Happy Birthday, Sister!

Yes, it is time for one of the most knitblog-worthy of occasions, the knitalong!  This will not likely be a quick one, for we are knitting large items.  How large?  Well, if we get gauge, (and we'd better, or we'll need more yarn--seriously, we've been warned) they will be 50" square.  We're knitting the Hue Shift Afghan.  Can you believe it?  

My sister took up knitting over a year ago, and she's made her way through a few projects.  She finished her first major piece, (except for the ends--yes, I agreed to weave them in for her, and yes, you can judge away) so I asked her if she'd like to do a knitalong.  She seemed a little wary, as people often think I am a much faster knitter than I actually am.  Yes, it's true that I have more free time than she does, but she is a monogamous knitter, and besides, I thought she'd like the blanket.  I sent her a bit of the pattern (don't worry, I bought her a copy of the pattern once she agreed) and asked if she felt like tackling it.  She said she watched a Youtube video on knitting mitered squares and feels confident.  As soon as that text came through, I asked which color set she liked (she said Rainbow is her favorite) and sent in an order.

I'm glad I asked, because I would have guessed Jewel, and I would have been wrong, but I'm not surprised she chose Rainbow, either.  In fact the only one that would have left me scratching my head is Decor, as that is the least "her" of them.  I am going with Pastel because, well, it is a little different than I would normally (Rainbow or Jewel) choose.  Decor is my least favorite of the selections, but I don't dislike it.  I just think the other color choices are better with this pattern. 

While I waited for the yarn to arrive, I planned on sewing a project bag for her, but that didn't happen.  You're shocked, right?  Anyway, I baked a cake and decorated it up as best as I could and sent the cake and present over.  It's a milestone birthday, and I wish I could have put on a big party for her, but that cannot be.  I hope the cake and this present are a good way to celebrate the occasion.  They say, "Go big, or go home."  Well, why not both?  We're going to be home for a while, yet.  We might as well do something big.  

Bunches of Boring

Life continues as it does here.  There have been struggles and setbacks, nothing special, but that is boring.  Wait, maybe you wanted to hear The Saga of the Sleep Study:  The Quest for a New CPAP (with surprise BIPAP ending), but you'll have to wait for the eighth, and possibly final chapter next month before that story can be told.  

So, while we're waiting to not tell that tale, what do we discuss?  Hmm...well, I had a knitalone instead of a knitalong due to a communication issue.  The pattern is Springtime Bandit by Kate Gagnon Osborn, in Knit Picks Shadow, TheLastChanceForThisColorwayBeforeThisYarnGoesAway.  This little shawl will go to family of family.  Earlier this year I decided the next shawl would go to this woman, it was time for the knitalong, (or so I thought) and here we are.
  

Speaking of what was supposed to be an -along but has been an -alone, I'm learning some Japanese.  Two or three years ago, our son bought Rosetta Stone, and he did not pursue it.  Then he asked us if we would go through the program with him--learn, practice, encourage, you know the drill.  Well, Bruce (who already knows a good bit of Japanese) made it through one lesson and declared it frustrating.  Taki has not made it through any lessons.  I've bought flashcards and workbooks, and made it through the first unit.  I started the second unit, and see that I need to maybe go back and do some of the first over again, as I am not doing well with it.  My progress has stalled like many a hibernating ufo.  

Now that I mention a stalled, hibernating ufo, and since we're talking boring here, I can tell you about the sweater I'm knitting.  It's not easy to make a brown blob of stockinette with too many stitches on the needle to spread out look good, so we'll just wait a bit for pictures.  The pattern is Featherweight Wrap to Knit, and I think I will like it when I finish it.  I'm just having a little trouble returning to the knitting of it after I took a break for some reason I cannot recall.  

So, what else have I been knitting?  Well, there were the four gnomes I contributed to Project Gnome Diplomacy.  

I also became part of a knitalong with Stacey for Julia.  I'm on the home stretch of this project, but the rows are getting a bit long.  Again, we'll just wait for photos on this one, but this time it's because I'm almost done.  Sure, we are likely months away from when I can wear it, but that will not stop me from finishing and enjoying.  I hope you are finishing what you need to complete, and enjoying at least one thing today.            

Tired of the Lions; Ready for the Lambs

Poor Brucie has some sort of plague, and we are into week two.  I believe he is on the mend; it is just not happening as quickly as either of us would like.  This has kept me out on the couch and up and down taking care of him, and my sleep schedule set to random.  By Monday, I was just flat worn out and slept most of the day, and then I realized I was not feeling so fabulous, and I kept telling myself that it was just a lack of sleep combined with high pollen levels, but I began to worry that I had contracted a case of plague-light.  Really, I did not feel too terrible, but I certainly did not feel great.  

So, when I haven't been sleeping through the television shows that interest me, I am knitting through crap programming or reading.  Last week I finished my Lady Violet's Dinner Gauntlets (Jimmy Beans Wool Downton Abbey Mystery KAL).  I like that I now have this pair of long gauntlets, the knitalong was enjoyable, and the pattern was simple.  You're only getting a blocking photo of one, but super-swear that I have finished both and laced them with their i-cords.    

After I finished the gauntlets, I was not really up for figuring out a new knit, so I worked on more squares for the POP! Blanket.  When I had the second set of sixteen done, I blocked them.  I even took a crappy cell phone pic and tweeted it, but then somewhere in the midst of possibly coming down with this crap (denial? me?) I managed to delete it.  Such is life, right?  Anyway, the first thirty-two blocks are waiting in a bag, and I have knit four more.  The good news is that I have been knitting the center circle with the second colorway (Rainforest) of Classic shades, and it looks like it is working well with the first (Watermelon).  

In other news, it is time to find a new feed reader because Google Reader is going away on July 1.  I was sad when they decided to get rid of iGoogle, but now that they are ditching Google Reader, I am starting to take it personally.   

As if that were not enough, we are having septic tank troubles.  Best-case scenario is that it just needs to be pumped.  If there are tree roots in the lines, well, that is not what we want, but someone will be out to work on the system on Saturday.  I hope things stay well enough until the repair/maintenance work is done.  

I meant to get this post up this morning, but a stabbing ear pain drove away my denial and to the doctor.  I have respiratory crud and an ear infection.  On a more positive note, I was able to knit one more square for the blanket during waiting times.  

Maybe I Should Stop Calling It Affliction

We have colds, and lost most of the weekend.  The whole thing is really just a bit of an annoyance, but occasionally, Bruce tells me that he thinks he will not survive.  While I generally approve of his being dramatic like that over a cold, I felt like the line belonged to me in reference to something else I did this weekend, but that is maybe a story for another day.  

So, there have been many naps, and too much time spent vacantly staring at crappy television programs, but that has not been all.  As it turns out, the endless garter stitch of Color Affliction has been an excellent companion.  It has allowed me to be productive when I could not focus on much else.  I am nearly to the short-row section, and I hope my brain is ready for it when I get there.    

Affected and Afflicted

While I cannot be sure of the first time I saw it, I think if was over at Margene's.  I looked at it and considered it, and then let the idea drift away.  However, it kept coming back.  It kept popping up here and there, and so did the desire to knit it.  Someone else showed me her yarn choices, and I thought about it some more.  Soon I was trying to decide if I wanted to knit it because so many others had, or if that was the reason I was resisting the idea.  Another knitter showed me her yarn, a plan hatched, and I bought the pattern that night.  I used the promise of stash-shopping as the reward to finish up a few things.  I already had ideas of what colors I would use, but looking into the bins gave me other ideas, and soon I had a bag of possibilities.  I showed it to others, they gave their opinions, and as they played with the various combinations, I had even more ideas. 

These are the yarns I gathered for Color Affection.  I keep playing around with various groupings of three and I am still not sure, but I really want to start knitting.  Cast on is slated for October 17th, so I still have time to decide.  It is good that I have other knits going to keep me from starting early.

So far, this combination dubbed "I Love the Eighties" seems to be the favorite amongst those I have asked.  

Here is the "Autumn Affection" set.  I think it is a little different from what I normally would pick, and is an interesting possibility.

Then there is this set that does not have a name.  Bruce said that the Ash would be good for socks.  I take that as a hint, and think I should get some secret socks going soon.  

My mom thinks I should do "I Love the Eighties" for the knitalong, but cast on for "Autumn Affection" right now in secret.  Maybe I will knit it for her, but I will be good and wait to cast on with everyone at the pre-determined time.  

What do you think?  One of the above combos, a different grouping, something else you know I have?  On the other hand, maybe you think I should just shut up, quit asking everyone, and figure it out for myself.          

Tales from the Tour

There is so much to love about spinning. It is more than just the creation of yarn; that is only part of the story. There are so many opportunities for memories along the way. From fiber acquisition, to the time the yarn (in whatever form it might be at that time) has completed its journey, much can happen.

I remember when I bought this alpaca/silk blend. It was a few years ago at a tiny fiber festival in Tennessee. A group of us had gone up together, though I think I was the only spinner amongst us at that time. Some were there just for the trip, others were just on the lookout for bargains, I think there was a reluctant knitter, and a couple more curious about spinning. I mostly wandered on my own, finding little gems along the way, including this big bag of fluff.

Then it sat and waited. I admired it, but did not think I was good enough at spinning to use it, and I wanted to wait until my spinning skills were worthy. Fast-forward to Le Tour de Fleece 2009, and I was ready to challenge myself. One day, a friend invited me to her home to spin and watch the cyclists on television. We chatted, I spun, she took pictures, and she pointed out places in France from her past. When I left, I began to formulate a plan--I wanted to turn this fluff into yarn and then knit it into something for her.

I began thinking of the right pattern, and I found one I would like to knit for her. Then it was time to check the yardage, and I was short by a lot, so the yarn sat. My friend moved away, and it sat some more. Then, there was a knitalong, and the pattern brought the alpaca/silk yarn to memory, but before starting, I checked yardage again, as I have been burned in the past.

I was so pleased to see that I had enough yarn, and I began knitting Emily2. It was odd to be participating in an online knitalong while needing to keep the project private, but I was just glad to be knitting for my friend. The only stumbling block that remained was getting it in the mail, and that took months, but I finally did, and now it is with my friend.

UM...Decided and Undecided

When I heard about the Emily/Emily2 knitalong, I knew that I wanted to play. Then, I thought that it would be a great gift for a friend, and worried that my participation as a knit-along-er would be terrible if I could not show my progress. At that point, I realized I had gotten ahead of myself, and there was much I needed to do before I could join in on the fun and games. So, I set to the tasks of finishing one project and making progress on a couple of others, and then deemed myself eligible to play with friends. I seriously think I have earned this, as I even made a decent dent in my Chalet Sock from PSCNeverHappened2009.

Next up was yarn selection time. I decided that I wanted to use the alpaca/silk yarn I spun for the TdF 2009. I thought it would be a great choice for the pattern, and I had wanted to knit it into a gift for my friend for quite some time. Then, I could not find it anywhere. I searched high and low, and began to wonder whether I had given it away. Somewhere in my brain, I remember getting the yarn out to see if would work for some project, but that was my last memory of it. Finally, I unearthed a knitting bag that has not seen much use for quite a while, and lo and behold, I found the yarn.

However, at this point, things had become a little bit complicated. First, I became quite enamored with a few other yarns in the stash. One of them led me to think about knitting Emily2 for yet another friend. It would also be a bit of a different experience, and a bit of a gamble. However, it would not require me to use beads, although it would not rule them out, either.

So, all I know for now, is that I am going to knit Emily2 whenever the kal begins.

Judge :: Mental
Safe :: Haven
Boulevard :: Wander
27 :: March
Next :: Time
Ma’am :: Yes
Desktop :: Clutter
Club :: Caveman
Violet :: Favorite
Enamel :: Nail

Eighteen Grams

Damask's last appearance was the cast-on plus a few rows. The experience of knitting with the silk single was interesting. I did not fully understand this until a later experience, but more on that another day. The nupps were more challenging in silk than in wool. Still, I enjoyed knitting Damask, and it is a great pattern.

As I had no way to get more of the yarn, and it was knit from many stitches from the bottom up, I decided to go for the medium size. I was concerned that it might be too small, but was more worried that I would run out of yarn. So, I cast on with my US 8 needles (5mm), and knit the rest with US 4 (3.5mm) and hoped for the best. A mere eighteen grams later, I was done. Knitting the medium size was the right choice.

Now I just have to wait for Mother's Day to give this to Mom.

It Fits!

I could not wait any longer to find out. Now, I just have to wrap it, and wait for Christmas to see her open it.

Whose Shawl?

Pattern: Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style
Size: 64"x33"
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock
Needles: US 6 Knit Picks Options
Mods: 10 reps of main chart instead of 8; added beads on edge chart
Began: September 15
Blocked: September 20

As you probably guessed, chocolate and iced coffee were not the ones to give me the answers I needed to finish the Shetland Triangle. I used my little digital scale, and when all was said and done, I had four grams to spare. I was so pleased. I wanted to use up as much of the yarn as possible, for it is very special yarn. I knit this using the Noro Kureyon Sock yarn that I won from Joan. This was also my inspiration for adding beads to the shawl. Now I cannot decide if this shawl is for me, or if it will be a gift. I love this shawl!

Skanky Start

The Skanky Shetland Triangle KAL has begun. I have been so ready to cast on for probably the last ten days, but I waited for the pre-determined start. However, I did not wait until sitting down with everyone tonight to begin. This is going to be such fun! I am excited for the people who are new to lace, charts, and shawls. I am so glad that they decided to take the plunge, because I know that they can do it. As varied as the people knitting along, so are the yarns we have chosen. So far, I believe there will be Schaeffer Anne, Malabrigo lace, Knit Picks Palette, a lace yarn that someone dyed himself, a camel/wool blend, and Noro sock yarn.

Those last two are mine. I decided to start with the smaller version. I am interested to see how the Noro sock yarn will look with this pattern. If it does not work, I have plenty of other options in the stash. I am already excited to begin the second shawl. It will be out the of camel/wool yarn.

Thursday Already?

While trying to choose a project for the Ravelympics, Helen considered knitting a sweater or the Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style. I urged her to knit the sweater, and said I would knit the Shetland Triangle with her afterwards. Interest amongst other Skanky Knitters has turned this into a full-fledged knitalong. I checked the book out from the library. Now that the date to cast on has been set, (9/15) I can hardly wait. I see other people knitting that shawl everywhere. I am ready to begin.

There exists a bizarre rumor that I am a fast knitter. It is a myth, yet despite my protestations, it persists. This legend inspired Helen to suggest that I should knit two of these shawls. I am willing to give it a go. I plan to knit one shawl as written in the book, and one with more lace repeats. I have decided on the yarn for the smaller one, and have narrowed down my yarn choices to two for the larger. While these are not great photos, I present them to you and seek your opinions for the shawl.

While waiting for the time to begin, I have spent a bit of time looking through Wrap Style. I am glad that it is available from the local library. I do not feel much for the other patterns in the book. I take that back. There are those which hold some appeal, but I cannot see wearing them, nor do I know someone for whom they would make a nice gift.

On the other hand, I flipped through my copy of Folk Shawls the other night, and I saw many designs I would love to knit. As I looked at many of the pictures, my mind began to spin. I mentally matched patterns to stash and recipients. Then I recalled Margene's recent writings on monkey mind, and I relaxed.

Uncharted Territory

I have been steadily making progress in my Ravelympic WIP Wrestling. The EPS FIYC is wonderful company for busy moments, as well as long knitting sessions. Icarus requires more attention, and it is best to knit whole rows before setting it down. This has meant planning time to work on the shawl. My Tuesday had looked like it was going to get away from me and leave me with no lace time. The day contained a few surprises that ultimately allowed me some nice, long blocks of quiet knitting time. The result has been fabulous progress as the lace leaps along the needles. Now I leave the comfort of the charts and move on to the edging. I have not looked at the line-by-line instructions, but I already miss my charts.

I have begun to estimate the time required to complete these two projects. I believe I have between two and three hours left on Icarus. I think I have a good grasp on how long it will take, and it is nice to see that I am so close to finishing. As for the sweater, I do not have as clear an idea. I do not think that I have more than thirty hours left, but that is such a rough guess. I think that is a very generous estimate, and I hope it will be less than this. I have not even begun to think about the time required to knit the leaf shawl. Please, I need someone to tell me I have two more weeks before the Ravelympics end.

Countdown

I have been preparing myself for the start of the Ravelympics. I examined the WIP Wrestling pile, and decided to challenge myself further. Not only am I representing Team Robonia, but also Team Wii Fit. Now lest you think I have gone even crazier, know that I have chosen just one more project, but it qualifies as an entry in two events.

I decided to enter the Shawl Relay and Gift Knits Pentathlon. There are birthdays and other gift-giving occasions on the way, and I decided that some people should get shawls. I have so many lovely patterns. Knitting Lace Triangles has been a part of my library for months, but I have not yet knit from it. That is about to change. The book is a wonderful resource. Evelyn Clark is brilliant. I like that she gives information on knitting the shawls in her book in whatever weight yarn you choose. I think that a worsted weight shawl is the right choice for the first recipient I have in mind. I looked at the chart in the back of the book and found the size I want to make with this weight yarn. I chose the Leaf Shawl and some Plymouth Galway Highland Heather yarn. It will be nice to have a gift finished ahead of the deadline.

Now I relax and wait. The countdown clock is ticking. Ravthletes are filling the Ravelympic Stadium. I am ready.

Still Summer

The summer break has just flown by so quickly. It is hard to think about kids returning to school this week while the weather is still so hot. My nephew will attend a new school this year, and we went with to attend the orientation session yesterday. There was not enough room for us get inside the cafeteria and within hearing range of whoever was speaking, so we just made our way to the classroom. My sister has a boatload of paperwork to wade through.

While summer is not yet over, all of this has me thinking about the knitting goals I set at the beginning of the season. I have made my way through the easiest of them already. I have so many things I would like to begin, but I also want Icarus and the EPS FIYC finished. I fear that if I were to begin some other project, these will get pushed further and further away and risk never being finished.

So, what am I to do? Enter, the Ravelympics! Maybe you thought I would use this time to begin and complete something new. However, I have decided to compete in WIP Wrestling. I am using this event to help me make my way through these two beloved projects that deserve to be finished. To prepare, I must see where my progress stalled out so long ago. If I see that I am closer to the finish line than I thought, I may enter another event. I am considering the Shawl Relay. I think it has been watching the fast shawling of some other knitters that put this last idea into my head.

Finally!

Months ago I was working on Super Secret Knitting. It was my square for a blanket. The intarsia cabled square was my contribution to this group gift. It was a new technique to me, and since it was a gift, I was nervous. However, it did not take long before I found my rhythm. Having the right bobbins made a difference. Margaret, the organizer of this gift, also embroidered the leaves on the square I knit. I helped finish the center square while Elisabeth was out-of-town. We knit the blanket out of Berocco Comfort. Margaret did the bulk of the work on this project. She put the squares together and lined the back with fleece. It was such a great idea to use the Great American Kid's Afghan for this project. It will be a great blanket for this little boy for years to come.


Since the blanket was to be lined with fleece, I could have worked my square with floats. However, this was a gift, and I wanted to do it right. Also, I would not have tried out a new technique, so I wound seven bobbins for the white cable bits. Both the front and back of my work turned out quite nice, if I do say so myself. Now I share with you what is beneath the cozy, blue, fleece back of the blanket, hidden from the world.

Mish Mash Monday

My Monday was great because I got to knit with my Skanks! I have missed them so much. I managed to show restraint and not go about creating an uncomfortable situation by hugging everyone. It had been way too long.

I am out of the running to become Supreme Sock Madness Champion. It seems like it was a rough round. Several knitters seemed so tired at the start of the round and ready to admit defeat just after the pattern release. For a minute, I thought that might give me a chance to make it through, but the three spots in the Tennessee Twisted Knitters division filled up quickly. Go, TTK! I do have one completed sock to show for my effort. I think that there might be a couple of problems with the pattern, but my brain was fried. I might try to tackle it later.

My Icarus is coming along, but not quickly. If I do not have the right rhythm, the rows drag by and I only complete one or two. Otherwise, I can complete a chart repeat. Still, the rows are getting longer, so it makes sense that they are not sailing along. In interesting news, my shawl has an admirer who inquired if it might be for her. The color changes of this yarn still entertain me.

Everything turned out fine with the daughter. It was just one of those unlucky things for her. The upside to the situation is it inspired her to register for classes.

I figured out yesterday that I owe an H post for the abc-along. I thought I had another week. I will try to get it done soon.

I have made a mad dash through my backlogged blog reading. This means I did not make too many comments. Sorry! I do not want to make grand announcements about how I am going to do things differently. However, I have noticed some areas that are in need of improvement and within my ability to change.

Re-Icarusing

My Icarus restart is a success. The Jojoland Harmony is much nicer to work with, and the slow color changes are entertaining to me. Nora asked for more photos, and I am not one to turn down such a request. You see my experiment with the blue. It looks nice, but it just was not right. I am more pleased with the new one.

I neglected to mention that I made it through the third round of Sock Madness. Arrival of the fourth pattern could happen at any moment. I was knocked out of the competition last year in round three, so I have already made it further this time. This is about the only kind of deadline knitting that I have been able to enjoy. We will see how this goes. I just got off the phone. One of the kids is not feeling well, so we may have waiting room time ahead of us today. I was called upon for my knowledge of the location of the appendix. I hope it is just gas.

Hope for Harmony

I've been sick with the crud. The good news is that I have finally gotten some sleep. The bad news is that my sleep is at odd hours and I am still missing out on life. Actually, that is fine, because I have not been up for much else.

I finished my experimental Icarus. I had intended to do more, but I accidentally pulled the needle out and then decided to be done with it. The yarn is not right for this project, but then I remembered the other yarn I had in mind for it. I have never knit with Jojoland Harmony before, but think it will work out nicely.

Lace on Lace

This week has wiped me out. I think the fact that I celebrated four consecutive hours of sleep today as an accomplishment has something to do with the way I feel. I nearly burst into tears when I could not join the Skanky Knitters on their Yarn Harlot adventure yesterday. You can see Jaspher and his first pair of socks over there.

I got just the boost I needed today when we went to the Cracker Barrel for supper. I was a bit dizzy and in a haze when I caught familiar faces. Since there were two empty chairs at their table, and because they are so fabulously nice, Christina and her family invited us to sit with them.

I think that this is what gave me the boost to be able to begin the latest round of Sock Madness. This is the infamous laceweight round which has been the subject of much fear and speculation for many participants. I decided to bring another Skank along with me (I miss them so much) by using some yarn that Laura gave me. You can see my progress atop my experimental Icarus.

That rumpled mess is all the knitting I have been able to accomplish this week. Yeah. Anyway, I am hoping for sleep tonight, but if it stays away, maybe I can make progress on Sock Madness socks. It does not look great for either.