$2.50 Will Get You a Lot of Flair

Over the weekend, Emily and I made our way to Sip and Knit to return some yarn, get some needles and unexpectedly make a lot of ladies' day. The store was pretty busy and she was a hit with everyone we encountered.

My friend, April, is expecting a little baby girl in the next month or two and after receiving such a wonderful gift set from Adrienne for Emily, I figured I'd try to duplicate it. While at the store, I called Nicole to double-check how much yarn Adrienne had said she used and she reminded me that Adrienne had run into some problems with this particular pattern (Miss Dashwood). I took this under advisement, but bought the yarn anyway. When I got home I looked up the pattern and it turns out that it's not too different from the cupcake hat I'd made for Nicole - so I got started.

Here's where I'm at. Something has gone horribly wrong with the number of stitches I should have, but I've made it to the bobble row and the bobbles are turning out okay so I may just keep trucking.


I've also been steadily picking up ye olde French Market bag whenever my hands get a free moment. We're well into the contrasting color stripe.

And today I put one box of Fuschia Rit dye to use with one plain jane package of Gerber cloth diapers (i.e. the world's best burp clothes) and a bunch of rubber bands to make some super-girly burp clothes. Now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I didn't permanently dye my washing machine hot pink - Wayne will be none to happy if his not-cycling clothes come out hot pink.


In sock news - My Jaywalker has been sadly ignored. However, the yarn for my Secret Sock Party Buddy's socks has arrived, so I will start that one soon. But I won't post pics so that it stays secret.

A little progress

We went to the mall this morning so Ali could burn off some big sister energy and between a few stolen moments over the last couple nights and this much longer knitting session, I've gotten a little more finished on my French Market Bag.


And I've started the heel on my first Jaywalker sock. I was a little confused at first by the k1, slip 1 pattern, but after checking out a couple people's photos of finished socks, it seems legit. I'll keep trucking along.

Even more exciting, I've figured out what I'm going to knit up for my Sock Party buddy and instead of schlepping us all over to the yarn store, I ordered the yarn online today and got a great deal. :) In the interest of absolute secrecy, you won't see these posted here until she receives them.

Emily kicking

Emily kicking

Watch the video

Some little chickie playtime at one week old.

This video was originally shared on blip.tv by megaknits with a No license (All rights reserved) license.

Sweet Feet

When you have inspiration like this:

It's hard not to knit a little when you should be napping. :) Here's a little pair of One-Hour Booties from SnB:Nation, modeled by the super-relaxed Emily.



If only my Summer Sock Party buddy had newborn size feet, I'd feel a little less overwhelmed. But I'm totally counting these for the Summer of Socks. Hooray, one pair finished! :)

A Little Less Conversation . . .

A little more knitting?

Not quite. We're all still adjusting to having a baby who likes to eat every couple of hours and sleep, but never when you're actually tired and not trying to accomplish your one goal for the day. That's right, I've scaled down to one goal per day; i.e. one load of laundry, addressing baby announcements, getting dressed. I've been varying degrees of successful.

But, I did get some knitting done.

I've got all the increases for the bottom of the French Market Bag finished and have started on the body. I'm really glad I started this project when I did - it keeps me busy, but doesn't challenge my fluctuating intelligence level.

My first Jaywalker sock is ready for a heel - hopefully to be worked on this weekend. And I've almost gotten the details crunched for my Sock Party Partner's sock, I'll have to find a little minute to run to the yarn store next week.

Here's the sisters:

Emily's Here

Emily Green, born on Tuesday, July 4th at 5:51AM to a very tired Mommy, Daddy and Big Sis. She weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces and was 20.5 inches long at birth.

We're home from the hospital and trying to get some sleep. :)

5 Senses Friday

sight
Snakes on a Plane trailer
Ali happy with her Noggin crafts
Tour pre-show

smell
fresh basil
hospital hand soap
smelly dog

touch
soft baby blankets
warm fresh-from-the-dryer clothes
Ali cuddles

sound
'Ain't No Other Man'
in-utero hiccups
Wayne's new truck's horn

taste
chocolate-covered donuts
fresh Pizza Hut pizza
broccoli and cauliflower

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French Market bag started, soon to be moved to circular needles. It's just the right amount of counting stitches. Note the paper where I had to write out the increase pattern all the way to the total 200 stitches. I didn't want to take any chances with my pregnancy brain failing me. :)

Shrugged

It's finished! And Alison loves it! I probably could have made it a little longer - this kid is long and lean - but it fits and she's happy. I've discovered that there's nothing like new yarn to make me finish an ongoing project, at least this week.

So here's what's going on knitwise now:

Jaywalker Socks - my first pair for the Summer of Socks are underway and look beautiful. I think I'm going to knit the cuff a little shorter than the typical Jaywalker which may make them knit up faster.

Super-Secret Sock Party Socks - I'm hoping to get to the yarn store again before the baby is born so I don't have to do it after and can start them at any time. I'm still looking for a pattern.

French Market Bag - Starting it up this afternoon. I'm using Cascade 220 and size 8 needles instead of 7s, I may swatch it to make sure I get an even felt, but will probably live dangerously and just hope.

Lovely Gifts

Knitting night resulted in a little bit more of Ali's Girlfriend Shrug finished. A nice night hanging out with some great friends. And gorgeous baby gifts from Adrienne. I'm cosistently floored by her talent and these beauties did not dissapoint. Thanks friend!

Then today, my little lovey and I went over to Knit! to use my gift certificate and birthday coupon. Inspired by Maggie, I bought some Cascade 220 to make a French Market Bag. I'm excited for it, it'll be a nice middle of the road project which I'll probably bring to the hospital with me. Here are my lovely yarns:

Universal Law of Yarn & 5 Senses Friday

Do you remember Physics from high school?? There were all those laws and equations related to energy and motion and basically everything. I remember one of the biggies that stated that the universe had X amount of energy and could only have that much, it just changed the type of energy it was (i.e. active, kinetic, etc).

I have decided that the same is true for yarn. I ordered the yarn for Ali's Girlfriend Shrug and Short Snort Tank within days of each other, lo and behold we discovered that I was a whole ball short for the Short Snort. Well, I'm about to start the decreases for the Girlfriend Shrug and it turns out I've got an extra ball of yarn. See that, missing the same amount I'm now up. It's that kooky law.

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I'd like to take a moment and wish a very happy birthday to my knitting friend, Jessica. She's been attending my knitting group for quite some time now and I really enjoy spending time with her -- and she'll even laugh at Wayne's jokes. :)

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sight
four little green tomatoes
Wayne's ridiculous bonus amount
a big killer whale balloon from Sea World

smell
beautiful roses
garlic bread - yum!
dryer sheets

touch
soft baby blankets
soft ultramerino sock yarn
scratchy sock wool - I hope it washes softer

sound
Ali singing Natasha Bedingfield
whale song
jammed icemaker

taste
grape soda
chocolate covered donuts
dried apricots

To my Summer Sock Party friend

Hello

I think I'd like to keep things anonymous between us - it's fun. But thought you might like a little info about my sock needs and wants.

1. I live in a warm climate and am frequently hot, so thick socks are not for me.

2. I love ankle socks and can't for the life of me find a pattern for some. Even cutie ones with little pom-poms.

3. I am a-okay with patterns, be they stripes, fair isle, etc. And bright colors. I love bright colors.

4. I've only knit 3 pairs of socks, ever. So I apologize in advance if my technique is not super elaborate, but also try to pick something lovely that won't be too difficult for me to finish. :)

If I think of more things later, I'll post them here, so feel free to visit.

EDIT: I have updated my settings to allow for anonymous posts. Thanks for reminding me. :)

And He Can Build a House in Less Than 100 Days

Wayne came walking through the door last night with this:

He found a picture of an umbrella swift online and decided he could make one. So he went to Home Depot and got some stuff and a little bit of measuring, sawing and fishing line later, working umbrella swift. He was very excited and made me dig through my stash for something to ball up - then after watching me ball by hand for almost an hour, he understood my need for a ball winder.

Last night I also learned that it is best not to lie. I decided I'd cast on my Jaywalker socks and just not post about them until Thursday so they'd count for the Summer of Socks, but everything went horribly wrong and had to get frogged and now I will patiently wait for tomorrow. Hopefully the knitting karma will be better when my goals aren't so nefarious.

Baby update: We're planning to induce the week of July 4th. :)

I appreciate that no one commented on the lack of senses on Friday - I do in fact still have my senses, it was the post that was without them. Leave it to my husband to point out that I may have lost my mind a little more than I think with this pregnancy if I'm making statements about loss of senses. :)

Not a lot of knitting has been accomplished . . . the Girlfriend Shrug is getting to be monotonous and it's taking a lot of personal effort to not shuffle it aside for something (anything) else.

However, I tidied up the yarn today and have entered all of my stash goodies in my knitting journal so I don't have to go looking and cleanliness is just like finished knitted garments, right? I balled up on hank of my ArtYarns UltraMerino4 for my Jaywalker socks and may start them tonight while watching the Closer. Technically I need to hold off for two more days so that they count toward the Summer of Socks . . . what to do.

Wayne has been hounding me for something big and expensive that I want for my birthday and all I can come up with is a swift and ball winder. I found a tutorial for a really great tabletop swift that seems easy to make, but he has instead decided with his limited knowledge of yarn that I need a much more technical umbrella swift.

And finally, I signed up today for the Summer Sock Party. I missed the Hurricane Sock Party sign-ups, but I'm sure that by August's stormy weather I won't want to be dwelling on the storm season, especially while I'm knitting.

Fashion Show Friday

(Senses to return next week)

After days and days of forcing my birthday happiness on you, I'm pleased to present a finished garment.

That fits.

Although I modified it to do so. But in the end it fits and that's what really matters. What's even better, Alison loves it.

And did I mention, it fits.

Here's a sampling of the 45 minutes worth of modeling we went through last night. I present to you Alison's Short Snort Tank:

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In not-as-cheery knitting news: I decided to swatch the KnitPicks Shine Worsted I got for Bad Penny and I think it's way off. I'm going to put off worrying about it until later when I can actually work on it.

Happier: I emailed Gina, who had knit the Jaywalker socks that I linked to, and she emailed me back with lots of good advice. I really appreciate her taking the time to explain some of the things she learned in her knitting of the Jaywalkers - she's certainly saved me a headache or two. Thanks Gina!

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I just read that I have caused stash envy in Maggie . . . that makes me smile in an evil-Megan sort of way. :)

Birthday: Part 4

Last night I got the yarn from my Mom & Dad for Bad Penny - it finally made it's way through the mail to their house. I'm excited to start on the sweater, but realized I should probably wait until I have the baby so I can get some accurate measurements. Maybe I'll just swatch it in the meantime.


Then today, I received my first craftster.org Birthday swap package - this one is from girlfriday who fulfilled my wish for sock yarn and DPNs.


Packed in a squarish box I rec'd my first ever skein of Trekking XXL and Opal sock yarn, plus that coral sock yarn which she said is a local favorite in Austin. A set of DPNs that are much smaller than any I have and some cute stitchmarkers. I love it all.

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Knitting on Ali's Girlfriend Shrug is still progressing well - it's a little boring at time, but I really want to finish it. I've also accumulated quite a bit of yarn recently, but for the most part, it's all for specific projects. I'm going to need to start a list and prioritize getting some stuff done.

Birthday: Part 3 + Progress

A sampling of some of the lovely cards full of money and well- wishes I've been receiving:

A surprise from the tomato plant for my birthday! Three little green tomatoes so far.



A lovely gift from the lovely Nicool. That's Art Yarn's UltraMerino4 in Color #127. She braved the awful knitting store to get me cutie sock yarn and I love it. It's wicked soft. I'm going to use it to make my first pair of Jaywalker socks, but won't start until after June 21st so it counts toward the Summer of Socks. Curious what they'll look like?? Hopefully like this.

And I've even been knitting. I need to go to Joann's to pick up a circle-y thing for Ali's Short Snort, so in the meantime I've been working that Girlfriend shrug - 1 sleeve down, back and sleeve 2 to go.

Birthday: Part II

A gorgeous dozen red roses from my love.

And just for fun, the belly at 35-weeks. Does anyone else notice how huge the belly looks in comparison to the 3.5-year-old who can walk, talk and dress herself. I can't even begin to think about how big this baby is going to be.

Birthday: Part I

Yesterday we celebrated our birthdays as a family and exchanged family gifts. Dad got the iPod he wanted and the rest of the afternoon proved that when you're pushing 50, no matter how saavy you think you are, new technology can still kick your butt. Mom got some help from Home Depot for making the back porch beautiful. And I got some knitting treasures.

Erin smartly consulted my wist and got me the Sushi Wallet Kit from Pick Up Sticks. It's super cute.

And Mom and Dad got me the yarn I wanted to knit Bad Penny for myself. The yarn has not arrived yet, but they got me the needles too and they were ready for giving.

You may notice how much these packaged needles look like the needles I got with my Girlfriend Shrug yarn and you are correct. Introducing my second pair of Addi Turbos - my knitting is getting spoiled, these needles are incredible. More photos as gifts from near and far roll on in.

WWKIP Day

Saturday went really well. We had about 10ish people in and out while we were knitting in the park. It was warm out, but we found a shady spot and there was a breeze and ultimately, no one melted.

5 Senses . . . Saturday!

sight
the Atlantic ocean
attack squirrels
Over the Hedge

smell
suntan lotion
saltwater air
raspberry chapstick

touch
new yarn
sand in my toes
Alison nuzzles

sound
waves crashing
Alison giggling
good news from Mom

taste
delicious (and easy) tilapia
moe's
lemonade

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This morning I attended the Orlando World Wide Knit in Public event that I had organized. It was a lot of fun. We met two brand new knitters who were really nice, got to visit with Terry shortly and had a bit of an impromtu NYGK meeting. The weather was warm, but not oppressive which is nice when you're almost 9 months pregnant and sitting outside.

My additional yarn for Ali's Short Snort arrived and I've started finishing up the back - but after having her try it on, it's too big. Not too big like it'll never fit, but she'll have to grow to fit into it. I'm going to finish it up, but not attach the straps so that when she is big enough it'll be perfect. In the meantime, I'm going to make the next one (with the Rose Garden colorway) a lot smaller.

At the event of the AM, I cast on for Ali's Girlfriend shrug and made it through the first 1.5" of 1x1 ribbing - I hate ribbing.

Hurry Up and Wait

I've been diligently knitting and knitting on Ali's Short Snort Tank. I'm excited to finish this project because I think it's going to be adorable and wearable and I have the yarn to knit up a second one. Some modifications may be made to the second one, but one thing is for sure - I DO NOT have enough yarn.

All day Tuesday as I started and nearly completed my second ball of yarn, I kept going back and forth on this issue. Maybe, I thought so positively, I'll have just enough and this project will be even more perfect because it won't add to my stash. Moments later I'd look at the pattern and the many, many rows left, then down at the dwindling ball of yarn and be certain there was no way this yarn would make it. Ultimately, I logged on to elann on Tuesday evening, giving into my more negative, but in the end correct, thinking that I needed more. I ordered an extra ball for Tank #2 too.

And last night, true to my feeling, I reached the end of ball #2 with no back or straps knit yet. I'm eager for the mailman in a way that may disturb my poor husband. **These photos were taken Tuesday night, more front has been knit and the yarn has been depleted.

In the midst of this craziness - my yarn from KnitPicks arrived for the Girlfriend Shrug.

Still secure in my knitting maturity, and in an effort to slow down the inevitable end of the yarn on the Short Snort, I knit up yet another half-swatch. This time my gauge is bang on. Woo-hoo! I also used Addi-Turbo needles for the first time - those crazies are fast and slippery. And the fact that they are size 2s, a size I am not accostumed to, made the swatch a little challenging. I did however find them easier to use once I was a few rows in.

Rib-it, Rip-it

Saturday morning I was suffering from knitting withdrawal. I couldn't bear to work on Tasha anymore and none of my fabulous yarn had arrived. After poking around in my stash for a while and thumbing through some books, I decided I had the yarn to make a Sweet Pea Shawl from SnB: Crochet. It's like I don't think before I start projects, because low and behold as soon as I was set to begin, I finally looked at the pattern. First direction:

Ch 202

202! It was as if someone had suggested I make 140 squares and sew them into a blanket. Honestly, crochet is turning out to be quite an undertaking. So I chained the whole first chain, then I finished one shell and then the mail came.

Hooray mail! I got the smallest little box from elann with the yarn I'd ordered for Ali's Short Snort Tank. Two beautiful skeins of Lilac Satchet and two beautiful skeins of Rose Garden Sonata Print. They were lovely to just look at for about 20 minutes.



Then, in a fit of what can only be explained as a step toward knitting maturity, I opted to knit up a gauge swatch. Okay, it's only half a gauge swatch - but that's still better than nothing. :)



Lucky thing, too, 'cause the gauge was very different. Instead of beating my head against a wall about not noticing sooner, I got out my copy of SnB: Nation and consulted the part about substituting yarn based on gauge. After some fancy math calculations, I was ready to go.



Or so I thought . . . I started this damn thing 3 times! I was having quite a bit of trouble doing the very simple math to make sure that my CO sts were divisible by 4 so that my 2x2 ribbing would work. So I would cast on the 138-140-142 sts, rib a little and rip it out. Over and over. Until finally a light bulb went on and it all worked out.

I was able to get quite a bit done over the weekend, thanks to a trip to the movies with Ali and Wayne and general pregnancy restfulness. Here's where I'm at as of this afternoon:



I'm a little afraid that I don't have enough yarn, but I refuse to dwell on that until I have more proof. :)

5 Senses Friday Plus!

sight
the Princess Bride - on the big screen, er, truck
Andria's new faux-hawk
taller-than-Ali tomato plant

smell
BBQ ribs at Tingle's on Memorial Day
sunscreen
bugspray - ick!

touch
baby cattle prod
new wisdom tooth coming in - I highly recommend teething while pregnant, it's pure joy
lots of Alison hugs

sound
galloping baby heartbeat
happy birthday wishes for Andria and Lauren
the Fray - Wayne's taken over my CD player

taste
sweet, sweet Zellwood corn
yummy movie theater popcorn, in the front yard
1/4 of a Milky Way - it was divinity

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My knitting/crocheting has reached a near stalemate. I finished the star blanket for Emily and made her bed for the pictures:


I considered making it bigger, but I really wanted to end on a Watermelon stripe and since each leg was already pushing 35 dcs, the thought of 6 more rounds seemed too daunting. I have more yarn though and guess I could add to it later if I'm so inclined.

I'll pick up the Tasha piece when I'm really jonesing, but I'm in limbo until my yarn gets here. It's taking too long! I've even considered a quick stash-busting project, but can't find anything that'll work up fast enough. I could start another pair of socks...maybe.

Alison's been working her creative muscles too. Meet 'Crayon Daddy':

Tag - I'm it

From Alison:

1)What's your favorite LYS?: Knit!

2)What about it do you like most?: Marnie is the nicest lady in the world. She's really helpful and if you're lucky enough to get her undivided attention she can come up with amazing suggestions and substitutions.

3)What is your 2nd favorite?: Sip & Knit. The yarn selection is killer and it's hard to resist the playpen of discounted yarn.

4)What would you improve [about it] to make it a tie with your first?: I would switch shopkeepers. That would be a win-win. :)

5)What's the last thing you bought at your #1 LYS? Tahki*Charles Cotton Classic for my Tasha bag

6)Who's Next?: I tag Nicole! If anyone else would like to join in, just leave a comment so I can go read your answers.