It's all coming together

I am just about caught up. I think. Last week was thrown for a loop as party preparations took over. We went with a "Hungry Caterpillar" theme (and as themes go, it was a loose one) and this was a very DIY party for Nate's 1st.
It was a good day, we had a good time, and afterwards I was exhausted. For several days. Party clean-up, catching up on a few loose ends, and then Nate came down with another bug of some sort. Lorelai's energy has been exponential, and trying to keep up with her is a whole other sporting event.

I have to get the buttons of the cuff I made from the "So Pretty! Crochet" book and then I will really be ready for the review and giveaway. I have one sleeve done on the sweater for Good Karma Farm - it is going to be so hard to send this sweater back. I love it! I have a new skein of Sock Art Forest from Green Moutain Spinnery all caked up and ready to be cast on once a few other things are set. It's always something, right?

One!

The days may be long, but the years are short. Truer words are rarely spoken. I can't believe that already a year has passed since the little nutmeg arrived.

For the record Nate, here's a bit about you. You have 8 teeth and molars are coming in. Your balance is getting to be pretty good, and you are really good at cruising, but you don't seem interested in walking. You LOVE shooting mommy a sly look and crawling away to do the stairs. Which, by the way, you mastered going all the way up in about 2 days. You adore playing with Lorelai and she is a really good big sister to you. You are starting to get picky with food, and you will point to something you want and smack your high chair. No big surprise that you don't talk much - Lorelai does enough for both of you. When she isn't around you do babble and are verbal, and your words right now are Da & Ja. You love to play on the piano, the music cube, and when we listen to music at dinnertime, you "raise the roof"! Happy Birthday, my little guy! Love you!!

Yarn Along - August 15

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

I finally finished The Body In the Library.  It was good, but not one of my favorites.  Maybe because I slogged through it, which is unusual. Just this morning I began reading Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.  To me, this is The Walking Dead crossed with Downton Abbey.  I've also been taking a closer look at So Pretty! Crochet, and I have a project that I need to block! I hope to have a review / giveaway on Friday, so please check back. I should tell you - if you have a kindle, and you do not want to wait for a giveaway, you can get the e-book version for $2.99 for a limited time! What a deal! The purple sweater is the Charelston Tea in the Good Karma Farm yarn. Still totally in love with the pattern and yarn! I am just a few rows away from the bottom ribbing, then on to the sleeves / button band / hood. It is coming along nicely, I think.  

This past week I also finished my Modular Relay event - I knit up 19 hexiflats from the Muppets vs Sesame Street mini-skein swap.  I had to gather everyone around for a photo shoot. 

Feels Good

Way back in early 2010 I started to knit a sweater. It was a test knit and I managed to get all the pieces knit, and I even found buttons.


When I started to seam it up, I encountered major shoulder issues. There should have been a bit of cute puff on the shoulder, but instead I had pointy shoulders. It looked like an odd outfit you might find on Star Trek.


This is one instance where I really did not enjoy test knitting. When I made contact with the designer I was told, "Ok, I'll look at it, but really you should just reknit it". UM. That's not professional or helpful. My gauge was good. I'm testing a pattern to bring potential issues to your attention. I offered a few thoughts on what I thought would work. I was told, "That sounds good. I appreciate your notes." But that still doesn't help me with my sweater. I was so frustrated that the sweater sat. And sat. And sat. I never did try to redo the sleeves because I was just annoyed. Beyond the initial pattern revision due to a math issue, I never saw a revision of the pattern or even the final version so I don't even know what that is like. Anyway. 

Hello Ravellenic Games event, Frogging Trampoline. I have my yarn back.  I have great buttons to match! Now I need to find a better sweater.  I'm thinking maybe Snow White (no buttons needed), Arm Candy, Samovar, or even Notre Dame de Grace.


I am very surprised at how I felt ripping all that work out. It was addictive and therapeutic. And I can tell my seaming skills are getting better as it took me a while to find my ends! Here's to starting over!! 

Yarn Along - August 8

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading?~ {small things}

 

I received a copy of So Pretty! Crochet for a review and giveaway (keep an eye out next week!). It is lovely and the projects are on trend without being something that is a flash in the pan sort of style. Amy truly has an eye for styling! After I get through this chunk of projects I will be working on a few things from the book! We picked up this cute book at the library yesterday - The Hueys in The New Sweater. I'm a big Oliver Jeffers fan and in this book, to make himself different - one little guy knits a sweater, starting a trend. Cute! I'm still reading "Body in the Library. I just haven't felt like reading. 

It's been one of those weeks.  Following last week's yarn along, Nate became ultra fussy and we figured it could be blamed on new teeth coming in.  On Thursday, Nate was not any better, and then at SnB I busted through 4 projects! Good thing I have several options in my bag - I messed up the hat band, brought the wrong needles for a different hat, ran out of a ball of yarn... you get the idea.  Thursday night Nate was up quite a bit, still running a temp, being fussy and developed a rash. Friday morning then started very early (I was up at 4:30 and stayed up), and we were expecting relatives to help install a generator. I took Nate to the doctor's and he was "diagnosed" as having had some virus that resulted in the rash.  And that was about all that could be done, just wait it out.  Meanwhile, Dan wasn't feeling well, and someone made Lorelai's sandwich and didn't put the top of the Fluff container on the right way.

We muddled through the weekend and in between the fussyness of the little ones, fighting my computer's internet issues, I have found little time to knit or read. Oh well.  I do have 4 more hexiflats done, the sleeves for a sample knit are finished (the blue) and I continue to work on the body of the other sample sweater (not shown, it is still a blob). I was able to work up a relatively quick hat for a designer friend that might lead to a bit more knitting work, so yay on that.

Here's to a better week!

Yarn Along - Ravellenic Games Progress

What are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Have you linked up over at Yarn Along?







I feel like I am off to a good start with my Ravellenic Games "competition".  I've started the sleeve for my Sweater Triathalon event, but can't share photos until the design is published. My Rhinebeck hat is started for a Hat Dash, but that is under wraps until Rhinebeck! I did have a super idea for my hat, in my opinion, while working on the Modular Relay race and I am very excited about getting started on it. I hope it turns out the way I picture it!





I can share what I have done for the Modular Relay with my minis.  Six out of the nineteen minis are knit up and the ends are woven in.  I have to say one of my favorite things about working with the minis is getting to try out new-to-me yarns.  I am learning that I really like a yarn with good SQUISH factor.  Skein Queen is one that I LOVED knitting with and I will certainly seek out more. You can see it second from the left, the muted blue-green hexiflat, 80% merino, 20% cashmere; I believe it is the Blush line.  Another good SQUISH yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks the Rock. I have knit with their yarns a few times before.  The colorway Electric KoolAid Acid Test is incredible. I had just enough to make one hexiflat, it is the first one on the left. I do not think I have ever seen a more vibrant shade of neon pink and I love it. I am not a pink person, so that is really saying something.  Every knitter should have this in their stash for knitting with in the depths of winter. I am making a mental note to seek out more of this particular colorway, asap.

Creative Knitting is not usually part of my reading rotation, but I happened to pick it up today just to see what patterns were inside.  I flipped to the back and spotted this! That's the poncho sample I knit up for Plymouth back in February. It was a fun pattern, this is the child's size 8, but if you look at my ravelry photo I was able to wear it! I think this must be similar to what designers feel when they see their design published - my knit is off in the world!