Tag: Rambling

You know how I mentioned that the Yarn Harlot’s new book was going to be released this month?  Yeah, not so much.  The date in Amazon is still March 19th, but it now says that it has not yet been released.  Then I read on her blog about the book release party later this summer.  I feel kind of let down by the wrong information in Amazon, but it happens.  Jessi – is there another of her books that you don’t have yet?  I’d still be happy to get one of them signed for you.  Let me know!

I completed my mom’s socks on March 9th and I gave them to her Tuesday, but I still haven’t taken photos!  She even wore them yesterday and she says she loves them waaaay more than the first pair I knit (which turned out a little short and loose knit).  Finally – someone I can knit socks for other than me!  Admittedly, I don’t wear my hand-knit socks often.  In fact, it’s rare.  Mostly because it wasn’t until late last year that I realized I needed to be knitting at a much smaller gauge so that the purl bumps on the soles of my feet don’t hurt.  I also learned how to make the best fitting toe recently and before that was a bit of a struggle to get it to fit correctly.  Now that I know all these things, I can knit socks I’ll actually wear (as well as knit socks for my mom!).  Right now, though, there’s no socks on my needles and I’m not even considering casting a pair on.  I know you’re shocked because this hasn’t happened since the sock-knitting bug bit me in 2006.

The real reason for the non-sock-knitting going on with me is because of the shawl for my Grandma.  Once that’s done, socks will take it’s place, but I’ve not knit on anything else since starting it.  I think I’m just over the half-way mark and I’m thinking it’s only going to take up about 3 skeins of the yarn I bought, which means I’ll have leftovers.  We’ll see how that goes, though.  I’ve done 5 repeats and it’s already quite large (thanks to knitting on US 8’s with worsted weight yarn!).

No photos this post, but I do owe at least three FO posts – the prayer shawl I made last year, Clapotis, and mom’s Nine-to-Five socks.  Eventually it will be nice enough to get decent photos again and when it is, I’ll do my best to remember to take photos of everything and write up some long-over due posts.  (And, actually, I just need to write up a post for the prayer shawl….)

I’ve been reading different fourms on Ravel-crack… er, I mean Ravelry about blogs, knit-blogging, and knitting blogs people read and the reasons why they read those particular blogs over others.  A few people have said they like a certain blog because it’s not just knitting content all the time and you get to know the person beyond the knitting.  This made me think about my own knitting blog.  I guess I always figured "all knitting, all the time" was the way to go because I have a personal blog elsewhere that I keep "Friends Only" becaue there are things that I write about that I really wouldn’t want hanging out there for all the world to see.  I’ve heard horror stories about employers finding out about your blog and then getting fired over it, so I suppose I’m just cautious.

If you blog about knitting/crafting, what are your thoughts on the matter?  What about my blog here?  Do you want more than just knitting content?

I appreciate any responses and will take any suggestions into consideration :o)

As it turns out, I was living in Knitter’s Denial about the bag I was knitting.  I should have figured it out the first time I made the attempt and it was very floppy, but NO.  I did what a knitter in denial does – I went down a few needle sizes and kept on going with a different plan in mind.  Turns out it is STILL too floppy (shocker, I know).  After living in denial about it for months, I decided to give it up and frogg it last night.  Turns out that while I can knit with alpaca just fine, it’s not suited for next to skin wear for me because it makes me itchy.  That’s why I frogged the mini-sweater I made with it last year.  I thought about a scarf because it’s so soft and lovely, but it would make me itch just like the alpaca/silk blend Irish Hiking Scarf I made, so that was a no-no as well.  Not much I can do with it unless I make something to gift to someone, but no one I know would really want a pink scarf except my sister and I think she’d be itched by it, too, so that wouldn’t work.  This yarn that seemed to be taunting me just has to go.  So, I decided to see if I could swap it for something else and I have already had an offer – yay!  Soon it will be off to a good home of someone who will knit it into something beautiful, I’m sure :o)

This means one thing off my needles!  Surprisingly, this make me feel a lot better.  Sometimes it’s good to get into the "If you don’t love it, frogg it" state of mind.  I don’t want to knit things I don’t really like how it’s turning out and have it end up in the "pile of knitted things I won’t use."  Yes, I do have such a pile…. doesn’t every knitter?  I’m thinking I need a basket for such things because while the actual items turned out great, I don’t find myself using them, but still like to show them off and maybe find someone who WILL use them.

The most exciting news of the week, though, came yesterday!  I got a new washer delivered!!  We ordered it at the end of last month with the funds Nick’s parents gave us to get one.  It took a while to get it in and delivered, but it was delivered yesterday and is working perfectly.  A little back history here: when we moved the movers cracked the tub of my washer.  All of the stuff in the house along with all my stuff that was in storage when we moved here was shipped under Nick’s name.  He never filed a claim for the washer (I couldn’t do it, the move wasn’t in my name), so we ended up not getting any money from the movers, despite the fact it was their fault and it was insured, and had to buy a new one on our own.  Washers aren’t cheap, so it took a while to get one.  I am very excited about not having to go to the laundry mat any longer and also about the fact that I can now felt things again!  I have some various skeins of Patons Classic Wool that I will knit into something to felt.  I’m considering a felted bag of many colors so that it’s all used up.  We’ll see what I decide.

I have been working on my top-down raglan cardigan and I’d say I’m about half way done.  It’s become my "knit at home" project and the socks I’m working on are my "travel with me everywhere" project.

No pictures this post, but I will share some later today or this weekend of all the things I’ve been working on.  Happy Friday!

My knitting night is on Wednesdays.  Usually this is okay, even though I’m generally very tired because the first half of my work week is quite stressful.  It’s been a little more tough to get there, though, now that Nathaniel is here.  I don’t like leaving him home by himself while I go because usually Nick is working.  Really, I know it’s not an issue because he’s old enough and responsible enough to stay on his own for a few hours.  Still, it ends up that I have to leave early anyhow so I can get him to bed by Nick’s mandated bed time (8:30 pm).

This week, though, there was no way I was going to make it.  I had to play mom and take him to the store to get gym clothes (he’s made it into mainstream high school!  WOO HOO!).  I also had to make a trip to the pet store to make an exchange.  Since it was also pot luck for knitting night, I knew I wouldn’t have enough time.  On top of all that, since it’s a short week because of the holiday, my 40 hour 5 day work week, turns into a 40 hour 4 day work week.  This meant rearranging my chiropractor appointments, otherwise there was no way I could get everything that needs to be done accomplished.  I left work at 5 pm and my appointment was at 5:30 pm, which means I didn’t get home until after 6 pm.  Knitting starts at 7 pm.  Hmm… nope, no way it’s going to happen!  *sigh*

Instead of going, I took care of all that boring, non-knitting stuff.  It wasn’t all bad, though!  I did get one sock completed and learned a new bind off (sewn/tubular cast-off).  It didn’t turn out the way it should have because I did K2, P2 ribbing and the cast off was in K1, P1 ribbing.  I still like how it turned out, though, and I’ve learned something for next time (1×1 ribbing!) for toe-up socks, which I have a feeling I’m going to try again very soon.  I really like the short row heels and toes.  I think they fit my feet better.  These socks are for my youngest sister, so it looks like I’ll be making something similar for myself soon.

I started a scarf for my middle sister for her birthday.  I hope she likes it (and hope that I can get it done!).  Her birthday is on the 16th of this month. 

Ohhh… yes… regarding the fiber fest going on on the weekend of the 15th/16th.  Myself and Crafty Mands (and her hubby) are going to go on Saturday.  It works better for both of us and I know that I’ll need Sunday to recoup for the work week and it’s also my sister’s birthday on Sunday (which I didn’t even think about before).  So, Saturday it is!  I’m really looking forward to it.  Anyone who would like to join us, is more than welcome to.  Just let me know!

I’m working on a lot of things right now, but only a few have been getting some progress.  It’s all about what I’m enjoying working on and the socks and scarf are where it’s at right now.  I’m also working on a scarf thing for myself (Wisp from Knitty), Erin’s baby blanket (I’m thisclose to the half way point), Icarus, Starlight, and the Noro cardigan.  It’s been too darn hot to work on anything heavy (like a sweater), so it’s been socks and lace, mostly.  I’ll update with some photos (with the exception of the scarf for my middle sister) when I get home.  Just wanted to post a little while I had a chance.

Have a good day everyone!