Darn Ravelry

So yesterday, while on a conference call at work, I decided to skim through Ravelry to pick a scarf pattern for the upcoming red scarf drive. Still thinking. Then, ignoring the notion of the large stash in an ever-expanding corner of my closet, I clicked on several of the yarn stores advertised to find a red yarn bargain. Ah Ravelry, what did I ever do without you...

Not 2 minutes later a big ugly message pops up - Warning - Virus Detected

And that was that. All access to The Internets, gone. E-mail, gone. Went to talk to the IT guy, and 5 minutes later: computer, gone... :(

So see? Ravelry can in fact be bad for the health...knew it ;)

The Baby 'Surprise' Jacket - now with pictures!

So, after a few blah months, I finally found a pattern to get excited about again. Browsing around Webs I found the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket pattern. Being a 40-year-old pattern this is old hat to many people (but it was new to everyone once). Here's the description from the Ravelry page:

The Baby Surprise Jacket was designed by Elizabeth Zimmerman in 1968 and remains a popular baby garment to this day. It is an excellent pattern for making use of oddments of yarn or self striping yarns with long color repeats, but looks equally nice knit in a single color with a contrasting button band.”

The jacket is knit in a single piece with just two seams that run across the shoulders and down the length of the sleeves. It includes extra ease across the back of the garment to fit well over a nappy (diaper).

Commonly referred to as the "BSJ", the baby surprise jacket is a very entertaining piece of knitted engineering."

I was intrigued by the whole 'entertaining engineering' thing - so I cast on the evening the pattern arrived, using Schachenmayr nomotta Crazy Cotton, colorway # 81 (pink and green). I very soon realized that the almost blasé instructions weren't going to cut it for this literal chick (hen*) so I wrote notes all over the A4 envelope the pattern came in...At this point The Other Denise mentioned she'd seen a handy spreadsheet for this pattern online, and sent me the link. Very helpful.

From there I sped along. I was out of town on a business trip last week - usually this allows for plenty of knitting time, but as my family (including in-laws) were along on this trip, not so much. (Did get to have Club Orange and Taytos at the Dublin, OH Irish Festival though...mmm).
Anyhoo...on the plane back I cast off. Yay! Figured out how to fold it, and...oh dear...
It's a surprise alright...Look at those joins across the front!Here's the instructions that do not say anything about making a hole-free join, grr...
Actually it looks better mid-blocking. Or maybe I'm just getting used to looking at it :)

*Had another birthday yesterday - already!

A short one.

Here's what's been languishing in my knitting bag...this lethargy is hard to shake...
Baby boy sweater - this is the back of a sweater for a 6-month old (to be born in August) that will have a brown heart on the front. Hopefully.
The toe-up sock I am making from the Flat Feet yarn - really love how it is striping, though perhaps the pattern I've devised here isn't the best to show that...
And this is the Debbie Bliss bear I've been working on..It is honest! I cast on for this months ago, got this far, and then realized with all those increases and decreases etc. it just wasn't going to happen with 2 dogs, 1 kid and 1 husband all wanting stuff ;) maybe I'll rip out and make Twiceknit's elephant...Red is a good elephant colour right?

Speaking of dogs, look how happy Paddy was this weekend:Bought him a new basketball, and put some water in the old baby pool. He was out there all day long, just chewing and snorting up a storm...

In other news - am off to Ireland in a week (yay!) to see family and friends, and attend the wedding of a very dear friend in Dublin. I'm sure I'll have lots of say about that when I get back...unfortunately last weekend I learned that my brother and his fiancee are no longer an item...which means that I made these in vain...

I had even knit their initials into the heels, eegit that I am. After his wedding a few years back(he was recently divorced) I cross-stitched a whole sampler for them... Next time I'll hold off on the handknits till at least the first anniversary...

lost my knitting mojo?

The big push to get the purple cardi finished has robbed me of my knitting mojo. I haven't picked up the needles since last Friday. I even brought my knitting camping over the weekend but never took it out of the bag (except to show it to a very disinterested 'tween. I am so uncool).
There are 2 baby showers coming up, babies due in August but showers at the end of June. I have, of course, enough yarn to clothe both kids many times over, but need something to get me going...suggestions?
Anyone else ever have this blah feeling?

P.S. I am slooowly burning those Guilty Pleasure CDs. Your patience is appreciated :)

Becoming a theme...

Could be worse.

According to a story on NPR today, 14 people a day die on this service.

A DAY

I got a seat again today :)

getting on with it

After some words of encouragement from the talented ladies in Sip n Knit I am persevering with the purple cardi. Feels like I've been working on this forever but actually only since Feb 10th. Am now half way up the first sleeve: both fronts and back, done.

And of course, I started another pair of socks. I planned to make Brother Amos, Brenda Dayne's pattern that she was talking about in the podcasts I was listening to - have almost caught up with Cast On. Then when I downloaded it...I saw the pattern requires Magic Loop - something I don't care to learn as I am very happy with my dpns thank you. Anyone know if there's a dpn version of this pattern? Or maybe I should learn - any converts out there who've adopted Magic Loop and can't imagine going back?

So instead - Jaywalker by Grumperina. I was a bit grumpy myself on the Metro last nite going through the first few rounds of the pattern. Made no sense, not at all intuitive...I was going straight home to see where the pattern errata were I mean honestly how irresponsible to post a pattern with mistakes in it...
Then I realized I'd cast on 2 stitches too few. Whoops.
So it's now coming on nicely. But at 76 stitches around, slowly. Using KnitPicks Dancing in a wonderful citrusy colourway. This yarn is now discontinued so Lord knows how long it's been hanging out in the stash...
Pictures coming - probably :)

Hmm

So, I was very excited about my new socks...but after wearing them all day yesterday I couldn't wait to get them off. Too too warm. And itchy. I'm not allergic - it's just not cold enough for handknit socks in springtime Washington DC. But, constant readers will recall that I've fairly been stashing the sock yarn...so like I said
Hmm.

I think I remember seeing a pattern for a mitre-square blanket, made with sock yarn leftovers, this might be the way to go :(

Waiting, waiting...

Yesterday I had to take time off work for a dentist visit and a doctor visit, requiring much time spent in those cheeriest of places: waiting rooms. It occurred to me as I flicked through the magazines (Will Ross and Rachel ever get together? Aren't Angelina and Billy Bob a striking pair...) that I should donate some of my own mag stash to them. Usually I avoid magazines at such places as they are invariably old and grubby and germ-laden, having been thumbed by sick people. But I forgot to bring anything to knit and was too antsy and bored to just sit there.

And here I am today, waiting at home. For the Cable Guy. Bit the bullet and decided to go for Verizon FIOS. Hopefully it'll be better behaved than Comcast, which surely is responsible for a wrinkle or two of mine. Anyhoo I took today off work for no reason other than I'm starting a new job Monday (with attendant GS increase, woohoo) and I was planning to have a day to myself, probably involving time spent in bookstores/yarn stores without much-loved family members asking things like "don't you already have enough books/yarn?"

Instead I am waiting for the frickin Cable Guy who is now 29 minutes past the 8-12 window. Grr.

I have, of course, spent the time knitting. Look how far I got on my super skinny sock! I keep shoving my arm up it, muttering, yeah it'll fit, sure it will.

And I finished listening to "No Country for Old Men". I think I'll listen to something lighter next time - back to "A Short History of Nearly Everything" maybe?

So what's keeping you busy this weekend?

Hogwarts Sock Swap

Hmm, very worried about this...I signed up for the ongoing Hogwart's Sock Swap after reading about twiceknit's encouraging experiences...and heard nothing. Ah well, I thought, missed the date or something. Then I got an e-mail yesterday from someone busily knitting socks for me - midway thru the 2nd one actually - and as I never heard back I assumed I was out and haven't as much as cast on - eek!
Guess I should enable my spam folder? I've only participated in one swap ever and it was fun - I'd hate to be a swap reneager...

Cardi progress

Decided to work from home this chilly Wednesday after another hellish commute last night. A mid-afternoon ice-storm glazed the roads and caused accidents on just about every thoroughfare out of Washington DC. I left at the usual time (see that's the danger of having an office with no windows - no idea what's going on outside) had to de-ice the car, crawl along in blurry traffic with ominous flashing lights in front and behind...I was 25 minutes late picking up DS from daycare. That is, twenty-five minutes after they closed, not just 25 minutes later than usual. He wasn't the last kid there, at least, and didn't seem all that perturbed. He then came to vote with me - usually he is not the best companion to run errands with but I guess his spirit of patriotism kicked in. I would insert a cute picture of him with an "I voted" sticker on his coat but 3-year-olds have a mind of their own. Good practice for when he's a teenager I suppose. So here's my sticker.

Indulge me won't you - this is the first time I've voted in a Presidential Primary, it being the first time I've been a US citizen for the voting cycle. I am also an Irish citizen, of course - keeping my options open ye know ;)

Making some progress on the Dollar-and-a-half cardi. Two conference calls today gave me the chance to do 20 guilt-free rows. Nothing cosier than working at home with this:
and this:

Christmas to-do list

I'm a bit late mentioning this, but the fact that there is no gift-giving at Thanksgiving, is a huge reason to be thankful. Since I've got back into knitting I've fallen into the same trap so many others have mentioned. Unreasonable Christmas gift plans. I have yarn in hand (well - in stash, hand is not that big) for 5 hats, 3 clapotis and socks for the whole family. For this Christmas. In addition, I have a full time job (with a commute of up to 7 hours ahem), a little kid, a fairly understanding husband, and two dogs who believe they could use far more attention.


My widget tells me there are 17 days left till xmas day, and many of my family and friends are far-flung, meaning that these hats need to be posted off in about 15 minutes in order to reach their destinations this side of the 25th.


So - I think I'll keep my Christmas to-do list, but strike out '2007'. I still plan to make these hats for the people I love, by stressing myself out to knit, and shortchanging the rest of my life, is not the reason for the season.


On that note, I'm going to pay the dog some attention. Look what she does when she's ignored...

In case the picture is a bit wee:

Background - slipper I've had since 1999.

Foreground: cheeky wee Boston Terrier.

Middle: stuffing from slipper...