Olympics, recap

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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?

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

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

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

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!

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

Dear Jenn,

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

Extreme knitting

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

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

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...

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!