I'm Back

Haven't posted in like 5 months as I have been 1) incredibly busy with substitute teaching and the studio and 2) I got a new camera that drives me nuts and I have been so frustrated with it that I haven't posted any photo's.

The Halloween vest is done! Yay hooray!

In a baking mood

Yesterday I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies using a bag of Hersheys mini bars I found on the mark down aisle. Said it made 36 cookies, but I only got 24 and they weren't monster cookies either...oh well, 24 is enough.

Also baked 2 dozen blueberry muffins for hubby's breakfasts at work and today I'm baking raspberry muffins. Out of splenda so they are "full sugar" not so good, but not terrible for him either. Double recipe calls for 2.5 cups of sugar and I usually do .5 to 1 cup with the Splenda since he's diabetic. Only had 3 eggs and needed 4 so sent him off to the store in the rain to get more eggs. Figured it was his muffins he could do the drive ha!

Finished one wrist warmer last night in lt blue with navy stripes. Will cast on for the 2nd today. Want to start my felted back too! and dye my yarn for the bulky scarf! So many projects, so little time!

burning the candle at both ends!

I'm working full time as a long term para sub at a highschool and of course at the studio and I'm finding myself with NO TIME! all the hours I spent doing "work" on studio paperwork, etc, blogging, housework, email, are now spent at school. I'm very much enjoying what I am doing, and am hating the thought of it being over, but the no time issue is huge. Must get to the studio NOW! and off I go!....

Gove # 3

I finished the 1st of the # 3 set. The photo color is really off due to my scanner, it's really a lime green! looks kinda sick olive in photo.
Yarn : Caron Simply Soft
needles: size 6
Pattern: adapted Nina's Sox by Jeanne Townsend
6 rows ribbing, pattern on 15 stitches, knit rest plain.
6 rows ribbing after thumb bind off.

After I finish this post I'm going to try to vacumn. Living room floor hasn't been vacumned since Nov 1 when I had my surgery...5 cats, yarn bits,, ooo it's gross.

Using 1 crutch today just to keep me upright so I don't re-injure the thigh muscle that I hurt playing quasimodo trying to be superwoman and walk unaided on Wednesday.
I'm missing coffee with the girls this am, darn this not being able to drive thing grrr...

Thur Nov 9

Each day the knee is better and better. Yesterday I pushed and walked without the crutches. Kind of quasimodo like since knee won't fully straighten...I think I pulled an upper thigh muscle doing that so today I am being less stupid and using 1 crutch for support and taking it slower. The bending thing is not happening yet and frustrates me as dr wants it to be able to bend so that I can sit on chair with both feet flat and legs at right angles like "normal" by Monday am! ack! I just need to be paitient and not push myself so that I end up taking a step backwards to pay for two forward!

Swap partner Becky got my box so I can post photo now. She liked it and I'm glad. I don't think she reads my blog but wanted to be careful just in case.

Finished #1 of 2nd pair of gift gloves. I know my nieces don't read this so I'm gonna post. The photo looks like it's orangy but it's bright hot pink and lime.
yarn: Carnon Simply Soft. Needles: size 6.
Cast on 32 stitches. Knit any pattern until long as you like.
Begin a thumb gusset by placing marker, increasing 1 in each of 2 stitches, place marker.
Next round knit plain.
Next round increase 1 after 1st marker and before 2nd.
Knit next round plain.
Continue until have 14 stitches between markers.
Next round bind off 14 thumb stitches and finsh knitting round.
When you come to the bind of stitchs cast on two (I use the thumb method) and finish round.
Knit 5 rounds and bind off in pattern.
Easy as pie.

1st pair I did a mock cable twist (knit in back of 2nd stitch,knit in front of 1st stitch, drop both off needle). 2nd pair 2x2 rib with lime green stripes.

3rd pair I think I'm going to use Jean Townsends snowflake pattern with the lime yarn.

Fortissma 1776 socks

Here is the Fortissma 1176 socks. I'm so dissapointed with the blue band. Not only not stars, but not even a nice random pattern. Other photo is the close up of the afterthought heel that looks like a toe. Don't like it.

knee surgery, and knitting

Well, the surgery is over, I'm recovering, it's been harder than I thought it would be, more painful too, and I'm not usually a weenie about pain. Tomorrow am the dressing comes off and I suppose some physical therapy starts. I've knit a little the first two days, I'd knit a round and nap but yesterday I did quite a bit. I ordered a ball of fortissma 1776 from wildflower knits when I ordered my needles. I'm dissapointed with how the blue band turned out. I'm using 2's, and I even made a swatch "gasp!" with the yarn I had pulled off to start the sock using 1's and it still made a mess. Using 60 stitches and not sure what you need to make it "nice" oh well, I wanted mindlesss knitting, and they will be usefull. I'm doing an afterthought heel so as not to mess up the striping. Not my favorite heel, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I'd post a photo but DD took my camera again. Guess I need to give her one for Christmas.

Nov 1

Just 1 hour until I go to hospital to have my knee worked on. A little nervous!
Finished 3rd baby hat for C. last night, she goes to get her babies on Nov. 15th! They might be too big for babies now, but I'm sure they'll grow into them!
Also finished the STR socks for ME! Soft and cushy, and not a color I probably would have chosen. I pre-registered for the club, but having 2nd thoughts about the amount of money, given my budget this year. Have a little time to think about it. I have liked all the patterns but the sideways cuff one. Need to sew buttons on 2nd one and try to wear them, might like them afterall. The Hippy Crunchy drove me nuts so I used Toni's Tootsies instead, so I guess I didn't like all the patterns afterall!

Well, Blogger is being stubborn and won't upload the photo of the hat so you'll just have to wait! :)

I have a reader! Hi Martha!

Didn't have very many Trick or Treaters yesterday, bought too much candy ...oh well...I'll enjoy it even though I'm supposed to be losing weight. Daughter L and friends came over to show off costumes and raid the candy bowl.

My bamboo circ came from Wildflower (www.wildflowerknits.com) and a skein of the 1776 Fortissma Stars and Stripes. It was $18.00, about what my LYS is selling it for, can't understand how Astrid (www.astriddutchobessions.com)(I think that's right) can sell for $9.50! crazy. Anyhow, now I can finish the Halloween vest...I got so frustrated with the slippery addi's that I just let it sit in the basket until I found needles I could work with.

No photos

My daughter has my camera so I can't post any photo's! Lovely child, but she doesn't return stuff.

I finished a baby hat using the same pretty lace pattern that I'm using for my STR socks. Finished a pillow for my friends art gallery.

Finished the gussett of sock two, can't wait to wear them, so pretty!

Need to shop for my JLT swap partener today or tomorrow. Want to get it done before I'm no longer mobile! So many choices for her! Sssh...she might read this, but probably not, I don't think anyone does. No matter.

Working as a para sub again today for E. She's really sweet but I can see that her life will be difficult, hopefully some special classes in her future to help prepare her for life. Gotta run!

Baby Hats

Wed as I'm tying on the cards and getting the warmupamerica package ready to mail, I realize that I only have 10 hats! There are 12 from my mom and only 10 from me...ack! So this am I finished knitting the 2nd hat. DD took my camera, but 1 was a burgundy tweed yarn and 1 was white red heart with a purple stripe, just cause I got bored knitting the plain white.

Mailing it tomorrow as well as as the lace baby hat. Glad someone will get use out of it.

Sat is the day the Townies get their swap parteners! I have to work 9-3 with Nut rehearsals then run to the flu shot clinic before I can get to computer to see who I have, then out to YARNS to buy my parteners yarn. I always feel guilty that I don't support them (as you know I have been knitting up stash yarn since Jan!) (although I was mighty tempted by the Uncle Sam Opal at astrids site! Since I found out that JKL needles was out of business (even though the site is still up and acts like it takes your order!)I'm still searching for new needles for the halloween vest because the addi's are driving me nuts.

AND TODAY MY COMPUTER GETS WEIRD! Music teacher gave me a cd to copy off the song I'm doing choral-ography for the boys for. It ripped okay, but NOW I can't hear any of my music files! I've tried all the troubleshooting stuff and still nothing, only sound coming out of speakers when I try to play a music file is a "purring" sound. Computer makes all it's other sounds (dings, chimes, etc) just won't play my music.
sigh...this is serious...I can't edit my studio music if I can't hear it.

Friday the 13th!

I've never minded Friday the 13th...and after Monday the 9th...this can only be a breeze! Monday was one crisis after another, including my "almost-daughter" D getting seriously injured in an incident at school when a weightlifting bar slipped and fell on her neck, striking her in the head. 1st cat scan showed neck not broken, 1st MRI showed concussion, waiting results of 2nd MRI to show if there is a tear at C3 or not. A scary time for her family and those who love her.

The blue pillow is a stash buster...just used up some odds and ends of blue stuff. Kind of cute I think.
The sock is STR Club sock color Tatania, pattern Central Air. Colors are much prettier than they show!

Friday Oct 6,2006

Well, I have ripped back, reknit dropped stitches, and reknit rows on that Halloween vest and even got 1 new row I'd never knit before done! I always think it's going to be fun to make these incredible color work things and I end up driving myself nuts. Can't wait for my Crystal Palace needles to show up, I really, really, don't like these Addi turbos's. The Socks are STR Tatania (club sock #4) in the simpler Cabin Air pattern. I really like the colors, I don't have too many darker toned socks. I decided not to carry the pattern down the foot as my sneakers press on the top of my foot a little and I don't like the feeling with a patterned foot.

My knee feels soo good today, the cortisone shot kicked in, nearly pain free for 1st time in 6 weeks! woo hoo!

Sunday 10/3/06

Last night was so much fun at my friends Gregg and Shelley's 30th Anniversary/50th Birthdays party. Always fun to be with the cyrcle! Tried to dance without using my knee but it really hurt this am, so much not have been successfull!

Knit on the halloween sweater and the socks today, trimmed some more iris, read a good deal of Rocky Road to Romance (love Janet Evanovich!) and wrote payroll checks! Busy day for a goof-ooff day.

Tomorrow I take Kate the Russian Ballerina to the Manhattan,Ks airport to leave on the next leg of her training tour for the Moscow Ballet Nutcracker. We've had a very nice visit, but I'm a little concerned because she stayed in her room all day today. Don't know if she's just resting or whats up? Enjoyed having her stay, and hope to keep in touch with her as she returns home.

Friday

This is Michaela's Sweater knit of Caron Simply Soft. I think it's cute (the buttons are tiny flip flops) but if I do it again I will drop down a needle size. I got gauge, but it feels "flimsy" to me.

The Halloween vest will probably go to Alex for next year, after I enter it in the fair. The needles (Addi turbo) are driving me nuts, every time I use Addis' I hate them, so slick, I just wrestle the stitches and when doing color work like this that's double hard! Gonna go online and search for clover or crystal palace in size 3 24" to save my sanity.

BTW there is an error in the Knitpicks pattern...they say ribbing color is white, orange, yellow, but that's wrong..it's white yellow orange. There is no photo of the Halloween vest in the booklet, but is one on the website...I got the ribbing done, started on the chart and thought this is weird looking....started looking for the photo and yep...eratta...I wrote to them, but no response. Also can't tell from chart which is "green" and which is "grass" so I arbitrarily decided that since there were three bands of greeny I'd do the bottom and top in the lighter color (grass) and the middle in the darker (green). I think I'm going to have TONS of yarn left...especially the "green" as there's only 2 rows of it. Might have to do the crayon vest next. I'd make socks but this is not superwash and hubby (aka the obsessive laundry fairy ) would dryer them for sure! and my American girl doll would have felted Halloween socks! I could put big photo's up over the washer with a large stop sign..stop..do not wash or dry this item! ha! He does laundry, I'm not complaining, no... not complaining at all.

The steeking is different that I've ever done, so I'll be pulling my hair out for that I'm sure...Hope no erratta's there! I'm a long way from that point, not nearly at 8 inches yet, time to fret still.

Lots of down time, lots of knitting

These are the "triplett" socks I made for my friend Cindy who is expecting the arrival of her newborn triplett boys from Eithiopia in early November. I wanted her to have something "real" until they got here. Made from leftovers of
Treking, Regia and Regia. All 32 stitchs on size 2 needles. 8 rows ribbing, 12 rows leg, heel flap, gussett decreases, 5 rows foot, toe decreases, graft.

Well, my knee is better every day, but I've overdone it the last 4 days...however, my house is now looking much more like I want it too! Daughters old room is now a guest room, spotlessly clean and fresh! Even found a bargain on new sheets for the oddly sized super single water bed, Target had extra long twin sheet sets on sale for $6.48, so I bought two sets, put the fitted ones into the garage sale box and have 2 sheets that fit and two pillow cases! Yay!

Trip to Wal-mart!

Whoo hoo! Just came back from Wal-mart! First shopping trip since I got back from Chicago, used one of their motorized carts, what a blessing instead of having to walk. I'm tired out though and I'm going to go lie down for a while.

Bought buttons for Michaela's sweater but they're too big, oh well, I'll try again. It's so plain, it needs "dressing up".




These 12 hats are the one's my mom made for warm up america, and the other photo are the measly 6 I've made!
My mom's a "machine" fast and even tensioned all the time.

Tiny Baby Hats

My mom just sent a package of 12 baby hats to add to mine for donation to warmupamerica. Yay mom! She knits so much better than I do. I'm more adventuras in things I will try, always looking for new "fun stuff" but she just knits like a dream. Will post a photo soon.

I'm Back

Haven't posted in sooo long, (not that anyone really reads this!) . I've just been too busy.
Fair results:
Blues: Lisa's Shawl, Pink Flower Hat, Karim's sweater and Hat, Black scarf, Lauren's Pink Socks, Yellow Lace Baby Hat
Reds: Pink Purse, Blue Mittens
White: Red/white dishcloth

Working on: STR socks in Jean Townsends Toni's Tootsies pattern. This is the club yarn but I HATED the club pattern, and after row 34 said "I don't like it" and ripped it out! The yarn didn't like it either as it's pretty colors didn't show and now they do.

Caron Simply Soft Watermelon (hot pink) garter stitch sweater and hat. Was going to be for Sharon's newly adopted grandgirl Meserach, but it's going to be MUCH to big so will go to Michaela. I keep noticing single knit stitches in the garter pattern and have ripped back wayyy more than I'm used to!

Going to Chicago with Cyrcle tomorrow for a short trip. It will be fun. I'm having a hard time being excited, studio worries are pressing on me, but I'm going to have fun, I'm determined. Knees hurt and that kind of sends me down the roller coaster too.

Time Flys By!

A month since my last blog! July has flown by...just working at studio, getting more involved with my belly dancing, knitting.

Made 2 pair of socks for Jackie for Sturgis. The photo's above are of the "Weaving our Way to Sturgis" pair, made with woolease worsted, size 4 needles. I've also made a purple Red-heart Hat for charity, and am still working on the 2nd Rock n Weave sock for me. I'm nearly at the pick of stitches part, so then it will roll along. Yarn arrived for the next one and it looks so pretty. I hope I like this pattern better than the last. I suppose I could have just done a plain sock but part of the reason for joining the club was to learn new stuff, wasn't it?

My self-imposed yarn boycott ends with my birthday on Sunday... but I still have so much yarn that I may keep myself restricted. Have a $15.00 gift certificate to Yarns (thank you, Lynne!) that I'll have to use of course, but other than that...I need to use some stash, probably for more charity stuff.