stringUSalong

Olympics, recap

2010-03-05T02:21:00.002+01:00

Dear Jenn,
I'm still waiting for pictures of the scarf.

I also have yet to block the mittens. I'll do it this weekend because it's supposed to get warm out. Why block them now when that would make them too wet to wear? Better to wear them now, and block them when I won't need them, right?

I took it to the wire once again this year, finishing about 10 minutes before the torch went out. I could have finished them sooner, but there was that whole floor thing going on. It's still not all the way done. There's that whole bit with the carpet threasholds. I hope we get that done this weekend so I can stop stapling the underlayment back down.

Knitting Olympics!

2010-02-12T20:58:00.001+01:00

Dear Jenn,

Is it silly that I look forward to this? I mean, what's keeping me from doing this kind of thing any time? I could always just give myself 17 days to do a big thing or learn a new skill. Maybe it's just because I know there are other people out there doing it. It makes the knitting a less solitary thing. A lot like going to knit night.
I did make it out this week. I even ordered hot chocolate, but didn't get to drink it because I forgot that places make it with real milk and stuff, and I haven't had real milk to drink in over a year.
But anyway... The olympics! They start tonight. I did my swatching today.

It's 11sts to the inch instead of the 9 the pattern wants. But the pattern is written for medium sized hands. My hands are small sized hands and mittens are generally too big for me. And this is just stripes when only the palm part is striped, so that means that they should be just a tad bit bigger, right? At this gauge the hand part would be 6.5 inches, and my hand at its widest is 7 inches. Are mittens like hats? Do we want a little negative ease? Tell me that we do, and then I won't have to get properly dressed so I can go to the store...

Happy birthday to me!

2010-02-09T23:04:00.003+01:00

Dear Jenn,
I got the best package in the mail. Not only did it have some really swank yarn, it had a great laugh in it as well.

I'm still giggling over it.
Now.... What do I make with this deliciousness?

Thank you!

Big Hat, Tiny Head

2010-02-08T17:24:00.005+01:00

Okay, we both know that I have trouble with hats. Sizing them properly, that is. I seem to be able to manage just fine when the hat is for someone else. But when I try to knit a hat for myself... I must think my head is enormous! But my knitting really proves - I do NOT have a big head.

I had decided to 'retire' my kitty hat. I picked out a pattern that I liked, "Stella's Hat." Found some yarn that I liked - one strand of blue alpaca held together with a deep purple silk tweed (52% silk/48% lambswool) and set to work.

I knit and knit and knit and knit and knit and knit some more. This hat was taking forever to knit. A more competent knitter would have been alerted by the length of time it was taking to knit a simple hat for a relatively small head. I was not. Just kept knitting.

And then finally it was done! I was so excited. I finished it the Sunday before last and wore it the very next day. It was very warm. I liked the colors. It wasn't very snug, though, as a good winter hat should be. Again, a more competent knitter would have wondered WHY it wasn't very snug, they might have even been concerned. I was not. I wore it anyway. It was warm. It was pretty.

A week went by, I wore my hat every day, several times a day (it's very cold over here at the moment.) One day I realized that I kept having to push my hat up while I was driving so that I could see the road. "Hmmmmmmmmmmmm," I thought. When I got home I looked at myself in the mirror. I put the hat on. I turned my head this way and that. I pulled the hat up so that I could see better. It was about that time that I thought to myself "This hat is waaaaaaay too big!"

I was depressed. I really liked the hat. It was fun to knit. It had pretty yarn. It was warm. I started thinking about my options.... Did I know anyone with a ridiculously large head that needed a new winter hat? Dare I try felting it? I did not want to felt the hat - it would loose the pretty swirl on the top, it would probably end up too short. What to do? What to do? I pondered all weekend.

This morning I woke up and I KNEW. I knew exactly what to do. I got out a needle and cut a length of the leftover purple silk tweed. And I "took in" my hat. I love it even more. I like how it sort of "pooches" in the back.

After reviewing this picture I decided that it would be impossible for me to take a decent picture of myself wearing the hat. Perhaps I'll get Dave to take a picture of me wearing it tomorrow morning.

So I used an upturned bucket as a hat holder. You can see a little better the shape of the hat. But the color is soooo off.

The pretty swirl on the top, and MUCH truer colors.

The back, where I made the tuck. (My apologies for the blurry picture.)

Another view of "the tuck." And again, much truer colors.

And just how much did I have to take the hat in? Oh, about 3 inches.

Snow

2010-01-30T17:48:00.003+01:00

Dear Jenn,
We finally got a chance to try out the sleds that you sent us last year. The news has been all morning because of the **WINTER STORM ALERT** (dramatic music) that dumped 3-4ish inches on us. It's still sleeting. It's cold. It's perfect for a ride on our Swedish sleds.

This just in

2010-01-27T23:27:00.002+01:00

Sweaters are very exciting!

I started knitting this when Rowan had his pre op, and finished it the night before his post op. But I'm not going to call it the bone graft sweater. It's the Pixie Dust sweater, because that's the name of the colorway. I mean really... with a name like that, I HAD to buy it. It was pretty much an obligation.

I bought the yarn for my Olympic knitting today, too. Have you picked out what you're going to make?

History Lesson

2010-01-24T10:00:00.002+01:00

A long, long time ago there were these two really good friends. One friend had taught the other friend to knit. They would often have knit nights together. Then one day one of the friends moved to a distant, far-away land. They were very sad. They missed each other terribly. They would often call and email each other and talk about knitting. Then one day one of the friends had a wonderful idea - they could write a blog together, and post all of their knitting triumphs and failures and questions and funny stories. And it was wonderful, for a time. Then 'other' life started getting in the way. The friends still knit, but they didn't have time to post their stories to the blog.

How does this story end?

Had to Share This With You

2009-05-04T19:49:00.003+02:00

Just got off the phone with my Mom. She said that she called JoAnn's Fabrics and asked if they had "size 3, 16 inch circular needles." The man on the phone checked and came back and said "We only have size 3, 14 inch circular needles." Mom thought that was a bit odd, but said okay, thank you. Later that morning she went to JoAnn's, straight back to the knitting needle section. She stood and looked at every single package of knitting needles. She could not find either size 3, 14 inch circular nor could she find size 3, 16 inch circular. She asked the man that had spoken to her on the phone for help. He walked back to the knitting needles. Mom said "I've already looked at every single pair of needles, and they aren't there." After a few moments the man pulled a pair off the wall and turned to Mom with a triumphant smile and said "Here you go!" They were size 3mm, 14 inch straights. Ignoring the fact that she wanted size US3 she stated the obvious "Those are not circular." To which the man replied "Oh yes, they are - the needles are round!"

I wonder if this man was blonde...

Peeples in Malmö

2009-04-08T16:38:00.001+02:00

No, Milli, I have have not knit any peeps this Easter. Last year I knit Lilli a pink one and Tipton a white one. They thought they were eggs. Perhaps it was the fault of the yarn. I did not have the good peeps yarn like I've got now. I will have to try again, someday. But for now I am obsessed with my log cabin blanket.

yay!

2009-04-07T21:05:00.002+02:00

Dear Jenn,
I'm so glad to see you blogging again! yay!
I will be working on a problem solving thing over the next few days and will have pictures for you then. I was knitting for Jessica (I'm pretty sure she found me through you) and developed a large waistband problem. Like a giant hole problem. In finished pants problem. That would require massive amounts of reknitting on pants that I already knit the second leg twice problem...

Ya. I'm trying to get around this hole thing. I'm planning on a really long graft, but if I can manage it, it will be gold. Pure gold.

So glad to have you back! Love the snakes. Have you knit peeps yet? I just started one last night.

Remember Me?

2009-04-07T10:26:00.007+02:00

Hi Milli, remember me? I'm your co-blogger. Sorry for the prolonged absence. I have no excuse, really. Just lazy and preoccupied with life and whatnot. Anyway, here's what I've been up to. Really, there should be a lot more than there is, but I took a hiatus from knitting to finish Lilli's Christmas stocking. I can post pictures of that later if you'd like (I'll have to dig it out of the Christmas stuff.) So, on with the knitting!

As you know, my Mom was here over Christmas. She did some knitting.

I knit Dave a hat. I forget what yarn I used, but I held it double stranded - one strand black and one strand grey. It was some sort of cotton blend. It is super soft and very, very warm. I knit it in a K3, P2 sort of pattern (I think, based on this picture.)

I knit new mocs for the kiddos. Lilli, of course, chose hot pink.

Tipton chose bright green.

I cannot seem to find the pictures I took of them after they were felted. If I can't find them I'll just have to take more...

A friend of Dave's had a baby girl, so I knit her a little kimono sweater. Of course, in keeping with tradition I have not mailed it to her yet. (Eleri will get hers some day, I promise... not that she needs it now, nor would she fit in it at this point.) I knit this one out of baby eco-cotton. So it's machine washable.

And of course I've knit up some dishcloths. Here are a few I was able to round up for a picture. There are many more, but they are hiding - stalking me from the laundry basket, I'm sure.

I seem to have spent most of my time knitting snakes. Yes, snakes. Glow-in-the-dark snakes. One green, one pink. On little tiny needles. I blew through the first one, but got bored about halfway through the second one. And that's what's taken so long. I finally pushed through the tedium this weekend, however, and now have two completed snakes.

Of course the pink one is Lilli's. I finished the green one (Tipton's) first. My Mom found the glow-in-the-dark yarn in a dollar store. She just couldn't resist. She knew I'd be able to make something for the kiddos out of it. And yes, it really does glow.

I'm sure I've told you that my friend, Sam, is moving back to the US. She has been going through stuff and trying to downsize for the move. So she brought me all of her yarn. Sam is a loom knitter. She knits baby blankets on a large circular loom. So she had lots of really soft bright and pastel yarn, mostly acryllic. Three giant ziplock bags full (the superduper extra large ziplock bags - the size you can fit a small child in.) What to do with so much yarn?

Log Cabin! I've only just started. And yes, I've already made a mistake. I'm sure you can spot it. I thought about taking it out but then thought "it will give it character." And it will serve as a reminder not to make the same stupid mistake again. Besides, this one will be for me. And I've got more than enough yarn to make another one, without the mistake.

So that's a little of what I've been up to. I promise to be a better co-blogger from now on.

What have you been up to?

If we were in a blizzard

2009-02-07T03:50:00.001+01:00

Dear Jenn,

You'll be pleased to know that according to this quiz, if we were stranded in a blizzard, I would only be 20% likely to eat you.

Good to know!

this month

2009-02-03T19:29:00.001+01:00

Dear Jenn,
This month, I vow to knit a sock.
I've been wanting to. So I will.
I will knit a sock. maybe even two.
How about you?

Purple

2009-01-23T18:46:00.003+01:00

Dear Jenn,
One purple cardigan, done.

This is the baby cardi from Knitting Pure and Simple. The free one. I went with no hood because I was afraid of running out of yarn. Very nice pattern - quick and no seaming. This is the newborn size. I'd call it 3-6 months sized. It's supposed to have ties to close it, but I don't know if I'll get around to those. I might find some cute buttons or something.
Eleri seems delighted with it though.

holy crap it's cold!

2009-01-16T17:01:00.002+01:00

Dear Jenn,

It is 19 degrees outside.
19.
I remember being a kid in northern IN, and my mom had this rule about it needing to be at least 19 for us to go out and play... I must have been some kind of burly because that is way too cold now.

*shiver*

flickr app

2009-01-09T01:52:00.002+01:00

Dear Jenn,

You use flickr, right? You should try out this application. It's very addictive.

Extreme knitting

2009-01-07T19:06:00.003+01:00

Dear Jenn,
I finished these last night, but haven't woven in that last end because you have to see...
Let's get in the right frame of mind first.

I chose a light purple for the waist and cuffs, because I was afraid of running out of yarn to make small britches. I know I would have enough, but I feel the psychological need of padding. So anyway... chose the lavendar because I thought it looked pretty.
There is some pooling strangeness with the green on one side and the pinks/purples on the other side in the body, but I don't rip back for pooling unless it's superugly. This is ok.
I parceled out my lavendar into two balls for the cuffs, so I would know I had enough.
I had a bunch left over after the first leg cuff. I mentally gave myself a pat on the back for being so thoughtful as to assure my sanity.
Sometime between that first cuff, and the last one the larger ball of cuff yarn walked off (on little Niall feet). I didn't realize this. I thought I had the good ball with me as I began that last cuff.
And then it seemed to get small really quickly. You know how that happens. You're whipping along knitting and ZOOP! there goes the end of the ball.
I started to sweat. I also may have been muttering some things about Niall that weren't exactly complimentary. I looked for the bigger ball, but I couldn't find it anywhere. I decided to stick it out and see.
I won. Barely. But I won.

Oh and the missing ball? I found it this morning under the microwave.
Well played, Niall. Well played.

Be Advised

2009-01-03T17:41:00.001+01:00

I am knitting again.

I just finished a hat for Dave. A hat that not only fits him, but that he actually likes and is even currently wearing.

Next up: mocs for the kiddos.

I promise pictures, soon.

Take outfit, insert baby

2008-10-17T03:43:00.003+02:00

Dear Jenn,
I said I would make a post for you to wake up to, so here it is!
Here's the outfit we have for PixieLee to wear home:

I haven't finished the ends yet. I've been really slack about that lately. But the shirt is cute.

My friend Annette has a little hyenacart shop called Biltmore Baby, and she made this shirt.
I also got one for Rowan that says "speaker of the house" and one for Niall that says "agent of chaos."

This is the sweater I'm making for Lisa's baby:

I ended up striping the sleeve because my incredible planning ability made me pair cream trim on a red sweater. Santa! So ya, I striped the sleeve. I'm not sure how I like it since it's raglan, and I have to make the other sleeve and do all the ends. But maybe she'll wear it for Christmas and it will be cute.

I also finished my boppy pillow for PixieLee:

The boys are already plotting to steal it, even though they each have theirs from when they were babies.

And finally, the yarn I got today. It's from Zenstring and is her "bambewe" - a blend of bamboo and marino. It's so soft! And pretty! The colorway is called Cupcake. I'm going to make the kimono sweater for PixieLee out of this.

And that's all I got for now. I'm having contractions in the evenings, but nothing real. I hope I don't do this for weeks on end. I'd kind of like to have a baby by the time you're here.

A Long Time Coming...

2008-10-02T16:28:00.003+02:00

A long, long time ago I knit my first sweater. I started and finished it within a couple of weeks. Sometime last year. It was a realatively easy knit, and I was really happy with the results - until I had Lilli try it on. It wouldn't go over her head, the neck was too small (and not at all stretchy) and my kids have little heads. I thought about picking out the neck and trying a more stretchy bind off, but was just so disgusted with the idea that I wadded the sweater into a ball and threw it to the bottom of Lilli's closet. Where it sat for about a year.

Then yesterday Lilli decided that she wanted to wear the sweater. I have grown a lot as a knitter in the past year. I have learned about many new techniques. Like steeks. Sooooo, I sewed a big "V" in the front of the sweater, coming down from the neck. And then I cut it. It was very liberating!

So instead of a roll-neck sweater it's more of a shallow 'V' neck sweater.

And the best part - it now goes over Lilli's head, and it still fits!

some of it

2008-09-24T15:52:00.002+02:00

Dear Jenn,

Yep I finished Mom's afghan. It's somewhere in my ravelry. I've not updated that thing in ages.
I'm sending these pants off today.

They were pretty boring to knit but that's what she wanted so that's what I did. You can't imagine the FUN of looking them over and picking off all the little white Loki hairs. It reminded me of our old place and the navy carpet and how much I hated it.
I also sent this to my friend Erin.

She had a baby on Aug 4th. Note the smudge at the top of the picture. That's how humid it is.
Also went to knit night last night with my friend Jamie. She lives in Holly Springs too. And once again we were the only people there. What's the point of driving 25mins to Cary if we're the only ones who show up? So we're starting our own knit night here in town. At a coffee shop that sells ICE CREAM. It will be cool. We scouted it out, and they have a couch.

Baby steps

2008-09-23T07:46:00.003+02:00

Dear Milli,

I am gearing up for a long cold, wet winter of knitting. I'm starting small. So far this week I have finished two dishrags. And by finish I mean I have knitted them but have not woven in the ends. Hence no photo.

I am psyching myself up to knit sweaters for Tipton and Lilli. I bought the yarn last spring.

I also need to get knitting on some wee baby items. I know of three babies in need of hand knits!

Hey, did you ever finish the afghan for your mom?

Jenn

Ok....

2008-09-22T17:06:00.002+02:00

Dear Jenn,

We need to get back on the horse.
I bought a new cord for the camera. Pics to come.
I also drew Mom's name for Christmas, so I have to make her something. I'm thinking the Hey Teach. I can't talk about it on the Sweet Tea blog because she looks at that one.

Anyway... Ya. It's a beautiful day but there's a stupid chirping bug hanging out under the window. Every time it starts up either Rowan or I go out with the broom and beat on the bush. I'd squish the durn thing if I could find it.

it's famous

2008-08-25T19:36:00.001+02:00

Dear Jenn,

Crazy Aunt Purl mentioned Malmo today.
Also, we are lame at keeping up this blog.
Let's be better about that.

I can't find the camera cord.

Sunworshiping

2008-05-22T17:01:00.002+02:00

Dear Milli,

I'm sorry that I missed your IM the other day. The weather here has been so NICE lately - sunny, warm, breezy. Did I mention SUNNY? Have to take advantage of these nice days. You really appreciate nice weather when you only get it about two months out of the year. So, I've been spending as much time outside as possible. Right now it doesn't start getting dark until about 11:00 in the evening, and it's light around 4:00 in the morning. So there's a lot of time to be had outside. It's not like in North Carolina. Sun doesn't equal humidity here. You can actually breathe outside in the summer time here. So very nice. Must get back outside.

Stor Kram,
Jenn

Promises, Promises...

2008-05-08T22:14:00.003+02:00

I know, I know. I owe you pictures. Pictures of the washcloths that I knit with the pattern that my mom brought (as well as the pattern.) Pictures of the socks I'm working on - or not working as seems to be the case.

The weather here has been wonderful, which is such a delightful change from cold and rainy. It's staying light longer, too. We've been taking advantage of our meteorological good fortune. Walking the kids to school, playing outside more, etc. And it seems that I've completely lost track of my ability to follow a schedule. The kids are in bed on time one day and an hour late the next. And when I do finally get them in bed I have no desire to knit. I'm just not all that interested in what I'm knitting at the moment. Do I really need to finish the pair of wool socks when it's almost 70 degrees outside? Do I really need to finish that washcloth when I've got a whole drawer full of them? What I'd really like to do is start a sweater for either Tipton or Lilli. But I haven't had the ability to concentrate long enough in the evenings to get started.

And then this afternoon I saw a friend of mine working on a counted cross stitch pattern. And I though "Geez! I really need to get working on the counted cross stitch Christmas stocking that I'm making for Lilli - I'm already a year or two behind on it!" So this evening I dug it out and began working on it again. I'd forgotten how much I like working counted cross stitch. If I'm good and diligent, I should be able to have it finished by the end of June. That's my goal, anyway.

And then I'll get back to knitting. I promise.

The One that Got Away...

2008-05-01T22:30:00.001+02:00

I finished knitting a pink and orange Tawashi Fishy this morning. I got all the ends woven in and had just cast on to make the eye when Lilli ran off with it. Somewhere in my house lies a sightless little fish.

Does this cheer you up?

2008-04-28T18:34:00.002+02:00

Dear Jenn,
Maybe this will cheer you up?

Boy, I didn't notice until just now that I should probably wash my mirror. :)

I'm Here, Really I Am

2008-04-28T15:47:00.003+02:00

Dear Milli,

I'm here, really. It's been a long month. My mom was here visiting for most of it. She just left yesterday. I miss her already! We had two birthdays and three birthday parties. The kids are each one year older (and I swear I've aged at least two more years myself.) Did some knitting, but nothing much really to write about. Learned a new washrag pattern. It's pretty simple and looks nice. Knits up really fast. I'll blog about it later. Mom and I did some sewing while she was here. Well, mostly Mom did the sewing. I cut out the fabric. (My Mom is lefthanded and I'm not - I don't have lefthanded scissors.) She made some cute things for Lilli and I am inspired to make Lilli a few more little tank-style A-line dresses (so simple, so cute!) Mom also did lots of cooking while she was here, so I've got lots of tastey recipes to share. I'll blog about those (or maybe just email them to you) later. And I'll post pictures later, too. So much to do - later! Today has been mostly about 'getting back to square One" as my MIL likes to say.

It's a beautiful day here - lots of sunshine, warm temps (55 - a veritable heatwave!) and breezy. I could do with a little less breezy, but it's still really nice. I've got all the doors and windows opened in an attempt to blow away all the germs that have been plaguing us all winter. I even rode my bike to pick Lilli up from school this afternoon. Spring is finally here!

Hope spring is there, too!

Jenn

Finally solo!

2008-04-20T18:15:00.002+02:00

Dear Jenn,

It's been a while since I wrote, but I'm feeling more human now so will jump back into being a good friend again. yay!
So anyway, Rowan has always been reluctant to any steps to remove training wheels from his bike. I knew he could balance because I got him one of those little scooters for Christmas and if he can balance on those two little dinky wheels he can ride a bike.
So then I was reading about balance bikes, and how it's better to use those instead of training wheels because the child actually learns to lean and whatnot. But balance bikes are $$. But then my neighbor offered an old rusty 12" bike to us that we would be free to destroy. So we removed the pedals, chain, etc, and there you go. Balance bike.
He played with it all week and built up his nerve. And then I took the training wheels of his bike and said, "This is just like the walky bike, only it has pedals!" Wow! Concept!
It worked!
Rowan rides a bike.

Chocolate!

2008-04-02T15:06:00.002+02:00

Dear Jenn,

I got a package in the mail! And a great note that gives me scientific backup as to the fact that pregnant women need all the chocolate they can get their hands on.
It helps that I've not had any problem with keeping the chocolate down. I think this baby will be made of choco dyno bites (the malt o meal version of cocoa pebbles). But hey, at least I'm getting all the calcium I need.
Speaking of cereal, what are those coated flake things in the bowl? And should I eat them with milk?

Managed SnB last night. Had a few dicey moments when I had to turn on the shock collar and just sit there. It bites that laughing makes me want to hurl. But I brought home two chocolate croissants (the chocolate content makes them hurl free food) and shared with John, so all was well in the end. And I took my sock and got mostly done with the heel flap, and you know, it wasn't as irritating as I thought it would be. I just might take to sock knitting again.

Lina's Scarf and the Kitty Hat

2008-03-27T19:58:00.002+01:00

My friend, Lina, was my first friend over here in Sweden. And she told me about Anita's - a nice yarn shop downtown. So for International Women's Day (which was March 6th or 7th, I think) I gave her a scarf. Now, I've had the yarn for this scarf for a while now. I saw it and thought "That would make a really cool scarf for Lina!" And I had been holding onto it, just waiting for the perfect scarf pattern to show it off. And then I came across the Easy Drop Stitch Scarf pattern while playing around on Ravelry. It was perfect! The scarf actually went much quicker than I had anticipated, and it really does show off the yarn beautifully. And Lina loves it.

I would just like to state that I have now knit a hat that actually FIT in one try. No second attempts were necessary. There wasn't a first "oh, this will be Lilli's" hat, nor was there a first "I wonder what will happen if I felt this" hat. No, there was just one hat that fits perfectly!

The pattern is Kitty Hat. The pattern was very easy and it went together much quicker than I thought it would. As soon as I'd finished this hat Lilli ran up, grabbed it and yelled "Mine!" and ran off with it. So I think I'm going to have to make her one. Only I'm sure hers will be in pink. Unfortunately, I don't have a good picture to show off the pom poms at the bottom of the i-cords. I wasn't sure if I would like the pom poms, but they are kind of fun.

I wore this hat out yesterday when I was walking around downtown (it was snowing!) And I kept getting these weird looks from everyone. It finally ocurred to me that maybe it was the bright pink kitty ears that was drawing everyone's attention. Whatever - I love the hat. It's fun, warm and it FITS!

FO

2008-03-27T14:03:00.002+01:00

Dear Jenn,

I made this veggie crown for someone who wants to have a veggie theme for her little guy's first birthday. The pattern isn't mine (it's the one from LTK) so no money could change hands, but she asked me to make it in exchange for a couple of shirts for the boys. So that's what I did.

The corn one is my favorite.

Coming Soon...

2008-03-22T19:44:00.002+01:00

... pictures of some finished objects! To include: Kitty Hat, two Peeps (one pink, one white) and Lina's scarf. Oh, and a washcloth.

Pictures and details coming soon, I promise.

Sländan

2008-03-20T14:38:00.005+01:00

In February, on one of the few days that nobody was sick, I went to Lund with some friends. Lilli went with us. We went to Sländan, a yarn shop on the main shopping street. It is a good thing that store is in Lund and not Malmö...

Now for the details...

Enough soft pink Merino to make Lilli a sweater (plus an extra skein, just in case.)

Enough soft charcoal merino to make Tipton a sweater (plus an extra skein, just in case.)

Some yummy silk, because it was on sale. (I think Lilli was influencing my color choice.) I have no idea what I'm going to make with this. I just like to hold it in my lap.

Some red and black cotton, for a special project for You-Know-Who. (I've finished my part of the project and hope to get it in the mail soon.)

This stuff is supper soft and fluffy. I've already made a white peep (bunny) out of the white stuff. I'm gonna make one out of the pink, too.

I bought this yarn as a birthday present for a wonderful friend of mine. I turned the labels upside down because I was planning to post the pictures before she got the yarn. (That didnt' happen.) I remember that it was a wool/soybean blend, but I don't remember the percentages.

And if you spend enough money, and you've got a little girl with you who is destined to become a knitter, you get a free gift. I was standing outside the store waiting for my friends to make their purchases and the owner ran out of the store and handed this to Lilli:

Her very own spool knitter!

Tawashi!

2008-03-12T21:59:00.002+01:00

Dear Jenn,

My friend Kerry told me about a group on Ravelry called Tawashi town. It's a group for little scrubbers and washcloths made from Japanese patterns. Some of them are really cute, and they're really good for instant gratification.
This week, they put up an English translation of the Fishy Tawashi pattern.

Rowan has claimed him for his bath. Niall is requesting blue.

Bright cabin, FO's and flowers

2008-03-10T01:42:00.003+01:00

Dear Jenn,
Let's do the flowers first.

Some of our spectacular neighbor kids ripped this branch off the tree in their yard. I'm sure his mom is pleased. But Rowan asked if he could have it and they let him, so he brought them to me. A touch of pretty for my kitchen, for as long as they last.

And FO's

For Jessica, who is a friend to Elvira, who is a friend to you.

I have another soaker nearly done for my friend Fiona, but I've not taken pictures of it yet.

And the super bright log cabin

You can see why the boys love it. It's about the size of a potholder now. I wonder how big it will be when I run out of yarn?

2008-03-06T14:08:00.003+01:00

At last! I have sewn up the baby kimono sweater for my friend's baby.

I sure hope it still fits... I have been putting off and putting off finishing up the sweater. Really, all that I needed to do was sew up the sides and sew on the ribbon ties. But I just haven't wanted to do it. It's not something I can do while the kids are awake (and around.) And it required more concentration than I was willing to give during my tv-viewing/knitting hours (after the kids go to bed.) So I had been "saving" the finishing for our next knitting group. And not only did I get the sweater finished up, but I also added a little ribbon embellishment to the bootees.

And one of my friends said "Oh, wouldn't it be cute if you had a matching hat to send, too!" And I thought "Yeah, that would be great!" And so it began... I had just enough yarn left for a baby hat. But which pattern? My friend mentioned a baby hat she'd seen that had a little knot on the top, and a ribbon was tied around the knot. I wanted that. I wanted to knit a cute little hat like that. But again - what pattern? I flipped through a few books and was getting ready to search a little online, when I saw that YOU, my dear Milli, YOU were online! So I asked you - do you have a simple baby hat pattern? And you did! You suggested a simple baby rolled-brim hat. And it worked perfectly! Came out exactly as I was hoping it would (and really, how often does THAT happen when I make a hat??) At the top I decreased down to three stitches, then went down a needle size and knit an i-cord that was almost the lenght of my hand. I tied it in a knot at the base of the i-cord, then tied a little pink ribbon between the knot and the top of the hat. It looks so cute! (If I do say so myself.)

And it just makes the little ensemble.

Works In Progress

2008-02-28T15:57:00.002+01:00

The last post was about Finished Objects. This post is about objects that I hope to have finished soon. We'll start with the oldest, and most time critical (and of course the one I keep neglecting.)

A friend of mine recently had a baby girl. I decided to knit her a baby kimono sweater, using the pattern out of Mason Dixon Knitting. It's a great pattern, this is my third baby kimono sweater. (Actually, the entire book is wonderful - I want to make everything in it and can't wait for their second book to be released!) I finished knitting the sweater, but needed to get ribbon for the ties, so I didn't sew up the sides. Instead, I cast on some matching bootees. Then sewed up the bootees. And last week I finally got some yarn for the ties, but still haven't sewed up the sides of the sweater. If I wait too much longer it's not going to fit the baby, so I guess I'd better get crackin'... Here's how it looks as of now.

And just what am I working on when I'm not sewing up the sweater? A scarf, of course! I have no idea who I'm knitting it for, but I've been wanting to knit it for a while now. I've had two balls of this yarn in my stash and have been waiting for just the right pattern. And the other day when I was poking around in Ravelry I found it! The Drop Stitch Scarf! It is perfect. I love the pattern, it shows off the yarn beautifully. Only, it takes more than just two little balls of yarn. So of course I had to buy more. But I couldn't remember the color that I already had. So I decided to buy colors that I thought were pretty, even though they aren't the same. We'll see how it turns out. Here's what I've got so far and the remaining balls of yarn.

Finally Finished Objects!

2008-02-28T15:30:00.002+01:00

Way back when, before I moved over here, you'd given me a pattern for some mocs. You had even ordered really nice yarn for me. And my first month over here I started knitting them. Originally, I was going to make a pair of mocs for Tipton (hence the color choice.) I got about 3/4 of the way done with the first one and got stuck. The pattern called for me to do something I'd never done before. Something I had no idea how to do - something I'd never even heard of. And since I had no internet and no phone and knew nobody whom I could ask, I set it aside and forgot about it. Then a month or so ago I (tried to) organize my stash and came across the almost finished first moc. I decided to finish the pair.

However, it seems in the past year and a half my knitting tension has loosened up a bit. And the mocs came out two very different sizes. I thought maybe they'd magically shrink to be the same size when I felted them, but no such luck. So I cast on a third moc. (Remind you of anything, like oh say - mittens?) And I had so much yarn left over that I decided to make a pair for myself as well. So I did. Here are my mocs before felting:

And here they are after felting:

The green really faded! Don't get me wrong, I like it. It's more of a sage green than the bright pea green. Unfortunately...

when I felted the first (mis-sized) pair of mocs, they did not fade as much. So now, although I've got two mocs that are the same size and they were knit out of the exact same wool, I still do not have a "matching" pair.

It makes me wonder... what will happen when I attempt a pair of socks?

And then we've got another giant hat. I bought the Lucy pattern from Little Turtle Knits*, because the hat would look absolutely adorable on Lilli. I knit a gauge swatch and made gauge and measured Lilli's head... and knit a hat that was enormous - way too big even for me to wear. So I cast on again, for the smallest size of the pattern. It was still too big for Lilli. I threw both hats in the top of my yarn closet and forgot about them. Until I started felting the mocs. Then I though - huh, wonder what will happen if I felt the biggest Lucy hat?

Before:

After:

It lost the pretty stitch definition (obviously - I FELTED it!) but it now fits, and still looks pretty darn cute!

*Just checked Little Turtle Knits - was gonna link to it, but didn't. They no longer seem to have the Lucy pattern.

Always good

2008-02-17T21:36:00.001+01:00

Dear Jenn,

sometimes when I'm wading through a sea of used kleenex, I find it hard to smile. So I watch this. And it always works.
I might even find the will to knit again.

Dishrags - A Still Life

2008-02-16T18:10:00.004+01:00

This month my house has been filled with germs. Germs that prevent me from knitting on the cute baby sweater and baby bootees that need to be knitted. But being housebound and sick and watching an endless stream of childrens videos - I needed some knitting. Some mindless knitting. So I knit dishrags.

First I knit a simple moss stitch dishrag in the denim ombre colorway. Then I knit a ball band dishrag with denim ombre and cream. Then I knit another ball band dishrag in cream and denim ombre. And finally I made up my own pattern - cream knit in moss stitch with two bands of denim ombre knit in seed stitch. And then I ran out of denim ombre. Still have lots of cream, though (it was a jumbo sized ball.)

Hopefully we have come to the end of the germ pool. Honestly, there's really not much left that we haven't already had this month. But I've got lots more dishrag cotton, just in case.

Just in case you didn't know that...

2008-02-12T01:57:00.000+01:00

Apparently, milk conatains milk.

UFO (Unintentionably Felted Object)

2008-02-11T13:31:00.000+01:00

The good news is - I have felted my first knitted object!

The bad news is - I did not mean to felt anything.

The kids winter suits were caked with mud, so I washed them. Lilli's pink hat somehow managed to get into the washer, too. Along with one tiny little lego. The lego made it all the way to the filter, which caused the washer to quit working - it would not drain the water out of the drum. Now, I have a front loading washing machine. I could see that it was half filled with really, really dirty water. I also saw that Lilli's pink baby alpaca hat was floating in all that dirty water. After I drained the water and removed the lego I was able to open the door and rescue the little pink hat. Little now being the key word.

The good news is - the hat was too big for Lilli's head before (I know how shocked and surprised you are to hear that.)

The bad news is - now the hat is just a little too small. It fits, circumference-wise. But it is just a little shorter than it should be.

Still, she wears it and loves it.

You tell me

2008-02-09T15:21:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,

John came across this description in a book.
"Sweden dangles like a flaccid circumsized phallus. Finland bulges scrotally underneath." (Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson)

For some reason, it made him think of you immediately. I don't know why. You don't have a penis.

All that latex makes me shudder

2008-02-08T19:36:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,

You need to show this to Jenni.

hat thing

2008-02-06T19:35:00.000+01:00

My friend Kerry sent me this link.

Part 1 of the 8 trick pocket hat

A good one to have.

Tipton's New Hat

2008-02-04T17:03:00.000+01:00

Tipton has been wearing a hat that I did not knit. A hat that was bought in a store. I just have never found the right hat pattern for him. Until you posted the pictures of the hats that you made for Rowan and John. What a great hat pattern!

Of course, I didn't follow the pattern, not for the 'embellishments.' I don't know how to crochet, so for the edging I used an attatched i-cord. And instead of a pompom on the top, I attached three braids. Oh yeah, and I added a stripe to the body of the hat. And I used a thick "Winter Cotton" instead of wool.

When I make it again (and I will - Lilli wants one now) I will probably go down a needle size and knit with 9s instead of 10s (guage-schmage.) And I will add the stripe sooner. And not make the hat so "tall/long."

But overall I am very happy with the end results. And Tipton LOVES it - and really, what more can a mom/knitter ask than for my son/the recipient to be thrilled with what I have made for him.

Entrelac Exposed!

2008-02-04T16:46:00.000+01:00

At long last, here are pictures of Danica, the entrelac scarf. I have yet to get an accurate picture fo the color. Really, it is not bright red, brown and turquoise. It's not. It's burgundy, olive and peacock blue. Much prettier than it sounds, I assure you.

The question remains - to fringe or not to fringe?

ick

2008-02-04T03:00:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,

No worries on the no pictures, we're sick too. High fevers and all that happiness. Wee. I did manage to escape today for a quick haircut, but the picture I took is not flattering. Lots of forehead and couch hair. Will take a better one another day.
But here!

Jo came over last Thursday night for her first knitting lesson. She was cracking me up, all saying how she was not the most dexterous person and then being happy that she could do each new task. It was fun.
Other than that, not much new. It's hard to knit when you have to hold child A or child B, or entertain them in some fashion. And now I'm feeling gross, so it won't be long before I'm turning on the tv just so they'll leave me alone for a while.
Speaking of tv, this was our favorite of the commercial offerings for the super bowl.

Three Little Words

2008-02-03T07:45:00.000+01:00

Sorry that I haven't posted pictures of the Danica scarf. But I've got a decent excuse...

Winter. Vomiting. Sickness.

Exiting Entrelac - Pictures at 11:00 (or whenever)

2008-01-30T22:10:00.000+01:00

Dear Milli,

Danica - she is complete! That is, I have finished knitting the entrelac scarf. I have even gone so far as to weave in the ends. But I haven't blocked it yet. And I still haven't decided about the fringe. I suppose I could ask my mother-in-law, since it is to be her scarf... Hmmm.

I will take pictures tomorrow. Hopefully.

Knit Group

2008-01-30T07:36:00.000+01:00

Dear Milli,

How was the knit group at Border's? Did you go? You said you were going to go...

The knit group we've started over here is going pretty good. So far we've met twice. Three of us the first time, four the second time. We'll meet again next week and we should have five then! One of the ladies doesn't knit but crochets, and she is making the coolest pom pom scarf! Her pom poms are so perfectly round and full. I must find out her secret. I shall bribe her with chocolate chip cookie bars.

I am almost finished with the entrelac scarf. I still have a few more repeats to go, but decided to weave in all the ends last night. It looks much better, and it didn't take me nearly as long as I thought it would. So now my question is - to fringe or not to fringe?

Jenn

Hat Theory

2008-01-27T02:18:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,

I emailed this to you, but wanted to stick it here so I could find it again.

I have a hat theory...
Are you knitting from a pattern?
hats are always too big if I follow what the pattern says. Don't know why, but they are.
Coronet was the only hat I've ever stuck to the pattern and it fit.
So here's what I do...

Guage = x per inch
Head = y inches

You would think that you just cast on xy right? nope.

y - 3ish inches = z

cast on xz

reason being... knitting stretches and you want a snug fit. So make it too small, on purpose.
If you're using a pattern, figure out the above and use whatever size on the pattern that calls for the stitches near to what you'd cast on.

maybe?

How soft are dreams anyway?

2008-01-26T01:14:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,

My neighbor (whose last name is Neighbors - no joke!) saw me knitting out in the cul de sac while I was watching the boys one afternoon. We chatted a bit, and that was all.
Well this evening she came trotting over with a box and basket of yarn. She's having a house guest coming, so was cleaning out a closet and came across some yarn. She had surgery on her hand a few years ago, and doesn't think she'll ever get back into knitting again.
Most of it is acrylic, but there is one kind that I will definitely keep simply because of this:

It's Caron - and is called Dazzle Aire. I have no idea how old this stuff is, but how could anyone resist? And you better believe I have 4 balls of it in pink with your name on them.
Yes my dear, dreams do come true.

IM

2008-01-23T22:26:00.000+01:00

3:57 PM Jennifer: you there?

3:58 PM me: yes

choo want?

Jennifer: okay, there was a commercial on tv..

for some kind of lense crafters type thing (I think.)...

And the end of the commercial says "Med Express Fart"

ha ha ha ha ha hahaha ha hahah

3:59 PM express fart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

me: that is so awesome

Jennifer: I'm still laughing, and it was lik30 minutes ago.

4:01 PM me: John is watching me laugh

and muttering Med Express Fart

Jennifer: he heeee heeee heee

it translates to 'with express speed.'

4:02 PM me: that is so awesome

it's making my face hurt

4:03 PM Jennifer: the first time I saw the commercial I wasn't sure that I heard it right. But then it played three more times during the tv show.

me: ha ha

you need to find a way to video it

and put it on youtube for me

please!

hee hee heee

4:04 PM Jennifer: I wish I could remember what the commercial was for. I'm sure they'd have it on their website - it's like their catch phrase.

me: hee heee

4:05 PM Jennifer: good grief - have you ever googled the word 'fart'?

me: http://www.dagbladet.no/971006/nyh-16.html

hee hee heee

great minds!

4:07 PM Jennifer: This is the company! http://www.lensway.se/

4:08 PM me: I will be 32 on Sunday. really. I'm not 7.

Jennifer: They don't have the 'med express fart' translated into english on the UK site.

me: I just told my other friend that I'm chatting with that I'm not qualified to give relationship advice when I'm laughing so hard and googling "fart"

Jennifer: On Sunday? I thought your birthday was in February...

me: nawp

Jan 27, same as it's always been

Jennifer: Huh. Maybe it's just that I didn't get you a present until February last year...

4:09 PM me: but don't worry. I can't remember your birthday either

Jennifer: March 14

I'll be 35

4:10 PM Oh, hey - both my kids have shown an interest in knitting!!

L wanted to knit last Friday, when Nami had come over so that I could get her started on a hat. So I got out the little needles you'd given T.

4:11 PM I cast on a few stitches and knit a few rows and then handed the needles to Lilli. And she pretended to knit!

And then this evening T asked me to show him how to knit.

He knit a few stitches and then handed it back to me and said "you knit faster than I do."

4:12 PM me: that's usually how far I get with Rowan

he does a few stitches, or maybe a whole row, and then is done

4:13 PM Jennifer: I'm not gonna push him. I think L will get into it more than T.

She loves playing with yarn.

me: maybe if we make it a forbidden thing they will want it more

4:14 PM Jennifer: ha ha, for sure

4:15 PM I just know that I'm going to giggle myself to sleep, muttering 'express fart'

I'm giggling now.

me: my face hurts

my cheeks are sore

I will giggle over express fart for the rest of the day

probably for the rest of the week

Jennifer: it's etter than prok

better than

4:16 PM me: prok!

Jennifer: D just came in and asked me what I was doing.

me: hee hee

laughing over farts honey

googling farts

you know

Jennifer: I showed him the express fart website and busted out laughing all over again.

me: the usual

4:17 PM Jennifer: he said 'is it that funny?' and I said "YEAH!"

I said "I told Milli about it and we both googled 'fart'" ha ha ha ha ha

THAT is why we are such good friends!

me: yes!

because we google fart

Jennifer: because we google fart.

4:18 PM me: and not just any fart. express fart

Jennifer: ha ha h ha ha ha ha

me: hee hee

John just keeps looking at me

Jennifer: D just doens't understand what's so funny

4:19 PM I'm stilllaughing

me: me too

what is fart in swedish?

if fart is speed

then what is swedish for fart

4:20 PM Jennifer: When I was pregnant with T, D and I drove up to visit his parents. We saw a truck pulling a camper. And the camper had the word/name "Skamper" painted on it.

I said "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if that belonged to Ken's Dad?" (Ken's last name is Stamper.) "Because then it would be the Stamper Skamper Camper!" And I swear, I laughed the rest of the way to VA!

4:21 PM me: hahahaha

Jennifer: In fact, it still makes me chuckle.

me: that's pretty awesome

Jennifer: http://lexin.nada.kth.se/cgi-bin/swe-eng

me: John is rolling his eyes

4:22 PM prutta

Jennifer: I just told D that I told you about the Stamper Skamper Camper. And then I busted out laughing. D rolled his eyes and said "That still makes you laugh..."

me: HAHAHAHA

4:23 PM Jennifer: fiser

me: fiser

4:24 PM I like prutta better

it makes me think of flapping butt cheeks

hee hee hee

Jennifer: Yeah, me too.

me: because I am 7

Jennifer: ha ha ha

7 going on 32/35

This could indicate a problem of some sort

2008-01-23T15:44:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,

Last night I was taking the info for a new order - it's someone who heard about the site from Elvira! Anyway, she picked out two yarns for her stuff and I went to hunt them down in the bins so I could swatch them out.
well... I couldn't find them. I KNEW I had them. I have at least 3 balls of each of the colors that she picked out. But I couldn't find them. So I ended up doing something else last night.
This morning I went out to check the shed, just in case. Because I realized that there was a bunch of yarn that I thought I had that wasn't in my room. And way back in the back corner (of course, it couldn't be right up front) I found a bin of yarn. A whole bin. Of yarn. In the shed.
It's been there since Thanksgiving and I never even knew that I was missing any. I either have so much yarn that I don't notice when an entire bin goes missing, or... well I don't know what else it could mean right now.
I'm going to go reorganize the stash now.

Entering Entrelac

2008-01-22T13:03:00.000+01:00

With the mittens done I needed a new project (nevermind the basket full of WIPs.) At first I wanted something easy, something mindless. I knit a washrag. But I felt the desire for something a little more challenging. And then my mother-in-law requested a scarf. Something to match her winter coat. So I logged into Ravelry and browsed the scarf patterns. The one I liked best was Danica. And I already had the yarn for it! (Thanks to you!) I'm using Patons Classic Wool Merino in Burgundy and Deep Olive, with the occasional Peacock square thrown in. I cast on using wooden 5mm needles. At first I was very nervous. Picking up stitches makes me twitchy. What if I don't pick up enough? What if I pick up too many? What if I drop a stitch? But entrelac is actually really easy. You only work with about 10 stitches at a time, so it's pretty easy to tell if you have too many or too few. And after picking up a few stitches I got the hang of it - exactly which part of the stitch to pick up.

In the beginning, I would only work on it when the kids were in bed and there were no other distractions. But today I worked on it at knitting group. The first ever meeting of our knitting group. Right now we're using the name Chicks With Sticks. Today there were just three of us, but there should be four by the next meeting (she had a schedule conflict today.) Right now we're meeting on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30, but after next week we'll meet every other Wednesday (same time.) The point is, I was able to work on the scarf while eating rice krispie treats, drinking tea and chatting with the girls!

I can't wait for the next meeting - it was so nice just sitting and talking and knitting and listening to music. And I also can't wait to knit some more on my scarf. Those little squares really are addictive. Just one more square... I can quit any time I want to - really.

Two of A Kind (If Not Exactly A Matching Pair)

2008-01-22T12:47:00.000+01:00

At long last - pictures of the mittens!

Just to recap... I have knit this mitten pattern several times. And have yet to knit two mittens that were actually the same size and that actually fit. This time I think I've gotten the size right. I made notes on the pattern, and I was actually able to produce a second mitten of exact size!

Unfortunately, I ran out of yarn about 1/3 of the way into the second mitten. The lovely Anita from Anita's Garn & Broderi ordered some more for me, but it was not of the same dye lot. I did not let that stop me. So although the mittens are the same size, they are not exactly identical. But hey - they fit! And they are very warm.

I wear them all the time. They seem to be holding up pretty well.

Booties

2008-01-21T03:28:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,

I don't have that bootie pattern anymore, but this one is just like it. Just be sure to make the full term size and use a very loose bind off.

loose bind off: Knit 2 and then put them back on your left needle. Then knit 2 together. Then knit one more, put the 2 stitches on your left needle, k2tog. etc. Clear as mud?

Home again

2008-01-21T02:33:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,

We're home from Atlantic Beach. I found a really great place for us to stay next time we go.

It's reasonable, and clean. And they have cable too.

I started on another Coronet for my friend Tara, but didn't get too far. Something about knitting in the car when it's foggy and rainy made my stomach not love me. So I had to put it aside.
I did finish the striped pants for Chelle

Which is the project that I was going on about the jogless jog. It worked out really well. Even for anal retentive me.
Today, instead of unpacking or going to the grocery store to feed my kids I knitted a hat.
Hey, at least it was for Rowan.

I used some Wool Ease chunky and it only took the afternoon. I think I linked you to the pattern before. Which reminds me, I'm going to look on the other computer now for that bootie pattern. If I find it I'll email it to you. If not, I'll post a link to one like it here.

I need to be brave

2008-01-15T21:47:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,
Love the neckwarmer!
I found by way of Ravelry, that there is a group that meets at the Borders at 55 and 64 in Apex on the first and third Wednesday evenings. Tomorrow is a third Wednesday. I'm trying to gear up my bravery to go. They like yarn, they've got to be nice, right?

Wish you were here

2008-01-15T18:47:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,
I had lunch with Jo today at your Mexican restaurant. That salsa is excellent. I need to stash a dish in my diaper bag next time we go so I can bring some home with me.
We talked about you and how much we miss you. Jo is excited to learn knitting. She's already tried looking at a book and we all agree how those pictures don't tell you diddly! So once you're home again maybe our knit night will be increased by one more person.
Things to look forward to!
Hope you're having fun with Jenni. Post pictures of your stuff, and that paper mache too. I'm curious about what you've been up to.
No new knitting here, but my headache is finally gone. Mostly. Still having after effects but my eyeball is no longer trying to shoot out of my head. Nice visual, huh? Just call me Mad Eye...

Neck Warmer - Revealed!

2008-01-15T08:21:00.000+01:00

At long last - pictures of the elusive neck warmer. It has been difficult to get pictures of it, as I have been wearing it constantly.

It's the perfect bank robbing accessory - keeps your nose, neck and ears warm AND conceals your identity! And it can be made in so many stylish colors...

Here it is tossed casually onto the floor. (Again, will have to figure out a more artsy/flattering way to take pictures of my FOs.)

I am going to make one for Lilli, as soon as I find the right kind of yarn. The yarn I used for mine is very warm, but the fuzzies tend to get in my mouth when I wear it up over my nose. Very soft and warm, though. Then again, it doesn't show off the lovely feather and fan pattern. So, for Lilli's neck warmer - something a little less fuzzy and with better stitch definition. And probably pink (lord help me!)

I'll also have to make it a little smaller.

(Pay no attention to the large hat on her head.)

ug

2008-01-10T02:31:00.001+01:00

Dear Jenn,
Can't wait to see the neck warmer.
I'd say more, but my brain is trying to crawl out my eyeholes.
migraines are fantastic.

De-Luxe is De-lightful!

2008-01-09T22:56:00.000+01:00

Dear Milli,

Just finished knitting the Luxe Neck Warmer. Tried it on and it actually fits! Not that I'm surprised or anything... Can't wait to wear it tomorrow. Too late for pictures tonight. I will get a friend to take a picture of it on me tomorrow (very difficult to take a clear picture of one's own neck.)

Jenn

Foiled Again!

2008-01-06T21:59:00.000+01:00

Dear Milli,

I stopped by the yarn shop that I thought I'd gotten my mitten yarn from today. They did not have it! D'oh! What have I done to anger the knitting gods? Why do they not want me to knit a PAIR of mittens? Am I doomed to always knit mateless mittens?

Tomorrow I will check a few other local yarn shops. If I strike out there I guess I'll just HAVE to go to the really cool yarn shop in Lund...

Since I couldn't continue working on my second mitten tonight, I cast on a new project. I have started the Luxe Neck Warmer from the Knit 2 Together book by Tracy Ullman and Mel Clark. I'm not sure if I'm using the right yarn - but when has that ever stopped me? And just to live even further out on the edge, I didn't knit a guage swatch. I have no idea what my guage is. This thing could be huge. Or tiny. Either way, it's fun to knit. If' it's too small, maybe Lilli will wear it (since she won't wear the new scarf she was so excited about me knitting for her.) Lilli has been all about turtle necks recently. And this would be like the turtle neck part of a turtle neck, if that makes any sense.

No pictures at the moment. Should be able to take some and get them posted tomorrow though - Lilli goes back to daycare and Tipton has a playdate! I think it will be the first time I've had time to myself in over two weeks!

First Mitten, Third Attempt

2008-01-05T15:18:00.000+01:00

Dear Milli,

So yesterday I finished the main part of my first mitten, twice. The first time, I had cut my yarn and pulled it through the stitches and was just about to start on the thumb when I thought "I should make sure it fits." Good thing, it was way too short. So I ripped it out - all the way back down to where I'd set aside stitches for the thumb - didn't want to take any chances dropping a stitch or counting wrong. You know, since I want to make one that matches. Then I started again. I knit four more rounds before I started my decreases. I was just about to cut the yarn to pull through the stitches when I thought "I should make sure it fits this time." Yeah, um, it was still too short. Now, I am following the pattern directions for the Women's size. And it's not like I've got big hands or long fingers or anything... So I started tinking back down to the row before the decreases. Then I realized that it was way, way past my bedtime. I wrote myself a note on the pattern - explicit instructions as to what I needed to do. And I went to bed.

This morning I got up, put on a video for the kiddos and set to work. Managed to get tinked back without dropping any stitches, added a few more rows before the decreases and tried again. Tried it on again (before I cut the yarn) and this time they fit!

According to the pattern (from Little Turtle Knits) I am supposed to start the decreases ten rounds after I set aside the thumb stitches. In the end I knit 17 rounds before starting the decreases. That is a HUGE difference. I'd say that my guage must be way off, but everything else is fine. Of course, saying that I must now confess that the thumb is supposed to be 14 rounds and I stopped after 12 (really getting the hang of this whole 'try it on as you go' thing...)

Here is one side of the mitten:

And the other side:

And a close up - so you can really see the color change:

I love how the colors zig and zag. Very entertaining.

And now I'm going to go cast on the second mitten. I should have enough yarn left to make it through the day (although not to finish the mitten.) Last night, the first time I was ripping back the mitten, I remembered that I got the yarn at the fabric store here in Malmo, so I won't have to go all the way to Lund to get more. This is good in that I can get more tomorrow when I pick Jenni up from the train station. But it is sad because now I do not have a compelling reason to go to the really cool yarn shop in Lund.

The sacrifices I make for my craft.

LOCAL!

2008-01-05T04:10:00.001+01:00

Dear Jenn,
This is on my other blog, but I don't know if you're checking that one now that we have this, so I wanted to share...

We had car issues over New Years.
John and Rowan went feed the fish and on the way home the car sprang a coolant leak of some sort. You would think that coolant would be unnecessary, even in NC in December, but apparently that isn't so. Picky engine...
Anyway, the options were limited, it being New Years Day and all, and USAA wanted to send a company from Chapel Hill. Why? They're 30 some odd miles away. And since we'd have to pay for it ourselves anyway, I hauled out the trusty yellow pages and we called a local guy.
Lucky for us, he was there, and willing to tow, and even had a garage and could do the repair. So John handed him the key and we all got in the car and went on our merry way home knowing that our Shegeki was in good hands. (Shegeki being the name of the car, which is a Honda. It's named for the previous owner, who went back to Japan, but was well loved by the boys even though they hardly knew him.)
John didn't hear from them the next day, but he was driving the work truck, so we really didn't worry. And they called yesterday saying that we could come pick it up, so all was well.
So... John picked up Rowan from school and they came home in the Big Green Truck so we could all go pick up Shegeki and have our little car back. I looked on google maps to make sure we knew where it was - right up the road! Local!
And then we tried to find the place.

Yep. We drove by it at first. It's in a residential area. I wasn't even sure that all the cars in the front yard were solid as clues. I mean, this is NC after all.

And it is a trailer. And no tow truck to be seen. But there was a high fence in the back, so maybe that's where they hid the garage... or the bodies...
I wasn't sure if we should stick around, because who knew if Festus was in there with a shot gun getting ready to come out and tell us to get offa his proppitay.
John tried calling them, and after a few busy signals got through. He found out that yes we were in the right place, but no one was there because they were out towing someone. Lesson learned, call before you come over. We decided to wait until today to go get Shegeki. Something about this place... after dark... I'm sure you understand.

Someone was there this time, and the high fence was open. So we got the full glory of the body shop.

It was kind of shady, being surrounded by all these cars, some in pieces, behind a tall fence, with a guy who wasn't sure if he could take a check (they normally wanted cash) but made a call to Willy and Willy said it was ok. Thanks Willy.
Sorry for the blurryness of some of these pictures. I was trying to be stealthy. I'm still not sure Festus wasn't lurking around somewhere.

But they fixed the car, and it made it home, and as long as something doesn't go wrong with it soon we might just use these guys again. I mean, you can't get much more local than Willy, and he did come out on a frosty New Year's Day to get Skegeki and fix him of his ills.

It was an adventure. Mildly scary when we weren't sure if we were in the right place yesterday, but fine today with dude there taking the check and giving us the key. It was almost as good as that one time in Atlanta...

Mittens - A Second Attempt

2008-01-04T09:18:00.000+01:00

Dear Milli,

I cast on a new project last night. Mittens. You'll recall that last January I attempted knitting mittens... I knit six mittens in all - no two the same size.

Six mateless mittens. Three "almost" pairs of mittens. I am hoping NOT to do that again. Here is what I've got so far...

Cast on the women's size (36 stitches) on size 3.5 (US4) needles, working a 2x1 ribbing. The yarn is 100% wool Eskimo Print, color 44. I love this color.

I am hoping to get both mittens completed by Monday.

- Jenn

PS - This wool is kind of bulky - would that work for Jumbo January?

A year long knit along

2008-01-04T02:37:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,

One of my friends on my soggy granola forum has proposed a year long knit-along. I thought I'd tell you about it in case you want to do some too. I thought it was a good idea to have a project a month, and try to use up some of the stash.

Jumbo January--anything in a bulky yarn
Felting February--anything you want as long as you felt it
Merino March--self explanatory, yes?
Amigurumi April--dive into the world of knitting and crocheting cute little animals
Me, me, me May--you have to make something for yourself!
Jumbuck June--a jumbuck is a sheep, hence something wool
July Journey--journey somewhere new--learn a new stitch, or a whole new technique--get outside your comfort zone and try something you've never done before
Alternative August--bamboo, corn, silk, soy--there's lots of new exciting fibers so give one a try
September Socks--socks, socks, socks
One and only October--make something from only one skein
Novelty November--try your hand at a toy--they're fun, they're weird, they might even be educational!
Dizzy December--round and round and round you go--has to be done in the round

This might prod me into actually finishing the cabled afghan for Mom. It's taking up way too much room in the basket.

the succubutt

2008-01-04T00:59:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,

I don't really have much to say, but I wanted to put up a little something for you to read when you wake up in the morning. I'm sitting here working on Chelle's pants, and the jogless jog is working wonders. I'm not even minding the travelling color change as much as I thought I might. It's magic.

I am being anal enough to slightly change my short rows so as to keep the integrity of the stripe pattern. Because if there are 4 rows of pink, there has to be 4 rows of orange. And they can't happen where you would have to pick up the other loop to hide the jog if you're purling back. Sometimes anal complicates things, but it makes for a nice knit.

So anyway, I lost my crochet hook in the couch. You know my couch and how it eats things. I found various things in there... the iPod cord, a computer mouse, one of those blue plastic needles, chapstick, a measuring tape. My couch is a hungry hungry beast. If you hear from John and he can't find me, tell him to check under the cushions.

I promise to come back in the morning with some sort of picture for you. It won't happen tonight, because I'll put this computer aside to knit, and then John will seize his opportunity for world of warcraft, and that will be the end of that.

---Just heard from the bathroom: "Stop saying things about butts and poo poo." Yes....

Lilli's Frickin' Scarf

2008-01-03T08:13:00.000+01:00

I finished the knitting it last night, but I just didn't have the heart to weave in the ends and add the fringe. So first thing this morning I sat down and "got 'er done." And here is Lilli, modelling her new scarf. I think it sets off her monkey jammies quite nicely.

And here it is artfully arranged on my kitchen floor. (I really need to devise a more sophisticated way of photographing my knitting.)

The stats: 50g Sirdar Snuggle Tiny Tots (acrylic/plyester blend) in the SH945 colorway, knit on size 4.5 (US7) needles. Following Crazy Aunt Purl's Magic Scarf pattern, modified slightly for a 2 1/2 year old's neck (cast on 16, squares are 4 stitches x 5 rows.)

Lilli is a very happy with her new scarf (which hopefully means she will actually WEAR it.) I was really excited about this scarf at first, but after the first day it lost it's appeal and just became something that I had to finish. I wanted to get it done as quickly as possible, so that I could move on to a really great, wonderful, fantastic project that I'd thought of. And of course, now that Lilli's scarf is finished, I cannot remember what it is that I wanted to make. I'm sure I'll remember as soon as I cast on something else...

You're asleep now

2008-01-02T18:30:00.000+01:00

Dear Jenn,
I'm sitting here, all full of roast because I ate too much of it. I forgot to turn on the crock pot, but that ended up being a good thing because the roast didn't cook as long and was much more tender than the roasts of the past.

I really need to get over that particular part of my upbringing. The cook the meat until it can get out and turn off the appliance for you part. Less time = more tender meat. Unless it's chicken or pork. Can't have any pink there or I get skeered of dread diseases.

Since you haven't posted yet, I'm guessing that you didn't finish "Lilli's frickin' scarf." Or if you did, by the time you were done you were so bleary eyed from knitting and Battlestar Pimpslaptica that you couldn't navigate your way to the posty thing.

No worries. I'm sure you'll arrive here soon.

As for me, I've no picture to post, but am working on a pair of britches for yet another customer. I'm going to be working on the jogless jog and trying to ignore the screaming voices in the back of my mind as the color change gradually walks around the pants.