It's Hard Stayin On Task

All I am  seeing  is cool stuff I want to cast on and knit for me.  But, I made a promise to myself at the start of November that I would stay on task and finish some things on the list and  so I am. 

 

The Harry Potter Scarf - it was a great project to take to the kids this weekend.  I could throw it down in a second and play pizza with Mona Lisa.  It is my purse project for now, oh so portable!

 



Poppy's Christmas Stocking is getting some love as of last night.  I could hardly put it down, I wanted to see where it was going next.  I am getting the rhythm of the two color work.  The pattern and yarn are from Schoolhouse Press, Eli's Stocking.  I think if I shut the t.v. off every night about 9 or 10, I can do at least an hour maybe two on it and it could be done by the first of December.

And finally, Boneyard Shawl for Hospice.  No, that is not your imagination, that is actually what is happening to the yarn when I changed the ball.  I bought the Malabrigo so long ago that at the time I started the shawl for an unknown recipient, I did not know anything about how these new yarns needed to be knitted.  And no, I am not ripping it back, I am hoping the 3rd ball will give me yet a different color way to add some interest to it.

 

And a side note, this weekend with Mona Lisa was so much fun and I am reminded of how much a 3 year old can retain.  First, she remembers how much I like Snoopy and asked me if I would be wearing my Snoopy pajamas when she comes home at Thanksgiving and she mentioned my knitting as well. 

 

There is hope!

How We Spent Our Weekend

Back to knitting tomorrow!

Look What Came



 

in my mail this week.  From Knit Circus!  Can't wait to knit on them, but for now, I have to finish some projects.

 



In the meantime, they are sitting there on my table and when I pass by them, they are my reminder that I cannot cast on either of them until, I've finished at least two things on my list.

Happy Weekend!  We are off to cuddle some grand kids.  See you later.

Wednesday Website

Tutorial - Sewing in Sleeves

The tutorial from yesterday's post!

Listening to Your Knitting

It took me a while, but I finally decided my Inlet Sweater was just not what I wanted out of the yarn.  

The sweater probably was talking to me the whole time I was knitting it, but I just was not listening.  Right from the beginning, I was torn as to whether to knit it in pieces or go the easy route and knit mostly in one piece.  A plus for the Custom Fit Sweater patterns is that Amy also includes instructions for mostly knitting in one piece if you choose.

But, I decided to knit mine in pieces.  My rationale is that I would like to practice my sewing skills again on sweaters and this would be a perfect learning lesson.  Inlet is a simple cardigan and I had Custom Fit produce a pattern with shaping and 3/4 sleeves, something that is supposed be good for my body type.

I knew that I would be cutting it close on yarn, but was hoping that the 3/4 sleeves would help me save on some yarn.  When I really listened to the knitting, it was obvious I was going to need some more yarn.  My friend Pam, let me use some of hers, but her color of Well Water was lighter than mine.  I used it for some of the body, alternating skeins so it wasn't super obvious that I had two different lots going.  Then I got really lazy and used all of her skein at the back of the neck, where the long hair was sure to cover it.

Then, I got to sewing in the sleeves.   Amy has a great picture tutorial on her website on how she sews in the set in sleeves - a great refresher, but by the time I was ready to do that, I took a good hard look at mine on the floor, and decided there were so many things wrong with my sweater that I just was not loving it.  

I waited a while before I really listened to it, begging to be ripped apart and something else done out of my darker color way.  Finally, I gave in, ripped and balled it all back up.  

And now, I am listening and waiting for it to tell me what it really wants to be.

I Hereby Declare

Weekends are for me!  Does anybody besides me have that problem that when you finish a huge project whether it is knitting or on the job or just around the house and you just take a moment or a week or maybe even two to decide what's next?!  It can get a bit overwhelming as I can attest to after having just come off of major baby knitting, I had  commitments every single night except last week except for  Monday.  Usually, if I have a week like that, I get Fridays to just come home and decompress, but this week I got together from some retirees (I'm not one of them yet [sad face]).  It was a great time, but I missed my Friday.

And now, it is Sunday and I am staring down at Monday, but it is a new week, and I have had a little talk with myself because it is time to start this month out right.  First of all, get moving!  With a hectic life lately, my eating habits and moving schedule has been a bit off and the scale is just not going anywhere.  Mentally, I've made a little list of where I want to be in 30 days.  I am super glad that today is the first and it starts on the first day of the week and is a new month.  I'm sorry to bore you with the details, but if I don't put them hear who will hold me accountable, so where do I want to be in 30 days?

I want a weight loss of at least 5 pounds, heck, I want more, but one a week is my first goal.  How to accomplish?  Well, I've pulled out a few Weight Watcher Recipes and pinned them over on Pinterest.  I need to make my lunches healthy and different and I need to get away from my desk and take my whole hour.  If I can talk someone into walking with me for at least the first 1/2 hour on a consistent basis (that doesn't always happen because of the meetings are drop in visits I have in the office), but when possible I need to be up and walking.  I'm going to use the 30 Day Walking Challenge from Leslie Sansone starting on Monday to see if I can't bump my totals up.  If I don't do it at work, then it is going to have to be on the treadmill at home BEFORE I sit down to knit at night.  Weight loss is my primary focus in the next 30 days or  else!!

Secondly, I've got some knitting to do and I really want to knock about 4 things off of the list, but most importantly, I AM NOT going to let that stupid list get in the way of knitting for me and for fun!   I still need some sweaters and starting next week, I am going to actively blogging at least once or twice a week about sweater knitting and my experiences with sweaters.

And finally, weekends are going to be for me!  If I want to knit on something other then what is on my list, I am going to.  It's my knitting and I am in control and no one made a rule that I have to clothe the entire world this Christmas now did they?!  (Thank you Norma for that bit of advice so many years ago)

Go out and enjoy this lovely weekend wherever you are, I'll see you on the purl side.

Happy Halloween!

Wednesday Website

The Secret To Becoming A Great Knitter

Did Anyone Else Look At The Calendar?

Today is the 24th of October!  The wind was a blowin in Central IL today and it very much felt like a week from now.

The realization set in on me today when I came home and saw our bush out front, it was turning red and green which reminded me that Christmas Eve is 2 months away.  Two Months Away People!!

I think it may be time to start actively knitting  on some of my Christmas presents.

Simple Circular Scarf 

Poppy's Stocking

Mona Lisa's New Blanket With Circles

Harry Potter Scarf

Frozen Hat

Simple Garter Scarf

Thankfully, all but two are fairly quick and easy knits.  And great projects to knit on at Knit Night!

Do you have any plans for Holiday Gift Giving Knitting?  If you do, you've got two months!

What's On The Needles

This week I seem to be a bit obsessed with the pattern and yarn I bought on Saturday.  I would have been much further along, but I changed up the needle size and added more stitches to my Vacillate.  Normally, I have to go down from the recommended size because I knit so loose.

This time I decided to go with the size on the pattern, and when I measured it on Sunday, it was about 6 inches too short in width.  I ripped it back, went up a size needle and after checking it out on Ravelry, decided to add more repeats to the pattern.

I am impressed with the designer, Cindy Garland (Wild Prairie Knits) and the presentation of the pattern.  The pattern is printed on a nice card stock paper  and is both charted and written out.  The chart is hilited in yellow for the contrast color which makes it really easy to see when the changes come along.   Her explanations and key throughout the pattern are spot on and very helpful (as long as you read them).   She included  a code so the pattern can be downloaded to my Ravelry Library.  The only problem is with the sticker that was placed over it, I think I lost one of the numbers when I peeled the sticker off.  Not a major problem, but eh.

I am using Leading Men Fiber Arts Fingering Yarn for it and I am anxious to see how the Evil Queen Gradients look as they progress through the shawl.  I don't normally choose either the pink or the purples so much in yarns, so this is definitely taking me out of the box on this one.

I could see myself knitting this one again down the road, maybe in just a step up from a fingering weight yarn.  Oy, already planning a new one before the first one is done!

See you on the purl side!

Stash Enhancement Saturday

Today was the Bishop Hill Fiber Guild's Spin In.  We had a wonderful day shopping, voting for our favorites in the contests and knitting.  

Although, I said the minute before I walked into the market that I was not buying any more yarn, I, of course made a bee line for Leading Men Fiberarts.  I was not expecting to see them there, but when I saw the Vacillate Shawl sample, I knew I was a goner.  They had it knit out of a gradient set (hot pink and gray gradients).  There were so many to choose from, but my knitting friends helped me step away from my normal Caribe Blue/Teal and I ended up with purple gradient set and Prom Queen.  You may remember at Stitches, one other gradient set followed my home, but in much different shades of purples.

Any who, I've had my eyeballs on the Vacillate Shawl pattern from sometime.  Megan over on the Stockinette Zombies Videocast knit one after Stitches Midwest in the coolest green and blue from Sun Valley Fibers.  I was super pleased to be able to pick up the pattern and the yarn to do one for me.

I was a bit disappointed in the lack of other yarn vendors at the Spin In, but I think the number of attendees might have been down as well, and perhaps that is the reason there was less yarn.  Even so, I managed to pick up some sheepy things for myself.

It was a great day with friends and I think we'll do it again next year.

Finally Finished Friday

While away, I did have some time to finish the Heavenly Heathers Hospice Blanket.

On Wednesday, I had a bit of time to sit outside at the kids house and knit in the sun, finishing up this Hospice blanket out of Cascade Pacific.  I used four colors of shades of greens and made my own gradient blanket.  It was so much fun watching the colors come up next.

While out there, I heard a bit of rustling behind me in the ravine, I turned very quietly and there she was looking at me.

We looked at each other for the longest time, then she turned and went back down the ravine.  How cool as that?!

Send Yarn I May Be Here A While

And can you blame me??

What We Have Been Doing Today

On My Nightstand

I got this in the mail late last week from Schoolhouse Press.  So far I've made it through the Shetland Chapter.  It just makes me want to the Shetlands even more.  If you would have told me I would want to venture to this place way back when I would have said you were nuts.

In my quest to try and use my Audible credits up, I downloaded The Martian.  More than once, I have shut it off and told myself it wasn't the greatest purchase I ever made.  But,  a couple of days ago I turned it back on and was bound and determined to just let it play through.  Oh, my gosh, on the way home tonight it finally took off.  I am so glad that I stayed with it.  I don't know how it ends since I have not seen the movie, so this is going to be interesting.

Now, back to the ball game.

Another Fine Sunday in October

We are so very lucky to have these beautifully sunny Sundays to enjoy in Central Illinois!

My Sunday has been a little bit of everything, how about yours?  I started off finishing some laundry and while doing it and trying to get my 10,000 steps into day, I did a bit of cleaning and pulling out of the Halloween decorations.  At one time, my table looked a bit like the decorations splatted all over the table.

In anticipation of getting a call this week that perhaps a baby is ready to born, I pulled out my bag to start packing a few things and plan my knitting projects as well.

Then I spent a few hours on the computer, AGAIN, trying to find some shoes that I can wear for work and for play in the standby color, black.  I thought I had it nailed with a pair of Born's I bought a couple of weeks back, but when I went to put them on with hand knit socks and even thinner socks they were way too tight!  Yes, I tried them on at the store barefoot, and I thought I had a bit of room in them, but obviously not!  I'll take them back later this week and see if they have a half size up, which is a full size larger than I normally wear.  When did shoe shopping become as hard as jean and swimsuit shopping?  I never used to have this problem twenty years ago!  I could wear really cute shoes back then and never have to think how they would feel after a days work.

Okay, so these are not for work and they are not at all fashionable,  but I found an old pair of Birki's in the closet that were slated for the garbage pile.  When I tried to wear them barefoot earlier this Summer they just did not fit the bill any more.  But, after trying them on with my hand knit socks, I am thinking these may just work for weekend wear.  The feet felt pretty good.  But----maybe just around the house.

The rest of this lovely day was spent knitting and enjoying the cool breeze from the porch.  I know we don't have a lot of these days/nights to do it, so I am taking full advantage to do some knitting.

Right now, I am in Hospice knitting.  I really feel like I have not been giving it the attention it deserves and so I've got a couple that I am taking with me when the baby is born to work on.

I love they way this blanket is working up.  It is the Heavenly Heathers pattern that I have about three or four times for boy babies and I really enjoy knitting on it.  The yarn is Cascade Pacific and is doubled and on a size 11 needle.  It is so much fun to make it through one group of stripes, I am always anxious to see what the next one will look like.

Also, in progress for Hospice is the Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West.  A free pattern, this one is easily knit on while waiting and easy to throw in my purse to run and go with.   It doesn't take up a whole lot of room and can be knit in the back seat of the car in the dark if that is when we are called.  The yarn in Malabrigo.

Last but not least is still the Kimono Shawl.  It is a semi peace and quiet knitting shawl.  The pattern is easy enough to knit on in public if I don't have to talk too much, but I'll be saving it for those times in the early morning or late evening when I'm just hanging out.

And now, already the sun is salting to head downwards.  Gosh, when did it get to be so Fall?! See you on the purl side!

No Finished d'Objects This Week

Too busy watching Cardinal Baseball!  Whose son is that anyway?

My favorite granddaughter!

Wednesday Website

I think you all will enjoy this one from Franklin Habit at Lion Brand

A Look I Am Seeing A Lot Of

It is funny, not ha ha funny, but funny how styles seem to come back every so often.  That would be why you should never give your knits away, you just never know when a few years later, they will be hot again.

Something I am really lovin is this year's take on a wrap/shawl/poncho.  The photos below are all ready-to-wear but I am thinking with some searching on Ravelry or in my file cabinet, there might just be a pattern out there for these styles.

 What I really like about these styles that you seriously could wear them right now.

 And how perfect would they be to keep you warm inside, but this Winter if you have any car trips planned and you just want something for in the car.

Or if you are doing some Holiday shopping in an enclosed Mall and you want to dash from the car into the Mall without hauling around your big ole Winter coat.

There are so many possibilities on making ready-to-wear on your own, just by tweaking the color or the patterns below found on Ravelry to make these styles your own for Fall!

A Fringed Shawl

Poncho

And the ever popular and my fave from Churchmouse Yarns, the many variations of the easy poncho

Let Fall knitting begin (if you haven't already started)!

Finally Finished Friday





Okay, I am not crazy about the finished results.  Those armholes are wayyyyy too big.

 





And, this is just not a good look for a hip heavy person!  But as luck would have it, I have a friend who can carry this one off.

So, after I soak and block this one, it is going to be a gift for her.  She is always so appreciative of my hand knits.  And lately, that is just what I need! 

Ok, whine over.