Sunday, April 29, 2012

Knitting Tip of the Day

I cast on two new projects this week.  One project is Monkey (socks) by Cookie A.  They will be pink and I am super excited but I don't have a photo to share yet. This is mostly because I have been obsessed with starting my second project.

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Adriatic Cardigan By Amy Christoffers  is such a cool pattern and I just recently got enough Cotton Fleece in Prosperous Plum.  I hauled the magazine to bed with me Saturday night, read it all the way through and cast on.  I could not get past line 11 of the chart without messing up some how.   I ripped back and went to bed.  This morning I knit and ripped out lines 11-15 twice, the second time after sticking a crap ton of stitch markers in to help keep my place. The lace just wasn't looking like the photos. I went to spend lunch and did a bit of birthday outlet shopping with my mom. While out, I decided I should go to Ravelry to see who else knit this and if they had any problems.

Since I linked it above you may have already spotted the problem.  I didn't look for the Errata.  I should have been working off this chart.  So, your check list before you start a knitting project,  swatch, careful not to twist when joining in the round AND always check for errata before casting on.

P.S. My swatch for this project is a sleeve.  Since this pattern is knit sideways and starts with one cuff, I just figured I could swatch and if I get it right, keep on knitting sweater.  I would never recommend someone else do this because cotton shrinks and I never wash my pseudo swatch.  I am living on the edge.

P.P.S. I will be at Maryland Sheep and Wool on Saturday.  Stop me and say hi if you spot me.  I may be buying some fiber.  I will go into my spinning in another post.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Hello MO FO

If you have been reading my blog for the past six months, you will note that I didn't show any  pairs of finished socks photos.  This is because since the Friday before Rhinebeck (October 14, 2011) I have had the same sock yarn on the needles.  Well, I am here to say that those sock are my new FOs.

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Doing decreases today at the National Zoo (with my Jessa Lu bag)


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Left spins clockwise and Right spins counter clockwise


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So comfortable I almost don't want to give them away

I will be giving my Mom her new socks after I soak and block them. I think I am going to make myself some Monkey Socks next.

So I now have everything knit up from last MDSW.  Yea me! Now I just have to knit 1,000 yards of lace before September 29, 2012.  Do you think I should knit a Top or a lace shawl? I am taking suggestions.

Megan, from Stockinette Zombies, mentioned this idea of knitting up everything you buy at one fiber festival before the same festival the next year. She thought it was a thing that lots of people do.  I haven't heard of anyone else doing this but me.  In fact, I thought I made it up as a way to keep me from overspending last year.It worked well and I will be doing it from now on. I recommend that everyone think about trying it sometime. It really makes you think before you buy AND it challenges you to knit it up.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Day Zero

Today is day zero of the mad month.  It was a normal Sunday so I cannot call the beginning of the crazy time till tomorrow.  So, today was pretty normal.  I didn't go out of my way to do extra cleaning as I feel like today I need to conserve my energy.  I did dishes and laundry but there are more of each waiting for me.   I actually spun on my friend's wheel and I am going to attempt to ply tomorrow. Then I am going to make myself a hat and since it is undyed wool, I am thinking I may dye it beofe knitting it up. We will see, I may just knit it up plain.

I have got a lot of sock knitting done since my last post.
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This was about 3 inches of a cuff on April 19th.

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Most of the cuff was done here this morning. Side note: on the right is my 6 year old son, Bugs, replacing batteries in his toy.  He had my 3 year old son, Boo, handing him batteries, screwdriver and the cover like Bugs was a field doctor and Boo was the nurse.  In my head played, Suicide is Painless until my kids started singing Bob the Builder. Sigh, kids these days have no culture. Giggle.

Back to the sock, this is the last photo for the night:
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Hard to see here but I have turned the heel and actually as I am typing, I only have one more decrease round until I am done with the gusset.  I am excited that I should actually go to Maryland Sheep and Wool with all the yarn knit up that I purchased last year. (Well, I will have leftovers but I am not counting them.) Yea me!!

P.S. Apple Blossom is coming up again in Winchester, VA. Please, don't forget the post I wrote last year about Cole Brother's Circus.  Wild animals should not be tormented for our enjoyment. Please, find a way to show your family and friends that the circus is best when there are only humans and possibly domesticated (well treated) animals.  For example, Big Apple Circus or Cirque Du Soleil.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Hurry up to make it easy

I am on a organizing spree of my house.  I have decluttered and organized the kids room, cleaned things that were not yet dirty, refilled soap dispensers that were half full, pulled out the crock pot and I have done more laundry then usual so I am actually ahead of my normal schedule.  Why?

I am planning to have a single parent week this next week and a crazy month this next month.  Bear is taking a volunteer fire fighter class 2 evenings a week plus two weekends in the next 6 weeks. This on top of his 48 hour schedule and one night a week mixed martial arts class.  So, I will be missing my knitting group and my nice evenings with a hubby who cooks and helps put the kids to bed.  TO add more stress, Hubby and I are both changing job descriptions, his has a raise involved (woo hoo) but both will be a big work change in the middle of crazy month. Good thing Maryland Sheep and Wool is coming up cause he will owe me a nice day off.


Speaking of all things fiber and knitting, I have an FO:

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It is Hitchhiker by Martine Behm but I had to be smarter then the designer.  So I slipped the first stitch of every row. This made the shawl a cresent shape which while pretty is not something I will do again.  Next time I see a pattern I like that has over 5,000 people who have knit it, I will follow the design.

I will say this pattern is great for handspun yarn.  I had no idea what I started with and this is how much I had left over.

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Like 4 inches, I think.  Isn't that amazing?  I think it is.

So, my goals for the next week:
  1. Stay sane: if the kids eat PB&J or hot dogs more then once this next week, the world will not end.
  2. Workout more: my birthday is coming up and I am almost down another dress size.  Birthday money will mean new clothes and I want them to be the smaller size.
  3. Knit lots on my second Down the Rabbit Hole socks: my goal is/was to knit up everything I got from MDSW before I go to a new MDSW and this sock yarn is the last of it.
Edit to add: I forgot to mention my supportive, helpful, always there when I am in a pinch mother is moving two hours south for the next year and my trusty brother the babysitter is helping her get organized, packed and such so her house can get on the market in two weeks.  They are my normal safety net.  Sigh.

Edit to add 2: I forgot about the soccer practice, soccer game and school zoo trip I offered to chaperone before I knew it would be during this mad week (Bugs and Boo are both going with me but it will be for Bugs' kindergarten class.)

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Hi Ho!

I am so sorry that I have ignored this blog for three weeks.  Everyone got sick and then the pretty weather came and I just wanted to be out in it.  I have nothing finished but I do finally have a HO*

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Down the Rabbit Hole Yes, I am in my grinch pjs. They are cozy.

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36" out of 60" done on my Stash Down Blanket

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18 points on my Mermaid Hitchhiker I have to get knitting fast on this since I only have 8 days to finish it if I want it to count towards the SSK KAL. I may learn how to knit on the stationary bike.

Speaking of workouts, I can fit in my skinny clothes!! This is the size I was 10 years ago! I am still working out 3 days a week and hope to continue my weight loss.  I can do a mile in 15.23 minutes on the treadmill and 2 miles in 20 minutes on the elliptical.  Best part is that I look forward to my workouts. I am so excited about how good I feel.

*(Half-finished object normally when you have to make two of something the first one finished is a HO. See Stockinette Zombies for more details. They are awesome. )