Testing...testing...is this thing on?

What do I say?

Tell them you broke all the bones in your hands, making knitting and typing impossible.

But I've been talking to a few of them to let them know I'm doing all right. That won't work.

All right, tell them Idris Elba finally came to his senses, showed up at your house and swept you away to Hollywood, where the two of you have been ensconced in his private residence, feeding each other chocolates by the handful.

Do you really think if that had happened, I wouldn't have made a major announcement on this blog, complete with pictures? Duh.

Tell them you were abducted by aliens.

Oh sure, that will work. The aliens experimented on me, probed parts I didn't know I had and even let me take my laptop into outer space and send messages. Dummy, that won't work! I'll just be honest...

Things were extremely hectic and while they haven't completely calmed down, I figured I should update my blog while I had a spare moment. The other thing was, while I wouldn't say these last few months were rough, there were a few incidents that interfered with my glass-is-half-full philosophy. Yes, the glass was half full...half full of worms.

BUT I'm back and you didn't think I'd come back without an FO to show, did you? (In all the time I've been away, I should have about 10 FOs, but let's just take what we can get, shall we?)

Pattern: Fancy Silk Sock (Rav link) from Knitting Vintage Socks
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, colorway Red
Needles: US size 1

I really love this sock, but next time I knit socks, I will not do the pointed toe.

I did it this time just to see how it would look. Every time I look at this toe, I feel like singing "You're off to see the wizard..." Or getting back to work in Santa's Workshop.

Other than the toe, this is a really pretty pattern which shouldn't have taken so long to finish. Usually, I don't block socks, but to get the cuff points to lie straight, I had to. Otherwise, they sort of flop over (totally adding to the elf-in-socks experience).

Leg detail

So, while I would love to say it won't be months before you hear from me again, I hate to promise anything and not hold up my end of the bargain. I hope this summer allows for more free time -- if it does, I'll definitely be around more, not just here, but reading and commenting at your blogs, too (thanks, Urban.)

'Til next time...Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the yellow-brick road!

Because This is Still a Knitting Blog

Warning: pic heavy post.

My first FO's of the year!

First up, a quartet of dishcloths. I know some knitters think dishcloths are a waste of time, but I don't. They're useful and usually so much nicer than what you can buy in the store. Plus, you can make them in whatever colors you want. These are for my mother-in-law, who needs dishcloths. Her kitchen is forest green, so I made these cloths in colors that would go with the room.

Pattern: Clover Tweed dishcloth

Pattern: Lace Star cloth

Pattern: Ballband dishcloth (Rav link) from Mason-Dixon Knitting

Needles: US size 7 (4.5 mm)

Yarn: Sugar & Cream, in forest green, white, ecru and cream

I had no trouble with the Ballbands or the Clover Tweed, but my hands were aching while working the Lace Star. It's worked on DPNs and circulars and the cotton was just a pain to work with in the round. Still, it makes for a nice lacy pattern that's very different from the other cloths I did.

Next up, the baby sweater.

Pattern: Baby Poonam (Rav link)

Yarn: Modea Dea washable wool

Needles: US size 5 and 7 (3.75 and 4.5 mm)

This project is so overdue, especially when you start planning it when you find out a baby is coming and you don't finish until after the baby is born!

This is for you, Bekka, or rather your little one. I made it in the 6-9 month size, so I hope it fits and gives little Elsa room to grow.

If I knit this sweater again, I'm going to follow Two Cables n' A Frapp's lead and knit seed stitch as the textural stitch on the back and sleeves. That would make it easier to work the stitches when you're doing decreases on the arms -- instead of wondering how to stick to the pattern in the midst of fewer stitches, you can just knit the purls and purl the knits.

Also, the instructions don't tell you to switch to the smaller needle when doing the front button band, so my front button band is slightly wider than the back one, which is annoying. I was just knitting along; I wasn't thinking. I do whatever the instructions tell me. If Weedinator was smart, he'd write in things he wants me to do in the middle of knitting instructions.

I made a note on the pattern to look out for the band issue in the future because chances are, I will knit this baby sweater again for someone else. It's an enjoyable little project that works for either a boy or a girl (I think). I have more to say, but I'll save it for next time since I want to post here more often and frankly, I think this one has gone on long enough. *whew*

What a Difference a Year Makes

People, I have actually been knitting, nearly every day since this year started. Even if it's only 20 minutes, I've reclaimed my joy of knitting. This despite being very busy with work. This time last year, I was smarting over not getting a job I desperately wanted. 2008 just went downhill from there.

This past New Year's Eve, I waited until midnight to kindly escort 2008 out the door ("don't let the doorknob hit ya..."). On January 1, I woke up feeling very hopeful. After all, a new president would soon take over and you could just feel change in the air. Then, a few days ago, I found out I landed a writing gig that will triple my current salary. So far, 2009 has been wonderful in all the ways 2008 sucked eggs.

Next, if you are (a) a sock toe (b) a baby sweater sleeve (c) a plain ole stockinette sock,

I promise I will finish you. Soon. No, really. Soon. I should have some FOs any day now -- I was afflicted with some incredible startitis that makes it hard to finish anything when I'm working on five WIPs at once. Still...it's 2009. Anything's possible.

Did you want to read this Vogue Knitting? Oh, you want me to move?

Back in the New Year

With the exception of my annual Christmas greeting, I won't be back until 2009. Between the knitting (and no FO's to show for it yet!) and the working and the party planning (40 people this Christmas Eve. My house. See why I can't dawdle?) and the cleaning and the making Christmas memories...hang on, let's delve into that last part.

I'm sure many of you are baking cookies, wrapping gifts that you lovingly handmade, sipping hot toddies -- you're making those kinds of memories.

Us? This is what I'll remember from Christmastime 2008.

I'm wrapping gifts in my bedroom and the kids and Weedinator are around. I hear "yah! yah! yah!" and I don't think anything of it at first. Little boys live here -- you hear a lot of yah! yah! yah! at times. Anyway, after a while, I hear "YAH! (thud) YAH! (thud)." The thuds make me think I should investigate.

I leave my bedroom and see the the Dimpled One standing with an empty wrapping paper roll in his hands. He's wielding this thing like A-Rod in Game 7 of the World Series with three guys on base and Yankees down two runs. And he's screaming YAH! every time he hits my Christmas tree with his self-made bat as ornaments go flying off! YAH! (thud being my ornaments hitting the floor)

I scream "What do you think you're doing?? Are you #$%*! out of your mind? YAH!"

I gently and lovingly steer him toward more constructive activities such as origami while I lightly pinch his cheek and tell him what a playful scamp he is.

Christmas memories, sigh...

This, however, has brought me no stress...

Girasole, working chart D

This shawl has been an absolute joy so far. It looks complex, but is surprisingly simple. (Laura Sue, you asked me a question last time and I don't have your e-mail address, but the yarn I'm using is fingering weight.)

When I return in January, I hope to have some FOs to show. Have a safe and happy holiday, all!

Serendipity

A couple of years ago, Amanda gifted me with 10 skeins of this uber-luscious alpaca yarn:

I didn't have a project in mind for it right away, but kept looking. I wanted the project I paired with this yarn to be special. It had to be as beautiful as the yarn & worthy of being knit. I finally found the project perfect for this yarn.

b r o o k l y n t w e e d has done it again -- have you seen Girasole (Rav link) yet? OMGosh. Wrap me up & take me away. Alpaca, meet your match.

Girasole beginning, shawl version

What sold me was when he says (in his blog post) that half of this pattern is plain knitting, or mindless stockinette since it's worked in the round. You mean I can watch some trashy TV & still zoom along on this pretty lace project? I couldn't whip out my debit card fast enough.

Now, this increases my WIP list to somewhat scary numbers (7). I was actually making progress on some long-neglected projects when this one cropped up & demanded to move to the front of the line. Fortunately, my knitting mojo has moved back home for the winter. He brought luggage & everything, promised to help with the dishes & not drink so much. Yeah...we'll see.

The Case of the Missing DPN

Before I launch into the latest, let me point out one important fact: normally, I knit socks with 5 DPNs.

OK? On with the show, which provided my family with entertainment rivaling the season finale of many a TV program.

I was sitting in bed, knitting on my sock. I was excited because I haven't been doing a whole lot of knitting, but was finally feeling like tackling some WIPs.

So there I am, finished with the leg, starting on the heel flap. I don't need all the DPNs now, so I set one aside. Later, however, Weedinator comes to bed & I decide to knit in the family room, where I'll have more light. I gather my things & can't find the 5th DPN. I don't need the 5th DPN at the moment since I'm still working the heel, but I want to know where it is for later.

I start out calmly, knowing it has to be right there somewhere. After all, I was just sitting up in bed. I start moving pillows. No DPN. I pull back covers. Still no DPN. Weedinator asks what I'm looking for & I describe the DPN in full detail, although I can't tell you what I ate for breakfast. I'm afraid that if I don't get it out of the bed, someone will roll on top of it & break it; or, I'm afraid it'll be 2 a.m. & I'll feel it sticking me in the back. Finally, I make Weedinator get out of bed (no, I don't care that it's been a long day for him & I'm inconveniencing him), pull all the covers & pillows off, endure his teasing me about crumbs in the bed, but still, no DPN. He crawls back in bed, where I toss the covers on top of him & leave, dejected.

I sit in the family room & dump the contents of my knitting bag. I flip through books & magazines. Then I go back into the bedroom with a flashlight & look all around the bed, under the bed, under my yarn chest, etc. No DPN. I go back up front, grumbling all the while. I pick up my sock again, knowing that once I finish the heel, I'll need that other DPN when I start on the foot. Yes, I can knit with 4 DPNs instead of 5, but I like using 5. I have another set of the same size in my needlecase, but that set is longer in length & I don't like using them for socks. Is anyone out there saying "anal retentive" yet? All these thoughts are going through my head when I look at the pattern again. On the leg, I was only using 3 DPNs & knitting with the 4th. I had forgotten that I'd followed the pattern exactly & only used 4 DPNs total...which means, the 5th DPN is safely in my needlecase where it's been all this time.

If I didn't just make a case for knitting socks on two circulars, I don't know what else I've done.

Only four DPNs. Huh.

Awards & Such

I have a lot to catch you up on, but I'll break it up into small posts over the next week or so instead of writing a novel here.

First up, Miss T at Miss T's Mystery House of Yarn & Horrors (one of my all-time fave blog names!) awarded me with the "I Love Your Blog Award". You know I'm a rule-breaker, but I'm going to be nice this time because things are going so well...

The Rules:

1. Please mention the award on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. You must nominate at least 4 fellow bloggers for this award.
4. Add links to the recipients.
5. Leave a comment so the recipients know they have received an award.

Although it's hard to whittle down the list, I stuck to 4. I tried to pick bloggers who I haven't previously awarded, although my memory isn't what it used to be. Anyway, my nominees are:

Knitting Sutra - She's into knitting, yoga & tying a peaceful journey into beautiful photographs that are simply captivating.
Blue Peninsula - Want to see some amazing lace, among other pretty knits? Get thee to this blog. Bonnie designs, too, and every now & then, we get to sneak a peek at her kitty, the adorable Ida.
When a Door Closes... - Ava knits some of the most fashionable pieces that may take a while to complete, but will last & be cherished for years & years.
Deborah's Daily Dilemmas - It's never boring at Deborah's. Whether the wildlife is making her home their own or she's reporting on the political scene, this busy mom is never without needles in her hands (and I so envy her for that!).

Next, briefly, unless you're dead, you know we had a presidential election here recently. One reason I've been absent around these parts is because I was so glued to what was going on politically that I spent a lot of time at polling & political blogs, as well as listening to NPR & watching CNN all day long. Weedinator has informed me that if I don't campaign for someone, anyone, come 2012, I'm going to have to find somewhere else to live.

You may have noticed I don't really discuss politics here, so forgive me this one break from policy, but we did it, didn't we? I woke up November 5th with such a feeling of hope, that the sun seems to shine brighter. I didn't vote for a man based on the color of his skin, but on the content of his character. To quote the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." We have a way to go, America, but now I have reason to believe we'll get there.

When Mojo is Happy

The mojo has been hanging around lately, so I'm indulging him as much as possible. No doubt he'll wait until I get ready to seam something before he grabs his hat, suitcase & heads out the door to Acapulco, so while he's here, I'm keeping him happy with lots of knitting.

File this under: No Sleeve Island for Me! I knit the sleeves first for my Sienna cardi & am now working on the back. I'm making my customary short-person mods & I'm kind of nervous because there's cabling on the fronts & I'm not sure how this is going to work out. If worse comes to worst, I'll have to frog, so more on that later...

I would've been further along with this project, but some knitter's ADD grabbed me & forced me to cast on this little project.

Baby Poonam in progress

I would probably already be done if I didn't have to stop every other row & admire this wee sweater for its cuteness. I keep looking at the front & admiring how this baby sweater is coming along. It almost makes me want to have another kid. I'm lying...no power on earth can make me want to have another kid, but I don't mind knitting for pregnant friends & that's who this Baby Poonam is for. The back is finished & hopefully, the next time you see this project, it'll be seamed & blocked & all ready for the mom-to-be. I even have buttons already.

I can barely stand all the cute

Well, mojo's calling & he wants a sandwich. Back to the knitting!

New Things

So summer went by with nary a workout from me. Oh, I walked the dog, but I did it slow (she has to stop & sniff every single mailbox pole, so how fast could I go?). I did some beginner yoga now & then, when the guilt got to me, but for the most part, I worked, read & ate some very bad things, all while sitting on my butt.

Finally, a few weeks ago, I looked in the mirror & couldn't stand the submarine sandwich my middle had become. You never want to look at yourself and think "ewwww." I bought some running shoes & just started running. Oops, I mean walking/jogging. Er, mostly walking with a few one-minute jogs thrown in until I thought I was going to die right there on the sidewalk. The point is -- I stuck to it. I started eating better, too. I still eat what I want, but now I have one serving (non-lumberjack portion).

And I feel so much better. When I was sloshing around several weeks ago, it became clear to me that I didn't want to go out much at all. I didn't want to be social & that made me feel bad. Rather hermit-like. Ewww. Eating better usually kills my craving for sweets, so I haven't had dessert in a while & though I don't miss it, when I next decide I want cake, I'm going to have a (small) piece.

Once I started exercising again & feeling better, I got tired of my hair (good grief, this sounds like an entire mid-life crisis!). I'd been thinking about cutting it for months, but was using it as a security blanket, I guess, although all I ever did was wear it in a bun because I have huge hair & when unleashed, it just gets all bossy & takes over the conversation. So I cut it one day, on impulse. I knew if I thought about it any more, I'd chicken out.

If you've ever had hair down your back & suddenly, it's at your shoulders, you know that sometimes, it takes some getting used to. I'm getting used to it.

In between the running & the hair-cutting & the calming Weedinator down because I didn't tell him about the haircut beforehand, I've been knitting. Next time: some knitterly ADD.

I'm in the Mood for...Red

Some weird disease has been traveling around blogland, infecting knitters everywhere. I'm sure you've noticed. So many knitters lately have lost their desire to knit. We're sitting around, reading, twiddling our thumbs, watching the new season of television shows...

But I am cured! My current WIPs weren't making me any better & though I tried to resist, I cast on something new. For months, I've wanted to knit a cardigan. I haven't made one yet & I've queued a few. I finally dug in the stash for some yarn I'd earmarked for a cardi & just started. No asking the yarn what it wanted to be. No leaning in close & saying "hey, little hank, what do you want to be when you grow up?" I just grabbed some needles & started swatching. (I got the feeling that too much thought would lead me to a no-mojo relapse, so quick action was required.)

Sleeve-turned-swatch, Sienna cardi, Rav link

As you can see, this is bright red, just like my current socks-in-progress. Not sure what's up with all the red (although it is my favorite color & I can't believe I haven't completed a big red project yet). I'm just glad to be knitting again.