How did that happen?

Something odd happened over the weekend. I had time to knit. Lace knitting. I am not sure what sort of planetary alignment (read: cleaning neglect) created this opportunity, but I took full adantage. I conpleted several repeats in my First Lace (Branching Out) scarf. 17 repeats down, estimated 8 to go. I would take a picture, but it doesn't look much different than the last picture I took.

Just when I am screaming along thinking I have this pattern down. . . .the knitting fates slap me in the back of the head, and I realize that I have three extra stitches on one side. So far, on these rare occurrances, I have simply made the adjustments, rather than go looking for where I screwed up to begin with. After blocking, I may find that these corrections are all too apparent, but that is what first attempts are all about. Learning.

Meanwhile, my yarn cabinet is one step closer to being put in use. My sweetie cut and glued (?!) the cedar blocks into shelves. After hours of the glue "curing", the shelves can now be cut, again. This is all apparently necessary for shelf construction. Who knew?

Today, it is all about the learning curve.

Woo Hoo!

My yarn has arrived! I can't find the camera, so I can't take any pictures for those who want to drool. The colors are beautiful: purple, red and blue. Three separate skeins, not altogether, that is. The color gradations are very subtle, much more so than I expected. Don'tg et me wrong, I still love my yarn, it just wasn't what I and my monitor pictured. So my search for a blend of various reds sock yarn continues.

Synknits suggested I check out etsy. Ohhhh, that place can be dangerous for anyone in range of their credit cards. Or, I have a lingering hankering to try dyeing yarn.

Right now, I will just cuddle and play with the new yarn that I have. I would put it in my NEW (meaning soon to be converted) YARN CABINET (meaning formerly my husband's gun cabinet), except that my sweetie hasn't gotten around to putting in the shelves yet. He was supposed to do that this past weekend. We won't go there.

Today, it is all about the yarn for today and dreaming of yarn for tomorrow.

Is it here yet?

I am waiting on pins and needles (pun intended) for my new yarn. I ordered some yarn from KnitPicks with my birthday money. Sock yarn. And for the first time, I kept in mind my wardrobe as I chose the colors. I think I will have at least one article of clothing to match each colorway.

I realize that some of you may be wondering why I am so silly excited about some rather plain jane sock yarn. But you don't understand. I have been on a yarn diet forever. Since the beginning of time. Or at least since the beginning of my marriage. In part because of money, and in part because I just didn't need it. (Pause for the sounds of shock and the frenzieed insistence that one ALWAYS needs more sock yarn.) During most of my pregnancy, I hardly knit at all, and married mommy me just doesn't have the down time (or energy) to knit like I used to. (See previous entry about how many things that we in progress two years ago are still in progress. And there weren't very many things that have been started and finished duriung that time either.)

The only yarn I remember buying in the last two years was the cheapie stuff I bought for my sweetie's hoodie, that that doesn't really count.

So, I checked on the status of my new yarn. Damn! Not even shipped yet. Ok, I guess I did order it only two days ago. I

I also received a birthday gift certificate foy my lys. I have definite plans for that baby,

Today, it is all about the acquisition.

In my next two years

Happy Blogaversary! Today marks my two years since I started this blog. Has it really been that long? As I look back on the last two years, I am struck by something depressing: how many things were in progress this time two years ago that are STILL in progress.

1. Jaywalker Socks: 75% finished. Not in love with the yarn, and the pattern is a bit stiff, so not anxious to wear them.

2. Pomotomus: 75% finished. Like the colors. Like the yarn. Love the pattern. I am befuddled. I HAVE been working on lot on this one, and hope to have it finished soon. ("Soon" being a relative term for me.)

3. Turquoise sweater: only needs sleeves. It probably doesn't even fit me anymore.

4. First Lace: Around 60% finished. Technically, I started this one at the end of March, but that is close enough to count. Love the colors. Like the yarn. Love the pattern. This was intended to be a, ahem, first lace teaching project, and now that I learned how to do it, I am strangely uninspired to finish, even though I still love it.

I guess all of this proves that I am a faithless project slut.

Today, it is all about the two years.

Blockhead

I did my first lace blocking the other day. Actually, my first attempt at blocking anything, lace or otherwise. It wasn't so bad. The two inch by four inch test strip. I imagine it would be harder to block an entire wrap, and I know my day of reckoning is coming.







Don't bother looking for any kind of pattern in the swatch. I had forgotten the chart, and tried to knit from memory. That endeavor was quickly abandoned, and I sort of just knit and yarnover'ed randomly. I really just wanted to see about the size. Of course, it probably would have helped if I had measured the test strip BEFORE I blocked it. I can measure it now, but that tells me very little about how much (or little) it grew with washing.

In the end, I guess I will go ahead and knit the Celtic Stole as originally intended, and will just accept the possibility that it may end up being a Celtic Scarf.

And while we are on the topic of things I don't know, can anyone explain to me why I got home late from work only to be yelled at by my husband because he had to watch our son for a few hours on his day off (his mother was here most of the day taking care of the little tyke) and how my actions meant that he was forced to play the computer for an hour to recover and certainly didn't feel like grilling the hotdogs that I stopped at the grocery store on the way home to get for him special because he asked me to? I am not following his logic, and wonder under what sort of mental deficiency I am suffering. I was also accused of coming home later when he or his mother is watching little Boogaboo, as compared to when my mother is watching him. He is going to start keeping track. We apologize for this interruption, and now return you to your regularly scheduled knitting blog.

Today, is all about the blockheads, all of them.

Finished Object!

It just isn't knitted. My sweetie finished the bathroom floor. The ceramic tile looks lovely, and we will have plenty to do the other bathroom, with a few boxes of tile to spare. Sure is cold on the feet during the Indiana winters!

My sweetie went to his mother's hosue Saturday afternoon, to tinker on her computer a bit, and took the baby with him. I had my choice of going along as well, or enjoying a baby-free afternoon. Guess which option I chose? I am so infrequently without the baby for any length of time, except at work. I went to sock club, played on the computer, and knit quietly on the living room sofa. It was wonderful.

I was knitting an oldie but a goodie. Pomotomus. In the last several days, I have finished the leg, turned the heel, and am halfway through decreasing the gussets. I am passed the halfway mark on the second sock, and it is all downhill from here. I felt a little embarassed when it was mentioned at sock club how long I have been working on these socks. Um, over two years now. Sheepish blush. Keep walking, nothing to see here.

I guess my feet are cold in more ways than one these days.

Today, it is all about the frigid feet.