Finishing My Projects

I'm already working on an unfinished project- my Magical Mittens by Knit One, Crochet Too. My MIL gave me the kit as a gift a long time ago, and I followed the directions explicitly. When the first one was finished, it seemed very long and so I set it aside to deal with it later...today, I picked it up and picked the top of the mitten apart, ripped it down and redid it to the proper length. Looks good now and I am nearly finished with the thumb gusset on the second one!

Quilting, Sewing and Knitting Round-Up

Hey there!

There has been a lot of projects going on here since my last post. Boy it's been a long time...I am anxious to document what I have done right here.

I sandwiched and pinned my quilt:

There was lots of SEWING-

And then I started knitting:

There was the SOCK SUMMIT:

And now I am crocheting a ripple afghan, working on 3 cardigans, and have some new sock yarn that I can't wait to use. It is Mossay from Socks That Rock- lightweight. haven't decided if they will be more Zombie socks or Absinthe socks, i am not sure if I have the patience to practice another toe up (not like starting circular ribbing doesn't take patience, I just don't have to read carefully to get going. it's a simple matter of "How many stitches? Got it. What kind of ribbing? Got it. Get going!" The toe up really was easy so perhaps I will read it out sometime soon because I really do like the Absinthe Socks and the point is to build a new skill with every sock. I learned a lot of techniques in Laurel Coombs' Choosing Among Choices class at the Sock Summit, includung an elastic sewn cast off for toe ups, short row heels and hiding the wraps, also two needle cast on for toe ups. I did use that for Wendy's toe up pattern. I have a whole lot of socks to make but a sock break is OK since I have so many projects that are not finished at this point.

Blissful Jacket

Here is the Blissful Jacket by Debbie Bliss from Interweave Knits, Fall 2005. I have had this yarn for several years, gifted to me from my Fairy Godmother. I really did not know what I should do with the yarn until I saw this jacket. I did the back of the sweater 2 years ago, and did at least one of the fronts, but I must have thought that I messed it up (I did not understand the collar directions and nervously frogged the front piece or pieces, I cannot remember if I did both of them). In hindsight, I think I did fine, I just panicked at the time. So, I am further than this picture now, I have done all of the parts, pinned and blocked, and seamed the shoulders and I am now doing the collar. Well, there is a mistake in the collar directions, but I figured out what to do. I did the first collar point well enough and continued on the rest, but I accidentally forgot to section off the second collar point and now I have to rip back about an inch of rows on the rest of the collar, no biggie! My only concern is the armpits, they seem high, and the length seems short, I may have to re-block and try and stretch the lengths out more. I will have to see if once it is seamed together if the armpits are comfortable, the width may make it more comfortable than it looks to be right now.

I am totally slacking off today. I forgot how to discipline myself to do actual work. I am a detestable lazy and spoiled person who has the nerve to think her life is hard, ever! Today, I just needed a quiet house to catch up on work and create. Right now, I feel like going to get a bite of lunch and procratinating a little more! I know what that means. It means I have no energy for the tasks in front of me. Time to get back into the proper time management quadrant!= not urgent and productive. At least I know better to pick up the knitting until this work is done. I am starting to get the comments from the spouse about all of the knitting I have been doing lately. Got to hide it better...

A New Year, A New FO

It's finished! My Charlotte Sweater, from Rowan A Season's Tale. I thought it would be a little fancy because I would need to wear it over a nice high waisted skirt or dress because it it styled quite short, but I was happy to throw it on over an extra-long t-shirt and some cute jeans. I stll have to weave in some ends and I really did not block it, but now that it is together I will give it a nice press. I really should have read the directions that said, "Pressing garment pieces will make seaming up neater and more professional looking", or something to that effect. I basically disregarded that part, since I have a tendency to plow ahead without reading carefully when it looks self explanatory (I figured I have seamed up my share of sweaters; how different could it be?). Well, I discovered that I should continue with the blocking plan from now on- When I went to seam the tiny shoulder seams together, they were quite sloped instead of straight, which I would have straightened out with blocking. I also had some confusion as to which part of the necklines were the side front vs. the front, and the side backs vs. the back when picking up and knitting the neck ribbing. I probably could have defined that much better had I blocked. I was just being a little lazy because the pieces were looking exactly like the book to me! So, I figured I was in great shape.

Well, here are the stats on the lovely thing:

Charlotte Sweater from Rowan's A Season's Tale, scoop neck version.
Size 38 bust-(second largest size)-I didn't want it to be too shrunken looking.
Yarn- Kid Classic (recommended yarn)in Crushed Velvet.
Knit on size 7 and 8 needles, a real mishmash of straight Takumi Bamboo needles (8)and old fashioned metal (7), then the neck ribbing was done with a size 7 Bryspun circular.
Start date: October 2006. I did all four pieces and realized on EVERY piece that I had not changed needles after ribbing OR that I had used size 8 for the entire thing. I frogged the ENTIRE thing and it nearly became a jacket. After a little bit of that, and the realization I was going to have to design a color scheme from mail order sources, I scrapped that idea and went back to the Charlotte!
Picked up again: November 2007. Finished: December 30, 2007.
Other modifications: I sewed the entire sweater together and picked up the neck ribbing stiches and knit in the round, so I had to add a few stiches evenly around. It took me a minute to realize that the directions wanted me to leave an edge open and work back and forth, but I was already forging ahead. I only knit 10 rows before, I was quite impatient to finish. I am usually so patient! The second picture shows a little bit of how tiny the shoulder seams are and how nice it looks.
All in all, a really easy, really cute little sweater and I now have something that looks as the Rowan designer Kim Hargreaves intended it to look because it looks just like the picture!
Anything I would do different- maybe shorten the sleeves, even more although they are a nice shortish full length, I do like the versatility.
I will leave you with a look at our Christmas lights, they are coming down tomorrow! Hope you had a delightful holiday season! We are finishing ours with some serious snacks and some classic 1889 Coca-Cola bottles (and perhaps a little champagne, too!).
For tomorrow, I am ready to put only healthy food in us and also watch the portions! I am looking into the best plan possible for losing 20 pounds. It has really crept up on me this year and I don't want everyone who hasn't seen me in a while to go, "Dang! she has put the weight on!". I have never consciously gone on a diet or program before, I have -always- been on the "Eat as much as possible, at all times" plan...that is definitely NOT going to work anymore. Kind of helpful talking about it! I am going to focus on my energy level and not stuffing myself. I want to look great for my fortieth this summer! Wish me luck, I will need it!

Happy New Year, may it bring you renewed energy and inspiration! Keep it going and don't give up!

Family Balance is Fun!

Hi there,

I am really happy to say that I have been acheiving what I have been bitching and whining that I have never been able to create. Some order and peace on a sustainable level. Just hanging out at home does make a difference.

Our Thanksgiving was very nicely quiet and simple. We had a lot of food, mostly done by Rob, and I had a day of knitting, playing with the kids and TV specials! Today is another TV specials day, it's OK because it is all of the Christmas kids' specials early this year. I am a little tired of cartoons, though.

My vest is never going to get worn because the sizing seems to be all wrong, and there is no way I want to undo it...the yarn was never purchased for a specific project anyway. I am actually in a sprint to finish this Charlotte pullover sweater from A Season's Tale in the maroon Kid Classic that Rob brought me from a yarn shop in Southport, England last year. I really petered out on it last year when I kept forgetting to change needle sizes from ribbing to stockinette and pretty soon everything was weird on it. I ended up frogging each and every piece save for the back and started over the other day. I have the front done,one sleeve nearly done and I left the other sleeve down by the ribbing. I wanted to have one sleeve done last night but that was really over-ambitious.

Rob has been at work on the house decorations all day today, he loves being the first! It makes me feel very competent being married to a man who is on top of his seasons. He is starting to hatch strange ideas about where to hang wreaths- from the accent mock-pulley in the front beam of the house? Smack in the middle of our upstairs top center window? That blank wall in our covered porch? I think wreaths are for doors but since this one lights up and the cord would have to go to where there is no power, he is trying to think of something else. The house looks awesome!! Thomas got to get on the roof today, too, which was a big adventure for him. Nicky wanted to go to the hardware store with Daddy and cry-cryed until he fell asleep, and Jack was just Mr. Awesome as usual. I am really, really content right now and it has to do with pulling my own environment together as well as I can and getting some help from my family, too!

Okay, Better

This helps. It's Sizzle, by Wendy at Knit and Tonic. I am making it out of some stash yarn I got on clearance at my LYS last year. It is GGH Solitaire, and I have made some arm warmers out of it this yarn before (in a light kiwi color), so I am familiar with the yarn. It has some lycra in it so I am making it a size smaller so I can wear it fitted. We will see!

I am feeling a little more focused since I actually spent some time in the office. I have labeled my walls with post-its indicating which sides and corners do what Feng Shui-wise! I think I can make an impact right away, especially if I get right to it! I am watching a Property Ladder marathon, which seems to fit the bill television therapy wise, especially since Rock of Love is over with!! I just keep watching the message boards. My other current fave is Life of Ryan, I seem to be relating to the parents as well as the kids. I am even fantasizing about the parents working things out because I feel sorry for the kids. It does look as though they are moving on with their lives. I guess housewives need a little soap opera in their day even if they are working.