Indigo cones is a vest!

When I last left you the Indigo cones needed sides. And now--it has them! Witness:

and

I was kind of dreading the sides, because the directions looked a little complicated. I mean how was this going to work? Then I got most of the right side done (really fast because there aren't a lot of stitches compared to when you do the whole thing at once) but I wasn't sure if I had marked the pattern when I finished a chart repeat or not. It took me a whole day to decide that I had indeed marked it and had only done 2 chart repeats and needed a third. Then the decreases looked tricky--they weren't and suddenly the right side was done! The left side went much quicker. Now it only needs sleeves! Although I have a favorite sock that needs some darning and I need to figure out if I have the right DPNS or a smaller circular to do the sleeves on. Which requires me finding either my needle gauge or my notes to determine what size needles I'm using again. (THIS is why I need to document). At any rate, I have a month before the graduation I want to wear it to (REALLY??? I can't believe my baby nephew is GRADUATING from high school!!!).

Also, I slipped it on and in it's pre-blocked stage it fits. No pictures of that though because as I write this, I'm still in my jammies. I blame the snow (just very thick flurries).

Of course it wasn't in time for the "spring" banquet but I managed in my store bought shrug, Christmas dress, brand new shoes, and vintage purse. Behold:

And yes, I am wearing hose. a) If Princess Kate can so can I and b) it is COLD in Michigan.

spring break

One might start to wonder lots of things when a knitting blogger takes an unexpected hiatus. Specifically one might start to wonder what said knitter has been up to and if the time away from writing about projects has increased time spent actually working on projects, or if the knitter just spent hours and hours playing 2048. Well dear reader, wonder no longer.

Really the hiatus had to do more with Spring break than anything else. Children (even tween children) underfoot all day does sort of put a damper on knitting, playing ridiculously addictive games and basically anything else that is not directly related to surviving the day. Children it seems demand meals at regular intervals, and the meals must be not the same meal as the day before. In other words, tacos for dinner means no one wants tacos for lunch the next day. SIGH I say!

We also did not travel, meaning that there was no car knitting to books things forward. Instead we stayed home, and over break we volunteered 8 hours at our local butterfly garden. We also slept late, and visited with local friends. And I actually did spend some time playing 2048 and actually WON by getting the 2048 tile. The game suggested a new goal, but honestly, my desire to play has been easily cut by three quarters.

But I did also knit, just not as much as one would expect.

Indigo cones is moving along nicely. I have finished the back, and am about to start the right side. It is clear though that I will not finish it in time for the dinner, and it will most likely be too cold anyway. Now I am aiming for may when I have not one but 2 semi-formal events where such a garment will work well.

Besides doesn't it look more like a May outfit? Ok, maybe where you are it looks like an April thing, but 2 days ago there was snow on the ground here. And for Friday's dinner--it might be in the upper 40s. So May it is!

I also did manage to get the sock going and knit halfway up the foot. Although I don't have a picture. Trust me, more knitting in public. Also it helped with the very palatable tension one picks up on when one watches a middle school talent competition.

But of course it hasn't been all knitting. I made a batch of mango jam, watched the power company take out 4 trees in my yard, and hung out with the children. One of our days, we treated ourselves to TV dinners (we were at the store for something else--and BONUS tv dinners=easy lunch). My choice was something different than I usually get. I was so disappointed with the difference between the box picture and the actual, I took a picture.

Moral of this story--a good food stylist will get you at least one sale. good food might get you repeat business.

2048, shrug and a sock

This week, while waiting at the eye doctor, one of my daughters introduced me to the game 2048 , which should actually serve as a cautionary tale of how you should always have emergency knitting or books because man am I ever addicted to that game. Seriously. As a consequence (a sad consequence), I really didn't get much of anything done this week. It feels like Indigo Cones is going so so slow. I think in part because the rows are SO. FREAKING. LONG.

So, I have completed 3 sections of the chart--you do 5 before starting the sleeves. And I was thinking I might actually get this done in time for the banquet that I THOUGHT might be a month away.

Hear that? The sound of fate laughing at me?

Usually this banquet is towards the end of April, and the weather is warmish, hence the shrug. I didn't look too close at the calendar or I would have realized that when I am anticipating the banquet, my husband (aka the reason we go to the banquet) is out of town. He thought it was the week before--when my mom would be visiting (hey come visit AND babysit). BUT then he got an e-mail and the banquet is actually April 10 instead of the 24 like I was anticipating (or the 17th like he was anticipating). Now I'm realizing 2 things: 1) I'm probably not going to finish this in time. 2) even if I did, it will probably still be too cold.

Oh well--I'll just have to find an excuse to wear it anyway.

Knitting in Public

I know lots of people knit in public, and I tend to occasionally bring a sock here and there. I had two opportunities to knit while "chaperoning" an academic competition my girls were involved in. I toyed with bringing the shrug and then realized that even though the lace pattern is simple enough for TV knitting, that you don't much done if you have to stop, figure out where you are, and then start only to be interrupted 2 or 3 stitches later. So sock it was! The first week, I didn't get the sock out at all--instead ended up chatting with the other chaperones. The second week, I got out the sock and had several middle school girls surrounding me asking about my knitting. And then realizing that I forgot to bring the yarn I was switching to.

The girls were funny though because they all told me about people they knew that knit, asked me what I was knitting, asked who it was for, exclaimed over the yarn. Well, everyone except my children, who seemed to think I was knitting solely to embarrass them.

You see I started a sock out of the two skeins of leftover sock yarn from making socks for my two daughters. I thought I'd do heels and toes from the skein with the least yarn, and the rest from the skein with the most yarn. But then I didn't know if my sock was wide enough, and I didn't want to be THAT chaperone who took off her shoes and tried on her sock. So I stopped, put it away, vowed to work out the issues and then Tuesday when I have to go and sit for a few hours during the final meet, I'll work on it more. My girls will really be mortified if I am sitting in the auditorium (since I shouldn't have to chaperone) knitting.

So, I need to try on the sock, and start the blue. Before Tuesday. Better stop playing 2048. Except I got up to 512 and almost to 1024.

Indigo cones in progress

Before I get into the knitting portion of this entry, I'd like to take a minute to talk about technology. Specifically about how on some levels I need more and better and faster like yesterday! and how on other levels, why can't things just stay the same.

In essence my browser of choice is safari. In fact an old version of safari (version 5.1.10). And lately my sites aren't playing nice with it. It started out as gmail telling me it wasn't supported. Then Facebook wouldn't let me see notifications unless I was on MY page rather than the feed page. Then that went away and basically I go to some random persons page to see my notifications. Then yahoo mail yesterday started not letting me reply or forward message and forget about composing a new one. Flickr is flakey, but you know--as much as I say I like flickr better than instagram, I gotta admit flickr has always been flakey for me. I'd upgrade--I really would. But to upgrade safari, you have to upgrade your operating system. And the person I share the desktop with isn't yet convinced we need to do that.

I guess that's my long way of saying I'll probably start using chrome instead.

And just so you don't think I'm total luddite--yesterday I figured out how to online order from Panera and I swear angels sang. In fact, you know what I want? I want to be able to order everything online and have it brought to me by drones, instantly. I might just be feeling a little more on the introverted side today.

Onward!

This has kind of been a crap week for me. Last Thursday I started massively cleaning the house so the girls could have three of their nearest and dearest friends over for a sleepover. This involved me getting rid of lots of stuff too--mostly paper I'd let pile up. It did not however, leave me time to knit. I did however, make time to finish a pair of PJ pants (that ended up being too large because elastic is like that I guess) that I've been meaning to finish for well over a month. While I was doing that I thought--OH hey wouldn't THAT make a great treat bag after a sleepover--everyone has matching PJ pants? Then I slapped myself. Still, it lurks there for maybe next year's birthday sleepover.

And I'd pull it off by getting the majority of the work done ahead of time--saving elastic and hemming for later--then measure for elastic and waist, send kids down to watch a movie and voila! PJS by bedtime. Most guests I could eyeball for initial size based on my two girls. It could work! Yeah I just slapped myself again.

So, then the sleepover, then the time change, then a professional day off of school and I was totally wiped out. I think I knit a grand total of four rows on my shrug over 5 days. Most of those during the sleepover.

And then Tuesday I started to feel like I was getting a cold. I knew I needed to sit and rest instead of the other stuff I usually do during the day. And I tried to knit, and managed a row or two before it just was clear that stuffy head, achy body meant read instead of knit.

And then Tuesday night, or rather the wee hours of Wednesday it became clear one daughter was not going to school Wednesday. But I felt better. So Wednesday I stayed home, watched way more TV than I ever do, since sleep and watch tv was all my daughter was doing. And as a consequence I got something like 12 rows knit yesterday!

It still has a ways to go, but I feel like it is coming along. I also feel like it might be too big. But maybe not. Anyway, now I've got everyone back in school, and so I'm sure my knitting time will go back to the one to two rows a night version.

shrug in progress

This week I screwed up my courage and cast on for my Indigo cones. And got as far as this:
Do you see it as white? Maybe blue?

Not because it is hard, or because I hate the pattern or the yarn, just because that is a LOT of stitches. In fact I love the yarn. It is a cotton linen blend that I think smells really fresh and springy.

I also started my annual volunteer stint at the local butterfly house. The first day is always a day with no visitors--and really just butterfly care. Because I knew it would be boring (no people, 12 butterflies--as many had not emerged) I wanted to bring my knitting in case I got bored. Because there is a strict no plant material rule, I opted not to bring my Indigo cones. Instead I decided to start a sock in bright colors that would match the dayglo fluorescent green volunteer shirt. I don't know how much I'll work on it--as I am loving the shrug and honestly I'll never be that bored volunteering again (people + more butterflies= more work). We'll see. I may bring it to get a picture today. In the meantime, I did manage to photograph one of the few butterflies.

My goal between now and the end of butterflies is to figure out how to upload pictures from my desktop computer (where my good camera downloads) to my Instagram account. And honestly right now I'm adding many many things on my treatise on why flickr is better than instagram.

Indigo cones

I had set as my goal this year to write at least once a week, mainly so I could keep things updated and moving along. February has been a real struggle for me this year. I'm not sure if it was SAD, full on depression, the super cold winter, or some combination. I wasn't really feeling right with no energy not really wanting to get out of bed, not really wanting to move much after that and feeling like every day I was pushing myself really hard just for the basics. I know that I have a very supportive network of friends and family who would do so much for me to help. But honestly, I didn't know what help to ask for, so I just pushed on telling myself that if I still felt this bad in March, I'd go see someone. I'm gradually feeling better. Every day I feel a tiny bit more like myself, which is good.

We also had a huge chunk of time where for one reason or another (PD day, President's day wind chill day and wind chill delay) where the children were home and yet I had to work. This is so rare, the children did not even know how to deal with it--so the feeling like running through quicksand got ramped up 10 notches.

Because I really suspect that a huge part of this was the unseasonable cold we are having (really--the average high for today is 27F, the record low (set in 2003--how did I not remember that--I was hugely pregnant) was -4F and today is forecasted to be 14F Also side note, I mentioned this was the coldest February I could remember and someone tried to argue that LAST February was even colder. Whatever. We are 6 heating degree days higher than we were at this point last year so pbbbbt.), I decided to start knitting for spring. Specifically, I started knitting Indigo Cones in white Creative focus linen. Although I bought it at a much higher price before it was discontinued. The goal is to have this done by April so I can wear one of my springier dresses to my husband's annual work dinner. Because every year about a week before I think--MAN if I only had a shrug or something I could wear this sleeveless dress but it is WAY too cold to go without.

It may actually take that long to make it.

I started with a swatch, which is a good way to start with anything you'd like to actually fit. The gauge section says that the suggested needle size (which is where I usually start on my swatch) is a US 9 for the stockinet and pattern, and a US 6 for the rib. So, I did a big swatch and washed it and I'm really close on the stockinette and a little loose on the pattern but WAY off on the rib.

So I redid a smaller swatch on a US size 4 and it was STILLL too big. Then I swatched it on a US 3 and I am STILL too loose. However, I'm pretty close. Close enough that I feel like it will work. So, I have cast on, and started the first row (and then miscounted, ripped out and started again). Hopefully it can start to move along from here and I'll have more pictures to show off later.

meh

I'm just going to come out and say it--I'm still struggling here. For the last few weeks I feel as if I am treading water. There is no energy for anything but keeping my head above water.

It sounds melodramatic. I don't think it is anything really to worry about because I think this time of year (the late January through February) is hard on many people in the northern Hemisphere. It is dark, and cold, and here in Michigan, snowy. We don't have enough to compare to Boston (oh poor Boston), but we had enough last week to give us a snow day and to totally throw all my routines out of whack. I hurt my back shoveling, I didn't sleep well, and as a consequence I feel like I totally lost last week. I didn't run, I barely knit, and every day just feeding my family felt like a monumental effort.

My knitting project has been singularly unexciting. So many little pieces, so many little mistakes that get ripped, re-knit, ripped again, and re-knit. Add many spaces between the steps, as every mistake seems to make me skip any knitting for an evening. Also little mistakes on a simple TOY (which was to be a gift, but now may not even get finished) make me lose confidence to try a bigger project. And then I sit here with yarn for three sweaterish/shrugish projects and a brand new knitting magazine (with a sweater I adore!) and I feel like starting all of them and none of them at the same time.

My husband is wonderful. He says--just make yourself a simple sock with some fun yarn. But even socks make me feel meh. I have so many socks. Socks that need to be darned. I even gave up on TWO pairs. These:

and another pair I don't think I ever photographed! Heck that means they aren't done right? Anyway pictured pair has been darned many times, and keeps sprouting new holes in different places. If I fix the current holes, I will have replaced pretty much the entire sole. The other pair--I've blown out both heels. I could fix them, but realized I don't like them that much (see--no picture, how could I possibly have liked them). And having given up on two pairs means that I still have enough socks to wear a new pair every day and still not run out by laundry day. Maybe I'll do a sock census.

I do know that for me there is only one thing that pulls me out of these moods. Just keep plugging until spring gets here. Just run, and knit and take care of the family. Just let people take care of me. A saving grace for me is that in the middle of all the February-ness there are bright spots: valentine's day, butterfly volunteering, my birthday and my lovely daughters' birthday. So hopefully next time, I'll have pictures and maybe a brighter outlook.

In the meantime, if you too are feeling meh: hang on, it will get better.

not much to report

Since it has been a while since I updated, I figured I might have some new project to report.  Alas not.  I'm having a really hard time getting things done lately, I'm not sure exactly why.  The last two weeks have found me with nearly uncompleted weekly to do lists.  Last week was an obvious one, my kids had two days off and my husband had a different day off.  So I only had two days in which I did not have other people distracting me.  (Clearly, I want to be distracted).

And my kids, well they just sucked the energy right out of me.  I don't even know why except that as nearly 12 year olds, they've reverted back to some of their toddler like ways--except this time around I can't put them down for naps (even when I know they are tired). It means that when my knitting time rolls around, Im just too tired.  Plus, they've started this thing they never did as little bitties and get out of bed like 10-15 times a night (usually between 9 and 11) and they neeeed something. It makes it really hard to knit, when you are constantly getting up and saying--go back to bed, stay there.

I did start a small project that I know would be done by now in the hands of a more dedicated knitter. It is a gift though, so I don't want to say too much about it.  It is from a book I managed to score for majorly cheap ($1 at the Friends of the Library Amigurumi Knits ). So basically now I want to knit a bunch of vegetables for all my friends.

Even this small project has me stalled.  Because seriously, how long should it take to knit something small like that?  I've been working for over a week--except not really because too many nights I just fall into this exhausted despair.

This week, I have set some craft goals though and will push through them by golly. I've got 3 pairs of pj pants up . (PJs are fast becoming a never ending project--I recently discovered one child claims that she doesn't have enough to go all week and she hates re-wearing) One pair is for me, and is cut out.  The other two need to get done--the fabric is washed.  (The fabric was clearanced out at Joann--so score!) and just need to get done.  As I have proved other times, none of these will take me longer than an hour.  I should just get them done.

Other goals--swatch for one project--maybe during the day so I have focus.  It doesn't matter which of the THREE things I want to make I swatch for--just SOMETHING. So that when my Amigurumi gift is done, I can get going on something else. And get whichever patter I pick read through, and set so it can be knit in between the "mom--what if no one else wears pajamas at pajama day!" crises that happen at 10pm, as I am TRYING to knit.

decisions

Last week despite the fact that I decided I detest doing a sewn bind off (but love the stretchy-ness of Jenny's Surprisingly stretchy bind off) I managed to finish the shorty socks. Again like her sister, she chose to have "fraternal twin" socks.

Those are all my feet because I could not get her to try them on.  But they fit me, they will probably fit her. Hopefully their feet will stop growing soon and I can make them a whole week's worth of socks!

The yarn here is Regia Fluormania in the neon ocean colorway.  I used size 1.5 and just a basic toe up pattern.  

Of course guess what is on tap for this week?  More sewn bind off!  I decided to widen the cowl I finished in December and give it a sewn bind off to make it stretchier.  I'm almost done with the widening part.  I'm really dreading the bindoff.  

After that, well I'm kinda stuck.  I'm not sure what project to do next. It isn't that I don't have yarn.  Oh my I have yarn for two sweaters that I wanted to do.  That infamous Dollar and a half cardigan AND Indigo Cones.  Do you know what those two have in common?  I had trouble making my gauge swatches. In the dollar and a half, I had trouble FOLLOWING the stitch pattern.  That never ever happens to me. I think I even tried charting it to help. Hmmm maybe time to look at it again.  The Indigo cones one?  Gauge. I have the yarn it calls for (which hello both are linen!) and I can't get even close.  Well I did get close on the lace pattern, but on the broken rib, not even close. Hmmm maybe I should try THAT again.  Both would certainly make nice spring sweaters (roughly the timeline it would take me I think).  I also have this pair of socks I want to try.

Here's the thing, if I do the socks, I'll do them in my Mode sock and I'll probably have to do a swatch AND I'll have to decide  which size to make.  My foot is 8 inches around. the pattern is 7.5 and 8.5.  I mean you know if my gauge is off I could probably math it a bit. but I would HATE HATE HATE to make such pretty socks in such squishy yarn that are too big. (I HATE too big socks).

All of these are complex patterns that I'd have to focus on, and the reality of my life is that my knitting time is almost all in front of the tv. And done as a relaxation thing at night when I feel like I am just DONE.  So about the last thing I want is to have a scream in frustration about patterns I can't follow or gauge being off. I guess the other alternative is to have two projects going--a daytime project that I might be able to sneak in a few minutes on here and there and a night project that is zone out knitting.

So many decisions!

Post holidays

 This is the entry where I probably ought to list some resolutions, but.  Well, I'm sure some people say--I don't make resolutions, I just change when I want to.  What I say is this, I do make resolutions, but I usually don't really have them gel in my head until the middle of January.  The new year is often an introspective time, which is I guess why people resolve things, but I usually need to get back into my routine to fully develop my thoughts.  So far nothing is leaping out at me expect for trying to make some running goals happen.

But on to the good stuff, the holiday wrap up!.

This is where I would generally put any gift knitting I had done. The fact is though, that I did no gift knitting. None. I did knit on holiday though, and have nearly finished a pair of socks for my panda girl.

Before we left for our post Christmas trip I had the first sock done.  Mostly because she wanted "short socks". Alrighty then.  Now I am ready to bind off the second sock (sorry the picture is from Saturday when I thought I might be writing this post.) I don't think I've even had time to get these on my ravelry page.  

And of course there was yarn as gifts for me!

My mother in law got me six skeins of a yarn she saw in a yarn shop that she liked. If it did not have mohair in it, I'd probably make her a scarf out of it.  I know the mohair would bother her though.  She also got my girls several pairs of socks (these bamboo socks they like, and some smart wool for puppy girl who loves it) and each of them a skein of sock yarn. And then my mom took me shopping at knit stop, which is really a nice shop even if it is pricey! I snagged this mini skein set, a swift and a pattern.

This is sock/fingering weight and is all wool.  I was initially thinking socks, then bemoaned the lack of nylon, then thought gloves, then thought oh heck, I'll just look at it and pet it every day or something.  

I'm really excited about the swift.  I have had a ball winder for ages, and usually when a yarn is in a skein, I roll it into a ball then wind it on the ball winder (so I get a pretty cake), but often that's a huge exercise in frustration. I can't wait to set up my swift and try it out.  I haven't yet because winding yarn while everyone is home is like inviting disaster. Also inviting people to exclaim that they really need a new scarf or cowl or something. Also, I'd have to go through the stash and find something that needs winding. So maybe it will wait until I finish the socks AND fix the cowl.

After discussing the matter with several knitting friends, I've decided to add a few more rows and do a sewn bindoff to make that end more stretchy.  My friend who just happens to work at my local LYS (and has a blog she never updates...... HINT) suggested that, and I never would have considered it, but I think she's right and it will add to my liking for the project.  After that... I have no idea.  More socks maybe?  Another scarf? A sweater?  I'm cold so who even knows what sort of project will present itself.

baking

So last week--let's just say that perhaps maybe I neglected to put the things I was really going to do--actually needed to do on this list. Which made it very unfulfilling to spend a day doing them and having nothing to cross off. What am I talking about? Baking of course.
Last week I made, two batches of hard candy--one strawberry, one watermelon and a batch of marshmallows. The candy was supposed to be red and green. I made the strawberry first and colored it red. Then I made the watermelon and the flavor oil turned the candy pink! Which of course meant that my green turned it grayish brown. So lovely and so festive! I'm making two batches of spiced pecans today. So at the end of last week, my kitchen was full of this:
and this:

And of course this morning, I'm doing the first batch of pecans (I need to buy pecans for the second batch --eeek) so this is making my house smell all good:
That's a long way of saying there were still items left on the list. Mostly dealing with wrapping presents--a task I despise. However, wrapping of the girls' presents must must must get done this week--this is the last week of school. I also broke out bigger tasks I want to accomplish this week, so my list for this week looks really really long.but it is so so satisfying to cross things off--so there is that.
Hopefully though, even if I don't get all the way through my list, I'll be ready for everyone to have their winter vacations and just chill in my messy messy house. And knit--oh yes knit.

cowl and sweaters

Last week I got EVERY SINGLE THING on my to do list done. That has not happened since I started keeping a weekly to do list 7 weeks ago. And it means that the secret Christmas jammies are done!! This week's list looks long, but I'm hoping I can knock it out too.

One thing that was not on my list this week, but needed to get done (and I should have written it on there) was to create a "ugly" Christmas "sweater" for both girls to wear to a Christmas party. After failing to find anything at Salvation army and refusing to spend $ (although I did buy puff paint for $10 so maybe I should rethink this next time) we decided to decorate some old sweatshirts that their grandma gave us for the occasion. What was really funny was in discussing the designs, it became clear neither girl understood what "ugly Christmas sweater" meant. So they both were dubious as my suggestions, and one of them kept begging to add black widow spiders. It went like this:
me: how about a big santa hat?
her: with a black widow spider on it?
me: um or maybe a Christmas tree?
her: decorated with black widow spiders?

In the end, no black widows, and not terribly ugly either:

On to the knitting!:
I think I might have finished the cowl I was letting myself work on only for this week. I say think because I'm not sure I'm happy with it.

First, I'm not sure it is wide enough. I still have enough of both yarns to make a second one, but that seems a little odd to have two. Even odder to give the identical one away. And I'm not sure it is actually long enough either--this is it wrapped around me--just one wrap. (pre morning run, and so pre-shower/makeup sorry)

So, I didn't tuck in the ends, in case I decide to rip it out and start over.
Pattern:Bloom Striped cowl
needles: US size 8
yarn: Misti alpaca baby me boo Autumn Aster and Malabrigo silky merino

Bloom Striped cowl

I finally finished the socks. I did neglect to get a picture of puppy girl wearing them, but she wore them for a day and a half before taking them off and shoving them behind the throw pillow on the couch. This is a normal repository of socks in my house and I am convinced that both girls consider this to be part of their hamper. I TRY to do the natural consequence thing and not wash things that aren't in the hamper, but honestly they either have too many socks or their tolerance for socks shoved behind cushions of the couch is higher than mine. Perhaps both.

I decided to compromise and give myself a week, this week, to work on an alternate project before starting the second pair of socks. I mentioned a while ago that my LYS had a sale and when I went everyone was just gushing about the Bloom striped cowl. I bought two skeins to make it with and then laid out all my other purples to see if maybe one of them didn't go better. Then this weekend, I even dug out a burgundy and a baby blue. In the end I decided to go with not the silky wool I bought, but a darker purple. That um is called.... um.... I think I may have lost the ball band. Isn't that terrible? I do keep the ball bands--but I always get into trouble when the yarn comes in a skein and I decide I need to wind it RIGHT NOW!

I did a search of the yarn cabinet and did come up with the tag. The yarn is Malabrigo Silky merino.

And I quite like how it is turning out.

I will say this, whenever a pattern says cast on, I use a knitted cast on. I like it, I like how it looks. Sometimes I'll do a cable cast on--again easy peasy and looks nice. However, sometimes a pattern will specify and I truly try to believe that the pattern designer is not just a control freak who wants me use her favorite cast on and actually think there is a reason. So I use the cast on specified. That said--man I hate me some long tail cast on.

about the socks

You know what I am liking? The weekly progress pictures on the sock. Why? Because this week, I felt like I hardly knit at all. My arm has been hurting (which seems to be a combination of the ulnar nerve problem AND the tendonitis problem that I've had in the past. So my pinkie goes numb and my wrist hurts and my thumb feels weird.) Needless to say, it makes me not want to knit. I do think I have most of it figured out--I think the planks were aggravating my ulnar nerve and the brace I was wearing for that was making my wrist hurt. I'm switching from planks to boat pose, but I need to work up to a 30 second boat. I stopped planking a few days ago--stopped wearing my brace, and moved my pillows so I wasn't sleeping totally on my shoulder and I felt better so fast it wasn't even funny.

Are you curious about the steps? No? Well I'll tell you anyway. I still have my 10K streak going, but this week was HARD for that too. Wednesday I had to take my car in for service, AND I took a nap in the morning (it had been a rough rough night the night before). Then I didn't walk over to the school to get the girls (my daily walk!), so by 3:30 when we were all home I had 3000 steps. Usually I have 7000 by then. Let's just say I paced while dinner was cooking and barely made it. Yesterday was a similar thing--except we helped pack Thanksgiving baskets for the food pantry--and while it SEEMS like you'd be getting a lot of steps because you are walking along a line of food, picking up cans as you go, it turned out to only be 1500 steps for a 2 hour block. I probably have more to say bout what foods you should donate to food pantries based on this, and you can most likely find lots of articles that tell you the same thing, but I'm going to start with my big pet peeve: DON'T DONATE EXPIRED FOOD. And my "rule of thumb" If I won't eat it--I'm not donating it (exception: pumpkin pie filling stuff--I hate pumpkin, but some people love it--I haven't met anyone who likes canned potatoes though--if you do--give me a shout out). But on with the knitting!

As you can see--I'm getting closer to the end. If all goes well I may even finish it thins week.

Also on my list this week were to darn my Harry Potter socks. These are my favorite of my hand knit socks, and they are old, and Opal no longer makes the Harry Potter colorways. (note to self--I should have bought more of this yarn when I had the chance). I was distressed last year to note that one of these socks was getting thin on the bottom, and sad to say, I've been putting off fixing them for far too long. Every day this fall I'd look at them on the dresser and think--You should fix those! So I put it on the list (that coincidentally sits next to where the socks were--duh) and actually did it.

That's the Harry and Ron colorway BTW.

Also on the list--2 pairs of secret pjs (not done) and 2 pairs not secret PJs (done!). I am all set to get the secret ones done too--the problem is I got the elastic measured out for them on the weekend, so you can't really pull out the secret pairs while everyone is home. Joann's has flannel on super sale Wednesday and Friday this week, and I may pop over and pick up some more--for me. The girls are set I think after their Christmas pairs, but I would love another new pair.

Sewing

I think I mentioned last week that I've been making a weekly to do list, to help focus my efforts. This week I think I went a bit overboard because there are 13 items on the list--I did add the 4 calendar items that I have this week--which is something I don't normally do, but we'll see how it goes. I think I jsut wanted to be sure I could cross something off every day. That's a real motivating thing for me to cross things off.

Last week I did EVERYTHING on the list except one item. The very last pair of planned pj pants for my panda girl still sit in the basement with no elastic because I was stupid and didn't cut a second length when I measured her for the frog PJs. I decided to do a pair for each of them for Christmas, and wasn't sure how to put those on the list because the list sits on my dresser. So I made them SCJ #1 and SCJ#2. And technically panda girl's only needs elastic--which when she decides she needs the plaid jammies that are still waiting on elastic--I'll cut two lengths. Puppy girl should be easier--her last jammies (a set of dogs with glasses) should get done this week. And she is always up for letting me measure out elastic.

This week I also finished a pair for me! Wore them and decided the elastic needed to be tighter--so I fixed them too:

Cute right! Sorry you can't see me modeling them, as I am very cute in them. But I'm sure as the winter goes on if you time it right, you'll see me walking (or driving) to school in them.

I never put knitting on the list--I just slog away at it every night as a form of relaxation. And this week I also hauled it to school conferences because it is set up like the DMV. Just what you want in a conference right? Sit in a chair and wait your 5 minute turn. We were there from 5pm when it started (ok we were there at 5:05 and it was already lines) until 6:45 when we saw the last teacher on the girl's team. I am so glad we put them on the same team of teachers! Otherwise we would have either had to split up or spend another hour waiting I'm sure. I'm so good at this sock pattern that I've done gobs of times that I actually turned the heel and set up the ribbing while I waited. I also got a ton of compliments on it. I still have about 3-4 inches of ribbing left. And I'm still trying to figure out how to not jump right back into the next pair of socks without hurting anyone's feelings.

Maybe I'll start the socks AND a cowl and alternate days? Maybe I'll find I don't like the cowl pattern. All these maybes.

Socks, skirts, pj pants

You would think that in a week I would have gotten a lot done and have had a ton of pictures to show for it.

At this I laugh.
Seriously though, I did make progress on the second sock, despite the fact that I feel like I have already knit 2 socks and am a little tired of knitting socks. I was told that it might be preferable if they didn't match, so they don't. If that bothers you--look away.

And yes, I am a little tired of knitting socks and I'm ready to knit something else. However, I still have 2.5 more socks to do. You see I have twin girls and they are very competitive for my attention/love/knitting. And I can't just knit socks for one of them ( these are for puppy girl) without knitting socks for both of them. So I have 2.5 more socks to knit before I can move on to something else. At least the next pair are a different colorway.

I did make some barbie skirts out of the pleather. (I made two!) And it appears that my panda girl LOVES this, as she's asked for a lot more skirts. Like one in every piece of fabric we have maybe. I did take a picture of the one doll I could find wearing the skirt. Which just happened to be the panda girl's doll.

My hand is there because this is the Barbie who rides a bike and so if I don't hold her I get this:

I also made pj pants for me (although I haven't done the waistband yet) and 2 pairs for panda girl (one is a Christmas surprise) --again no waists yet. And I cut out a third pair for her.

I sort of got on a kick while I was waiting for stuff. I should get on a kick about putting in the waistbands.

Planking, steps and decluttering are all proceeding like they always did.

October wrap up

Here we go--October wrap up. In October I wanted to accomplish:
Halloween costumes
Steps, planing, decluttering
Get on a regular schedule
Knit something

Obviously I finished the costumes. It felt last minute, but I think October 30 wasn't bad. The girls wore them to school and entered a costume contest (but didn't win). Panda girl was going for "most homemade"(she meant best homemade, but kept saying most homemade)--I felt like I should leave some thread hanging for her. The weather was NASTY, windy and cold and drizzly, but the girls desperately wanted to trick or treat. So we bundled up (long underwear. winter coat and boots for me, coat UNDER the poodle jacket, and coat OVER the superhero costume--a trench that she flashed open at every door--it was cute.

I'm sure people look at my nearly fully grown eleven year olds and think they are too old to trick or treat--but at least they are fully decked out costume wise. They took their best friend's little sister with them, and I think fun was had by everyone.

Steps! Did you know I've gotten at least 10K steps every day since May 1--except June 29 and August 6? I have! (Those two days were long driving vacation days).
Planks--ok not so great with the planks--but most days! And I really can tell the difference. I need to up either my reps or my time on each.
Decluttering is where I kind of fell off. I feel like when I look around the obvious clutter is not mine, but the girls'. And I feel like I bought too much fabric for all the costumes, and I don't want to pitch the extras, but I don't know what else to do with it. I tried though--and over the weekend, I made some strides in getting at least one girl to work on her clutter problem.

Getting on a regular schedule. Hmmm I'm not sure why I said that except maybe I was stressed at work because I wasn't putting in regular hours. I have kind of a routine going now, so we can call that good right?

Knit something! I planned socks for the girls, with my goal in my head of finishing one pair by the end of the month. And I kind of did--I finished 2 socks. They just happen to be the same sock re-done so it would fit!

The one on the left is the first one, that sadly did not fit. I ripped it out and got just past the heel and tried it on her again, and the foot part fit. So I picked it up again, gave it a wider heel--added 4 stitches to the leg, and did a lighter ribbing. I just bound it off last night, so we'll try it on her again and hope it fits.

I'm not doing goals for November. I know it is a month many people blog every day or write a novel, but I just want to relax. I have a weekly to do list--which is something I started a few weeks ago. It helps me remember what needs doing, and get them done. I'll check in here from time to time with projects, but probably not every day. Although yesterday I sewed a cute pair of PJs that poodle girl wore today for Pajama day (which I sewed quick because I heard her saying she thought her kitty jammies and her monkey jammies were "babyish" and she wanted these leopard print ones instead, and she was really saying--I don't want to wear pajamas to school. Oh well--that's one pair of jammies done--and quick--within an hour--so you know I can pull this stuff off. Perhaps I'll get a picture of them, perhaps not.

At any rate--Happy November!

Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

You would think that given how crazy this month has felt to me--I'm sure it has come through here--that last night would have me in a sewing frenzy. But aside from adding velcro to panda girl's belt, I had no sewing after 8pm! Everyone was super pleased with their costumes. the puppy even mentioned that she thinks she wants to wear her "new jacket" on days besides halloween. They left this morning, decked out--worrying about if they would be the only ones dressed up. It is raining (and cold) I drove them today (something I rarely do) and we saw at least 2 other kids dressed up. You'd think that would help, but no--both were boys which--no matter how nice the boy--all boys are YUCKO (unless they aren't if you know what I mean).

here's the public picture so you can see the costumes.

So does someone care to explain to me how ALL of October was above average temperatures and less rainy than usual and today--the ONLY day that really counts for weather--it is cold rainy and going to snow? Is this just some cruel trick? Would it be sunny and 70 if I had not busted my butt on costumes?

Yesterday was all about the accessories. I had bought enough "fake shiny leather" to make boot covers, gauntlets, a mask and a belt. She ended up wearing her boots, and since she had on a black shirt (for panda arms duh) she didn't need the gauntlets. I did make the belt, choosing to rebel against the instructions and instead of fusing together the fake leather and some lining fabric (Oh the yards of back scraps I still have from last year's Harry Potter robe!), I chose two pieces of leather, sewn together and turned inside out. Um yeah--don't do that. And it looked funny, so I started to do it their way--and started ripping out my seam, when suddenly the point in the belt popped and wham-o--it looked like it was supposed to! Right as I needed to leave for work.

When I got home, I sewed it back up (Top stitched all the way around) and done! Then the mask. I did the mask the way the instructions said (sort of--I fused the webbing to the lining first instead of the leather first) and fused those together, and topstitched. I wasn't sure how my glasses wearing kid was going to wear it, but I thought--what if I make the eye openings as big as her lenses? So I did that--tracing around her glasses. She was thrilled because the mask fit right UNDER her glasses. So she could wear both and see!

I must confess that ever since puppy girl told me she needed "a headband with a bow and ears" I have been wondering how on earth we were going to pull it off. First, she hates headbands. Second, how do you attach ears to a headband? But in true rubber meets the road fashion--I had a brain spark. What if they were all on hair clips? The year panda girl was medusa, I had bought all these hair clips. Amazon calls them "duck bill clips" I called them something else. I had a whole sentence about it--then googled to get a picture, and lets just say I called them something that was slang for old lady porn. Don't go there.

ANYWAY, I couldn't find any of those around the house, and I was out for lunch around Michael's and decided to pop in to see if they had pink ribbon for the bow, and they had those duck clips! After I got home, I cut out some ears (I HATE that fabric can I be done with it NOW), and started playing with adhesives. Soon, I had two ears glue gunned to duck clips! The bow got wired on to a third and then we had puppy!

Halloween also brings us to the end of October, which means time for goal check in, and new November goals. But I don't really have big November goals and I'm thinking it will be boring to both write and read if every day I write--todays goals: get 10k steps, declutter, plank, hang out and read. Yesterday: I accomplished all that! Because I don't have big projects--I'm not knitting gifts this year, I thought I'd just write when I had things I was working on--hopefully more often than I did before September--but not every day.

I do have some projects though--I have some Christmas PJs I promised to help with (I haven't forgotten!), that I'm excited about. And I have some other sewing projects--a quilt one of the girls started, more pjs for us and all that Halloween fabric gave me ideas for barbie clothes! I mean, how crazy are you when you are sewing a costume and you think--would barbie look liek a hooker if I made her leather pants? Hey, you know who needs leather pants? KEN! Pretty crazy. Also--wouldn't barbie look gorgeous in a evening gown that had a leather bodice and a fun fur skirt? See, CRAZY!

Dont worry, I have no pattern for Ken clothes.

October 30!

I see the light that is the end of the October tunnel. Tomorrow is Halloween,and kids are wearing their costumes to school. So theoretically by this time tomorrow--all will be done. Theoretically.

Yesterday I finished the tutu! Somehow, I had it in my head that I only needed 5 yards of tulle, so I bought 4 yards of pink, and a yard of a darker sparkly pink. I shoved them in a bag and dealt with other stuff. Then, I went researching no-sew tutus and many of them said--start with 10 yards of tulle. um TEN YARDS?! Well, I remembered I had 5, so buy 5 more right? So I went to Joann's and bought some (50% off--I got "shiny" tulle), I thought would be the same as the light pink. However, I didn't actually remember the light pink was light. So yep, I ended up with three different pinks for the tutu. BUT, that ended up being a really good thing--it added a depth that looks fabulous! Even in a blurry picture:

Oh and ten yards of tulle? WAY too much. But to be fair, 5 yards would have been a little skimpy. I do have enough to make a smaller tutu that will look just as fabulous.

Also yesterday, I finished the hooks for the panda girl cape, and started thinking about her belt. I did talk her into her winter boots, so that's one less thing to make.
In case you are keeping track, that means I need 1 belt, and 2 puppy ears.

Yesterday I was really bad about my big three. I didn't plank (went to yoga though and tried really hard to do the vinyasas correctly instead of my usual flop on my belly move), I didn't declutter (I have a PLAN for that tulle!) and just barely got my 10k steps (like pacing before bed for the last 200!).

Today, I will do better. Today I will get the halloween costumes DONE. Today I will get all three of the big three. And tomorrow? Tomorrow I will get halloween pictures BEFORE school.

One last thing, my husband often complains that halloween has become almost as stressful as Christmas, what with all the expectations. The costumes, the pumpkins, the decorating! All too much! And part I think of what feels stressful is the lack of advanced planning. I hate rushing to get costumes done. However, I was reminded of why I go through this every year.
We had dress rehearsal. We put on the costumes so we could make sure the parts are all fitting and working together (and get the cape hooked on straight). Both girls separately put on their costumes and said--OH WOW! I LOVE this! I look GREAT! The Awe in their voices, the joy in their expressions... that's worth it.

October 29

Yesterday was the last day of the five days of black and white photos. It makes me a little sad because there were several things I liked about this challenge. First, it made me get the camera out and take more photos. I mean you can't find one good photo if you don't take at least one photo. Second, it made me think about contrast in ways I don't usually think. So, for example, the beautiful fall colored scene out my window looks not just muted in black and white, but monochrome. And last, I figured out that my camera has a setting to take black and white photos, so I didn't do much post processing. I'm a pretty SOOC (Straight out of the camera) person. I will crop, and sometimes brighten, but I hate fiddling with that stuff. I'd rather take 40 pictures and find one that looks decent. My style was made for digital cameras I think.

I also got all of my big three done, pulling in 11k steps, planking 3 sets--one of 35, and 2 of 30, and putting one string of bat lights in the donate bin. I hung two outside and realized that the outside outlet isn't working, so I may actually get rid of another string of bat lights--I have 4 and this is the first year I've hung them.

I didn't sew at all. I didn't start on the tutu either. I did vacuum up the fuzz in the sewing room (And a piece of fabric and maybe broke my basement vacuum). Oh wait, that's not right--I hand sewed. I got eyes for the cape sewn on the dress (or at least one shoulder--I need her to try it on to get the placement for the other--and hand sewed down the edges of the panda girl logo--because I'm terrible with fusibles.

Today, the tutu gets made. I have the elastic cut--all I need to do is cut and tie the tulle. Also the fitting for the panda girl costume, so I can finish the hooks and eyes for the cape.
I am skipping the last farmers market of the year, but going to yoga. I have a lunch date with my husband too! But the theme of the day is definitely tulle.