Train Wreck

Yep,
It finally happened.
The knitting gods decided I was getting too smug and feeling too confident.

I'm going to have to scrap my homework and start over. It's off gauge AND I messed up on the Fair Isle. I figured, hey, I can just fudge the colorwork. I was on cold meds when I did it and let the pattern get away from me..but it's just a doll sweater. So I chug on and I realize that the gauge is off AND I'm about to run out of yarn. Thbbt. I know I won't be able to get the right dye lot.


So I'm going to put what I have into the Stash box, take my lumps and learn my lessons.

1. Buy more yarn than you think you'll need.
2. Don't do colorwork while on cold meds.
3. Make your gauge swatch at least 6x6.

There is no way I can go to a Yarn class at my LYS with this pile. Whee. So I'll start casting on again, use smaller needles and PAY ATTENTION.

I hope you have been appeased yarn gods.....

Done! Done!

Alright, button band went well!
It was a bit wonky at first, but once the kids went to bed, it was surprisingly easy. Imagine that.

It took a lot longer finishing it then I thought. Any by finish, I mean after sewing it and putting on the button band, sitting there and figuring out how the hell to hide all those stupid end!! Arg. I finally whip stitched them in onto the hem. I just couldn't get them woven in and not show.

But I finished!
Yay! And I'm pleased with the results and Abby loves it. She also helped with the finishing. She picked the buttons, which are cute, and she helped with some of the seaming. What a knitter in the making!

So I need to move that over to the 'Finished Projects' and I'm already onto my 'Homework' for my Norwegian Construction class.


And, just so you know, that curly thing on the bottom left is my swatch. I swatched and I matched gauge..and yes my swatch is ridiculously wide but silly short. Oh well, at least I DID it, right?


So off I go to work on this. :)

Wisc Sheep & Wool Fest!

Ok,
So it's not like I didn't spend enough $$ at Stitches, but I'm going to go to the Sheep & Wool Fest! AND I'm going to drag as many of my knitty type friends with me. Which means YOU!

I'm dragging my little one with me and heading up on Friday, Sept 8th. It opens at 9 am, and it's roughly an hour from here (closer to 45 mins). So I figure I can get there, putz around, have lunch and still be back in time to get the eldest from the bus! Wohoo. They will have sheep and sheep doegs, so I know my little one will be happy. It only costs $5 to get in, but the yarns there are supposed to be amazing. Score! Now I just have to figure out how to Fund the trip.

Here's a link to check it out.
Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Fest

New Stuff

Gotta love retro knitting and crochet.
*hack hack cough*

On the side is a link called 'gallery' under finished objects. It's just that, a gallery of tons of my finished objects. :)

The point...

Sometimes I forget the reasons for knitting, for example when weaving in over 160 ends. But, thanks to my 2 year-old, I stumbled on a pile of reasons when I came home from the grocery store.

She'd gotten into our winter scarves/hats/gloves storage and strewn them all over the floor. It made me smile, while muttering about the mess. But there they were, concrete evidence of my previous labors for my family; 5 hats and 4 scarves.

I actually acheive something when I knit. I create an object for myself or loved one that lasts, even if it ends up on the floor at some point. These items will keep my family warm and dry this coming winter, fall and spring, just like they did last year and will continue to in the future.

How cool is that?
Way cool in my mind.

Excuse me, but I have some more ends to go weave in!

Sloggin'

Ugh.
Ok, it's one thing to knit a sweater for someone you love. But when it's in colors you think are a tad loud and it's striped, it's rough to get through. Thank goodness it's for a small girl!

I've finished 1 sleeve, the front (2 pieces because it's a cardigan) and the back for a OVER 160 freaking ends woven in. OI! Don't ever do a striped sweater!!!

I love Abby, but damn I hope she appreciates this when she grows up and doesn't say 'Did you SEE the sweater my mom made me wear when I was 6???? It was hideous!!"

Back to weaving in ends..oh and knitting a little too. Thank goodness I've been weaving as I've gone!

Can it get any better?

Ok,
So I woke up this morning and just felt draggy and blah. Little did I know it would end up being a great day. Or at least for a geek knitter.

I was sitting with the kidlets and the doorbell rang. Whoot! Knitting books! I joined the Crafters Choice bookclub and my haul arrived.

All those books for $33! Score!


Then I was just minding my own business, got the kids where they should be and had a moment with my computer to check email. And what to my wondering eyes should appear?? But an actual email to ME from the Yarn Harlot. I swear I got giddy. I absolute adore her, think she's witty, smart and just so cool. I'd left a comment on her website, which I'd done in the past, along with literally 100's of others, and she responded. To me. Wow. I'm going to have to frame the email or something!!

Here it is for posterity's sake!

Subject: Re:[Yarn Harlot] New Comment Posted to "Paging a Smaller Fisherman"
From: Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Date: 8/15/2006
To: lynnk@koenigfamily.org

Thanks for saying nice things about the photography Lynn. I work really hard at it.


The Yarn Harlot lives at
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog
On 15-Aug-06, at 9:11 AM, lynnk@koenigfamily.org wrote:

Name: Lynn
Email Address: lynnk@koenigfamily.org
URL: http://knotsinarow.blogspot.com/
Comments:

Anything worth being done, is worth being done right. Or some such silly platitude! It's beautiful, and he'll be so pleased with the outcome.

I did have another comment, you have become a beautiful, talented photographer. You have such an eye and make even photos of 'wool' artistic!

I have officially died and gone to geek-fan heaven! Whooooo!

Knitter Queue

Yep, as you see on the side there..I've begun my knitter's queue. It's sure seems full right now, but I'll get through it ..someday!

Aiee.. and you know it'll grow. Oh well, that's life!

I've started uploading larger pictures so you can see things clearer. Just click on the images.

Stitches!

OMG.
Ok, so it's like dying and going to the Big Yarn House in the Sky. It's ridiculous how much yarn is under one roof and you go into a kind of fiber-induced over stimulated coma.

It's great!

You get to see and TOUCH things like 100% lightweight cashmere, silks, gorgeous hand-dyed everything! See cool patterns, a rockin's Knitters Fashion show with lace to die for. Knitters Universe is pushing a new title and holy cow there's some gorgeous stuff in it. You can take a peek

Victorian Lace Today

Made me want to tackle lace..one of these days..after I knit up all I have in my knitting queue, but we're getting to that in a moment.

So the day starts at 6:45 am, with me waking to the sound of an alarm and NOT my 2 year old. That was bizarre, an alarm hasn't been used in this house for ages! I get ready, head to Starbucks for the must injection of caffeine and a sugar. Meet up with the bus full of ladies with long string and tons of pointy sticks, who are almost giggling like little girls with excitement. It really was cool in an odd sort of, I actually fit in with these ladies, way. *cough*

We drive for 2 hours and get there as the doors open. I was kinda flying solo and had no true agenda, besides 'See, touch, buy' Hopefully in that order. Not buy, buy, buy, buy...watch husband go into shock. I wandered, with huge eyes and hands outstretched, not unlike the majority of other folks in attendance. I mean, we can ALL buy these yarns somewhere online, but here, here you can touch, smell, and be with your intended first! Whoot!

I didn't take my camera, which was a good thing anyway, because photos aren't allowed in the actually yarn market. Granted I should have taken picts of my fellow travelers etc, but oh well.

But I do have a camera at home and here is my lovely haul!!
Hidden in those bags is my booty. (no not that kind of booty) Knitter Booty!

My first purchase of the day nearly made me giddy. Granted I was flying on caffeine and sugar and not much else. I took a class at my LYS on 2 socks on 1 cirs and the instructor showed me the most amazing socks. Socks That Rock. I was smitten. I wanted to knit a pair SO bad. And then I looked at prices and well..that was that.

http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/

The quality is amazing, the colors outstanding, the product enough to make the most seasoned knitter pause and say 'Oooh'. You should have seen how mobbed their booth was! And it was actually something I went with the intent to buy. And buy I did. 2 skeins and their pattern booklet. $69 bucks later..oi..what an expensive pair of socks! But damn it, I'm worth it!! My colors aren't listed on their website, but rumor has it a new updated site is in the works. I got Covelight and Rock My World. A light colorway and a dark, that's the key to their 'look'.


Drool. Joy. And Frustration, all rolled into one! I can't cast these on yet. I just CAN'T. My queue won't allow it. *sniff* More on the queue later.


Then I found a fun booth JoJoland International (http://www.jojoland.com/) Which is a company run by asians importing asian amazing yarns. I managed to score 2 skeins of fingering-weight hand dyed wool sock yarn, so $10! Whoot. $5 a piece. Good deal. I'm actually thinking of making a scarf out of it with mitered squares.



Then I came across an author signing. A children's author. Signing books. On knitting. Um, as IF I could walk past that? So Abby now has a lovely signed edition of Knitting Nell. Very cute and the author was really sweet.

http://www.juliejersildroth.com/

After getting some food I soldiered on and got a subscription to Knitter's Magazine along with my cool circular needle case. Those are my needles already nestled in there, alas it came empty!



In the top photo is a gift I bought someone. I bet they spot it!! And other's might too!

At this point I would have happily gone home, having done well in my stash acquiring vs fundage leakage. I was fine. I was actually golden! But I had 1 1/2 hours to kill before the bus left. What is a girl to do? I'd left my knitting on the bus, and didn't want to cast on something new because, well I'm anal that way..so I did what any knitter would do in this case. Spent more money and bought more yarn.

I dove into the WEBS booth with gusto and carefully picked out an inexpensive but beautiful yarn for a lovely sweater for myself. Boy am I self-centered or what?? Anyway, here is it and I love it.

My sweater pattern

And I picked coral. So there, I was done done done..I ate some ice cream and headed towards the bus and more knit chatting and working on Abby's Sweater. :) I finished the left side, this is how far I am now.

So I'm still on target with getting it finished by the time school starts on the 5th or at least relatively close. I have 2 sleeves and a hood to knit. Then I have to put it together and pick up the button band. That should be entertaining since I've never done it before. I'll just have to chat up the Queen o Button Bands - C. I'm sure she can give me a hand.

Ok I'm wiped and off to bed to dream of spindles, swifts, ball winders, lovely soft cashmere lace, amazing fair isle sweaters...ahh...

To be discussed later..the Queue!

Knitter House Cleaning

Ok,

So this coming weekend I'm heading off to Stitches with the Greater Milwaukee Knitting Guild (GMKG)..of which I am the newsletter editor. ..and I think the youngest member..but that's besides the point! The point is I'm going to a huge gathering of yarn vendors and I'm trying to have a 'plan'.

What have I done for my 'plan'?

• I have gone through all my pattern books and flagged things I really want to make.
• I have inventoried all my needles (40 total sets including DPNs, Circs and Straights)
• Now I need to inventory my stash.
• And I need to make a list of yarns needed for the things I want to make.
• Go online to see price of yarns.
• Go online and see average price of needles.

I figure I'll spend maybe 100-150 bucks. I just want to be focused! I get around yarn and my brain goes elsewhere! I just wander around in a lust induced haze, petting everything! Sounds so obscene! Plus I want to get deals, so if you don't know how much it normally costs, you don't get deals.

Focus and breathe. Those are my attempts at a defense!

I went to the GMKG meeting last night. It was ok. The program was about computer pattern makers. *shrug* Nothing that exciting. I mean, it's cool, but they seem ridiculously expensive. ($90). Yes, fine, it is flexible and you can totally create a sweater just for these precise measurements...but for a SAHM on a tight budget I'd rather buy yarn with that $90 and find a free pattern in a library or online!

Now off to dig through the stash and create another excel spreadsheet. Yep, that's how I did my needles..geek me. :)

Knitters are taking over the world...

Yep,
So to make sure I'm in on the stash, I've joined a blog ring!

Good yarn day

Yep, it was a ridiculously good yarn day, or a bad budget day ..depending on who's balancing the checkbook!

Kidlets were off with the MIL for a few hours and DH was playing soccer, so I ran to Loop to get my fix. I bought THE most adorable alpaca and have named him 'Fred'..because what else DO you name an alpaca?

I added to my stash.

The pink, purple and cream wool on the left is for the Norwegian Class, then the Lamb's Pride if for a bag I'm going to design (make up as I go) loosely based on this blanket.


We'll see how it goes. I've felted in the past, but never really done something on the fly before. We all have to grow somehow!

I also got the rest of the yarn to finish my shawl. It's a soft, hand-dyed cotton. Gorgeous. I just did a simple yarn-over triangle.


I'm wishing, as usual when I come home with hanks of yarn, that I had a swift and ball winder. I'm going to keep dropping hints to DH so maybe I'll get one for Christmas.

The other night I finally sewed up Claire/Megan/Maggie's!!! sweater. Now I just need to get it to her. I was thinking of wrapping it and putting it in her Baby Basket at our SAHM meeting.



Ok off to wind hanks. Wheeeee!

Norway Here I Come!

So I got the 'homework list' in the mail today for the Norweigan Kinitting Class I'm taking in September. Should be entertaining to get it done. It's states it so simply 'Bring fnished tubes to class'. Well what the 'tubes' are, is a small doll sweater, that can be 'plain or knit in a pattern'. It's pretty simplistic directions and then they tell you to sew the steeks in with your sewing machine.

WTF?

Isn't that why I'm taking the class, so someone can show me how the hell to do that? It also states in the instructions that you can bring your 'tubes' without the steeks sewn in, as there will be a machine at the class, but for speed sake you might want to do it at home.

Needless to say I will NOT be sewing my steeks in at home. I can so totally see myself screwing that up and then taking my homework tubes in and they won't be usable. :P But at least Casey, my DD's American Girl Doll, will be getting a great new sweater. I think I want to do some sort of pattern on it, but haven't decided as of yet.

I currently have 2 projects on the needles..well 3 in ..shit no 4 in progress! *snicker*
1. Abby's sweater. Hopefully to be finished by the beginning of school, which is Sept 5th. I currently have the back and 3/4ths of one of the fronts completed. I still need to do the other front, both sleeves, the hood and then construct the sweater. Will be my first experience with picking up a button band.
2. My SHAWL, not a poncho. ;) I was heading to my LYS to get the yarn to complete it today, but the Stupid Marquette Exchange construction conspired against me. Plus Val was passed out in her car seat, so I opted to be a 'Good Mom' and head home to plunk her on the couch.
3. My Brother's Aran sweater, that I adore, have all the yarn for and really like to knit. I've done the back and one sleeve. So why isn't it completed? Because I'm pissed at him and he doesn't deserve the sweater. Isn't that sweet? Never claimed not to be a bitch. :P So I'll get to it one of these days.
4. I started a blanket that was going to be Aran blocks. I'm not super thrilled with the yarn now or the actual project. I completed one block and have all the yarn for it. (Lion Brand Wool-Ease) So for now it's in the Stash.

All the C's Fault

Yep, this is all C's fault..granted I got her hooked on knitting.. Oh well, we'll have to see if this Blogging thing sticks.