Project Update

Current projects languishing in my WIP basket...

STILL have not finished my husband's socks, although I have done a few rows on the ribbing of the second sock (if only to change out the needles so I could use them for a sleeve on a baby sweater...) I'm getting sort of frustrated with seeing them in my basket, so I think I will try to finish them for real sometime in the next month, then hide them away and wrap them for Christmas. I really think if I used variegated yarn, I might actually finish socks. The same color, so many tiny stitches, teenier needles... it gets so monotonous. But it's not fair that he's been waiting for them for over a year, so I really will finish for the holidays. Poor guy, he even wore the done one for a few hours when it was fresh off the needles.

The little tiny Pebble Vest that I was making for baby Asher and is much too small and rather ugly to me now still needs buttons. Hopefully I can find some that work, and then send it to my sister who is expecting my first nephew in February! I will definitely be making other cuter things for him as well. :)
There's also a little girl sweater that I was making for my friend's baby, but it needs sleeves still and probably won't fit by the time it's done. A cotton dress for Addie, which is stupid for winter, and won't fit next summer, will be frogged, same for the summer tank. Oh and then there's the adorable Owlet I started for Asher, got to the owls (which are right above the shoulders), realized it would be too small, frogged back and made the sleeves skinnier and used a smaller size for the yoke, and still ran out of yarn with just an inch of ribbing left. It wouldn't be a big deal, except the yarn is from a swap and only available overseas. So it will probably be frogged as well, and maybe I will use the yarn for a smaller Owlet for Kaleb (the nephew), AFTER I remake one for Asher using different yarn. And I will probably buy enough of said yarn to make 3 of since I really don't want to run out again :). And, finally, my current "still fun" project is a Garter Yoke cardigan for my nephew using Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino, which is delicious. It will be so cute. Addie pulled out half a sleeve yesterday, but it won't take me too long to redo. That's all for now! Here's hoping I have much less to report in the area of WIPs next time...

the world beyond worsted

I am discovering that, while it puts out quick, easy, and perfectly acceptable objects, my years of worsted yarn only were completely silly and I could have been exploring the world of skinnier yarns this whole time. DK makes absolutely wonderful swingy light knitting, and sock yarn is not impossible. Fingering, I've not yet tackled, but I'm no longer scared of it. Yes, it takes longer to knit with them, but the end product is worth it. I enjoy knitting, everything does not have to be done within a few days. I will try a more broad spectrum of yarn weight!!

I WILL make time to knit!!

I've had a case of new-project-itus recently; I don't have the patience or desire to work on my WIPs, as they seem to have already lost their sparkle. Yes, I started that cotton dress for Addie only a week ago, and yes it is already on a "saver needle" and in my forgotten project basket. If I had multiple needles the same size, I could have as many projects cast on as I wanted, and be able to work on them whenever I got the time and gumption. But since I don't, I will start a project, work on it wholeheartedly for a day or two, then find something else I want to make and use the needles from my first project, hence making that unworkable until I either finish the second project, or put it on saver needles. I would love to just buy more needles whenever I start a new project, but I think I should take this as a hint to stay committed to something's finish. Or start a project that requires a different needles... :)

Fifth

My husband is in the Air Force, and he is deploying at the end of the month. We are also in the process of buying a house off base, and probably moving in the next week (oh, and I haven't started packing yet). In addition, Asher is learning to walk, and Addison just started sleeping in a toddler bed. Oh, and I decided to do my first ever knitting swap which is supposed to be sent out in a week. So my plate is pretty full, and therefore not a lot of knitting is getting done. I wish I could knit more, I have tons of projects and even the yarn picked out, but trying to wait until I finish all my "in progress" projects first! I'm also going to go on a yarn diet so that I can commit to de-stashing my mostly-cheap-acrylic stash that I am sick of. BUT I am going to use the money I don't spend on yarn to save up for nice needles! I really want some Addi turbos; I'm so sick of my cheap super stiff corded metal circulars. It's impossible to magic loop with them, which I just learned to do! Its a pretty cool trick, I want to try it on a project.
I am working on something right now, but it's for my swap, and therefore a SECRET! :) But, I will say that it is very cute! I will definitely make one for my babies after I'm done with this one.

Fourth

Honestly, how does anyone with a baby EVER find time to knit longer than 10 minutes at a time? Although I have managed to finish a few projects in the past few months, they seem to sit on my needles for ages. Seams and weaving in ends, which used to be quick, easy tasks, now wait to be done for hours or even days. When I do have time to knit, endless chores nip at my heels, causing me to hurry and make mistakes, putting me two steps back instead of one forward. There's always something I could be doing instead of knitting - putting away the basket of folded laundry thats been sitting in the hallway since yesterday, empty the dishwasher BEFORE I have another full load waiting to be put in, maybe even dust the windowsills that are always neglected.
So what I have been working on:
I continue to make little animals when I have the time; we now have a lion and pig as friends to the penguin and owl. I've made a couple hats - one that was supposed to be a baby present, but ended up big enough for a 10 year old. Its a green and pink striped pixie hat, and someone will probably get it for Christmas. I also made a little earflap hat, which was supposed to be a replacement present for the same baby, but Chris wouldn't let me give it away, and now its Addi's.
I finally finished Addison's heart & xo blanket! Chris said it took me WAY too long, but its a pretty big blanket, with lots of seams. Anyways, its beautiful and finished.
I found some awesome charts for the Autobot and Decepticon symbols (Transformers, for you non-geeks :P), and turned them into a bag for Chris' headset at work. I did each of the charts on separate black rectangles, worked a long gusset piece, and also made an eyelet pattern at the top for a drawstring. It turned out much bigger than planned, but he can carry his big headphones and iPod as well now. Its pretty cool, and now some of the guys at work want one too. Good luck with that. LOL
I am currently working on another project for Chris (making up for all the baby knitting, I guess...), a beard hat. Its basically a beanie with a beard coming out of the bottom. It is based on a pattern I found, but adapted to what Chris wanted. Hopefully it turns out well.
Another Chris project... (really??!!) is a surprise for Christmas, so I can't say what it is yet... just in case. But I will say it's hilarious!
As for an update... the socks are still in basically the same condition they were five months ago. I didn't finish the other little bamboo bootie in time for them to fit Addi, so maybe I'll finish them someday for some other little girl. Oh, and I absolutely hate Debbie's cuff booties. UGH!
Till next time...

Third

I can't believe I was feeling guilty about not working on C's socks... I so made him this awesome scarf with a complicated cable pattern, and I have not seen him wear it since. I no longer feel bad for spending all my knitting time on my soon-to-be born baby girl.

Second

Yay for new yarn! Found a sale going on at crafts, etc online, and got lots of cheap yarn. Mostly baby colors, or stuffed animal colors. I'm planning to make a blanket like the one for the Blair's baby, only with hearts and xo cables instead of boats and rope, so I got lots of pink and some white for that. Chris loves the little stuffed animal patterns I've been looking at; so far I've made an owl from And so to Bed... and a penguin from Lion Brand free patterns. I've got lots of fun colors to make other ones though. Next I'm supposed to make a giraffe.

I've got two sets of booties going right now; one is Saartje's Bootees, which I'm using NaturallyCaron.com's bamboo mix for, and have one little bootee done. The other is the Cuff Bootees from Debbie Bliss' book, Simply Baby. I'm not sure I like them; we'll see how they look on baby. All I have left of those is the seam on the second one.

Naturally, I have way to many projects going at the same time. I'm halfway down the leg of a sock for Chris; hate using the tiny sock yarn and needles, so I put off working on them. I will definitely have to finish them sometime though; he's getting jealous of all the baby knitting I've been doing. And I accidently felted the only thing I've made him, his big blanky, so I feel bad. :( Hopefully I'll finish them before baby comes.

Met more neighbors last night - Trudy and Jack I think? They have a 2 year old girl and a 2 DAY old little baby boy. He's precious! There's a garage sale in the cul-de-sac this morning, but I don't think I have much cash, so I probably won't even go over there. Maybe they'll still be open when Chris gets back.