Summer Flies

The July KAL for the Beginning Lace Knitters group on Ravelry was Summer Flies, a worsted weight shawlette. Given all the other knitting I have on my to-do list, I (as usual) wasn't going to participate this month. But, I couldn't resist. I have some Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere in my stash, and cast on on the way to Buffalo for the 4th of July. I worked on it again on the way home from Buffalo and started the bind off 2 days later. 2 days after that, I finished binding off. (Picot bind offs of 400 stitches take a long time.)

I blocked it last week, and finally got around to taking pictures the other days. What do you think?

(I have a better post-blocking picture, but blogger keeps turning it around).

Little girl was thrilled to model for me:

(And she just happened to be wearing her tank top made from the same yarn).

I really enjoyed knitting this. A number of people in the KAL have started a second one, but I'm fighting that urge. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy it as much the second time around, and my have-to list isn't getting any smaller.

This week, I'm working on a log cabin style pillow for a friend. She brought her mom some fabric to make her curtains, and her mom happened to have coordinating yarn in her stash. The yarn got brought to me, and I'll hoping to finish the pillow the first week of August. There will be no working on it next week, because we're going vacation!

On Saturday, we're driving to the Adirondacks to spend a week with my parents, do some hiking and canoeing, and start the kids on a long family tradition of visiting forts on vacation. (We'll be going to Fort Ticonderoga. We could also go to Fort William Henry, but I think that's too much fort for one week at this stage of their fort visiting career.)

Unfortunately, we have to take two cars because my husband has to work on Thursday night. That's about 10 hours (5 hours there and back) of knitting time lost to driving. :(

Happy knitting!

Finishing Up

I finally got around to blocking Branching Out (yes, I know that I finished it in April. I just didn't get around to it!). I love what blocking does to lace. This particular scarf could have lived without blocking, but I think it's so much nicer now!


I also had a chance to try Reasonably Hip out on a person. I LOVE IT!!! I'm positive now that Michael will also love it.


I have very little desire to do anymore Christmas knitting. I want to finish my February Lady Sweater and get on to the baby knitting!

Speaking of baby, I had an ultrasound yesterday, and baby girl is doing just fine. It's SO COOL to get to see her! She has the same profile as the other little ones, so I have a feeling she's going to look more like me than like DH. Poor hubby! He hears all the time how much the kids look like me.

We don't have a car today, so I've kept the little ones busy crafting. We've done cut out ornaments and baked them, and we'll paint them after naps. The kids have also glued down triangles to make tree shapes and colored decorations on them. They have also asked to watch "Frosty the Snowman" later, so I think the afternoon will fly by.

Happy knitting!

Knitting Makes Me Puke

Well, it turns out not all knitting makes me puke. Just circular knitting. This gets reaffirmed every other day or so when I knit a few rounds on my sock, and continue until the moment when I feel my lunch start to revisit me. It's pathetic. This is my first Summer of Socks sock. You know, the thing that has been going on since June 21. The sock knitting extravaganza that has most people with 5 or 6 completed pairs already. Pathetic.



I'm also beginning to realize, that nauseous or not, (lowers voice to a whisper), I just might not be a sock knitter. I don't think I really enjoy it. Which is sad, because I really enjoy the way hand-knitted socks feel on my feet. Maybe if my feet were a size 7 instead of a size 10. Maybe then sock knitting would be my thing.

Thankfully, flat knitting does not make me throw up. Unfortunately, both the baseball tee and the Monica Tank Top I've started, I've modified to work in the round. This means the Celtic Knot Stole gets quite a bit of attention in the evening after the kids are in bed, if I have the energy to stay awake. I'm pleased with how it's turning out so far. Only 425 some odd rows to go. Plus, the border.


Since I haven't felt like knitting much, I've been reading. Mostly, I'm reading what's around the house. The last few days I've been re-reading Laurie Notaro's books. Have you read them? The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club and I Love Everybody (And Other Atrocious Lies) have been this week's reading. Her books make me laugh so hard that I'm likely to pee in my pants at any moment. I saw on her website just now that a new book is out. That might be worth leaving the house for!

Happy Knitting!

Where's the Knitting?

So, it's really sad. I've hardly knit at all the past week. I've worked on the Celtic Knot Stole twice, and once I worked for a whole hour on one row. GRRR.

It feels like it's been a little crazy around here, but I'm not sure why. The little ones are back to their busy social lives, so that certainly takes up some time. I'm also on a mission to thoroughly clean every room. Last weekend it was the kitchen - curtains are washed and ironed, EVERYTHING has been scrubbed, and all the clutter is away. Today I'm working on the dining room. I've also been in full-blown planning mode for my hubby's 40th birthday. I can't report any of the details at this time, but it's a month from today, and it's going to be fabulous. And, I've been trying to establish a consistent exercise routine. Believe it or not, knitting is not an aerobic activity.

Next week the little ones and I are off to Buffalo to see Grandma and Grandpa.

Here's a picture of the stole . It's slow-going, but I am enjoying the process.

Hopefully, I'll figure out how to take better pictures of lace one of these days.

Happy Knitting!

NH Sheep & Wool Festival

I went to the NH Sheep & Wool Festival with 3 friends and an infant. Baby Eli (2 months old) was a trooper - hardly a peep out of him! While I was there, I got to meet Kris. We didn't get to chat long, but she is as sweet in person as she is on her blog.

I also bought some very pretty yarn! (Well, really, my mom bought me some very pretty yarn! Thanks Mom!)

This is 100% silk laceweight from Spirit Trail Fiberworks. I can't even begin to explain how soft it is. It's destined to become an Oriel Lace Scarf.


Then, I got 2 skeins of wool/silk laceweight, from Mad Angel Creations. The spinner/dyer was not in the booth, but her husband was. He was very apologetic for knowing nothing at all about the yarn, but assured me his wife would be back soon. I would have liked to hear more about how the yarn is dyed and whatnot, but I didn't want to make the baby wait around.


Again, very soft. I'm not exactly sure what this is going to be, but I have some ideas.

My mom has been looking for something turquoise and pink for a scarf, and I picked up this sock yarn.

The color is off. It's much more pink and much less purple, and much less blue and more turquoise.

Also, I got some fleece insoles to keep my feet warm in the winter. I've been wearing them since I got home, and my feet are very cozy.

While I was proctoring this week, I knit 42" of a mistake rib scarf, and did a lot of Sudoku Puzzles. Good times.

What have you been up to?

Happy Knitting!

Cute Baby Bonnet!

I've finished the redo on the baby bonnet, and it is so cute!

I decreased on every knit row, instead of every other, and did about half the number of decrease rounds called for in the pattern. I do like the ribbing along the bottom back - it's a little detail that adds a lot of style. And, it gave me a chance to practice picking up stitches! (50 of them to be exact. It was supposed to be 58. I don't think anyone will notice!)



This hat is sized 3-6 months. The baby is due in July, so it should be perfect for the autumn. I've cast on for a baby squash hat - a nice newborn size. Because, newborns wear hats no matter what the weather, right? Plus, I have just enough yarn from this skein left over.

Thank you so much for all the lace suggestions. I'm leaning towards the Celtic Knot Stole, and saving the beads for a future project. No final decision yet though. I have added a significant number of lace projects to my queue though, and have to remind myself that I have my whole life to knit, and shouldn't feel pressure to get projects done.

Happy knitting!

Beading - I did it!

I finished my test swatch for the Mystery Lace KAL last night. Using the size 5 needles seems to be okay - the swatch is pretty darn close to the size it's meant to be. In fact, I almost considered using a size 6!

The little ones are napping, and I've cast on for the actual stole, knitting 10 rows, and even added a bead! I'm so proud of myself!

It's 79 degrees right now. We took the kids for a nice little hike in Lexington this morning. They're such troopers! Little boy must have tripped over roots a hundred times, but he just gets up and keeps running! They fell asleep on the way home, and I'm hanging out on the back porch enjoying the quiet of the neighborhood.

I'm done with the lace knitting for the moment, and plan to work on the baby bonnet. I might just close my eyes for a few minutes though....

A Picture!

I have a new camera - hooray!

Here's Branching Out - without blocking or the ends woven in. (And with a sideways picture.)



Also, my yarn for the Mystery Lace KAL arrived from Knitpicks today. I just ordered it on Thursday, so I'm PSYCHED that it's here already. I'm off to wind it into a ball, and hope to knit the test swatch tonight. The pattern calls for size 4 needles. I own size 3 and size 5, but not 4. I'm going to try it out on the five's and see if I like it.

Happy knitting!

Camera Woes

We've had a busy weekend!

Friday night my best friend came into town, Saturday my parents got here, and Sunday we had a family birthday party for all 3 kids. I'm exhausted.

Also, our camera seems to have died. :( Hopefully, we'll be able to get it fixed or replaced soon. I miss the camera already! Fortunately, my dad took lots of pictures during the party. The kids were SO good, and everyone seemed to have a really good time. It's crazy how fast they grow!

My mom looked at the baby bonnet. We decided the pattern is in error, and there should have been far less decreases. Sadly, I can't save it now that I've weaved in all the ends (STUPID!). I have to decide if I'm going to make another one, or find some other hat to knit for this baby. I'll look around on Ravelry tonight - good, mindless activity for this tired girl.

I started a second Love Dishcloth. No one in my family thinks a years worth of dishcloths is a cool gift. I'm caving to popular opinion - I'll knit 2 love cloths and include them with my kitchen related shower gift, and we'll see what the wedding gift is in August! I've also cast on for branching out. I haven't gotten far - I keep screwing up. However, I've also had company - not the best time for lace work. Hopefully, I'll get further along this week.

I'm not sure how long we'll be without a camera. Until then, no pictures - sorry!

Ickies and Ouchies

Last night, DH told me my cough sounded different and I should go to the doctors today. Isn't he so sweet to worry about me? I took his advice, and it turns out I have bronchitis. The doctor gave me two different inhalers to help me breathe better, and recommended cough syrup. The good news is, except for the gross hacking cough, I feel okay.

In other not so good news, yesterday I confused my thumb with part of my sandwich and sliced it open. My mom bought me Cutco knives when I finished my masters' degree - those babies are sharp! This has slowed up the knitting. It turns out I can knit, but it makes pushing purl stitches off my needles rough. I've been working on the baby bonnet. It doesn't look much different than the last picture you saw.

However, there is an April KAL on Ravelry for Branching Out, and yesterday I bought my yarn. The Fabric Place in Woburn is having 25% off EVERYTHING! I'm sure I could have found other things I wanted, but I went with $10, so that I wouldn't buy anything but what I needed. Their lace section is pretty small. They have Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace and Malabrigo Lace. I know, you're all going to groan, but I bought the Classic Elite. It's a color my sister-in-law will love, and I think I'm going to make the scarf for her. However, I have double the yarn I need, so I'll have to find some other scarf to make too!

I hope you're all having a wonderful Thursday! Happy Knitting!

Drumroll Please...

The blue jeans lace leaf shawl:




(I know the pictures aren't the greatest. I tried!)

I LOVE this shawl! It kept my arms warm during church yesterday, and I got lots of compliments on it from DH's family.

I was a little nervous when it first came off the needles. I had added 3 extra repeats to make it longer, but it didn't look like it was going to be close to the size I had wanted. I was praying that blocking would make a huge difference. DH was skeptical, but, it WORKED! Big boy was at his mom's house, so I blocked it out on his bed, and left it overnight. I'm so excited to have finished my first lace project.

The Ravelry group is doing a KAL for April too. I think I might really love knitting lace, but I have a lot of catching up to do on other projects (mostly baby gifts.) I guess I'll wait and see how much I love the pattern they choose.

FYI - Anne is having a contest. Go check it out, and be sure to tell her I sent you!

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Easter.

Happy Knitting!

No News

Thank you for all of the good wishes for Little Girl's birthday. She is quite proud to be 3.

I've been slowly working on the blue jeans lace shawl. And I mean, slowly. I'm averaging 3 rows a day. I'm not doing any other knitting at the moment. I think the lace is sucking up my knitting mojo. It takes a lot of energy! It doesn't look much different than the last picture - you're not missing much.

I'm still checking my porch in case any of my swap packages arrive...

Happy knitting!

Finally - a picture!

I bought batteries today. Here is the blue jeans lace shawl. The picture is kind of blurry, but it's the best I can do right now. I actually haven't knit a thing in two days. (I know, it's unfathomable!) The downside of being sick is playing catch-up. Little girl's birthday is tomorrow, and I had gifts to get!

Little girl requested for her birthday a suitcase, a microphone, and a yo-yo. She's too young for a yo-yo, but how can you not buy one when asked? She also requested ravioli and chocolate cake for her birthday dinner. Unprompted. That's important, because I always have ravioli and chocolate cake for my birthday!

She received no knit gifts. Does that make me a bad mommy-knitter?

I was going to knit the Bitty Baby layette, but other, more fun things to knit have come up!

I'm off to knit a few lace rows. Happy knitting to all, and to all, a good night!

Second Sock and a Contest

Anne is having a contest - the winner gets some mmmMalabrigo!

I'm pleased to announce that second sock is done! I finished it yesterday while little people were napping. I wore them for the rest of the day, and they are quite comfortable!


Last night I wound my yarn and started on the Blue Jeans Lace shawl. I only did 10 rows, but at least I've started!

I am sad to report that little boy now has a cough and a fever. Pour little boy!

Too Sick to Knit

I mean, really.

I spent yesterday in bed, occasionally tooling around the Internet because I couldn't really focus on anything.

I spent today - in bed. Urgh! Enough already! My head hurts too much to hold it up to knit. I do think I'm getting better. During one of my (many) naps, I missed a dose of medicine, and didn't wake up feeling all that worse than when I fell asleep. Still a far cry from better though.

The mailman cheered me up a little.


2 skeins of Knitpicks Gossamer (purchased on clearance!) for the Blue Jeans Lace Shawl KAL on Ravelry. I'm not sure when I'll wind it, but I am excited!

Poor second sock has been on the night table next to me, just waiting for some attention! I am past the turning of the heel and all. I just have 8" of stockinette stitch to knit for the foot before decreasing. (Yes, I do have big feet!)

Happy Knitting!