Go Felt Yourself!

First day of school and new socks and a sweater

2008-09-06T14:51:00.003-05:00

I believe that covers most of the topics of this post.

I finished the Jaywalker socks...they're done in KnitPicks bare, dyed with KoolAid. They came out rather Christmas-y. They're for my mom, since she's festive.

I also just finished Stitch Diva's Simple Knitted Bodice, done up in Cotton Fleece (cranberry). Wow, another sweater done in Cotton Fleece, who would have guessed?!?

There's a tantalizing peek into my bedroom. Don't get too excited. I would like to state, however, that the stuffed dog laying on the bed is not mine. It's Ainsley's. Mine is on the bottom shelf of the bedside table that you can't see.

Ainsley had her first day of school...

And Andra is pretty cute too.

And in other news, I got into grad school so come January, you'll be hearing even less from me than you do now. As if that were possible...

WE ARE...PENN STATE!!!

Monkeys and frogs

2008-08-06T20:31:00.002-05:00

Monkeys are done...

I cast on for the Simple Knitted Bodice and have now ripped it out twice. Frog frog. Not a fan of the frog...hopefully 3rd time's a charm.

The kids played in the sprinkers...a good time was had by all.

Dyeing is fun and also messy

2008-07-20T12:00:00.005-05:00

I bought some Sock Blanks from KnitPicks and some acid dye with the intention of doing some gradated dyeing.

It worked, technically, but not exactly the results I was looking for. I think I put too much dye in, so it's not as gradated as I'd like.

You can see if you look closely that it is somewhat darker at the right end. I was looking for something more obvious. But it's very pretty, so hopefully when it knits up it will come out OK.

I bought another one and some black dye, so we'll see how that goes.

I managed not to spill any, but I did get some turquoise on my fingers, which is just now, 2 days later, starting to come off my hand. All things considered, it could have been much worse.

Enjoy the dancing!

Monk (or, half a monkey)

2008-07-18T07:55:00.003-05:00

Monkeys are halfway done...it's hard to photograph black patterned socks, even in daylight.

I'm about to cast on for Stitch Diva's Simple Knitted Bodice in a dark red Cotton Fleece.

I bought some KnitPicks sock blanks and some acid dye, and I'm going to try gradaded dyeing...we'll see how it goes!

Kids...

Rusted Root a la steek

2008-07-11T07:31:00.002-05:00

Here's my Rusted Root cardigan...

Knit in the round with <3 skeins Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Cotton Ball from The Yarn Lounge. I then made two machine seams down the front and steeked that sucker right in half. Then I tacked down the edges and picked up stitches for the button bands. Last step, although you can't see it - a satin ribbon to cover the edges on the inside.

Hooray!

Vacay

2008-07-07T16:55:00.005-05:00

To Vegas baby!

Balloons at Bellagio

Model of the Bellagio complete with fountain show

Bellagio flower garden

Bill's Gamblin Hall (formerly the Barbary Coast). Not a very exciting picture, but the only one I took outside.

I didn't take many pictures because I've been there a few times and they're all pretty much the same. We stayed at Planet Hollywood, and if you're thinking about staying there, I have one word for you - don't.

I finished up the Earl Grey socks...

And we had 4th of July here in the village.

I also started and finished a Rusted Root cardigan, but no pictures yet. I knit it in the round and then (eek!) steeked it. The edges were pretty ragged since cotton unravels pretty quickly, so I sewed some satin ribbon on the edges of the inside to pretty it up a bit.

Earl Grey and some pee thrown in for good measure

2008-06-04T14:27:00.005-05:00

I started Yarn Harlot's Early Grey socks, but these are blue.

Finally getting some use of the KnitPicks Palette yarn I've had mumbling around the stash for some time now.

Not sure I'm doing one of the cables right, but oh well.

Poor Ainsley went to the doctor for her checkup today and had to get 2 shots and a poke in the finger. She was NOT amused. I told her she'd much rather have the shots than get chicken pox, measles, mumps or rubella, but she wasn't buying it.

And she had to pee in a cup. She peed on my hand. I leave you with THAT.

Rusted Root

2008-06-02T13:31:00.002-05:00

Anyone remember that band? They had some crazy song called "Send Me on My Way" that sounded like "sem-me-oma-way" and the only way I knew what the ACTUAL song was, was by working at one of their concerts in college, selling Tshirts, and it was written on a shirt. We got free tshirts after the show and my roommate Erica and I would wear them to tests to "send us on our way" through the test.

It's surprising I didn't drink more in college.

Moving on.

I finished the Rusted Root sweater and I love it...

Love that mirror shot!

It fits great, the yarn is great...perfect for summer. I like it so much I'll probably make another one, but replace the lace pattern with something else.

I leave you with another graduation song...Ainsley's in the back.

Graduation Song

2008-05-30T14:52:00.002-05:00

Ainsley is kind of hard to see - the girl with the big hair is right in front of her. But Ainsley does pop out towards the end. Enjoy!

Graduation

2008-05-29T20:01:00.003-05:00

Ainsley "graduated" today from the Goddard School. She lead the class in and amazingly didn't wander off the path. She's a little spacey sometimes, but she was very focused. I have video, so you'll be seeing a few more of them over the next few days.

Knitting news - I'm slowly adding hexagons to the Swirl Shawl/Blanket...

Terrible picture but you get the point.

You may have noticed, this is two posts in two days. That might be a record for me. I'd like to continue this streak, but we'll see...

Another Birthday

2008-05-28T08:38:00.011-05:00

And that's a bad sign, that my last post was ANDRA's birthday, and now it's Ainsley's birthday...seriously must get better at the posting thing. So, this one will be a big one.

But, today is Ainsley's birthday. She's 5. She got her birthday present from us 2 weeks ago - she got her ears pierced.

On the knitting front, Knitters for Knockers did the Komen Richmond Race for the Cure and raised $7,400!

We were the #7 team out of over 300 teams. Not bad for our first time out! Thanks to everyone who donated money to the team and prizes for the raffle. Congratulations to the raffle winners!

In other knitting news, we went to Maryland Sheep and Wool and had a great time. Sadly, I have NO pictures because I'm lazy and didn't take any. But we did lots of shopping, people watching, eating, and knitting. We also went to the Ravelry party and the Saturday meetup. Lots of fun!

I finished some stuff...

Clapotis from handpainted rayon I bought at Sheep and Wool:

And started some stuff...

Scrap sock yarn blanket (JoJoLand Swirl Shawl pattern)...

Rusted Root sweater for me in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece...

For your video enjoyment, Andra is walking...

And laughing...

And brother Brian made a music video.

It's my birthday!

2008-04-04T11:54:00.004-05:00

Says the baby!!! Andra is 1 today...

Keeping in tradition, she has a custom birthday shirt. Twenty bucks says it's destroyed after a day in day care!

I also finished some stuff. Thanks to Suzanne, who saved me by giving me leftover Seal Rock to finish the toe on the Slippery Socks.

And last night I finished up the Ribby Pulli...

About one month until the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure here in Richmond, and Knitters for Knockers is ready!!! Please visit www.knittersforknockers.com and donate to support the team! For every $5 you donate to the team, you'll be entered into a raffle for some great prizes from Chic Knits, Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Wendyknits, Spirit Trail, The Loopy Ewe, and more!!!

Slippery socks

2008-03-13T17:15:00.006-05:00

One down!

They don't photograph well - this yarn is crazy and it made a zig zag in its pooling, and that's really what came through on the picture.

I'm moving right along on Bonne Marie's Ribby Pulli. Mine will have short sleeves, a pocket and a hood. I'm actually almost done with the second sleeve, but no picture. The yarn is Elann's Wool Bamboo. It's very soft, but we'll see how it wears.

I leave you with one of the only pictures of the kids looking normal AT THE SAME TIME...

I loves the socks

2008-02-18T14:37:00.006-05:00

I finished my Cherry Tree Hill toe-up socks...they're a little big, but they work. I finished the second sock using two circulars, which is new for me too. I was hoping it would be less fiddly, but, as we discussed at knitting, it's just different fiddly.

But it's new enough to try on another pair of socks - Slippery Socks in Socks that Rock (Seal Rock). I'm hoping I don't run out of yarn...I checked a few people who have done the same sock in this yarn, and they both said they almost ran out of yarn...I lengthened the cuff a little, so I might have to rip back and do the cuff the standard length. Running out of yarn is the WORST.

I also ordered a sock monkey bag from ZigZagStitches on Etsy...

And the kids are both getting bigger...

(Ignore the snot, it's cold season!)

Pictures

2008-02-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

Finished stuff = good.

Cabled Gloves for my co-worker...

My first toe up sock, using the magic cast on, which is totally cool...

And our knitting group charity blanket, which as been an on-again, off-again project for WAY too long...is done! Now we just have to figure out who to give it to.

What's that you said? Feeling charitable? Head on over to Knitters for Knockers to donate to our Richmond Komen Race for the Cure team!

Knitters for Knockers

2008-01-31T09:48:00.000-05:00

I do have a finished item - a pair of gloves, but no picture yet. The toe up socks continue - almost done with the first one. I was concerned about the fit around the ankle, but I think when it's done it will be just fine.

The main point of this post is to get the word out about Knitters for Knockers - my Komen Race for the Cure team. How can you get involved? There are lots of ways!

1. Donate to the team! This one is pretty easy. It's online, you can use your credit card, and it's tax-deductible.

2. Join the team! If you're here in Richmond, we'd love to walk with you. If you're not here, or you're not around that day, you can Sleep in for the Cure - you get a Komen tshirt and everything. Make sure you search for "Knitters for Knockers."

Help us fight breast cancer, one step at a time!

Happy New Year

2008-01-12T19:32:00.000-05:00

It's a little late, but take into consideration that the last time I posted was November 19th, and if you think about it (but not too hard) I'm actually early on the New Year thing.

I did lots of knitting!

I made socks and a hat for my brother:

That's not Brian in either picture - for some reason I don't have any pictures. HusbandChris modeled for me before Christmas. The hat is Swish Superwash, and the socks (generic pattern) are Cherry Tree Hill in "Moody Blues."

I made my dad some socks (also generic pattern), in Claudia Handpaint "Steelers":

You can see them there snuggling my mom's Snowflake socks, also a Christmas gift. Ewwwwww...

With the leftover yarn, my neice Claire got her own Steelers socks:

Andra got a stocking just in time (finished on December 23)...I started using a pattern but decided I know well enough how to make socks by now that I didn't need one.

And Ainsley made a gingerbread house...

And Santa and Mrs. C. came to visit! (Spoiler: our neighbors organize a Santa visit every year, and we give them gifts ahead of time to bring for the kids. They have a sleigh and everything. It's not the real Santa!)

So now I'm working on my first pair of toe-up socks with the leftover Cherry Tree Hill...holding my opinion so far. Not convinced on the toe-up-thing. I'm also finishing up some rectangles for our charity blanket, which has been in the works for like 3 years. Embarrasing. And I'm making a pair of gloves for a coworker.

Oh yeah, and somewhere in there I do manage to work and stuff. :-) See you next month (or maybe in the summer, we'll see)!

More finished stuff

2007-11-19T19:11:00.000-05:00

I've decided that if I only post once a month, I have more to show for it. More bang for the buck, and stuff like that.

I finished a Melanie original snowflake sock...

And a bolero for Ainsley...

AND some socks for Ainsley...

(Oh, I'm not done yet) AND a short sleeved sweater for Andra (that doesn't actually fit very well)...

Whoo hoo! And I've been putting more stuff in Ravelry (although I find that I put stuff on here, and then put it on Ravelry...I guess I need to figure out a balance between the two). Three cheers for Ravelry!

In which I acutally finish something

2007-10-21T13:20:00.000-05:00

The Dale romper is done! And just in time, as I don't think it'll fit for too much longer...

I finished at our beach retreat, but just put the buttons on and got outside during good sunlight to take a picture. Hooray!

I'm still plugging away on a pair of socks, and I started a quick, short-sleeved stashbuster sweater for the baby. It's like I'm knitting for free.

Yesterday we went to the Chesterfield Berry Farm...

See you next month!

I win!

2007-09-19T15:32:00.000-05:00

The award for worst blogger. Ever.

Moving on.

We went on vacation! We spent the week at Rehoboth Beach and had a great time. I don't have many pictures, but you can imagine.

I do have kid pics, including some that portray knitted items.

See? Knitting stuff.

I also got my invitation to Ravelry but I haven't had time to do anything except sign in. Hopefully soon I'll have time to play with it. If not, maybe I can do some during the...

Richmond Knitters Retreat Beach Weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!

October 12 we're heading to Virginia Beach. Whoo hoo!!!

Chances are, you will not hear from me before then. That's called "setting expectations."

Sitcom...Socks?

2007-08-08T19:24:00.000-05:00

Here's a (very bad) picture of the CotLin Sitcom Chic cardigan...it's really coral, but it sure looks pink here.

I also just finished my Monkey socks made with Tofutsies...

Imagine that, I finished something, took a picture, AND posted it on the SAME DAY!!!!

No kid pictures today - Andra had shots today at the doctor so she's not feeling very photogenic right now. And Ainsley's asleep. Thinking about it though, maybe this is the best time to take her picture, because it's about the only time she sits still!

Sock Pal Socks!

2007-08-06T19:38:00.001-05:00

My Sock Pal Socks came in the mail today! They're from Debbi - she dyed them herself. She also sent these stitch markers:

And she sent a bunch of other stuff, all in a photo box! Thanks Debbi!

In other news, I finished the SitCom Chic cardigan, but I haven't taken a picture because it's so damn hot, I can't imagine wearing a sweater even for a picture. Sometime, I'll get to it.

We have corn!

Little tiny corns. Niblets, if you will. I guess I planted the corn too close together. But we have tons of yummy tomatoes, so that makes up for the corn failure.

Seriously, I'm still Alive

2007-07-29T12:40:00.000-05:00

How do people blog every day?

While I don't have much time to blog, I don't have much time to knit either. I did finish the first Tofutsies monkey sock...

I'm almost done with a Sitcom Chic in Knitpicks CotLin - I was a lot closer until I realized I had mis-measured and needed to rip out. Luckily, I only had to rip out about 4 inches.

So not much knitting stuff to report, although I did order a Sockapalooza monkey bag for my sock pal - if you're out there, you're getting a pretty cool bag. Socks are ready to ship (hopfully with bag) on Thursday!

The baby is getting bigger...

And Ainsley got her hair cut! She donated her ponytail (all 10" of it) to Locks of Love. Pretty cute!

Sockapalooza socks = done

2007-06-26T12:31:00.001-05:00

Hooray! Just in time for me to go back to work tomorrow. There are actually two socks, so imagine the above x2.

I've been working a little bit on the Sitcom Chic in CotLin...I'm halfway through the second sleeve, then I need to do the yoke, which could take forever. Hopefully it'll be done by the time summer's over...

What? Cute kids? Since you asked...

You'd think...

2007-05-31T15:16:00.000-05:00

...that with all this "not working" and stuff, I'd blog a little more. Apparently not. So what the heck have I been up to?

It was Ainsley's birthday on Monday - she's 4 now, and she'll tell you all about it. She got a hat at school and a new birthday shirt...

She's a princess for sure. Here's the other princess...

Looking a little more awake than in previous pictures.

Some knitting, as this is supposedly a knitting blog - completed Fleece Artist socks:

And I have decided to become a farmer:

From left to right: Tomatoes, corn, sunflowers. Yum! (Maybe not so much the sunflowers.)

I've started my Sockapalooza socks - I'm using Cherry Tree Hill from last year's Sheep and Wool in the Pomatomus pattern from Knitty. I've done these before, and I just love the pattern. Cherry Tree Hill is pretty nice too! I should finish the first one pretty soon, well in time for my next post (meaning two weeks from now, as I am incapable of posting any more regularly).

Knitted Gifts

2007-05-18T13:56:00.000-05:00

There's not too much knitting news to report. I'm slowly working my way up the body of the linen/cotton Sitcom Chic. I finished one Fleece Artist sock and am now at the heel (I accidentally typed "hell" there - coincidence?) of the second one. No pictures because it's really not that exciting.

But what is exciting is that I went to Wednesday knit night. Exciting for me, I mean, probably no more so than usual for everyone else. Suzanne was there, and she gave me these for Andra:

Too cute! Every baby deserves some Koigu.

Andra and I joined the gym on Wednesday, and so far I've done two classes. Cardiobox kicked my ass, but I fared better in Step 2. Hooray for gettin' skinny.

I leave you with a happy baby...

...and a crazy Ainsley...

Here, froggy froggy!

2007-05-03T10:56:00.000-05:00

After completing one sock and getting partway down the leg of another, I decided to frog the green Fleece Artist socks. They were just too big. And Fleece Artist is too nice to make socks that are too big. And I was pretty sure I would run out of yarn.

So, they're morphing into these:

I'd like to get these finished so I can finish the Tofutsies socks, and THEN I can work on Sockapalooza pal socks! I think I'm going to use Cherry Tree Hill, but I'm not 100% yet.

My sock pal asked about pattern/yarn preferences...After accidentally felting a pair of socks last night, I'd prefer machine washable socks! I like bright colors and solids. As for patterns, I'd prefer something with about an 8" leg. After that, go wild!

After finishing one Sitcom Chic, I started another. This one is in the new KnitPicks CotLin in Island Coral. I really like the feel of this yarn - it looks like it will have a nice drape and really work for summer sweaters. And, it's $2.49 a ball.

Cute kids pictures...

Sitcom Chic-y-ness

2007-04-19T08:54:00.000-05:00

Just in time, a new Sitcom Chic is done:

"Just in time?" you ask. Well, my well-worn original Sitcom Chic has sprung a leak:

We had an unwelcome visitor the other day - a bird made its way into our dryer vent, and all the way up the pipe to the dryer itself. We thought it was a mouse, so we called our Orkin guy, who sprays for critters a few times a year at our house anyway. Poor guy pulled the dryer away from the wall, and out flew a bird!! He managed to catch it in a box and released it outside...we thought that was that, but the next morning, around 7AM, we heard flapping. Thinking the bird was back in the vent, Chris went to check it out. Unfortunately, the Orkin guy didn't quite get the dryer pipe back into the dryer, so the stupid bird flew back through the vent, up the pipe, and right out into the house. We found him flapping around the dining room, trying to get out the window. Chris caught him in a sheet and tossed him outside. He hasn't been back since, so hopefully twice was enough for him.

Now some pictures!

We had an Easter egg hunt in our neighborhood over Easter...

Andra makes funny faces:

The first week

2007-04-13T13:07:00.000-05:00

Andra has been home for a week now - things are going pretty well. She sleeps almost all the time, except for the 3-6AM slot. Then she either has 5 dirty diapers in a row, hiccups, gas, or everything combined. But, she's pretty cute:

My mom and brother left today, so this is our first day on our own. The house is clean (sort of), she's fed and clean, I'm clean and not bored yet, so I think we'll be just fine.

Except that a pair of woodpeckers have taken up residence in some trees behind our house, and enjoy pecking on our (metal) gutters for fun. At 4AM. This to me is not fun. One more reason I hate birds.

And there is knitting:

Sitcom Chic is almost done:

One Tofutsies sock is almost done:

And the Dale romper continues in endless stockinette...

Next time - some FO's (hopefully) and kid pictures (more than likely).

Baby baby baby

2007-04-08T18:01:00.000-05:00

She's here!

Andra was born on April 4 - we're home from the hospital and everyone is doing well. She's a pretty big sleeper, which is fine for me! She's waking up about 3 times each night to eat, and I'm hoping that spaces out some, but she's also only 6 pounds, so she probably needs to eat more often. Or she just likes waking me up.

As far as knitting goes, I know I've done stuff since I last posted (forever ago). I finished the first of a pair of Fleece Artist socks, and started a new sock in Tofutsies - it's a weird wool/soysilk/cotton/chitin blend. Chitin is apparently ground up crabshells - weird! But it feels nice. I also started a baby romper from Dale (breaking already my moratorium on baby stuff), and another Sitcom Chic. Now we'll see if any of this gets done! I will also attempt to take pictures of these.

Bub stuff

2007-03-19T13:10:00.000-05:00

More baby stuff! I'm done now though...my mom yelled at me because she doesn't think the baby will need any more handknits. Um, seriously? Babies get changed like 10 times a day, so I think we're still short a few...

Debbie Bliss Ruffle Edge Cardigan sans Ruffled Edges. I couldn't find any ruffles that were small enough to put on this sweater, and it doesn't really need them anyway. It does need buttons though, which I will put on...eventually. The color didn't come out well in this picture - it's a nice light green, but not mint.

Baby Drawstring Pants from Last Minute Knitted Gifts sans Drawstring. When I see how big the kiddo's waist will be when she's big enough to fit into these pants, I'll put in elastic and sew the waistband over. The legs have picot edging, which keeps sticking up. It's not cute when the pants are lying on the kitchen table, but would probably be cute on a baby.

Hat for neighbor baby. It's coral, but looks kind of orange in the picture. Perhaps I should stop taking pictures at night on my kitchen table.

I also finished the second Cable and Rib sock from Interweave, but neglected to take a picture of the pair. So, imagine two of these...

Now I started a lacy pattern from Sentational Knitted Socks in Fleece Artist (yummy!) and another Sitcom Chic in, you guessed it, KnitPicks Shine Worsted. I'm not sure how this will work, because the Shine tends to grow in a larger garment, so we'll see.

30 is the new 20

2007-03-08T20:27:00.000-05:00

According to Chris, as he is now 30...

The Spider Man has suction cup hands. He's now hanging from our kitchen window. This is a cupcake cake from WalMart - it is SO GOOD. I didn't gain any weight the last time I went to the doctor, but this time around I don't think that will be a problem as I have eaten half of this cake. MMMMMMMMMMM. (But only the blue icing cupcakes, as black icing grosses me out.)

I finished a hooded sweater for Andra - the color is really a coral, but it looks orange in this picture. KnitPicks Shine Worsted again - too bad KnitPicks isn't publicly traded - I'd buy.

I also finished the first in a pair of socks - these are in Mountain Colors Barefoot that I picked up at Maryland Sheep and Wool last year. The pattern is from an Interweave and I think it's one of the Nancy Bush Vintage Sock patterns. I could check that out, but that would mean going downstairs.

Believe it or not, I started and finished another baby sweater from the time I took these pictures (3 guesses what yarn...KnitPicks Shine, you say? Congratulations!) and now that I've actually gotten around to posting them. That's bad, people. I also started a baby hat today and finished it just now for a neighbor-baby. Baby stuff is so nice because it's done almost as soon as you start it!

Pictures of those someday, hopefully before the baby is actually born and old enough to wear the stuff...

Two in One Day

2007-02-23T15:12:00.000-05:00

Two FO's in one day...

First, the Regia Crazy Colors socks (a la Bonne Marie. She finished hers before me, and her stripes match, but mine are done!

I also finished the Baby Argyle Vest...the pattern is from one of the Debbie Bliss books (I forget which one).

The purple is Knitpicks Shine Sport, and the argyles are leftover TLC Cotton Plus. Cute!

A few people asked about our sink - it's a Pegasus composite sink from Home Depot. It's some kind of acrylic-blend material. It is niiiiiiiice.

I'm home sick today - I have a pretty nasty cold. I've been hanging out on the couch all day trying to set a record for most tissues used in a 24-hour period. Back to it.

Blankie

2007-02-21T11:26:00.000-05:00

Andra's Blanket of Many Colors is done...

I think I'm all log-cabined out - this is the 4th blanket I've done in maybe 6 months and it's time to take a break! But it's super-cute and you can't beat Sugar and Cream cotton for babies.

I started an argyle sweater for Andra - it will probably be done by the next time I post. Obviously I knit faster than I post...

Over the weekend there was more home improvement. My parents were in town and my dad put in a new kitchen sink and faucet (I did manage to squeeze my big self under the sink to try to help, but I wasn't much help overall. Moral support.)

I love my sink.

Switcheroo

2007-02-10T19:43:00.000-05:00

Ainsley moved into her new room today...

I tried to get her in the pictures, but she wouldn't stand still. Go figure. We had some technical difficulty with her headboard, so that will go up tomorrow, and the space above her dresser is pretty bare, so I'll have to put something there.

I finished up the Monkey socks and I like them! They're done in Claudia Handpaint, and even though the two hanks were of the same dye lot, and both stored in the same dark closet, one of them is noticeable fainter than the other. Oh welll...I washed them and they got pretty fuzzy, which I'm not too happy about either, so we'll see how they hold up.

I also got my hands on some Regia in a crazy green hue. (Looks familiar? I saw it on Bonne Marie's blog and totally swiped the idea. Thanks Ebay!) One sock down (these knit pretty fast)...

And Arwen reads People magazine by osmosis. Even a cat has to get the goss...

I gotcha stuff

2007-02-05T16:17:00.000-05:00

It's a FO-stravaganza! A FO-scapade? A FO-xibition?

First, the Pea Pod (or something) sweater from Interweave on the web for the upcoming bub...

The picture is bad - I apologize. It needs buttons, which I'll get to eventually. I did this in Paton's Grace, and it turned out pretty well. Should be a nice summer sweater for the baby in the house (until she pukes on it after about 5 minutes).

Next up, some socks! A slipped-stitch rib from Sensational Knitted Socks in Socks That Rock (Farmhouse).

More socks, but smaller...baby socks from leftover Cherry Tree Hill (yum!!!)

And one Monkey sock in Claudia Handpaint.

And a partidge in a pear tree!

Next time, completed (hopefully) socks, pictures of Ainsley's new bedroom (think purple and GIRLY) and a picture of a baby blanket.

Oh yeah that's my kid

2007-01-24T19:36:00.000-05:00

It's Dancin Time

2007-01-19T17:41:00.000-05:00

These might take a while to load...

I'm working on pictures, but they're not that good....

Back from Jamaica

2007-01-18T20:07:00.000-05:00

After a week at the Sandals resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, we're home. We didn't take many pictures, but here they are...

Chris sits at the pool

Aforementioned pool (one of many)

View from our balcony - party boat

Another view from the balcony - people getting married

Ocean and pier

It was fun - a royal pain getting there and getting out again, but better than hanging around VA for a week.

And there's knitting!

Circle of Friends blanket from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Deceptive title, as I appear to be my own circle of friends...but I could have used some other people to make some of those 49 squares!

Now that I have other people's babies' knitting done, I started looking at some wee knitting of my own! I started a sweater by Kate Gilbert from the Interweave website, but I'm not sure about it. We'll see how it goes.

Next time - Ainsley's dance recital.

It's a Christmas Miracle

2006-12-28T16:18:00.000-05:00

That's right - at this point, it takes a miracle for me to post to the blog. My mom thought there might be some gifty knitting going on, accounting for the blog's silence...no. No secret knitting. Just no blogging.

So, what have I been up to? I know you're dying to know.

Joseph's Blankie of Many Colors, ala Mason Dixon Knitting. I have another round to do and then it's done! This one is for the upcoming addition (her name will be Andra).

The garter stitch blanket from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. This is for a friend at work (who I hope doesn't read this blog).

I picked up the Hanging Garden lace from KnitPicks again and worked a few inches. I bought one of their circular needles, and it's GREAT for lace - super pointy, no snags, and $3.99.

I got a KnitPicks gift certificate for Christmas and already ordered the Options interchangable set (thanks Mom and Dad!)

Christmas here was crazy - we had 9 adults and 2 kids here at the house for a few days. Santa came and visited our neighborhood and gave the kids presents, and of course Christmas morning was insane. But lots of fun and very merry. The shutterbugs will probably send me pictures soon, so that means you may get to see some in about February.

Happy New Year everyone!

And now we'll have two

2006-11-24T09:32:00.000-05:00

GIRLS that is! We had our ultrasound yesterday and it's a girl!

Hooray! That's good news for clothes, since we won't really have to buy anything new. Ainsley's room (which will become the nursery) is green, so it would have been fine for a boy or a girl. Most of her toys are pretty unisex, although she's getting more into the dress up and stuff now. But we're all set! (And no, we're not going to try for a boy!!!)

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving everyone!

Fame

2006-11-21T17:33:00.000-05:00

Bonne Marie was nice enough to put my newly-completed cropped Ribby on her site - check it out here. I like the Ribby, but it really needs to be tighter under the bust - it keeps slipping all around. It's done in Knitpicks Swish which is pretty soft. And machine washable!

I also got in the Dulaan kind of mood and did two kids' hats with leftover Knitpicks merino. They're pretty cute, and so easy!

I've started Joseph's Blankie of Many Colors from the Mason-Dixon book - I'm halfway done with the colors, but since it gets bigger and bigger, the colors take longer and longer...

In kiddo news, Ainsley is learning how to play chess...

And she and Arwen took a nap...

In the other kiddo news, we find out (hopefully!) tomorrow afternoon if we're dealing with a boy or a girl bub. Cross your fingers that s/he behaves and shows us what we need to see!

Kimono-ono-ono

2006-11-06T11:50:00.000-05:00

Kimono is just a fun word to say.

Here's the baby Kimono from Interweave (I don't remember which one - I think Spring of some year...)

It's for a little girl down the street about to be born any day. The yarn is Baby Superwash Sock from Tess' Designer Yarns. It took one skein, and I thought I was going to run out, which caused a slight panic as there is almost no way to get another skein, but I finished with a little to spare. It's cute, and very soft.

Ainsley has been sick with strep throat (although she never once complained that her throat actually hurt - weird) and antibiotics cleared that right up. So she's back in school, I'm back at work, and all is (relatively) right with the world.

After finishing the baby kimono, I started on a Ribby Cardigan, but it'll be a cropped version, to allow for the growing belly. I'm done with the back, and almost done with the first sleeve (I like to split up my sleeve knitting, or I'd go crazy with all that ribbing). Pictures? No way! Pictures don't seem to happen until long after the product is completed. Considering how often I post, you'll probably get a completed Ribby picture next time.

Halloween

2006-11-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

Ainsley has been sick (stomach flu), but she recovered enough last night to go trick or treating. She was Tyrone from the Backyardigans...

Here she is at her parade (held indoors due to pouring rain) on Friday.

With Dad

With Mom

She had a great time, but is still not feeling good. Apparently stomach flu is going around, and decided to make a stop at our house.

There is knitting-related content...

This was made from leftover TLC Cotton Plus yarn, using the seamless yoke pattern from The Knitter's Handy Guide to Sweater Patterns. This picture was before the wash, and it shrunk a little after. It's still a little bit big, but she grows pretty fast.

Next time - a baby kimono!

1 more baby blanket

2006-10-20T20:28:00.000-05:00

This one is for Ainsley, in Dora colors (AKA International Girl Colors)...

It was finished a while ago, but as usual I'm a little behind on the Internets. In the meantime I've started (and almost finished) a cardigan for Ainsley made out of leftover yarn from the other Moderne Baby Blanket. Pictures...someday...

Ainsley took a picture of me:

For the sake of all involved, I made this picture smaller. At least my head is in this picture - most of the time it's just my arm. She's not so good on the "aim" as she is on the "shoot."

Mitered Skirts for Everyone!

2006-10-01T09:59:00.000-05:00

Check out the October issue of MagKnits for my new pattern! A new way to get your Mason-Dixon Knitting fix.

Enjoy!

At least one of us is comfortable

2006-09-29T15:55:00.000-05:00

Legs crossed and everything.

Watch the kitty...

2006-09-25T19:29:00.000-05:00

This is quickly becoming a not-knitting blog. Which is problematic, as I have nothing else really to talk about.

So I shall distract you with pictures of the kitty...

I went back to work today - re-entry after vacation is always difficult. This is shaping up to be a busy week, but that's good. Better busy than not, or they might decide not to employ me anymore.

Stitch n Bitch is tomorrow, so I could possibly have knitting-related content then.

Back from the Beach

2006-09-23T20:15:00.000-05:00

And can you believe it - a picture!

There are many others, but in them, you can see Ainsley wearing something that I can't quite show you yet! Here's a hint - check out Magknits on October 1!

The beach was fun - we had great weather and the house was great too. Much shopping at the outlets including some maternity stuff for me, clothes for Chris and Ainsley, and some shoes. Hooray for shopping!

Unfortunately, it's back to life on Monday - I guess if I want them to pay me, I actually do have to go to work. Drat to that.

Knitting, you ask? Um, no. I took the pink/purple Moderne Baby Blanket to the beach, and didn't even take it out of the bag. Knitting output is slow, let me tell you. Good night!

How many times can I say this?

2006-09-12T19:01:00.000-05:00

I'M A BAD BLOGGER!!!! But I have excuses, really. I'm in what you might call a "delicate condition" (11 weeks of it) so I've been spending the past month on the couch sleeping, not blogging. Hooray for babies, but not conducive to blogging. Work is busy - I have a vendor in town and am working longer hours. But THANK GOD I go on vacation next week! A week at the beach with plenty of grandparents to watch the kiddo is right up my alley.

Do I have pictures for you? No. Because I am a slacker. I haven't been doing much knitting lately - it puts me right to sleep. Not that I need any help. So, imagine the pink Moderne Baby Blanket, but bigger. See? It's just as good as pictures, and I made you use your imagination. It's good for you.

So. It's time for bed. Adios!

Published!!!!

2006-09-02T09:54:00.000-05:00

My snowflake socks were published this month in Magknits!!! Check them out here. And welcome to all the visitors who came from Magknits!!!

It's shaping up to be a long weekend...I would have posted yesterday (honest!) but our power is out thanks to Ernesto. It blinked out yesterday around 1:00PM and is estimated to be back on tonight by 10. I'll believe that when I see it...needless to say, all the contents of the fridge are lost. Luckily, it's cool here, so the lack of AC is tolerable.

I'm at work now, catching up on stuff and enjoying lights, Internets, and white noise. You never really realize how QUIET it gets when nothing in the house works! I hardly slept at all last night from it.

So, I hope everyone who knits the snowflake socks enjoys them - please feel free to leave comments so I can see how they're going!!!

You know you're a bad blogger when...

2006-08-29T16:16:00.000-05:00

People about to have a baby blog more than you do

People with limited access to the Internets in far away lands blog more than you do

You actually have a FO to show but are too lazy to upload the photo for 3 weeks

Your mom tells you it's time to update the blog

The Moderne Baby Blanket (version: Blue) is done and shipped to the recipient:

Version: Pink and Purple is still in the works, but I haven't been knitting much, so it's slow going.

Lest you think nothing's getting done around here, Gandalf got a bath...

See? All fun and games here at Chez Lazy.

Pomatomous is fun to say

2006-08-07T15:47:00.000-05:00

And fun to knit! The Pomatamous socks are done and I love them.

Now I'm starting on some cable Socks That Rock...

On the left is Farmhouse, which I'm using now, and the right is Seal Rock.

My parents moved last week, and when I was at their house, my mom brought out some old knitting stuff that belonged to her aunt. She had some really interesting needles - the package says these are Boye "knitting pins." I'm not sure if there is a difference between pins and needles, but these are really cool.

The cord, which is usually plastic, is metal! So there is almost no join to snag! My lace sings with joy. I haven't tried them yet, but hopefully soon.

Oh, go over and give Mira some comment love - she's a little stressed out.

Stitch n Bitch Tuesday

2006-07-26T10:38:00.000-05:00

Last night was Stitch n Bitch. I haven't been for a few weeks due to travel and sickness, so it was good to see the knitterly friends again. I got down to the heel on the Pomatomus socks and then switched over to the Moderne Blue Baby Blanket. Good times were had by all, including when Suzanne put a hank of mohair on her head like hair. No picture - use your imagination. Love ya Suzanne!

Growing Pomatomus...

I also enjoyed fondling (don't snicker, if you like yarn, you do it too) some Socks That Rock. That's some good stuff. I finaly caved and bought some...Farmhouse and the ever-popular Seal Rock. Yum! I need more sock yarn like I need a hole in the head, but I guess if I have a hole in my head I can stuff it with some nice warm Socks That Rock.

Smoke detectors suck

2006-07-25T14:10:00.000-05:00

I'm log cabining to beat the band (whatever that means). The moderne baby blanket grows...

I think I need a longer needle, because I'm getting to over 100 stitches and it's getting crowded. I use the Boye Needlemaster set, and you can attach two cables together, but when I do that, it's never in a straight line. So I might have to cave and actually BUY needles.

I'm considering buying one of the new Knitpicks needles - they look like the points are nice and, well, pointy, and the joins look good. The joins on the Needlemasters are really big, which is a pain when knitting lace.

Oh, and by the way, I hate smoke detectors. Ours all went off a'wailing at about 5 AM. After checking everything, we noticed that one was blinking more than the others. So we checked the battery. That stopped the wailing, but then it started chirping every 30 seconds. Not a quiet chirp either. We tried for like an HOUR to change that damn battery, but it kept chirping. We gave up and, because it was almost time to get up anyway, got ready. Then I started thinking (not something I normally do at 5AM) and decided to try another battery. Lo and behold, we had been trying to put a broken battery in - no wonder it didn't work. (Remember, it was 5AM and my neurons were not all firing.) I put in another battery (the last 9V in the house) and -THANK GOD- it worked.

So, I really hate smoke detectors. Especially at 5AM.

Ribbit

2006-07-24T13:13:00.000-05:00

While Ann may be birdwatching and Laurie is watching out for snakes on a plane, it's all about the frogs here.

We have a bunch of frogs in our yard, and they come up at night to feast on the bugs on our front porch. Nothing says YUM like a fresh bug.

So, I'm back from Canada. Luckily flights were all on time (handy when you have TWO connections) and we managed to miss the crazy weather in Chicago. While I was up there, I had a small bit of free time, so I swung (the wrong way up a one way street) over to Hip2Knit to check it out. It's a very nice shop, but I did actually leave empty-handed. I was really hoping for some Canadian yarn that I just can't get down here, but I can pretty easily get everything they had.

I managed to get almost one leg of the second Pomatomus sock done on the planes. At home I've switched over to a blue version of the Moderne Baby Blanket for a baby due NEXT WEEK. Eeeek.

(I tried to come up with a clever frog joke, but frogs say "ribbit" which is why knitters say "frog it" when we we rip something out...but I'm not ripping/frogging anything right now. So, I got nothing.)

www.gofeltyourself.com

2006-07-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

I finally broke down and bought the domain www.gofeltyourself.com. So now if you want to access this page, you can use that or melanieknits.blogspot.com. Hooray!

I finished the garter rib socks - I still love the Cherry Tree Hill! Luckily I bought two hanks at Maryland, so I have another to work with. It's time now to switch back to the other Pomatomus sock, but first...

My feet.

I'm off to Canada next week for work, so there will likely be no blogging (I'm not consistent when I'm at home, why should I be when I'm away??). Enjoy the heat everyone!

Scared Hitless

2006-07-13T08:45:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to a Pampered Chef party (this has nothing to do with the title of this post). I bought a bunch of stuff - I'm a sucker for neat gadgets, which is funny because I don't really cook. Although, the Pampered Chef stuff I do have, I use all the time. So I guess I can justify buying all that stuff. Yeah, that works!

I finally took a pictures of the Moderne Baby Blanket:

And I took a picture of the Hanging Garden Lace stole, although it just looks like a pile of string...

I ordered more TLC Cotton Plus for another of the same baby blanket. This one will be for a boy about to be born next month, so I need to get moving. Chances are good it will be late (the blanket, hopefully not the baby).

Tonight we have a softball game - I'm on a team at work. We are Scared Hitless. We have shirts and everything. Don't let that fool you.

Magknits x2

2006-07-12T11:04:00.000-05:00

I keep forgetting to take pictures. So you'll have to imagine a purple, pink and white log cabin blanket. (Then make sure you imagine a 3 year old with it, so you don't start to wonder "What the hell is she thinking with those colors?")

So, Ainsley's log cabin blanket gets bigger. The hanging garden lace stole gets longer. The sock gets a little longer. Everything else gets no love, and therefor stays the same size.

Last night was Stitch n Bitch but I missed it because I was feeling awful. I went home and slept on the couch for a few hours and today I feel much better. Sadly, I won't see the knitterly friends for another few weeks, as next week I travel to Regina, SK for work.

But there's good news...check out Magknits in September AND October for two of my patterns! Hooray!!

Happy Birthday Brian

2006-07-08T20:24:00.000-05:00

Today is my brother Brian's birthday - he's 25 today. He's a Peace Corp Volunteer in Thailand working with AIDS - check out the web site about it here. Stop by if you get a chance to his blog for some entertaining posts and wish him a happy birthday while you're there.

Ainsley had this to say...

Dancing and log cabin blankets

2006-07-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture of Ainsley before dance class...she's taking class at The Little Gym and it's a riot. They do tap, creative movement, ballet, and tumbling.

And there's knitting too! Ainsley's new blanket:

I like this log cabin stuff. Mindless knitting is for me.

Fourth of July, or, Fireworks are Fun

2006-07-05T15:29:00.000-05:00

Happy belated Fourth of July!

This past weekend was busy - my roommate Julie came down for a visit, which included TWO missed connections in the lovely Laguardia airport. Unfortunately, both were the last flight out, so she got to spend a night on USAir's tab at a hotel on each end of her trip. That happened to me once, and they put me up in some hole motel about 20 minutes away - luckily they put her up in a nice hotel right by the airport. Travel woes aside, we had fun going to the pool and to Potomac Mills to the mall and IKEA which is my new favorite store. I could go crazy in there (I was good this time, but only because I don't have a bigger car).
Picture proof of Julie with her goddaughter...

I worked on Monday, and Tuesday was lots of fun. Our neighborhood had a parade (which we skipped because it was almost 100 degrees outside) and a pool party. We played in the pool for a while, Ainsley took a nap, and then we went to fireworks at the Fairgrounds with a bunch of neighbors. The kids had a great time sitting in the back of the trucks (and the adults had fun too).

I do have some knitting going on...I ordered some TLC Cotton Plus for a new blanket for Ainsley and I started the Moderne Baby Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting. It's Dora colors - pink, white and purple. I'll work on pictures.

The lace stole gets longer (you'll have to trust me - lace is boring to photograph), and I'm down to the heel on the second garter rib sock. The other log cabin blanket is on hold until I finish up Ainsley's blanket.

Huzzah for short work weeks!

One Pomatomus Down!

2006-06-28T11:13:00.000-05:00

I finished the first Pomatomus sock yesterday.

Now I've switched back to the second garter rib sock in yummy Cherry Tree Hill. If I switch back and forth between socks, I don't suffer (as much) from the dreaded second sock syndrome.

I ordered some cotton/acrylic yarn yesterday for a new blanket for Ainsley. I'm going to do another log cabin blanket a la Mason-Dixon Knitting. Her old blanket has held up really well, but it's a little small for her now. They still take naps at school, so a bigger blanket is in order. She requested Dora's favorite colors - pink and purple.

Dance class starts tonight - stay tuned for a cute picture of a crazy dancing kid.

I like Pomatomus, you like Pomatomus

2006-06-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

Check out the Pomatomus sock...

While it looks complicated, the pattern is actually very easy to follow without even looking at the chart. You can just look at the row before and figure out what the next row should be. I have another 10 rows to go, and then it's heel time.

Not much other knitting news. I'm still working a few rows at a time on the Hanging Garden Lace stole, but since it's lace, it doesn't photograph well pre-blocking.

I pulled a muscle in my neck/back, so I'm not feeling all that great (sob sob).

On a better note, it's Laurie's birthday, so go over and wish her a happy 3-5!

Another day, another sock

2006-06-19T09:01:00.000-05:00

It's Monday. Days like this make me wish I stayed at home...it's sunny and hot - a perfect pool day. Sitting in front of my monitor at work is cruel. But I don't see anyone about to pay me for sitting at the pool, so at work I will remain.

Knitting! I finished the first garter rib sock over the weekend:

Because I'm kind of tired of working on this pattern, I put this guy away and started on the Pomatomus sock. I'm using some great yarn from Ellen's Half Pint Farm. This is a pretty crazy pattern, but I like a challenge.

I worked on the hanging garden stole a little - it just seems to take forever. I like knitting lace, once I'm actually working on it, but getting myself to actually START working on it is tough. But it's slowly getting longer. It's a 47-row chart that you repeat 12 tiems. I'm almost done with repeat 2. Ack.

I did get the design project in to Debbie Stoller for her next book. The last time I submitted something (and was rejected) she got back to me pretty quickly. So if this one gets shot down too, I should know soon. Then I'll take it around to Knitty or Magknits. Fingers crossed!

Zee Bubbles

2006-06-15T10:54:00.000-05:00

Three posts in one week! It's a record!

I've been working on my design project for Debbie Stoller's new book, and I thought I was good to go, and then I tried it on the model, and...there was ripping involved. Luckily it's the difference of only an inch, so I should finish it up tonight, and hopefully have enough yarn!

I haven't shown you the Ruffles scarf for a while, so here you go...the cats really enjoyed having it hung up in the window, just out of their reach.

Our neighbor took these pictures in her backyard - she should be a pro (the photographer, not the model)

Climbing Cherry Tree Hill

2006-06-14T10:03:00.000-05:00

Only two days since my last post - I'm on a roll now!

Here's a picture of the Cherry Tree Hill sock...

And an update on the log cabin blanket...

I've outlined what I showed you last time - watching this blanket grow is like watching paint dry.

I'm working on a design project for Debbie Stoller's new book...I'm about halfway through. Luckily it's a small project because it's due in 5 days!

How Not to Blog

2006-06-12T14:43:00.000-05:00

I am the worst blogger ever. It’s been 12 days since my last post. Embarrassing.

What is also embarrassing is that I have really no new pictures for you. I started a new sock using some Cherry Tree Hill that I got at Sheep and Wool. I’m past the gusset now, so just use your imagination. That yarn, by the way, is TASTY. As much as I like the price point of some other sock yarns, NOTHING compares to this stuff. MMMMM GOOD.

Last weekend I went out to Holly Spring Homespun for Wendy’s book signing. Amazingly, I came out with only the book…

I finished up my design project, and it’s on its way to the fine folks at Knitty for consideration. Keep your fingers crossed!

Oh, and the kid is cute.

She's a Drama Queen

2006-05-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

The birthday weekend is over, and it's back to work. Ainsley had a great birthday, with little drama (despite what the shirt says). The party went pretty well (despite me forgetting a few things and having to send Chris back to the house) and everyone seemed to have a good time. I didn't take any pictures, but I'm sure I'll be getting a few soon from family.

In knitting news, I've been working mostly on my super secret design project, so I don't have much to show you. The Hanging Garden Lace stole has gotten a little longer...

Close up of unblocked lace...

And I have a picture of the log cabin blanket - Suzanne said I need to provide weekly updates (I think she doesn't believe I'll actually finish it). So here's the first...

Debbie Stoller has issued the call for patterns for her next book, so I've been challenged by my knitterly friends to submit something. The deadline is June 19, which will be cutting it close. We'll see!

Finally, I leave you with this.

0 to 3 in, well, 3 years

2006-05-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Ainsley is 3! Or, she will be on Sunday. She has cupcakes today at school for her birthday (another kid already got Friday), so she gets to wear her birthday shirt. This year's shirt was pretty easy - 1 iron-on flower and an iron-on transfer and we're done! I think we have a tradition in the birthday shirts...

Festivity today will be continued with the arrival of family today and tomorrow, and a party with our neighborhood kids at Huguenot Park. Surely pictures will follow. Ainsley is getting a Dora bike from us this year. Last year we got her a tricycle, which she has not once ridden. Why we think she'll ride a bike is beyond me. But if she would ride a bike, it would most definitely be a Dora bike.

I am still knitting, but working on a design project that I can't show you yet. I'm making some slow progress on the Hanging Garden Lace stole, but lace is not good for photographing. I did start a log cabin blanket with the mounds of wool I bought at Sheep and Wool, but I forgot to take a picture. I'll shoot for next time. (Get it, shoot a picture? Shoot for next time? I'm here all week.)

But for now, I'm going to lunch.

Dial up users beware!

2006-05-17T15:46:00.000-05:00

Cause I have some pictures for you!

First, a FO - socks for my mom for Mother's Day. Happy (late) Mother's Day! (Disclaimer - I called her and finished the socks on Mother's Day. I just couldn't mail them until Monday.)

It's an Ainsley-heavy day here on el bloggo...

Taking a break from the sandbox on the deck (note my neighbor in the background)...

Pictures from Portrait Innovations...

Good times!

That's a lotta yarn

2006-05-08T17:48:00.000-05:00

But first, a cute kid in a sweater:

I stopped the neck shaping because it was getting awfully small, and steeked a slit in the back so she can get her head through. Ainsley chose to pair it with orange pants.

What else am I working on?

Hanging Garden Lace Stole in Shimmer.

Also, the Ruffles scarf from Scarf Style gets longer. This picture was almost a week ago (I'm a little behind) so it's even longer now.

And then there was Sheep and Wool 2006. People, it's a LOT OF YARN. And sheep. And people. We drove up Friday night (in the rain), ate dinner, and planned our attack. We decided that Koigu was the first stop of the day, where Suzanne dove in and didn't come up for air for about an hour. Insanity. But she scored a good load of Koigu, so it was worth it. While she was doing that, I was enhancing the stash in a major way.

Over the course of two days, I acquiried all you see above. It was a good weekend.

1 and 2 - Cotton from Davidson Corp. People. There is about 9,000 yards of yarn there. Guess what it cost. I dare you. As Suzanne would say, I Dukes of Hazzard dare you. It cost TWENTY EIGHT DOLLARS. For the whole thing. Granted, it's really thin so I'll have to double or triple it, but it was TWENTY EIGHT DOLLARS. I'm thinking sweaters for me and for Chris.

3 and 4 - Sock yarn from Cherry Tree Hill. Very nice.

5 - Bearfoot sock yarn by Mountain Colors. Mohair makes it feel nice.

6 - Sock yarn by Claudia Handpainted Yarns. I've heard a lot of bloggers wax poetic about this yarn, so it was a good find.

7 - 4,000 yards of wool from The Little Barn. 20 balls (@ $2.29 a ball) - it was the most space-consuming purchase of the day. This will be (eventually) a log cabin blanket a la Mason-Dixon Knitting.

8 - Sock yarn from Ellen's Half Pint Farm.

9 - Sock yarn from Fleece Artist. Almost none of this to be found at the festival, so I was pretty happy with finding this.

10 - Ribbon yarn from Tess' Designer Yarns. I ordered a tank pattern from them for this yarn, which should arrive next week.

11 - Sock yarn/baby yarn, also from Tess' Yarns. This will be a baby kimono.

We did head for some Socks that Rock but were foiled. By 10:30 on Saturday, they had 3 hanks left. Mary bought one (or two?) but I guess we'll have to wait for next year.

WHEW! That, my friends, is a lotta yarn. It was a great trip - I hope to have more pictures soon (I was a picture slacker, so I'm depending on others to provide more visual evidence), but for now I have these:

Suzanne knits on the hill.

Mira makes pregnancy look good.

Blogger meetup on the hill - bloggers in the wild.

Here's to next year!

Arwen is confused

2006-04-27T11:28:00.000-05:00

Which is not unusual, but she seems pretty concerned by the sock. It’s probably the pooling – it’s got me concerned too. The pooling around the leg wasn’t so bad, but the pooling around the foot is pretty bad.

Why couldn't the whole thing look like the toe?

I did the first sleeve of Ainsley’s sweater last night and joined it to the body (I love no-seam sweaters), so the second sleeve will be tonight. I’m getting tired of knitting with the Crayon because it sends to snag. But it’s soft, and a nice bright color, so I can’t complain too much.

I also started the Ruffles scarf from Scarf Style in Paton’s Grace. The picture is pretty dark – it’s more of a cornflower blue. I’m not sure if I’m doing it right, and if I am, this could take forever…

Ainsley’s hand continues to heal – thanks for all the sympathetic comments. We went in for debriding this morning, and it looks like she only has one more time. She got to read a Dora book and she got a sticker, so all was well.

I gotcha pictures

2006-04-25T15:45:00.000-05:00

First, the clapotis, in the infamous "head covered in the fuzzy mirror shot"...

And, the booties and hat set:

And last, Arwen protects my pattern from dust...

Luckily, after our $400 headlight fiasco yesterday, nothing else on Chris's car had to be fixed. However, mine goes in tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. Stitch n Bitch is tonight - hooray!!

Nothing's ever easy

2006-04-24T10:24:00.002-05:00

What a week. It’s starting off badly, folks. Last week we went to the doctor to see about Ainsley’s hand. While it’s healing really well, the burns have to be debrieded every few days by her doctor, which is really painful and is at least a 3 person job. We also have to go see a burn specialist at the VCU burn center because some of the burns are across joints, which can cause range of motion issues as they heal. Kids, DON’T TOUCH THE F$%&KING STOVE!

Moving on. Our washing machine, a front-loading Kenmore, has been really loud for the past few months. I finally got around to having someone out to look at it, assuming it just needed to be aligned. No. It needs $600 worth of parts. I can buy a new one for that much. The repair guy was all "It could DIE at any TIME and it's really SERIOUS blah blah blah trying to sell you stuff blah blah..." So, we're going to run ours until it drops, and then get a new one. I'm taking bets on how long it lasts - I'm thinking about 9 months. But wait, it gets better!

We took Chris’s car to get a state inspection today, knowing that one headlight was blown out. We asked them to replace it, thinking it would cost about $25. Apparently the whole headlight needs to be replaced. That costs about $400. And they haven’t even done the state inspection – who knows what they’ll find there? Cross your fingers and hope “nothing” or I might jump off a bridge.

Knitting! Sanity! I finished a baby hat and a set of booties for a newborn girl-baby…I have pictures but they’re at home. They’re cute, trust me. But a bit big, I think. Ainsley’s sweater is coming along – I have another 2 inches on the body, and then I work on sleeves, which will be easy because they’re short sleeved. Join sleeves to body, knit for a while, then I’m done! I was going to order some yarn, but I think I’ll hold out until Maryland Sheep and Wool which is in 2 weeks!

Is it seriously only Monday??????

We're Back

2006-04-20T13:21:00.000-05:00

Home sweet home. Vegas was good, except I found out I’m allergic to Crest toothpaste. I had a little travel tube of it, and used it for 2 days when POW my tongue swelled up and all my taste buds tried to explode. It was a bad scene. Good thing I’m not a foodie, because I would have been (even more) pissed about missing out on all the restaurants. Other than weird-ass allergies (like I would have anything other than weird-ass allergies – only strange things happen to me), it was a good trip. I have pictures, almost all of them of the Bellagio. Hey, it’s a nice place. Check out my Flickr album.

So all was going along merrily until Tuesday night (this is actually knitting-related, slightly) when I was sitting at Panera waiting for Stitch n Bitch, and Chris called to say Ainsley had put her hand on the burner of our stove, right after Chris took a pot off it. One trip to the emergency room, lots of bandages, codeine, and $300 later, we arrived back at home with a very sad-looking almost-3-year-old. Luckily kids heal fast, and she should be back to normal in a week or so.

The Dora bandaids help.

I do not have any knitting pictures, due to the fact that I am a slacker (but you knew that already, based on my time between posts). I finished Clapotis right before we left for Vegas, so I did get to wear it there.

I started a sweater for Ainsley using some Knitpicks Crayon that I bought a while back but never used. It’s a short-sleeved raglan knit in the round in stockinette, so it’s pretty mindless (like me). I took out yarn for a cotton summery scarf, but haven’t started yet. And I’m still working (not really) on those braided cable socks.

She'll grow into it

2006-04-05T09:01:00.000-05:00

This is a sweater for a youngling about to be adpoted by a co-worker of mine. Lily is 7 months old and will be coming from China to her new home in a month. The sweater fits Ainsley, who is almost 3, so Lily will have some room to grow!

Project specs - Seamless yoke sweater from Knitters Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, knit using 4 balls of KnitPicks Shine in Orchid.

I still have the clap, and I think I like it:

Chris and I are headed to VEGAS BABY next week, so Chez Berney will be shutting down for a week (not that I post regularly anyway). Stay tuned for vegas pictures and maybe a finished clap-o-tis.

Observed at the Charlotte Airport

2006-03-15T15:58:00.000-05:00

A group of women loudly discussing (undoubtedly drunk) times past, including being solicited by a group of swingers.
Bad/inappropriate fashion – pants that stop 4 inches above the ground, ripped pants, sweatpants, cropped sweatpants, clothes that are at least 2 sizes too small or 20 years too young, 5” heels, short short skirts (how do you sit down in an airplane – not the in flight movie I want to see)
A large burp, from a large man
2 businessmen hitting on a college girl
a college girl wanting desperately to be on another flight
9 out of 10 people on their @#$%ing cell phones
people with bluetooth earpieces – Sometimes I wonder if they’re talking to anyone, or just pretending to cover up the fact that they’re just talking to themselves.
Spring breakers
Harried families with bratty children
Arguing couples – I hope they’re coming home, or they’re in for a long vacation

While sitting in Chili’s, I figured about 90% of the patrons were on business. I wonder if anyone has done a study to find out how much corporate money is wasted on alcohol and half-eaten food. Why is it that when in an airport on business, people automatically go for the nearest bar? Does it make flying more fun? What companies do they work for that are paying for all this? If I turned in an expense form that included a two hundred dollar bar tab, I’d be promoted to customer REAL quick.

And, my favorite airport game - "How many fake Louis Vuitton bags can you spot?" A close second - "How many mullets can you spot?"

Nothing really prepared me for spotting this, though:

As though it's not disturbing enough, there are no straps holding the shells. That means the manatee is wearing pasties. Classy.

I did get to drive a weird car in Tampa – it’s the Chevy HHR. Like almost all Chevy’s, it drives like a truck.

Now it’s time to head back home for a few days before I go to Canada for a week. Maybe I’ll get a picture of Bigfoot while I’m there.

Knitting: another pair of cable socks.

For some reason, my braided cables never look like the ones in the pattern. Oh well, they still look pretty nice, if I do say so myself. And these ones are for me! All for me!!!!!

On the Road Again...

2006-03-13T19:46:00.000-05:00

This time to Raleigh, Charlotte and Tampa. The next two weeks are going to be crazy. On top of all the travel, Ainsley is sick - just a fever we think, but still...ugh.

Busy weekend - not a lot of knitting though. We went to the Metro Richmond Zoo, which was kind of cool. Ainsley said the penguins were her favorites, and I'm inclined to agree. Chris and I took down the ugly flourescent light in our kitchen and over the course of two days and some help from our neighbor, managed to hang a pretty cool pendant light:

Hooray for home improvement!

In knitting news, the clap is getting bigger, and I'm about halfway done with the body of a baby sweater. Suzanne asked what projects the yarn from KnitPicks will be for...

The pink Shine is for a baby, but not mine. A co-worker just got news that her adoption from China is going to happen in April, so it's quick get-ready-for-baby time, so that means a hand-knit. The sock yarn is for, you guessed it, socks. The blue yarn is for socks as well, and the Shimmer is for the Hanging Garden Lace Stole. Whew!

I did bring my camera on my trip, so maybe some pictures tomorrow...

FO - Part Deux

2006-03-08T19:39:00.000-05:00

As promised - socks!

These are from Sensational Knitted Socks, and were done using KnitPicks Sock Garden in Zinnia.

Questions from the readers (I have readers! Whoo hoo!)

Suzanne and JennyRaye asked about the knitpicks stash enhancement below...it contains 6 balls of Shine in Orchid for a baby sweater (that's probably way too much, now that I think about it), 2 skeins of Sock Garden in Stargazer Lily, 2 balls of Palette in Pool, and 3 hanks of Shimmer in Stained Glass. All that for $40, and free shipping.

Shameless picture of the cat, because she's right here, and I don't have to get up...

Arwen says, "In honor of the Oscars, I will show you my pensive pose. Someone should hire me and I'd win an Oscar, no prob."

If you don't already, check out Mason Dixon Knitting because they are cool. I left two comments, and within a few hours got a real email in response to both of them. Ann and Kay are pretty rocking!

FO fo sho

2006-03-07T20:29:00.000-05:00

For your viewing pleasure, one Finished Object...

It's the Rippling Waters Scarf from Fiddlesticks Knitting. I'm anxious to see how the angora "blooms" - right now, it's still kind of stiff. I hear it relaxes though, and I'm tempted to buy some more from Kimmet Croft Fibers when she's back at Maryland Sheep and Wool in May. Love the bunnies!

I'm a roaming gnome this month for work, racking up a large dollar figure of travel as I jet in oh-so-comfortable "business" class back and forth to Florida a few times, and then to scenic Regina, Saskatchewan. People, it's COLD up there. But, the good news is, there are 3 knitting shops on google maps within 3 blocks of my hotel. I may have to knit myself a damn coat, because I don't think mine will be heavy enough.

What else do I have for you?

I have 2 yarn pancakes of wool from Mystical Creation Yarns, who, apparently, are not taking orders anymore. Honestly, I like the yarn, but it took them almost 5 weeks to get it to me, and multiple emails asking where it was. Hopefully they're catching up on their orders and getting a better process in place, because their yarn is beautiful.

That yarn is for the famous Clapotis, which currently looks like this:

I'm getting excited in a nervous sort of way for the dropped stitches. Yes, people, dropping stitches gets me excited. Don't laugh.

I'm almost done with a(nother) pair of socks - I should have them finished tonight and pictures to you tomorrow. Gotta keep 'em wanting more, you know?

But, I did get this in the mail today...

Oh Knitpicks, how I love thee, and thy inexpensive but high-quality yarn...let me count the ways...

That's enough for tonight. Tune in tomorrow for crazy socks and probably a cat picture or two.

Give me that gold medal!!!

2006-02-26T11:07:00.000-05:00

FavoriteSpouse and GirlChild socks are done, and with 1 day to spare! Congrats to all medalists!!!

Garden Spot

2006-02-24T15:59:00.000-05:00

...is the color of Ainsley's room.

Hopefully she'll like it! The black cat is enjoying the open windows and the sun.

That's BRIGHT!

2006-02-23T17:04:00.000-05:00

That's my powder room. It's pretty cool. I ordered a rug from Target, which should be here in a few days. It looks like this:

And, I got sheers for the dining room:

Lookin good!

I'm about halfway through Ainsley's first sock - I could finish the first one tonight, especially with the figure skating finals for good TV.

More painting tomorrow - Ainsley's room will be green!

I had a busy day

2006-02-22T20:33:00.000-05:00

I finished FavoriteSpouse's socks today! They fit and everything. Now, I'm starting on GirlChild's socks - seeing as how she's only (almost) 3, her socks shouldn't take very long. Hers are going to be the baby rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks, done in leftover KnitPicks Dancing.

What else did I do today? Well, let me tell you. I painted the dining room...

I love it! I need to get curtains - I'm looking for light blue sheers, but I may end up buying fabric and making them.

I also attached a light kit to the fan in our living room...

And! The wool I've been waiting for from Mystical Creation Yarns came today. I'm finally catching the Clap(otis).

Tomorrow, the bathroom turns bright orange! Stay tuned!

We have a knitter down!

2006-02-19T21:01:00.000-05:00

In a completely brainless moment, I burned my hand on a skillet right out of the oven. I usually don't put skillets in the oven, so my autopilot said "Sure! Put your hand on the metal handle! No problems here! Roger that!" A lot of aloe later, I think it'll be OK. Probably no more knitting for tonight, but hopefully tomorrow I'll be back in shape to continue the never-ending socks.

1 and 1/4

2006-02-18T22:44:00.000-05:00

...of the first pair! Eeek! I finished the first sock on Friday (during an all-hands meeting - I wonder if our VP appreciates handknits?)

The sock on its owner, while watching speed skating...

Close up of the sock...

I'm halfway down the leg of the second sock, and THEN I have to do the kid socks! Luckily, they're only toddler socks, so they should go quickly. AND, as luck has it, I'm taking half of this week off work! I bought a ton of paint today for 3 rooms, so I'll be working on that, and knitting like crazy to finish!

Socks on my cat - part two

2006-02-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

The sock has gotten a little longer - tonight at Stitch n Bitch, I did all the gusset decreases. The extra weight of the sock required a larger cat - good thing I have one! Gandalf (female) has the girth to support just about anything. (The chair is child-sized - the cat is big, but not THAT big.)

Now begins the foot...

Socks on my cat

2006-02-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

Arwen was not pleased at being a sock model.

But now I could put her on Stuff On My Cat. Have you seen that site? It's crazy.

Anyway, the heel has been turned, and I'm about to turn in.

Go sock team USA and snowboarding!!!

The Cow Says "Knit"

2006-02-12T22:16:00.000-05:00

Team Frog has recovered from the early setbacks! I have about 3/4" until it's heel time. Frequent fitings tell me it might actually fit.

The sock poses with the Chick-Fil-A cow:

Extreme close up, sans cow:

Part of the problem, I've discovered, is that my husband has feet like a chicken (my mom asked if that means he has 3 toes). He has very wide feet and skinny legs, so I've needed to go down a needle size for the leg, and up one for the foot. Good thing I like him.

As I am gainfully employed, knitting time will be reduced to lunchtime and evenings (after SmallChild goes to sleep). We really should get (paid) vacation for this, you know...

Team Frog

2006-02-12T11:50:00.000-05:00

After making about 4" of progress on a rather lacy sock intended for a man, I started to think "You know, this sock looks HUGE." So I put it on FavoriteSpouse's foot, and of course, it was too big. Much too big.

Maybe this is why we were supposed to swatch.

So, I frogged away (is there a medal for the first frogging?) and SWATCHED. And switched patterns, because men should not necessarily wear lacy socks.

So, now I'm doing the Twin Rib from the Six-Stitch pattern section. Hopefully this one will be OK!

ARRRGGGGHHH, the pressure!

Knitting Olympics - Day 1

2006-02-10T23:49:00.000-05:00

After casting on a 6PM, I've finished the cuff and 1 pattern repeat of the Arrow (8-stitch) sock from Sensational Knitted Socks. It's for FavoriteSpouse, so it's big! But it's going well!

Happy Day 1!

-Melanie

Stripe me wild

2006-02-06T19:56:00.000-05:00

How cool is the Wild Stripes Baby Blanket from knitty???

Here it is, all pinned out on the guest bed:

Here's a close up of the embroidery:

I lined in in blue fleece with dark blue piping, and I think it looks good! It's very warm - I could use one of these.

I started a new pair of socks (amazing, I know) from the awesome Sensational Knitted Socks book. It's the twisted rib cable with faggoting pattern (that's very long - it needs a new name - TRCWF. Terk-woof. Hmmmm.) Anyway, it's a nice sock. The yarn is KnitPicks sock garden, and it's soft!

The sock poses on the piano:

The sock says "close up, dammit!"

I'm a sheep and I joined the Knitting Olympics. I'm on the Sock Team USA. I'm feeling a little crazy, so I'm knitting a pair of socks for FavoriteSpouse, plus a pair for the girl-child. In 16 days. Pop. That was the sound of my head exploding.

Go team!

Fewer Excuses

2006-01-25T18:13:00.000-05:00

We've finally become wireless! After way too much trouble and a call to tech support (the actual product tech support, not my dad), our wireless network is up and running. So, I'm sitting on my couch with my laptop and blogging away. This means I have fewer excuses for infrequent blogging, but I'm not saying that will fix the problem...

Anyway, on the knitting front. The wild stripes baby blanket is almost done. I have about 15 more rows, and then it's blocking time. I have fleece for the backing, so I'll need to sew piping to the fabric, then sew it all to the back of the blanket.

I've finished the edging of the rippling water scarf - it's pretty cool construction. You knit the edging sideways, then pick up stitches to make the long part of the scarf. Clever. So, I'm in repeat number 4 for the body.

Another pair of socks will be on the needles soon - I got Sensational Knitted Socks from Amazon, so I'll probably start something from that book. It's cool - you can take any gauge yarn, any size foot, and and pattern, and make it work! Also clever.

Time to surf the web on my wireless!

Embossed Leaves

2006-01-15T20:18:00.000-05:00

More socks! These are for me:

They're the embossed leaves socks from Interweave Knits Winter 2005. I used Knitpicks essential sock yarn. I messed with the pattern a little, because I don't like breaking yarn in the middle of a sock, and I don't like a pattern on the toe. But generally, it's the same.

I started the Little Leaf Lace Scarf again, but scrapped it to do the Rippling Waters Scarf from Fiddlesticks Knitting. AND, I'm halfway done with the knitting for the Wild Stripes baby blanket. Whoo hoo!

Happy New Year!

2006-01-02T21:26:00.000-05:00

My new year's resolution should be to blog more, but I know I won't, so why bother? And I don't believe in new year's resolutions...

Here's a better one - knit stuff that fits! Like this:

ChicKnits Eyelet Cardi - KnitPicks Elegance in oatmeal and cornflower. Bonne Marie always comes through for me. I lengthened the sleeves, and omitted the eyelets. The color change is done when the sleeves are joined to the body. Hip hip hooray for sweaters that fit!

I'm also working on the Wild Stripes baby blanket from knitty. It's pretty cool. And I'm about halfway done with the first Embossed Leaves sock from Interweave. Fun knits galore! Out with the drab, in with the fab!

Free to a good home

2005-12-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

Apparently the only time I post is when I have a FO to show, which is depressing because about half the time, it doesn't fit. Case in point:

Like the sweater. About 4 sizes too big for me. ARRRRRGGGGHHHH. And again, I knew it the whole time I was knitting it. Did I stop, frog and try a smaller size? Hell no! Why would I do such a thing? Isn't it better to frantically knit, finish, and THEN try on? ISN'T IT?!?!?!

I guess not. So, on Tuesday night at SnB, this sweater (without buttons) will be free to a good home.

Bad Blogger!

2005-11-30T21:12:00.000-05:00

I am a bad blogger. I admit. To atone, here is a picture of, you guessed it - more socks! This should be a sock blog, because that's all I ever have pictures of.

I'm on the second front half of the cable cardigan, and it's going well. I think it might be a little bit too big though. I'm definitely going to do this pattern again, so I'll do a size smaller next time.

That's about it for knitting news! Again, I will distract you with cute kid pictures...

Ainsley and her cousin Claire, watching Dora at Thanksgiving. Now THERE'S trouble!

I am thankful for socks

2005-11-21T20:53:00.000-05:00

Or, I'm thankful that I'm not insane after knitting so many socks. I finished the first cable and rib sock, and am now halfway down the leg of the other one.

I tried to take a picture of the whole sock, but I must have had too many mint M&M's and the sugar hit me, because the picture came out all fuzzy. If you've never had mint M&M's, YOU MUST GO BUY SOME RIGHT NOW. THIS VERY MINUTE. RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

I'd give you some, but I only have 4 spare bags hidden in my cabinet. Which Chris found today, and he lauged at me a lot. And then he ate some of them. And then he mysteriously disappeared...

I'm pretty thankful for mint M&M's too.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Another day, another sock

2005-11-14T20:27:00.000-05:00

I tried to take a picture of the two gull wing socks together, but the light isn't good. So, you'll just have to trust me that there are two socks.

Here's a (bad) picture of the cable and rib sock from Fall 2005 Interweave Knits:

You can't at all see the cable and rib pattern, but when it's stretched out it's more visible. I've said it before and I'll say it again - socks are difficult to photograph.

I'm almost done with the armhole shaping on the back of the cabled Grace cardigan. As soon as I run out of yarn, I'll order more from knitpicks, as well as for the two-toned Eyelet Cardi for which I also ran out of yarn.

I finally get to go to SnB tomorrow night! Whoo hoo! Miss the Panera and the crazy knitters!