so what's next?

     OK. I know what I want to do next, another fabulous sweater! To refresh the memory, it's the Simple Summer Tweed Top Down V-Neck by Heidi Kirrmaier. It's a free pattern on Ravelry.


    I adored making this sweater, as you all know! And the best part was no seams to sew! I adjusted mine, first by not making three decreases for the waist, and then increasing; but doing three increases instead. I know my body, and I don't like things clingy around my middle.


   Secondly, I added thumb holes to the sleeves. When I finished the sleeve decreases, it was the perfect length, so I bound off three stitches that lined up with my thumb, then went back and forth a few rows, then reconnected by casting the three stitches back on. Then I did a few more rounds so it would curl, and voila!


   I was so excited when I was finished, that I threw it right in the washer when I got home. I was going to trim out the thumb holes with crochet, so they would be a bit sturdier. I did it after laundering. The sweater made it out of the dryer intact! It shrank a teeny bit, but it's not a problem. I notice that there are some pills on it, but that just makes it look "not brand new". I will probably shave it when I get more batteries for my sweater shaver.


    I tried it on for Hubs last night, and he really likes it! He even said he would consider having me make one for him too! His would be the crew neck version. I spent over an hour this morning, looking at different yarns, and making a list for him to see, about the yarns, and how much it would cost for each choice.


    I started at Patternworks, and then decided I should do KnitPicks too, since that was where my yarn came from. I actually found an acrylic yarn that would cost less than $20 for enough to make his sweater!  How much do you want to bet that's the one he chooses? It's cheap enough that he might be generous and let me get yarn for another sweater for myself, in the yarn I want!

big news, although not unexpected, I think

    This morning, I got a phone call that I wasn't needed at work this weekend. That gave me free time today, to go hang out with my good friend Kim at karate. She would've just sat there, bored to tears, even though she was knitting.


    While I was there, I finished my sweater! We even made a trip to the ladies room so I could try it on, and figure out where the thumb hole went. I believe I finished just before 11:30 or noon, or whatever time it was the Demo Team practice started. I had my back to the wall with the clock on it.


    I even went back to the ladies room and put it on. I wore it for the rest of Demo Team practice. After I got home, I gathered up all my cotton hats and threw the whole lot, along with the sweater, into the washer. They are now in the dryer. I'm hoping against hope my sweater comes out alright. It's always a crap shoot, isn't it?


    So I guess this will be the last post about the sweater! Well, there actually be one more. I will post a photo as soon as I can get someone to take one of me in it.    

real sweater progress!!

     I am so excited, I can hardly contain my joy. I just tried my sweater on, and it fits! Not only that, it's also long enough! Yesterday, I transferred it to my 60" circular, so I could do this. I was nervous about it. Tonight I finally gave in, and we have excellent results!

    After discussing with my knitting expert yesterday, I shall now begin the anti-roll rows that she recommended. Two rounds of purling should do the trick, according to Miss Kim. Then I just have to do the sleeves and the collar/neckline. I'm looking forward to that.

crafting update

    I've been working on the Gamer Gloves while waiting for the sweater yarn to come. I know it's been a long time since I crocheted for any length of time, but seriously. I'm only able to get through two, maybe three rows, and my hands start hurting.


    But I persevered, and one glove is now ready for a try on, and I've made decent progress on the other. I'm still hoping to get them both done before I cast on my sweater. I received an email yesterday, letting me know that my yarn had shipped. I'm hoping, even with the New Years holiday, I may get it Wednesday, maybe Thursday.


    I must tell you, I dreamed last night that I was casting on the sweater. How odd is that? Do you think I might be looking forward to it? I really am...

The First Adventure

    I loved my 1970 Pontiac Le Mans. It was maroon, with a black vinyl top. I had gotten it at the end of my first marriage, I needed transportation to get to work. I think I paid $300 for it. It was a really good car, it had the body style of a Chevelle. Sharp! I named him Sting.


    I don't remember how I discovered it, but somehow, I found that once the engine was started, I could pull the keys out of the ignition, and it would keep running. So I got into the habit of starting the car, pulling the key out and putting it in my purse or pocket. At some point, I also discovered that I didn't necessarily need the key to start the car! I could get in, and turn the ignition, and it would start. After experimenting, I found that it seemed to be time related. I found that if it was less than eight hours since I last used the car, I wouldn't need to use the key to start it up again. If more than eight hours, use they key, then take it out. I know, very strange.


    This was the car that I had when I met my Hubs. It was about four years after my divorce that I met him. While we were still dating, the car developed a really bad banging noise in the engine. I took it in to the garage where Hubs was working, and he took a look at it. It turns out that the fly wheel had broken! Since the car was so old, even at that time, it took a long time to find a junk car that they could get the fly wheel from. Eventually they found one, and it was able to be fixed.


    But I didn't have it very long after that, for my birthday that year is when Hubs got me a different car. I don't remember what it was, a Mercury something, and it got crashed shortly after we got married, less than a year later. He took the engine from that car and out it in the Lincoln.


    And that is the last car story I have. So far. I am currently driving the Jeep Wrangler that my beloved Hubs got me for Christmas about eight years ago.


    As far as crafting goes, I am still sporatically working on the handle of the bag to be felted. I have also started knitting a simple baby washcloth from the cotton left over from the border of the cotton lace blanket.

The results are in

    I took measurements of the blanket before I washed it, for reference. I really wasn't sure if it would shrink, and if so, by how much. It has now been laundered, and post wash measurements taken.

   
   Before wash, it was 42 inches long, and 30 inches wide. Afterwards, it was 40 inches long and 29.75 inches wide. So it lost two whole inches in length, and only 1/4 inch of width. Which is still a good size!

    Now I get to take a break, for as long as I can stand not to be doing something with my hands. Which might be a couple of days, or even less. I was working on another blanket, of the same pattern, when I decided to start the last one. I guess now I will have to start on that one again.


    Here is a photo of the bottom edge, so you can see it close up.

 

 

                                                         

                                                           

Count, Count, Frog, Repeat

    In this blanket I'm currently working on, every 4 - 6 rows I need to count stitches to make sure I still have 151. Basically, every time I start a single crochet section. As I was working on it yesterday at Stitch n Bitch, I got to a counting row. I decided to stop, since I felt it would be rude to stop being social long enough to count 151 stitches as I do them.


     Later in the day, after Hubs left for work, I picked it up again. I'm getting close to the end, and I'm getting anxious to finish. I start counting as I crochet.... and at the end I have 148. Not 151. I screwed up somewhere. I do another row and count again. It's still 148. I count again, the row I just did, the number doesn't change. Crap.


    I decide to check the V stitch section to see if I can spot the mistake. I go back and forth all four rows, more than once. It all looked fine to me. I decide to count the stitches of the last row of single crochet, before the V stitch section I had just finished. Whew. That took a while to figure out how to say. But there were 151 stitches.


    Finally, I find the mistake. I had to frog the two rows of sc, and the row before them, of V stitch, and maybe two V stitches in the row before that.  I missed the second leg of a V stitch near the end of the row. I fix it, and quickly catch back up to where I was.


    I am currently working on the last V stitch lace section, then comes the pink border. After that I will carefully count the stitches as I sc across the top of the blanket. I will do four rows, the same as the sides. Hopefully I will remember how many stitches I make across the top, and can repeat it across the bottom. Then I can launder it, and it will be done! TAH-DAH!


    Since I wrote the above, I have been working feverishly all morning, and am currently doing the second short end. Two more rows of that, and I will be done!  Well, after I sew in the last few ends, anyway. I think I like it. Tonight I will take some photos, and wash it, then report tomorrow on how it turned out.

Waffling

    This morning after I got up, I was hanging out with Hubs until he went to bed. I realized that I didn't feel all that terrific. I was going to Stitch n Bitch no matter what, it was just my plans for after that were going to be affected.


    I had decided that since I didn't have to babysit today, I would take the opportunity to go to the craft store and see if they had restocked their cotton. After that, I thought I might try and find some new fleece sheets. But since I wasn't feeling great, I waffled about the sheet shopping. I was just going to go check on the yarn and then come home. Possibly even go back to bed.


    While at Stitch n Bitch, I felt decidedly better, so I waffled again. The sheet shopping was back on! I got to the craft store, and waffled again. Then I un-waffled. I figured since I was so close to Kohl's I would check there for the sheets. They wouldn't cost as much there as at Bed, Bath and Beyond... WRONG. On sale they were still over $80.


    So I did exactly as originally planned, with the waffling thrown in for free. By the way, the craft store had restocked the cotton, and I was able to purchase the last skein needed for the baby blanket. So now I can relax about it. And the new sheets are in the dryer, I will put them on the bed in a little while.


    I did so much waffling today, I'm surprised I'm not dripping in syrup.

Preparing for Stitch n Bitch

    Today, I very nearly finished using all the yarn from conjoined twin #1 on twin #2. I made myself stop crocheting, and I sewed all then ends in. Then I crocheted a little more. I had plenty of time, since my charge napped for three whole hours today.


    I am saving my crocheting for tomorrow's Stitch n Bitch. After which, I will be traveling to a craft store to see if they have restocked my color of cotton yarn. Hopefully, they will have done so, so I can buy one more skein. That's all I need, one more skein.


    Even if that purchase doesn't work out, I will be making a trip to our local Bed, Bath and Beyond store, for king size fleece sheets. It's getting chilly enough at night these days for them. We sleep on flannel the other three seasons. Really. Even in the Summer. I need to buy new ones, because I can't find the bottom sheet from last years set. I have no idea where it is! The pillow cases I have, and the top sheet I have been using all along. But the bottom sheet has disappeared.


    Those of you who are regular readers may remember an early post, about Hubs and myself using separate covers on our bed. It was my defense mechanism against freezing to death. My beloved Hubs was, and still is, if given the opportunity, a terrible covers hog.


    I will keep you updated on the sheets, and the blanket too. Wish me luck at the craft store!

At Long Last, Photos

    Yesterday, I was able to get the promised photos, while Miss Malia was napping. It turns out that the new blanket is only about 2 inches shorter than the original. But that's OK with me. I do like the new one better.

                     

^ Here they are side by side, new on the left.

 

 

^ The tops to show they are even.

 

 

     And the bottoms to show the new one is shorter. I have one more promise, there will be no more photos of said blanket until it's finished... I am sure you are all heartily sick of hearing about this one project.                                                                            

 

 

In Which I Get Clever

    This morning, at Stitch n Bitch, I made the decision that the cotton baby blanket was too big. So I stopped working on it. But I didn't really want to frog, and wind by hand, six whole skeins of cotton. So I got a clever idea.


    I decided to start the next blanket with a new pink border, like the old one, and then start the body with the other end of the skein I was using. I would use up the skein, until I was frogging the old blanket, as I worked along, to use on the new blanket. With any kind of luck, I would get to the pink border of the old blanket by the time I was ready for it.


    I started shortly after I got to Miss Malia's house this morning, having stopped at my house to pick up the pink. She was naturally very curious about what I was doing, especially since I prefer to count out loud. It's just easier for me, I tend to not lose count that way.


    So far, it's working very well! I have gotten a lot done, all through one skein of the body color, and started the second. It helped (not) that Miss Malia didn't nap until 4 p.m. But she did sleep for a total of three hours. After an hour and a half, she came out from the bedroom, climbed up on the couch, and fell back asleep for another hour and a half. Sweet!


    All in all, it was a very long, nine and a half hour day. Not my usual four hours. But I do get a three day weekend this week, I don't go back until Tuesday.


    I am so tired right now, I can't even take a photo of my progress on the new blanket. I'm looking forward to seeing them side by side, connected by the yarn. I will take one tomorrow, and post it for you see.


   

This Week's Craft Report

    I have made significant progress on the crocheted baby blanket this week. However, I don't have enough yarn to finish. I made the trek all the way down to the craft store to get more, two days later, and they didn't have any. It's too far to keep making the run every few days. Does anyone have any idea how long it should take to restock? Any guess is fine.

     Do you see the fatter lace sections? There are supposed to be seven of those in the finished blanket. I am currently not quite to the sixth one, and I'm on my last skein of yarn. I did think ahead in one way. I haven't yet worked in any ends, so I can still frog the thing and do it over with a smaller hook. It's kind of on the big side. I like it that way, but it has been pointed out to me that some people think baby blankets should be small. Why? They are small for so short a time!

 

 

And if I do decide to frog it, I may not be needing that last skein of the stupid yarn after all... Here is a closer shot of the pattern:

 

 

And now for a surprise. The other day, I got home before Hubs did. When he came in, guess what he brought me?

 

 

He really is the sweetest man. It's hard to believe that in a few short months, we will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. The time really does fly.

On to new a project!

     As I mentioned in yesterdays post, I bought some really soft cotton, which I am using to make another blanket for one of the babies that are coming. Now, I have never made a cotton blanket before, so I have no idea what will happen when I wash the blanket. See? Yet another very good reason to launder something you make, before gifting or selling.


    I am curious to see if it shrinks or not. Even if it does, it's a bit long, so it should be OK. I made one of these blankets for Julie, Jesse's girlfriend, and after washing, it was actually a square. I have no idea how that happened, it had never happened before.
It just goes to show you, you never can tell what any yarn will do, even if you have used it before!


    This blanket will be a first for me, besides being made of cotton yarn. I made a border of pink on one long side, when I get to the other side, of course it will be pink too.  This time, I am going to put a border on the top and bottom of the blanket. I have never done that before. I have never even put tassels on one. I am not a big fan of tassels.  So here is a photo of my progress so far!

    I thought that just two sides being pink wasn't enough. I think it will look good being totally surrounded in the pink. And this baby is definitely a girl, so the use of pink is OK.

I think I'm finally done with the skull thing...

    Yesterday, while I was babysitting, I finished my second skull potholder. Then I was stuck with a napping toddler, and nothing to do! Anyway, here are photos of the finished potholder:

    Yup, I'm such a rebel, I made the two sides different. Just like the blue/purple one. Here is a photo of the two together!

    Unfortunately, this means I currently have nothing to work on. Perhaps it's time for a break. I will let you know, and keep you updated on the crafting front.


    And perhaps, if I feel up to it, I shall report on the medical tests scheduled for later on today. But right now, I'm starving, and cranky. No coffee this morning, and no food after 8 a.m. I watched Cherub this morning, so I wasn't even home until 8:30!

The Potholders are Done!

    At long last, the pot holders for my daughter Sara are done! I finished up the last one yesterday afternoon at friend Bonny's house. I have since started on a pair for myself. That is, if my hands don't hurt too much!

  
    As a reminder, here's a photo of the first one -

    And now the unveiling of the second one!

    And finally, a photo of the two of them together!

    May she get good use out of them, and never get burned! I started making the ones for myself, and here's how the first one looks so far:

    I am not caring that the purple in the variegated is almost the exactly the same as the solid purple. It makes it look a bit wierd, and you can't even tell where the nose is! At some point when it's finished, I may take some white and outline the nose.

This Week's Craft Report

    This week, I have been busy crocheting away on the skull potholders for my daughter Sara. The first one is finished, the second one, almost done. I am up to the eyes on second of two pieces. Then I crochet them together, and voila!  it's done.


    I haven't mentioned my knitting project, it was bad, and it's having a long time out. When I feel like working on it again, I'll get it out, and have my good friend Kim take a look at it to see where I screwed it up.


    While I was out with Hubs earlier this week, we were in Walmart, and  I found some more cotton yarn that would go great with some I had already bought. I picked up two balls, and we headed on to the rest of the store. Unfortunately, we decided not to purchase anything else, so all we had was my two little balls of yarn. Of course, every single check out line that was open had at least 10 people waiting. I decided that I didn't want the yarn that  badly, so I put them down in some random place, and we left.


    Now I'm kicking myself, I really want that yarn. But I made the right decision, it totally wasn't worth waiting for so long to spend less than $5.