Toeing the line

I finally got a picture of the toes of DH’s socks.  I am really enjoying doing two at a time. I keep thinking that I need to keep track of rows and such. Then I remember that I am already working on the second sock. It is very liberating!  I think that I am going to look for a more rounded toe for the future.  I think this toe is a bit pointy, but I am not starting over!  DH will be fine as his own toes are pointy.

I also have been doing more sewing. I have done a secret sewing project for a swap pal. I also made a blouse out of the sheet fabric.  I used McCall’s Easy Stitch n’ Save M5451. I used fold over elastic at the neck and arms.  I didn’t hem it, but used bias tape.  I think that the shirt would be too short otherwise.  It is a nice summery top.  I like this pattern, but wish it was a bit longer.  I will lenthen it next time.

 

Why I shouldn’t be allowed to play with scissors!

I have had a busy day today. I decided to go to the thrift store this morning to look for sheets. I saw a really cute skirt tutorial where the skirt is made from a sheet. The biggest bonus…no hemming!  I knew I had to make this skirt.  I managed to find two sheets. One is a blue floral. The other is a yellow and white check.  It already had a ruffle on it!  I knew it would make a really cute skirt.

When I got home, my 2-at-a-Time Socks book was in the mail.  I quickly read it. I then printed out the Judy’s Magic Cast on Tutorial.  I cast on immediately.  I had decided to take the Panopticon yarn from the failed Monkeymen and do a toe up 3×1 rib sock for DH.  Right now, I am about halfway done with the toe increases. This method is really clever. I also like that both socks will be done at the same time. I don’t mind the second sock when I am making socks for me, but a second sock for DH is too much!  I do think that I will still use DPNs in the future, but I also love this method.  I will post a picture later. I just couldn’t get a good one today!

After the boys went to bed, I got to work on my skirt.  I was just finishing the waist elastic, when I cut my finger. It is a pretty deep cut.  I was cutting through the elastic when the tips of my scissors caught my index finger on my left hand. I managed not to bleed on my project (only my white carpet suffered). After performing the necessary first aid, I finished the skirt.  It is so cute! I can’t wait to wear it (of course, I will need a white slip before I can, but that is a problem for another day).  After I cut my finger, DH took the scissors and told me that I couldn’t sew anymore tonight.  I picked up my knitting, but am finding that holding the yarn is a bit strange.  I may just read for a while.   I am still proud of how much I have managed to get done today.  I also think that I will be able to get a blouse out of the rest of the sheet (and probably some sleep shorts for the boys).

Besides all the crafty stuff, I have been learning my new phone too.  I got an HTC Touch Pro. I love it.  I can check my email, Twitter, keep track of all my contacts, keep track of my calendar, and play games (all from anywhere…even court).  There is a lot the phone can do that I haven’t figured out yet, but I am getting there!

One last thing, I realize that the last post seemed a bit scattered. I was going to go back and fix it, but decided against it.  LB had been having some health issues.  He had toxic synovitis (an inflamation in his hips following a viral infection). He has been in a lot of pain.  On Monday night (when I wrote the post), he was supposed to be sleeping. The pain was keeping him awake. He was crying every few minutes. It made it a bit hard to concentrate.  I ended up taking him to the doctor on Tuesday, where he had x-rays and blood work.   He is doing better now, although he still has times when he is pretty sore. They say that it will last for up to two weeks and will return anytime that he gets a viral infection in the future. It is pretty yucky stuff.

 

Sew busy!

I have been wanting to do more sewing. For some reason, sewing intimidates me.  After listening to Megan from Stitch It and Nicole and Jenny from Stash and Burn talking about sewing, I got inspired.  I had a bunch of flannel that I bought a while ago to make cloth wipes.  I never got around it (we just use baby washcloths for wipes).  I took the Little Mermaid flannel with Flounder on it and made sleep shorts for both boys.  I got this fabric for a dollar!  I used just about every bit of it in the shorts.  I just made a template from shorts that fit the boys. I traced the shorts onto tissue paper to make a pattern. I sewed them as shown in this tutorial.  The only difference is that I used Fold Over Elastic for the waist.  I was going to do a pretty blind hem, but decided to fold over the hem and topstitch because I was feeling lazy (and they are just for sleep). They came out really cute. The boys love them. I have a bunch of sock monkey flannel that will soon become sleep shorts for the boys!

On Stash and Burn, they were talking about a 5 minute skirt. I decided that I could do that!  I seemed easy.  I had 2 1/2 yards of some pretty woven cotton fabric that would be perfect.  I followed the tutorial with the exception of the hem. My serger is not working (it is in the shop).  I just folded the hem and topstitched.  I was going to do a pretty blind hem on this too, but got lazy again.  I really like this skirt. The only things I would do differently are make it a bit longer and make the hem more curved in front (without the curve in front, it makes the side seams pointy).  I do love the skirt despite it being a bit shorter than I would normally wear (it still hits my knee…just above it).  I think it took me a bit longer than 5 minutes, but that is my fault for not serging the hem.  I can’t wait for my serger to be fixed!  I really love this pattern. It is such a flattering shape.  I will likely make more of these!

Besides sewing, I have also been getting some knitting done. I have been working on my shawl. I am working on the ruffle part. It is coming along very nicely. I can’t wait to wear it!

 

Happy (belated) Mother’s Day to me!

For Mother’s Day, DH ordered me a Tom Bihn Swift knitting bag.  I have been wanting one for a very long time!  I was so excited.  Unfortunately, the color that I wanted (purple/black) was backordered.  I finally got it on June 1.  It has become both my purse and my tote for work. I have two projects (my shawl which is like a small blanket and a dishcloth), a book (sometimes two), all my knitting goodies, and all my purse goodies in it.  I also carry my lunch some days.  I love all the little hooks.  It keeps things like keys and projects handy!  I know that it looks crowded, but it really isn’t!

It holds everything!  Not only is like Mary Poppins’ bag, but it feels so much lighter!  I used to carry a purse a tote to work. Together, they held less than this one bag and felt much heavier. I think it is the handles!  They make it so easy to carry.

It is wonderful!  I have been wanting to post about it for some time. Unfortunately, LB got a skin infection, had to go to the doctor twice and get two antibiotics to kick it, then he got the stomach flu, and then an allergic reaction to the meds.  After he got better, CB got the stomach flu (of course).  Needless to say, I haven’t been able to do much posting!  It will get better (or I will go crazy…one or the other).

 

Cuz that’s how I celebrate WWKIP day

Saturday was WWKIP day (or at least one of them). There was an event at our local mall.  DH agreed to watch the two boys (something he never does alone) so that I could go.  It was great.  I worked on my Shawl that Jazz. I got to the beginning of the ruffle on it. I am still on the first skein, so I am going to do the extra ruffly ruffle.  I might also make the ruffle a bit longer.  I learned that there is a local group that meets 2 Sundays a month.  I am going to start going to that. I am pretty excited. It is hard for me to go to group in Gainesville because the drive is so long. A 2 hour knitting group becomes a nearly 4 hour trip.  This avoids all that travel time, so I am able to go more often!  I am pretty excited.

We also had the option of making a donation and getting a goody bag.  The goody bag was great. There was a skein of yarn. It was Classic Elite.  It came with 2 soap sweater patterns. I love these things!  I can’t wait to make one.  I think my first one will be out of this yarn for my mom. I bought her some handmade soap at Hanks for her birthday (in January…yes, it is still in my house). I think I am going to put a sweater on that yummy soap!  The bag had all kinds of coupons and adds for local crafty places. There was some wool wash and lotion, a needle gauge, a ruler, and a button too.  It was pretty fun!

While I was there, several people were knitting 2-at-a-time socks toe up.  I have been thinking about knitting toe up socks.  I promised myself that I would not cast on any socks until I finished DH’s socks.  I had gotten to the toe decreases and realized I was still on my first skein of Lorna’s Laces (this was about 6 weeks ago). There is no way I should be able to get a whole sock for DH out of one skein of LL.  I had that sick feeling that the sock was too small. Naturally, I did what any good knitter does…I put the sock in a drawer hoping it would grow on it’s own.  While watching everyone knitting socks, I confessed that I had DH’s socks in timeout.   I was told to get them out, frog them, and cast on a toe up sock for DH out of the yarn.  I decided this was a fantastic idea as it kills two birds with one stone.  I have decided that I will not only do a toe up sock for DH, but I will go ahead and do it 2-at-a-time (on one circ).  I have an extra 47″ cable, so I just need some tips. I am going to make a Knit Picks order tomorrow and will add those on.  I ordered 2-at-a-time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes today too.  I think I am going to ditch the Monkeymen pattern for know. I think I am just going to do a ribbed sock.  So my knitting disaster that I have been avoiding has turned into an opportunity to learn something new.  So, I celebrated WWKIP day by frogging a nearly complete sock!

I have also finished the second April Square. I have one more April Square to do. Then I have to do the May and June squares!  For some reason, I don’t love knitting the April Square. I haven’t been working on them. I am excited to try the May one. It is a cabled square.  I have never done cables.  Even that has not gotten me moving like it should.  Once I get this last April Square done, things should pick up on the blanket making!

 

Catching up and the Great Garter stitch Glut

CB has been climbing… a lot. The other day, he climbed up to my laptop (it was on a desk…I had pulled the chair away from the desk, but he found another chair to drag over there). He popped most of the keys off of the keyboard. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, excpet that some will not pop back on.  On the back of the keys are really tiny (very flimsy) plastic pieces.  Unfortunately, the broken keys are R and K.  Two keys that I use a lot. I have not been able to post. I am posting from work (on my first light day in over two weeks). The good news is that I am getting a new keyboard and my lack of internet connection has allowed me to get lots of knitting done!

I knit two things for my Reducio Swap pal.  One of those things is a mini Ravenclaw sock (it looks just like the others that I have knit).  The other is the leaf bookmark!  It came out great. This appears to have started the garter stitch glut that I have been on lately. The leaf was super easy. I just made the I-cord long (to be a bookmark) and followed the Mountain Laurel Leaf pattern on Ravelry.

Then I decided to make booties for a friend at church who is having a baby.  I took a long time to decide on these. They don’t know if they are having a boy or a girl, so whatever I make has to be gender neutral.  I thought about trying another bootie pattern, but ultimately decided to make more Saartje’s booties. They are just too cute. To make them gender neutral, I decided they needed to look like frogs.  I used some of my Sunshine Yarns mini-skeins (I think this one is Algae).  I found some cute jet buttons (I looked for googly eye buttons, but didn’t find any small enough).  I really like how they came out. DH says they are still girly, but I think a baby boy could wear them.

Next I did another pair of Saartje booties. A girl from church asked if I could make a pair for a friend. They went to UM. That is my alma mater, so I felt like it would be fun.  I told her I would make these, but if she wanted more than I would teach her to knit!  These are made with random white acrylic yarn and Knit Picks Essential in Pine. The buttons were yellow, but I used some permanent stamping ink to make them a bit more orange.  They also came out cute.

Besides garter stitch booties, I have also made a lot of progress on my garter stitch Shawl that Jazz!  I love how this is turning out. The colors are amazing. I am still in awe of the cleverness of the design as well. It is knitting up so beautifully. My only (very small) complaint is that the yarn still smells like vinegar!  As I was knitting away, I had the sudden feeling my stitch count was off. I realized that I cast on 10 stitches too few.  I decided just to let it go. I was going to try to add them in, but I was worried about how it would affect the shape. I thought about ripping back, but decided that I was too far into it (I had about 3 inches done).  I think it will be plenty big despite the mistake.

Besides all the knitting I have done, I have also gotten some great mail.  First, I got my Loopy Ewe Sock Club package!  It has a great tote, a pen, candy, a beautiful pattern, and really gorgeous yarn!  It is called Luster Sox by Dye Dreams!  I love the greens. This yarn is so soft and has a sheen that pictures can’t do justice!

I also got my Reducio package from my pal. It has a mini-sock, a bookmark for wand tree identification, a journal, chocolate, Soak, two mini skeins (one Ron colorway and one hand dyed by my pal), and some tea.  My pal is so wonderful!  I can’t wait for the mini-skeins to join my blankie!

 

Crabbiness and the cure for it!

I have been very crabby lately.  I have had a lot of stress at work.  The Florida legislature has decided that all state employees making more than $45,000 will face a 2% pay cut in July.  It is rather insulting.  We have gone several years without a pay raise. Our budget has been cut so that each attorney is doing the job of more than one attorney (I carry almost two full caseloads). We have been asked to do more work with fewer resources. Now we are rewarded for all of that with a pay cut.  It has made me very angry. I won’t leave my job. I have faith that my boss will insure that my pay is restored as soon as it is possible under our budget. That being said, it is still unfair.

Fortunately, I got yarn in the mail the day that the pay cut was announced!  It is Twisted in Crabby McCrabbypants!  I love it!  I have been obsessed with the Shawl that Jazz pattern by Samantha Roshak since it was announced on the Lime & Violet Daily Chum.  I had been searching for the perfect yarn.  Yarn Harlot showed pictures of hers done in Twisted.  As soon as I saw it, I knew that was the yarn I had been looking for. I didn’t want to do it in the same colorway (too dark), so I spent hours looking at the little circles on the Blue Moon Fiber Arts site.  I finally decided on the Crabby McCrabbypants colorway. It is not at all what I expected. I love it so much more than I thought that I would. It is knitting up so beautifully too.  Fortunately, I had that project to cast on when I had such a bad day. Who knew that something called Crabby McCrabbypants would kill my crabby mood!

 

Wee Block Wednesday

It has been a long time since I have done a Wee Block Wednesday. I really put the sock blankie aside for a while (that is the beauty of that project…no deadlines).  I have started working on it again.  It now 58 has squares (only 57 are pictured…I did another one last night).

Here is a summary of the new ones:

1. This is the yarn from my Raphael Monkeys.

2. This is the yarn from my Reducio Pal. She dyed it herself and won an award on the socks she knitted with it.

3. This is the yarn that I got from my Sock Yarn from Stash Swap Pal.  I traded the rest of the yarn in the Easter one skein swap.

4. This is some of the yarn I got in the Easter one skein swap.

5. This is yarn from one of the swaps from the BlankieMania group. I am not sure what it is.

6. This is also yarn from a swap from the Blankie Mania group. I am not sure what it is.

7. This another yarn from a swap from the Blankie Mania group. I am not sure what it is.

I am going to be adding a random bigger square in there. I wasn’t going to add any bigger squares at all, but I have a yarn that demands it.  Who am I to go against the will of a yarn?

 

Easter is a time for stash enhancement!

After dying Easter eggs with LB, I had leftover dye in the little cups. I decided not to let it go to waste. I took my undyed Cherry Tree Hill yarn and painted it with the leftover dye.  I used the microwave method to set it (soaked in vinegar, handpainted, wrapped in Saran, microwaved for two minute intervals with rests in between until set).  It came out very bright. I am thinking of making it a scarf for one of my nieces.  I have several leftover tablets (the kit came with 12 tablets, but we only used four…too many colors would have been too overwhelming for LB).  I am deciding what I want to do with them. It is nearly impossible to tell what colors the tablets will become.  I am thinking of throwing some yarn and all the tablets into a giant kettle and letting fate decide!

I also participated in the Easter One Skein Swap on the Blankie Mania group on Ravelry.  I got my yarn last week sometime.  The mini-skeins are so adorable! I have already made a square with one. It seems the Easter Bunny thought to bring only my favorite things: yarn and chocolate!

 

Oh so Wicked!

DH took me to see Wicked on Friday night!  I loved the book, and I loved the music.  I have wanted to see it on stage for years!  It was so amazing to be there! The performances were amazing. I have always identified with Elphaba, and so it is no surprise that the actress playing her was my favorite (she truly did have an amazing voice aside from my personal bias). I sang along for the whole play. Even DH enjoyed it! He is worried about what this says about his manhood. I told him no one will question it since he hated Mama Mia!

I finished my shawl earlier last week, so I got to wear it to the play! It came out beautiful, but small. I wanted to do a few more repeats, but just ran out of time. If I were to make the shawl again, I would use bigger yarn and would make it bigger (the pattern calls for sport weight yarn). It was just barely big enough to pin around my shoulders even with 5 extra repeats. I do like the pattern.  It is easy to memorize.

I would probably not choose this colorway in laceweight again (it is Moutain Colors Wild Horses). I love the colors, but the yarn is so dark. I found it hard to distinguish stitches.  I have never understood why people curse black yarn, but now I know! It is hard on the eyes. I used the lifeline a lot because I couldn’t fix mistakes. I just couldn’t see well enough. I had to pull back every time.

All that being said, I love how the shawl turned out.  I really enjoyed wearing it. It made the evening even more special.