Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Weekend of Knitting

This was a weekend of finishing knitting.

Here are some lovely green socks.They are a sock of the month kit from The Knitter.com. I have no idea which month (or March 2008 which is what it says on the pattern). I'm so far behind that I will never catch up. The pattern is Down the Garden Path by Judy Alexander. The yarn is Trekking XXL, which I liked well enough to seek and buy. I knit them with 2.25mm Options dpns.

I also finished my second pair of Sock Wars Socks and the secret project. The only socks I currently have on the needles is a pair of Schaefer socks. I love the sock (I finished one) and the yarn, but the pattern is really tough. I'm sure I have frogged three socks worth of knitting just on the first sock.

I am busy with my purple felted bag. I have finished the body of the bag and 1/2 of one strap. I hope to have the knitting done this week and maybe even the felting! I am also going to (finally) start the socks I am making for my mother. It would be nice to have them done when my daughter goes to visit, so I can send them with her. We'll see. The pattern doesn't seem that hard, but you never know.

And sheep - I am ready to knit sheep!
Summer is here. Tomorrow - garden pics.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Oh my aching muscles!


This weekend was spent putting in a new garden. I convinced my spouse to allow me to put a ‘wild’ flower bed in the front yard. I explained many times that this garden won’t be ‘done’ for years. My friend S came over to help and we worked our collective butts into the ground. I spent a crazy amount of money on plants and planted a space larger that I anticipated and it is more full than I expected but still pretty barren. We will need to put down some mulch – but not until the seeds come up. We may get mulch and mulch everywhere except where the seeds are. I hate mulch.

There was some knitting. I finished a sock and my friend G came over and turned some skeins into nice balls for me (she wanted to use my equipment and in payment she took care of some random projects that needed to be helped along). I planted the veggie garden and then G and I went to have a coffee break and I helped her vet a portion of her new pattern.

G is writing a pattern for a pair of socks from the 16th century, based on pictures. I started this several years ago and then never finished. She is more dedicated and will be finished. She already knows what needs doing – but she uses me to talk through things. I’m going to use the knitfont I have to do the chart for her in knit speak, knit a sample to proof the chart. I think I will just make the socks and that way I will have a pair when the pattern is complete. It’s fun to talk knitting with her. We noticed yesterday that one of the pictures we have has the one sock right side out and one sock inside out. We don’t agree on which side is the right side. This was a very cool discovery. Neither of us had noticed before in spite of pouring over the pictures for hours and hours.

In return she has agreed to help proof my new sock pattern when I get it finished.

There were many interesting happenings over at Sock Wars this weekend, including the untimely demise of my assassin. The socks she was knitting for me are now on their way to Ontario. I am still waiting for the SIP (socks-in-progress) from my victim to arrive. My nerves are starting to fray a little from the stress of waiting. That or I’m just really anxious to get back in the game.

Although some of the fun of the game has gone out of it for me. Since part of the game is waiting for the SIP to arrive I am unhappy that someone who has admitted to not waiting for two SIPs hasn't been disqualified. I have spent the last week waiting for socks. In that week I could have knit 2 more pairs of socks. That isn't the way the rules were set up and we should all have to abide by the same rules.

Friday, May 16, 2008

It’s been pretty quiet. There has been knitting - Some hush hush secret knitting. I have to get busy this weekend and ball some yarn so that I can make sheep. I’d also like to start some pre-cleaning in the downstairs craft room. This room is going to become the defacto library. Since the library has become the guest room because we couldn’t get the piano in the library and had to put it in the guest room which meant there was no room for guests. It is a vicious cycle.

The spouse goes to visit his mother in couple weeks and I will be free to fill the family room with junk while I clean out the room and put stuff away. Once this is done things will be much better (for some definitions of better). Of course your mileage will vary.

I also would really like to get my ‘stuff’ sorted so that I have tools together where I can find them. That will take more time than I have, the room cleaning is more necessary, and the sorting can take place without destroying the family living area. So time management will prevail. I may do some staging of both projects over the next few weeks.

In other news I have decided to sit the bar exam (again). This means that solitary time is the call of the day and I will not be attending my knitting groups from now until the end of July. This will allow me to listen to scintillating lectures on various legal topics. Yay? I hope things work out the way I want with that. The application was interesting. Who can remember stuff that happened 12+ years ago? I’m sure I’ve forgotten something and will be refused admission to the bar.

And that, folks, is the sum total of my summer. Because, really that will be all there is time for.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Some people!

Since I washed out of Sock Madness (so close!) I had a little time on my hands (or something) So I've decided to try my hand at Sock Wars. I have purchased some Tofutsies for my 'weapon'. I love the socks I made with it from the Sock of the Month kit. So I figured why not.



I chose two colors and I don't know which one I will make the Sock War socks from but they are both nice. I will start my gauge swatch as soon as I finish my little girl's prom dress. I have everything done except hemming and I have to put the boning in by hand, since I don't want any sewing to show. I'm just a little compulsive. And I have to hurry and finish that dress because Sock War starts the 9th, which coincidentally is the same day as prom. Imagine that - sounds like fate to me!

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Adagio!

Here is a picture of my Adagio shawl. All done! It took at least two hours to bind of the edge stitches. Or at least it seemed like it. The photo is washed out a little. I will have to make a dress to match it so I can wear it. As long as I don't have to put a zipper in the dress.


I suppose I could have put some clothes on the dressmaker's dummy.

Finally A Peapod Picture!

Here is the Peapod baby sweater I made for my friend Kelly's baby to be. It's knit from Knitpicks WOA in Blue Saphire (or Saphire Heather - I never can find the labels after I finish.)

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Still in the Finishing Mood

I am just finishing projects. I have little urge to start something new but I keep digging out the UFOs for some special attention. I have nearly completed the Adagio shawl. It would have been done tonight if I hadn't found - The Mistake. I ripped it back and I almost back were I was when I sat down this evening. I hope to finish the shawl this week. (hahahahahaha!)

Then I have a couple of sweaters that are almost done. I think I'll pull out Beadwork and see if I can get that knit up.

And those second socks I have sitting here taunting me. Those I should finish as well.