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.

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'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:

The Beer Hat is done.

The Beer Hat is finished and I'm still working on the cardigan. So far things are going well, though I don't think I'll have enough yarn to make the wedding blanket as large as I want. I think Jo Ann's has the Vanna's Choice on sale 2/$5, so I'll just get some more. And I really need to start on my mother in law's wedding shawl. Pictures to come soon!

My Bobs arrived!

I ordered a Bob Ravelry sticker & a Bobicus Ravelympics pin. I know, I didn't participate in the event this year, but I am watching the progress and enjoyed the 50% profit donation to the special olympics. Here's the thing. I afraid to use either my pin or my sticker. I was going to put my sticker on my laptop, but it's dying and I hopefully won't have it a whole lot longer. And my pin, what if the back comes off, or it snags on something? I really need to work out these issues. And I think I need the daily dose of fiber bag.

As for project updates, I have three strips of the wedding blanket put together, I've started the bust decreases on the plath cardigan, and I'm still not done with the hat.

So I'm giving it another go

The Plath Cropped Cardigan is in the works again. Still going about in the step laddering though. I just like it for some reason. So far so good but I'm taking my chances and knitting it one size larger since the last one was turning out a bit too small.

The Kashmira is pretty springy but at the same time, I don't care too much for the twist. Really doesn't matter in the long run though.

When there is enough of it up, I'll snag a picture.

I had another yarn accident

I took the kids to Jo-Ann's to get some foam (and I forgot magnets again, dammit!) and ended up having them pick yarn for their winter scarves and hats. They go through a few store bought but I also make 1 for each winter as well. The girl picked some Debbie Mumm clearance yarn and the boy wanted some lion brand chenille business but I talked him out of that and ended up with their big ol skein of acrylic in green. One day they'll appreciate the warmth of wool, but right now it's all about color.




I also bought 6 skeins of Kashmira on clearance for 1.97 each. I think I might be ready to tackle the Plath Cropped Cardigan again. Maybe.

I'm also debating the Ravelympics. I need to decide pretty soon.

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!