No pictures...

There has been little knitting going on around here. A lot of that has to do with the TV-ban I've imposed on myself.... Except for a little So You Think You Can Dance (which we all know I can't knit while watching), I'm not watching much TV at all. Hubby is gone tonight for a band practice, so I think I'll settle in with some good Food Network shows (love me some Alton Brown!) and knit away!

I started on my cousin's Coachella tank top - I only have about 2 inches done. This has been a good learning experience for me already. I've done several new things with this. I SWATCHED!!!! yes, I did! I've never made a swatch before. The swatch itself was a disaster, because, for some reason, I didn't want to knit it on the size 9 circs that I'm actually knitting the piece with. Instead, I used some horrible plastic straight needles. I've used plastic before, but these were really bendy, and I couldn't get a tight, even stitch on them. I can't remember where I got them, or what I used them on.... But back to the swatch.... the stitches were loose and floppy - but I plowed ahead and decided that the bamboo and metal circs that I'll be using would provide the gauge needed. And I was right, so far!

Also new: I did the Long-Tail Cast On. And I LOVE it! So pretty, so neat! Much nicer than the knitting cast on I've been doing.

There was something else new that I've tried with this, but I can't remember what it was right now. Hmmm.... completely gone. If I remember, I'll post it. Geez, now that's going to bother me...

Once again...

I apologize. I really do have the best of intentions... I've kind of been holding off on a blog entry because, as of this morning, I can show you.... drum roll, please.... a FO!!!!

It's the Om Yoga Mat Bag from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation.... and it feels like it's been in process for far too long. And it's definitely been a labor of love! Here's the full story....

As you might know, my friend's present started off as the Namaste Yoga Mat Bag. I shelved that after a couple of repeats of the cable pattern. It just wasn't doing it for me.

The Om Yoga Mat Bag was a fun knit. As I said earlier, I had to pay attention while I was knitting, or else I would forget to psso and I'd wind up with way too many stitches. But once I got the hang of it, it knitted pretty fast. I have no idea how long it actually took me, because the knitting was pretty sporadic.

See the lace pattern? It's so nice and neat on the diagonal! At least, it was at the top of the picture. The bottom of the picture show how wonky it is from when I first started knitting. I also don't know what caused the line through the pattern about 3/4ths the way up the picture. The good thing about all of this is that you can't tell any of these things in the FO. The wonky part is on the back, beneath the strap.

Then, earlier this week, as I was approaching 13 inches (the amount you're supposed to knit before binding off), I took the unused needle, thinking that it might be about 13 inches long, to hold it up to the knitted portion to approximate how much further I might have to go. I glanced at the needle to see if, by chance, the length of the needle was imprinted on the side, along with the needle's size. The needle's size?!? Um, the needles that I had been using for the past 9 inches were not an 8, as I had thought. Nope - there, on the side, plain as day, it said "7." Grrr. I decided against frogging the 9 inches I had done, because I thought if I did, I would never finish this thing. And the lace pattern is nice and stretchy - it still would fit the yoga mat. So on I went with my size 7s. I finished knitting it Thursday. I sewed the piece together Friday. And this morning I made the pretty green tie and wove it through. It is finished!

It is knit with Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Charcoal. The tie is the same in Lime.

I see my friend this week - I hope she doesn't mind that her birthday gift is 2 and 1/2 months late!

I got the Berroco Suede yarn for this amazing top to knit for my cousin. Another knit with a deadline... this one I hope will be done on time!!! We're leaving for St. Thomas August 17, so I can hand deliver it, but only if it's done! I think this will work quickly - the yarn is scrumptious! Not at all what I expected. I eyed Lion Brand's Lion Suede at Michael's the last time I was in there, and I thought there would be no way I would give a gift made of that. But the Berroco Suede isn't what I'd called "suedy." If it is, it's a finer suede than I've ever felt! I got it in the Dale Evans color, as shown in the pattern, because I think it would look beautiful on my tanned cousin, with her blond-hair-blue-eyes!

Last week, Hubby, Big Boy and I all went to a conference that the fellowship we attend puts together. It was an amazing time - the Lord spoke to me in many different ways, and I am looking forward to seeing how He works in me, and in us as a family. One thing I wish I had done was bring my knitting. Once Big Boy went to bed, Hubby and I got to sit and talk, but neither of us brought a book or anything else to work on. So after 9:00pm, it was pretty much just lights out for us. But it was a wonderful week of the Word and fellowship. Plus, I didn't have to cook any meals!

WHOA!

Man, time has flown! I had promised myself I would be a good little blogger and blog a lot - but 2 weeks have past, and I am delinquent!

I've decided I'm not going to do the 10 on Tuesday blog entries anymore. That was fun, but not on topic (ha ha), and I wound up not being able to pots on Yano's site that they were up. The filter I have on our computer was blocking me from doing that, somehow. It wasn't dire enough for me to figure out what was happening, but it was kind of discouraging, because I was doing the 10 on Tuesdays but no one else who was doing them knew that I was participating, too. So.... plus, I didn't like only blogging on Tuesdays.

Thanks to Amanda's encouragement, I did not frog the Namaste Yoga bag. It is safely put away in my craft cabinet, awaiting another day. I did start the Om Yoga bag from Stitch-n-Bitch Nation, and I am enjoying it so much more! The lace pattern is easy-peasy to remember - I just have to look at the beginning and the end of each row to see how the pattern staggers (to make the lace on a diagonal). I love how it's looking!

It is kind of slow going, though, because I love to knit in front of the TV. But I discovered that when I knit this in front of the TV (specifically, So You Think You Can Dance), I forget to psso in the pattern. I wound up with 10 extra stitches on my row at one point, and I had to tink back 4 rows to get to the psso's that I didn't do.

I also can't paint my nails during So You Think You Can Dance. They turned out to be a disaster. I have a problem with that show. I love it so much I can't tear myself away. It's like Hubby watching Heroes. You just don't talk to him while it's on. Same thing for me with SYTYCD. I'm a hopeless case when it comes to that show. I wish I could move even a little bit like those kids can move. Man!

I'm not knitting anything else right now, but I'm eying a couple things. A couple of which are on the summer knitty site... Would these be good socks to start with? I love ankle socks... And I think I'm going to knit this for my cousin... She's a tiny thing, and lives in St. Thomas, and I think she would look phenomonal in this. She's turning, ehem... 40 in August. And.... drum roll please.... I'm going to see her! YES! IN ST. THOMAS! And she doesn't know!!! hee hee hee! (she's not a blog reader, so I'm not worried!). Her sister, my other cousin, has coordinated a girls' weekend down there to celebrate the big day, so all of us female relatives are heading down to hang out. You know, in the Carribbean. Without Hubbies and Big Boys. So nice...

I got this in the mail last week...


Isn't so pretty? It's Knit One Crochet Too's Cotonade in Moss. Now, what to knit, what to knit....?

10 on Tuesday

Hmmm, Yano, I don't think I can do this one. "Brag About Yourself" - I think the title you said you were going to use was 10 Awesome Things about Yourself. I am not in the bragging mood - not at all. In fact, I'm in quite a negative mood. So let's not dwell on me...

I think I'm going to frog the Namaste yoga bag. It's just not turning out the way I thought, and I can't imagine knitting for another 24 inches on this this. It looks nice - see?

I'm just not having fun with it. And I need something fun right now. Plus, just after taking this picture, the loose size 8 needle fell behind the couch. That makes 2 lone size 8 needles behind the couch. I guess I should retrieve them soon. Especially if I want to start on the Om Yoga Mat Bag without buying a new set of size 8s.

Big Boy decided to have some fun with the white fabric I take pics of my WIPs on. Enjoy!

My Mystery Bag

A couple of weeks ago - er... a month or so ago, I made my first online purchase from Discount Yarn Sale. I bought a couple different yarns to make the Namaste Yoga bag and...


I was drawn in by the Mystery Bag description (as quoted from the website): "Mystery bags are a surprise mixture of yarns and contain at least $50.00 worth of yarn, but cost only $29.99." And even better - the Mystery Bags were (and are still) on sale for $23.99! I had to have one. Here are its contents (in 2 pics):

The likes...

And they are (clockwise starting from top left) a beautiful ladder ribbon yarn called Eros by Herwool, a lovely acrylic/wool blend called Action by NY Yarns ( I love the green, blue, and purples mixed together in this one. I've fingered this before at my local Ben Franklin), the 10th skein out of my ordered bag of Lions Brand Jiffy (they sell you a bag of 9 on the site - it was nice of them to put the 10th in my Mystery Bag), a lovely Mohair blend called Kitten Mohair by SandnesGarn, and another gorgeous ribbon yarn - this one from Knit One Crochet Too called Tartelette. Beautiful! I'm combing through some one skein books to decide what to do with these guys!


And the dislikes...

I guess the main reasons I don't like these are the colors. I'm not much of a purple or pink person. These are a deep purple chenille called Sinsation from Plymouth Yarn, a 100% cotton yarn called Italy Baby from Plymouth Yarn, a 100% nylon fuzzy yarn called Flash from Plymouth Yarn, and a novelty yarn from Moda Dea called Lazy Daisy. I think I like the last one a little - I just don't know what to do with it....


I've started on the Namaste Yoga Bag - and it's slower going than I thought. I love doing cables... but this is knitting up so tight! The gauge is good, so I'm not worried, but it's hard to purl into the cable rows after I've knit them. I'm trying to knit a little looser (I figure if the bag's a bit big, it will be OK. But I'm a tight knitter anyway. I'm debating... I found a cool lace yoga bag in Stitch 'N Bitch Nation - here's a pic of a completed one. I'm still thinking of subbing the Lions Brand Cotton Ease with the Lions Brand Jiffy that I got for the Namaste Bag... thinking thinking thinking. Although I do have a couple of skeins of the Cotton Ease in my stash...


I can't buy anymore yarn for a while. Sigh. We're out of money. But my birthday is coming up, and I have dropped some hints...

Today I tell the "world!"

I hinted at some news I wanted to share with the world a couple of weeks ago...

I'm pregnant!

I'm so excited... we started telling people after our first Dr's appointment last week... and I've been thinking I need to post this in my blog... but I just hadn't done it. But since I'm still sitting here wasting time, there's no need to put this off until tomorrow's post!

So Baby is coming in early January (perhaps... maybe late December if we decide to do another c-section). This will make Big Boy 2 years older than Baby. This is exactly the same spacing as my brother and I (I am the oldest by 23.5 months). And to me, this is ideal. Perhaps it's just the memories I have growing up - yes, for a good bunch of my childhood/teenage years, my younger brother was the bane of my existence. But the fun we had as kids (when we weren't fighting) and the times we had once I went to college - gosh, good memories.

And I love being pregnant. All the bad things fly out the window (the hip pain, the fatigue, the 70 lb weight gain!!!) when I think that I am bringing a life into this world. The good thing is I have not been as sick as I was with Big Boy. I think my current stay-at-home situation makes it different/better... last time I spent the first trimester sitting in front of my computer at work feeling barfy, feeling sorry for myself. Now, I have a Big Boy to chase after, who will let me lay down on the sofa, who will run by me on the way to his next toy and give me snotty kisses as I lay there. Much better circumstances.

So... boy or girl? Another boy would be so much fun, and much easier. I already have all the stuff. No need for a new set of toys (i.e. princesses and dolls and the like) to clutter up the house. And seriously, I was such a tomboy myself - I don't know what I would do with a girl. And I have always felt I would be a mom of boys... But a girl... all the pretty dresses and fun girl things - a little girl would brush my hair and think I was pretty and want to do things with me for a long time - and as she grows up, I dream of a friend - like my mom. A best friend who is there no matter what - because she loves me, and sees herself in me... My mom's friendship has grown deeper and more valuable to me as I've gotten older. I want that for myself with my daughter.

So the Lord will give us whatever He wants for us, and it will be perfect - boy or girl.

Now, on to thinking about baby knits!!!

10 on Tuesday

Thanks, Yano...

10 Occupations You Wanted to be When You Were Young

1. Astronaut
2. Teacher
3. Dancer (ha... ha ha ha HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!)
4. Interior designer
5. Librarian
6. Musician
7. Movie Star
8. Boss (it didn't matter of what - as long as I was a boss)
9. Veterinarian
10. Pilot

I promise promise promise to catch you up on my Mystery Bag yarns tomorrow. Promise.