Perfect Knitting?

 

Christopher's Prescott Vest

Last week at breakfast, Grace brought up an interesting topic, and it's a conversation that I've had with more than a few of my Ravelry friends as well.   Here's how it goes:  You see a knitted item (could be a sweater, a shawl, socks, a toy, but we'll use sweater in this example)  You really, really want to make that item.  You look at the materials list.  The yarn for that amazing sweater is going to cost you $200+ !! That's eight hanks of hand dyed sock yarn!!!  (hand dyed sock yarn is my personal weakness... fortunately my favorite weight of yarn to knit with, but really since my catphew lives almost 2 hours away, I pet my sock yarn instead) That's a lot of money for yarn for just one project.  Sometimes it can be justified, a knitter I know knit a full length swirly duster coat from Dream in Color's Starry in winter white with clear, silver lined white and pearl white beads, to wear over her wedding dress (it was a Vermont winter month wedding) Or what I think about - how often will I wear/use this?  If it's a cardigan I'll wear 4 times a week all  winter and it's style is classic enough I know I'll wear it for a lot of winters the cost per wear goes down.  ( I justify  a lot of things via cost per use) 

My Moustache Cowl

Realistically though, what a lot of knitters do, because we aren't independently wealthy and have developed a habit of eating occasionally, and we like not living in a tent (where would you keep your yarn if you lived in a tent???) is we look at other more economically priced yarns.  Now, unless you want to do a shit ton of maths (I love math, but not in terms of converting an entire pattern) the most important thing to look at in a substitute yarn is the gauge.  You want a yarn that knits up at the same number of stitches per inch.  You can finagle this a little bit by changing up your needle size - but if you stray too far one way or the other you will totally change the fabric, making it too loose or too tight.  

The trouble with just looking at the yarn gauge, is there are a lot of other factors.  The twist of the plies, the sheen, the halo, the type of fiber - all these affect how the finished project comes out.  There is also how you knit.  Some people knit so evenly the stitches could be machine made.  Some people knit a little lumpier.  My stockinette stitch has a texture  to it because when I taught myself to knit, my yarn gets wrapped under the needle when I purl instead of over it. It took me a long number of years to figure out WHY my purls twisted, and then I decided I liked the more textured stockinette anyway.  And finishing techniques.  You can be sure the finishers that work for Vogue are perfect at the seams they make, never a buckle or a gap anywhere.  ( I personally despise seaming... ok hate weaving in ends more, but ugh) 

Blocking skills also come into play.  Not just how well you block, but what type of blocking you use.  There's wet blocking, steam locking, mist blocking - all affect the yarn finish look.  Different yarns and stitch patterns respond differently to the different types of blocking, yet the magazines never seem to mention how it was blocked.

So with all this - is it any wonder that our projects don't look exactly like the picture in the magazine??  (not even touching on lighting, computer editing of the photos after they are shot etc)

These discrepancies normally don't bother me.  I rarely want exactly what's in the picture, I usually have a different yarn in mind,  I hate haloed yarn - it just seems too fuzzy.  Even then, I don't always end up with the picture that was in my mind.  I think that's why it's easier to cast on a bunch of projects than finish them.  When you cast on - perfect is still possible, finishing is admitting it isn't perfect.   I'm not a perfectionist when it comes to knitting.  I'm a I'm happy with it, if I'm not- I'll give it away.  I think this is why some knitters also are afraid to try new techniques.  A knitter I work with will do phenomenal lace work, has never knit a single cable - because it looks hard!!!!!!   It took a really good friend of mine (yes you!) a really really long time to try DPNs.  Now she makes a ton of toys.

My only suggestion??? Knit what makes you happy, be happy with what you knit.  Don't try to duplicate another project - if the person who knit it made two they probably wouldn't be identical either.  And as much as I hate to admit it - when in doubt swatch.  One of the best things I gained from NerdWars is that you had to submit a swatch with your dissertation proposals.  While I am convinced swatches lie - especially about gauge, if you swatch and block you can get a better feel for how the final fabric will turn out.  Do I do this?  Mostly NO.  But, these things don't bother me, I'm just trying to understand why others get so bothered.  

My two pictures above show a successful and a not so successful substitution.  I knit Christopher's vest in Knit Picks Brava, don't trust his mom with anything not seriously machine washable.  Here's the pattern picture. I actually like how my yarn choice shows off the stitches better.  (granted both yarns from same manufacturer and approximately the same price)

My moustache cowl was a different story.  I used Cascade 220 fingering.  it's the first time I used this yarn in a fingering weight.  Cascade 220 is a workhorse yarn , great color selection, blocks well, felts well (if you don't accidentally get the superwash)  I've made a lot of projects with it - and loved it.  So I felt very confident when I decided to substitute the 220 fingering for my cowl.  I hated working with this yarn!!  SO much that I haven't worn the cowl! I even did a small swatch since learning double knitting was my dissertation theme last spring.  The brown yarn seemed thinner and more twisted than the cream yarn, so there were tiny gaps- that didn't block out. I may try reblocking it now that I have a steamer to see if that helps.  Here's the pattern picture - much smoother, even taller..

   

Test Knit

I recently needed to make a cowl, with Berroco Ultra Alpaca for someone.  Just before I started looking for a pattern, I found out on Twitter my friend Sarah (rainloverknits) was having a pattern of hers test knit.  So I volunteered,  the pattern was wonderful - I had no troubles with the pattern - written or charted- it knit up quickly and I love how it came out. 

Here's the picture of the unblocked cowl (it's 10 3/4 by 7 7/8 - so I'm only going to block it enough to clean up the cables and ribs)



In other yarny news - here's a picture of my latest mini-skeins from Little Red Bicycle on Etsy:

Wordy Wednesday?

here's the new shirt I got on my little shopping expedition to Montclair last week, such a shame they are closing. I also got 2 hanks of MMMalabrigo Superwash Merino sock yarn in stonechat and velvet grapes:





I did finish my smoke cowl as I mentioned in a previous post. Here's the finished picture- but it still needs the ends woven and it meeds to be blocked.



I also frogged the breeze socks in the Evil Stepmother yarn. The yarn and the pattern did not complement each other at all. I re cast on and am making a basic anklet with a picot edge ( I must be into picots)



I haven't gotten too far on the cozy - here's the update/ Hopefully I'll get done before spring is actually over.



I only have one more square, which is currently halfway done, before I can seam up my lates Victory Junction Gang Camp Afghan. Here's the lates square: I really really want to maybe finish the square on lunch tomorrow and seam it up tomorrow night. I really want it done this week - reasons to be revealed next week ( sorry - only 2 people who may be reading this may have a clue as to why, and if they put it in their comments I'm not going to approve them!)

And finally I'll leave you with a pick of ANgie fooling around with my scarf on Easter - I call this pic - Angijemima!

Vacation To Do Update

1. Take Angie down to Bridgewater so she can use her credit and get a new fencing lame'. Never did this - discovered the treasurer wrote the check to me instead of the fencing place, so I deposited the check this morning and I can take Angie to Saddlebrook instead.

2. Empty out all the planters and windowboxes and spray them with bleach so they'll be ready to plant in a few more weeks. Also get a few summer bulbs planted and clean up the leaves and debris I didn't do anything with last fall. Cleaned out the boxes - they're ready for a few weeks from now. The only thing I got planted was a pair of purple trillium.

3. Really clean my bedroom, and especially my closet and drawers. Yeah, I must have been out of my mind on this one - that just wasn't happening. This needs to be a monthlong couple hours every weekend type of goal.

4. Get the concession stand at the football/field track ready and running before tuesdays meet - work the stand on tuesday. ( no I aM NOT doing this one alone) Did this. Not really anything to comment on.

5. Finish my Smoke(as in Tony) cowl. This is done - I think I'm going to block it though, buit still done.

6. FIgure out if my wicked stepmother yarn is really happy with the pattern being knitted. And either finish the socks or frog the 1/2 sock I have done and use another pattern. I am frogging it now.

7. Finish the pink socks if it kills me!! I finished the pink sock. Not my favorite sock pattern - as a matter of fact I didn't even file the pattern just tossed it. The heel is very loose. I am going to try to weave through some clear elastic and paint some puffy paint hearts on the bottom so Angie can wear them as slippers.

8. Decide what yarn/pattern for a spring tea cozy (let's face it it's a bit too late for Easter - at least at the rate I knit. Maybe my friend Grace or Jenn but not me) that can last until I do a patriotic one for memorial day to July 4th. Will probably need to buy yarn - it seems like a pastel project and other than pinks for Angel I really don't buy pastels normally. Found the yarn, realized the pattern was a scam, am creating my own pattern - am about 35 % done. But my goal was to find the yarn/pattern so this counts as a check.

9. Get my oil changed and take the car to the body shop over the ding someone gave it in the parking lot at work- the wheel well tore at the screws so at least that piece needs to be replaced. Not sure if I want to call the insurance company - after all I just added a teenager to the policy. Got the oil and the serpentine belt changed. Didn't get to the body shop though.

10. Get my roots dyed. Hair is up in a towel now.

11. Need to get a few loose button shirts (that I don't button) to wear over tank tops in the summer at work. Nope. Did however buy a cool t shirt that says born to knit. Can't wear it to work though.

12. Try not to get moldy, it's going to rain for the next 3 days, be nice on Sunday and rain again at least Monday to Wednesday. Didn't have as much rain as predicted. And days like today, it was supposed to rain all day - stopped and the sun came out around 3:30.

13. Convince Grace that even though Sandy and Jacqui apparently most likely won't be able to do anything next week, that she should do something with me to get me (and her) out for at least part of a day! ( I know you'll read this Grace!) Grace agreed, then got ill, we did end up meeting for lunch on Friday. Curt did go yarn shopping with me and we stopped at a lovely tea shop in montclair where we "had tea and scones" hee hee and bought my sister a birthday present.

And if you'll notice except for 1,3 and 4 I'm still sticking to the 2000mine theme. So I didn't do 1 and 3 - but they weren't in the 2000 mine theme anyway. I figure I went 8.5 out of 13 - not bad. Pictures will come eventually of the pink socks, the smoke cowl, the new yarn and the t-shirt. You've seen the beginning of the cozy and if the trillium ever blooms you'll see that too.

Tuesday stuff

These daffodils were already planted outside the fron door when we moved in. They aren't big and showy, but the dirt there isn't the best , and they face west - getting the worst of the winter winds. There is also a purple flower, I never remember seeing before It's still a bud so I don't know yet:




And I know that with the swap and the fact that I am using a modified version of those mitts in the same yarn, I haven't posted any fiber pictures recently. I brought in the squares I work on in my car at lunch for the VJGC afghan. (although I did work on the mitts last week)



And one green square:


My friend GrAce on her blog did a tuesday ten to do list today. ( say that 3 times fast) So since everyone is asking what I am doing on vacation next week - I'm not going anywhere, I need to use my last week before May20th and Angie is "off" school next week. I say"off" because she still has practice and 2 meets. Here is my To-do list for next week.

1. Take Angie down to Bridgewater so she can use her credit and get a new fencing lame'.

2. Empty out all the planters and windowboxes and spray them with bleach so they'll be ready to plant in a few more weeks. Also get a few summer bulbs planted and clean up the leaves and debris I didn't do anything with last fall.

3. Really clean my bedroom, and especially my closet and drawers.

4. Get the concession stand at the football/field track ready and running before tuesdays meet - work the stand on tuesday. ( no I aM NOT doing this one alone)

5. Finish my Smoke(as in Tony) cowl.

6. FIgure out if my wicked stepmother yarn is really happy with the pattern being knitted. And either finish the socks or frog the 1/2 sock I have done and use another pattern.

7. Finish the pink socks if it kills me!!

8. Decide what yarn/pattern for a spring tea cozy (let's face it it's a bit too late for Easter - at least at the rate I knit. Maybe my friend Grace or Jenn but not me) that can last until I do a patriotic one for memorial day to July 4th. Will probably need to buy yarn - it seems like a pastel project and other than pinks for Angel I really don't buy pastels normally.

9. Get my oil changed and take the car to the body shop over the ding someone gave it in the parking lot at work- the wheel well tore at the screws so at least that piece needs to be replaced. Not sure if I want to call the insurance company - after all I just added a teenager to the policy.

10. Get my roots dyed.

11. Need to get a few loose button shirts (that I don't button) to wear over tank tops in the summer at work.

12. Try not to get moldy, it's going to rain for the next 3 days, be nice on Sunday and rain again at least Monday to Wednesday.

13. Convince Grace that even though Sandy and Jacqui apparently most likely won't be able to do anything next week, that she should do something with me to get me (and her) out for at least part of a day! ( I know you'll read this Grace!)

And if you'll notice except for 1,3 and 4 I'm still sticking to the 2000mine theme.

Rough Week!

Ok, I'm having a rather rough week this week. I finally finished the thumbs on my short fingerless mitts - no pics. I got halfway through Grace's Irish Tea Cozy and realized that I either knit with a deathgrip or she knits so loose I'm surprised her needles don't fall out. ( not insulting you Gracie just amazed we are so off guage wise) So I see that my cozy isn't even close to the size of her cozy, and after trying it on the pot - it may have fit my cup! So I frogged out up to the end of the ribbbing - I decided a tighter ribbing around the bottom was a good thing, since I was knitting a handle openning and spout hole into my cozy ( I don't see why you should take the cozy off everytime you want to pour a cup). I went up to size 9dpn's still kinda tight on the pot after two cable repeats. So I ended up with size 10 dpn's ( her pattern calls for a 16"cable which I don't have in 10's and I could work a longer cable by pulling the excess through but that was too much work. AnywAy, the actual cozy is done working on shamrocks now, but it still is 1/2 the size - srsly, her's would work as a hat I think. mine I don't think will fit an 8 cup pot. I am thinking about makng 2 shamrocks, seaming them together and stuffing them and attaching it instead of the pompom on top of the cozy. Not sure yet. I am also looking through my doodads - I am pretty sure I have a shamrock button somewhere. I may make a little loop and sew a button on to hold the 2 pieces by the handle together. no pics yet.


I haven't touched my socks since Friday and I forget to mark where I was on the pattern- so we'll see if I can figure it out. I want to do ruth's scarf - but I'm still not 100% on which yarn I want to ball up. I was torn between abby and ice queen for my silky merino cowl/smoke ring. After careful consideration and the fact that ice queen is written for lace weight , I think I will be doing the abby.

I missed knitting group today :( my carpet truck's 9am appt didn't START unloading him until 10:30 because they had the only guy with a license to the carpet boom in the office for 2 hours!! And they had 3 deliveries worth of carpet rolls!! He still had 2 mom and pops. he was so late to the next store the guy who unloads him there went to lunch. Sigh. he got to my store over 2 hours late ( which technically is 1/2 an hour early, but kills my day) So I worked 11 1/2 hours! So now I HAVE OVER 5 HOURS OF OVERTIME! So I guess I'll leave early tomorrow, go in late on Friday ... I was really looking forward to knitting too! I wanted to ask Grace about my tea cozy also.

Knitting Updates

So here are the long promised knitting photo's. First, the catbeds I made. Kittyfostermom from Ravelry is going to try to make it to knitting group on Friday afternoon and I am going to give these to her for her cat rescue efforts. She was trying to get enough that the cats could take them to their forever home with them!





they really did hook up quickly. I did one at each of Angies last two fencing meets.

Now my socks. I know this is not the best yarn for this pattern, and the pattern would be better served by a more solid or longer colorway'd yarn. And I probably will make them again in such yarn. But I don't care. I wanted this yarn and this pattern ( so there!!)





I think for my Malabrigo I bought last week I am going to make a pair of fingerless mitts and either Amy , cockle shell or vegas sands ( all cowls that can be found on ravelry) I love ice queen, but am not ready to tackle beads at this time.

stash

For the past 2 days I have been trying to clean up. I have actually sorted ..umm... most of my yarn, by color except sock yarn which is together and some yarn bought for specific projects.



Still working on the rest- I got a cubie thing for mags books, needles access. sigh more pics when done. debating on before pics - too horrific.

I did get a comforter bag and pretty much filled it with partial skeins of washable yarn for next years VJGC afghan - only doing 1 or squares. seriously can't deal with that deadline again.



I did finish Angie's cowl



Right now I absolutely feel like crap. I have developed some serious stomach cramps. Watching the 49ers is not helping any. Took some immodium hopefully it kicks in soon.

No they're not done

no, angie and curt are not done with the tree. ( curt is just brut muscle - hee hee - angie wanted to do the tree herself this year)

So what have I been doing?? Well first I was up at 4:30am - wide awake - it's a curse - i finished Angies pink cowl. Pics soon, have to find the cable for my camera. I made breakfast (grits, eggs, bacon, coffee) then I had to run down to Livingston to see Lauren. Who is Lauren you may ask?? She is the lady that does my nails. She is awesome! I have only broke a nail twice since she's been doing them. (Both times she was on maternity leave were nightmares for my poor fingers) Yes, I broke/sheared one off yesterday. How you wonder?? Well, while I absolutely love the guy that normally delivers my carpet, I really think he is the only non-moron, non-useless, non-annoying, non-creepyyweird driver tht works for that company. So things have been slow, so they only have been working 4 days a week for like 3 weeks a month. ( still is 45-50 hours) But they keep giving him Fridays off! ( Ok he's been there a while and gets a 3 day weekend out of it ) But Friday's one of MY delivery days and I get one of the above implied moron,useless, annoying, creepy weird driver instead. So one of the rolls on the truck is a 12 by 61/2 foot roll- maybe 25 pounds tops. but rolled 12 feet long. So I ask the guy if he can grab the other side and walk it over to the special order holding cage with me - seemed like a waste to use a cart. Now if he couldn't handle this he should have said so- instead we get halfway there (it's only like 50 feet) and he dropps it, but twists it at the same time, taking half my nail with it. The profanities I issued forth with are not printable here. So she fixed it.

then I Came home and wrapped my Christmas swap gift for my Nascar Knitters group on Ravelry. I had to hermetically (zip loc) seal the jimmie johnson ornament I bought so as not to infect my house - shutter!! I will post more details and a pic next weekend in case my partner reads this blog ( I dont think so - she's never commented if she does - but just to be safe.


I have then alternated between posting on ravelry , knitting a sock and thinking about cleaning the living room. Sigh. Then I picked up like 5 things and I'm posting here.

Well no Britcoms on tonight (although celtic woman is on pbs) so I'm picking up fatburgers and cleaning this evening!

For my yarnie friends

Here's the promised pic's from my trip to Bernardsville last week with Grace.



The Lobsterpot yarn for Angie's cowl.



Artyarns supermarino. For socks for me!

A Thank you out to Grace for making them cakes for me :)

So here are the two projects I could actually reach from my seat on the couch:



One completed sock and the second one started - pink for angie.



I cast on this morning for Angie's cowl, but I can't work on it right now because I don't want her to see it until Christmas.

Have to take some pics

Ok, haven't taken any pic's haven't looked for any pics. Will bring pic's back soon. Mailed Min the yellow squares today. Seriously, no more afghans. Love Tony, want to get him points, not that bad! Next year, granny squares, no afghans, definitely no ripples. The last month knitting was actually more stress!

House still a mess, not working on it right now. Pondering laundry, not looking good for today. I didn't get out of work until 2:20 this afternoon. ugghhh. I knew I'd be paying for the 4 day weekend. Do you want to know what was the worst part of it?? The last half hour was doing my sorta boss' paperwork that was supposed to be done by Friday. I usually do it, because if he starts changing counts etc, it will make me nuts trying to fix what he screws up. But I had a lot to do last week. So on Wed when I was leaving (after 3 - I'm supposed to be out by 1) I had it about 70% done. I gave it to him to finish. It was taped to my computer this morning. then he wanted to know how soon it would be done because it was due on fri. I told him I'd do it before I left but my job was getting done first. Then I have no idea who taught the guys at the DC to load a trailer, but seriously they have got to be kidding. The biggest problem is we have these drop down beams in our trailers. The trucks from the vendors don't so our trailers are practically 6 inches shorter on the inside. So these guys take stuff off the vendors trailers, and slide them onto ours. Which you can do pushing the pallet along the floor. The only problem is to get them off you have to lift them at least a hair because you are pulling them off. Well they don't leave the hair. I have been getting very creative, both with my machine work and with the constant stream of curses coming out of my mouth. I almost dumped $2000 of light bulbs that were balanced weirdly on a skid of my tile, and you know nothing was going to happen to my tile (that's why I do the trucks with my tile on them.) And being Monday, I'm supposed to get to play with my carpet truck. I had rems ship on Wed. When they ship on Wed I usually get them on Friday or if they're late on Monday. I also had a roll of commercial carpet ship Wed. So that should have been in today. So I was actually happy because I have a bunch of stuff on Wed afternoon ( my re-scheduled nail appt and an equip inventory at my daughters school) so I was going to leave early. Well by 130, I called the terminal and no, no truck today. So it will be here Wed. Great. Still haven't found anything out at work. Getting to where I don't want to care but I can't stop myself and there is a very un-Ria like pessimist inside my head saying it will turn out exactly how I don't want. Need a shovel, must start digging a hole.

I have given up on Ruth (the Yarnarian's) mystery sock. I was trying to squish the top to make an ankle sock, because neither Angie nor I wear socks over our sneakers. There is no way in hades to squish the top. So looking for a new pattern to use on the pink sock yarn. I still have to finish my lacey anklet so I can start on the 49er sock yarn. I am tempted to join the holiday swap on my msn knitting group. if I do , I'm making the unpurled cowl and the matching hat. I have yarn don't know if I want to deal with another knitting deadline. quick question - can one knit in a hole? Need superwash yarn, need superwash yarn now!

I'm not mad at Curt anymore, but my feelings are seriously hurt. Seriously. Now he's getting pissed about that. But I'm not going to lie and say they aren't. I don't even know what to tell him I need to feel better. I really don't. this has so far transcended our original argument it isn't even funny. I really feel like if my promises aren't sh*t to him why did he marry me?? There are only maybe 4 people alive on this planet right now who actually have access to that part of my brain/heart/soul whatever, that allows my feelings to be hurt ( sad to say my mom is not one of them) and he does. Not helping my whole " the world is crumbling I want to crawl into a hole thing" Not one bit. Must make the hole big enough for alcohol!

Still have managed to avoid all news regarding last weeks election. I am in serious don't want to deal with this denial. So I guess I have to bring enough chocolate for 4 years in my hole. Hmmm, maybe need a cave, don't think I want to actually dig a hole that big. to much work. Although I always wanted to operate a back hoe. Do you think I could learn to do that and get a job on a back hoe?? Then I won't have to seal with whatever crap happens at work. yeah that's the ticket. Find a backhoe school, or maybe crane operator? I don't want to drive one of those paving trucks - that looks too hot for my taste. Oooh speaking of hot, I can drive a backhoe around hot shirtless construction workers!! ok this is starting to sound like porn. With my luck I'd get the bald, beerbelly hairy crew. yuck!

Now for the "big" news. if you've actually made it this far down my rant you can be the first to get a heads up. My Ravelversary is Friday. 11.14. My birthday is Sat 11.22.. I am working up a scheme for a blog contest between those 2 dates. I am not prolific or skilled enough to give away finished goods. I don't really know what yarn would be the most popular as a give away. So ( I use that word too much I think) although I have no idea what the contest will be about, I am going to do a gift cert to scoutsswag she's the one who dyed my 49er sock yarn - does awesome work. And to support the jersey gal from whom I bought my most recent yarn I am trying to work out something with Ruth (the yarnarian) for a gift cert for a hank of yarn and pattern. She doesn't do gift cert's but is going to try to work with me on this. So mark the date and remember to check back here on 11.14!!

Updates- sort of

Ok, don't have much to write about today. I can't say I've been very productive on the knitting front this week. min needs some yellow squares for the Victory Junction Gang Camp afghans she is seaming from participants that sent in squares not full out 'ghans. Ok, she actually needed a bunch of different squares, but I have some yellow yarn left over from the bright blocks afghan. That really isn't going that well because as I said the other day when I mailed out my 'ghans I am sooo over afghans right now. I'm going to see how much I can get done this weekend and then mail what I've done on Monday.

I have also gotten about 12 rows done on my lacey anklets. One anklet has been done for months - I'm about halfway done on the second. I'm not calling it second sock syndrome, it just fell victim to my "oh my god I have 3 afghans in a partial state of completion that need to be mailed on Nov 3rd" panic. I want to get those done so I can use the needles to work on my 49er socks. I do not (although I have been extremely tempted) want to buy another set of dpn's to make socks with.

I got my husband to be a human swift on Thursday and rolled one skein of pink yarn into a center pull ball. I want to start on Ruth's mystery sock- although I am kind of shrinking the rib and leg to make anklets, so catching up should not be hard as long as I get started before she starts the heel flap.

I have some more Tweedle Dee yarn that I want to try Jen's unpurled cable hat and another set of hat and cowl. I'm giving them to people who won't appreciate malabrigo yarn for Christmas. Yes those sad people do exist!

I am going to Connecticut for the weekend. I plan on bringing the lacey anklets and the yellow yarn for squares. I have to figure out a crochet project because I can't knit in the car but I can do easy crochet. Maybe I'll make another market bag.

So - this is the yarn I have decided to use to make the yarnarian's mystery sock. It is actually a solid color yarn - not one of the 2 I posted last week. i won the yarn with my second place entry in ceci9293 (ravelry) blog contest about solving computer issues. ( my answer was my IT Sugar Daddy) It's solid, it's pink. so as long as I figure out how to modify the pattern to be short ankle socks Angie will wear them.

So now I'm having flashbacks to college - cramming. I have 2 1/2 feet of seaming left to do on the red/white/blue afghan for VJGC (victory junction gang camp) then I have to do a single/double crochet border in three colors around it so the size will be correct. I hope to do that while I'm at the laundromat. I then also have to finish about 8 rows on my ripple 'ghan. All this has to be done so I can mail them out with tomorrow's postmark!! I can really picture myself mailing the ripple out tomorrow afternoon and knitting in line at the post office!!!

I can't wait for wednesday. I am so tired of all the polls about the election. I am so done with afghans. I will deal with whomever wins Tuesday, I want to knit something else!!! ( Yes I am behind because i spent a week doing cowls, but ggaaaaaahhhhh)

Hey It's my 100th Post!!

Yes, I made another cowl. This time with some Moda Dea Tweedle Dee shaded yarn I had stashed.



And I also finished the giant granny square. I ran out of the original yarn, so I made a border from Bernat's Soft Boucle, I had to hold 2 strands together to match the original guage. I also ad-libbed a few rows on 2 ends to create a rectangle shape, and then did 3 more rows all around. I now have 15 days to finish the ripple 'ghan from hell and seam up my red/white/blue 'ghan.

If I do this again next year, it will be maybe 2 afghans and some squares. And I will finish one before starting another. AACcccckkkkk!!!

Plans for today - football the 49ers are playing the giants. Since I work with a lot of giant fans I really want them to win. Sigh.... The Raiders are playing the jets and Jet fams are so obnoxious when they win, but Carmen can outdo them all with his obnoxiousness, so I'm torn.

Martinsville's race is the Tums 500 - I may need tums by the end of the race! I am hoping to channel the stress into some rows on the ripple ghan. I'm at the point where I just don't want Jimmie Johnson to win another championship!

The Devils won in 2 OT's last night. Good they won, bad it took 2 OT's to do so.

College ball - sigh. The aggies were leading going into halftime, then fell apart. And to texas Tech too. Not good. the Terps won, which will make Moe happy - although Angie is mad at him because he STILL hasn't brought her anything from a game.

Have a great week everyone!

Cowls and socks

I got my yarn orders on Friday. The first one I dove into was Malabrigo chunky in Paris Nights. I got from The Backwards Loop . I am test knitting the unpurled cowl for sunnyspirit23 on Ravelry. I did this one with the optional 3 extra rows to make the taller cowl.



This is the same pattern done the original way the pattern is written, done in Charrua that I got from Eat Sleep Knit .





I got these 2 sock yarn from The Yarnarian during her sale last weekend. She lives in Morristown, and unfortunately everytime we have a gettogether at Mara's she can't make it. i'd love to meet her as she does beautiful work as you can see. The top yarn is iridescent a mix of purples and pinks, as soon as Angie saw it she was asking that yarn is for something for me isn't it? She didn't know what she wanted but she loves the yarn. The bottom one is Hot cha cha - it actually has a lot of orange and yellow which doesn't show up in the photo. That will be socks for me as soon as I'm done with the pair I'm working on and the 49er socks.