Kid Socks

So I placed an order at The Loopy Ewe this past week for a new knitting bag and it's absolutely lovely (I'll post some pics later when I get the camera out). I also wanted place an order for some yarn for the kids' socks, but they didn't have what I wanted so I waited (my lys doesn't have any mal either and only the more muted colors of 220). While letting the kids look through yarn tonight they totally picked Cascade 220 (which is what I made our other house socks out of so at least I know my gauge) so I placed another order. I should have let them look before I ordered the bag so I could have included it on my free shipping order, but I was an idiot and totally forgot that kids never pick what you think they will or want them to. We'll just call it an idiot tax this time since it isn't coming out of my yarn budget.

In the end M picked Pesto and A picked Magenta. I think I'll only need one each but I ordered two because I liked the colors together. I'm either color blind or crazy. Not sure which but we'll find out!.

Fevers, video games, and not a whole lot of knitting

Last week I got an earache that was compounded by all the pressure in my sinuses turning my normally black eye all sorts of weird colors (For about 3 or 4 years I've had a perpetual black eye, no one's ever figured out why). I managed to do a little bit of knitting on my clap but have been a little too out of it for hey teach. By thursday night M was acting odd and had a slightly raised temp but was fine Friday morning. By 5 am on Saturday morning he was 103.5 and miserable. Other than a little cough he's fine now but it drained the two days I was feeling better. Yesterday morning I had a sore throat but felt better by late afternoon.....and this morning the boy was all good to go to school but I feel crappy again. Seems my illness is trying to travel down my chest. I have a Dr's appt in the morning so hopefully all will be well soon assuming this isn't one of those things you just have to wait out. In the meantime, I still don't feel like knitting, but have taken solace in Left 4 Dead. In my marriage there isn't anything more romantic than duel weilding guns killing zombies with the one you love. So may clap may be a little stuck at the 5th dropped stitch, but the threat of zombie attack is minimal.

A scarf, a sweater, and final mittens

Even though I clearly declared the mittens finished and moved the Ravelry project to "finished", I still had to take a picture with the mittens together as proof that I can finish a pair of anything. I know I have accomplished the feat before but it's so rare and often so difficult that I need constant proof that it isn't as hard as I think it is. Here's my proof.



Here is a close up of the cable, I don't think I had taken one of these yet.



I have also made progress on my Hey, Teach! I was a bit afraid with the armhole decreases while still trying to do the lace chart, but so far my way is looking good as well as not messing me up any. I can't wait to bind the back off.



And a more broad view:


And I decided to cast on for another clapotis. I don't really have enough of anything to make a full sized one, but I do have 2 hanks of lorna's laces in edgewater that didn't work out for what I wanted them for. I figure I'll use the rule of fifths and just make it as big as I can.

First half of my cabled mittens

First half of my cabled mittens
Originally uploaded by Emmjae

First mitten done! I didn't even get lazy when it was time to do the thumb...usually that's where I suddenly become disinterested but I pushed through. I cast on for the second one last night and when I get my neglected laundry under control I'll hopefully get some work done on it.

As for size, it seems just right even though I didn't do three repeats of a row before around gusset set up time. I wasn't sure which row to repeat so I left it out. I also think I ended up well on the end, the pattern called for rows of the chart that didn't exist so I just started the chart over. Other than not ending up with the right amount of stitches (I somehow had one less) it all went well and I think it is a lovely mitten and I can't wait to wear them as a pair. I found myself laying in bed last night wondering if I should make a scarf and hat to go with if they're still making this color..... I'll have to shop around and see if I can find it when I have the $$. If not maybe a raveler is trying to destash my color.

Cabled Mittens

Day Three? Cable Mittens
Originally uploaded by Emmjae

Oh how I love my cabled mitten(s) and can't wait until they're a wearable pair. It's unbelievably cold right now and I'd wear them around the house if they were done. I'd even take a break from knitting just so I could wear them! Hopefully mitt one will be done tomorrow!

A little winter, a little spring....

I think my holiday knitting took a lot out of me. I haven't bought yarn in months and way more months if you count the fact that my last purchase was for Christmas presents. I think it's bummed me a little bit kind of the same way where everything you want to make for dinner is something you'd have to go buy. While I'm sorting out my feelings, I've started a few new projects to take my mind off things (and using the yarns my mom brought from my aunt's goodwill purchases).

I finished the other Better Bucket Hat that I was making for my mom and ended up giving it to my mother in law. I have another hank of the malabrigo I used and don't mind making the hats at all. Plus, my mom's climate is not as chilly as ours so it should get love much sooner.



My Hey, Teach! really hasn't made much progress but I'm looking at it as a spring knit, so I have some time.



Currently, this is my obsession. I really wanted mittens & they'll kind of match my hat in yarn and color, and by golly it'll probably be the only thing I wear this winter that could kind of look like it's meant to go together. I'm a lot further than this today, but haven't pulled the camera out yet.

One down, so many more to go....

I finished my second Better Bucket Hat and it's soft and gorgeous. As soon as the camera stops being a twit I'll post a picture of that and my Hey, Teach!. It's made with a Rowan tweed that's a little rough on the hands so it's a little slow going. I am through the first bit of the lace chart, so we'll see how it goes. There's a blizzard warning tonight into tomorrow so I'm anticipating a lot of laundry folding and knitting. I'm quite sure I can manage to cast on for the mittens I want in that amount of time. :)

Finished Clap

Finished Clap
Originally uploaded by Emmjae

I am so very happy that my Clapotis is finished! It was fun and easy and completely customizable for the size I wanted with the yarn I was using. I can't wait to make another one with a more delicate, drapey yarn, but for now this will keep me snuggly!

Christmas is over and life is slowly back to normal

Well if normal means that a lot of things seem to be going wrong at once.....

My mom surprised us with a visit on Christmas night. I haven't seen my mom in about 8 months, I think. Our visits average about once a year especially with gas prices as high as they were and us both in tight financial situations. My house was a disaster since we had tore through presents on Christmas morning and then headed to my MILs, back for a shower, and off to my FILs. So we got home and did an emergency super clean up and visited with my mom and her BF for a little while. The next day my mom wanted me to make spaghetti (supposedly I make good spaghetti, but it's not something I like) and after the oven had 'preheated' I found out that my oven was all but cold.

We had to replace our ignitor thingy which wasn't too expensive but was a pain in the rear to shop for. I ended up calling around and Sear's wouldn't give a price unless I gave them my name and all my personal info (which I refused), but a peek on their website got a price without signing over my first born. Their price was almost 20 dollars higher than I paid with a local business (would have been over 20 more with shipping I imagine- local place rocked and they have internet ordering if anyone needs it!). Lowe's was only a wee bit more expensive but shipping was unnecessary if I could get the part locally. So on New Year's Eve we got our part and E changed it out without incident and I once again have a working oven! He got lots of lizards for that one.

My mom brought me a load of thrift store yarn from my aunt which included yummy yarns including some I had never purchased because they're a little too pricey for my usual budget and some I didn't know existed. It's nice to have a surprise of stash enhancement since I haven't had the $ to purchase in awhile. So I started making my mom a better bucket hat (it's almost finshed now)

and will make her a Brighton Bag. I'm planning on making R a scarf, but I'm kind of waiting until he buys the coat he's after. I want to make sure it matches.

But first and foremost I'm working on a clapotis for the Newer Knitters Clapotisphobia KAL. Anyone is free to join us, we just started and it will run through March.

Another present done

I've finished A's set, the knitting aspect anyway. I need to hit up the craft store and get some elastic because the ribbing is too broad for her. I also want to get some ribbon to spiffy it up.

I've started making Mike a cabled hat and made the pattern myself so we'll see how it works out when I'm done. I'd like to be able to put up some patterns, but I'll need to test knit again to make sure what I wrote down works.

I've finished half of A's X-mas present

She really wants socks, but her Christmas list asks for legwarmers and armwarmers. Well, actually it asked for leg & arm wormers but I'll go with what she wants rather than what is said. She also needs a warmer hat, so I've made the hat and started on the legwarmers tonight. I don't have the right dpns (well I do but they're metal) and I gave magic loop another try and didn't like that, so I'm making them flat and seaming them. I'm using the 220 in Country Rose, so that gets a yarn I don't like out of my hair and gets me A's presents without spending any extra cash which is uber rare these days. I probably won't be able to get the fingerless gloves done before xmas, but I'll make them for her before she goes back to school so she can have her whole set.

M wants me to make him a "yarn toy", so I've got to figure out what I can make for him. I'd prefer crochet since it goes faster for me, but I've got to find something a- I can do b- can do quickly and c- that he'll like. I'm sure I can find something if I just sit down and look.

All the updates and pictures I promised

Tons of stuff to post this time. I'm finished with my planned holiday gifts. Well, some still need to be washed and blocked, but the knitting is done!

Here's Lori's Shrug:


Here's Dale's hat, I had to dye the orange and I screwed up which blue to use, but it's a fun hat nonetheless.

Yarn:


Hat:


Sarah's Birthday Scarf:


This purple yarn is knitpicks gloss in cosmos, which I used for Mom's Shawl:


Nathan's Cardigan is coming along nicely. It's not finished, but I preemptively decided it wouldn't be done before Christmas, so hopefully it can be snuck in.


I also decided I would throw in some mug cozies for the kids' teachers, mugs still have to be purchased!


And I also made my first handspun!


Made myself a Bucket Hat which is the most fabulous thing ever! I wear it all the time and I've never itched once. I'm completely in love with malabrigio. Must buy more when I can!


I also made my first Thanksgiving meal last week. After 9 years of marriage I finally made a damn turkey.


And I started the shawl for Lori for her wedding gift. I have been busy. Keeps my brain busy so I don't have to think about all the other stressful things. Everyone's brain needs a break sometimes.

I've been a good knitter, but a horrible blogger

In fact, I'm honestly surprised that I've done this well at all. Blogging has never been in my nature and I only have a twitter account to see Casey's updates. I've been chugging along trying to get Christmas knitting done because it's going to be a hell of a tight holiday with things the way they are and the way they seem to be tanking around us. Everyone seems to be getting laid off which certainly isn't helping me find a job considering the last time I had one was four years ago. I don't seem to be too employable at the moment.

That being said, I'm still diligently working on Nathan's Cardigan. I really want to get it done before Christmas, but it's at the end of the list because Nathan's mommy knows my knitting list and will be happy to accept it even if it's not under the tree on the 25th.

I'm also working on a shawl for my mom made from Knitpicks Gloss Sock Yarn in Cosmos. It's just a plain garter stitch triangular shawl, but I do plan on running ribbon through the eyelets along the increases to make it prettier. I'm making her boyfriend a striped hat, like last year, but in the team colors he likes. I had to dye the "pumpkin" color to make it more orange-y (it was a darker paler orange) and it didn't take too well, so I'm going to have to give it another go tomorrow. The original color in the yarn came out some in the water, which I've never had a knitpicks yarn do, but I don't know if that affected anything at all.

I'm making my mother in law a shrug and am really keeping my fingers crossed that I can do both sides the same as I made some changes to the pattern. It is quite beautiful and I really want it to work out.

I also started a scarf for my sister in law, not necessarily a Christmas present, but I thought it would be something she would like and she does have a birthday just 5 days after Christmas.

I will hopefully get some pictures up soon. I've been lazy with the camera since my kitchen is kind of a wreck and that's where I get the best lighting. Once I give the batteries a charge tomorrow and get my counters all back in order, I have a lot of making up to do.

I think I am doing Christmas Knitting this year.

I just can't avoid it. I have more gifts I want to give than my budget really allows for, and there are people that I really do want to make special gifts for. So, since none of them are readers of my blog (and anyone that would read my blog won't find their details here, silly). I really really really really wanted to make stockings for Christmas but I really think it is just going to have to wait. I want to do gifts first and if I can then crank out stockings, I'll be a super hero.

D wants a hat with Denver Broncos colors and I think that is completely doable with Cascade 220. I am a bit nervous ordering since I will only see it how my computer shows it, but I will perhaps get some Ravelry input.

I want to make Mia for M and maybe L, but I'm really not sure what yarn to go with yet. I'd like to use some DIC smooshy, but I worry about how much I'll need because I really can't go over 1 hank each.

For A, I want to make legwarmers and a hat that I have in a magazine (and I just can't remember which one right now!)

And little M loves toys, so he'll probably get some of those.

And I'd really like to make S and super chunky cabled scarf and hat, but we'll have to see, that may be a bday present.

and I do have super pictures to show, including Nathan's Cardigan, but I need to scoot for now!

I had to just reorganize what I want to do

Sitting and thinking last night, I decided to put things away and prioritize for the fall knitting season. Here's to hoping it all works out. My house is clean (and even pretty organized) so perhaps I will even get a chance to get holiday knitting done. We can all hope.

I've just lost steam

This week, E was off work and we took this wonderful time to clean house. And I really do mean clean house. I think I've sorted through and washed every article of clothing my children own, gone through every toy that they own, and nearly everything else in our home. Ok, so we didn't hit our room, but that happened not too long ago and it just needs a good clean up at the moment. The boy's 6th birthday is today, and his party is tomorrow so the living room and the kitchen got a good thorough cleaning as well, ok, they aren't quite finished but they will be before anyone gets here. That takes me to the knitting, or well, lack of. I am just so freakin tired of the cardigan that I just can't do it right now. It looks fabulous, it fits, but I'm I just can't bear to work on it anymore. I have other projects to do, a ton in fact, and I also wanted to make some stockings for Christmas. There's so much to knit and just not enough time. And the fact that I don't have a job yet makes me anxious (no extra for the income yet) and happy (means I still have time to knit!).

• I think the Cardi goes on the back burner, I'll deal with it when I crave it again.

• The firefighter socks are coming along delightfully. The 9" circ is fabulous with the exception of the join not being as 'perfect' as I've heard. Perhaps I have a funny one or I just have a differing opinion of perfect. Either way I knit quickly enough on them that any negative is outweighed by such a huge positive.

• I received some ultra alpaca from a Ravelry destash and I'm very excited to make myself a scarf and hat set, but I think that has to wait until I do....

• The kids hats and scarves. They picked out yarn awhile ago and I just haven't even started. I do also need to find my 12" size 7 circ. It seems to be missing though it shouldn't be far.

• I also want to make L a skinny bias knit scarf from the red and turq brown sheep yarn

• I want to get at least one stocking done (I really want 2) before Christmas, but I don't know what yarn (blend or acrylic, they do have to go in storage

• And I want A Better Bucket Hat done out of my Malabrigo.

• And I've decided that I'm going to ask for gift certificates for the holidays from KP, TLE, and my LYS, Sheep's Clothing. We usually get GC for the holidays within the family, so it's nice to pick where to. I could really use to stock up on some cascade, and I would like some lace.
  

I really did get the body done!

I got the body done on my Plath Cardigan . Looks like it's going to fit and all that fun stuff, so my next thing to tackle is the sleeves. I can't honestly say I'm a fan of sleeves. Like to wear them, don't care so much about making them. Shamefully I still have to go and hunt down all my harmony needles and I'm hoping that perhaps my sz 6 12" will help me out because all I have are metal dpns in size 6 (well I have Brittany's but the dog incident, you know) and it's just too slick and heavy for the metal. In the meantime, I've started crocheting Mason an Octopus.

Generally I can't say I've done much besides blankets and scarves. Tunisian crochet scarves were a staple while I lived with my mom and I really only learned that because I wanted to learn how to knit so badly. I've always wanted to learn how to do all the fun amigurumi creatures but figured it was well past my crochet knowledge. Come to find out the Octopus pattern is nothing I don't already know how to do, and in my usual style I still found it necessary to alter. I'm just too damn lazy to figure out how to seam something in crochet and still have it be aesthetically pleasing. (Are there seaming methods in crochet?) I have 7 more legs to go and then "Squiddy" (as Mason has named his Octo) will be all ready to go.

I also started making Erik socks on the Hiya Hiya 9" circs. I like it but I'm also torn because my crampy little fingers get a little grumpy and I've already dropped two stitches (immediately picked up, no worries). It will be interesting and in the long run I do think it will be beneficial to getting them done in a timely manner vs doing them on circs. The man just has ginormous feet.

Pics to come, right now I'm trying to clean house and have a massive overhaul of the kids' rooms. They have too much crap and we have a birthday party in 6 days.

Ok, here's the pictures I owe:
Cardigan:


Squiddy:


Socks:

Well, the pictures are on the new computer

They just haven't been fixed on my blog yet because new ones also needed to be added to flickr. It's coming. While it's not like I have a huge blog following, it is a goal that I need to complete. And I really, really want to finish the body of the cardigan by the end of tomorrow. That goal comes first.

New yarn coming my way

I've never used Malabrigo before. I feel it in the store and it just doesn't feel as great as other things I've used but people just go crazy for it, so I've ordered some. The Loopy Ewe had some Hiya Hiya 9" circs listed and I know people either love them or hate them and they may not work for socks for me, but they will work for socks for my husband and some other projects I enjoy. However, I didn't want to pay 6 dollar shipping just on needles so I decided to throw some yarn in. I'd love to make a larger purchase, but I try to only use my paypal money, that way it's more like recycling my fiber goodies than purchasing new. That's my reasoning and I'm sticking to it!

I promise I'll have the pictures fixed soon. I'm still currently contemplating how I'm going to get my ass load of pictures from my laptop to this computer in the shortest amount of time. If only my laptop had a dvd burner it could go much smoother.

The Big Changeover

So I finally got a new computer. The old one, not to old in human years, but in technology years, a dinosaur. A laptop dinosaur to boot. I have the new computer now, so all my pictures need to be moved over and then I will actually get the blog pictures fixed. I also have to finish up plans on the next Newer Knitters swap, which I have promised to post by Monday. I have all the info from the surveys and have the plans, I just need to get it all typed out. Hoping to have myself back to normal by Tuesday because this week is the week to go through the kids' rooms and throw away and store things they just don't use anymore. It's going to be a busy week!