Worst Blogger Ever?

Wow, I’m awful! I knew it had been a long time since I wrote, but I just could not get myself back in the blog writing groove. I’ve written every single day for the past 100 days on 750 Words, but I haven’t written here in seven months? Pathetic, I know!

I have been knitting. A lot, actually. I was totally unsuccessful at the Ravelympics – I am not a speed knitter! And I always challenge myself much too much and am forever disappointed. Right now I am knitting Knitting Pure & Simple’s Neck Down Wrap Cardigan in anticipation of wearing it at Rhinebeck in three weeks. I am not calling it a Rhinebeck sweater because I know myself and my own inability to complete things when I feel rushed. I’m nearly finished with the body now and I have a feeling the sleeves will go much more quickly (they are knit in the round and have far fewer stitches!) but I do not yet feel confident that it will be finished in time.

I’ve got big plans for my knitting future, too. I have to knit two shrugs (one for me, one for my bestie) before January 8th, 2011 – my wedding day! And I also want to find some time to knit two baby sweaters and a sweater for Joshua. I also want to finish knitting the afghan I started and make a sweater for Danny. I know it’s all too much and I will fail, but I am going to try!

I will also try to actually write in here more regularly, but it’s difficult for me. I’m planning a wedding, being a mom to a crazy first grader, and going to school again myself. Plus working part-time and trying to find time to knit and be with Danny and write 750 words each day. I’m going to try, though.

Finished objects and the Ravelympics!

I’ve been knitting so much lately. I was working steadily on Danny’s Screaming Monkey Socks, but then Sock Wars started and I had to drop them to knit as quickly as possible. Of course, I ended up with a super-fast assassin who knocked me out before I finished my second sock. My death was untimely, but I got some lovely socks out of the deal.

I put the socks aside, again, because Joshua’s school was having a “crazy hat day” and I wanted to give him something special for it. I knit up a Fish Hat for him that he loves!

I used Vanna’s Choice yarn for it and I was very happy with how it turned out. He got a lot of compliments on it at school and was so proud to tell people that his Mommy knit it!

And now the Olympics are almost here! I’ve signed up through the Yarn Harlot to join her in the Knitting Olympics for the first time. I also signed up for the Ravelympics. I’m going to be knitting Pomatomus for myself out of some STR Mediumweight I bought at Stitches and I’m going to use my leftover Mission Falls 136 Merino Superwash (from my Margot sweater) to knit a Wurm hat. I’m also planning to finish a sad pair of socks I started over three years ago for my sister. They’re going to be for Joshua now because they fit him and not her!

Big plans and so much anticipation! Last night I finally finished Danny’s Screaming Monkey Socks because otherwise they’d have to wait until after the Olympics. He loves them so much – the colors, the ribbing, the pooling! He’s crazy, but I’m so happy. There’s nothing better than a man who appreciates hand knits!

New Year!

I can’t believe that I neglected to post in my blog for all of December. It was a busy month, but I didn’t mean to let things slide like that. I’ve been knitting, but not accomplishing very much. I cast on for a scarf at the request of my best friend. It’s a Ravenclaw scarf and it’s slowly progressing.

I’m knitting it with Vanna’s Choice yarn because it was what I could afford that had the right colors readily available. It’s knitting up quite nicely and I hope to have it finished when I see her in a couple of weeks. I’ve also been steadily knitting on the Screaming Monkey Socks for my wonderful boyfriend. He gave me so many awesome things for Christmas and I’ve only got one sock to show for a month of knitting (I definitely neglected this, but I’m back on track with it!).

The yarn is Creatively Dyed Yarn Beaches in the Diego colorway. He picked it out himself and he really likes the way it’s knit up so far. I just cast on for the second one and I’m excited to get these on his feet! I did a bit of selfish knitting that didn’t quite work out how I wanted. I knit myself the French Press Felted Slippers:

And while the pattern knit up nicely and felted quickly, they don’t quite fit my wide-ass feet. The length was perfect (I knit the largest size) but I didn’t even consider width as I worked. The next pair will definitely need to be modified to be wider (and possibly also slightly taller on the sides) but these ones are still cute and wearable.

I won’t disappear for a month again. I need to keep myself accountable and I love putting progress up here.

More finished objects!

I’ve managed to stick with my finishing streak! After finishing Joshua’s blanket, I cast on for a mini scarf for my step-mother. I cobbled together a couple of patterns and managed to make a “bow scarf” that is almost identical to the ones my great-grandmother used to knit.

I knit this using the Araucania Azapa that I bought almost a year ago to knit her a scarf from. Yay for finally getting around to it! After finishing that, I quickly knit up a potholder for my father to go with his Star Trek DVD.

It’s double-knit and I liked the back side better so now that is the front. I had planned to knit two, but it was a very tedious project and I doubt he’ll actually use it anyway. So then I finally picked up Ms. Squarey again and finished her off!

I really hope that my sister will like her! I’m tempted to knit even more Squareys, but they do get boring! My son was so happy to see Ms. Squarey finished that he asked for me to finish the long-abandoned Kirby I’d started for him.

The face on Kirby leaves much to be desired, but Joshua loves him anyway. My pile of unfinished objects is dwindling! Today I actually get to cast on for something I’ve been eagerly anticipating! I’m going to knit French Press Felted Slippers for my oldest sister! I’ve been dying to try this pattern and I’m super excited about it.

FO’s like WHOA!

I finished up my sister’s mittens really quickly, even with the ripping out of one whole mitt I had to do (I didn’t check gauge and was half a stitch off which meant that mitt was TIGHT). I really love them and I hope that she will, too:

With those done, I wanted to cast on something new… but I felt so guilty about some things that were SO CLOSE to being finished. Like that Stocking I finished knitting back in September. I haven’t gotten around to knitting the other two, so I decided to just put Joshua’s name on it and add a hanging loop and FINISH it already.

I think it looks really good! I just did a little braid and sewed it on for the loop and I duplicate-stitched his name on using a chart for letters from an old stocking pattern. I modified the J to have a top, though, because I think not having one would confuse Joshua. I really like how the duplicate stitch came out:

And I’m definitely going to make more… eventually! I have a few Christmas gifts left to start (and finish!) and then I can work on selfish things again. The other unfinished thing that was bugging me was Joshua’s “Baby” Blanket. It had languished for so long because first I needed yarn and then I was distracted by other shiny things (like Margot!). But I picked it up again on the 3rd and tonight I finished it!

It’s approximately 42.5″ square, but the garter stitch is VERY stretchy and it will definitely grow. I think it will make a nice throw once Joshua outgrows it. I’m so happy it’s finished and he loves it! I’m really proud of actually finishing something for him for once and I’m sorry it took so long!

Now I’m going to cast on for a Christmas (or maybe birthday if I finish quickly) gift for my step mother and then one for my father. After that I have to finish up Ms. Squarey and Percy for my little sister. And then maybe figure out something for my sister Kerri or my mom. We’ll see!

Stitches and an FO

I missed out on going to Rhinebeck again this year. It was a good decision on my part, but I hated making it. I was determined to finish my Margot before Stitches so I could make it to that at least. I finished up my second sleeve and sewed in all of my ends Friday afternoon. We drove up to Stitches Saturday morning and spent the day. It was wonderful. I got a lot of great yarn and saw so many awesome things.

I wore my new Margot to Stitches and felt SO PROUD for having finally finished a sweater for myself. And I love it! I saw so many wonderful sweaters and I felt so inspired. I bought a lot of yarn! Four skeins of sock yarn (Cherry Tree Hill, Socks That Rock, Creatively Dyed, and Madeline Tosh) and enough for two sweaters (Dream in Color Classy and Valley Yarns Superwash DK). I was so satisfied at the end of the day and so happy.

I can’t wait to cast on something new with all of this great yarn, but I’ve elected to start work on some Christmas presents first! I got the yarn for them along with the yarn for my Margot, so it’s new and fun, too! I started work on a pair of Bella’s Mittens for my sister Clarissa. I’m already working on the hand of the first mitten, so it’s a quick and fun knit.

This progress photo is from yesterday, so not quite up to date, but it shows the lovely cables. I’m feeling very inspired and excited about my knitting. It feels good!

Squareys and Margot!

I’ve been knitting a lot lately, but not finding the time to blog or take photos. I finally set aside some time today and then I lost the long post I wrote. Ugh. I knit a Squarey (from Jess Hutchison’s out-of-print leaflet “Unusual Toys For You to Knit and Enjoy”) for my boyfriend’s birthday.

He loved it and so did I. So much so that I immediately cast on for a girlfriend for Squarey. I finished her body and then the yarn for my sweater came from Webs and I put her aside without any arms or legs.

I cast on for my sweater (Margot from Knitty Fall 09) with the US 5 needles called for without checking gauge. I realized one ball into the project that it was going to be 8 inches too small so I ripped and re-knit with US 6 needles and just tried it on for the first time today:

A perfect fit! I’m loving the yarn and the pattern and I’m hoping to wear it to Rhinebeck which is fast approaching. We shall see…

Finished Stocking!

I didn’t mean to disappear there, but life gets so busy sometimes! Joshua started Kindergarten last Tuesday! It was a very busy week and it definitely took some getting used to. It’s so strange to not have him at home with me, but I’m so excited for him! He was so excited and impatient on the first day of school:

But we’re getting the hang of it! And I’ve had a lot of extra knitting time. I finished the Christmas Stocking that I was working on. I’m not sure now whose it will be, I’m thinking of making all three and then letting Josh & Danny choose their favorites – then I’ll add the names.

I did a short-row heel and a wedge toe. The size is pretty much perfect! Working on the stocking put me in mind of Christmas, so when some unexpected birthday money made its way to me yesterday, I ordered yarn! I went to WEBS and got enough yarn to knit Margot from the new Knitty. I’ve been wanting to knit a sweater for myself for so long and Margot was just calling to me. I also ordered yarn for two Christmas gifts for my sisters. I don’t always do gift knitting, but I’d really like to this year.

Knits in progress

I finally found my good camera! I thought it was still packed, but I discovered that I had put it in a “safe” place and forgotten about it. It was only when I was looking for something else that I found it and realized how silly I’d been! I finished the first of my Jaywalkers and have started on the second:

I really like the way the yarn knit up in that first sock. I love the color and LOVE the yarn! I’ve put them on hold as my main project because I remembered something I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while now: knit stockings! This will be our first Christmas in a real house and I want Joshua to have a real stocking hanging on the stairs this year. I had a disastrous attempt last year, but this time I’ve worked out the size I want and am making up a pattern as I go. I love the yarn (Patons Classic Wool) and I love the colors (muted, but still Christmassy). I’m really enjoying this and I plan to knit more than one for my family this year.

It’s 8″ wide and I’m still deciding how long I want it. I’m going to duplicate-stitch Joshua’s name on it later and go with a white heel and toe with stripes for the rest. I love it so far!

Joshua is starting KINDERGARTEN in just over a week! I’m so excited and so is he. We’ve been busy planning for school and visiting with family. We drove up to Rochester this past weekend with my mother and younger sister to visit my older sister and brother-in-law and nephew for his second birthday party. His actual birthday is this Friday but she planned the party to not fall on Labor Day weekend so that people could actually attend. It was a fun time, but a long drive and we’re exhausted. I did get a good amount of knitting done, but not as much as I’d hoped.

Finished Socks!

I went to the knitting group again last night. They weren’t kidding when they said it was huge on Mondays. There were SO MANY knitters there, it was awesome. I met a bunch of nice girls and got to talk about some of my favorite things (ah, like my love for Jason Segel!). I also managed to finish (including Kitchenering the toe and weaving in the ends) Danny’s socks! So the first one took more than a month and the second less than a week? So strange, but so it goes. I still can’t find my good camera (and I unpacked a lot more stuff looking for it) but at least these photos were taken in the daytime, so the color is more accurate.

These were knit on US1 needles with Cascade Heritage Paints color 9872. I have plenty of leftovers from the skein and I’m thinking of maybe striping the green leftovers with these grey ones for some ankle socks. We’ll see.

After I got home last night I asked my boyfriend to help me wind up some Socks That Rock (a Valentine’s gift from him) so I could start a new pair. We wanted to watch Buffy at the same time, though, so I let him off the hook (he’s never seen it before – we’re currently in Season 2) and wound it myself. It took a while to figure out the right rhythm, but I finally have a center-pull ball that I’m proud of. I started working on a pair of Jaywalkers because I’ve knit a lot of Monkey socks and I really like the Jaywalkers I got from Sockapalooza.

This is Socks That Rock Lightweight in Turquoise, US1 needles, and the Jaywalker pattern. I can’t wait to see how they turn out! It’s my first Socks That Rock and so far I like it. I have one other skein, of Silkie STR, also from v-day. It makes me so happy to finally be able to knit it!