Preparing...

Last night I finished my Christmas baking! I don't do a huge baking event like some amazing people do this time of year (my mother in law's best friend makes 30 different kinds of cookies!) but I still feel accomplished...















The stuff in the middle is 7 layer magic bars which are sooo good. The other stuff is cashew brittle and mixed nut brittle I made in the microwave. Tasty stuff, just don't tell the dentist!

Look at my new socks!

So I have a certain special birthday deadline in January that I'm trying to make someone socks for. I ordered a very particular yarn from an online company I've ordered from before. The yarn is perfect, it has colors that simply embody this person to me. I ordered that yarn December 3. Today is December 19. The yarn is still not here. The company tells me if my package does not come today they will gladly replace it & send another. Which is more than I would expect from a lot of companies. But this does not help me with this deadline. So in a panic yesterday I began this.














It's a sock from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. The pattern is called Elongated Rib. I like it. I'm using Cascade Fixation from my stash which is an adjustment for me. The yarn is very stretchy and I find I kind of have to hold it with my whole hand as opposed to my fingers to keep it tight. Plus I'm not crazy about the color, you'll understand when you see the yarn I wanted to use... Anyway, if the package comes today I'm casting on with the yarn I ordered for the gift & these socks will be mine. With my luck that is what will happen. I started this other sock and now along the correct yarn will come. But just in case it does not, I guess I'm prepared and I'll finish these socks for the gift.

** Footnote- Of course as predicted when I got home the original yarn I had ordered was here safe and sound. I did not need a replacement sent after all. Sigh... The yarn is just what I expected, the colors amazing and I've casted on and am now an inch or so into the secret gift sock. Of which I will write nothing more at this time- I've already said too much! I promise, future pictures will follow!

Knitting in action!

No new knitting pics today, but how about a picture of the cutest baby in the world? (Not that I'm biased) She's wearing booties I feel like I made ages ago..



















This was a pattern from my knitting a day calendar called 'Stay on Baby Booties'. My sister says they do stay on very well.

Aww... She's so cute!

Procrastination...

Ok so I'm finally better. Yay! And I'm knitting again and it's fun. I'm working away on clapotis. It's the only project I have going right now which kind of makes me happy. I just feel like I progress so much faster that way. So it might not look like much here but it is going relatively fast.

And I do like how it's coming out so much. It's going to be huge and I love that. In addition to enjoying the knitting I think I'm really going to like the finished project and that's so cool when that happens!

In other news I feel like I got better just in time for the holiday insanity. I feel like I did nothing but shop this weekend, and if you know me at all you probably know I hate to shop. I do as much online as I possibly can just to avoid the parking lots! Next year, I'm knitting more gifts. (I am! I am! I am! hitting forehead) I really am, I want to start in January if I can. So many people I know don't need anything, or could buy themselves whatever they wanted, or just are not materialistic at all. So I think next year they just might appreciate some handmade gifts. Come to think of it, this might just be the kind of New Year's resolution I might be able to get somewhere with....

Fever inspired knitting

I couldn't sleep last night so for some reason I just got up, got the needles and yarn for a project I've been dying to make but has been intimidating me a little. This is the beginning of my (first?) Clapotis from Knitty.

Note the use of the previously described stitchmarkers! Ok, so it doesn't look like much now, but I can't believe how easy this pattern is. For some reason when I had read through it before starting it just looked so hard. Maybe it was the required 18 stitchmarkers? But in the end it just goes step by step, and it's making a lot of sense. I'm using Noro Silk Garden, as an unabashed imitation of Cari's Clapotis from Dogs Steal Yarn. If you've never read the post in her blog called Thirteen ways of looking at Clapotis, go read it now. It's just so great. So I know this is not very original but hey, imitation can be flattery right?

What the????

I feel like I fell asleep and woke up in winter. I can't remember the last time it snowed in December here. Unfortunately my sickness has not left me yet so a lot of things look funny lately. I won't go into any gory details but lets just say there's a lot of disinfecting and lysol going around this house lately in hopes of stopping the madness. That and I've been mandated to be at the doctor first thing tomorrow morning by various family members, so maybe we'll have some answers and some relief then!

In the meantime I haven't been knitting much. Every once in awhile I poke my head up from the blanket, knit a few rows, then nod off with the needles in my hand. Which really goes to show just how easy these socks were

Because they're worsted they went really really fast. They're comfy but not really that warm. I think for them to be warmer they'd have to be wool or something. I know I mentioned making more for holiday gifts but I didn't get to the yarn store to buy that warmer wool, so I think I may be done with the holiday gifts. Maybe next year.

Blechhhh....

Sorry to whine but somewhere along my travels I must have picked up a horrible case of the asiatic bird flu. My husband is sure it's just a very bad cold but I don't know, I have yet to see his medical degree. whatever! Anyway, being unable to pick my head up half the time has already caused me to miss my regular knitting group which totally bummed me out. I'm also fearful I'm slowly becoming addicted to nyquil. In the meantime I still feel the need to hold something soft and warm and knitterly now and then so I have managed to knit very few rows here and there on this.

It's a sucky photo but bear with me. It's just a simple little sock of everyday, run of the mill, found it in the stash might as well use it wool-ease. I'm considering whipping up a few pairs for Christmas gifts if they go fast enough. Which may happen. I think I can find the strength. Nyquil don't let me down! There is knitting to be done!

British people are....

Cooler than us. Check out this website http://www.castoff.info/album.asp If you can get past the knitted wedding pictures (ok, which are kind of bizarre at times) and check out some of their videos it's really cool. They are like a british knitting club of men & women that just knit in all kinds of surroundings and stuff. Why can't I take my knitting to the bar at night? Oh that's right, the brits are cooler than us...

A rant, a necessary one.

Ok the nice part of this post, Tracy proved to be a much better knitwear photographer than my husband and for that I am grateful!


So that is the gray cardigan. I'm happy with it. It's warm and wearable. Don't know if I'd recommend the knitpicks andean silk really (sooo fuzzy) but it's a keeper.

And then the ugly. Why oh why oh why did I buy this?

I don't understand. I've bought it before. I've hated it before. The fact that they first published it without the girl in the photo and then added it later (why to attract women, or repulse us more or????) just plain skeeves me. And all too often I've joined in the ridicule of the patterns at http://youknitwhat.blogspot.com/. (Face it the magazine could practically be the website) But no, for some reason I bought this. And maybe I'll give them like one teeny tiny speck of credit on having a 'men's issue' for originality. I guess. But still, nothing, nothing, nothing could ever make up for this:

That's right folks it's a knitting centerfold!!!! Like the pages fold out of the magazine and you can hang it in an auto body shop or something. What the?????? Does someone else get this that can explain it to me???? The caption so helpfully tells you where you can get the pattern to knit the fun fur faux bearskin rug. Oh thanks.... And I hate to point it out, but the way he's holding the one needle in his right hand as if he's... Ew ew ewwwww!!!! Sorry bub, maybe I'd think you were cute if I saw you on the beach or something but for now please keep your equipment away from my knitting equipment. Thanks!!!! And knit 1 thanks for burning out my retinas yet again. Next time I'll just flush that money down the toilet and make it a lot less painful.

But what have I been knitting?

Well the gray cardigan is finished.

And I'm much happier with it than I thought I was going to be. I have a couple of pics of it with me in it, but they were taken at the end of the day and let's just say I'm looking a little weary. But they will follow I promise. They have to because that's one of the things I like about the sweater, it really fits me and it is presentable. It's not like I'm just wearing it because it feels good and I like it because I made it. This is actually a very nice sweater, which was a nice surprise because god knows when I was seaming it I had my doubts!

My other main finished project for this week is this

No unfortunately it's not for my beautiful new niece Addie :( This is for a pregnant co-worker of mine who was very heavily hinting that she wanted something handmade after she saw what I had made for Addie. This one is kind of interesting, it's the strangely-titled 5 hour baby sweater. The version of the pattern I used is found here http://www.minidata.co.nz/major/freepatt/patt01.htm. Or there's another here http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/kp3.html. The sweater came out lovely, but 5 hours? Surely you jest! It was at least 8 or 9 easy. Maybe the next time it will be 5 hours, maybe. And next time I'm definitely making the seamless version. I made the version with seams why? I forgot I really, really, really don't like seaming I guess? Anyway, I think my co-worker will like it and I think I probably will make again in the future. The hat is actually the umbilical cord baby hat from Stitch and Bitch which is a pattern I love and have made several, several times. This one is a little different because rather than doing the I-cord & tying it I decided just to sew up the top & make a little bobble in it's place. I like it, I think it's a neater, cleaner alternative to the pom pom. Plus, making pom poms is a technique that continues to elude me. They're never tight enough or shaped right. Despite investing in the proper pom pom device, it's just hopeless, so I'll go with the bobbles.

Oh and the yarn is a yarn that is new to me, Bernat Satin. I loooove this yarn! So, so, soft for an acrylic. Which makes it washable, which I think it necessary for baby wear. And so affordable it's a crime. Definitely, will be using this again also.

Bright and shining and new

Yesterday, Friday, November 18, 2005 at 4:45 in the morning Adelaida Grace was born...

We are so happy to be able to say mom and baby are both doing very very well. Adelaida is a strapping 6 pounds 13 ounces already. She is eating and sleeping and living her new little life already. Best wishes and welcome to you little Addie! Oh the adventure that awaits!

Guess I better go buy some pink yarn!

The scene of the crime...

Sometimes we use the dining room for entertaining. We have friends or family over, I prepare a meal, we have some libations, laugh freeley. And sometimes the dining room is the place where I jump in and drown myself in whatever it is that's trying to be expressed here...

Today's story is one told with wire and glass and those dangerous looking tools. Ohh scary... See I have an upcoming knitting project that happens to call for 18 (yes 18, I'm frightened also) stitch markers. And rather than use the same old safety pins, random yarn pieces, crap I find in the carpet, I've decided to treat myself. So I invested in some jewelry making supplies, scratched my head and bit my lip a lot and somewhere pulled these our of the air

I am quite happy with them. They've bought me some comfort, I now figure hey, if I get the yarn on and it doesn't work and I'm totally confused, at least it will look pretty with some lovely danglies hanging off of it. Perhaps.

Now am I cool?

A photo from yesterday's Daily News...

Titled 'Spin in the city' (how witty) shows Sarah Jessica Parker knitting on the scene of a movie set. Sarah Jessica! Oh my! I knew we had so much more in common than our jet set lifestyles... So there. Knitting is cool. The Daily News says so.

November already... (In which the males of the house make a rare guest appearance)

Fall has come to lovely Matawan...

Fall can mean a lot of things, pumpkins, apples, football (groan), shorter days, back to school. Unfortunately in our household it also means this...

Having a spouse who works for waste management gives us the luxury of having garbage/leaves/old furniture picked up whenever we have the slightest desire. Having 2 huge trees in our front yarn gives us the obligation to rake leaves almost every weekend in the fall. And of course this is just a precursor to the next season where we get to shovel lots and lots of that four-letter word white stuff that is also always such a pleasure....

On a knitting note I am pleased to announce that we have a button band!!!

Last night me and the Mr. decided to stay in thus giving me the time to accomplish said button band. For dinner he made lovely chicken enchiladas (in this house nothing says 'I love you' better than a meal laden with cheese) and I made some rice & beans. We watched the movie A Home at the End of the World which was a pretty good movie based on a novel by the writer who wrote "The Hours". And I finished the button band, which I'm not disappointed in but I'm concerned the neck is going to be a little higher than I normally care for. I don't know, maybe it will be totally different once I have the sleeves on, maybe it's something about the gray color I chose but for some reason I can't help but think without the sleeves right now it looks like one of those colonial vests someone would wear at Williamsburg for a re-enactment of something. Like I can just see one of those Ben Franklin-types wearing it. Not the image I'm really going for here. I think that's just my general aversion towards vests speaking though (sorry vest lovers). I'm going to go forward and try not to make any more judgments about it until I get those sleeves on, and the sides seamed. Right Allister?

Look, they're marketing to meeeee!!!!

Check this out, I got a catalog the other day from a website where I keep my online photos & stuff. They're always coming out with new products you can stick a photo on and check out this one:


So you see the new product is a totebag you can put any photo you want on, how interesting they have chosen to display a knitting picture on their example? (I know it's hard to see, but it's some balls of yarn and needles, I swear) What does this mean? Knitters like totebags? Knitters will like totebags they can put a picture on? Veddy intervesting!

Wicked weekend!

So sometimes there are perks to my job. This weekend was one I really really enjoyed.

I got to see the musical Wicked which was totally cool. Aside from it being a great musical it was relevant because for once in my life I had actually read the book first. Ok so the book was really really strange and graphic at times, but still an entertaining read. The musical was lighter but still lots of fun and colorful and a great story. Another plus- the wizard just happened to be played by Ben Vereen! Yes this Ben Vereen-

He was awesome! And our seats were in the 2nd row center!!!! Hellooo Ben! Then afterwards we went for some very yummy family style italian fare including a chocolate decadence desert. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

And yes, I am doing some knitting this weekend.

These are the sleeves for the cardigan I'm working on. I'm just a few rows from starting to shape the sleeve caps. Almost there! And then next weekend will probably be a buttonhole band/seaming fiasco which is always fun. Hey, it's almost clothing!

What needle type am I????

All my life I've wondered, what needle type am I? Finally, thanks to Quizilla this question has been answered.



You are pink aluminum.
Retro, straightforward and fun, you love classic
things. If they're 99 cents at Goodwill all the
better! You are moved by striking colors and
tasty morsels, and you like a stitch-n-bitch
session in the sun. Just remember, while
you're being kitschy cool, don't get too cold.
Ice cubes are best kept in your cocktails,
baby!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Waterlogged

What happens when the Jersey shore gets hit with a noreaster and a hurricane at the same time?

Very frightening. The jetties have never been covered up like that. It might not be my backyard but it is quite close and I feel bad for those fellow jersians dealing with this. And as a homeowner with a sump pump in my crawlspace I'm really hoping this is not indicative at all as to what kind of winter we are going to have...

Progress

Looks like my cardigan is coming along nicely!

And believe it or not the sleeves are almost halfway done. I'm happy with it so far I guess. It's hard to tell. I did the pinning the sides closed kinda trying it on thing and it's hard to tell. It seems a little long but I'm thinking the set in sleeve situation might fix that a little. That and when I actually seam it rather than trying to hold it together over my body and see into the future and imagine what it will look like with sleeves and all.

Not much to report otherwise. I went to a gift auction held by the Monmouth County Association of Realtors Thursday night (I know you're so jealous). It was pretty snoozeworthy except one of the gifts was a basket donated by Wooly Monmouth. Full of pretty yarn and gorgeous walnut needles I wish I could afford. I swear I put every ticket I had in the bag for that prize but alas, I did not win. So not only was the evening boring but disappointing also! (Ok that was a crappy story, think of something better...)

Well then Friday was a good day, I wore my first pair of socks I knit on Friday and it was amazing. I never thought socks could actually change my outlook for the day. I literally think my day was better because of them. (Note to self knit more socks...)

Ok well to make up for my lack of knitting photos for today. Here is my Jersey fall scene for the day...

Ok so maybe it's not that autumnal but there are leaves on the ground and you can't tell by the picture but it is a lovely crisp 50 degrees. Finally! Anyway, this picture is really for my sister Lara. I am finally mailing out the baby stuff I knit for her tomorrow (really, really I am) and then once she gets it I can finally share with her my uber fascinating knitting blog (yeah right!) and I know she will like the picture of New Jersey in the fall.

Bloggity blog blog blog...

Maybe my blog would get better if I just blogged more often? I dunno, I just think it's kinda boring. Not like all the fun blogs out there I seem to spend hours and hours reading away on. Maybe practice makes perfect. Or not. :)

Anyway, so for my latest creation I knit a muppet!

Ok, so maybe it's not a muppet, it just feels like one. It's a baby blanket for my sisters baby on the way. Thank goodness we have Fozzie for a reference point right? Otherwise, you just couldn't tell it was a blanket right? No, it's not that bad, it's just super super soft Berrocco Plush yarn... and the color... well... I know it will make people think my family must have lived on a commune or something but orange really is my sisters favorite color and I think she will definitely get a kick out of it. It definitely contrasts to the more traditional one I crocheted for her in white...

So these and the sweater previously posted, and some other store bought goodies will be making their way off to Florida this week. I think it will be good, they put my sister on bed rest the other week so I hope maybe this will cheer her up. Plus baby will be here next month! So the time is almost here!

On another note, I didn't get to post about the knit out last weekend. It was a momumental event, a wonderful setting for my caucus with the knitting ambassador

Yes of course that is THE Lion Brand Lion. Someone thought it was an impostor? Blasphemous! Hah! Anyway, so the Knit Out was fun. There were lots of fashion shows I took ton of crappy pictures of, none of which were that great. There were lots of hand outs and we had fun just hanging & knitting and stuff...

It was a fun day for all. Knitting, beautiful weather, free stuff. Very, very fun!