The Bitter Knitter

Baby, it's cold outside....

2009-12-07T11:33:00.002-05:00

...so I knit Ava another hat. Hats seem to be the only thing I can knit anymore, because they go relatively quickly. I knit this one in just a few hours.

Pattern: Gnomey hat

Yarn: Araucania Aysen(?)

This yarn has been in my stash forever. I love the color, but I only had one skein of it, so I wasn't sure what to do with it. This pattern seemed to fit the yarn nicely.

I held the yarn doubled throughout (it's worsted weight) and used 10 1/2 needles. The only mods I made to the pattern were to omit the earflaps and pom-poms on the side of the head, and I made a larger pom-pom for the top instead. I think it's the cutest hat, and Ava seems to enjoy it too!

Finally, an FO!!!

2009-10-28T10:47:00.002-04:00

Finally, a finished knit (albeit a small one)!!
It's fall, and like most other knitters, I've been itching to knit. However, my desire to knit hasn't been fulfilled, because there are about 1232438 other things that I need to be doing. But, this baby needed a pumpkin hat!
I used the pattern from Itty Bitty Hats. Most of the patterns in this book are just variations of about 3 basic hat styles. I've made a couple of other hats (Rav links) from this book, and have learned that the roll-brim style tends to be waaayy too long, and you end up with a huge brim on it. So, to make sure I didn't have that problem with this particular hat, I had Little Girl try it on several times along the way.

Doesn't she look thrilled?

I ended up starting the decreases about 2 inches before the pattern said to.

And the hat fits her perfectly.

Adorable, if I do say so myself.

2 weeks

2009-08-07T21:29:00.004-04:00

These 2 weeks have absolutely flown by. I can't believe my baby is already over two weeks old. It's already going by too fast for my liking.

10 days old

It's also hard to believe how much life changes so quickly. (And how easily you adjust to lack of sleep.)

I really am happier than I look in this photo, just tired...

Since there won't be any new knitting here for, oh, I don't know how long, here's a picture of an old project, just this time with a cute little baby wearing it.

Waiting.

2009-07-27T13:27:00.001-04:00

We waited years after getting married for the 'right' time to start a family, followed by several turbulent years of trying for a baby. When I got pregnant, we waited 9 long months filled with excitement, anticipation, and preparation.

For all the waiting, this is our reward:

Sweet Ava Jane.

Was it worth the wait?

EVERY

SINGLE

MINUTE.

2009-07-21T12:17:00.003-04:00

Still waiting for my baby to decide she wants to come meet her parents (who wouldn't want to meet us?). Obviously, she's as stubborn as one of her parents already, but I won't say which parent that is.

3 days before due date

Here's a picture of Husband showing off his 'baby bump'. By the way, he's actually lost weight while I've been pregnant. Aren't men supposed to gain sympathy weight or something?

I've already started maternity leave. I was supposed to work Friday, but after my appointment with the doctor on Thursday, I just didn't think I had it in me to work another 12 hour shift. So, now I'm off work, with nothing to do except wait for a baby that doesn't seem to want grace us with her presence. (Be warned, Little Girl, you're getting an eviction notice of Thursday, so live it up in there!!) All this waiting has afforded me some time to do a little knitting though.

I've been in love with this RYC Cotton Jeans yarn for a while now, but I didn't have the right project in mind for it. I really like all of the colorways the Knit Nook has in stock, but this red/pink/orange combo is my favorite. I think it's because it reminds me of my favorite popsicles- which, by the way, if anyone in the Metro area finds them, please let me know where to get them. I only eat them when I visit California.

I decided to knit the Acerola, a cute (and free!) pattern from Tonya's blog. I'm really enjoying knitting baby things, because it gives me a sense of accomplishment. Things get done quickly!! Especially this pattern, because it's mostly knit in the round.

I knit the newborn size, so hopefully Little Girl can wear it a few times this summer as a dress, and maybe next spring as a tunic with some leggings. The yarn is so soft, and I am so glad I finally found something to knit with it.

The picture below is most true to color:

This dress/tunic/tank is a very simple knit, but it has lots of texture to keep it from looking frumpy. I love the seed stitch and the pattern on the body, and I learned how to do an applied i-cord, which was way easier than I thought it would be. The only mods I made were to shorten the i-cords (I only knit them 6 inches) and to leave off the ruffled edge, and instead knit a seed stitch edge to balance with the top. I think the ruffle is cute, and may show up on my next Acerola, but for now, I like the flat-lying edge.

Now, I'm off to occupy myself with more waiting.

A long overdue post...

2009-07-14T15:16:00.005-04:00

I've been so lazy lately. I haven't been doing much other than growing a baby. I haven't even been knitting much, except that I finished my lace blanket-

(That big green thing at the bottom of the picture? Yeah, that's my belly.)

I made the blanket a bit shorter than the pattern called for, simply because I thought that if I knit another inch on it, I would poke my eye out with a knitting needle.
I like the way it turned out though, especially the crochet shell edging. Thanks, Jane, for teaching me how to do it!!

My friends at the Knit Nook had a shower for me a couple of weeks ago, and my baby got such great gifts.

Cindy, Suzanne, Irene, Vi, Margie, Kristen, me (the pregnant one in the middle), and Jane

I loved all of the gifts, but this was by far my favorite-

a blanket of squares knit/crochet by Knit Nookers.

Isn't this blanket beautiful? I love the way the knit and crochet squares look together in the varying shades of pink. And, I think this is the neatest crochet join I have ever seen-

I love it! Now I'm afraid to let Little Girl use it- I don't want spit up on it!!

She also got other cute handknits- a Mini Pini, several hats, a cardigan, booties, and a Baby Bib-o-Love.

At another shower put on by our 'couples' friends, they made onesies for Little Girl. To be honest, I was afraid of what they'd make that I'd have to put on my child, but I think these turned out pretty cute, in a funny way. Some may need some explanation, while others, like the stain resistant one (which clearly is stain resistant due to the large amount of puffy paint applied) do not.

(I know y'all are jealous, and all want a picture of a Dragicorn vomiting your child's name in rainbow colors on a onesie, but I'm sorry to inform you that this design is a trademark of Kevin. You'll have to ask him for one.)

baby cardi, and what's with these birds?

2009-05-25T12:10:00.003-04:00

I finished the Feather and Fan cardigan for my baby.
This was the first time I've knit anything using the feather and fan pattern, and I love it! It's amazing how such a simple stitch can yield something that looks so complicated (well, it looks complicated to me, anyway).
This picture is a bit awkward, as the sweater was lying in a bush. It kept settling funny, and I was tired of getting strange looks from the lady across the street, so I just stuck with what I had. Which is this awkward photo.
I think the buttons are cute, but they were a bad choice for this sweater. The 'petals' of the buttons get hung up on the button holes. Maybe once the sweater is worn a couple of times the button holes will stretch out some.

The bottom is my very favorite part.

I'm just hoping that my baby has some hair on her head; I'd hate for people to think that she's a boy just because the sweater is blue. Nevermind the fact that the buttons are flowers and the bottom of the sweater is lace, but I've come to a point in my life where people don't surprise me. There are so many people out there whose filters have gone bad (if you know me at all, you've heard me complaining about this A LOT lately...)

So about these birds...

A few weeks ago, Husband told me that there was a bird trying to make a nest on our outside light fixture. He said the nest was small and not yet complete, so he knocked it down. The next day, I go outside and find this-

The ultimate "I'm giving you the middle finger" statement by the bird. I mean seriously, have you ever seen such an extravagant nest? Look at all those long things hanging down! Where did the bird find all this crap anyway?

I thought it was hilarious and sent a picture to Husband. He did not see the humor. Actually, all he saw was a fire hazard. So he knocked it down again.

The very next week, Husband finds this in our grill cover:

a nice, normal-sized bird nest, complete with 5 little eggs. I told Husband I would drop kick him if he bothered this nest.

I went out this morning to check on the nest, and 2 of the babies have hatched.

I can't wait until my baby hatches. I just hope she's cuter than this baby.

I've been so bored...

2009-05-10T13:28:00.003-04:00

I've been on bedrest since Tuesday.
And it's been very boring.
I used to be one of those people who thought that surely, lounging around would be great, kinda like a vacation. Who wouldn't want to be ordered to stay in bed all day, allowing time to catch up on reading, watching TV, sleeping, etc....
Try it. I dare ya. See how long you last. Probably just long enough to realize that, even with cable, there is NOTHING on TV during the day, except court shows and poorly portrayed, 'unauthorized' biographies of Madonna. (I'm ashamed to admit that I wasted 2 hours of my life on this stupid movie.)

I also read an entire book on Friday- the latest installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series. It was good, but it left several loose ends. I suppose I'll have to wait until May 2010 to find out how the Sookie/Eric saga plays out.

I couldn't spend the entire week in my bed. I just couldn't. My hips started hurting, then my back, and even my butt was numb from staying in bed. So I've spent a large portion of the week in this-
my new comfy glider. I love it, and it was well worth the 10+ week wait.

I have been knitting a lot too. I finished the Boheme Sweater for Little Girl, modeled here by our creepy doll gifted to Husband by his grandmother. (The doll is actually supposed to be a boy, and I have no idea at all why his grandmother thought to give Husband this doll, other than the fact that they share the same name. They look nothing alike.)

This pattern was really simple, and I love the lace portion. However, I do have some mods planned for the next one:

~The button holes are oddly placed in this pattern. The top two are close together, and the third one looks like an afterthought. I hated the asymmetry so much I stitched the bottom hole closed. Also, I'll place them only 2 stitches in, instead of the called-for 3.

~I'll keep the first 3 stitches in garter stitch to keep the sides from curling so much.

~I think the picot edging is adorable, but it was a pain in the butt, and it causes the back to flip up. I may end up with a garter stitch border on the next one.

I've also started on another cardigan. This is the first time I've ever knit feather and fan, and I really like it!

It's made from Sheep Shop #3 (lovely yarn, BTW). The blue is actually more aqua than this picture.

And I've knit a couple more inches on the Daisy Chain blanket.

It's only about 40% complete. I really need to get on it and finish.

FO's for babes

2009-05-03T16:38:00.005-04:00

I love knitting for babies. Not only are baby items so cute, but they're usually fairly quick to complete and give me a sense of accomplishment. In the case of this dinosaur, the knitting portion was done fairly quickly, but the seaming took f-o-r-e-v-e-r. There were entirely too many pieces to put together, and I'm not very good at seaming, which made it that much more difficult to complete.

However, I think it came together relatively nicely (thanks for the pictures, Kristen). I hope Clancy P. enjoys drooling on his new dinosaur.

Pattern: Roaring Dinosaur

Yarn: Cascade Cotton Rich DK

Needles: size 4

I also finished a dress for my baby.

And I think it's adorable.

Pattern: Mini Pini

Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece

Needles: size 5

I really wanted to do this in a variegated yarn, but I didn't have anything in my stash that would fit this project. Husband has been complaining (more than normal recently) that I have "all this yarn, and never use it." So, I grudgingly began knitting this from stash yarn.

The only modification I made was to add a row of eyelets in the garter band, because it looked a bit too heavy at the bottom to leave it in plain garter stitch.

I can't wait to see my baby wearing it.

It's Derby time here in the 'ville, which means lots of traffic, parties, and drinking. I don't know that I've ever wanted a Miller Lite as bad as I did Saturday, but I did not partake in the drinking of alcoholic beverages. I resisted. Instead, I had this-

BYOB, maternity style. I must say, this is some damn good root beer.

But I did still have a great time, even without the beer.

Shannon, Allison, me, and Kari

.....

2009-04-10T16:03:00.004-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've blogged. I was in a non-knitting phase there for a while, but now, all I want to do is knit. But you wouldn't know it from my progress...

Speaking of progress, my pregnancy is progressing as would be expected. For those of you that haven't seen me in a while, here's a picture Husband took of me last night. I'm 25 weeks along now, and it's my first ever pregnant belly picture!

I read this whole article on how to look 'fabulous in photos every time'. One of the hints was to stand with your hands at your hips, so that your arms don't seem all fat and hanging at your sides. However, I think this backfired on me, as my elbow is now the closest thing to the camera, and therefore looks enormous. Ahem.

I have several WIPs going right now, but only one recent FO- Saartje's booties.
These are the cutest little things, and I like them so much I'm casting on for a second pair tonight, in the larger size. They're a very quick knit, despite the fact that they're knit on size 1's. Yup, 1's. I thought I was going to snap the skinny little needles in half, they're so thin.

Pattern: Saartje's Booties

Needles: size 1

Yarn: Gjestal Baby Bomull (??)

Here they are being modeled by a strange doll who has his (yes, his) big toes curled up. Not sure who designed him, but obviously they needed to consult a podiatrist as this is not normal toe posture for a baby.

I feel a bit guilty about this, but I started a FLS for myself. I feel guilty because I have only one finished project for my baby, the Saartje's, and I just finished those today. But the FLS seems to be knitting up so quickly, maybe I can squeeze it in before it gets too hot, and before my baby gets here.

I have a cute pink elephant going, and I'm also making another stuffed toy from this book for one of the Knitnook regulars who is due next month. It's blocking right now, then I have to seem the 47 (ok, 8) pieces together and stuff it. I'm just glad I started knitting the second toy before I had time to regret all the seeming I'll be doing soon. Seeming just isn't my strong point. Therefore I hate it.

My friends are awesome.

2009-02-18T04:11:00.005-05:00

What, you don't believe me? I have proof...

At our semi-monthly get together Monday, the girls gave me a 'Happy Pregnancy' gift basket. It's filled with lots of stuff to pamper myself while I'm pregnant- cushy socks, heat patches for my back, a bunch of chocolate, not one but two bottles of antacids (in berry flavor- my favorite!!), body butter, and this awesome Pregnancy Wedge Pillow. I'd never heard of those before, but I put it to use tonight. I think I have some sciatica going on, and if you're paying attention to the minute details, you'll see that I also have some insomnia going on.

Which is usually OK, since I only work 3 days a week, but it sucks when I wake up at 3am on the nights before I work, only to know that I have to work a 12 hour shift in just a few more hours.

Anyway, I've started to use this time to catch up on things, like my knitting, or this blog.

Speaking of knitting, I started on this cute vest a few weeks ago.

It's from the Essential Baby book by Debbie Bliss. The patterns in this book are all so adorable, but several of the cutest ones are gender specific, and I don't know the sex of my baby just yet. This vest is neutral enough to be paired with something blue for a boy, or with a cute flowered blouse for a baby girl.

So far, I just have the back done. The pattern is very simple, and therefore kinda boring, so I've been putting off casting on for the front. I really wish I'd taken the time to calculate this out to be knit in the round, but I was afraid I'd mess it all up. Remember what happened when I tried to make my own sleeves without a pattern?
I ended up with a vest.

A couple of years ago, I started a baby blanket for my friend Kathy's baby. It was just a simple basket weave, made out of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece on size 6 needles. I knit on that damn thing for an entire 6 months. No joke. The final weeks of knitting were in the middle of the summer, with this blanket in my lap, about to cause me a heat stroke. (However, the recipient was worth it, and she actually uses it.)
Once the blanket was finished, I swore I would never do that to myself again; If there was anyone else who I felt I needed to knit a baby blanket for, it would definitely be on needles bigger than a size 6.

So, shortly after I found out I was expecting a baby of my own, I cast on for a lace baby blanket.
With Cotton Fleece.
On size 6 needles.
What the hell is wrong with me? I don't think I even realized the extent of my foolishness until one of my friends at the Knit Nook said "Man, that's gonna take you forever to finish."
Ummm, yeah.

The pattern, in case you'd like to partake in my craziness, is 'Daisy Chain' by Kimber Baldwin. Her (very cute) patterns are available at the Knit Nook.

Back in the swing of things.

2009-01-07T12:02:00.006-05:00

I love knitting. I love taking a pair of sticks and some string and making something out of nothing. For the past 2 years or so, I've been knitting very regularly. Like, daily. But, for the past, oh, I dunno, 6 weeks or so, I've been distracted. So distracted that I actually went an entire month without knitting a single stitch. What could keep someone from partaking in a hobby which they love so dearly?
This can.

That's a picture of my baby, at about 9 weeks, which was 3 weeks ago. It's not the baby that's causing my lack of knitting, but the stress and worry that has accompanied this pregnancy thus far that has been the cause (but all is well!). And, ironically, stress and worry are the reasons I started knitting in the first place...

Anyway, I've had a hard time concentrating on anything for more than a few minutes at a time. Which may explain why S4, or the Super Secret Surprise Socks for Husband, were not finished in time for Christmas, although they were started in early November. I had the first sock done in just a few days, but the other one sat for nearly a month without being touched.
Notice he's wearing one lovely hand-knit sock, and one Hanes from Target. Well, at least he knew I was thinking about knitting him a pair, and it's the thought that counts, right?

Pattern: Globe Trotters

Yarn: Plymouth Sockotta

I did finish his second sock, just in case you were worried that he would have to continue to wear mismatched socks.

Speaking of Christmas, I got some great knitting related pressies.

First, Husband got me the Knitter's Book of Yarn. I've wanted this book for a while, and now that I have it, I'm not disappointed in the least bit. It's filled with so much great info on yarn, and even the projects are cute. Usually, there are only 1 or 2 things I would actually knit from a book, but this one has lots of things I can't wait to cast on.

Also, I got Malabrigo!!

I have to share this story, simply because I was so damn impressed (and so was Husband, who incidentally was not the Malabrigo gift giver).

This past Christmas, Husband and I participated in a Secret Santa exchange with some friends. Not one of these friends has a fiber-related hobby, by the way, so you can imagine how surprised I was to find that my gift was 2 skeins of my favorite yarn, and in my favorite color. But that's not the best part. The best part is the unlikely gift giver, a guy who has (I may be going out on a limb on this, but I seriously doubt it) never stepped foot into a yarn store. And what's more, his wife offered to swap names with him, so he would have the name of a friend that he knows quite a bit better than me, but he told her he'd keep my name. He had an idea of what to get me.

How on earth would he have any idea what to purchase a knitter from a store filled to the brim with lovely yarn? Why, he read my blog. The whole thing. And he took notes. Then he strode into the Knit Nook, list in hand, and purchased the most perfect gift for a knitter. Thank you Tom.

Finished.

2008-11-24T17:05:00.004-05:00

I finished my Shalom Cardigan.
And I love it.

I decided to make it long sleeved, so I had to order a few more balls of yarn. Including the wait time, I had this sweater done in just over 2 weeks, while simultaneously battling a bad case of knitting ADD.
In all, I used about 9 skeins, and the total cost for this sweater is less than $30. Can't beat that, considering that the yarn for my Central Park Hoodie cost right at $100 (don't tell husband), and it took me 7 weeks to complete.

As I said in my previous post, most mods are per Ishi. However, I decided to add sleeves. To do this, I started with the 50 stitches (per mods), dec 2 st every 12th rnd twice, then dec 2 st every 6th round 8 times. I knit 15 rows, then added 3 garter ridges around the cuff to tie into the garter hem. This yields a sleeve that is about 13 inches at the upper arm, and about 8 inches at the cuff.

While knitting this, I hit a sort of knitting milestone-

I broke a needle.

The cable just came right out of the end of my Knit Picks Options. I've never had that happen before, and I've used these needles heavily since I got them for Christmas last year. Hmph.

Today Husband and I went to see Twilight. I read the books, then convinced Husband to read them. Of course, he didn't like them nearly as much as I did, but he did want to go see the movie.

Now, about the movie....

Edward Cullen (Rob Pattinson) was, of course, scrumptious.

His acting skillz, however, were not. He seemed like he was reading his lines and not really acting like Edward. Also, having read the series- well, let's just say a few times- I was really disappointed in all of the inaccuracies in the movie. But I guess that comes with the territory of movies based on books.

The filming was so-so, and you could really tell this was a low-budget flick. It's too bad these people had no idea how big this movie would be, because I think they could have put a little more money into it and made it a ton better. My advice- if you're not totally obsessed with the series already, wait for the DVD.

Oh well.

Edward was nice to look at anyway.

I HAVE been knitting...

2008-11-09T12:27:00.006-05:00

...more than usual, actually. Since I finished school last month, I have so much more time to knit, and I love it! Especially now, since the weather is actually behaving seasonally. I think the high for today is supposed to be 45. It may finally be fall here in Kentuckiana.

So, here's a picture of what I'm currently working on:

Pattern: Shalom Cardigan (Ravelry link)

Yarn: Cascade Bollicine Revolution

This yarn was on clearance at WEBS for less than $3 a ball. I bought enough to make the cardigan, but as I was knitting this bulky yarn on size 11 needles, I decided that a short-sleeved bulky sweater isn't really practical for me. So I decided to make it long sleeved. I called WEBS to ask if they could match the dyelot. And ya know what? They did. Which really surprised me. As far as mods go, I followed Ishi's lead, with the exception of adding sleeves. Love this thing so far.

Now, on to my Gathered Pullover.

It's done!

Obviously, it's not a long sleeved sweater, but I'd had it with working sleeves on this thing. I tried following the pattern, and it got me into trouble. Then I tried just picking up stitches around the armhole to make sleeves, but that didn't work out either.
I ended up with a bunch in the armpit area and a sleeve that was a bit too tight on the upper arm. This caused the shoulders to pull downward and make me look like I was trying out for Flashdance. No thank you.

Now on to my Stirling Cloche.

I really love cloches. They look so sleek and sophisticated. I found a really cute one in my One Skein Wonders book and decided that I would actually order the yarn called for.
Big mistake.
I hate boucle yarn. I don't know why I thought this would be any different. I can't ever tell if I'm knitting into the stitch or just a loop of the boucle. So what do I do? Why, I order it in black, to make it even harder to tell what I'm doing.

The pattern advises you to hand felt this cloche in very hot water. My bathroom sink was a mess, because this yarn sheds like nobody's business, and it bled. Terribly.

After hand felting it twice, it still came out waayyy too big around, and that's saying something: I have a huge head (It's hard to tell in this picture, but, if there was a rogue wind anywhere near, it would send my hat flying). I decided to felt it in the washer, and the yarn was still bleeding.

And then it was too short.

Meh.

On another note, we went to the Big New Comedy Club (names may have been changed to protect the innocent) downtown last night to see Norm MacDonald. It was a good time, and the comedians were all pretty funny.

The club, however, rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it's just because I'm used to the Comedy Caravan, which has that local feel to it. Anyway, this Big New Comedy Club books only the big names in comedy, which equates to big ticket prices. That's OK. I expect that.

What I don't expect, however, is for said Comedy Club to tell me that I have to purchase at least 2 drinks while watching the show. Seriously? Didn't I already fulfill my obligation to them by purchasing a ticket??! I pay, you make me laugh. End of commitment, right?

And what would they do if I didn't purchase 2 drinks? Would they hold me hostage until I did? Am I naive? Is this standard practice around here? In all honesty, there's a good chance that I would have had more than my 2 beer minimum, but that just irritated me to no end.

Oh, and their food's over-priced.

Bitter much? You betcha.

Halloween

2008-11-02T11:04:00.007-05:00

I can't tell you how long it's been since I dressed up for Halloween. Well, maybe I can. I was Elvira in 2000, when I worked at a pretty seedy joint.
So, to make up for lost time, I dressed up not once, but twice this year.
On Halloween, I dressed as Amy Winehouse. I know I'm not a cracked-out rock star, but hey, it was fun. I drew trashy tattoos on my arms and wore more eye makeup on one night than I usually do all year long.

Steph as a scarecrow

I thought I'd done a fairly good impersonation, as several people knew who I was right off the bat. But, I guess the huge hive-hair, tons of eyeliner, and shirt that has Winehouse's album name on it wasn't enough for some. Someone didn't get it, because "Amy Winehouse is skinny."

Ouch.

So, on Saturday, to make it easier on everyone (and my self-confidence), we dressed as a couple that everyone should recognize:

But in case you didn't get it, we were Fred & Wilma Flintstone. I think Husband makes a great Fred.

Kevin the Strangler thought so too, and he wanted to off him with his cut-off piece of extension cord.

The Magician and his assistant didn't want any violence. They were just there for the party, man. Oh, and to do some tricks.

The Economy and the Bailout package were there too. Those greedy people, eating up our Retirement and taking money from the little man...

People at this party were from all over the world. This Frenchman decided that he needed to bring his Maid to the party with him. I don't know this for sure, but I think they have more than just an employer-employee relationship.

The party was fun, but you know, a party just isn't a party until someone catches on fire.

Seriously?!

Here's Tom the magician, pointing out his dad's back. He caught on fire either from the fire pit on the deck or from a candle on the railing. His Thing 1 costume was obviously NOT flame retardant.

The general consensus was that it could have been much worse if it weren't for the Travelocity Gnome, who put the fire out. With his hands.

How's that for service? I bet Priceline wouldn't send William Shatner to do the same.

It's been a busy week.

2008-10-22T18:57:00.007-04:00

We had to drive to South Carolina Monday to attend Husband's grandma's funeral (he's OK, and she's in a better place now). It's about a 7 hour drive from here, which would not have been a problem at all, except that we had to make the same trip the very next day. We literally left the funeral and drove home on Tuesday, getting home at about 11 pm, exhausted and sick of the car. We probably would have stayed an extra day, but we had a very important appointment today (more on that in a minute).
While Husband drove, I knit.

pattern: Thorpe
yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky
I knit this entire thing (with the exception of the braids) on the way to SC. The pattern is really easy, and I think I like top-down hats a lot. The only complaint I have with this hat is that it's a bit tall. On me. Which may not be the case for those with normal heads. Since becoming a knitter, I've realized that I have a rather large noggin, circumferentially speaking. S'okay though. I can deal.

On the way home, I cast on for another cowl. Does this yarn look familiar? It's the remainder of the skein I used to make the Sunset Cowl. I love this one too.
The pattern is a simple eyelet pattern that is easily memorized. It's knit up like a very short scarf, and the ends are seamed together. I probably would have gotten this finished on the trip home, but it got dark, and I don't knit well if I can't see.

Looking at this picture, you'd think I'd be struggling to get air. Really, it's not as tight as it looks: It's not snug at all. It is cuddly and warm though.

Now, about that important appointment...
Goodbye foggy window panes... Hello-

Installer guy.

I Kinneared him. And I thought I had actually gotten away with it, until he looked over at me like I was a weirdo. Ahem.

Anyway, look!

I have locks!! And who has locks? Why, those whose windows actually open!!

OOOH! And look what else! I have SCREENS!!!

Huzzah!

No more birds in my house, thankyouverymuch.

FOs of 2 (very) different types

2008-10-18T09:38:00.002-04:00

OK, I've noticed that, contrary to the name of this blog, there hasn't been much knitting action goin' on here (on the blog, I mean). There has, however, been some bitterness goin' on.

FO Type 1- Finished Objects
I have been knitting. Quite a bit, actually, so I have some things to share.

First, we have the Turn A Square hat I made for Dylan. It is made from some Debbie Bliss Rialto I had in my stash (yay for stashbusting!).

I did like the pattern, but I couldn't get the whole "jogless stripe" thing to work for me. There is a jog up the back of this hat where the color changes, but honestly, does this look like a kid who cares that there's a jog in his color changes?

I don't think so either. He just loves his new hat.

Next, my new favorite winter accessory, the cowl. This is the Crofter's Cowl (Ravelry link), made of Mmmmmmalabrigo. Yummy yarn, lovely color. This was a very quick knit- it could be knit in one productive afternoon- but it sat for a few days while I got up the courage to Kitchener it together. I'm not entirely happy with the way that turned out, because you can totally see the seam. If I knew beforehand that there would be a visible seam, I would have just sewn it together and saved myself quite a bit of time. But, I don't guess it's that bad considering it was my first attempt at Kitchener stitch. Overall, I really like this cowl. I think it will get lots of wear just as soon as the weather decides to stay cool.

Finally, I finished my Rusted Root!!

I cast on for this sweater 5 times before I got it right. I had some issues with reading the pattern/pattern comprehension/sizing. There were so many stitch markers on this thing, I didn't know what was going on. Do I increase here? or just before the lace pattern and not after? (Just so you know, don't increase at the "special markers" and you'll do fine. Really.)

This sweater started out red. Once I got the pattern down, I knit until the join beneath the underarms and I tried it on, just to be sure I was on track.

I wasn't.

There was no way this things was gonna fit over the girls, so I had to frog it and go up a size. Guess what? I didn't have enough yarn. But that's OK. I really wanted it in blue (I guess).

On to FO Type 2- Flying objects.

I'll give you a minute to figure this one out on your own.

No, I'm not referring to the roosters on my tablecloth. I'm referring to the freaking bird perched on said tablecloth.

I like nature. Really, I do. Just not in my house.

How did this happen, you ask? If you know me at all, you know that not a single window in my house is operable. This means that any time I want fresh air, I have to leave the back door open, which has no screen. This leaves my door open to... well... birds. Usually they just hop in a few feet from the deck but turn around as soon as they realize they're not outside. This one just came right in and made himself at home. He didn't want to leave. I had to chase him for a good 5 minutes, during which time he hid behind my refrigerator. I had to pull the stupid thing out to get him to leave. Thank goodness it's on wheels.

Oh, and if you're interested in knowing, I'll have all new windows Wednesday!!

The Black Hole

2008-10-11T10:01:00.004-04:00

On Thursday afternoon, a Louisville woman made a shocking discovery- the Black Hole was found to be located in the dash of her Toyota Camry sedan.

The discovery came after the woman left Stevens & Stevens deli, after enjoying a wonderful lunch. She came upon her car and noticed nothing suspicious; that is, until she sat down in her car.

At that very moment, reality sank in. The Black Hole sat staring at the woman as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.Slowly, the cold, hard facts began to make sense: The Black Hole had always been present in the Camry; however, until that point in time, it had been hidden by the presence of a nearly new JVC stereo.

Her mind reeling, the woman began putting together the clues she found at the scene. All of the doors to the Camry remained locked, except for the front passenger door. It is presumed that someone, perhaps a skilled thief, used a tool known to the underground world of thieves as a Slim Jim, to unlock the door. Then, the thief removed the stereo, being careful not to disrupt the Black Hole that was hiding behind it, thereby allowing this gaping area of nothingness to be seen.

The woman, who is still a bit shocked that such an event occurred in mid-afternoon at a crowded deli, had nothing nice to say about the Black Hole. As a matter of fact, the woman reports that she would rather have the view of the Hole covered by a replacement stereo.

Unfortunately, the thief who made this shocking discovery possible was not available for an interview.

I should start charging admission.

2008-09-26T13:39:00.004-04:00

I live in a neighborhood with lots of trees. I have 2 wooded lots beside me, and about 4 behind me. So, I understand that there will be bugs. I know this. However, I did not think I would be living in the freakin' Herpaquarium.

Exhibit A:
Enormous Stagg Beetle. How do I know what kind of bug this is? We have this site bookmarked on our computer, that's how.
This thing flew in while Husband had the door open. It sounded like a helicopter was preparing for landing in my house. thwockthwockthwock

Also, we've had our fair share of spiders, including this hairy thing. Yep, there was a fight that night ("No, YOU get it out of here! I'm not touching it!").

So today, I'm minding my own business, getting ready to do laundry when I notice something scurry across the carpet-

Exhibit B:

Seriously??! A flippin' lizard?!

I really should start charging an admission fee.

Crochet? Nay.

2008-09-17T20:50:00.006-04:00

While I was at the Knit Nook the other day, Jane was crocheting a really cute hat. I asked her a few questions about the stitch she was doing, and she kindly came over to my chair and ran through a brief how-to-crochet demonstration. I was so inspired that I went home and tried to remember what Jane had taught me.

I thought I was doing fairly well. I ~~cast on~~ chained 40 stitches, and intended to do a washcloth. After a few rows, I realized that I was losing stitches somehow. Of course, I was attempting to do something that I don't know how to do, completely from memory, so that should come as no surprise. I thought that I could just increase, like I would in knitting, but I ended up with this ruffled edge.

At that point, I thought that maybe a nice crocheted border would tie it all together nicely. As I was going around the bottom, I found..... well, what the hell is this little leg sticking out? How did that happen?

Hmmm..... Looks suspiciously like something you may find on a map of the U.S.....

I need crochet help.

But that is the least of my worries right now. I'm sure this scene can be found in thousands of homes across the Louisville Metro area right now. Nonetheless, it is still disturbing.These things are not meant to be this empty.

Vote!!

2008-09-15T19:34:00.004-04:00

I, like 301,000 other people in the metro area, am without power. What a great way to spend the first day of my vacation, and my 7 year wedding anniversary, huh?
Anyway, I am here at my mother's house, perusing the internet, and I stumbled upon this.

So far, Kentucky is in the lead. We all need to vote and get our kids some books!!

Sweater, interrupted.

2008-09-01T16:02:00.007-04:00

I've been working on this Gathered Pullover for quite a while now. Well, to be completely honest, it sat for a while, being neglected, because it can be rather difficult to convince myself that knitting a wool sweater in 95degree heat is a good idea. Anyway, I did convince myself to pick it up again, hoping it would be done just in time for fall weather. I finished the body a couple of days ago, and finished one sleeve yesterday. I decided that I would probably have more motivation to knit the second sleeve if I seamed the rest of the sweater together, and had to look at it with only one sleeve missing. So, I seamed the shoulders and pinned my finished sleeve in until..... what the hell?? What am I looking at, you ask? Well, I am showing you the sleeve (which is at the top of the photo), and the body of the sweater (at the bottom). On a ~~perfect~~ normal sweater, the two of these ends would match up. But on MY sweater? Not so much.

There's gotta be at least an inch of extra fabric on the body. I had to get a bit creative in the seaming of my Central Park hoodie, because the sides were about 1/4 inch longer than the back. But this? I doubt that all the creativity in the world could make this seaming look decent. I seriously doubt this is what they meant when they named it the Gathered Pullover. Perhaps I'll end up with a nice wool vest....

Needless to say, I was a bit upset. I had to ~~throw~~ put down the sweater, take a few deep breaths, and cast on for something that didn't require much concentration.

Squares for Erika's afghan

Aahhh... Much better.

inked!

2008-08-29T10:19:00.004-04:00

I've been wanting a tattoo for several years now. But, I know how I am, and I tend to change my mind a bit. I really didn't want to be stuck with something for the rest of my life, and not be in love with it. So the deal I made with myself was that if I still wanted the same tattoo when I turned 30, I'd get it. This is what I'd wanted:

I wanted it to be red with black shading, about an inch tall, and on the lower part of the back of my neck.
30 will be here Saturday (ugh!), so I went to Acme Ink yesterday to get my fleur de lis. When I described this to the guy doing my tattoo, he didn't think that was a good idea- something about red being blotchy, I'd look like a cardinals fan, and the tattoo would be disproportionately small for that big a body part. He convinced me to go larger, and incorporate the red on a smaller scale. But, once he was done with the black and grey, he said "huh, I think I like it just like this, it looks good with your pale skin." (Wait... should I be offended?)
Anyway, after looking at it, I decided he was right- it looks great!

So, despite my previous apprehension of large tattoos, this is what I ended up with, and I LOVE it! Damn, Slim, you're freakin' good.

(Just an FYI- it's really had to take a picture of the back of your own neck. I had to use 2 mirrors and hold the camera, hence the funny looking shoulder blades.)

a true veggie burger.

2008-08-18T19:15:00.000-04:00

This is the ultimate summertime meal. I've been waiting all season for this.

A veggie sandwich (or in this case, burger, as we were out of the good bread) made with homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers, slathered with a generous serving of Miracle Whip. Yummy!

Weekend in the country

2008-08-17T21:12:00.001-04:00

We went to see Husband's grandparents this weekend. They live about 4 hours away in Eastern KY, out in the country. I always enjoy visiting them, because we hardly get to see them, and since my grandparents live so far away, they are kinda like my surrogates. Also, it is always so relaxing there, like time moves slower and there's never any rush for anything. I guess that's how country folk live.

The grandparents have a huge garden, and I've been waiting all summer for some fresh produce. Well, you can't get any fresher than 'pick it yourself,' so that's just what I did. I picked lots of green beans and some tomatoes and cucumbers. I've never picked beans before; the vines really irritated my skin. But, the short-lived rash was worth it:

When we got home, Husband and I spent about an hour breaking, stringing, cleaning and freezing the beans. Guess what we're having for dinner tonight (and tomorrow night, and the next night....)?

I had quite a bit of knitting time this weekend, something I really needed. It's always so relaxing in the country, and when I'm there I don't feel guilty about knitting when so much other stuff needs to be done around the house. I can just sit around and knit while I'm visiting with the family.

I finished the body of my Gathered Pullover and cast on My So Called Scarf. The pattern was a bit confusing, but I found an awesome tutorial, which made so much more sense to me. I'm using Misty Alpaca. This is the first time I've used this yarn, and it won't be the last! It's so yummy! I just want to pet it...

I would've gotten so much more done if I didn't have to stop every few rows to admire it. I just love this pattern and this yarn together.

I should've known better.

2008-08-10T20:17:00.000-04:00

Asking Husband for help winding a hank of Cascade was a bad idea. I know better. But still, the thought of winding the entire 220 yards around my knees was not appealing either. So, against my better judgement, I asked Husband for help. My directions were simple: Stand here with your arms out. I'll be winding the yarn onto the ball winder. Just don't let the yarn fall off of your arms.

This worked out for about 200 yards. Then, Husband decided that he had a better idea: Just let the yarn fall into a big pile on the floor. It'll be okay, he says. It will still wind up nicely, just like before.
Uummmm.... NO. That took about a half turn of the ball winder to disprove.

Good thing I bought extra yarn. Ugh, I need a swift.

sadness.

2008-08-07T16:12:00.000-04:00

This week has been full of sadness. First, I finished Breaking Dawn on Monday (confused? See last post.). I really can't say that I'm totally satisfied with the ending, but that's probably just because I've had such high expectations for such a long time.

In the end, I kinda got the ending I hoped for, but there were a few odd things that (I think) shouldn't have happened in the book (ummm...ruh-nez-may? Really?!). Husband didn't understand why I was in such a weird mood on Monday after I finished it, but now that he's reading it, he kinda understands. He even had a few WTF??!! moments while reading. So, it's the end of the Twilight series. Now I can say:

Goodbye, Edward and Bella. Have a happy life together. I hope I can get over you now.

Also, my friend is moving across the country tomorrow. I'm sad that she's leaving. I'll miss you, Erika.

better late than never.

2008-07-31T16:32:00.000-04:00

My dear friend Stephanie's birthday was June 21. Me, being the great friend that I am, did not have her gift ready. Not that I didn't know her birthday was coming up; it's been on the same day for the entire 16 years we've been friends. But still, I had no present. I'd thought about it a lot. I even started making it for her 2 months in advance. However, it just never seemed to get finished.

I blame that on the fact that I had to order a part (the handle), and the fact that I was terrified of lining the bag. Yeah. That was fun (read: hair-pulling,cussing, liner-throwing experience).

Anyway, now that I've finally gotten around to giving you the gift, I hope you enjoy it. Happy belated birthday, Stephanie.

Who knew?

2008-07-28T20:52:00.000-04:00

Bowling? At Gattiland? When did that happen?
My niece Emma is turning 8 in a few days, so we had a party for her at Gattiland Saturday. For the most part, that place hasn't changed. Yummy pizza, hundreds of kids running wild, stinky bathrooms, and a crowded gameroom. Yup, that about sums it up. Oh yeah, and bumper cars.

The kids had a really good time. And I ate so much they had to roll me outta there.

Dylan and Emma

So, anyone who knows me at all knows that I am *patiently* awaiting the release of Stephenie Meyer's new book, the final installment of the Twilight series. The book comes out this Saturday. Which means that I have to re-read the first three before Saturday. Which means that I will have no time to do the things that I really need to do, like work, do school assignments, knit (for my Ravelry Twilight swap partner, of course), et cetera. Try to out-dork me. I dare ya.

Here's what I'll be doing for the next three days...

What's a weekend?

2008-07-20T20:50:00.000-04:00

I'd forgotten what it was like to be off on a weekend. I've worked damn near every single one for the past year and a half. But, for the past 2 weekends, I've been off, and finally feeling like a normal person again. I actually got to do something this weekend, because I didn't have to be in bed at 9pm. I saw a show and danced a bit on Saturday, and basically bummed around the house Sunday. I did get dressed and go to the Spaghetti Factory with the family though.

I got a little knitting done as well. There are so many little girls being born right now, and I really like this Confection shrug. I've finished one in pink Cottontots. The pattern is so easy, and it knits up quickly.

I like it so much I've already cast on for a second one...

You can't really see the color in this picture, but it's a cute lavender color. Not sure who these are gonna end up with, but I'm sure that with the plethora of baby girls on the way, they will find a good home.

my first sweater.

2008-07-15T21:11:00.000-04:00

O.k., this is old news, but I wanted to see if I could add pictures to my blog. So, here is my Central Park Hoodie, knit in Blue Sky dyed cotton. I took a class at the Knit Nook when I was still fairly new to knitting. Several weeks and many cuss words later, I have a sweater to show for it!

I'm new to this....

2008-07-15T21:04:00.000-04:00

...so bear with me.