Pushing The Envelope


I know better than to knit under pressure and timelines. When you do or at least when I do, I am not at my best. Thats the case of this latest BSJ.

There are several things I don't like about it, but I am not changing it, the shower is about an hour away and quite frankly, I'm ready to get back to knitting for me.

Whats wrong? To start the button is too big and heavy (you can't tell from the picture, but it is a baseball). The collar is too small....I took the short way out and used the collar instead of ICord which might have looked better. And it is not exactly the Braves jacket I was going for. However, on Rav, I did see a Cardinals one I want to duplicate for later this year for a baby.



I'm going to use the same yarn for the Cardinals one, but I have never seen such a yarn that had so much static. That was unbelieveable and annoying.

Back to regular scheduled knitting.

Note To Self

Never knit on the BSJ when tired. I am merrily knitting along this morning and came to the end of the 10 ridges and am ready to add the 10 stitches and then knit 34. Huh, there are no 34stitches on one side.

Yep, you got it. Last night during the Tonight Show, I knit right across where I was suppose to have ended. Picked it up this morning and kept right on knitting.

Nope, this is not my first one that I have knitted! And I still want to knit a TSJ and an ASJ for me.

RIP

Not A Sailor Collar

It is yet another BSJ. These things are addictive. This one is for a shower for this Sunday, so I am frantically knitting on it to get it finished. The new baby to be's father is an Atlanta Braves fan so I am doing it in their colors.

I have ideas for another one after this maybe in a toddler size. Then, I want to do one for me.

These things are addictive!

The New Knitters

Although, I don't have mine yet, there is a preview over on the Knitters Magazine Website of the upcoming issue. There actually looks like there might be some things I wouldn't mind knitting on.

Here are today's pics. All three of these are Kathy Zimmerman knits.
Just enough interest to keep me focused.

Do You Tube?

I didn't until the Boyle one. Then, my DIL sent me a link to a little video she did of the Grand Dog. And then, over on Ravelry, I found someone talking about a Vogue Knitting Video.

They have some of the current knits on models that move so you can see it on someone. It gave me a new appreciation for some of the knits.

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Vogue+Knitting+Spring%2FSummer&aq=f

Happy Memorial Day

and the official start of Summer. It's rainy like and cool this morning in Central IL. My brother and I are spending the day at Mom's house getting a plan as to all there is to do.

Tomorrow, it is back to work for me. I'm ready for a little normalcy.

This One Is For Norma

Today is Indy Race day. Something that began when I was in 8th grade, when I got to go to my first race in Indy. Then, we would go to Indy, see the race and drive four hours back to watch it again on the t.v.

We did that for many years. Now, every race day, I can be found in front of the t.v. watching and knitting. My brother and I have arranged working over at Mom's house around the race. If it gets rained out today, we are going to the house to work. If it runs we stay home. All revolves around a time honored tradition for us.

Last year there was a pretty little caribe blue and lime car that I particularly liked. This year I am not finding any cars that I really like the colors of. You see I have two criterias for the car/drivers I cheer on....American and the color of the car.

So, this year I don't really have a pick of a car, just American, but Norma I think you might like this one.

1/2

Does 1/2 of a Wabi Sabi make it a Wabi? I love this jacket even though it is only 1/2 done. The yarn - Manos
Silk Tweed and Alpaca With a Twist is so soft! It is going to feel so lush to wear.

I am furiously knitting on the second half, which will take a while. I can't wait to see what awaits me when I get to join it together.

Oh, I have a deadline on another BSJ that I need to get back to for next weekend, but this one keeps pulling me back. I want to at least get to the sleeve section by Sunday.

Why Sunday? I am not sure that just popped into my mind. Race day is a good day to knit on the sleeve which seems to go on forever. I still have not made a decision on what the bottom of the sleeve is going to look like.

Wabi Sabi

Thats kind of how I feel today. I am home alone...I usually like that but today not so much! Anyway, enough of that.

Isn't this cool?! It's the sleeve decreasing of my Wabi Sabi sleeve. I just finished the last of the decreases and am almost home free on the first side.

Now, I just need to decide how to finish the sleeve. Cheryl calls for it to roll up, but I am not sure I like that finish for me. I may just put some garter ridges on the sleeve to tie in with the other garter in the sweater.

Seems like I do alot of that kind of finish on alot of my sweaters lately.

Thank You All!

What a great group of friends and family we have. I could not have gotten through it without the support! I am so ready to get back to work, knitting, blogging and life.

It's quiet around here and there is so much yet to be done. Tomorrow, I have a couple things on my plate. Then on Monday, we are going to see what lies ahead over at the house and where we go from here.

After tomorrow, we are going to take a couple of days and chill and then start the task. Chill for me means, knitting. Hopefully, there will be some good t.v. to watch and I am going to sit in my comfy chair and knit the weekend.

EZ said it best "Knit on with confidence and hope through all crises".

It's Been A Rough Weekend

I'll not be bloggin this week, but hope to be back next week after things have calmed down.

Mom passed away this morning. It is best because she would not have wanted to live the way she was. She was trying at times as was I, but she was still my mom. I feel a little as she said I would. Damn she was right again.

My thanks to all of my knitting pals for their kind words, thoughts and prayers.

Time Out

I'm taking a few days off from bloggin. We had an emergency come up with my mom today and at the moment all my energy is focused on her right now.

Be back soon, hopefully.

Finished!

I've finished my first ever Babies Surprise. It was so much fun knitting it. There is no baby that it is intended for at this time, but I wanted to do one for myself and Meg suggested knitting a baby one first.

I have tried to knit it several times before, but just could not stay on track with it. This time armed with the video and the line by line instructions I did it. Using the instructions to periodically make sure I was on track really helped. That and with the video leading me through made a lot of sense.

I have yarn left so I think I am going to give the heart hat a try to go with it when I find a baby for it.

Happy Mothers Day~

Places You Have To Go

The Internet. Where would we be without it?

Last night when I was contemplating what to watch on t.v. while doing a little knitting, I discovered that there wasn't anything worth listening to. So, I with my handy laptop (that I have now made a place next to me) watched Grey's Anatomy from Thursday night. I popped into abc.com and found the episode and watched from my chair on my lap top.


A little later, the kids in Memphis called me and told me they had made a You Tube (www.youtube.com) video of the grand dog. So, I accessed it and watched it a couple of times. I have only been on You Tube a couple of times from links that people have sent me, but this morning after watching the dog video one more time, I decided to search on it for knitting. Suffice it to say, it is yet another time sucker to watch all of the knitting videos, but if you want to learn how to knit frontwards, backwards, socks, continental, fix your mistakes, knit in the round or just plain anything knitting there is a video for it. Check it out.

And yes, I am still staying home to start the mass cleaning, I am just taking it slow and want to enjoy the experience! After all it is Mother's Day weekend....yes, I am claiming the weekend for us mothers!

Don't Anyone Faint!

I am staying home tomorrow. I have got to clean my house for the kids arrival on Tuesday. First stop is the yarn room so that have a place to sleep.

Then I have go to tackle the front room and living room. I have stuff and knitting and patterns all over the place. Bills to pay. Lia Sophia jewelry to return. Knitting patterns to file away. Books to enter into my database so they can go into the bookshelf. Magazines to be gone through.

Then it is the kitchen and bathroom. Oy.

I really need to do this. I don't think I have done more than dust and vacuum and a little cleaning on the kitchen and bathroom since Christmas!

Lets call tomorrow Spring cleaning...hope I can get it done in a day!

Wasn't That Nice?

A former co-worker sent these to me as a thank you. How thoughtful was that? And just when I needed a pick me up!

New Book

I happened upon Sally Melville's new book at Barnes and Noble on Saturday. There are a couple of sweaters in it that I might want to knit down the road, but first I have others to finish.

I especially like the first part of her book on knitting sweaters to fit and flatter. I know some of it and will take a refresher from Judy Chan next month, but in the mean time, I felt like buying a new book for myself to add to the collection.

One Tank Finished

This still needs to be blocked but it is done. I wouldn't say I love it, but sometimes after blocking, a garment will grow on me and I will wear it to death.

I do have to admit that I prefer winter sweaters more than spring and summer sweaters.

Back On Track

I had planned a whole different yarn for today's blog, but just a few moments ago, while watching the weather channel, I decided on a different thought.

Finally, it looks from the weather channel, that the temperatures this week are going to be at least 70 all week long. Sure, the wake-up temperature is going to be upper 40's and 50's but at least finally, it looks like spring is here to stay.

Lately, I have been telling myself that I'll get back to my exercise and eating routine later. I'll start doing a few things around the house and not just vegging and knitting all Sunday long. It's hard to do those things on Sunday, when it is cold and dreary outside and it seems like Winter will never go away.

Now, all of a sudden, Spring is here and Summer is not very far away and my body is no where near what I want it to feel like.

My knitting has been like that as well....finishing nothing - starting every thing and no focus. So, last night I made a list. What needs to be done and where I should be focusing my knitting. In my head I have made a list of must do work items as well.

I am a new woman today! On track, hopefully! Well, at least in my mind I am!

Judging Can Be Hard

Sure, I said when asked if I would judge the knitting at Peoria Area Stitchers Guild. Little did I know how hard it would be. I hated to grade down on some pieces because I know how much work goes into it. But, there were some truly beautiful and intricate pieces. I wish you all could have seen them!

The lace knocked my socks off. The Vegan Fox Scarf was a hoot. I had seen it in another life, but it was still neat to see one up close and person.

Tonight, I am kicking back and planning my knitting...camp is on my mine today.

Yarn Souvenirs

As a child whenever we went on vacation to Minnesota, there always was some kind of souvenir to bring home. New mocassins, a tshirt, and once I remember bringing home a green blob scented like pine for my drawer.

Now that I am all grown up, the idea of souvenir has not changed. Only this time, I can justify a yarn purchase as a souvenir. This yarn is not going to be for me but rather a baby shower gift for a friend. Her son-in-law is a Braves fan, so I am going to knit it into a little baseball jacket for the baby to be.

I'd rather he would be a Cardinal fan, but I will make an exception for this one baby this one time.