Knitting tips

Have been busy working on Christmas presents; was only making a pair of socks for my cousin and for my brother and his wife, who spent Christmas down here, a market bag (class I was taking from Cat and Crow) and two hats (was thinking it would be good for cold days at farmers market).

Completed one of Linda's socks when it became obvious that I could complete her socks and have nothing for Donny and M or put the sock aside and work on their presents, which is what I choose to do.

Finished the market bag Christmas Eve and then cast on first of the two hats for them. Gave them the bag, started hat (now known as Hat 1.0) and ball of yarn ear tagged for Hat 2.0. I was very confident that I could finish the hats before they headed back home. Have the impression that they were not surprised that their gift wasn't done and didn't seem all that receptive to any of their gifts.

It is now December 26th and so far I have made two hats but one only slightly wearable. Due to a nasty thing called gauge, Hat 1.0 was incredibly tight. This was ripped out Christmas day and redone on larger needles but Hat 1.2 was only slightly wearable. By slightly wearable, this means you can't have a big noggin' like my brother and I have. As the hat fit my sister-in-law's daughter, she is now the proud owner of a brown cabled alpaca hat. Hat 1.3 (formally the yarn for Hat 2.0) is cast on with a two-tone yarn that really does nothing for the cables so I'm thinking of ripping this out and redoing this in a plain ribbing. Will have to go through stash and see if I have a yarn that will compliment it to make Hat 2.0.

Once Hat 1.3 and 2.0 are done, they will be mailed up to Donny and M along with a game Mom Gave to them. Mom had purchased the game at a local store but the deck was all messed up by the manufacturer. Completing the hats and getting them mailed out soon is a matter of principle even though I'm pretty sure they could care less about receiving them.

Here are my Christmas knitting tips (most of these you have probably heard):
1. The deadline should not be a surprise (but somehow it always is). Plan early and get the projects done well in advance. Umm this one will happen for me only in some alternate reality.
2. Gauge is important. I hate to do this and I'm constantly amazed that this is such a shock when things don't work out!
3. No surprises. Ask people what they would like made, but do not be afraid to give limits (do you want to make something ultra complicated that you detest?).
4. Make sure the recipient is either knit worthy or knit worthy for what you are making. There are some knitter's who will not make gifts for people as they know recipients do not appreciate the hard work that was put into their gift.

Have a general knitting tip that for me is a major breakthrough. Always hate that I can't look at my knitting and tell which row of a repeat I'm on. My "discovery" is stitch markers!

At the begining of row 1 of repeat (for instance on a hat), do the first stitch of row 1 and place a stitch marker (for me any color except green as that is my knitting on one circular beginning of the round color); complete row. If working in the round, on row 2, do 1st stitch, remove marker, do the next stitch and place marker. There are now 2 stitches to the right of the marker. Keep moving the stitch marker in this manner at the beginning of the round. When on last repeat, do not place the marker (so its handy for row 1). Now if I put the knitting down (or if I'm having a strawberry blond moment and can't remember what row I'm on midway through the round) I can tell at a glance what row I'm on.

Haven't quite figured out what I'll do if knitting something flat but my thought is to have the marker at the beginning of the row on the right side. Can easily tell the right from wrong side, usually. If I can't, I place a stitch marker that can be clipped onto the right side. I use clip on markers to indicate how many repeats have been done. On the Every Way Wrap, there are a series of markers climbing up the right side showing my progress.

Class

Tonight was part one of the Market Bag class in Mt. Horeb. I got late out from work/traffic was slow getting out of Madison. Called Rebecca, one of the store owners, and she said no problem as I was the only one signed up for class. Quick stop to Culvers for supper (love the snack packs!) and then onto The Cat and Crow. Quickly picked out yarn and while I ate supper, Rebecca started winding the yarn for me. Apparently linen yarn is cantankerous and was rather reluctant to be wound.

She was still working on winding the yarn by the time I finished (no I didn't inhale my food). We both worked on unraveling things with Rebecca helping customers from time to time. Eventually got the yarn wound and cast on but didn't get too far due to above mentioned details and the fact that was having a good time talking with another lady who came to knit and sharing some recipes.

Guess Rebecca was feeling rather bad about the yarn winding as she gave me some left over linen yarn she had in the green I wanted to buy/use for the band and strap (or could it be she dreaded winding more of the linen yarn?). She also gave me a break on the class price so that was a nice surprise!

Speaking of classes, have signed up for all five of the Sally Melville classes in April at Woodland Studios (credit card is feeling the pain of that one) and really would like to sign up (and did sign up) for classes at The Cat and Crow. First is a drop spindle class and next is a sweater design class. Found a childs sweater in the Interweave magazine that was oh so conveniently sitting on coffee table where we were knitting tonight that will be my sweater design project. More on that later. If the sign up sheet would have been ready tonight for the two color knitting classes, would have signed up for that as well. Knowing me, next week when I go back for part two of MB class, there will be one more student in this class as well.

Hmmm there was also the photography class at The Cat and Crow...

Wildflower progress

Sunday I finished sock one of my cousin's Wildflower sock all the way to kitchnering the toe. Before weaving in the ends, I wanted to try it out. It was so unbelievably tight that I ripped the entire thing out. Granted my cousin probably doesn't have the cankles that I do, but I think it would have been too tight even for my Mom (who I use as a too-tight gauge for hand knit socks).

My reasons for being so confident on this is that 1) I used a smaller needle than usual (2.25 mm), 2) cast on 64 stitches and typical sock for me is 72, 3) leg of sock was longer than my typical leg (which if you have any sort of calf on your leg this would strangle your poor calf), and 4) most importantly, my cousin had tried on socks that I was knitting during our vacation and they fit her fine.

Casted on attempt #2, sunday night and completed two repeats during knitting guild meeting last night. Would have completed more but Lily wanted to see how the flower was created. Plus sometimes your listening more to the speakers than "concentrating" on your mindless knitting.

Have a knitting class tonight which is to be my sister-in-law's Christmas present which will cut down on sock knitting time. Good thing I have Friday off if the socks need to be mailed off by Saturday!

So far today...

Have legal/personal holiday leave to use before the end of the year or I can give it back to the State (so not happening!).  So far today, I've slept in til 9 (if one ignores having your dog wake you up at 3:30 and 6:30 to go outside as sleeping in), a load of laundry, showered, made lunch, deliberated as to whether or not use the emergency only credit card to purchase clothes online (so far I'm resisting), worked a little on my cousin's socks that need to be finished by next Saturday so she gets them by Christmas, and in a bit going to Stoughton to watch the latest Harry Potter movie.

Still have my Aunt's shawl on the needles and ridiculously close to being done with this project, have various other projects that either need ends woven in and/or doing the bind off.  In particular, need to finish binding off the cowl (last class I took) since I will be taking a class next week for a French Market bag.  Need to stop procrastinating and get a move on!

A Little Christmas Shopping (for me)

Went to two craft shows today.  The number of vendors at both were small but did manage to find a few things for inspiration to either duplicate or presents for myself.

Christmas Shopping...
At the first show, bought some stamped cards that had interesting design to them that I plan to use on cards for me to make some Christmas stocking stuffer that I will duplicate (small Hershey candy wrapped in decorative scrapbook paper, gingerbread person made out of a round circle covering a peppermint patty, snowman soup etc).

Christmas Shopping (for me)...
The second show didn't have as many vendors as past years that I've gone to it, but there was a couple who had yarn (Forest Academy Alpacas)  Bought a lovely skein of black and white that was plied together and then a skein plied together in the same fashion but the colors this time are black/white/mauve.  Also purchased from them was 4.2 oz of natural black cria fleece.

Have a slight dilemma now, do I keep the fleece for myself (have a drop spindle and have been thinking about learning how to use) or gift it to one of the spinners I know?  What do you think I should do???

Another great idea, NOT!

So remember last week where I goofed up the mindless knitting project because I was paying more attention to the cute guys working on the broken water main?  Well don't think this happened at the same time but it was probably close to it.

On the shawl, there are three different hand-dyed yarns all in the same colorway.  Well apparently I forgot which color was next because the last time I switched colors, I joined the wrong one.  After a little debate, decided to rip it out because even though it is a gift and I won't see it, will bug me to know that it is there.  So I ripped it out and when I got close to the join, this is where it went really really bad.

When I had joined the wrong color, I had ended the row prematurely as well so had to add more yarn for a very brief moment.  Then in a fit of efficiency (and because I had messed up my increases/SSKs and was a stitch short which left a hole at the join), I wove in 90% of the ends starting with the big hole (the hole was closed beautifully thank you very much) and had a difficult time finding the ends.

Eventually found the ends, started unraveling more than I needed and lets just say that it is better to do things like this when you are not tired and had a bit of time to sit back and study the situation and not just unravel willy-nilly.  Was going to finish the pink section (right side of picture) last night but was so danged tired and a little frustrated with myself, that I went to bed and was asleep about 10 seconds after I laid down.

Should have taken a picture last night but this afternoon when I took a picture, it actually helped me see what I need to do.  Complete the pink section I'm on, pickup stitches along the orange side so it is joined and should be good to go to start with the correct color, I think (hope).

Time will tell.

Lost in translation

Yesterday I somehow screwed up half a row on my mindless knitting project, the multidirectional shawl by switching from garter stitch to stockinette.  

I was sitting outside on the porch"knitting" while watching the cute guys working on the water main that started bubbling up like a fountain in the street almost in front of my home.  Just before Mom came out to see how things were progressing with the guys (she wanted to shower and they had turned off the water in our area), I realized that I had switched for just part of a row to stockinette.  I was in the process of frogging it when she came out.  Somehow the story looses meaning if you have to explain stockinette vs. garter stitch...

And we have bind-off!

On my way to the moebius cowl class tonight, I stopped at World of Variety (local "dime" store) to see if they had the leaf bags like pumpkins for Mom.  They did, and I was strolling in the next aisle over to see what other fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations they had when I spied a Christmas decoration on the opposite side of the aisle that I just had to get.  I know, I know way to early for anything except Christmas gift making but when you see this I'm sure you will understand why I broke down and bought it.

Before class started, I was on row 7/8 and needed to get to 10.  Easily done, okay I was binding off as the other ladies were blissfully? doing the picot bind off with beads. Was undecided as to which one of two beads to go with so decided to use both as they go great with this yarn (and the moebius is rather colorful).  I did manage to finish the repeats and do about 8 picots (only 56 more to go).

When I'm done, there should be enough yarn left to make either mittens or fingerless mitts.  For the mittens, I would have to add another sock weight yarn to this thus making the mittens not too matchy-matchy with the moebius.  Mitts on the other hand (snicker) would match perfectly.  Hmm maybe I need to decide who these will be for?

Crafting retreat results

Beginning of October Mom, Charlene (family friend) and Rosie (our Cairn Terrier) went on the annual crafting retreat.  The leaves were gorgeous!  If you can ever make it up to the Wausau area, Rib Mountain along the interstate is beautiful and then once you get up further north, well, very difficult to describe but it is a great place to be in the fall if you just want to enjoy the fall colors.


We had excellent weather and our cabin was very lovely.  It was a lot closer to civilization (last year it was a 15-20 drive to Mercer and to Eagle River it was another 40 minutes).  We are thinking about doing a week long get-away.  Wonder if we will need that trailer my Dad always jokes about when Mom and I go on a road trip??

My to do list has shrunk a little and finished a project that wasn't even on the list!  To sum up, took a total of 17 projects and completed 10.   Not bad, knew going up that there were some I wouldn't even get to but I did weave in more ends on the green star afghan.  Believe I now know what to do with the Pioneer Braid Scarf but was not happy on how I was doing the short-row turns so ripped the scarf back to the beginning of braid #2.  The instructions didn't tell you what to do on the knit row and most knitters are probably nodding their head and know exactly what  you should do in this situation, but alas if its not written down, I'm never sure what to do (for me the answer turned out to be slip the stitch).

Here is my final report of completed projects:

1. DONE - Towel holder: weave in ends
2. Pumpkin mat: weave in ends and add border
3. DONE -Tan ribbed scarf: weave in ends
4. Towel holder: figure out pattern
5. Aunt B's Pioneer Braid shawl: start 2nd braid
6. DONE - Green doily with cream edging: weave in ends
7. DONE - Paw Track Socks: fix tight cuff
8. DONE (on 3rd braid) - Pioneer Braid Scarf: cast on and work first 3 braids (so I know what I'm doing on #5)
9. DDs 2nd sock: cast on
10. Mom's double knit pine tree mittens
11. DONE - Baby sweater: add button and weave in ends
12. DONE - Dishcloth: weave in ends
13. DONE - Baby sweater: add button and weave in ends
14. STARTED - Green star afghan: weave in ends
15. Linda's Wildflower sock: cast on
16. DONE - Caliometry: add button and weave in ends
17. DONE - Tip to top mittens (not originally pictured)

Make-up class

Made it to Mount Horeb tonight, to learn the cast on/get started for the class I was supposed to start last Wednesday.  Ended up not going the first night of class as I had an extremely bad cold and as I didn't want to be near myself but with this not being an option, elected not to inflict my germs on the class and stayed home.

Feeling much better now and was able to make headway on the project tonight.  We are making the Elegant Arrows Moebius Scarf by Sivia Harding.  It has a very unique cast on and so far I'm on row 7 of 26.  Next week will be the second (and last) class. We will be putting on beads/binding off so I know what I'll be working on for the next few days!

Pictures to be posted later this week.

Do you think I'm bringing enough?

For six years, I attended a knitting retreat sponsored by Sutter's Gold 'n Fleece up in St. Germain.  It was great!  Stayed at a lodge that used to be a logging camp but now has the main lodge and various cabins.  We would arrive on Friday night, have two classes on Saturday, prizes Saturday night and knit, knit, knit!!

Two years ago was the last retreat that Liz held.  At that time, Mom and I decided we would do our own retreat of sorts.  Last year we rented a cabin outside of Mercer and while it was nice enough inside, on the outside it looked like a very bad shack.  We came up on Thursday, explored on Friday (spent about an hour driving one way to get to where we wanted to explore/shop), Saturday we stayed at the cabin working on our projects and watched movies/listened to a book and came home on Sunday.

This year, we are doing pretty much the same but have rented a cabin a little closer to where we want to be and have a friend joining us.  Mom plans to work on a rug hooking project she started a couple years ago, Charlene will work on a plastic canvas tissue box and I will be working on all the lovelies in the photo (which will hopefully trim down my WIPs).

For those curious (and so I have a list to make sure I bring all the patterns):

1. Towel holder: weave in ends
2. Pumpkin mat: weave in ends and add border
3. Tan ribbed scarf: weave in ends
4. Towel holder: figure out pattern
5. Aunt B's Pioneer Braid shawl: start 2nd braid
6. Green doily with cream edging: weave in ends
7. Paw Track Socks: fix tight cuff of 
8. Pioneer Braid Scarf: cast on and work first 3 braids (so I know what I'm doing on #5)
9. DDs 2nd sock: cast on
10. Mom's double knit pine tree mittens
11. Baby sweater: add button and weave in ends
12. Dishcloth: weave in ends
13. Baby sweater: add button and weave in ends
14. Green star afghan: weave in ends
15. Linda's Wildflower sock: cast on
16. Caliometry: add button and weave in ends

I debated about bringing 1 or 2 big projects or just items that needed to be finished and compromised on both. It seems like a lot but with 9 of the 16 projects requiring buttons/ends woven in, they should go fast leaving me ample time to concentrate on the other 7 projects.  Friday we will be stopping at Sutter's so there will be an opportunity to buy more yarn in case I run out of things to do...

What did you do this weekend?

You know how you get to work on Monday after the weekend and your co-worker asks, whatcha do this weekend?  My short answer would be took a knitting class, attended a birthday party and ran some errands.  Well here is the long answer.


Saturday I took the  Beaded Knitting Workshop at The Cat and Crow.  There is definitely something to be said about reading and doing versus having live demonstration and working on methods with someone there to answer your questions.  This class was excellent preparation for the Moebius Cowl class I'll be taking on Wednesday to which beads will be added to it.  In the afternoon, I attended an 80th birthday party for my best friend's mother. They had done a lovely DVD of pictures of Gloria and family/friends and lots of signing as they are a very musical family.


On Sunday, my brother and I ran a few errands.  First we went to Stoughton to drop off the large ball winder for one of the Wednesday night crew.  From there, we went on to Penzey's Spices and Vom Foss-very cool places if you have need of spices/oil/vinegar and like to cook.  Then on to Mounds (have to stop at a pet store when my dog is along), Michael's, World Market (take my advice DO NOT buy the peach salsa, blech!), and then Shopko.  


Once back at home, I took pictures of the items I'm going to take up north for crafting weekend coming up and recent yarn purchases (have to keep my Ravelry stash up to date) and worked on some blogs and then finally some knitting!!  


The size 6 needles are in the process of being liberated from the mittens (they are needed for Wednesday's class).  I'm casting off the mittens using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off so far it seems stetchy enough but will have to decide if in future I will need to go down a needle size like others have mentioned.


...and that is what I did this weekend.  Wishing you a lovely week!

Thumbless Mittens!

Today was a great knitting day specifically and family/crafting in general.  Worked till noon and my Mom and Aunt picked me up and we went out for lunch, went to a couple of scrapbooking stores, stopped at Pegasus Games to pick up the Bananagrams game that was ordered during their anniversary weekend and had Coldstone for dessert.


The Mittens from the class at Wisconsin Sheep and Wool are progressing along somewhat okay.  I like the pattern, and the coloring of the yarn but the yarn itself I am not digging.  It is a single ply and when I tug the first few stitches when I turn, the yarn has a tendency to break.  So far there have been 3-4 breaks with the yarn.  That black spot is where the thumb goes by pulling out the black yarn and do an afterthought thumb.  Though in class we, the students, was calling it a forethought as there was a significant amount of thought put into the placements of the thumbs.


The mittens have become project number one as they need to be finished before Wednesday as I'm taking a class that night making a beaded Moebius Cowl which require the exact same size needle AND cable length.  Who would have known size 6 was so popular!

Bad Car Karma

Hmm how to begin?  The past week has been an interesting one with concerns to my car and driving in general.  Things started off on Monday having an irate mother yelling at me and ending with the total death of my car (at the time of this writing).  Let me explain.

On Monday, I was driving to work taking my usual route, that I've been taking for at least the past couple of years.  With this route, as I meander through residential streets, there is a stretch of road I see this one police officer continually having people pulled over either speeding or some other infraction (rolling through the stop signs is popular) and domain of two crossing guards.

This particular day, there was no police officer handing out tickets, safely passed the first guard and made my way to the next intersection/crossing gaurd.  At this interesection, my light is green, the crossing guard has collected up her cones and is awaiting for her light to change to white so she can cross (the street I am going straight across on) and, I'm guessing, take the cones in to the school (remember I have the green light?).  

Okey so far so good, what's the problem? The problem is the two siblings, big brother taking younger sibling while mom watches from the minivan, who proceed to cross the street when there is a NO walking for pedestrians.  I slow down and give a honk and continue slowly across, a quick glance at the crossing guard shows her standing there hanging on to her cones not doing anything.  They make it across the street unscathed and as I pass mom, she is yelling at me.

Backing up to find out what is being yelled at me, I  proceed to have my a*@ chewed out.  An attempt to point out that I had a green light where I am promptly interrupted about "I should have more respect of children going to school".  Realizing this is one irrational and angry mother bear defending her cubs, I leave.  Obviously she is correct, I do need to have more respect of children who obviously need further education as they think they are exempt from rules put in place for everyone's safety.

Here are the thoughts that crossed my head:

1. I bet she is the type of parent who will take their kids and cross in the middle of a busy street, say University Avenue, you choose a busy street in your city, wherever she chooses, and be rightly (?) upset when people nearly run them over and call for the area to be picketed, reminding people that pedestrians have rights - um who was J-walking, what lessons are you teaching your children?
2. As the crossing guard was packing up her cones and no other children or parents taking their children were around, I'm assuming momma bear was running late and had to get big brother to his school or appointment after dropping off junior and she is feeling stressed.  While I can understand and sympathize, there is a quote comes to mind that I've heard from one of the physicians I work for it goes something like "An emergency on your part, does not qualify..."
3. I'm a terribile person and should have never even thought to cross the street let alone honking.

In my defense for #3:

I am a childfree (adj. pertaining to adults who do not have or live with children) spinster (n. DERGATORY an unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage, adj - and my preferred definition as a knitter - a woman who spins).

Probably in a karmic twist of fate while driving to work, using a different route which now permits me to be disrespectful to college age students crossing streets against the light, my battery light came on.  Didn't think much of this other than that I should probably call my Dad and let him know that I may call him later with a dead car complaint but forgot to do this as had two meetings first thing in the morning and was busy all day.

Friday afternoon, as I was getting ready to leave, I remembered the battery light coming on and called home and spoke with Mom.  

• Mom will pass on situation report to Dad and she is on standby, check.  
• Get to car, check
• Car starts with no battery light, check
• Plug in iPhone to listen to podcast (Hi Brenda love your podcast), check
• Proceed home, check
• Receive call from Dad, which causes podcast to stop playing (normal), answer call and put Dad  on speaker phone (typical for me), check
• Dad acknowledges situation and informs me he is on standby as well and call is terminated, check
• Podcast should come back on but doesn't, uhh no check

This is were things go screwy.  To wind up this long post, radio would not come back on, battery light is back on along with the ABS light being on.  Nothing else happens until I go bumping across McCoy road bridge (ahh road construction may you come to this part of Hwy 14) and my gas gauge goes from F to E WHAT?!?  

So rattled about losing my tank of gas in a blink of an eye didn't realize until half a minute later that I had nothing on the dash that required electricity (speedometer needle pointing at 0, the heat light at C or whatever it points at).  I make it home pull into the garage (shouldn't have done this) turn car off a (shouldn't have done this-beginning to feel like Dobby) and consult with parents.  

We go out to take car to car shop. Attempts was made to start the car, but it gave that click-click-click sound when you have a dead battery/bad alternator.  Will try to start car today by charging battery so we can get it up to the car shop otherwise it will need to be towed.

Sigh

WSWF (or Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival)

Some of the Wed Night Gang

This past weekend I went to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival in Jefferson, WI, for the first time. Actually first time for me to go to anything along this scale, boggles the mind what Stitches would be like!

Friday I went with a friend and we had an enjoyable time.  Watched a little of the instinct testing for young herding dogs, looked at the silent auction items and rug hooking display by Cream City Rug Hookers (of whom I had always heard about but could never find a website for them or figure out when their meetings/hook-in are so was really exciting for me that I was able to sign up for their mailing list) and then on to Shopping.

All I have to say about the shopping is, WOW!  I am forever grateful that on Friday we went through first and then went around again to make purchases saved me hundreds I'm sure because at that point I was so tired that I just wanted to purchase the things that had caught my eye and put my feet up (note to self wear sneakers who cares who sees your handknit socks?!?).

Me modeling a lovely Alpaca necklace yarn

Both on Friday and today I bumped into some of the ladies from Wednesday night, bought some cool yarn, saw people I had met over the years at knitting retreat I went to in St. Germain area (Hi Liz!) and signed up for a class today.

Sunday it was a bit more tame, met up with a friend who grew up on a farm and has a hobby farm now.  We watched some of the dog trials, looked at the sheep and lambs and bummed around till I had to leave for my class.

The class today was learning to do 2 mittens at the same time using Magic Loop method and as a bonus got my Kitchner groove back, a skill I regretfully lost somewhere.

Definitely plan on signing up for more classes next year (weaving, rug hooking and knitting) and now debating whether or not to drive back and forth daily or camp the weekend at the fairgrounds like some do. Oh well, this is something to ponder later.

Raspberry lemonade anyone?

Now that I've purchased a 32" needle, things are progressing on my Aunt's shawl at a faster rate. Did you know it's rather difficult to knit if you are constantly shoving stitches around because they are so tight together?  But I'm not happy with the appearance, afraid it may be confused for an anorexic afghan.  So after some searching on Ravelry, for my yardage/yarn weight have decided to try a triangular shaped shawl.  So far if I were to name what this shawl reminds me of, it would have to be raspberry lemonade.

Wednesday night I almost finished the third ball of yarn on the Every Way Wrap but was distracted by putting together my "reading" list for while knitting.  Have a strong preference for listening to books on tape otherwise I would only read and no knitting would get done.  At a friend's suggestion, I will be using the BBCs Big Read list.  So far I've only read 7 - that I'm confident about.  Don't want to rely on my memory of what was read during high school, as I was no scholar in high school and it was a few decades ago...

Not so mobius

Accomplished quite a bit today.  Figured out how to organize the pdf files on my iPad (using it to store patterns that I'm actively working on/to be on needles soon, no more paper copies to lose!), wound yarn for upcoming projects, and several loads of laundry (knitting isn't everything).


Casting on scarf/wrap for my Aunt who will be having radiation treatment later this month for newly discovered breast cancer.  Had already planned on making her this wrap and her treatment date gave me a deadline.  Should be very achievable as this is done in garter stitch.

Back in August Mom, Aunt, Cousin and Cousin's son went on a road trip to visit relatives in Iowa.  Traveling back we stopped at Crazy Girl Yarn Shop in Corralville.  My Aunt liked the Mobius Wrap, but didn't necessarily want a mobius, she just wanted a scarf for around her neck.  Shop model was done in Rayon Metallic but I feared it wasn't that practical (rayon/cotton blend + handwash) for WI winters on a farm? Doesn't sound like a winning combination.

Yarn I'm using, Winnifred's Washable, will be perfect as it is a merino/acrylic blend that is machine wash/dry, in pinks/yellow (Aunt B is a pink fan) and plus it is was in my stash, score!

On Ravelry, I signed up for the Frankensock and Wildflower sock knitalongs.  Details will be in later posts as I'm trying to cast on for the Not so Mobius and it isn't happening with all the things I'm doing at once.  Too much multitasking.  

Back in business... Again

Okey so it has been a while since my last blog but I'm posting now so it has to count for something right? right?

Mom modeling "Carol's Clever Shawl"

Today I spent the day checking out various things on Ravelry and other sites.  As a result, I'm now signed up for two knitalongs, joined a couple of groups that center around reading of books (not a strong point for me but if they are audio books should do better, I hope), posted pictures (here's one of them) and generally got organized (seems to be a theme for me).

In Knitting News:
I frogged the Every Way Wrap back down to the ribbing in August as I was writing notes for the wrap in notebooks (yes plural) and of course couldn't remember which one had the most recent notes.

To further complicate things with the wrap, was also using a row counter that either hung around my neck (purchased a second one as lost the first one) or an app on my iPhone and again after putting the wrap aside for a while lost track of which one (notebook, row counter or iPhone) I should be going by.  Have stopped writing in notebooks/using the phone and instead have a cute row counter that clips right to the project (note to self should pick up a few more well worth the investment when one considers the time lost trying to figure out your d*** notes).

Also using stitch markers at the start of every repeat with a bigger stitch marker clipped right to the wrap holding the remaining markers to count down the repeats.  Currently on repeat #9 of 16 so may have this done by end of month in time for yearly knitting retreat up north where I first saw the pattern and fell in love with it.

Now moving on to organizing my loose leaf patterns that I have purchased/found on the internet that are begging to be put in their appropriate binder. What a wild and crazy life I lead!