Hearts of Seven

Hello again....in my hasty move and packing up all my yarn - I managed to loose my Los Monos Locos (The Crazy Monkey) Socks. It was heartbreaking to realize that someone in my house may not have known what that tangled mess was and threw it away. Hopefully one day I will run across them again one day...*sigh*....To relieve the pain of losing the monkey socks I have started these. They are called the Seven of Hearts. The pattern is easy and delightful to knit. But the thing is....I managed to skip a line in the directions about turning the heel and ended up with a tube. So I frogged the first sock and ended up doing two on two circs. This process is not as hard as I thought it was. It's easy as pie. I really thought that it would be hard or that it would be confusing. The confusion is only in my mind. I hope to be done with these by the end of the week. If you get a chance to knit any socks in Koigu your feet will definately feel spoiled. This is the best yarn to knit socks with.

A side note for the kindness of people in the world. Last week I was riding the train home and was very sick. Another passenger noticed that I wasnt feeling well and ask me what was wrong and when I told her she sat with me rubbing my back for three or four stops and rubbed the back of my coat until she got off the train. She will never know how much that was truly comforting to me. I was made sick by an eggroll I had no business eating but that's a story for another day...Anyway - that's another point scored for kindess!

Finally Some FO's

Wahoo!!! I have finally finished a couple of things. Ok maybe one and partially another....I finally finished the Noro Silk Garden Scarf for my Mom's Birthday. I will be shipping this out in the mail to her today. Happy Belated Birthday Mom!!! The Argosy Baby Blanket has about three more sections before it's completed. I will never ever knit a baby blanket on size six needles again. It's pretty - but I have learned my lesson. This one doesn't have an recipent yet - but hopefully someone will have a baby soon and be the lucky recipient of said Argosy. How many wips have y'all finished?

Still Working on one of my Many WIPS

Hey Folks,

I haven't forgotten about y'all. I've been working on one of my many WIPS. I started knitting a heart lace baby blanket - but me and the pattern just did not get along so I frogged it in favor of the Argosy Baby Blanket found here. I started this pattern a long time ago and just couldnt get my mind wrapped around it. I decided to take the advice I'd given to my new knitting student...just trust the pattern. How many times have you started knitting something and thought well if I just change it here - then it will work there. Ha! I had to learn the hard way that this is most unacceptable. Sometimes the people who write the patterns know what they are doing. I just knew Vyvyan had made a mistake in the pattern and just dropped it into the frog pond. Well low and behold due to mucho user error that pattern and I have become friends. We are knitting down the second page with I believe four more sections to go before finishing. I will post photos later as the camera seems to have disappeared on me.

By the way - I moved and in the move I got a knitfloozy's dream My own room for yarn!!!! Yes you read that right - I have a whole room - just for yarn. And mr. knitfloozy was shocked at the amount of yarn that has been amassed in four years. I think that means that I am on a yarn diet for awhile. I did tell him that sock yarn does not count as stash and got that look. You know the one - "Sounds good honey but don't buy anymore yarn until you've used this up". Such is life....

Cheating on my current WIPS....

I'm trying so hard not to cheat on my current projects but I feel like it's as effort in futility.  Apparently I have mixed emotions whenever I finish a project so I start another so my needles won't feel lonely.  Speaking of which – I have more warshrags than I know what to do with.  I didn't realize that I made so many.  I suppose I will have to share them with my family.  Family if you're reading this you may get some warshrags in the mail.  Please do not think they are too pretty to use – they are for warshing the dishes!  They are 100% cotton – and when you wear them out I will make you another one.

 

When I was working on the Brooklyn Tweed Noro Scarf I bought a pair of Rosewood needles on a whim.  I was seduced by the warm texture of the needles and the newly purchased skeins of Noro that I purchased for the scarf. (This is why I am not to be trusted in a store full of yarn and needles.)  I know I'm not the only one who likes to touch the yarn and sigh when I feel all of the different textures – isn't it easy to get excited by new yarn? Never mind all the other stuff in the storage closet that excited me to at one time and has now lost its lustfulness.

 

  Well that love affair is over.  I kept thinking that I could use them with every yarn – NOT!!!!!! I tried to make yet another warshrag with them and the cotton yarn kept grabbing the needles and gripping them so tight I could barely move the stitches across the needles.  Not to mention after using the KnitPicks Options – I was spoiled by the slick texture and the short needles.  I felt like a complete klutz with my fancy needles. The ends kept getting caught in my long sleeved shirt.  I had the complete look of an idiot with pretty sticks and yarn in my hands.  I may have to start using them as hairpins or even worse….decoration. 

 

Currently on the needles……Noro Scarf (Brooklyn Tweed & Black Dog Designs), yet another ball band warshrag, Mason Dixon Mitered Blanket (square #20), and a blanket I can't seem to remember the name of at this particular moment that may be frogged in favor of a simpler mindless pattern oh yes and one Los Monos Locos Sock – hopefully I won't succumb to the dreaded second sock syndrome.

 

Cheating....Is it really cheating?

Hello again knitting family. I had a busy weekend. My youngest son M did one of those things that drive all mothers crazy - he and his cousins made plans for them to spend the night without involing Moms.. Normally this is ok – but I wasn’t thinking when I said yeah sure M – R & S can spend the night – by the time I got home – it was four kids they added another neighbor kid for a total of four kids - (and I forgot that I had to work) - leaving the boys and Mr. KnitfChick behind. Four people under the age of 11 and him. This was hilarious – while I was working and yes I was working not knitting, he was at home entertaining them on their new Wii system. I came home and thought it would be chaos but he had it under control. While they were doing this:

I had a chance to work on my monkey socks – so far I’m at the end of the foot and almost ready to turn the heel: and completed a kitchen set for some family. I seem to have gone nuts making ballband warshrags. Yes I said warshrags. I love these things!!!! And I wasn’t cheating on my New Years Knitterloution. Is is really cheating? Ok I was cheating…I even started another scarf. You know the cool one on Brooklyn Tweed’s site. The stripes are coming out pretty good and I wish I had chosen a brighter color for the second set – but oh well – I can always make another.

So on the Knitterloution tip – I finished the green ball band warshrag I was working on. I made four more squares for the mitered blanket and added four more inches to the Noro Scarf. And for the first three of you who responded to the Pay it Forward – send me an email at missthg@yahoo.com so I can forward your handmade gifts.

Fw: Public transportation is a drag…

*disclaimer - this is the grumpy evil twin sister who had a long day posting*

You know most of the time I can stomach ride public transportation with no problems commuting to work. I don't mind when folks sit next to me as long as they can keep their body parts to themselves. I don't like for men to sit next to me because they think they need to sit with their legs wide open. Rude!!! It's not enough room in the chairs for all of that. Someone needs to put out an etiquette book about how to use public transportation. I digress…. Last night my evil twin sister came out. I got on the train with 50 of closest commuting buddies – all of us minding our business, reading, sleeping and or knitting (ok only I was knitting). The train moved down a couple of stops with no incidents – until it got to the 12^th Street stop. This is the stop where the train's capacity is tested on a regular basis. After all the folks get on the train and get settled – and no one sits next to me - I think cool it will be a quiet ride home. I do not have my bag in the seat next to me – it's in my lap. Well in walks one more commuter. She eyes my seat and is thrilled there is a seat on the train – as would be anyone who's had a long day. I see her and think – she is really not going to sit down next to me. The thought came to mindI because she is a person of substantial size - (and I am not skinny minny myself) more than I think is humanly possible for both of us to be in the seat. Well you guessed it – she sat down in the seat. While the laws of physics amazed me as she sat in the seat – she did something really stupid….she asked me if I could move over a little to make room for her in the seat. Yep you read that right. I asked her where the f*ck do you think I'm going to go? I swear it slipped out. My co-worker was sitting in front of me and he burst out laughing – as did the gentleman next to him. I did not mean to embarrass this poor woman – but how much more room did she really think I could make without getting up? How does one have the nerve to ask when you know you need the seat to yourself? After my initial reaction I started to apologize until she started talking….I didn't care about her day (it wasn't a bad one)…I didn't ask how it was and I certainly didn't want to smell the cigarette she'd just had and feel her side pressing my side for five stops. Yes I was happy to be sitting next to the window where the fresh air was being piped into the train. I think this was the one time I just wanted to be able to blink myself away I Dream of Jeanie style.

By the way – I was working on the purple entrelac scarf ….

Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward is going around the internet and it seems to have just begun within the last month. I found it here and decided that I could also pay it forward. Many people have spent time showing me how to do things and doing things for me not expecting anything in return so now it's my turn.

Pay it Forward is based of the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on. You all know I’m already a PIF type of person. So here’s how it works. I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise! What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.
I will now Pay It Forward to you THREE, I wonder who you will be?!Please, be a PIF

New Year Knit-a-lution!!!

Happy New Year my knitting family!!!! It’s 2008. Well family it seems that I have developed a bad case of starteris again. It’s been asked by a fellow knitting sista how many WIP’s I have going right now. Well…here they are in all their glory. Let me list them for you:

1. Warshrag - from the Mason-Dixon Knitting in Key Lime & White Cotton
2. Mitered Blanket – again – from the Mason-Dixon Knitting – Caron’s Simply Soft
3. Irish Hiking Scarf – Patons Soy Striped Yarn found here
4. Plain Garter Scarf – Patons Soy Striped Yarn - cast on 15 stitches and knit to your heart's content
5. Entrelac Scarf – Lavender Microspun found here
6. Los Monos Locos – Koigu found here
7. Noro Silk Garden Scarf Found here
8. Fiber Trends Easy Knit Baby Blanket Collection 2 -found here (I had to pay for this one) all others were free.

My knitting shame has now been displayed for all the world to see. Yeah right – I’m not really ashamed – I think I’m doing better than I was – I think at one point that I had about 12 projects going – so now that I am down to eight and I think I’m doing alright. Anyway – I do have one finished object to show you. It’s the Big Bad Baby Blanket! I started this awhile ago and I started finally finished. It was really heavy towards the end and I almost gave up because of the weight. I used six of the 14 oz Bernat Cotton balls – which it was stiff to knit with – but once I washed and dried it – it was really soft and ready for someone’s baby. I just haven’t decided who’s baby yet. Could just be decoration for the couch - cos I think the weight of this blanket may trap a child underneath it! LOL

In the spirit of the 2008 – I will finish all of these lovely project before I start anything else. Y’all stop laughing!! I really mean it. Let’s see who else can do it!!!! I challenge all of you who read this blog to complete all of your current WIP’s before starting anything else. Anyone willing to take this challenge on and report on your progress?

The Crazy Monkey Socks!

I've cast on the socks found here

Long Time No See Y'all

Where have I been? Ha! No where but the couch and the train to work. I’ve been knitting quite a bit lately and have a few WIPs. I’m still astounded by the many patterns I come across and want to knit but alas have no time or enough hands. Anyway – I’ve been working on several things – one of which I finished and passed on to the recipient yesterday – the 3rd Basket Weave Baby Blanket found here. I found some tulle and made – ok I tried to make the Tiffany Ribbon (you know the one on the little blue boxes) but I ended up just tying the knot and adding a left over pacifier to add to it. I thought it came out just ok – but the recipient was really happ and that just made my day!

I’ve also been working on two – not one but two Irish Hiking Knitting Scarves found here – it’s a great way to practice cables without knitting an afghan or a sweater. I’ll post those photos later.

I’m also working on a Noro Silk Garden Scarf found here. It’s so easy and mindless to work on while watching “24” Yes I know I’m on the late train with 24 – but you know Netflix is a beautiful thing! I don’t have to watch one show a week – I can watch the entire season at once. Jack Bauer is the man!!! Always getting folks outta trouble. I’m on Season Four and it’s starting to pick up. Anyway – if you like to watch old movies or hear about other movies you’d like to see – visit Netflix and see what they can do for you.

An last but not least – I’m working on the Big Bad Baby Blanket from Stitch n Bitch – by Lisa Shobhana Mason. The title means exactly what this pattern is. You start off knitting and think – oh this is a nice simple pattern…and it is. But it feels like you will never ever reach the end. This sucker is huge I tell you huge!!!! Forget the baby – this is a good sized lap blanket. I’m making mine from the Sugar N Cream 14 oz balls of white cotton. I decided to triple the yarn making it extremely heavy and no doubt warm. At this point – it’s almost too heavy to knit. – But since I only have about 7 more inches to go on it – I will knit on….

Read y’all later….by the way – got any good movie recommendations? The Debaters coming out on Christmas Day looks to be pretty good.