Lovely Lace

And without further ado here are the first few inches of my personal version of the Veil of Isis. I am making it with the silk I bought at the Yellow Dog yarn store in Eau Claire. Yes, what you see there are 4 cable needles. I didn't have 5 size 3mm needles that were long enough that stitches didn't fall off them and it isn't yet big enough that they all fit on one.

Count your blessings

If I didn't have a friend with worse trouble then I have I'd be ready to give up my sinus. I have had a lovely sinus headache for two days. I hope that is goes away soon. It's making my eyes hurt.

I did manage to finish the socks for my spouse's birthday.

Plain vanilla sock pattern, Scouts Swag in MN Vikings colorway, on 2.25 mm needles. Sorry about the photo, the colors aren't so great and he kept wiggling his toes. Silly.

Baby sweaters

Since the shower is today it shouldn't spoil the surprise.

Sweater for my friend Kate's baby-to-be. It is Sue from Elsebeth Lavold Book 6. The yarn is Silky Wool. I really like working with it. I think we can say that I do not possess the baby sweater curse. I finished the sweater last week and so far no baby. But she is due any day. I hope she gets to stay for the shower.

I have finished one sock for my husband's birthday. His birthday is tomorrow. I hope I manage to find time to finish the second sock. The yarn is from Scout's Swag in a special color she dyed for my friend's store, called MN Vikings. The yardage is short for such big feet (and he doesn't really have big feet). so they are ankle length. I bought a sock pattern program and decided to play with it and compare the stitch count from it with what the Twisted Sisters Sock book and the Sensational Knitted Socks book said I would need. The program also gives a yarn yardage. If I had made the leg the usual length I would have run out 100 yards short. Assuming the pattern maker is correct I should have 10 yards left. Stay tuned.

Craptacular

Most of today went pretty well. My wiper arm didn't work this morning, but I was pretty sure I knew what was wrong and how to fix it. So no worries.

I came home and couldn't manage it, called the spouse yadda yadda.

I packed up my stuff and headed off to my meeting. F*ing hood won't stay latched. I pulled off the highway at the first exit, and spent 15 minutes trying to get the hood to stay shut - no success. Headed down the back roads home. Found a cute little yarn/bead store. Setembrina swore me to secrecy (I was pretty mad, because when I called the spouse, rather upset about the hood thing, he hung up! so I called for sympathy)

I wondered by way home, slowly. Came in and started getting ready for work in the morning, no work vehicle keys in sight. I looked everywhere. Emptied purses, briefcases, pockets, etc. No success. Start to panic, decide to call spouse to see if he has them since he put washer fluid in it last night.

Call store, phone is busy. Call spouse cell, phone is busy. Call mom, phone is busy. Call my cell, phone is busy. WTF! Gather all phones, put them on jacks. Call spouse cell, with cell, have him call house, phone is busy. Great.

Lock doors, go to room, sit in chair, wait for chair to collapse. At least the internet works. I'm not certain I could have taken it if that had been out as well.

Saturday

Yesterday, after staying up until the wee hours knitting and then getting up in the early hours before dawn so that I could finish my Sock Madness socks. I was tired, and wired. We had a big day planned! So I quickly posted my socks, took a shower and finished altering the Sheepy Sweater. Setembrina arrived in the midst of this insanity, Giovanna arrived about 10 minutes later. We jumped into my little blue car and away we went. I drove the morning shift while I was still wide awake on adrenaline, Giovanna added some finishing touches, weaved in a few remaining ends and trimmed a few others. Between the two of us the Sheepy sweater ended up looking like this
We arrived at The Yellow Dog yarn store after a quick detour for coffee. We let them know we were there, filled out some forms and petted a lot of yarn. We brow-beat Setembrina into getting her photo taken as well. It's probably okay that I knit more than a couple rows, since Setembrina didn't. I apparently can't hold needles without knitting.

Franklin was very nice. He enjoyed our impromptu homage to Dolores. (I have to admit that while I was entertained by the idea when I brought it up at knit night but without the prompting of Giovanna I would never have gone through with it). He let us get a picture taken with him (which you can see at Giovanna's Blog) Why I never think to take my camera places I will never understand.

We all purchased a little something, I grabbed up a beautiful skein of copper colored silk for something a little lacy (I have all the skill honing to do). It was the last one and very funny, the shop owner and one of the employees had been talking about snatching it up and a couple of the other customers asked if there was more.

We met Giovanna's parents for lunch (it was quite tasty). We went and had great home made ice cream and headed home. And by this time I had begun to go downhill. Setembrina drove and I slept.

It was a great day, immense fun was had by all.

Sock Madness 2 - Round 1

I have survived. And I don't have to try to find free wireless in Eau Claire!

The flash certainly washed out the socks! The color is much closer to a nasty bruise that it appears in this picture.

The pattern is called Zombie Socks. The yarn it Trekking (XXL), knitted on size 2.25mm Options double points. They are a size 7 and will be sent to my mother. I hope she likes them. There is a certain pink in them that reminds me of the color her healing bruises turn. Mom and I both bruise pretty easy: hers turn a lovely shade of fuchsia, mine turn a nasty shade of yellow green.

And with that tidbit of useless and obscure information (not to mention bizarre) I'm going to go and get ready for the trip to the yarn store and photo op.

Sock Madness is coming

I can hardly contain my excitement. I keep thinking through my stash making choices for the yarn, all the techniques I know for making socks and which needles I want to use.

I think today I will select yarn - but what if I change my mind?! Then I can wind them and get ready.

I am sure I will decide to use my knitpicks options needles. I really like them. I could use my harmony dpns but some of them are split a little and catch the yarn. I suppose I could attempt to file them down and fix them, but I've been thinking about doing that for months and still haven't done it. I could also contact knitpicks about it but I haven't done that either. Brittany dpns are still my favorite but I bend them until they form c shapes.

I have been busy working on Mary Tudor. I have about 25 rows until I start the neck shaping. I hope to start the sleeves next week, although Sock Madness will have to take precedence. I don't know how I'm going to manage to wait until next week. AAHHHH!!! (hehehe)

Complete!

My yarn arrived yesterday and last night I finished it! Yay - new sweater!

I think it is terribly cute. I have to wash and block it.

Starmore and Lavold

I have gotten back to my Mary Tudor (finally) I have the body completed past adding the armhole steeks and made decisions about the placement of the neck shaping. I need to sit and write up the directions I intend to use and then I don't have to remember it later.

I have also started this sweater for my friend's soon to arrive daughter. I choose a lovely emerald green silky wool.

My daughter has started a blanket for her as well. She is knitting along quite well. She has already completed 5 rows. It's a garter stitch blanket from a Debbie Bliss book. I think it was a very wise pattern selection for someone with my daughter's skill and confidence level. She also took it so she could work on it while riding the bus when she went to work yesterday. It is very pleasing when our children make good choices.