Sunday, July 22, 2007

750 pages in 12 hours.

We got back from the bookstore yesterday morning at 9:45 AM and I started reading.
I took a few breaks, driving C over to my dad's for the afternoon, lunch with DH, picking up DS from my dads, but I was offically done with HP by 9:45 last night.

My head hurts, but today I have to keep C occupied so DH can read.

And knit.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Finally, an update.

I have been knitting along, mostly first thing in the morning, and on the weekends, not so much in the evenings or on my lunch break. Its too hot at those times, and I'm too tired most of the time.
Work goes on on the MS3 stole. I am almost done with clue #3, and so far, so good. I don't think this is going to wind up being too big, maybe a nice wide, short scarf size, but that cool. Depending on the actual theme, this might wind up being a birthday/Christmas gift for my sister. Work is going slow and steady on the second Peacock Feathers shawl. I only work on it when I have the energy at night, after I am done with that week's MS3 clue. I am almost done with the third chart, and so far I haven't had the massive tinking and frogging issues I had with the first Peacock Feathers Shawl, knit last year. (What are the chances that I just jinxed myself, and will have to frog by the end of the month?)
I did some yarn shopping today at the Woolie Ewe in Plano. I picked up two skeins of Jojoland Kaleidoscope 100% Merino Wool. This colorway is very close to the results of my one experiment with Kool-Aid Dying, and I think they might become a pair of Monkeys.
I also gave into temptation and picked up a pair of Lorna Laces Shepherd Socks in Somerset. The pinks and greys kind of suit my mood these last few days.
So far, the pregnancy is going good. I'll be 10 weeks on Wednesday, and I have my first midwife's appointment that afternoon. Just for laughs, here is a belly shot. I bought a pair of maternity capris today, which is good since my one pair of jeans I could button suffered a horrible rip this weekend.
As usual, please pardon the messy, ugly bathroom and my fat gut.

Monday, July 02, 2007

The Knitting Blues...

For the last three weeks, ever since I found out #2 was on its way, I have had the knitting blues. I'd knit some, but quickly lose interest in what was on the needles. I'd have to force myself to get to the end of the row. Sure, I finished Rusted Root, but really, it is too short, and I really don't care right now. I have had some progress on the first sleeve for Venezia, but more often than not, it has sat there, on the arm of my couch, the next balls of yarn rolled and sitting all alone on the coffee table.
So Friday, came the first clue for the Mystery Stole 3, and I printed it off at work, and spent the next 9 hours looking at the charts (because I left my knitting stuff at home, silly me) and trying to guess what it would look like knitted up.
I cast on as soon as I got home from work, between snuggles from DS and all, and managed to get most of chart A done before bed time. I had a few struggles with putting the beads on, wondering what the heck I was thinking, getting beads that were smaller than the ones called for in the pattern, but they were the only ones the craft store had that were the right color that I wanted. Saturday I finished chart A, and started on chart B, when the perfect way to handle the beads, and not break my tiny hook, came to me. I started licking the yarn before I put the bead on. Not only did it make the beads slide on easier, but the yarn was less likely to split in the process. It went from taking me 5 minutes to put each bead on, with much yelling and screaming, to less than 1. I finished chart B last night, and with it, clue 1, and I realised that I missed knitting lace.
I haven't had a finished lace project since March, just two attempts at the Alpine Knit Scarf, that both wound up in the frog pond. I decided to break my one lace project at a time rule, and ran to the stash for a skein of the Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Tide Pool Heather that was waiting to be cast on for a second Peacock Feathers Shawl. The only problem was my favorite lace knitting needles were in use with the Mystery Stole 3, and my size 4 options were in use with Mommy Snug. But, I remembered something about the options, I could just put the Mommy Snug on hold, and "borrowed" the size 4 tips for the PFS2. So I did, and I cast on last night, and I feel the lace knitting groove starting back up.
Will I return to Mommy Snug before the bump is born next year? Will I finish the sleeves for Venezia? Who knows. But I will say, most likely not while it is Summer in Texas and way to hot to knit sweaters.