Wednesdays Are For Knitting

I have quite a few knitting projects that I want to get finished before the end of the year. The problem is that my knitting time is pretty limited. I am hoping that putting this out there will push me to get these things done.

1) Preemie hats for October, November and December. October is the first month where I did not finish a hat but I am committed to meeting my goal of knitting 12 for the year.

2) Baby sweater. At my last checkup my doctor told me that she is pregnant after trying for several years. I have my next appointment on December 14th and want to have it done by then. I also want to make a hat and booties if there is time.

3) Clark's blanket. I would like to have this done for Christmas. I do need to buy some more yarn to make it a bit bigger.

It may not seem like a lot but since I knot about 5 rows per day this will be a major stretch for me. Wish me luck!

Thinking About My Queue

I have been thinking a lot about my Ravelry queue lately. I have been fighting off the urge to cast on a ton of projects so I have been scrolling through my queue quite a bit. Last weekend I also sorted and organized my yarn stash and the printed patterns I have collected over the years. Finally yesterday I went through the patterns I had saved on my computer and queued the ones I was still interested in making.

In doing this I have realized that while I have printed saved and queued these patterns for years I have not knit the vast majority of them. There are things that have been in there for 5 or more years but I still have an interest in knitting them. Plus I have all these books and have knit very few projects from them.

So what do I plan to do about this situation? Well I plan on actually working my queue. I will start at the top and work my way down. I also plan on pulling my books and finding projects to knit from them. I may not knit everything in order because I may not be in the mood to knit one of them or I may not have the funds to buy the pattern or yarn to make something but I do plan on being more diligent about actually knitting the patterns that caught my eye. Until next time ....

FO: Hugo the Monster

Clark loved the Hilda the Monster I made so much I hated to take it away from him. So I decided to make him one of his own. This is Hugo the Monster. I love him and want to keep him for myself! However I will give him to Clark for his birthday.

I am quickly becoming a monster knitter. I have joined Team Knitabulls for the Ravellenic games. I plan on knitting some Owl Puffs as well as a Chelsea the Chatterbox. These on top of the Cabled Vest I will be knitting for Team Michigan will certainly keep me busy during the games. Until next time ....

Project Spectrum Saturday

I could not decide on a picture today so you get two.

First up some pretty yarn. This is Knitpicks Stroll Tonal in Deep Waters. I bought this to get the free shipping when I ordered the yarn for my niece's blanket. I am thinking about making a cozy cowl with it.









Second I have the traditional toy car shot. Not to many in pink and purple but that does not really surprise me.









Until next time ....

Dishcloths Galore!

It seems to be dishcloths galore around here. I am slightly obsessed with them. My kitchen drawer is getting quite full even though I have thrown away some of the older ones that were in bad shape. Oh well there are worse things to be obsessed with. So here are the latest completed cloths.

Blue Cloth (Ravelry and FO Blog)









Bluebell Rib Dishcloth (Ravelry and FO Blog)








Peachy Dishcloth (Ravelry and FO Blog)








I have also been working on my Simple Socks. I am on the heel flap on the first sock. I decided to do an Eye of Partridge heel because I love the way it looks. I also need to start a baby sweater for the Director of my department who is due in May. Time to get knitting! Until next time ....

We Have FOs Galore

I have finished objects galore here. First up is Clark's Christmas Vest 2010. Details are located here and here.



All in all I am pretty happy with how this turned out. It is slightly tight going over his head but we manage to get it on and off without to much trouble. There are some issues where I picked up stitches for the arm and neckbands but I did not feel like ripping and starting over again. Laziness prevails again!

I have also been on a dishcloth knitting kick. I have finished 3 in the last couple of weeks. With the stress of the holiday season and the fact that my last three projects have been deadline knits I wanted something easy and relaxing to work on.



These two are the Beach Ball Dishcloth pattern. I love this pattern as it is very easy to memorize but interesting enough to keep your attention.


This is the Hourglass Eyelet Dishcloth. This cloth is very soft and smooshy. I plan on using it for a facecloth. Details for all the cloths are as always on Ravelry and my Finished Objects Blog.

I have another cloth on the needles right now and once that is over I plan on casting on for another Special Olympics scarf. Until next time ....

His and Hers

When I heard that my coworker Kelly was pregnant like any good knitter I had visions of cute little knits in my head. When she announced that she was having twins I had double vision of cute little knits. Then when she announced she was having a boy and a girl it was officially on.


These are the sweaters I made for Lauren and Brady who were just born on Friday. I used the same pattern for both, the Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater. On Brady's sweater I just eliminated the slipped stitches for a more masculine look. The pattern was fairly easy and straight forward but I think a novice knitter may have some difficulties with it. It seemed like halfway through the pattern the designer got tired or bored and became very vague with the instructions. Someone who does not have a lot of experience may find that difficult. All in all though it is a very cute pattern. Details of Lauren's sweater are here and here. Details for Brady's sweater are here and here.

Now I need to finish Clark's Christmas vest. I am hoping to get his pictures taken in it for Christmas so I need to get moving. It just needs to be seamed and have the neck and armband ribbing done so I think I can make it. Until next time ....

Not One but Two

I have not one but two finished objects to share with you. I am amazed that in two nights I managed to complete two projects. Of course it always seems to be feast or famine around here with the knitting.

First up is a baby hat for our daycare lady, Miss Amy. This is to match the baby blanket I finished for her earlier this month. The pattern is the Quick and Easy Baby Hat and it lives up to its name. I used the Magix Loop method for the second time with this hat. The method is ok but I find it a bit fiddly and it will never be my go to way to knit in the round. Details are located here and here.


Next up are my Undecided Socks. This is the Charade pattern and I really enjoyed it. Again it was easy to memorize but interesting enough to keep your interest. The Herringbone pattern made for a tighter fabric so they are a little tighter than my normal socks but that is ok by me. I hate loose and saggy socks! The yarn is Heart and Sole by Red Heart and I snagged it on clearance for $6. The yarn is not to bad and I am interested to see how it wears. Details are located here and here.


Next up a pair of booties for Miss Amy's baby. I also have a lady preganant with twins at work I need to knit for. I also found a pattern I like for Clark's Christmas Vest but it is colorwork and I am a bit scared to try it. I guess I really need to get knitting if I want to finish all these projects, huh? Until next time ....

Miss Amy's Baby Blanket

I have finished the baby blanket for our daycare lady, Miss Amy. I am happy with the way it turned out.

The pattern was really nice. It is easy to memorize but interesting enough to not be boring. I am actually amazed how fast I knit this up. It took me less than a month from start to finish. My edges were curling so I decided to add an I-cord border. Details as always are located here and here.

I have started a baby hat for Miss Amy out of the leftover yarn. I also want to make her some baby booties to match. If I have enough time and yarn there maybe a sweater in there, too. She is scheduled to be induced on 9/23 so I need to get moving. Until next time ....

Why yes I am insane

I have never been able to save money very well. I can nickle and dime my way through $20 in no time. However, I was so proud of myself that I actually saved a little bit of money for Christmas this year. Then Clark got sick and had to go to the hospital. The co-pays and medicine ate up what I had saved and then some (and this doesn't include the $545 bill for the ambulance we received last week). So I have now decided since money is so tight I am going to knit presents for the adults in my family this year. The tween and teenager are to picky so I am skipping the knitting for them. Yes I realize Christmas is less that a month away. Yes I realize that I knit entirely to slow to finish everything. This is why I am insane. My only saving grace is that we probably won't see them until the 26th or 27th so I have a little extra time. So here is my plan:

1) For my sister a My So Called Scarf in some Dream in Color I have in stash.
2) For my brother and SIL a Hip To Be Square blanket. I will have to buy some yarn for this but it will be some machine washable in a brown to match their living room. This one will probably be gifted as a WIP.
3) For my dad A Very Plain Hat. I will also have to buy yarn for this one (probably Paton's Wool) in either black or grey.
4) For my dad's fiance Swirled Wine Cozy. I will also have to buy yarn and needles for this one unless I can find someone to loan me some size 7 DPNs.

On top of this I have to finish Clark's Sheldon and his vest. The vest is almost done. I just need to do the neck ribbing on the front, the armhole ribbing on the back and sew it together. Of course now that I have decided to do all of this knitting I will probably get a job which will cut into my knitting time. I won't complain if that happens though! Until next time ....

Too Short (And I'm Not Talking About the Rapper)

So I have been plugging away at my Summertime Socks while watching my ball of yarn dwindle. Then it happened. About an inch from starting the toe decreases I ran out of yarn. Of course Knitpicks has discontinued this colorway. I have sent a message to someone on Ravelry who has this yarn listed as willing to sell/trade but I have not heard back yet. If I can't get more I will have to improvise something.

I was so looking forward to having a FO since I have not had one since June. Oh well. Now I am swatching for another project for Clark. I have never swatched before and it is boring but since I am adjusting the size I have to do it. Until next time ....

FO Alert: His Hat

So I finished the hat I have been promising my hubby for almost 2 years now.


This was my first hat and first completed project using DPNs. I improvised a bit on the pattern. I did not continue the ribbing during the decreases because I simply forgot. However, I still think it looks ok. There are some mistakes I can see but that is to be expected in a first DPN project. Hubby loved it and says it will get a lot of use this winter. Details on both my FO Blog and on Ravelry.

Up next a My So Called Scarf for the Red Scarf Project and my Fake-A-Gamo Bag. First I have to untangle the skein of yarn for the bag. It is a huge mess! Note to self, do not be lazy and use the ball winder without the swift because it will cost you a lot of time in the future. Until next time ....

A FO and some new stash

Yes I finished the 7th HP book and I will not ruin it for anyone who is still reading. However, I will say that I loved it and it ended how I thought it might. I was pleased that the one person I thought for sure was a goner, besides Harry, did not not die. But now I have a FO to show you.


This is the Golden Snitch Dishcloth from Insanknitty. It was a nice instant gratification project after the never-ending blanket. Details are located here.



I also have some new yarn from Knitpicks to show you.

I bought 8 balls of Swish Superwash in Wisteria to make Bombshell from the Big Girl Knits book. I also bought lace style and I immediately decided I needed to knit everything in it. Finally, to get the free shipping I bought a ball of their new sock yarn , Felici (happy in Italian), in Atmosphere.

This will be a busy week for me. Besides my normal activities I am taking the Drop Spindle class at Ewe-Nique Knits Thursday night and trying to get ready to go leave for our vacation in the UP early Saturday morning. If I do not get the chance to update before I go I will see you the first week of August. Until next time ....

It's Finally Over!!!

My own personal knitting hell is over.


This is the diagonal baby blanket I have been working on, exclusively, for a month now. I am so glad this is over and I will mail it to the parents-to-be sometime this week. Details, if you are interested, are here.

To celebrate the end of the blanket knitting and Harry Potter fever I have started the Golden Snitch dishcloth. I also have my yarn wound, charts blown up and needles ready to start on Icarus. The charts scare me a little but I am determined to make this beautiful lace piece. So next time I will show you my birthday present to myself and what I plan to make with it. Until next time ....

I have nothing so look at my pretty yarn!

So the baby shower for my cousin and his girlfriend was this past Saturday and I am still knitting their blanket. We bought some stuff off their registry so I was not empty handed. I will just mail the blanket to them with a note when it is done. I am almost done with the first ball so I will soon be able to start the decreases. I am using this pattern and it is a very easy and mindless knit.

Since the blanket is all scrunched up on the needles (I had no circs in the correct size and I am BROKE and have no money to by any) I will wait to show you all the blanket. Since that is all I have been working on I will show you the beautiful hand dyed yarn I bought from Miranda last night at knitting group.


She calls it mermaid tears. It is 400 yards of superwash wool and I hope it will become a beautiful pair of socks someday. This is my birthday gift to myself!




Today I started printing off patterns that I want to work on while I am up north on vacation at the end of the month. Now I am working on placing them in a binder, in sleeve protectors, separated by category. Yes I am a dork! Wish me luck tomorrow - I have my follow up with my diabetes doctor and I hope he gives me the all clear to go onto the fertility meds next month. Until next time ....

Bring on the red, black and metallic!

I can not believe that Project Spectrum is halfway over! We have now moved onto our third color group - red, black and metallic. Tonight, I dove into my stash to find my yarns in these colors and came up woefully short.



The black yarn has been in my stash for a while and is destined to become a hat for my hubby. Maybe I can have it done before this winter! The red skein is the beautiful merino lace weight that I won from Debi. I have been looking for shawl patterns and I think this yarn is going to become an Icarus. There is also some dishcloth cotton (the little balls are the remains of a ball of SNC that became tangled), the Bernat was a free skein from the company that I have no idea what to do with and the blue-purple Moonlight Mohair will become a potato chip scarf. I guess I better get knitting if I want to get these projects done in the next two months!

Larjmarj asked in the comments of yesterday's entry if the cotton yarn hurt my hands. I have not had a problem at all with cotton. In fact, I rather enjoy knitting with it. I do get arm fatigue from time to time while knitting but I get that no matter what fiber I knit with. I hope that helps you out! Until next time ....

There's a FO and some stash enhancement

So I have been knitting slowly but surely. I have put my fuzzy foot and Irish Hiking Scarf away for awhile. The weather is warming up and I just want to work on other things. With that said I have a FO to show you.


This the April Mid-Month KAL. This pattern seriously kicked my butt. I love the look of this pattern but I will probably never knit it again.




Yesterday I went to Jo-Anns to pick up some size 6 bamboo needles for the dishcloth KAL that started today. The picture cloths come out much better on the smaller needles for me. Of course I could not leave with just needles!


I bought two balls of Royale Classic Crochet Thread in French Rose and Myrtle Green. I needed new colors for my new KAL and the bookmark exchange. I also bought two balls of Sugar 'n Cream in Patio Pinks and Rose Pink. All Project Spectrum friendly!


Now for the PS picture for this post. I saw this hot pink car in the Kroger parking lot last week and I had to take a picture of it. Please ignore the dirty windshield. There were a lot of people around and I was trying to be inconspicuous.



So right now OTN I have the May Dishcloth KAL and a seed stitch afghan square out of Bernat Softee Chunky. I also have the Sophie bag, May bookmark KAL and my pink socks to work on. Boy, I guess I better get knitting! Until next time ....

A bit of this and a bit of that

So I have a bit of a hodge podge for you today. My finger is doing much better now and I can knit without much pain. I mean as if work didn't already get in the way of my knitting time this had to happen. However, I did manage to finish another dishcloth.

This is the January Mid Month KAL. This was such a nice pattern I do not know why I waited so long to knit it. I love the cheery Yellow perfect for PS. Details are located here.





Today I wound up the ball of Paton's Classic Wool I dyed last week. I have decided that I am going to make the Sophie bag from Mag Knits. I will cast on as soon as I make some more progress on some current WIPs.




Finally, just in time for this color triad my boys in Green (and white) shock the hockey world and win the National Championship. They beat Boston College 3-1 last Saturday night. It was a pretty boring game for the most part. They were losing until there were only a few minutes left in the 3rd period when they tied it up. The winning goal was scored by Justin Abdelkador (I love that name) with 18.9 seconds left. They added an empty netter and won the third hockey championship in school history.

Well time to get back to the knitting. I have added a few repeats of my Irish Hiking Scarf today while watching movies and TV shows I DVR'd this week. I am now onto the second ball and ready to roll. Until next time ....

No progress made - no pictures to show

So I have hit the black hole of knitting with my Irish Hiking scarf. I am knitting and knitting and it does not seem to be getting any longer. The ball of yarn is getting smaller but the scarf seems stuck. I will keep plugging along though because it is frickin cold and I need a warm wool scarf!

I ripped out my gaterlac dishcloth. I was having a hard time with it and decided to set it aside for awhile. I did cast on for a cloth for my exchange partner from the dishcloth group. I am not sure if I like the pattern or not but I will knit one more repeat before deciding if I want to to keep it or rip it. I still have not touched my fuzzy foot and I have not cast on for my sock for the KAL. I guess I have some work to do. I hope to have some pictures up in my next post - this is getting pretty boring even to me! Until next time ....

Some packages, some frogging and a warning

So it has been an interesting week. I left work early on Friday because I was not feeling very well. After a long nap though I was feeling better so I decided to suck it up and got to Knitter's Night Out at HYAW. Then it was of to Amici's for some more knitting and martinis. I guess I must be getting old because I only had one and I had a wicked headache when I woke up yesterday. It was worth it though. It was a good time and I got quite a bit of work done on my Irish Hiking Scarf.

While I was laying on the couch Friday afternoon the mailman came to the door. A few weeks ago I entered a contest over at Debi's where my uncanny ability to remember stupid pop trivia helped me guess the correct answer. My name was thrown in the random generator and I was lucky enough to win. She put together a wonderful package.

She sent me a ball of Opal, some Kelly yarn that is a cotton and acrylic blend, a nice card from her and the P-Man and 800+ yards of a beautiful merino lace weight.





I am not a big fan of red but this is just a beautiful crimson/ruby colorway and I love it. It is very soft too. I am so glad that hubby bought me that ball winder and swift for Christmas so I can wind this without ruining it. Now I need to find a shawl pattern to make with it.


So I have one FO to show you.

This is what was Fuzzy Foot #2 but it has become FF#1. After looking at the first one I realized that this one was way bigger and that the first one probably would not fit me after it is felted. So tonight I ripped back to the cuff and I will start again. I just hope that I have enough yarn to finish it.

Now I need to be a busy little knitter. I am working on the previously mentioned Irish Hiking Scarf and Fuzzy Foot. I also have a gaterlac dishcloth on the needles and the Knitting Novices sock KAL starts tomorrow and the next dishcloth KAL starts on Tuesday. Wow that is a lot to work on at once but at least I won't get bored. Now for my warning. Please be careful on your way to work tomorrow. We are supposed to get a lot of ice and snow all over the lower half of Michigan tonight so driving tomorrow will be treacherous. I want you all to get to work and back safe so leave early and take it easy. Until next time ....