my knits' end

Olly

2009-08-18T17:15:00.002-04:00

kids

2009-07-20T12:18:00.003-04:00

I'm going to make time tomorrow to take photos of all the FO I have lying around here. But until then I leave you with some new photos of the chitlins in their growin' glory.

still here, still knitting

2009-05-12T07:00:00.002-04:00

i haven't fallen off the edge of the earth. i haven't even stopped knitting. just stopped writting about it.

my knitting mojo has been really off lately. after crochetting the potholders for the swap, i haven't been able to get another project together. I even picked up a pair of socks that i cast on for 3 years ago. They're just basic 2x2 toe up socks. Cotton/wool yarn. Blah colorway. They'll be good summer socks, so I'm finally going to finish them up.

What I really want to do is knit up some of this stash yarn that I recieved through Swapbot ages ago. I'll try to post photos and see if any one has some ideas of what to do with it. If anyone reads this other than my mother, at this point.

Few and far between

2008-11-08T07:37:00.006-05:00

my posting has been more than sporadic lately. I just haven't been able to get my head around writing about knitting. I use what time i have to actually try to knit. And taking photos. well that's not always easy.

Here's a pic of the patootie with a baby cap. I used acrylic baby soft i had on hand from a project that never materialized.

I also made another one out of debbie bliss baby cashmerino, but there are no photos yet.

2008-09-30T22:26:00.001-04:00

Here are some recent photos of the monkeys

3 months old

Seven in her BSJ

Saarje's booties

august, baby

2008-08-09T09:18:00.002-04:00

for lack of a better title. we've been spending our days at the park. morning and afternoon. there's been little crafting going on because i've come to realize that jack and i are much happier and have a better understanding when we're not cooped up in our 750 sq. foot apartment.

yesterday was crazy, we had a play-dough (homemade) party and it ended up being all boys. 5 boys aged 2-3. It was something else. Jack had a great time and there wasn't too much fighting.

on thursday i got the kids astrological charts done, by a mama friend. she was saying how from birth to age 7 kids don't really have an emotional filter up, so you get 100% of their feelings. the good, the bad and the ugly. we focused on the kids' moon sign, which is the base of emotions. it was pretty interesting to find out aabout the 2 monkeys.

Jack: moon in libra:
Moon in Libra
A child with Libra Moon sees the world through the eyes of an artist and has a special sensibility for all things beautiful. Peaceful surroundings will encourage feelings of security, and color has a special impact for this child.
Baby may be more sensitive than parents first realize, since Libra Moon can be
easily irritated in harsh surroundings or by rough surfaces. Fussiness can arise when baby is simply in an awkward position or if too much light is streaming through the window. However, Libra Moon confers a sweet and charming quality, and you may notice that this child has a very gentle nature.
Being around other people is important, too, since the drive from Libra Moon is to relate – even before he has mastered the ability to speak. Reaching out and feeling connected is one of the most powerful motivators for this child. Playtime and toys that incorporate artistic self-expression will be most enjoyable. Always keep crayons and art supplies on hand, but remember that this child might also enjoy music, any type of design (including dressing up all the bears and dolls in the house), and will want to participate in decorating his room at an age that may surprise you.

Seven:moon in sagitarius

“Let’s get moving!” may be the message you get from a child with Sagittarius Moon. Even as a baby,motion feels great, and going somewhere can rank high on the list of favorite things to do. As soon as she learns to crawl, you’ll realize that there’s an adventurer in the house. Playpens will not be appreciated, since feeling fenced in runs against his nature. This child may be a giggler, since laughter is likely to become one of his trademarks.
The drives and needs from Sagittarius Moon prompt a child to be game for just about anything,
although learning about limits can be tough. Parents may wonder if this kid understands the word, “No.” Of course he does. He just may not accept it! In fact, limits, focus and discipline might be most easily taught through sports, games and stories. This child has a natural optimism, and may be willing to try again while others are stuck or held back by fear of failure. In school, mental discipline and concentration can be problematic, particularly if the subjects have lost their luster. Since Sagittarius Moon views Mother as the quintessential teacher, she can become his best inspiration to strive to do better or to learn more. Mom also needs to understand that the platitudes she speaks are considered ultimate truths to this child – until the world proves otherwise, that is! Expect this child to ask questions.
In other words, buy that encyclopedia or reference software as soon as he is talking. You’ll be glad you did!

I definately see some of these characteristics emerging, even in seven. It's all really interesting to me.

Rainy this morning, so we're playing with play dough. yeah!

etsy!!!!

2008-07-05T21:27:00.002-04:00

i finally got my etsy shop up. it's still a bit rough around the edges and there's not much in it, but it's a start.

trying to find time to sew has been a challenge. it's a crazy endeavour to undertake when the wee one is still so WEE. And the Jack needs to go to the park at least once a day, preferable twice.

Well see how it goes. I really need to find my niche. the clothes are fun and i enjoy making them, mainly because of seven and jack, but there are so many other people doing the same thing. I want to do something more original. i've got a couple of ideas i'd like to work on. we'll see what comes of it.

tootie

2008-06-23T17:35:00.005-04:00

this is the nickname i've given my girl. and no, i'm not referring to the character on the 80's sitcom (the facts of life). i'm refering to her flatulence. i love her, but she's stinky!!!

things are going well in our little family. jack love's his sis--wakes up in the morning comes into the room saying "hi mama. Seven?" then he loves and kisses on her. it's really very sweet.

he gets pretty upset when she's upset, which isn't very fun for me. but i do understand it.

our days lately consist of ...

wake up, nurse seven, try to feed jack (all he wants to eat these days is fruit), am park run, nap from noon to 3 pm ( this is where i try to sneak in some sewing time around nursing the babe), wake up from nap, try to feed jack (fruit?), pm park run, dinner (ha ha ha), bath and bed.

oh yeah and seven goes to sleep around 11 pm and jack wakes up at 5 am, so you do the math = not alot of sleep for mama (or daddy either some nights).

mark's taken over the nighttime jack stuff, and the early morning stuff. which i don't know what i would do without.

my mama's group has been making us dinner for the last 2 and a half weeks, and tonight is the last night. crap is all i can say. it's been an immeasurable help. and overall the foods been pretty good. tonight's mama brought us a huge vat of haagen daas chocolate ice cream. i love it, but don't love the fact that it's not going to help with the baby pudge. oh well.

here are some more photos.

One Month Old

seven just turned 1 month on saturday. it's gone by amazingly fast. with jack i had alot more time to just sit around and watch movies and relax. it's near impossible to do that now, with a 2 year old that needs to get out of the house.

these photos are from when my dad was here. sleeping with the baby. see the family resemblance?!

for sale

2008-06-18T21:24:00.002-04:00

i haven't been doing much knitting, but i have been doing lots of sewing. trying to get an etsy store together. making some baby clothes. the store is set up i just need to finish up a few more pieces and get them listed. it's just been hard to squeeze any uninterrupted time in, but i take what i can get. the process is taking a bit longer, but i still feel productive. as for pics of all this... no time yet. but maybe soon.

photos only

2008-06-11T21:52:00.004-04:00

here are some photos. a proper post with some knitting pics too, to come soon.

la familia

2008-05-30T13:06:00.003-04:00

thursday may 22, 2008

big brother and lil peanut

friday may 23, 2008

Snuggles

Lil Peanut

2008-05-24T11:57:00.003-04:00

Here's the lil peanut. Almost 3 weeks early, but healthy and lovely.

She was in a bit of a hurry to get here and decided to come early. Shbe did take her time coming out though.

Date of birth: Wednesday May 21, 2008 at 8:39 pm.

Weight: 6lbs 13.1oz

Length: 19 in

Mama and baby are doing well, as are big bro and daddy.

Jack did get alot of daddy time while i was in labor and recovery.

That's all for now. I'm going to take advantage of both babes being down for a nap and take one myself. Birth story will be coming shortly. As will more photos.

xoxo

buddha belly

2008-05-19T20:56:00.003-04:00

the Buddha belly is forever immortalized

37 weeks

this was less of a pain to do than i anticipated. i started doing it by myself and then mark help me finish up. the plaster was starting to dry and i didn't want to wreck the sides by moving around.

the only question now is: What do i do with it? Make it all artsy and hand it on the wall, or leave it in a box?

she hasn't come yet and the contractions have subsided and now we're basically ready. all the major things are done. now i just have the little things that i wanted to do before she arrives, i.e. fininsh jack's photo album, some sewing, etc.

the time is now!

2008-05-18T21:28:00.002-04:00

Or at least pretty soon. I think the babe might be showing up sooner rather than later. things are moving and contractions are getting somewhat uncomfortable, even though they are still irregular. I have been doing a lot these last couple of days, so i'm sure that has something to do with it. i've also dreamt about going into labor the last two nights.

i called the midwife and she told me to have a drink of water and relax for a bit. that kind of made things less painful, but it didn't stop the contractions all together. i'm going to bed after this, just to get a full night in.

the yard sale went well. there's still a few things i want to get rid of.

i can't for the life of me find the hardware for the co-sleeper. i'll have to look some more tomorrow. tomorrow is house cleaning day and time to re-evaluate the things i want to get done before babelicious arrives. her bag is packed. just a couple of options of things to wear on the way home from the hospital. My bag is still undone, but the camera is charged and the laptop is ready to go at a moments notice. I'm going to finish that up tomorrow.

on the knitting front, i did start a swallowtail shawl (ravelry link) with the sundara aran silky merino from the seasons yarn club. i love this yarn. the color (ruby port) the feel of it. it's all so beautiful. i can't wait to finish it. i'm bringing it as my hospital knitting. not sure if i'll actually do any, but at least i'll have something there that i'm really into it it comes up.

if i get around to some photos tomorrow i'll post some wip pics of the shawl.

goodnite

jaywalkers

2008-05-13T22:16:00.003-04:00

here are the finished jaywalkers for my mom. i sent them off today. so mom, if you're reading this, here's to spoiling the surprise...

Pattern: Jaywalkers by Grumperina
Materials: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Bucks Bar, 2 skeins

Needles: US 1

Started: April 5, 2008
Finished: May 12,2008

the last leg of the race

2008-05-10T14:20:00.003-04:00

the final 4 weeks are upon us. the house is a shambles. I'm trying to get a yard sale together for this weekend, finish cushion covers, reupholster the futon, see the doula.... the list is long. and this is what i have to carry around

35 weeks 2 days

not to mention the 26lbs of love that is Jack!! Factor in three flights of stairs up to the apartment= tired mama! it's good though. it's keeping me in shape.

my doula is coming today to meet me. i really want to do the natural childbirth thing this time. with jack i was just too tired in the end and just wanted to get some sleep so i went with the epidural. supposedly second children are supposed to come in half the time, so that sounds promising.

non-knitting post

2008-05-03T13:22:00.003-04:00

uncomfort zone....

this is the phase of my pregnancy i'm entering. the time when every position sitting or laying down is uncomfortable. i can barely sit long enough to knit.

i have been working on a couple of different things, some socks and a shawl, but progress is slow. i'm trying to get things done for when the new babe comes.

unlike when jack was born, i'm must more laid back about this one. still need to install the infant seat. not getting a double stroller. i''ll just wear her at the beginning i think. and if i do end up using the infant seat when i go to a restaurant or something, jack can just walk in while i carry the lil one.

i'm considering using the cloth diapers i got then jack was born and just see how much of a pain it is to bring them to the laundry mat. or try to sell them again.

one great thing is that we decided not to move. just remembering moving when jack was 3 weeks old makes me sick to my stomach. i think we'll just stay in this apt. until we find something to buy. it's small but comfortable. and i just can't get my head around moving again.

my aunt and cousin came down at the beginning of the week. she took some photos of the belly and some great ones of jack.

34 weeks

He looks so much like Mark in this photo

You can see what he's going to look like as a man in the first picture. my little monkey love.

loose ends part 2

2008-03-26T20:29:00.004-04:00

i've been kind of lost on the knitting front. have cast on for a couple of different things only to find guage off or it's just something i'm never going to wear so why continue. so i'm kind of stuck right now.

i did just get a copy of Victorian Lace Today and that really has my head going. sacking my stash looking for the yarn i could use to start one of the dozens of lovely patterns in that book. but night time comes along and i'm just too tired to get around to anything complex. so i've been putting that off abit as well.

i do have some FO photos to share.

this is leo the lion. he's a hybrid of a couple of the humanoids from this book. i like how he turned out. hope his new friend likes him too. little leo turned one last week.

and then of course there's Elijah by Ysolda Teague. i made him out of some satin acrylic for ease of care and really like how soft he is. perfect for baby. another friend gift, this one is yet to be born.

i added a little tail (sorry it's side ways) that wasn't in the original pattern, because, you know, elephants have tails!! it was just a quick braid out of six strands of yarn, with a little fringe left on the end.

loose ends pt. 1

2008-03-19T16:23:00.003-04:00

i haven't posted in ages, but that doesn't mean i haven't been knitting. i really just haven't felt like writting about knitting, or much else for that matter. but here's part one of a finished object parade. i'm currently finishing off a few different projects and they'll get photographed later today or tomorrow.

First off is a photo of some things i received from one of my swaps. a sock yarn swap. the yarn is lovely, black with yello pink and red. aptly named black butterfly. some delicious chocolate that took me about 3 days to eat. (i'm pregnant is my excuse)

i've also finished the nut muffins' baby blanket. i love how it turned out. the i-cord trim was fun to do, even though it was time consuming. but it really gives the blanket a tailored look.

Pattern: Baby Blanket by Elizabeth Zimmerman

Materials: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted, Periwinkle, 4 skeins and a little bit

Jaegger Worsted, Cranberry, <>

Needles: US 7 for blanket, US 6 bamboo dpns for i-cord

Started: December 2007

Finished: February 2008

this blanket had some issues at the beginning. i'd origanally planned to knit the large motif garter blanket from the Opinionated Knitter. but laziness settled in and i didn't want to join all those pieces together so i frogged an almost completed blanket and started over. this is the story of my knitting life. ask my man and he'll tell you how many times he's seen me completely start over from the beginning. i'm glad i did it this way.

hope the little one likes it. it's super soft after washing too. and unlike j's koigu blanket, it's machine washable. yeah!!! because this blanket is quite a bit larger than his. almost crib size i'd say, but i haven't measured it.

oh yeah and here's an update of my belly.

28 weeks

it's a bit dark, but all you need to see is the growing profile anyway. i'm definately feeling pregnant lately. short of breath. can't sleep on my stomach or my back anymore. i'm still finding some comfortable positions to sleep in and i haven't had to break out the body pillow, but my days are numbered.

march of time

2008-03-05T10:00:00.002-05:00

i know february's a short month, but where the hell did it go? went to visit mom and dad last week. bought my first NORO and PANDA SILK. i was going to make a striped scarf out of the NORO Kureyon, instead it became some fingerless mitts. more details with photos-- to come as soon as the weather starts cooperating.

i'm also due for some belly pix, which will be taken when jack goes down for his nap. i've been feeling huge lately and there's still 14 weeks left. i'm just starting to feel the weight of it all. can't sleep on my stomach anymore and back sleeping is gettin uncomfortable too. but i still do it. i slept on my back a lot with jack, even at the end because side sleeping sucked too.

garter madness

2008-02-10T13:56:00.000-05:00

finished the BSJ, here'a a terrible flash photo of it. i ended up reknitting the button band and bottom because i didn't like the way the other yarn. this is more what i had envisioned when i started knitting with the midnight garden and ran out of that and needed another yarn to finish.

and i love the owl buttons. jack keeps saying "owl, hoo hoo" everytime he sees it.

pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman

yarn: Skeintilly Clad DK in midnight garden, 2 skeins 120yds each
Jaeger Matchmaker DK 3/4 skein

needles: US5

start date: january 2007

finish date: february 8, 2008

comments: this was such an enjoyable project. at first i was a abit intimidated by the way the pattern was written, but when i stopped thinking about it and just started knitting it all made sense. a really quick knit too. aside from the fact that i reknit the border, it only took 3 days (or 4 depending on how you look at it) to knit. then i had to find the perfect buttons. the only down side to the owls... their price, $2.70 each x 5, plus tax.

in other news, a belly update. i feel like it realy exploded as of late and i'm way bigger than i was with jack. i know i started 10lbs heavier, but come on. it's not sooooo bad, but i'm definately looking preggo.

23 weeks

I'm still working on the baby blanket. it's 1/2 done and i just joined the 3rd skein of yarn. i'm having to order another skein, because i know i'll be a few yards short for the main color. I bought some contrasting yarn for the i-cord edging. i still need to find a good tutorial for that. maybe ill brave the weather tomorrow to take some photos. it's supposed to be freezing but sunny. plus mark has the camera today.

next in the garter/baby line-up: saartje's booties, sweet baby cap, and a modular totem for jack. the totem willbe for this spring so i better get crackin'.

cutest f@&^ing buttons on earth!!!!

2008-02-07T17:44:00.000-05:00

okay, i just went to windsor button to get some buttons for the BSJ and some yarn to finish the baby blanket and lookey what i brought home

are these the cutest things or what??!!!

more later, must feed the monkey

bookbinding

2008-02-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

the amis and baby blanket took a back seat today to something i've been wanting to learn for ages.

bookbinding!

You see, i've been working on getting jack's photo album going. i got all the photos form sutterfly, they're all sorted/dated, but the book i had origianlly bought...yuck. well not yuck really cause it's a nice album, but not for this. the paper is black and it's 12x12 format which isn't the look that i want for jack's baby album. so i started looking around at ready made ones and was going to get a kolo album. so, i'm at the paper source (i've always loved going in there to admire the papers and fantasize about what i could make) and i'm looking at their different albums--the kolo line, the paper source books (which are really lovely, but the cover paper was too feminine). the prices were a bit high for me $60-$85. ouch!!

so the nice girl (sorry i didn't get your name) whose helping me wade through all this says if i know someone who knows bookbinding, they have a kit and i can choose my own cover paper, binding cloth and inside paper color(black or cream for the insides). i'm like how hard can this be? so she runs it down to me, sets me up with all the stuff i need, i pick out my cover paper and bookcloth... (this is so exciting) and she gives me a cheat sheet of instuctions on how to put it together. the instructions are given to people who pay for their bookbinding workshop, but this girl was hooking me up. thank you thank you thank you.

i couldn't wait to get home.

i get home and an hour and a half later...tada!! a fucking beautiful photo album, deserving of monkeylove's photos. ilove it!!!!!!!!!! and it cost me $57 including tax for the guts and tools i needed instead of $86 for one album. next time i'll only have to spend about $30 for the guts.

bookboard with bookcloth attached

the 2 covers with the bookcloth joining them

cover papers, before being attached

cover papers attached and looking mighty fine

finished book

isn't it loverly?!!

the only thing they didn't have was self-adhesive photo corners, so i'll get those at michael's tomorrow and start putting this bad boy together.

this was a great project. can't wait to make "nut muffin's" baby book. i think i might make some smaller journal with stuff i have around the house (i.e. all that scrapbooking paper that never gets any use!!) i'm also making some small things to start selling on etsy. i want to get a few different things together and then set up a store.

ami craze

2008-01-23T11:12:00.000-05:00

i get a bit carried away when i learn something new, and crocheting amigurumi is no different. i'm already on my 4th. i love it and knitting on the baby blanket has taken a back seat. my newest ami is a lion. the idea is pieced together from a couple of the humanoid animals in beth doherty's book. "face of a cat + hair of a bear = leo the lion" . My friends' son turns 1 in march and his name is Leo. not too original, but he's pretty damn cute. here's a not so wonderful WIP photo of him.

here are the other 2 little guys i made. they've already gone to their new homes.

FOOK!

2008-01-19T07:41:00.000-05:00

that's right, my potty mouth has gotten me into trouble. sort of. luckily my craft may have saved the day. "FOOK!" is jack's new word this morning, but when he says it he's referring to this...

...and not the expletive i tend to still use in his presence. this is fine when we're at home because i know what he's talking about, but on the street.... hopefully he won't see too many crochet hooks walking around town.

i've been working on some more crocheted animals. both of which have found other homes. owlet went to nicole and i'm working on a bunny for little adrien's birthday today. pictures for both will be posted later.

belly update

2008-01-16T17:44:00.001-05:00

on the non knitting front, there are new belly pictures. I didn't start as early this time as i did with jack. hopefully the babe won't mind.

18 weeks, 5 days

the morning sickness is finally over, so i've started gaining a couple of pounds. nothing major. i have an ultrasound on friday and we're going to find out the sex this time. i think it's a girl and mark thinks it's a boy. as long as there are 10 fingers and toes.

there was a lot of knitting going in between august and now, i just never got around to posting about any of it. always felt like i could be using the time to knit instead of type. but i do like documenting it all and having a record of the things i've done. so in the next week or so, i'll try to get some better photos of the all the FO's and post up small blurbs about each.

i finished ene's scarf, but need to have my aunt send me a good photo of it. here are some crapola photos.

the top photo's color is more accurate, but you can't see much of the detail. hopefully better photos will be coming soon.

New Year

2008-01-14T11:23:00.000-05:00

for my new years resolution i'm going to post to my blogs at least once a week. so here is the first installment.

I just finished an amigurimi doll for some one's birthday. it was one of the hardest things to give away, i liked it so much. jack didn't want to let it go either.

he's from beth doherty's book "AMIGURUMI". i used cotton yarn i had in my stash instead of buying th acrylic recommended in the book. i like how he feels in cotton.

i went back and forth witht the color choices, but really like how the burgundy and green look together with the pale bunny. I want to make one for jack now, and nicole wants one for william, but i think i'll make him a lion for his birthday(he's a leo).

i really enjoyed making this and would love to start making original designs. i love doherty's proportions, how the firgure ends up cute but not cutsey. and the hinged arms... love em.

not sure what i'll use next time for yarn. acrylic or cotton. probably acrylic. i do like the shine of the 'satin' yarns they have out. and the colors are great.

i made alittle owl last night. going to photog him now in the falling snow.

Hot socks

2007-08-13T11:55:00.000-04:00

First up are Sockapalooza4 socks--sent and received. I tend to be conservative in the socks i like, so for my pal i chose a conservative pattern as well. Toe-up 2x2 rib socks, by Anne Budd, from the summer issue of IK. This was my first toe-up, short row heel sock and i really love it. I used wildfoote yarn in blue-blood red(SY26) and ragtime (SY300).

the color in the photo is fairly accurate, though blurry. I also sent her one of the s4 bags . I really love these and when they came ( yes i got one for me too) i had a hard time parting with the one I'd bought for joanne. You can check out her blog and received package here.

Then of course, there are the wonderful socks i got from my pal. I love the pattern, Anastasia socks. (sorry about the quality of the photo, my camera is on it's last legs). You can see the pattern of the socks more clearly on the link photo. Julie knit them in lorna's laces bucks' bar colorway.

I really enjoyed my first sockapalooza and can't wait for the next one. It started me on my current quasi-obsession. ...

SWAP-BOT. I just can't get enough. The plain yarn exchanges are easier but i really enjoy the challenge ones. Like the one that i knit these for. First let me say that i do NOT want to send these off, but luckily for my partner i ran to the post office this AM before i could change my mind and knit her something else. They are a set of potholders, backed with a fabric i love. I originally bought it for a dress, which i have yet to sew together, even though all the pieces are cut and ready to go. I used some scraps because it matches perfectly with the teal colored yarn. I'm really pleased with how these turned out. The lace pattern is Twin Leaf Lace Cloth and i just followed some instruction from easy-going potholders to put them together.

There are a couple more projects in the works right now, which I'll get to posting about in the next few days.

up and running

2007-07-19T16:00:00.000-04:00

I'm ashamed of how lame i've been with keeping up with this blog. there's been lots of knitting going on, but not a lot of posting. honestly i just haven't been in the mood or really had much time for it. the summer days draw me out to go to the park with J. , sometimes even twice in one day!! so there's really not much time to get lost in journaling land. i really need to let my mind wander to write, soooooo.............

but i seriously want to start up again, even if only to give a weekly summary. i'm trying to do the same with J.'s blog, and that brings me back to what i was thinking before about combining these two blogs into one.

there have been socks, devil pants, heart sachets and LOTS of sweater recycling (which has yielded some AMAZING yarn, at an even more amazing price.

I finished Roza's Socks for my friend Jinn a while back, before i went to san diego. she loved them. i'll post what photos i have, but i didn't do a proper photo shoot. i've also finished my sockapalooza pals socks. now there was a project!! how do you decide what to knit for a total stranger??!!! especially when the only she really said was how big (small really) her feet are and the she doesn't care for green. that left me with way too many options. if you know me at all, it takes me forever to decide on something and even after deliberating for ever, i'm still not sure if i made the right choice. i ended up knitting some fairly simple 2x2 rib toe-up socks. I'd never done toe-up/short row socks before, so for me it was a bit of a challenge. i do like how they turned out even though they're not super fancy.

i'm starting to knit some devil pants for a friend's baby's birthday and depending on how those goi'll knit some for J

FFO

2007-05-16T18:45:00.000-04:00

Finally, finished object(s)! (there's really only 1, so it doesn't really deserve an s, but anyway...)

Pattern: BFF socks by Cookie A
Yarn: Koigu PPPM in forgotten colourway
Needles: US1

I'd forgotten to take photos, so the recipient, nicole, took some for me. what a wonderful job she did. william even helped. and his modeling of them makes me wonder if i should be making baby leg warmers instead. oh so very cute!!!!

In other news....it's pretty sad but i'm still working on someones christmas present. i had originaly started something with colinette prism, but didn't like how that was turning out, so i started on something new. nothing fancy but at this point i just want to get the job done.

The yarn is Moda Dea Eclipse in mauve and the pattern is Twist Shoulder Wrap from the same company. It's my first lacy work and let me tell you it's been a bitch!!! Heaven forbid I should miss a stitch somewhere, because now i can't seem to get back on track and have had to frog quite a bit of it, even stuff that i know was alright. ARGGGHH!!!!!

So i gave it a break for a little bit and cast on for Roza's Socks in Lorna's laces Firefly. I'm really liking how the yarn looks with this pattern.

I have completed more than this photo shows and LOVE the brioche/ rib pattern. it flows really well while knitting, even though i'm not too fond of purling.

2007-05-06T20:17:00.000-04:00

sockapalooza is on and i'm pretty excited about it. it's the first time i've knit anything for a swap. and that i'm going to be receiving some handknit socks. can't wait.

i'm almost done with the BFF socks, no new photos to show of those, though. i have been doing other things as well, like making j. some t-shirts. i totally love how they look. it's so fun looking for images to funk up an otherwise plain onesie.

the rack....

2007-04-25T10:43:00.000-04:00

the ball and chain has now turned into the rack. slowly tearing me apart as i fight to line the back. let me just say upfront, if anyone has any advice please send it my way.

so i finally finished knitting this thing and am happy with the results, of the front any way. the back not so much so i've decided to line it. it's taking a bit more tugging and pulling than i expected to get it perfectly squared. but that's not the thing that's giving me the most problem. what i'm really wondering about is how toquilt the whole thing what kind of design i should use. should i just follow the lines created by the log cabin pattern? should i tie it in a few strategic places and not quilt the whole back. or should i just leave the whole thing unstiched, which i think is going to give a more billowy effect than i am looking for.

i also finnaly blocked j's big bad baby blanket the other day. i'm ashamed to say that i finished knitting it 10 months ago. in my head i was saying oh blocking won't make that much of a difference. but it really did, it practically changed to entire feeling of the yarn. it's much softer now. i like it even better. these photos are terrible and don't show the color very well.

Actually the top photo (closeup) although blurred, is a more accurate representation of the color. it's koigu in god only knows what colourway. i lost the band months ago.

defying Rx's orders

2007-04-20T10:53:00.000-04:00

this is the lorna's laces i posted about a while back, but never got around to photographing. the firefly colourway is growing on me, especially since i cast on roza's socks with it the other day. (more about that soon).

And then there's the Manzanita Shepherd Sport for Grumperina's Periwinkle Beret.

But what i've really been working on are some socks for Nicole's birthday. they're BFF socks Cookie A. I had some koigu that's been laying around since i knit j's big bad baby blanket and i was on a koigu kick ( and i had $$$ to afford such a luxury). It's a really bright colourway, a bit too busy maybe for the cables of the socks, but i'm liking how they're turning out. my first cables to speak of, and i'm totally enjoying them.

oh, my wrist? it's better. not 100% but i just can't help myself. it is getting better though.

hollywood... (a blurb)

2007-04-19T22:16:00.000-04:00

there's been much going on here, behind the scenes of this blog. however, i haven't had time to post or take pictures or anything. my fingers have been busy with a variety of tasks, not all of them knitting related. but now is not the time to discuss these things. tomorrow. now is time for bed.
bonne nuit.

out of comission

2007-04-13T10:40:00.000-04:00

my wrist has been sore for a couple of weeks, so i went to have it looked at the other day and came home with this...

somewhere along the way, i sprained it. the doctor said no knitting. so i guess i'll post about other things.

one of my favourite sweaters got munched last summer

i don't know what got me more upset, that it got munched or that i didn't do anything to prevent it. luckily it wasn't a handknit. now, to salvage it i think i'm going to recycle the yarn. it's fingering weight merino in a burnt orange colour that i really love. not sure what it will be reincarnated as, but i'll start researching.

a bit of a distractiON>

2007-04-07T07:52:00.000-04:00

the blanket was getting to me and i needed a bit of a distraction. something fun, quick and... for j. i haven't knit much for him, so i thought a stuffed animal would be the perfect thing. after looking at various bear designs, i came across this by ysolda. a bunny. i loved it immediaely and ran down to my lys to my to find some suitable yarn.

pattern: stuffies by ysolda

yarn: berroco ultra alpaca, colour 6225

needles: us 8 (5.0mm) clover bamboo

the pattern calls for felting the features with a felting needle, which unfortunately i do not own. so.... i embroidered the eyes (photo not shown), but i'm not pleased with the results so i may use buttons instead.

now back to the old ball and chain...

computer literacy

2007-03-28T09:45:00.000-04:00

my first comment! how exciting!!! funny because i was just reading the entry in cara's blog about leaving comments and blogging and whatnot and now my first comment. and knowing that someone is reading what i've written. pretty cool. cause one of the reasons i started this blog was to be part of the greater knitting community and get feedback from people. with the munchkin now i can't get out to stitch n' bitch sessions any more so it's great to have a connection with other knitters.

i have been considering joining my two blogsbecause i'm having a hard time keeping them both up to date. of course i'm not sure knitters want so much info on j. and my family so much info on knitting and my crafting life. so i'm still mulling it over. this may just remain my knitting blog with j. mentioned for the knitting projects he inspires me to knit for him. however few they may be.

which brings to why i haven't knit that much for him up to now. kids just grow to fast. it will probably take me more time to knit him the arrr baby set than time he will be able to wear it. i thought about dressing up one of his bears in it either before and/or after he fits in it. at least someone will get to take advantage of this fine fashion.

on the knitting front, i've resumed work on the baby blanket. i ran out of one of the colours and i'm not sure if i'm going to get another ball or just end it a square short. i'll se what it looks like after this section and decide.

p.s. blogging is also making me computer literate. considering m. bought me my first computer 4 years ago, i think i've come a long way (for me).

people drink this stuff??

2007-03-23T20:14:00.000-04:00

I just got done dying some yarn using koolaid c. very kool. the scary thing is that people drink this stuff and it dyes yarn in like a minute. after i was done and washing the dishes i was acting like it was rit c, making sure not to get it on porous dish surfaces i.e. the babies bottles and stuff. the grocery store that i bought the ka at did not have much of a selection, but i did get all the varieties they had, 7 in all. then i get home only to discover that the new thing is INVISIBLE KOOLAID. wow. how did they manage that? oh yeah they just omitted the food colouring. one less scruptious ingredient for your consumption pleasure. anywho. that's the vital part i needed so i only ended up with 5 colour choices, and no greens or oranges. three shades of red, one blue and a yellow. there's another store nearby that i'll try next time. overall i'm pleased with the results. the method is super easy and it's pretty fast. when i get more colours i want to experiment with mixing them as well. i also read somewhere about using regular food colouring. wilton's i believe.

on the fo front, i finally finished m's socks. i'm pretty pleased with them and so is he. they're already in the dirty laundry.

theresa had her baby on wednesday. 8lbs 9 oz, 22in long and a full head of dark curly hair, just like his dad. the blanket is nowhere closer to completion, but i will remedy that this weekend

spring is in the air

2007-03-14T19:15:00.000-04:00

it was so beautiful today, not as sunny as yesterday, but warmer and it has revived me. winter always gets to me, and this winter was a bit harder because i was indoors with the babe so much. but days like today, look out. my fingers were flying on the needles and mark's sock is coming along. since i'm not working i feel like i need to give myself some deadlines on all these knitting projects i have lined up. I haven't even started on the felted bag for diana which was promised as a christmas gift. hello, it's almost the end of march!!!!! So deadlines... mark's socks by this weekend, baby blanket by the end of next week, then diana's bag. all this before i can even look at the new yarn that i bought.....
lorna's laces sport in manzanita and ll shepherd sock in firefly. the firefle was a bit disappointing. I was expecting it to be more vibrant, more lime green, but the name is very appropriate, it looks exactly like the glow from a firefly. duh.

wound too tight

2007-03-11T09:30:00.000-04:00

I must be wound too tight, because I cast on for Jack's sweater and the pattern calls for size 3 needles with sport weight yarn, to get a gauge of 26sts/4". yeah right. I had to move up to a size 5. Is that normal?? Is that okay? Anyway, it's knitting up to gauge now. I had to go out yesterday to build up my needle arsenal. I did not have size 5 needles.

So now I've got three different projects going: baby blanket, socks and Arrr! baby set from the winter knit1.

It is so utterly cute. It's the reason I bought the mag in the first place. The broken heart sweater would be great in my size and if I ever finish with all i have on my plate now, i may size it up.

Jawoll

2007-03-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

Got my camera back from Nicole.

The baby blanket is coming along slowly but surely. There's Jack helping with size comparison. i've run out of the variegated yarn and need to get another ball. I called Windsor Button (the lys where I originally purchased the yarn) and they don't have any more of that dye lot. Hopefully it won't matter too much because of the variegation and that it's spread out over the log cabin pattern.

I worked on Mark's socks a tiny bit tonight and will continue after this post.

Here's a picture of the finished one and the yarn.

It looks better on the foot than on the counter.

yarn in the mail

2007-03-07T09:06:00.000-05:00

Can I get any more lame with posting on here. Between Jack, errands, knitting and Jack's blog I haven't found much time to post.

So for an update (albeit pictureless for now because my camera is at Nicole's)...The baby blanket is nearing completion (almost), I have 2 BIG blocks left, plus the border. I'm going to line the back because I really don't care for how all those picked up stitches look. Honestly I don't think I did it correctly , but it's alright for now and it's nothing a little fabric backing can't fix. I chose a dark purple cotton fabric and even darker quilt binding for the edge. Not sure if I'm going to use the binding, I'll see after the fabric is on.

Mark has been complaining about his other sock...that by the time I finish the pair it will be June and not really wool sock weather....So I cast on the other one last nite. It's a good thing because I am needing a break from all the endless garter stitch of the baby blanket.

I just purchased Grumperina's periwinkle beret pattern. It's so very delicious. And of course I had to get some Lorna's Laces to start ASAP. I ordered a skein of the Manzanita colourway, for the beret, and while I was at it 2 skeins of Firefly sock weight for some socks for me. It's actually the first time I've ordered yarn online and I can't wait to receive the package. Something to look forward to.

Log cabin baby blanket

2007-02-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

I think I'm about 2/3 of the way done with Theresa's blanket. I 'm not sure why I torture myself this way---inch after inch of garter stitch. It's beautiful, but endless. And I haven't been wanting to distract myself with another project because I just want to get it done. Her baby's due March 28th, and I'd really like to have it finished before then.

The pattern is Moderne Baby Blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting, in Bernat cotton tots. The photo doesn't do the colours justice( no natural light).

2006-11-05T13:42:00.000-05:00

Jack's sleeping, so I decided to start this log. not sure if i'll kep up with it, but here goes.
Almost done with Carol's slippers. Not sure if I like the colour i chose anymore, but maybe once they're all done and i sit with them for a while they'll grow on me. Or not.