I Have Five Off

Five Days before I have to go back to work. Saturday, we are celebrating my in-laws 60th Anniversary. Sunday, I'll do the weekly laundry chore. Monday is JUST for Me. I will be home alone, and I am going to knit all day long and think about what I want to knit on! Tuesday, I will clean and get ready for our 4th Get Together with my mom and auntie and Wednesday, after they leave I'll do some more knitting!

After the week I have had, I am so looking forward to after the party tomorrow night!

It's Done! And It Was Fun!

The Babies and Bears Sweater is done! Yesterday, I gave thought to starting another one. Then, when I thought about it, I just could not do it.

But, today, when I actually looked at the picture, I decided I really like the way it looks and fits. Sometimes you just need to see it that way. The only thing I will do different, besides a new yarn, is too shorten the sleeve by 2 1/2 inches. This one is turned up, but unless I told you that you would not have even know it.

Now, I just have to decide what yarn to use for the next one. Twisted Sisters leftovers or Russian Prime Yarns?

I Like Rainy Days Sometimes

Yesterday, I was a half an hour early for work. I had a hot cup of coffee with me and my knitting. When I pulled into the lot at work, I decided to sit there and see if the rain would let up a bit. It was perfect, coffee and knitting! By the time it was time to go into work, I was feeling much better about working.

And today, it rained on and off all day. A perfect excuse to NOT to have to go anywhere. I've been doing some laundry, knitting, reading and a little sleeping. A nice day despite the rain.

And I have almost got the Babies and Bears Sweater done. And I knitted a bit on my lace shawl! Radicals - I think I can do it!

I Don't Wanna

Work tomorrow! The Radicals helped with my Shawl Thinkin tonight. I came home sure of what I was going to do for the Wedding Shawl. Mind you, I had talked myself into a Pink Kid Merino Rectangular Shawl before going to Char's.

Then, I somehow came home with my mind set on the Caribe Blue triangular shawl.

Then, I went to the Zimmermania blog, to check the website for this really cool yarn that the Baby Gull Sweater was out of, which led me to a round about way to the Icarus Shawl from Interweave Knits, Summer 2006 at a picture of it. http://www.thedailypurl.com/shawls/icarus/

Now, I am starting to wonder again, and I need some hours to play...I don't wanna go to work tomorrow, my mind is just a spinning with everything!

Something else I found in the Summer 2006 issue of Interweave Knits - Part One of a Lace Primer. I think there are a couple of stitches that I could use for my Pi Shawl!

See what I mean....I don't wanna!

Today Is Lace Day

It is going to be another hot day today. There is nothing decent on the t.v. to knit with. We are saving going out to get groceries til late this afternoon, when all the screamin kids, hopefully will be home having dinner. I can't go to the Yarn Shop two Saturdays in a row....so I am doing lace today.

I am armed with my Barbara Walker Treasuries, my Gathering of Lace Book, my Victorian Lace book, and some leftover yarn and I am going to play with lace patterns to decide which ones I want to use for my Pi Shawl.

The Radical Knitters came up with a great idea for me to make a killer shawl for my son's wedding next May. Next Thursday, we are going to help me find a killer pattern and discuss what yarn I should get for it.

In the mean time, I need to practice knitting lace and what better way to do it then on the Pi Shawl. Linda and Char assure me I can do it and with their helpful guidance and holding of my hand, I think I can!

What a great way to spend a Saturday!

Pre Camp Planning

I'm a planner. I plan. I think. I make lists. I don't always adhere to my lists, but I make them anyway. On Sunday, in between laundry, I had a Pre-Camp Planning Session.

I started looking at some of my books/projects/spun outs that I want to
take with me to camp. You see the thought was to cut down on the weight of the bags this year. Yea, right! I know we will only be gone just shy of 5 days, but one
would not want to have the proper pattern with one or have to buy it
again, cause one did not plan well enough.

My yarn purchases last time were based on sweaters that I tried on at camp and really liked. It was a good way to go. We'll see what this year's bring. This shrug is one that I will be looking at for yarn and fit this year.



I also started thinking about what I will take with me to work on. You know kind of like 5 days/5 projects!
Here is my short list:The Guernsey....so I will have to take my Guernsey Books along with the Knitting Workshop, because Gaffer has a Guernsy on that I might want to
use the design from.

The Ribwarmer (I'll probably have yarn before we go)....I was going to
use the 2 ply Sheepswool that I washed. After swatching a bit
yesterday, I have decided the 2 ply for me requires a looser gauge on a
bigger needle. 4 sts to the inch just makes this WAY too stiff. I have
cast on the Tomten in my size for me in that Charcoal Sheepswool and
don't mind working with it so much. I'm sure there will be others.The Guernsey....so I will have to take my Guernsey Books along with the
Knitting Workshop, because Gaffer has a Guernsy on that I might want to
use the design from.

The Pie Are Square Shawl...I am still kicking around if I want to put a
little lace in it towards the bottom section. I have two sections at
the moment that are just garter, but am thinking about doing the Feather
and Fan for a little bit of interest. So, I will have to take my
Knitting Around book for both it and the Tomten.

So, it looks at least a couple of my books and Wool Gatherings are going with me. And a lot of sweaters to knit on!

New Toy

The tall guy found this in the Walgreen's ad. $99 at Walgreens. It has a nice carrying case and accessories. Battery life is around 2 1/2 hours. It is just what I was looking for AND the price is right!

Now, when I go to camp, I take EZ DVDs with me too! Even though, we will watch them at the night session, sometimes, I want to have the glossary near by so I can look something up later at night.

What A Wonderful Afternoon!

I met Karen out at Knit 4 Together. We were going to compare jackets. She has two Babies and Bears Sweaters on the needles. We decided that her strip of yellow needs to be pulled out too. It will require a bit of ripping out.

Mine, we discovered also must be ripped back to quite a ways down the sleeve. It appears that on the second half at the point where I went from double point needles to circular needles, I jumped to a size 10 1/2 and not the size 9 I was suppose to. I thought the ridges were a little loose too soon and the # of rows I had knitted did not seem quite right. But, until, I actually measured sleeve against sleeve, was when I noticed something funny. Karen noticed the difference on the sleeve a little ways back. Oh well...

But, amongst the looking at yarns, seeing the Tofutsies yarn and talking to Marilyn one of the shop owners, (who also bows at the feet of Elizabeth Zimmerman and Meg Swansen) we had just a great Saturday, talking knitting.

We enjoyed it so much, it was a perfect day! I can't wait to do it again! We also recomend the wrap and the soup at the Coffee House across the street. Next time, I'm going to try a Smootie.

You Cringe, But

Yes, I do knit at stop lights on occasion. Not as often as I used to, because the lights are a little shorter these days. But, last night going home, the traffic was AWFUL! IDOT is working on a stretch of highway (since March of 06 and it will be ongoing until November this year.) Last night the traffic was backed up....thank goodness, I had my Babies and Bears Sweater within reach. I pulled it up and got quite a few rounds knitted while waiting at the stop lights and resulting backed up traffic.

Oh, yes there was that moment, when I looked into my bag for my row counter, that could have been a problem, but I recovered nicely and from now on I will have my tools laid out ahead of time.

And, well, yes I was alone....I don't usually knit when I have some one riding with me!

1/2 Way There

Finally, I got half of the sweater done. The yellow has been in and out more times than I want to think about. But, finally it is out and I'm glad. I have tried it on and it fits okay I think. I have trouble telling myself that a sweater does not have to big and bulky on me to fit.

Then, comes starting the other side. After unwinding several skeins of the Ironstone, and knitting two cuffs, I decided to go with close. It is impossible to get it exact. I think that is what I am going to find on the sleeve itself too. But, I am okay with that!

Talkin Gauge

Just as we were walking out the door from Knit Nite last night, we had a little discussion. I, being terribly obnoxious when it comes to gauge, have not been all that concerned with it since I starter the garter part of the sweater. So, this morning, I measured it. It varies between 4-5 sts per inch depending on what yarn I am using. I'm going as is for now, and am wondering if I might have to accomodate for that when I get to the end. I'll worry about that later tonight, when I can get back to knitting it.

And yes, you do see two rows in it of yellow. It is not as bad as I once thought it was....but I'll also worry about that later tonight!