The Case of the Square Shoulder Cape (SSC for short)

Ok - seriously - before I sew in the ends again, please help me with determining if the "after" is better than the "before"...I think this is one of those situations where I'm "too close" the project at hand...isn't that always the way?

Before... (several shots from the various tries)

Version 1





Version 2 (after surgery #1)






After...(current)






To end on a high note...Ramona the Smiley (say cheese!)

So much for finishing the UFOs first!

When I last wrote I truly had every intention of finishing the green sweater before I started anything else. Why didn't you warn me I couldn't stick to it? seriously

Here are some photos of what I've been up to...

Geode - finished last week





Jasper - Hubbins Hat - it turned out awesome!



Noro Cardigan #3 - started yesterday so I don't have any actual project photos yet...but here's the yarn!





Berroco Metallic Sox - I wound this into two balls...because it was begging me to (and I couldn't take the torment any longer - ha ha)




And the moment you've all been waiting for...

Tangled Yoke - here's a shot of the sleeves - I made it through the wilderness...some how I made it through...

** Pro. Cras. Tin. A. Tion. ** (and a surprise give away)

(singing to the tune of Anticipation by Carly Simon)...Procrastination, pro-cras-tin-a-a-tion, is making me late, is keeping me wai, ai, ai, ai, ai-ting

So I've been working on my Tangled Yoke sweater for eons...or so it seems. The pattern sat in my queue for a while. I purchased the kelly green yarn in September or October of 2008 and cast-on October 28th (according to my Ravelry notes). And I love the fact that it's knit in the round - cause seamless is really the way to go!

But the weekend after casting-on I went to Stefanie Japel's workshop...and HAD to work on my design and sweater. And then I HAD to finish the Tahki Cape. And then I got sidetracked and HAD to knit a Santa pillow, a couple hats, a sweater for Nana, and a Geode sweater for me.

But now all that's left at the top of my Ravelry projects page is the Tangled Yoke - stuck at 40% complete. Poor tangled yoke.

In trying to pinpoint my procrastination with this sweater I realized it's not that pattern is bad, or that I don't like the yarn. It's the rows and rows of garter ribbing - it's like you never really get into second gear and progress is painstakingly slow.

But this week, after the Geode sweater was finished, I made a concerted effort NOT to wind any more yarn...and not to look at my queue for what's next...and not to gush over the beautiful box of yarn I had just received from Kaleidoscope.

No, my friends, this kelly green sweater is not going away that easily! I picked up the sleeves (being done 2 at a time) and am busily knitting away and half way through the 8" of garter ribbing - hooray! And I know that once the arms are joined to the body/yoke it will be smooth sailing (at least until I get tangled in the cables - ha ha).

Ah, tangled yoke...why couldn't the knit fairies just come at night and finish you for me so I didn't feel so guilty :o)


And now for a little Friday give away! Let me know a project that you were in love with...and why, despite your best intentions, it sat in your UFO's so long! I will randomly select a winner next week and send you a prize! Hooray, we love prizes!


Happy Friday y'all!

New Yorkers, Being Square, and other musings

New York

New Yorkers can be fickle. New Yorkers can be wonky. New Yorkers are...well...New Yorkers.

Wednesday morning - E train at 34th Street station heading uptown - passengers get on; waiting for doors to close; all of a sudden a coffee cup comes flying into the car and hits the floor by a woman's feet; apparently the cup is empty; people look for culprit; might possibly be a homeless man routing through the garbage can on the platform; doors close; train leaves station; passengers go back to mindless subway staring

Wednesday afternoon - E train heading downtown - jolly passenger with luggage gets on at 7th Ave and asks if we make a stop at Penn Station; not one, but several passengers tell him yes and each throws in their comments: "3 more stations", "i'm going there too", "amtrak, LIRR, NJT?"

Thursday morning - V train comes through 34th Street on the E/C line heading uptown; passengers are hesitant to get on...will it make V stops or E stops; confusion solved; elderly Indian woman gets on..."Does this train go to 53rd and Lex?"...unlike day before, people look at her like she's actually speaking Indian and has lost her head; I say "Yes maam, we stop there", "Oh good," she says "thank you".

Sometimes you get coffee thrown at you for no reason. Sometimes people will help. Sometimes no one will. Theres no ryhme or reason. It's just NYC for ya.

Being Square

In previous posts I blogged about the Tahki Cape and the square "shoulders". Some of you have even asked...what's become of the cape with the crazy saddles? Well, I'll tell you...it's come back to me for more surgery. Yes, my friends, the Cape loves Dr. Choo Choo just *that* much :o) The shoulder saddle is once again open and being re-knit. I swear to you...for the last time! Photos to come

Geode and Jasper

Has anyone had the chance to knit with Berroco's Geode or Jasper yarn yet? Well I tell you what - they are both fabulous! I will be finishing my Geode sweater tonight - I've been fiddling with the turtleneck sizing (super obnoxious huge is what I'm going for!) so pix will be posted soon.

And Jasper, ah, Jasper. Hubbins (I picked that up from one of you I think) keeps losing the hat I made for him a few years back so I thought I'd make a second one for him. When I was at Kaleidoscope I felt the Jasper yarn and fell in love. I whipped up a hat on Saturday and just need to finish the edge ribbing - it is absolutely fantabulous - seriously! Run to your LYS and just prove me wrong! :o)

Patterns

So I was a little nervous about posting my hat and scarf patterns on Ravelry last Saturday. What if no one liked them? What if no one wanted to make them? Well, when the hearts started accumulating and the project numbers went up by one and two I guess I jumped out of my skin. It's really an honor...a thrill...to see folks knit something that you created. I feel blessed - thanks for your support!

Ramona...the Potty Trained

Lastly I thought it worthy to mention that our daycare provider handed hubbins the remaining pull-up diapers from Ramona's cubby yesterday afternoon with the announcement: We won't need these anymore. My little bug is growing up TOO fast...I'm so proud of her!

Historic day

When someone asks my political party I usually pause before answering "I am a liberal conservative". That discussion is for another day.

I was going to blog about the weekend and knitting.

But today is a day in history...and I am in awe at the historical significance of the events which are unfolding.

As such, I am proud to be an American today and every day. May we each find our own individual way to cross party lines and celebrate the monumental greatness that is upon us.

(*singing*) Guess who's publishing...???

Yep, you heard it here first...I am officially publishing some patterns on Ravelry...for free!

I am now listed as a designer on Ravelry and have posted the patterns for my Falling Leaves Chunky Hat and Chunky Scarf.

And just to prove that they are "quick knits"...I made a hat last night in just a couple hours and I've started a second scarf which will probably take a few more...maybe a two-day project if I estimate correctly.

Here are photos of the new versions...and links to the Ravelry patterns if you're interested!

Chunky Hat



Chunky Scarf

Just the Facts, Jack (or pictures as the case may be)

Here are photos from Jan. 14th - before joining the sleeves

Body...


Sleeve detail...


Two sleeves on two circs...



January 15th Updates...

** Quick note...I've been reading ANYTHING and EVERYTHING about working Yokes, in the round, bottom-up and I THINK I've figured out what to do next...there's just that little voice of doubt...you know how these things go :o)

So here are some pics from this morning - I think I've knit 5 rounds in st st...

The Long (and LONGER) of it

I love my Geode yarn. I love the colorway...Rainbow Agate. I love them both like it's nobody's business. Yes, I'm a yarn dork with this yarn!

A few months back, when I first saw this yarn and the pattern booklet, I fell in love with the cover sweater. Well, not with the sweater...but with the color changes in the yarn. I knew I HAD to make something with it. Last October, when I was preparing to go to Stefanie Japel's workshop in DC, I bought a couple balls of yarns I loved...so I could play with them but not be completely commited if they didn't "work out". One ball of Geode was part of my purchase. But I didn't use it back then. I didn't even play with it. I just gently squeezed it every now and then, falling deeper and deeper in love.

Eventually I purchased 13 additional balls and the Geode & Jasper booklet. The patterns gave me some great ideas but none of them were exactly right for what I wanted to do. So I got my sketch pad out, read up on pattern elements in my Sweater Design book (one of the best Christmas presents...ever!) and CO some stitches a few days before New Years Eve. Granted, I hadn't finished Therapi for Nana yet, but I couldn't stop myself from knitting with Geode once and for all! So that I didn't get completely consumed by this new project while we were away (Vermont) I only brought 4 balls with me...and quickly knit through them! I quietly went back to Therapi (love the design...but, again, not so much in the Lion Brand yarn...but you know that story already) on the ride home to New Jersey. I kept my promise to finish Therapi before working on anything else - afterall, it was a gift.

And as soon as Therapi was finished...wha cha...back to Geode. The body took 6 balls and each of the arms has taken approx 2 balls each. I tried the body on last night (for the first time) and decided I wanted to make it a bit longer. I also tried the sleeves on - again they need to be longer. That's the story of my knitting - longer, longer, longer.

I finished the sleeves (again) this morning. I will probably knit another inch to the body tonight - but maybe an inch and a half just to be sure. The problem is that I now have 4 balls left. I will probably use most of 1 for the extra length of the body...but then I run into the problem of wondering if 3 will be enough for the yoke and collar? Ah yes, the wonders of designing something and running out of yarn 90% of the way through! The comforting thing is that the extra balls of yarn (if necessary) don't have to be EXACTLY the same dyelot - that's one of the wonderful things about Geode!

I'll be taking photos of my progress this evening before joining the parts together - and am SUPER excited to know I'll be able to wear the sweater before too much longer - whoo hoo!

What's everyone else knitting? Do you have a dorky yarn story like mine? Come on, I know you do!

Ghosts and $15/wk

I'm usually not one to mess with things unnecessarily. Which is to say I prefer to leave well enough alone. I don't look for trouble. I avoid confrontational situations when possible. I steer clear of drama.

However, I've always been mindful of "other worldly things". I was complete addicted to Anne Rice's Vampire series (not the movies...just the books) and I read Stephen King from middle school through college. I was intrigued when my family stayed on the Queen Elizabeth and there was mention of ghost sightings. When I heard the stories about Lizzie Borden's home I read online reports about what people had experienced in the house. I also happened upon the "reality" tv show (Ghost Stories???) which set up some scientific equipment and monitored "activity" at the house. None of which I believe was proven or disproved.

To clarify...I do not necessarily believe ghosts...I just find the stories interesting (esp when you discount the ones that COULD be real...and leave all the crazies to their sensationalism).

But why do I mention ghosts?

When I got home from work yesterday Matthew told me a story of something that happened to him that morning. First of all, I must mention that Matthew has been known to tell tall tales or exaggerate the truth...so Ken and I listen patiently to all his stories and sort through what are "wolf cries" and what might actually have merit. Yesterday's story went something like this:

Ken had already left the house with Casey. Matt was getting ready to leave for school. He put on his jacket which he got from the basement stairwell hooks. He put on his sneakers which had been by the kitchen door. He went to retrieve his backpack from the dining room. At this point he heard someone, a female voice, telling him not to forget anything for school that day. He swears it was not his imagination.

Believing this all had something to do with a tired 11 year old who just had a rush of sugary cereal I left it to discuss with Ken when Matt was out of earshot.

When Matt went upstairs to change into his pj's Ken quickly came to me and said that he had a similar thing happen to him last week. He had been sitting at the dining room table when Matthew came up behind him. Matthew was saying something and Ken turned to tell him to "stop hovering" when he noticed no one was there. He called for Matthew and found him downstairs playing on his Wii. (** queue the theme from Close Encounters right about now **)

Now I'm just a little weirded out by all this - especially when both happened in the dining room. Does anyone know anything about paranormal occurances? It's probably something as simple as the house creaking or the heat coming on or the coffee pot cooling down.

And to get off the freaky subject of ghosts and spirits...let's discuss that Ken and I recently bought a new coffee maker and we've been bringing our coffee to work every day. I've approximated that this will be a weekly savings of $15 or $780 for the year! Not too shabby...fingers crossed we stick to the habit!

And because this is a knitting blog (mostly)...I'm almost done with the sleeves for the Geode sweater and should be ready to start working them with the body this evening. Dare I suggest I might be able to wear this sweater by the end of the week??? Look for updates soon!

Getting It Together

Anyone who knows me understands that my husband is a "do-er". He can't sit still. He just can't. It is physically impossible for him to relax (unless he's sick).

So this cold weather is driving him stir crazy...seriously, it's worse than the kids and their stir-craziness! Oh sure, when it snows he's been outside for HOURS on end, shoveling our driveway/paths as well as our elderly neighbors. And if he could get away with it...he would just keep shoveling the entire town (or at least around the block).

Don't get me wrong though...I COMPLETELY appreciate his efforts and the fact that I don't have to be out there in the freezing temperatures with him. I am happy to stay inside in my pj's and watch Ramona The Brave (as E.C. has appropriately nicknamed Casey)...even when Ramona is more than a handful of mischievousness!

BUT...his "do-er-ing" spills over to me and often without warning.

Case in point, remember the insullating of the attic? Well that started off as a "trip" to Home Depot - not a pilgrimage to PURCHASE. It ended up being an afternoon/evening of my M.I.L. and I changing whatever plans we had to accomodate him.

On our drive home from Vermont he mentioned wanting to go to Ikea to purchase more peg-shelving for our basement. I asked "what do we need more shelving for?" His response was that there were "things" on the floor that could be put on shelves. I asked "what things?" He said "nevermind". This minute long conversation resulted in me having to reassess the bins/shelving in the basement which, in turn, meant I needed to purchase more bins to properly organize the holiday decorations, winter clothes, handbags, etc. Granted, there were boxes I hadn't opened since we moved in 2005...and in all honesty I DID want to organize the holiday bins once and for all. BUT I didn't want to do it last weekend - after having been way for 5 days in Vermont. Oh well, there goes MY schedule again.

In addition to the basement issue, I had also been harassed by hubby and bff Mike about "my" computer and how ancient it was. Hey, it's a home computer. It's used for the internet, pictures, ipod and SOME school projects. How fast does it really need to be? Granted, I did purchase it in 2001 but what does that have to do with anything? So we looked around a little and got a great deal on a HP Pavillion - and I do love it!

BUT...getting a new computer lead into the hubby's 4 year request/harassment of moving the computer desk in the office so that the computer faces a corner and "opens the room" up a bit more (for all of Ramona's toys). So, AGAIN, another UNPLANNED "to-do" was dropped on my lap - although hubby will claim "i was just kidding about moving the desk" - um, yeah, i don't think so. "Just kidding" is more like - I heard it from him once. Hearing about it for 4 years - yeah, it was easier for me to finally just move the darned thing. I just wonder...what's next?

And of course, "cleaning up" and "organizing" often means making a bigger mess of things than you started with...so now I have piles of things that need to go in newly labeled bins in the basement. But those piles are in the office and dining room so two rooms got messier already. Not to mention that I still need to put away clean clothes in our bedroom. And the list just never ends...thanks to the fact that: a) I'm a mom/woman; and b) I've got a do-er for a husband!

Urgh - who else has a do-er? Can we start a therapy group?

And my dearest Dora made a great point last time...she made the comment that she knows where everything is in her home down to the last paperclip in the bottom drawer of the desk. I am the same way. My hubby, like hers, also FORGETS where everything is and relys on me to find his lost treasures. Sometimes I just tell him and step-son where things are. Sometimes I make them sweat it out and play "hotter and colder" with them...sadly, this gives me some sense of inner satisfaction.

On the knitting front I was able to finish Ramona's striped sweater on Friday night - I even frogged the first sleeve and made both shorter to fit without rolling up. With the snow and hubby being MIA on Saturday I barely got anything else accomplished in the way of knitting. I was able to get some time in on the sleeves of my Geode sweater while we watched Borat on Saturday night. I'm hoping to get them done tonight or tomorrow so I can add them to the body (already done and set aside) and start the yoke - which I am SUPER excited about. Once Geode sweater is done I'm going to give the Tangled Yoke sweater "an old college try" and finish it once and for all - cause I honestly do want to wear it this winter - honest. As long as the Berroco and Noro sock yarns stay quiet on my knitting desk we'll be fine (for a week or so!).

Please tell me someone had a RELAXING weekend - give me reason for hope!

Doing Math

A little known fact (mostly to non-knitters) is that knitting requires a LOT of math. Granted, you can certainly follow patterns and never calculate a thing. However, you're bound to come across a sweater that you want to customize to your fit; or something that says "you have x stitches. On the next row decrease evenly across by 30 stitches so that you have y stitches for next section." It's going to happen...it's just a matter of time. You're going to become a knitmatician.

My project notebook is filled with numbers - addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, long division, and an undiscovered prime number! Anyone who sees sketches in the notebook comments on the numbers everywhere...and they're surprised.

Which leads me to this...

I was reading on Rebecca's blog about the number of hours of practice it takes, and the difference it makes, to being great (10,000 hours) , good (8,000 hours) or mediocre (4,000 hours) at something. I thought I would figure out my number and blog about it so you can figure out your number (if you're so inclined).

Obviously...knitting is my forte...and, on average, this is how I knit...

In 1997 - 1998 I knit 4 sweaters & 2 scarves @ approx 100 hours total

In 2001 - 2002 I knit an afghan @ approx 20 hours and a few scarves @ approx 5 hours each = 35 hours

From August of 2006 to the present (approx 127 weeks) I have knit as follows:
2 hours a day on the train (10 hours)
1.5 hours a day at night (7.5 hours)
6 hours per weekend (6 hours)
Total: 23.5 hours per week...let's say 24 hours for arguments sake

127 x 24 = 3,048

Grand total (100+35+3,048) = 3,183

Really? I'm just...(not even???)...mediocre? I guess I just assume I'm a "good" knitter - at least I feel like a "good" knitter.

It will take me 34 more weeks to become mediocre (or by Labor Day 2009)

3.85 years to become good (or by November 2012)

5.46 years to become great (or by the end of June 2014)

Man, depressing.

On the flip side, though, these numbers are just theories. They are just guidelines, like the bell curve. They don't take into account the quality of the hours spent. Or the natural ability of the person and the task they are performing. Did Dizzy Gillespie spend 10,000 hours on the brass before he was determined "great"? Did Michael Jordan spend 10,000 hours on the court before he could fly? Hey, I'm not even saying I'm in the same ballpark as those guys...no way Jose...but see how it's all the perspective of things?

Happy knitmatics to you!

The Human Brain

I absentmindedly must have been singing a song from The Spongebob Squarepants movie in my head this morning when I got to thinking about how much information the human brain can accumulate and store.

Here's a list of 5 random things I know I know...

1. I wrote two theses in college - both for my degree in Art History. The first was a comparison of paintings done by Canaletto...my favorite Italian painter of all time. The second was about Native American sandpaintings. Almost 20 years later, both of these papers are still quite good (in my humble opinion) and neither show much of the naive person I must have been at the time. Which is quite a testament to my studies I suppose.

2. Yes, I do know some of the "Goofy Goober" song from the SBSP's movie - complete with horrifying images of David Hasselhoff - egad!

3. I adore Picasso's blue period because of it's historical significance. My favorite Picasso, however, is located right here in NYC and am thrilled to go to MOMA (although I don't go nearly enough) to see "her" - Girl Before a Mirror. I could spend hours in front of that painting it is so terrific.

4. I remember random lyrics to songs I listened to in middle school...and perhaps earlier! The other day I had to call a car service called (NO JOKE) White Line Limo. All I could think of was the Duran Duran song from the early 80s which talks about the other white lines...blowing away.

5. I recognize voices VERY quickly - friends/family are often amazed at this. My hubby finds this trait both helpful and annoying. Case in point, last night we were watching part of Kung Fu Panda. Whenever a new character would speak I would say: Dustin Hoffman; Jack Black; the guy from Knocked Up; the voice of the son in Curious George. I like this trait...no matter how weird it may sound.


So what weirdness do you have in your brain? Isn't it just amazing that we really have no control (for the most part) about what dwells in there permanently?

Happy Friday to all!


** BTW, I never got photos of the prizes...so for those that are interested, the grand prize included two balls of Paton's stretchy sock yarn (purples, etc.), a project bag from Kaleidoscope Yarns, a pair of earrings from my friends etsy shop, a yarn cutter, and some other stuff I got as donations from etsy peeps. The 2nd place prize was 2 balls of KnitPicks Palette (purple also) and 3rd place was a skein of C.T.H. Supersock yarn (jewel colors). Thanks again to all those who participated. Maybe I'll make this an annual event!

Happiness is a Warm Puppy

I grew up reading the Sunday comics. In particular, I grew up loving the Peanuts because my mom was/is a huge Snoopy fan. And let's be honest, what's not to love about Snoopy? I remember we had Peanut's book called Happiness is a Warm Puppy which depicted Snoopy dancing across the pages with quotes reminding us of the simple ways in which a dog makes life great.

Every morning when I wake up the first thing I do is scratch our dog's head. Her name happens to be Peanut - but was not named after the cartoon. Peanut sleeps at my hubby's feet every night. When I come back after a shower the next thing I do is kiss her head. Most of the time she's awake and rolls over for a quick tummy rub. Since she is part husky her fur is thick and soft underneath. She is a beautiful dog and I love sharing that moment in time with her every day. It's just so peaceful.

100th Blogiversary!

Happy 100th Blogiversary to me! I knew I needed to draw the winner of the contest before New Years so here are the stats: 400 entries, 75 contestants, and tons of fun! I tallied the final points today and went to my random number generator . Here are the winners...

Grand Prize Winner: Monique B
Second prize: SJ
Third prize: Elaine

Please send me your addresses (choochooknits@hotmail.com) so I can send out your prizes!

In the meantime I've been busy trying to get Nana's sweater done and am confident I'll have it finished in the next day or so. The only modification I made was to the sleeves...she only wanted them a certain length (fine by me...less knitting!).

Here's a shot from last Tuesday (1 week in)...



Now I didn't knit on Christmas day or Friday afternoon/evening (story below) or most of Saturday morning which is why the second week wasn't as productive. Here's where the sweater stands at the moment (almost 2 weeks in)...





Christmas was busy for us. We opened presents with the kids at 8:00am. Went to my in-laws around 10:30. Opened more presents and played with new toys (including Papa's new computer - so nice). Drove to my parents at 12:00. Opened more presents, played with more toys, ate lots of hors d'oeuvres. My in-laws came over to my parents around 3:15. We ate around 4:00. After dessert we rolled ourselves into the car and drove home with sleeping children. What a long day.

The awesome gifts I received from my hubby (and kids) included: knitting software, k-yarns gift cards, the sweater design book I wanted, interchangeable needle set, "nite-lite" needles, and a new "gems" short needle set. Unfortunately, I already have my interchangeable needle set from knitpicks, I didn't think I would really use the nite-lite needles, and I didn't need the gems short needles. The thought, however, was tremendous. My parents gave me a stitch pattern book - love it! My sister, who lives in Kansas, sent me a k-yarns gift card as well - which I was very touched by! It was just such a swell Christmas for me - I am truly blessed!

Friday morning we left the house around 11:00am to return the above mentioned (yet well thought out) items to Michaels and to stop at Home Depot to look at insulation for our attic. Our house was built in the late 1920s. When we moved in back in June 2005 we had to redo the roof, ripping three layers off, the bottom of which was probably original. Our house has its original plaster walls and ceilings with the exception of the kitchen, half bath, full bath and finished part of the basement. There were no ceiling lights in any of the bedrooms until we installed them and upgraded more of the electricity. Last summer we undertook residing the house and insulating the outer walls - which are still plaster and lathe with cedar shakes underneath (it was best to leave it all on). The windows had been replaced sometime in the past 15 - 20 years so that will be the last big project on our "cosmetic" list in the next 5 years. However, in order to help save on heating costs, we needed to insulate the attic once and for all. Apparently, when we went to Home Depot on Friday - that was the day and that was the time! So much for a relaxing day of recovery and knitting! We bought 35 bails of eco-friendly, blow in, insulation and rented a truck to get it all home along with the blower machine. At 3:00pm we were back home with the rental truck returned to Home Depot and my husband betting me he could finish the whole job in 4 hours. I said "you'll be completely done in 4 hours, or you'll be done for the day in 4 hours?" Yeah, I'm a smartass kind of wife. Luckily, my mother-in-law stopped by (thankfully unexpected) and rolled up her sleeves to help out. I sat inside watching Casey for the first hour as Matthew and Nana worked out the kinks of the machine operating and Ken yelled ON/OFF from the attic. Did I mention he had to rip up old planks every 4 - 5 feet to blow in the insulation? Yeah, it was all sorts of fun. I finally gave Matthew the option of watching Casey or standing out in the cold as the sun went down. He gladly chose to babysit his sister. Nana and I finally got a rhythm down for how to "mulch" the insulation into the blower so that it didn't jam. We also learned the sounds of the machine when Ken was nearing the end of a beam section. At 7:00pm I went inside and ordered the kids a pizza. At 7:15 it started to sleet. At 7:30 Ken wanted to call it a day and Nana and I told him to keep going. At 8:30 we were finished. The driveway was a mess from all the dust. Our face masks were gross, Ken had inhaled almost 100 years of dust and eco-fiber, and my right hand was sore from "raking" the insulation. Not to mention my toes were frozen - although I was SO happy to be wearing a pair of socks I had made so they were cozy if nothing else. Here's a photo of the beginning of the process...



Tomorrow morning we leave for New Years in Vermont as has been our custom for a number of years (in fact, it's about my 7th - out of 9 - NYE in VT excluding the year Ken and I went to Boston and the year Casey was born). The old tradition included going into Burlington to the Brewpub. The new tradition includes dinner out, beers at "home", and sledding in the backyard. The evening also includes knitting, toddlers and lots of snow.

I wish you all the happiest of new years and want to take a moment (yes, another one) to thank you for your "friendship" and laughter over the past few months! Cheers to another great knitting year ahead!!! Big hugs all around until next time!

Karen

Down to the wire

Contestants at the ready! There's just one more post until the big One Hundred and I'm scratching my head about how far I've come! I hope that y'all keep in touch and visit my blog even when the contest is over. It's been so much hearing your stories and "meeting" everyone...although the big work of compiling numbers for the drawing still lies ahead...yikes! For informational purposes, the biggest "entry" accumulators are (in no particular order): Jersey, Tom, Turtle, Elaine, Homely Heroine, MoniqueB., EJ and SJ.

We're also down to the wire on Christmas. All of my knitted gifts have been finished except for Nana's Therapi - which is about 35 - 40% complete. I definitely won't finish in time for Thursday (unless I suddenly become some sort of crazy 24/7 knitting machine) but I'll be able to finish over the next week or so and that's close enough for me. But then the "What next?" question comes into play - and I've got several yarns and patterns...I just need to decide which one I heart the most (and remind myself that 2009 will truly be the "Year of the Stash" - but, Jill, if you're reading this, don't hold me to it, ok?)

This weekend was a bit crazy as every weekend before Christmas turns out to be. I tried to knit, honest I did. But with Ken out plowing the entire neighborhood (or so it seemed) most of Friday night and Sunday, I barely had time for anything outside of watching Casey...and boy does she need to be watching, my goodness!

As of last night, here's where Nana's sweater stood...

I have this on a 24" circular at the moment...so the bottom looks gathered but really isn't. I tried to flatten it out as best I could without losing stitches. The body pattern is a 3x3 rib which alternates every 4 rows for a basketweave stitch. It takes approx 7 minutes per row.

We celebrated my mom's birthday on Saturday afternoon - which turned into a belated birthday for Casey with my parents since they were in S.C. on the actual day. Let me tell you, 3 year olds do not understand birthday's as one date in time. If you say birthday...it becomes THEIR birthday. So even though we celebrated my mom's birthday too...it was Casey's birthday ALL...WEEKEND...LONG. Try explaining that!

Also difficult to explain was why there were presents under the tree from Santa and why she couldn't open them yet. They're not from Santa...they're from my sister and I put them under the tree so they were out of my dining room/wrapping headquarters and didn't get confused with everything else going on. I didn't explain that they were from Aunt Jenny because she, again, doesn't understand. She also doesn't understand that, in the grand scheme of things, 3 more days is NOT far away - to her 3-year old brain it's an eternity. Another "as yet to comprehend" idea is that not all "child" presents are for her. I've had to hide Abby's and Charlie's and Alexa's presents from her completely - knowing she would try to play with them otherwise. Seasoned parents, please tell me it gets easier by age 4!!!

NEWS FLASH: The best way to start the week...as I was writing this post I got an email from my sister saying she was on her way to the airport to pick up my bro-in-law who has gotten a 2 week R&R from his tour in Iraq!!! I can't imagine not seeing my husband for almost 5 months...but this means Chuck is halfway through his stay...and what a wonderful holiday blessing for our family to have him home! Hooray!

Anywho...I'm sure I won't have time to blog again before Christmas...so this will be your last chance to get bonus points (so I can start coordinating entry numbers, etc). Points awarded for each answer...

1. funniest blog comment I've made during the contest (that is, if you think I've made any funny comments)
2. your favorite color
3. your favorite city in the world (visited and/or on your wish list)
4. your favorite yarn to use for yourself
5. your favorite garmet that you've knit for yourself

Happy holidays to all! And thanks for sharing my journey to 100...it's been so much fun!

Karen

Finally...Friday!

It's...FINALLY...Friday!!! Hooray! You have no idea what a long week it's been! Monday was probably the quickest of all the days as far as work goes. Of course big projects always fall in my lap before holidays or vacation - so why would this year be any different? I worked an average of 9 hours every day and am completely wiped out - whew! But, seeing as I have a job and will be on vacation starting next Tuesday, I am thankful for all the blessings!

I'm getting the goodies ready for the contest prize...only 2 more posts...can you believe it? I'm wondering what gauge yarn people use most...sock, worsted, bulky? Bonus points if you tell me your favorite. Perhaps I'll give you a teaser photo of some prizes next time...hmmm.

So Tuesday night I started Stefanie Japel's new pattern, Therapi, as a last minute Christmas gift. Nana, the recipient, does not like wool. She believes that all wool is scratchy. She believes ALL blends of wool with silk, nylon, cashmere, etc., are scratchy. Nana does not know what she's missing. Nana gets acrylic instead (mainly because she didn't like the yellow cotton's that were offered to her). So I'm knitting Therapi in Lion Brand's "Pound of Love" in a light yellow. It's ok so far. It's a standard top down Stefanie design, it's a free Knitty pattern, and it's easy to knit from memory - which is why I love it. The only problem, so far, is that I tried to follow the chart and it's not exactly right - parts of it are right, and you can follow the main gist of things, but it's not 100% and that frustrates me. And while I love me some Knitty, the "printer friendly" version did not print the charts in their entirity...so you're left reading the opposite "front/back" chart for increases, etc. They listed it as Tangy (isn't that their version of a step-up from Easy?) but I would list it as more of a challenge because you need to wrap your head around it a little more (unless they rewrite the charts and then it will be Tangy).

Here are 3 progress shots...

After a few hours...


After 1 full day...


After 2 full days...



Here's a quickie of the Santa pillow I mentioned in the last post - since I'm not happy with the way the stitches pulled when I stuffed it, I'm not sure if I will gift it or just use it as a lesson...




Lastly, here are photos of the scarf and hat set that I gifted...I'm still in love with the hat...so maybe I'll whip up another one for myself :o)






Lastly, it's FINALLY snowing here in the Big Apple...yippie?? It seriously looks like a snow globe outside - the snow is swirling all around - glad to be inside for the time being. The town schools are closed at home - waiting to see about daycare - I think hubby is "working from home" (lucky duck).

And, just because you guys are all so awesome - more points (2 in one post!!!)...for letting me know one of your happiest holiday memories (everyone remembers childhood best...so an extra point will be awarded for ADULT memories!).

Stay warm and knit!

Today I'm "that guy"

Yeah, I'm back, sorry about being M.I.A.

Thursday morning - Princess' annual check-up = 3'3" (90th percentile), 30 lbs (60th percentile) and Pink Eye - whoo hoo for mom and dad!

Thursday evening - Husband complains of back-ache/spasm (there have been a number of people laid off at his company - can we say "s-t-r-e-s-s"?).

Friday - Stayed home with Pinky and Husband went to work - it was my turn to stay home with a sick child anyway. Husband claimed that he would come home by mid-day - ha ha ha ha ha. Stuck at home with no car and Pinky watching Sponge Bob and various other cartoons. Husband did not get home until after 5:00pm and declared that he battled a stomach virus all day and couldn't leave work because "I had a project that no one else could handle". Um, yeah.

Friday thru Sunday - Husband insists on being a martyr. He lays on the living room couch huddled under blankets complaining about how bad he feels. Husband does not realize that 3 year old Pinky is a better patient than him. I run errands and keep her out of his hair as best as is possible. He sleeps in son's room. Pinky, somehow, ends up with me. I just keep trying not to touch my eyes...at...all.

On Saturday afternoon I catch a break - they are both napping at the same time! I run to Michael's, Barnes & Noble and Kohl's. I get home and drag out all the holiday gifts...dividing them into recipient piles - noting the ones that need to be mailed...and soon.

Sunday is more of the same from Saturday - except I finally look at my mom's pile of presents. My mom whose birthday is December 21st. My mom who needs 2x everyone else (in theory - give or take). And all I have is an Totes umbrella and a scarf I knit. That's all! I do this EVERY year - I could kick myself! I also realize that I accidentally purchased - weeks ago - the wrong size frames for two gifts. So I scramble to find the receipts to return the original frames, grab some coupons for Ann Taylor Loft and head out to replace and purchase presents for my mom. Surprisingly, everything went well. The frames were slightly more expensive - didn't break the bank though. And I used my coupons to the max - so my mom gets something nice - and I spent a bit less. All is well that ends well.

But today is Monday - and today I'm "that guy" (though no one bothered to copy me on the memo!!!).

I had to be at work for an 8:00am meeting. No biggie. One earlier train than usual. Get up, blindly go through my routine, stop at the bagel shop for coffee, walk to the train station. But the cup, in hand, does not feel right. Did the new guy give me a full cup? Is it my imagination? Whatever. I take a couple sips before the train arrives and its all good.

But the train arrives. And I get on. And as I'm turning to sit down, the cup, that felt weird, slips from my hand and smacks the floor...coffee explodes every-EVERY-where. And I've got nothin. No napkins. No tissues. Nada. The train starts to move and I think..."hey, I'll put the mouth of the cup on the floor and get some of the java river back into the cup". But, duh, the cup is Styrofoam and is about 1/4" think - it's acts like a wall instead of a basin. Darn it! We pull into the next station and I panic. I pick up my stuff from the seat and say "I'm so sorry, I accidentally spilled my coffee and am going to see if I can find something to help clean it up". Two men grumble at me. Honestly, I did give it a half-hearted try. I looked for a bathroom - but they only have air dryers...no paper towels. Urgh. I slunk away into another car and sat downstairs. I took my red coat off and hid it between my knees in case the Coffee Police came looking for "the girl with the red coat". What a start to the morning.

Then the caterers were late for the breakfast set-up and we never got hard copies of a presentation and it just spiraled from there.

By the way - the moon was full on December 12th - so I'm placing the blame on it!

Knitting highlights for the weekend:

1. Finished the "Climbing Vines" bulky scarf and made a matching hat - gifted to recipient today
2. Started (from stash) a raglan sweater from Casey - it's turning out super cute (photos to come)
3. Made a replica Santa pillow from a crochet pattern my mom used to use. It's FAR from perfect, but it looks ok for a first try (photos to come). Will probably make a second one using two strands each


** Bonus points for sharing a story from when you unknowingly received the "That Guy" Award **

Choo Choo Knits, M.D.? and other musings

So I've been knitting a cabled cape on and off for some time now. Last week I sewed in the "shoulder saddles" and started working on the collar. It was a basic 3x3 rib - no problemo. I cranked out the collar, got the front bands on, sewed the buttons in - abracadabra. Tried it on my dress form. Not so magical. The saddles made the "shoulders" seem like they're from the 80s - very square and possibly needing shoulder pads underneath (goodness I hope they don't make shoulder pads any more!) - and the left shoulder was a bit better than the right. See...



I consulted Ken...of course no help except to say "it doesn't look right". So...I sat down at the dining room table and took out my trusty seam ripper and carefully disected and extracted the right saddle from the front/back seams down to the point where they all got separated in the first place (and saving the top stitches where I picked up for the neck).

Open Saddle Surgery...(kids, don't try this at home!)...







I reknit the saddle, carefully measuring it to the pattern specifications (again). I sewed it back in - working some voodoo magic in the process. End result - it looks better by far. Maybe I'm not used to it's structure because the "shoulders" stick out past the arms. I'm torn about it and will await your feedback/thoughts. Obviously this is what you encounter with one photo of a pattern and don't know the "behind the scenes" of the photoshoot styling.

Post-op...






After the challenge of the cape...I got back to my sweater design and finished it last night! I admit, I almost cried when I put it on and was modeling it for hubby. While it's by no means perfect, it was a great learning experience and I can't wait to work on the next one!



Close up of the neck - right side out...



Close up of the neck - wrong side showing (doesn't it look just as nice!)...




I had a whole bunch of nonsense to blog about too...instead, here's one more photo (cause this posting clearly doesn't have too many already) of the princess on her birthday!

How-dee!

Well the weekend sure was a ton of fun.

Little Miss Sunshine had a great birthday and received some fabulous gifts including a dollhouse, a "broomstick" Unicorn, a shopping cart, a doodle board, and a Princess dress-up set.

The guys had an awesome weekend because they got to ride the surf machine at Great Escape Lodge - and their body aches match their enthusiasm (and remind them that they're not as young as they once were).

I had a heavenly weekend because Liz brought me my order from K-Yarns which had the Geode yarn and pattern book included! There simply is not enough time to knit in a lifetime! On Saturday night, when everyone went off to the arcade, I stole some "me time" - I watched the pop-up version of High School Musical 2 (I'm a closet HSM junkie) and finished the chunky blue scarf. I'll sew in the ends and block it this evening and should be able to gift it on Wednesday.

Spoke to my mom yesterday and it seems like the service for my grandmother went fine on Saturday. They have wrapped up all of the paperwork and misc "to-do's" and should be home sometime mid-week.

Now the rest of December starts rolling itself out...holiday parties, TONS of friends birthday's (one of which turns 40 this week - no names of course), knitting presents, finishing shopping, sending out cards, baking, wrapping, keeping head from spinning...

We're expecting to make the annual trek up to Burlington for New Year's Eve - need to figure out dog logistics and then let the rest fall into place. I can't wait really - it's one of those annual things that just makes sense to me - I can't imagine being anywhere else to ring in the new year (yarn from Kaleidoscope on the needles of course!).

My resolution for next year (as it probably should have been this year) is to knit from my stash as much as possible - which should, in theory, be easy seeing as though I've tried to only make project-specific purchases and have sold off some of the less appealing/functional yarn in my stash.


** Bonus points for your knitting/yarn resolutions **

** First reply to this post receives a bonus point for the 300th entry - hooray!

Wagging Tails

Oh alright...I couldn't help but to blog something cheery after my last post...

Contest bonus points awarded for answers to:


What holiday gift would cause you to wag your tail this year?


I would lick my owners face if I received:
- The Knitter's Guide to Sweater Design
- Yarn
- Massage gift certificate


** Apologies for the dog-references - but we're "dog people" **

What astute readers you are!

Ok...yes...it's been a looooooooooong week for me and I apologize for not blogging about what's been going on. I've actually had a lot of great blog ideas too - so I'll post about those next week when I have a chance.

Some of you already know my news - and I am SO SO SO grateful for "friends" like you. Your support has been incredible and your words of advice have helped me more than you'll ever know! For those unaware, my paternal grandmother passed away on Monday. She was 92 (I finally did the math). She had been battling Alzheimer's for the past 5 - 7 years but her body never gave up on her. She led a long and wonderful life: she and my grandfather traveled all over the US in a Winnebago, she collected Hummel's (at it's peak it was the largest collection I've ever seen), and she was very involved in the Presbyterian ministry. My father is an only child and my grandmother was his last living immediate family (besides my mom, sister and I, of course). Please keep my father, and my family, in your thoughts. We have made a donation to my grandmother's favorite charity, Thornwell's Home for Children. They assist children and teens that have been abused and/or orphaned. Please consider them if you are looking for a worthwhile charity this holiday season.

As with any family-involved event there comes some drama. As a precaution, I won't go into any specifics, but from conversations with many of you all I can say is this: we're not alone, everyone has "crazy" in their bloodline, and we can't choose our relatives.

And seeing as my brain is completely fried (seriously, I misplaced a gift card I bought last night - I have NO idea where it is and that is SO uncharacteristic of me!!!) I'm looking forward to: making Casey's birthday cake and knitting tonight; decorating our Christmas tree tomorrow morning; meeting our friends at the Great Escape Lodge tomorrow afternoon; slipping and sliding at the waterpark tomorrow night; and celebrating Casey's 3rd birthday ALL weekend! My brain needs some recovery time - knitting and cocktails required! :o)

Enjoy your weekend!

P.S., Design Preview and Turkey Day

After I posted yesterday I realized I forgot to say I was thankful for someone who has been a great friend this year - since May to be exact!

My S.W.3. buddy - DORA!!! (her blog is linked on the side panel)

I find, as I grow older, that it's harder to make "new" friends - especially women friends. But Dora and I were thrown into the craziness of sock making and instantly bonded! As time progressed, and bad S.W.3. socks were wielded, we eventually made "friendship" socks for one another (I think I mentioned them a few months back). Dora is just such a great and funny lady - AND she likes NASCAR too! So I am thankful for Dora!!!

Now, what some of you have been waiting for - design previews! I've been working on this sweater on and off for the past few weeks - but really got into it last week, right before Thanksgiving. Trouble was, I only had 5 skeins of the yarn in my possession (4 more are on their way to me and should arrive today!). The body used 4 balls, the first arm used 1. The flared turtleneck will probably use 1 - 1.5 because it will be all stitch pattern repeats. Here's a preview...PLEASE (*pretty please with sugar on top*) tell me what you think of it so far...and be honest!!!



Here's a closeup of the stitch pattern...



I'm not 100% about what I will call it - although the drafts have always included something about Stefanie Japel, whose class I designed it in. I've also made a worsted weight scarf and have started a bulky weight scarf using the same stitch pattern...





Both of them will have to be blocked - obviously - but don't they look fabulous?!?! And such an easy pattern repeat too!

Lastly, here are some photos from the Thanksgiving feast at Casey's daycare (which was so much fun!!!) and of Ken's first dyeing "board"...