Package

Just a quick picture of what I'm putting in the mail tomorrow for Children In Common.
8 pair of fingerless mitts, one sweater, and one pair of mittens (from the Crazy for Ewe Knitters).


It's now bedtime and I still have knitterly things going on. Two items are drying. For a hint, they have the word "soak" in their names. A length of yarn is waiting to be dyed. And a project needs to be started. (Thinking....I will be at a baseball game tomorrow with nothing to knit. Is that wise? I must find something to take to calm me down in moments of stress.)

Maybe the yarn will be dried by tomorrow if I hurry........ Or hang it out the window on the drive up......

More CIC stuff (and a boring title)

That's right. I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I'm still around. Not knitting a whole lot, but some. Can't blog a whole lot when I'm not knitting a whole lot, can I?

(I know, of course I could. My brain just hasn't been interesting lately. That's right, blame it all on my brain. That's what I did this week when I smeared hair gel all over my face AND RUBBED IT IN before I realized that it wasn't moisturizer. Just figured I'd share. My brain is disappearing right before my eyes. I even got my college English book out of storage to brush up on proper grammar. But if I don't have the answers, what good does it do me?)

I think I'm about done with the fingerless mittens challenge. Here's the last pair I've done:

(There really is a pair--I couldn't hold two mitts and take a picture. Sigh. If only I had that 3rd hand....) This pattern from Boogie Knits was written for DK weight and #3 dpns. I used Cascade 220 in a plummy color on #4 dpns and it turned out just fine. I did 3 repeats of the lace pattern, and could almost have done a 4th. Nice change from ribbing.

Also did a CIC baby sweater. I've been meaning to try this pattern from Margaret Hubert. It's just as quick as it looks.

Sweater detail

Finally a picture of my Purple Passion sweater actually being worn. (Click on the pic to see a bigger version.)

Or, as I like to call it, proof that it's important to do gauge. I mean, big swatch, washed, and hung to measure.

I did a little swatch. It was washed, so I didn't skip that step, but it was too small and was measured lying flat.

Hence, the stretched out, monster sleeves (and long body). Too long even for me. If I get brave someday (or forget), I have a bit of extra in case it gets in the dryer. (Not that I can imagine EVER putting it in by accident, but time will tell.)

(That's not too much blush, but rather sunburn from the day before. I didn't figure that if I was outside in the COLD/WINDY weather, huddled up under a long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, winter coat, hat, scarf, mittens, and 2 blankets that I'd ALSO get sunburnt! What an insult! If I get sunburnt, I want to be HOT while it's happening!)

Who can pass up a spontaneous hug from DD#2? (and check out my sleeve detail. :)

More CIC mitts

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here's a pair of CIC mitts that I crocheted this week in a very appropriate shade of green. The yarn was gifted to me and the pattern is Suzetta's from here.


It's a fun pattern, and works up so fast that I made another pair!

Same gifted yarn that I dip dyed with Wilton's icing colors. (I'll skip the picture of my matching pink and purple fingernails since you all know that's what happens when I dye yarn.)

Then, I tried Carol WWII Redux pattern found here.


Again, a really nice, fast knit that took less than 1 skein of Lion Wool.

Of course, MY pair is still at work, and I'll sitting outside watching DS#1's baseball game tomorrow. Why can't I remember to bring them home?

Bookend boys

Here's the bookends of our family. So-called because there are 2 girls in-between.

First is our youngest on the celebration of his 9th birthday! This will be the last year that we'll have a kid in the single digits. We managed to fit in his birthday celebration before the basketball games (but don't tell the coach that he only had ice cream cake for lunch. :)



Here's the eldest. Since it's now baseball season, here's the obligatory pitching picture.


He's on spring break, which doesn't mean a week off, but rather it means a week of baseball. He did get Monday off, though, since they won the previous several games so he made a quick trip home.

One of the first things he said to me after arriving home was "hey, did you paint the cabinet handles? They look good!" I'm so excited--I guess you can tell the difference.

The next best thing was "thanks Sooooooooooo much, mom, for doing my laundry!" A little appreciation every now and then does a world of good. (and may get your laundry done next time, too!)

A true knitter

Here's more of my crafty DD#2's products:

A pink bunny that she gifted to a friend.


A matching set of scarfs (one to go to the friend who will soon be moving.)


Here's her book report project. She was told to make a diorama of her book, "The Summer of the Swans." I suggested drawings (thinking....we want to get done with this as soon as possible....), but she elected to do polymer clay figures. Notice the girl with her orange tennis shoes and her brother who is listening to his watch--that's an important part of the story, plus the swans, of course. It's amazing how much detail she used.


This same daughter has recently almost completed a red bunny, didn't like the way it looked, and threw it in the garbage. Ah....a true knitter. :)

Day 27: Ready for my medal

I figure that anything finished before or on day 16 is a gold medal, the next day is a silver, the next a bronze.....

So what's on day 27, 11 days after the closing ceremony? Maybe metal-colored plastic?

Anyway, I'm done, it fits, and the sweater is blocking. (If you can call it that. I washed it, SPUN IT IN THE WASHING MACHINE--let me tell you what a scary 2 minutes that was, then lay it on the towel to dry. No pins, and minimal finger pressing.)


Yet again, you can see monstrously long sleeves, but this time they go with my monstrously long arms.

We're having a heat wave right now, so I think I'll pray for at least one more day of cold, sweater-wearing weather before spring!

My Day

Yikes! First, some apologies are in order if you're looking at this first thing in the morning. I was aiming for greens, but these certainly are wake-you-up colors.

Here are highlights of my day.

1. There are now TWO sleeves. They have cables, and are rolling in at the bottom (no, they're not that skinny.)



2. There is a beginning of a neck. On the correct size needles. I think.



3. There's a mess in my kitchen. Whoever decided to take down the doors, paint the handles and hinges, and LEAVE IT IN A MESS should be ashamed.

Oh, wait. That's me.



(We won't even talk about my idea of holding the hinge while painting it. With spray paint. The fumes got to my thinking. I now have a well-deserved black thumb.)

However, I was not the one who decided to bake cookies for a math project, moving all around the mess, and leaving a bunch of pans and bowls and measuring instruments. (Hopefully the cookies that I snuck won't hurt her grade.)

New colors

It's a new month, so I'm changing around my colors. This site is great to try out color combinations.