Granny Square Woman

2007 goals

2007-01-04T14:03:00.000-05:00

I don't like resolutions - I choose instead to do year long challenges. Normally they involve reading or how many items to make for charity. Well, this year I'm doing things a little differently. Instead of reading 52 books in a year, or making 52 things for charity, I'm setting little mini goals.

My first goal is to write better blog posts. Usually I just write very short blurbs, and only sometimes do I add any pictures. I don't spend a lot of time or thought on my blog. I claim that I write my blog only for myself, but yet I complain about the lack of comments. So, a goal for 2007 is to write better blog posts.

I'm also allowing myself to stop worrying about UFOs - you know, all those unfinished objects that I haven't worked on for a year or three. I have several scrap afghans (crocheted) that i haven't touched in quite some time, and I'm going to stop worrying about the fact that they aren't done. In fact, I'm going to stop even counting them as a project. If I drag that out from under neath the bed - fine. But otherwise... I'm going to stop worrying about it! And this includes the knitted, mitered square afghan. I love making them - but I haven't touched them in a while. Stop worrying and move on!

I'm going to try to have only 3 projects going at one time - yes, it sounds weird when I just said stop worrying about UFOs, but I'm sick of spending 6 months to finish a pair of socks. Yes, I have a short attention span - but I would really like to simplify! Ever since Marguerite declared her Knitting Peace plan (working on only 2 projects at a time) I've wanted to do this. I've watched her, and she's kept it up - and seems a lot happier about it, too. I don't think I can only work on 2 projects at a time - but my plan is to try to do no more than 3 projects. Ideally, the 3 projects will be:

1. travel CIC project - whether it's socks or sweaters
2. something I've always wanted to make - I collect patterns, and I'd like to start actually KNITTING some of them
3. a KAL - I love to join KALS and then feel guilty when I don't participate. I joined the Nothin But a Tee Shirt KAL, for instance - and never even did one swatch!

I would also like to finish up my goals from the Summer of Stash: use up all my woolease yarn (log cabin afghans), use up the old chenille (I have at least a pound of it, in a black/gray colorway), and use up my lustersheen (I have enough for a top, I believe, though maybe not a whole sweater). All of this yarn was bought before I got married in 2000.

One other little goal for the year is to try to review some of the craft books I take out from the library. I regularly take out books, and love looking through them - and then I promptly forget which ones I liked, which ones I hated, etc. I'd like to start reviewing some of them - even if it's just a brief, two line review. It'd be fun to do this with yarns, too - but I doubt I'll do that.

My current 3 projects, are actually 4:
log cabin afghan (woolease summer of stash project, the 3 'ghan)
croc socks (a project I'm actually fixing. These socks I finished 4 years ago, but the foot was too small, and the heel was a nightmare, and the length of the leg way too short for my liking. They were made toe up, as I always knit. So I frogged the leg, reknit the feet longer, reworked the heel, and I'm now working on the leg of one, and on the heel of the other)
design socks for Tofuties (still not done, mostly because I've been sick and on cold meds)
my patchwork wool afghan that started life as a patchwork cardigan sweater

Anastacia Knits

quickie post - Christmas goodies

2006-12-31T17:17:00.000-05:00

A quickie post as I'm waiting for Jon to get here so we can head to the 'rents house for our traditional NYE. First, a CIC sweater iknit in the round, top down (and now finished, I might add)

Next, because I uploaded the photos out of order, we have Jon's family, including Julie & baby due in March: (yes, I'm the nut wearing the sweater)

We've got Elizabeth Zimmermann, a stack of used crochet books, some vintage knitting leaflets, a pencil case full of vintage knitting goodies like a gauge (it goes down to size 000, which is fab!), row counters, needles, etc. And of course, Anastasia yarn because I'm Anastacia!

2006-12-25T13:35:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

2006-12-21T16:52:00.000-05:00

Not much knitting is getting done, though I have knocked off a few pairs of towel toppers as gifts. I'm mostly just working and trying to get through the day... and waiting for the crazy hours at work to be over!

Anastacia knits

2006-12-19T19:35:00.000-05:00

Just a quickie post... That's me knitting a CIC sweater at the family Christmas party on Sunday...

quickie update

2006-12-14T16:04:00.000-05:00

As always, I need to upload photos but I'm just too tired. Work has been a madhouse, but next week's schedule looks a little better. I've been just trying to get through the day -- and not much else.

My work/carry on project is still CIC mittens - I finished my third pair. I'm mainly plugging on the log cabin afghan when I am actually home, because I'm simply too tired to even think of anything else. And some days, I'm too tired to even knit - I sit with the knitting on my lap, but I just can't pick it up. Now that's tired.

But it other knitting news, I found another coworker who knits - though she's a beginner, and has only knitted scarves up til now.

alpaca shawl photo

2006-12-06T11:19:00.000-05:00

I finished my crocheted alpaca shawl a couple of days ago, but kept forgetting to have hubby help me with some photos. So I finally remembered, and here they are!

In other news, I think I'm down to 5 projects - I believe I mentioned this briefly yesterday (or maybe I just updated the list on the side -->). I'm down so quickly not because I've finished so many things, but because of all the frogging going on.

First, there was the fall EZ sweater -- nice, but coming out 6" too big - talk about Major error in figuring gauge &/or doing the math. Then, there were the Opal socks - I started the gusset an inch too early, so started the heel an inch too early - and so, the feet are an inch too short, even with negative ease. I could have frogged back & just reworked the foot longer, but I was sick of all my WIPs/UFOs so it was easy to frog, frog, frog.
And then there were socks that rock socks - yes, my first pair of socks that rock! Well, I was just about done the heels finally, when I decided that I had better try them on. Well, not only did I start the gusset too early, AGAIN, (can we say I guesstimated the length, instead of actually using an actual ruler??), but the width are too small. I could get them on my feet, but they were really, really tight. I think I was using 48 stitches - using size 1 needles - but my gauge was 8 sts/inch (this is the mediumweight socks that rock, so I was surprised my gauge was that tight). I know I checked my gauge several times making these socks, and I was getting 6 sts/inch every time, I swear. I debated about just finishing them & sending them off to CIC, but since this is the only STR in my stash, and the only STR that I can ever imagine owning, I wanted them for ME, thank you very much. So, a frogging they went.

Three projects frogged in such a quick time, combined with finally finishing the shawl & a couple of design projects, have helped to knock down my WIP pile considerably.

I do have some other photos to share - I have 1 pair of mittens for CIC done, and one more pair finished other than the afterthought thumbs & weaving in the ends. Other than the pair I'll knit on on work breaks, in the car, etc., that'll be it I think for the Mitten Challenge. I still have other design stuff to complete in the next couple of weeks, and sockretpal socks to finish... Christmas gifts to knit & crochet... etc. But hopefully after the holidays, I'll be able to whip off a few more pairs. I'm hoping to do what Marguerite's doing... knit nothing but mittens for CIC - you get a lot done that way!

log cabin knitting, design socks, and Zorro

2006-12-05T18:15:00.000-05:00

Well, not much knitting on the log cabin afghan - as you can see, I've only added a row or two! Sad, sad.

I did however, manage to finally send off these socks to the editor of For the Love of Yarn, for their next issue on babies. So just a teaser photo...

These are my Nov's Sock a Month 2 socks - the only pair I finished all month, and just in the neck of time, too.

Next we have another teaser... Hopefully they will be in January's Mag Knits. I've attempted to email Kerrie several times over the past month, but due to problems with our modem, I don't think she got any of them. Now we have DSL, I've contacted her to see if she's still interested in them, even though I'm past the deadline. They've actually been finished for a while, but I needed to work on the pattern itself & I have been procrasting a lot.

Last but not least, we have a new Zorro photo, just taken this afternoon (and then the batteries in the camera went dead):

photo of the day

2006-11-30T12:51:00.000-05:00

One of the many, many WIPS I have going....

This is one of 2 woolease log cabin afghans from the M-D book... I've finished one previously (a random stripey afghan that our cat stole) and this is the 2nd one. The third one currently measures about 3 or 4" LOL & I haven't yet really planned how I'll knit it up...

These afghans come from the Summer of Stash KAL... We had to plan out projects using stash yarn, and using up woolease that I got on clearance 10-12 years ago was one of mine. I keep finding more - I found a few more pounds of it over at my parents house, recently, which is why this one has more colors than my first one does.

finally--- photos!

2006-11-29T12:21:00.000-05:00

It's about time! I have been promising photos forever, but due to being busy & a non-existant internet connection (are you sick of listening to me complain about that? Never fear, we now have dsl!!), I haven't been able to.

First, CIC sweaters, mailed off last week along with 18 pairs of socks & 11 vests (photos earlier, if you dig) & a couple of hats & one odd toy:

They are all top down sweaters in the round. isle; the gray-black was auction yarn, the rest was mainly donated yarn from here, there, and everywhere - some was tapestry, some was regular yarn.

There's some mohair blend yarns in there, too.

Jon says this one looks like puke (thanks, hubby!):

And last, the afghan I finished (I was planning on giving this to the nursing homes, but my church is starting to take hand made items, so I may give it to them - though they are mainly looking for clothes).

It's a crocheted mitered square afghan with random stripes. I'm not crazy about the randomness of the stripes - I think if I used less colors, or less random stripes, I'd be happier.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-29T12:02:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger - busy getting my CIC box mailed off, I guess. I
did finish up an afghan and I have lots of photos!
--
anastaciaknits@verizon.net

Happy Tuesday knitting

2006-11-14T19:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday knitting!

I've been cranking off CIC sweaters. I'm making top down, knitted in the
round sweaters in a gauge of 4 stitches to the inch, with 2 by 2 ribbing
at the neck, bottom, and sleeves. Pretty simple, and I'm just using up
scraps of yarn I have here & yarn donations I've received recently. The
first one was fair isle; the rest are just stripey. I'm planning on
doing some fair isle ones in the future, but I'm having fun just using
up all those odd ball scraps! I finished up another one today - I think
it's the 3rd or 4th finished. Hubby's been great about weaving in the
ends for me - I taught him well!

I finally cast on another baby thing for Julie, my sister in law who's
due the end of March/beginning of April. It's their first baby, and they
got pregnant just about 6 weeks after they were married - or I should
say, found out then! I originally knit the baby kimono that is in the
M-D knitting book, but I was miserably unhappy with the finishing job &
a few other things -- like, my gauge was off slightly, so it was coming
out more toddler sized, which was fine, but I didn't compensate for the
sleeves, so it wouldn't really fit either a small baby or the older
toddler. I'll eventually make up some bibs, too - they'll be holiday
knitting when we're over the in-laws or the 'rents, since I'm sure it
won't be a surprise to Julie that I'm knitting baby stuff for her - and
save the cuter - and more interesting & fun - baby knitting for after
Christmas (and upcoming design deadlines that are looming ever nearer).

So ... what did I cast on for? And did I finish any long-term UFO's??
LOL Of course I haven't finished anything other than CIC stuff... but I
did manage to cast on for my first baby surprise jacket! This first one
will probably remain all one color (I haven't quite decided yet), and
future ones will be multi colored.

happy Thursday!

2006-11-09T11:09:00.000-05:00

I am almost done with my fair isle-top down-in the round - CIC sweater -
just have to finish the second sleeve & I'm done! It's very cute, but I
have 2 spaces where I did too many plain rows without fair isle, but
that's OK. It's warm.

Still no sign of my design yarn - it was sent on the 1st. I think.

I've been really tired the last couple of days - I just can't get enough
sleep. It was raining all day yesterday, and that didn't help my spirit
anyway.

Mom asked me what we wanted for Christmas this year - and as always, she
never wants to buy me any yarn. Her reasoning? I have enough already.
She'll sometimes get me a box of acrylic yarn at a yard sale for my
nursing home afghans - and sometimes will contribute money for me to buy
a lot of yarn at the field auction in CT - but doesn't really buy me
yarn - or knitting anything. It drives me nuts, because no one in my
family other than Jon (and sometimes my SIL, but she always ends up
buying me horrid stuff like fake fur, but at least she tries) buys me
knitting related stuff.

She always ask "Well, what else do you want?"

I always reply the same way, I'm a knitter, I want yarn. That's who I am.

"Well, what about books?"

"I gave you my book list," I'll reply (all via email, of course).

"yes, but what about non-knitting books?" she'll reply.

And of course, I explain the same thing I explain every year - I get all
my books from the library - or sometimes I'll buy a lot at the auction.
I don't want any other books other than knitting books. So we go back &
forth for a while. And she'll finally give up, and come Christmas
morning, I'll get a gift certificate to Walmart or a grocery store or
Payless. Sigh.

Though, last year, she DID give me a small box (the size you'd put a
shirt in) filled with hooks & needles she picked up a yard sale for me.
She *does* try.

Monday photo time - spinning, Zorro, and CIC

2006-11-06T08:45:00.000-05:00

Non-knitting content! *gasp*

I've been spinning like mad. I got this fiber over the summer from a gal at etsy. I promptly learned how to spin, and then sort of neglected it - I couldn't afford to buy more fiber, so I didn't want to spin the limited amount I have.Here it is soaking in the sink. I have about 33 yards here, single spun, and it's definitely the best I've ever spun. I was thinking of trying to ply it - but I have so little of it, I'm not sure what I'll do with it now.

I've been a bad mommy & haven't posted any Zorro photos in a while. Yes, he's hanging out in my CIC box that is not quite ready to be mailed out. I keep taking stuff out & adding new stuff in it. Since it's all wool (well, some mohair) he really likes it. For once, he doesn't hop up on me with cold paws!

And some actual knitting content - in the round CIC sweater. It'll be about a size 2-4 I think. I'm planning on rechecking my gauge & rechecking my math, before I go much farther. I'm just doing random fair isle at the top that I'm making up as I go along. The gray color is auction wool; the sparkling white is recycled angora. I discovered I'm actually allergic to angora, so I'm using just small bits of it at a time, and I usually wear gloves while I'm knitting with it, to keep down the redness/itchiness, but it doesn't help my eyes from watering.
The pink at the top was recently donated wool, and the light purple that I just started knitting with, is yarn I picked up at a yard sale last summer, I believe - 20 ounces of 100% wool for $4, I think. I used up a ton of it in last year's CIC knitting, but I still have a few balls of it left. I earmarked one small ball of it to go in my patchwork sweater I'm slowly knitting (expected completition date: summer, 2012), and the rest of the purple yarn all went to CIC. I probably have more of it floating around, but I doubt it. I spent a bit of time going through the stash to find what wool I have left, and I'm so grateful I got wool donations as I am definitely getting very low.

socks that rock

2006-11-04T17:18:00.000-05:00

Not much progress...

progress photos

2006-11-03T14:32:00.000-05:00

These are the Opal socks I'm working on. I received this yarn from Soxie - "payment" for my baby socks pattern that was put up via the Opal newsletter during the baby socks contest they had a while ago. These are slow going, as I am only working on them while waiting for the computer to boot up, waiting for mail to download, or when playing RTC2 with hubby.

Close up of Socks that Rock - colorway Fairgrounds - from my sockret pal.These have gotten sadly mostly ignored for favor of the design projects that I've been working on lately and CIC knitting. I've picked them up here and there, but haven't touched them too much. They are now sitting next to the computer, so I'll try to grab for these to work on in front of the computer, instead of the Opal socks! Hubby & I have a date to play RTC2 tonight (if he's not too tired) - our usual Friday night tradition if we aren't working - a glass of wine, homemade calzone (using up whatever leftovers we have around the place - we've gotten very creative sometimes!!), and playing RTC. Oh, actually, I forgot, we're planning on doing a Simpsons marathon the next two nights - we're watching some Simpsons episdoes we've tivo'd lately that we've only seen a couple of times (from last season) & tomorrow night we are having a Treehouse of Terror marathon - from tivo'd episodes & from DVD. It'll be fun!

good morning, peeps!

2006-11-03T09:24:00.000-05:00

I ended up getting called into work yesterday so not much knitting done.
Actually, I've been spinning a lot. I don't have a fiber stash - really,
I don't - I have literally 10 grams of a bag left to spin up, and one
bag of superwash merino to spin up - I did spin up a tiny, tiny bit of
it, but it's most of a 3 ounce bag. That's my entire fiber stash.

I want fiber for Christmas, so I'm spinning to remind Jon that yes, I'm
a spinner too!

Still plugging away on design projects. I also enlarged a shawl I had
made earlier - attempted to sell, actually - & I added that to the CIC
box. I have a few more vests I could add, but I'm trying to send a
variety of items. I have a couple pairs of bulky armwarmers, but I can't
find them. Strange, as I put all the CIC/charity stuff together, so I
don't know where they wandered off.

photo time - CIC vests

2006-11-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

Here's some of the recent CIC vests that I've made. The knitted ones are Claudia's What's In My Pocket design, minus the pockets of course. They are knitted on size 10.5 needles, using 3 strands of fingering weight yarn & one strand of tapestry yarn/scrap yarn, or 4 strands of fingering weight. They are the size 4 size. I think my favorite is the one on the right with the variagated light blue & purple middle. They aren't the prettiest, cutest vests out there, but they will be warm as they are all 100% wool. I've made several lately that have a strand of mohair in them so those should be very warm as well!

This little cutey I finished crocheting up yesterday. It's single crochet, made with scraps of tapestry yarn, and mostly greens with black picot trim. It was just winged as I went along. The back is a perfect 12" square, made in rows (not in the round) & the front has just a tad of neck shaping. The sleeves are short, as I was trying to finish up this sweater in time for my next CIC box, but it will be warmer than no sleeves at all. I don't normally make anything less than worstened weight sweaters, but since crochet is a little thicker than knitting, hopefully it will still warm some child!

For more info on CIC, please visit www.childrenincommon.org!

This afghan was an original - it's a crocheted quilt. I've wanted to do one of these forever. The individual squares are half grannies - work one half in one color, the other half in the other color - joined together as I went along, and then added the white single crochet borders & little mitered squares to fill in the spots, with a plain, single round black border. It's approximately 40" square, perfect lapghan size. It goes into the Nursing Home pile.

designs, CIC knitting

2006-11-01T18:59:00.000-05:00

i've been trying for several days to update my blog - without any luck.
And of course, I don't remember anything I was going to write about,
anyway!

Knitting - stuff for CIC mainly. I have a large box ready to be mailed
off - 9 vests, 1 sweater, 1 shawl, 18 or 19 pairs of socks, one odd toy,
and a couple of hats. Pictures to come!

I'm so excited about upcoming challenges - sweaters & vests for the
bigger kids, and a mini challenge in December of mittens!!

I'm on a design roll as well. I don't want to post too much details &
spoil anything... or my chances... but it looks like I'll be published
at Mag Knits & at For Love of Yarn in January! And it also looks like
I'll be doing two socks, one knit & one crochet, for a NEW yarn that
www.soysilk.com is coming out with shortly. I've seen sneak previews &
it's gorgeous!

Work's going well. I think I'm getting more used to things. It's a slow
process, and not my dream job, but not bad, either.

I can't believe how quickly December is coming. I've gotten some stuff
done for the gift box - but I'm a long, long way from finished. I'm
still needing to make about 30 sets of towel toppers, Jon's
grandmother's mittens & a pair of gloves, an unknown project for 2
relatives - something fancy, but I'm not sure what - and a hat band for
my dad, by request. Oh, socks for Jon, a new wool hat for Jon, and a new
kitty blanket for Zorro. I'm probably forgetting something. Oh yeah,
unknown project for my mom, unless i give her socks from the gift pile.

posting

2006-10-31T11:22:00.000-05:00

i've been trying for several days to update my blog - without any luck.
And of course, I don't remember anything I was going to write about, anyway!

Knitting - stuff for CIC mainly. I'm so excited about upcoming
challenges - sweaters & vests for the bigger kids, and a mini challenge
in December of mittens!!

I'm on a design roll as well. I don't want to post too much details &
spoil anything... or my chances... but it looks like I'll be published
at Mag Knits & at For Love of Yarn in January! How cool is that? I spent
yesterday working on all sorts of swatches for another possible sock
design for www.soysilk.com so we'll see!

socks - sock a month 2 or sockapalooza

2006-10-27T13:32:00.000-04:00

SOCKS!
I admit, I've been going a little nutty with knitting socks lately.

This is the current pile just for this month. There are all sorts of different socks in the pile, including gift socks/swap socks/design socks. The rest are all for CIC. Some are 3 strands of fingering, some are 4 strands of fingering, but the great majority of them are made with tapestry wool. Some are fair isle, most are just plain, toe up, mismatched using up every scrap of wool, toddler socks though a few pairs are for older kids.

So any guesses on the grand total?
all the socks are in one or the other photo, but it's hard to tell, I know. If I had money I'd do a blog contest to see who guesses the closest :) *grin*

The grand total is 17 pairs of socks for the month.

The last photo - click on the pic to make it bigger - is Socks that Rock from my Sockret Pal. They are farther along than when I first photographed them. In fact, I worked on them for an hour this AM so they are moving along, though not as fast as I would like. Maybe cause I have 20 other projects I'm working on?? Especially since I'm mainly not knitting socks.

auction yarn

2006-10-26T15:08:00.000-04:00

We went to the Sterling auction last weekend - haven't been in a while. And it was one of those fabulous auctions where you wanted to buy everything in sight, but had limited money.

And, boy oh boy was there ever yarn - I wish I had the camera to take pictures, but I didn't think to bring it this time. There was a vintage sweater & skirt kit - by Beehive Wool. It was fingering weight wool and matching wool fabric, with patterns to make a skirt & vest. It went for only $5 (plus the usual tax & 10% buyers premium) but I wasn't the one who scoffed it up - I was too busy bidding on the bag of vintage knitting needles, vintage cable needles, and tapestry yarn (outbid), the HUGE box of mainly wool yarn - there was tons of cotton & 4 or 5 skeins of acrylic, too, but it was mainly 100% wool. I'm not sure how many pounds were in the box, as the box was almost as tall as I am, but we are talking a lot of yarn. My mom agreed to go in halves with me, as long as I used all the wool for CIC (which was my plan, anyway) and the acrylic for the nursing home afghans (again, that was the plan - I was going to keep the cotton for myself, but everything else was going to go to charity), but I was outbid at $40. It was easily worth a few hundred dollars. I wish I could remember brands, but I don't - but most of the yarn had price tags on it of $8 & up.

There were several other interesting lots of knitting related items - a bag of vintage circs, still in packages - at the end of the auction, but I did manage to snag one lot of mainly wool yarn - for $5.

One pair of size 8 straight needles (will be donated somewhere)

6 skeins of Brunswick Yarns, 100% pure virgin wool - each weighin 4 ounces. It's a gray color. I'm earmarking one skein for me, and the other 5 skeins will be for CIC knitting (I'll probably add leftovers of sock yarn along with it for color, or maybe some of the donated cone yarn I got last summer, that's a fingering weight).
4 skeins of Plymouth Encore Colorspun, 75% acrylic, 25% wool. Not sure what I'll do with this - 3.5 ounce skeins

1 full skein of New Zealand Wool Pack - 100% pure new wool from New Zealand, 10 ply, shade 04 Charcoal - 250 grams. Plus a decent size ball of same yarn all balled up - probably half of a full skein. One of the other lots was part of the sweater all knitted up & more of the same yarn, but I was too busy bidding on the big box of wool, so missed out on it. Sterling's a field auction, so there's a lot going on all at once, so sometimes it's hard to bid on a lot of different things if it's all in the same row. I think I'll be using this wool for CIC, but haven't officially decided yet. If it was a color other than black, it would definitely go to CIC, but I don't like to use a lot of black unless I can mix it up. Color's more fun for the kids.

photos

2006-10-26T14:58:00.000-04:00

Project number 999 - Opal socks for me, toe up. Size 1 needles, but using only 60 stitches - my gauge on these are loose, for some odd reason. Just basic, plain vanilla, round & round socks, I'll do ribbing at the top of course, maybe something a little different like k 1, p2, k3, p1 - or some other weird odd thing. We'll see.

(*edited* - tried to post via Image Shack twice**)

Very aggravating - I tried to post via Image Shack's automatic thing, and it wouldn't work-and my text is gone, too.

These are the mystery socks from the mystery sock kal. Unfortunately, I no longer remember the pattern, either, so it's a mystery to me as well. Yarn is hand dyed and was a gift from the gal at Sock Porn - as a "secret" contest prize. Toe up, size 1 needles, with lots of yarn leftover. These feel delicious on my feet, however, I should have made the feet half an inch longer - I was trying out a new heel, and I didn't really figure out the math as well as I should have, I guess.

stuff & nonsense

2006-10-26T13:27:00.000-04:00

Hi :).

I don't know why I started my post with a Hi, but there you go.

Still having computer issues - but that's another story for another day. I just don't feel like getting into it.

I still have an insane number of projects on the needles. I'm SO a process knitter. I can't help but cast on new projects, but I promised myself the only new projects I'm allowed (unless I finish a non-CIC project) are CIC items. I'm dying to start a new shawl, so it'll be a CIC shawl. I'm dying to start another new sweater - even though I have 2 for me on the needles - so, it'll be a CIC sweater.

I'm trying to upload some photos, but I'm not getting anywhere.

ha, ha

2006-10-20T17:48:00.000-04:00

Ha, ha...I got a package & you didn't... :)

I got my first package from my Sockret Pal last night coming home from work - a great pick me up for my poor sore & tired feet. I got a great big heavy package filled with goodies - apple butter, candy corn, a little bag (for making socks??), and the best part.... drum roll please... I got my first skein EVER of Socks that Rock! yeah for me... :). I don't remember the colorway off hand, but it's gorgeous, gorgeous colors... oranges and pinks and greens and I think some blues, too, in the mediumweight which is perfect for me. I immediately cast on both socks. I'm using size 1 needles for a nice tight gauge. I'll be making nice plain socks, maybe ribbing when I get to the legs, we'll see.

Thank you so much! :)

I've been knitting socks like crazy - I think I'm around 13 pairs for the month finished. A couple of pairs going into the gift box for Christmas, and the rest are CIC socks, mostly just plain but warm socks. I did finish up the Smores socks aka the Snake Skin Socks, that'll be one of the gift socks, I think. I've been trying hard not to cast on too many new projects, but I can't seem to stop knitting CIC socks & vests - I've finished a few more vests, too.

In other news, I've been busy, stressing, and tired. new work situation, getting used to standing on my feet all day. I haven't had to do that for a long, long time. So it's been hard, and I haven't been motivated to go to the library to check email or anything. I probably won't now, either - I'm actually here at work with hubby, who drove me into work today. I wanted to post a blog quick, but other than that, I am too pooped to pop.

sockapalooza sock stuff

2006-10-10T13:44:00.000-04:00

Do you have certain patterns planned for some of the yarns? Do you buy yarn and then choose a pattern?

Not generally. Most of the time, I buy yarn because it's beautiful & on sale &/or a good price &/or for the memories associated with said yarn - Cape Cod yarn from Knit Picks because of spending birthdays on the Cape as a kid, or the Opal yarn we picked up in Maine when we were there for Jon's birthday. I buy solids obsessively, even if I have a few skeins of the same same solid color already, because I love fair isle & mosaic socks, not to mention scrap socks, not to mention using solids for heels & toes. So I buy a lot of solid yarns.

Sometimes, though, I do see a skein of yarn & instantly see socks - maybe not the exact pattern, but I may see a knit/purl combo or a simple 4 round lace repeat, or something much more complicated.

Does a certain sock yarn you have in your stash take you back to a certain event? (where you were when you bought/received it? what was going on in your life at the time!)

Oh yeah, as I said above! I may not remember what I wore yesterday or what I ate - or even what I did, but I generally can tell you where I got the yarn, for how much, etc. I have a ton of vintage wool/nylon sock yarn, and I can tell you "I got that lot of yarn at salvation army in Linwood. They were marked 50 cents each, but that day all the red tags were 50% off, so I bought every skein they had (even the ones that were 100% nylon) because I knew I'd knit them up someday, and the price couldn't be beat." I even remember that Jon found a Garfield he didn't have to add to his collection that same day. I have another stack of vintage sock yarn - same brands, some similiar colors & some different - at a yard sale in the same area as salavation army, but about 6 months later. I hadn't used any of the original yarn yet, but it was a pretty big bag of yarn for $1, along with tapestry wool (that I use for CIC socks). How can one gal go wrong?

Every stash tells a story!

talk about a sockapalooza update

2006-10-10T13:17:00.000-04:00

talk about a sockapalooza update!

After realizing I had a whopping 16 projects on the needles/hooks, I've been on a mad rush to finish up stuff - and of course, typical me, I still end up casting on for more stuff in the process.

Saturday, in between Octoberfest, a job interview (again, don't ask), and turkey supper at the church with the 'rents & in laws, I worked on my crocheted alpaca shawl - started in March with yarn I bought for my 30th birthday.

I also spent a few hours working on my SSSS socks - Smores Second Skin Socks, or Snake Skin Socks, or whatever they are called, from the 6sox group. The yarn is Smores from Knit Picks, and I'm knitting them toe up on size 0's, and are for me.

Sunday I worked on finishing up quick projects:

1. I finished my CIC vest (4 strands of various fingering weight yarns from cones & recycled wool sweaters)
2. finished CIC tube socks (leftovers)
3. finished my cotton 9 patch crocheted dishcloth (christmas pile)
4. finished CIC fair isle kids socks (tapestry yarn)
5. finished the ugly socks that were supposed to be gift socks for Jon, but he doesn't want them. I ended up doing mosaic on the leg, and they are so ugly - I may put them in the gift pile, but I think I'll just keep them for myself. I don't like them, but don't want to give away ugly socks to anyone else. The main color is Paton's, one of the stripey colorways, and the other was green essential from Knit Picks.

Monday I couldn't convince myself to work on any of my "big" projects- the afghans or sweaters - and didn't feel like working on socks for me, so I knocked off 2 quick pairs of bulky socks for CIC - both cast on & finished that day. One was knit out of 3 strands of fingering & the other 4. I also managed to further avoid working on big projects by casting on another CIC vest.

This am I worked on the smores socks. I'm working on the heel of one, and I'm working on the gusset of the other. I'll probaby switch to something else after both heels are done, but we'll see how I feel when I get home.

all the socks will get scanned later on this week.

happy Friday

2006-10-06T11:07:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!

I had a lot to say before I got here - I've over at the parents so i can actually check email - but now that I'm here, I can't really think of anything that I wanted to say. My mind is really racing, really going strong in a hundred different directions.

I cleaned up/organized my current knitting projects - and I have an insane amount again. I try to keep it around 5 or 6, or 7 if a few are really fast, easy projects like the CIC socks or vest that I can finish in a couple of nights. But, I think I have 14 different projects - unfortunately, I left my list at home so I'll probably forget a few.

1 & 2 - two log cabin afghans out of woolease (still trying to use it up, and I found more in storage at my 'rents house)

3 & 4 - knit & crocheted mitered square afghans

5 - quilted afghan (different design), crocheted

6 & 7 - 2 pairs of CIC socks, one tube socks, one regular toddler socks

8 - gift socks for Jon - which he recently commented on, and said he really hated the colors. He didn't know they were for him, so I've been sometimes leaving them out where he can see them. So, they'll be gift socks for someone else. I finished the heels, I'm finally on the legs & I'm doing a mosaic design, which may or may not get frogged back

9 - s'mores socks for me, out of the SSS pattern from 6 socks

10 - alpaca crocheted birthday shawl, started in March

11 - dishcloths for Christmas gifts

12 - Mag Knits socks, due the end of Nov

13 - granny square afghan, crocheted

14 - CIC vest, I think it's coming out a size 4 or so

Well, I named all the ones I found, but how much do you want to bet I'll find a few more hidden??

**edited**

I forgot

15 - patchwork knitted/crocheted cardigan sweater

16 - Elizabeth Zimmermann knitted in the round, stripey fall colors sweaters

books :)

2006-10-04T13:26:00.000-04:00

While looking around knitting blogs, I found this entry gothic reading challenge. Since I finished my goal of reading/listening to 52 books this year already - I believe I'm about 55 or so - I've been trying to figure out my reading goals for next year & for the rest of this year. I love gothic/horror/Halloween stuff so when I read this, I figure it was great!

The below list are the books I've requested from the library so far, none I have read yet (other than Poe, which I think I've read, but aren't sure). I'm not sure about the juvie books, but this is what I've gotten so far.

1. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and other stories of the supernatural / Robert Louis Stevenson
2. Murders in the Rue Morgue & other stories [sound recording] / Edgar Allan Poe.

3. Roald Dahl's book of ghost stories.

4. The Oxford book of Gothic tales / edited by Chris Baldick.

5. Gothic! : ten original dark tales / edited by Deborah Noyes

**cross posted on my book blog

socktoberfest-knitting socks

2006-10-03T13:40:00.000-04:00

from http://www.lollygirl.com/blog/ for Socktoberfest

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class? I originally learned how to knit from a church friend when I was 14, but it didn't stick. I later retaught myself combo knitting, for the sole purpose of knitting socks, back in Christmas of '02. All I knit for the first year and a half or so were socks.

What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time? My first two pairs were 2 socks on 2 straight needles, out of woolease. I still have them, mostly because they were the first knit things I made - no scarves for me! The first pair was pretty awful - I knew I was twisting my knit stitches, but it took a bit for me to figure out how to knit without twisting them. I didn't realize what I was doing was combo knitting... I don't really wear them much, but damn, are they pretty ugly looking socks!

What would you have done differently? Honestly, probably nothing. Making socks, just like knitting, or crocheting, or learning to read or any other skill, takes practice. Yes, they are horrible little socks, but I wasn't going to invest in fancy yarn until I knew that I was going to continue to knit. When I pick up a new hobby, I usually go overboard buying supplies, and I was determined not to do that this time.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed? I love Opal sock yarn. I really love stripey socks, so Opal is the way to go. It blooms up so much after washing. I have learned though, that I really do like worstened weight socks the most during the winter, so I've made a ton of socks out of Knit Picks DK weight merino yarn - affordable, a decent color selection, and soft and warm. I also have made a ton of socks out of the Wool of the Andes, as well.

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method? I have quite a few crocheted socks - as I am a crocheted socks designer. I prefer to knit on DPNs. I've learned the other methods, I just like the standard DPNs the most. I've also experiemented with knit/crochet combos.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

Flap, definitely. Short row heels just DON't fit me the way I make them, though I've received short row heels socks via swaps & stuff that fit me great. But when I make them, I can't get them on my feet, so I'm doing something wrong, I guess.

How many pairs have you made? alot. I mean, seriously, a lot. I've crocheted 2 pairs for my mom and knitted her 2 pairs, I've knitted Jon 6 or 7 pairs, and crocheted several pairs. I've knitted about 100 pairs of socks for CIC over the last few years, give or take. The last time I counted up the socks in my collection - skipping bed socks & socks received in trade - I had 60 something pairs. That is including my crocheted socks, too. Last time I added them up? 6 months ago, I think - it was springtime.

posting early but dating Oct 1

2006-10-01T10:03:00.000-04:00

Sock-ret Pal Questionnaire

The basics:

How long have you been knitting? about 4 years

Do you consider yourself a beginning sock knitter, an intermediate, or have you been doing this so long you could probably knit a pair in your sleep?

Probably beyond an intermediate - but maybe not an expert.

The measurements:

While your pal may ask for some additional info to ensure a great fit, please provide your shoe size, or any other fitting related info you think is pertinent.

I'm a size 8, 8.5. around there. My feet are about 9.25" long - but I definitely like negative ease. I make my socks toe up, and the finished measured size on the feet's about 8.25". I've always considered my feet a bit wide, but regular sock patterns usually fit me just fine.

(fiber related) Favorites:

What colors do you love? any, really. I love orange, green, blue, purple - anything, really, other than pastels or black. I love tall, tall socks the best, wild, colorful, and mismatched the even more !

Do you prefer solids or variegated? anything goes

What fibers do you most love to knit with? wool - I love the natural stretchiness of wool, along with the warmth & just the way it feels & hangs.

Who do you consider your favorite yarn vendors? I love Knit Picks for their affordablity

What projects (other than socks, of course*S*) do you most enjoy knitting? sweaters or vests, I LOVE fair isle!!!

(fiber related) Dislikes:

What fibers can you not stand to knit with? To wear? I recently discovered I'm allergic to angora - I broke out in hives, besides itching, sneezing, and getting a headache. I don't mind acrylic, as I use it for charity afghans since it's washable in hot temps & you can abuse it!!

What colors would you never wear? I don't really wear black, unless it's just an accent color. I'm definitely not a pastel person, either, but I'll wear them.

The Tools:

Plastic or Metal? Bamboo or wood? metal, definitely. I've tried plastic & bamboo needles, and I can't stand them.

Circs or Straights? cirs definitely. I have straights & I've never used them - not once!

DPNs or Magic Loop? dpns - I've tried the other options, I just love my DPNs

Are there any knitting accessories you don't have in your collection but would like? I really want the Knit Picks circ needle sets - and I'd really love the KIP bags. I love bags in general - so any bag bit enough to hold socks on the go would be really awesome, esp. if you made it!

The Extras:

Do you have a wish list? If so, please share the link! Not really - not any I've updated in forever and a half. I'd love any Elizabeth Zimmermann books - I can get Almanac & her other book from the library, but the third one (the republished newsletters) I can't get.

Do you like sweet, sour or salty? (or all of the above? *S*) all of the above - but don't really chewy candy. I'm really more of a chocolate gal...

Do you have any allergies your pal should know about? (Certain foods, smoke, pet hair, etc) TONS... but mainly food allergies. Hubby's strongly allergic to smoke, so if you'd smoke, I'd appreciate it if it didn't have too much smoke on it....

Favorite scents? Scents you can't stand? I like nature scents. I'm pretty easy when it comes to smelly things!

Do you collect anything (other than yarn and knitting toys of course)? Not really - unless you want to count said bags. My parents have a 64 ford falcon convertible, so I do have a fondness for things with old cars. I also am mommy to an orange cat so have a fondness for orange cat things, too :)

When is your birthday? (month and day is fine!) march 6

Do you spin? Dye your own yarn? yes & yes - just a handspindle. I dye using both kool aid/food dyes & commercial dyes.

Your favorite author/band/vacation spot, anything you think will help your pal know you better...

I love to read - mainly medieval history, sci fi, etc. I semi-update a book blog if you'd like to have a look - zorrosmommy.blogspot.com We love to go camping & have a small trailer. I love new agey/jazz/classical/80's music & am very close to my parents.
I'm an only child. We're married - anny Sept 30 - and have no kids other than Zorro.
We love going out yard saling & to auctions, and I'm really into family history.

2006-09-29T13:50:00.000-04:00

Have you seen this?

The Last Knit

2006-09-28T12:53:00.000-04:00

Let's see. I finished a stack of dishcloths for the silent auction. I cast on for the socks that will be published in Mag Knits this AM.

yeah for me :)

2006-09-27T16:24:00.000-04:00

I'm going to be in Mag Knits for January! Go, me :)

In other knitting/crocheting news: Just whipping out dishclothes for the church's silent auction. I did a few more crocheted mitered squares out of odd & ends - I definitely don't like odd ball mitered squares, as much as plain, 2 colored squares.

dishcloths

2006-09-26T09:29:00.000-04:00

**crossed posted on the M-D KAL blog**

I haven't had much time for M-D knitting, unfortunately. I'm still knitting up mitered squares - and crocheted a few, too, just for fun & ha ha's - and working on a log cabin afghan or two :).

These two dishcloths are the beginning of a pile that I'll be putting together for my church's silent auction Columbus Day weekend. My hometown has a big "Octoberfest" every year - minus any beer, it's more a small country fair, almost, minus the animals but includes the bad entertainment - and the church has a silent auction every year. I haven't donated in quite some time, and realized only this past Sunday that it was coming up. I've been busy knitting/crocheting for my family's raffle, and had blinders on, I guess.
So, what to knit or crochet, in less than 2 weeks time, but will still look impressive - but doesn't involve alot of money, or yarn? M-D dishcloths, of course, though if I have time, I'll knit one State of MA cloth, since we are in MA after all.

anniversary

2006-09-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

Because I feel like sharing a photo, and have no camera to d/l pics, I'm sharing this from our wedding day - sept 30, 2000.

at the rents house

2006-09-24T12:45:00.000-04:00

I'm at the 'rents house, and I'm peaking online quick. Not much to say. We had our yard sale yesterday, which was a disaster since it rained. We held it in the garage, but barely anyone came, and we only made $40. Very, very sad indead, since we had 14 tables worth of stuff, plus about 12 boxes of books, 6 boxes of Jon's cars (doubles), and several boxes of kids toys.

During the yard sale, I worked on those CIC socks that are still on the needles - but ran out of yarn (with me, that is).

We left about 4, and Jon crashed for a couple of hours. I wasn't feeling well, again, so I worked on crocheting some mitered squares.

This AM I worked on the CIC socks for a few minutes, but since we went to church, not much time to knit. I did manage to grab some cotton & some scrap acrylic from storage here at my parents house.

paton's classic socks

2006-09-22T17:53:00.000-04:00

Paton's Classic Merino Wool socks - made out of the new variagated color. It's not a close up, because I'm planning on publishing these, somewhere, somehow, at some future date.
Used just about 4.5 ounces of worstened weight wool, and made toe up

CIC socks

2006-09-22T15:53:00.000-04:00

CIC socks - another pair. These were made out of donated wool. Toe up, size 1 needles, and a simple leg pattern - k2, p2 for 2 rounds, knit plain 2 rounds.

thursday's posting

2006-09-21T13:27:00.000-04:00

Not much to say today, after all my recent posts lately. I am in a sock mood this week, so I've bene basically cranking out my CIC socks. I'll hopefully be able to scan a few more pairs this weekend if I have time. I'm working on Jon's Christmas socks, too, and finally finished his hat yesterday.

2 pairs of CIC socks

2006-09-20T10:32:00.000-04:00

Both done toe up, using size 1 dpn & tapestry yarn.

Cast on 4 stitches on each needle, using the double 8 method, for a total of 8 stitches.

Work 2 rounds plain.

Increase every stitch & divide into 4 needles - you'll have 4 stitches on each needle. Work 2 rounds plain.

Increase every second stitch around, for 6 stitches on each needle - work 2 rounds plain.

Increase in first & last stitch on each needle, for a total of 8 stitches on each needle.

Work even until you reach the heel, and work heel of choice.

Knit for 4" plain, and then work ribbing.

----

Second pair used a pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks.

armwarmers

2006-09-20T10:25:00.000-04:00

Patons classic merino wool - less than a skein will do it
fingering weight mohair - I used vintage mohair
scrap novelty yarn - I used Lion Brand Fun Fur

Size regular (large)

Using size 5 DPN (or do 2 at once ala 2s2c, or magic loop), cast on 24 (28) stitches, with one strand of novelty yarn & one strand of the wool.

Knit 9 (10) rounds. Cut novelty yarn, and turn cuff inside out - I think the fun fur looks better on the wrong side, but keep on the right side if you prefer

Join mohair, and knit plain for 4 inches. Bind off using E. Zimmermann's sewn bind off, or method of choice.

Please consider making a pair for charity, such as CIC. Armwarmers are for caregivers!

another photo less post

2006-09-19T11:22:00.000-04:00

Are you sick of these photo less posts, yet? I am.

Well, the CIC socks are done, and I just posted a quick note over at Knittin Mom's blog. I can't send emails from the library, but I can post comments at least. I'm almost done 2 more pairs - I think I'm going to see if I can't finish my pair tonight, and then at least I'll have one brownie pair for the month. I really want to start cranking out my CIC knitting, though - I've missed it.

Our yard sale is this Sat - anyone from MA around, I'll let you know directions as I'm selling tons of vintage patterns for 25 cents each - mags & stuff, mainly, from the 70's & older. I MAY try to sell some vintage acrylic stuff, but I am almost positive I'm going to give my cousin Millie a 50 pound box, which will help clean up the acrylic I'm not planning to use. I use a ton of acrylic for my nursing home afghans, but I've just accumulated so much of it. Millie knits dolls for the Shoebox charity, so it'll be put to good use. She's retired so cranks out a lot of knitting! I may end up giving my grandmother a smaller box, too - she knits a lot of hats for charity, too, but right now she's on a thread kick.

2006-09-18T12:48:00.000-04:00

another day, another dollar. Just popped into the library to get a couple of things done before I'm on my way out, again. I finished up the CIC vest last night, and worked on the CIC socks a bit more.

lookie...

2006-09-17T18:22:00.000-04:00

Lookie! Another post from me!

I'm at work with the hubby-kins - just easier, schedule wise. We'll only be here an hour or so, and I get to get online.

pretty tired, but doing better than I was last week, emotionally anyways. Pain wise, is still about the same - OK, but still hurting. My balance is still off, too.

Haven't gotten much knitting done over the last couple of days - I knit a couple of rows on a pair of socks, and a row or two on another CIC vest, done with 4 strands of cone yarn that was donated to me last summer(?? not sure when). This particular time, all 4 strands are 100% wool; some of what was donated to me was a blend, either 50-50 wool/nylon or 70-30 wool/acrylic or some mix of all 3.

I have been doing lots of reading - I'm reading For Love of Evil by Piers Anthony right now.

I'm doing a lot of planning of Christmas presents and baby stuff for Julie (my sister in law), but haven't really tackled much of either.

I have been dreaming/day dreaming of miters again; I need to pick it up again & work on a few more.

hanging in there

2006-09-16T11:19:00.000-04:00

I'm hanging in there! I'm still missing my lack of computer at home. I'm updating today from the library.

Not much to say as far as knitting/crocheting is concerned. I'm doing doing a heck of a lot of either one - just too tired, too sick (I've been fighting an ear infection), and really, just out of sorts & unhappy with the world.

I haven't knit any miters or sampler squares in ages. Haven't touched the second log cabin in ages. I have done a bit of CIC knitting, but not a lot. Let's see, I'm almost done a mystery Christmas present for Jon, and I'm still plugging along on said socks. In my free time, I'm mainly reading.

update on thursday

2006-09-14T09:54:00.000-04:00

Still hanging in here, still with no computer at home. I got sick last weekend, so no chance to get online over the weekend. I haven't been doing much knitting, though I'm almost done a few pairs of socks for Sept - 1 pair for cic, 1 pair for Jon for Christmas, 1 pair for me.

update

2006-09-03T18:50:00.000-04:00

Still no news on getting our computer fixed. We borrowed my parents old computer - older than our 6 year old one - but haven't been able to get that one up & running yet, either.

Knee's still healing - getting there.

new Job starting Tues - wish me luck.

Knitting/crocheting news - working on an afghan for the family reunion & a quilted crocheted afghan. Knitting a couple of vests & another patchwork sweater, and have quite a few pairs of socks going, as always. I finished 2 for August. Sept. will be better. I'm still working on my alpaca shawl, too; I'm almost out of yarn, so I'm delaying working on it until I can get more yarn.

computer

2006-08-26T11:02:00.000-04:00

Haven't been around - our motherboard on the computer fried. We're looking to get a new one from my brother in law.

Happy news - I'm going to be an aunt for the first (and possibly only) time. My sister in law is pregnant - they just got married June 24th so we weren't expecting it was going to happen this fast! They weren't trying, but they weren't not trying either.

In knitting/crocheting news:

Tons of stuff finished for my Summer of stash - my log cabin afghan, a couple of granny square afghans (granny squares made by grandma), 2 pairs of socks (for Socks 2 & both for me), my purple lace top for Summer of Lace, two more felted buttonhole bags (one as a thank you gift for my cousin Renee, and the other goes in the Christmas pile) and I don't remember what else. For baby, I've made a baby kimono & a pair of baby booties so far.

photos of the socks

2006-08-14T13:32:00.000-04:00

I thought I took photos of everything I wanted, and of course, I forgot photos of the second contest prize that I won recently. Oh well, something to photograph another day!

Here's Munch, aka Zorro, "helping". He's laying on some of the woolease I have left from the log cabin afghans - a project that's for two KALs. My plan for summer of stash was to use the woolease, and I had no idea what I'd do with it until I saw the log cabin afghan. I need to photo it again, as it's almost done. I.e. I'm almost done with the few odd balls of color I have, other than white & gray. I suppose I could make one with just white & gray, but eh... By the way, the blue thing is a mohair shawl for CIC. Zorro keeps thinking it's HIS, so he keeps stealing it out of my CIC box. Think cats can't carry a heavy shawl around?? Yeah, right, if you are my 15 pound Zorro!

these are the socks that I started, from the yarn I won from Aija. I'm just about at the heel turn on one, and about an inch away from the heel turn on the other. The yarn is from Handspun on the Web. I'm planning on doing the leg of the sock with one of the mystery sock patterns on the web, for the mystery socks KAL - the lacy sock tops pattern, from knitlist.

I finally took photos of the buttonhole bag that I finished recently. I used mainly a vintage purple wool yarn, with the blue stripe using 2 yarns - a bit of leftover tapestry wool (one row, because I wasn't sure how it would felt), and some leftover Wool of the Andes blue wool. I used size 10.5 needles & two strands of the worstened weight yarn, and it took 2 trips through the washer. Because my gauge was different from the pattern, I just added more stitches, and re-figured the math for where the handles should go.

socks

2006-08-14T10:46:00.000-04:00

Well, I seem to be on a roll with KALs lately. So, I joined sock a month 2, which I didn't join way back in January & have regretted it ever since.

She says any socks that I have finished after the date I joined - Aug 11 - counts. Since I'm not sure of the dates I finished any of my recent CIC socks, I'm not going to count them. I have lots of socks already on the needles, and I have plenty of time to finish up 12 pairs still for this month :).

julieree: not the box of my dreams, but it's got a spiffy grosgrain collar

2006-08-14T10:43:00.000-04:00

Isn't this fabulous?

new look

2006-08-11T15:07:00.000-04:00

Like the new look??

What do you think?

I also updated the KAL section, I think that's all of them now, but I do need to finish working on the WIPs/UFOs/FOs section. I started. I just can't remember any of them right now. Oh, yeah, mitered squares... I guess I'll go add that now.

getting back to normal

2006-08-11T09:22:00.000-04:00

I'm slowly getting back to normal. In fact, I went to the library yesterday, though hubby had to drive. it IS my right knee, after all - and I hate to drive anyway. I managed to get down our 3 flights of stairs without too much difficulty, but used the elevator at the library. I was pretty tired before we even got there, but hey, I did go.

Today, I'm at my parents house. We have plans with them & my "brother" and "sister" (my dad likes to "adopt" guys at work, and after a certain period of time, they end up my sibling. Since my sibling's engaged, she's my sister) tonight. Since I still can't drive, and Jon had to go into work way, way too early, I'm here at my parents house way, way too early.

At least they have cable internet. We still have dial up at all.

But, things are looking up. I'm still struggling with doing my knee exercises, but I am definitely getting stronger. I'm free of crutches, at least. I'm still supposed to basically be on bed rest, but I'm basically off pain meds at this point, so my head is finally getting clear enough to really knit again.

Yesterday, I worked on my abandoned lace top - from the summer of lace, a KAL that I also abandoned, right after the start, I'm afraid. I was so excited about doing it, but the projects were just not my cup of tea. I'm lame.

knee update, M-D knitting, Zorro

2006-08-09T08:50:00.000-04:00

OK, apparantly imageshack lost my first post.

I saw the doctor yesterday morning - and the good news is, no surgery or PT.

I'm basically off the pain pills so I'm starting to knit again. I've had needles in my hand constantly, but haven't done much actual knitting. I can't concentrate & really, just haven't had much desire to do much of anything.

The mitered squares I had mostly finished up before all of this happened, but I have knit a couple since then. I think I've offiically finished 9 of them, and I have a 10th one on the needles that I haven't touched since Sunday I think.

Zorro, aka Munch, has already claimed this afghan as his own. Usually he doesn't like squares - or acrylic - but he is trying hard to claim this afghan anyway. He also already claimed the woolease log cabin afghan. I keep trying to explain to him that they are both supposed to go to the nursing home, but he won't listen. I guess we'll be fighting over it for a while!

He already has my merino circular shawl - though, he's been nice enough to actual let me use it the past few days. He knows Mommy's hurting. So does he really need another kitty blanket? He already has 10 or 12... plus my hat/mitten/scarf box that we keep out all year round for him... plus his kitty bed, and his window seat with HIS kitty pillows which we aren't allowed to touch, other than rearranging for him....

The skein of sock yarn photoed on my bed, comes from a contest prize that I won before this whole nightmare started, and arrived when we were still staying in Douglas. I wasn't overjoyed to see it in the skein, though the colors were very pretty, it just didn't "sing" to me immediately. But I've been cuddling with it all week, it's very soft & it was just SUCH a pick me, I couldn't stand it. So I cast on for basic socks yesterday, and it's knitting up beautifully. I can't believe how gorgeous it is! I haven't taken any progess photos yet, I have both toes started but that's about it. I'm still struggling with knitting, I just don't feel like doing anything, ya know??

I'm alive

2006-08-04T09:55:00.000-04:00

I'm alive though still in lots of pain. I'm not supposed to be out of bed, but I'm peaking online quick to check email & to write up a post. I may or may not need a CAT scan and surgery to fix my knee. We have an appointment on Tues so it'll be a nerve wracking next few days.

I've been mainly knitting my log cabin afghan. The needles are in my hands all day, but I'm not getting much actual knitting done. Just too much pain & too many worries.

I miss reading emails & blogs!

where's Anastacia?

2006-08-01T14:40:00.000-04:00

I've had a fun past few days - not. We were out yard saling on Sat, stopped off at the library to drop off some books & to pick up a book. We were getting back into the car, my knee gave out & I dislocated my knee.

Talk about pain.

I though I've felt pain before - when we were in the car accident three years ago, my knee surgery in 92, my migraines, the whole gland/jaw pain I get, etc. etc. etc.

But this was HORRIBLE.

I screamed like a banshee.

The cops arrived first - while Jon called my parents. No matter how old you get, you want your mommy when you are hurting or sick. Luckily they were in the area. No so luckily, the ambulance was on their way back from Worcester (30 minutes away normally) from another run.

I kept screaming.

The cop tried to move me - or offered to move me. I was on the ground, half on the curb and half on some woman's lawn. But I couldn't move. All I could do was scream.

The emt's arrived, spent a few minutes trying to find a decent vein. In the meantime, I was getting so sunburnt from the sun shining through the windows, that one of the other guys on the scene held a blanket over us to shield us from the sun.

First dose of morphaine in - helped, but a panicky me burnt through the first does almost instantly.

More morphaine. More morphaine.

They finally moved me onto the board & into the ambulance. I'm still screaming bloody murder. I didn't know it, but they actually popped my knee back into place - they couldn't move me unless they popped me knee back in.

I was in so much pain, they RAN out of morphaine on the ambulance & had to meet up with another bus for more.

Finally, the last dose worked, & I was happy. Very, very happy.

When they wheeled me into the hospital, I announced to the world at large that at least I knew I wasn't pregnant since I just had my period.

Yup.

I was drugged.

I kept singing the ABCs to the poor XRay techs.

I was a little stoned out of my mind.

The end result was I was fine, though badly hurting. They gave me crutches & a knee brace & told me to ice it & follow up with a regular doctor in a few days & gave me lots of pain killers.

So, off to Douglas & my parents house I went. We live on the 3rd floor. They have a couple of steps to get inside. So we've been living with my parents again. Not fun. But better than the alternative, I guess.

The good news is, Jon went home, got Zorro & his food & my log cabin knitting, so I have lots of log cabin knitting to show you. I finished reading my book, and have watched a horredous amount of bad tv.

And my mother took these photos of me crying on Sat, so I have photos to show you all!

2006-07-28T13:17:00.000-04:00

My latest project. Yes, I'm going to do a sampler afghan. I am looking to challenge myself in knitting a bit. Now that I've finally figured out what kind of knitter I am - combination knitter - I've finally been able to figure out the last few things that always stumped me - like making decreases slant in the direction they are suppose to, and not the weird looking, sort of slanting decreases I've done until recently (a few months ago). So, in between knitting other squares from other patterns, I'm going to tackle some of these squares, too. They are not for the faint of heart - no plain st st or garter stitches squares, no easy yo lace. I did tackle one of the easiest squares I could find in the book - Number 85 - basketweave, which believe it or not, I've never done! I used the recommended 40 stitches & size 9 needles, with a finished size of 8.75" square - slightly bigger than the supposedly 8" finished size. I decided I wasn't going to sweat the finished size too much for any of the squares I make - when I actually put the squares together (possibly with some sampler crochet squares that I'm debating about doing), then I'll worry then about putting squares together. Maybe I'll border them with crochet to get them all one size, or perhaps I'll go crazy & knit/crochet so many different squares that I'll put together several afghans with several different sized squares. We'll see where the mood takes me!

photos of FOs and WIPs and more...

2006-07-27T17:09:00.000-04:00

I admit, it's not the clearest photo, but isn't Zorro just the biggest help ever?

The cloth is done! I managed to figure it out, and once I did I was in absolute love. I'm definitely going to have to make up more of these. From a brand new cone of cotton yarn

The log cabin afghan. Knit on size 9 needles, I believe, with gabs of stash woolease yarn. Zorro, as you can see, is in love.

Another FO, finally finished. It's a hexagon afghan that I started last year or so. This is the wrong side facing with all the yarn ends still dangling. I tried to weave them in as I went along, really I did, but I just wanted to get this baby done. Jon & I spent about 20 minutes on opposite ends of the afghan weaving in ends this am. We're almost done - but not there yet.

a few various photos

2006-07-26T12:26:00.000-04:00

The buttonhole bag was ran through a cycle of hot water, this is the result. It definitely needs more felting, but has shrunk up a huge amount. It's actually a really cute size right now, but I'd definitely like to see it felt up more.

A close up of one of the recent afghans I finished, one of the red, white & blue afghans I made. I posted other photos at the 25 things for charity blog. You can see my entry here.

I started a really cute dishcloth, called garterlac. I've never tried entralac before, so I thought this was perfect for me, plus being a quick & easy but yet impressive looking project? I'm so there. After a bit of struggling, I've gotten through the first 3 "rows" - what do you call it?

Yahoo! Photos - perhiksentyttis's Photos

2006-07-26T10:37:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! Photos - perhiksentyttis's Photos

Go check out these gorgeous knitted afghans - some are log cabin, some are mitered, some are garter squares, but all are gorgeous & for charity. There's over 100 finished afghans to look at!

contest 2

2006-07-25T19:16:00.000-04:00

Another blogger's having a contest http://knitster1.wordpress.com

- a fun way to display yarn, whether knitted, a UFO, or whatever. Here's mine, complete with a ballband dishcloth

granny square afghan

2006-07-25T19:02:00.000-04:00

One of the UFOs I finished up this weekend. It measures about 32 by 32 inches, just right for a nursing home lapghan.

contest

2006-07-25T18:54:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I won a contest!

I was just out looking at the blogs this afternoon, surfing away. A few people mentioned contests that they had entered & won recently. One thing led to another & another, and I stumbled upon the "sock porn" blog. I've been there before, but I hadn't put the site into my blogmail account, though I've tried in the past & for some odd reason, blogmail doesn't like the site url or something. Anyways, I think I've fixed that problem.

Anyways, I ended up getting a little comment on my blog saying that I was her 1000 commenter on her blog, and she was going to give me a little prize - a mini contest, if you well - and it's sock yarn! My favorite!! I can't believe I won!

So please go visit Aija at her blog at http://sockpr0n.blogspot.com/

felting on the stovepot

2006-07-25T16:33:00.000-04:00

Recently, reading one of my crochet yahoogroups, someone mentioned felting on a stovetop. She said she had recently talked to the owner of a LYS & that the owner had suggested trying it, as an alternative to the more usual machine felting. I was instantly captivated by the idea. I've machine felted multiple times, but living in an apartment complex, I have to pay big bucks to wash a load, and the water's not terribly hot. Sometimes I have to wait for a washer. So, felting on the stove would be ideal. I also thought I could perhaps have more control over the process & dye the item at the same time!

I instantly set out to knit the buttonhole bag, courtesy of Mason Dixon knitting. It was on my mental to do list, and after resting my hands for 4 days (from knitting, that is, not completely resting) and finishing up 5 languishing afghan UFOs that have been sitting for over a year (and more), I felt ready for a "reward". I picked some vintage purple wool & grabbed a couple of leftover skeins of wool, that I knew from past experiences felted fine. The original pattern calls for double strands of bulky & size 15 needles; I used double strands of the worstened weight wool & size 10.5, the largest size circs I own.

The bag knitted up quickly, with just a couple of adjustments due to the difference in gauges/needle sizes.

So, having no idea how to felt on the stove top, I grabbed my biggest pot, brought it to a boil, added a bit of soap & dunked in my bag. I knew I would need to do some temperature changes, so I filled the sink with cold tap water. I stirred the bag around pretty much constantly, occasionally covered the top, and dunked it into the tap water in the sink several times - at least 6 or 7 times.

And the bag stretched out of shape.

And the boiling water got very, very purple.

Dunked in & out of the hot & cold waters again, with absolutely no luck.

Boiled the hell out of it. Started to cross my fingers & chant that this would work. Began cursing that I should have gone online & done some research before trying this.

And then a vague nagging doubt: Didn't I try to felt a hat this way before, and it failed miserably? Oh yeah, I did; early on in my felting career, I had tried it, but didn't dunk it in cold water; I was just using hot. So, the way I was doing it today would work just fine, right??

Well, after an hour, getting burnt several times, and ending up with purple, wrinkling fingers, I gave up. Squeezed out the bag as roughly/harshly as I could, and hung it up to dry. It was way stretched out of shape & definitely not the slightly bit felted. I could have felted it by machine & been done with it by now. It probably would have been half dry as well.

So, now I'm on my trusty (ha, ha) computer & I googled felting on the stove top.

Surprise, surprise: there's very little out there.

A knitty article (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter03/FEATfelthis.html) from winter 03 briefly mentions it - and recommended against it, because the results were unpredictable & often the garment would bleed funny.

Now he tells me.

I found some mentions of it via blogs, but all they really suggested was to use ice cold water in the sink, and boiling water in a pot. No mention of soap at all. No mention success or failure. Funny mention of hand felting a cat toy mouse here http://www.quantumtea.com/blog/?cat=11 (sounded like it was a failed attempt).

bright stripey socks

2006-07-24T10:02:00.000-04:00

from my socknitters sock swap partner. I have another pair (from a different partner) that I also received recently, but haven't photographed them yet. They fit perfectly & I love the colors - bright & stripey, my favorites! Thanks, Bev! (yarn is regia)

mason dixon knitting

2006-07-19T14:38:00.000-04:00

I love this book!

I'm knitting 2 ball band dishclothes (still) & a log cabin afghan, that I have been obsessing over lately. It's slowly growing, and the stash of woolease is slowly going down. Very, very slowly.

some minor reorganizing

2006-07-17T13:44:00.000-04:00

I've done some minor reorganizing of my stash of needles & stuff. we picked up a small, lightweight wooden bookcase last week for free at the auction, so we moved that into the bathroom - yes, the bathroom! we have a small space/apartment, so we have to make do with the space we have. I stuck half my FO's there since I ran out of room on my side of the bed. I stuck some of my odd needles/hooks (the collectible stuff, anyway, that I don't use because they are 50-100 years old), etc. Still working on organizing it. It looks kind of cute - I got some Barbie dolls on the shelves mixed in with books, needles, hooks, projects, and I may put a plant or two on there, too!

I started knitting 2 ballband dishclothes from the Mason Dixon knitting book. I got it from the library recently & I'm in love! I also started a log cabin afghan, based upon the book, too, but just changing colors randomly. I'm using up woolease that I have mainly in an oatmeal color - I have several pounds of it, but not sure I really have enough for a ghan. If it comes out small ish, it'll just go to the nursing homes. No biggie. I don't really need another afghan for us! But, it's the first knitted afghan I've attempted, as I always crochet them. So it'll be an adventure. I'm using a 10.5 size circ.

meme from Sara

2006-07-16T09:14:00.000-04:00

From http://deneens.blogspot.com/ who got it from http://crochetallday.com/:

1. What inspires you first? The pattern or the yarn? Yarn. Definitely. I try & try to do it the other way - there are so many wonderful, beautiful, creative projects from other designers that I want to do, but it doesn't work that way most of the time (the exception being sock patterns). I have to fondle & play with the yarn, and it tells me what it wants to be. Sometimes I don't get as clear a signal - so I start something, and it just doesn't work out, so I frog & plan again. But most of the time, I pretty much right away know what the yarn wants to be.

2. If you are most inspired by pattern, where do you find the most inspiring patterns? Books? Magazines? Other blogs? A little of everything, really. I love blogs because I find out about patterns I otherwise wouldn't know about or have seen on my own. I'm a vintage junkie, so I get a lot of ideas/inspirations/starting points from my magazines. My favorites are mainly from the 60's, but I have a lot from the 20's as well. I've seen older needlework mags, but haven't bought any yet. They're usually about $5 for one, I can't reconsile (sp?) spending that much on one old magazine right now. I have a rather large book collection as well - from the 50's onto current books. Most are from the 60's & from the mid-90's to current. I have a large collection of patterns that were printed in local newspaper columns from the 40's-60's. The main columnist would publish her patterns, and others would write in & share their patterns. The great majority of those don't have pictures, and they are usually riduled with errors, but to me, that's half the fun of the patterns from the newspaper - they were just a bunch of non professional designers, sharing their joy/love of knitting and crocheting with others. The projects were mainly very quick & easy, so it's easy to figure out right away where the mistakes, if any, are.

3. Are you a member of an in person? group of knitters/hookers? Sadly, no. I would absolutely love to, but there's little interest in my area. I know of others in my area (via email) who have tried to start up groups, but no interest. Of course, when they tried setting up the group, I didn't even know about it, so I'm not sure how much advertising/listing they did to inform other crafters. My dream is to start up a local mixed media craft as art group - people who dabble in a wide variety of groups, who can help inspire & teach others in the group. I'd also really love us to focus on charity work, since that's a passion of mine, fiber wise & personally, as well.

4. Do you read a pattern all the way through before beginning? Yes, always, and sometimes more than once. The exception again is sock patterns. As I ONLY knit toe up socks, I usually skip the majority of the directions since they are usually written top down. Why bother reading the directions on stuff like that, when I'm going to reverse it all, anyways? Then again, I change patterns 99.99% of the time so much that the finished project usually isn't recongizable, anyways.

5. What is your gauge swatch record? I do knit gauge swatches almost always. I don't cut the end off, however, I leave it attached to the skein/cone & measure the swatch & the individual stitches per inch, and then frog & reuse that bit of yarn. For crocheting, I usually just wing it. I've been crocheting long enough, to know how I usually crochet with said yarn & said hook. If someone says an H hook, I know I'll probably need a J, so I trust my instincts, start with a J and work a bit. If it's a garment, I'll start the sleeve first & then check gauge. If I guessed right on hook size & my gauge matches, then at least I have the beginning of a sleeve done. Otherwise I only have to frog a fragment of crocheting as compared to if I started the body or front or back of the sweater.

6. What level do you consider yourself? Expert crocheter, except I don't do thread. I can't see the stitches, I don't have the patience, I don't want to do thread. I have probably crocheted everything with yarn that is possible to crochet, from the usual afghans & toys & hats & scarves & sweaters & tops & bookmarks & squares & bags, to making trash baskets using recycled grocery bags, rugs out of tee shirts, sweaters for my cat, etc. etc. etc.

Knitting is very hard to say - I'm good at fair isle/mosaic, changing colors, semi complicated lace. But I don't do cables. I knit ala Annie Modesit - combination knitting, she calls it. Because I have to do my decreases a little differently, I get confused way to fast trying to do cables cause my knit stitches sit differently. I do mini cables/fake cables, but haven't really tried too seriously to do more than that. So, I guess I am probably an intermediate knitter. I knit mainly socks, sweaters, hats, and I'm starting to really enjoy mittens, though I've only knitted one pair so far. I have knit the usual scarves, haven't knit toys yet or squares/afghans yet.

7. Do you have any favorite color combinations? Not really. I love color, so I love using LOTS of different colors!

CIC knitting & sock knitting

2006-07-16T08:55:00.000-04:00

Well, all my other projects have otherwise been abandoned. I was planning on doing the mystery shawl 2 - plenty of lace weight cone yarn, but I wasn't happy with my needles. To get a good look to my fabric, I needed to use size 3 needles - and all I had was straights. I despise straights. I always use circs, even when knitting flat. I tried a bit of the stole & gave up. Too ackward, too painful, too heavy a fabric right away.

I have my top for the great lace - abandoned. I frogged the chenille stash busting top. Haven't started any other "real" stash projects, though I did try to crochet a basket with some woolease but it was a major flop - literally. Zorro stole the bottom part of the basket. So, woolease is still sitting, several pounds of it, waiting to be used, so is the cotton chenille, so is the lustersheen. Sigh.

I've been plugging on cotton socks for my "bless your cotton socks exchange" - they're about halfway done.

My CIC mohair shawl is done. I didn't like the point, so I cut off the point & reknit it - and it looks worse than when it started. And somehow there are extra increases in the top, so my triangular shawl - is not so triangular. Colorwise, it looks stunning. Just ignore all the mistakes!!

I've finished a couple of fair isle & one crocheted CIC vests. I'm working on a 4th. It's slow going since 1 strand of the yarn is angora, which I've discovered I'm slightly allergic to. I can knit about 30 minutes before I start to break out in a rash where the yarn rubs up against my hand. So I'm just knitting a little at a time on it. I just divided for the armholes & so is getting there.

I knocked off a small pair of socks (this is the sock challenge, after all) & started a couple of other pairs. The first pair was a semi striping/ribby pattern. The 2 on the needles now are just going to be plain, basic, toe up socks.

Let's see - what else? I'm planning on casting on a pair of socks using a couple of other patterns I've wanted to try, and I'll probably cast on a pair of basic straight st st "travel" socks. I still have difficulties talking, walking/standing in line, and knitting anything other than straight st st, even after almost 4 years of knitting. I can knit semi-complicated stuff at home with the most complicated TV/movie on, but talking & knitting is still a little harder for me.

Hmm. I guess that's it for an update!

happy Friday

2006-07-07T13:56:00.000-04:00

Things are OK here. Still plugging on those unnamed design projects. Trying to just get the kinks out, and hopefully it'll be ready to be mailed off tomorrow.

Did a little knitting this am - the mohair shawl for CIC - and worked on a hat design last night.

designing news

2006-07-06T11:47:00.000-04:00

Well... The yarn is here for the two books. And designing time is officially here. One unnamed project went swimmingly well; the design was already in my head & I had worked several of them up in various types of yarn already, so it was just a matter of using the yarn I received in the mail.

Project two is a little tougher: I had a design already worked up, but in a totally different fiber & weight of yarn than what I had received. And, belated, I found out that I was going to be using 2 colors, not one variagated as I had originally designed. So I'm back to the drawing board. I've spent about 4 hours so far, and I think I have the basic pattern in place. Now it's a matter of working out the kinks, so to speak, working on sizing & other issues. Don't want to say too much, but it's been grand fun, though definitely much more stressful than I had anticipated.

UFOs, FOs WIPs

2006-07-05T15:20:00.000-04:00

Inspired by: http://kdysworld.blogspot.com/

UFO's
various crocheted scrap afghans for the nursing home - buried underneath the bed. There's the crocheted quilt; there's the hexagon afghan; there's the granny squares I got from my grandmother that I have to weave in the ends & crochet together, enough for several afghans; there's the 12 inch squares from a swap, enough for 2 laphghans, if I just crochet 1 more square; there's the 10 inch afghan square swap, enough for 1-2 afghans; there's the 8 inch Halloween square swap, enough for one ghan, and the 8 inch fall afghan swap - I have to make a few squares for that one, as the fall squares are leftover from the first afghan I made; then there are literally bags full of assorted sized/gauges granny squares.

There's a large bag with hundreds of 2 round grannies, leftover from a 3 round granny afghan that I made, these are the squares I didn't border & crochet together, but certainly enough for a lapghan.

Then there's the bag of granny's daughters, that I may or may not add rounds to, or may or may not use as is. How many is that?

The sad thing is, as many UF afghans as this is, I do work on them from time to time. And I have finished a few of them.

WIPs

various hats for charity, some wool & some acrylic

socks for my sock swap partner

scrap socks for me

socks for Renee

mohair shawl for CIC

purple lace top for "The Great Lace"

alpaca/lace crocheted shawl for me

2 un named projects that are going to be published in two unnamed books

Ripped/Frogged

The black/grey cotton chenille top I started for the Summer of Stash. I've tried, and tried, and tried to do something with this yarn, and I keep failing. Most recent attempt frogged.

WIMs
more Barbie doll clothes - I got naked Barbies here, people!
More charity hats
fancy gloves for my mom for Christmas
socks for Jon
cotton socks for my summer cotton sock partner

Recent FO's

hats, acrylic &/or wool, for charity

barbie doll clothes, crocheted &/or knit

CIC wool vest, toddler sized, crocheted & my own design

scrap socks for me (based upon toe & heel of the current six socks pattern, but different leg & ribbing)

scrap socks for me (exact 6socks pattern)

Other Crafts

embroidery for Queen's Favors for Pennsic

a spindle full of wool (with just a little more to spin up) that needs to get washed/set/hung up

still alive

2006-06-28T10:04:00.000-04:00

Not doing much knitting, though. I frogged my socks on size 00's. After frogging them for 4 times, and I still can't get them the right size &/or right pattern, I'm giving up on them for now. These were called my peppermint socks, because I dyed the yarn at Christmas time trying to make holiday socks.

Working on my second pair of color blox socks. Toe up, and I'm on the legs of both. Getting there.

Working on a mohair shawl for CIC, out of freebie mohair yarn I picked up a couple of weeks ago.

Ignoring all my other knitting.

auction

2006-06-18T13:33:00.000-04:00

After a great yard saling adverture yesterday, we were disappointed terribly by today's auction. They've changed the rules- no more free stuff, no wheeling & dealing, no more splitting lots, and all of us - my parents, Jon & I - feel as if someone has died. An end of an era.

I finished my brown wool mittens yesterday! They are fab, though the thumbs are a tad too short. I cast on for another pair, but I decided to frog them - I only did 1/2" on the first cuff. I have too many projects on the needles, I need to work on finishing stuff, not casting on more projects.

yard saling

2006-06-17T15:06:00.000-04:00

Finally, after a lot of rain, we finally got to go yard saling - for about 7 hours or so. We went all over the place, and I can't believe how much stuff we came home with. I did stick to the Summer of Stash - though it was hard, I only used my exception - buying wool yarn for CIC.

some of the buttons I got with a ton of other sewing stuff

the wool sweaters (to frog for CIC), the tapestry yarn (100% wool for CIC), one of the circs & 2 pairs of straight needles

misc sewing stuff-zippers, ribbon, pincushion, etc. some yarn bobbins, and things I don't even know

the mags & the free yarn (see the sign?)

I also got some brown fabric, 2 different types. I thought I photographed it, but I guess I didn't.

All totalled, I spent less than $5 for everything!

zippers, pin cushion, just a close up... I love the pin cushion. Not that I need another one, but all the sewing stuff (minus the fabric) was all in the same lot.

Jon got a vintage lego set (still in the box), 2 brand new lego sets, a bunch of cars & loose legos, & a Garfield mug, for I think $3.25 for everything. Oh, wait, it was around $4.

Summer of Stash

2006-06-16T09:09:00.000-04:00

I just posted an update over at the Summer of Stash blog, but I thought I'd recap what I wrote over here. I was going to cut and paste, but I babbled, so I'll summarize.

First, summer of stash = no buying new yarn (with one exception - I was allowed two - I can buy wool yarn at yard sales for CIC) until after Labor Day. Part of the plan was coming up with a list of yarn and/or projects to use up stash yarn. I listed several things I was planning on doing: using up cotton chenille, woolease, and lustersheen that's about ten years old. I almost immediately cast on a top using the cotton chenille, and haven't touched it since.

Wednesday, when I hurt my back & couldn't move, I decided to knit my first pair of mittens, using up some brown wool from a recycled sweater. The sweater wasn't even that big, but it was originally a cabled sweater. I've used that yarn for a hundred CIC projects, I swear, and I still had yarn left. So I'm knitting my first pair of mittens, for me. Almost done.

I'm knitting two pairs of scrap socks, using leftover tapestry wool & leftover sock yarn, mainly greens. (knitting 20 other pairs of socks, too).

My other plans for Summer of Stash:
Christmas presents:

For Mom - a pair of serviceable & warm gloves for everyday, and a pair of fancy gloves for Church. Never knitted gloves before, so I'll make the easier servicable pair first. Maybe a fancy hat. She doesn't really wear hats or use scarves, so I'll have to think on this. Probably not. Hmm. Something.

Serviceable mittens for Jon's grandmother. She requested serviceable mittens from me last year for Christmas, which I crocheted for her. This year, I'll knit em, probably with acrylic as she'll be abusing these, machine washing & drying them, etc. I don't want to use wool, even if I had superwash wool in anything other than sock yarn (which I don't.)

Another pair of socks for Jon.

How Abnormal Are You?

2006-06-13T10:47:00.000-04:00

Nice... Really....

You Are 44% Abnormal

You are at low risk for being a psychopath. It is unlikely that you have no soul.
You are at medium risk for having a borderline personality. It is somewhat likely that you are a chaotic mess.
You are at medium risk for having a narcissistic personality. It is somewhat likely that you are in love with your own reflection.
You are at medium risk for having a social phobia. It is somewhat likely that you feel most comfortable in your mom's basement.
You are at low risk for obsessive compulsive disorder. It is unlikely that you are addicted to hand sanitizer.

How Abnormal Are You?

Haven't been posting much, obviously. Haven't done much knitting lately, or crocheting or spinning either, for that matter. I've actually done a bit of sewing, and a lot of reading. I even updated my current "books read in 2006" list on my other blog, zorrosmommy.blogspot.com - as accurate as I could be, as I haven't been doing a good job with keeping track lately.

spinning

2006-06-05T18:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am a handspinner now! I purchased a nice, big box of fibers from yarnbotanika.etsy.com & I've been spinning like mad. Please go visit her, and tell her Anastacia said hello :).

First, we have to include a cute Zorro photo, helping Mommy

My first spindle full of yarn: plain, white, undyed wool

Close up.

All put into a mini skein, and ready to be set and washed.

Now that I've played a bit, it's time for some prettier stuff:

Here's the same white skein, along with some gorgeous blue

Here's just the blue

and some of this gorgeous multi color stuff, I believe it's blue faced leicester... I also have some superwash merino that I am starting to work with.

2006-06-05T14:51:00.000-04:00

Which Spindle Are You?

Bless Her Cotton Socks Swap

2006-06-05T08:41:00.000-04:00

Summer sock swap:

"I just set a new summer sock swap called Bless Her Cotton Socks
Exchange. Now that warm weather is upon us I am only wanting to knit
with cotton-blend yarn.

If you are a Sockapalooza fan you will enjoy this sock swap, too.
Since we are heading into summer, the socks will all be cotton. You
will be assigned a secret sock swap pal and to her you will send:

1. a pair of cotton socks knit by you in her size
2. cotton sock yarn - enough for one pair of socks
3. a sock pattern that she can use with the yarn you send
4. a note to her

Signups will be open until June 11. Stop by the blog and sign up:

http://blesshercottonsocksexchange.blogspot.com/ "

weekend knitting

2006-05-31T13:45:00.000-04:00

I hate my computer. I've said it before & I'll say it again!

Fun & busy weekend. I'll be posting some photos in a bit. I brought two projects with me for the weekend, finished one, and ended up starting a 3rd project while I was in the car coming home from NH. Even though I could still knit socks, I had to start another project. I'm insane.

One of the things on my to-do list is to list all of my WIPS, complete with photos & starting dates, if known, and list them all here on my blog. Will I ever? Well, I've taken some photos at least, but that's as far as I've gotten.

There's Renee's socks, the boatneck sleeveless sweater I started in NH that'll be forever called the NH sweater or the NH top, socks, socks, socks, more socks, more socks, and then more socks. The lace top for the Great Lace; the chenille top for the Summer of Stash. Various scrap afghans. More various scrap afghans. I'm not addicted. Say it with me: I'm not addicted!

Finished up socks for my sock swap partner, and already have another sock swap partner. And I joined the cotton sock swap, even though I have hardly any cotton yarn here. I shouldn't have joined, since I can't buy more yarn. But, this means I'll use stash. If, my partner hates the available yarn I have, then I'll have to add an exception to my Summer of Stash pledge, and say that I can buy yarn for my partner's socks.

So, Memorial Day: we went yard saling on Sat & had a bonfire with my parents that night; Sunday we went to NH with my parents, and Monday we had a quiet day before we met up with them again & had a bonfire for a couple of hours before coming home. Lots of hiking & sightseeing. My favorite part was the Tram up to Cannon Mountain; Jon called his parents at the top to wish them a Happy Memorial Day, though they weren't home.

one more WIP

2006-05-26T12:52:00.000-04:00

my sweater. Knit in the round ala Elizabeth Zimmerman. The body is knit, the sleeves are crocheted, and the neckline is crocheted with the same shell stitch. If I have enough of the brownish tan, I'm planning on doing lace on the bottom as well.

Renee's socks

2006-05-26T12:41:00.000-04:00

Renee's socks. Renee, a distant cousin, is a dear sweet friend, not just a relative. I'm making her these socks because she was very sweet to me for my birthday, and because she's going through hard times. She lives in Texas, so these are cotton/wool socks. She has large-ish feet, so I bought 3 balls & it should be plenty. I'm going to make the legs maybe 6" - long enough to be comfortable, but not really hot in the heat, either.

Zorro

2006-05-26T12:18:00.000-04:00

That's my baby!

Amazing Lace Challenge #1

2006-05-26T12:14:00.000-04:00

Hi! My name is Anastacia. I'm a knitter and crocheter. I've been crocheting for 20 years and knitting for 3.5 years. I learned to knit to make socks, and almost immediately started making basic lacey socks, like cloverleaf, broadripple, and nice, easy, 4 round patterns. Later on, I knitted a pi shawl using all sorts of various types of lace, it was a lace sampler of sorts. Of course, my beloved Zorro claimed it almost immediately as a kitty shawl...

So being no stranger to lace, I struggled to find a teammate. Joining a little late in the game, I didn't want to spend a month finding just the right partner. Since it's gearing up for summer season, I decided upon a top. I just finished a pair of lace & ribbed socks for my mom for Mother's Day, after all, and since I already have another short sleeved sweater on the needles, I might as well cast on for another one? I mean, after all, I am one of those that loves to start projects, find the right needle, I even love to knit gauge swatches... I love the process.

Back in March for my 30th birthday, I bought some yarn from Knit Picks. I'm crocheting a lace weight shawl out of the alpaca/silk lace yarn, bought some wool for CIC knitting & a felted purse, but also bought some cotton. 7 skeins of purple, and 2 balls of 2 different shades of blue. I have some leftover pink of the same yarn, so my goal was to make a boatneck sleeveless stripey top using all of the colors. But, when I heard about the Amazing Lace, I decided to change my mind & use the balls of purple to make a purple lacey top.
I'm knitting in the round, up to the armpits, and I'm thinking along the lines of a V neck and sleeveless, but this may change. I'm using a simple yo over pattern for the bottom 4-5 inches or so, and plain st st for the rest. If I decide to add sleeves, I'll probably add lace to that. If I change the neckline, I may add lace to that. We shall see.
My other partner in this team is my beloved furrbaby, Zorro. I couldn't knit without him laying on my yarn, on my pattern, sitting on my needles, climbing into the middle of a circular needle while knitting and head butting the needle until all the stitches fall out. I couldn't take any photos without him climbing up my leg. I couldn't participate without him by my side, crying pathetically because I stopped patting him!

My relationship with Zorro began before I got married, and my partnership with my top began only a few short days ago, but as a team we will succeed and win! We will knit faithfully on this top and take it on many adventures, and we will love and cherish it. We will not cuss if the yarn splits, we will not cuss if we drop stitches, and we will prevail! For we are the champions!

computers

2006-05-26T08:57:00.000-04:00

I really hate computers sometimes. Really I do. Argh. Just call me a pirate.

Jon was sick all yesterday, he ended up with 101.7 fever.

Zorro had his yearly checkup on Wednesday. He has problems with shots, and as usual, he has a lot of muscle stiffness. He's still walking around OK, but he's limping on one leg. It's an issue because if it gets bad, he can't get up to get something to drink, go to the bathroom, etc. We had to take him back one year because he was dehydrated. Scary when we have plans this weekend, but if he's not better by tomorrow morning, we'll switch plans around a bit so he's not left home alone too much.

I finished the scrap brown socks yesterday, so I could cross that off my list. I cast on for my "great lace" project - that's all I did, though. I don't want to get carried away. I cast on for a stash busting project as well - another top knit in the round, out of very, very, very old cotton chenille, bought a few years before I got married. It was pretty old stuff when I bought it, and had been languishing in a yarn store for several years before the LYSO put the stuff on clearance. It then languished some more before I finally took it home. It's pretty stiff and I'm not having fun knitting with it.

CIC photos

2006-05-25T12:09:00.000-04:00

Some of the various CIC stuff going into today's box. I've been making this stuff since the last box I mailed off ages ago. 6 crocheted vests, 6 knitted vests (some with short sleeves), and 5 pairs of socks, along with some assorted toys & one odd toothbrush.

Socks are 6sock current sock. Vests are based upon What's in My Pocket vest.

**edited**

Children in Common - www.childrenincommon.org - a charity support kids living in Eastern European orphanges. These poor kids get nothing from their governments - no heat, no toys, no toothpaste or toilet paper, for crying out loud! Please consider making just one pair of socks - toddler sized would be great, out of at least 50% wool (100% is better). No worries about superwash, as everything gets washed in cold water (there isn't hot water for baths, let alone laundry). Feel free to use up all your scraps!

summer v neck sweater pattern

2006-05-24T17:37:00.000-04:00

Circular Bottom-Up Regular length Fitted Waist Pullover Raglan shoulder Sleeveless with Ribbing

V front neck and Flat back neck with Single Band collar

GAUGE DATA:

Gauge st st: 16.0 sts by 22.0 rows.

Body knit by hand on # 6 US circular needles

Ribbing knit by hand on # 3.5 US circular needles

FINISHED DIMENSIONS: (ins): ... with Tight fit - for ladies size 38 bust

Chest: 39.1 Armhole: 16.6 Top Neck Opening: 6.5

Waist: 33.5 Hem Width: 16.7 Front Neck Width: 1.0

Hip: 36.5 Front Neck Depth: 8.3

Hem Length: 0.5

Body Length: 22.0 Collar Length: 1.0

Back Waist Length: 17.5

yo lace

Worked on a multiple of 2 plus 0 sts.

Rnd 1-3: knit

Rnd 4: k2tog, yo, repeat across row

Note: Read ALL these instructions thoroughly BEFORE starting to knit. There may be sections where there are two shapings to work at the same time (such as necklines or waist shaping).

BODY:

1. Cast on 152 sts on size 6 circular needle. Join the circle, taking care not to twist the stitches. Mark the side 'seams' at the beginning and at the halfway point (76 sts). Work two rounds knit.

2. Work in yo lace pattern for first 4-5" of pattern, while at the same time work waist shaping

3. Waist Shaping. Dec 1 st at both sides of both seam markers (4 sts per round) on next round , then every following 4th round 4 times to 132 sts. Work even for 0.9 ins (5 rounds). Inc 1 st at both sides of both seam markers (4 sts per round) on next round , then every following 7th round 5 times to 156 sts. Work even for 1.8 ins (10 rounds) to total 13.1 ins.

4. Divide for amhole. Transfer the just completed 78 sts between seam markers to a holder for the front. You can now switch to straight needles if you wish. From this point on, work on back section only, with right side facing to start.

5. Armhole shaping. Cast off 6 sts at beginning of next 2 rows.

6. Raglan shaping. Dec 1 st at armhole end(s) of every 3rd row 7 times, then dec 1 st at armhole end(s) of every 2nd row 13 times.

7. Total 121 rows with 26 sts remaining for back of neck. Place sts on holder.

FRONT:

1. Transfer body front sts from holder to needle, with right side facing. Join yarn. Dec for armhole at both ends, as for back. Continue until armhole measures 0.5 ins (3 rows), with 66 sts remaining.

2. Divide for neck. Work both sides at the same time. Work 31 sts. With a second ball of yarn, cast off next 4 sts and work remaining 31 sts. Continue armhole shaping.

3. Shape neck. Dec 1 st at neck edge of next row, then every 5th row 7 times, then every 6th row once.

4. Work even at neck edge, continuing armhole decreases to last 2 sts. Cast off.

SHOULDER SEAMS:

1. Sew sleeves to fronts and back, along raglan armhole seams.

V FRONT NECK SINGLE BAND COLLAR:

1. Transfer yoke sts to size 3.5 circular needle, then pick up and work (starting at bottom of front neck) 34 sts from right front neck edge and 13 sts from back neck edge to center (2 extra sts from holder should be incorporated into shoulder seam or doubled). Total 47 sts.

2. Work 1.0 ins (7 rows) in K1P1 ribbing.

3. Cast off loosely.

4. Work the left side the same way as the right, picking up the back neck sts first.

FINISHING:

1. Sew any remaining seams.

2. Darn/weave/sew in all loose ends.

AMOUNT OF YARN REQUIRED TO MAKE GARMENT:

I'm using Knit Picks Crayon, bought for my 30th birthday :). It'll count as a stash project, and for the summer of lace as well. I'd recommend 7 balls, but you might get away with less. As I start knitting, I'll add notes & photos!

KALs

2006-05-24T15:11:00.000-04:00

I joined some KALs today. I can't wait to get started. I'm going to have fun with them, I hope, and hopefully get back into posting semi-regularly again.

being on a finishing roll

2006-05-18T08:03:00.000-04:00

Of course, I finished my mom's Mother's Day socks for her before Mother's Day. And sockapalooza socks were only mailed ONE DAY LATE!

Yesterday I was a good doobie and finished up some projects that have been languishing. Finished up a small lap sized afghan for a nursing home, finished a second and almost finished the third. One of these I started fairly recently but the others have been languishing for a while. I finished up a basic crocheted wool shawl out of vintage wool scraps - somethign I can wear around the bonfire and not worry about getting damaged or too dirty. It's been washed twice, and it's just now starting to not smell musty.

I finished another CIC vest yesteday, though I was bad and started another almost instantly. I added short sleeeves to one of my previously finished vests. I even took photos of the sockapalooza socks I made and a pair of socks made out of recycled merino yarn for me me me.

Wow. I don't know what to do with myself now. Now if only I actually uploaded photos.

sockapalooza

2006-05-16T11:26:00.000-04:00

These are the socks I knitted for my sockapalooza pal. They fit!

sock yarn swap

2006-05-15T12:38:00.000-04:00

I set up a sock yarn swap at swap-bot today. Swap your leftover sock scraps!

http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/233

CROCHET/KNIT & .... Guides/Reviews

2006-05-15T09:09:00.000-04:00

Interesting option in eBay...

Write Guides for Crochet/Knit ETC and/or Review SELLERs....

CROCHET
http://search.reviews.ebay.com/_Other-Crochet-Patterns_W0QQucatZ3095QQuqtZg

DODO's Designs
http://reviews.ebay.com/Dodo-apos-s-Designs_W0QQugidZ10000000000915062?ssPageName=BUYGD:CAT:-1:SEARCH:6

http://search.reviews.ebay.com/ws/UCSearch?satitle=&ucc=g3094&fts=2&ugat=2&ufm=1

Write your own Guide or Review
http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?CreateProductGuide&ssPageName=RevGui:UsrSum:1

KNIT
http://search.reviews.ebay.com/ws/UCSearch?satitle=KNIT&ucc=g3094&fts=2&ugat=2&ufm=1

CRAFTs
http://search.reviews.ebay.com/ws/UCSearch?satitle=KNIT&ucc=g14339&usop=1001&fts=2&ugat=2&ufm=1

number & size of squares needed to make an afghan

2006-05-09T08:47:00.000-04:00

Afghan Sizes and Squares Needed

Item and Actual Size in Inches Afghan Measurements in Inches Number of 6x6
in (15x15cm) Squares Needed

Number of 8x8 in (20x20cm) Squares Needed Number of 12x12 in (30x30cm)
Squares Needed

Preemie / Pet: 15-24 squares :
9 (3x3) squares, 16 (4x4) squares, 8 (2x2) squares, 9 (3x3)squares, 4
(2x2) squares

Isolette (Hospital) / Large Pet: 36 squares
36 (6x6) squares, 25 (5x5) squares, 9 (3x3) squares

Bassinet
14x33 or 16 x 36: 18 (3x6)squares, 10 (2x5) squares

Cradle
18x36 or 20 x 36: 24 (4x6)squares, 15 (3x5)squares, 6 (2x3)squares

Crib
27x52 or 30 x 54: 45 (5x9)squares, 28 (4x7)squares, 15 (3x5) squares

Toddler / Lapghan (Wheelchair)
36 x 48: 48 (6x8)squares, 30 (5x6)squares, 12 (3x4) squares

Child
42 x 48 : 56 (7x8)squares, 36 (6x6)squares, 16 (4x4) squares

Twin Bed / Adult
39x75 or 48 x 78: 104 (8x13) squares, 60 (6x10) squares, 28 (4x7) squares

Long Twin Bed
39x80 or 48 x 84: 112 (8x14)squares, 66 (6x11)squares, 28 (4x7) squares

3/4 Size Bed:
48x75 or 54 x 78 : 117 (9x13) squares, 70 (7x10) squares, 35 (5x7) squares

Double Bed / Large Adult
54x75 or 60 x 78 : 130 (10x13) squares, 80 (8x10)squares, 35 (5x7) squares

Long Double Bed
54x80 or 60 x 84: 140 (10x14)squares, 88 (8x11) squares, 35 (5x7)
squares

Queen Bed
60x80 or 66 x 84: 154 (11x14)squares, 99 (9x11)squares, 42 (6x7) squares

King Bed
76x80 or 80 x 84: 196 (14x14)squares, 110 (10x11)squares, 49 (7x7)
squares

If finished size of your squares does not quite work out, you can adjust the
overall finished size of the afghan by

adding / selecting an appropriate border, or by changing the method used to
join the squares together.

sockapalooza socks

2006-05-08T13:44:00.000-04:00

Sockapalooza is alive and well here in Dudley! I was so excited when I realized the package had arrived. I forgot all about checking mail on Saturday, so I am not sure if they arrived then or today, but they are here! Cass sent me absolutely gorgeous blue & purple Lorna lace's Shepherd Sock socks in a ribby pattern, and they fit absolutely perfect! As soon as the batteries get charged up, I'll be posting a ton of pics of them on my feet! :) Thanks Cass! Have you been reading my blog??

Red Heart Coordinating Colors

2006-04-25T11:21:00.000-04:00

RED HEART CLASSIC YARN
The following are suggested solid coordinates to the multicolors.
An asterisk (*) indicates a color that blends, but is not an exact
match.
Colors 1 - White, 3 - Off White and 111 - Eggshell are not listed,
but
coordinate with most
of the multicolors

MULTICOLOR        SOLID COORDINATES
168 Star Brights..............230-Yellow, 730-Grenadine, 513-Parakeet

963 Rambling Rose.............683-Lt Seafoam, 755-Pale Rose, 684-
Seafoam,
759-Cameo
Rose

930 Hushabye..................261-Maize, 719-Lily Pink, 681-Mist
Green,
815-Pale Blue

964 Lullaby...................261-Maize, 719-Lily Pink, 681-Mist Green

940 Salsa.....................252-Medium Coral, 508-Peacock Green,
365-Coffee, 914-Country
Red

972 Wedgewoods................759-Cameo Rose, 808-Windsor Blue, 761-
Light
Berry,
882-Country Blue*, 762-Claret

950 Mexicana..................230-Yellow, 686-Paddy Green, 245-
Orange, 849
Olympic Blue,
588-Amethyst, 914-Country Red

973 Berries...................755-Pale Rose, 761-Light Berry, 759-
Cameo Rose,
762-Claret

951 Tropical Fruits...........261-Maize, 815-Pale Blue, 737-Pink, 818-
Blue
Jewel

974 Country Blues.............808-Windsor Blue, 882-Country Blue

954 Rainbow Brights...........230-Yellow, 513-Parakeet

977 Country Club..............808-Windsor Blue, 334-Tan, 750-Med.
Coral Rose,
683-Lt
Seafoam*

976 Stars & Stripes...........849-Olympic Blue, 912-Cherry Red

978 Niagra....................48-Teal, 827-Lt Periwinkle

981 Pastels...................719-Lily Pink, 818-Blue Jewel, 737-
Pink,
815-Pale Blue

985 Purples...................584-Lavender, 588-Amethyst

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RED HEART SUPER SAVER COLOR MATCHES

MULTICOLOR                SOLID COORDINATES
303 Painted Desert Print......387-Soft Navy, 376-Burgundy, 334-Buff,
633-Dark
Sage

304 Aurora Print..............356-Amethyst, 388-Teal, 321-Gold, 376-
Burgundy

307 Circus Print..............312-Black, 356-Amethyst, 324-Bright
Yellow,
390-Hot Red

345 Baby Print................322-Pale Yellow, 373-Petal Pink, 364-
Light
Mint, 381-Light Blue

392 Wedgewood.................372-Rose Pink, 382-Country Blue, 374-
Country
Rose

394 Lullaby...................322-Pale Yellow, 373-Petal Pink, 364-
Light Mint

394 Cottage Garden............366-Mint, 382-Country Blue, 372-Rose
Pink

399 Fiesta Jewel Print........384-Skipper Blue, 385-Royal

930 Hushaby...................322-Pale Yellow, 381-Lt. Blue, 364-
Light Mint,
724-Baby Pink

950 Mexicana..................245-Orange, 356-Amethyst, 319-Cherry
Red,
368-Paddy Green,
324-Bright Yellow, 385-Royal

952 Gumdrop...................322-Pale Yellow, 364-Light Mint, 353-
Lilac,
372-Rose Pink

957 Shaded Greens.............389-Hunter Green

958 Grape Ivy.................358-Lavender, 389-Hunter Green, 387-
Soft Navy

959 Gemstone..................388-Teal, 356-Amethyst, 687-Grass Green

960 Shaded Blues..............347-Light Periwinkle, 385-Royal Blue,
384-Skipper Blue

962 Seascape..................320-Cornmeal, 362-Spruce, 347-Light
Periwinkle

963 Rambling Rose.............372-Rose Pink, 374-Country Rose

967 Holly and Ivy.............334-Buff, 631-Lt Sage, 349-Lt Coral
Rose,
633-Dk Sage,
378-Claret

968 Starbrights...............324-Bright Yellow, 358-Lavender, 351-
Parakeet,
375-Raspberry

971 Camoflage.................12-Black

977 Country Club..............334-Buff, 362-Spruce, 349-Lt Coral
Rose,
881-Med Windsor
Blue

983 Christmas.................311-White, 390-Hot Red, 368-Paddy Green

998 Bubblegum.................324-Bright Yellow, 385-Royal, 375-
Raspberry,
687-Grass
Green,955-Delft Tile, 322-Pale Yellow, 347-Light Periwinkle

4996 Ragg.....................400-Grey Heather

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Multicolor Coordinates for Red Heart Soft Yarn
      Red Heart does not have list of coordinating colors for the RH
Soft as
they
do for the
      Classic and Super Saver yarns, so these colors are based on
viewing
swatch
card in strong
      sunlight and making a "guesstimate" of the matching colors.
    A * indicates a color that blends, but is not an exact match.

MULTICOLOR                SOLID COORDINATES
7935 Floral...................7675-Dk Yellow Green, 7774-Dk Blush,
7320-Lt
Wheat

7952 Gem......................7769-Fuchsia, 7589-Amethyst, 7508-Teal

7937 Polo.....................7587-Deep Purple,    7675-Dk Yellow
Green,
7322-Gold,
7760-Cranberry

7955 Autumn...................7285-Rust, 7368-Brown, 7675-Dk Yellow
Green,
7744-Dk Blush,
7320-Lt Wheat

7939 Key West.................7815-Lt Blue, 7664-Lt Blue Green*, 7582-
Lt
Amethyst,

7965 Nursery..................7815-Lt Blue, 7313-Aran*, 7722-Lt Rose

7946 Hollyberry...............7320-Lt Wheat, 7744-Dark Blush, 7675-Dk
Yellow
Green

7970 Country Cottage..........7664-Lt Blue Green, 7883-Country Blue,
7775-Country Rose,
7675-Dk Yellow Green

7952 Gem......................7769-Fuchsia, 7589-Amethyst, 7508-Teal

Watercolor.....353 Lilac, 531 Lt. Plum, 579 Pale Plum, 631 Lt. Sage,
661 Frosty Green

Artist Print.....336 Warm Brown, 528 Med. Purple, 632 Med. Sage

Monet.....322 Pale Yellow, 347 Lt. Periwinkle, 358 Lavender

Pinata (Lt. Raspberry, RH Cornmeal, RH Lavender

Red Heart Kids

2945 Bikini (2230 Yellow, 2252 Orange   2734 Pink 2850 Turquois)

2932 Citris (2230 Yellow, 2252 Orange, 2652 Lime)

2935 Sherbert (2652 Lime, 2734, Pink, 2347 Periwinkle, 2230 Yellow)

2940 Beach (2845 Blue, 2850 Turquois, 2652 Lime)

Orchid- Medium Purple; most of the blues including Lt. Periwinkle; the
Raspberries

Ocean- blue, pale plum, lt lavender, lt periwinkle, and lt teal
(discontinued).

CIC vests

2006-04-21T11:12:00.000-04:00

I finished these last week or so. I also made some crocheted versions, but after washing they seem more than slightly disproportionate to me - I'm not sure if I'll frog them or send them anyway. The width is a little too short (I swear I measured/did the math for 26", and they came out about 23" after washing) & the length is definitely much longer than planned - they look like dresses! I may not bother frogging them as they'll probably fit someone.

All of the vests were made from Claudia's "In My Pocket" vest, minus the pockets. They were knit using size 9 or 10.5 inch circ needles & used 4 strands of fingering weight yarn or 2-3 strands of fingering plus a strand of sport/worstened weight.

10 Reasons to Buy Lots of Yarn

2006-04-20T17:39:00.000-04:00

I've found this on one of Russian (yes, Russians can read English:- ) Craft Groups sent from Israel. There are lots of us who would agree with every reason! Enjoy! 1. It insulates the cupboard where it is kept. 2. It keeps the economy moving. It is my patriotic duty to support woolfarmers, textile mills, and yarn shops. 3. It is less expensive and more fun than psychiatric care. 4. I'm participating in a contest - the one who dies with the most yarnwins! 5. It keeps without refrigeration, you don't have to cook it to enjoy it, you never have to feed it, change it, wipe its nose or walk it. 6. Because I'm worth it. 7. Like dust, it's good for protecting previously unprotected spaces in the house, like the ironing board, the laundry basket, the dining room table. 8. It's not immoral, illegal or fattening. It calms the nerves, ratifies the soul, and makes me feel good. 9. Because it is on sale. Because that is such a beautiful colour... I've never seen it before... I must have it. 10. Buy it now, before your husband retires and goes with you on all your shopping expeditions

Circular Bottom-Up Regular length Straight Pullover with Ribbing

2006-04-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

Circular Bottom-Up Regular length Straight Pullover with Ribbing

Raglan shoulder with Full length Lantern/Straight sleeves with Ribbing

Flat front neck and Flat back neck with Single Band collar

Printed: 4/18/2006

Pattern File Name: X

Size: Standard Woman 38 for Anastacia

Date started: 4/18/2006 Finished: *

YARN DESCRIPTION:

*; scraps; *; *

GAUGE DATA:

Gauge (Stocking Stitch over 4 in = 10 cm): 15.0 sts by 20.0 rows.

Body knit by hand on # 8 US circular needles

Ribbing knit by hand on # 6 US circular needles

FINISHED DIMENSIONS: (ins): ... with Comfortable fit.

Chest: 42.3 Armhole: 19.8 Top Neck Opening: 8.3

Hem Width: 8.3 Front Neck Width: 0.0

Sleeve Top: 15.5 Front Neck Depth: 0.0

Hem Width: 39.5 Sleeve Bottom: 15.5

Sleeve Length: 17.0

Body Length: 24.2 Hem Length: 2.3 Collar Length: 1.0

Hem Length: 2.8

Note: Read ALL these instructions thoroughly BEFORE starting to knit. There may be sections where there are two shapings to work at the same time (such as necklines or waist shaping).

BODY: (HEM TO ARMHOLE)

1. Cast on 148 sts on size 6 circular needle. Join the circle, taking care not to twist the stitches. Mark the side 'seams' at the beginning and at the halfway point (74 sts). Work in K1P1 ribbing for 2.8 ins. Inc 10 sts evenly across the round to 158 sts total.

2. Change to size 8 circular needle and Stocking Stitch. Work even until piece measures 11.4 ins (57 rounds), excluding hem.

SLEEVES: (HEM TO ARMHOLE)

1. Cast on 31 sts on size 6 dp needles. Join the circle, taking care not to twist the stitches. Mark the 'seam' at the beginning of the round. Work in K1P1 ribbing for 2.3 ins. Inc 27 sts evenly across the round to 58 sts total.

2. Change to size 8 dp needles and Stocking Stitch.

3. Work even until sleeve measures 14.7 ins (74 rounds), excluding hem.

4. Place these sts on a holder and work the second sleeve.

JOINING BODY AND SLEEVES:

1. Mark the front so you know which part of the body it is.

2. Underarm sts (four sets). Transfer 8 sts to a holder, centred at each of the four 'seam' markers on the body and the sleeves. These sts will be left unworked until the top shaping is complete, then sewn or grafted together to join the body and sleeve at the armhole.

3. Hold (and temporarily pin) the sleeves beside the body (all right side out), with the underarm sts and 'seams' matching. With the right side facing, and starting where the back meets the left sleeve, pick up and knit sts as follows: 50 from the left sleeve, 71 from the front, 50 from the right sleeve and 71 from the back. Total 242 sts. At the same time, place four markers for the raglan shaping, one at each boundary between body and sleeve. Reminder: do NOT work the underarm sts.

RAGLAN YOKE:

1. Work raglan shaping as follows: dec 1 st both sides of each raglan marker on every 3rd round 8 times, then every 2nd round 12 times. Continue work to total 50 rows for yoke (70 sts remaining).

FLAT FRONT NECK SINGLE BAND COLLAR:

1. Transfer yoke sts to size 6 circular needle.

2. Work 1.0 ins (6 rows) in K1P1 ribbing.

3. Cast off loosely.

FINISHING:

1. Graft or sew the sleeve and body sts together at the underarms.

2. Darn/weave/sew in all loose ends.

NOTES:

Pattern designed by: DEMO DEFAULTS

with KNITWARE DESIGN (Demonstration Version 2.50.2) from Morningdew Consulting Services Ltd