Two forward, one back

The Honeycomb vest is no more. I wasn't going to have enough yarn and I wasn't happy with it anyway. If I have to buy more yarn I'm going to try to find what I wanted in the first place. So instead I ripped back and started Pudorosa. So far a very calming knit. I have the first one almost done. The FIRST ONE you many very well ask. Why yes.

Everyone, being all interested in what I was knitting, asked; I sent the link. They liked. They said they wanted one too - please!? Now they are all knitters and COULD make their own. But, I have 4 balls of this yarn.

If I had my library from home I could make these but I don't (and I could buy the pattern, but I already have it - in MN). So why not. It's a pleasant knit, I have the yarn and the time. (lots of time) And they are all knitters and will appreciate the gift. Two birds, one stone. (Well three but who, besides me, is counting.)

And for our next adventure!

I have cast on for the Honeycomb Vest not that I have finished anything to justify starting something new. I have about 1/2 the back completed. So far it is an interesting knit. I'm looking forward to wearing it.

I am also nearly finished with a pair of socks. I have only half the foot of a second sock to finish. This is a pair that had been suffering from second sock syndrome since last fall. The 52 Pair Plunge and commute knitting have really been useful for getting projects off the UFO pile.

After I finish the vest I will have to get back to the Anniversary Mystery Shawl. I think two more weeks of steady work would finish that.

And then the second sleeve on Steve's sweater. Can sweaters suffer from second sleeve syndrome? I believe mine do.

Looks like an agenda to me!

Another week bites the dust

Sunday was a mixed blessing. Saturday we got new internet, which was win, but that meant that Saturday's agenda got pushed back to Sunday and Sunday's agenda got round filed.

There was knitting, where I discovered that I must have snagged the needles from a sock UFO for something else and put a different set in to hold the stitches. Of course I didn't notice this for 5 inches of sock leg. (rip rip rip)

Drove to West Chester (OH) to the IKEA, bought a bed and mattress. Yay for bed! Four hours driving and two hours shopping. Had fun, and saved about $800 over anything I saw in Indy (and that was just the mattress!). I think that covers gas.

So now we start a new week.

Lace, Socks and Sweaters, Oh My!

The internet has been out - but there has been knitting!

Finally finished Clue 3:




I think it's turning out pretty well. The pattern requires attention but is not to difficult. A really lovely knit.


And two pairs of socks for the 52 Pair Plunge:


What I've been calling my Raspberry Swirl sock are finally finished. I started these a LONG time ago and then more than once.






Baby socks knit in sets of three. Why? Who knows but mother's who have them like it.







And there is progress on Steve's sweater - One sleeve down and one to go!

WOOHOO!

Internet access should reappear on Saturday! I just scheduled a new provider to come and do the install.

And boy to I have some knitting to show you! I have socks and lace and sweaters (oh my!)

I hope you all are as excited as I am (both of you!)

Still no internet at the house. Really annoying. And makes it very hard to do my paying job. VERY HARD, like as in nearly impossible.

1/2 of SSSP is complete. Rather nicely too, if you ask me.

Also finished a pair of baby socks. Cute with a capital Q.

Must make phone calls to internet providers today. TDS is full of fail. They will call us in 24 - 48 hours if they fix it, and we should be home during those times in case they stop by and need to come in, cause we don't work - right? Apparently this means they will call Saturday afternoon on the house phone, to ask us to do more 'troubleshooting' even though they were given cell numbers since we wouldn't be home. UHM WTF!? More trouble shooting? We have been doing that for weeks. This does not give me warm fuzzies.

Perhaps a little demented?!

Is it a little off center that I am thinking I should learn to knit in German? Maybe, but I think I have to have this book so I can make these socks. Or even these.

I learned to knit in French so I could use patterns from Phildar, because not so long ago (okay 15 years ago) you couldn't get all the cool patterns in English.

This is one of those days when I really question my sanity.

SSSP* - update!

The SSSP has moved along quite fabulously. I am now at the interesting part. WOOT!

I have let it take knitting time away from the Anniversary Mystery Shawl. This will put me even further behind, but I'm too excited to care.

There is also future project planning - I gave my Rogue sweater to my daughter so I think I will make another one for me.

I also really like the Honeycomb Vest from Spring 2008 Knitty.

First I have Steve's sweater and the SSSP to finish though.

* sooper sekret skirrel projekt

And - Pictures!

I finally finished Clue 2 of the Anniversary Mystery Shawl.
The side panel:

The center panel:I planned to have this much done yesterday - but the fridge was out in the morning which resulted in trips for ice, packing of coolers, waiting for the service guy, getting the new (used) fridge and emergency cooking. Still have to make jelly with the strawberries that were in the freezer.

I stayed up until after midnight trying to finish up but went to bed with two rows left. I thought that it would be better to call it a night rather than having to frog back mistakes in the morning.
After a bit of breakfast today I will start clue three. Maybe I will finish clue three before clue 5 is released.

I also need to knit a couple pair of socks this week.

Still knitting lace

I still have rows and rows to go before I finish the second clue.

It is turning out very well - but I am not dedicated enough to catch up.

I have too many things I NEED to work on and too little time.

Tomorrow I hope there will be pictures here. I can't guarantee knitting pictures - but some pictures.

Dinner with friends

Is fun.

I am very lucky - my coworker with whom I car pool doesn't mind driving so I get to knit on the way to and from work. I get quite a bit of boring knitting done. All this leads to -

Today on the way home I reached a happy place in my sooper sekret skirrel projekt (SSSP). I'm very pleased with it. Soon I will be at the interesting part of this project.

There will be no pictures of the SSSP here though - since that sort of defeats the purpose. I am taking pictures and I will put them up just as soon as the secret is broken. Something to look forward to, and perhaps to keep you coming back?!

Once I get the SSSP to the not boring part I will start knitting socks on my commute. Socks for the 52 Pair Plunge. There shall be much knitting.

More Lace - well - not so much

Knitting should be happening right now - instead I give you - PIE!


It was a decent trade off for knitting - the smell is lovely and I'm sure it will taste delish!

I'm still waiting to hear if I get to be one of the 100 official 52 Pair Plunge participants. I am not patient, but heaven knows I'm trying.

So now - the pie is nearly done, the kitchen is clean and I am going to try to get a few rows done on my shawl. The only way I'm going to finish the second clue before the fourth clue is released is to stay up all night Friday night and anyone who knows me knows that is not going to happen.

Getting back in the groove

Starting to get back into the groove. Woohoo.

I need to get busy and finish some knitting. I am focusing on the Anniversary Shawl for now at least until I catch up. Then I have to pick up and knit the last sleeve on Steve's sweater. And socks - if I'm going to do the 52 Pair Plunge I'm going to have to get busy and finish some socks. I have many pair in progress. Hopefully I'll manage to focus and get some of these things done.

If I work really steadily tonight I could finish clue 2 of the shawl, maybe. And maybe I'm just delusional.

We shall see - Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of Adventures in Knitting!

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!