Tuesday, November 14, 2006

productive day?

First, let me remind you that I am taking these photos with my webcam. I hope to update them once I get the camera back.



K's blanket
The pattern was inspired by a freebie pattern on www.bernat.com but I changed the edging. The original edging can be seen on the blanket for L2.










These are the socks I needed to finish the cuff on for my class on Thursday. I worked on them while waiting to get my hair done and while my color was developing and then finished the cuff when I got home.


And these are the newly casted on Jaywalker socks. This is Wildfoote in colorway Rock & Roll, which I love. I think I finally "got it." Amazing what taking the time to read the pattern will do!

I also attacked my knitting corner. While to some (read: my husband) it will look like nothing was done, I know that I weeded out a lot of old papers, found and put in their correct spot lots of knitting notions, and relocated to the guest room closet 2 (count em! 2!!) medium shop bags of odd balls of yarn. I feel good about it, anyway.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Rx for Knitalin?

I've talked before about my knitting ADD. Its bad and its rearing its ugly head again. Why can't I be satisfied with the half dozen projects I'm juggling now?!? Why do I have the need to cast on more?

The things I am currently working on (at least the ones I can think of right now):
1) K's blanket (and, yes, I could have it done TONIGHT if I could find that damn prescription!)
2) socks for J (doing 2 on 1 needle and I'm down to the heel flap but waiting to show someone else how to do that)
3) socks for a class I am teaching (so I have to have the cuff done by Thursday night, but does that deadline motivate me? well, only to cast on for something else)
4) the P90 tank for my mom (the entire back now that I've ripped out)
5) Jaywalker socks (JUST casted on tonight!!! OH BOY!)
6) Unseamly Sweater (crochet from The Happy Hooker)
7) Avast for J (although I was more intrigued with the cable on it right now)

And a few more things that I haven't touched in forever.

And then Vicki goes and shows me how she has cleaned up and reorganized her knitting area, which I so need to do!!! I started re-balling partial balls of yarn tonight, too. I guess this is a good thing, though, and I shouldn't give myself a hard time about that!

OK, well, best get going on at least some of these. My goal? Finish K's blanket tonight. I'll report back on how that goes.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

OK, now we're in business!















Pictured are the gifts to my sister-in-law's family. Starting at the top center and moving to the right:
1) L1's "Purple Wooley" (her name for it. It is actually a "Huggable Hedgehog" by Fibertrends)
2) L2's ribbed baby hat (generic pattern using King Cole's Welcome)
3) L2's baby socks (variation on Cat Bordhi's Baby Life Ring socks since Welcome doesn't have a lot of stretch)
4) Mom and Dad's "La Luz Eye Mask" from Handknit Holidays using 100% silk.
5) K's baby socks (same as 3 but with Plymouth's Dreambaby DK and matching swirled rib to go with hat)
6) K's swirl ribbed hat (Dreambaby DK)

The blankets will soon follow as christening gifts.

OK, glad to get these posted!

Saturday, November 11, 2006

A lesson in tension

I started a sweater for my mother back in June--Art Yarns P90 Diagonal Triangle Tank. I got distracted by other things, as you do, and put it aside to finish for, hopefully, Christmas or her birthday in January. And there it has been for months.

This week I was lucky enough to attend a class by Naomi McNeely who wrote Compendium of Finishing Techniques. The purpose of the class was to bring in something that you were finishing and we would all discuss what to do. I didn't really have anything except a crocheted baby blanket for my new niece, K. I didn't even really have it to the point that it would need to be to put the edging on.

However, knowing I would see Naomi again on Sunday, I thought I would try to finish Mom's sweater and take it in to get help with seaming it (it is all garter stitch and I'm a little concerned about it "growing").

Wake up! I'm nearly to the point!

So this morning I finished the sweater, having only the last half of the back to go (sleeveless, THANK GOD!). The back was huge! The only thing I can figure is that my tension was way off. And it seemed to only be in the last half, so I must have been very relaxed over the last couple of days.

OK, I know, not that exciting. AND I had to frog it all (well, just all of the back). It would have been really hard to figure out where I was if I had only ripped back.

Anyhoo, working on it, again.

Also need to finish the baby blanket. I have her brother's, L2's, done.









K's has the same v-stitch center but I'm doing something different for the edging (haven't figured it out yet, though).

I would show you the other things I knitted and have already sent to the family but Blogger doesn't seem to want to upload this particular photo. Later, I guess.

Back to knitting.