1789 yards!

Remember back in July I did some “emergency knitting” for my mother? She wanted a baby blanket in a week. I knit my hand into cramps but I got the blanket, two pairs of booties, and a cap done in time. Eight months later the baby is finally large enough for the hat. Her grandfather proudly shared this photo with my parents who were both pleased to see such an adorable baby.

Like every knitter, I absolutely love the feeling of finishing a project, but even more than that, I love to see photos of my items in use. It’s so rewarding to know that the time and energy I put into making someone something is appreciated.


In other news, I crossed the mile finish line today. Current count is 1,789 yards. Thank you socks!

Still no camera but photos will follow soon

I would like to be a Neptunian

I would like to be a Neptunian from Futurama. That way I’d always have a set of hands to be knitting while I went about doing all of the other things that must be done. (this is Elzar, a Neptunian cook taking on a slug).

Today I painted the interior of the two front doors. I’ll share a photo later on when I have my camera. I seem to have left at work last week. The boys have definitely not enjoyed the day in the upstairs bathroom. They have all the necessities, food, litter, places to sleep, yet they are still scheming on ways of escaping their confines.

Mac did dart out when The Boyfriend wasn’t looking. He made a beeline downstairs are rubbed on the wet door frame leaving lots of his fluffy hairs behind. Luckily I immediately caught him (although he was doing his favorite thing running away purring). The damage was repaired and some how Mac came out of it paint free and purring.

I was thinking about it, and in the 41 months that we’ve lived here, I’ve painted the following…

• One wall in the master bedroom
• Downstairs bathroom
• Upstairs bathroom
• Bue half of the living room
• Laundry Room
• Cathedral Ceiling
• Upstairs bathroom
• Downstairs bathroom
• The Front doors
  

That just leaves the kitchen, dining room, and guest room without my handy work. I'd say that's pretty good for someone who doesn't like to paint. I think the kitchen is next on the list. The wine color could really use a fresh coat. I think darker colors show more dings and scratches.

For fear of ending up on CuseGirls list of knit bloggers without knitting content, I must inform you of today’s total so far. 1,525 yards! I didn’t think it was possible but the goal does seem to be within my grasp. I need another 235 yards before next Tuesday. That’s totally doable!! I will be thrilled to start my April challenge which will be the April Apparel Aspiration. Last week I began knitting one of Julie’s designs for an A-shaped sweater using one of our new yarns. I would love to finish the sweater in time to wear it this year. I am two inches into the sweater but after watching Meow Meow Head bust through garment after garment in the time it takes me to knit a couple pairs of socks (typically a week a sock). I’m hoping I can pull this off.

Life as a Samurai

Day 14 of the cold and I’m still raspy. Fortunately, every day is better than the day before. I caught the cold from a co-worker and both Julie and I came down with it at the same time. But neither of them have the lovely smokers voice that I do, same cough though. I’m wondering if this is a sign that when I’m older I’m going to be like my Grandmother and Aunt who have frequent laryngitis. Can you imagine a Samurai with so much to say and unable to say any of it?!?! Oh nose!!!!

This past week the Seacoast Knitters had the St. Patrick’s day swap. As you can see, fingerless mitts were the hot item.

I’ve been knitting like a fiend to try and make a birthday deadline on a pair of socks. It’s so nice to knit for someone with the same size feet as myself. I can keep trying them on to be certain that they’ll fit her. These are the Staccato Socks by Veronik Avery. It’s a great two row pattern. I think it would be better highlighted with yarn that is more variegated, maybe a 5 or 6 color sock yarn instead of the 2. It’s lovely none the less.

Tonight The Boyfriend is out and I’ll be eating Pad Thai, watching Law & Order SVU and knitting til my hearts content, or I get sleepy, whichever comes first.

Oh and FYI I'm at 782 yards knit this month. Another 1,000 and I'll make my mile. Yeah...if I stopped working and knit for 8 hours a day for the rest of the month, maybe I'd make it.

3 Levels of Sickness

It’s been a long week. Lots of coughing and sneezing as I struggled through a severe cold. Based on my 20+ years of experience with colds and flues, I submit that there are three levels of sickness.

• First Level of Sickness: you are sick, so sick that can’t work or go to school. But you are able to take medication, to dull the symptoms. You can focus your attention allowing you to read your book report book you are behind on, or knit complicated patterns that will take your mind off of the unpleasantness in your body.
• Second Level of Sickness: not only are you too sick to work, but you are too sick to concentrate. You feel achy and the medication isn’t enough to relieve your suffering. You can watch TV and may be able to knit stockinette for short bursts but are frequently frustrated by your constant need to blow your nose and take Tylenol. (This by the way always upsets my stomach if I take it for more than 4 hours, so I get the added bonus of stomachache!)
• Third Level of Sickness: you sleep. You can’t do anything except sleep. No TV, no knitting, no reading. Barely any eating because you need to sleep.

I spent the majority of the last 7 days between the second and third levels which means scarcely a stitch was knit. There is no way I can make it to a mile by the end of the month.

I did finish the Melaine socks. They are thick and tall. I like them but am no longer crazy about the color. It goes well with jeans though.

I also started a bag for my new laptop. It’ll be felted when I’m finished and knit on size 11s it’ll be a quick knit. I’m using Berroco Jasper and Oak Grove Studio Kid/Merino Blend that I got at Rhinebeck.

I’m also working on another sock pattern for the J.Knits Fall 09 line. It’s the first man’s sock I’ve ever knit. I love the pattern and of course am a fan of the colorway.

Clear the Sock Needles Update

I’ve completed three pairs of socks this month. I was aiming for four but I feel like that’s just not going to happen. I have 5” leg and 3.5” leg. For the sake of the challenge I could make them 5” socks and say I’m done. But that would compromise my vision for the socks. Knit on size 2s & 3s they are going to be thick and boot sock-ish. I want to use more of the yarn than I normally do and I want to make them 6.5” with at least 1.5” of 2x2 ribbing. I’m certain that I will finish these socks this weekend but with a busy day ahead of us, I won’t be able to finish them today.

Warning: The rest of this post is for my sake not yours. Not an entertaining entry. There I've placed the disclaimer, now it's your own fault if you read on about my savings and stash reduction plan and find it less than riveting.

I did take a 3 day break from socks this week and knit Na-at-tay two hats. He’s shipping out and I wanted to be sure he has a good washable alternative to the Zissou hat, which is hand wash. I don’t want to be a slave to my monthly challenges. I just want goals to work towards and attempt to achieve. To that end, I’m thinking it may be time to knit a mile in a month. I have some felting projects for Mum that need my attention and a few more non-sock gifts that should be attended to.

For the record I have not purchased yarn from a store since, 2/8/09, ok and from an online vendor since 2/20/09. I know it’s not long but I’m going to make a conscience effort to pare back the yarn purchases until Rhinebeck. I’m not going to give up buying yarn (I don't think that would be possible) but I am going to start squirreling away my yarn allowance so that I have plenty of funds. I’m thinking something like every time I go into a yarn shop and don’t spend the usual $50, I pocket the remaining money towards Rhinebeck. I know, you may not be a knitter and may not understand what I’m saying here. But the Seacoast Knitters in small or big groups frequent 1-3 shops a month. That’s 8-24 trips between now and Rhinebeck…that’s a $200-$600 in savings if I can limit myself to $25 per trip instead of the usual $50. I’ll be keeping track of my progress. 64.8 miles.

But, my yarn spending habits are not the purpose of this post. I’m going to knit a mile out of stash yarns. Knit a mile and not buy a replacement mile. Knit a mile, and make room for more? Knit a mile, that’s 1760 yards. Knit a mile, that’s about 5 pairs of socks for me. Knit a mile, that’s about half of the chunky wool bin.

46

46



how did this happen?



I blame Heather....I blame MacOban....I blame Beelzebub

Where's Waldo?

I thought I should share this cute photo.

It’s like a Where’s Waldo…how many kittens can you find?

These are a few of the finished mice that Mum and I spent the day sewing up on Friday.

We had a few helpers but none of the Curlfect Devons were as excited about their new mice as Linus! Perhaps after watching me knit them all, he was afraid he wouldn't get to keep one.

Success!

It’s official. Thank you Mice! I hate you!
Are you confused?

First there is success in the fact that did in fact knit 2.11 miles in April.

Second, the mice were the bulk of that knitting. It’s always nice to knit a small project that allows me to express my loud interior. I love the bright colors, the more intense the better.

Third…55 mice is a lot, right? You’re thinking, that’s crazy to knit that many mice. I didn’t feel crazy when they were flying off the needles, I was truly enjoying it. But now the sewing begins. Let me tell you, sewing in that many ends is a miserable process. I’m about half way through sewing them up.

What’s going on now?
I’m alternating the sewing with knitting up a DVD player case for NAZ. It’s army green Lopi yarn with some charcoal black stripes. It should be nice once it’s felted.

Today I cast on Light Fantastic from Knit Simple. I thought this airy looking tunic out of a mohair blend (Kidsilk Haze was recommended, I substituted Sublime for it’s nylon in place of silk) So I thought this would be a lovely light garment. I’ve cast on 37 stitches of the 155 required and am already disenchanted with this yarn. Perhaps it’s better to knit than cast on.

I’m about 5” into Lutea Lace Shoulder Shell with the new yarn. Berroco Nostalgia is a very nice yarn and my tension is much better than the first attempt with Patons Grace.

What’s the future hold?
The rest of May to be exact.

In addition to more knitting, there will of course be more cat showing. Tomorrow Nessa and I head to Concord. Hopefully she’ll get some more points towards her Grand Champion title. It’s funny, I’ve been to enough shows to know that 80% of the time it’s just sitting around talking, eating greasy food and looking for the next caffeine hit, either water downed soda or palatable coffee. 10% of the time it’s grooming and running Nessa from point A to point B. And the other 10% is the excitement of sitting in the ring, watching my girl, and waiting to hear the judges opinions. Hoping to get that coveted Best of breed with the potential to get called back for a Final. Of course I’ll be knitting while I’m waiting for the excitement.

I’m thinking of taking a hint from Mrs. Z and taking on the Mittens in May Challenge. I’m seeing two pairs of Norwegian Mittens something like this or this. One for me and one for? I could use some of my stashed wool. This would also help get me back in the swing of knitting with two colors so that I could some day pick up the Ivy League Vest again with confidence.

I’m also thinking of tackling some lace. I would see this as the Mace Challenge. I could use some of my Peruvian alpaca yarn that came directly from Peru in The Colonel’s suitcase. I’m seeing the Clapotis.

Please help me decide...Mittens in May or Mace?

In a time

In a time that future historians will one day call the past, there were mice. Mice that have already burned through more yarn than possibly imaginable if they were living breathing creature feasting on the stuff, 1.64 miles to be exact. With 4 days to go there is no doubt that I will make it past the two-mile marker. And then I begin to dream, how nice it would be to get below 40 miles of yarn, to actually have some storage space for things besides yarn and to be rid of some of my yarny-guilt.

But hark, what’s that I hear? It’s the sound of the Yarn Harlot at Webs and the voices of my friends urging me to go. I must. I cannot resist the call of Webs. I will however try a different tactic this time. Usually I’m a single skein stocker. I feel like I’m having a piece of my cake and thus not gorging on the whole thing, a sweaters worth as it were. A simple review of my stash reveals that a quarter of it is single skeins. 84 lonely skeins without mates or the potential of ever becoming a sweater. And truth be known those 84 were most likely the yarns I love most but felt were too pricey to indulge in purchasing too much. So this trip to Webs will be to buy companions, enough to make a sweater with one of these lonely skeins. I’m eyeing the Malibrigo knowing that it will get a wooly-haze once knit and worn, and perhaps it will even pill. But I also know it is the most beloved yarn in my stash. Knitting a Malibrigo sweater would be like working out and then eating a giant ice cream. You know that the ice cream will counteract all that hard work you’ve just put forth and the results will not be what you desire, but you really want the ice cream.

If I can succeed in not buying single skeins and only buying pals for the yarns I already have I will feel this trip has been an accomplishment.

Mr. Chipmunk and I are cohabitating

Last fall there was a momentous event. An event which caused me to be immobile for 3 days, do you recall, the gardening overhaul? Last October Mum and I spent 10 hours ripping out the gardens, adding 5 bags of soil, building a perimeter to protect the garden from the lawn mowers, and redesigning the plant layout. It was excruciating (my that’s a big word) and felt anticlimactic since nothing would grow until this spring. During the excavation I was mindful of the fact that a certain chipmunk had been residing in the front center of the garden. By mindful I mean that we did not plant anything over his hole although we did cover it with soil and mulch. The next morning he’d dug out and I was happy I hadn’t scared him off. My mother warned me that he’d feast all winter on the new bulbs we’d just spent so long planting and arranging.

Fast forward to last night when I rushed home so I could sit in the back yard and knit. It was nice and sunny and I thought a good opportunity to check on the gardens. My mothers warning about the chipmunk echoed through my mind. But I had been diligent about feeding him peanuts all fall and then again this spring when the snow over his hole had melted. Hopefully he’d left my bulbs alone. I am happy to report I have a few small purple flowers but I can see that the tulips, lilies, and daffodils are all about 4” of green, right on the cusp of blossoms. With all of the growth in the garden I’d say it worked, the bulbs are all there, and Mr. Chipmunk and I have successful coexisted in the garden.

And yes, I’ve knit my mile. It’s amazing how much yarn you can burn through when you’re motivated to knit mice. Ok more like obsessed to knit mice. I feel like a mouse freak. April’s total yardage is 2,067 yards or 1.2 miles.

1415 yards

18 mice later, I'm at 8/10th of a mile. And I though a mile in a month was a challenge, perhaps it should be two miles in a month!

Fire!

Last Night we went to a bonfire. It was great fun. I love the sweater the fire starter is wearing; it blends from small stripes on one sleeve, to larger stripes on the body and other sleeve. It’s a nice variation on stripes. I’ve thought of knitting my own but knowing my tendency toward knitting with Disney princess colors, I’d never wear the resulting sweater.

I’m at 966 yards, for April, just over the half mile mark.

March is now April

I know I’ve left you hanging with those burning questions. Will the shop on the way to the Cat Show in Middletown have it?Will our hero finish the hat before Midnight on March 31st?
I did not feel I could address them without photos to accompany my results.

Will the shop on the way to the Cat Show in Middletown have it?
No the Creative Fibers shop did not have Cascade Chunky Alpaca. I was forced to set aside the Chunky-Alpaca-Better-Bucket-Hat.
In it’s place I began the Drops Design 86-10 Headband in Alaska. I’ve knit this pattern before and had packed extra yarn just incase the shop did not have the stuff to finish the hat. I used Knit Picks Andean Silk and knit this while Nessa was busy doing her thing.

Will our hero finish the hat before Midnight on March 31st?

I have succeeded in completing the 5SKSO Challenge. I cast off the headband on Sunday March 30. Monday the 31st I wove in the ends and attached the button.

This brings us to today, already 8 days into April. I’ve been struggling to come up with an April Challenge. I had thought to set the goal of completing the ILV, but the urge to knit something in cotton for summer is too strong. I had thought to work on a secret Christmas gift, something small, requiring almost mass production. I’m being intentionally vague here. Perhaps the challenge should be, complete 20 Super Secret Projects by the end of April. Or perhaps I should be Challenge-less for the month of April. I’d rather not go without as it does give my knitting some direction. I think another mile challenge would be helpful in making room for the inevitable yarn purchase that will result from the April 27th trip to Webs. I could make the mile challenge a quarterly event. January, April, July, & October. That would be 4 miles from Stash in 2009.

The offical count, as of April 1st 2008 is 42.53 miles of yarn. I know it's a bit more because that doesn't count the Chinese yarn that I can't translate, or the Shetland yarns for the ILV. So it’s settled, the April Challenge will be knit a mile in the next 22 days. Can I do it? I did it in January, but I wasn't working the first 14 days of the month. Wish me luck!

Making my way

I'm 465 yards down. A quarter of a mile down. Can I keep it up? Mostly that was working the Sirdar Silky Look stash yarn. I decided to attempt a BSJ with it.


Working on this Baby Surprise Jacket is a interesting. I say interesting because it was so exciting and fun at first. Knit every row, simple K2tog at the stitch markers, put in some stripes and it was a blast. Now I'm up to the crazy talk. I forgot, I hate the way she writes. Give me clear concise directions. It's like she wrote down half of what she was thinking. Very frustrating. But it seems I am not alone in this, and others have come before me to plot out stitch counts row by row. At least that'll give me some guidance and get me through the code of her pattern.

A Mile in January

I've decided to try to work through a mile of yarn in the month of January. This might be difficult as it's already the 12th and I haven't started. I will only include stash yarn in that mile, nothing that's an active project. So I'm off and running a mile in January!