Sleep Induced Poetry

Got one cuff sewed on, and one grafted and ready to sew on. Sewed the neck on, then took it off. It was too big and did not lay at all right. Now I am too sleepy to continue. I'll have to finish on the morrow.

PH is staring at one of the baseboard heating units. Just staring.

Hey, how 'bout a haiku?

PH is staring.
Just staring at the baseboard.
Could it be a bug?

Okay,...I think I better go to bed. Sheesh!

Trekking Along

Went ahead and finished these Trekking XXL socks tonight after the ball.















I like the ombre shading of the colors in this Trekking yarn. The colorway is 100 and I used Knitpicks Harmony dpn's. Nice needles.

The braid trim is all blocked and dry. I decided to go with the soak and squeeze method since I wasn't going to get to the sewing today. I made the pieces of trim extra long so as I sew them on, they can be frogged back to fit. I did provisional cast ons so I can graft them together. Tomorrow, I hope to have a finished St. Brigid to show you. It's about time, I think. This finishing your projects stuff is fun!

I Can See the Finish Line! (If I Squint)

Well, I did get the cable trim done! Yay! I didn't get it done as early as I thought I would, though. Somehow, other things kept getting in the way. All pleasant things, though, like taking and uploading more pictures for Ravelry and talking to a friend in France. Altogether a pretty relaxing day off.

The trim is blocking right now. I hope that it will dry super quick because they are thin strips. I'm not sure if I'll get to attach it all tomorrow, because it's going to be a busy day at work and I'm going to a colonial ball tomorrow night. Hmmmm... I probably won't have time. However, I am determined to have it done by knitting night on Thursday.

I am really happy that this blog is fulfilling one of the purposes I had desired for it. Posting about finishing certain projects really gives me the incentive to get them done. It's helping! At this rate, I might just go ahead and finish the Airy Wrap-Around sweater this week.

I've also noticed something that I'd like to start doing on Ravelry. Some knitters use the note section of their specific projects like mini diary/journal entries to document their progress. I think that's a great idea. They date the entries, so you can keep track of when you were knittng on what. People always ask "how long did it take" to knit suchandsuch. I never know what to tell them because I have a tendency to put projects down for lengths of time while I work on something else for a bit. I think I'll give it a try with the next project I start. Hmmmm...which will be...what?


Sleepy, kneading cat says... "Let's go to bed!"

Shirttail Update

Here's a squinty-faced photo of me at a library in my Sensational Shirttail. I didn't realize it was hanging a bit lopsided on me. DH took the photo and he doesn't pay much attention to stuff like that. But, see, how the sleeves are long enough for my monkey arms??!! It's so cosy, and I think it will be even better with buttons.

Here's a hanger shot:

So, now there is one sweater down, and I am almost done with another. I have all the braid edging done except for around the neck. I'm off today, so I think I'll be able to accomplish it this morning. I think I'll try to steam block the edging so it will dry faster and I can sew it on to the sweater sooner. Most of Alice Starmore's sweater patterns are older, boxy styles, and the St. Brigid is no exception. However, the cables are glorious! I'm going to try to give an update, here, later this evening.

Finished!

Ha! The Sensational Shirttail is done! All it lacks is really cool buttons, which will be fun to shop for. Here is a not-so-good photo. Better one coming soon.

I think it fits perfectly. The sleeves are actually long on me! When you have monkey arms it is a pleasure to have sleeves that are on the long side. So cosy. I think that the Sensational Shirttail could achieve favorite status!

I think my increases (which form the shirttail) could have been better. I should have taken more time figuring out the best way to make them look neat. There are two rows of single crochet that finish the bottom edge of the sweater. I ripped it out a couple of times. I was getting a funny, flare effect. It still could use a little steaming, but it is much better. Overall, I think this is a great pattern and I'm very happy with the finished sweater. You know, it might look good with just some little i-cord ties in front. Hmmmm.

We have heat downstairs again! It has been nothing short of frigid for the past several days. It took some time, and at one point I overheard the two men working on it saying, "Oh no, uh oh......oh no.....oh no.....," followed by, "Ma'am, do you have a bucket?" But, eventually, it was fixed! The added bonus was that I got to stay home from work today and finish the sweater. They laughed about me deciding to knit a sweater because I had no heat.

It's late. Better go to bed. It's nice to go to bed feeling like I accomplished something today. Sweater done, heat working, even did some cleaning. Ah, what will tomorrow bring? Endless knitted braid for St. Brigid? Could be.

Winter's Here!

Well, well, what do you know? Sometimes winter does make an appearance in tidewater Virginia. Look! This is the most snow I've seen in three years!

I was even fortunate enough to take part in an impromptu snowball fight after work the other day. Nice, wet, packing snow. Got a few good shots in, but got a face full, too. I've missed snows like this. At night it looks so magical with the moon making the winter landscape glow, and it smells so crisp and clean outside. When I used to live in Chicago, the snow would stay around for weeks, and it would turn dirty and black from the city traffic. This snow isn't like that. It will dissapear before we have a chance to get tired of it. Sigh.

Hey, remember when I said I was determined to get these sweaters done before starting another one? Well, I'm getting closer. The Sensational Shirttail is now blocked and ready to be sewn up! It's taking a bit longer to dry in the cold living room. I'm hoping to get a chance to work on this tomorrow. I've been knitting the cable trim for my St. Brigid sweater while the Shirttail's been blocking. It will be done in no time! I guess I might as well finish the Airy Wrap Around while I'm at it. Hmmm... what about the Grant Ave?

My friend Natalie told me about a group of knitters that meet in the cafe of a local grocery store on Thursdays. I've never gone out to a "stitch and bitch" type thing before, but have always wanted to, so I decided to join them last week, and I'm really glad that I did. There were four women there besides Natalie, and they were welcoming, witty and all-around fun to hang out and knit with. They didn't even mind me pulling out my camera and snapping this photo.

That's Jessica, Jenn, Christine, Kim and Natalie. I think I got them all right! I'm hoping to see them all again this Thursday. It was fun to see all the different projects they were working on, and if I hadn't have gone, I wouldn't have found out about the new Jane Austen remakes that are being aired on PBS! Now, I've seen the new Persuasion and the new Northanger Abbey! What fun!

Thanks for all the concern about my narsty face rot. It's gone now. It was actually more like a sunburn-type rash, so it wasn't too noticeable, just red, and itched like crazy. I'm convinced it was some kind of allergic reaction. I'm going to experiment and see if I can figure out exactly what caused it. My bets are still on the tomato juice.

Whine whine, scratch scratch....

I have face rot!!! I think it is an allergic reaction to something I ate, or drank, rather. I had an awful lot of tomato juice in the span of a few days. It was organic juice, so I'm wondering if it was just more under-processed than, say, V-8? I have this terrible, itchy rash on the left side of my face, from the bottom of my cheek to my chin, plus, my inner ear itches, as well. I was sneezing a bunch, too. I think that it was a little better today. I've been taking Benadryl, but if it doesn't get much better tomorrow, I think I'll call the doc. It's just so weird, because I have never been bothered by allergies. Oh, now that I've been thinking about it, it is starting to itch again!!! Auugggh!!! Time to talk about something else....oh, yes, how about knitting?

Let's see... I'm pluggin' away on my Sensational Shirttail Cardigan. It's from Arans and Celtics-The Best of Knitter's Magazine. It's knit on 10 1/2's, and I'm using Reynolds Lopi in a grey heather. You've seen part of it in a previous post. I finished the right front and have started on the left. After that, I'll just have one sleeve to go. Huzzah! I tried to take some pictures of the finished front, but they turned out terribly, so I'll give you a look at another wip--my St. Brigid.

This sweater just needs a knitted braid neckline, and I think I'm going to knit braiding that goes around the bottom and the cuffs, as well. You would think that I would just get to it, don't you? Unfortunately, I am so easily distracted. But, I am determined that these two sweaters, and the Airy Wrap-around, will be the only ones I work on until they are complete. Even when tempted by something like this:

Knitted snowflakes! I hope to have a bunch of these adorning my Christmas tree next year. There are some really beautiful snowflakes in this book, and so very, very many....

It finally got cold here in Tidewater VA. Now, DH and I have realized that the heat isn't working too well downstairs. Upstairs, it's working overtime. Sigh.

Somehow, PH never seems to have trouble finding the warm spots.

Pucker Up, Primate!

Okay, before we go any further you have to watch this YouTube video. I guess it's been out for a while, but I've just seen it for the first time, today. DH found it for me. Yep, he knows what I like. And now, I present to you, Kissing Monkeys (apes, really)!




I'll post some knitting related stuff tomorrow. I hope to knit up a storm in the next couple of days. Hope you enjoyed the video!

January? Hah!

What is with this crazy weather? There was a definate whiff of spring in the air today, you know, that moist, waking earth smell. To tell the truth, it's not that unusual around here. During winter, the temperature bounces around like a bobble-headed Elvis in a rear view window. It never seems to get cold and stay that way, there is never more than 15 minutes of snow in a year, and in the summertime it is ten thousand degrees. Give me a place that has four distinct seasons! I want an autumn that arrives before December! I want to smell the delicious spring smells when it really is spring! Sigh.

The one thing that this weather has done for me is to make me feel like spring cleaning. Not just spring cleaning, but actually organizing and getting rid of junk that I have been holding on to for years. This time, I'm going to be ruthless. Must...de...clutter...must...give away...throw...out.... Except for stash! I'm hanging onto it all for now. I have noticed through this reorganization that my stash has grown substantially. Heh heh. I can picture myself upon my pile of yarn, wound around it, like Smaug the dragon, from, The Hobbit. Heh heh heh.

I've been working on finishing the Sensational Shirttail Cardigan and the St. Brigid. Here they are entwined around each other in a wooly embrace.

I'm working on the right front for the moment. I have the back done and one sleeve finished up to where you are supposed to start the sleeve cap. I've stopped there in case I want to lengthen the sleeves for my abnormally-long-monkey-arms. I want to make sure I have enough yarn to do it. I usually need to lengthen sleeves by at least an inch, if not more. I'm about 5'9", so I always have trouble finding clothes and patterns that are long enough in the arm and leg area.

Speaking of legs...

PH is a neverending source of entertainment to me!

Great 2008, Batman!

Happy New Year!

There has been a little progress on the Shirttail Sweater. It knits up fast with Lopi yarn and size 10 1/2 needles. I have yet another sweater (actually more than one) that I am itching to start on, but I need to finish one or two before I can let myself. I have a teensy bit left to finish on the Airy Wrap-around cardigan. (I tend to stop right before I finish something). I just have a tiny bit left on the St. Brigid sweater, as well....

All right, here and now I pledge to finish these three sweaters before I start another (or three). Hmmm... could this be classified as a psuedo New Year's resolution of sorts? Not exactly, but something kinda, sorta? This doesn't include socks and shawls, of course, but maybe sweater for sweater, shawl for shawl, etc. Okay, knit for knit, finish something before starting another of its same ilk. I hereby declare it so!

Um. But, I reserve the right to fail miserably or, perhaps, come to my senses.

On a more positive note... I had a good time visiting with my family over the holidays, my dad enjoyed his gloves, and look!!!

He likes it! He really likes it!!! PH has been lounging in his Tiger Pi, every day, for hours! There is nothing like knowing that the recipient of your knitted item is happy and satisfied with your efforts and that he will get use and enjoyment from same.

Goodnight, Kitty.