Seed Stitch Border

So, I am working on the sweater for the class that I am way behind on.  Last night I did the shoulders, modifying the cast off squarish binding to a short row slant that I think looks great. I’ve done a seed stitch border instead of the regular ribbing, because the sweater is so plain. I like it. Making it fit from the pattern has been interesting. It’s hard to do when you know it grows when blocked, but I think so far so good. Am loving the color. Can’t wait to wear it.

We visited Chantel in Logan this weekend and of course stopped in the LYS.  There was some cute mauvish superwash on sale, Ellie Rae, so I bought three skeins. K immediately started complaining about how I have too many projects sitting around, etc, etc, like husbands do. So to spite him, not only did I finish the back of my sweater, but I finished a simple triangular shawl with the Ellie Rae. It is so nice at work because it does get chilly there by the big window. I thought of leaving it there, but then I wanted it to wear while K and I cleared the DVR (it was getting up there, with a double Downton Abbey, The Walking Dead, Top Chef, etc.) so I took it home. It looks cute wrapped around my neck too, to tell the truth. This may be in constant use during my waking hours. And I want another one. Would like less of a point at the bottom, so I’ll work on that…..

Anyway, Friday night I finished up a little owl for Jude…he took it before I could take a pic. I asked him to send me one, but that isn’t working. I’ll try to get that this weekend.

In IF this weekend I taught my niece to knit. K’s mother had a bunch of Red Heart, so she started a hat. Nylon does have it’s purposes, and one of them is to remind me why I buy more expensive yarn.  It feels icky to knit with. I so wished I’d had some fabulous yarn to get her hooked with. Oh well, soon.

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.

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.

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.

Shamelessly Stolen Picture, but just to get you to watch it, so I think it's okay.

on demand right now, so I am catching up starting in season three. Dexter’s gonna be a daddy?  It’s just craziness, you know? And way less violence from this guy huh? Maybe that will work out I guess.

Next is Downton Abbey, which K and I are pretty much obsessed with. Love it. It’s Gosford Park with a script.  And now Shirley MacLaine and her many lives worth of experience are going to enter into it.  I love the wife, played by Elizabeth McGovern.  The control she seems to have, coming from America to this society and giving up her fortune but still finding happiness. Where did

Another Pilfery...am I forgiven?

she come by that? Maybe Mom can explain it. The bad guys are sure bad, aren’t they. And then unexpectedly good. I love that.

Now that Big Bang Theory is on TBS or whatever, I seem to be watching it a lot more. Yes, I know I’ve seen them, but there are some shows and movies that I can watch a million times. It’s weird. Others I may like, but once is it. Like the move Secretariat. I swear…it’s on Starz or something and I’ve watched enough parts of it in the last month to have watched the whole thing 3 times! Can’t stop it.

So with all this viewing, you know I am getting  a lot of knitting done.  Finished a slouch hat for Hailee this weekend. They’d better send me a good pic of it soon! It’s pretty, made of a really light blue with cables in it.  Plus new mittens for Bronson, and a few surprise things. I’ll post as I go!

I wish, wish, wish, I was a better knitter. That everything I created turned out exactly as

If I block them the same size, they'll turn out that way, right? Can you see how much tighter and better #2 is?

expected. That I knew somehow what I was doing wrong. I love my new hat, but why is it slightly too big and the edges slightly warped? I did a swatch, and it was right on!I blocked it as instructed.  What? Why is one glove bigger than the other….okay, why is every single second glove or mitten smaller than that first glove or mitten? No matter how hard I try to keep loose, it just doesn’t work! So I’m wishing they were perfect. Of course Elizabeth Zimmerman said it right when she said if you want perfect, go buy it, right? We are handmaking things…they should be personal. If that’s what I call it.

So I hope that experience and time and practice will make me better. Hope springs eternal, right? Someday I will not have to rip out and re-knit a second mitten…someday. It’s like Judy said…Somewhere, Over The Rainbow, my mittens are both the same size. Sigh.

My feet are dry!

In better news, I did get fabulous new slush boots. I used to have a good pair of snow boots when I walked to my job downtown from the bus, but they got old and cracked, and since my vanpool was door to door, who needs em? Well, yesterday when the snow that worked like frozen rain and puddled in the parking lot where I must now park since I have to drive ruined my shoes, I went shopping. Yes, I know they’ll be cold, but darn they are cute! Love them!

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….

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.

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.

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!