40 hats in 40 days

I had this idea.

I needed something to do for Lent. Something that would make things a little better than they were before.

My friend, Grumpy, once did a spell of knitting for her hospital's NICU. I thought that sounded just right. I'd be giving my time, my skill, and my yarn to some of God's smallest children.

Lent is 40 days long. So I chose 40 hats. I figured I could do one a day, and all would be well. I could contemplate and think while I knit, and knitting for babies is always fun.

It didn't quite go that way.

I started off easily enough. Knitting a hat a day. And then things got in the way... the kids, life, a trip out of town to visit family, allergies.... I had to come to a reckoning with myself. Was I going to do this or not? It was a promise I had made to myself, and to God.

I got my needles, I put all other knitting aside, and I set out to really do this. And I thought.

It was hard.

I thought of the moms who would pull out a teeny hat in another 18 years, and marvel at how far their little one had come from those days in the NICU. I also thought of the moms who might pull out a teeny hat every year, and wish for the baby they never got to bring home. I thought of my blessings, and the things I could do to make life better for my family. And for every hat I thanked God for my children and my life.

I guess I managed a Lenten journey after all.

So today I finished the last hat. I piled them on the floor so that I could marvel at the joy that was 40 baby hats. I took pictures from several angles, because once I take them to the hospital, I will never see any of these hats again. And they're probably the most meaningful little things I will ever knit.

I'm going to do this again.

I wonder if I can get 100 Santa hats done by the end of November?

Marge Simpson type grumble

I left the blue and grey soaker sitting too long.
It grew somehow. Really.
There's no way that's a size small.
So I had to rip it out. start over.
bah.

I seem to be doing that a lot lately.

In other news, I have 28 hats done. I'm behind schedule, but plodding along.

Serious freak out

I was seriously freaking out. I'm working on the preemie hats - I know I know, Tracy wants newborn soakers, but her babies won't be here for a while yet so I'm taking my time - anyway...
I found the last of that beautiful acrylic that I think of as dusty rose. And there's only a little ball left. Might be able to get a few hats out of it though for the white and color style hats.

Why was I freaking? I couldn't remember what it was leftover from.

It started out as a big ball of yarn. I remembered winding it and how it was a big cake. There was only that little ball left and I had no clue where it had gone.

I tried to get John to help me remember. But he didn't know. He pays attention when I finish something to tell me it's pretty, and then promptly forgets. I mean, I knitted his Valentine hat right under his nose and he didn't notice. And he didn't understand why it was so important.

It was more than important. It was vital. I had this yarn, and I wound it, and made something with it, and I couldn't place what it was. That's like a piece of me went missing. Hours of my life, gone in a blip. I didn't know what it was, or who I'd given it to... nothing.

to say I was a little panicked about that is an understatement. I was on the edge of tears.

I thought of all the Christmas presents I did... the people who'd had babies... the hats... mittens... what... what?

I came here, because even if I didn't take a picture of it maybe I mentioned it. I mean, I've been trying to use up this acrylic for a while. And there it was!

LOKI'S SWEATER!!!

I got the piece of me back.

cruddy

This is the cruddiest winter that ever crudded. We can't catch a break with a net.
Sickies all around, with attitudes and buckets of phlegm on the side.
I'm plodding along, slowly, on Kelly's soaker. I'm to the back and forth part, and if the stars align I might even manage to get it done and in the wash tomorrow.
If.

My 40 hats in 40 days project isn't going so well. I'm way behind and only on hat #6. But I'll just keep plugging along and do what I can. 'Cause really that's all I can do.

The saga of the pants

I made these pants for Niall. The were really cute. Targhee from Wooly Wonders, dyed in the coffee with extra cream colorway. Wonderful stuff.
And Priscilla of Be-Bops made him this shirt to match it.
It was a great outfit. Except for one thing.

the pants didn't fit.




You can imagine the horror of ripping it out.
I had to.
By the time I ordered yarn, it was dyed and sent, and I knitted it up... it would be too warm to wear them for long. I mean we do live in the south.

It was painful. Megan and Joanna were here for moral support.
So... redone. Redone well and fitting this time. I was wayyyy off. Teach me to do a guage smidgen instead of a guage swatch. And I was feeling so cocky because it had been a while since the Knitting Gods had smacked me down.
Consider me smacked.
Here's the final product though. Doesn't he look nice?

My Valentine

Isn't he pretty?

The one on the right is how he really looks, but the one on the left is how he really is.

I am a lucky, lucky woman. :P

Happy Valentine's Day

These are Maryann's britches. They went out yesterday.
They were so thick and soft... I had to talk myself out of keeping them. She probably wouldn't like me very much if I'd kept them after she sent me money. Ya. Into the mail they went.
(there's a better quality picture in the gallery)

I made John a hat today. I used the rumplestiltskin targhee left over from making Niall's pants. I'll see if I can't get a picture of him wearing it. It was his Valentine.

He got me Fiona Ellis' Inspired Cable Knits and some nice wooden cable needles and some of the knitpicks bare yarn. Good man.
I also woke up to a rose on my pillow. Very good man. I should make him a sweater.

You'll be glad to know

that Maryann's britches learned their lesson.
The legs have the same number of stitches now, and I'm partway down one of them.

I would get a lot more done if I didn't have to keep putting Niall back in the bed.
His bedtime is 7:30, yet he was still up at almost 10pm.
Really cuts into the knitting time.

sulking

Maryann's britches are in time out.
They did not behave themselves.
Maybe it was the bad singers on American Idol (hey, we got rid of cable. I no longer get to adore Dirty Jobs.) Maybe it was because this is Niall's first night in a toddler bed and I had to keep getting up and putting him back in it.

Hmmm... knitting problems these days usually do stem from Niall. I may have something there.

So anyway, I was knitting along, shaping the gusset, enjoying the softness of good wool. Grafted the seam, and started to pick up for the leg.

Maryann wants garter cuffs, so it really doesn't matter how many stitches are on the needles. But I am anal. I have to count. Hmmm... 1 more on this leg than that leg.
Count again. same thing.
One more time. still off.

So I picked out the graft. Looked and looked for the extra in there. What went on? I know I had my markers properly placed. I count that a few times too. But I had to take them off to graft and so I'll never know.

I could have just gone on, but I'd know. It would irritate me. Maybe if these were for me to keep... no I'd still have taken it down. Be honest. I would.

So the britches are in the rocking chair having a time out. They're sitting there quietly, so maybe they'll behave tomorrow. That little ball is composed of the ripped out stitches. 108 for every row. I think I hear it taunting me.

just keep knitting, just keep knitting

I've been finishing things. Lots of things. Things and things and things.
First the xxl longies were done, and then I finished Robert's mittens.
He's wanted mittens with R's on them for forever. He said that every time he finds someone who can knit, he asks for them.
Robert, your wish is my command. In fact they should be on your hands right now, keeping the steering wheel from freezing your little fingers.
Happiness.

I also finished Toni's black pants. Little cute black pants that look like they should be part of a baby tuxedo. Really, I hope she sends a picture of them on the baby, because they're sweet.
I have a picture, but she wanted to be surprised. I'll put the picture in the album at a later date. When I remember to get it off my camera.

And that, my friends, is the end of the diaperpin coop order. Yesssssssss!

I'm in talks with Kelly over what we're doing with what yarn, and Maryann's britches are to the gusset shaping. I also have a sweet surprise on the needles and you can't make me tell.
Cupcake hat is waiting on the baby to arrive so we know yellow or pink. and I believe that's the waiting list.

I want a hat. I want this hat. I have some very wonderful yarn for it. And the sock yarn that was my birthday present is patiently waiting. And I can't find my Knitter's Bible for the cable chart to finish mom's throw. And Niall's coffee with cream britches are to the legs.

Did I get everything?

Warm puppy

Here's Loki in her new sweater.
I'd finished the xxl longies and was waiting on measurements for the next pair, so I took the time to finish Loki's sweater.
It fits well, but now that she's worn it a bit I see that it needs bigger buttons. Funny, because I made the button holes smaller than the pattern called for and used bigger buttons. But her first trip outside she walked right out of it and left it on the steps.
She sure is cute though!

Ahhhh

Finally finished the XXL longies tonight. Will wash them up and photograph them tomorrow.
They always seem to take forever to make them that large, but they're pretty.
John says, "they are beautiful. She will like them. They look like food."

OK OK OK!

I've had a sinus infection people. No I'm not dead. Yes I'm still knitting. It's just slower. and sneezier. I'm on round two of abx and already feel ten times better. Thanks so much.

I've had a few people write asking about what my sister did when she got her nightgown.
She called me cackling laughing, and screaming "I've been bedazzled!" And then she laughed some more. She said that the letter was the kicker - and the handwriting on the letter was what did it. She said that she read it over and over, just laughing with tears pouring down her face. I've seen her in this condition and I laugh to think about it. She just convulses with laughter, holding her stomach and saying "oh oh" between outbursts.
So the bedazzling was a total and complete success.

I have been knitting. There's a rainbow ruffled pair of longies, and a small pink chocolate pair as well. But blogger is being fiesty and won't let me upload them. They are in the flickr gallery if you want to see.

I'm currently still at work on an XXL pink chocolate pair. I had intended to be done by now. But it's another example of extreme knitting. I had 66 rows before the cuff on one leg, and I'm at 61 for the other with maybe another row of yarn left... so I will finish out this leg, and then go back to the first and take it down so the cuffs are the same size.
It's times like this that I think to myself... I really need to learn how to magic loop and do both legs at once. But then I don't want to mess with my mojo either.
After that is Toni's black longies, and then the coop will be done. Yay!
I already have another 2 lined up and a cupcake hat. And Loki's dog sweater, Robert's mittens, Mom's throw, and my hat and mittens.

What am I doing on the computer?

An aside from knitting

My sister got me a Bedazzler for Christmas.
Yep. A Bedazzler.
She thought she was sooooo funny. Kept going on and on...
"you can add sparkle and excitement to any outfit quickly and easily!"
hee hee ho ho yuk yuk yuk.
She's just too funny and sarcastic for her own good.

After they all left to go home, I went in to strip her bed.
What did I find?

Her nightgown.

Being the good sister that I am, I washed it up for her so it would be fresh and clean when she gets it in the mail.

I simply assumed that since she "forgot" her nightgown
right after she gave me a Bedazzler
that she must be hinting that she'd like me to do something with it.

So this evening... I added sparkle and excitement to her nightgown.


I mean really, how could you look at these paw prints

and not see that those paws needed some accents?

I mean really. They were begging for it.



I'm mailing it tomorrow. I can't wait for her to get it.


Later that same evening

I wrote her a letter to go with it. I thought you all might enjoy it too.
This is NOT my normal handwriting, but it is my normal handwriting from when I was about 10 years old.
Ya ya ya. You wrote like that too. Everyone did. Admit it.

Michelle's order

Michelle's order is coming along nicely. I would probably be farther if I didn't have to stop and catch my breath from watching The Office. Oh man, funny show.
Anyway, the colors are not quite true here, but it gives you an idea of how far along I am.
I'll be able to graft the crotch tomorrow and probably begin on the first leg. We have a well baby visit tomorrow. I wonder if I can take it along? Probably not. Most of the visit will be taken up trying to keep the boys from touching every surface in the place. Wee!

Behind my time

I am a day behind where I thought I would be a couple of days ago, but sick kids, sick me, and Christmas decorating... well it all adds up.
Mostly the sick me and sick kids.
So anyway, here are the first longies for the 'pin coop. They are for spookykitty, and are now swimming in my sink having a bath. With luck they'll be dry before the mailman gets here tomorrow.
On to the next. As well as trying to dash off some last minute Christmas knitting.

What I learned today? In Sweden they say "Hej" for hello. And "hej, hej" is more informal and what you'd say to your friends. Thanks Jenn!

ha

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I did not knit tonight

I did this instead.
I had a migraine. That means I take many pills and lay on the couch with my hands on my head.
Loki did her best to help.

hit a snag

I'm to the graft on the longies for spookykitty, but realized that the needle I need for the legs is currently hiding in one of my unfinished Christmas presents. Curses! So now I have to finish something I've been putting off. It won't take long. 14 rows until it's free. But still. I know I should finish these things. Really I do.
Oh well.

Allllll righty!

I actually started working on the pin coop order before today, which explains why I'm a lot farther along than I would normally be after a day. :)
This is the order for Spookykitty. Coming along nicely with all the short rows in place. I should get to the graft at the crotch tomorrow, so long as the natives behave. We have a playdate tomorrow so they should take a nice nap.
I'll also be updating the wait list tomorrow, so that my friends from the 'Pin can see where they are, and know that I have not forgotten them.
As for now. I'm tired. We watched a really funny movie tonight, Gazon Maudit, and I laughed myself silly. I forgot how racey that one is. But if you speak French, (or read subtitles) and don't mind nudity, I'd recommend it.
So there you are.

I have loosened up considerably

yes I have since I last guaged myself on purewool. Wowsers. I used to get 13sts to the inch and now I get 11. So I've gone down a needle size and taken off 10sts (yes I did calculate for my new guage to get this, instead of just guessing) and just cast on for the new and improved waistband.

I always say that I need to mess up once at the beginning of a project to get a good result. I really need to stop saying that.

Still sick, still drinking Earl and honey. Sweet elixer of life. I do feel a bit better today but that could just be the advil talking.
Still what better excuse to leave the laundry unfolded and sit here knitting.

This weekend, I shall dash off the rest of the knitting for Ben's girls and get their box ready to go. John's taking care of Ben, and Michelle is getting some lovely softness to play with. Family in England - check.
Kim - check
Fran - check
Mom - casted on, birthday present - check
Randy, Doug, and Ruben - pattern found

I've said it before

But obviously not often enough.
I started the first pair of longies for the pin coop. (Haven't gotten payment yet, but Toni said they all paid so I need to get started sometime)
Trucking along, watching my Thursday night shows, elastic waistband.
All knitted down and going ahead with the purl row...
it strikes me. This is pretty big.
I ask John, and he says, "what is that supposed to be?"
Yep, I'm in trouble.
I'm going to have to figure out my guage on purewool again. I'm getting 5sts to the inch on size 4 needles. I must have loosened up. Or the combo of benedryl, sudafed, advil, and sleep deprivation has loosened me up.
In any case, today's work is a wash. I shall have to frog it and start over. Curses!

Begin the begin

I've heard from Toni. The pin coop is being finalized and I'll be able to start!
So you'll have something to look at shortly, as I begin my ramblings on things everyone is allowed to see again.

The Christmas knitting is progressing. Slowly but surely. I might not be done with Mom by the time, but she's the one who asked for a throw. Woman needs to give a little time for that kind of thing.

I know I haven't been telling you what I'm doing

That's because it's all been Christmas knitting. I'm waiting on that coop on diaperpin to close. I kinda feel like no one wants me to knit for them, but I'll save my insecurities for another day.

For now I'm buried in Christmas knitting, and I can't post pictures or tell you what I'm up to, because you never know whose poking around trying to see what they're going to get.

I mean, they know they're getting knitted things, so I need to reserve some element of surprise.

I promise that when it's all said and done, I'll make a big post with pictures of all I did for Christmas, and you can pretend to be amazed. K?

clearing the decks

The coop on the pin should be closing soon, so it will be time to start working on that.
yes yes. I know I've not been telling you what I've been working on. That's because I'm working on Christmas. And those people who will get something from me for Christmas are just the kind of people who would check out this blog every once in a while.
We can't have them finding things out now. No no. That wouldn't do at all.

I did finish the longies for Emily last week. They're Ocean Rock - dyed by Brad on targhee. Very nice and squishy. I can't wait to give them to her. I'm hoping she'll throw them on Wesley right away so I can enjoy the cuteness.


But other than that, it's secretive Christmassy work. I've got one done, one half done, and so many more to go.

The Christmas parade is tomorrow. I wonder if I should knit in public to start the next one. That could be festive. But that involves cooperation from the boys, and Niall isn't known for his cooperation these days. So we shall see.



Someday I'll get to those socks for me.

Really, it's a diaper

It doesn't really look like a diaper, but it is.
See, Jess needed a new pair of slippers for her grandma. And since she makes fabulous diapers, I was happy to trade her a pair of slippers for a new diaper for Niall.
I can't wait to see what she makes. You should check out Gummi Blu if you're in the market for a new diaper.
Jess, I hope you like these and your Grandma's feet stay toasty warm. :)

a little insanity

Yes. Just a little.
I've agreed to be part of a coop. Right before Christmas. When Kim wants legwarmers and Mom wants a hat and Robert wants mittens...

Is it crazy to think it might be a little fun? Probably. John thinks I've lost a bean or two, but he knew that when he married me. Sure the yarn addiction wasn't so pronounced at that time. I sewed then. But there's the arguement that bolts of cloth take up far more space than the balls of yarn. And since the sewing machine is in the shop...

Right now I'm on the legs of Emily's longies for Wesley. They are going to be great. She really picked a nice colorway. I'm going to have to score some more WWBN to have here. Yep.

Oh, go vote. Even if you write in Kermit the Frog, go vote. It's important. Feel like it's useless all you want to, but if you don't go vote I don't want to hear you complaining. The polling people will be happy to see you. They'll give you a sticker, and some places like Whole Foods will give you a free coffee if you have a sticker. So do it for the coffee then. **stashing soap box**

Back to the wool

How far I got

Stacy wanted to see how far I got before the allergy bomb hit.

I am dosed on benedryl. You wouldn't believe how long it took to make this post if I told you. Let's just say the backspace key is my friend.

****snork****

I'm having my late October allergy blitz now.
Knitting is not a priority. Unfortunately. Wool does not do well when repeatedly sneezed on.
I'm on various drugs. Lots of benedryl. I'm looped. I tried to put the milk in the cabinet. The only reason I didn't put the milk in the cabinet was because it wouldn't fit. I was confused but then remembered that milk goes in the fridge.

John is on kid duty. I'm trying not to drip on them.

that is all

bluooudohdodoo

I am really dragging tonight.
Stacy, I know I promised a picture. I'm to the crotch gusset. I'm just plodding today. My throat is sore and I'm dying for a slushie. Maybe some husbandly type will oblige me.
I think I'll turn in early tonight. It's silly to knit when you have to keep going back to fix things.

sometimes it would be better to just go to bed

You know when you cast on for a new pair of pants
everything is going jolly jolly jolly
new heating pad at your back where it still hurts from that bad sneeze
doped up six ways to Sunday on various things
just cruising along knitting

and then you realize you did something wrong
and you have to frog it all and start over




yep.

Newborn stripey

Newborn longies are so sweet. Abby wanted oatmeal and baby blue. I really like this color combo. It's now on my list of things to make for me to keep. :)

Extreme knitting

I should have known when Nicole contacted me, saying that she wanted to have something from an extreme knitter. What's an extreme knitter? Well, it comes from this picture that I had in my signature on diaperpin for a while. Just me and John taking silly pictures with a football helmet. Fun times.
So anyway... I said sure! She wanted to order yarn. I said 8oz would be plenty! It usually is! Right?
No!
Can you imagine my horror when I realized that I would run out of yarn when the second leg was still 3" too short? Especially after my own "not enough yellow to finish the rugbies" fiasco? (hey at least that was for my own pants)
So after some emailing back and forth over what our options are... Me finding out that 8oz of Big Blue only has 250 yards (instead of the usual over 400yds of the kinds I usually use - yipe!)... measuring of the intended child to find out the difference in the diapering inseam and the actual inseam differ just enough... exactly enough... for me to finish said longies with just this much yarn left!!!!! Extreme knitting? My my. It's enough to make this knitter sweat buckets.


However, the finished longies are so yummy, they're nearly good enough to eat. And they're so squishy and thick. It's like falling in love. I might just have to take my chances with the big blue again someday.

It's not my week...

:( :( :(
I am learning a lot about getting most of the way down the second leg of britches and then running out of yarn.
I am learning about that way too much.

it takes more than 8oz of BFL to make large longies

I did not know, but now I do.

crud crud crud crud crud

There's a lesson here

And that lesson is:
You will run out of yarn.
If you think you just might have enough yellow to make a pair of longies if they're striped, but it will be close... you don't. You will run out of yarn. You will run out when you only have a little more to go. You will have just enough left to do maybe half of that last bit.
So you will save that last bit, and take it to the store, only to find out that they're out of that color. It's on order. It should be here by the end of the week.

So if you think you just might have enough left, you don't. Make the longies with 3 colors, just in case.

yarn inventory

So I went through and updated my yarns today. I still have a bunch that isn't in there, simply because I don't know what to do with it. I also found I have a lot less wool than I thought I had hiding back there. Hmmmmmm....

I also got my hands on some BFL. Nicole had some sent from Wooly Wonders by Nada.
Talk about some wonderful yarn!

I'm thinking of getting some to have on hand. It would have to cost more than the purewool does. But it would save people buying it and having it sent to me. And people do pay more for nicer yarns. And I'd still carry the purewool for people who want a price break.

What would you do? I know what I want to do. I want to have nice yarn!

Hey Let's Give a Cheer, Carolina is here!

...The Fighting Gamecocks lead the way.

Who gives a care,
If the going gets tough,
And when it is rough,
that's when the 'Cocks get going.

Hail to our colors of garnet and Black,
In Carolina pride have we.

So, Go Gamecocks Go - FIGHT!
Drive for the goal - FIGHT!
USC will win today - GO COCKS!
So, let's give a cheer, Carolina is here.
The Fighting Gamecocks All The Way!

It doesn't take much

Really. It doesn't take much to make me happy. Just a little sweet something. So little and sweet I can hardly stand it.

This is Jack. Isn't he about the sweetest thing you've ever seen?
I swear, this made me happy for the entire week.
I got to hold him, and he made all those wonderful little baby noises too.
**sigh**
Yep. Happy.

And then I get to work on another cupcake hat, because I'm waiting for yarn for longies and all so I need to work on something...
Making good progress... cooking right along.
Kids get up so I put my knitting down and go get snack time started.
forget about the knitting
come back later
find this

notice how someone has so sweetly removed my knitting needles so there are all those live stitches.
How they helpfully put my needles into my ball of yarn.
Hmmmmmm.... yesss...
I don't know which one did it, but I'd wager it was Niall.

Fresh Baked!

These are so much fun to make!

It's official!

I got permission from Bex to use her pattern for the cupcake hat. Woo hoo!
Thanks so much Bex, and I hope you can recover the blog without too much pain.


So cupcake hats are now available. You can have pink or yellow frosting, and sprinkles or plain. The price will be $25.

Now to figure out a good way to photograph some. Hmmm... I should involve my oven somehow.

Now there's enough to see

I'm finally far enough into the rainbow yarn that you can see how it's knitting up. I'm really happy that there's little to no pooling going on. Yay!
I also finished Korrie's longies out of the yarn she sent me. Those took a while, with thin tiny yarn. I need to make sure to either hold it double, or refuse to knit it, if I ever get yarn that thin again. :P
Anyway, this is progress as of about 10ish Friday night.

I've been working on Korrie's green longies, and what feels like miles and miles of stripes. I'm making progress, but with this break in the weather (finally) I just had to take a break. A little celebration. A stop to knit something silly and fun for a dear little friend who will be having her second birthday at the end of the month. This cupcake hat was so much fun to make, even with all the little fiddly nubbles around the edge. Rowan is modeling it here, and you can see that I just had to add sprinkles to it. In the words of my husband, "sprinkles take it over the edge and add a whole new element of just plain silliness. Before it was just a hat that happened to resemble a cupcake. Now it's a cupcake that is a HAT!"
It was a welcome break. I really enjoyed making this. I see more of them in my future.

I did make some changes to the pattern. I knit one row in between the decreases for the top of the hat shaping. I wanted it to be fuller, and maybe she'll be able to wear it longer. Plus, every hat pattern I've ever made has said to knit one row even in between the decreasing rows, so I felt it needed to be done. I'm not sure if this was an omission in the pattern, but just in case you want to make it and yours looks a bit skinnier on top, that might be why.

Rainbow!

This is Andrea's rainbow yarn. It's still wet, so who knows what it will look like when it's dry. But here it is so far!
And no, I didn't wear gloves. My hands are multicolored.

She's beauty and she's grace, she's Miss United States

You probably don't need me to tell you this, but you should never ever ever graft a long join while watching Miss Congeniality. Especially when it's at the end and Shatner is doing his thing. Because you'll do something bad. Way bad. And then have to go back and figure out what it was, and take it down and fix it without the benefit of all your little stitches beautifully lined up on the needle.

Trust me. Put the knitting down until it's over. It's just not worth the pain.

In any case, here's where I am with Katharyn's order. One completely done, 2 soakers that need cuffs, 1 pair of shorts that need legs. Depending on the prevailing mood of the childern, I should finish the knitting tomorrow. But then Niall has been needing to sit on my lap a lot lately, so we'll see. I also want to give the primary color soaker a vinegar bath to help set the red better. The longies I made out of that yarn bled like crazy.

and so it begins...

I've never knit a sock in my life. Sweaters, scarves, hats, mittens, the felted mocs, soakers, shorts, longies, wristlets, blankets.... yes. Socks... no.
But I left my addis in Mississippi, and my normal LYS didn't have the size I needed, so I ventured out of the box to this other yarn store one town over. This place is an old house, with yarn everywhere! Stuffed in bins, spilling out of drawers, in armoires and cabinets and cubes and stacks. OMG. It was yarn paradise. If the a/c had been working better I probably would have been there all day.
And right there at the checkout, they had new hand dyed sock yarn. A small pile. Just enough of each colorway to make one pair of socks.
Sooo.

I got some.
I have the yarn harlot basic sock pattern.
I bought some size 1 dpns.

I don't know when I will be able to do it. I have some orders to finish. But sometime this winter, I will have my very first pair of socks. I'm told it's a slippery slope.

Home from Mississippi

I have one soaker all the way done, one mostly done (needs cuffs) and one on the needles. Pair of shorts to go for Katharyn's order. But I left my addis in Mississippi. That should be a song. If I get to the shorts before I'm done with this soaker, I may have to spring new ones. :P
Aunt Susan should be mailing them.
I couldn't knit all the way home though. Car rides are boring without yarn. I ended up snot-tacular for the return trip though, so just as well. I crashed out and wheezed my way home istead.

Starsky

There's something about Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson together that is so right. Isn't it fitting? that I was watching Starsky and Hutch as I finished this embroidery. I hope Katy is as pleased as I am.

Gotta go. Zoolander is on.

See?

It's like Martin Short is here whispering in my ear, telling me to knit like the wind. But my wrist is a little sore. The one on the left is the original pair. Not large enough for the intended baby. The one on the right is the pair that I started about 3 this afternoon, and worked on as I could between kids, dinner, laundry, and not working on it. **sigh**
I need to dig around in my bin and find my wrist brace. Or maybe it will stop raining.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH

I don't know why it didn't occur to me when I figured out how many stitches to a round for these shorts... that 90sts would just be too easy. The yarn was a little bit bigger, but not that big... that 90 would NOT be big enough to go around a 20.5" hip...
So now I have a lovely pair of red shorts for a baby with a 17.5" hip, which just happens to be the RISE measurement I was going for. So I looked at the wrong measurement.
Do I feel stupid? Yes. Am I going to have to work my tail off to get this pair done in record time so the mama wanting them doesn't have to wait forever because of my stupidity? Yes. Will I do this again in the future? I'll try not to, but probably.

Might have to have a section of ready made stuff for people who don't want to wait. :(

4th O'July

What a wonderful holiday that encourages mass quatities of grilled meats and snack foods, all the while playing with pyrotechnics. Ahh.
Peace Fleece arrived today. Such yummy stuff. I even got a couple balls for myself this time.
I'm nearly to the crotch gusset on Katy's red pair of shorts, and should finish the knitting of them shortly. I need to shave down the motorcycle picture to get rid of the man, and embroider that one on. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to knit on them tomorrow, what with the holidaying and such, but I'll do my best. We're going to a lunchtime concert tomorrow, so maybe I'll take them along and do some knitting in public. That's always good for making new friends. :)

Pretty!

I really like how this is knitting up! I'd talk more, but Niall is starting to ask for his bedtime snack.

It's not a soaker, but it's knitting

I'm enjoying this break from knitting soakers. It's refreshing to knit something that isn't in the round, and isn't just straight knit stitches. These are Rowan's new slippers, before felting. I knitted them last week, but promised him that he could be there for the felting, and between naps and going out of town for the weekend we just didn't get to felting them until today. They are knit with 100purewool in the brique colorway, held doubled so I could make guage without having it so loose it would shrink to nothing. I put a #2 pencil in the picture so you could see the difference in size pre- and post felting.
Rowan was very impressed with his "shrinking slippers" as he called them. I think I will make these in mass quantities over the next few months, and have my Christmas gifts all taken care of. :)

Oh yes, the pattern is the Felted Mocs pattern from Little Turtle Knits if you'd like to make them for yourself.

Stripe me up

These are Melissa's striped shorts for nighttime. I really like the colors she picked. They're so cheery and make me think of the beach somehow.
So that's it. Other than Jasmine, I'm through the waiting list. Summer is slow anyway. I'm not going to do any extra advertising right now and enjoy a short break. I have mittens and mocs to complete, and might even get a chance to sew a bit. I'll probably get bored in a week or so, but a break will do me - and my wrists - a bit of good.
But if you're thinking of ordering, now is the time. There's pretty much no wait. :)

We're outsourcing

No not really, but this was much too cute to keep to myself.


The funny thing is, he kept wiggling the needles back and forth, and didn't drop any stitches at all. :) Maybe it a few years we'll have Knits by Niall available. :D

I'm going to try to be better about blogging

At least that's what I said as I sat down to post this picture... but the put the picture in part isn't working, so I can't make it all prettified with the text to one side and all. I get discouraged. And then I go back to check it and it works. So pretty it is!
Yes the laptop is at best buy again getting "repaired." I am trying to convince John to sell it so we can buy a new Apple. Like the trusty machine I'm on. 7 years old, going mostly strong, and has only needed a repair once in its life.
But anyway....
The above picture is of Niall's shorts, using the "birds" colorway from 100purewool. What strange shorts. They look green and then you get closer and they're all these colors. Very nice. Of course, I haven't put the elastic in the waist or tucked in any ends inside. I tend to procrastinate doing that. But it was only 73ish today, so my motivation for shorts is pretty low. I'll get them done eventually, and then take pictures of them and the fresh blue ones I did (same yarn) and put them in the gallery.

This is where I am on Melissa's order as of about 9 pm.

These are nice and thick, using lamb's pride bulky. On 7s. Overkill? Maybe. But when it's for night I go for bulletproof, and these are nice and stretchy still. 4.5sts to the inch means they're working up quickly too.
I need to get some peace fleece...

in the navy

We can put your mind at ease... What a nut job song. But then The Village People weren't really in to deep lyrics now were they?
These are Katy's navy shorts. They make me think that Niall could use a pair of navy shorts that would go with everything. I just might have to go grab another ball and make him a pair. If they have that dye lot still....

I have the night off since I can't start Melissa's night weight shorts until I get a new ball of yarn. Soo...

I'll finish Niall's shorts in the "birds" colorway. Could I not knit? John's asked me that. I can't just sit on the couch anymore. My hands have to be busy. I guess that's how I can be lazy without feeling like a sloth...