Clue one - done!

Finally finished clue one for the Anniversary Mystery Shawl. I'm only two clues behind!
I have made progress on a couple of other projects and joined the 52 Pair Plunge. Unlikely I'll manage to do that, but I'm going to try.

Turn About is Fair Play

Setembrina, friend and knitting companion extraordinaire, talked me into a KAL. I have received my yarn and I'm trying to catch up. I am about 1/2 done with the first clue.
Not too bad, if I do say so myself. (This is after Row 20) Clue one is 64 Rows.

And I better get busy and get Clue One finished so I can start Clue Two. Because after that I need to get back to Steve's sweater. I have 8 rows of the hem left and then one sleeve to pick up and knit. Keep your fingers crossed - this sweater could (maybe) get finished in this lifetime!

Knitting ADD

I swear I have it! I unplied 172 yards of tapestry yarn so I could swatch the mystery KAL. And you may well ask - So, aren't you supposed to swatch? Yes, but with the yarn you intend to make the item with, not with stash yarn you purchased to do needlepoint. Then I ripped it back and put the ball back in the stash. I believe I'm nuts, but a good kind of nuts, maybe?

Today the patterns my mother found for me and mailed arrived. I am going to go and find the yarn just as soon as I finish the last 4 rows on Steve's sweater, and maybe the set up row for the hem.

My loom also came in the mail and I HAD to try it out. Didn't I!? Of course I did. It does help that I had warped a temporary loom over the weekend, so all I had to do was attach the weaving to the new loom. It appears to work well - but I've only used it for 15 minutes.

Today was crafter's delight at my house.

Good intention

I am trying to finish things - I finished the sweater for my mother and now I'm working hard to finish the sweater for Steve. I have one sleeve done and I'm making the body longer, as requested. I have 6 pattern rows and then the hem. After that I have one sleeve left. So with any luck only 9 mos late. I think I'm glad he is too far away to try it on, otherwise I fear I'd end up starting it again. I don't think I could handle it!

Then I have socks to finish.

I have also joined another KAL. Setembrina talked me into this one. I won't have my yarn for a couple weeks yet so I've got that long to get some things finished. I'm trying to have fewer things on the needles then I have in my queue. I wonder if I'll ever manage that?

of knitting and knot

I have bowed out of Sock Madness. I made a conscious decision to stop. Don't get me wrong - I understand this is volunteer, the patterns are free and all of those other things, but if I can be disqualified to failing to knit the item exactly as the pattern says then the pattern really needs to be correct. I also understand stuff happens and people are not perfect. It was more that, in the interest of untwisting my panties I determined that a reality check was in order and I was getting WAY to worked up about it. As a dear friend of mine says (often) 'Those that need naps, TAKE THEM!' so I'm taking my nap and when I can come back and play like a big girl I will.

The patterns so far have been utterly beautiful. I will finish the ones I started and I can't wait to see the new patterns and knit them as well.

This week I'm in the delightful city of Montreal. I found some lovely acid green and lavender yarns and I will be making something with them - together. I also bought some very gorgeous lace weight. I have spent hours buzzing around the 'net looking for a pattern but so far no soap. Ariadne Knits is a beautiful knitting store. If you are ever in Montreal you should stop.

Last time I was here we went to La Tricoteuse de Laine (alas - no website). I need to go back there - they had a book I have decided I need. It was fabulous as well and there are 6 others that I'd like to try to see eventually. The problem is many of them close at 5 and since I work until 5 I'm rather SOL.

I have been knitting leaves for my Vintage socks. Great fun. I have also managed to finish one sock for about 6 pair. So I'm hoping to manage to focus just a little and finish some second socks soon. I'm also trying to finish a couple sweaters. What a ferret I am! It's a good thing I'm cute.

So back to leaves. That's one good thing about traveling for work, you can't take much with you so you have to work on what you brought. Now if I can just convince myself to bring the second sock for those 6 pair, I'll be all set!

Harry Potter Knitting

I wanted to make one of these for years. I finally found a reason - HSKS7.

It was a nice knit, only the finishing was troublesome - but I've never lined a bag before. The next one should be easier.
And, yes, there will be more. I think I need a Ravenclaw bag and I might try my hand at putting other designs on the front for a friend or two.

Sockmadness III Round 2

Sockmadness III Round 2
Originally uploaded by knitknot

Look! I finished my Tokena socks - second round of Socks Madness. It took forever for me to finish. I kept making rookie mistakes. I'm going to have to stop doing that.

The yarn is Gems Merino from Louet. Quite fabulous!

Sock Madness Round 1

Well - that was fun. Finished my first pair of Sock Madness socks
Pattern is Tropical Mer-tini by Ronni Smith. Mine were made with Lana Grossa Meilenweit on 2.5mm needles. This yarn was from a sock of the month kit. I didn't care for the pattern - but the yarn worked great for these!

Yay for cool new socks and yay for stash busting!

Sign that I am truly mad!

I have no time for blogging and little time for knitting - so what am I going to do? Sock Madness!

Just Plain Crazy!

I can hardly wait!

AHH!

The new job is eating my life. I'm really enjoying it but wow! Where does the time go?

There has been knitting. I made a hat for a friend and I'm knitting two pair of socks and two sweaters. I have admired a local yarn store.

Other than that - my life is consumed with work.

Home for the Holidays

I am home visiting for the Holidays. I return to Indianapolis on Saturday. I will miss my daughter. But I am looking forward to getting back to work though and the weather there is nicer than here! It is snowing, icy and below zero here. There it was nearly 70 f one day last week.

I have been knitting. My mother asked me to knit her a sweater for Christmas. She bought the yarn some time ago but hadn't started the sweater yet. I received the yarn when I got home on Christmas eve and I have nearly completed the back. I think I will do the sleeves next then then front.

And so - back to knitting!

Almost, but not quite

So I had planned to go to a new yarn store today. I've been in IN for a while now and it seemed like time to strike out and find a few more of the vital necessities.

Until last night. Indeed - I was looking for something new to knit (three pairs of socks and two sweaters being insufficient to hold my interest). Okay - you know - I didn't bring that (THAT) much yarn with me. But my dear - I could knit a pair of socks a day and not make a dent in what is here. I don't quite have enough to insulate the room - but really - not even my house!

I know there is no way on earth I can be anywhere near a yarn store and not buy some new yarn. So I decided it was the better part of valor to stay away from the source of sin and start a new pair of socks. I'm a loony - no doubt about it. But I have the toe on the first sock completed and I'm happy as a clam.

I still want to make a pair of the Vintage Socks. I just don't know why - they are tooooo busy. But I want them. Completely nuts. I do have some mad money I haven't spent yet, so there is a chance I would be able to purchase such a kit. I'm still pondering that one.

Indiana

I am here. It is snowing. The drive was uneventful.

I will have to find a new yarn shop or two - maybe next weekend. I only brought one trunk full of yarn with me and I might run out of knitting! That would be very bad.

With any luck knitting will appear here sometime in the next few posts.

New News

I should have something substantial to put here. I have finished items that I need to post about but I've been rather busy with other things.

I'm moving, to Indiana, for work. I do not know what my internet access will be in the immediate future. I assume there will be free access 'somewhere' but right now I do not know how readily and how often I'll be able to use it.

Of course, addict that I am, I can't imagine that it will be long before I have a permanent set up.

Sock Quest Success

Here they are - the socks that won Sock Quest:

On Saturday I picked up this! (It was here on Friday but the PO didn't leave it. So I had to go and pick it up). It was VERY exciting.
Inside the box was all of these good things!
Patterns (two for socks and one for a shawl) and a great sock book
Spa tools for relaxing after all the 'hard' work of knitting the socks
Pink Jello (are we allowed to eat this? It looks delish - strawberry creme) and hot cocoa to sip while I write cute little cards.
And contemplate what to make with all this lovely yarn - the center is blue alpaca that came in the little pink bag with a shawl pattern. The blue cone is shetland (A WHOLE cone!) and the brown is also alpaca. So soft! The spools are wooly thread and the bag of skeins is cotton and bamboo. Great colors.
There were also these tools - knitting clips, a WIP tube and a baggage label. The pink cloth also came with it. It is beautiful and soft.
And even a nice cat toy! How ever did Sheri know?

A great prize. I feel bad that I only knit one pair of socks.

Alas

Well - There is no way I'm going to even come close to a post a day in November.

I spent today learning to use the knitting machine my grandmother gave me. I did manage to get a few knitting type things done. I cast on, which has been a problem in the past, and knit a sleeve including false ribbing and hemming the sleeve on the machine. I am probably going to just dump the practice bits I made today. It's some crappy acrylic yarn I got free somewhere, so I'm not going to wear it. But I am going to work with it until I can manage something blanket size without too much difficulty.

Otherwise some progress was made on getting my crap together but, as with all cleaning, there appears to be more mess rather than less. I am not disturbed by this. I am not enjoying stepping over the stuff. I need to move a box of yarn and a pile of fabric in order to put a few other things in the boxes they belong in. I don't want to and that has become the mini roadblock. But it won't last long. I have a plan!

Oops!

I forgot to post yesterday. I tried to get rid of a tub full of yarn today but failed. I suppose I am going to have to make something out of it. I'm going to have to work fast.

Monday

Tonight I finished a dishcloth and worked on the sweater some more, as well as, reading a benefits handbook, shredding until the shredder overheated and threw away a BUNCH of stuff. And still there is more stuff in here than I know what to do with.

So very exciting!

A Day Spent not Knitting

Today I didn't knit. I spent nearly all day cleaning in my knitting/sewing room. I threw away stacks of papers and old catalogs. I filed patterns and technique sheets. I need some new three ring binders and then I need to spend some time sorting the patterns.

I took a look at the junk room and shuddered. I am going to have to get through it and sort that out too. It could take a lot of time. In the end it will be nice to have it done, but it is a little daunting at the moment.

November Post A Day Time Again

I have really fallen off the blogging wagon. So to jump start my blogging I'm going to try to blog every day for the month of November.

I'm still knitting the sweater for my friend. I hope to have the body done soon.

I also have four pairs of socks on the needles and about four more pair I'd like to start - as soon as I free up some needles.