knit. What beginning books/patterns for baby items do I recommend? She has used some of Erika Knight's crochet books, but says they have received mixed reviews on Amazon. I didn't knit any baby items as a beginner, so I'm not sure what's "easy" enough. I do think she'll catch on quickly (she already understands one tool!), but the wee one is due in a few weeks (and she's already having Braxton-Hicks), so something quick and easy is the ticket.

What do you think? Let me know, and I'll pass them along. Thanks!

W is for Wilco

Weekend Plans

Well, we won't be living it up at the Kid 'n Ewe festival this weekend, but we will be busy. We decided not to make the trip as we're driving to Indiana next weekend, and can't really face two weekends in the car. Plenty to do around here though!

We have big house cleaning/purging plans. We already took seven boxes of books to the used book store - not that you can tell at all from our shelves. I've also gathered one huge bag of shoes, and three bags full of just my clothes (and about two of hubby's) and filled three large trash bags (with actual trash). Oh, and the recycling cart is full. It feels good. Hubbo's afraid I might throw him out too though. Tomorrow - the scrubbing!


I'll try really hard not to let these get in the way of my plans, but no promises!


Have a great weekend!

Quick and Cute

Pattern: Cupcake Hat
Yarn: Plymouth Dreambaby DK
Needles: Sz 7 Clover Bamboo DPNs
Dates: Saturday November 4-Tuesday November 7
Mods: I used DK weight instead of worsted weight yarn. Babies here in Texas don't need superduper warm hats, and I was knitting for a newborn instead of a 1-4 year old as the pattern calls for.
Thoughts - Hate the row of nubbles. But looks so cute! I finally think my pompoms are getting better - they were quite anemic for a while. This is a great standby baby girl pattern - quick and cute!

I knit this for the art teacher at our school who is due in a few weeks - her 2 year old loved it and wore it the whole night after the baby shower!

I have quite a bit of yarn left over, so I may save it for another baby (none due right away) or add it to the pile of yarn for the charity knitting, more of which I hope to crank out in a few weeks during Knit Unto Others. More on that later!

P.S. Had to rip back the damn sleeve AGAIN tonight - still too small. I think I'm going to knit straight for quite a bit - my arms are pretty much the same girth for most of the arm length - until about mid-forearm. Then I'll do some decreases. At this rate I could have had this sucker done by now. Arrrrggghhhh!

WIP Wednesday

I've just got a handful of projects on the needles, so I thought maybe a rundown of their progress would be helpful (for any of you who care).

Central Park Hoodie - the back is done! Woo! I would really like to have this done for Christmas (since it's green and all), so I'll keep working on it at a fairly steady pace.

Licorice Whip - sadly, I had to rip out the sleeve AGAIN tonight, as this time it was too small. Argh. So I spent the evening ripping back and starting again. I'd really like to have this done for Thanksgiving dinner, so I see quite a few nights on sleeve island ahead of me. Hopefully these will go better than the past few attempts.

Plain Green Socks - stalled at the gusset of the second sock. What can I say. Boring. Don't like the yarn. Don't want to work on them. So I don't.

Green and Pink Trekking socks - thisclose to the heel flap of the second sock. I'd love to have these done, but since it's supposed to be 90 degrees tomorrow, wool socks are not an immediate necessity.

Leaf Lace Shawl - I'd really like to have this done. It'd be so lovely to wear to church on Christmas Eve. We'll see. I just can't seem to make any progress as each row is over 300 stitches and I have to concentrate on it. But I want it done already!

Rib & Cable Socks - one done, one not cast on yet. Love the pattern, love the yarn. Would love to wear these soon.

Log Cabin Blanket - in timeout.

Gift socks #2 - First sock is through the gusset. Must knit faster.

Hubbo's Trekking socks - in the cuff.

Red Scarf - not much recent progress. Will work on soon.

Gift Scarf #2 - one ball of yarn down. Five to go.

Lacy Scallops socks - no recent progress. Very pretty, but also low on the priority list.

Dino - barely started. Need to finish.

Grey socks - I actually worked on these a bit last week. I like the pattern, but also low on the priority list.

P word socks - Pretty. Low on priority list.

Regia bamboo socks - Very nice. Love the yarn. Nice for mindless knitting.

Anastasia socks - cuff done. Ready to power through them, but low on the list.

Spey Valley socks - barely cast on.

My So Called Scarf - a few rows done. Enjoy the pattern, but for me, not a gift, so not a priority.

Glastig Hat - barely cast on.

Dublin Bay Socks - through the cuff.

Secret Gift Knit - half done.

Hubbo's Sweater - absolutely no progress.

Gift Socks #3 - through the cuff.

Whew. Enough projects for you? Yikes. Still powering through, in the finishing race. Must get things off needles.

What's on your list?

What I did this weekend

I worked on several projects in fits and starts, when I wasn't feeling nauseated*, and hope to have a few FOs and partial FOs for you later in the week.

Please go vote today. Make the time, and do it because you can. Heck, let yourself stop by the LYS as a reward when you're done! :)

*I know someone will ask, so let me reassure you that no, I'm not pregnant. I just have this weird stomach thing - hungry, so I eat, and about an hour later I feel like I'm going to toss my cookies. It eventually passes and I get hungry again and the cycle repeats. Fun!

Because I need it like I need a hole in the head

More sock yarn.

From Hill Country Yarns - yum. Took forever to get here, but due the the Christmas knitting it will have to wait some time to be knit up, so it doesn't really matter.

And a lone skein of Trekking XXL in color 05. The colors are right up my alley. Sadly, I can find no pictures of this knit up, so it will be a bit of a mystery. Whenever I get to it, that is.

And yes, this was all ordered some time ago, so I haven't broken my "no new yarn for me" rule yet. I even managed to go to knit night at the LYS and only buy yarn for a gift. It was tough, but I just kept remembering how much I had at home, and how many projects I need to get done, both for myself and for the Christmas knitting. Yikes.

Because it's Friday

And we all need a chuckle - this was in my inbox this morning.



And did you see that Lion Brand is apparently carrying "luxury" fibers? Click here to see their cashmere. They also have a mohair/silk blend and another mohair/silk. Crazy.

Bringing back the lit

I've been reading quite a bit lately, which has been unusual for me this year. For whatever reason, the reading mojo has been lacking of late. Luckily, I have found it in a few new books.

The first one I finished, way back in September, was Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot. I really enjoy Meg Cabot's books - they are lighthearted and entertaining without pandering too much to our collective desire for happy endings. This one is the first in a new series, that are "mysteries." The heroine is a former teen pop star, now washed up and working in a NY dorm. The mystery is decent - I didn't figure it out ahead of time, as I often do, so I enjoyed that. Overall, a lovely piece of fluff.

Also in September, I finished Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton. Another in her knitting murder mystery series, set in the same yarn shop as the others. This time a friend and artist has been murdered. Eh. Pretty predicable, and I'm getting a little tired of her recycled descriptions of the knitting scenes and yarn shop imagery, but I keep reading. What can I say, I'm a sucker.

While we were on our trip to Austin I finished Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark. I've been a Clark fan for years, and although the writing has gone downhill a bit, and the plotlines are very predictable, I often pick them up every now and again. Eh. I didn't like this one too much.

I also read Janet Evanovich's latest "romance" Smitten. Blech.

Last week I finished Scott Smith's The Ruins. Hailed as THE mystery of the summer, I was eager to read this. It sucked. SO not worth your time. I've read many more mystery novels that were FAR superior to this. Remind me next time to not listen to the hype.

I tried to read King Dork, as the hubbo loved it, but I couldn't get past 20 pages. Must be a guy book.

I'm in the middle of another Meg Cabot, and I started an older Linda Fairstein this weekend. Love me a good mystery, and Fairstein is a great writer. I'm hoping to get back into reading more this winter. Lord knows, I've got hundreds of books on the shelves waiting to be read!

It's all uphill from here

How'd I do? Not so great.

October Goals:
1. Start and finish dinosaur. STARTED
2. Finish green socks. - second sock half done
3. Finish Trekking socks. - second sock almost half done
4. Finish purple socks. DONE
5. Back of Central Park Hoodie done. - half done
6. Body of Licorice Whip done. DONE
7. Work on Leaf Lace. TWO ROWS DONE
8. Finish gift socks #1. - first sock almost half done
9. Work on grey socks DONE! I did about 8 rows last night, but that counts!
10. Start gift socks #2. - STARTED
11. Start hubbo's xmas socks. STARTED
12. Start socks with All Things Heather Yarn. STARTED AND FINISHED
13. Start socks with some of birthday yarn before hubbo takes it away (he's threatening). ONE DONE!
14. Work on dye-o-rama socks - RIPPED
15. Work on Lacy Scallops socks - NOT DONE

I sure didn't finish as much as I wanted. I wonder if the umpteen trillion pairs of socks I kept casting on for had anything to do with that??????

So, what's in store for November?

1. Finish dinosaur
2. Start and finish secret gift knit
3. Finish green socks
4. Finish Trekking socks
5. Finish back of Central Park Hoodie and start sleeves/fronts
6. Finish Licorice Whip
7. Finish Leaf Lace
8. Start and finish Gift scarf 2.
9. Work on some of the trillion socks.
10. Work on Glastig.
11. Work on My So Called Scarf.
12. Finish two sets of dishcloths.
13. Knit two ornaments.
14. Work on gift socks.

I really want to FINISH some things this month. Not start anything new (that's not a holiday gift), but I *might* start a new sweater. We'll see.

Also, I'm going to try to be good. No new yarn for me until after Christmas. I have plenty of yarn, and plenty of projects already started. We'll see if I can be good. Oh, and some has already been ordered, so it doesn't count. I will have to order a bit more for gift knitting, but that also doesn't count, of course. :)

So long Socktober

It's been a great ride.

Finished - one pair, and two single socks (one of which finished another pair).
Frogged - two socks.
Started - ten socks.
Ignored - two socks.
Some progress - eleven socks.

Not too shabby. I wished I had gotten more done on the pairs I had already started, but I'm certainly not mad! I just look at it this way - I'm this much closer to 100!

I'm finishing the month with 13 socks on the needles, and another finished!



It is the Rib and Cable Sock from last fall's IK, in County Clare Socks That Rock, birthday gift from the hubbo. I love it. I actually knit all of the foot last night (and it was a bad TV night too!). I'm not so much in love with the toe. We'll see - but I know I have plenty of yarn should I decide to rip it back and knit a "traditional" toe.

We've had no trick-or-treaters so far, and it's after 9 so I don't think we will. Ah well, more peanut M&Ms for me!

I said I wasn't going to do this again....

It's that time of year again. The time when all of us who didn't plan well enough ahead start to feel the mild panic of the CHRISTMAS KNITTING.

Last year I was smart. I was ahead of the game. And then I ended up adding and adding and adding to my list. I told myself I wasn't going to do that this year. And then Sunday, while I was internet playing (instead of grading the mountain of papers I brought home) I started getting ideas. I could knit dishcloths for the other first grade teachers*. I could knit dishcloths for The Girl's teachers. I could knit ornaments for some people. Hmmmmmm.......

Here's where the list stands now.

Socks 1 - DONE
Socks 2 - started
Socks 3 - started
Socks 4 - yarn ordered
Socks 5 - started

Sweater - started (will probably not be done, as is secret knit and cannot work on it in front of hubbo)

Scarf 1 - DONE
Scarf 2 - yarn received
Neckwarmer - DONE

Hat 1 - DONE
Hat 2 - yarn received
Hat 3 - yarn received
Hat 4 - need to order yarn

Slippers - yarn received

Blanket - started

Dishcloths 1 - Have yarn
Dishcloths 2 - Have yarn
Dishcloths 3 - check stash
Dishcloths 4 - check stash
Dishcloths 5 - check stash

Ornament 1 - DONE
Ornament 2 - have yarn
Ornament 3 - have yarn
Ornament 4 - have yarn
Ornament 5 - have yarn
Ornament 6 - have yarn
Ornament 7 - have yarn

My stocking - have yarn in stash

Penguin - have yarn in stash

Panta 1 - need to order yarn
Panta 2 - need to order yarn

I will blog as much as I can about these gifts, but many are for readers of ye olde blog, so I may have to keep some details on the DL. This list of 31 items puts me much lower than last year's 46, but I expect to add a few things to the list. (Heck, I've added three things since I started this post!).

I'll add the holiday knitting list to the sidebar, but don't look for too much progress too soon, though I hope to get some of the smaller items off the needles quickly.

What's on your list?

*My apologies to everyone for not getting around to answering your questions about the new school. Everything is going well - I'm feeling very settled (though I still can't find things I know I unpacked), and everyone is very welcoming. All in all, a good move.

V is for Vera

Bradley, that is.


Long time readers may remember that I am from the home of Vera Bradley. Mom, sis and I have been shopping their annual sale for years. We each have quite a collection




And this isn't everything - I didn't empty all the bags/zipper cases/etc that were currently in use.



I love the Vera Bradley. I do think it is a *bit* expensive, but when I'm not paying full price, it seems SO much more reasonable. My pieces have mostly held up very well - my ballet bag from middle/high school has a lot of wear on the shoulder straps, but it's not too much, especially considering that I carried it every day to and from the studio.

My overall favorite items would have to be the little accessories. They are great for so many uses. My ipod lives in one. I have one stuffed with purse "necessities" like chapstick, gum, mints and advil, so that when I change purses (often daily), I don't have to dump everything. Others hold knitting notions, makeup, markers for grading papers, pens/pencils/highlighters for teaching, etc.

Several years ago, when Vera Bradley wasn't as popular outside of the midwest, mom and I would get 'excited' to see one "in the wild." It still is a bit of a game with me - to see them out and about. People here in Texas don't carry them as much, but they are popular with the sorority set these days. Hubbo has even caught on, and came home from work one day several months ago and told me that a woman in his check-out line was carrying a Vera Bradley purse. "Did you tell her that you knew it was Vera Bradley?" "NO!"

I do have a bit of a collection, but I switch purses a lot, and I often drag several bags around. When I was in school I carried a teaching bag, a lunch bag, a purse, a knitting bag, my gym bag, and my backpack/tote bag every day. Now I don't carry as many, but I still get in a few Vera bags every now and again. They are especially handy if you need to take several things, but also need to carry a purse, but don't have much space to lock up a purse. Carry a larger Vera bag, tuck your purse inside and you can just pull out your purse to lock it up. Ask me how I know this.

Hubbo rolls his eyes at the sight of my collection, but I just know, if bicycles cost as much as Vera bags, he'd have just as many of them.

Best thing about Vera bags? They make great knitting bags!

Nothin' to see here

Apologies for the craptastic photo - o'dark thiry doesn't provide much daylight.

Does this make me a project slut?

Do it yourself

If Rhinebeck can't come to you, take yourself to Rhinebeck.

I went stash diving this afternoon, and came up with several yummy yarns. From left top - Brooks Farm Four Play in the Vera Cruz colorway - gift from Jill during the "You Know You Knit Too Much" contest. Yum. Will become My So-Called Scarf, I think. Next up is some Vesper Sock Yarn in the Midnight Knitter colorway. Love these colors. I also found a skank of Fleece Artist that I was in love with when I bought it, but has been stuck in the bottom of a bin. Hopefully will grow up into socks soon.

Along the side we have six skeins of Patons Kroy. Would you believe that this is the very first sock yarn I ever bought. It's about time it became socks.

The bottom row contains the oh-so-yummy hank of alpaca that mom got me at the Fort Wayne "Fiber Festival." Must become a hat. And finally, the hank of orange wooly goodness that Jen brought me from Colorado that I'm thinking will turn into this hat that I am just in love with.

All of this orange is making me feel "fallish." Must resist the urge to cast on for new socks, scarves and hats. Must.

But I am going to Indiana in a few weeks, where it has been rather chilly. Perhaps new accessories are just what I need. Hmmmmmmmm.