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May 30, 2006
What A Great Weekend
I simply adore long weekends. The only problem with a long weekend is that it makes me wish all weekends were 3 days and work weeks only 4. This weekend was spent working on Hourglass - and that's all. I went to a team roping with Travis on Saturday. And the only good thing about 10 hours of team roping (aside from spending time with the hubby) is a heck of a lot of knitting time (in case you're wondering, 10 hours of roping time equals about 580 teams). I also knit on Hourglass a bit on Sunday and a lot yesterday. As of last night, here's where we are
I am done with the knitting. I have about half of the neck facing still to graft to the inside:
The armholes to graft:
And some ends to weave in. Then, a good blocking (did I mention this yarn is superwash wool?) and she's done. I tried her on a couple of times when working out the neck business and I do believe she's going to fit just fabulously. I think I'll be able to finish things up tonight, so we should be able to do some modeled shots tomorrow or Thursday.
My only other semi-exciting news is that I got a new pair of shoes.
I had a terrible time finding some cute mules to wear with my summer suits and skirts and such (having long narrow feet is really a challenge), but I think these will work just fine.
Tomorrow, new project news.
Posted by Stephanie at 9:50 AM | Comments (30)May 26, 2006
Randomness
Thank goodness it's Friday. I am really ready for a nice three day weekend. I haven't made a lot of progress on my knitting projects this week, but I'm hopeful that the weekend will provide some quality knitting time.
I'm still on the first Hourglass sleeve - I just started the increases.
I still really like this pattern and the yarn, and I can't wait to see the finished sweater.
Other random news: I finally received my Wendy Knits book.
Funny story about this book. I ordered the book from Amazon right about the time it was released and had it sent directly to Cindy because she went to Wendy's book signing at Knit Happens on April 29th. Cindy got my book signed
and put it in the mail to me. When I got the envelope a few days later, there was no book. Just an empty envelope. I was crushed. My book had been lost in the mail! Cindy and I were sure we'd never see it again. But, a couple of weeks went by and it showed up in Cindy's mail box. She had left the Amazon packing slip in the front of the book with her address on it as the ship to address. So, the post office repackaged it and sent it back to her. How awesome is that! I honestly take back every bad thing I've ever said about the post office. So, Cindy, bless her heart, repackaged the book, taped it up like Fort Knox, and sent it back out to me. And it arrived safe and sound! Fate. Oh, and the book - I love it. Of course. I haven't had time to read the whole thing yet, but it looks really good.
Let's see, what else do I have for you? Oh, Basil and Abner's Critter Charity Drive. Rebekah is doing a charity drive for her local animal shelter. She's collecting dog and cat toys and blankets and she's giving away fabulous prizes. She has some links up on her sidebar for patterns, which are great little projects for those little bits of yarn left over from projects. So, if you have a few minutes, make a little something for a critter in need and send it to Rebekah. It's for a good cause.
Posted by Stephanie at 9:43 AM | Comments (15)May 23, 2006
Sockapaloooza!
Guess what was in my mailbox waiting for me when I got home last night.
My sockapaloooza socks!!
I finally have some Jaywalkers! Isn't that awesome? And best of all, they fit!
Jaime made these for me out of some gorgeous, pale pink Debbie Bliss Merino DK and they are soooo soft. Like butta, I tell ya. I put them on as soon as I unwrapped them and they are snuggly and soft and I can tell that these will be a favorite. Thanks Jaime! They're perfect. Plus, Jaime sent a lovely Lantern Moon needle case and the cutest card ever. Travis was a little concerned about the purpose of the needle case (snicker), but it just goes to show you how clueless men are about knitting necessities.
Next up, an update on Sew? I Knit. Angela, Mari, and I have decided on tops for the next project - any kind of garmet worn on the top half of your body (or anyone else's body, for that matter) qualifies for this project. Sign-ups begin tomorrow the 24th and run until next Wednesday the 31st. We're trying to get the sew-along on a 2 month rotation. So, the actual sew-along will start June 1st and run through July 15th and then sign-ups for the next project will begin July 16th with the next project starting August 1st. Make sense? So, if you're interested, get on over and sign up!
Posted by Stephanie at 9:10 AM | Comments (30)May 22, 2006
Cruisin'
I just love a project that moves along and shows progress at regular intervals. Hourglass is just cruisin' along.
I finished the body up to the armholes Friday night and then had to go to the yarn store on Saturday to get a longer US #7 needle for the sleeves. I was looking for a 40", but they only had a 47". I was worried it would be too long to comfortably accomplish some magic loop action, but it really seems to be fine. Yesterday was mostly spent outside in the yard. The weater was gorgeous, so I spent the bulk of the day weeding and cleaning out my flower beds. I was quite proud of myself, but boy the backs of my legs are sore today.
I alluded to a secret project awhile ago, and since it's been given to the recipient, the cat's out of the bag. Cyndi, Caitlyn, Rebekah, Violet, Ruth, Agnes, and I knit a Circle of Friends baby blanket from Last Minute Knitted Gifts for Lynette.
Lynette says she loves it, which is a relief. You know I worry about those things. We each knit 7 blocks in one color, Caitlyn and Cyndi seamed the blocks into strips, and then I seamed the strips together and wove in about a thousand ends. We used the Rowan Wool Cotton specified in the pattern and it made a lovely, soft blanket that is machine washable. What's not to love about that. Hopefully, little Karalyn will enjoy it.
Posted by Stephanie at 10:08 AM | Comments (30)May 19, 2006
A Little Thing Called Progress
Thank you all so much for your nice compliments on Fritz (and Clapotis, of course). I thought about whether I should tell him about all the compliments, and decided that while his ego is rather large, it's kind of mean not to tell him. I'm sure in his own way, he thanks you.
What is it about the excitement of new projects? Is it just that they're new? Or is it something about choosing the right projects? I honestly don't know, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth (as my dad would say). I am just having the best time with Hourglass. I know it isn't complicated or challenging, but I think it's the combination of a pattern I know I'll wear a lot and the super yummy Sundara Yarn.
I'm on the second set of increases and I think I have one more set yet to do. One of the best things about this project is that it's perfect for tv watching, and I've been watching a lot of tv this week - all those season finales. I can knit on this without looking, except when I need to do an increase or decrease. The yarn isn't splitty at all and it just glides along on the addis. A winning combination. This sweater is knitting up to be rather dense, but the yarn relaxed considerably when I blocked it, so I'm operating on a bit of faith and hoping the same will be true for the sweater.
The Oak Rib Socks are also progressing nicely, although it doesn't look like I'm going to have them both done before next Friday for my mom's birthday. But, I've decided that if I don't, well they'll just be a gift for no reason and she'll get something else for her birthday. I've turned the heel on the first sock and am decreasing the gusset.
I tried to make the stripes work out and I think the solution I finally ended up with is just fine. I thought about cutting the yarn to keep the stripe repeats the same in the heel, but decided I didn't want to be that fussy with these socks (that is not to say that I couldn't be that fussy with a pair of socks - I have the personality for it). I think the wider heel stripes add a bit of charm. You want perfect, go buy some socks!
This weekend promises to be much quieter than last weekend and I'm pretty happy about that. My mom wants to knit a felted bag. She's thinking about a large tote. If anyone has any pattern suggestions, I'd love to hear from you. We are going to try to get to the yarn store and get her started on something and then I think I'll work on my knitting and my yard a bit while the weather is still good. It's been unseasonably warm here - we went from winter to summer in one day, but it always gets cold again before Memorial Day. So, I'm not going to plant any flowers, but I think I'll clean up my flower beds and get some new mulch and that kind of thing. Have a wonderful weekend.
Posted by Stephanie at 10:02 AM | Comments (18)May 17, 2006
Clapotis
I finally finished my Clapotis and managed to take some pictures. Travis was late last night and Riley couldn't figure out how to work the camera, so I had to use the self-timer. Will someone please remind me - I really need a tripod. Especially when the wind's blowing 40 mph.
That's Fritz. He was not amused to have to participate in the photo shoot, but really, my goal in life is to torture my animals - so, there you go. Clapotis has absolutely nothing to do with the horses, and I'd never really wear it if I was doing anything with them - Fritz is simply for your amusement. He thinks he's pretty handsome, and who am I to tell him any different?
And Riley wanted to join in the fun too.
Project Details:
Pattern: Clapotis
Yarn: Fleece Artist Kid Aran in golds and greens. It was a gift from my lovely Secret Pal, Leanne
Needles: US #8 Addi Naturas Circulars - 24"
Thoughts: I really like the simplicity of this wrap. I think it will be great as a wrap for chilly Wyoming summer evenings and as a scarf in the winter. The yarn is very soft and I love the colors. What pooling there is definitely doesn't bother me.
May 16, 2006
Green!
That lovely green yarn from Sundara Yarn is growing up to be an Hourglass from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Green is a color I don't tend to choose for yarn, but I like green and I'm trying to be better about knitting with colors that actually look good on me. Novel concept, I know. I talked to Purly about which green and we finally decided on this lovely olive green (it's #037 if you were wondering)
As you can see, I'm not very far on it. I knit the hem and knit that together with the body and I've done about 7 rows after that. Not much, but I think it will grow quickly. I debated on what to do for the hem. I've read about the hem flaring out and being stiff and generally being the least favorite part of the whole process. I thought about just skipping it, but then I found some instructions in the Knitter's Handbook. It suggests you knit the hem facing with 10% fewer stitches than the sweater itself and then increase to the proper number of stitches the row before the turning row. You use a provisional cast-on and then knit the hem facing stitches together with the sweater body stitches after you've worked the same number of rows as the hem facing. I've never knit a hem like that, but it makes a lot of sense, so I tried it. We'll have to wait to see how it looks when I get a bit more done on the body.
Posted by Stephanie at 1:34 PM | Comments (20)May 15, 2006
Remember Me?
I'm still here. Really. This weekend was crazy and the in-laws and family were in town for Travis' cousin's law school graduation. We hosted a graduation party on Friday night that started as a family get-together and ended up being a bbq and kegger for 40 people. Needless to say, my anal self was a bit stressed out about the whole thing. Luckily, everything worked out and it seems like everyone had a good time. Saturday was spent shopping with my mother-in-law (the yarn store saw some action) and then Travis and I had a black tie dinner to go to Saturday night. Kegger to black tie - good times.
I finished the Weekender Bag Friday morning. Finally.
Project Details
Pattern: Weekender Bag by Amy Butler
Fabric: Amy Butler Sunbloom. Exterior in Tulip Garden. Interior and cording in Lounge Stripe.
Modifications: None. Well, at least I didn't intend any modifications. This project was challenging for me. The construction and pattern are straight forward, but it's very detail oriented and it was tough to sew through so many layers. I think it turned out nice and I know I'll use it, but I'm really glad it's done.
Yesterday ended up being a relaxing day. I got my yarn from Sundara Yarn on Friday. Here's a sneak peak.
I just love the color! It's a yummy olive green. Kind of a departure for me, but I think it will make a very nice sweater. Yesterday I swatched and washed the swatch - things are looking great. I got stitch gauge, but my row gague is a bit off. I may have to modify the pattern a bit, but we'll see how it goes. More on that soon.
Clappy is still patiently waiting for her photo shoot. I just didn't have time this weekend and the wind was blowing about 50 mph all weekend. So, hopefully today. I'm glad to be back and I hope I still have some readers.
Posted by Stephanie at 9:42 AM | Comments (37)May 11, 2006
They Fit!
Lorraine got her socks! And they fit! And she likes them! Today is a pretty freakin' wonderful day. All that worry and stress (and 3 socks) and it all turned out ok. What a relief. I haven't seen my socks yet, but I'm not worried about that part. My pal's socks are ok, so I'm ok.
Still no yarn from Purly, but I wasn't really expecting it until today or tomorrow (I was, of course, hoping for yesterday, but not really expecting it). I finished Clapotis and will take her out for a photo shoot tomorrow. But for today, you get to see my newest sock.
These are the Oak Ribbed Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks and they are in yarn Dani dyed especially for me in University of Wyoming Cowboys' colors. They will be a gift for my mom. Hopefully for her birthday the end of the month. I wasn't going to start another pair of socks until I started the Unst socks from Knitting On The Road as part of the Amazing Lace, but when you don't have a list of projects and a sense of obligation, you can do any darn thing you want. Right?
ETA: If you're a reader of Knot Without My Knitting, you may have noticed Caitlyn's site is having technical issues. I was worried, so I e-mailed her. She told me some very sad news. The Department of Homeland Security has seized the server and the backup server where her blog was housed. Someone's site that was housed on the same server was doing something illegal, so they seized everything. The host doesn't expect Homeland Security to return the server any time soon - possibly even months from now. She's working with Diana to restore the site with a new host, but because everything is going to have to be recreated, it's going to take some time.
Posted by Stephanie at 10:17 AM | Comments (20)May 10, 2006
Pile O' Fiber
Now that life is starting to settle down a bit (although I very well may have just jinxed myself with that statement), I'm ready to dedicate some serious time and effort to bettering my spinning abilities. I haven't done too bad so far, but I bought a whole mess of fiber from Spunky Eclectic and the colors are enough to motivate anyone.
I got 14 colors, 1 ounce of each color and they represent 4 ounces of wool blend, 3 ounces of Corriedale, 3 ounces of Merino, and 4 ounces of BFL. I think spinning with some color will be a lot of fun and I'm excited to try some different types of wool.
I enrolled in a 2-day spinning class at Estes Park this year and I think it should be very educational. In looking at the material list, the one thing I need that I don't have is a set of hand carders. Anyone have a suggestion for a good brand? Because I'm clueless. And what's the deal with woolie winders? A must? Something I can live without?
Still no word from my Sockapaloooza sock recipient. I'm sure she's received the package and since she hasn't posted or e-mailed, I'm betting the socks don't fit or she doesn't like them. Either way - not good. My pal said she was mailing my socks out on Monday, so I'm going to start stalking the mailbox until they come.
Posted by Stephanie at 10:12 AM | Comments (24)May 9, 2006
What Ya Been Up To?
I guess I've been busy, well, I know I have. But I've been busy finishing things up and so I don't have anything to show you, or even tell you. Clapotis is done, but I still have 8 or 10 stitches to drop (that takes forever), ends to weave in, and then it needs blocked. I'm waiting on yarn from Purly (it should arrive tomorrow or Thursday) for my new sweater project and I'm working on finishing a project I'll tell you about next week (it's a secret for now though).
I received a lovely package from Jacqueline on Saturday
Jacqueline picked up some KA Bamboo dpns for me to try and sent some gorgeous lace weight along just for fun. I love the grays and purples in the yarn and may have to use it for an Amazing Lace project. Thanks Jacqueline.
Tomorrow I'll show you the yummy sampler pack of roving I got from Spunky Eclectic - gorgeous colors. Maybe they'll motivate me to get spinning. I've been neglecting that lately.
Posted by Stephanie at 8:32 AM | Comments (6)May 5, 2006
Spring?
What is it about Spring that makes us restless and even a little dissatisfied with the current state of thing? Is it simply the change of seasons? Or is it something specific about Spring? For me, Spring is unique. Partly because Spring comes to other parts of the country so much sooner than it comes here. We've been getting rain and snow and it's been cold and gray the last few days.
I think Spring signifies change and I always think about this time of year as a time to make whatever alterations I've been thinking about for the last few months. A while ago I decided that I wasn't going to list myself to death. I'm actually enjoying this whole knitting on the fly. I finished my Sockapaloooza socks and am almost done with Clapotis. I'm preparing for my next project (I'm having Purly dye me some yarn), which promises to be a lot of fun. And in continuing with the idea of having fun with my knitting (and not so much in the vein of not planning, but what can I say - sometimes to have fun you have to plan), I've joined the Amazing Lace. I'm intrigued by the whole concept and it sounds like more than just your average knitalong. So, we'll see what comes of that. I'm going to knit the Trellis Scarf from the Spring 2006 Interweave (and speaking of Interweave, I got my summer magazine in the mail yesterday - nothing I can't live without, at least after the first glance). And I have some Sundara Sock Yarn from Grumperina that I think needs to be made into Unst from Knitting on the Road. My nod towards not planning is I'm not saying which one I'll do first or even if I'll do them both. The Amazing Lace runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, so I imagine they'll both get done, but no pressure.
One thing about Spring that I'm not so crazy about is that it makes me itchy to have new things. I'm a bit of a shopper (I'm sure no one is surprised to hear that), and every year about this time I realize that I don't have any cute or fun clothes. So, the only thing for a girl to do is to buy some. Right? I ordered a skirt, jacket, and camisole - I'll let you know when they arrive. I've never ordered from this company so I hope everything fits (but so far their customer service has been outstanding). I'm feeling a little guilty about spending the money, but then I think that I deserve to buy new stuff once in awhile, but I should be saving, and around and round I go. Guilt and indecisiveness are really pains in the ass.
This weekend is going to be busy. Tomorrow morning in the monthly knitting guild meeting and we're doing a class on embelishments. That means I need to knit a swatch with worsted yarn to have to work on in the class. I'm not sure what I have in my stash - it seems that most of my yarn is sport or fingering, but I think I must have something that will work. Surely. I'm less than excited because there are other things I'd rather be doing, but I will participate and probably even learn something. A good friend of ours is graduating with his PhD in mathmatics and they're having a party, so that's tomorrow night. I have to pick my mom up at the Denver airport on Sunday and sometime in there find some time for the normal weekend stuff like laundry and grocery shopping. And I'd really like to finish the Weekender Bag this weekend too. But, I very well may be a bit overly ambitious or optimistic or whatever. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. If Spring has come to your neck of the woods, get outside and enjoy it.
Posted by Stephanie at 10:58 AM | Comments (21)May 3, 2006
Generosity
When I talk about my blog friends to my family, I get strange looks. They don't really understand how I can be friends with people I've never actually met (in person, but they don't see the difference - and the blog, well that's a whole 'nother post). But, my blog friends are some of the most wonderful, generous people I know. You're always there when I'm feeling down or a project isn't going well. And you're the first ones to be happy for me when something's going right. And you get me. You get my obsession with knitting and what is fast becoming an obsession with spinning, and you don't think I'm at all odd. A girl just can't ask for better friends. Look what came in the mail from Caitlyn
She bought it at The Knit and Crochet Show. Just because she thought I would like it. And honestly, what's not to like? It is just the most gorgeous purple color and oh so soft. I can't spin it yet though. Because I'll muck it up. But maybe after Estes Park, maybe then I can spin it without making it a total mess. And there's more. Cyndi (go check out Cyndi's new site - it's lovely) had a book plate signed for me by Nancie Wiseman (the picture didn't turn out, but it's very cool). I was feeling really sorry for myself because they got to go on such a fun trip and I didn't get to go, but they thought of me while they were there, which makes it almost as good as being there.
I'm still working on Clapotis and have just started the decrease section. I hope that means I'll be done before too long - I should be since the rows are getting shorter, but you never know about these things.
I'm also planning a new project to celebrate May's Project Spectrum, so stay tuned for details.
Posted by Stephanie at 8:40 AM | Comments (22)May 2, 2006
My Vacation
I took Friday and yesterday off of work and my mom and I drove to Ruidoso, New Mexico (that is about 10 1/2 hours from my house - one way) to help my sister move in to her very first house of her own. She's now a home owner and maybe a little queasy from that, but oh so excited. So, we painted (a good blogger would have taken pictures - but there are no pictures) and we moved and we organized. I tell you what. You want 3 rooms painted in a hurry, you have Stacy set up your painting party. Her friends rock. Nothing like getting a bunch of girls who work nights (bartenders, waitresses, you know - they're the ones who go to sleep at 3:00 in the morning) to come help you paint at 8:00 on a Sunday morning. Money may have changed hands, but I didn't see it (and I was looking). After we finished painting at about 2:00 (6 gallons of paint in as many hours with a break for lunch - impressive, yes?), the boys showed up to move all the furniture in. Again, impressive. My only contribution to the project (besides helping pick out paint colors) was this:
A wee little housewarming gift. A MDK washrag knit in a couple of hours on the drive (while my mom was driving - give me a little credit). Other than that it was work, work, work. I knit on Clapotis on the way home for a bit, but it looks just like it did when you saw it last (only a tiny bit longer). I really hope I can finish it soon because it's going to be too warm for it before too long.
The Weekender did not get finished, but it is very close. Hopefully this week. Really. And the socks - the socks are now on their way to their new home. I hope they are loved and that they fit, but we shall see before too long.
Posted by Stephanie at 3:51 PM | Comments (5)
