So Much For Secrets

Posting has been light due to the fact that everything I'm doing right now is a secret... or WAS a secret. This is Clare's blanket. (or "bubby" as Mr. C. refers to them) It was exactly where it was supposed to be hiding in my knitting bag. As it would happen, very pregnant daughter strolls into the house, walks over to the chair, and proceeds to snoop in the knitting bag. Before SHE started knitting, she would have never even dreamed of looking in that bag. So the cat (or the baby gift) is out of the bag.

This entrelac pattern can be found at www.magknits.com. I was going to link to it for you, but their website appears to be down at the current time. The yarn is Art Yarns Supermerino (color sm127) which is machine washable. It's turning out great.

And there is still one more surprise that she hasn't found yet.

Hooray for New Toys!!!

I've been wanting this guy for two years. I finally got to the renewal period and upgraded. And it came just in the knick of time because my flip phone separated into two pieces yesterday. So, they let me upgrade a few weeks early. Thank you AT&T. I needed a lap top, I needed a GPS, and I needed a new cell phone. I took care of all three things with this Blackberry. It's saving me a ton.

I'd love to tell you about my adventures in knitting and sewing, but then I'd have to kill you.

:-)

Shhh... It's a secret.

Necessity... the mother of invention.

I use my digital camera every day for work... well almost every day. In it's case, it takes up too much space in my purse so it's been laying in there without the case. I noticed that it was getting all scratched up. So, over the weekend, I knit up this little bag to keep it in. It works perfectly. If I had it to do over again, I'd make it even shorter. One inch shorter would have been better.

It's worsted weight yarn, 42 stitches divided evenly on size 5 DP's. It's all straight knitting except for one row of k5, yo, k2 tog. repeat to end in the middle of the green section for the i-cord drawstring. I did the kitchener stitch to close the bottom. Easy and functional.

I updated my Ravelry pages a little yesterday. Someday I'm going to get that all figured out and get organized in there. You can find me by searching hollyboc. It's a work in progress.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I love St. Patrick's Day. When I was a kid it was a big deal. This year, Easter has thrown a wrench into the celebration. Sorry, but I can't do two holidays in one week! So no corned beef and cabbage for the family today. Maybe in a few weeks.

I'm still working on the surprise project but I added this to the mix this weekend out of necessity.

I prefer to buy these so I don't have to take the time to knit them, but I just needed it that badly. And I have all sorts of sugar n'cream yarn laying around. I have a million patterns for dish clothes. You can see how in the mood I was to follow a pattern. I say a brain is a terrible thing to waste... on a dish cloth for yourself!

Check this out:

20 months old and he knows exactly how to manipulate the computer already. Kids are amazing these days. It's nice to know that we'll always have someone to come and re-set everything after a power outage.

PS... he knows exactly how to manipulate me as well.

Spring Knitty

There wasn't much in this issue that caught my eye, but the more I look at it, the more I like it.

However, this is the only pattern I would make. And I will make this. This is the perfect gift. Unusual and pretty. Make this with a great yarn and who wouldn't love it?

I also like the Jaden pattern... looking at it, not wearing it. It's cute and would be adorable on some young and thin 20 year old.

The green wrap is blocking on Cate's bedroom floor. When I got out the shower this morning I found Irish laying on it waiting for me to come out of the bathroom. Great. Washable wool and Yellow Lab hair. Grrr..... Should have shut the bedroom door!

Oh, one more Knitty comment. If you're worried about your legs being cold, why do you wear a skirt up to your butt? (really, I think they're cute... but I never actually "got" leg warmers.)

Basketweave Wrap Complete

As you can see, I went with the crocheted trim. Why? Lack of patience, that's why.

I couldn't get the applied I-cord instructions and I was too impatient to wait for help.

But I like it. (I would probably have liked the i-cord better, but, oh well.)

I made up the pattern and there are things I would do differently. I would make it a little longer and less wide. I felt like I had to cut the length short because if I had kept going, it would have looked more like a blanket! In blocking, I will try to stretch it out a little bit to achieve a longer, less wide appearance.

I am working on another really cute project but I can't show it here. It's a surprise!

I found this while surfing yesterday:

In the blog that I was looking at, it was done in navy blue and it was wrapped around a figure-form. It was gorgeous. I'm not crazy about the yarn in this version, but I love the design. I can see this in off-white wool. A definite future project. And I already have the yarn. Why can't I stop knitting wraps?

****

see the other version here:

The Needle Lady Blog

The Sewing Bug

I bought that dang sewing machine to make Mr. C. a Halloween costume and I haven't looked at it since. It could be time. I'm going to finish the three knitting projects I need to get finished and then I'm diving into some sewing.

First of all, I can't find clothes that I like in the stores anymore. Everything is this stretchy 70's fabric that I hate.

Cases in Point:

Been there. Done this. Don't want to do it again.

What happened to normal clothes? I'm not a big skirt and blouse person. I prefer to wear dresses in the summer or summer slacks. So I guess I'll just make my own dresses if I can't find what I like anymore. I used to sew a lot when my kids were little. I never anticipated doing it again.

But desperate times call for desperate measures!!

A Lot Of Nothing Going On.....

Well that's not exactly true. There have been things going on, but no knitting news worth speaking about. I'm still just hammering away at the green wrap. It's coming right along. I took it to Monroeville with me for the weekend and put a good many inches on it. I went shopping, DH went to the Golf Expo at the ExpoMart. I considered going to Bonnie's (?) LYS in Monroeville but I quickly talked myself out of that as I need NOTHING. I'm good for projects for about 3 years.

On the home front, Cate came home from Virginia and bought a new Jeep Commander over the weekend. She thinks she's all that and a bag of chips now. (just kidding Cate... you deserved it.)

Mr. C. locked his mother out of the house this morning and lots of hilarity ensued. Fortunately, he locked the glass storm door and just stood there (with a grin from ear to ear) where she could see him the whole time while she waited for the locksmith to come and rescue him (or her if you think about it). He threatened to shut the solid wood main door a few times but didn't. That would have been a problem. She said she had just come home from the supermarket and McDonalds, and was going out to get the last bag of groceries when he reached up and flipped the latch on the storm door. He had a Happy Meal in the kitchen and she said he made a few french fry runs in the interim but mostly just stayed at the door. Good thing baby # 2 has not arrived yet. Ahh.. the joys of parenthood. He's only 20 months old. The terrible 2's should be fun.

Knot My Knitting

This is the Baby Bolero from the One Skein book. Kelly is making it for Clare. It is turning out great in Blue Sky Alpaca Cotton.... very soft. After helping her with the finishing the only thing I will say about the pattern is that I don't understand how they expect you to pick up so many stitches around for the border on such a small piece. I picked up what I could, and it's just going to have to work. I guess we'll see. There is a K2,P2 border the whole way around the sweater that she will do now and it will be finished. The little "lace" feature on the back is so cute.































Here is the progress on my green wrap. It's coming along. I'm still enjoying the process. I'm thinking of a navy border around it in single crochet. I'd rather do an I-cord, but I don't think that can be done on something so large, can it? Don't y0u have to pick all the stitches up and do it in the round? Hmmn...

An article I read on the computer today......

From the Editors at Netscape -

You may look half your age, but if you're over 40 there are certain things you should never wear -- no matter what.
That's the word from fashion guru Tim Gunn, who serves as the mentor on the hit reality series 'Project Runway' that premiered on Bravo in 2004.
When Gunn was a guest on the 'Oprah' show, he laid down the law to the over-40 crowd.
If you're over 40, you should never wear:
1. Horizontal stripes
2. Jackets that hit at mid-thigh
3. Pleated pants
4. Double-breasted blazers
5. Capri-length pants
6. Low-rise jeans

So is this guy smoking crack or what? I get the first two things. (although I still don't understand what they have to do with age. Not too many women of ANY age can pull those looks off) But the rest?? We're not over 80, we're over 40 for God's sake. I never liked him on Project Runway and I like him even less now. I just love it when MEN decide what we should and shouldn't wear.

What in the heck could possibly be wrong with capri-length pants? I guess we should all just be condemned to wear long pants in the summer for the rest of our lives. I wonder if short shorts are more appropriate??

This guy's a nut ball.

On not knitting....

I am SO not a winter person. I become a total recluse in the winter. Sometimes, truthfully, I have my p.j.'s on at 6:30pm and I just sit and knit until it's time to go to bed. I put off doing other things in the winter. I don't want to go out. The good thing about my job is that it's slow in the winter and I don't have to spend much time out and about in the evenings because it's too dark to see anything anyway.

Last night I picked Colin up at daycare and we went to visit my mother for the evening. No knitting got accomplished and it was certainly a deviation to my normal routine. While we were there, he stuffed himself with pizza and then she got out the chocolate. He put a dent in that and then asked for grape juice, which he proceded to spill on the ottoman. She never batted an eye. Some things are just more important than stains. He calls her Gigi. She calls him Dolly Dingle (some sort of Irish thing I think). He enjoys seeing her. She really enjoys seeing him.

It made me realize I need to get out of my selfish winter rut. Life goes on in the winter. Maybe instead of hibernating I'd be a lot better off doing more important things.

Joyful, blissful, mindless knitting...

The new basketweave wrap:


































This is the kind of knitting that sucked you in in the first place. Fast, easy, and gratifying.
Of course now that I'm this far I realize that there are a few things I would do differently if I ever made another one. First of all, I put too many stitches on. I'd cut it down to 90 stitches from 110. And I'd go down a needle size. I think I'm using 9's. 8's would have been better. It's more like a blanket than an wrap! But I still know I'm going to love it. I have a self-imposed deadline for this and that is March 28th. I should be able to get it finished. I don't have plans to wear it, I just want to get it finished so I can start the baby blanket (which I said I would never knit) When my kids were born I bet I got 10 crocheted baby blankets and never used half of them. That's when I said I'd never put the time in to do one of those. But then I came across a great pattern, and some great yarn, and I just have to do it. I'd show it to you... but there are lurkers here... and it's a surprise. :-)

Wrap Obsessed

Because I am totally crazy, I started another wrap last night using this yarn. What is it about wraps? I think I know what it is. I love to knit things that have absolutely no shaping that I know I will wear. I was watching the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" with Reese Witherspoon and there is a scene where she's standing on a dock talking to her hunky not-quite ex-husband and she has on the most adorable basketweave stitch wrap on. So, me being me, I get on the computer and google a few words to see if I can come up with a pattern and I find nothing. (Although someone on Ravelry writes something about it but has nothing to show for it) Anyhoo.... I just started knitting and I think I like it so far. Hopefully I'll have a photo tomorrow. It doesn't look like much yet.

A word about Kraemer yarns. I really like them. A Pennsylvania product, I've been buying them here:

Victoria's House of Needleart

for a few years now and I haven't found one I haven't liked yet. They have a little bit of everything. The Summit Hill is a superwash wool worsted and it feels great. I was hooked on Cascade 220 for a while but this is much softer... and washable! I made Mr. C. a sweater with some of their cotton yarn and it turned out great. I made myself a shawl using their Alpaca and it is totally awesome. Anyway, try it, you'll like it.

As I was surfing the web this morning, I came across this incredible afghan:

theraineysisters.com » Great American Aran Afghan

I would absolutely never have the patience to finish something like this, but it sure would be fun trying. I love the square with the sweater on it. I made an aran afghan once that was only a fraction of the work, and it took me 10 years to finish it. Yes. Way.

Nupps From HELL

I decided to get the Estonian Garden wrap back out since there is no longer any urgency for Colin's ex-sweater (which is now slated to be gifted to a baby to be named later). I have finished the middle of the wrap. But before I get into my rant, which of course I'm going to, I just have to say to you lace knitters out there, if you haven't tried addi turbo for lace needles, you don't know what you are missing. They are awesome beyond words. What a difference they made after doing the bulk of the work with regular needles.

Here is a photo of my finished "middle".

Here is a photo (from the pattern) of the border that I attempted to start last night.

Because the photo is crappy, you can 't see the "nupps", but they're there. I read the pattern, I practiced on old yarn, and I got it without any problem. But there was a problem. At the end of the first nupp row, which is always a right side row, I was proud of myself because I had the correct number of stitches and just assumed I did everything right. On row two, everything was screwed up. I did this SIX times! I finally had to put another 8 row repeat on the body of the shawl just to finally use that beat up yarn so I don't keep abusing it trying to figure this out. And don't even get me started on how difficult it is to purl the 5 nupp stitches together, even WITH addi turbos for lace! My problem, obviously, is in trying to stay in sequence with the pattern on the initial row, although every time I did it, I had the correct number of stitches at the end, so that really doesn't make any sense. And the pattern can't be wrong. Too many people have made this and there is no mention anywhere of errata. So. Frustrating.

My plan of attack at this point is to find a simpler border. Something easy that will still look nice. I'm open to suggestions. I really truly do not want to revisit the original instructions. Way too frustrating!

Candle Countdown... getting there slowly.

Since yesterday was a bank holiday, I lit the little bugger before I went to work knowing DH would be home all day. (heh heh)

The Fun Factor

If there is one thing I've learned over the years, it's that you have to stop every now and then and just knit something little for fun. Wendy Bernard's Dream Swatch pattern is exactly what the Dr. ordered for times like this. This pattern is so much fun to knit. I just love switching those stitches around on the needles. And dropping the wraps is almost as much fun as letting the stitches run in the Clapotis pattern. One word of advice though... if you are using left over Koigu from socks, you'll run out of yarn for this pattern. Mine is not nearly as long as it should be, but I still think it will tie around someone's head without too much trouble.

I babysat Colin over the weekend and I found out for sure that his sweater will never fit him. That is why I am redirecting the love with that one. I have another intended recipient now... he just has to turn out to be a boy. I have a 50-50 chance. Not bad odds. And I think the little mother knows what she's having and isn't telling. I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed on this one.

CANDLE COUNTDOWN

Maybe 1/16th burned. A LONG way to go. (cough, cough)

T.G.I.F.

I've had such a boring week. Nothing is going on at work. Real Estate is so weather driven. When the weather is bad, real estate activity dies. And we're in the middle of a dry spell. But it is the calm before the storm. The tide will turn in March as it always does. So I guess I should just shut up and enjoy the lull. But I do hate to be bored.

I made some progress on Colin's sleeves last night.

I've never done two sleeves at a time but it seems like the way to go on a baby sweater. I just want to get this sweater done an move on. I've had such trouble with it. And, truly, I think it's going to be too small now. If I would have finished it when I had planned to, he would have gotten some good use out of it. (But don't get me started on Zoe.....)

My son's girlfriend is visiting for a few days so that should be fun. She lives in Cecil which is a town I'm sure my Pittsburgh buds are familiar with. I'd like to take her to the LYS tomorrow. I got her knitting over the holidays but I haven't had a chance to ask her if she has kept at it.

Valentine's Day was interesting. I love Yankee Candles. But there is one that I abhor. It's the one people should keep on hand to use if someone passes out. Stick it under someone's nose and use as smelling salts. It's that strong. And, yes, it's the one DH chose to get me for Valentine's Day. Out of how many????? I thought I'd take it back but he thought it would be nice to light it last night when I wasn't paying attention. Naturally I didn't tell him I didn't like it... because, after all, it's the thought that counts. But I can tell you now I'm going to light that thing and let it burn forever just to get it out of my house! And in case you were wondering... It's Home Sweet Home. A better name for it would be Die Lungs Die. But my sweet Mr. C. made up for it with chocolate covered strawberries. He's such a good grandson to know exactly what I'd like.

I have thoughts of the Pinwheel Blanket running through my head for Clare. I'm trying to ignore them. (Did I tell you the new baby's name is Clare??) Anyhow, I really want to cast on for that but I must. get. other. things. finished first!!!!

Happy Weekend. Knit on.

Happy Valentine's Day

What could be better than some red yarn today?

Check out the yummy stuff below.... you can buy this here... and I'd like to... but, alass, funds are low and it would be too much of indulgence for me. But can't you just picture a cute scarf for next Valentine's Day out of this stuff? That Natasha is one fiber artist extraordinaire. I love all of her stuff!

Or you could satisfy your hunger for red on Ebay. Below is a current offering for RED 100% Cashmere. That would work for me too.

There was knitting last night. With the help of a girl on Ravelry, I was able to proceed with Colin's sweater sleeves. Her suggestion was something I should have thought of myself, so simple it's too embarrassing even to relate, but like I've said 100 times before, that's how my mind works (or, um, doesn't work). I have a real thing for numbers. They hate me, I hate them.

Unfortunately it's a trait I have passed down. But back to the sweater... the sleeve instructions are so wrong in that pattern. Doesn't anybody ever proof read? It's very frustrating. You would do well to steer clear of this book:

Just sayin...

Snow Day...

This is our downtown area at 8:00AM this morning. This was taken from outside our court house. Not a lot of activity. The roads were terrible. I barely made it to work. Although it's not deep, my tires were spinning everywhere. I really need an SUV. My boss is vacationing in Phoenix. He had the nerve to call yesterday

and say he was relaxing by the pool. Ugh.

I'm feeling better but I still don't have my knitting mojo back. Of course the sleeve instructions are incorrect on the Zoe Moller sweater I'm making for Colin so that has me stalled once more. I think I can figure it out, I just need to be in the mood to sit down with it which I haven't been. If I ever get that finished, it will be a miracle. And I'll never buy another one of her books again in this lifetime.

Valentine's Day came too fast this year. Maybe it's because I was so sick, but I am not prepared. I didn't get any cards in the mail which isn't like me. I guess they will just have to be late this year. I'm going to take Colin to Barnes and Noble for Valentine's Day. Because if I have to read those books of his one more time, I'm going to scream! We definitely need new books! The thing is, HE doesn't seem to get tired of them!

Sick as a dog....

You know you're sick when you're too sick to knit. I don't know whether I got the flu at home or at the office because people are dropping like flies in both places. And I didn't escape. Today is day 4 of feeling totally lousy.

I had a few rows to finish the back of Colin's sweater and I forced myself to do that last night. I didn't want to, but I got it finished.

Yesterday marked one year since my father died. I don't think I ever knit anything for him ever. Which is strange. But he didn't wear hats or scarves. He wore baseball type caps, but not warm hats. He probably would have liked a warm pair of socks though. I sure wish I could still knit him a pair of socks.

Weekend Chalet Knitting at Blue Knob

My chalet knitting resulted in a Koigu sock. The second one is moving right along too.















Blogger doesn't want to cooperate today so most of my photos won't load. But here is Kelly, Marsha, and my sister in the background knitting away. Kelly learned some lace stitches and decreases so I think she actually accomplished more than anyone. She is making the baby bolero from the One Skein book. It's looking great.


Here we are early morning yesterday with sleep still in our eyes I think. You have to love these no makeup photos.

Lots of knitting was accomplished and many calories were consumed. Oh well, you have to have to have fun every now and then. But back to the diet today!