Dear Brown Sweater,

As much as I adore the fact that you are my first top down sweater, our relationship isn't progressing as quickly as I thought. I need to put you down for a few weeks. I think we should be free to play with other yarn & needles for awhile. If you truly must know, there is this fluffy thick red & black yarn that has been calling me. It's flirtatious overtures can no longer be ignored. It's 3sts/inch gauge is just too appealing.

I hope that you can forgive me & trust that I will return. Trust that there will be a time when you can return to my lap with the dog(s) & cat on cold, windy, and/or rainy days.

Sincerely,
Your Knitter

Don't Knit on Painkillers

The second sleeve of the Deep Breath Sweater is done. Both cuffs match (one had a picot edge, but it curled in a ugly, not design element, sort of way) and are in 2x2 rib.

Knitting on painkillers is a bad idea for a number of reasons.

• Poor posture/bad position not noticable due to blocked pain receptors (ie knitting over a small dog, while other small dog is under elbow)
• Can't update Ravelry due to nausea experienced from reading and/or screen refresh rate
• Can't read pattern (see above reason)
• Gauge is looser than normal (10% due to now using metal circs & not Denise needles, 90% due to meds)
• One doesn't care about gauge (100% meds)
• Over estimation of knitting powers--I can thread a long circ along just one entire row of many (apprx 100) stitches in a variegated yarn & not jump to another row). This is of course to frog the 2 inches of loose gauge knitting while on prescription. It took me an hour to frog, pick up all the "frogged by accident" stitches, and start again.

Last week I discovered that I had to rip back 3 inches of a half-dome hat 'cause I forgot to change to larger needles. I was successful in that ripping event--then again it was before the prescription.

I'm trying to assemble a group of knitters to go to the Hartford Wolf Pack game on 1/19. Interested? Please comment so we can coordinate the meetup.

Typing on painkillers

After hearing most other knitters resolutions, I have put together my own list.

• Complete 8 major knitting projects (1 sweater = major project)


• Complete 3-4 pairs of socks (in addition to major knitting projects)


• Complete 1 charity knitting project


• Knit for above from stash as much as possible. If yarn is purchased, project needs to be completed prior to year end.


• Post to blog weekly


• Spin 2 hours minimum per week


• Attempt dying

Note:In the event of buying house/selling condo, only 6 major knitting projects is acceptable.

I've had a great start to the year thus far. I'm hoping to complete the second sleeve on the Deep Breath Sweater today. I completed 2 sewing projects this past weekend. I made these 2 great bags for knitting & made face cradle covers for my office.

Why am I typing on painkillers? I had a tooth pulled today. Typing is not agreeing with the medicine & I must go lay down now.

End of another year

Each year at this time, I do the usual review of the previous year's events--good & not-so-good. I'm releaved most of the psycho shoppers/drivers will retreat to their homes and post shopping debt--now if I could only outlaw the number of displays in the aisles at the grocery store & the race car grocery carts that get caught on the displays when zooming past me.

I spent some santa money on fiber stuff--went to the yarn sale @ Webs last week with the main purpose of picking up a part for my Louet wheel and bought a sweater's worth of yarn in purple & 2 scarves worth of cashmere/silk for $15/scarf (sorry no pics...spent too much time spinning this afternoon and it's too dark now).

I picked up my new spinning wheel on Saturday AM & I love it! It's a Kromski Sonata & it's so much easier to use. I'm much more relaxed at this wheel than the Louet. I originally thought I would continue to use the Louet for plying since it's bobbins are much larger....now I'm not so sure.

Well, off work on the deep breath sweater. It'll probably take me all evening to figure out where I left off in June.

Sunday Sleet

The weather today is complete crap. Although I must admit that I did have fun baja-ing into work at the hospital this morning & then back into my parking lot. I love my Subaru! The only thing that could make it better would be snow tires. I advocate practicing driving maneuvers in an empty parking lot when the weather turns snowy/icey. I feel more confident driving in wacky weather when I know how my car will respond under certain conditions.

I finished nearly all my holiday knitting!!!! I even got Salta to model the alligator scarf for me today! I only have a bath mitt & the other shadow knitting pot holder to go. I dropped the idea of making mittens for my BIL & FIL 'cause my hubby said "no one wears mittens". So, I'll make a pair of mittens for myself & possibly a hat for the hubby.

I am finding myself already thinking about what my next project will be. The urge to cast-on is strong! I think my will power is stronger. I have other distractions: laundry, making soup for dinner, finishing Xmas gifts. Crap! I just remembered that I still need to sew a lining into the small felted bag.

I've been giving some thought to resolutions for 2008. Usually I settle on something completely attainable & fairly simple to integrate into my life--drink more water, floss more regularly, etc. However, next year we are hoping to leave condo life & get a house of our own. That means that I need to de-clutter the craft corner of the bedroom, replace the carpet, and begin to pack little things. I started 2 weeks ago by packing up the fly tying supplies. Now I need to organize the yarn & finish up some loose ends. I'm still trying to formulate my actual resolution, so you will just need to stay tuned.

Here is the finished canadian hat(s) by Sallie Melville.

How to stop non-knitters in their tracks

This week I transplanted the orchids. The one in the back of the photo still has the battle wounds from a hail storm this past summer.

I photographed the completed gauntlets.

I have been working frantically on the alligator scarf. I hate the acrylic yarn chosen for the project even though the color is good. I have been on a mission to finish this scarf so I can work on other gifts for the holidays. I take it everywhere & sometimes I don't work on it much due to showing it off to people who want to know what it is, who it is for, & answering the "did you make that?" in a way that doesn't make the person feel like he/she is the hundredth person to ask.


I intended to work on alligator this morning with my new knitting group that was meeting this morning, but I never found the meeting spot. Thus I got an early start to my day & I am using my time that I would have spent knitting with them writing this post.






This is where I was last weekend





In two days I got this far by working in public & @ home, even with the "help" of the dogs.





Stay tuned next week for the photo finish--I have to get back to knitting.

Twisted Gauntlet Conundrum

I realize that this is the wrong time to experience and induldge start-itis (the compelling need to start a new project when there is still a project or 2 on the needles). I must have been out of my mind going to a yarn tasting yesterday. However, the yarn I ordered is for xmas gifts AND I'm constantly wanting to start other knitted gifts even though I haven't officially finished ANY yet.

I thought I was making great progress on the alligator scarf. I switched to longer needles & it made working the ridges easier. I still hate the yarn--the price one pays by regularly knitting with good quality yarn. I was up to 4 rows of ridges & was ready to take a photo for blog & ravelry when I noticed that my stitch count was off....and had been off for the past 2 rows of ridges. So I ripped back. I haven't been able to pick up that project since last Friday.


Instead I've been trying to finish the fingerless mitts. I don't know if I'll reach my goal of finishing them today, but I hope to be very close. The green yarn is my waste yarn until I pick up for the thumb.

However, I need your help......I noticed that I worked the first 6 rows on the first gauntlet in stockinette, which causes the expected curling as seen above.





The second gauntlet I actually followed the instructions and did the first 6 rows in garter stitch.


Regardless of the reason for my error (probably wine), I refuse to frog & start the second gauntlet over again. I can only see a few choices:

1. The recipient will never notice
2. This is a design element for designating left vs. right
3. Crochet a decorative edging (I'm thinking scallop)

Suggestions?????