2009 commitments

I don’t make resolutions. I turn into a big bowl of pure fail if I do. So… this time it’s commitments. I can do those! I’m a pretty committed person.

Knitting:

• Socks for soldiers – knit 30 – 40 minutes per day.  It’s not difficult, suck it up and do it girl – you enjoy it, the need is strong and you know it.
  
• Get stash replenished.  1/4 of purchases will be socks for soldiers regulation yarns.
  
• Learn color knitting and finish at least 2 major colorwork projects
• Finish Grylions socks.  Geez!
  
• Make yourself some socks – your feet are cold, you silly girl!
• Finish your scarf – it’s beautiful and you know you want to.  Besides, it was a gift.
• Make the freaking sweater – you know the one.
• Make at least one lace shawl.
  

Personal:

• Get the divorce finalized and survive through it – well.  It’s the best thing and you know it. You’ve moved on.
• Lose those pesky last 20 pounds.  Again, it’s the best thing and you know it.
• Get back in school.
• Pay it back and then start paying forward.
• Get a new sewing machine and start sewing, quilting again

Work:

• Keep moving forward.

Cutting Steeks

I have no problem slicing and dicing store bought fabric but cutting into fabric that I knit?! That’s an entire different matter. I just made it! I can’t cut it!!!! BUT…. I am determined to do colorwork in 2009 so I must learn to hold my breath and just do it. So…. here’s how… just cut – carefully….

with very sharp scissors to avoid pulling the yarn.

Kirchener Options – 3 Needle Bind Off

Although Kitchener is by far the best sock bind off I’ve found, there are options that work pretty darn well. My fave is the three needle bind off – it makes a great seam and is typically used for shoulders, seams, etc. Why not toes?!

Basically, you’re doing a pretty normal bind off, just with three needles instead of two. Think of it as sewing the seam shut with the third needle and it’s pretty easy.

I have no idea why I didn’t think of this the other day when I was grafting toes at work. It would have been a whole lot simpler!

Finished! and started…

WRT socks are finished and gifted!!!  And apparently liked!  I’m so glad.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get a pic of the finished pair so here’s just one –

The toes turned out okay but the grafting is a bastardization of Kitchener, I was at work when I did the second one and had no way to look at instructions. oops!

This evening I’m casting on a pair of gauntlets for myself and a pair of socks.  I’m re working the Grylion socks, too.  And… I’ve been asked to make a couple pairs of fingerless gloves for friends at work.  Cool!

Happy Christmas…accident and nearly finished!

M (daughter) was rear ended yesterday at a stop light.  Fortunately, she only has a sore back.  Her boyfriend was in the car with her and doesn’t seem to be injured, that’s good.  My son left me a voicemail letting me know they’d been in an accident but it broke up in the middle of recording so I was a bit frantic for a few minutes there.  When I asked why he didn’t call the emergency line he said she wasn’t dead so it’s not an emergency.  Uhmmm…. ok, the logic of 15 year old males! geeeeez!

She was driving her dad’s car, stopped at a yellow light, and some guy wasn’t paying attention.  He slammed into the rear end since he wasn’t expecting her to stop – brake lights should have been a clue, dude!  How dare you hit my child!!!!!!

The bumper and back light have quite  a bit of damage, the dash cracked and the stereo popped forward.  I’m grateful that it wasn’t far worse.  Fortunately, her dad is pretty understanding when it comes to true accidents and realizes when you’re stopped and the person behind you doesn’t stop – it isn’t your fault.  She was pretty shaken up but seems to be handling it pretty well.

I was able to get off work shortly after and 4B arranged to get new rear tires put on the car so I could get down there.  The wondrous Grylion called while they were working on them – it sure was good to talk with him!  I’ve been riding around on metal showing baldies and there was no way one wouldn’t have blown driving 30 miles at highway speeds.  He was pretty concerned about her, too.  He can be a pretty decent guy sometimes.

D’s been at his dad’s for the holiday break and came back up with me last night.  I have missed him! We  spent a lovely couple of Christmas Eve hours at B’s.  He took me completely by surprise and gave D and I fantastic guy/girl matching leather jackets..  We’d picked out a heavy hoodie for D all ready, which D loved.  Then he excused himself, went upstairs and came down with D’s first real leather jacket.   He went overboard and I’m touched.  D is THRILLED and so am I!  By the way, he makes outstanding chili – wow!

It’s snowing hard right now and my new tire went flat last night.  The spare is flat too.  My jack doesn’t have a handle.  Had to call B and have him give us a ride the rest of the way home.  4B’s truck is in the shop and he spent Christmas Eve with a friend and a bottle of Cuervo so that wasn’t really an option.  (Joys of ex’s that live with ya……)  It’ll be fixed sometime though.

D (son) is up here and needs/wants to be at his dad’s this morning.  His dad feels it’s snowing too hard to come pick us up so we won’t be there for present opening and then run down to my mom’s.  (His dad often still comes to family things which is totally cool.) I couldn’t reach my sister last night to see if she could pick us up on her way down and she’s still not answering so guessing she’s all ready gone.   It’s only a 45 or so mile drive.  We’ll figure something out.

Other than that, it’s a beautiful Christmas morning! I’m working on the toe for B’s second sock (WRT socks) and finishing 4B’s 3×3 rib scarf.  Marci loved her stocking (the Felted Christmas Stocking).  I’ll figure out a way to get TJ those fingerless gloves   It’s all good!

Fingerless glove modifications

Yule Blessings

It’s been COLD and snowy here the last few days.  Friday afternoon we had a huge storm, it was so bad that it took nearly three hours to drive home from work.  Actually, I got within five miles of home and decided not to go any further on bald tires.  It was a bit more adventuresome and dangerous than I was up to.  Fortunately, B was willing to come pick me up.

And…. it made me think about gloves.   I enjoy how cozy and comforting gloves feel when it’s bitter cold and windy.  However, I do not enjoy ‘the gap.’  That’s my not so technical term for how the wind blows down my coat sleeve between the glove and wherever my shirt sleeve has ended up.  How to avoid this… make gloves longer, of course!

I was in the middle of a pair of fingerless gloves for gifting and decided to add about two inches length before starting the thumb gusset.  They’re for a male recipient so kept the ribbing going a little longer to avoid any ride-up during wear.  I’m thinking out a way to incorporate longer lace ribbing with some decreases (maybe!) for a pair of gloves for another recipient.  This is what I’ve come up with so far: 

The stitch pattern can be found on Knitty.   It’s a pretty straight forward knit/purl/yo/decrease pattern but I think might be a little warmer than some of the other lacy ribbings.  And it still needs to be reasonably stretchy.  I’d rather avoid decreasing the overall width if possible BUT I don’t want it to be too tight for someone who may have a wider forearm.  Guessing a couple of test knits will be in order then, if all goes well, I’ll write up the pattern and post it.

Progress is being made on the Christmas knitting.  WRT socks are mid gusset on sock 2.  Fingerless gloves for …….. are 3/4 finished.  I’m coming to terms with the lack of time so am revising some gift things.   I have a funny feeling that Mom is going to get the reverse of what she used to give me.

When I was a little girl, sometimes she would give me the fabric and pattern for a new project then we would work on it together after the holidays.  I have learned so much from watching Mom and working with her.  It seems like a good idea to give her the yarn and needles for the pillow I want to make her then work it up, hopefully with her.  She’s an outstanding knitter, seamstress, and quilter but doesn’t spend much time doing any of those these days.  I would truly enjoy being able to go spend time with her talking and knitting.  It’s been a very, very long time since we did such things together.

And… as soon as I’m finished with the gift knitting I AM going to start a pair of socks for myself.  It’s freaking COLD (oh, I mentioned that a few times?!) and I need some warm, pretty socks.  I dug out the first pair of socks I made – basic tube socks in pretty pastels – and am going to kirtchener the toes which counts as one pair.  They’re an acrylic blend though so going to have to make some wool ones.  I knit.  It’s the rules.  hehehe

Oh…. and one more thing … as always…. I’m totally and utterly in love with Alice Starmore’s Aran and Celtic knitting. Check out her projects and patterns on Ravelry.  Once I’ve got the finances under control, I’m going to be doing some serious stashing to work up a few of her patterns.  I can’t wait!

In non-knitting news, B got my nails done for Christmas.  What a wonderful, thoughtful, magnificent gift.  They’re a beautiful holiday red now.  I’m one of those weird people who have to have nails to keep my hands ‘balanced.’  Thank you!!!!!!

The tree is up and knitting away

The great leaning tree is now up and semi-decorated.  It’s actually starting to look like the holidays in Hollyland (aka Redfear’s place).  Last night was spent talking with my former roommate and knitting – it was relaxing and wonderful!

The scarf for 4B is now about 7″ long, WRT sock 2 is nearly 5″ long but have a great deal more to get done in the next few days.  Wow….  if I knit straight from now until midnight Christmas Eve I would possibly make it.  It’s not going to happen.  hmmm….   what to do?!

I’ll be making several more pairs of fingerless gloves in January and may even be able to start on a sweater for myself.  That would be delightful.  Other projects are lining up as well.

This morning I knit for about 45  minutes while waiting for our training finals to be graded and got to the heel.  I thought about starting it but didn’t think it would be a good idea knowing I’d have to stop shortly.   Although I was a re-hire rather than a new-hire, I hadn’t been on the job all that long when I had to temporarily quit.  And… I passed the final with flying colors.

Breaking down and making one…

Yes, I’ll be making a dog sweater.  I hate the things.   Mom has a poodle, Mom’s birthday is in February, Mom wants a sweater for Pepper.  It’s cold.
Talking Tails has a great ‘how to’ so I think I’ll be following the guidelines and coming up with something unique for the two of them. Unique as in singular for rather than completely odd. Hey, not my dog!

I’m thinking something along the lines of this:

dog sweater

possibly in dark red with black ribbing at the top and bottom.  Pepper is – black – big surprise.  Mom likes deep reds.

In further knitting news: WRT sock 1 fits!!!! I was a little concerned about the length since I’m used to working with a little bit stretchier yarn. Sock 2 is cast on. Grylion socks were frogged – what’s up with me and frogging socks repeatedly?! I just didn’t like the way they were working up so, starting over. Allied Giant gloves are making some progress. I need to get them finished up by tomorrow so I can cast on another pair of fingerless gloves. Two more pair, actually. Progress is being made. This is good!

And… cast on 4B’s scarf.

Oh, and I FINALLY figured out why I’m having trouble with the toe up pattern I’d been customizing. Without boring you with all the details, Wendy’s toe up tutorial on knitty did the trick! Thanks again, Wendy!

And the Christmas tree is still in it’s box in the front room. For whatever reason, the Christmas faeries failed to put it up while I was gone. So, I’m going to break down on that too and put it up all by myself. Go me!

Snowing – again!

It started snowing early this morning and we now have several inches on the ground with many more to come. It’s beautiful, it’s holiday perfect, and it’s really annoying me. The back tires on my car are very bald and I’m having a serious debate with myself whether to go home in the snow or not. Stayed at friend’s house last night and forgot my knitting – oops! Hmmmm….. weirdness!

We went to Walmart this afternoon, yes, Wallyword, on a Saturday afternoon, in December. It really wasn’t too bad though. And… I came home and finished the weaving in on WRT sock 1. Woot!

One down…. three thousand to go

ONE of WRT socks is finished, now there’s only a few dozen other things to finish up. OMG – Christmas is WHEN?!?

My new work schedule is out, YES! Later morning start, early evening finish, and two consecutive days off. This is good!!!

Knitting away

What a weekend… and a Monday!  I was able to get just about to the toe turning stage on WRT sock 1.  The rest of the projects are coming along as well.  If we could somehow add about a week between tonight and Christmas, I’m pretty sure I’d make it!

My company has gone through a buy out since I left (which I was aware of) but so far it won’t make changes in our department.   I have no idea what my ‘real’ schedule will be other than something between 6am and 7pm.  Guess we’ll just wait and see.  The problem with training right now is no knitting during work hours!  yikes!!!!!

And… it’s snowing!

speaking of socks:
see more pwn and owned pictures

Feeling Bookish

Yes, I should be knitting… obviously, I’m not!  Kind of busy blog browsing thank you very much.  Knittingarcheologists‘ posting brought back the good old days when I read constantly.  Here’s a bit of meme.

The Rules:

• bold the books you’ve read
• italicize the ones you want to read
• strike through the ones blank that you have don’t want to read
• leave blank those you have no interest in or knowledge of
• asterisk anything you started but didn’t finish

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)

10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire (Rowling
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkeban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi
26. The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner(Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina(Tolstoy)
47.The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)*
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57.Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)*
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)*
64. Interview With the Vampire (Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)*
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)*
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91.The Skin of the Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)*
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)*
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)*

Felted Christmas Stocking Pattern

Felted Christmas Stocking

Here’s the pattern/guidelines:

Original guage was 8 st st = 1″    feel free to alter as you’re going to felt and may want a different size stocking.  After felting this stocking is 6″ (15 cm) from top of ruffle to bottom of heel and 6″ (15 cm) from back edge of heel to tip of toe.  Prior to felting it was a women’s large size.

Materials:
Needles – 1 pair straight sz 3 (3.25 mm); 4 (or 5 if you prefer) sz 3 (3.25 mm) double pointed needles

Yarn – Knit Picks Palette Fingering Weight, 1 skn Garnet Heather (main color), 1 skn Ivy (second color)  note – requires apx. 1/4 skein main color and a few dozen yards of second color.

Ruffle and Top:

• Using SC Cast on 300 stitches (yes, 300) on SINGLE points using fairly firm cast on of your choice.  I used loop cast on.
• Knit right sides, Purl wrong side or 4 rows (2 each k and p)
• On right side K2Tog every stitch (total of 150 stitches)
• Switch to double point needles arranging 50 stitches per needle (if using 4 needles total),  join being careful not to twist stitches.  The ruffle tends to curl so be extra cautious.
• Knit 3 rounds
• On right side K2Tog every stitch (total of 75 stitches)
• Knit 2 rounds
• Knit to last 3 stitches of 1st needle, K2Tog, K2, K2Tog, knit to last 3 stitches of next needle, K2Tog, K2, K2Tog, knit to last 3 of last needle, K2Tog
• K2Tog, knit to last 3 stitches of 1st needle, K2Tog, K2, K2Tog, knit to last 3 stitches of next needle, K2Tog, K2, K2Tog, knit to last 3 stitches of last needle, K2Tog
• Knit
• It helps stabilize the top if you add about 1/2 inch of K2P2 ribbing here, you can omit if you wish to and knit
• Change to MC and K 4 rows
• Knit decoration of your choice  – this one has an eyelet heart from Stariel’s Blackhearted.
• Knit another 4-6″ (again, depends on how long you want the stocking)

Heel:  (I did slip stitch, if you prefer a different one – go for it!)

• Arrange stitches so there are 32 on 1 dpn – this is your heel needle
• *Row 1: SL 1, K1 – repeat across
• Row 2: Sl1, Purl *
• Repeat 10 times
• Change to SC
• Repeat 10 times
• Change to MC
• Repeat 12 times (32 rows total)

Turn Heel:

• Change to SC
• K19, SSK, K1 turn
• Sl1, P7, P2Tog, P1, Turn
• *Sl1, knit to stitch before gap, SSK, K1, turn
• SL1, purl to stitch before gap, P2Tog, turn*
• Repeat * to * until all stitches are worked – DO NOT slip first stitch on your last purl row.
• Knit across

Pick up and work gusset:

• Change to MC
• Pick up 17 stitches along side on same needle
• Knit across instep needle
• Working on 3rd needle, pick up 17 stitch along side, knit across
• Arrange stitches so beginning of round is now in the middle of the heel (it should be there all ready, but just in case…)
• Knit around to 3 stitches before instep needle, K2Tog K1
• Knit Instep
• Knit 1, SSK, knit
• Knit until 16 stitches are on each of the two ‘heel’ needles

Work around until stocking is 4″ shorter than desired length

• If you want to add SC stripe or pattern here, go for it.  I did a K12 MC, K SC, K12 MC around then K10 MC, K3 SC, K10 MC around then K12 MC, KSC, K12 MC around stripish pattern (didn’t work out perfect but it was pretty close)
• Go back to MC
• Work until stocking is 2″ shorter than desired total length

Toe:

• Row 1: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 st on instep needle, K2Tog, K1. K1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts on sole needle(s), K2Tog, K1
• Row 2: Knit around
• Knit these two rows until 40 total stitches remain then do Row 1 five more times

Graft:

• I did Kitchener, do whatever grafting you’re comfy with though.

Felt:

• To semi-customize the felting I ran EXTREMELY hot water from the faucet and held the ruffle portion under it for about 30 seconds at a time until it was 3/4 of the size I wanted it to be (think it was 5 times).  Then I held the rest of stocking under the water for about 30 seconds per time three times.
• Then… threw it in the dryer with the darks and… out came the Christmas Stocking.

Still having holiday issues.  Maybe it’s because the tree is in a box by the side of my bed (er now 4B’s bed arghhhhh) with about 10 boxes on top of it.  idk. But…. my son is happy as the proverbial clam!!!!  He was gifted Slipknot tickets for their March 09 stop in Denver.  Thank you, B!!!!!!!!!!!

Need Holiday Cheer and Inspiration

I FINALLY got the call yesterday saying I’m scheduled to go back to work on Monday!!!!!! The relief and gratitude is nearly overwhelming.  They’re starting me in on new training (as opposed to new hire training, it’s for a specialized division) right away.  This is cool.

However… I am in serious need of some holiday cheer and inspiration. I haven’t even put up the tree yet – bad Redfear/Holly. I might possibly do it tomorrow.

WRT socks are going along decently well, have about 3″ done on the foot now. I’m going to try to get D’s fingerless gloves finished tomorrow and start on something else.

My wardrobe is in serious need of some sweaters. What’s a knitter to do?! Oh duh! There’s really only enough in the stash for something out of Caron’s Simply Soft in light green so that’s what it’ll be. Now I have to figure out what… any thoughts????

and another oops!

Forgot to add pics of works in progress that have actually made progress:

World of Warcraft Allied Giants glove

These are for D to wear while playing WOW and will eventually have Allied Giants double stitched in white across the hands – in Alliance colors of course.

Turned heel and picked up gusset stitches on WRT socks, going as fast as possible on foot so can cast on second sock.  Then work on another two pairs, finish Tj’s second sock, a pillow for Dad, a pair of cabled gloves for daughter.  omg – Christmas is when?!!!!!!!!