What Kind of Yarn Are You?

I am "Mercerized Cotton. You are always very crisp and neat. You are very playful and are happiest while outdoors in the sunshine. You are sometimes accused of splitting hairs, but in the end people find you pretty easy to live with."

Must Be Spring

Well, the weather must be getting nicer because it has come to my attention that I have been neglecting my blogs. Between enjoying the sun and outdoors with my family and going back to school, I just don't seem to have as much time as I used to.

All that aside, I have missed blogging.

Not too much has been happening on the knitting side of things with me. I worked a little more on my Son's afghan and completed all but the thumb on my Northstar Mittens. All has been cast aside though for an ADORABLE hat for my Daughter from KnitWhits, Flora I believe it's called. Looks just like a flower. C U T E I have finished two of the four "petal" layers. I'll cast on the third layer tonight and, hopefully, will be ready for the "stem" by next weekend. I can't wait to see it completed.

Okay, off to make something for dinner and knit a little before bed.

It's good to be back.

(Oh, if you're on Ravelry and would like to add me as a friend, my username is MagikalMom)

Well, Dang

Every time I think I'm just about finished with my two color mitten, I realize I wasn't paying enough attention and have to rip back. I hate that!!!! lol

The first time, I was doing little happy dances because I was FINALLY to the decrease portion of my day, when I realized that somewhere along the way, I jumped the track and confused the colors so that the side seam stopped being blue and turned white and looked very odd.

So, I ripped back and began again. No biggie. I did it once already, right? How had could it be the second time.

Second time was a charm. Had it all knit up. Everything was where it is supposed to be. YAY!

Now for the decrease. Did the decreases. I was finally at the last two rows. Suddenly it dawned on me that I had four extra stitches. I seriously toyed with the idea of not caring, BUT, if you've spent that much time on something, it seems silly to let it get FUBAR'd in the last two rows, no?

So, I ripped back AGAIN!

Then, I laid it down on the table until I no longer felt like kicking it across the room.

Unfortunately, now I have a cold or flu type thing that makes me feel like something is kicking ME across the room. So, the decreases will just have to wait.

Maybe tomorrow.

Socks on Two Neeldes

That's a first for me :) I will say that I think I like it more that double pointed needles in many practical ways.

1) I don't get that "ladder" effect where I change from needle to needle on DPNs

2) The stitches aren't prone to want to fall of the needles every time I put them down or pick them up lol

3) I think it really helps that I finally have a book with GREAT patterns that can be adjusted over and over instead of just one pattern.

So, I'm almost done with the fist sock. (This picture was taken a couple of nights ago and I'm actually halfway through the foot now)

As soon as I finish this pair, I'll cast on for a pair I've been promising to do for J.

Not Really About Knitting

I guess, but since it seems to be an unwritten rule that all knitters own cats - here's mine.

Now, at first glance, she looks sweet, no? Merely curious about the roses on the coffee table...


Yet, upon closer inspection, you will notice that she's not so sweet as neurotic and attempting to EAT my flowers.....


Cats are such very odd little creatures lol

I Finished It!

I finished my Daughter's nightgown last night while watchin Surf's Up with the kids. (Really cute movie, by the way!!! Awesome soundtrack)

Anyway....

I got the pattern here. (She also sells fabulous recyled yarn that she dyes herself. So, definately check out her whole site.)

I did make one slight change to the pattern. Instead of doing an m1 on the increase round, I did yarn overs, because later today I'll run lace through the holes and make a tie/bow at the front of the gown.

I can see me making many more of these, some as nightgowns and some as summer dresses.

R absolutely loves it :)

EEEK!

I was taking a break from housecleaning and knitting a round on a new sock. (I'm learning how to make socks on two circulars. Interesting.) Anyway, I finished the last purl stitch. I went to move the stitches to the middle of the needle and noticed that I had three stitches missing. Quick look and I realize that my needle BROKE at the join. So, I picked up the stitches, moved them to the cord that connects the two needles and am now waiting for my boys to get home so I can run to the yarn store and see about a replacement. Yikes! I was loving those needles too. Weird thing is, it didn't come away from the join. The wood literally splintered there. Odd.

Knitting Meme

This is a knitting meme I did back in May of this past year. I thought it was funny to see the difference that a few short months (in the bis scheme of things) can make:

*Mark with bold the things you have done, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest plain*

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with bananafiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
CardiganToy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffitti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies...)
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone elses handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

In the original meme, I only had 35 things bolded. I know have 43. My life would just be dreamy if I could open up my own knitting shop.

Neato Peachy Keen-o

Saw this neat little gadget on another knitter's blog and just HAD to check it out. Very cool!!! It "graphs" your website, or blog, into a picture. Really a very neat thing to watch be created.

WIP's

Okay, I absolutely need to get some control over my current W(orks) I(n) P(rogress). I just have WAY too many. Yikes!

I have, currently, ON needles:

- nightgown for my Daughter
- shawl for my Mother
- throw for my Mother in Law
- afghan for my eldest Son
- afghan for my middle Son
- two color mittens
- a sock
- sweater for my Daughter
- hat for my Mother
- washcloth for my eldest Son

It's just too much to have unfinished. So, here's the plan:

- finish the nightgown today and tomorrow (since it really is almost done)
- finish the sock
- finish the throw for my Mother in Law

Those should be able to be finished by next weekend

Then, I'll finish the washcloth.

With those out of the way, it should feel like a FAR more managable list.

Spinning My Own Yarn

I have decided that this absolutely something I want to learn how to do. My Husband cringes in fear at the prospect of yet another fiber hobby taking up more room in our home. I say "pashaw". It will be fine. I really want to be able to say that I knit something from yarn that *I* spun and that *I* dyed. Bring on the drop spindles!

YAY for Two Color Knitting

I really, really, enjoyed the class. I love talking to all the ladies there and I loved learning something new. I find that I WASN'T crazy about the color combination I choose.

That's not entirely true.

I like the colors. I didn't care for the order I used them in. So, I ripped everything out that evening and started over with the main color being white instead. I'm much happier.

The continuation of the class is next Monday. I can't wait. I see a lot of two color knitting in my future.

Whoo! Tryin' Something NEW

I signed up for a class in two color knitting. The class starts tonight and I will be attempting two color mittens. YAY! I'm totally excited. You know, like I don't have ENOUGH projects going on, I should add one hee hee. (That is SO beside the point you know though. Here, a good lesson in fabulous justification, ready? Okay, NO I do not need another "project" but THIS - THIS is NOT merely another "project" - No, THIS is a mitten class - and I live where yetis would go "No FREAKIN' WAY" So, mittens are NOT just another "project". They are, indeed, "necessary". *snicker Yeah, my Husband isn't really buying it either as, in his estimation, the new project merely requires MORE yarn taking up MORE storage space in our home - even if it is for a good - and necessary - cause)

Okay, so off to get dinner and all that good stuff ready so I can be one of the first to class.

A-mitting we will go (could be a word) A-mitting we will go. Hi ho the dairy o, a-mitting we will go

Ondaleaux Cable Scarf

Oh

My

WORD

This has been, honestly, some of the MOST knitting fun I've had in a while.

My Mom and I were browsing (okay, SHE was browsing - *I* was drooling) at a wonderful yarn shop not far from my home, when she saw a scarf that she just "had to have"

"Can you make that?" she asked me

"Can I make that? Can I make that? OF COURSE I can make that!!! (What is it the Yarn Harlot always says? 'It's just knitting') Besides, I LOVE cables" and I do.

The pattern was (IS) just fabulous. We used totally yummy yarn that I had in the stash (and even picked up another skein so I could knit the matching hat).

Best of all though? It is (wait for it Ladies and Gentlemen) COMPLETELY REVERSIBLE. Gotta love THAT.

I LOVED this project and I adore how it turned out.