...I'm not going to pick up any baby knits, or even Stefanie Japel's Petal Sweater (which, by the way, I found the perfect yarn for - in my stash!!!), until I am done with the Coachella and one Breeze sock. Period.
Now, if I could only pick up the knits and work on getting them finished.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
I'm back!
Ok, so I've been back for a full week now. It's hard to recover from being here....
Real hard...
Knitting? I am 3/4ths of the way done with my sock. I have 1 and 1/2 more repeats to go of the pattern. I am now convinced I am all about the quick knit. This is taking way too long. The speed with which the heel was finished deceived me into thinking I'd whip out the whole pair of socks while I was vacationing. But who can knit when you're sitting here?
I mean, really?
I think I'm going to start a new blog - one for my family. Look at this. It lets you print books of your blogs. I love it, and I think I'm going to do this. For prosperity. Maybe one day I'll do one of this blog. As a gift to myself. One day.
By the way.... it's going to be a BOY!!!!
Real hard...Knitting? I am 3/4ths of the way done with my sock. I have 1 and 1/2 more repeats to go of the pattern. I am now convinced I am all about the quick knit. This is taking way too long. The speed with which the heel was finished deceived me into thinking I'd whip out the whole pair of socks while I was vacationing. But who can knit when you're sitting here?
I mean, really?
I think I'm going to start a new blog - one for my family. Look at this. It lets you print books of your blogs. I love it, and I think I'm going to do this. For prosperity. Maybe one day I'll do one of this blog. As a gift to myself. One day.
By the way.... it's going to be a BOY!!!!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
There is a heel!
So my very first real sock. So pretty... So nice... Now I know why so many people knit socks. Why so many people swap and knit and knit and swap. So fun! I may be addicted... shhh - don't tell Hubby!
I'm taking my socks to St. Thomas this weekend. Sock knitting on the beach, with no Big Boy to run after, no time tables - I'll just go where people tell me to go! The Coachella isn't done for the birthday girl, but I think 12 people showing up for her birthday will be a nice big surprise. I'll mail her the Coachella when it's done, and beg for pictures of her in it.
So I'll be back to blog about my first trip to the Caribbean next week. Pray that Tropical Storm Dean doesn't really hit anywhere near where I am - or else I might be blogging much later next week than anticipated!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
My first sock!
Yay! I made a sock! Just one, mind you - it's all I needed! I thought of this as a practice sock, before I hit my pricey yarn for a real wearable thing.
I must say, I think my first short rows ever turned out very nicely! I was rather intimidated, but after some advice from some knitting friends and Kristi herself, I dove in and did it. Piece of cake!
The Kitchener's Stitch on the other hand... it got all puckered up in front. See?
Good thing that's the view from the radio - no one else should be able to see it. And looking at this photo, I think I started the decrease 90 degrees away from where it should've been. But it still works!!!
I picked orange, like the original, not because I wanted an exact copy, but because orange is my favorite color right now. And what other color would go well with a little blue Mazda 5? Just orange. Well, green, maybe, but I think that's because that's my default favorite. It's knitted out of Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Paprika. Spicy!
I followed the suggestion to knit 14 rows of K1P1 ribbing instead of the 10 rows Kristi originally did. Now I wish I had knit only 10 rows. The 14 rows kind of overlaps onto the leather bottom part of the shifter. But I think it still looks good.
Bad news is Hubby isn't quite on board with my cool idea. When he saw I finished it, he was kind of diplomatic, saying that he's glad I was able to do it (thanks, sweetie!), but there was no way he was driving with that thing on. Hmmmm.... kind of tough luck, because it's pretty tight. It will take more time to get it off then just to deal with it and drive. Plus, the coolness of it will seep into him as he drives. I'm sure of it. I like to think that I'm all hipster and he's not. Maybe one day he'll get it. Plus, he's driving a mini-van! Granted, it's a Mazda 5, so it's tiny, and it is a 5-speed. But it's still a mini-van. I don't know what his idea of cool is there.
My sock-idol and I are starting the Knitty Breeze socks... I'm going to use the Fleece Artist yarn I showed you here. In fact, I'm casting on after I log off here!
I must say, I think my first short rows ever turned out very nicely! I was rather intimidated, but after some advice from some knitting friends and Kristi herself, I dove in and did it. Piece of cake!
The Kitchener's Stitch on the other hand... it got all puckered up in front. See?
Good thing that's the view from the radio - no one else should be able to see it. And looking at this photo, I think I started the decrease 90 degrees away from where it should've been. But it still works!!!
I picked orange, like the original, not because I wanted an exact copy, but because orange is my favorite color right now. And what other color would go well with a little blue Mazda 5? Just orange. Well, green, maybe, but I think that's because that's my default favorite. It's knitted out of Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Paprika. Spicy!
I followed the suggestion to knit 14 rows of K1P1 ribbing instead of the 10 rows Kristi originally did. Now I wish I had knit only 10 rows. The 14 rows kind of overlaps onto the leather bottom part of the shifter. But I think it still looks good.
Bad news is Hubby isn't quite on board with my cool idea. When he saw I finished it, he was kind of diplomatic, saying that he's glad I was able to do it (thanks, sweetie!), but there was no way he was driving with that thing on. Hmmmm.... kind of tough luck, because it's pretty tight. It will take more time to get it off then just to deal with it and drive. Plus, the coolness of it will seep into him as he drives. I'm sure of it. I like to think that I'm all hipster and he's not. Maybe one day he'll get it. Plus, he's driving a mini-van! Granted, it's a Mazda 5, so it's tiny, and it is a 5-speed. But it's still a mini-van. I don't know what his idea of cool is there.
My sock-idol and I are starting the Knitty Breeze socks... I'm going to use the Fleece Artist yarn I showed you here. In fact, I'm casting on after I log off here!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
70 Questions!
I saw this at And Miles To Go Before We Sleep - and I'm a sucker for memes. Here goes!
70 Questions:
1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Bath and Body Works Moonlight Something Shower Wash.
2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? Nope.
3. Is there anything moldy in your refrigerator? Maybe. I haven't opened the crisper in a couple of days, and I forget what's in there.
4. Are there any dirty dishes in your sink? Nope! I'm a step ahead tonight!
5. What would you change about your living room? I need a little bit more space for all the toys. Realistically? I need to paint the walls.
6. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? dirty.
7. Do you have a can of mushrooms in your pantry? no.
8. White or wheat bread? Wheat.
9. What is on top of your refrigerator? Cookbooks, a popcorn popper, a glass pitcher, and a basket of sippy cups.
10. What color is your sofa? brown.
11. What color or design is on your shower curtain? Master bath: White with a tan border. Hall bath: plain white.
12. How many plants are in your home? 14(?)
13. How many candles are in your home? Not as many as I used to have. 6 or 7.
14. Is your bed made right now? Nope. I think Hubby's in it.
15. If you have a coffee pot, what color is it? white.
16. Electric or standard can opener? Standard.
27. Comet or Soft Scrub? both, but trying to use them up to go "natural" with baking soda.
.28. Is your closet organized? Yes, but not as much as usual.
29. What color is the flashlight that you use the most? Black.
30. What kinds of things are in your junk drawer? man... hmmm, gift cards, tape, take out menus, a cutting board, biodegradable plastic bags for poopy diapers, stapler - I can't even think of what else.
31. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? plastic.
32. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? Nope.
33. If you have a garage, is it cluttered? No garage.
34. Curtains or blinds? Blinds covered by curtains.
35. How many pillows do you sleep with? Typically, one. Right now, two. Soon to be replaced by the ginormous body pillow.
36. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? no.
37. How many ceiling fans are in your home? One.
38. How often do you vacuum? once a week.
39. Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard.
40. What color is your toothbrush? green.
41. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? yes - it says WELCOME.
42. What is in your oven right now? Nothing.
43. Is your microwave clean or dirty? Clean.
44. Is there anything under your bed? Yes, storage boxes - but I don't remember what's in them.
45. Chore you hate doing the most? laundry.
46. What retro items are in your home? I don't know... some retro crafty items - Hubby doesn't like retro so much.
47. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? No.
48. If you have a yard, who mows it? My Hubby.
49. Is there anything on your kitchen floor right now? A rug.
50. How many mirrors are in your home? 6, including the 2 bathroom mirrors.
51. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? Nope.
52. What color are your walls? In this room, a nice spring green. Other rooms - red, yellow-orange, brown, baby blue, soon to be orange in bathroom. New baby's room is untouched.
53. Which rooms in your house have wallpaper? none.
54. Do you have a peephole in your front door? yes.
55. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? Hubby has a BB gun. Is that a protection weapon?
56. What does your home smell like right now? Nothing that I can tell, but I'm all stuffed up.
57. Favorite candle scent? any Christmas spice one.
58. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? regular and baby dills.
59. Who are in the pictures you displayed? displayed where? There are pics of my Big Boy on this site.
61. Do you have plenty of cabinet space in your kitchen? It's okay - I could always use more.
62. Ever been on your roof? Nope.
62. Do you own a stereo? Yes, 2 of them.
63. How many TVs do you have? three.
64. How many house phones? three.
65. Do you have a housekeeper? me.
66. What style do you decorate in? comfy modern (?)
67. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? Solids.
68. Is there a smoke detector in your home? Four.
68. In case of fire, what are the items you would grab if you only could make one quick trip? My wedding album, and my truck of photo albums.
69. Do you know how to work your electrical box? Yes, I think so.
70. What temperature in your home is most comfortable to you? 72 degrees.
70 Questions:
1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Bath and Body Works Moonlight Something Shower Wash.
2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? Nope.
3. Is there anything moldy in your refrigerator? Maybe. I haven't opened the crisper in a couple of days, and I forget what's in there.
4. Are there any dirty dishes in your sink? Nope! I'm a step ahead tonight!
5. What would you change about your living room? I need a little bit more space for all the toys. Realistically? I need to paint the walls.
6. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? dirty.
7. Do you have a can of mushrooms in your pantry? no.
8. White or wheat bread? Wheat.
9. What is on top of your refrigerator? Cookbooks, a popcorn popper, a glass pitcher, and a basket of sippy cups.
10. What color is your sofa? brown.
11. What color or design is on your shower curtain? Master bath: White with a tan border. Hall bath: plain white.
12. How many plants are in your home? 14(?)
13. How many candles are in your home? Not as many as I used to have. 6 or 7.
14. Is your bed made right now? Nope. I think Hubby's in it.
15. If you have a coffee pot, what color is it? white.
16. Electric or standard can opener? Standard.
27. Comet or Soft Scrub? both, but trying to use them up to go "natural" with baking soda.
.28. Is your closet organized? Yes, but not as much as usual.
29. What color is the flashlight that you use the most? Black.
30. What kinds of things are in your junk drawer? man... hmmm, gift cards, tape, take out menus, a cutting board, biodegradable plastic bags for poopy diapers, stapler - I can't even think of what else.
31. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? plastic.
32. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? Nope.
33. If you have a garage, is it cluttered? No garage.
34. Curtains or blinds? Blinds covered by curtains.
35. How many pillows do you sleep with? Typically, one. Right now, two. Soon to be replaced by the ginormous body pillow.
36. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? no.
37. How many ceiling fans are in your home? One.
38. How often do you vacuum? once a week.
39. Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard.
40. What color is your toothbrush? green.
41. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? yes - it says WELCOME.
42. What is in your oven right now? Nothing.
43. Is your microwave clean or dirty? Clean.
44. Is there anything under your bed? Yes, storage boxes - but I don't remember what's in them.
45. Chore you hate doing the most? laundry.
46. What retro items are in your home? I don't know... some retro crafty items - Hubby doesn't like retro so much.
47. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? No.
48. If you have a yard, who mows it? My Hubby.
49. Is there anything on your kitchen floor right now? A rug.
50. How many mirrors are in your home? 6, including the 2 bathroom mirrors.
51. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? Nope.
52. What color are your walls? In this room, a nice spring green. Other rooms - red, yellow-orange, brown, baby blue, soon to be orange in bathroom. New baby's room is untouched.
53. Which rooms in your house have wallpaper? none.
54. Do you have a peephole in your front door? yes.
55. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? Hubby has a BB gun. Is that a protection weapon?
56. What does your home smell like right now? Nothing that I can tell, but I'm all stuffed up.
57. Favorite candle scent? any Christmas spice one.
58. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? regular and baby dills.
59. Who are in the pictures you displayed? displayed where? There are pics of my Big Boy on this site.
61. Do you have plenty of cabinet space in your kitchen? It's okay - I could always use more.
62. Ever been on your roof? Nope.
62. Do you own a stereo? Yes, 2 of them.
63. How many TVs do you have? three.
64. How many house phones? three.
65. Do you have a housekeeper? me.
66. What style do you decorate in? comfy modern (?)
67. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? Solids.
68. Is there a smoke detector in your home? Four.
68. In case of fire, what are the items you would grab if you only could make one quick trip? My wedding album, and my truck of photo albums.
69. Do you know how to work your electrical box? Yes, I think so.
70. What temperature in your home is most comfortable to you? 72 degrees.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Finally, a FO!
Here they are - pictures of Mandy's Candy Bag, complete! When I can, I'll get pictures of it hanging off the arm of my niece, as her new little purse. The only mod I made was to make a really long I-cord so it could be used as said purse.
Thanks for a fun knit, Amanda!
On to... yarn purchases!!! YAY! I bought my first sock yarn ever. Some YUMMY Fleece Artist Merino Wool. Beautiful green shades - see?
Then some less expensive but equally as fun Wildefoote by Brown Sheep Company - the colors are Mums and Soft Jazz (I have to put that in italics because when I say "soft jazz," I even say it italicized). I think these will be my first baby socks.
I stepped up my Coachella knitting. I was shamed into it after reading some descriptions of it as a project for other knitters on Ravelry... one lady said it took her only 3 days to knit. 3 days. I'm almost at the bottom of the arm holes, to start the never ending body... I won't have it done in time for my cousin's birthday on Friday, but it will be well underway.
3 days. Geez.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
hee hee!
This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
- bitch (1x)
Whoops!
I'm glad you're back, my sock-rockin' friend!
I am so addicted - to... well, you know! I've found an entire outfit I'm going to make for baby to wear coming home from the hospital. And - Hubby thinks I'm crazy - I'm going to knit this. I'm going to be the coolest 5-speed-mini-van-driving-mama in RVA. Period.
Rock on, y'all!
Monday, August 6, 2007
I'm in!!!!
I sat down at my computer this morning to return a friend's email. As I sat down, I randomly thought, " Wouldn't it be awesome if my Ravelry invite came today?" It was a random thought, because I haven't thought about it in a while, except to be jealous when others got their invites....
It came today! ooo, I was so excited, it set me back a half hour on my morning routine! I'm going to be online a lot playing with Ravelry. Don't know? Go here... If you knit or crochet, put your name on the waiting list for an invite - it's still in it's Beta phase, and from what I understand, there are like only 2 people running the whole thing, including sending people invites. So hang in there!
If you're on Ravelry, please look for me, and add me as a friend! I'm lmilla, same as my blog profile...
Now, on other news, I'm finishing up the i-cord for Mandy's Candy Bag, and then I can post pics and let Amanda know I'm done! hmmm - I think that's it. Still stalled on the Coachella. It's OK. I needed a quick knit to boost my knitting energy. When the candy bag is done, I'll hop back on it.
Alrighty! Back to play on Ravelry!!!
It came today! ooo, I was so excited, it set me back a half hour on my morning routine! I'm going to be online a lot playing with Ravelry. Don't know? Go here... If you knit or crochet, put your name on the waiting list for an invite - it's still in it's Beta phase, and from what I understand, there are like only 2 people running the whole thing, including sending people invites. So hang in there!
If you're on Ravelry, please look for me, and add me as a friend! I'm lmilla, same as my blog profile...
Now, on other news, I'm finishing up the i-cord for Mandy's Candy Bag, and then I can post pics and let Amanda know I'm done! hmmm - I think that's it. Still stalled on the Coachella. It's OK. I needed a quick knit to boost my knitting energy. When the candy bag is done, I'll hop back on it.
Alrighty! Back to play on Ravelry!!!
Friday, August 3, 2007
New arrival! (not mine!)
I am very proud to announce that I am an auntie, again! Isn't she beautiful?
This is her, one day old, wearing the baby cap I knitted up last night. Probably will be the only time she wears it. As I was knitting it last night, I was thinking how silly it was to knit it, especially out of Paton's SWS in Natural Pink (which is a scrumptious knit - I will definitely be using it again!), seeing as how it is in the mid- to upper-90's right now in Richmond, VA. Yuck. Poor baby, whose auntie forces her to wear a wool cap for pictures.While I was waiting for her to arrive yesterday, I got a nice start on Mandy's Candy Bag. See?
I've since done about another inch or so. I think I'm going to make the I-cord nice and long and make it into a little girl's purse, since the baby's big sister, my first niece, was there while I knitted and she was fascinated by the process. I think she'd like a little purse. Don't 3 year old princesses like purses?
Here's the Big Boy with his new little cousin. I think he likes the idea of a baby. It will be nice for him to be used to seeing a little one before our little one comes in about 5 months!!!
Thursday, August 2, 2007
I remembered!
Wow - that really did drive me crazy! I spent the next couple of hours trying to figure out what else I had done new with the Coachella tank top... And then it hit me - it didn't really have to do with the actual knitting - just the prep for knitting. I had heard that you could dip the plastic wire of the circular needles into hot water and then they wouldn't curl as much. I did that with the metal size 7s with which I started the piece (Mrs. Johnston would be so proud! I just typed this sentence ending with "with" - but her HS grammar training overpowered me, and I felt guilty, and so I rearranged the sentence so as to not end with "with." Wait - was that a run-on sentence?). It did work for a while, but they finally returned to their original shape. The bamboo size 9s I'm using right now I did not dip in hot water - I heard that it might swell the wood. So the Coachella is a little ball in the middle of the circular needle's curl....
Also, I realized I was doing something else new. I've never really wound the yarn around my left hand to help control the tension while knitting - but I've found that if I wrap the yarn around my pinky and then around my index finger, it really does help! Gosh! and even when purling, I wrap it a couple times around my index finger. I've read several knitting books that recommend doing this - and I'd tried it out, too, but I'd always dropped the wrapped yarn, thinking it didn't help me that much. Now, it's almost a habit to pick up the yarn like that. Maybe I'm making big strides....
Amanda, the NH Knitting Mama, has designed a really cute candy bag that looks like it will be a fun knit. I think I'm going to start one up, so I can stop stressing about the fact that the Coachella won't be ready in 2 weeks, and so I can get entered for some swag!!! Check out her site here for more info!
I just heard from my sock-knitting mommy friend, and I think we're going to knit these socks from Knitty.com. I am so excited!!! They will be my first socks, and I love short socks (whatever you call them - ankle socks? anklets?). I think I want to have them started up so I can knit them while lying on the beach in St. Thomas in 2 weeks. We'll see if I really want to knit while lying on the beach - at least I'll be able to knit them while flying down there!
Also, I realized I was doing something else new. I've never really wound the yarn around my left hand to help control the tension while knitting - but I've found that if I wrap the yarn around my pinky and then around my index finger, it really does help! Gosh! and even when purling, I wrap it a couple times around my index finger. I've read several knitting books that recommend doing this - and I'd tried it out, too, but I'd always dropped the wrapped yarn, thinking it didn't help me that much. Now, it's almost a habit to pick up the yarn like that. Maybe I'm making big strides....
Amanda, the NH Knitting Mama, has designed a really cute candy bag that looks like it will be a fun knit. I think I'm going to start one up, so I can stop stressing about the fact that the Coachella won't be ready in 2 weeks, and so I can get entered for some swag!!! Check out her site here for more info!
I just heard from my sock-knitting mommy friend, and I think we're going to knit these socks from Knitty.com. I am so excited!!! They will be my first socks, and I love short socks (whatever you call them - ankle socks? anklets?). I think I want to have them started up so I can knit them while lying on the beach in St. Thomas in 2 weeks. We'll see if I really want to knit while lying on the beach - at least I'll be able to knit them while flying down there!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
