Ahoy! Check out me plunder!...and another poll...

Hmmm, Perhaps I should download that pirates book. Since I seem incapable of going yarn/craft shopping without referring to everything purchased as plunder.

Yes. I finally went shopping. I had my list. I needed some hat yarn for sweetums :-) and a circular needle for Jane's shawl. I had trouble finding what I wanted for the hat. This is what I came up with, Lion Brand Cotton Ease. I've never used it before, and it's not the right gauge for the pattern...so I'm probably doomed...but let's see if I can pull it off anyways, shall we?
I needed buttons (FINALLY BUTTONS!!!) for my niece's sweater. It's now an entire month late for her birthday....ugg! But, it's still a bit big for her anyways. It was seriously slim pickins for the buttons at Michaels, but much to my surprise they had these, which are almost exactly what I was seeing in my head, although a bit bigger. They are NOT sewn on yet... actually, they are still attached to the cardboard. I just poked them through the buttonholes so I could take a picture . Next on the list was the beads for Jane's shawl. That was a bit tough , there was a lady in the aisle with 4 very loud children. Harold asked me if he was allowed to change his mind about eventually having a couple of our own...I said no. Anyways, we had to go to the other side of the store...(I decided to go get the yarn first..because the child sounds were just too much for me)...but we could hear them all the way from across the store. The mom was really trying hard to control them it seemed, but with 4! And it was really the little one making all the noise ...maybe a yearish old...so really, what could she do? Nonetheless, I had to leave the aisle :-)So anyways, obviously from the picture you can see that I later came back to the aisle, note that during this whole adventure, Harold is standing (and walking) while reading a book in the store, because this is just too painful for him. I found these glass beads. It was difficult to tell which ones would have a wide enough centre to string onto the DK weight yarn without binding it up...so my options were pretty limited. I came home and immediately tried to string a few on. Phew! It worked!Now for the poll:

Question #1 - Do I use all of the bead colours? Or just the blue ones? Or use a few of the colours only? What do you think? Really.

Here are some pictures to help you decide:

All bead colours randomly distributed (I won't be able to control distribution other than to consistently string in the same sequence..Sooo Question #2 . If using all colours, should I consistently string in the same colour order (eg. red blue green, red blue green, red blue green)...or just be totally random?

Only blue beads - There are actually 2 different blues, one slightly darker than the other (not seen in this photo)

Some more bead shots to help you decide on colours (all opinions are very very welcome...I'm so indecisive :-pAnd here's just the blue...notice in this pic, you can see the two different blues, they're very close. I actually didn't notice at first.
Oh, by the way the pattern I decided on is Mohair Tiger Pattern. She said that she needed about 140 beads for the size that she made. I have tonnes if I use all colours, or exactly 142 if I use just the blue ones. I have no idea how big her finished shawl was, so I don't know if 142 will be enough for me or not....I supposed I could go back to Michaels and see if they have one more package of the beads just to be safe...but...I probably won't get around to it...(Ha! but they did have at least one or two of them left when I was there today.

So....now I await your votes:

Question #1 - multicolour, a few colours (and which ones specifically), or all blue?

Question #2 - If you chose multicolour, should the beads be strung in a uniform order...or just grab and string randomly?

I await your responses :-) Here's to hoping someone stops by and actually reads my questions :-)

Now I'm off to sew on buttons...and maybe ....if I'm lucky....listen to a little audiobook and work a little bit on my hat.

Have a great weekend!

How exciting!

Well, I haven't got any new knitting done....I haven't even listened to my audiobook. But! I did make some new beaded necklaces with my wonderful sister-in-law last night. And today I'm going to Michaels to pick up some beads for a knit garter stitch beaded shawl.....and some new yarn for a had for hubby, and some new knitting needles...and then guess what...

GUESS ...really GUESS!

I'm popping into the Wagon Shed to see about taking a spinning class! Oh...I'm so excited...I just hope she's still open by the time I get there.....I'm dragging poor sweetums with me...and he's just now having a shower....and I was supposed to stop by between 1 and 4pm.....I was planning on closer to 1pm....but...for some reason I felt like subjecting the poor guy to my crafty travels, and he's sweet enough to agree to come with me. Isn't he sweet. :-)

Now what to read (listen to)?

Well, I finished listening to the third book tonight. I just wish there would have been a wedding scene, how fun would that have been! Anyways, I'm a little further along on the hat. I'm just a few rows into the second set of skiers. And I just now noticed that I took a picture of the bad side...the part where round 1 becomes round 2...you can see my earring down at the bottom marking the first stitch...oh well....the other side is nicer...honest :-)Sorry both pictures are so crappy, the 11:30 pm photo update just doesn't provide much in the way of good lighting...Off to bed.....maybe I can dream up a fantabulous wedding scene..... :-)

A little more...

Believe it or not...the progress shown represents several hours of knitting and audiobook listening. I'm not sure if I'm really this slow of a knitter, or if it's because I keep stopping at really good parts of the book without realizing it. I think I zone out, and then realize that I'm just sitting there in the chair staring at my knitting ....instead of actually knitting it ...but still...here are the little skiers...almost complete...only 4 or 5 rows of them left. I realize now that in future patterns I will look for more even distribution of colour...I mean....it's really annoying to work those parts where there are like 15 stitches of the same colour. I was told to twist the yarns at that point...so that I don't have HUGE loops of the carried yarn on the inside, but I'm not sure if I'm doing that correctly...whatever....it will still be a hat when I'm done...even if it's not technically knit properly right?
The whole twisting thing is a pain though...I much preferred the snowflake parts where you didn't have more than 5 or 6 stitches in a row of the one colour... I'm not sure if I enjoy knitting colourwork as much as I enjoyed the cables...but I do love the effect...so...perhaps there really will be more projects after this one....mittens...yes...I do want matching mittens :-)

Back to where I was

Well, here's where I was with my hat at the end of last night. I'm pretty much back to where I was before I ripped it all out and started it again. It didn't take tooooo long to get back to this point. I just haven't had as much time to sit and knit in the last little bit as I seemed to the week before. I'm really enjoying sitting on my rear and knitting while listening to this book series.
The 4th comes out in late 2008?!?! You mean it's not going to end at the end of this book and be all neatly tied up into a fabulously happily ended story?!?! I don't know if I can take it!!! More importantly...what am I going to listen to between now and then? Hehe, I'll be on search for a new book...or...series...hmmm

So, what do you think of the colours? I think I like it, even though there isn't as much contrast as with the caramel colour. I think I will like it when finished. I'm going with it either way, I want to see what those skiers look like!

Decision made...but...is it the right one...*fret, fret*

I change my mind...I ended up knitting half the hat and ripped it out...I polled EVERYONE...and came up equal with the caramel..vs..brown votes..doh! Yep...I'm calling it caramel now...a girl at work called it that...and so now I can stop calling it the yellowy gold colour...phew!
I'm now going with brown...doh!!! it's downright painful.....a coworker held up the caramelly colour to her black sweater and said..."ohhhh you could make another one with this colour and black"...that's what decided it...

and I realized...that now with the help of audiobooks...I knit much faster....mostly because I've been shirking all household duties...(well...the weekly cleaning hasn't been done yet...ugg) and knitting whenever life allows....

There is actually a slight chance (albeit slight) that I might actually finish this hat THIS WINTER!!!! but...I'm not holding my breath :-)

Sooooo, on another knitterly note, we were at small group tonight and Jane said "I have something for you if you want it" hmmmm what could it be???? And she gave me this! 5 skeins of mohair...It's not a brand I know...and I've never knit with mohair...but it feels very nice...very different....I like it.
She said she wanted to give it to someone who would enjoy it....and that she'd had it a long time and knew that it was just sitting there....it made me wonder if there was something that I could knit for her out of it...since she obviously loved the yarn enough to have it...but just really knit anymore.

I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any ideas...the ball band says that it's double knit weight...but cuz of the fuzziness most new yarns I've seen like this end up listed as bulky (or am I confused) ...and there are 170 yds per skein....50g....5 skeins......

The only thing I've run across so far is Wisp but I'd love some more ideas

Thanks for the comments on the hat! I still don't know if I'll be happy ..but...it's just a hat right??....really...I should just order another skein of the teal...and knit one in each colour...then I'll never have to decide again!!!! Well, if that's the plan...I need to go download another book :-)

Happy knitting!!

Indecision

I still can't decide...so I knit some more...with brown this time....here is two days of knitting...knowing most of the time that it would be ripped out....I've never done that before!!!
Must be the audiobooks...I'm quite content to sit and listen and knit...for hours! ...but really....I need heeeeeelp! Which colour combo would you use? Teal and brown...or teal and hmmm beigey goldy stuff... I wish it were as yellowy as it photographs..it's more gold...but whatever...
what do you think?? Anyone?.....anyone?.....Bueller?........ nope...nobody there huh....doh....

Cross-Country

I decided on Serengeti (yellowy beige), to go with the Woodland sage (teal) instead of the Cocoa (yep..brown)...I actually like the look of the cocoa better....but I don't think the colour work will show up as well...or have the "right look" with the cocoa....sorry for the glaring flashy photos....
I randomly knit with both....and decided....I hope it's the right decision...we'll see...the colours look very different in the picture than they actually do....the teal is much darker than the pictures show...... Grrrr...I'm not sure if I like the colour combo I picked ...I either love it...or shrug at it...I'm not sure....I asked H...and he actually likes it...it was his original choice for the combo anyways....we'll see if it looks nice once more is knit I guess...whatya think???I'm having some tension issues (having never really done more than a pocket in colourwork before). I'm trying to carry the yarn loosely in the back...but still....wherever there are single stitches they seem to be getting lost...pulled through to the back...you know? Hmmmm, hopefully I will get this worked out and I won't have to rip out too much of this hat....I'm really enjoying knitting with audiobooks...I tell ya....why oh why didn't I find this before! Sooooo relaxing!

Just needs buttons!

I'm so very pleased! I'm finished my niece's birthday present!.....and only 12 days too late! Well...actually...it will be even later than that by the time she actually gets it...because it still needs buttons. Overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out..and even though at the end when I was past deadline I was totally tired of knitting it...that was really just at the end...and just because I can get unduly stressed about crafty deadlines.... I really enjoyed knitting this. The cables were fun, and more interesting that plain knitting, and it actually seemed to go by really quickly because of the constant change in the pattern.A slightly more close up look at the cable pattern....nice basic first cable project....Now...I'm officially free to play with thisI can't wait...it's so soft.....yes...it's from knitpicks....I know some people just hate them....I had a lady yell at me that knitpicks was "ruining the knitting industry" but...really...they sell yarn that I can afford...so I buy from them....otherwise I'd be limited largely to acrylic and lets face it...sometimes you want more than acrylic...... now I'm off to try and roll these babies into little balls....by hand.....because even knitpicks doesn't have a ballwinder and swift that I can afford hahahaha!

Delivery!

I had the most delightful little box on my front porch when I got home from work today...it's my yarn order....it's knitpicks gloss....merino and silk...it's sooooo soooooftThat's brown "Cocoa", teal "Woodland Sage" and yellowy browny beige "Serengeti" The colours are a wee bit off from my camera...the serengeti isn't really quite as yellow as it looks here.
I'm trying to decide which two colours to use for the cross country hat. I definitely want to use the Woodland sage...but not sure whether the cocoa or the serengeti will be better suited for the colourwork....I'm very open to suggestions...having never worked with colour before....

I really like the teal and brown combo..but worry that there won't be enough contrast...but then...the teal looks nice with the yellowy one too..and definitely will have contrast...and it's closer to the original pattern colours which is really the reason I fell in love with the hat...doh...I just don't know! Maybe I'll knit a patch of each and compare.....again...VERY open to suggestions...
I also added on this cotton linen blend.....just because....only one skein...no idea what to make of it...I just wanted to try it out and see how it feels....its very liberating to buy just one skein with no idea at all what to do with it...just because....I don't think I've ever bought yarn without already having a pattern picked out to use it with (unless there was a full bag blowout or something and you end up buying R2 Rag,...whatever that it....and yes....it's still in the cupboard...2 years later...what AM I could to do with that stuff!).....back to the CotLin.....yep...not a clue...but whatever it is ...it will be fun I'm sure!
And a sweater stone...and I tried it out on my hairiest sweater...did a pretty good job....the pilly stuff came off in these think puffy strings of wool fluff..and now I ask you...could skilled hands turn my sweater fluff back into yarn to make a new sweater....is wool recyclable??!?!?!! How cool would that be!
I finished the last sleeve of the baby sweater the other day...but...I just casted on the hood tonight...and I have about an inch done....I have about 7 to go...and then another 4....Hopefully I can finish it this weekend and then...wooo hooo...shiny new project for me!
I'm so excited!

I have sleeves!

Yep...the sleeves are both done...just the hood left...just the hood...

I'm so excited....

I can't wait till I have this sweater all stitched up...

...hope little one likes it!

My yarn order hasn't arrived yet...which is a good thing...I can't be distracted.

I NEEEED to be DONE!...sooo What's next?

I really need to be done this sweater. Really, really, I'm now officially tired of it. I think almost every project I do goes through this stage at some point.....probably because everything starts so happily...then life or work gets a little busy, and it gets set aside...for months....so when I come back I always feel like I'm tying up loose ends...does that make sense?

Hmmm, My next project...I really want to just work on one thing. I think I should try that. Having only one thing on the needles for awhile. I always seem to have a bunch of things happening at once, so inevitably at least one of those projects ends up getting dropped in a corner somewhere.

Sooooo, what should my next project be...I'm waiting on some yarn that I ordered to make the cross country hat from knitty. (I've never done colour work before...should I be scared?)

I still need to restart my Lacy little top (from way back in Nov 2005...ouch!)

And when I actually finish the hat...I'll need some mitts to go with it. I've got the pattern for Fiber fish.......but I really don't understand what the corrections to the pattern mean.... what does "w&t." mean?

The other pattern I'm drooling over (remember I've never done colour work before) is Anemoi Mittens

Oh...how beautiful.....mmmmmmm

Yes...I'm about 3/4 done the second sleeve on the 2 year old baby sweater...still the hood left to do....the seaming....then....and only then....will I be free to knit another.....

Cabled baby cardigan....and cards...and Christmas stuff

I'm a little further on the baby sweater (man...the two year size is really BIG! I would have expected this size for about a 4 year old...I guess I just don't know kids). I don't think I'll be able to get it done on time...since the birthday party is 2 days away...and I still have to make two sleeves and a hood...oh...and I'm sitting here typing.....but...so far...I'm pretty happy with it.

I made a few cards over the holiday too! I had too! My sweet sweet husband bought me all that stamping stuff for Christmas...how could I resist :-)
The brown ones are my favs...can ya tell....actually...it's the first time I've actually used ANY of my stampin' up patterned paper.
I thought I'd post a few Christmas pictures....these are of our own little Christmas eve night together. It was lots of fun, and the first time we'd spent any holiday time just the two of us....I think it might start a tradition because we both really enjoyed it....plus ....the Chargers won!!!H was reaching under the tree to get a gift for me and had to move Pablo the penguin....I think the picture looks like they're dancing hehehehe....this picture and some of the below ones are taken with the new underwater digital camera that H gave me for Christmas! I've been so spoiled...I also got the most comfortable down pillow in the world!
More pics taken with the new camera...we were playing with it in the housing...and apparently didn't take the sticker off of the lens area...there was some black print on it...I think that why the fogginess...what can I say...we were all excited :-)
Harold wrapped up all the stamping stuff he got me in a couple of boxes that he filled with the confetti from our paper shredder....he really outdid himself this year...so inventive....I kept wondering why I hadn't had to empty the shredder in a while...but...didn't clue in...hehehe

Me digging through one of the confetti boxes.
A whole big pile of stamping stuff...and my new dive camera....oh what fun....then it was off to bed....and a wonderful nights sleep on a super duper down pillow....

2008

Happy New Year!

A sock count you say!

Well, since I'm really more addicted to reading other peoples blog posts than to writing my own, I've noticed that some people actually keep track of what they knit! Novel concept I know...I've always meant to...but somehow...things get lost in the scuffle. I always meant to keep a book, with a picture of each thing I finished and the pertinent information...but that hasn't happened yet either..I guess blogging and ravelry are the closest I've come to actually keeping track of anything outside of my head....

....this lead me to (in my head) count up the number of socks that I've knit...(or rather sock pairs). I'm including worsted weight and bulky socks..because well, otherwise...I'd have no socks....the only tiny needle socks I've made got frogged once they made it to the heal.

So..here's my sock count...from what I can remember
(I'm not counting all those single socks that I made in my late teen years...I don't think I ever completed an entire pair...so...they won't count......hmmmm...only since the knitting resurgence in my life will I include....funny....knitting started up again right around the time I "became Christian" or however you word such a life changing event...(I mean the Christianity...not the knitting.....although it has brought it's own form of fulfillment...not on the same level :-)

Ok, really, here's the sock count:
1 - red socks from Erin's pattern, knit while I was in Nova Scotia, just tossed them out :-(

2 - socks for Joel - as part of a wedding present

3 - baby socks for Sienna, whipped up during our summer vacation b/c her tootsies were cold

3 1/2 - socks for Harold - a direct copy of Joel's sock...but for Harold these are just not moving along.

I thought that I counted 5 in my head...perhaps I've missed something...but...it's probably just 3 1/2 ......hmmmmmmmmm
This is less exciting that originally thought hahaha!

Is it possible

Here I am....on the first side of the front...moving right along...man... I can get a lot more knitting done when I don't go to work :-) If this continues...there is a distinct possibility that I will actually be able to get this sweater done for Sienna's first birthday party....(January 5th is the party date)

Can she do it?...can she do it?....well... that all depends on how much it offends people to be ignored while I knit :-) just joking...I can talk AND knit....it's talent you know

Oh...I hope I hope I hope......I hope I can get it all done. I think I'm deceiving myself by thinking that I've accomplished a lot, I betcha the hood is going to take the longest of all the pieces!

No more slippers

Seriously...I'm all done with slippers...I might put pom poms on these..but really...that is IT!
I made these yesterday...and was oh sooooo happy that the pattern agrees with the name...these are Patons "Speedy slippers" an ancient pattern.... and oh so speedy

I'm so excited to be working on THIS again! It's really nice to knit. It's the most cabley thing I've ever done...and I've decided that I enjoy knitting cables... I finished the back yesterday, and then today while H was watching football, (and yelling due to the less than stellar score for Greenbay at that time....how DID that turn out anyways?) I casted on one of the front pieces....H is napping now....due to a very frustrating afternoon of football, and well, it is Sunday...which means Tim Hortons coffee, church, Swiss Chalet chicken, football accompanied by knitting for me, and nap time....(obviously not in order of importance...but there is an rather stringent timeline associated with this schedule :-)
I gave up nap time today in favour of knitting....so I've got about 3 1/2 inches done on that front piece...woo hoo....I'm on fire :P

Pablo the penguin says Merry Christmas

Grey sweater update

My my! I never posted...I finished my grey sweater AGES ago...and I love it...although ...I need to reblock (read stretch) it out a little bit longer...I will attempt this next washing.
I finished it in OCTOBER!!! I knew I'd been not on blogger for awhile..but I thought for sure I'd posted the grey sweater! I guess not!

Here are some pics:
Nope...still can't rotate pictures...so...my posts will always look silly...(if not for the weird pictures themselves...then definitely for the fact that they're on their sides)

Christmas slippers

I knit Christmas slippers for almost everyone in my lab this year. I had to deliver them in secret, because I was one pair short, (which means another pair to make over the holidays). Most of them were felted, and the last pair I made was given to the recipient while still a little bit wet...hahaha...good thing she's a close friend, and she knits .....so she understands the value of a soggy slipper :-D


The next day I got the picture in a thank-you email. Her two year old son helped her unwrap them and said "Nice slippers mommy" hehehe...he's such a cutie!


So, now I'm back to working on the cabled baby sweater for my neice.
I just finished the back a few hours ago....I finished casting off, and then went for a nice long nap. Ha! It's the first day of Christmas vacation....I'm off work until January 2nd!Merry Christmas!!!

Ravelry!!!

I got my invite today!

Woo hoo...I'm so very excited...

I decided that I needed a new username...because I've been using the same one for a looooooong time...I feel I've outgrown it....but...not too much time to come up with a new one...

I'm scubaknit.....not very inventive I know...but hey...it's new....

Up to much...

Well, I've had computer issues...and camera issues...and iTunes issues....hmmmm...could it be because of the highly suspect firmware update that I installed just like I was told...being a good computer owner and always keeping my updates up to date....yes...I'm blaming the update.....

...but ...at least I've got some knitting done....not much on baby niece's sweater.....it's the most fun....but...I'm trying to force myself to finish other things...so here it sits...
I made some felted slippers...as a test for possible Christmas presents for people...I definitely need to make the larger size....but I think I like the pattern....couldn't be simpler....just knit a big rectangle...then sew up the heel, gather the toe...and sew a bit up for the top of the foot...throw it in the washer and felt away......
I just finished the first sleeve of my grey sweater today...and picked up the stitches for the second sleeve...I'm soooooo excited! If I didn't have to be out of the house every single night this week....I could get it done...but..I DO have to be out .....so....the sweater will wait ...perhaps next weekend I will get more done......
It's funny...I'll finally be finished the grey sweater I've been dying for....and all the new clothes I bought (because I was starting to look like I was falling apart at work) are BROWN!!!! LOL, Oh well, it will still go with jeans! And it seems like it's going to fit me perfectly...so I'm quite pleased.
Finally! I've got a gift for my good friends baby...that was born 2 months ago! I mailed it off yesterday....hope she likes it.....just a simple rag quilt...but I thought it was cute with the monkey fabrics...and the flannel is nice and soft...
These pictures are pre-wash, so it doesn't look as frayed. I washed it twice before I sent it....and it's fraying nicely.
I still can't believe I found three monkey fabrics! I love them!