End of Term= Misery

80 finals to grade (9 pages, what was I thinking?)
No knitting for me today...
Enthraling sock weekend update coming soon.

Sock weekend

Lots of family time this weekend, so I'm declaring it a sock weekend. We'll see what I get done by Sunday!

Also, the big question is, what knitting team do I join for the Knitting Olympics? I have noticed some bloggers who have more than one team, but I feel like I should just pick one.....

Team Minnesota?
Team USA?
Team Chocolate?
Team Midwest?
Team Wales? (I'll explain that one later)

Missing the Obvious

noroscarf
Originally uploaded by knittymama.

So this one goes right up there with my Anouk in the "idiotic knitting mistakes" category. But this time I can't even blame a long car ride and misread instructions; it's one of those moments when you feel just plain dumb.

I started this scarf in Noro Silk Garden last Thanksgiving for an easy "knit and socialize" project. It was great until I realized that I had not nearly enough yarn to finish it. So I tossed it in the closet and just decided to keep my eye out for a skein. But one wasn't turning up, and I had forgotten about it unitl a couple of weeks ago when I came across the same colorway. The blues were a little different, but the whole thing was close enough that I grabbed it, threw it in with the scarf and made it my lunchtime project. Perfect, right?

I have been knitting this scarf every day now at lunch, 7 or 8 rows a day, for the last two weeks. Today, however, I had an appointment and ended up with a lot of waiting room time. So I pull out my scarf, happy to have some time to relax. I knit about ten rows before I start to think things like: "Why is this yarn so rough?" and "The stitch definition is just not the same as the beginning" and so on until it actually dawns on me...

This is not Silk Garden. It's Kuyeron.

I actually went straight from silk/mohair/wool to 100% wool and didn't notice for about 8 inches. The colorway is close, but the texture is not nearly the same, so how is it even possible to knit that much and not have a clue?? I could chalk it up the to cruel 25 minute lunch breaks we teachers have to try to eat, pee and maybe relax a litle bit, but I still knit quite a bit this afternoon before it dawned on me. So I'll blame this one on "post holiday/end of the semester/working mama stress" and leave it at that.

Now the question is, me being a very type B knitter, do I keep looking for the Silk Garden and rip it back, or do I finish it off and call it my "Noro Sampler Scarf?"

First handspun

handspun1
Originally uploaded by knittymama.

Finally, I've got something to show for my early tries with the spinning wheel. These are actually two separate batches. The two skeins on the right I made at Woolstock (hosted by Susan's Fiber Shop) last summer. I took a beginning spinning class (of which I was the only person!) and after about 3 hours of spinning walked away with some pretty decent yarn for a first try.

The two on the left are from my own wheel that I picked up in August. The wool is punta top. The one on the far left is double-ply, and the next one in is a single. This yarn is not very well balanced and quite curly, but for my first try on my own I'm happy with it.

The big question is what to do with it? I'm going to knit up a big swatch with it to see what it turns out like, but where to go from there I have no idea, other than to just hang it in my yarn closet to look at. Crooked potholders anyone?

Spinning....

After a few months of collecting dust in the corner, I finally got my spinning wheel back out today and actually got about an hour of spinning in. I had gotten an Ashford Traveler last August and had a good start at it, but my problem was the Little Man can not keep his hands away from it. So everytime I thought I had a bit of time to spin it was all messed up, which left me frustrated and too crabby to spin. I still haven't found a good place to put it that he'll leave it alone, but the good thing is that it's old news now so he doesn't play with it quite as much.

I managed to ply up some singles of the punta top I had been working on last fall. It is drying in the basement as I speak (LM was very helpful in the washing of it!) I'll post pictures once it's dry.

I think we'll get an early bedtime tonigth since LM refused a nap again, so I'm hoping for a good three hours on the color by color scarf tonight.

As for the blog, I need to get some help with this thing. I can't seem to find the help I need on Blogger's help page. I'm trying to find out how to use a button as a link rather than a text. I got the Knitting Olympics link up on the side, but have no idea how to make the actual button the link. I'd also love to get my own button. Any ideas?

Hey, Eleanor's knitting a sock...

socks
Originally uploaded by knittymama.

So the other night Matt and I are watching a documentary on Eleanor Roosevelt on PBS. I'm trying like crazy to get MY socks finished when he comments to me, "Hey, Eleanor's knitting a sock" in this very casual sort of way (like he talks about this all the time). I had noticed that she was knitting in just about every other photo, but was shocked that not only did Matt notice, but he noticed it was a sock! I guess there may be hope yet...

As far as my socks go, as you can see they are done!!! I'm starting to think that one should not photograph ones own feet (what an unflattering angle, never mind the unshaven legs) but I'll let vanity go for the night so you can see the stitch pattern. These are the Classy Slip-Ups from Betsy Lee McCarthy's book, "Knit Socks." The yarn is from Knitpicks in marigold.

The socks feel wonderful, but I have to say I'm not crazy about the color, especially combined with this stitch pattern. I'm not a yellow/red kind of girl and have no idea why I ordered it. I started the socks last summer for an easy travel project and wasn't happy from the start, but I kept running into times that I needed some knitting and these were the only travel-friendly items on the needles, so here they are. I still have half a skein left, which will go to another pair for LM. I have to say, he is still my biggest knitting fan and was very impressed with mama's skills!

Babies and Bears, complete?

babybearsweater
Originally uploaded by knittymama.

Well, here it is, my first "Babies and Bears" Sweater, pre-blocking and pre-buttons. I'm not too happy with the sizing. It think it came out a couple inches too short (or else the arms are a couple inches too long) and the hood looks out of proportion.

So now I'm at the point of decision. I am definitely a type B knitter and don't rip things out that often, but I am considering at least going back to the hood and adding an inch or too. I'm still thinking about it as I have so much stuff I'm trying to finish up, I hate to go back. I think I need to borrow a friends baby and see how it fits!

No finished object today

I was really hoping to be able to show off my finished "Babies and Bears" Sweater today, but I still have exactly four more rows of finishing around the bottom and buttonholes before it's done, so I'm going to try to finish that up tonight and show it off tomorrow.

I've really enjoyed knitting this sweater, but not happy with the sizing. Supposedly, with a guage of 4st/inch, it should fit a three year old. Well, the Little Man is nowhere near the size of the sweater; it comes up to his elbows!!! I used Handpainted Yarn in Fire Engine Red on size 8 needles. The yarn could easily be knit on size 9s (whihc is what the pattern recommended for this size). I might try another one to see what happens. In the mean time, it will go in the closet until #2 comes along and grows into it. That's the nice thing about knitting for kids; someone will grow into it eventually!!!

The Color By Color Scarf sits quietly in my basket. I needed a break before I get to all those i-cords. I did half of one and decided that was enough for now. I'm tempted to just crochet them, but the stubborn part of me is refusing to give in to that. I don't really have a problem with crochet. My thing is altering the pattern. I'm fine with changing a pattern around to make an improvement, but just out of sheer laziness? Hmmmmmm.....

Color By color By Color.......

fi2
Originally uploaded by knittymama.

So this is my big resurrected project, the Color By Color scarf by Kathryn Alexendar in the "Scarf Style" book. I started in with a knit-along last winter and after getting through the first 10 sections, got tired of it and put it away. Now first of all, I have to say I absolutely LOVE this scarf. The color and design are amazing and I can't wait until the day comes when I can actually wear it. However, I have to say this is by far the most complicated item I have ever knit and it gives me a headache half the time I'm working on it.

So what's the problem? When I first started this I thought it would be easy. Knit up a bunch of squares and rectangles, throw on a few i-cords and some fair isle and you're set. HA! I am naive. Because...
1. We are dealing with 48 colors, all in little 8 yard strands of Paternayan embroidery yarn, which has to be separated from 3-ply to 1 or 2-ply. Keeping track of all that is a headache right there.
2. The blocks never seem to match up. The guage is never quite right and you have to do a lot of fudging to make it all fit together.
3. I-cords everywhere. Section 12 has 30 of them alone!!!!! All on size two needles, 2 or 3 colors each. I get a tension headace just thinking about it.

So here I am, back to the scarf. I really love this thing, despite the complications, and in the last two weeks of winter break I finished the fair isle section and section 12. Can I keep up? That is the question!!!

As far as the multiple posts today below....I figured out how to post using Flickr, but I can only post one picture per blog entry (unless I can find another way) so all I can think to do is multiple posts of pictures for now. I'll keep searching (or hope for a free upgrade to OSX and then this problem is eliminated!)

Color By Color Section 12

scarf2
Originally uploaded by knittymama.

See all those ends? Those are for the 30 i-cords on size two needles. I am seriously considering crochet for that part. What do you think?

Fair Isle Section 11, Front Side

fi1
Originally uploaded by knittymama.

It got a little squished up, but I think after blocking it should be okay.

Color By Color Sections 1-11

scarf1
Originally uploaded by knittymama.

Diaper Cover Experiment

8
Originally uploaded by knittymama.

So this is the diaper cover I was mentioning the other day. I still haven't sewn in all the ends as I'm debating whether or not to just save it as in or rip it out and re-do it with more room in the butt. I also haven't decided on how to close it up yet. I'm thinking snaps, but I still need to find the right kind.

For those of you wondering, "diaper cover?" I do cloth diapering with Little Man, and absolutely love it. Cloth diapering is much easier these days than it was with our moms, and wool diaper covers (or soakers) are one of my later discoveries. I rarely have a problem with leaks, and they don't get smelly, plus you have to admit, they are much cooler than a pair of boring and expensive disposables!

I frequently use the http://www.littleturtleknits.com diaper cover patterns (sorry, I'm still figuring out how to make a link) but thought it would be fun to try my own.

The yarn is from http://www.handpaintedyarn.com nd is very soft. It's just their regular handpainted wool.

messed up anouk

new camera0037
Originally uploaded by knittymama.

Let's see if this one comes up!

This is my messed up Anouk, whihc I was attempting to post last summer when I got my camera. Let's just say that I had a MAJORLY different image in my mind of this dress and didn't really pay attention to the first line of the pattern very well.

It still turned out cute, but as an apron, not a dress!

Messed up anouk

Okay, here's a test post. We'll see if the picture actually comes up, and then you'll get the story!

www.flickr.com

And she's back!

To put it simply, the last few months have been quite a rollercoaster!! Life is good, but it sure can get crazy. Add to that my frustrating computer problems and I decided to take a break for awhile. But, I'm back, ready again to try to get some pictures posted to this blog so its not just me rambling on about what I'm knitting without anyone being able to see it (which is one of my favorite parts about blogging in the first place!:-)

I've had tons of knitting time with winter break. Socks, diaper covers, and my Color by Color scarf are keeping me busy right now. I'm especially excited about the diaper covers. I'm making my first attempt at designing my own and finished up a sample cover yesterday. I think it turned out pretty good, but it's too small for the Little Man (who STILL is not potty trained :( I think if I add some short rows to the butt it might be a pretty good fit!

Check back soon in the next week or so. I'm hoping that I can get some pictures posted up here.