What to do....

When I have knitted my butt off in the past week to finish The Stepson's Blanket (which he loves) and really really do not feel like knitting? I know sounds impossible right?, But I went to get blood work done this morning and did not bring any knitting!! I think part of it has to do with being so tired and right now I have a huge headache (not a migrain thank goodness!)

So what did I do? First off I pulled out the beads again and made another 4 sets of stitch markers. I am sorry about the picture. It was late and the batteries were going.



They other thing I did, well they are still drying, I am hoping tomorrow I will be able to blog about them. I also did a little yarn shopping. I was very good and did not harass the mailman today, though I am not sure about tomorrow.

=)

It Is DONE!!!!!

Yes I am talking about my darling Stepson's Blanket. Last I left you it was drying. When I pulled it out of the dryer I was amazed how soft it became. I used acrylic (Caron's Perfect Match) and well I did not like knitting with it. To me it was rough and well I am really really glad it softened.

I did not have the strength to put the border on that I was talking about last time. While I was avoiding the blanket, I mean looking for ideas (and catching up on blogs) I read Mason Dixon and well applied i-cord edging seem a very good idea indeed.

So that is what I did on all night wednesday and thursday. I have never i-corded so much before in my life. It got to the point that I was not even looking at how much more I had to do because it was way too depressing. I hope this boy realizes how much he means to me for me to torture myself for him. Anyway it cam out really nice. I like the applied i-cord (though do not count on me doing it anywhere anytime soon, I have had my fill for a long while) and then on saturday (I take my meds on friday and that knocke me out and makes me loopy, not a good idea to use a sewing machine) I sewed on the backing.

Here is a finished pic. I have to take more to show the backing and border (I was really tired saturday night and well Stepson took it as soon as I snapped this one.



I also finished those baby socks. They are so cute!!

Yarn: Knitpicks Swish in Deep Ocean (leftover from Nephew's christmas gifts)
Needle: size 6 40 inch circ Magic Loop
Time: really about 2 hours (with kiddies around)
Cuteness: come on they are baby socks =)
pattern: Cat Bordhi's Little Sky Socks (from New Pathways book)



In other knitting news I am finally at the heel on my monkey sock. I still have not hat the Knitting Fairies come and visit me yet and well I do believe that these socks are taking forever (of course it might help if I actually knit them every so often)

=)

Socks

As I am typing The Stepson Blanket is in the dryer drying so I can put the border on it when it is dry. It needed to be washed. Last night while I was finishing all of the sewing Snickers tried to help (ALOT!!!!) I know The Stepson likes Snickers but I do not think he wants her slobber all over his blanket.

So here is the quick project. I self taught myself Magic Loop (which makes knitting in the round quick) I did the first baby sock in the book Little Sky Sock. The whole time I was knitting this sock I said to myself a number of times "How is this going to be a sock?" and at the end it was a sock!! I really like this whole sock construction in a totally different way. I really want to make all of them.



I also have made a little progress on my Toe-Up, No Purl, Chart Upside Down Monkeys. I switched to 2 circs and it is going faster (If only my RA would cooperate I could have a pair of socks!!)



I am close to the heel.

Yes little to show so I thought well what about cute puppy pics. Sounds good but well she is getting as bad as the kids with trying to get a good picture.


Please?!



Nope



Almost!



Finally!!!!

I have to go check the dryer now, I have a border to knit on!!

Look at what I made

Well the Stepson is here this weekend so what am I suppose to do with him around? Not work on his blanket. Ok no problem there are lots of things I could work on. The thing is that well it is just today that I can not work on it, tomorrow when he goes home it is back to the blanket. I am almost done with number 12 then I get to sew it together. I am hoping to get the starting the border by the end of tomorrow.

Anyway I needed something short and sweet. I have the new Cat Bordhi book "New Pathways for Sock Knitters" and well all the trial socks are baby socks. Short and sweet. The thing is that you need stitch markers marked A,B,C, and D. I do not have anything like this. So what am I to do? There are plenty of beautiful stitch markers on Etsy and other online stores but problem a) I need them now and b) I can not see spending up to $20 for stitch markers that I could easily make.

Years ago I use to do a ton of beading and I still have a good amount of the stuff left in one of those plastic shoe boxes. So I pulled it out and got to work (after I raided the Daughter's beads for alpha beads)

Here are the results. (I seriously have to try to take better pictures)



Then I was like 'wow that was quick and easy I think I will do some more'

Here are some green ones


Here are some what I think are Chinese characters ones:


These look kinda like eye balls but they are really swirls:


Last but not least I have for ya these stones wrapped in gold wire ones:



Not bad for an hour huh? I also of course went thru my beads and organized them so that took about another hour. I have this really big urge to run out and buy more beads. Though really I would like to get some different alpha beads and make another set.

Well I am off to try one of those socks!!!
(I am not mentioning my health since well I do not want to jinx anything)

=)

It is back!!

I am now entering week 4 of bronchitis. I tried to go back to work on monday and stayed for about 40 minutes. My body was yelling at me and throwing fits. If I hadn't left it was threatening to shut down on me. So back to the dr.s I went. Yep it either came back or never left. New antibiotic that is pretty strong, inhaler and nebulizer too. I do feel better. Fingers crossed this works since if it does not there is not much less she can do for me and off to the hospital I will go.

Anyway I have been able to work on my Stepson blanket. It all start about a year ago. He finally asked if I could make him something (he thought I would say no) and I said of course what would he like. We settled on a blanket with Mets colors (blue, orange and white). I took him to the store and he picked the yarn.

It started as a log cabin then it was changed to a modular design. 12 squares, each 3 color randomly changed (loved that part - no counting and did not have to make them match). I have finished 10 and I am half way done with number 11.

Then I will sew all the squares together (randomly), pick up and knit a border. This is the part I am dreading. I will be picking up 123 +163+123+163=572 stitches to start. I want to knit it garter stitch so it will not curl but I just can not see myself purling at least 572 stitches. To solve this I am going to pick a spot and knit around to it then turn and knit back around. I will have a tiny seam to sew but it will be worth not purling. Yeah!! Then I will sew onto the back some flannel and this solves the sewing in a million ends. Double Yeah!!

Here is my progress:

10 squares
yarn caron perfect match
Midnight blue
Orange
White



I am off to finish number 11. His birthday is 2/14 and I promised him he would have it for his birthday.

Cute puppy and Hubby pic:

More Roving =)

At this rate I am going to have more roving than yarn (kidding I am no where close). So far the plan is a wheel for my B-day - my fingers are crossed. =)

I have 2 things that I forgot to post about during the sickness of the past 2 weeks.

First up roving.

Keri had these dark and light battlets that were the first ones of hers that I wanted. Well she nicely gave me a heads up (Thank You Keri!!) when she posted more and I proceeded to buy them real quick!!

My picture taking skills sometimes suck big time, but here they are.




98% superwash and 2 % icicle (ooo spark-il-y)

The other is a hat that I made using my Kevin hat pattern and changing it (of course). I added ribbing and cables. It was for a friend but it didn't fit (she has a really big head) and she made me promise not to rip it out. So it has been sitting there.





Buddah played with it a bit during our photo shoot, so the brim looks flared but it really isn't.

=)

Wow it has been a week!!

Wow the week flew. Hubby caught my bronchitis and then he was a real sweetie and gave it back. The second time was way worse then the first time around. Our doctor said we were really bad. We have both been home for most of the week on bed rest trying to kick this so it does not become something worse.

In the knitting department I have been working on StepSon's blanket for his B-day (2/14). I am now on square 9 of 12. Then I have to sew it together pick up the border and then sew on the backing (so I do not have to sew in about a million ends - YEAH!!) I can do it (since I really do not want to let him down)

When the mindless knitting became annoying (how often does that happen?!) I started this shawl I have wanted to make for a long time. Over the past few weeks I have tried different lace weights and well my fingers would cramp up and I really could not do much. So I searched the stash and found a yarn that I bought in Rhinebeck, that I had wanted to make into a shawl of some sort. Well worsted weight is a lot easier on the hands and boy does it go quick. I do not think I will do all 14 repeats of the main chart sine I really do not want a blanket, but I will do enough to have a nice large warm shawl. The lace version asks for 700 yards in lace weight. I am using 460 yards in worsted.

yarn:


shawl so far:
chart 1 and 1 repeat of chart 2



Well it would help if I said what the pattern is (duh) Adamas by Miriam Felton

Snickers news

She had her first vet visit. She has a mild case of Kennel Cough and some parasite common in puppies. She will be fine but I get the wonderful job of giving her medicine. That was not fun until I went to the pet store and bought these treat pockets. Put the pill in and presto pill giving is easy!! I am telling you they have something out there for everything!!

Warning Cute Puppy Pics:



Pic of Rhinestone collar (my girls influence)


Her favorite chew toy: Hubby's socks (notice holes)


Her favorite toy (hint it is not any of the ones we bought (6) in the pet store)

look closely and you will see one of my socks (not handmade, store bought and I do not wear them since I really do not like them at all)


She keeps Hubby company when he plays his video games

Ok I am done with cute puppy pics

=)