Where has November gone?!

It seems like just last week it was the beginning of November.

I started the button band on Dad's Cardigan last night. I am on my second attempt at the first band.

One would think that spending three days home with a sick child would lead to some serious knitting. It led to a lot of time sitting on the couch next to a fevered child. About the only thing I accomplished was cleaning out my e-mail boxes.

Today we are back on track. Her fever finally broke yesterday about 1pm. Tonight I have a meeting for an event my husband is helping with. I will not be allowed to bring knitting. Grrr.

I wonder what interesting things happened at work the last few days.

Creeping Crud

My daughter appears to have strep so I will be home to take her to the Dr. today.

Yesterday I got one sleeve sewn on my Rogue. I also spun 1.75 oz of wool/silk. Today I might spin the other 1.75 and ply them. The Woolee Winder works quite well. Since I have never timed my spinning I don't know if I'm really spinning more quickly and efficiently or not. But the bobbin is filled nicely and there appear to be fewer thin/thick spots. We'll see when I ply them. That usually makes the unevenness more apparent.

I also started warping my loom for that belt I have on my list of things to do. I need to find the container with the silk thread in it. I believe that I put the remainder of my tablets in it and I need a few more. But do you think I can find it? No. I had it on Sunday. But now it has gone for a walk.

Nearly the end of November?!

My birthday present arrived yesterday. I order a Woolee Winder a few months ago. It is finally here. I'm hoping it really will make my spinning faster. I am also hoping I like it as much as everyone else I've heard from does.

I worked on finishing projects last night. I got a few things done. Yay!

I have the cuff to one mitten started. Yay!

I have started another pair of socks. Yay!

I can't believe it is going to be in the 60s all week. Yay!

I am going to do some spinning tonight. I should finish some more stuff, we will see. Maybe I will manage to do some of both.

Mmmm - fibery goodness!

Wild Weekend

It was a wild and wonderful weekend. I had a great time. I took classes and visited with people.

I started a pair of socks for a friend. She is a wonderful person whom I adore who wanted to knit socks and was. She had a leg knitted. Every stitch was crossed and she had decided that she couldn't knit the heel and I must knit it for her. This is a problem. I am incapable of knitting every stitch crossed. I am also incapable of matching her gauge. So after a couple of rows and attempts at heel creation I took apart her sock and started it over. I finished the first heel this morning and started the second cuff. I will proceed with the second sock to the heel and then knit both feet. I feel slightly guilty about not letting her finish the sock. But I couldn't help her with it. She is also making a scarf and it is going much better. She has better tension and not all the stitches are twisted. I will buy her another ball of yarn and a pattern for the winter gift giving holiday and she can try again.

I am off to check laundry and get ready for another week of fabulous fun at work.

Lists

I have always been very fond of lists. Here is a list of things I'd like to have done by January 15th.

Mittens - 2 pair, I have the yarn
Sweaters - Dad's cardigan: just needs button bands
Mom's cardigan: needs assembly and button bands
Husband's cardigan: have yarn, need pattern
Rogue sweater: needs assembly
Green baby sweater: needs buttons
Blue baby sweater: needs assembly and buttons
Mary Tudor sweater: currently knitting, about 1/2 done with body
Weaving - Aaron's belt: have string and pattern, need to get 'on loom'

In addition to these little items I'd like to get my new sewing room done so I can clean out the old room, get stuff put away so I can actually find/use it and get the remainder of the flooring down. I wouldn't mind getting the shelving up in the library but that can wait a little longer, as long as the flooring gets done.

Part of the hold up with my parents' caridgans is getting near a sewing machine so I can finish the edges and lock down the cut steeks. Actually picking up the stitches and knitting up the bands will not take that long.

Finding a pattern for my husband's cardigan is turning out to be alot harder than I thought it would be. I really am down to using the woman's pattern I have and making adjustments for size. I can't believe that something as simple as a plain worsted weight men's cardigan pattern is so hard to find. I think I'll post this list on the sidebar and we'll see how I do.

Only the bones remain

Turkey day was good.

I finished the weaving.

I have done no knitting. I need to make mittens. It is getting cold outside.

Maybe this weekend.

Annual Feast Of Gluttony!

Don't get me wrong I love Thanksgiving. But it has become a day devoted to over-eating. I am as guilty as the next person in this.

I made pie last night. I'm trying to avoid having pie for breakfast. I am going to make a turkey with stuffing and gravy with potatoes, I don't know what type of vegetable yet but either corn or beans.

It will be just me and Mike and my friend today. A day that they suggest should be a family holiday isn't much of one if it lands in the middle of the week and they don't give you time to get to your family. In order for us to spend this day with family we have to leave on Wednesday and come back Friday.

Well off to cook.

Turkey Day Cometh

One more work day before the festival of gluttony.

Tonight I'm planning to make pumpkin pie. I love pumpkin pie.

I am about 1/3 done with the second item in my weaving project. If I work on while cooking tomorrow I should be able to get all the weaving done. I looked for buckles last night at JoAnns but I didn't find anything that would work. If I don't find the ones I already purchased by Friday I'll have to think of another way to fix them or maybe I will be able to find something this weekend.

We will see what tomorrow brings, but not until later.

Monday Morning?

Here is a picture of the first section of Beadwork:
I haven't managed a good picture of it at all. This one was the best. You can sort of see the pattern. a little bit. It looks really good in person. One day this week I will set the pattern rows and I can start on the back.

I have finished the first section of my weaving and I have started the last.

I really need to start on the mittens (it was cold walking from the parking ramp to the office this morning) and finish the neck on my modular sweater. I have had company all week and I am likely to have company most of the rest of this week. I need to finish the weaving before the weekend so I'm unlikely to get any of the other stuff completed or even started unless the weaving goes much faster. I spent nearly all Saturday sitting and weaving and visiting.

It was a nice weekend. Sunday I went shopping, first for fabric, the yardage calculation error was pretty bad but the good news is I have some nice fabric for shower curtain and window curtains in the upstair bathroom. The bad news is I also have fabric for two or maybe three more such bathrooms. For some barely known reason the feet in my head became yards and instead of 15 ft I asked for 15 yds.

Then I went for groceries. I managed to find a turkey for 37 cents per pound. Mike was cranky that I didn't just get a breast. I pointed out that I got a whole turkey for $4, which is nearly the price of 1 pound of breast. I'm not sure that the coup with the turkey makes up for the fubar with the fabric, but I'm thinking I could make a dress with the left over fabric and pull a Miss Scarlet. Which will amuse me, if nothing else.

And how was your weekend?

The missing post

Here are some pictures of my weaving:

Here is my loom. It is an inkle loom. I am doing tablet weaving on it.















Here is the front of the weaving. The pattern is one I drafted in alternate threaded double-face. This means that the threads twist both ways and that the front is the same as the back, but the colors are reversed.


















Here is a picture of the back.














I am using a tightly twisted silk thread. About the weight of #30 crochet cotton.

I spent all day yesterday (7am until 10pm) out with friends. This kept me from posting yesterday. But I had a great time and I really needed to get out.

Two Post Friday

There are likely to be two posts today.

I have appreciable progress on my little weaving project.

I have completed the first section (hem) of Beadwork.

I promised pictures of both and they would be here now - but I couldn't find the camera this morning. I saw it on my way out the door to work.

My daughter has been moved into her own room. It would be nice if we could be starting to put down floor in my sewing room. We can't do that until we get the nailer back. Probably next week. :(

All the doors are stained. They look very nice. I'm glad the weekend is here. I need the time to myself. Not that I'll actually get it, unless I lock myself in the bathroom and take a 4 hour bath.

Again with the postman

I found the address!

The yarn for my new lopi sweater came yesterday. I want bonus points for not killing the sister-in-law who said "more yarn?" in a snotty way when I came in with the box. UP YOUR NOSE! I spend less on yarn then she does on cigarettes and beer and when I wear what I have after I use it I don't smell like the floor in a bar. Besides which, it is none of her business what I do with my money or my time. Guess who's getting nothing for the holiday?

The floor in Liz' room is done. Tonight I'm going to put together her furniture and she can put her stuff away. Then, maybe they can put the floor down in the new sewing room and I can put my stuff away. Won't that be nice!?

They plan to paint the hallway today. And maybe finish staining the doors and windows. The stain we choose is really nice. We have decided to wax instead of applying poly. We may regret that. But we can always apply poly later. I hope.

Off to work.

Mid-week Mid-November

My loom is all warped up for my little project, pattern is all selected and I hope to get started with the weaving tonight.

I'll try to get some pictures tonight.

It is unlikely that I will get any knitting done this week. But I will be playing with string.

I can't find my SP9 pal's address. I was sure I wrote it down and saved and printed the email. But apparently I'm deluded, at least as far as saving the email. I'll have to contact my hostess and ask her to send it again. I have a package to mail!

I will be so glad when this remodeling is done and my house is less of a disaster area. Perhaps then I will be able to find stuff more often.

Hey a girl can dream!

Carptastic

Since I planned to try to write a post every day in November - here it is.

But I'm really angry at my husband and since I have nothing nice to say I'm not going to say it.

I hope you are all having a nice day.

Monday, Monday

Modular Sweater - I have both cuffs done. Tonight I will finish the neck and maybe sew in the sleeves. I am still enjoying finishing things and I don't have any deep desire to start anything new so I will probably manage to get it done.

I still have not found a cardigan pattern, that I like, for my husband's sweater. I have started several swatches - but so far, nothing that inspires. I will probably focus on Beadwork until I do.

I got a call from my mother about her new sweater. She likes it and it fits. She promises to send a picture. I'll post it when she does. She said that she could feel the warmth from all the love that was knit into every stitch. I told her it was still warm from it's visit to Hades. Although I do have to admit that knitting it was an act of love and devotion. I wouldn't have persevered with that pattern for myself. Only for Mom!

I nearly finished all the laundry. I didn't start doing it until Sunday afternoon. I did do two loads this morning. Getting up early really does help get some stuff done. I also bought shower curtains yesterday. They were too short. I'll have to make another foray this evening. I hope I will have more success. The rod for the shower curtain is what I wanted though. The boys put it up. They are very funny.

I should also start working on mittens for Liz. We got a light dusting of snow last night. She is off for her winter break now so I have some time to finish them up before she has to have them. I think I have found a pattern for them. I haven't knit the swatch yet. Maybe tonight, after I finish the Modular sweater.

I also need to ball some fiber and set up my loom for some weaving. They need to be done by Thanksgiving. So guess what I'm doing tonight? Setting up for a small weaving project! I think, if I'm diligent I can get them done in a week.

Pictures? Likely!

Alas!

No knitting today.

I helped finish the wardrobes in my bedroom (well - almost)

I did some sewing on a dress and ate an excellant dinner.

The weekend went by too fast.

Mail!

Here is one of the little mushroom stitch markers I made. I am very fond of them. They are so cute.












I got this in the mail yesterday

It is a lovely gifty from my SP9 pal.

My daughter and I had a great time opening all the little packages.







Here is what was in the packages.

The Cherry Tree Hill is lovely blue and purple. I will make myself some lovely socks with it!

There is also a nice ball of soft grey yarn that I might just keep for petting. It is so soft!

And Chocolate! We tried the pepper chocolate first thing. It was quite good.

There is also some nice little candles and an adorable little notebook.


Thank you to My pal.

Yesterday I started the cuffs on my modular sweater. I am, again, in the position of trying to guess what the pattern is suppose to be. Thank goodness there are pictures and that I am an brave knitter. Otherwise I'd be really stuck. Actually I would never have gotten this far without my 30+ years of experience and a lot of fearlessness.


To my mother who taught me to knit and be brave - THANK YOU!

Yarn!

The Malabrigo came yesterday. I balled it and I have started to finish the second sleeve. The color isn't an exact match but with the varigation it might me okay. Well, it will have to be okay, I don't have any other option.

I have today off! I am going to cook and knit and visit with my son. He is home from college for the three day weekend.

We got a light dusting of snow last night. Very soon I will need new sweaters.

I better start knitting!

Another Sunny Day!

The sun is out. It is cold but we have sunshine.

I worked on my AS Beadwork yesterday. I am almost finished with the 'hem' chart. I have about 4 rows left and then I do a border and set the pattern for the back.

I found a potential pattern for Mike's sweater. I knit the wrist and then waited for him to show up. It won't go over his hand. He also asked what I'd done to the color. Wasn't it blue? Uhm - it is the same color it was when I asked if he liked it after it arrived. GAH!

I also unknit the Lopi sweater. There isn't enough tonal difference between the colors and the pattern washes out. So I'll have to find a different pattern or buy different yarn. Later. I'm going to finish stuff I already have started first. I even contemplated casting on a pair of socks and didn't have a real desire to do it, I wanted to work on stuff I had started already. This is why my Beadwork went to the meeting last night. Yes, I took a chart heavy requires paying attention sweater to a social setting; and worked on it. Completely nuts!

I love the little mushroom stitch markers I made. I'm going to buy some more of the pieces and make another batch. They don't have any small pointy parts to catch stitches. I might put a couple more rings on just to make them a little longer but that would be the only change I'd make at this point.

I have a holiday tomorrow. I don't know what I'll do with the time.

Post Election Day

Mike's yarn came yesterday. It is an interesting blue. He likes is though so that is what matters.

Now I just have to figure out the pattern.

I am looking forward to having Friday off. It is one of the only bright spots of my job. Those random holidays.

Cookies - I really want cookies or brownies today. I think I might go bake something tastey. Not that I really need the calories. :) But there is solace and comfort and those things are important too. And of course all these things involve chocolate and we all know that chocolate is vitally important to good health.

Oh - I know - chocolate lava cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting! Yummy!

I'll talk to you all later - I'm off to the kitchen!

Election Day

Vote early.

It certainly makes the day better. I heard some gentleman complaining about how no one had shown up to vote this morning while I was filling out my ticket. And other precincts had 40 minute waits. I was quick in quick out.

I managed to get most of the blogger stuff fixed. I want to get some other adjustments made but that will wait.

I hope that the yarn shows up today. I still don't have a pattern. My aunt told my mother she'd send me a couple that she had.

I hope I have enough yarn. I hate running out.

I made some really cute little stitch markers last night. I'm going to make some more this week. Probably on Friday. It is much fun. I will not likely run out of stitch markers ever again. I should have ordered some more split rings when I ordered the beads from Fire Mountain. I thought I had all I could ever use and then some. But I was wrong. Probably in the same way I'll be wrong about never running out of stitch markers.

Blogger bites

Long ago I updated to the beta blogger. There were a couple of things that didn't go so well, but have been overcome.

This morning I attempted to use a new template/layout. That did NOT go so well. I tinkered until I HAD to get ready and leave for work. I can get ready and out the door in 10 minutes.

More tinkering will have to occur this evening. I hope I can get all my ring-links back up. If not I saved the entire template on my home computer and I'll reload it from there.

I am not a programmer, I know nothing about programming, telling me that the tag has to have a terminating tag, without offering a link to actual information about what the H you are talking about is not helpful. Not to mention that I cut them straight out of the old template and pasted them in, so how come they worked fine before and won't work at all now? It isn't as though I actually typed stuff in or changed it in anyway.

I have complete faith that I will figure it out eventually, I always do. But initially it is very frustrating. And since it is foremost in my mind I'm being distracted from my real job by trying to figure out how to fix it.

Just a little obsessive.

Oh darn

Well - my fears were realized. I have 1/2 a sleeve left and I'm nearly completely out of yarn. I managed to find a place that had the right color but not the lot and after 6 mos I'm pretty sure no one does have the right lot, I know that the store where I bought the yarn doesn't have anymore. I bought a skein anyway and I'm going to hope for the best. There really isn't any other choice. If I'm creative and careful only the back of one sleeve will be out of the odd lot.

With any luck at all the lots won't be too different and they will only butt up against each other on one sleeve seam.

This is the second time I have followed the yardage recommendations on the pattern, bought extra and still run out. And it isn't just a little bit off, it's over 100 yards off, a whole 1/2 a sleeve off. I might have enough of the CC to finish the neck band, maybe, but even that might be wishful thinking. It is very frustrating. Although considering the amount of knitting I do only 2 isn't so bad.

I'm still so disappointed.

The yarn for my husband's sweater should be here today.

Hey Look - Pictures!

Here is the modular sweater body and sleeve.



And here are the baskets I bought at Menards. They are spiff.


Here is the wool I've been spinning for the shawl (maybe) It is less blue and more grey than the picture indicates.

Saturday - IKEA

IKEA has great breakfast. And for the price it can't be beat.

We had fun. We also had a cart and three trolleys. We stood in line for 45 minutes waiting to pay for our stuff. We got two side tables, the bed and one dresser put together after we got home. We will be sleeping in our new bed this evening. We chose the Hopen collection. Well - my husband chose it.

The flooring is all done up to the doorway. Liz' room won the vote and her floor is next.

I started the last sleeve of my modular sweater. I might get the sleeve done tomorrow morning before my family gets up. But if not I'll be busy putting more furniture together. Well, once they get up I'll be putting more furniture together rather or not I get a chance to knit in the morning.

I am going to try to make some new stitch markers on Monday. I want to try to make some like the cute little sheep ones that I've seen on the 'net. I have some nice shiney black beads for eyes. I also have a bunch of cute little mushrooms that I want to turn into markers. That will be an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours.

Don't you think so too?

And now for something you'll really like . . .

The body of the sweater is finished! I have to do the second sleeve and cuffs and neck. I might even be able to wear it next week! Still not sure about the yarn issue - but I will be by next week.

I hope to spend a good portion of Sunday working on project sorting. I know that I have about 8 pairs of socks in various states of completion that I'd really like to gather together and finish. I don't know how successful I'll be since we also need to continue putting flooring down. I also will be able to get our clothes and stuff put away in our new closets. That will really clean up the mess in a couple of the other rooms. Which would also be a very good thing. This is very exciting!

The thing I really need to start knitting is mittens. I need a new pair, my daughter needs a new pair and my mother needs a new pair. My poor mother has been looking for a pattern that she used during my childhood for the last several years. I don't know if that pattern can really be as fantastic as she remembers it being or not. But I hope she finds it, soon.

I also have only 6 more (self-imposed) weeks to finish a baby sweater and 4 weeks to finish a baby surprise jacket for my friends in NC.

So much for socks.

Doors!

Today the contractor is coming to install the doors! I am SO pleased. We don't have all the floors down and he'd rather we did but he is going to come anyway.

So rather than doing fibery things last night we cleaned up our tools and other stuff that has been sitting around so the contractor will have clear doorways.

I did, of course, get some knitting done. I started the last strip on the body of the sweater. I am going to check the 'net for errata and if there isn't any out there I should write up the errors I found and post them here. If I didn't have a bazillion hours of knitting experience I would have been stuck more than once.

This has been discussed on a number of knitting e-mail lists I am on, but I still don't understand why designers, writers and editors can't do a better job of editing the patterns. Don't they have knitter friends who would be willing to read the patterns? This pattern in particular had errors like putting one side of the arm stitches on a holder and binding off the other side. I know enough to choose to put the stitches on the holder and three needle bind off the sleeve. I have the knowledge and skill to set in this sleeve - not everyone does.

And before the fury starts - I am not talking about ever single designer who has ever made a pattern anywhere on the planet. Please don't send me scathing comments or emails about how hard they work etc. I know all of that. I know that some designers are very conscientious and do their best to proof their work. I also understand about pressing deadlines, long hours ready the press copies.

That is NOT what I'm talking about. There are some errors in some patterns by some designers that are so obvious that I am at a lost to understand how anyone who knits could have read through the pattern and not noticed. I do realize that sometimes when you proof your own things you read what you intended to write and not what is there, that is why publishers hire editors. Of course not all editors knit, so they may not understand that the directions make no sense. But someone, somewhere knit the samples for these sweaters, unless they were working from directions NOT in the book they must have noticed this small problem. Like casting off the armhole on the wrong end of the body - assuming you followed the directions as written.

That's what I'm talking about!

Yarn - Stalked

So I bought Wool of the Andes from Knitpicks in Sapphire Heather for my husband's cardigan-to-be. I knit Rogue with this last winter and it seemed like a nice enough yarn. I hope the blue isn't to bright. If it is I'll have to skein and over-dye the yarn first. Which is really no big deal. Now I have to find a pattern.

Since I was ordering yarn I also bought a few skeins for socks. Some solid colors for the cabley patterns that came out this fall. Knitty had one, Knitting Universe had one and I found one on Eunny's blog. I bought yarn for the pair in Knitting Universe (I'm not really sure that is the right title.)

I have 1 1/2 panels left on the modular sweater body. I will be cutting the yarn yardage VERY close. I'm obsessed about this at the moment.

The Menard's baskets are great. I'm going to go and buy some more. Maybe tonight. The middle sized one holds a sweater. I have been grabbing this and knitting in the car while I wait for my daughter's bus to pick her up. I am going to grab a couple of the little ones. I think they will hold pairs of socks. Maybe I can convince myself that I can't cast on anything new until I open up a basket? The best part though is that I can leave the ball in the basket and it doesn't go rolling across the floor like it does if it is on my lap; and the bag top doesn't fall over the yarn and keep it from unrolling freely. The yarn also doesn't get tangled around the bag handle. The little annoyances.