Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Wonderful

I tried to get a picture of the kitty in the kitty pi but every time I'd get the camera he would have to come and see what I was doing.

Cats.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Blue Monday

Monday are always so long. Tonight I went to my friend's house and did sewing instead of knitting.

Now I'm off to bed. Perhaps I will have a chance to take pictures of the kitty pi tomorrow!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Weekend Ends

It is Sunday night, how sad.

I'm developing a knitting callus. That is sad. I suppose I'll have to start wearing a cushion of some sort to cover the spot.

I finally felted the kitty pi I made months ago. I purchased one kitty bed and since they both use it I decided to go ahead and felt the kitty pi for them to use. I hope they use it - otherwise I'll be sad.

My sister-in-law is here for the week.

Off to bed. Work in the morning.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Last Weekend in November!

I joined the sleeves to the body on the pink cabled wonder.

Nothing else is really going on at my house. My husband's sisters are coming to visit this week. Two of them are arriving today and one is staying through the next week. We are taking the other to the airport tomorrow morning.

So I'm off to clean house before company arrives. I also have to take my baby to work and Mike is at the chiropractor again. I hope they get him fixed soon. I also need to put another couple of boxes of stuff away in my room. I am wondering where I'm going to stuff another couple of boxes of stuff but I'm going to give it a shot.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

I finished my bag this morning, after baking pie. I think it turned out pretty well. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. But it is nice.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

There will be baking

In the morning I will be making pie. I suppose I could go and make pie tonight but I think I'm going to sit here with my little girl and watch TV.

I got the spare yarn back from my mother so I can finish the Celtic tote. I'll be really annoyed if I still have to use the third skein. Especially since my mother had to mail the yarn (well actually - my father did it for her.)

Maybe I'll finish the bag and have something take pictures of this weekend. Here's hoping.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Turkey day cometh!

I'm looking forward to a day off in the middle of the week.

My eye is doing well. I'm hoping that I will start noticing better vision soon.

I've been working on the pink cabled wonder again. I've got about 8 inches done and another 8 to go before I can attach the sleeves. It seems like it will never be done. Not to mention that I knit for hours last night and it was the same size at the end of the night as it was when I started.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Plague, you say?

I spent the weekend shoving anti-histamines into my system. Mostly unsuccessfully.

I have had a sinus headache for three days and I'm really done with that.

Some knitting occurred. I wouldn't call it progress forward on any item though since the ripping more than made up for the knitting.

I hope to get some extra sleep this evening because the 14+ hours I had Saturday and Sunday appear to have been insufficient.

And my friend G makes the best chicken soup ever, ever, ever.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

I feel like shit. That is all

Friday, November 16, 2007

A quiet evening

My husband is out bowling and my daughter is downstairs watching TV. I am sitting quietly watching the Dresden Files. And sneezing like there is no tomorrow. My nose is rubbed raw trying to keep mucus off my face. Stupid allergies.

I am still wearing my contact lens. At least until Monday. It is driving me wacko but there isn't anything to be done about it. Completely annoying. If it was my regular contact I would have removed it several times today.

I am going to finish as much of the Celtic tote as I have yarn for and then I'm going to wait for my Mom to mail what she took. It's too bad really but I don't want to open a new skein for the 1/3 I need. I'd really rather return the unused skein and have less stash-over.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

What a bummer

I had my second post-op appointment today. I have to keep the bandage contact on for at least 3 more days. It is really starting to drive me bonkers, although today has been better than yesterday.

I have almost finished the Celtic tote.

I cast on the first glove for the Plimoth Plantation. It is knitting up quite nicely.

Pictures when there is enough completed to take a picture.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Eye See

Knitting continues but without pictures. And nothing has gotten finished yet either.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

The itching - make it stop

I had eye surgery yesterday and my eye is itching like crazy. I spent the day sleeping and knitting.

I'm still working on the Celtic tote and today I received my materials for the Plimoth Plantation Colonial Wardrobe project. I offered to make a pair of gloves. I received yarn and a pattern but no information about what size to make. Since the yarn is a peachy pink I've decided to make the ladies' size.

Today I wore my Rogue. It still needs to be washed and blocked but I like it. Lovely color and warm.

Tomorrow it's back to work for me. After a 5 day weekend a three day week is going to be hard.

And can you believe that next week is Thanksgiving! 5 weeks until Christmas and 3 weeks until Hanukkah. This has been a fast year.

Soon the year of the sweater will be replaced by the year of the sock. I'm pretty sure I've bitten off more than I can chew this time - but I'm looking forward to the challenge. I can hardly wait to get started.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Stupid Blogger - or stupid connection

I don't know what happened to the post I attempted yesterday. It was eaten by the ether.

Today was a busy day. I have new drugs I should stay away from. We should have guessed that since caffeine was a downer that the downer would be an upper. But we were quite entertained by the fact that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't manage to do more than lay down and close my eyes and then talk non-stop for three hours. It's a good thing my friends love me.

There has been not knitting today.

Yesterday I wrote about the Celtic tote from the new Interweave Knits. I finished the back yesterday and started the bottom. It isn't as big unfelted as I expected it to be after felting. Alas. I'm going to finish it anyway. It is nice. Just smaller than I thought from looking at the pictures.

Tomorrow - knitting and maybe pictures.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Feast day of St. Leo the Great

Once again I was taken against my will to the yarn store. I only bought 4 skeins!

I'm going to make the Celtic Tote in the lastest Interweave Knits. My mother bought yarn for 2 more sweaters. I think she bought yarn for 4 total this visit.

I also managed to find a nice pair of dress shoes. I should still attempt to find one more pair. (I have hard to fit feet and I hate spending hundreds of dollars on shoes. Especially when it is only for 1 pair)

And now - back to visiting with my mother. She leaves tomorrow. The weekend has gone by much too quickly.

Friday, November 09, 2007

Feast day of the Dedication of St. John Lateran

My mother arrived at 7 am this morning and I have been on the go every since. We went to The Good Earth for breakfast. It was great. Then we came home and had coffee, dropped off her suitcase and left for 3Kittens. Mother found her pattern and some yarn for Dream in Color's Tulip Baby sweater. We ran to Borealis Yarns and she bought yarn for a sweater and bought me some yarn for a pair of stockings.

We picked up my daughter, had lunch and ran the mall. I need a nap and she's taking one.

I can't sleep in the day time very often. Which really sucks. I could go and lay down - but there would, most likely, be no sleeping. So I'm not even going to bother trying.

Tomorrow we are going to check out the new Trader Joe's in Woodbury. I've never shopped at one but I've heard good things and since I'm making dinner tomorrow maybe I can find something interesting to add to dinner.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Feast day of Blessed John Duns Scotus

I am so excited - my mother is going to be here tomorrow! I hope we manage to have time to do all the things she has planned.

Today I saw friends in the skyway, but only after they drew my attention from my deep conversation with my coworker. I was really engrossed in our conversation, but still rather embarrassing.

It is really cloudy cold and nasty here. I miss summer already.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Feast day of Saint Didacus

Look what came in the mail! Lovely socks and stitchmarkers!Lovely Harmony needles, some nice cotton yarn, dishcloth patterns lotion and a chocolate frog that lasted only as long as it took to take the photo. And some Euclan Woolwash a nail file and a sock keychain (which is funny since I sent her one as well. They are just that cute!)
In knitting news I managed to get the facing started on my Kauni sleeve and knit - wait for it - three WHOLE rows. It took my two hours to get that done. I kept making so many mistakes and having to start all over.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Feast day of St. Nicholas Tavelic and Companions

My aunt received her sweater yesterday. She loves it and it isn't too big (just a little long). She isn't sure if she will wear it out on the boat. She probably should though. Or I could make her a nice tightly knit gansey. The kind that are completely bulletproof. Given how pleased she was with the first one I'm not sure she would be able to handle getting a second.

I have to redo the steeks for my Kauni sweater. I knit up one facing and when I went to use it I discovered that I had created uneven steeks; one was 3 columns of stitches and the other 6. (sad) I just have to take off the columns of stitches, but it means crocheting the stitches and cutting them up again. I decided to not do it last night and instead cast on the body of the Pink Cabled Wonder. I managed to get it cast on and joined without (I repeat - without) twisting it. I had enough weighted pins on it that there was simply no way it could twist without committing violations of the law gravity.

So what to do tonight - to steek or not to steek.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Feast day of the Venerable Solanus Casey

The body of the Kauni sweater is done. Now I'm going to knit the facings/sleeves. I'm going to use the directions that Holly shared on the Kauni KAL. I'm really excited to try it. The cardi to pulli worked out well. I'm pleased with the neckline. Even if this isn't my favorite colorway it may end up being my favorite sweater.

So tonight I'm going to knit the facings and if the time works out start the first sleeve.

If it looks like I won't have time or the attention to focus on learning the new technique I'll cast on the body for the pink cabled wonder (again) and hopefully I will manage to NOT twist the join this time.

I found some beautiful silver and gold beads at the store. I'm going to make a new knitting counter. I have to find my directions to determine what size I need and go back to buy them. There were a little too pricey to buy without knowing for sure what I need. But I'm really getting interested in beautiful knitting jewelry. I have more fun making stitch markers that I would have imagined (I now have about 100 stitch markers). I should really get and Etsy page and sell some of them. But which ones would I give up?

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Feast day of Saint Charles Borromeo

Today we cleaned up the front flower bed and planted some bulbs. We still need to find some cover to help things winter over.

I'm about 1.5 inches from putting the neck in my kauni. How exciting.

I have finally decided on a pattern for my friend's husband's sweater. I need to knit a couple swatches and pattern samples. But with any luck the search will be over. I'm still waiting for some measurements though.

Now - back to laundry and knitting

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Feast day of Saint Martin de Porres

Today we finished installing the last of the baseboards. Finally done. Now we just need to get a couple rooms cleaned and we can be done working on 'the house'. I don't think we will ever BE done, since we just keep coming up with other things that we should do.

And the time change is upon us. I hate the whole idea of it. If there is such a deep desire to have longer days in the summer fine (I don't know why people think that one hour makes such a fantastic benefit - but what ever) Then just do it and leave it. Why change it back and forth and back and forth?

I worked on the Kauni sweater again today. I have 1/2 of the armhole done. I'm starting to try to figure out the shaping for the neck. I think I should go and read a couple of other patterns to see how they were done and by then I should be up to that point.

Unfortunately I have no pictures, maybe tomorrow.

Friday, November 02, 2007

All Souls Day

Bowling tonight. Yay!?

I worked on the Kauni sweater last night. I'm up to the armholes. I really like this yarn. It is so fun to watch the pattern develop. I'd really like to try some of the other colors with some other patterns. I think it would be really great with Kaffe's lily/lotus pattern in pink/purple and blue/grey. Maybe after I finish some other things around here I'll give it a go.

I also watched Torchwood last night. It is one weird show and now they are doing stories with links to last season, which I missed. I feel like I'm at a disadvantage. Of course there is always the possibility that those who saw the last season don't know any more than I do.

I'm so delighted that today is Friday. Next Friday my mother will be here to visit. I hope that everything at work goes properly so that I get the whole day to spend with her. Even if I don't it would only be a few hours that I'd have to work. But I'd just as soon that not happen.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

All Saints Day

Well – after 5 failed attempts at making a nasty – ugly muppet sweater I have frogged it for the last time. I will have to find something else to do with the ‘yarn’ (and I use the term loosely). I actually think I have a use for the cream stuff and I will see what I think about for the blue stuff, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

I posted my Hogwarts Sock Swap package on Wednesday but I forgot to take pictures of it. It’s just as well. I was not happy with the yarn and then when I washed them the black bled into the yellow. It was much too late to start over, even if I had had other Hufflepuff yarn in my stash. There was some not small amount of swearing. The wash over isn’t bad but the yellow is not as clear and bright as it was. I will not be purchase that yarn again anytime soon and if I do I will have to remember to skein it, wash it and then set the color. Easier to just avoid it.

I also, finally, mailed my aunt her sweater. I just kept hoping to get caught up on laundry so I could wash and block it. I finally just worked over the vast piles of pre-existing laundry. I am NEVER going to get all the laundry done. I just have to come to terms with that fact.