Finally, a week for knititng.

After taking a week's break from Venezia, and with many stupid mistakes that shall not be repeated, I have finally started the first sleeve! I decided to save my sanity and not P2tog the hem, but will slow it down when I am finished knitting. There isn't much to see yet, but it will look better in the next photo.


I have been working mostly on Rusted Root this week. I have finished the ribbing on the neck and the sleeves, and only have the rest of the body to finish. I think I have three repeats to finish until the bottom ribbing, and I may have it done by the end of next weekend.

The Alpine Knit Scarf has once again, regrettably, been sent to the Frog Pond. Not for any mistakes with the pattern, but because I hadn't touched it in two weeks, since we were waiting to see Pirates 3, and I needed the yarn for something better.
The Mystery Shall 3 was announced this week, which I signed up or, and the called for colors are either white or black. Midnight Heather Alpaca Cloud would be perfect. I went out and found beads, and bought a small enough hook. It can been seen here, since I accidentally deleted the picture and don't know how to re-upload it with out having to start the whole post over
Cast on is at the end of the month.


I have one other project that I am excited to start, but not ready to blog about yet. I think the photo will give a hint: The yarn has been in my stash for the last two years, since Cotton Ease was first discontinued, and I bought enough of a dye lot to make a sweater, which has been abandoned. I think I have enough yarn for my size, but I'm not 100% sure.

Knitting under the influence.

Yeah, not a good idea.

I had to frog the first sleeve of Venezia twice, and many times over on the color work.

I missed 10 stitches when I cast on, and it really threw off the color work.

Venezia is in time out for the rest of the week.

Rusted Root has come out to play this week, with a little bit of Alpine Lace, but I really haven't done much knitting this week.

I have been working on setting up my Ravelry account and reading the new Anita Blake book.

Did I mention I now have a Ravelry account? Its so cool!

Black Lace and a Dark Movie Theatre Don't Mix.

DH and I took off early yesterday to go see Pirates 3 while C was still at daycare. Thinking we were going to stop off at home before heading up, I didn't bring one of my main knitting projects with me to work on before the show.
DH had other plans, and we went from work to Wendy's and straight to the Cinamark.
He had the Harry Potter books with him on his PDA to read, and he told me to go ahead and knit something.
The only thing I had with me was the Alpine Knit Scarf, which is on size 2 needles, in black lace weight. While we were standing outside the theater in the light, it was fine to knit, and I got a good 3 rows done. After we were seated, it was a different matter. They had the lights turned to the almost off, and hadn't started playing the onscreen pre-movie adds that theatres play now.
I managed to wedge myself in the seat so I at least had the white screen as in front of me without holding my knitting up to my eye level at all times, and got another two rows knit.

The movie ROCKED! Both DH and I left the theatre saying we HAD to go back and see it again after we got paid, (Or Monday and put it on the CC, and its been a long time since we felt that way after seeing a movie.

I'm still podding away on all three knits, and looking ahead to what is next.

Next lace will be the Peacock Feathers Shawl, again, but this time for me, in KP's Alpaca Cloud Tide pool, but I need to finish both The Alpine Knit Scarf and Venezia, since I currently have my size 3 cir busy with that.

Next Fair Isle will be the Bauhaus Fair Isle from the Spring 2007 IWK (Unless Eunny publishes another amazing pattern before then). I've been looking at Subs, and I think Knit Picks Telemark will work best, but it leaves me pondering. If KP Telemark is a sport weight yarn at 103 Yards per 50 grams, why does KP WOTA, a worsted weight have 110 yards? But it looks like the Telemark knits up to the same gauge as the called for Heilo, at $3 less per skein.

Next "Anytime" sweater will either be Wicked or maybe Saharah or the Simple Knitted Bodice, or any of a thousand projects that will come across my eyes between now and then.

*ETA*- Black Lace, Work, surfing Bloglines while knitting the row where the pattern changes don't mix either. I lost count completely after I read about Glampyre's good news. Since I don't have a Word Press Account, and can't commit on her blog, I wanted to say CONGRATS! here.

Happy Mothers Day

To all the Mothers and Mom's to be out there!

My Mothers day present was a day to myself yesterday, of which I spent a large chunk of time knitting on Leaf. The body is finished, and I am working away on the Sleeves. I think it might be possible to have a FO on this by the end of next weekend.

I did some knitting on Venezia today while we were at my mothers.

I am about half way done with the fourth chart repeat, and about 23 rows away from starting the steeks for the arms, again, I am thinking by next weekend.

I did break my "No more than two at a time" rule and re-cast on for the Alpine Lace Scarf last night. This time I am working on the size 2 Knit Pick options that I bought last month, and the P2tog's are going a lot smoother.
DH also bought me the pattern for Rusted Root, which I am planning on knitting with some Cotton Ease that has been in the stash for over two years, when I bought up tons at half price.

What do

A knitting project your only "ho hum" about,

A huge mistake a few rows back

and a case PMS from hell

have in common?

The Alpine Knit Scarf taking a trip to the frog pond. Of course this happened before I remembered to get any photos of it.

I will re-knit it, but on size 2 needles instead of my 4's. Straights it is.

But first, I think I will give the Cap Shawl from VLT a shot.

Sleepy Thursday

*Yawn*
The PBSJ is officially finished, but the FO shot needs to wait until I have the time/energy to steam block the seams and can get DH help me get some decent photo's of it. Seaming it wasn't as bad as I feared it would be, and by far, I think it is my best seam job yet. But I will wait and talk about that later.

I have picked up steam on the Alpine Lace Scarf. As predicted, once I got past the border, this is going a lot faster, and I have been trying to get one repeat of the rose leaf pattern done each day, and sometimes two done. Even the P2tog's aren't as annoying as I first thought they were. I pretty much have the entire pattern memorised, and only have to look at the chart every once in a while.

The Deep V Argyle Vest keeps growing. If I stretch it out, it comes to the right measurements, but is a tad long...But I knew that was going to be a problem going into it. I'm approaching this project as a big learning experience, and since the yarn is all leftovers from other projects (a lot of leftovers) I don't feel quite as guilty for it not being at gage. I'm on the increases at the waist, and should start the neck steak tonight or tomorrow morning.

I have been thinking about what my next big project will be. I am thinking that I will either give Lucie another shot. I have the yarn for it in stash, and its a lot of straight knitting. It might be boring, but I have started finding joy in the 'boring' knits. My other "maybe" project is the Equestrian Blazer from the winter 06 Interweave knits. I have been thinking of frogging the unfinished and way-to-big Mariah (my first sweater, no swatching done) and using the Plymouth encore from that for it, but I'm not sure. That would be a lot of ball winding, and unsttiching and unweaving of seams. If I can hold off until July, I can buy Cascade 220 at the Simpatico Fire Cracker sale for about $35 ish. Decisions decisions. Lucie and lace can keep me busy until then....
Also on my "to knit" list is Eunny's Venezia, also from the Winter IWK. I saw a two color version on Craftster and have been thinking of doing that as well, in either a chocolate brown with pink/purple or teal or a Blue and cream version, or a tan and brown. I will use KP Pallett to save on money.
But I am really thinking that I will make myself finish the Alpine scarf before I start anything else. Its been three weeks and I have hardly made any progress on her.

Rosebud....

I've had that going through my head ever since I started the Rose Leaf pattern on the Alpine Knit Scarf last night. I think I'm finally getting on a roll with this baby. Of course every time I try to work on it, C wants my attention, but that is life.

Progress on the Deep V has slowed down some. I am mostly working on that in the car (when DH drives) and at lunch right now, so I am only getting a few rows done a day. But since I started the color work last Thursday, and I'm on row 31 today... um, about 6 rows a day?

I'm still working on seaming the PBSJ. I have the back, yoke, and fronts joined, so all I have to do is the arms and side seams, pick up and knit the neck band, and steam block. If I put my mind to it, it won't take that long. I will try to finish that before spring break, and I will try to finish the Deep V during Spring break (yeah right).

Speaking of Spring break, DH and I are also going to try to get a lot of home improvement stuff done. We are going to tear out the old shrubbery, plant new Rosemary shrubs, paint C's room and the hall bath, and take C to the zoo one day. We decided to keep him in daycare for most of the week :( but that's the only way we can get a lot of this stuff done.

I can't think of a title right now.

Yesterday my parents took C to a car show and kept him overnight so DH and I could attend bachelor/ette parties. D has strep so the bachelorette party was canceled. I did take advantage of the time to get the PBSJ blocked and pinned out. Everything sank to the proper measurements, except for the sleves, but I will work with those when I sew them and steam block later this week. I was able to unpin the fronts and the yoke this morning, but the back and the sleeves need a bit more time to dry.




Progress has been slow on the Alpine Knit Scarf. I did change the needles to the KP Option 4's and have managed to trudge through one and a half repeats this weekend. I think once I hit the transition and the rose leaf pattern and don't have to p2tog quiet as much, I should start moving a lot faster on this. The Alpaca Cloud is so soft to work with, an is much finer than the Shimmer I used for my last shawl.




I did rip out all the color work progress from last weekend on the Deep V Argyle vest, and I re-started it on the size 5 needles Thursday night after I bound off the last sleeve for the PBSJ. This isn't the best color combo I have seen the vest done in, but it is growing on me as I knit and get more rows done. Worse comes to worse, I can always wear it with a red shirt and go as "Ugly Betty" on Halloween.

Friends of ours had their second child yesterday, and speaking of child, its time I go get dressed and pick up C from my parents.

Mid-week update, still photoless

I'm still adrift on sleeve island. I think I'm about 1/2 way done with the second sleeve of the PBSJ. I just did the last set of decrees in the arm, and have 28 rows to go before I start binding off for the cap. I still haven't had the time or energy to block anything, but my parents are taking C on Saturday, so I will add that to the list of chores do be done while childless. Besides, the floor of his room is the best place to block in the house.
The rest of my knitting has been abandoned until I am done with the PBSJ. Almost done.
I will switch over and use these 4's on the Alpine Lace Scarf. I don't think I'll frog and start over, I'll just deal with one repeat being done on smaller needles.
And I still need to from the Deep V Argyle Vest back to the ribbing, but that can wait.

Monday again.

Monday is for Weight loss
And I'm up again this week, back up to 225.8 Ug. I've regained almost everything I lost in January. Doing WW online isn't working for me, so I will start attending meetings tonight. Which will put the posting of the weekly weigh in at Monday nights, or Tuesday mornings. Oh well.
Knitting Front
I finished the second front piece for the PBSJ on Friday night, but didn't take any photos. I hope to start blocking this in pieces tonight after my WW meeting, after DS is in bed. Instead of casting on for the second sleeve, I decided to "swatch" for the Deep V Argyle Vest. By swatch, I mean, look and see that the called for gauge is the same that I am knitting the PBSJ at, and cast on for the vest. I am knitting the 44 inch version, since that is the largest I am willing to accept that I am right now. This is just for practice after all. I managed to complete the ribbing at the bottom and about 13 rows of the color work when I decided to check my gauge.
You guessed it. Its off. Instead of getting 22 stitches per 4 inches, I'm getting 27. I have to go up a needle size, which I never do. I'm a loose knitter and normally have to go down a needle size or three.
I did put the vest aside last night and cast on for the second sleeve, and will try to have it finished this week, including blocking and piecing, but I'm not really holding my breath.
The shawl has been neglected all weekend in anticipation on switching over to the size 4 KP needles that will be sharp enough to do the P2togs.

ETA: I started a new blog to journal my weight loss struggles at http://shrinkingcynder.blogspot.com/
I will try to keep this blog more about knitting and less whining.

Row counters not matching up?

I am almost done with the right front on the PBSJ. When I knit the first side, I was meticulous about making notes about which rows I did all the shaping on, as well as where the diamond pattern was as a back up. This morning while I was doing my post shower knitting (yes, I knit first thing in the morning while DH is getting ready, before its time to get C up and ready) I noticed that the diamond shape and the row # were not matching up with the first side. So I grabbed the left front, and matched up each diamond and noticed I needed to do another repeat in what I was sure was only 8 rows left. Either I flipped the wheel too much on the right front, or not enough on the left front. I'm just glad I thought to check before I started binding off for the neck. I should finish up the right front tonight, and instead of starting the sleeve right away, I will start swatching for my next sweater pattern, the Deep V Argyle Vest, also by the talented Eunny Jang. Her third design this year. As I have mentioned before, I will be using leftover yarn for this. I have 10 balls of Merino Style in Storm, which will be the MC, and I should have 9 ball in Honey, left over from the PBSJ. I don't know if the color combo is in style currently, but to me they work together, or at least I hope they work better than the colors I chose for the Endpaper Mitts did.
I did cast on for the Alpine Lace Scarf from Victorian Lace Today on Tuesday, and progress has been really slow. Since I'm using my trusty Addi Turbos, the P2tog's on the back row are hard to do. The pattern so far is really easy and fun to do, but I am only getting two to 4 rows done a night. Maybe after I finish up some other projects, and make a travel copy of the patten things will go faster. There is something about knitting from the book that slows you down.