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.

Sock Busy

We have been busy around here at our house. We are in the process of getting ready for school,we also went on a short vacation and some knitting is getting done as well.




After almost four months, I started them May 2, I have finished my Malabrigo Mockery socks. I finally sewed the toe on the second one this weekend. I have absolutely no idea why this pair of socks took me so long to knit. I loved the pattern it was super easy to memorize and I like how it turned out. I loved the yarn, how can you not love anything by Malabrigo????








It may have been all the spinning I have been doing this summer, I have spun at least a pound of fiber so far. I spun the yarn for this pair and finished them while we were on vacation last week. I knit the Baby Cable pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks and I knit them with the Riverbed Pattern pathway from New Pathways for Sock Knitters. The fiber was from Gale's Art in the Wildflower colorway that was one of the limited edition Siblings.






Since I finished the other two pairs, I needed to start another pair for mindless knitting. This is the Twin Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks and I am using Brown Sheep Luxury Foote sock yarn in Black. These are being dubbed the Boring Black socks which are going to go live with the Boring Brown socks that I knit back in May.

A Surprise of a Prize

I won a prize from my friend Amanda on her blog when her daughter had a concert. I was the first one to pick the correct song that the band played. She sewed this awesome bag for me and I really really like it a bunch. She also added a footie sock kit, undyed merino roving and a note pad. I have already put my current sock project in the bag.

Thanks again Amanda.

Forcing Myself to Post

I really haven't had much to post about. I have been working on lots of UFO's. I don't have enough progress to show so kind of low on blog fodder.







I did finish spinning the singles of my Gale's Art Cupcake. I just have to ply these together and then I will have a some more sock yarn. Woo Hoo!!!







This is my next spinning project. I have separated it so I can try to spin the bobbins equally. I am going for two hanks of sock yarn again. It is called Strawberry Shortcake. I thought it kind of looked like a bouquet of some sort when I took this picture.









I have become obsessed with this wrap. I decided to pick up this project to keep my obsession at bay. It is working for a bit, but I am not sure how long I will be able to hold out.

Overcoming a Knitting Fear

I had some handspun that was calling me. I decided that I wanted a Morning Surf Scarf. I am using the Festival from Gale's Art for this project. I only casted on 26 stitches hoping that it would be a decent length. We shall see.




I have a knitting fear of toe up socks. I always avoid patterns that are knit toe up. Some people swear by toe up socks. I have heard all the reasons why to knit them this way. (use all your yarn, no kitchnering the toe together, easier to try on yada yada yada) I still didn't want to but I decided I wanted to be able to use most of the yarn since it was handspun so I gave it a shot. Oh my goodness, I love how these are turning out and couldn't say enough good things about Cat Bordhi's book New Pathways for Sock Knitters. My biggest fear was the heel. I don't like short row toes and I didn't know how to do a toe up sock with a heel flap. I do now though and even if a pattern doesn't have this method I can still knit the sock. Also, with the Master Numbers this sock fits perfect perfect perfect.

Defeated

I did not (and will not) finish Tour de Fleece. I got really close but have no gumption to finish right now. I only have a bobbin and a half left which is about an ounce. I did have lots of fun and I did get lots of spinning done.

I just want to knit with what I have spun.

TDF Wednesday Update

I finished one spinning project that puts me over halfway done with my goal. This one took longer than I thought it was going to. I ended up with two hanks. One is three ply which is shown here and I have about 214 yards. The other one is two ply and I have about 160 yards.





This is what I have to finish by Sunday to reach my goal. I am not sure I am going to make it but I am going to give it a good try. I am trying to spin this into two hanks of three ply. I am on the second bobbin for the first hank and I am about halfway through that bobbin.






Well, I guess I better get spinning, huh????

13 Years

Thirteen years ago, I married my Prince Charming. He is the most wonderful husband, father, best friend, and one of the most amazing men I know. I am so blessed that I get to be his wife.

Brett, I love you with all my heart and thank you for the thirteen years that we have spent together. I wouldn't change any of it because it makes us the couple we are today.

My First Pair of Handspun Socks

I can't believe it. I finished my first pair of handspun socks today. When I started wanting to learn to spin one of the reasons why was so I could make handspun socks and I did it. I used the Gale's Art Black BFL that I got from The Loopy Ewe.

Details---
Pattern: Textured Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks
Needles: 1.5 KnitPicks Options DPN's
Started: July 1, 2009
Completed: July 12, 2009





The other night we went to dinner at a drive in and on the way home we stopped for a minute, while Punkinbug and I waited for the others she came up front and kept me company. I think I am in trouble. Scary thought in 9-10 years she will be driving.

TDF Update

Wow this week has just flown by. I have been doing quite a bit of spinning which is probably a good thing since I am participating in Tour de Fleece.



This yarn is the project I started before the start of TDF. One of my goals was to finish it. I have succeeded with that goal. I have two hanks of finger to sport weight yarn. One hank is approximately 150 yards and the other is approximately 138 yards. The top was from Gale's Art in the Wildflower colorway. The fiber was Corriedale and it was one of the limited edition Siblings.




I am now in the process of working on the rest of my goal which was to spin another 8 ounces of fiber. I am starting to think I didn't make my goal very challenging. I am about one third of the way through this fiber. I might have to up my challenge. I guess I will see when I finish this and then make a decision.