March is for Mitts

I seem to be on a Mitts kick lately.  I knit a pair for the Punkinbug's teacher.  She liked them a lot and I was glad that she did.  I knit these out of Patons Classic in Retro.

 

I have started a pair for Punkin's teacher now.  This pair is out of Malabrigo in Geranio I think. These are so soft I was tempted to keep them for myself but I have now knit past the point of my fingers so to the teacher they shall go.








Knitting has been interrupted a little lately due to a third grade project that I have been helping my Punkin with.  I will try to post pictures of the completed project soon.

I Have Jinxed Yarn

I am not one that believes in superstitions or things being jinxed.  I am really starting to believe that this yarn is jinxed.  Everything I have tried to knit with it just isn't working.  The socks looked okay but I kept having ladders and odd shaped stitches and when I got to the foot I didn't feel that they were going to be "good" socks.  So I ripped them out yesterday.

       


So today, I started a Multnomah shawl, but I am not liking how it is turning out. My stitches are all wonky and uneven so it is kind of bothering me. I am pondering ripping this out and trying to find something else to knit with this yarn.  The yarn may just need to go in "timeout" for a very long time.                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Knitting Olympics

The Olympics are ending today, both athletic and knitting. I am happy to say that my project is DONE. I really enjoyed knitting the Citron and am actually considering another at some point but just not right now. Malabrigo lace is like knitting with butter. It is so soft and smooth. I want to knit lots of projects with it now.

Details:
Pattern- Citron from Knitty
Needle- size 6 KnitPicks Options
Yarn-Malabrigo Lace in Azul Bolita
Started- February 12, 2010
Finished- February 26, 2010
Adjustments to pattern: I left off the last two rows of the ruffle because I was afraid I was going to run out of yarn.


I also realized today that when it came to blogging this month, I seriously failed.  It is amazing how a month can go by so quickly.  I will admit that this month has been eventful to say the least.  Tomorrow begins a new month so maybe it will go better.

Life Gets in the Way

It has been crazy busy around here.  I have been knitting but all my projects seem to have been slow going.  Technically, I haven't finished anything all year.  The knitting of the  sweater for the Punkinbug was actually finished in December.  I have joined the Ten Shawls in 2010.  I have been plugging away on the first one.  I am on the second chart of three.  I have become more proficient in fixing lace knitting mistakes on this one which I am happy about.

Friday night was the beginning of the Olympics, therefore I needed some Knitting Olympics knitting.  I started the Citron shawl from Knitty.  I am using some Malabrigo Lace in Azul Bolita.  This yarn is so yummy and soft.  I am already trying to think of other projects I can use this yarn for.  This shawl is going pretty quick but I still have the longest rows to go.








A week ago Friday, I had planned to take the kids to movie night at school so I needed knitting that I could work on during a movie.  We didn't go for some reason but I still had a sock started.  I am making the Burning Rings of Fire socks in some Zen Yarn Garden.  This sock has saved my nerves some in the the last week or so.  The colors are a little washed out in this photo but I will get better pictures when the socks are done. 

When Knitting Fails You

You resort to spinning.  I started a new sock project with some hand spun that I finished last year.  I am trying different Cat Bordhi patterns from New Pathways for Sockknitters with my handspun sock yarn since most of them are toe up patterns and I can use up most of the yarn that way.

You start a new spinning project.  I am trying to turn this into a 3 ply worsted weight yarn.  I don't usually try to spin like that but we will see what I get.  The color is Aquarius from a dyer somewhere in Iowa.

 Last but not least, you fondle pretty new hand spun yarn.  This is the yarn that I intend to make a scarf for my sister with but I really like how it turned out so I am a little tempted to keep it for myself.  What do you think, would you keep it?  I am thinking this yarn would make a good Argosy.

Knitting Catastrophe

I hate it when I hear the voice in my head that says something is not quite right.  I usually listen to it but for some reason I totally ignored it this time.  When I tried this sock on after I completed turning the heel it was a little big.  I thought it is going to be okay. I 'll just keep going it isn't that bad.

I finally had to listen to it yesterday when these
big bumps were on top of the foot.  I just don't see how that would be comfortable in my shoe.  So I decided yesterday to frog this sock.  Which is sad because I loved how it was knitting up.  I am now debating to try again in a smaller size or just start a totally new sock with new yarn and pattern.

Spinning

I have been doing a lot of spinning lately.  This is the roving that I am spinning right now.

It will eventually be a scarf for my sister.

This is what I just finished spinning.  I got a little more than 740 yards of a light fingering to laceweight.

Happy Little Girl

I have finished the Punkinbug's sweater. She was able to wear it to school yesterday. The librarian at her school thought it was really pretty. I am so glad that it turned out okay.







The sleeves of the sweater are a little short but I think that is because she pulled it up farther than it was supposed to be worn. It only took me about a month and a half to knit. I finished the knitting on our trip last week but forgot the button at home so I wasn't able to finish it until yesterday. She didn't let me take the time to block it so it is being worn just as it is off the needles.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all my blogging friends. I hope all of you had a wonderful CHRISTmas and enjoyed time with your families.




Our Christmas was pretty uneventful, the foot and a half plus of snow that we got on Christmas Eve and Christmas might have had something to do with that. DH took the kids outside after he got done blowing the snow off the driveway.





We got to go back home to Kansas this last Sunday and just got home yesterday. When there is a trip there is laundry to be done on the return. The girls were great to help me with that today. I told the Punkinbug that her shirt matches the walls in the laundry room.





I guess I must be crazy. I started a new KAL10 Shawls in 2010. I started my first one on Friday as we were heading back to Kansas City to spend the night with DH's brother. I also got some knitting done while watching the Allstate Sugar Bowl. I am now on the second repeat of the first chart of theNorth Roe Shawl. I am planning on giving this to my sister in law when it is finished. The next one will probably be for my oldest sister. I am using Cascade Alpaca Lace in Thistle.


Time to go knit now.

A Sweater and a New Obsession

I am plugging away on the sweater for the Punkinbug. I just have the two sleeves left to do. I have already done the neck edging. It isn't perfect but it doesn't look bad enough to rip it out and do it over.






I finally cast on that sock yarn that I have been looking at for about two weeks now. I am doing the Sunday Swing pattern from Knitty. This pattern is super easy and it goes really fast. I am on the heel flap of the first sock. I would be farther along but I have been working on the sweater too.





Speaking of Knitty I am so wanting to make this pattern. I am thinking my Strawberry Shortcake that I spun might be good for them.

Another Project is Done

I guess this week has been for finishing around here. I finished up my Mitt Envy fingerless gloves (Ravelry). I knit these out of my handspun. I really enjoyed knitting these. I am not quite how much use I will get out of them here in Minnesota since the winter is kind of cold enough for full gloves and mittens. They might be more useful in the Spring and Fall when it is not quite as chilly.

I guess I will need to think about starting a new portable project since the only projects I have left on the needles are a sweater and a circular shawl. I guess I will cast on the socks I was pondering the other day.

Hah!!!

Hah!!! They are finished. I have no idea why it took me over six weeks to knit these socks when the I knit about half of the second one yesterday. I am just glad they are finished.

Another Sweater and other Odds and Ends

If making one sweater wasn't enough I started one for the Punkinbug a couple of weeks ago. It is going pretty smoothly and I have just a couple more inches left on the body and then the sleeves and the neckline. I think she will really like it.




I have been wanting to start a new pair of socks. I just can't make myself start them until I finish the pair for the Punkin. I am on the heel flap of the second sock but seem to hit a roadblock of not wanting to finish them. I am determined to finish them sometime this week. This is the yarn I have waiting to start my next pair which I think I will use this pattern.



This is just to show you that a little boy forehead and cement just don't mix!!!!

Well I Did It

It only took me a little over 11 months but I finally finished my first sweater. I am very happy with it, it fits me and that is the important part. I wore it and received compliments and people being amazed that someone could actually knit something like that. Punkin's teacher from last year said my stitches were so even that it looked like it was knitted on a machine. I am already scoping out my next sweater project, I am thinking an Aran.

Not Much Blogging

But there has been quite a bit of knitting happening.



I seemed to get on a finishing kick this month which was pretty good. I finished these socks today. They have been on the needles since August 22, 2009. I am so glad that these are done. I discovered while knitting these that working with black yarn makes my eyes tired. I don't see a lot of knitting with black yarn in my future.




There is nothing that I enjoy more than knitting with my handspun yarn. I have been on a scarf/cowl kick lately. I have knit two scarves and one cowl from handspun since the beginning of September. Unfortunately I don't have any handspun at the moment that is begging to be a scarf so it might be a while before I will make another. I started this at the end of October and finished it a little over a week ago.

I have another finished object to share, but I will save it for my next post.

Spiders and Protecting my Neck

A little spider left the preschool on Thursday and I just had to keep him.










And then I had three vampires show up on Friday. They spent the night so I decided to take their picture this morning. I guess they think candy is going to show up soon.





I guess it is a good thing I started a new project yesterday. This will protect my neck from the vampires and the elements this winter. I am knitting it out of some handspun yarn.

Whoda Thunkit????

That the woman who was pretty much a devout DPN user would discover that she really LIKES Magic Loop!!!!!!!!

Cheating Pays Off on Occasion

For once, my cheating paid off. This is the yarn that I spun up on Thursday and Friday of last week.










This is the Sunday Market Shawl (scarf) that I have been knitting on since Saturday.








This is the finished scarf. I decided not to block it since I like the way it looks unblocked.










This is the Punkinbug treadling on my wheel. I asked her if she wanted to learn to spin and she tells me "When I am older, Mom."

Cheating and a Ghost

I am cheating on my spinning. I NEVER cheat on my spinning. I always finish spinning something before I start something else. I was really enjoying spinning this Greenwood Fiberworks merino but I saw a project that I wanted to knit NOW and I decided I wanted to knit it out of handspun. I plan to make it smaller like a scarf.





I decided that this would be the perfect fiber for this project.












This is the first bobbin.











Yesterday, there was a ghost around my house. This ghost was in search of the "Mean Daddy Monster". The ghost was able to find the "Mean Daddy Monster" and scare him.

A Minor Knitting Setback

I had a little knitting setback. I guess it wasn't even a set back since I had five needles. Somehow this needle got bent and when I tried to bend it back it snapped.










I am still working on the second Boring Black Sock. I was halfway through the leg when I noticed a mistake that I thought I could fix, but I just found more mistakes so I ripped it out and started over.


Think I'll go knit now............

The Blogging Spirits Have Been Mean to Me

I have been HORRIBLE about blogging lately. I think about blogging and then I think I want to have some more progress on such and such progress and then I have days I don't think about it at all. I hope there are still people out there wanting to read this.


I took a picture for the blog and as I was taking the picture the camera battery died. I guess this post will have to wait until tomorrow. I do have progress to show though.

Wow

It sure has been an eventful couple of weeks around here. I got a year older and it was a big birthday. I got sick. I sent my little buddy off to preschool, which wasn't nearly as traumatic as I expected. The girls have both been sick. Other things have happened but that is a later post I think.




I did finish a project. (I STILL need to weave in the ends though.) It is the One Row Lace Scarf. (Ravelry) I knit it out of handspun and I think it turned out pretty good. I had the Punkinbug do some modeling for me. I think she would keep it for herself if she could.






This is just a little closer picture to see the colors and stitch pattern a little better.

First Day of School

The girls headed back to school today. From what they told me they had a great day. Punkin even had a little homework today too. I think they are even excited about going back tomorrow.








Little Buddy doesn't start preschool until next Tuesday. He is still enjoying his summer vacation.

Just the Beginning

I have lots to post about but don't have time for the epic that this post would be if I did do the whole post. So this is the first of probably many posts to come. I decided to do the Sockknitters Anonymous September Mystery Knit A Long. It is a pattern by Nancy Bush and we were supposed to use yellow yarn. This is the two cuffs of the pattern. I am anxiously waiting for the next clue which should be out late tonight or sometime tomorrow.

I am using Shibui Knits socks in the Jonquil colorway. I find this yarn to be a little splitty but it just might be because of the needles I am using. I am using size 1 Knit Picks Options.

I have already learned a new stitch which is exciting for me. I even got it right on the first try. I am excited to see what comes next.