Kiri progress and Q hook shawl swatch

Here is as far as I've been able to get on the Kiri Shawl. I really like this pattern as it's easy once you get the hang of it. Now I wish I had started it in lace weight yarn rather than worsted, although I know I'll like the feel of this when it's done.


Last Sunday, my knitting group, Las Vegas Knitters, attended the 5 hour yarn event at Michael's craft store. We were asked to sit and make squares for a charity afghan and just lend our presence to the event. The highlight was meeting a really neat lady named Katerina from Australia, who is a craft buyer for stores there. She sat down and made a couple of squares with us and we just chatted about the differences in what's "in" here and there. I even gave her some help on a Q hook poncho in one of the Lion Brand pattern books. I had to come home and swatch my version of this poncho. It's quite similar but not exact and I'd rather have a shawl than poncho. Unfortunately, I don't have enough of this yarn to complete this shawl but have a few balls of Moda Dea Eden that would do nicely. It's a quick project since the hook is so large. We'll see how far I get on this seeing that I'm also working on the Kiri and One Skein Wonder variation, oh yeah, I'm also starting Tubey for the Knitting Olympics. Sheesh!

Yarn Event @ Michael's

This upcoming Sunday we'll be at Michael's craft store at the corner of Pecos and Russell Roads in Las Vegas. Stephanie has been in contact with the store manager and anyone who shows up for this event will be given the yarn to make the charity squares as well as a 25% discount on our own yarn purchases. Too cool! Hope anyone in the area will come and join us.

An Aha! Moment

Last night I cast on for the Kiri Shawl by Polly Outhwaite (again) and, after following the written instructions, decided to try working from the charted instructions just to see what kind of trouble I could get myself into. You see, I was afraid of following charts and would put aside a pattern I really loved just because I would have to follow a chart. I was watching The Bachelor in Paris and just thought "what the heck". I really like the chart now. I get it! I haven't f*&%ed up yet!

I'm trying to make life easier by putting markers before and after the center stitch and I'm using a row counter. I don't know where all my row counters have disappeared to but luckily I finished my second Clapotis last night (yippee!) and freed one up. Unfortunately, this row counter didn't fit on this pair of needles I'm using for the Kiri so I just threaded it through a piece of yarn and wore it around my neck. Functional but fugly. You know, I'm anti-fugly, if I can do anything about it. So here is my solution





I'd like to re-string it onto silk cord later but I don't happen to have any in my beading box.

I have committed to knitting the Tubey sweater from the latest edition of Knitty for the Knitting Olympics. I think I'm going to do it in Patons Classic Merino or, if I can get some in time, Wool of the Andes from KnitPicks. Thanks Yarn Harlot for putting this KAL together! Go Team USA!

Happy Sunday!

Chris and I are on our way to the park. It's a beautiful sunny winter day here in Las Vegas. It looks a little breezy outside but other than that, just a gorgeous 57 degrees. Of course, I'm bringing my knitting (the modified OSW) and my iPod and let him play to his heart's content.

I have a picture of the book thongs that I've made
.
And here is one of the iPod cozies that I made. Up until this morning it didn't have the fur trim but I felt compelled to add it.
Alrighty ya'll, I'm off to the park!

I'm such a frickin' geek!

I know I'm behind the times, just getting an iPod and all, but I never imagined that there are knitting podcasts! Here are the web sites to the ones I've found thus far. Are there more?
Secret Knitting
KnitCast
CastOn
Knitting News Cast
The Fiber Cast

We got a new camera last night. Anthony and I got our gift cards together and bought it. At least I can add pictures until I can get mine fixed. Yippeee! After playing with it for a few minutes Bernie announced that he wants one of his own. He'll probably have it tomorrow. So much for delayed gratification.

Last night (until 3 a.m. this morning, actually) I made a few pair of earrings, some stitch markers and a few book thongs. They're addictive.
The red and green ones were designed by my little Christopher. He asked me to wear them and now I have to choose just the right outfit to match. Later in the evening he said I can send them to my sister, Gina. Should I be hurt?

Back but not quite back in action

I've been back from Hawaii for a week and a half now but I don't like posting without adding pictures and came back from vacation with a broken digital camera. It sucks! Luckily, I was able to get my pictures from my memory card, just can't take any new ones.
Proof that I was knitting on vacation. My sister, Gina, got home from working her 12 hour shift at Kaiser Hospital at about 8 a.m. that morning and took us all to the beach in Waimanalo. Here is a picture of Gina sleeping on the beach while we frolicked about in the frickin' cold water. It didn't bother the kids one bit!I was working on the One Skein Wonder for her daughter, Devan. I managed to finish it in a few days (hey, I was on vacation!) and gave it to her for Christmas. I started a camoflauge print one for her while there but didn't finish it until I got home. I managed to get it in the mail within two days of completion which, Gina will tell you, is completely out of character for me. Normally, Devan would have to wait until next Christmas or until Mom comes to visit and could bring it back home.

Funny thing about that care package that I mailed. In the box I sent Devan's OSW, some Bath & Body antibacterial hand soap for Mom and Gina (there is no B&B in Hawaii!) and some Peet's coffee for my sister, Nellie. Unfortunately, I don't think I told Mom that the coffee was for Nellie, although I told Nellie to go over to Mom's and get it. Mom called me the day after receiving the box to thank me for the soap, to tell me that she didn't tell Gina it came in yet, and to say that her SO, Pete, really liked the coffee!! They thought it was cute that the coffee was Peete's and it was for Pete! I felt bad because not only did I not include anything for Pete but that I would have to tell Nellie about her coffee. My cousin told me that they don't sell Peete's coffee in Hawaii but when I told Gina about the mix-up, she remembered seeing it at Foodland and ran out to get 2 replacement bags for Nellie. Whew!

Now that I'm back, I've started a OSW for myself. Since I am considerably larger than my niece, I made adjustments to the pattern and will give mine long sleeves and more ribbing. I hope to have my camera back in action by the time it is finished.

On the needles and upcoming project

Right now I have this shawl on the needles. I've switched to my bamboo needles and it is going much better. I'd like to work on this on the plane but need to revert back to my plastic circs and fight the cable because my straights are 14" and I won't have room to move on the plane.

I also just picked up Glampyre's One Skein Wonder (OSW) and we'll see if I can finish one while I'm in Hawaii. Don't laugh. I plan on getting some major knitting done while I'm back home with Mom and my family and friends.

I'm excited! Everytime I think I'm done packing, I remember something else that I forgot to pack. Just now, sitting here blogging, I look up and see my camera on it's dock. Hmmm, trip to Hawaii, Christmas and New Year's with family, d'ya think I could use this??? Nah! Yeah! What a doofus!

FYI, Knit Picks Sock Garden Felts Well!

Remember those Knit Picks Sock Garden socks I knit for myself recently? The ones in the Geranium colorway of red, pink and green? I, the idiot that I am, washed them in the washer. I was amazed at the amount of felting that was done on a cold/cold cycle. So if anyone was wondering if this yarn is good for felting, yes it is! With little effort, apparently. How much did they shrink, you ask? Well, I wear a women's size 10 shoe and these socks now fit my 5 year old son who wears a kid's size 11 1/2 shoe. Believe me, I tried to put them on and stretch them as soon as I discovered them in the washer but I couldn't get them over my toes. The fabric would really make a good iPod cozy or coasters. So next time I want to felt something on purpose, I'll think of Knit Picks Sock Garden yarn and all the yummy colorways.

Consider this a public service announcement...or an announcement to the public of what an idiot I am. I had the best intentions, honestly. I'm trying to wash every dirty bit of laundry in the house so that I can pack for our vacation to Hawaii on Wednesday

Beware! Yarn Porn Ahead!

Steph and I went to Gail Knits today and I fell in love with this pattern and yarn for a Magic Shawl made with Karabella's Magic yarn. Also bought these Addi Turbos in size 13 to make it with. The pattern calls for a size 15 and 3 balls but it was suggested to me that I go down a size and buy one more ball. I'm a good girl and do what I'm told. The Berroco Optik will be made into a scarf with some black fun fur. Who needs to look at pictures of naked people when we can get just as excited by pictures of yarn? Sad, I know, but true enough.

Speaking of naked people, we were discussing Heidi Fleiss and her planned male bordello outside of Las Vegas. Can someone explain how these guys are going to service all these women unless they're on Viagra? It's not as if they can fake it like their female counterparts can. Heidi plans to charge $250/hour, of which the studs only get 50% for their troubles. These guys better not watch HBO's shows on the Moonlight Bunny Ranch where some of these girls lowest rates to "party" start at $2000. They're going to feel terribly underpaid. I've also read that HBO is working with Ms. Fleiss on a similar show. We'll just have to see about that.






This is a scarf that I started tonight. The yarn on the right is another new yarn I found at Wal-Mart, their No Boundaries brand and the one on the right is Plush by Red Heart.





Finished this scarf last night. It's Bernat Boa and Red Heart Plush. These aren't my colors but I just might have to keep this one. It's growing on me. It would look so good with a chocolate brown sweater or coat, wouldn't it?

Merry Christmas!

These are our 2005 Christmas pictures, just taken tonight. The boys have gotten so big. Bernie and I took a picture together but I hated it. I can't believe the photographer let me take a picture with a double chin showing! How rude! Would she have taken it if I had a booger hanging out of my nose, too?

You guys are seeing these before anyone else. Yes, you're special!

New yarn @ Wally World?

Went to Wal-Mart after dropping the kids off at school this morning and what did I spy? Wal-Mart has their own brand of novelty yarn. I am trying it in a scarf on size 19 (15mm) needles, single strand. I started out using 2 strands but it was surprisingly thick like that. It's cute and funky and it was only $3.47 per ball, I think. They also had a ladder type and one that resembles Paton's Allure. Only drawback is that they are only in limited colors like black, white, pink and teal.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Bernie put up the tree yesterday afternoon and Christopher just couldn't wait for anyone to help decorate so he did it himself. He could reach all but the top 5 tiers while standing on his stepstool. He was motivated!






I started this stocking the day after Thanksgiving and finished it the next day. I tried 3 different toes and wasn't happy with them. I wound up doing a short row toe to match the short row heel. It sure was faster than making a sock! I used a size 10 circular and 48 sts. I used Caron Victorian Gold yarns in lace and mistletoe ombre.






I've been fighting the flu and just today feel about 75% normal. I just hate letting the housework go. I've lost 6 pounds, in water weight, I'm sure. The family finally got a hot meal last night. I'm glad I've gotten into the habit of having a clean kitchen sink before bed each night. No matter how sick I was, I made sure my sink was clean. It was a great sight to wake up to each morning. Thanks FlyLady.net!

Thanksgiving scarf giving

Last night at the in-laws I brought my knitting and finished a garter stitch scarf our of LB Chenille Thick & Quick in the Sapphire Print that I got from Bernie last Christmas. I used size 15 needles and last on 10 sts and just knitted until the end of the skein. It was really pretty and I'm sorry I didn't take a picture but my MIL liked it so much that I had to give it to her. We were all sitting outside chatting after dinner and it was a bit chilly at 50 degrees so I sewed in th ends and just draped it around her neck. I'll definitely make another. In fact, my friend Pat bought some of the Paton's Bohemian chenille, which looks a lot like this one and I'll make her scarf in the same way.



I'm also knitting a Christmas stocking out of Caron Victorian Christmas Gold in the colors Lace, which is a gold color and Mistletoe Ombre, which is burgundy, hunter green and gold with gold tinsel running through it. I'm striping the two and I'm using a size 10 circular needle with 48 sts. Picture to follow.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We normally have 2 Thanksgiving dinners. One on the real day and another the next day. Bernie has been working several Thanksgivings so we celebrate with him at work but then have a family gathering the next day at our house. Since we had dinner at his brother's house last night and he's working today, we'll have our Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. I cooked the turkey today and I'll just carve it and put it away and make as much as I can tonight. Unfortunately, our fridge is so full that I can't put much more in there. That's why I had to cook the turkey today. I couldn't fit the bird in the fridge but I'll find room when it's all carved. The pumpkin gooey butter cake went over well last night but I'm kind of "pumpkined out" right now so I'm going to make the pineapple gooey tomorrow along with some collared greens, green bean casserole, cornbread casserole, dressing, cranberries and macaroni salad. Yummy!

Finished doggie afghan

Finally finished Thor's doggie bed afghan. It was just a coincidence that the colors match completely! Hope he likes it. We'll see in just a little bit. It's almost 2 a.m. and we'll go to bed after this post.





Made this scarf today out of left-over pink yarns. It's different but still a bit cute.

DOH!

Yesterday I decided to see for myself if I could knit a sweater in the round from the neck down without a pattern. I didn't want to embark on another long project only to find it years later in my UFO pile. Therefore, Homer Simpson (or Homer Simsim in Christopher-speak) got a new sweater. Can I just tell you that gauge swatches are important even when knitting for fictional cartoon characters? It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Now I can swatch for a sweater for Chris to match Homer's. I think he'd like that.



Saw this in a Sky Mall catalog that Bernie brought home. It's goofy looking as Hell but I'm sure it does the job it's supposed to. Now I'm just wondering if I'm going to knit it or crochet it. I think one of these and a pair of mittens would make a cool gift for Christmas.

Finished Tychus this morning and am working on a scarf right now knit lengthwise on size 11s using the leftover Crystal Palace Little Flowers from Pat's scarf and some coordinating LB Jiffy. Though not my colors, I think it will be cute when done. Pat's scarf had the Little Flowers fringe but I think I'd like to fringe mine in Jiffy and Little Flowers if I have enough left. Picture to come.

Tychus progress

I was hoping to finish Tychus in time for the game but alas, it still isn't complete. I have two more wedges to go. I'd better get on the ball and get my gift exchange item done as well.



Tonight was the championship game and it wasn't even close. We lost by a score of 40-0. The Gorman Gaels came into the championship undefeated and it's obvious why. Unfortunately, we had 4 players on the sidelines and there was almost a fight at the end of the game. The concession stand did well and we ran out of macaroni salad! Last time I brought half of it home but I must admit, it didn't taste as good as today's batch. Maybe I should make some for Thanksgiving?



Yummy pumpkin gooey butter cake and a latte. I'm going to be up all night, but it's worth it. I have a double chocolate gooey butter cake in the oven right now. I have to test these things before I bring them over to the in-laws, you know.

My boys

Isn't pride in our children a wonderful thing?









Last night Anthony was on My Space and wanted to update his picture. He's so glad that his old Mom knows a thing or two about stuff like that. He's getting a lot more mobility in his knee. I'm so glad to see that he is getting better. I had to pick him up early from school yesterday and the poor kid was covered with sweat by the time he got to the Dean's office. He's complaining of soreness in his armpits and forearms. Can you just see my brain working up a pattern for a crutch cozy? I'm sick! I could make it out of his team colors so that when we go to the final game tonight we can show our team pride! Tonight is the championship game and I know it's going to kill him to watch, especially since his friend, Austin, is also out with a concussion, also aquired at the last game. Anthony and Austin ARE the offensive and defensive line. That leaves poor Westover to pull all the weight. I hope he doesn't get hurt, too. I'll bring an extra ice pack and wraps and pray we won't need them. Oh yeah, final fundraiser and pot luck to follow so guess what I'm bringing? Yep, 10 pounds of macaroni salad...AGAIN!

I'm currently knitting Tychus in the team colors but I think I might just have to keep it or give it to Christopher. I was working on it yesterday and asked Anthony if he liked it and he said "no". Perhaps when it's finished and he sees how absolutely cool it is. Hmmm, perhaps if I can get it done before the game, maybe one of his friends would like it. I'm sure if he saw it on one of his friends, it would lend a more credible coolness to it. Now you know why I don't knit/crochet very much for my family. The only one who is coming around is Chris. I think it's guilt. He overheard me telling someone that while I was pregnant with him I was on bedrest and couldn't do much but crochet, so I made him about five baby afghans and assorted layette items. When he was old enough to choose which blankie he wanted sent with him to daycare, he chose a cotton quilt that belonged to Anthony when he was a baby. He wanted nothing to do with the afghans I had made him. After hearing this story, he dug out a couple of those afghans and has been using them and, in fact, commenting to visitors that these were afghans his mom made for him before he was born. Hey, whatever works!

Off to cook macaroni!

Yay! No surgery!

Yummy latte! I think I'll treat myself to another after my walk. It's not Starbuck's but it's better than shelling out $3.75. Got to be frugal now, don't I? A great thing about being home...I can now drink my lattes to my heart's content and not have to worry about offending anyone at work when my lactose intolerance kicks in!!!

Yesterday we went back to the ortho and he said that he won't need surgery at all. He expects Anthony to make a complete recovery. Surprisingly, the MRI was interpreted as having a fracture although the ortho said that he didn't see one. He even performed additional x-rays with oblique and lateral views and didn't see anything. We trust his opionion completely and he wants to see us back in 3 weeks. In fact, Anthony was so excited about going back to school that he wanted us to drop him off at lunchtime yesterday. We made him wait until today.

Poor Chris, our 5 year old, who knew that yesterday everyone was going to be home so he tried faking an illness to stay home as well. Didn't work. I got a lecture yesterday because before I took Chris to school I turned on the water to fill up the pool and since it takes awhile I figured it will be done by the time I dropped Chris off. Well, my memory being the crap that it is, when I dropped Chris off at school, it was so cold and he told me he needed mittens so I forgot about the water and went happily to Wal-Mart. Bernie got up and found that I wasn't home but the pool was near to overflowing! He called an reamed me at Wal-Mart then I got the lecture about not only leaving the water on but that since I'm not working, I can't be going to Wal-Mart "every 5 minutes" and that I'd better not come home with more yarn!! By the time I got home, I had forgotten that the reason I went in the first place was to get the baby some mittens (bought them but forgot to give Bernie that as my excuse). Attached is a picture of the beanie I made with the yarn I bought! Hahaha! This is Anthony's football team colors. I'm making one for Bernie, Anthony and Chris. I'd make one for all of the football players but I don't think I'd get 18 of them done by Saturday.

If I learn one lesson in life, it is to make sure I tell people I love how much they mean to me more often and that my procrastination will cause little fissures in my heart. What am I talking about? I started another Clapotis months and months ago with the intention of sending it to a dear friend in Hawaii who was fighting cancer. I let other projects work their way to the front of my "to make" list and never finished it. Molly passed away last Saturday. She was the mother of my first serious boyfriend, Dennis. We were together for six years starting when I was a junior and he a senior at rival high schools. His family, especially "Mom" embraced me as another daughter and even welcomed my husband and children into their family years later. I continued to call his parents Mom and Dad, as did my husband. Weird to some people, but so cool to us. In fact, whenever they would come to town, we'd all go out to dinner together. Bernie once went down to the hotel bar with "Dad" to enjoy a football game and a customer at the bar remarked how nice it was to see a father and son having such a nice time together! Mom always had a smile on her face and aloha for everyone around her. She was a very statuesque lady of nearly six feet tall but God knew what he was doing because she needed all the room to house such a big heart. I know she knew how much I loved her but I didn't say it often enough. She didn't want to burden me with the knowledge that her cancer had spread to her brain. I found out from her daughter how weak she really was. Unfortunately, I can't afford to fly home for the funeral but will have to pay my respects when the kids and I go "home" in a few weeks. I'll miss her always.

Poor Thor & Gooey Butter Cakes

Our Maltese is 14 years old. Poor old man, he just wants a place to lie down in comfort, usually for most of the day. He took a mad liking to Bernie's afghan and spent a good deal of time on it after I finished it the other night. I decided to make Thor his own afghan out of the left-over yarn.




Anthony had his MRI this afternoon and will see the ortho doc again tomorrow. He has a medial meniscus tear which I'm hoping will be amenable to a meniscus repair rather than a meniscectomy. A repair should return his anatomy to normal and a better chance at full recovery. If they are only able to remove the torn portion of the meniscus, he may have problems later in life such as arthritis, just like his father who suffered from torn menisci and ACL injuries in both knees, also secondary to football and bull riding and now has arthritis.




Having never tried a gooey butter cake but always wanting to,I currently have one in the oven. It is a pumpkin gooey butter cake, recipe courtesy of Paula Deen. If it is as good as I've heard, I'll be taking a couple of these to Bernie's brother, Andre's house on Thanksgiving, along with a few other side dishes. I haven't made Lumpia in a very long time, might bring those. They are Filipino spring rolls and are always a big hit. Only thing is that they are such a pain in the ass to make. Much easier when you have a friend to help. My nephew Nick is doing the majority of cooking but I can help. Maybe some type of salad, like a pea salad and maybe a spinach dip in a bread bowl. Maybe a pasta salad? Hmmm, I mean yummmm. Damn! That pumpkin gooey butter cake is making the house smell fabulous. Anthony just asked if I was making a pumpkin pie. He can smell all that yummy pumpkin goodness upstairs. I think a pot of coffee is required. For dinner we're having a kielbasa soup that I put in the crockpot this morning. I don't know how good it is. I didn't even add all the water called for and it's quite watery. Just added another can of tomato paste and I'm trying to thicken it up a bit. Added a bit more salt, some garlic powder and a couple dashes of Tabasco. Oh yeah! Couldn't wait any longer. Had to take a spoon to a corner of the gooey butter cake. It's a winner! Definitely taking a pumpkin one to Thanksgiving at Andre's.

 

Finished afghan

Bernie's afghan for work is finally done. He's going to be in Heaven sleeping between his new sheets and afghan. It's getting colder here in Las Vegas at night and this afghan is so cushy. I have to make a couple of mini afghans for the dogs' beds. Yesterday Thor slept on the folded afghan and looked so comfortable that I figured he deserved one for himself.






I begged Bernie to make me a crochet hook and this was what I got. He actually threw it in the trash because he wasn't happy with it. I rescued it, sanded it and shaped it then waxed it and added the beading. I like it. I told him how much I've seen the beautiful artisan made hooks going for on eBay, especially the ones made by GrayDog. They're gorgeous albeit pricey. Bernie makes some beautiful pens and I thought this would be an easy transition for him. Unfortunately, he is getting frustrated with the hook portion and that's what happened here. I just had to hone it a bit more but it could have been a deeper cut on the hook. It works!
Just a bit more practice and I think he can sell these. His prototype is off limits though. I know it's rudimentary but it means something to me.