I must be doing it wrong

I have been knitting a block a day almost from my recovered hexi-puffs. (I had frogged all my hexi-puffs as part of the 2016 Ravellenics Games. Why? Because it was taking way too long to get them done. Three years and only fifty puffs? I could knit them faster, but the amount needed to make a decent sized quilt, wasn't going to happen anytime soon. So they were frogged.)

So I'm now up to 27 completed blocks. The original pattern called for only 24 blocks, but seemed more shawl like. I'm going for decent blanket size here. So at least 50?

I'm continuing to put inches on my Scrappy Ten Stitch blanket. I think its about 56 inches square. I put out a call on Ravelry around my birthday and received some nice donations of yarn to continue on with the project. I did have to decide that some Lopi yarn was just a bit too scratchy for this project. Yes, its going to be on top of other blankets while camping, but still near face and maybe bare arms, so needs to be softer. I'll have to come up with another project to use those leftovers with. 

Since I had frogged or completed projects with the Ravellenics game, I thought I would start the Clapotis with some of my handspun that has been sitting in stash forever. Some pretty merino-tencel dyed by Stitchjones in a pale pink called Quince Blossom. It's a delicate lace weight yarn in the neighborhood over a 1000 yards. Yeah, I got uber fine and got a two ply out of it. 

The Quince Blossom is so very soft. So very fine. I'm thinking that I may need to ply this with another yarn or on itself. I'll have to think on that. 

Trying to get the Clapotis started, after sitting down and whipping out 18 stitchmarkers just for the project, I kept struggling. I wasn't using my highlighter tape to keep me on the correct row, so kept bouncing around. Started on a US 6 based on other lace knitters, decided that was too big and so dropped down to a US 4. That would have worked, it was making a nice fabric out of the stitches.

What was wrong then? It was going to be a slog of having to pay too close attention for all the setup, then some pretty straight boring knitting for a long while. Then I'd have a pretty scarf that I'd worry about snagging on something. I think something like this needs to be out of a slightly sturdier yarn so that it can wear well. Right now its out of my queue, AGAIN.

I have two skeins of kind of a dark colorway of Noro Silk Garden Sock that was given to me for my birthday two years ago. I tried knitting them into knee high stockings, but the pattern was so boring that even though it was fitted to my calf and I took good notes...only one got done. It sat for eighteen months, alone. I tried several times to start the second one, but it wasn't working. 

I want a pair of knee highs! Just not from this yarn. So still trying to find the right project for this yarn. I think I stuck it on a project today, but probably not enough of it for the project in reality.

Trying to find a project that isn't garter stitch to get going on. I want to knit something for me (yes, these two blankets are still for me, but blankets dude) and I want to be excited about knitting them that they want all my time. Not something I can easily put down for a few days, or a week, or never pick up again.

Going to try a pair of two at a time toe up socks in a semi-colorwork pattern using a leftover sock yarn and some sport weight yarn. 

Finally Selfish!

Michele is doing the mystery knit along for the Rose City Yarn Crawl. She's the pattern designer. But the pattern is a shawl. I have enough shawls and not terribly excited to knit one right now. I have one I need to knit from yarn my mother bought me last year for my birthday. She's been asking if I've used the yarn, need to make it in the next few months. ;-)

Michele is doing another KAL, one for her Thrumbelina pattern, I thought it was one I could do for myself. I've knit samples for Knitted Wit and made a pair for my niece, Bailey.

Decided to use the Lamb's Pride in Bittersweet that I got from Friday and the free alpaca fleece from Bethany to make them. Since the fleece had been cleaned, I just need to pull out the locks and knit them in. Their length isn't long enough to make the suggested butterfly thrums out of them, so I'm just pulling the locks out the bag and aligning them in the same direction and knitting them as I go along. It will take a bit longer but overall not any longer than if I had made all the little butterflies in advance.

All the supplies

Michele had mentioned making her thrums a bit bigger than normal so that the slipper is a little more 'cushy'. Thought this sounded like a good plan so after the first row, thickened up the thrums a bit. The alpaca is so soft and will felt a bit with wear, so looking forward to how that happens.

Here's my progress after spending some time knitting them while at Pearl Fiber Arts on Wednesday:

Inside of the slipper - can't see the knit yarn!

Outside is a little messy looking, but will get cleaned up when I'm done.

I need to get these done so that I can start getting a couple projects done for Carina. Need to knit up her qiviut into a cowl. I thought I had the perfect pattern, then the Yarn Harlot posted this. I think it may work better than the other pattern. So I'll buy it and give it a try. Her husband, Ken, washed the socks that I made for her. It was lovely yarn, but not superwash. So after chatting with her about how nice superwash was. We met up at Pearl Fiber Arts so that she could take a look at the yarns available. Unfortunately, because dyers are getting ready for the Rose City Yarn Crawl, some of the local stuff wasn't available. She was able to find a nice skein of another sport weight yarn in her favorite colors - blue-green.

I cropped this down, but for some reason blogger refuses to see the cropped version or even that I renamed it as the cropped size. So you get all the stuff around it. 

For some reason this blue-green yarn is really hard to photograph the true richness of its colors. Then I went to look and I'm not the only one. Check it out here on this site, its color 1220 Blues. Still have to find a pattern to do with this. It will be fun with the long color stripes.

Day 9 of Tour de Fleece 2008

Today found me measuring out the Habu Green Tea Corriedale. I have 14 yards from my 1/2 ounce and 11 wraps per inch giving me a nice DK weight yarn. What to do with it? I have no idea currently. ;^)

The Natural Corriedale-Romney-Mystery Colored Pencil Roving gave me 31.4 yards and 8 or 9 wraps per inch - in the smaller areas so an Aran weight to Bulky weight yarn that I also have no idea what to do with.

I still need to take pictures of them in their skein bundles, most likely tomorrow.

For actual spinning I did break out the Blue Face and started working with it. I spun for about two hours while watching TV. I was taking it slow so I could get a nice thin spin. Aiming for a possible single at lace weight or a double ply at most likely a DK again. I'll see once I get done with it all what I want to do with it. I had originally thought I might like to try to make socks, but since there is an absence of nylon, probably not a good idea.

I also sent a message to StitchJones, aka Sharon, whom I worked with briefly at Lingo Systems, about a roving she has on sale. It's a color combination I normally wouldn't go for, but it's a great price that I could really use to practice the spinning with. So it would be a 'fun' yarn creation. We'll see if I can pick it up tomorrow. I know the idea is to only use from stash, but since I had a very small stash that I'll most likely run out of before the end of the race, it's worth getting.

knitting & Indy

So yesterday Brandon texts me that he wants to go to the midnight showing of the new Indy movie and really really wants me to go too. I was feeling kind of tired but willing to do go. Checked with Will and Luke and they were also up for going with the full knowledge that they would still have to go to school the next day.

Brandon wanted us there a full hour before the movie started, because it was also sponsored by a couple of radio stations and his favorite Rick Emerson remembers him and came up to talk to us at the end of the movie too. Since we were going to be there so early, I got started on the second Express Lane anklet. I had the toe done and was working on the first chart pattern while waiting. I think he noticed me knitting before the movie started too, but was possibly too polite to ask.

The movie was fun. Harrison is showing his age but still doing his stunts. They kind of set it up so that it was implied they might have Shia take on future 'Indy' type action. I sat there and kept commenting on all the movie similarities I spotted - The Mummy 1 & 2, National Treasure, James Dean & motorcycle riding (Luke said 'Fonzie'), Brandon picked out Close Encounters for the 'alien' aspect, and many more that my blurry brain can't remember.

I have Socks!

It was such a Monday morning! I got out of the house late, found that they were starting roadwork just around the corner, but I needed to get gas so couldn't turn around and go another way. After getting some gas, ran through another roadwork area and then realized that not only did I leave my cell phone at home, but I also left my book at home. I did have my knitting, but there wasn't going to be enough to get me through the whole day.

So I re-planned my route to work via the closest place I stood a chance of finding a decent paperback - Albertson's. I also snagged a box lunch so I didn't have to go the school lunch way that I tried yesterday. I arrived to work 8 minutes late, then stood waiting for the lady to get off the phone so that I could pick up my key. Someone else had my key though. Sigh. So I'm arriving in the office - it's on the opposite most distant corner away from the main office - 15 minutes late.

Thankfully it was not terribly busy. In fact, I was able to sit down with my coffee and immediately start reading Cheyenne McCray's "Shadow Magic". I made good progress into that book before switching over to my sock.

I just had an inch or so of instep rounds to do before switching to the toe rounds. I was done with those by 3pm and got out my print out on how to do the kitchener stitch. More for moral support. I did have to put the sock down to have the two kids left at the end of the day out of the room. Then it was on to those last 11 stitches. Once again nicely done work and just in time for the school bell to ring. Clean everything up check around the room and on to home.

I have enough from both skeins of Felici Hummingbird that I'm sure that I can get a pair of Wyverns out of them. I probably could have done both socks from one skein but I didn't want to take the chance of running out.

I'm not sure if I'll go to the last opportunity for a parent conference at the school or not tonight. Will has straight A's again so I'm not really sure what the point would be, except to confirm that they are high and not borderline. I might see if I can get Brandon out with me to either JoAnn's or Home Depot for the spindle supplies. I have had a migraine though for the last couple of days, so it will depend on where it's letting me go.

Last night Brandon got a call from his cousin Kyle. It's Jenna's first birthday in a few weeks and so we are invited to that, but they also needed to use our Hillsboro address for the park they wanted to reserve the covered area for at Rood Bridge Park. This means I need to come up with a gift for her and so I'm thinking the the sock lamb and may be the booties or take my leftover Premiere and make the Candy Cane hat. I was kind of hoping to stay in the sock flow and use up the rest of my Hummingbird on another pair of socks. Nice toe up socks that will make it easier to use up the started skeins....

knitting, plants, beads and prom

We were up early enough to arrive at the Tualatin Valley Garden Club plant sale and purchase some large tomato plants. Last year by the time we got there, there were a few of the larger tomatoes, luckily a couple of the Romas I like to plant. Brandon picked out a third one that I can't remember the name of to add to the two Romas I picked up. We also from that vendor got a pumpkin, crook neck squash, green zucchini, colossal pepper, egg plant, anaheim chili, and giant jalapeno. There are a few other plants for the yard but for the most part we held back from making any purchases for things in the yard. I want to do a major revamp of flower beds so it didn't make sense to buy anything when I'm not sure where they would live.

From there we went into the Gem Faire that was in the building close to the plant sale at the fairgrounds. Brandon found some coins he can string and make a bracelet that he has been wanting. I found a a nice selection of stone donuts that I can make into drop spindles. I do need to make a few additional purchases before they can be put to work though. I don't have any pictures of them yet, but I'll post when they are available. I also found a nice selection of size 6 beads that I can use with knitting. My bead needle broke so I'll have to get a new one of those too. With the beads I was able to get I think I figured out $32 worth of beads for $17. Pretty good savings!

I also checked out the new location of Kathy's Knit Korner. They were supposed to be having a Grand Re-opening sale but the two skeins of yarn I purchased weren't given any sale price and I didn't see any signs on particular yarns to know if I should have asked about it or not. I was also disappointed that no one could answer my questions about the cotton-soy blend. No one knew if there was a smell issue with the soy or not, I thought I had read somewhere about it possibly being smelly with body heat. Since I was planning to use the yarn for a couple more Scalloped Edge Beaded Necklaces as gifts, I didn't want 'smell' to be part of the gift.

Sunday morning Will mowed the lawns, Brandon got the veggies planted and I attacked the weeds in the flower beds in the back yard. Brandon too attacked the weeds and mistook my day lily as a weed. I'm now owed a day lily replacement. We just now need to get some bark dust for the flower beds after I decide what is staying and what is going. I suspect there are a number of things going or moving. The rosemary didn't fare well over the winter and it is gone.

Will and I met Luke and Jyneal over at Men's Warehouse for tux rentals. They are both dateless through no fault of their own except waiting too long to ask a girl who didn't already have a date. It does make it a cheaper event for them though. Will went with a red vest and tie and Luke with a navy vest and tie. They'll both look pretty snazzy. Prom is next Saturday at the Melody Ballroom downtown. Jyneal offered the boys the use of her car since they don't have dates, so they'll just have the joy of trying to find parking in that area.

Today and tomorrow I'm subbing at Evergreen Middle School as their In-school Suspension officer. Means I get to watch kids how got in trouble but not enough to have a parent come get them. I knew it was going to have the potential to be terribly boring so brought along a book and my sock. I did get a lot of work done on the sock as well as a lot of pages read in my book. I may even get the sock done tomorrow, so I'll have to be sure to bring my written instructions for kitchener stitch with me.

Tonight Brandon is going with Sean to finally see Ironman. Will and Luke went on Friday as part of a group. Luke went again on Saturday with his parents, and Will went again on Sunday with his dad. I have had absolutely no interest in seeing it, so frustrated Brandon. I told him I'm totally signed up for the new Indy movie later in the month though. I have a Grad Nite Party meeting - graduation is a month away!!! Plus Will wants a haircut before prom, so it's a busy evening all round. I'm even going to try to squeeze in a walk around the neighborhood with the dogs tonight if Brandon is up to it after the movie.

I forgot that I was supposed to have an author start at the beginning of the month. I tried adding her to the group last night and sending out a welcome post, but nothing else has been posted to the list. This is a popular author so I need to check in with her. I also still need to read a few dog books that have come in to be reviewed. Sigh. It interferes with knitting. ;^)

Which Alan Rickman character are you? & some knitting

How funny! Brandon answered the quiz and he is 'Colonel Brandon'

Which of the illustrious Alan Rickman's characters are you?

You are Colonel Brandon from the movie 'Sense and Sensibility'. You wear funny clothes 'cause you live in the Victorian times, but that doesn't stop you from looking sexy. You own a large estate, can ride horses, appreciate music, and your daughter is a big ho. You cool, man.
Take this quiz!








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Meh - me? I'm 'Baby Alan,' the younger version of the 'real' Alan.

I'm working on that long stretch of the instep before the toes. Okay, my foot isn't that long but those last two inches can seem to be forever. Then of course it will be on to the second sock.

Yesterday a box was delivered from Knit Picks. A couple sets of dpns in the Harmony line and two sets of samplers. The Renaissance and Victorian summer yarns. You get 6 skeins of yarn in each sampler plus 5 patterns designed to make use of said yarn. I must have been tempted by their patterns, or was thinking of it as a practical 'one skein wonder' deal. I'll get to try out some yarn, mostly cotton that won't start out as dish cloths. Hopefully I can find another use for the scraps other than dish cloths too. ;^) The box came rather quickly. I think within the 5 days.

The drawback to the box is that it will cause a longer queue and items near the top will be bumped lower....the evil temptations of yarn.....