Merry Christmas

Finished and New

Well well. I am one busy chica! I have been knitting away and actually even finishing up a few things. Small accomplishment...

I say this was a small accomplishment since this is just one square of many that will *someday* be an afghan. This was a really challenging little square. This has some of the most difficult cables I have ever knit. I wanted to get this one off the needles so I could start something new though. (more to come on that!)

Here is my big accomplishment...

I have been working on these little babies since the beginning of April! I was itching to start another pair of socks and since I try to not have more than two pairs going at once it ignited the fire to finish these up. Yeah!

So here are the new socks

Ok , ok, I know there not much yet just ribbing but they are going to be AWESOME! They are Dream in Color Smooshy Sock yarn and I am knitting another pattern from More Sensational Knit Socks. The pattern is called Faggot and cable stripe and I can't wait to be done with the ribbing so I can start on the pattern.

Ok and last but not least here is my other new project.

This is the Trifold Knitters Bowl from A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting. This will be felted when it is finished and will hang out on the coffee table holding yarn and notions. I think this is going to be really really cool too. I started off by knitting the mobuis strip and then picking up stitches for the bottom of the bowl. Where the pink yarn is, I will pick up those stitches and knit 6 pockets. Eventually you pick up stitches around the top of the bowl that kind of close it up like an old fashioned coin purse. Very cool stuff, just wait and see.

A day in the life...

Ok people no knitting in this post... As thrilling as it is here is my day in pictures!

My thrilling commute to work. It looks like the camera needed another cup of coffee before it wanted to work this morning also!

I think 20 was the slowest I went on 94 this morning, not bad.

Ahhhhh Minneapolis, sweet, Minneapolis!My real home good ole 215!

A few of the members of my extended family (co-workers), Matt...Shawn...

Oh look it's me! I look happy, obviously I have not actually started working yet!My desk, as messy as it is!

Roberto the werewolf, He comes in at 10.

At lunch today I walked around for a bit.

Then I walked around and annoyed my co-workers by taking there pictures. This is Mary.

Angela,

Tim,

Steve,

This afternoon I was working away when the contractor services department asked if I would take a picture of them. How could I say no? This is the picture they wanted me to take!

And my lovely commute home.

And this speed is very typical of the commute home.

I did survive the day. Well that's all folks! We will resume our regular knitting blog shortly. (aren't NEW digital cameras fun!)

Ahhh Like I Need Another Project

Ahh like I need another project!

This is Laines Du Nord, Kiddy Print, 80% kid mohair, 20% poliammide. This will one day be the Firefly Mobius. I apparently have zero self control because this...

is going to be the Trifold Knitters Bowl. (you have to scroll all the way to page 21)

I am slowly but surely making progress on my other projects but they are not photo worthy at this time. I think I have been working on the stockinette stitch triangle socks too much when I am drowsy because I have to tink back many rows (again). It seems that knitting the two socks at the same time takes some concentration. When I went to do the gusset decreases I really had to screw around with my stitches and there placement on the needles. It was kind of a PIA because I would have to put them on holders to get them on the other needle.

Oversize Load

Oversize
Originally uploaded by oatball

I just heard about a really cool photo editing website, picnik. I jumped on to see what it had to offer and fixed up this pic of my little Nannies. Notice how the only color in the picture is the little halo around my tiny angel? (man I'm a sap!!!) Cool stuff, go check it out.
It just wouldn't be right not to have my other little precious get his moment on the blog spotlight too, so here is my other little furry baby!

I don't want to work I can entertain myself fine w/o it.

Well this week was a pretty productive knitting wise. I took a half day on Monday, all day Tuesday off and Wednesday was Independence day, so no work that day either. I had a lovely week all in all. Chris came home Tuesday and just left this morning. I spent a lot of time this week enjoying the company of my entire family, knitting and my new favorite thing , the pool!!!

Today after Chris left I headed down to the pool for some fun and sun. I packed a snack and lots of water, a book and some knitting and planned to make a day of it. I worked some on my tofutsie socks and am just about done reading Gone With The Wind (for like the 6th time) I think I am hesitant on finishing it because I know exactly what is going to happen and it makes me sad. Stupid Scarlett, I wish things could turn out differently for her. The D twins joined me later in the afternoon at the pool but the weather turned nasty and we had to retreat inside.

This week I finally really started Chris sweater. I could not remember his chest measurement so I could not start it until I measured him again. Now I'm off to a pretty good start.

This is a pretty mindless knit so far. It is mostly just K4, P4. I knew if would be and some time you just need to thank god for totally mindless projects like this.

I also finished my mobius basket. This was a super quick knit and if you just sat down and worked on it it could easily be finished in just a few hours.

I have my eye on so many other projects from A 2nd Treasury of Magical knitting but am trying to stay in control of how many projects I have on the needles at one time. For example no more socks can be started until I finish at least one pair of socks. I think that more than two pairs of socks on the needles at the same time is too many. If I want to ever finish things I need to control myself from casting on. Speaking of sock here are my stockinette triangle socks.

I am working on the heel and right now and my goal for the evening is to knit the heel, turn and gusset. Wish me luck since this takes twice as long when you are knitting them both at the same time. It's turned into a yucky rainy day and night now so it may happen.

MAGIC!!

100_2206
Originally uploaded by oatball

With my new purchase of A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting, I just had to try something out. So low and behold her is the start of my Felted Mobeius Bowl. It took a little practice to get the mobeius cast on but once I got rolling all was well. Then I got to the binding off with Applied I Cord and I had some more learning to do. Hmmm, who'd a thunk I could learn so many new techniques in a span of an hour or so.

I love weekends!

I love weekends. I think that song is dead on about working for the weekend! Happy Saturday!!!!

Today Besty, Nannies and I had a knitting kinda day. Betsy stayed over last night so we started our knitting kind of weekend Friday night. Actually it is a crochet kind of weekend for Betsy. She is going CRAZY on making squares for the Rebuilding Greensburg Project. I think she has made like 30 already.

Yesterday I came to the grim realization that I HATE this Mary Louis Lace Sweater. I guess I've really known it for years and that is why it has been in the works for years. Well I recently came to believe that I am on a finishing streak and that I can knit anything and finish it so I picked it up again. I've been working on the second sleeve for a couple weeks now and finished it last night. I then went upstairs to get the other sleeve that was knit about a year ago. WHOA! What a difference a year makes. Holy gauge difference. Well the whole freaking thing is getting frogged. I hate the stupid thing and will probably not work on it for another year so it's just going bye bye. I will stash the yarn away and some day it will find another purpose. Here is one last picture so we can all say bye before it goes away.

So on to my next knitting adventure for the weekend...

I realized earlier this week that I had a miscrossed cable on one of my Afghan squares. Well I had planned on fixing it Friday night but I did not feel I had enough brain power to do so so I successfully did that this morning. Here is my boo boo.

And here it is all fixed again!Yeah! Here's a little preview of this square. It has some killer cables in it and I am slow going on this one.

I also have started swatching for Chris' sweater. I made three (YES THREE) swatches for it and they are currently in the washing machine. I want to make sure that this sweater turns out since it is the first sweater that I will be making for someone else. Hopefully I will start actually knitting it this week.

Hey, BTW, If you are ever out and about and are looking for a really cool yarn shop check out the yarn garage in Rosemount, MN. WOW, I was curious as to what to expect from the website and it was awesome. The prices were great too! They had tons and tons of really interesting stuff. I will be back when I have some cash to blow. (now when will that ever be?) Anyways, today I was a good girl. I purchased some butterfly cotton yarn that I make the apple hats with and A 2nd Treasury Of Magical Knitting. I have had my eye on that book for awhile and now it is mine! Ah ha!

I've got to say that I am looking forward to the rest of my weekend. Then working Monday (not really looking forward to that part, but it pays the bills). Then when I come home Chris and Brownie should be home. Then I have Tuesday off and Wednesday! It's like a bonus weekend in the middle of the week!

Blogging again!

Wow look I'm blogging again! With my invitation to raverly I have been taking lots of pictures of my knitting lately. I might as well blog about it also! I know not everyone can get into raverly right now and not everyone will have an interest in joining so I will blog here too. Here are my current WIP.

These are my newest thing to cast on. I've been thinking about this yarn a lot the past couple of weeks. Kari, Betsy and I dyed this at the sheep and wool festival last month. I am knitting both sock at the same time, toe up. I am using the a pattern from More sensational Knitted Socks called stockinette stitch triangles.

This is my little Fiber Trends Felted Hedgehog. I bought this kit at the sheep and wool festival last month. I have had him done for a couple weeks now but I just bought his eyes and felted him yesterday.

Here is another Fiber Trends felted sheep. Same thing with this guy, he's been finished for a couple weeks but just got felted yesterday.

This is me at my cousin Alex's Graduation party last weekend wearing my finished Roundabout leaf tank. (why yes that is a glass of wine in my hand. Why do you ask? Aren't you jealous!)

Yet another sock. A never ending sock at that!

These four squares are made for the Great American Aran Afghan. I started this YEARS ago and picked it back up a couple of weeks ago. I finished that last square a couple weeks ago and have another really challenging on the needles right now.

I am hoping to start a sweater for Chris really soon. I finnally ordered the needles I need from Knit picks and was hoping that I would have them by this weekend so I could have started it. Oh well I guess it will get started next weekend. Like I really need to start something new anyways.

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Maybe someday I'll blog again.

Knit Chat Patty Wack!

Knit Chat Patty Wack...

What an action packed weekend! Saturday was out first Knit Chat Patty Wack meeting. I could not make it to the trip to the yarn store beforehand but was there for the meeting. We started this knitting group to get together once a month and knit and chat and apparently wack patty...


Look at Kari's finished scarf!!! Her first big project finished! She is working on a swatch for a hat that she is making for Brad.

And here is Betsy who is just casting on for a pair of yummy Mittens! I worked on these socks I am just about done with them. I can't wait! I should have them done tonight! I also cast on these socksSorry the picture really sucks. I will get a better picture when I get a little further along. These are toe up socks knit with Mountain Colors Bearfoot. I really wanted to make some toe up socks so I could try a different bind off that Wendy posted on her blog. I even went so far as to weigh and divide the yarn into two skeins.

Super Bowl

Sunday was The Colts vs. The Bears. Nannies really wanted to go over to Karis for the Superbowl party so mama whipped up this colts mane to wear so he could get in the spirit.

We ate lots of food and had a good time. There was never a doubt in our minds that Payton would lead the Colts to Victory!Kari even managed to keep her jersey on the whole game. (she doesn't usually strip during football games (that I'm aware of anyways) she just usually has to take it off because it brings bad luck to the colts)

Shoes

I have been on a quest for months to find clear shoes to wear with my socks. I finally found them last week. I ordered them from here and they arrived this week.

Here they are on my feet being modeled with my lovely carnival jaywalkers. I like them a lot. Although I wonder how big of a dork I am for buying them.