15 Knitting days until Christmas

I finished DeAndre's sweater awhile ago. He decided this was the best pose.

I finished knitting ALL 5 Christmas stockings. I have ends to weave in on three of them.



I am finished with all knitting, weaving all ends, and seaming most of the edges on Dad’s sweater. I still have to buy and install a zipper (I have never done this before), and seam the top and bottom edges. Sorry for the crappy photo, but it is black, what do you expect?



I started and finished a beret from the latest issue of Interweave Knits. Bought the magazine on Monday, December 4, and bound off on Sunday, December 10.



I am done with some gloves for DeAndre’ and have finished glove one of a pair for Malik. I would like to make a pair for Marcus (DH), but haven’t gotten that far, yet. I took pics of Malik’s glove, but the flash made it unable to be seen, so you will see it someday.

Startitis?

Ok, so, here is my question for the great blogership. I have a lot of projects going. I keep starting them. However, is it called startitis, if I am finishing them?

I finished DeAndre's sweater from the cone of yarn I bought a couple of months ago. I took a picture, but haven't gotten around to uploading it. I also should take a picture of the cone after, to compare with before. I think I used a little more than half of the cone. DeAndre' wore it to school yesterday, and put it on to wear again today. (I wouldn't let him).

I also finished yesterday the fourth of five stockings. Wove in the ends on this one and everything. I have left one stocking to go - I haven't cast on for it, yet. I need to weave ALL ends in on one of them, and a few left to weave in on another. So, I guess I am 75% done with that project.

I am REALLY close to finishing the yoke on Dad's sweater. Apparently, there is some more fussy work after the yoke, so I can't guess a % on that one.

I cast on for me some wrist warmer things. I haven't gotten very far on these, but no matter, they are only for me.

Last night, I found a pattern for a Sweater for Malik. Now, I have to figure out if I want set in sleeves or drop sleeves. Looking for that link, I LOVE the patterns there. Such a good range of sizes. I can make something for my large size step-dad! Of course, that means buying A LOT of yarn, and taking A LOT of time.

I have mentally put the fair isle vest for Marcus and the fair isle Dale pattern in the frog pile. I knit them both too tight, and I will need to start them over.

Haven't worked on Minimalist in awhile. That is all my projects (I think) that are currently OTN.

Blogging Around

In making the rounds this week, I found these two links that I felt were interesting:

I got this from Michelle. Move the socks around...
http://www.tomslighthouse.net/special/Socks.swf

I got this from Kim.
http://www.nationalknittingweek.com/

And, while reading http://loulou2.blogspot.com/ blog, I saw that I need to answer the questions from http://yarnyenta.blogspot.com/ blog, so here goes:

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?
You mean I have to pick ONE!!! Okay, I guess since it never happens, it would be on the couch next to my DH while watching (almost) anything on TV.

2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do instead?
Read and play Sudoku

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?
Right now, I would choose Germany because my friend is there and that is where we met. But she is an Army wife, so she will not be there forever, so when she leaves, New York for the experience

4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are you doing it?
I never had a goal.

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Ben & Jerry's "Half Baked" It is some kind of fudge ice cream plus chocolate chip cookie dough.

Now, let's see if I can post those pictures from last week:

Detail on Avast cabling


I believe I have made progress on this, but I haven't taken out the measuring tape, yet.

I know I am farther than this. I finished that sleeve, and started the other one.


I also know I am farther than this. This is done with all the knitting, but the yarn has not been cut, and no ends are woven in. I have cut yarn, woven most of the ends (not all), and started on another one.

And, just for good measure, some baby girl pics:

She so much loves to drive.

We got pictures done a couple of weeks ago, but we haven't been able to finish scanning/converting them so I can't post them.

Post, please post...

I keep trying to add pictures to this post, but for some reason Blogger won't let me. So, I have three more pictures with actual knitting content, but you don't get to see them in this post.

So, here is what I have...

Knitting Content:

I am working steadily on Avast. I really LOVE this yarn!!! It is Bartlett Yarns. It smells like wool, and you can feel the lanolin in it. I have a problem, though. I think my dad won't wear it much. It is wool, and you have to be careful with wool, and I made it, and he doesn't want it to wear out. I think I might have to get on him about that.



I have progress pictures to show you of a Christmas Stocking and a top-down sweater. Also, I have a picture of the cable in Avast. These are the ones I am having trouble with.

Knitting Content over.

Malik is in Cross-Country. They had their first (of three) meet last week. He forgot to bring shorts, so he was running 2000 meters up and down hills with no warm-up in cords. He walked A LOT, and he didn't get first place.


That is him in the white shirt and pants.


A couple of weeks ago, Miss Thing got her first tooth. Her second one broke through yesteday, but I don't have a picture of it, yet.



This is her daddy sharing his twinkie with her:



More later!

PS: I forgot to mention. I got a comment last week from ??? (Sorry, if I have to stop and look at my email, I might not press Publish). She said to me that she is surprised I have time to knit at all. I make time to knit. I knit and walk, I knit in church, I knit at games, I knit while DH drives, I knit anytime traffic stops (including red lights). I am fully addicted, and even if it is just one stitch, I knit. I tried to email you directly, but I didn't have your address. Thanks for reading.

Life sure is crazy

Busy, still.

Let's see. I have a sleeve and a half to finish on the top-down sweater, but it is asisde for the time being, because Avast is getting there, although it is 218 stitches across, but I am in my second ball of Bartlett Yarns, so, getting there slowly, but surely. Also, I decided I need to pick up my Christmas stockings if they are to be done on time. I am half way done with #2 of 5. They go pretty fast, but when I did the first one, I discovered something about my Fair Isle. I am a TIGHT Fair Isle knitter! So, with #2, I only hold one yarn at a time, and knit both with my right hand. Much better now. However, I have two projects OTN that I do not want to pull out but aren't going to be the right size. DAMN!!

I joined Socktoberfest (like everyone else in the blogiverse). I have my Hederas that are sitting one leg half done. They just mock me. I don't think I like lace patterns much. It is too much work for my life right now, maybe. I need "easier" knits (cables on Avast, Fair Isle on Stockings don't count as hard - I can "see" it better) at this point in my life. So, my Soctoberfest projects are Christmas stockings, Hedera, and my DH a pair. In that order.

My Socktoberfest questions are:

• When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

I joined an online group with instructions very SIMPLY laid out. There were “lessons” - Parts 1 through (I think) 6. The socks were knit with worsted weight on size 6 needles. It was good.

• What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?

My first pair were made with some stash yarn that I only had one ball of – green worsted weight Encore. Note to self: do not choose acrylic next time!

• What would you have done differently?

Not used acrylic. Walking on acrylic knit socks is like having a bunch of pins on the bottom of your feet. No matter, I learned, and it worked.

• What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

No real preference

• Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

Can’t crochet to save my life. I have exclusively knit on DPN’s, but have the books to learn 2 circulars and Magic Loop – just haven’t used either of them.

• Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

I don’t even know what I use. What does Ann Budd’s book use?

• How many pairs have you made?

Um…one for step-dad, one for son #1, one for son #2, three for me (if you include first ever pair), now working on 5 Christmas stockings – done with one, half way through another. How many pairs is that. Oh, also started another pair, that is stalled.

I also joined My first toe-ups, so I guess that I will do DH socks toe-up. That is probably not the best choice, just because he has such big feet, but I'm not going to start another pair.

As I have said before, HOMEWORK SUCKS!!! Malik (and I) were up until 10:30 or 11 last night doing homework that should have taken him 30 minutes! Plus, he is in middle school this year, and he is in CONSTANT trouble!!! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

Well, I guess I will press "publish" so I can have a post this month.

Sorry for the delay

School started, soccer started, football started, my DH started a new, slightly later schedule, etc, etc. Life has been hectic, hence no time to post.

Big non-knitting item of note: I wanted to get Ayanna something that would help her walk. Malik had one when he was little:


I couldn't really call around to see if anyone had one, because how do you ask for a "Walker" on the phone without someone thinking of the kind of thing a child sits in and walks? Monday when I dropped her off at daycare, they had one. I made sure she saw it so she could play with it. So, last week one day after work we went to Toys R Us and got her this. She loves it!!





Since I have been gone, I have been knitting.

For my birthday, I got a $50 gift certificate to a LYS. I got the gift cert on Saturday, September 9. The LYS is really close to my church, so I looked through all my patterns and most of my magazines on Saturday night and Sunday morning hoping to find a sweater for my dad. I found nothing. Looked at the LYS for a pattern for him - nothing. Then I got to work Monday morning, Knitty showed up in my in box with a perfect pattern - Avast! I was soo excited!! I went to the LYS at my lunch and spent the whole g.c. plus an additonal $6 to get the required amount of Bartlett Yarns. I really like working with this yarn. It smells like wool. It has some lanolin still in it. Anyway, I cast on for the cable on...um...maybe the 12th. I finished the cable on the bottom and up a couple of inches. I had to stop there, because I hand made the ball of yarn out of a hank. I hate doing that, so Sunday I will take the remaining hanks to the LYS for winding. Then I will be on my way.

I am done with the body of Malik's top down sweater from the pound of yarn I got for $7.50. I started it on September 10! - However, it doesn't fit Malik very well (which I thought maybe), so it is now for DeAndre'. Now just the sleeves.

I have tried to post this a few times, and always get interrupted.

Here you go, finally!