Or maybe not...

I think I suffer from KADD (Knitting Attention Deficit Disorder). I can't for the life of me stay focused on one thing!!!

Even though I have made no progress on the baby blanket, I have made progress on the cardigan. It has been a lot of fun and now I'm past the armhole decreases which had me worried.





But now I seem to have this new obsession: SOCKS! I even bought The Sole Solution software. So this is what I've produced in the last 24 hours:



This is done with Knit Picks Sock Landscape in New England Foliage. I made the pattern using the software specifying a round toe, short row heel and a "shaped arch."










I've done different toes and like this one for the fit better.


















This is the shaped arch. Fits nicely.














This is my version of a combo short row heel/partridge eye (I think that's what they were talking about. I like it, anyway.












So, not too much else going on except I am completely ignoring all that I should be doing, but what's new?!?

I could've been a contender!

I couldn't stand it any longer and casted on for Sally Melville's Vine Lace Cardigan in A Gathering of Lace. I'm loving it. It would have been what I would have done for the Knitting Olympics had the yarn arrived on time. But that's ok because I need to be concentrating on the baby blanket!!

But take a look!

You know, I'm surprised that I've not found that anyone else has tried this pattern. I googled it--normally that would pull something up. I also searched on Knitter's Review.

Ah, well.

I have gotten a little further on the baby blanket but still not even a 3rd done! UGH!

5 Things in my Fridge

Cindy tagged me to list 5 things in my fridge. Oh, if I had ONLY 5 things in my fridge!!!

1) maple syrup--we had pancakes for dinner the other night!!!

2) homemade veggie soup--trying to be better. Its really good, too!!

3) orange juice--not a normal staple but I thought I would shake it up a bit.

4) Parmesan cheese--I have several partial wedges of this because everytime I'm at the grocery I can't remember if I have any at home!!

5) eggs--Margaret at Vulcan's Rest Fibers keeps chickens for eggs so I'm all the time getting handed cartons of eggs. Not all a bad thing!

Other than Cindy and Celia, I don't know of a lot of people who read my blog so, CELIA, list 5 things in your fridge, dahlin'!!

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In other news...

I haven't done anything on the loom since the last report. This is not good! But I've gotten a few ideas of things to try so I hope to get inspired soon.

The baby blanket is coming along. I'm nearly 1/3 finished and less than a week to B-Day (birth day). But I don't think I ever intended for the blanket to be there exactly by then.

I had to order another skein of yarn for my Clapotis. That's 8 skeins!!! Ouch--expensive scarf/shawl. Well, at least I didn't buy it all (Thanks, Laura !).

The correct color of yarn for my Vine Lace Cardigan arrived and I casted on this morning only to have the needle break (Addi Bamboo US 1). So I bought another needle and am going to try again!

That's it--nothing all that exciting! Later....

Weaving Update

I love the way that the wrap looks when its all braided. We didn't have enough of the blue denim color so I chose a natural linen color for the edges and the hems.






Here I am threading the heddles. And I did it nearly perfectly. I only had 2 threads crossed out of 194 threads. Not too bad!

My friends, Bethany and Nicky, came over and helped me beam the warp.




So now Pierre is dressed, and TA-DA!!


So, I think I told you that I am using recycled blue jeans. I chose to cut them into strips about 1 inch wide. This is my question to any weavers reading this...is it bad that I can see between some of the strips? Believe me, I beat it hard! I've looked into weighing the beater. The loom walks like crazy and I guess I'll have to bolt it to the walk.





I've decided not to continue weaving until I've addressed this problem. Its cool if I need to un-weave it and maybe I could even cut the strips a little thinner. HELP?!?




Now for the obligatory cat pictures:



Marmalade loves his mommy's loom. Jay says I can't get mad at them for playing with my yarn and loom. Its not their fault that my crafts involve the use of cat toys.






I mentioned they were calling for snow? My kitties are indoor only but Bonita use to be an indoor/outdoor kitty and still longs for the out-of-doors. We thought we would let her see what it was really like out there. She lasted about 5 minutes.




Ever noticed that there isn't any sailing content yet? Well, its winter! Duh! But just for fun I'll show you a picture from last year.

Pretty, isn't she?

Somebody stop me!

I already have too many things on the needles and now these rugs on the loom (yes!! more about that later). So what do I do yesterday? Buy more yarn. Yep, I went onto Little Knits and bought some of the Cascade Fixation Bulky sock yarn that was on sale. This yarn interested me because its cotton instead of wool and its bulky which means I can use size 7-ish needles. I'm not sure why socks have interested me so much these days. I need to finish the Log Cabin socks I have on the needles right now.

Since I wasn't properly participating in the Knitting Olympics last night, I took the time to start finishing some of my ongoing projects. I knitted for awhile on Clapotis. I think I'm going to have to buy another skein--ugh! I finished warping the loom and started on the rug--pictures soon. Maybe that will be my Olympic challenge--finishing projects I have procrastinated on for way too long.

Snow is on the way!!! Of course, they have downgraded our forcast to a winter storm warning while all those around us are getting heavy snow. Figures!

No Olympics for me

Due to a technical difficulty I will not be joining in on the Knitting Olympics. I ordered the yarn and it arrived. I put it aside and thought nothing of it. Then last night as I was dozing off it suddenly occurred to me that I CAN NOT do this particular sweater (well, any sweater for me) in this particular color (Grass Shine from KnitPicks). It is very close to kelly green and would not be a good color for me. I am returning it and I have ordered the color that I thought I had ordered but somehow did not. I don't think it will make it by Feb 10th and I don't want to sign up and not be able to participate (deadline is tonight). However, should it show in time I might be an alternate on the sidelines--prepared to step in if needed.

I am 3/4 done threading the heddles. I'm still not sure what pattern (?) I will do but it will have to be with a straight draw. I was thinking of a mock satin but I don't know. I'm just happy that I'm that much closer to starting. I'm going to try to beam the warp on my own but I think I'm going to have to have some help. My goal is to have someting going by this weekend so that J sees that I am serious about this!

Catatonic

I'm sitting here with my warp (all 8 yds!), new lease sticks (all cut to the right lengths and sanded), new boat shuttles (with linen on the bobbins) and rag shuttle (but I haven't cut the jeans yet) and I can't move. I'm terrified to start.

See, I've only threaded a loom by myself once and it was that little tabletop loom. When I realized that I was in over my head I just packed it up and took it to the shop where Margaret helped me out. I can't pack this loom up.

Ugh!

Anyhoo, wish me luck....

Playing with Handtools!

Tonight I was doing a little searching on the internet about how to set up Pierre, my loom. I emailed Leclerc and they were nice enough to tell me that my loom is a Nilus 36" built in 1955 (just like I thought!). He said I should be able to use the online info to set up the loom. There are a few, I think, key differences between mine and the ones they have the .PDF files on, but I was able to figure out the brake treadle set up and use a huge staplers to attach the apron.

Now I just have to determine how you get the cloth beam "strung," or whatever its called.

I sat down and came up with the warp measurements for my first project. I even went to Goodwill and found some jeans to cut up. Oh, and I needed lease sticks--these flat sticks that you use in the threading process** and when you are weaving to even the tension on the warp beam so I went to a local hardware store and got them to cut me some. I spent $6 and felt so good about it. Who knows how much "official" Leclerc lease sticks would cost!!!

Again, messing about on the internet and I thought I would look up any blogs from weavers....found one and it had this little sidebar thing where you ask it a question and tap on the tea cup and it "read your tea leaves." So I asked it if this weaving thing was going to work out. This was the reply:

-your reading-
New Orleans
Description: While no coffee is grown in this part of the world, locals blend dark, rich coffee beans with chicory root, creating a distinct regional trademark.

Interpretation: Now is the time to take all that you have and make it work. While your resources may at first seem limited, by trying surprising combinations you may find a solution that is, in the end, better than any easy answer.
another reading?visit café nation

Freaky!

**for anyone familiar with weaving terminology, I apologize for any mistakes I might be making. I'm a little new at this!

Look what I got!!!

I would like to introduce you to "Pierre," my Leclerc loom. I can't wait to get started but I have to wait for Patty to get me the manual and a few other pieces she left at home. Then I'll have to purchase a few key pieces--shuttles, etc. I will be interested in discovering the age of this loom. It looks from the website to be pre-1995.

My first project, I think, will be new rugs for the kitchen.

In other news, I have posted links to 2 projects I have on needles--finally got a picture of 1/2 of the first pattern repeat of the Tumbling Block Baby Blanket for my nephew who is arriving in March.