Getting close!

I am almost done with a project that will be for my lovely Seester for Christmas, which is why I cannot post any pictures.  Maybe there will be pictures of her wearing it later.

I was planning to use the same pattern but different colored yarn for our mom, but then I decided that she probably wouldn't wear the thing I've selected for Catherine, so I asked her if she would prefer Choice A (same as Catherine) or Choice B (something different).  She chose something different, so I am glad that I asked!  I may start that next, or I may work on something for My Friend.

My contractor has taken to calling My Friend, "Stud Muffin".  I'm not sure that's the one that will stick here, but it's a possibility.

Ex-Darling is coming to town this weekend, so I'm planning to do the pillows for MF/SM while they're gone.  Now I just have to decide on the design!  It is nice that MF/SM knows nothing of the blog so that I can discuss his gifts openly.

The blanket for Middle has two stripes, and is lurking by my bed, waiting to be picked back up.  Fortunately for me, it requires the same needles that I am using currently, so I can't do anything.  I am resisting the impulse to purchase more needles.  So far so good.

Since I can't show you the project, I will show you some cute shoes I bought.  I have two other pairs of shoes similar to these, but with different colors.  The first pair is now starting to wear out, so I thought it would be good to get another one.  Plus, they're awfully cute.

I've not been keeping track of hours at all, but I know I've worked a fair amount.  Perhaps I should time how long one row takes, and then I can multiply for the number of rows in the project.  Sounds fair to me!

Margie

More Blanket

Okay, here is another blanket that I started back in March.  The yarn is from Juniper Moon (or Farm, or something?) and it's baby alpaca and is SOOO soft!  Middle and I rubbed it around on our faces when it arrived.  Very nice.

Anyhow, it was knit in the round, which was cool, because I got the panel look without having to sew any panels together, and yet it was a little annoying because I couldn't really see how it looked because it was gathered up on the needles all the time.  Would I do it again?  Maybe, with different yarn.  And although I thought I got gauge (or that it wouldn't really matter that much) it turned out not quite a perfect square, and when it said bind off loosely, I thought I did, but I clearly did not.  The outer edge is restrictive.  Oh well.  This is when I blocked it on The Boy's double bed:

So...now I have started on a blanket that Middle thought she would knit, but we both know that's never going to happen.  I'm about to pause to work on some Xmas presents which I will not be mentioning here until January.  Should be fun.  I am not sure if one of the intended presents would really be enjoyed by the intended recipient, so I will have to think about that.  I can think while I work on a similar one.  I have a cross stitch project to work on as well, and a pillow cover I want to make that will be pieced, but not quilted.

The pillow cover will be for a birthday present My Friend, for whom I have still not come up with a clever name.  Ah well.  He likes Craftsman style things, so I thought I would copy a stained glass window for a pillow.  I later thought I could do something smaller in cross stitch, but piecing will be faster once I actually get it planned and going.  At least I hope it will be!

More projects!

Okay, I have the picture of the baby blanket.  I need to follow up and see how the small one likes it, or if they're even using it!

Once I learned the pattern for this one, it was really fast and easy.  I like it a bunch and it used up several balls of stash yarn from when I was going to knit many baby blankets for my friends having kids.  It's the Heirloom pattern from Ravelry.  I suspect I've mentioned this before, but Ravelry is like crack for knitters.

After I finished the hat for My Friend last week (I will have to come up with a name for him at some point!)  I finished the mittens for smallest, which I think may actually be different sizes and are already too small for her hands.

She likes them a lot, and we've had one last cold snap here, so she did get to wear them a little bit.

Once those were finished, I started on a project using some yarn I got on vacation last August, before Mom's Big Fall (which allowed me to work on the above baby blanket many hours in the hospital!).  I bought Mountain Colors Merino Ribbon yarn in a pretty green color, which I am a sucker for.  I never know what to make with these things, but this time, someone suggested a scarf and since I am always cold in my office, I spotted the Honey Cowl pattern (again, while freebasing Ravelry) and went for it.  I made the shorter, thinner version, but added some stitches because I wanted to be able to loop it around my neck twice.  I finished on Wednesday night and am wearing it today.  I love the color, and I really like the extra warmth!  

It only took about a week to do, which is super fast given the limited time I have to work on things!

Now I am off to the baby blanket.  I got some baby alpaca yarn from Webs (more crack).  When it arrived, Middle and I stood in the kitchen rubbing it on our faces because it is soooo soft!  I'm trying to get gauge right now, although that's probably not critical for a blanket, but I want to get close at least.  The pattern is from an Vogue baby blanket book that I got years ago, and the intended baby is due in July, I believe.

After (or maybe during) the baby blanket, I may give another go at a crocheted top for Middle.  I tried one last year, but the pattern wasn't very clear, or maybe I was missing something Very Important?  I don't know, but it just wasn't right.

And maybe I'll put that darned baby sweater together soon too, get it off my project list!

A Hat!

Well, I did finish most of the painting and I have been doing lots of knitting.
I've made a baby blanket for my mentor's granddaughter, and I've made mittens for Middle and Smallest (although I postponed Smallest's second mitten to do some other things).  My latest project has been a hat.

I am excited about the hat because the last time I made a hat, it was made from calculations based on gauge and used purple fuzzy yarn and ended up way to big for the girls, and too big for me too.  This hat was done with a pattern I found on Ravelry, and while I couldn't get the yarn specified, I did get some help from a yarn shop with a good substitute.  It took a little over a week to make the hat.  I started over three times because of issues with the cast on edge, but I really like it.

The hat is for a new friend of mine.  For those in our limited reading audience, Darling and I separated in the spring of 2012 and divorced last year.  So.  I met this friend in 2007, but we just discovered last fall that we were both single, and started dating last month.  He is making me a box for my double pointed knitting needles, and I said I would make him a hat in return, which he was excited about.

I finished the hat last night while Smallest was at soccer practice.  We are not telling Dance Coach about soccer, because we are worried he will forbid such activities because of the potential for injury. Smallest really likes to play, so we are in a more relaxed league than she's played in before, and she's playing with a friend, which makes it more fun too.

So, here is a picture of the hat.  I will have to add the blanket picture when I get to the home computer.  Catherine has finished her quilt at last, so perhaps she will post her picture too.  I think I am winning this quarter so far.  I'm preparing to make a scarf for myself and another baby blanket, so hop too it, Catherine!

Knitrageous

So I realized that Oct. 1 came and went without any fanfare or salsa.  We are definitely delinquent in posting in a timely fashion.

Anyhow, I have been terrible about keeping track of time that I work on things anymore.  However, I did spend a lot of time this summer working on a baby blanket.  I was sneaking time on it while Smallest was in dance class, and then I got a lot of time when we went to Colorado for vacation and our mom had an accident and spent a week in the hospital.

I didn't keep track of time spent there either, but I suspect it was a fair number of hours as she would sleep and I would sit and knit so as not to bother her.  For a week.

I don't think I'll claim any salsa for it, but I do think I probably had at least 10 hours :)

Now all my projects consist of working on my new house (an old house, but new to me).  I have been painting and assembling Ikea furniture and painting for a while.  The chaos is slowly coming under control, but there's still a fair bit to do.

Here's a picture of my new kitchen.  We gutted the old one, as I think the cabinets were original to the 1940s house.  I like the result, and I like my contractor too!

That's what I know.  

Undetermined hours, maybe when I stop painting I can knit again!

Margie

Triumph!

The quilt, I has built it. My guess on March 31 was surprisingly accurate - it took 4.5 hours to sew up the last four seams (including fixing two squares that didn't have enough hem). Now, the big decision: to turn it into a comforter cover (easier to care for) or true quilt (more aesthetically appealing). I'm leaning toward the latter, but also have these buttons and white fabric I bought a couple of months ago when I was leaning the other way... hmm.

Anyway, here is the 12x12 block. Very exciting!

4.5 hours
Catherine

Pig Complete

I finished the pig, now named Sir Oinks-A-Lot, except for his tail and stitching on embroidery eyes and nostrils.  Smallest has been loath to release him, so it will have to wait a bit.  I'll get a picture of it then too.

Last weekend Smallest and I went to the Emerald Ball ballroom competition in LA and had a great time.  I needed a project to take on the plane since the pig was done, so I poked around in Ravelry and checked out what yarn I had handy and came up with a plan for a baby blanket.  Not only do I have all the yarn I need, when I knit my swatch, I got gauge!  That never happens to me.  I used the suggested needle size and it worked.  Amazing.

The blanket is for a friend's new grand baby.  She's very excited about the baby, and it's a nice way to do some knitting, use up some yarn and make a baby happy.

I took it all along with me (plus a back-up crochet project in case knitting wasn't an option) and finished four or fine inches of it.  Smallest and I played a computer game much of the time, so not as much knitting as I expected.  I did get about 1.5 hours in on the way there, and some more time here and there through the weekend, plus the flight back.

I've also promised Middle that I would make her a crochet top for summer.  Not sure how that happened, but I did.  Unfortunately, none of the stores in town have the weight of cotton that I needed, unless I wanted to buy 30 little skeins from the sewing store, so I "had" to go to www.yarn.com and order a big cone of cotton yarn.  I'll have lots left over.  I am sure I will not be allowed to make a matching top for myself.  So, once the yarn arrives, I'll pause on the blanket and get the top done.

Not much else that I know.  Our brother came and stayed with The Boy and Middle while we were off in Dancy-land.  They had a fun weekend.

So, a tally of hours - it took me an hour to finish up the pig parts and sew it together, then 1.5 on the plane to LA, and probably another 2 total on the trip, including the flight home.  I did get in another 30 minutes while waiting at Middle's dr. appt. Monday afternoon, so 4 hours to add.

8.5 hours total

Margie