Just Sit Back & Knit

getting back into the groove

So for some time now I have been a bit off knitting.  I wasn't sure why.  I was feeling inadaquate as a knitter.  Nothing inspired me and I felt I just wasn't making anything really amazing or neat, blah, blah, blah.

Well, I back in the game and getting really really excited about some projects.  So many in fact that I don't really know where to start!

I need to back  up a minute here:

After Easter Fletch and I went to stay the weekend with Grandma Paffy (my MIL - and knitting guru).  She gave me half of the yarn stash you see above!  I wish I had taken a picture of her yarn stash.  She is organized beyond belief and has such yarn, I can only ever dream of.  And I do.  If I had known how to knit when I first started dating Jim, I would have married him just so that some day I could inherit her stash!  I know that sounds horrible and morbid - but she has already promised it to me.  She knows me well!!!!!

Last weekend Kathy came for a visit, this is her and
Fletch hiking at Montana De Oro.  We had a great time.
After our day at the beach we found some time to knit,
she helped me to figure out how to write/work my own
basic hat pattern.  I am now using the Noro Blossom I bought
for the purse pattern from Simply Noro to make myself a
hat and scarf:

The hat turned out just a tad large, but
I like it.  The scarf is starting out a garter
stich with st st border.  That may
change, but so far I like it.

The other big project I will be starting on is a sweater for Fletch.  Remember the Green and Orange cardigan?  I gave up on it.  I did not love it at all. 
The other day four other ladies from my Book/Knitting/Eating club and I went on a knitting feild trip to a LYS I have not been to Ball, Skein and More in Cambria.  Afterwards we had a proper tea at the Tea Cozy in Cambria.  All around it was a great trip.  While I resisted buying any yarn I did buy The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns by Ann Budd.  It has completely shifted my fear of sweaters to a full on excited  "I know I can do it attitude!".

In that spirit and after some help from Barb on finding knitters graph paper on the web I have designed a colorwork chart for a pull on raglan I plan to get to work on today!   

Here is a sample of the charts I worked on
and the fished product is:

Originally I was thinking of doing a truck,
Fletch wanted a garbage truck.  Then I realized
I wanted to do an airplane or helicopter to
make use of the word FLY which is also his
initials: Fletcher Leopold Yost!
I am in love with this and hope it works out
as well as I am invisioning.  I am so dedicated
to it that I am going to knit a swatch with the
whole motif on it befor I start on the sweater to
make sure it will turn out!
I did have to promise to do a garbage truck sweater
next.

Last but not least  I am so thrilled for Barb and Jason,
and  the Baby Bump!  The sweater she knit is heavenly. 
Katie, Barb and I met up at
Barb's house for a dinner date and she took us the back room
where Jason was on the computer to show us her "latest"
knitting project.  I was stunned.  Katie asked, "Is it for Matilda?"
(her daughter) and Barb said no, and pointed to her belly, "It's
for mine!"   WOW!!!!
Then Kate says, "You'll have to make two!"
They are due the same week..... what are the chances?

Not A Lot of Knitting

Project Spectrum
First of all, I've got a few Project Spectrum pictures. It's May and the Project Spectrum color for the month is green. Last Wednesday I had a bad headache and crawled into bed to watch TV right after dinner. I didn't feel like working on Jason's socks and I thought I had run out of yarn for the purse I'm working on so I grabbed two balls of green cotton yarn out of my stash and cast on for a dishcloth. I made it in a k2, p1 rib on #9 needles. I like the big loose stitches that resulted; they make the fabric super stretchy. I finished it with fifteen minutes left to go before the end of Law and Order but didn't feel like getting out of bed to get a needle to actually finish it. So I picked up the other ball of yarn and cast on for a garter stitch eyelet dishcloth knit on the bias (this is the pattern from Knitting for Baby that I made once before). I didn't get very far as you can see.

Purse Update:
I've almost finished all of the knitting for the cable knit purse I'm working on. The body of the purse took exactly two balls of Knit Pick's Main Line. I had (or thought I had) just three balls and figured one ball for the strap would be plenty. Hmm, apparently I'm not so good at yarn estimates. The picture below shows the strap with just a couple of yards left to go on that ball of yarn. And, it's short. So I resisted knitting the last few rounds I thought I had enough yarn for and went back to Jason's sock. Low and behold while organzing my works in progress box (a plastic container that lives next to our couch and is usually spilling over with yarn balls and circular needles) I found a whole extra ball of the yarn.

****

I got next to no knitting done this past weekend--my mother-in-law (one of them--no I don't have two husbands--my husband has a stepmother) was in town and all I managed to do was a few rounds of a sock, a few rounds of the purse strap and I wove in the ends of the first dishcloth. Oh, and I had a crazy late night attempt at making a present for my mother-in-law. But it was so crazy and so late that I wasn't even quite sure what I was setting out to make even after casting on. But my sanity returned the next morning and I stuffed the needles yarn and two inches of progress on my UKP (unidentified knitting project) into a drawer to be frogged another day.

New Projects

I'm still working on the socks I gave Jason for his birthday...but, as I have other family birthdays to worry about (one today & one tomorrow) I've moved on temporarily to some new projects (I love new projects--so full of hope and promise! And then, well, and then they become real. And you get messy joins.)

WATER! Bottle cover:
My father-in-law/boss doesn't drink nearly as much water as he should and, seeing as it is his birthday tomorrow, I got him a water bottle and knitted a cover for it. I used the Knitting In Binary article at Red Shirt Knitting to design it. I swatched first and for fun my swatch says LOVE in binary. The bottle cover says "WATER!" in binary. I wanted to use "DRINK WATER!" but that would have been too long. Since he has been walking to work sometimes I added a handy belt loop. I may add some elastic inside the top because it is a little loose up there. Also, I didn't do so good with carrying the unused color up the inside as you can see from the messy joins at the beginning/end of each round. Also, it may not actually say "WATER!" I might have messed up a little. But I can still believe...

Cable Purse:
The other new project is a purse of my own design -- with cables! I made my dad a golf club cover with a cable on it about seven years ago -- my only cable project to date -- and you know? it's just as I remembered it -- a lot easier than it looks (at least with the simple patterns I've worked).
I have three balls of Knit Picks Main Line in Cocoa (and several partial balls in various other colors) left over from another project and so I swatched with my least favorite of the colors -- a kind of rosey pink color. I made myself a cute little chart to work from but even so I kind of messed up a little bit at the beginning of the cable braid. That's okay though, since I decided not to use it after all. I'm just using the simple cable pattern (on the leftin the photo) alternated with two repeats of a knit three, purl 2 rib. The purse should end up nine inches wide and ten inches tall.

I want to line it with a teal satiny material (left over from another purse). I hope to include a zipper pocket on the inside and have a snap closure on the purse itself. I'm not sure yet about the handle. I'm thinking of knitting a single two to three inch wide tube just long enough so it can be slipped over the shoulder. However, I think I'll need to stick something inside it (a strip of leather maybe?) to give it shape (flat and wide) and substance.

As you can see from the picture (or maybe you can't see from the picture so I'll tell you) I'm about half-way done with knitting the body of this purse. It scrunches up horizontally on the needles so it looks a lot narrower than it will be later. My hope is that once it is finished the teal lining will show through just a little bit between the stitches. I think that will be pretty--and even if the lining doesn't show through I think it will be a nice contrast to have dark brown purse with a teal lining. Kind of like a little surprise inside, right? Maybe. Maybe the yarn has just gone to my brain (again). I'm also trying to think of some added embellishment for the outside of the purse so it isn't just brown. I think I'll have to wait until I see the whole thing put together before I can decide.

***

And just in case you all think Ted does nothing but sleep all day...proof that he can move around! Jason & I took him to the beach last weekend. It was a lot of fun and I found two whole sand dollars! What a day.

Almost better

Well, my boys are doing much better, I however have a nasty headcold with sore throat!  This has been the most miserable week and a half!  Jim and Fletch are better, but both say their tummies hurt every so often.
So sweet!  This was at the height of his misery, he fell asleep with his book-on-tape.
He never falls asleep by himself!  He was so exhausted with the flu that for three days
straight he fell asleep by himself over and over again.  We're back to normal though,
only fast milkies gets my healthy guy to sleep, lucky me!

So, on to the famous SKP, I have another guess, is it appropriate to guess here?  If it is what I think it is, and you really want to keep it for yourself - FROG it away and get some colors you like.  If you can stand to give it away and make another for yourself?  Maybe you should.  I'm sure though, you could find some other use for that yarn - I thought it was beautiful, maybe I could buy it from you, if you don't like it and I do?  What is it again?  the yarn I mean, what kind is it? and if you frog it, maybe I could buy the yarn?

I am finally starting my own SKP, but don't have enough done to post a picture.  Watch for it!

As for lessons learned the hard way:
This happens

when you use brand new, twisted up
circulars and join your knitting twisted.
Your knitting is TWISTED!!!!!
What's really crazy, is how long it took me
to notice.
Even crazier, I did not frog - I can't, remeber?
I simply knit the twist up to turn it around, I
just want to see what will happen.

Finally my purses so far:

excuse the interuption, this is the only
picture of this particular purse that isn't
washed out.  this little "clutch" is made
out of angora.

this is my favorite

this shows the poket i sewed into the lining to hold
a piece of cardboard for the bottom.

Barb, as to your teddy bear, I don't know what you should do!
One thought:  finish him/her felt it and cut a hole in the back to stuff,
sew it up and then knit a little sweater to cover it!
Complicated.  Or make the hole in the head and add hair later?
Do you know to felt a hole (did I already tell you this) you need to use
some non felting yarn while felting so the hole doesn't close up?

Congrats on your scarf work.  I know what you mean about the tiring
work of knitting a scarf which in my case transfers to purse handles - the small
amout of back and forth is mind numbing!

I'm reading a great book right now:  The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch
can't remeber the author.

Just getting through the day

Fletch is on the third day, weak and tired.  It is really hard to watch him go through this, knowing exactly how he feels.  Then just telling him, you body is working really hard to make you better.  He does not want to be touched, which I can relate to, but that is hard for Jim and I, we want so badly to just cuddle him. Barb, your projects look gorgous!!!!  I can't wait to SOME Day make a pair of slippers. I got the "satchel" pattern from knitty, I believe its in the archives now. Gotta go

flu season

Well, I've got a sick little guy today. He woke throwing up and has not quit. I broke down and had Jim run into town to get some pedia-lite. Fletch is so exhausted and must be extremely hungry. He just wants to drink water, but he chugs it which makes him sick. He'll throw up, then five minutes later want another glass of water to drink down all at once. I have asked him repeatedly to sip his water, explaining that drinking it so fast is making him throw up. He looks at me so hurt and angry that I am telling him how to drink his water. He said the last time, "Just don't say that to me mom! It just makes me nausous when you say that!". A bit later he said, "My tummy just hurts, I need a band-aid!". Of coarse we put one on. No knitting today, just laying around with the boy-o. Oh boy, I just got a call from Maggie - she wants to buy the satchel!!!! Yeah!!!!!! It's not a buisiness yet, but it's encouraging.

What we've got here...

Is a failure to communicate!
I told Jim I was going to post some pictures of my purses.  He asked if I was posting them to sell, and I said no, just to show.   So Fletch says, "Are you going to show my purse?", "yes", "No, I don't want you to, you can't sell MY purse!"
Oh boy, oh boy - that took just a while of expaining, and here I am, about to SHOW you his purse
Not to be confused with the afore mentioned knitted monster, however much they may look alike.  Seth thinks I am immasculating Fletch, Jim laughed at that.  I wonder if Seth would feel better if he knew the purse is filled with trucks? When I finally finished it and handed it over to the rightful owner, he said, "Oh, it's so bootiful.  I won't ever just tear it."

And more:
My little blue bag, just finished today.

  The satchel, and the mistakes I made:
sewed the straps on backwards - TWICE
Here I tried to take a shortcut in the lining and sew it in with a sewing machine, It may be hard to see, but that is a clump of thread on the outside of the bag - YUCK!!!  I had to frog that out!  I found out the hard way it is much simpler to just sew it in by hand the first time.

Well this measly post took me almost an hour with the downloads.  I am signing off to put my little man to bed, before we have a major meltdown - and I mean from Dad.

I Have No Shame

I just received an e-mail from Ki (my fabulous, wonderful, beautiful friend who is living in China (and may be reading this, but still, I mean everyword I say :)) (here is a really cute picture of her and Morgan in China that I stole from her photobucket account--love you guys! Hope you don't mind the theft!)



and I am shameless enough to post the knitting related part in which she thanks me for the gifts I sent them for their birthdays (remember, these?)

So here is an excerpt of the e-mail she sent me...

Barbs...
Oh my god!! I love my birthday present and Morgan does too!! They are wonderful...thank you so much and the fact that you made them is just unbelieveable! you are such a master...you will have to teach me to do that one day! How fun...you are so creative and the colors, both in the hat and purse are just fantastic!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

See? Absolutely shameless, That's me!

I'm Back to Knitting!

Or at least blogging about it. We've got the camera cord back so here are some pictures of completed projects.

Ki's Purse
Completed Purse / Bad Picture:

Corduroy Lining / Strange Angle:


Matching Hats for Ki & Morgan


Stitch 'N Bitch Chinese Charm Bag for Rebecca
Two Pictures (because hey, two is better than one, right?):




And finally, because I just can't resist, another bad cellphone picture. Poor Ted, trying to fit in Austin's truck. Good thing Ted and I are such close friends. I don't let just any dog do this:

Ted Likes To Knit Too

Here he is helping me arrange Ki's pre-felting purse for the picture.

He is also very good at picking yarn balls up off the ground and carrying them around in his mouth just long enough to get them good and slobbery.

Just for the record here are some pictures of Ki's purse. The first one is just before felting and the second one is after felting and during blocking.

Jason's parents borrowed the cord that plugs our camera into our computer so as soon as we get it back I'll post more pictures of the projects I've been working on.

Also, I want to post pictures of the BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL FELTED NORO KUREYON PURSE Sara made me. I get compliments on it everywhere I go. Seriously, it's the best purse ever. Sara, I hope the reason you haven't joined the blog is because you are too busy making more purses so you can sell them and get rich, or at least stay home with Fletch and your garden & chickens (when you get them!)