Mission Complete

I finally finished my sock pals socks for the Sock It To Me Sock Swap, (you know, the one I am hosting). Shaemful to be so late. But life, and nature, have been throwing some curve balls lately you know? Anyway, the fact is they are done and ready to ship. Now I just have to find a box!

Heel Flap:
And the finished project:

The pattern is from Charlene Schurch's book, "Sensational Knitted Socks". It's like my sock Bible! This is the Garter Rib Stitch, which I have done before. (Remember the River Socks?) But the ToFutsies was much thinner and, unfortunately, isn't plied very well. Not like Koigu. I made these on US 2's. Yay! An FO!

In other news: We did not get evacuated. The fires have pretty been contained, though they are now doing burns around the area so as to get rid of any fuel for another fire. The winds have died down too. It was 86 here today! I don't get how one week it's cold and rainy. The next is week filled with firestorms and crazy heat. Indian summer in October maybe?

I'm hoping to have a puppy post for you guys too. :) Can't give anymore details than that. Off to work on my Chevron Scarf for a bit!

Another One Bites The Duster

Yeah, yeah, I'm not so great doing play on words.

The fact of the matter in the past 5 days I finished the skirt of the Duster, knit and sewn on the two sleeves and, as of last night, the collar.

Here is the collar that I slaved over, (not really), last night til 1 a.m. As I said on the KAL, I'm not going to keep the buttons I chose on this. They are too small and don't keep the collar buttoned. I'll go button shopping on Friday.

And a horrid picture of me, (because Shawn has no timing when it comes to taking a picture and me smiling):

The skirt is still curling a bit, even after trying to block it out a little. I hope with a little wash and wear it will flatten a bit. Damn those models and the pins they use in the magazines! I love this pattern though. And the yarn, (Berroco Peruvia), is so soft and warm. Here in So Cal we are getting a bit of cooler weather, (finally). Where I live it's notorious for wind. Day and night! (Which reminds me I need to pin down the BBQ cover.) So this will be a staple for Fall/Winter.

In other news: We are still looking for puppies. *sigh* It's not an easy task. I am adamantly against buying from pet stores. (We visited the one by our house and they were trying to sell an English Bulldog for $3,300!!!) And while I'd love to go through a breeder, this isn't really the season for puppies, (number one), and I don't want to pay $1,000 for a dog, (do breeders not know there is a lack of good homes out there?) I've gone through rescues and many don't want to sell to people who live in apartments, (nevermind that I used to be a Vet Tech and that I can provide a good home). So the next best thing? The shelter. And I just haven't found "the one". I would love to get another Australian Shepherd. My mom and I had one for 13 years and he was the best! But Shawn says they are ugly, (who does he think he is?). The next choice is a Golden Retriever. Third choice, German Shepherd. So we'll see what happens with this search.

I'm getting ready to add some knitting needle cases to Etsy soon. I admit I haven't been sewing as much as I'd like. I made the mistake of buying the pattern and fabric for Scout's Halloween costume and now my mom is too frustrated to help and won't stop telling me this was a "bad idea". *sigh* So I'm going to do it on my own. I hope. This year. Maybe. Next year.

As for everything else, well I'm working on my Secret of the Stole. I had to buy three crochet hooks before finding the right size one for the seed beads. But it's looking great. I, like others, am knitting each point separately so as not to be confused. Pictures to follow tomorrow. Maybe. Wednesday?

I wish I could be like some of the other Bloggers out there. You know, the ones who post pictures every day and they are always perfect. No clutter. No disruptive backgrounds. You know who I mean. Those Bloggers who live out of a freakin' Martha Stewart type house, who never have a hair out of place. Even the food they cook looks perfect. Pisses me off.

That Sweater is Wicked Yo!

I finished Wicked last night while watching "Dead Silence". Not that I had much to do, just finish the second sleeve. All the same, it's like Second Sock Syndrome, but more like Second Sleeve Syndrome. I get to the second sleeve and man, oh man, the project takes a windfall in priority status. But I did good.

That's the crossover rib pattern for the collar.

An arm shot. I decided to do sleeves to my elbows. So it's somewhat like a T sweater.

And the seed stitching on the hem, which I think was kinda weird for the pattern since the collar and sleeves all had the crossover pattern. But the seed sitch gives a little, so it's all good.

Sorry there's no modeling shots, but it was hot here today and I enjoyed a nice, cool, air conditioned aparment hanging out with Scout! She even let us have a 2 hour nap this afternoon! (Much needed as I'm sure you all know!)

I'll take pictures of it on me this weekend!

And now, for the Wheat Ear Yoke...so far the 7's are keeping a good stitch definition. I need to do a few rows of St St to see if I have the right measurements. Otherwise I'm going down another size in needles and I'll do the largest size in the pattern.

There's My Girl

It seems like it wasn't that long ago when I posted about being pregnant. Or that we had gone to our ultrasound and that we learned we were having a girl. It really doesn't seem all that long ago that I posted about her birth. But it's been almost 8 months and the time has whizzed by.


She babbles. (I'm happy to say that I hear "mama" a lot.)


She cut her first tooth the other day, though I haven't been able to take a picture quite yet.


She's crawling at top speed.


She's pulling herself up to stand.


And, I'm happy to say, she's fitting in the sweaters and stuff that I've made for her.

I finished the second sleeve the other day. Ridiculous that it just sat in a bag as long as it did. Either way, it's finished and she looks beautiful in it.

Pattern: Sweater with Square Set in Sleeves by Debbie Bliss in "Baby Knits for Beginners"
Yarn: Lana Grossa Elastico, (approximately 2 1/2 skeins) in Bubblegum Pink
Needles: US 5's and 6's
Mods: None

This is probably one of my favorite patterns. I've knit it three times. It just keeps getting better. I like the Elastico because it was, well, pretty stretchy. And the color is great for a little girl. Plus I can throw it in the wash. That's always a plus when you have a baby.


In other knitting news, I am almost done with my Sock It To Me pal's socks. And I just have to do the sleeves on Wicked and I'll be done. This surgery has given me a little extra knitting time, which has been very nice indeed. Even if I'm sore.


Back to the beginning tomorrow though. Shawn goes back to work. Jem goes back to school. Just me and Scout. And you have no idea how long I've wanted it to be like that!

I'm here, I'm here

It's been a while, hasn't it? I've come to the conclusion that if I don't have any good progress pictures, there's no point in posting. Afterall, how interesting can two dozen pictures of my Charlotte's Web or the same sock I'd been knitting for a week be? Yeah, I thought so.

Nonetheless, things have been going on.

Today we went to the beach. We saw. That's about it. Every parking lot we passed on PCH, (that's Pacific Coast Highway), was full. It took forever to get there and forever to get back. We saw the ocean. We felt the breeze. But it just wasn't the same. I'm hoping in a few weeks when the kids are back in school we can take another trip and find a parking spot.

On the way we home, we took the mountain scenic route:

Those are the Malibu Mountains. Pretty huh?

On to the knitting. I hit the 50% sale at the LYS this week and scored two skeins of Tofutsies for $18! (That's 2 for the price of 1!) Can't really beat that, can you? Didn't get much else since they had a dwindling supply of Koigu. Not that I need more. I've slowly sold bits and pieces on eBay, just to make room.

Anywhoo, I started my Sock It To Me socks for my pal. And I know she's going to ♥ them because they are pink. I'm doing the garter stitch rib. That's knit one round, then do a k2, p2 round. Pretty simple. I don't think I need to do an intricate pattern for this yarn.

And...I finished my second Charlotte's Web.

This one is supposed to be for my neighbor who moved, but I haven't heard from them yet. If I don't hear back from them, I'll probably sell this because I'm not too keen on purple. It's pretty though. And it knit much quicker this time around now that I've done the pattern once already.

This one took three skeins of Koigu KPPPM. I had about 2 yards leftover, (lucky huh?). You know, I was thinking an all black one would be pretty, especially if added some beads to it. Though beading yarn isn't in the future anytime soon.

What is in my future though is Rhiannon by Cookie A. I'd been eyeing this pattern since she opened her shop. Yes, it's ambitious. Yes, it will cause headaches. Yes, I know I said no more cables. But they are pretty socks and I think a pair in dark brown would be very nice for this winter.

By the way, I have been working on the Vogue Cabled Tunic. Not too much. But in the past two days I've gotten about 12 cable rows done. And a few rows of Wicked. I still need 3" on the body for Wicked and I've yet to figure out it I'll be able to do the long sleeves like I first wanted.

Speaking of Vogue. I got my 25th Anniversary magazine last week. I'm quite disappointed. Out of all the patterns there are (maybe) three that I would consider doing. I don't know about everyone else, but the last couple issues have disappointed me greatly. So many of the patterns are not something that I'd, (the average knitter), would consider making, let alone wearing. Is it just me? I am anticipating the new issue of the IK. I have been quite happy with their new format and the fact the Eunny Jang is working with them, well it seems that IK has become the front runner in my favorite magazine.

And in the beading world, I've been working on more stitch markers and a new charm bracelet made with pearls and jump rings. Tell me what you think, I've already added it to my Etsy shop.

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program...

It seems whatever burp that Blogger was having, (in regards to my blog), has ended. I can now post pictures and pictures I shall post!

A sea of yellows, greens and blues:

Yesterday afternoon I took the Pinwheel Sweater, sans sleeves, out of the UFO box and decided it was high time to finish it. After all, Scout is getting bigger and I want her to be able to wear my knitted items more than once in her life time.

It took me about 4-5 hours to do both sleeves and all the weaving of the ends. I ended up running out of one skein of the greens, due to me picking out a sky blue that just didn't work with the color scheme.

Here it is with the hood:

She looks like a nun doesn't she? I couldn't get her to sit with the hood down, so I worked with what I had. The last three rounds of color are knit in garter stitch. And I didn't knit the I-cord looping like the pattern said.

She was quite tired from all that modeling:

elann Pinwheel Sweater

Needles: US 8 and 9 circulars

Yarn: Peruvian Highland Wool in Butter, Teal, Dusty Teal, New Leaf, Summer Sky and Irish Moss, (I used 2 skeins of Dusty Teal)

Mods: I didn't do the I-cord edging, (when I started this, back in September, I had planned on yellows and greens and no borders since we didn't know if Scout would be a girl. If I had to do it again, I would probably make it with the I-cord edge just to try the technique.)

Overall, I liked the pattern though I had a couple rough starts when I first started it. Like I didn't understand the provisional cast on, (for the sleeves). And I had a little bit of a hard time with the increasing, because I really wasn't keeping track of my rows. (My own fault. I learned my lesson, to say the least.) But it's cute. And though it doesn't fit Scout quite yet, I think it will look great when she's ready to walk and talk. And of course, it's nice to have an FO to add to the list.

Right now I'm working on the body of my Rusted Root. I also decided to do the Wicked Sweater, while working on the Cabled Tunic. Plus I need to knit the sleeves to Scout's Debbie Bliss Sweater. I'm slowly but surely getting things done. I'm almost done with the weaving of the ends on the Hogwarts Socks. Next sock I'm just going to weave while I knit. It will save time! I hope.

I Don't ♥ Wool, THERE I said it!

A travesty, I know. But to clarify, I hate cheap wool. You know the kind that turns to crap the minute it hits water. I'd show you a picture, but I'm too disappointed, discouraged, angry and sad all at the same time. Remember that Shawl Collared Cardigan? You know, the one I knit for the Knitting Olympics from February 2006? Yeah, that one! Well, last night I was on a roll. I decided, "What the hell, I finished Scout's sweater, why not finish my sweater and the pockets?" All I had left was to finish one pocket lining and both outside pocket trims. So I did. Another FO! But that's not where the story ends sadly.

This morning I think, "Why not soak the sweater and get it nice and clean?" (It had been Dalton's cozy napping spot for a while.) So I do. I soak the 100% Merino Wool, (Paton's btw, you know the cheapy stuff you can get at Michael's), in cold water, (because as I'm sure you know, if you soak 100% wool in hot water than it will felt the material). All should be well right? No. The wool still felted in the cold water. How in the **** does that happen? Someone, anyone, please explain this to me. So now I have a halfway lovely sweater that I will probably never wear.

Shawn said it's not that bad. It didn't completely felt. There isn't much stitch definition though. I am telling myself that I don't care because a.) in the end, the sweater wasn't long enough, (though I measured relentlessly), b.) the arms came out too long, (though I measured relentlessly), and c.) I had run out of yarn at one point and could not find the right dye lot and you can tell (now that the felting has screwed me).

I never thought that this could happen to me. So don't let it happen to you. Please. I can't bear to read another horror story like the one I just typed. I'm still stunned.

BUT, (it's a good thing there is a but), I have good news as well. I finished something else! Three FO's in just a couple of days, aren't you impressed? Truth be told, the sweater had been finished for some time, though I hadn't weaved in the ends. I hadn't weaved in the ends because I hadn't finished the bonnet. (I attribute that to the fact that when I first knit this, I could not finish for the life of me. It took me a while. In fact, I think this was the first project where I learned how to do a three needle bind off for the shoulders.)

It's from a book called, "Monkey Knits", and I haven't decided if I will do the blanket stitch in white around the sweater yet. I don't have buttons for the front closure, but it is in the shape of a bone and matches the dog eared bonnet. I made it in a grey Debbie Bliss wool, but I honestly don't remember what kind. Or what needles I used. That's how long ago I knit it.

The body is garter stitch, with stockinette stitch sleeves and garter stitch borders. It's actually pretty plain without the closure and buttons. I will have to grab some at JoAnn's this weekend.

And of course, the obligatory, "Does it fit Scout yet?" shot.

Nope. Not yet. But all the same it's cute. Just needs buttons and the doggy bonnet needs to be blocked.

So, my list of fourteen is slowly decreasing and now down to twelve. I have a dress that needs to have the shoulders seamed and the armholes need to be picked up and have an edging, which I'm thinking I might do a single crochet, rather than go through picking up the stitches and then binding off.

I think I'm doing pretty good. I did get back to the Dalton Socks and the Cabled Tunic, which I need to measure. It's a bit discouraging though, it's just a lot of cabling. Lots and lots of cabling. It will be worth it though. In Winter. Of 2008. Maybe.