Seriously - the bobbles just won't end!!!

Ok, so I have been knitting the sleeves of the textured sweater since last week. I can't believe how long they're taking. I thought that if I had stayed up late last night I could have gotten them done and sewn to the sweater. Not so much.

I was measuring them on the train this morning - and aligning them with the arm holes on the body - and I still had another inch or so to go. GOOD GOD, MAKE THE BOBBLES END - PLEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASE!!!

I was able to get half of, what I'm hoping will be, the LAST row of bobbles done as we entered the tunnel to the city this morning. I think that the additional 6 rows of St St will get me to the right length to bind off - SAY A LITTLE PRAYER FOR ME!!!

If all goes well, I'm hoping the sleeves are bound off on the way home - and I'll sew them to the body tomorrow morning...because...

TODAY IS SUE'S BIRTHDAY!!! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUE!!!

More on the bobble situation tomorrow

Don't make me go all MacGyver on your A@s!

OMG - so there I was quietly sitting at my computer when I needed to push my chair back and get something from the files. All of a sudden I heard a weird cracking noise - and wondering what on earth could have made such a noise I looked down at the wheels on my chair and noticed that my knitting bag had tipped over and I had just run over one of my beautiful Knit Picks Harmony needles - size 1's. They were attached to the second of my Bartholomew socks - and I was going to take some time at lunch to finish the toe. Not so much! I almost cried. I called my fellow knitting co-worker and she was not at her desk - I left a desperate voicemail. Two seconds later she was walking by unaware of the message and I showed her the horrific site - two pieces on my desk - and a shortened needle on the socks. There was no way to repair. I pulled out my DPN case - and found no size 1's - they are in the other case AT HOME!!! So how would I finish the toes? Would I cry all the way home and make a mad dash to the DPN case?

Oh no, my friends. I pulled a MacGyver using office tools!

I found my trusty - and SHARP - scissors and starting whiddling (sp?) away at the tip. Once I got it to a decent point I took out my nail file and smoothed the edges a little more. I'm left with approximately 2.5" of needle on the broken end - but it will be enough to finish the socks this evening.

What an adventure!

Bobbles are evil - and other updates!

I'm STILL, yes still, working on the "textured pullover" from the Fall (??) issue of Vogue Knitting that I started way back in October. I think the first three stitch sections went rather quickly - if memory serves - but the top "bobble" section is what killed me and made me put the sweater in a time out!!!

I decided to try and finish all projects that I have outstanding before I start anything new - I know, a bummer - and so I took it off the shelves about two weeks ago. It took a while to find where I had left off - and then I got to a dreaded bobble row - and then another, and another. Over the weekend I finished the front and last night I finished putting in the neck ribbing - it looks pretty good and fits almost perfectly. But now...the sleeves...and more bobbles! The other problem with the bobbles - besides the pattern of how they are written and how achy that pattern makes your wrists after purling 5 tight stitches - is that the bobbles on the back of the sweater became inverted - not the front ones (what did i learn in the process of the back?!?!?). I've been slowly stitching loops/knots into the back of each of the bobbles to MAKE THEM stay on the right side of the sweater - which is a pain because I have about 50 bobbles and want to guarantee they all obey the law of physics when the sweater is ready for presentation.

In order to give my brain and wrists a small break I am finishing the second Bartholomew sock - and still really love the pattern. I haven't gotten to the short rows - which was the "tight"part so I'm still smiling for the moment.

After that I've got to finish the second Somewhat Cowl with my home-dyed yarn and then I can start something COMPLETELY NEW!!! So many items in my Ravelry queue - what will I work on next?!?!

What I like about Barnes & Noble...

So I'm hoping to visit Knitting in the Heartland this weekend while in Kansas and I wanted to purchase Stefanie Japel's book "Fitted Knits" so I knew I had a copy. I checked book availability on the Barnes & Noble website and saw they had it at the Citicorp Center store, which is right near my office.

I like that I can go to ANY Barnes & Noble and feel at home. I like that I know exactly how to most efficiently get to the knitting section at any given store. I like that I have a member discount card so I rarely pay full price - and always feel less guilty.

I don't get this feeling at Borders. I can't explain why.

Do you ever have that same "home-y" feeling in places you shop?

kc