So much knitting fun has happened since my last post.  Believe it or not.  Last night I was tired (why, I might comment on later) and I almost didn’t go to Knit Nite at Blazing Needles……would have been the worst decision of my life! Okay, maybe not worst, but a mistake.

One of the most fun parts is that Cynthia has such a huge group of friends and customers that every Thursday night is basically a new group. The dynamics change, the conversation is completely different, and although it’s always fun, it’s fun in different ways. Last night a woman that used to work at Blazing Needles but moved to California was visiting, and in celebration, Marie brought champagne and oj for mimosas, and two cakes; this killer chocolate cake and a Boston cream cake. So we start drinking and laughing and more wine is flowing and pretty soon there were like, 20 people and it was craziness. The chat got a little risque….at one point I turned on my voice recorder, not to get any one conversation, but just to let K listen to just how fun and crazy it is. 5 or more conversations at once, knitting needles clicking, food all over the place…it’s just a fun night. And I know that in different ways it’s being replicated all over the world–knitter’s getting together to share and socialize.

I am taking a class on how to make sure sweater’s fit your body when you make them. It’s really interesting and I think will be important.  I am so behind. For Wednesday, we were supposed to have the back and fronts done up to the armhole. I had about 6 inches.Wasn’t even done with the waist shaping decreases.  So now I am racing around madly with this sweater in my hands all the time.

Part of the reason I was behind was that Mom and I drove down to Vegas this Sunday and met my brother and family. I spent 3 days driving or holding the baby or playing with one of the boys. We went to the chocolate facotry in Henderson, which I’d never done, so that was interesting. Also, the seafood buffet at the Rio was pretty awesome.

The first night there I woke up at 2am and that was it, I was awake. Lucky my nook app on my phone allowed me to read The Help. I finished it on the way home.

Las Vegas is not my favorite place, and I don’t expect to go much, but it was a nice day and the snowy, messed up drive on the way down was not too bad. So that’s my week.

I went to a new knit nite Monday, at The Wool Cabin. Very friendly and fun. I’d taken 3 projects. The Baby Socks, The Baby Surprise Jacket, and Kimball’s gloves. Ugh. Did you ever think you’d hear me say that about knitting?  Well, I’d  finished the first sock over the weekend and found out that it was too small. So I had issues with the second heel and didn’t even want to deal with it because, yes, I’m going to have to rip out the toe of the first one and redo it. Ick.  The BSJ? I knit 8 rows, I tear out 7, I knit 4, I tear out 5. I am getting nowhere! And its all counting! I’m an accountant! How can I not count? Then I tried picking up stitches for the gloves and just put them back in the bag. I don’t ever want to do fingers again. Ever. So BSJ. I worked on it for 2 hours and then ripped it out and headed home.  So all my projects were duds.

When I got home I told K I hated fingers and didn’t want to do them anymore. And he kindly said, “It’s already February and it’s not snowing so put them away until next year.” Very kind if I hadn’t been wanting to put them away until the next century.

Luckily, the new yarn shop had a yarn I’d been needing for a very simple pattern I’d put away. I bought three balls and went home and put away all the dreaded items and started on my easy peasy shawl.  I’m working on that now, just for fun.

I know, I know, I’m going to Vegas to meet the niece and nephews and the non-finished socks mean I have absolutely no knitted gifts. Yes, this is hurting me too.  Sigh. Maybe I can come up with something quick in the next few days.

A bit. Just a little.  Remember when I said that K had me write a list of all the projects I had on needles and all the projects I had everything I needed to start but hadn’t? I may need to do that again. My yarn shopping days should be over for some time. Right?! And yet last night at Blazing Needles, I forged ahead and purchased new sock yarn for Kimball, went home, and cast on socks. Uh, what was I thinking?

Second Baby Sock

Well, I’d finished one baby sock, and it looked a bit small…so I’m waiting for measurements from my sis-in-law to finish the second one, and possibly rip out the toe of the first and extend it. My glove for Bronson is looking weird. Too skinny and tall. So I am waiting for Walker to visit this weekend and will try it on him since they are similar sized. The gloves for Kimball that I have not touched in weeks are in a little basket by my chair, but last I looked, the needles may or may not have all been there and it’s too much trouble, or it was last night, to find out what is going on. Baby Surprise Sweater? Don’t even mention the thing to me! I am tired of not being able to count right! Jeez! So I look over at the beautiful new yarn just sitting there in two perfect balls on the bed, and the size 0, 47″ circulars just happen to be in the basket at my feet….its’ so much easier to just cast on, right? Right!! Agree with me!

So now I have 5 things on needles, a swatch for a sweater all knitted up and blocked, so I can start that for my class next week, and a list of about 10 requests.  I must knit all weekend? Do you hear this family? Count me out!

Okay, but Walker and Kiki are coming to go to the BYU hockey game and spend the night on Saturday. Oh yeah, two movies are out we want to see, The Black Lady and Chronicle (K wants to see this actually), I need to clean the house and grocery shop, and my car needs an oil change and a ding on the windshield fixed. Wow. I can knit while the car is done, and in the movies, and at the hockey game…..okay, this can work.

So, my little knit area is all organized now…how’s that?  On Monday when Kiki and

My Little Knit Knook

Walker were over, Kiki was reading and said we were all too loud and disappeared. Later I found her all curled up in my chair reading. It was cute.

Okay, I always see these articles in knitting and fashion magazines, and even Vanity Fair where they show what is in people’s bags, and drawers and stuff. So here, for the world to see, is what is in my bag. Okay, just my little knitting bag, so don’t worry….

My knitting bag

Anyone who knows me is not surprised at the two Chapsticks. I didn’t even know there were two.  I have two pens, two crochet hooks for picking up stitches in knitting, stitch markers in an Altoids can, three thimbles for some weird reason,  a measuring tape, of course a pair of purple scissors.  The green tube holds needles of all kinds that I use when finishing things.  The long metal safety pin is for holding stitches, but I don’t use it much. I use the spare yarn usually to hold stitches for fingers or thumbs or whatever while they are waiting. I have a fingernail file, because if you get any little rough spot while knitting, it can drive you absolutely crazy. The card is from a knitter I met who makes soap, and when I run out of my sis in laws’ batch, I may buy some.The purple balls are for sticking on the ends of dpns so the yarn doesn’t fall off.

Last, and not least, is a little piece of paper with a heart.  This is a stealth addition by Chantel. Years ago, she visited me at work and drew a similar heart on a post it and put it on my computer.  I always loved seeing that in the morning. So this is what I found in my knitting bag after she borrowed something…and it will be there forever. What a doll she is. I miss her.

And that’s my bag. I will not go into detail on my purse.  But I will say, there is a business side and a knitting side….

Yes, the very funnest ever! It’s Knit Nite at Blazing Needles. Isn’t work so much better when you have something to look forward to?

So far so good on the BSJ

I took my Baby Surprise Jacket to work on…I am starting on increases and it’s going to start looking weird I think. All wobbly.  Leo, who started at the same time, is a little ahead of me. His is beautiful…he is using Malabrigo Coffee Toffee, and I bet it is fun to work with.

One of the great things about Knit Nite is seeing what everyone is making.  There was a Gansey Sweater, with only one sleeve to go, numerous cowls, from laceweight to chunky, socks, and some things I couldn’t even identify yet. Very inspiring.Susan Pierce Lawrence, a local designer was there, and she’s posted a new cowl design on Ravelry everyone is making. It’s called Tuesday Night Cowl, and she was wearing it. It looks great. Maybe for my next project.

Cascade Eco Ranier Purple

I also picked up my sweater yarn for the class I am taking next month.  It’s a dark purpley color….yes, I know, purple is my go to thing. I have a hard time choosing color though, and when I brought it out, Melanie, who was sitting next to me last night raved. I hope it turns out well. I also picked up a yarn to make Dottie, a hat pattern I picked up on Ravelry.  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dottie-2  I think it will be cute, and it’s the first time I’ve bought/used Malabrigo yarn, which everyone just raves about. 

I also may have purchased a new knitting notions bag. My old one was fine, but it was a makeup bag, and it was wide, so kind of hard to fit into purses and stuff. This one is thin and mesh, and I am in love. Yes, it’s green, which is not usually my thing, but I couldn’t help myself. It was manufactured by Walker.

As you can see friends and children, I do have Chapstick in my bag. Of course. Those are not Altoids by the way, but a little holder for my stitch markers. I love those little tins!  Next up I need a retractable tape measure. But frankly I should not be spending any more money on knitting stuff for awhile. Sigh.

I have huge knitting plans for the weekend. A hat for Amy, my hat, progress on the BSJ, and anything else I can get to. I have Monday off and Kiki and Walker are coming over. What fun we will have.

It’s been so long, I just can’t believe it. We’ve had lots going on in our little neck o’ the woods, so I guess that’s my excuse for not even realizing I haven’t posted since the 3rd. I know, right?

Everyone is sad except Channi!

Channi is long gone. We had a fabulous family going away party on Friday night. I’ll keep the details quiet, since it’s a bit geeky, but needless to say, we had fun. Then Saturday we drove her to the way far away place she’s chosen to go. For those of you following the weather at all, many northern places are snow free and relatively warm for this time of year, and Utah is right there with them. We have had one dusting of snow in the valley all year, and it’s been in the 40′s, which is just unheard of for January. So guess what? On Saturday, when we are moving Channi, it snows. Even Logan, Utah, the freezing tundra of the state got it’s very first snow that day. It was cold! As one friend put it, Murphy’s effin’ law, right? Oh well, we kept at it.

We drove by these apartments and K said, “Wow, those are dumps!” Guess what? That’s where she lives. Uh huh, yeah. She likes them though. There is so much more storage than her last place. Plenty of room for yarn.

Then we get home and realize, she basically left us a huge mess to pack and take to storage. We were pretty upset. Because here is the deal….her leaving triggered a mass of moving in the house that took most of the weekend, and is still not completely finished.  Jude moved to her room. Then we moved the treadmill and desk into Jude’s old room. We brought some furniture from storage and I created a little knitting nook in my bedroom. And we had saved the Christmas decorations to take down when we got the furniture from storage. So it was a busy day. Still not completely organized, but it is getting there.

I bought the coolest standing lamp for my ‘nook’. It has one light that points up and another I can train down on my knitting. It is so utterly awesome to be lit up like that! Love it. I’ll send a pic of the area when I’m all organized.

I am working on the Baby Surprise Jacket. It is interesting. I can see where people get

Baby Surprise

frustrated, but so far I am just trying to keep the Elizabeth Zimmerman attitude of casual calmness about it and it’s working. I think so anyway.

Color choice was hard. I wanted something that could be for a boy or girl and I could not find any sport weight, which it calls for that I liked. So my friend Leo mentioned that on Ravelry, the most used yarn for the project was Cascade 220, worsted. Good Old Cascade. I picked Celery, which I love and started up. The great, great thing is, that the pattern included directions for three different gauges. So it calls for 6 stitches to the inch, but if you get 5, guess what? It tells you how many to cast on and has a whole set of instructions to correct for that. EZ is brilliant, no? So I did not have to knit 5 gauge swatches and change needles and waste time. just knit a little swatch and started in.

Amy, Vic and Me

Anyway, ups and downs, as usual. Granny is very ill, and so people are all coming to town to visit. This is sad, of course, but I get to see family, which is a positive.  And Vic did take K and I out for sushi, so that was even FUNNER. Yes, funner, as in more fun.

So I knit a lot this weekend.  SURPRISE!! Yeah, I know. The thing is, I’ve had a lot of requests lately, birthdays, etc, so I had a lot to get done. So I see this little pile of knitted objects, which is great, but then I remember something. When The Yarn Harlot’s friend was pregnant and overdue, she knit one thing a day until the baby came. Her pile was a lot bigger and had a lot more detailed objects. So am I fast or slow? Should I even compare to professional knitters?  Here is what I finished, or in some cases, almost finished this weekend.

Foot Ovens

I did make two of these…the pattern came from Yarn Harlot and they are for a friend who is going in for surgery. I am amazed how fast a sock is when you’re using worsted weight yarn. This is a one-ply, and I know it will get fuzzy, but they will be warm, soft and cozy in the hospital.

Another Hockey Hat

Sis asked for a hockey hat to match Walker’s for herself and her friend. Unfortunately, I rarely enjoy making the same thing twice, even if I can improve on the design. And it’s black. Which I can only knit on in real sunlight. None of the lights in my house really let you see the stitches, so I end up ripping  alot. Yeah, very fun. NOT!! So she asked for the friends’ first and I will get to the other after some other, more fun knits.

Hat for Justin Bieber Fan

Another request, which I think turned out pretty cute. I had a fingering yarn and doubled it to worsted. I had a lot left and so decided to make….

Almost Mittens for JB Fan

Gloves to go with it. But not matching. Don’t know why. Just thought it would be fun. I need to get the thumbs on, but other than that, they are ready to go for a certain person’s birthday party this weekend.

So since my other sis is pregnant (announced this weekend), I’ve decided to tackle The Baby Surprise Sweater, a pattern by the legendary knitter Elizabeth Zimmerman. Jude doesn’t get this, so I”m sure many people won’t, but there are certain knitting patterns, knitters need to do. Like a mountain climber needs to climb K2 and Everest or whatever. This is one. It’s knit in a rectangle with decreases and increases in certain places, and stripes or whatever strategically placed, and then when finished, it’s folded up origami-style and becomes a sweater.  I spent quite a bit of time looking at finished projects on Ravelry, and think I am going to choose a tweed sort of yarn. Don’t know what it is yet, so it will have to be neutral. Thursday night is knit night and Channi is going to help me pick it out. Very fun. Sis also asked for one of the pods I made K’s nieces’ baby, so I’ll get on that too at some point. Have a few months I guess!

New Years Resolutions;

1. Stop Swearing (this is proving harder than expected. Why do I not ever swear at work, but do while driving, and yes, while knitting? I’m going to stop though. I almost always accomplish my resolutions.)

2. Run in a 5k. I started running last year, but a back issue stopped me.  This year the non-profit I am on the board of is sponsoring one in the spring. It’s only 3 miles right? Doable.

3. Finish at least 3 of my CPA tests.  I hope four, but it will depend on how long it takes me to get registered, which I’ve heard from some people is a test in itself.

Go Janell!

Chantel is leaving for school on the 7th. I know it’s only a two hour drive, but it’s through Salt Lake, Ogden, canyons, etc, and just seems to go on and on! I am not excited to lose her. At all.  Our house is going to be at least 25% less fun. Sigh.  8 days until ickiness.  Sigh again!

So here I am trying not to think of that, but how can I? Last night we went to Blazing Needles in Salt Lake for the knit night. It’s so fun to go hang with other knitters, see their projects, and what’s in and what’s out, what they’ve tried and see how everyone helps each other. It’s lovely. Last night one knitter originally from Germany brought her mother, who only spoke German. That was fun.  It’s interesting to listen to them and still being able to basically compare notes with her when she doesn’t speak English.  I bought some yarn for some hospital socks for a friend who is going in for surgery again.  I’m trying to surprise her, but that means no fitting them, so I hope they’ll work. I’m making them from a pattern Stephanie Pearl-McPhee put on her website, but as I can’t wait for yarn to come by mail, I got a nice other yarn at Blazing Needles. So this is one of the things that I do with Chantel that will not be as fun without her. Can you hear the sigh I just let out?

This weekend I have some hat orders from my Sis and family and a friend. They are hats I’ve made quite a few times, so it’s something of a chore, but still, it’s knitting, right? Can’t complain, because, yes, I like knitting just about anything. Then I want to move on to something new though. I’m thinking a Baby Surprise Sweater.  Classic Pattern, and must be done by every knitter. Must. No question. So I’m up for it. The yarn I like it in though, it’s only available from Europe. Wonder how much shipping will be? It is called Adriafil Knitcol and it’s a self-striping that looks beautiful and fun.

But none of that matters when Chantel is leaving!! Ugh. I can’t even be happy enough to find a picture to post. Who cares?

Christmas Elves

So, I ended up able to take Thursday and Friday off…Thursday K and I went shopping for the last few things and then out to breakfast. It was nice. Then we spent the weekend with a lot of family and the kids and it was just fun as heck. My kids are awesome, and we just laughed so hard for so long.  Christmas was great, fun had by all.  My kids surprised me in the morning with these elf costumes. They were adorable. They seemed happy with their gifts, and got me nice things. We watched Warrior and K made a delicious breakfast, and then we went to my sisters for lunch.

Chantel is always trying to do the 12 days of

Tacky, not classy

Christmas sweaters, and this year she is up to 10.  Here is a pic of the best one with bells on….she wore it to our Christmas Eve party.  Yes, in public. Well, in someone else’s house anyway. I did some knitting. Finished my niece’s birthday hat, a pair of gloves for Jude, and started a pair for Kimball.  Jude’s match his scarf and they are the best gloves I’ve ever made. No holes by the fingers, tight knit, just good looking. Didn’t even block them. Forgot because they look so good.

I made a Christmas gift for Bronson. He likes the Ducks, so I did Green and Yellow. Yes, it’s for the University of Oregon Ducks, not the Packers. He liked it and wore it home this morning, so I guess that is good. I think it is kind of cute. Anyway, off to it, just checking in!

I guess I should just state the obvious….Chantel is not a blogger and never blogs for no good reason. Yeah, I know. She’s not that busy, so….she just doesn’t show the love. The other night I walked into her garbage disposal of a bedroom and asked her what she was doing and she said, “Nothing”.  So there. (Consider my restraint: I’d like a pic of her here, and the only one I have on my phone is this one from the other night that she told me to delete because it was bad and she looks mean.  But I am not doing it. Now that is discretion. A word hardly to be associated with me.)

Anyway, Thursday she and I are going to Blazing Needles for knit night, and I have some yarn and needles I need to buy and for some reason (possibly the utter desolation that is my job and etc right now) I am just dying. Thursday seems so far away. So very far away. I know, I could run to the local yarn store for a quick fix, but I don’t wanna! Like Kimball said last night, “Why would you buy yarn or anything anywhere else when you love Blazing Needles?” Why indeed? So I am trying to hold off.

Found a fabulous pattern for a surprise for my nephew, and need new yarn and needles for that.  Will probably start knitting it that night so I can finish by Christmas.

Christmas Cards are out. That’s making me happy. I have a box of treats here at work to distribute. Today I am having pizza lunch with friends and we are tying a quilt that is a present so that should be fun. Just moseying along I guess.

Don’t you hate when people say you are something you’re not? Like when they say you are upset when you’re not, or freaking out when you’re not, or whatever? Because when you’re not really upset and people start saying you are, it does upset you. Well, at least me. So then I am upset and they are right but they WEREN’T right. It’s utterly irritating.