When my modified patterns start going awry, I let the object morph.
I finished a scarf today.
It's now an earwarmer.
It's a cool pattern, and maybe it works in the intended yarn. It was twisting too much for my taste and was pretty skinny. Ends together, it's a dandy headwrap to keep the ears toastie.


pattern: cable scarf
yarn: zitron loft 500
needles: US9 brittany DPN (didn't need DPN, tho easy to work with for this.)
dates: 01.19.06-01.22.06
note: I knit this almost entirely continental!

and one hand can stay warm, too. Other mitten to follow. and a scarf, apparently.


The sweater has had its public debut, and even tho it doesn't rival Mindy's first sweater, I'm pretty darned happy I finished it.



pattern: cropped mega chunky cable sweater
'big needle knits to wear' booklet
yarn: lion wool-ease thick and chunky, sky blue 106, lot 30332B
needles: bates plastic circ US13
dates: 09.13.05-01.07.06

Yeah, maybe bulky sweaters don't warrant sriking a pose, but...gimme a break...first sweater 'n all.

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If you look over in the sidebar, I'm hoping to crank out a scarf this week for the Red Scarf Project. The mailing deadline is the 28th. To encourage myself, I got Manos like Rock Chick's, and am gonna try the So Called Scarf. Charity knitting, yes. Selfish yarn lust, yes.

I'm getting into a knitalong mood. I joined the hatalong (does my earwarmer count??) and have a few others bookmarked to join this week. I was explaining to a friend today the community aspect of knitting. Being a part of the online (and face-to-face) knitworld is so heartwarming. It makes me wanna spread the joy with charity knits and joining others working toward the same goals (be it patterns or themes.) Awwww...we're just a big ole happy knit family, eh.

Knit on.

Romance Is Random

Any boy that survives me gets that and doesn't waste cash on roses (don't like 'em) or chocolates and jewelry (do like 'em.)

Yesterday I was a bit moody, thinking Boy was ignoring me. Turns out he'd lost his cell and didn't get my message. (ok, messages.) He calls at 12:30 a.m. (knowing that sorta thing is legal with me.)
"hey, sleepyhead."
"hey."
"mad at me?"
"nope. mad at me?"
"nope."
He's in car driving, we jabber, he's hungry, 30 minutes later he's on my couch with White Castle burgers for him and a milkshake for me.
I agree to help with the burgers.
I require ketchup. I'm wrapped in an afghan that requires 1 hand, the other hand is trying to keep burger off afghan. Opening the ketchup packet is challenging. I pitifully request help. He opens it.
I'm finally persuaded to go for a 2nd burger. It's sitting on my lap. I'm looking at it.
He reaches into the bag and silently opens a ketchup and hands it to me.

It's romance, baby.

15 minutes later he's on his way home, and I'm back in bed with a full belly and a silly grin.
I really need to relax and let the world spin on Faith.
---
A romance of another kind...



Made a hat this week. Love it. Wearing it.
It goes with PJs at 2:30 in the afternoon.



1. Cotton Ease stash, anyone?
2. Aromatherapy heating pad teddy bear from Bro/Kids this Christmas.
3. 2 sleeping cats (only top of Murr's ears.)
4. PJs. Luscious wear-all-day Karen Neuburger PJs.
5. oh yeah, the hat. With charming camera over the head in mirror pose.



yarn: Zitron Loft 100% wool. soft soft wool. color 500, I think.
pattern: Chunky Cable Beanie with modified decreased top that I figured out on my ownsome!
needles: Denise 10.5/16" cable, brittany US9 DPNs or 10 3/4. I forget.
dates: 1.9.06-1.12.06

I had to modify the pattern a bit for different yarn gauge, my big head, a desire to cover my ears, and to create a rounded top.
(cast on 1 extra repeat of pattern, knit a few extra inches, and kept decreasing in pattern down to 3 stitches. Yes, I'm gloriously proud of the cute top the hat has.)

The Denise needles were great for this. I used my ShopHop winnings to get the set. (oops. I never blogged that I got 2nd place in ShopHop! $100 GC to LYS!!!) I was able to switch to smaller cables before resorting to DPN's. Nice. I hadn't expected to like plastic needles and got the set for convenience. Have ended up using them more often than my Addis lately!

I plan to make mittens and a scarf to go with the hat.
I wasn't sure I bought enough yarn.
Planned a trip to yarn shop. Was delayed a day.
The yarn had been there for over a year (thus me getting it on sale.)
It's not there.
NOT THERE.
"Someone came in this afternoon and got it to finish a project."
No, I needed it to finish my project.
Fume. Sorrow.
voicemail from (blogless)Karen the following morn "hey, was at yarnstore yesterday and grabbed the rest of your hat yarn so you'd be able to finish."
I fell off my chair laughing.

keep the faith, folks.

*added 02.11.06: romance truly is random; it strikes and leaves, heh. No complaints, tho. I think I've found something even better than midnite burgers.

'A' is for...

alpaca.

OK, I'm gonna cheat. I found out about the alphabetalong too late, so I'm just gonna do it on my ownsome. Anything to inspire a blogpost or 2 or 26.

Alpaca.


yarn: plymouth baby alpaca chunky in gray, navy, wedgewood (my color names, not theirs)
needles: Denise 10.5 w/19" cable
pattern: none. 180 garter stitches lengthwise, random rows as the mood struck
dates: 12.16.05-12.18.05. knittin' to the clock.

Closeup of the 'front.'

This was my first Christmas knit. I had a friend visiting that often brings nice gifts, so I thought I'd whip up some yarny goodness for him. Yes, perhaps this was also an excuse to use the yarn I had some serious lust for. No, no...it was all about the gift. [nods vigorously.] He seemed to love it and declined the addition of fringe (the perfect way to avoid having to weave in ends on a last-minute gift scarf, eh!) If you haven't enjoyed this yarn yet, go for it. It's worth it. (Bob...it's sitting in your stash. You wound the balls up. Now, use it!)

---
Perhaps I'll be one of those organized knitters and start working on my holiday gifts for '06...like...now. Perhaps Not. I really would love to give handknits out, though, and starting the last 2 weeks of December doesn't seem to work out so well. This Christmas past, I found a pattern that I thought clever, funny, and practical, so I cranked out 4 of them for family members.
Ice Scraper Cuffs
Ingredients:
1. an icescraper. Not one to skimp, I got nice ones with the extra squishy handles.
2. 3 strands of acrylic worsted yarn. I wanted something that would survive snow but be pretty/soft/warm. I did 1 in Caron simply soft (red/black/gray,) 1 in TLC lustre (dark red,) 1 in TLC Essentials (variegated denim blue,) and 1 in Hobby Lobby Airy (deep red with black Elf eyelash on cuff.) The last one...not so much on the durable, more so on the snuggly.
3. size 10 3/4 DPN's. 10 3/4??? Yeah, that was the best option the LYS had in Brittany's. Worked out swell.

It's an easy pattern and a great way to get comfortable using DPN's. Particularly after my boss showed me the right way to knit on them. Apparently I was working backwards, inside-out, somethin'. All better now.

I figured the parents were usually in the car together, so Dad got the scraper (even though I'm sure Mom sweetly takes care of this chore often,) and I made a muff for Mom's ever-chilly fingers. Take some white Hobby Lobby Airy (2 stranded,) CO ~33 stitches, knit a few inches, switch to TLC Essentials (3 stranded) to match Dad's scraper, knit several more inches, repeat the fluffy stuff, BO. And there ya have it, Hand-Warming-Muffy-Goodness.

(I only got pic's of the blue scraper. multiply by 4 in different colors and you get the idea.)

---

Yesterday, I finished my sweater finally. Started in 09.05. It will never be a fashion statement, but it's off the UFO list. Pics sometime later...maybe.

---

The Knitpicks Northern Lights mitten will be frogged. Yes, NEKnitters, I'm admitting defeat. While a dislocated thumb and restricted blood flow don't sound soooo awful, I think I'll start over using larger needles and the correct color (brown instead of fawn, hopefully?) For those out there that haven't tried this pattern yet, gauge seems to matter. harumph. And the pattern colors don't match the pic. You've been warned.

---

To end a post that's already too long, a tale of 2 cats.

What to my wondering eyes should appear but my cats actually TOUCHING each other and NOT fighting!

she awakes.

your leg is between mine, dude. move it.

Normalcy returns.

phwew.

byebye '05

I'll try to post some pics of the past 4-5 months knitting projects soon, but today I just wanna wish y'all a wonderful New Year! Thanks for hanging in there with me this fall/winter. I see that I still get a lot of hits even without posting! I'm gonna work on that.
Be happy, be well, and Knit On!


Inspired to list it and 'live out loud' by Crazy Aunt Purl, I'll let blogville see my good intentions (we don't do resolutions in WhimZland.)

(again stealing from Laurie, I'll chop it up in categories)

Home:
1. Just get the closet cleaned out already. I bought a shelving unit, and most of the closet's contents need to go away. I'm not likely to be skinny and 25 again, and the memory keepsakes can be in my head instead of my closet. JUST CLEAN IT OUT.
2. Give the bedroom some style. Paint it, clean it out, get some carpet, make it look like a place for a grownup to live.
3. Buy a dustmask and attack the basement storage again. I know there's a sewing machine down there SOMEwhere. (really, this one is only slightly my fault. If ya knew my landlord...)

Me:
1. Lose a few pounds. I'll be happier.
2. Do yoga. It feels good.
3. Sleep more, read blogs less (ack!)
4. Keep trying to smile when in public. The smiles I'm getting back, especially from tired holiday shoppers, feel great.
5. Dance at home. I used to boogy all the time; it's a good way to rev the engine.
6. Communicate better with my family.
7. Stop being so cautious.
8. Save up $ for a cool trip, or...um...pay off more bills. (getting there!)
9. Be a better friend. write more, call more, listen more. Don't let people drift away from neglect.
10. Plan my time out better. Why, that could be done with a list! And then, um...stick to the list.
11. Consider getting haircuts more often than once or twice a year...
12. Volunteer somewhere. Do charity knitting. Make some of this blessed existence spill over to others.
[added 1.1.06 ~ I've been working on a 'gratitude attitude' (ugh. just made that up. sorry.) the past few years. I saw a blog entry that addresses this quite well today. Check it out.]


Hobbies/Activities:
1. learn to use that sewing machine!
2. keep learning new knit skills, don't let it become a faded hobby!
3. use a few of the beads, eh. (thank goodness collecting beads isn't a spacehog.)
4. start/keep up a knit journal on paper. Blogging rocks, but I love looking through others' knit journals, and it's a good place to keep yarn scraps, etc.
5. get the violin out. Actually learn to play it again. It's beautifully restored, music makes me happy....stop being so shy about the neighbors and squeak away!
6. work harder to find time for reading. It's getting more balanced, but not as much as I'd like.
7. decide an update schedule for the knitblog, either quit blogging, or work on it. ditto bookblog.
8. Have fun with the watercolor painting page-a-day calendar. It's all about not being afraid of things I'm not sure of. (The "C" I got in the college art class crushed me, and I TRIED!)


This is just a quick list while sipping my first glass of champagne for the year (or...eh...the close-to-last-glass of 2005.) I'm sure the list will be edited plenty!

---
Thank you, Aunt Purl, for inspiring knitbloggers and single gals...being a solo catlady with a yarn obsession can be lonely business, but you do it with grace and laughter.

Thanks to my Knit group for being a faithful source of creativity, friendship and giggles.

Thanks to my family. You're...my family. I love you. (Princess and Murr can get lumped in here for now, too.)

I'm ending this year happy. Strangely happy. Mr Right didn't appear, my apt is messy, I'm not a zillionaire. I am safe, fed, warm and loved. It works. Happy New Year.

I'm home.

It smells like home.

Mom was surprised when I asked her for tips on making her beef stew. Yeah, I'm usually vegetarian. There are moments when sentiment, or manners, win over animal ethics. (Feel free to flame if you're hardcore veggie. I know.) The stew is cooking, and I feel like I'm home.

I haven't blogged in months.
Life had some twists, and I chose to spend my time reading, knitting, and socializing instead of blogging. (If anyone wants to provide me with DSL that could all change! Dialup does not make photo-blogging a quick process.)

I had thought of just slinking in to the class, sitting in the last row, and hoping no one would notice my tardiness. I once read a complaint about bloggers that were absent and then apologized about their reappearance. True. She's back. Not really worth READING about! Slink I shall.

I have been knitting.
I have been reading about knitting.
The joy of feeling yarn, seeing new stitches, finding new project ideas...all alive and well.

Tootsie is done.
I made a sweater. I haven't woven in the ends. I'm stalling on that.
I've made a few washcloths and the angelic (blogless) Karen made even more. They're for a charity project for the office mgr at work.
I started a breast cancer ribbon scarf in a yummy sparkly pink mohair blend.
I started a lacy scarf in Rowan summer tweed that I will be frogging.
I'm ignoring my clapotis.
I've started the 2nd strap for my quattro bag.
I still need to make my Dad's footies with his father's day yarn. (nope, dad, didn't forget!!)
I started some wrist warmers in Orangeade cottonease (hi there, cottonease followers!) and Target fun fur.
I started a multidirectional scarf using DiVe Teseo. I love love love it. It's browns and oranges and yummy.

and

I hopped.
And shopped.
and shop-hopped.

I have a lovely bag full of yarn, 500 miles on my car, and 12 stamps on my shophop card. 12 stores across Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio had a contest. I had a vacation day and an urge to spend some time alone fondling yarn. The fall leaves were lovely. I had a soft bed and quiet room in Georgetown, KY. My stash is bursting at the seams. It was fun, and I got lots of new ideas for projects.

I might post pics soon...of projects, and new stash.

But, I'm still on vacation, and it smells like home.

no knitting news here

nothin'.
I haven't finished any projects since last post.
Tootsie Roll pillow has seen progress.
My social life has seen progress.
but,
I got nothin'.

(I will pat self on back that I've resisted all craft/yarn purchases for a couple weeks now!)

My secret pal asked me to post an ACTION! pic of the bag she made me. Without further ado...

Project updates

just knitting.
No exciting recipes to share, no tales to tell, no sunsets to view.
just knitting.

Tootsie Roll makes my hands happy. I'm starting to wobble on its beauty as a pillow, but it's a divine knit. I hung out at starbucks friday nite listening to an unexpected 'concert' and worked a few inches (with plenty of curious glances regarding this bold KIPing.) How often does one innocently head out for a chai and get to listen to really good guitar/singing? Tootsie recorded it. Last nite, I watched the Aviator (good enough movie, but kept thinking...END already!) and did another few rounds. So...pillow: 3 movies, 1 sunset, 1 concert.



---
In early July I sent my secret pal a big ole package that was enough to cover my SP obligation, but I feel bad that I haven't been sending her other little goodies. Mail is always a good thing. So, I tried to whip up a washcloth for her this week. My knit group didn't really make me think that this would be the bestest gift to get (the pattern disappointed me.) I've kept my last 2 washcloth experiments...debating whether to go ahead and send this, just so she knows I'm thinking of her. hmmmm....



pattern: tiny cables washcloth
yarn: sugar and cream daisy ombre
needles: US7 fiddlesticks bamboo
dates: 8.1.05-8.2.05

---
quick pic of felted quatro. Still need to make the strap, having a few problems with color choices. I knew what I wanted in my head, but found that wouldn't work with the i-cord. Back to scheming.



(including before pic again to compare)


--
SP: I wasn't able to get a pic of your bag in action yet. My camera batteries died at SnB last week, and it's hard to take a pic of myself USING something. It's being enjoyed, tho...I promise.

Speaking of knitting group...we're officially part of Barnes & Noble's roster now! We all grabbed our cameras to get pics with the store sign. Knitters...taking over the world. One coffeeshop and bookstore at a time... A bunch of this group is heading to Toledo in a few months for a knitfest. Non-knitters are picturing grannies sitting around being boring. Ha! Maybe there WILL be some grannies, but I promise that the knitters WON'T be boring! Maybe a hotel lobby full of partying gals (and guys...?) with sticks 'n string will help that image change! I've already taken the day off from work for the festivities (no pressure there, Bonnie! heh.) Still need to decide on workshops, hotel, etc.

Cotton Ease Hoarding (CEHD) is still in need of a cure. I think we've at least wiped the town out of stock. I had a big score this week...7 balls of Strawberry Creme. I'm planning to use it for the Sitcom Chic cardigan (with a bit of tweaking,) and perhaps a tank under it. I got Bob and myself some Licorice. The stash is maxed out. NO MORE.

I'm being summoned now to go out for some Indian yumminess. It's been so hot still, eating isn't really a priority...good for waistline, tho! I'm sure a samosa or 2 will have my name on it anyway!

cheers.