Back on Track

The Weasley sweater is back on track. The H was just not good. It looked ok from far away but not up close. The red yarn is worsted and the gold is dk so I'm going to hold the gold double this next go round. I sent the front to the frog pond and am starting over. I feel good about this decision.

I also looked through my pattern stash. I've been dreading looking for my tissue cover pattern from the now defunct MagKnits. I was pretty sure I printed a copy but was not sure. I want to knit up a few for Christmas gifts and was a bit worried. Well I found it. I have the pattern, thank goodness.

Stuck

My knitting is stuck. Crumpets is almost done, but it continues to languish. H's Weasley is waiting for the shoulder seams to be done then the sleeves picked up and knitted. I really want to finish those two projects before starting anything new.

Ack my wip's taunt me.

They mock me.

I have some very spiff stash yarn that is calling to me, but I must finish the Weasley and Crumpets.

K-9 is not even on my radar. I'm so disgusted with the BBC and their poorly written patterns. K-9 will be finished eventually. In the meantime I have some knitting mojo to find, somewhere.

Maybe it's time to gaze at the stash and pet some yarn.

Maybe.

Weasly Sweater Progress

Making slow but steady progress on H's Weasley Sweater. The color work is ok, but not fab looking. It's nice to be knitting again.

Watched Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason tonight while knitting. Yet another movie suggestion, not even adaptation of a book. The book and the movie are so different. Colin Firth however is quite dreamy. Must somehow manage to get all six tapes of Pride and Prejudice to find the wet shirt scene.

Had a crazy morning today. I let H ride in a car cart at the grocery store this morning. Only to find he had chucked one of his new, and very cute, and very expensive Keen sandals out of the cart. Retraced my steps, no shoe. Called the store later and thankfully the little shoe was safe and sound at Customer Service.

E participated in a language study at OSU today. D got to go with us. I thought he might find observing E on task interesting. E did great and is welcome to return.

I have this nagging loose cough that does not hurt but will not go away. It's worse at night, making it difficult to sleep. I'm starting to wonder if it's Dave.

Weasley Sweater

I cast on H's Weasley while watching Season 2 episode 13 of Torchwood and Doctor Who season 4 Christmas Special. My head is still reeling from both episodes.

Bit miffed at AT today. They had a post on 'Finding Balance' today that was pretty much Flylady but with no acknowledgment. That's lousy. They get called out in the comments.

I vacillate between loving and intensely disliking AT. There are great ideas, and fabulous pictures on the site but it's also very self important. Have an Eames? Then you are a sheeple who shops at DWR. Don't have an Eames? Then your place is a 'sh*&hole' and you have no style. Well we happen to have a Eames lounger and ottoman knock off in H's room so what does that make us?

Just realized what AT comments remind me of.

FARK

That's it. Fark for interior design. I stopped reading Fark ages ago. Got tired of the snark.

Believe me I'm loving the Cure and am thrilled with the progress we've made on the house. I'm in this for the full 8 weeks. Might be time to stop reading comments on AT.

Let's see what did I do today, on top of everything else I normally accomplish. Went through the basement clothing rack and my closet. Shifted a few things and sent a few things to the Outbox.

I read Brenda's Bible: Escape Fashion Hell and Experience Heaven Every Time You Get Dressed by Brenda Kinsel. Fun book.

According to Brenda there are the 7 Deadliest Sins in Fashion: Delusion, Neglect, Idolatry, Timidity, Comparison, Settling, and Self-Denial.

Then you have the 10 Fashion Commandments to help you find Fashion Heaven

1. Wear only what you love.
2. Make clothes personal.
3. Design and develop a wardrobe.
4. Concentrate on your Assets.
5. Dress for the body you are currently in.
6. Focus on fit, not size.
7. Don't save good things for good.
8. Keep current.
9. Start each day with great underwear.
10 End each day with great gratitude.

I do like how Brenda focuses on dressing the body you have now, not the body you had 20 years ago or the body you want. I don't agree with getting rid of your wedding dress. I love mine, and have the space to keep it. I'm also keeping my undergrad and master's robes/hood. I think about bringing out the hood and having it out where I can see it every now and then.

After reading the book I went through my closet. Rearranged a few things and took inventory. Did find a pair of summer shoes I thought I sent to the Outbox a few purges ago and did not. I'm in good shape from the waist up its from the waist down that I need some help. Shorts, jeans and skirts are on the list, as is a new summer lipstick color, and some red nail polish for my toes.

I also went through our master list of things to do on the house. I highlighted the items that we can aim to complete during the rest of the Cure. The house is feeling so much lighter, more open, less cluttered and weighted down. I'm excited about the plants for the front flower beds and for some lighting changes we have in the works. Several dated ceiling fans are going to GO and be replaced with fixtures that can take a dimmer. We love dimmers.

I've been looking for kitchen/dining room chairs for ages. I keep coming back to school chairs. I'm contemplating these two styles, in brown. I'm looking for solid, no nonsense chairs that stack. I'm thinking 8 chairs, four for the kitchen and four for the dining room, then we can have 8 matching when we entertain. I'm sure some would find them ghastly but I like them, and Dave is on board. We shall see.

I'll end this post with Brenda's one second makeover tip. Add a smile to your outfit. :-) Good advice Brenda.

Birthday Dinner

How about an attempt at actual blogging. I feel like my space here has been languishing a bit. Thankfully things have calmed down considerably in the past few months (knock on wood) for which I'm incredibly grateful.

I attended a positive preschool conference for E this morning. She was ready for Kindergarten this year, she is more then ready academically, her vocabulary is superb and her social skills are continuing to expand. She is a little flower that will bloom where planted.

H's receptive language continues to improve. I swear the little guy replied "I love you" last night at tuck in. My Mommy heart melted a bit. Hi's vocabulary is slowly growing. Socially he is a happy, friendly yet coy little flirt.

I took the kids to CiCi's for pizza with three other Mom's and their respective kids for lunch today. H was seated at the head of the table in a booster seat holding court and filling his empty leg with reserve calories. It was nice to get out for lunch.


My sister took me to the Elevator for a belated birthday dinner tonight. It's been ages since we last went out and about just the two of us. The Elevator is a favorite for Allie and her AG buddies.

After a fabulous dinner with even more fabulous beer, Allie had Coal Porter and I had Bleeding Buckeye Red Ale, we walked over to Allie's office. She's been at the AG's office for over five years now and I'm embarrassed to say this was the first time I'd been to her office. Check it out, Allie is wearing my OSU Mod Cables hat. It was raining and then snowing tonight.


Check out the fab view from her floor. This was in the early evening, very overcast, hazy and dark. It's snowing, and sticking, as I prepare this post. This up and down crazy weather is not fun.

Regardless of the ick weather I had a fabulous time with Allie. She is a wonderful sister and I love her very much.

On to knitting stuff.


I enhanced the stash a bit with 15 skeins of Paton's Classic Wool Merino in Rich Red. I'm thinking a Weasly Sweater for H Man and BrooklynTweed's Cobblestone for Dave. The color reminds me of tomato soup, I consider that a good thing.

I have four WIP's listed on Ravelry, D and H's sweaters don't really count they are not officially started.

1. Weighted Companion Cube: I am minutes away from being done with the knitting stage. Am excited to enter the steeking and light felting stage.
2. Earth Day 2008 Recycled Bag Bag: 2 panels done, 'plastic bag yarn' cut and balled for 3rd panel.
3. PEO Star Coaster: knitting is finished, waiting to felt and then take my first go at needle felting with my new Clover needle felting tool and mat. Now to find black roving.
4. Crumpets: Knitting long complete, ends need tucked and ribbons, possible internal elastic applied. I keep telling myself I'm waiting for the weather to break so E can actually wear it once it is complete. The beaded smocked bodice is so pretty. I must finish it and photograph it properly.

For now I'm off to finish the knitting stage on the Weighted Companion Cube. I'm feeling more on top of things knitting wise. My little list yesterday, no matter how disheveled helped me focus a bit.

Ides of March

Et tu pooling?

It's Yoga sock FO time. I've mentioned before I'm not very much of a sock knitter. Just when I thought I was going to have a matched pair they started pooling a bit on the bottom of the second sock. I know I could have frogged but I did not want to, so I live with mismatched socks. Regardless I love the socks.


This is a PEO coaster work in progress. It's the NunuYaya Washcloth done up in Knit Picks Elegance in of all colors Daisy. Love the yarn. Fun little pattern.

Got to sleep in till 8AM this morning. Had a nice breakfast and even got to finish a book today.

xkcd knitting humor of sorts

The Hubby just sent me a web comic.

xkcd

Check out the second last item. It's sfw.



In knitting news I have completed my first FO of the year. An Ohio State inspired Mod Cables Hat designed by Jeanne of Life in Cleveland. Her pdf of the pattern is really easy to read, love the large chart.


I'm making good progress on a felted squirrel. I completed the the paws and tail tonight. The feet and ears remain then it is washing machine time. It's a cute little knit.

More Felted Bowls

I'm back to knitting and fulling bowls. Here are two Brown themed bowls waiting for the old washing machine treatment. I went stash diving for these two. Lots of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, Andean Silk and the bulky stuff that KP keeps changing the name for. The bowl on the left has Noro Silk Garden held double with Andean silk.


Here they are all felted up. The Noro one is fuzzy and the one on the right has a very subtle dark brown band around the bottom.


I also knitted up a Sheldon the Turtle inspired OSU bowl. It's in the washing machine right now. More Wool of the Andes.

I have a YUMMY bowl on the needles in Wool of the Andes in red tones with recycled sari silk yarn held double for the cell pattern. Oh it's looking fab. So hoping it felts up ok.

I've been mucking around Ravelry a bit more. The needle/hook tracker page is GENIUS!!!!!! Now to devote the time to actually catalog the needle stash.

I love my needle stash!

I just ordered some Leticia in Lapis from Blue Moon Fiber Arts for a hat for Tracy. Very excited.

When Green Means Go and Red Means Big Nose

Two new Hedgies to add to the FO Hedgie heap. Big Red on the left has a huge nose. Holding Silk Garden and Andean silk appears to produce one honking big Hedgie nose.

The little Green Dude in the middle is for H Man. It's Andean Silk for the tummy and paws and Lion Brand Fun Fur and Wool of the Andes for the back.

I've already introduced Luciano Hedgie. He is there just for fun and for scale.


After knitting multiple Hegies out of several different kids of yarn I've come up with my yarn favorites. I like Wool of the Andes for the tummy, paw pads and back for feltabliity, low cost and decent color pallet. I prefer Lion Brand Fun Fur for the 'fur' for a nice medium fluff. For more fluff go for Cello Eyelash. For short go Bernat Boa. For outrageous fluff hold Cello double.

I've made considerable progress on the R2-D2 hat for D. I'm knitting in Knit Picks Swish Superwash. Quite pleased so far. I did it in fair isle, I know not ideal but it worked out ok. I'm going to finish it up with duplicate stitch.


Check out my spiffy R2-D2 talking party bowl that I got from Crispix back when Episode III was released. It makes R2-D2 noises. Spiffy! Yes that is a Darth Vader mug on the oven and a P.E.O. Star on the wall. Just call me eclectic.

Mini Link o Rama

In non knitting link goodness check out the Fun With Glass Globs. I so want to do this, but do not have the balls to do it to our front door. It looks like so much fun.

I totally want to make my Felted Clogs Non Slip. They are slippery.

I got to see the first two episodes of Torchwood Wednesday night. Capt. Jack is so dreamy. Every now and then I actually miss not having cable tv.

Hedgehog Update

I'm back to knitting Hedgehogs. The Leia Wig has stalled, it's not the pattern, it's all me, I'm just not feeling Princess Leia at the moment. R2-D2 is sort of intimidating at the moment and the plastic bag bags are currently on the back burner.

So it is back to Hedgie love!

I knitted a Hedgie intended for Henry out of the wool I bought at Beaumont Hospital, some Knit Picks Wool of the Andes and some Fun Fur that a friend gave me earlier in the summer. Then I knitted a second Hedgie out of more Wool of the Andes and some Cello eyelash left over from Jon Bon Hedgie.

Well I felted them today. Ok I felted one of them. Turns out the green wool was superwash. The tag did not indicate that it was superwash. I'm disappointed. This latestest happening in a way sums up this past summer. You can plan, you can think you are making good choices and things can go wrong. Wrong in ways that you just can not fix. You can allow it to destroy you or you can find comfort in what you do have and be grateful.

Anyway I trimmed out the mangled superwash hedgie tummy and now have a very odd shaped olive fun fur 'thing' for the kids to play with.