Enjoying the ride

Life hasn't been all sunshine and roses around here lately. We've had some fun times, but we've also had our share of trudging through the muck that life throws at you sometimes. Trying to get through that muck with your sense of humor intact seems to be the key to it all and, thankfully, that doesn't seem to be a huge problem for us! So here we are, enjoying the rollercoaster ride with all its ups and downs!

This post is full of ups! Come and admire with me...


Ah, the stitch pattern detail of My So Called Scarf. I'm not a big variegated yarn girl. It has it's place, (socks, anyone?), but I haven't used it much in my knitting. I fell in love with the way the variegated Manos shows off this pattern.


And here's the finished product! (See that cute kid? He doesn't come with the scarf.) I wore it to work on the first cold day after it was washed and blocked and got 15 compliments on it. I counted! It's the perfect width, length, everything. (Should I mention that I cast on for another one on Tuesday night?)

Project Details:
Pattern: My So Called Scarf, as seen on Sheep in the City
Needles: Denise Interchangeables, Size 11US
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay, color 113 - 2 skeins (used all but 3 inches)
Began: Monday, September 11
Completed: Sunday, September 17


While I'm showing things off... Behold! Bryan's birthday socks! They fit like a glove and he loves the color. He's worn them a couple of times so I suppose that they're a winner!

Project Details:
Pattern: Generic pattern in my mind
Needles: KnitPicks DPNS, size 1US (So sharp and perfect for splitty yarn!)
Yarn: Silja sock yarn, royal blue
Began: July 31, 2006
Completed: August 26, 2006
Given: September 10, 2006

I'm hoping to garner some good thoughts and prayers for us the next week. On Wednesday morning Owen goes in for minor surgery to place tubes in his ears and remove his adenoids. He's been battling chronic ear infections all through the late spring and summer and two weeks ago his right ear drum ruptured. The hope is that he'll be able to hear and speak much clearer after the tubes are in and that we won't have to spend the winter on antibiotics. I'm a bit of a nervous Momma when it comes to the thought of my kiddo having surgery, so my Mom is going to be with us in the hospital during all of this. As you can imagine, there will be much yarn in the waiting room! Thanks, friends!

Does size matter?

It may in garments, but not with scarfs and that's exactly why my newest project on the needles is a scarf. I'm still a little leery of starting another garment for myself considering how Cherry Bomb came out. A scarf is the perfect transition project for this kind of thing.

I had the perfect scarf yarn hiding away in my stash, 2 skeins of Manos del Uruguay in color 113. Then the search was on to find the perfect scarf pattern. I struck gold when I went through my bookmarked patterns and found My So Called Scarf, which just happened to use 2 skeins of Manos! And what clinched the deal is that I discovered that Stacey used colorway 113 for hers. It was fate!

My So Called Scarf is now approximately 12" long and is lovely. My yarn has more thick and thin areas than the one shown on Stacey's blog, but it has such an interesting look that I'm really liking it! The pattern has enough going on with it that it's not boring, but it's easy to do while watching a movie and also easy to pick up when interrupted.

Cherry Bomb

A bomb it is, not in the good way.



Exhibit A
Note the curl on the top at the neckline and the curl at the bottom. I have tried multiple ways to fix this and to no avail.



Exhibit B
I knew that I had lost a couple of pounds since starting this garment. I hadn't realized just how much I had underestimated the effect 10 pounds would have on it. I could have gone down at least one size and been okay.

I did get it finished in time to wear it tomorrow, but for the sake of my pride I am putting the tank top down and stepping away. We shall both be making a visit to the frog pond this week.

To end this on a happy note, I'd like to show this off:



This was one of my purchases last week when I visit Simply Fibers. Isn't it beautiful? I love the rich color and how the tone changes throughout the yarn. It was the first thing that I picked up when I walked in the door and the first thing that made it into my shopping bag when I paid for my purchases.

If you would like to compliment the yarn, you may direct your comments to Sarah as she is the creator of it. Well done, Sarah!

Ugh

I'm about to go escape from the world by taking my knitting and my iPod into bed with me. Before I do so I thought I'd do a quick update.

I finished Bryan's socks and they fit him beautiful. The big birthday party for Owen's 3rd birthday (Sunday) and Bryan's 29th birthday (Monday) is this Sunday and I'm so happy that I'll be able to give him his socks! Now the goal is to finish my tank top in time to wear it to the party on Sunday. As of this moment I'm about 1 inch away from the armhole shaping on the front and from there it'll be a breeze! The back is done and waiting for it's mate to be done and then a little blocking and seaming and I'll have another finished project!

Amazingly I only have two projects on the needles. The tank top that I'm hoping to finish before Saturday night and a pair of socks that will make their way into the gift box. I'm already looking for another project and am looking at the stash to see what I can use.

Speaking of stash, Bryan gave me the go ahead to spend a little money at the yarn store and I've been dying to show it off. That will have to wait until tomorrow night, though. I'm off to bed to cuddle with some yummy cotton.