FO Frenzy

There have been a rush of finished projects lately and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write about them!
First, the infamous Obot for Owen. This was completed the day before Easter and was presented to my boy in lieu of a huge basket of sugar candy. I love this robot and the great thing is that it wasn't nearly as scary to seam as I thought it was going to be!
The pink socks you may recognize as a Project Spectrum project from last month. They were actually finished a few weeks ago, but they've been busy being on my feet and so therefore not in top modeling condition. The orange socks were my first socks using the Magic Loop method and they did work up quickly. I used #2 US Addi Naturas and though I like the needles, I don't know that I'd use them again for socks. The join isn't very smooth and I found myself wrestling with them with every row.
The orange socks came with me and Owen to the park last week. It was so nice outside and the sock just begged to spend some time in the swings. Plus, we found a fellow Project Spectrum April friend there.
Orange sock, meet yellow flowered tree!

Obot, interrupted

Owen's Obot is almost completely done. All that's left is stuffing and seaming, and that's the part that I'm feeling the most nervous about.

I realize that Owen really doesn't care if his Obot is perfect, in fact it'd be cuter if it's not, but the Mom in me wants a perfect Obot for her kiddo. Nevermind the fact that this is based only very loosely on the pattern in the New Knits on the Block book and that a hundred small things have already been changed. I still want the best Obot ever.

And that's why the Obot has been sitting in this condition since Sunday night. I purchased the stuffing for him on Monday morning but haven't brought myself to actually begin the stuffing and seaming. I may need an intervention at this point, but I'm not entirely sure. I should see if Sarah would come over to be of some moral support, or maybe I could just drive to the yarn store and be guilted into finishing it, or maybe I should just shut up and do it. Any way it goes, this will definitely require homemade rice crispy treats.

Knitting it up!

Laura at Affiknitty wanted to know who makes the Baby Alpaca Grande. It is made by Plymouth Yarns and it runs around $10 - $13 per skein. I used two skeins for the scarf I made but I like my scarfs extra long. (This one reaches to my knees, perhaps a tad long but almost perfect!)

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Mom called me yesterday and told me that she was in the process of putting together her sweater made from Big Baby. It's a very exciting thing to be putting together a project... and things get even more exciting when you start counting pieces and realize that things don't add up! Front, back, sleeve, sleeve, sleeve. Yep, Mom made three sleeves! We decided that this was a great way of making sure you have enough yarn for a project! She's since unravelled the third sleeve but she toyed with the idea of tacking it onto the back of the sweater before showing it off at the yarn store!

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In knitting news, I decided to hide Owen's seed band sweater in the craft closet for a while. The majority of people said that they would put it away and though I feel a bit guilty, I had to agree! I've never really put away a project like that, but it felt really good to pick up something I actually wanted to work on.

Owen's robot is coming along! It has a head, back and half of a front. He's getting excited about his "obot!" and I love that. I show it to him whenever I work on it.

I started working on my first April project spectrum item. It's a pair of orange socks that I'm working in magic loop style. This is the yarn and needles from my needle exchange pal and also my first time using the magic loop method. I just kind of figured it out on my own since I didn't want to spend $10 on the book. I'm already on the gusset decreases and it seems to be moving along rather quickly. The process is still a bit clumsy and odd for me, but it's becoming more familiar.

I think I'll be casting on for my sweater today! I've been procrastinating because it's worked in the round so I have to cast on an overwhelming amount of stitches, but I just need to do it and get it over with. Oh, and did I mention that the first 6" is ribbing? Oh well. It's so stinking cute that it'll be worth it!

March's Pink Items

Pink Scarf: 2x2 rib, size 13US needles, Baby Alpaca Grande (color 2567)
Burgandy Mini Scarf: 1x1 rib, size 8US needles, Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (color 12)
Pink Socks: Come to Silver sock pattern, size 4US dpns, Debblie Bliss Cotton Angora (color 24)

I've never been much of a pink girl. Anyone who knew me as a kid could tell you that I avoided pink like nobody's business. I was a tom boy who preferred comfort over frills and tree climbing more than tea parties. My sister had those things covered, thanks.

I loved blue and green, and I think that I always will choose those colors over others. But lately a disturbing trend has been noticed. Pink has snuck into my wardrobe. I have a few pink shirts and even a pink sweater! Heck, I even have a pink earring/necklace set that is way too cute. But I'm still a little hesitant about pink and I think that's part of the reason why I chose to do March's Project Spectrum in all pink. It was going to be a challenge!

The pink sock yarn was a Jimmy Beans Wool purchase from last summer and it is making up into some really luscious socks. The big pink scarf yarn was a Christmas gift from Mom & Dad who knew how much I had been drooling over that yarn when my sister used it to make her first scarf. It was a dream to work with and the most touchy feely yarn ever. And the burgandy yarn was a gift from my Secret Pal and Mom really wants to steal this from me.

I don't know that I'll ever be that pink-loving girly girl... but I'm a little step closer!

I'm in a knitting slump!

Last week and this week I've felt no desire to pick up Owen's sweater at night while we're hanging out relaxing. I've made myself do it, but it was more out of obligation, guilt and the desire to finish it so I could start something else than for any other reason.

Tonight as I was looking at it I've realized why. I have the sneaking suspicion that I am not going to have enough yarn for this project. Yes, I have the number of skeins listed for the size, but I don't have that spare skein that I always have "just in case". See, the yarn was purchased because it was so darn nice and nicely reduced in price... not because I had the perfect pattern for it. I just happened to find a pattern that worked and ran with it. And now my running is more of a slow cautious tiptoe.

So here's the golden question:

Do I keep going with the sweater that only has 3/4 of the sleeves and one front side left to do... and just see if I make it by the skin of my teeth?

Or

Do I put the project down and step away! Put it back in the yarn closet maybe in a dark corner and see if it somehow finishes itself? Or maybe just put it back in the yarn closet to be frogged later? I'm not so much in love with this sweater that I wouldn't consider this. And frankly, it really was more of a stashbuster and time-passer than anything.

Cast your vote!

I think that tomorrow night I'll pick up a new project (just until the final word from all of you come in!) and start a robot for Owen's birthday present. The pattern is coming from Vickie Howell's book, "New Knits on the Block" and I'll be changing it around a bit. Owen has just discovered "obots" and loves it when we watch Alias on DVD because at the very end you hear a kid say, "Bad Robot!" He runs around and with a big grin tells us, "OBOT!" How can I resist that? Must! Make! The Child! A Robot!

Thank you!

I received my package of goodies from my Needle Exchange Pal! As you can see, Samantha was very generous. She gifted me with a beautiful box that I think will be perfect for knitting notions. Perhaps my new Addi Turbos will go in there!
Oh, and do you see that beautiful sock yarn? That screams of Project Spectrum.... and I'm thinking cables. Thanks, Samantha!!!
There was also another package waiting for me, but this one was no present. I've earned the reputation at work as being the new girl with the cool knitted socks. I think these Lorna's Laces will make some great socks.
The skeins on the left are Black Watch and the colors are even more wonderful in person. The skeins on the left are Aslan and I bought them specifically because I don't have any socks that go with brown! Problem solved.

For those of you who commented, Owen is doing much better! We had one more trip to Urgent Care on Saturday morning and the antibiotics hadn't done anything for his ears so we were prescribed a new one. That new stuff did the trick and Sunday morning his fever broke! He was a sick little guy for 5 days and even though he's not completely fine, it's better than feeling bad and having a 102.6 fever.

I've had a string of finished items that I haven't shown off, including that I finished and lined my cabled purse. I love this purse and it's come to work with me for the past week. I also finished a scarf that is going in the Christmas present box, and a soft gift pouch that is finding it's home with my SP7 pal.

One FO that I'm really excited about is a Pretty Princess Cape that I made for a friend's little girl. She's 2 1/2 and her mommy is one of my good friends in CA. I crocheted her a cape that velcros in front with sparkly ribbon. And of course, there is a matching cape for her favorite teddy bear. I'll be sending that out tomorrow and I can't wait to hear how she likes it!

Tornado socks

Project Details:

Yarn: Regia 4-Ply Needles: Size 2US bamboo dpns Pattern: Same as the last pair Notes: I think that the size 2 needles for this sock yarn was perfect. It wasn't too loose, nor was it too tight of a fabric. I wouldn't have gone down to a 1 or up to a 3, even if I could magically wave a wand and change it without having to knit them over. I loved the self-striping stuff going on. So fun! These are identical twins, even though they may not look like it in the picture. I'd like to find a pattern with a different heel, since these are coming out a little loose (even with the smaller needles).


Just like my last socks, these socks have significance for me. I knitted on them last week while doing several interviews for my current employer and also on Sunday night while sitting in the middle of the boys locker room in the junior high school while waiting for the tornado to pass our city. Thankfully, I got the job and got home safely from our first tornado evacuation to find our home still intact. There were fifty homes in our town that were either severely damaged or destroyed.

I wore these socks today and felt blessed. Blessed that I have a job, even if there are times during this very comprehensive training when I really want to throw my training binder across the room. Blessed that I have a home that is still standing and not damaged at all. Blessed that I have a beautiful home with family to fill it with love and laughter.

I finished these socks last night after taking Owen to Urgent Care with a temperature over 102 degrees and with a rattling cough. I'm blessed that my sick child can have good health care and that with a few days of antibiotics his bronchitis and double ear infection will soon be clearing up. I'm blessed that I have motrin to bring his fever below the 103 that it was today. And I'm very blessed that I have a Mom who came to take care of my boy so that I didn't have to miss work.

I'm also blessed that I have plenty of yarn in my closet and was able to start a wonderful pink scarf for Project Spectrum. (Guess who has people at her new job asking her to teach them to knit?) My feet are warm now and my neck will be warm this next winter!

Here's to you and all of your blessings!

In which I fall off the wagon

It is official. I've fallen off the Stashalong Bandwagon!

I was temped by these beauties. 2 skeins of Trekking XXL and 2 skeins of some really great sock yarn that Lana is using to make a Clapotis that will be some very cheerful socks.

I do still intend to limit my yarn purchases to a minimum since I do have plenty of yarn with which to knit. Kind of my own modified stashalong, I suppose.

Monday is my first day being back at work and I'm currently trying to figure out what kind of project to bring with me to knit at lunch. Before the knitting bug bit me I always brought a book with me to work, and I suppose I could still do that.

Currently on my needles are Owen's sweater (which is so not going to be finished by Saturday night, so don't ask), a pair of socks in the Regia I got for "Christmas" and the scarf from my Secret Pal. Since I plan on finishing the scarf tonight my work knitting projects could either be the socks, the sweater or something else altogether. Any ideas?

They really are lucky socks!

I had no clue that my socks had so much power, but not only do I officially have a job... but they have also decided to pay me $1.50 more an hour than originally discussed. Holy cow, these socks are potent!!!

And not only are they lucky and have some amazing magical capabilities to make people want to throw money at you, but they're very comfortable! My feet have been warm and cozy all day long.

So my new job starts on Monday morning, which gives me plenty of time to get the house way clean and the family (and myself) ready for Brianne Back At Work mode. And who am I kidding? I'll be knitting, too! I really want to finish Owen's sweater before Saturday.

It's a GREAT day!!!

Sock Happy

Details:
Yarn: Trekking XXL
Needles: Clover DPNs size 2US
Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple's Beginner Lightweight Sock

I think I'm going to remember these socks as the ones I worked on while looking for work. They came with me on Bryan's one day job search, and have been my companion and source of calm while I have been out on the town filling out applications and doing interviews.

These may just be my lucky socks as I now have a few job offers on the table and have the luxury of being able to choose which job I want. (A very nice problem to have!) I plan on wearing these on Monday to two more interviews and that happens to be the day that I'll decide which position to take. Lucky socks, don't fail me now!

Secret Pal bragging here

I must admit, I received my second SP7 package on Friday and haven't blogged about it until now. That makes me a very bad SP and for that I heartily apologize!

So go back in time with me to Friday. (Feel free to make the Wayne & Garth fade in/out motions and sounds. I won't laugh, I promise!) Carrie, my postal worker who is terribly sweet, came to the door with a box in hand. I knew that it was from my Secret Pal because of the cute flowery tape that she used on the last package!

I thought that I could show some self-restraint and use the unopened package as a reward for folding a mountain of laundry that was residing on our bed. I was so wrong.

Upon opening the box I found...

all this great stuff! A beautiful card with a Monet print on the front, the Oregon Tote pattern, the Vertical Stripes pattern and a ball of Debbie Bliss Alpaca & Silk in the most delicious shade of burgandy.

The yarn came with a cute flower brooch and a tiny pattern for a scarf that is held together at the neck with the included brooch. I'm so excited about making this scarf! Who cares if it was 67 degrees outside today... darnit! I need a scarf!



When Mom came over on Saturday to pick me up for our sock class I had to show her the loot and she almost died when she saw that yarn. Mom is now on the prowl for the exact color of Alpaca & Silk, except that Mom wants to make a whole sweater out of it and possibly have a love affair with it. (Okay, that might be going a bit too far, but you didn't hear her going on about this yarn!)

Secret Pal, thank you so much!

Merry Christmas!

I've saved the two gift certificates to the LYS that I received for Christmas from my parents and Bryan. I was determined not to buy anything with them until I had a plan for it and knew with detail what was going home with me.

Finally, after much thought and trips to the yarn store, I came home with two bags of yarn. Allow me to introduce... My Christmas presents!
This Regia is beautiful and I can't wait to use this more detailed self-striping yarn.
I fell in love with this colorway of Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs and Butterflies. It's called Black Purl and once I heard that the store owner wasn't purchasing any more of it I knew I had to act fast. The last two skeins in the store now have a wonderful new home.
Bryan has requested another pair of socks and I wanted the second pair to be bright, but not quite as glaring... So Silja it is! Plus, these are superwash, so if I don't catch them before they hit the washing machine we'll be okay.
One of my goals for this large purchase was to make sure that some really fun colors got into my bag. I think that this Manos de Uruguay certainly fits the bill. I'll be making My So Called Scarf with this and I know it'll turn out beautifully!
Being that I'm so in love with my current Trekking XXL socks I jumped on the chance to buy another skein of it. These with be some great socks and I'm already looking for a pattern!
And finally, the BIG purchase! I picked up the latest Creative Knitting magazine a few weeks ago and instantly fell in love with the sweater on the cover. I'll be making In Full Bloom for myself and it'll be using Cotton Fleece by Brown Sheep in the Twilight color. I love love love the color and that it can be worn for any season. I love love love that it's the exact same gauge. And I can't wait to get started on this sweater... My first big thing I'll have made for myself!

It is such a beautiful day outside. Owen is down for his nap and I fully intend on taking my knitting outside for a little bit and enjoying the warm sun.

Happy knitting, everyone! And Merry Christmas!

Ch-ch-changes!

There has been drama and much therapy knitting in the House of Keene since my last post. Bryan finally quit his job, with my blessing though, and so one stress (being in a terrible job with no hope for improvement) was concluded and one stress began (where will he work now).

Thankfully, the very next day Bryan found a job and he starts on Monday. However, we're looking over the budget and realizing that it is time for Brianne to get back to work. The at-home Mom gig is done and it's time for me to dust off my work wardrobe and polish up the resume.

That's consumed most of our time since Tuesday. There's been a lot of driving and time spent in the car with kiddie music and toys that make noise. There's been a lot of me or Bryan sitting in the car with kiddie music and noisy toys while the other was in a building flashing our pearly whites and sending out vibes of, 'I'm perfect. You want me.'

Thankfully, Brianne has an iPod and it is loaded with music. I had just downloaded many knitting podcasts onto the iPod and so while Bryan was inside I was happy to listen to podcasts about knitting while I knit on this:
That would be the Drawstring Gift Bag from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I made one for my sister for Christmas and it is a great carrying-around kind of project. This one will be another gift for someone and I'm really pleased at how much easier it is to knit this time around than it was last time. Last time I hated every moment I spent working on it because I was having issues with the yarn. This time, soooo much better!

And while I'm giving you pictures, here's an FO just waiting to get in the mail.
That is a little sample of Miss Honey's Prayer Shawl. I bound off last night during American Idol and started blocking it during our late night showing of "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" starring Steve Martin. Hopefully it'll be dry by tomorrow morning and I can send it to the lovely lady this is intended for. In case you missed that post, Miss Honey is a sweet lady who is currently battling Uterine Cancer. She needed a Prayer Shawl and I'm the lucky person who got to have the honors. Send some positive thoughts and prayers her way. She needs them.

Details:
Project: Miss Honey's Prayer Shawl
Pattern: From the Knitting Into the Mystery book, but can also be found here.
Yarn: 4 Skeins of Cascade 220. 1 Skein each of pink, blue, green and white
Needles: Size 13 US Brittany Birch straights
Thoughts: Next time I'd make this on circs. Though I love the Brittany's it was a pain having straight needles for this project. I love the colors. I love how they all mix and blend from one to another. I'm so pleased with how this turned out and I hope it blesses her immensely.

Needle Exchange Questionnaire

This is a new exchange for me and I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes! I'm especially pleased that I have the honor of spoiling the hostess and finding fun stuff to send her way.

1. What do you like to knit or crochet?

I just finished my first pair of socks and already have another pair on the needles. I can already tell that this is going to be a new love affair for me. I'm blessed to have a lot of people in my life to knit for and I enjoy knitting things for them, but I also have a few sweater patterns earmarked for myself.

2. What fibers do you like?

I'm not a big fan of 100% acrylic, but I'm not completely against a blended yarn. I really love alpaca and merino, and I've found that cotton blends are also nice to work with.

3. What type of needles do you use most often?

My Denise Interchangeables are out quite a bit, but if I find that I'm using a needle size for many projects then I'll buy a pair of needles to supplement it. I really like the Brittany needles and I have one lonely Addi Turbo circ that would love a friend.

4. Do you like to knit in the round?

Yes!!! Enthusiastically, yes! Have I had many projects where I've been able to? No. Sad, but true.

5. Do you use the Magic Loop method or any others? Would you like to learn one?

I don't know any of the special methods. I don't mind using DPNs, but I really would like to learn the Magic Loop method.

6. Do you have a favorite place that you shop online?

jimmybeanswool.com is awesome. I also use kpixie.com .

7. Do you want to be surprised?

If you want to surprise me with something, I'd love to be surprised with some really fun colors of yarn. There's a lot of muted shades in my stash and I'm itching to spice it up a little.

Thanks in advance, Needle Exchange Pal!

Going through the stash

I finally decided that it was time. It was time to go through and do a bit of organizing. Time to really see what I had.

It didn't take long!

I don't have the huge stash that a lot of people have. My stash fits into two small clear storage boxes that we bought from Home Depot to put our dishes into when we moved. Part of my problem is that most of the skeins were just kind of dumped placed in the boxes without any kind of thought or method. I had a lot of brown bags from the LYS with yarn inside, though I had no way of identifying the yarn without digging out the bag and then I had to try to remember what I bought that yarn for.

So last week I bought some Hefty Ziploc bags in the gallon size and took a pen and pad of paper into the craft closet with me. I have a lot of 1-3 skeiners, so the gallon bags were perfect. I began taking out yarn, bagging it, writing a short description of what was inside (including total yardage) and then if it was purchased for a specific project I wrote what it was and where I could find the pattern. I then had a moment of pure genius and made one clear box for yarn with a pattern in mind and the other for yarn that was free to be whatever it wanted to be.

I feel really good about my stash now. I now have a good grip on what I have and I think the best thing is that I know how much of each bundle of yarn I have. Easy calculating, hello! I culled quite a few skeins from the stash, which I'll be putting on eBay after I post this. Stuff left over from projects, yarn that I purchased without thinking and now know that I'll NEVER use. (Have any of that sitting around?)

Now, to show off my first pair of socks! These are Bryan's Valentine Socks and the best part is that they were actually finished before he got home on Feb 14th.
Details:
Yarn: KnitPicks Dancing
Needles: Size 3 US Clover dpns
Pattern: Come To Silver's Beginning Sock Class, online

The online tutorial was incredible, complete with multiple pictures at every stage. I don't know that I'd use this yarn again. It was difficult to work with because of the spandex content... Though I still have 2 more skeins of it and I have visions of the 3 of us with matching socks.

I made Bryan's Valentine's card this year, and I received 2 in return.
The middle card is Bryan's card from me. The card on the right is from my great friend in CA, Heather. We have kids born within a month of eachother so we are on the phone with eachother a lot! And the card on the left is from my Secret Pal! It actually arrived on Valentine's Day, talk about great planning!

I leave you with a picture. We had our first big snow here. 4 inches fell on Friday night and it has stuck with us! I took this on Saturday night as we were coming home from dinner. I love living where not everything is concrete and freeways.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Owen and I would like to wish all of you a wonderful Valentine's Day! I'm sending out hugs to each and every one of you along with many wishes for a fiberlicious holiday.

It looks like my man will be spending his Tuesday night with his feet shroud in love! I just started the toe decreases on the second sock and since Owen has just gone down for his nap I'm looking forward to a little time to finish it off and weave in ends.

Socks and sickness

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet. I'm sure all of my (three, maybe?) readers out there were wondering! We've just been busy trying to keep illness a perpetual thing. That seems to be a full time job for me! Bryan had to go to Urgent Care yesterday and thankfully they sent him home with antibiotics for the bronchitis and an inhaler to help with some of his breathing issues.

There has been knitting in the house of Keene! I've been concentrating on the socks that shall be Bryan's for Valentine's Day (but don't tell him!) and had my own little Knitting Olympics last night as I bound off the first sock and immediately cast on the second one. (Bryan said that I'm an Equal Appendage Warmer, and that he's glad he won't have to decide which foot to keep toasty and which to tuck under a leg.) I tried to find out how much sock I could knit in one night. The answer is that in about 6 hours of knitting (not counting time taken out to get dinner together and eat) I was able to knit his 3" cuff, and almost finish turning the heel. Not too bad! Today I'm on the gusset and hope to finish this puppy by tomorrow night. Yay!


Mom and I went to a sock class at our LYS on Saturday afternoon. It is Mom's first time using DPNs and she's doing great! We're both using Trekking XXL, just in different colorways. I'm so excited to see how our socks turn out!

Here you can see Owen helping me knit my Trekking sock. He's really good at making sure I'm comfortable whilst I work away at 1x1 ribbing. I love the colors of this yarn. How it changes with such subtlety and grace. I love the feel of it. I love that there's no spandex in it (like Bryan's socks). The wool feels amazing and it has been a joy to knit with!

One last thing before I go get a snack for my little guy, I have to show off this beautiful rag quilt that my step-grandma made for Owen. She used soft flannel in these bright colors and I'm just as much in love with it as Owen is. Gloria, you're amazing!

Somewhat late...

My January 2006 Goals:

1. Finish crochet hook holder Done!
2. Block and mail International Scarf Exchange 2 goodies Done!
3. Work 2 repeat patterns on Pepa's birthday scarf (Irish Hiking Scarf) every day until completed Scarf is done!
4. Work half of Hopeful.
5. Start on Cozy

Overall, January was a good knitting month! In addition to these projects, I also made fingerless mittens, another scarf that will be a Christmas gift, and started a cabled purse and a prayer shawl.

February 2006 Goals:

1. Finish Miss Honey's prayer shawl and mail.
2. Start on Cozy.
3. Finish Owen's Seed Stitch Band Sweater.
4. Finish Bryan's socks.
5. Finish cabled purse.
6. Start a new project intended for ME! Yay!

Who has a Secret Pal?

I do!

My first SP7 package arrived via UPS on Friday afternoon and I was so excited to see it! My Secret Pal lives in Seattle, Washington. (How did you like all that rain you got recently? My uncle lives in Tacoma and we heard all about it!)

Inside the box that was taped with adorable flower decorated tape I found some great gifts! Two mint Choxies (which I opened today and sampled... YUM!), "The Knitter's Gift" book which is inspirational and touching, some monogrammed notecards and a cute pen. Somehow this SP knows that I have a special place in my heart for all things related to great stationery and pens. Also there was a beautiful notecard with a Monet print on the front. Monet happens to be one of our favorite artists and hubby was pleased to see this card on our mantle.

Thank you so much, Secret Pal! Considering that the three of us got sick on Wednesday and are just now starting to feel better, this was a great way to cheer up my Friday. I kept everything on the fireplace mantle in our living room until this afternoon because I got to look at the great gifts and they cheered me up all weekend! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

The sock pictured on the far right was not included with the SP package! This is my first sock, which is now in it's second life. I frogged the first try because the ribbing was much too loose and was going to sag on even the largest of ankles. I think that part of my problem is that this yarn, Knit Pick's Dancing, has nylon in it and therefore has some stretch to it. I didn't take the stretch into account when I was casting on and working on the ribbing. Once I got into the heel and gussets I was used to working with the yarn and saw just how flawed the beginnings of that sock was.

I'm so much happier with this second try! I'm now about 4" into the foot and am looking forward to finishing sock #1 and immediately casting on for matching sock #2. (I've heard from sock gurus near and far that casting on immediately for the mate is a key to avoiding second sock syndrome.)

Owen's sweater is going splendidly! I've worked almost 11" on the back and think that I'll be doing the front halves at one time and the sleeves also at one time. I love working with the yarn, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino.

I've loaded up my iPod with some new music and can't wait to listen to the new Avalon cd while working on Miss Honey's Prayer Shawl!!!

Before I go, Laura wrote a great post about blogging that I encourage everyone to read. If I haven't said so lately, I really appreciate everyone who reads and comments on my blog. It has been such a treat to find and enter this community of knitbloggers. You all are some incredible people, and that we have knitting in common makes it all the much sweeter.

Look at me! I have FOs!

Mom is in California for Grandma's funeral, which is starting in five minutes. She called me two hours ago to let me know that she was taking my sister to the yarn store that was only five minutes from our old house. In her own words, "We have time on our hands before the funeral and Heather and I need some yarn." I love it.

It's been hard not being there with my family during this time, but I've had knitting to console me. A few little items for your perusal...

2 Finished Scarfs and an Almost Finished Purse (All stashbusters!!!)

From left to right:
Irish Hiking Scarf in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, knitted with size 6 US needles.
Random Christmas Scarf (starting early this year!) in Classic Elite Waterspun, knitted with size 10 US needles.
Cabled Purse in Lamb's Pride Chunky, knitted with size 13 US needles. (Almost finished, just needs to be lined and have the handles put on. Anyone with ideas on how to do this?)

Honey's Prayer Shawl
I met Honey through my LiveJournal, which I still keep active though with only stuff that isn't knitting related. (So basically, all the boring things.) She is battling uterine cancer and going through a series of surgeries that will hopefully allow her to keep her uterus and have children. We decided that we needed to make prayer shawls for eachother and this one will be hers.

I'm using Cascade 220, doubled and using size 13 US needles. The colors are blue, pink, green and white. Blue for healing and hope. Green for the growth of healthy non-cancerous cells and the personal growth she is experiencing. Pink for the love of her friends and family which is helping to see her through this ordeal. And white for wiping the slate clean and starting new. (Kim, this is not from my stash. I purchased the 4 skeins from my LYS. If I get kicked out of the Stashalong for a Prayer Shawl for a cancer patient, then so be it. But I was hoping that there would be some grace given for it.)

Seed Stitch Sweater
I love making stuff for other people, and here is another project for Owen, my little man. This is a Debbie Bliss pattern from Baby Knits for Beginners, the first knitting book I ever fell in love with. It uses 5 skeins of her Baby Cashmerino, which I just happened to have in my stash. Don't you love that?! This thing sweater is being knitted on size 3 US needles, which I think is a little crazy, but I'm loving my results! I started this project on Friday night during my LYS' Knit In and it is smooth sailing right now, though I'm only 5" in. I definitely need some cool buttons for the front. I'm thinking cars or trains or something.

My SP7 just emailed me today to let me know that I should expect my first package to arrive on Friday. Thank goodness because I could use the pick me up right now! With all the stuff going on in life right now, I need something fun to look forward to!!!

A slight reprieve in posting

Sorry for the lack of posting late this week. Our family has had some things come up and life has quickly gone from okay to stressful.

Of special note, my 96 year old Great-Grandmother passed away on Friday afternoon. She had a stroke last weekend and went downhill very quickly. She had a wonderful life full of family and friends and she was ready to be with her husband and kids who had all died before her. I'll miss her a lot.

I'll try to put something new up in the next few days, but in the meantime, send some prayers and good thoughts our way. My sister is having problems with her heart and my hubby needs a new job with a good and stable income.

Thanks and a Meme

A big thank you for all the wonderful comments about yesterday's post. It means a lot to hear praise from such wonderful people!

I've been tagged for this Meme... here I go!

4 Jobs I've had in my life:

1. Accounting Assistant
2. Purchasing Manager
3. Night Front Office Person for a 9 doctor Pediatric Office
4. Front Office and Accounts Receivable for a Retirement Community

4 Movies I could watch over and over:

1. Gone with the Wind
2. Best in Show
3. The Rock
4. Girl with a Pearl Earring

4 Places I've lived:

1. Alexandria, MN
2. Carlsbad, CA
3. Oceanside, CA
4. Vista, CA

4 TV shows I love(d) to watch:

1. Friends
2. Scrubs
3. House
4. Law & Order (all of them)

4 Places I've been on vacation:

1. Bucharest, Romania
2. Hermosillo, Mexico
3. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
4. NYC, New York

4 Place I want to visit:

1. Europe
2. Japan
3. Africa
4. Alaska

4 Websites I visit daily:

1. My LiveJournal
2. My blog (to post and check favorite blogs)
3. CNN
4. Google

4 of my favorite foods:

1. Chicken Mexicalli
2. Pesto Lasagne
3. Sushi... all of it!
4. Moo Shoo Chicken

4 things currently on the floor in your car (trunk)

1. Baby wipes
2. Dust pan and hand broom
3. Cheesy goldfish crackers
4. Cds

I'm not tagging anyone for this one. If you want it, take it!

P.S. I finished the Irish Hiking Scarf!!! Pictures tomorrow. Yay!

Introducing

Hopeful

Showing off

Pictures, how I love thee!

Mom and I finished off our fingerless mittens last night. We met our instructor at the LYS and she showed us the 3 needle bind off, which was a new trick for both of us. Mom paid attention to what she was doing and therefore was able to bind off without any trouble. I, on the other hand, quickly went into "working stuff out in my head while knitting" mode and thus found myself with all my stitches joined and on one needle, wondering what the heck I was supposed to do with a mitten that had a knitting needle permanently attached. I should have taken a picture, because I totally could have been Wolverine's sister... or new girlfriend. (He's cute!) We laughed and I tried again. Alas, halfway through binding off I looked down and discovered that I had, yet again, not bound off anything at all. Third time's the charm though, and the second mitten was bound off without incident.


Project: Fingerless Mittens
Pattern Source: Weekend Knitting
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay, color 28 (Love it!)
Needles: Brittany US 9
Time per mitten: 2 hours (not counting binding off)

I'd like to try this pattern again, but using a finer weight yarn.






Owen's sweater vest is complete and ready for some wearing! I have yet to get a picture of him in it, which I will have to remedy shortly.

Project: The Little Man Sweater Vest
Pattern Source: Me!
Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft Baby DK, color Blue Boy
Needles: Denise Interchangeables, US 6
Time: Uh, a lot if you count the time I spent doing math.

I'd like to make this again and work out my v-neck issues. I actually had to do some steeking in order to make room for Owen's head to go through. After cutting into the knitting (GULP) I single crocheted around the whole top edge to stabilize the whole thing. It works fine, but I'd rather master the v-neck than to MacGyver it into working.

Bryan is going to help Dad chop up some wood on the land tomorrow. This gives Owen and me a great opportunity to hang out with my Mom and the boys. We'll do some knitting and they'll do some playing. Mom finished her twisty wrap from Wrap Style and I hope to get some good pictures. I'll be introducing Hopeful to the world as she is now finished and blocked. Mom is good at the artsy pictures, so I'm sure I'll have some to show off.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

It was a tough weekend and to be honest, yesterday and today have been difficult. Today I've been trying to pull myself up by my bootstraps, but it's not quite working. It's bad enough that even knitting isn't making it better. I sat for fifteen minutes and tried working on the Irish Hiking Scarf, but gave up because it wasn't doing any good.

I did make some progress on my projects, though...

The sweater vest is done and I'm getting ready to wash and block it. I'm hoping that it will fit over his head. This morning I woke up and looked at my sweet boy and the first thing I thought was, "I think his head grew overnight!" I'll let you know if it works.

The Irish Hiking Scarf is coming along well, though I'm not getting in my two repeats each and every day. I did add about 7 inches to it over the weekend.

Hopeful is now 4" in on that second end panel. 16" left and it'll be done. I think that if I could dedicate two nights to it, I'd have it finished and blocking.

The fingerless mittens are done except for the seaming. I'm waiting on that until Thursday. Mom and I will be going back to the LYS to get a little instruction from the teacher. We'll be going in early so that we could look around and some of the new stock. I'm also hoping that we could stay a little late since Bryan is meeting us there to take Owen home. I love knitting at my LYS.

The girls' tank tops haven't even been started yet. I'm wanting to get some projects out of the way before I get going on these.

The socks! I'm loving the sock. I lost my tally/notes paper for a little while, but it is back now and ready to be written on. The sock is happy to be back in game.

I'll try to get some pictures up tomorrow... and if I did it right, you'll see pictures and a pattern of the sweater vest.

Good Gracious!

I'm a sock knitter!!!

I just finished turning the heel and picking up the gusset on my first pair of socks. Woah! Turning the heel was a bit tricky, but picking up those stitches was easier than I thought it would be. I'm really enjoying the sock knitting and see why some people *coughLauracough* are addicted.

Mom and I took a mittens class at our LYS tonight! It was my first official knitting class and first time really getting together with other knitters. I loved being able to share the obsession with others who could appreciate it. (Hubby dearest tries to be understanding about it, but I know that it's more because he loves me than for real interest in the wooly wonders I "whip up".) The class itself wasn't anything too difficult. We're making fingerless mittens from the Weekend Knitting book. They're being knit on straight needles and seamed together using a three-needle bind off.

Though they're an easy project, it is incorporating a few new techniques for me:

~ short rows
~ button holes (for the thumb)
~ three-needle bind off

I'm using Manos del Uruguay in color #28. I've never used Manos before and I'm really liking it, though I think that I have more thick and thin in this skein than in Mom's skein, but it is making the finished product more interesting! I'll post a picture of this work in progress and of my sock tomorrow.

By the way, I'm one strong woman! I spent 2 1/2 hours in a yarn store and only bought the needles and skein of yarn necessary for the project... in complete compliance with the Stashalong rules and regulations. That was difficult. I loved being in the yarn store with my fellow knitters surrounded by all that yarn, but I really wanted to buy yarn.

My current works in progress:

1. Hopeful. Lace middle and first end section completed. I just picked up the stitches on the second end and worked about 3 inches. Only 17 inches left to go and it'll be done!

2. Irish Hiking Scarf. Yeah, I haven't worked on this. I'm still at the halfway point.

3. Stashbusting tank tops. Laura found a great pattern for these! Email me with your address and you'll find a little something in your mailbox. Yay!

4. Owen's Sweater Vest. The front part is almost finished. I had to rip back the v-neck because I didn't start the shaping early enough, but that's easy enough fixed. My plan is to have this finished by the end of the weekend. The exciting thing is that I have someone who wants me to do sizing for a 4T so that they can make one for a family member! I think I'll probably end up doing a few sizes and then making it available as a free pattern here. What do you think?

5. The socks. Oh yeah.

6. Fingerless mittens. It's a good thing.

Am I going a little crazy with the knitting?

Secret Pal 7 Questionnaire

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?

I find myself rapidly becoming more of a yarn snob. I love working with natural fibers, however I know that Lion Brand has some nicer yarns they’re coming out with. I definitely don’t like novelty eyelash kinds of yarn.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

I don’t spin, but I do crochet.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a Denise set which I use often, they have their own case. My Brittany needles are in a cup… I need something to hold them in. My hooks are in a new holder that I just made.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I’ve been knitting since July, but didn’t really get into the swing of it until August. I’d consider myself to be an intermediate since I can do things like garment construction and alter patterns as needed.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

No. I’ll let you know if I make one, though.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

I prefer lighter scents for bath products. (Vanilla is an all-time favorite.) With candles I like something a little more heady. I have a Cinnamon Clove candle on my living room table right now and I’m loving it.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Yes, but I’m trying to cut back on the sweets. Heath Bars are my favorite, fyi.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

I had a great time making stitch markers. I also cross-stitch and scrapbook. (Who am I kidding. I mostly knit and crochet.)

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

My music tastes change. Right now I’m enjoying the new cd by Carrie Underwood (though I wouldn’t consider myself a huge Country fan). I also love Josh Groban at the moment.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

The lifetime favorite color is blue. I love muted and natural colors, though a lovely red has been known to make my heart skip a beat.

I stay away from anything too bright (for myself). Oranges, yellows, highlighter green.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I have a wonderful husband and a little man who turned 2 in September.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I just moved to MO from San Diego, so my repertoire of scarves and hats is growing. I have one pair of mittens and could use another pair. Ponchos aren’t my thing.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

The list is rapidly growing! I just started knitting something with Rowan Cashsoft Baby DK and I’m in love. I also love Debbie Bliss and Cascade 220. I have an upcoming project in Lamb’s Pride, so we’ll see how I like it. Oh, and I have 2 skeins of Lorna’s Laces that I have just to look at for a while. If it works up anything like it feels, I’ll be addicted.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Besides novelty glittery stuff… not much.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Oh golly. I have a couple of bags/purses that I want to make. Oh and garments! I’m doing a sweater vest for my little guy and some stashbusting tank tops for some friends’ kids. I’m also drooling over socks, but I’m taking a class for that in Feb. I think.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Look above! Garments and bags.

17. What are you knitting right now?

A cabled scarf for my grandma. A sweater vest for my son. 3 tank tops for 3 little girls. I also am crocheting a wrap and I’ll be casting on for a shawl soon.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes!

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

Every project has it’s perfect tool. I have a Denise set, so I’m set on circs, but I don’t have much in the way of straight needles.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Ooh. I love my Brittany needles. Those things are incredible. I’ve also got one Addi Turbo circs that made me melt a bit because they were great.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Yes! My hubby’s Christmas present to me. (Is he great, or what?)

22. How did you learn to knit?

I learned by book.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

That would by moving therapy blanket that I started when we first made the lightning move to MO in September. Simple garter stitch, nothing fancy or complicated.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

Umm. I don’t know that I have one. My son loves VeggieTales so I suppose that would be my favorite, too!

25. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Besides yarn and needles? Books and tea cups… oh and black and white pictures.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I have a subscription to Interweave Knits.

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?

The Debbie Bliss Astrakhan looks like it’d be interesting to work with. (The green is beautiful.) I’d also love more Brittany straights and dpns. I’m always on the look out for cute patterns for boys and nice sweaters for men.

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I’d love to learn short row shaping, socks, and get more comfortable with dpns.

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I’m not a sock knitter yet. I hope to be one soon! If you’d like my foot measurements, let me know what you’d need.

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

October 16

Note to self:

Brianne,
You want to knit Owen a sweater vest kind of thing, reminiscent of Chandler's on Friends. Use the Rowan Cashsoft DK in Blue Boy from the stash and don't do anything too fussy. 4x2 ribbing on bottom edge and a ribbed v-neck. Maybe knit in the round?


In knitting news:

I finally decided that I could rip and rip Hopeful from now til kingdom come, but the whole purpose behind that piece is what it represents. I want to look at it and wear it and know that it represents my hopes, dreams and prayers for my future. If I continue to stress over this, the only thing it will represent is my frustrations and I won't be able to wear it with the joy that I want.

So last night I started working on it again. When I noticed that I had decreased by one stitch three rows back I just increased one on the row I was in and moved on. No stress. No frustration. No beating myself up for the mistakes. No!

I worked all last night and a good portion of today and I'm now past the lace portion of it and beginning the solid end panels. That means that I'm 1/3 of the way finished.

It feels really good to have made up my mind about deciding to let it be what it is. Not to get anyone down, but I'll be honest here. I've been pregnant four times and have one child. Childbearing has not been a perfect experience for me and I've had more than my share of heartache over it. Hopeful is a pretty good representation of that. It's not perfect and I'm not expecting it to be anymore. I'm moving forward and doing what I can.

I'm looking forward to finishing it and wearing it. I'm not saving it "until" because, though I'm optimistic for the future, I'm also having to come to terms with the fact that that particular "until" may not happen again. And you know what, if that's the case then I'm blessed to have my Owen because he's one heck of a little man and he'll always be mine.

The stash... it is decreasing!

I'm motivated and also challenged by this whole stash decreasing thing. I really want to make stuff with my yarn, but sometimes I'm really clueless as to what to make with it. Prime example: Bright pink and a little bit of purple yarn in Baby Soft by Lion Brand. I know what I had in mind for this when I first bought it (baby blanket, when mixed with other colors) but this doesn't want to be a baby blanket. I could make something for Owen, but Bryan would take away my knitting needles and then I'd have to cry.

Then I realized that I know people who have little girls! My friend Heather has two little girls (age 2 and almost 1) and my cousin Ashley has a little girl who will be 1 soon. I have enough of this yarn to make at least 3 tank tops and probably a little purse for the 2 year old. Anna, Grace and Adele will be sporting some handmade lovin'!

I'm kind of fudging a pattern for this right now. If anyone has any ideas where I can find a cute free pattern for those sizing... you'd have my eternal thanks and possibly a wooly surprise in the mail from me!

An update on my works in progress:

Hopeful..

Doing not so well. I've ripped back this baby five times and you're looking at try #6 which will also be frogged. I keep decreasing unintentionally and it's a pain in the rear. I even broke out the "Crocheting For Dummies" book.

I'm not giving up on this project, but I'm also not going to put it to the side. This is something I'm determined to finish soon and so I'm going to stick with it... even if it kills me!



This would be the yarn for Hopeful. 6 skeins of Peace Fleece. Though it's not the softest yarn, I've really enjoyed working with it. I adore the color and I know I'll love to wear it and use it once it's actually done.















Irish Hiking Scarf...

I've made great progress on this project and I know that it'll be done in time for my grandma's birthday. Apparently she's planning a visit to Missouri in February (her birthday month) so I'll be able to give it to her in person which will be so much more gratifying than sending it to her by mail and not being able to see her reaction.

I'd like to do another cabling project soon, though I'd like to have it be some different cables. My soon to be brother-in-law loves Celtic history and I'm thinking maybe a lapghan size throw with some celtic knots? The wedding is in June, so that'd give me enough time to pick the yarn and design the pattern.





I have plenty to work on. My ISE 2 scarf and hat are blocking in the other room as we speak. There are projects by my couch. So why do I have the sudden urge to start learning socks?

Tadaa!!!

I completed my first FO of 2006! Woohoo! It's a crochet hook roll thingy. No longer will my crochet hooks be stuffed in my notions bag. No! Thank heavens, too, because I was starting to run out of room.




Details
Pattern: A modified free pattern from the girls at my LYS
Yarn: Plymouth Wildflower from the stash (1 skein)
Needles: Size 5 circs from my Denise set





Tonight was supposed to be a knitting night with some ladies in the Springfield area. We were to meet at the Barnes & Noble across from Battlefield Mall. Either I missed everyone or it got cancelled without me knowing because I couldn't find a knitter anywhere in that store. I was determined to knit since I had a wonderful hubby at home taking care of our son... so this is how I ended up. Quite nice and I actually had a wonderful time and got many compliments on the scarf and on my amazing knitting skills. (Amazing to the untaught, but I'll take whatever I can get!)

I said that I would write about my knitting goals for this year. I suppose now is as good a time as any! My main goal is to really challenge myself with new things. New skills, new projects, and even to work on a few things that may scare me a little bit. For example, it doesn't scare me at all to make a sweater for Owen, but the thought of making a garment for myself makes my knees shake a bit. I don't know why, but I think it's time to change that!

I'd also like to get myself a little better organized. Right now my patterns are all together, as are my notions, needles and hooks... but the yarn stash is a whole different story. It's mainly in a open bin... and creeping outside of the bin in bags and boxes. I'd love to get it sorted and bagged.

The last thing is that I'd like to change the way I buy yarn. I often go into a store and see yarn, and buy a skein of it with no thought as to what I'll use it for... it's just pretty. Now that's not a problem if you're doing it occasionally, but let's just say that I have a lot of lonely skeins in my stash that really have nothing going for them. I'd like to be more deliberate when I buy yarn. Either having a pattern in mind, or buying enough of it that I could really do something with it... even if it's something small, like a Sunday vest for Owen.

I joined the Stashalong and am committed to working down my stash so that it's ready for some serious knitting projects. Oh, I hope that I can do this! It'll be hard not to buy yarn for three months!!! Luckily, we're aloud to buy yarn for any classes we might be taking. I'm taking three classes with Mom at our LYS between January and the end of March, so that'll give me a needed fix.


And finally, for my sister, Heather... a picture of my new hair cut! You like?

January 2006 Goals

1. Finish crochet hook holder
2. Block and mail International Scarf Exchange 2 goodies
3. Work 2 repeat patterns on Pepa's birthday scarf (Irish Hiking Scarf) every day until completed
4. Get through half of Hopeful
5. Start on Cozy

Do over!

I've been able to partially reconstruct some of those 200 deleted digital pictures by the magic of a wonderfully tiresome phrase. "Remember the picture I took of you doing this? Can you do it again?" Though the pictures aren't quite what they were when I first took them (and I'm still about 125 short) at least they're something!

So today I bring you the pictures that somewhat resemble the pictures I was planning to bring you a couple of days after Christmas. (Catchy, isn't it?!)


This is the hat that Isaac requested after seeing me make a hat for Owen. He wanted it to be twirly, but settled for stripes... and a really big foofy thing. (His words.) I made my own pattern and used some Red Heart that I had on hand. It is truly the most bright hat ever... and he's completely in love with it. Mom says that Isaac has worn this hat almost every day since Christmas... even in the house! Makes a knitter proud.


This is Isaac's other favorite Christmas gift. A $2.95 Darth Vader mask from Wal-Mart. He about made me eject some chai tea out of my nose when he came out wearing the hat and mask together. This may be one of my favorite pictures of all time.


The final presents I made for my brothers were these crocheted bags. I thought they'd be great for keeping Legos in while they were stuck in the car on drives with the parents. I put their initials on the front of the bags and of course they were made in their favorite colors. Red for Jared and Orange for Isaac.


I leave you with a picture of me and the hubby, Bryan. I decided that 2005 stunk and that 2006 is my year!!! And what better to celebrate my new year with than with a new hair cut! I'll get a better picture of it tomorrow, but for now, feast your eyes this!

Tomorrow I'll let you all know about those pesky resolutions and stuff, because I certainly have some, but for now I must rush off and put together our new bed frame. 3 months of sleeping on a mattress on the floor is enough! (See, it's a better year already!!!)

Happy New Year!

Hello, 2006. So glad you're here!!!