Z is for Zephyr

This is the last letter in ABC Along 2009, and though I'm 2 weeks late, I'm still going to finish up because I have a good Z

For my birthday, my knitting SIL got me... Knit Picks Options! I've been wanting these so much for the year that I've been knitting. For non-knitting readers, they are interchangable knitting needles, with different sized needle tips you can attach to different length cords.

They also are super economical because you don't have to buy every different length of every different needle size, plus you can store a project on the cord and use the tips elsewhere.

They come in nickle plated, wood, or acrylic - mine are the Zephyr acrylic set.

Here they are in the pouch they come in - depending on how big the collection grows there are binders and all kinds of cute storage options.

And here's my size 5's ready for action!



They look lighted from the reflection of the flash in this picture. They're actually completely clear. It takes a little getting used to because they are so clear that you can actually see the back side of the stitch and it can look like another stitch on the needle. It didn't take very long to get the hang of it. I have a "Just Enough Ruffles" scarf on right now that requires a stitch in the front then the back then the front of the same stitch and I'm wondering if the clearness is going to make that easier or harder.

Well that wraps up ABC Along 2009! Z is for Zephyr!

X is for the "X" through knitted Chrismas gifts that are not finished

I know a bad idea when I say one. "I will make my dad socks and finish my mom's sweater for Christmas." I hadn't even completed those thoughts before I know it wouldn't happen.


I tried to order the rest of the yarn for "Amused," but when I found out that the yarn was backordered until January... well, what's a knitter to do?


I consulted Ann Budd's "Getting Started Knitting Socks" to see what would be required to make men's size 12 socks. I immediately bought something else for my dad.



I don't always enjoy knitting (knotted yarn? tinking back?), but I don't like to get done with something and know I half-assed it.


Take for example, the world's worst felted item: my crochet hook case

I didn't do a gauge swatch, and didn't read any instructions on felting, and eventually this ended up in the garbage.

"Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything." - Xenophon


So I bought Christmas gifts and will make the knitted items in good time. And hopefully I'll have some fun doing it.

W is for Washable Wool

I have recently made an Executive Knitting Decision that I will only use washable wool for projects that could come into contact with water and are expected to survive.

As I understand it, superwash wool is chemically treated to alter the scales of the fiber to prevent it from felting. In my mind, "hand knit" and "chemically treated" belong in two separate realms. But this, like unleaded gasoline and caffienated beverages, has become vital in my world.
Both the hat that I crocheted for DeuceDad and the hat I knitted for my dad were washer victims this year. I can't be angry. I know I've ruined my fair share of hand wash items using my washing appliances. They both were more disappointed than I was - apparently the hats were hits.

So they're both getting new ones made of Cascade 220 Superwash:

Using that as a lesson, I've been much more careful about my yarn purchases lately: Plymouth Select worsted, Dream in Color classy, Knit Picks stroll sport, and sock yarns - all beautiful, all wool, or mostly wool, and all washable.

"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." Oscar Wilde

V is for Variegated

I love variegated yarn and I've added some to my stash recently just as treats to myself. I'll use it too, but you can't deny the pretty.

Birthday Presents for Moi

I did a little lunch-break yarn shopping and got some birthday presents.

This is some Plymouth Select Superwash Worsted that is fairly new and very fab. It's very tightly plied and springy. I bought it for heavy socks for DeuceDad but then I remembered some extra-nice sock yarn I just bought for him... decisions decisions.

Okay, this loud mess is going to become 2 Summerlin's for my friends twin baby girls. I'm going to do a 3-6 month size so they'll be small. I loved the vibrant things some Ravelry users had done, so this is *L*oud.

And this, is mittens in the making. It's Dream in Color Classy (yes, cheesiest yarn name ever) in Ruby River. Love. They will coordinate with my fav cowl from Carly last year, and it's just a great big hank of awesome.

And I know DeuceDad got me too many presents, AND I'm going to see the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra's Holiday Pops! What a birthday!

Where I'll be for the next 2 months

In front of the television, furiously knitting gifts and watching CHRISTMAS SHOWS!

This year I'm embracing Christmas before Thanksgiving. Reason number one is that I don't want to do the crazy gift buying insanity that I usually do.

Reason number two is that I always miss my favorite cheesy Christmas specials because they're on so early. Not this year - I found this list of all the shows, dates and channels!

I actually printing that thing out and have it upstairs so I can set the DVR every week.

What's this gift knitting I speak of? Well there's the sweater for my mom that I've been procrastinating on. It would be a nice gift, packaged with a camisole... I already spent a bunch of money on the yarn so that would ease some yarn buying guilt too. My dad wants socks (not at all sure I can knit mens size 12s in 5 weeks... boo. I also have pet presents to finish up. I'll have a couple of opportunities to knit for 3 hours straight on car rides, so that should help.

Oh and being glued to the TV.

T is for Tink which is knit spelled backwards

I've been doing some tinkering around on the celebratory socks. Several of the patterns I have picked out have been regretably small for my feet/calves. Regretably. After a gauge swatch, one cast on and several printed out patterns, I think I'm going to check Ann Budd's Getting Started Knitting Socks back out of the library. I checked this out and scanned it when I started learning to knit and if I remember what I read, she tells how to take measurements and adjust the pattern to fit. The funny thing is that I will probably still have these socks cast on before I have a start date...



Okay and since this is a photo challenge, here's a pic of my sweater and bootie gift set recipient modelling the goods!

S is for Special

Malabrigo Sock in Archangel, being wound for my congratulatory job socks.

Q is for Quantity

My stash contains vast quantities of kitchen cotton, including, but not limited to, this huge skeins of Sugar 'n Cream!
I mean, I like knitted dishcloths, but this is ridiculous.

O is for Old Yarn

"Old yarn" is kind of pushing it, but I need to get caught up, so I'm using it.

I bought this Noro Kureyon over a year ago. I bought 3 skeins online and was so excited to use it for some kind of a project that would really show off the color changes. I first crocheted it into a Rook Hat. Mine was a bust. I tried the scarf too, but I was kind of sick of it, so I ripped the whole thing out.

The yarn just sat in myself for a year and then finally I decided to just make a pattern that over 9000 others have made - Calorimetry! Finally got to use up some old yarn!


Please excuse this shot of my second chin...

I actually knit this on sz 5s because a lot of people commented that it came out wider than they thought it would. Even on the smaller needles it came out really wide, wider than it seems to look on the pattern model. Oh well, it's warm and I think it was a good use for some old yarn.

N is for New hobby

I just can't get enough knitting. I'm doing mostly small projects because there are lots of pregnant ladies in my life! This is the umbilical cord hat from Stitch 'n Bitch...

This is a little hat pattern that I found on Ravelry. I plan to make a larger one for Deuce because I like the alternating cables and ribs. He's clearly larger than the infant size modeled here...

I haven't really had the urge to crochet anything lately, although I have a pattern and yarn waiting in the wings for something for me. Just the excitement of something new I guess!

I don't even know where to start.

I haven't blogged in a while - I've been home, away, busy, sleepy, up, down and around pretty much non-stop. (And I used to work, too?)

Some of the highlights since June 23...

Camping!

We went to Green Lakes and camped with friends. We have camped with this group a few times, and have always enjoyed ourselves. We were really looking forward to it, until a huge thunderstorm rolled overhead as we were packing the car. We actually got the car totally unpacked and called everyone to confer... only for the sky to clear and the weather to be gorgeous. We repacked the car (minus a few essentials forgotten in the fray) and off we went.

It's a really nice park - actually a national forest, I think - with a beautiful beach for swimming and lots of trails. Our sites were in a great location, and the weather held out. A great trip!

July 4th!

We celebrated the all-American way. We over ate and watched baseball.

"Dipfest" started as a discussion over what the best kind of taco dip is.

It turned into an allout gorge-fest that the hostess is not entirely recovered from. Digestively speaking. There was no clear winner, but the contestants for taco dip were "Alyson's taco dip" (cream cheese/sour cream/taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, lettuce, cheese), chili cheese dip (cream cheese, chili, cheese), and 7 layer taco dip (cream cheese/sour cream/taco seasoning, refried beans, guacamole, salsa, olives, jalapeno slices, cheese). Also in the photo are chicken wing dip and artichoke dip. I feel sick just thinking about it.

We went to see the Red Wings. We took Deuce last year, but he was mostly interested in popcorn and playing in the grass. This year he was able to follow along a little (here, in the red tshirt, bemoaning a blown call) He was great at the game, and we're looking forward to bringing him again.

Hangin' with my Dad!

My dad had some time off mid-week, so we went to the Strong National Museum of Play together. The working folk don't get to do stay-at-home stuff like story hour, so this was a treat for Dad.

Knitting!

This is the completed "first sock evah!" and the second one has another 2-ish inches of calf and some ribbing left to go.

Amazingly, sock knitting has been my procrastination knitting, used to keep myself from a cable scarf (I think I got the cable thing figured, just trying to finish the yarn), and a sweater (whoa) that is very intimidating.

Not too shabby - hoping to have some fiber stuff to share soon.

G is for Gift Knitting

Today's G is courtesy of Carly.

I looove handmade things, and for my birthday Carly made me a Faberge Cowl. It's Malabrigo Worsted in Polygala, and it's so soft on my neck I wore it all winter without the slightest itch.




Gift knitting is kind of a landmine. I have gifted only five things that I can think of. Three baby blankets, a pair of mittens, and an afghan. Of those, I only know for sure that one is in regular use. And that's the afghan I gave my Grandma, and if I have her a used Kleenex she would display it proudly as one of my greatest accomplishments.

The next few things in my queue are all gifts though. The thing is that I only need just so many crocheted/knitted items for myself, but I love to crochet. I get a lot of pleasure out of just making something. So I guess if it's destined to collect dust, so be it.

Tuesday Napday

Tuesday seems to be nap day for me, but I think I can break with tradition just this once. What could possibly be worth it? My house is at that point where it could easily be kept fairly neat, or slide into disaster. Seriously, just 30 minutes of picking up and I'll be happy.

New recipe last night was a bust. Just didn't bring much to the table. I even used a little of my creativity by adding more garlic and toasting the almonds (I didn't have roasted). Then I went to Jazzercise and shook it for an hour.

Then home to work on another Seija Set. That didn't last long, as I immediately dropped my second H hook down the couch (yes, both of them are down there now) and wasn't in the mood to turn the chaise over to get it out.

So I went back to the hat for DeuceDad. I'm starting to be able to rock a little on 2x2 rib. I'm still trying to knit Continental style, and I'm not 100% sure I'm doing it right. I don't "pick" the yarn without the help of another one of my fingers, but this video shows using a finger for help. It just seems a little strange.

I'm going to come out of my knitting shell and go to some groups this week. Tonight is church knitting group. Maybe someone there can answer my Continental question, plus they're going to be my outlet for tons of practice knitting on stashed acrylic. Then Thursday I'm either going to hit a yarn store sit-n-knit, or, if I feel super outgoing, Chicks with Sticks. CWS seems like a younger crowd who knits in bars and coffee houses. A much better opportunity to meet potential dudes, but certainly outside my fibercrafting comfort zone (which until now has been limited to my couches).

Oookay - breakfast, coffee, playgroup, then all this crafty business! Here I go!!

Hello Goodbye

Hello to my new hobby - knitting! That is a partially finished 8" charity lapghan square in Red Heart Super Saver on a 9" #8 straight bamboo needle. I have lots (LOTS!) of Red Heart that I just cannot throw away. I know this makes real yarn lovers question my sanity, but I can't throw things away. It's a sickness. Someone from my church who runs the knitting group has offered to help me learn, and I offered to make lots of squares for her afghans in return. I think I'm getting better at garter stitch. There are some holes and uneven-ness, but it's getting there.

I also make a ribbed hat for Deuce, but it came out tiny and I can't get him to leave it on long enough to take a picture.

I haven't given up on crochet. I just need a change of scenery after months of single-crochet on the SU blanket. I made myself a Diamond Ridges hat for a challenge. The pattern is modeled after Koolhaas, and it's very cool. (Sorry for the funky pic, too impatient to wait for a photographer)

And goodbye is to our houseguest Abbey. What a sweet little girl...

Strangers. Waitin'. Up and down the boulevard.

My BFF knows all of my vices, and Journey's greatest hits is certainly one. She lent me her CD (I only had the tape and that's long gone) for my listening pleasure. I took the opportunity to sing super loud when I was in the car by myself going to Jazz and back.

Hidin'. Somewhere in the NIGHT!

It ain't pretty.

My quest to learn knitting continues. I started in on Seaside Diagonale, which is labeled Knit - Intermediate. I can see that there are some areas that need improvement, namely the edges. They don't look neat and tidy like knit edges should. To that end, I checked SnB out of the library since Happy Hooker really improved by crochet understanding. I really love Debbie Stoller and as soon as I'm gainfully employed again, I'm going to add SnB to the library.

My quest to crochet continues (as soon as I have jammies on) because I think I only have about 30 rows left on DeuceDad's SU blanket!! I have to seam the pieces together and choose an edge (maybe just sc since it's supposed to be manly), but I'm so happy to be almost done with hundreds of rows of sc!

And when scrapping can't fix it...

...clean the bathroom and start teaching self to knit.

Yesterday I did some serious scrapbooking therapy. I wasn't in touch with the nostalgic/fun and playful feelings I like to have when I scrapbook (so that the pages don't reflect misery/bitchyness), so after today's crying jag about what an awful human being I am that I can't manage to secure professional employment, I went crazy.

Not bad crazy, don't call CPS.

First, I ate a brownie sundae. Then I changed a shitty diaper. That's a good way to get back in touch with reality. Then as long as we were upstairs and Deuce was having fun throwing toys at our refinished hardwood floors (praise Jesus), I cleaned the upstairs bathroom. Now the bathroom looks like something I can be proud of as a person who stays home all fucking day.

Mid-towel change, Deuce started begging for Backyardigans, so I turned on the magic bullet (The Tale of the Mighty Knights), found the knitting needle Deuce hid behind the loveseat yesterday, and cracked open the Learn To Knit Kit. I "learned" the knit and purl stitches about 2 years ago when I bought the kit. I'm surprised to find that although my gauge is loose like a $10 hooker, it can still do a knit stitch. I have about a dozen rows and it's kind of fun. I mean, it's not anything I should be doing so it's great fun.

So the moral of this little story is that I need to focus more attention on housework (and eating sundaes apparently) so that I have something to show for myself.