Another One Bites the Dust

Tada - The spouse's cardigan is complete (except for buttons). I have to find some buttons. I think white pearl, or maybe pewter.

I'm going to finish the pink cable sweater, the sweater for my aunt and then Mary Tudor. Of course I need to get the Kauni done as well. I really want to start the Kauni and I'm using it as a carrot to get other things done.

I am enjoying getting things finished.

I am going on vacation next week. I got some of my packing done last night and I hope to get the rest of it done tomorrow. I still have a few things I need to wash. I never seem to get the laundry done.

Newsbreak

I finished the first sleeve and fixed the button band.

I might have gotten well into the second sleeve if I hadn't spent so much time trying to fix the cable in my room. My spouse decided that he needed to fix this cable because he can't get CNN to come in. I think it's better if you don't get CNN in, and my cable worked fine, including CNN. After he got done messing around with his signal booster and stuff I didn't have any cable. I, of course, have really gotten used to having the Tivo record everything for me and I didn't notice the cable was out until 45 minutes into the show I wanted to watch. We ended up putting everything back the way it was when he started messing around. But it took hours.

I haven't gotten any socks done this month. I started a couple pair that I took out and I have the Fawkes socks almost done - but I want to finish the sweater first. Then I have to decide what I'm going to work on next. I'd like to start the Kauni but I should also finish the pink cables or any of the other things I have on the needles.

Today the spouse and I went to buy more trim boards. While we were there we found an patio swing on sale cheap. I spent the afternoon putting that together and then L&M came over and we packed for our vacation and went to dinner. I can't believe where the time has gone. I leave on vacation in just four days!

It's been quite a Friday

After I finished the neckband on Mike's sweater I realized that I had forgotten the last two buttonholes. Gah! I'll have to pull it out and reknit it, but I hope I can just do it on the buttonband and not have to remove the entire last 5 inches on the sweater. Wish me luck.

I hope to get it done over the weekend. I only have the sleeves left (well that that mistake - but we aren't focusing on that right now).

I went to the Dr. today and they have decided that I probably have asthma. The panicy feeling is probably my body's reaction to not having enough air. We'll give it three weeks and then go back and see. If it works then we have an answer, if it sort of works we have an answer and if it doesn't we have an answer (although not the final solution). The lung xray was clear so at least I don't have to worry about having consumption.

An Evening with Yarn

I have finally started the ribbed band on my husband's cardigan. I don't know if it is just the stockinette or what - but it seemed to take forever to get that far, it seemed like I had 3 more rows for 30 rows, before I reached the 24.5 inches of length. Soon - sleeves!

I would have gotten to the ribbing soon but the husband came home with sod for the yard and we all went out and helped with that. He's getting scrap from the landscaper he knows. Our patch job looks pretty bad - but as long as it all looks good next year I don't care.

I started ordering stuff for my Hogwarts Sock Swap partner. I have to do some snooping about for additional bits for the stitch markers but I have chosen the sock pattern and I have potential for the yarn (I have what I think I'm going to use - but I want to have a quick look at the yarn shop before I start, just in case).

Much Fun!

Another day

Tonight at Eastside Fiber Enablers I knit another skein onto the husband's cardigan. The body is about 8 inches short at this point. We had a nice chat about The Deathly Hallows. We sat outside on the patio until the bugs drove me inside. It was a nice summer evening.

I did some cleaning in my sewing room this morning. It is still a big mess.

I'm dead tired tonight and I've already crawled into bed. I should consider a trip to see the quack. The 'panic' attacks are getting worse. I'm not really sure that is what it is best to call them or not. But my heart races and I can't breathe. It is getting harder to stop or control. The skin tingling has also continued unabated for 3 years now (or maybe 4). So far we only know what it isn't and I'm not really into just treating symptoms.

I suppose I'll call about an appointment tomorrow and see what they think this time. I suppose I could talk to my friend the doctor - but that seems a bit of an imposition. Maybe if I don't get acceptable information from the doc at the clinic I'll call for some second opinion type of advice.

Time spent reading

Time spent reading is time spent not knitting. The last Harry Potter book was very enjoyable. There were very few surprises (some but nothing I hadn't thought of, just ones I had dismissed) but then ending was how I thought it should come out.

Today I baked bread with flour I ground myself. It's a little heavy. I didn't adjust the recipe properly. I need to buy a shifter. The taste was quite good though. I used 1 cup of rye, two cups of hard red wheat and the remainder was soft wheat. I used yeast (of course), honey, salt, 1 egg and some oil.

Now I'm going to spend an hour or so knitting and then off to bed. Perhaps some finished objects will appear this week! I hope so.

A long evening

Last night I took my daughter to the local Harry Potter release party. WOW! I'm glad that B&N has a coffee shop inside. I sat and drank coffee and knitted. My daughter and her friend ran around, participating in the scavenger hunt and other activities. She had a great time. We got home around 11:30. We didn't have to stay to buy the book since I already ordered our copy. I figure it will be here Tuesday or Wednesday. Since I don't cruise the fan sites I should manage to avoid any spoilers until I finish reading the book.

I haven't finished any sewing or knitting this week. I'm such a slacker.

So the new Socks That Rock yarn came and it was lovely named - Pheonix. I couldn't wait to knit it. I spent a lot of time working on the toe part of the toe up pattern. I worked on both socks on two circs (even though I don't like that method very much).

And then the reason became clear.

Socktopia sent a new pattern named - Fawkes. Perfect! So I ripped the socks, reballed the yarn and now I give you Fawkes in Pheonix! (I don't know why the camera wanted to focus on the sleeve but it probably has to do with the fact that I'm not making it's mate and I should be)

Isn't it pretty! Hogwarts Socks!

Grr!

Blogger ate my post - and there were pictures.

I'll attempt to repost later - but SOCKS! I have Fawkes socks in Phoenix. They are super nifty.

Photos at 11

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionaire

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? Ravenclaw
   

2. Shoe size? 6 wide
   

3. Foot Length? 9 inches
   

4. Foot Circumference? 9 inches - yes - really
   

5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length. 2.25mm or 2.75mm
   

a. Brittany 5"

b. Crystal Palace Bamboo 6"

c. Plymouth Bamboo 6"

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?
   I'd really like to try the new Knitpicks Double points. I do most of my double point knitting on 2.25mm (US1) or 2.75mm (US2). I prefer short needles (7inches or less)
   

7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference? I prefer the book colors but I'm not opposed to the film colors.
   

8. Allergies? Do you have any? Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? I have trouble with some perfumes and other fragrances. I have no trouble with animals. I own two cats and no matter how careful I am their hair gets into everything.
   

9. Are you an international participant (outside US)? Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal? I am not an international participant. I am willing to have an international pal.

HP5

I took my daughter to see this movie on Sunday. I thought it was pretty well done. As always there were parts from the book that I had really wanted to see on screen and things I feel they got 'wrong'. But for the most part it was a good movie and I will be buying the DVD when it comes out.

I can hardly wait for the HP7 to arrive. I refused to pay the additional shipping to get it here more quickly though. But I'm very interested to find out if any of my feelings about what will happen next will come to fruition.

I think I'd really like to read stories about HP's life as an Aurer. I don't really think that we should expect JKRowling to spend the rest of her life with these characters but I still think these would be a nice series of stories.

Think Pink

Here are the sleeves for the Lopi cable sweater I am working on. The pattern is in Lopi No. 23. the yarn is Lopi Lite in Rose Heather.















I have one sleeve done to the body. The cables are all 2 over two and I am doing them without a cable needle. I have enjoyed the process quite a lot. I haven't lost my cable needle even one time while working on this project.














See the lovely KnitPicks Options needle cable? Nice stitch holder! The best part was just removing the needle ends and putting the stops on. Fabulous!

I have almost finished the second. When I finish the second sleeve I'm going to knit the second sleeve on Aunt Bernie's sweater.

See the cute little Fimo stitch markers? I love making stitch markers. Talk about fun and useful!

Now I'm off to finish the sleeve(s)

Another FO

Here it is - the long awaited Shapely Tank.

When last we saw this lovely sweater all I had left was the side seams and armhole finishing. I finished hemming and marking buttonholes for a dress last night and then seamed up the tank, knit an armhole and went to bed. This morning I finished the other armhole knitting. Two hours work took me 2 months to get around to doing. This is why my UFO pile is so scary.

It looks good on. The shaping makes it look odd flat.

It is also really purple!

Swatched

Here is the Kauni Swatch. Pretty, I think. And the best part! I got gauge!














Here is the sweater I'm making for my spouse. I have almost completed half the body.