Teeny Socks are fun!

These wee tiny socks are great fun and super quick to make. I really, really wish big people socks were that fast. I'd have socks for every day of the week, and every outfit I could wear.

The Rav swap seems to be going well so far. I've got two thank you notes & keychains all ready to go out in the mail on Monday for the two people who have gotten their packages to their destination.

I'm still trying to get in the mood to go back to my WIPs, but I'm just not there yet. The wee socks are currently filling my desire for instant gratification, and I do hit a few rows on the groovy scarf each night. I believe I'm currently around the three foot mark, and will be quit happy to mindless make I-Cord when the time comes.

I'm ready to put in an order to the loopy ewe. I sent my wishlist to E, hoping perhaps he'd send a surprise package my way, but I doubt that would happen. He's not inclined to buy me yarn, even though I have non yarn items on my list. I probably shouldn't blame him much considering he walks by my stash any time he goes to the kitchen or bathroom. He did bring me some beautiful gerber daisies home last night. Now I have something pretty to look at while I knit.

It's blocking!

I've finished the test knit and it's blocking. Now I'm trying to decide what exactly to work on next. It was kind of nice to have a little break and not think about my current WIPs that aren't going anywhere.

The Gerda Stole is still in time out, well, I guess I'm the one in time out, it's not done anything wrong. The scarf I designed is sitting, waiting on another try while I try to figure out how you can F up something repeatedly that you designed yourself (the pattern is sound, I've had other eyes peep it for me). My jaywalker socks are still sitting in their bag not getting knit. I'm not sure why I'm having such a problem with that pattern. I'm very tempted to frog and just make myself some happy plain socks. I hate the kfb at the beginning of a needle for some reason, so they're just sitting, not getting done.

I wanted to go to open knit at my LYS today, but E informed me that I was mistaken about which day he had to go in early, so I just got up with him and started the day's housework. I wish the little elves would do it while I sleep, but so far they've been strangely absent.

I dyed some yarn with the girl last night to make wee sock key chains for the people participating in my Rav group's swap. Once it gets dry and I can wind it, I think I'll start on those. Seems to be some pretty instant gratification (even if the yarn is less than perfect, it was dyed with the love of an 8 year old).



I will get up some pictures somewhat soon. I'm not sure why, but I currently don't know where the camera is and my counter isn't nearly cleaned up enough to take things in there in the good light to photograph. Hopefully I'll get around to doing that tonight.

So I just haven't made many stitches.

It's been a hell of a week and I can't imagine that I made too many stitches lately. The only thing I've worked on is a pattern that a member of my rav group is having test knit. I do wish I had a better yarn for it, but it's still turning out nicely and if I could actually get a chance to sit down and knit, I'd have it done in no time.

Friday I chatted online with a far away friend I haven't talked to in awhile and Saturday the kids went to their grandpa's. I got side tracked by a phone call on my way to the yarn store, but it needed to be done and was all good in the long run. Went to a pretty late lunch with E and then we did some shopping and went to the drive in. I think I managed to knit about three rows on the groovy scarf before I got totally side tracked. I don't knit when I've paid to watch a movie, so the knitting remained in the bag for the double feature. We saw Kung Fu Panda (Loved it!) and The Incredible Hulk. Hulk was much better than the one they made 5 years ago and this one will easily transition into the Avengers, which I'm certainly looking forward to. Marvel really has their act together with this movie thing finally.

Sunday we picked up the kids and had lunch at E's dad's place. I think I *might* have knit yet another 3 rows on the groovy scarf, but too much conversation led to me putting my knitting back in the bag.

Yesterday and today I've been running errands and cleaning house (my kids have WAY TOO MANY TOYS!) and getting rid of things we certainly don't need. It's going well, but it's just not leaving me much time to knit. Which brings me to the head scarf I'm test knitting. I started it yesterday, and am well over half way done. Should be done soon, and then I can go back to not getting my regular knitting done. Well, at least until the house it cleaned up and we have way less stuff than we used to.

Rav Day at the LYS

My father in law is taking the kids next Saturday around noon for a sleepover, so I'll be going to my favorite LYS, Sheep's Clothing for a little meet of Indiana Ravelers. I should have a lil bit o yarn money to do some purchasing of something that I haven't tried yet. While I like going to the yarn shop to pick out yarn for projects, it's always nice if I have a little extra to pick out some yarn that I just haven't had the chance to knit with yet. That's also why I keep a wishlist at The Loopy Ewe, but that has to be when I'm ready to make a larger purchase to make the shipping feel ok (as well as the wait time).

E and I should also be going to the drive in on saturday, which means some lovely mindless knitting time waiting for the feature to start as well as between movies if I decide to use the lights.

I don't get kidless nights very often, so this is going to be one fun weekend for me!

Shhh... I bought more yarn

I bought some Lion Brand Sock-Ease today.






My Hobby Lobby only got one of each color of Red Heart's Heart and Sole in, even though you need 2 to make a pair of socks. They also only got in one of each of the Sock-Ease, but one ball for one pair, so I went ahead and bought the grey and the pink. I had a coupon, so it was barely over 10 buck for both together and that's just a deal you can't pass up. $10 bucks for two pair? I'd be crazy not to take advantage of that.

I didn't knit a single stitch

Yesterday my hands were so swollen and stiff if it was utterly ridiculous. I wear a super thin wedding band because it works better with the swelling I deal with through the year, but yesterday was bad enough that I had to take my ring off for awhile. It was a pretty safe bet that I wasn't going to knit without causing myself some pain, so I took a day away from the needles. It's a total bummer, knitting makes my hands better in the grand scheme of things, but when they're tired from something else (like typing) not even knitting can help me out.

I don't really have much planned for today either, the boy isn't feeling too hot and neither am I. I think I'm going to fix some soup and see what's piled up on the dvr this week. Hopefully I'll get back to the knitting tomorrow. I really need to see a few of these WIPs progress or I'm going to start losing steam.

The Gerda Stole

We seem to have this love hate relationship going on. I don't care for charts, that begins the descent into madness with lace. I can read charts, it is just more difficult for me to not lose my place. I end up with a mad collection of post its, 2 across the bottom of the row I'm working on and then a post it flag for stopping points along that row. This in itself is not the issue. The post its work just fine for what they are supposed to do. I however, still end up losing my place. I only knit on the pattern when the kids are outside, the tv is off, and the dog is sleeping. I don't answer the phone and I make sure that I've gone to restroom and filled my drink (non-alcoholic; friends don't let friends knit drunk). Somehow I've managed to have to frog the pattern 3 times. Granted I don't get too far in, but 20 rows of lace still manages to be quite the time investment for me.

It's a beautiful pattern that I wanted to make for Lori for her wedding. I got a very pale blue in case she wanted to wear it on her day. It's a surprise gift and the wedding isn't even planned yet, but I figure it will still take me that long to make it.

I talked to A about lace for a bit, thinking that I would break down and buy a sampler from Knitpicks, but then I dove in with some beautiful Cashwool from the Loopy Ewe. My cast on sucked, but I got that worked out. Then I had some trouble with only counting on one side of the chart, making the assumption that the two sides were symmetrical when they aren't. Then I got restarted yet again and managed to do the same chart row twice. No big deal. I asked on the forum and it seemed, collectively, that no one would be the wiser. Then I had an extra stitch. I pinned the work out and found, not where I had f'd up, but where I could k2tog without incident. Then after fixing that, I found a dropped stitch. I frogged. I generally enjoy the process and don't get stressed out about minor flaws, but this is a special, special knit for me, and I'd like it to be as close to perfect as possible.

I'm taking yet another leave of absence from the stole. It deserves better than I can seem to give it right now. I even committed some knit adultery and went looking for another pattern, but my heart is so set on that one.

Meanwhile, I still wanted to play with lacy patterns, so I made my own and am currently test knitting it. I thought I'd have it done by last night but just didn't get the time to do it and today I spent my time outside with the laptop and also next door trying to get M to get in their pool. I think I've failed at just about everything today. I don't even have the housework done, but I guess that isn't a total surprise.

Groovy Scarf

WIP2 Groovy Scarf
Originally uploaded by Emmjae

I apologize ahead of time for the piss poor picture. It certainly do this any justice. I use E's antique standing lamp as my main source of lighting in my knitting spot. It's tall, has two bulbs and a huge lampshade that I use as a swift for just about everything (though the Lorna's laces hanks are too huge). Bad thing is that the lampshade is Yellowish (I tried to make a good match for the age of the lamp) and gives very bad light.

The pattern is super easy to memorize, which makes it funny that I paid for something so simple (though I absolutely do not mind supporting designers in their pattern sales; it's the simplicity that makes me giggle). That means that this is a project that I can take with me anywhere without a pattern, without screwing anything up, and I always know where I am without a row counter. Surprisingly it also means that I don't get bored with it because of the variation of hand movements. Totally a good thing.

Unfortunately my colors are boring. That's a sad thing in comparison to the one pictured with the pattern, but those are colors I had on hand in quantity needed, so it'll be the first. I imagine that I will make this in a variety of colors, weights, and maybe fibers. Seems a fun way to enjoy such a funky pattern.

Stitch Marker Earrings

Stitch Marker Earrings
Originally uploaded by Emmjae

These beauties are fabulous. Some snipping with my wire cutters and I now have 60 stitch markers. I bought some silver jump rings at Michael's so I can have sock size and mid size. I really, really wish they would have had a variety sized pack, but because they didn't I only bought 2 bags of 2 sizes. And now I have an ass load of extra rings, but I suppose they will eventually end up used anyway.

The Cardigan and I just didn't get along.

WIP1 Plath Cardigan
Originally uploaded by Emmjae

I really, really, really wish that Ravelry had a Blog this! function in the notebook. I think it would keep me blogging much easier than doing it like this. I'm just that lazy, you know?



I started working on the Plath cardigan and let's just say we have a mutual separation going on. While the finished product is gorgeous (not mine, the designers) there are just things I wish I'd known because I probably wouldn't have purchased the pattern. It's just not going to fit me right without me totally redoing the pattern myself and keeping the designers stitch pattern (which I already changed). Things weren't explained all that well on page, and we all have our preferences for how a pattern is written, but I think there were some basic key points that were missing and hopefully since the pattern is in use now on Rav there will be some good feedback for her to update. It'll eventually get made, for me, I hope, once I get some yarn I don't totally and utterly despise. Freakin mauve?!? I have no idea what in the hell I was thinking. Scarf, hat, maybe. Enough knit to cover my chest? No f'n way!