Friday, March 23, 2007

I Have Been Knitting Honest!!!!!


I seem to have reached a "knitting block" it seems that everything I have worked on lately has ended up in the frog pond. I think I am starting to find the shore though.
I got some wonderful yarn from the Loopy Ewe that "spoke" to me. I got it in the mail and I must have had some kind of unconscious urge to mess up the sock I was already working on to use this yarn. So my Fleece Artist sock got frogged for the Seacoast Panda in Sunrise. This sock tried to be a Monkey sock but I couldn't get the cuff to work right no matter what size needles I used so it has turned into a form of a basketweave that seems to be going along just fine. I started the heel flap today and hope to have the first one finished by Sunday. I am not a big fan of tall socks so I think this is possible.

I also got another hank of the Seacoast in Maine. This yarn is so wonderful though it does tend to split a little but I think I can live with it.

I have been working on my Branching Out Scarf. It is moving along nicely. I think if I continue to enjoy knitting on it, I will turn into a lace knitter yet.

I also have to put in a big WOO HOO for the Kansas Jayhawks. They made it to the Elite 8. Rock Chalk Jayhawk GO KU.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

KANSAS PRIDE


This little short post is so not knitting related. I am a transplanted Kansan. There are very few people that don't keep track of Kansas Jayhawk basketball, and the ones that don't pay attention just don't know what they are missing LOL. I will admit that I am not a very good watcher of basketball. I get way too nervous when they are playing and if it is not going "our" way I will admit I tend to turn it off because I feel that I jinx them. That sounds really strange I know but that is just how it is. Those Kansas Jayhawks are going to the Big Dance with a NUMBER ONE seed. I hope they do well. Go Jayhawks.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Finished Object, Frogging and Casting On


Well I am so excited that I finished a project that has been hanging out at my house for a VERY long time. I started the Pop Top Mitts (I think last spring or summer), I finished the first one back in October, I think, and I finally cast on the second one last Friday and finished it on Monday. Why did it take me so long to finish this project. It wasn't a difficult knit. I think I just didn't like the idea of having to make those fingers and rejoining the yarn. Why do I make things seem more difficult than they are???? That is something for me to ponder I guess.

The sock from the previous post has drowned in the frog pond. Yes, even after I had turned the heel and almost finished decreasing the gusset, I ripped that sucker out. I just didn't like the way it was turning out. I knew if I finished it the way it was it would probably always be a single sock and that yarn is just too pretty to be an abandoned sock. So I will look for another pattern that does that yarn justice.




Since I was disgusted with said sock, I cast on two new projects this week. I cast on the Branching Out lace scarf from Knitty and I am about done with the fifth repeat. I must remember to always use a lifeline. It sure does make lace knitting more enjoyable. I also cast on a different pair of socks. I had started a pair of Basketweave socks with my Fleece Artist Tiger and I thought that it looked like a bumble bee threw up so I frogged it. I have started on the Thuja pattern from Knitty I just added more stitches to accomodate the smaller weight yarn. They are looking pretty good so far and I am happy with them. I think I will spend some time knitting this weekend and see if I can finish a sock in less than a week.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Snow, Snow, and Conquering the Snow Blower

Well, if you are a watcher of the Weather Channel you know that it has been snowing in the upper Midwest. I, living in the upper Midwest, can attest to the fact that it has snowed. We got over ten inches since Thursday. I being a transplanted Kansan (go Jayhawks), can also say that this is the part of Minnesota that I don't appreciate. I do like the summers here though.

I probably would have appreciated it more if I wouldn't have had sick kids at the time. Ben and Elisabeth have both had ear infections and Emily had some kind of stomach bug. I think they are all on the mend though.




The snow blower and I got acquainted. Yes, I learned how to use the snow blower and I enjoyed it for the most part. The only part I didn't like was the snow being blown back in my face by the wind. This is the picture of the driveway after I finished blowing off the snow. I was pretty proud of myself.




On a knitting note, I haven't had much luck lately. Everything I have tried to knit has encountered problem after problem. I almost threw in the towel but my stash told me I couldn't. I have made progress on my sock. It is the Baby Cable Rib from the Sensational Knitted Sock book. I am using some Schafer Anne Yarn for it using 2 size 0 circular needles. I am still not sure if I like it or not yet. The previous sock from the last post got frogged because I thought it looked like a bumble bee threw up.



Elisabeth was feeling better so she was able to go out and play in the snow last night. This is a picture of her on the patio. The snow was up to her waist. She sure had a good time. Have a great day and happy knitting.