Dispatch from the Patch

Just when it seemed we were out of the danger from the cold, a leftover piece of it jumped up and bit me.  Actually, it was a patch of ice I was not even thinking of watching out for because the danger of ice seemed like it should have been gone.  Yeah, I fell, but it could have been much worse.  I was carrying my nephew (he's 20 months) at the time, and I am just glad that he was unhurt.  I was carrying him on the left and I managed to fall to the right.  Now I have a somewhat sad elbow and shoulder, but it is not too bad.  I am doing the resting and icing and that is helping.  It has limited me from doing much beyond Netflixing, but there are worse ways to pass time.  Anyway, somehow I have found a comfortable position on the couch and gotten some real sleep in acceptable quantities for three nights in a row, even.  Yeah, I'm surprised, too, but quite pleased.  

So, you ask yourselves, and quite rightly, "Why is she bothering to blog if she's just lying about on the couch not doing anything?"  Well, you see, before the fall, my sister found a picture of something and gave a not-so-subtle hint that she would like me to make it for my niece.  Since it is unbearably cute, super easy, and takes almost no time, I made one.  I think I will make more.    

Sweet Three-Toed Sloth of Ice Planet Hoth

Ah, it is another of those weather-induced opportunities to dig through your bin of handknits and wear them all.  Some of us are so bundled up in handknits that we could make those fiber festival goers look like their special ensembles of everything they've made in the past year is really just the secret wink to other knitters that they think it is.  

We are staying warm and doing our best to take it easy here.  The cold temperatures are probably helping us take a break from things since the best choice is just to stay home and wait for the weather to change.  

Life has continued to be full.  We traveled a bit last month on a journey that was too long and too short all at once.  Being home is good.  I am finding myself a bit unsettled with what to knit, so I am working on different things here and there in hopes of completing something soon.  

Anyway, I did manage to finish a number of knits and weaves for gifts, (don't want to steal credit--the purple blanket under baby Eva was knit by my grandma, not me) on time, even.  You can spy some of them here amongst my photo collage of some bits of life from the past six weeks or so.  

          

Just Keep Knitting

The gift knitting is well underway.  I have one to show for now, a modified Hermione Hearts Ron (replaced the lace panels with plain purls between the cables) hat for my nephew.  Everything else has been Goldilocks syndrome around here--too long, too short, and the next one had better be just right, or somebody is getting a gift card to go with her book.  I have ideas for other gift knits, but am keeping a relaxed attitude about it.   The next thing to get to is another Jumbo Gnome, and I am looking forward to that.  

Anyway, more than a few of my not-so-favorite things have converged as of late.  It is difficult because they are troubles for people I love, and I cannot fix any of it.  They are not things to mention here, or really anywhere, I suppose, because they are not my things to tell.  I am doing a lot of processing and not a lot of sleeping.  So, for right now, I am just peeking in, reading blogs, and just not up for commenting.  I am thinking of you all often.  

Modeled Shots Soon

Exciting times are here, and by that, I mean it is new niece time.   At 8lbs, 6ozs; 21", our Zelda Lambiekins (they are still working on the name) is a bundle of of lovey snuggliness.  The whole family is doing well and so happy.    

  

No Tricks, All Treats

Feeling good feels good, and doing good feels good, right?  Help Stacey do more good in her NMO fundraising efforts, eh?  Would you like an added bonus for doing good?  There are prizes, so you can donate early, donate often, and spread the word.  And hurry, because this year's fundraiser is almost over!   

The Knitting Can Wait

While the son-in-law is busy with a work thing, we are super-pleased to have our daughter back in town visiting.  We took the opportunity to have a little bit of family fun.  It was wild, weird, and fun, and I think the first time we have done something like this since the kids were, well, kids.  The Georgia Aquarium was the destination, and it was wonderful.  

I planned on knitting during the car ride, but I also planned on sleeping the night before, so there you go.  You will have to wait a bit longer to see what I have been knitting.  For now, I present you with a few photos from the aquarium.  

Maybe I Need That Video

Getting it on the warping board was just one step; getting it on the loom takes a bit longer.  Perhaps the new video from Interweave, Life After Warping is what I need.  I have had this on the warping board for weeks now, just waiting for the time and concentration needed for the next step.  Well, those perfect circumstances are not going to just present themselves, so I need to grab some time that I think will work and get going.      

Hi, Funny Bunnies!

Well, it took a few tries, but I finally made some little bunny-blanket-lovey-bits.  I experimented some with the numbers and shaping, and like the results.  They are quick knits, but you wouldn't know it with my start-to-finish time on the first one.  For some reason, I had trouble with the portion of the pattern for working the ears.  I finally did something that seems to work, but I still find myself a bit puzzled that I could not make sense of those directions when so many other people have knit from this pattern.  Anyway, I think there are at least two more of these in my very near future, and I am fine with that.  Right now, the hardest thing about these is not giving them to the babies right now.  If I do that, I will need to make or buy something else for Christmas, and I really want to watch that I do not overload myself.  

Pile of POP!

Well, it would seem that it is that time again.  The season has changed, and it is time to take another look at the state of the Pop! Blanket.  We see that we have another sixteen squares in their unblocked, curling glory.  I know you have been wondering, wishing, and hoping that I would show you how these look before blocking, so this must be your lucky day.  Actually, there are more than sixteen in the pile, and I have knit even more since I took the photo.  I have been knitting a bit here and there in spare moments, and while it feels like I have not been doing much, the little bits add up to real progress.  Oh, how I forget to remember that!  

Anyway, I had left this project alone because I needed the break, but it has sat for long enough.  Speaking of enough, I wonder how many squares I should make.  I have been working on this for so long, it seems like I should have a huge blanket when I am done.  Then again, how big of blanket do I really want?  The other question I must ask myself is whether I am just trying to get out of working on this any longer and wanting to be done.  Letting a project sit undone for too long is not my favorite, but this is the time of year when there are other things I could be making.  On the other hand, it is also getting to be the time of year where having a new blanket will be wonderful.   

From Gnome-More to More Gnome

Sometimes when life stresses me, I knit many small things.  This time, I had the idea of knitting large things.  It was a thought of knitting several of the large things to help with something even bigger.  Then it became clear that my involvement in the situation would not be helpful.  Still, I had the pattern, I had the yarn, and I wanted to make it.  Then another bit of difficult news arrived, and it took several attempts to get the tension on my stranded knitting under control, but focusing on that helped.  Soon, I was planning making more for every gift-giving occasion through the rest of the year.  Of course, I have thought better of that, seeing as how most of the birthdays in the family fall between now and Christmas.  It's not like that will not keep me from making more as gifts, just not one for everyone.  Besides, not everyone wants a big gnome.  No, really, it's true; I just don't always figure it out in time.      

For now, I have one large gnome completed, and I love him.  His future is still up in the air; he might be a birthday gift for someone, or he might live here forever.    

No Longer a Lack

A couple of years ago I was at a local knittogether, and the topic of unexplored knitting techniques came up between some of us.  Two of us discovered that we had never even attempted entrelac, and we decided that we should do something about our lack of entrelac.  Well, the rest of 2011 was already claimed, and there was something about 2012 that wasn't going to work, so we decided on 2013.  Add in this, that, and the other, and it was August, and we finally got down to it.  Helen chose the garterlac dishcloth pattern to help her with a blanket square project.  Since I did not want to just knit a swatch, I decided to follow in the footsteps of many a beginner and knit a scarf.  Well, at least that was the plan unless once I got past the learning I decided it wasn't something I wanted to do.  

I chose KnittyOtter's Entrelac Scarf and Tutorial, and it worked wonderfully for me.  I kept going long past the point of caring, and by the end, I was back to enjoying the process.  I adore my scarf, and have learned something new, too!   

Awesome or Awful, August is Over

Yes, another month has come and gone, and once again, I find myself thinking it has been both very long and very short.  The fact is, a lot has been happening, and I have even had an increase in my knitting.  

I do not know where "putting together a shed from a kit" falls on the major life stresses list, but it is probably pretty high up there.  This adventure has been going on for far too long, but the construction has only been for the last week, and we are still not quite done.  However, we are carrying on, following the directions, taking it step-by-step, and hardly throwing any temper tantrums.  We have had some good help, and that has made all of the difference.  I will say that the shed crew might have used their allotment of jokes about not being able to get it in the hole, the sack of nuts, and size/measurement, but as long as they are helping, I really do not mind.  

It seemed the babies had avoided the rounds of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease sweeping through daycare, but we were wrong.  It has not been fun, but there are certainly worse things to endure.  For example, putting together a shed.  

In the midst of shedding, plague babies, and various terrible things, I found another opportunity to make more tiny things.  I heard from a dear friend from long ago from whom I had not heard in quite some time.  I wanted to make something for him and could not decide what it should be.  After spending too much time looking at patterns for hats and thinking about scarves, I switched gears and decided to make small things.  I knew I could make them quickly and could leave the other things for another time.  Besides, these are fun and maybe a bit silly, and life should have more of that.  

         

Blocked and Folded

Now the only thing left to do is deliver the finished piece.  Yep, I am done with the Lilac Leaf Shawl, and I am really pleased with it.  I could have finished it sooner, but I agonized a bit about just how many repeats of the center chart I should do, and then I procrastinated a little about the garter-stitch-kitchenering.  Since this is not for me, I was a little unsure about what finished dimensions to shoot for, and I could not remember just how much Jaggerspun Superfine Merino blooms/grows in the blocking process.  After some smoothing, measuring, draping, and guessing, I settled on one last repeat, and it was the right decision.  The finished measurements of 75" x 20" seem like a nice size.  

As I said, this is not my shawl, but something I am donating.  Recently, the newsletter for the lys put out a call for shawls, and I decided to participate.  The request comes from a local chapter of a veterans' organization collecting gowns for the Marine Corps Ball, and they are hoping to pair wraps with the gowns.  I have not decided whether or not I am going to make any more for this, but I have thought about perhaps weaving something.  I just hope what I have done is appropriate for the occasion and fits with what they are seeking.        

Not Quite VocabuLARRY, but Just as Scary

It has been a time of quickly knitting a collection of tiny things, and I think this selection is particularly spectacular, although the rushed photo is not.  The zombie and the clown are contenders for topping the favorites and/or creepy list.  The release of the Tiny Pets collection meant that I had to include some of those, and the gnome is the obvious choice for rounding out the set.  These are a gift for the daughter and son-in-law as they move out into their first place.  Yeah, this is another opportunity for me to put lessons learned into practice, leaving worry and anxiety aside, and focus on hope, growth, and positive potential.  After all, both methods yield results, but only one is helpful.  

Lace to the Rescue

Sometimes, lace is the right answer, especially when I don't know the question.  This is certainly one of those times.  I have been needing a bit of a break from the POP! Blanket squares, and this is definitely a departure from that project.  I had tried this pattern (Lilac Leaf Shawl) before with handspun, but I was woefully under-yardage for it.  That mistake was my own; (actually, it was a series of mistakes) combine that with the fact that many knitters have needed more than the listed amount, and I did not get very far with it last time.  

This time I have more than enough, and the lace is flowing off the needles effortlessly and swiftly.  There was a moment when I applied the tape measure to check my progress and the lace refused to grow no matter how much I knit.   Then, as I approached the end of the first cake of yarn, it finally released about ten inches of growth.  I am nearly done with the project, (only about 7700 more stitches to go) as I already knit the other end and it waits patiently in the yarn closet until it is time for grafting.  

Once I finish this, I want to get something new on the loom.  I need to have some success after something that did not work as planned.  I might show you later, but it needs to sit and think about what happened before it is ready for photos.  

Before we get to that, I will show you what happened with my Tour de Fleece, but that will wait for another day, too.     

Learning is its Own Reward

At least that is what I am telling myself, but it feels a bit hollow.  I tackled some new-to-me weaving techniques, and in many ways, the venture was a success.  However, my efforts fell short, quite literally.  On the upside, my grandma gets a new scarf.  On the downside, that was not what I was trying to weave.  

This was my first attempt at indirect warping and using a warping board.  I actually need a real warping board, because my inkle loom does not accommodate a warp long enough for, oh, let's say, a full sized scarf, but I thought it did.  I think I had calculated correctly, but that was when I was winding the warp incorrectly, and I did not re-check measurements when I fixed that error.  At least that is what I think happened.  Maybe I made some other mistake, but that does not change the fact that I need a real warping board.  I researched them and considered diy-ing it, but figured that between any equipment needed and the time and materials, I would probably be better off buying one.  Then I found a used one for a reasonable price, but just before I had saved enough pennies, someone else bought it.  So, I went back to my other choices, and I think I might have a winner.  

Anyway, now that the scarf has been off the loom for a bit, I do feel better about it all.  I did well with the indirect warping method, and am glad to understand it so that I can use it for other weaving projects.  This was also my first time using two heddles to weave, and that went quite well.  It allowed me to use some beautiful laceweight alpaca to create some wonderfully fine, drape-y cloth.  It also helps that I was able to give the scarf to my grandma, and I think she likes it.      

Dipping My Toes In

Since I had a skein of sock yarn already in cake form sitting in the knitting bag next to the couch, and, it is summer, (as I have been reminded) I decided to knit socks.  I do not remember what the previous plan for this yarn had been, but now they are Circle Socks.  I think I got the pattern idea from Squish adding it to her queue.  I made a few changes--knit them toe-up, fewer total stitches, Sweet Tomato Heel (youtube link), fewer pattern repeats, and added a little bit of ribbing at the top.  

I really like them, though I cannot get a good photo that shows the colors right to save my life.  The pattern is easy, and the texture is nifty.  I like the Sweet Tomato Heel, and it was good to learn something new.  I also learned that I should not work it over 2/3 the stitches if I am making socks for Bruce.  These are his socks, but my nephew has already tried to steal them.  Maybe I will knit a pair for him next.  Then again, his dog loves to eat socks, so maybe not.  Besides, I just checked the calendar, and it is Tour de Fleece time.  Yikes!  

POP!

Just popping back in because I have a photo, or something.  Yeah, two more sets of sixteen POP! Blanket squares.  These are the third and fourth sets, if you're keeping count.  Actually, that remains true even if no one is counting, but that is a different topic.  As far as knitting goes, that is pretty much it.  Life goes on as it does, the seasons change, and the fact that I have not blogged each bit of it is something for us to all put in our gratitude jars.    

Anyway, there have been some really nifty and exciting things happening.  For example, my nephew, Harrison, had his first birthday in April.  A month from now, it will be time to celebrate the first birthday of my niece, Madeline.  And before the year is up, Harrison will have a new little brother or sister.  The due date is 11-12-13, and the appointment to discover the branding of new baby is sometime the first week of July.  

I have been thinking about the next knit, and I am just not sure.  It has been quite some time since I have had lace on the needles, and socks seem like I good idea, too.  Then there is the 2013 Entrelac thing.  No, I won't be combining it with either Forest Path Stole or Entrelac Socks, but what I will do next remains to be seen.  In the meantime, I will keep knitting the blanket squares.  It feels like quite the accomplishment that I have kept up with the end-weaving part of the project.  I was trying to recall just how many squares I planned for this blanket.  I think I might have decided on 100, so that means I am over halfway there, but still have plenty more to go.          

Did They Know It's Called Baby Lace?

My mom went to make bottles for the babies and came back to find them celebrating joyously.  Victory was theirs; they had found a hidden prize and their determination and efforts had finally paid off.  They were waving their quarry in the air, cheering and poking their little fingers through the lace.  It's a good thing I love them so much.  Now I just have to figure out if and how I can repair the damage.  Yes, there are nupps, yes, there are many broken ends in the yarn, and only a couple of the marked areas are pulled stitches.  

   

Oh, Honey!

Well, it may not be particularly original, but I love my new Honey Cowl.  It came off the needles, went onto my neck, and has spent most of its time there.  I'm ready to call my first attempt at knitting from unspun silk a success, and I have something useful to show for my efforts.  The experience of knitting this was good, and now that I have some experience with it, I would be confident to work with unspun silk away from home.  I would still keep the process of peeling and stretching to make the yarn as a home activity, though.