Sunday, June 24, 2007

One hour to spare




I haven't posted in awhile due to being blessed by these pretty things outside my door & working on a gift project that is due today (I just finished with an hour to spare).





Two weeks ago I received an invitation for a christening for twins. I then did what any respectful knitter would do....search for a gift project. I really wanted to do a baby kimono jacket, but I couldn't get my hands on a pattern that I liked (minimal seaming). After an evening of browsing the web for free patterns I found "Katja", a baby halter top, from knitty.com.


The following day I bought "Key West Karibbean Kotton" from The Sassy Skein in Beach Glass & Fruit Punch colors. I swatched that night I started knitting the next day. It took me about a week to complete the first halter top due to only 1-2 hours of much interrupted knitting time/day. I think the dogs wait until I pick up the needles to start their potty dance. Of course then we go out & all they do is eat grass. We come back in, I sit down & it starts again...usually with the grass that they ate coming back out.


I started the next halter top & realized that I missed 7 rows in the first one (there were two sections of "7 rows of stockinette" & I just jumped ahead in the pattern. So I finished the second halter top the correct way, then added the 7 rows into the first top & bound off again. After I finished the second top, I got out the measuring tape to check my dimensions 'cause the tops just didn't look quite right. Sure enough, they were 1.5" too wide! I should have measured sooner, but I was knitting in the round instead of flat (as the pattern was written). Normally I don't think an inch would matter, but on a baby garment the difference is readily apparent, even to non-knitters.


So I sat at the Tea shop (I was really supposed to be doing chair massage, but it was a very slow day), placed one of the tops on my head as a hat & did the math......today is Thursday, I have (insert number of hours of knitting time here), projects need to be ready by Sunday at 9:30am. The decision was made.....frog them both!!


People in the tea shop asked me what I was doing. Then I started fresh. I finished the first top & frogged the second, and started on the second all on Friday night. I tried to finish the second on Saturday, but caught myself falling asleep with needles in hand. So I woke up early today. Bound off & sewed in the ends. Steamed them & gift bagged. So now I'm off to shower, 'cause I don't want to be late for church.


Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Getting "high tech"

I've been trying to figure out how to add buttons & links to my blog. So far I've learned that I need something called "basic html skills". At first I took this as a sign of aging & I have visions of becoming my grandmother who still refuses to use a microwave & watches TV that projects all humans as having purple lips & distorted faces (I develop a bit of a facial tic if I stay to long during a visit due to the screen scrolling like a broken movie reel--UGH, yet another sign of age--movie reel...).

I however will not allow my language barrier prevent me from becoming more dorky than I already am. I now ask everyone who I know who has been blogging longer than myself, how to add a button. I've searched google & read the help section of blogger. All the while thinking that I should bring my knitting over to the desktop so I can at least be productive on one project.

All I have learned thus far is that I have inherited 2 generations of stubbornness on both sides of my family. I will not give up until my blog is graced by vibrantly colored links in the side bar! Hopefully this will happen prior to employing anger management techniques to my PC (aka smashing). Stay tuned...