hello? vacation?

Just popping in to say that I am busy shopping, decorating, wrapping, knitting, working, cleaning, working, going to work related holiday "parties", and trying to keep my sanity.

I went to Walmart today after work around 6pm to get some prescriptions refilled before I go home for the holidays. I'll spare you the gory details. My car and I both made it out in one piece (my car was nervous though - all those frantic shoppers could care less about traffic laws!) and I am not going within 50 feet of a store until next year.

None of my recent projects can be shown in public yet, but I can't wait until I can post photos. I made some cool things, knitting and not, if I do say so myself!

Busy, busy

So much going on lately! I've decorated and finished most of my Christmas shopping, started wrapping presents and making "vacation" plans. I have done very little knitting recently and what I have done has been to finish two gift projects. One has to remain secret a little longer, but the second is a floofy scarf for my Mom (to give as a gift; not for her).






It seems to me that it is harder and/or less fun to knit when it is something you feel you have to do. I have not worked on a "fun" project for weeks, but here is the latest progress on the Making Waves socks:

Making waves and food

I have been neglecting the remainder of a gift I should be knitting to start another pair of socks for myself. I am using the "Making Waves" pattern from the Six Sox Knitalong (of which I am horribly behind).





Although you can't see the cable pattern too well in this photo, you can see my latest purchase. I bought this book for myself even though it is close to Christmas, since it is something no one else would know to get me! I got it directly from the author, Annie Modesitt, at this website.

I have also been doing a little pre-thanksgiving baking to bring home with me:



Mmmm... sugar spiced pecans...



On to the pies!

A (really) little project

I made this mini sock over the last two days using Carol Breitner's "Los Lobe Hose" pattern. The needles shown in the photo are also from her, size 0000. It actually was easy and fun to do, once I got used to the needles stabbing through my palms.'

I tried it with some leftover sock yarn because I am considering making a few quick little Christmas ornaments from them to attach to my handmade cards. (If those ever happen.) It was quick enough that I might go buy a skein of red Bernat sox yarn and give it a shot.

Hello again.

Not much to post lately. I have been knitting some, but they are gifts for people and I don't want to spoil any surprises! I'm sure you understand.

I wore a pair of my handknit socks to work a few days ago (the ones made from Regia Multieffect yarn) and really enjoyed them. After a half hour or so I forgot to 'walk carefully' so they didn't wear out and started to treat them like normal socks. But they were warm and comfy and made me happy all day long. All that from a sock! I need to get out more...

I think I am going to start a small project soon as a distraction from all the gift-knitting. I'll be sure and post a photo when I do. I am also considering making Christmas cards this year. And all sorts of other holiday crafts and baking I want to do. So there will be plenty to write about soon!

Hey You!

Yeah, you. In the U.S. Go Vote!




(I'm not going to get all political and tell you WHO to vote for... just don't be stupid.)

Secret Project Revealed

Dad's Birthday Socks



Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash 100% wool
Needles: size 4 Bamboo dpns
Gauge: 7 sts/in
Pattern: Toe from Lucy Neatby's "Cool Socks Warm Feet"; heel from Judy Gibson's "You're putting Me On" socks. 2x2 ribbed cuff with m1 bind off.

Yawn...

Boring blog. Boring week. I have been working late a lot this week, and falling asleep on the couch when I get home. Not good! I have been knitting a little, but I can't post about it yet since it is a gift.

I have finished two projects, a pair of birthday socks for my Dad and a birthday/Christmas (haven't decided which yet) hat for a friend. I will post photos and details of them Sunday. I am driving to my parents house tonight and getting new tires put on my car tomorrow. Isn't my life exciting? =)

Everybody have a good weekend!

Fall is here...

A few weeks ago, Mom and I did a Breast Cancer Walk in Cedar Rapids. Note my lovely hat, and how well it matches my shirt! (I have decided to keep it and knit another one for my Grandma. It would be too big for her anyway.) It was chilly, but not as cold as it has been in past years.



I am on the left.



I also finished a hat for Papa, using Wool-ease and numbers from the Handy Book of Patterns. It went really quickly, so I am going to make one for Steve too.

Food for Thought

I was feeling a little philosophical at work today and started thinking about how I knit. Specifically, how I knit loosely and have trouble getting the right gauge. I always have to go down a needle size or two. Worsted weight? 7's. Socks? Size 0, and sometimes that seems a little too loose. What does this have to do with anything? Well, let me start with telling you how I learned to knit.

*** queue flashback sequence ***

I decided rather suddenly about 3 years ago that I wanted to learn how to knit. This was without even knowing that knitting was becoming "the" thing to do. With no one to show me how, I chose Melanie Falick's fantastic Kids Knitting book as my teacher, figuring anything geared towards kids could not be too intimidating. I went out and purchased yarn and needles that I liked at Hobby Lobby (both chosen by color - cream yarn, silver needles). When I received the book from Amazon, I sat right down and tried to learn. This is the first thing I ever knitted:





Fantastic, you say. What does this have to do with anything? Well, the yarn and needles I had chosen where Lion Brand Chunky and size 8 needles. The recommended needle size on that particular yarn is 10.

Do you think learning with needles too small for the yarn many have had some impact on why I knit loosely now?

Not that it matters... just something to think about.

Little Things

I put a little "knit by" label in Omi's birthday hat before sending it home with Mom this weekend to give to her. My sewing skills leave much to be desired, but I think it looks all right, and most importantly, you can't see any of the stitches from the right side.





I needed a small NASCAR knitting project for the race last Sunday and decided to try something new instead of doing the logical thing and working on a project that is already in progress! I used a little bit of yarn left over from the Diamond Socks to make this little cell phone sleeve*:





I have wanted to make one for a while to keep my phone from getting scratched by keys, sunglasses or random pens in my purse. Since I like purses that are basically just an open bag, things always end up jumbled at the bottom and a few times I have found my phone flipped open in there. We'll see how well it stays on. I am considering adding a little button to the top but only if it really does not want to stay in on its own.

Do you like my Spongebob pajama pants? I put them on at 5:30 when I got home from work. (Then I fell asleep on the couch for two and a half hours.) Gotta get over this cold so I can sleep at night like a normal person!

Today was a federal holiday but unlike Wendy, I didn't get the day off. =( Of course, I can't really complain since I worked on purpose to get comp time for later this month. I CAN complain that the power and air handling system were off in the morning so it was 90 degrees in the lab the rest of the day. Blah.

**It's not really a case and I'm sure not going to call it a cozy!

Winter Hats (already?!)

I picked up a skein of Plymouth Encore Colorspun the other week to make a winter hat for Omi's birthday (my Grandma). I really love the colorspun Encore. Here is the ribby hat I made for her:





I had almost half the skein left over after finishing so I thought I would use the rest to make a hat for my other Grandma. Unfortunatly, I think it is going to be a little too big for her since it is almost too big for me. I'll have to buy some more yarn and try again - 'cause I'm not taking this one apart! =)





Hmm... sorry for the strange photo; I'll have to get someone to take another one for me. (Hey - is my nose really that crooked?? Hopefully it is just the camera angle...)

I know who my secret pal is!

Many thanks to Erin in WA who was a great secret pal! Here are the contents of the package I received from her yesterday:





Too much fun. I'm not sure what I want to try first!

I remembered that since I was at Lakeside Labs when I received her second package, I never posted the contents here. There were some great things in it, include a bag she made for me!





Inside the bag (which now contains sock knitting) were some birthday goodies such as lip balm, lotion, and candles, including the ones below which are fitting in nicely on my knitting shelf.





Once again, thanks so much Erin!

More Finished Socks!

When did I start these? I don't even remember it was so long ago. So I finally finished the double-knit bind off on the second sock. I think I like the way it looks, and it is stretchy enough to put on easily, but I'm not sure I will use it again. I much prefer the "m1" bind off I used on the socks below.

Finished Socks!

Bernat Sox yarn, "Hot Tamale". The color looked a lot brighter in the skein than in does in the finished socks; I think the short color repeats look sort of muddy knitted up, but I am happy with the results anyways.

Projects-In-Progress Rundown

I realize I haven't been too good at a few things lately; namely updating my website and finishing projects! Here is a quick little cheat sheet of the knitting projects I have going right now, in the order they will most likely be finished:

1) Diamond Socks ~ 75% complete
I just started the cuff on the second sock, and hope to finish the pair by early next week.


2) MultiEffect socks ~ 98% complete
I just need to do the double knit bind off on the second sock and they are finished. Have been putting it off since it requires actually concentration and thought!


3)Floofy gift scarves ~ 1/5 complete
OK, so these things really are a PITA. But I like the finished product and besides, they are not for me! Need to get going on them though...


4) Anissa ~20% complete
I am working on the back right now, which is all stockingette stitch. This is a good mindless TV watching project.


5)"Baby" Blanket ~ 10% complete
So I am not really sure why I even started this. I saw the yarn at Walmart and thought it would make a nice, light summer blanket. It's the traditional dishcloth/baby blanket pattern, but I was actually making it for myself! Also good mindless TV knitting.

One and a half completed projects!

After a tedious half hour of sewing in ends and assembling pieces, the Harley bear sweater is complete. I have to say I am quite pleased with the results, this being my first sweater ever and all. It fits, the stripes line up, the seams look decent and I didn't even use a pattern!


on the bear


Speaking of patterns, I am considering writing up what I did and posting it here on the off chance that someone else would like to make a Harley-Davidson stuffed bear sweater.


off the bear

The half completed project is one sock out of a pair:

I am calling this my "diamond sock" because of the (hard to see) diamond pattern right above the top of the cuff. Actually, it was supposed to be a row of lacy hearts but... after taking them apart for the fifth time I thought this would be just as good!

Other relevant info: Bernet Hot Sox yarn, size 1 bamboo double pointed needles, 52 stitches around, toe from Judy Gibson's "You're Putting Me On" pattern, heel from Lucy Neatby's "Cool Socks Warm Feet", and cuff by me.

Now to make the second one!

Ok, so enough with the fake posts already!

Yeah I'm sick of them too. Here is a real one:

I have been working on a "Harley Bear Sweater" (for a stuffed bear) with yarn my parents gave me for my birthday last month. I looked over a few patterns in books and online but could not really find the exact size/design I was looking for. So I made a gauge swatch (gasp!) and cast on the right number of stitches for the bottom of the sweater. It's just been a free-for-all since then.








The orange stitches in the middle are actually acting as a stitch holder - I am going to pull them out later to add the neckband. Now do keep in mind that I have never actually made a sweater before. (Oh wait - that's obvious!) But despite that and other shortcomings things seem to be going well. Hopefully I can finish it this weekend and show y'all* the completed product - which should make the name "Harley Bear Sweater" a little clearer!


* No, I didn't recently move further South. While away at my field class we had many discussions on why the four of us, all girls from the midwest, didn't think twice about calling each other guys, as in "hey you guys!". We determined the the contraction y'all really was the best gender-neutral option. It keeps coming back to me at odd times, earning some strange looks from my coworkers.

Hi everyone.

Hopefully you will be glad to hear that I am feeling much better this week. I have spent most of my free time this week cleaning out stuff and rearranging furniture/books/knicknacks. It feels SO good to have a little change. Call it "fall cleaning".

I have been starting to feel a little crafty again, and hopefully after this weekend I am going to start working on some projects. Since I know I have been lacking photos, and my blog has been less than enthralling the last few weeks, I'll leave you with a photo:





This is a nice stash Classic Elite Flash, purchased last summer (already?!) in New Hampshire. It eventually will become Brisa, from Knitty.

Hi (cough, sniffle) there.

OK everyone, sorry for the lack of updates. I did finally get my interent working at home, and am trying out a new brower, Opera.

I haven't unpacked a bunch of stuff from my field class yet, namely my digital camera and card reader. So no photos yet but I do have a few things to show you so please hang in there!!

A bunch of stuff as been going on at work (getting a promotion) and school (thinking of applying to a grad program) and on top of it all, I've been feeling really horrible for the last week. People have been teasing me that I might have West Nile Virus, since the area I was working in has a high precentage of human cases. I don't find this funny at all =( If I don't start feeling better soon, I think I might have to (gak!) go to the doctor.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Troubles

Alright, so somehow while I was out of town for 4 weeks my computer managed to break itself. Really surprising, considering it was off that entire time and working fine when I left.

I mentioned that my internet was not working. I called (or more accurately, Steve called since I hate dealing with these things) Mediacom and I need to register my IP address or something like that. They say I should be able to get online to do it, but Internet Explorer had different ideas. It got itself all messed up somehow, and needs to be uninstalled and then reinstalled.

All this really isn't a big deal... Except... how did it happen???

Geez.

BUT Steve is now out of town for 5 days, and who knows if I can figure it out on my own. I'd hate to do something wrong and make the situation worse!

Knitting content:

If it quits raining before I leave work, I am going to stop at a store and pick up some double pointed needles to finish the hat I started a few weeks ago. If that happens, and if my computer can heal itself, I'll post a photo of it soon. I'd do it from here.. but don't quite think it would fall under the "appropriate business use" category. Then again, I'm not sure typing this does either! :-)

Back at home

Whew. It has been a long four weeks! Although the time did go by quickly. It is good to be home. I think? Well.. not yet.. but maybe once I get back into some sort of routine!

I worked on two projects over the last few weeks, a simple ribbed hat and a cross stitch sampler. The hat is not finished since I couldn't find double pointed needles in the Walmart (i.e. the only store around) where I was. I picked up the cross stitch to try again, since I haven't done any in years. I like it more than I remember so I think I might do another project after I finish this one.

unfortunately, my internet at home is not working for some unknown reason. (Cable TV works, and the internet works on Steve's computer but not mine. Pout.) Once I get that up and running I will post photos of both the hat and the cross stitch project.

Yay! I am excited to get back into blogging. Hopefully I will have time to work on some interesting projects to write about!

Today's my birthday!

Hi everyone! I am having a great time here in Northwest Iowa for my soils field class. I have done so many interesting things... such as working at an archeological dig site and learning how to sample the sediments at the bottom of the lake.

PLUS, today is my birthday so that just makes it more fun! (That would be number 24 for anyone who is counting.)

It is so beautiful here; I wish I had a photo I could show you, but I don't have my disk with me in my computer lab right now. Maybe I can put one up in the next few days.

Knitting content:
Um, yeah. Sorry. None. (grin.)

A month is a long time...

First of all,  let me tell you that I finished the second multieffect toe up sock except for the double-knitted bind off.  I have not had the time or patience to work on that.  Why?
 
Well, as of today I am going out of town for a field project/class for a whole month.   Have you ever tried to pack for a month?  It's not easy.  Mostly because I am going to outside working with soil every day. Not to mention taking care of everything at home that needs to be done in that time.   (Oh, and no photo since the camera is packed.)
 
I'm not sure how much free time I am going to have, but I am bringing a little knitting project in case I get a chance to work on it.   The good news is I will have internet access, so I will be able to post and check my email during that time to let people know I am still alive.  (But don't expect much knitting content!)
 
(I'll especially make sure to post on August 1st - my birthday - since I am not going to be able to celebrate with my friends and family!)
 
Wish me good luck and good weather!
 
I can tell I am going to miss the whole online knitbloggers scene already!

Whew.

Nothing like being out of town for almost four days to fill up your inbox AND your mailbox! I received my first package from my secret pal. You can take a peek at the goodies inside:





It's perfect! I love getting mail, and this was such a treat to open.


Since this is a knitting blog, not a NASCAR racing blog, I'll forgo with the details of where I was this weekend and skip right to the progress on my sock. I am two color bands away (my way of judging length in self-patterning yarn!) from starting the double-knitted bind off. Yay!

A short week

Between the holiday on Monday, and a vacation day on Friday, I only have three days of work this week. Wahoo!

Over the weekend, I made some major progress on the second Multieffect sock.





I took notes while making the heel on first sock, but they didn't really seem sufficient while I was working on the second. I ended up guessing on a lot of things - you can see how the pattern changes around the heel area on the second sock compared to the first one. But that seems to be the only visible difference. True to my history, the second one fits much better than the first so far. Oh well.

I joined the Six Sox Knitalong, , in hopes that I will be able to finish a pair of socks in a reasonable amount of time! (Does anyone even remember how long I have been working on this current pair of socks? It's sad.)


I hope everyone in the U.S had a fun and safe 4th of July weekend. Besides baseball, fireworks and bottle rockets, I also got to play with my Dad's new toy:





If anyone reading this actually cares, it's a Harley-Davidson Dyna Glide Low Rider. (Kindly ignore the sloppy t-shirt and disastrous wind-blown hair. Thanks.)

I'm off to continue on my sock!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Wow. Four days is a long time to go without an internet connection. (I think I have gotten too spoiled by all this technology!) A guy from the cable company came out and fixed it today.

Secret Pal stuff

I joined the Knitter's Review Secret Pal program! I'm already having loads of fun with it. My pal sent me an e-card today saying a package was on its way! Hehe - I'm going to be running home to check the mail all next week!

It is also fun picking things out to send to my pal. While shopping for her, a few things fell into my basket for me. Imagine that! I'm not going to say what though; I'd hate to give away my identity this early!

(I feel like I am overusing the exclamation point tonight. Sorry! =)

I am writing this from work

...since my internet connection at home has been down for over 50 hrs. When I called to report it, all I heard was a message saying there is a "temporary service interruption" in my area. Grrrr.. How long is temporary?


I have been working on the foot of the second toe-up Multieffect sock, so maybe it is just as well that I can't post any photos from work. All you would see is a tube. Thrilling! (Besides, if you really just HAVE to see the sock, scroll down through the past posts until you find the first one of the pair. It looks just like that. hehe =)

Did anyone guess where I went this weekend? Here is a better hint:





That's the NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway. It was a blast.


AND AND AND...

I finished the bucket hat in time!





It is made from Berroco Suede yarn, which is most certainly not the yarn called for in the pattern (hence all my issues). I am mostly pleased with the way it finally came out, but I am going to block it to try and get a more "buckety" shape. (You can also see my wicked sunburn in this photo. Apparently the sunblock my Mom gave me was expired =)~

I also made a quick little i-cord bracelet out of a bit of leftover yarn. It looks and feels so much like suede it isn't right.

Frogging and Spinning

Here is my Bottoms Up Bucket 0'Chic hat that has been restarted three times now. (Third time's a charm I hope!)





The problem is not with the pattern, but my inablilty to get the gauge right. I made a swatch before I started - really, I did! But I've gone down two needles sizes now and everything seems to be working nicely. Cross your fingers that I can manage to make it work this time. The original purpose of this hat was to wear this weekend*. Hmmm. There is still hope!

*(If anyone can recognize what the hat is sitting on, you'll be able to tell where I am going this weekend!)

Spinning Wheels

Not sure if I have mentioned it here yet, but my parents are going to buy me a spinning wheel as a graduation present! I'm still trying to decide which one to get, but leaning toward an Ashford Kiwi or Traditional wheel. HUGE thanks to the hobbit knitter, Sarah Elizabeth, for her help. If anyone else has an opinion or suggestion please let me know!

Kinda boring.

Sorry I haven't posted anything lately. I just haven't done anything that directly pertains to a "knitting" blog.

After having to take apart a project for the third time last week, I haven't really done any knitting. BUT I have projects that I would like to finish, and loads more I would like to start, so stay tuned! I promise more interesing things will be coming.

Story of a Sock

I am trying to come up with the perfect sock "recipe" for myself. The sock I finished last weekend is close to what I have in mind. The only major changes I would make for the next pair would be to shorten the foot a few rows and narrow it a few stitches (I decreased for the leg and that number is perfect).



Regia Multieffect #5375
8.5 stitches/inch with size 0 Addi turbos
Specifics (see smaller photos below for details):
~short row toe (from Lucy Neatby's Cool Socks Warm Feet)
~modified Eclectic heel
~4x1 ribbing up leg
~tubular (grafted) bind off (from Cat Bordi's Socks Soar on Circular Needles)




Now to finish the second one!

the www

According to my hit counter, these are the countries where my last 100 hits came from:

72 United States
3 United Kingdom
2 Canada
2 Finland
1 Malaysia
1 France
1 Brazil
1 Switzerland

That rocks. I love the internet!


I haven't had much to post lately. My hands and wrists have been bothering me the last few days, so I haven't been knitting/typing much. Going to give myself a few days off so it doesn't get worse! I did however finish one sock over the weekend so I will post a photo of that tomorrow. =)

Greeeeen Acres is the place to be...

TV Land had a 48 hour "Green Acres" marathon this weekend and I think we had it on about 40 of those hours. The theme song is burned into my brain, and I'm sure will be annoying me all week at work.

With all that background noise I managed to have both a lazy knitting weekend and a major cleaning weekend.

On the knitting front, I have turned the heel and started on the cuff of my sock. The heel looks a little bizarre - it is sort of a modified version of the Eclectic heel combined with my own weirdness. But it actually is very comfy. I probably will modify it again to use in the future.





I also finally started Anissa and finished the first ball of yarn. The yarn, Berroco's Luxe, isn't at scratchy as I first thought it might be. It's not really soft enough to be worn next to the skin, but since this is something I am planning on wearing over a t-shirt with jeans, I'm not too concerned. (It is not as reflective in real life as this photo might make you think.)





(As for cleaning... I won't mention how many quarters I pumped into the washer and dryer. It wouldn't be pretty)

Back in Action

After spending waaaay too much time cleaning over the past week, I thought I would share something fun with you. Below is my finished Lacecap. The pattern is from Knitty; it is made with Red Heart Luster Sheen yarn and size 1 bamboo double pointed needles.






Also, last Saturday was sort of a milestone in my life:





Six years and many thousands of dollars in loans later, I am a college graduate! I now have a B.S. in environmental science and a B.A. in geoscience. That is, I will when they mail the diplomas!

knitting in progress:
I have turned the heel on the first Multieffect sock (formally the 2 socks on 2 circs project) and hope to finish the entire thing by the end of this weekend. I think I am going to do a wide rib on the leg to help pull it in a little, maybe 4x1 or even 6x1. I also want to learn how to do a new stretchy yet attractive bind off for the top. I'll let you know how it goes!

Disaster area

Bad news - there was a fire in my apartment over the weekend. No one was hurt too badly, but it is a huge and total mess. I'm going to be spending the next week cleaning/throwing things out/replacing stuff so I probably will not be posting for a little while. =( Hope to talk to you all again soon.

There are a few lessons in here somewhere...

Used to be potatoes. I'm not going to say anything else.


On the plus side, I finished my Lace Cap. No photos yet, but I'll definietly get one this weekend. As promised, here is what I purchased at Crazy Girl:





My very first Dalegarn yarn - Svale, which is 50% cotton 50% silk. I am going to use it to make this tank top from White Lies Designs.

Following the "guilt-free knitting" trend that has been going around on some blogs, I have ditched the two socks on two circs plan. Not the socks themselves of course, but the two circs part. I have avoided working on them much since the whole thing really annoyed me. I felt like I had to complete them on the two needles.

I have wanted to try a 12" addi turbo for socks, and it is so much better just knitting around and around and around...





The needle is teeny tiny! My hands to get a little crampy if I don't hold them just right, but other than that I am enjoying working on this sock much more than before. So there! =)

(Dad click here!)

The Neverending Scarves

Well, one is finished at least. (It's the furry pile pictured above.)


I finished it in the car this weekend - on a mini-road trip Steve and I took. We went to Davenport to see the NASCAR 3D movie (again for me, first time for him) and do a little shopping.

One place we stopped at was the Crazy Girl yarn shop in Muscatine for the first time. What a great store! I got a little bit of yarn, which I forgot to take a picture of for this post, and a few new needles. The shop is located a block or so away from the Mississippi, where I took these photos.







It was real pretty, but not very warm for May 1st. I'll take a photo of my new yarn and the project it is going to become to show you tomorrow.