Okay, so folks have been clamouring for pictures of the recent Knit Meet Ups. Life's been nuts...so I am just now finished with all the editing and uploading.
This is from our wonderful pot luck in July (a bit before we left on vacation).
And from our August pot luck this past Saturday. It was a small affair due to all the rain and storms. But still full of good food and fun.
We just got back from our trip. It was a very productive trip knitting wise. One of my super secret projects was finished and delivered--however--it will remain a secret until November. Sorry guys.
I visited my favourite yarn shop in the world and stocked up on some more malabrigo lace weight. Woot!! Ooo the plans I have for it.
More tales and pictures tomorrow. We drove straight for 24 hours and I am cramped and tired.
Okay fellow Knutters, I am leaving on our annual vacation. But as I can not stay totally unplugged from the internet for long. I will check email and may even post to the blog (once or twice). I am planning on visiting several yarn shops and doing other knitterly things...so at the very least expect a nice long fun post in two weeks.
Wish us luck (Murphy tends to follow us on vacation too...)!
I've not been feeling the knitting lately--basically going through the motions. I am rushing to finish up my Super Secret Projects. I also have a few days till we leave for vacation. We'll be in Virginia for two weeks--posting here will definitely be spotty, at best.
Like I said, I am feeling stretched. I think it's a collusion of things. Family fun stuff (not the one I made, but the one I was put into) mainly--with other stresses sprinkled in. So I found something to put myself in a better mood. While it DID put me in a grand (grand) mood, I was tethered to the couch for a bit.
I chronicled my tethering (smirk) on The other Blog. Really I don't want to have to re-write the post here as well--so go!!
I finally finished one of Micci's socks. Only took a few months--sigh.
I had a lot of questions about how I do my stretchy bind off. I used Peggy's Stretchy Bind Off. But a lot of people were confused about the half hitch loop. So I took pictures of the process. (Some are blurry, I apologise.)
With your right thumb loops yarn as shown, tail in your hand.
Slip working needle into the loop on your thumb from the bottom.
Slip thumb out of loop, leaving loop on the needle.
Pull the yarn by the tail.
Pull tight.
All done! There's the half hitch loop.
In any case this is the bind off I used in my knee high socks. Works like a treat.
This is something I can not fix. I tried to fix it--I started out with two less stitches than I was supposed to have--and it just opened up a can of words. I am not sure what I did. So I must tink...all the way down to that 3rd nub. I am NOT looking forward to this. I figured out how to fix lace mistakes so I wouldn't have to tink, but sometimes...it must be done.
It's too late tonight to tink tonight, so I'll have to do it tomorrow.
Sigh.
I am also goign through some knitting blahs...and this is definitely NOT helping.
One of my good knitting friends, Brenda dropped me a line last night, telling me that my swiffer cloths was mentioned on a podcast on Sunday. Moi? Little ol' me? (I have to say that Brenda did email me as soon as she heard it and some how that email either didn't get to me or my brain lost it--it's been known to happen! So she emailed me again about it last night).
Any hoo the pod cast is here, at Knitting at Night episode 35 (corresponding blog with links). Sweet sweet Casey lovingly mentioned them toward the end of the podcast.
This was actually the first time I ever listened to a podcast and I have to thank Brenda and Casey for potentially starting a new obsession. While listening to the podcast I found my self wondering...hmmm, could I do one too? Nah...actually I hate my speaking voice and I would be worried about my speech fluency--lately it's been really bothering me. AND REALLY do I need one more thing on my plate?? I _don't_think_so.
I am chucking away at the Swallowtail shawl--about thirty more rows left--woot!! I am tired of it being a work in progress (WIP) and I have to admit I am using it to procrastinate a certain super secret project.
Today I also worked on a video for some lace surgery. Sadly my heart wasn't really in to it and consequently my head wasn't there either. The repair is on a very lacy bit, so it's gonna take more brain cells than I had available today.
Here's to brain cells speaking to each other tomorrow!!
I've been feeling pretty blah and tired these past few days. But I did manage to knit a bit. Not much though, however I do have lot's of pictures: go figure!
I got myself another knitting bag. Like my husband said, I don't need another one, but I saw it and it was pretty. I didn't think I'd be able to find another one like it again. Grin.
I got lot's more done on the scarf...well...a few rows at least. I also have enough know to show y'all the scale pattern I am knitting on the flip side.
I really love the color and the pattern. This scarf really is teaching me the loveliness of stockinette. I am now looking forward to the straight knit bits rather than the pattern.
And it's so utterly soft.
Anne dropped off her Dem Fischer again...she needs my lace surgery skills once again.
From how she went on I thought it was a huge mistake. But it's very small. An easy fix.
I could repair it now in five minutes, but I want to try doing another lace surgery video so tomorrow I am going to work on both.
I've been feeling pretty sucky for a few days. I haven't been sleeping right...going to bed very late and waking up very late. It had me very drained. Even so, going to bed at a "decent" hour was incredibly hard. I tossed and turned for over an hour and a half. But managed to drag my arse out of bed before 9 am.
Look at all the sock progress! Courtesy of my sister Kim. Every so often she'll tag along to a knitting group or beg me for some knitting during a Silver Stars game. She's a knitter, but not a Knitter--ya know obsessed. She's made quite a bit of progress. But.
Yes there is a "but" because this is Birdy's blog--and Birdy is short for Birdwell and Birdwell is anal--especially about things she makes.
Can YOU tell what is driving me mad?
Yes, gauge. As I told you last post. I am a tight sock knitter and well Kim is not. It's not that big of a difference. But it is bothering me. And I want to tear out that inch that Kim knit. (She incidentally knit that inch quite quickly--which is totally unfair).
Yeah, I have been incommunicado this week. I took a lot of knitting pictures, but kept them hostage in the camera. I wanted to just take one_more_picture. So I have several different subjects today.
Last Monday (gee the last time I blogged), I helped Anne cast on her toe up socks. Judy's Magic Cast On can be finicky for average fingers, but when one has RA--it can be nearly impossible. I knit the toe, increases and all and handed it off to her once the straight knitting started. I am a tight sock knitter and so the toes were very much cast iron toes. She couldn't poke her needle through my toes, but she could once she had knitted enough. Grin.
I just love the color.
I also started my crayzee scarf inspired by Amy Singer from Knitty. She's started hers back in the beginning of the year and I am sure you remember me ranting about how crazy she was and how if I ever even expressed interest in doing it too--to make sure my husband carted me off to the looney bin. Well...I went off the deep end and started one of my own. (Although I didn't stash dive, but had to BUY some new lace weight)
It's so beautiful. I found the yarn, Claudia's Hand Painted Silk Lace) at Hill Country Weavers. And it inspired me to move past pure stockinette and do a solid pattern on one side. The dark teal just screams scales, so I modified a dragon scale pattern for the other side of the scarf. So one side stockinette, with two faux seams (p1, k1, p1) and the dragon scale. It's maddening.
I love it. Yep that's a penny. And I am about an inch into it now. I hope to show you the other patterned side once I get some more repeats of the dragon scale.
Yes, this is meant to be a long term project.
Speaking of which--I started knitting on the Swallowtail shawl again.
I have finished the main bud pattern and am working my way through the first lily of the valley edge border. I must say I am loving the nupps.
Yes, it does look a bit like cat sick, but once it's finished and blocked--it'll be exquisite. And I am not sure who the recipient is going to be...
I am still working on several projects I am not at liberty to discuss---which probably explains my bloggy silence. I kept some knitting updates under my belt so I can blog again tomorrow with something fresh...grin.
When Jamey and I came up with these stitch markers we only thought about knitting and perhaps earrings (where do YOU store your stitch markers when you aren't using them in your knitting?) Because I don't crochet (I can handle 2, 4,5 needles, but one hook it's beyond me), I didn't even think how useful these are for crocheters. Most of our stitch markers can also be used for for either crochet or knitting.
THEN, I got my Knit Picks order in the mail. It was sent on Tuesday and came today--woot! I guess I can't read because I didn't realise that the Knit Picks interchangeable cables come in sets of two. I bought 4 set of cables (8 cables) and 3 needle tips. That's like 72 needles for like 30 bucks!! (Right?) I also got my size 0 16 inch circular needle--I get to start my crayzee scarf. Woot woot!
Lastly, Anne came over to knit. Her husband is between jobs and he's driving her nuts. I didn't get to start my crayzee scarf, but I did help her start some toe up socks. (I am a very nice friend.)
After a very late dinner--I am finally starting my trip to the funny farm. I have decided though to do one side in dragon scales because between the color and the sheen of the yarn it just screams scales. So: is a patterned scarf on size 0 needles on lace weight crazier than a pure stockinette one?? Smirk.
Oh and I highly recommend to all those on a yarn diet, but seriously loving the new Knit Picks yarns--buy your self a color card. It gives you a taste and a way to fondle the yarn. I, myself, spent a few minutes stroking the swatches on my Shimmer color card.
Seriously this week flew by and although I actually had knitting content--I just couldn't seem to blog about any of it. And although I am suffering from a sinus infection right now (and am pondering just how much snot the human head can hold before it explodes), I must keep my lovely readers updated.
Hmmm, knitting progress or new toys--hmmmm. Eeny Meeny Moe...which one?
KNITTING!
Anne suggested I purl the black to add interest (esp for me since I tend to shy away from pure stockinette). So I tried it.
Eh.
It looks better in the photograph than it did in person. It seemed that the purl made the black too dominant--it threw things off for me. So I ripped it back to the marker (which if you like you can get at the shop) and have since knitted it past the point where I frogged it. I have learned doing socks that sometimes boring stockinette can be relaxing and necessary.
I have been working on my skinny scarves intermittently. I am about half way done--3 feet along. They are getting to the point where doing two at a time is becoming cumbersome. I had hoped buying two wee bags to keep the yarn in would help. I might try tucking the scarf ends in the bags as well--see if that will help.
Now the toys.
I have been looking for a bound graph paper note book (with little teeny squares 10 to an inch). I finally gave up and bought a tablet and a portfolio case to hold it in.
I like the polka dots. It's bigger than I had in mind, but it'll work. And it's already in use and have proven very handy.
I also got something I had my eye on for a while now.
And it's red.
I also ordered (much to the dismay of Jamey--but I had to celebrate a large BK order!!) some needles from Knit Picks. One set is for Super Secret Project 3 and of course a set of 16 inch size 0 circulars for my crazee scarf. I even dreamed about getting them last night, I am THAT excited. I was a tad disappointed they didn't come today. LOL. They only shipped on Tuesday. I ordered enough needles for some upcoming projects. Woot.
My friend Lei Lani casually mentioned she had something for me--so keep an eye on the mail box. Well, I promptly forgot and my husband overlooked it in the incoming mail--and I found her envelope a week after she sent it. Then I remembered!
I love the cute little cat playing with yarn (thank god my cats completely ignore MY yarn). And inside:
I could have cried, it is the sweetest most un-silly thing any one has ever done.
I was horribly disappointed I couldn't go to the 1000 Knitters photo shot and meet Franklin (ya'll have to know by now that I desperately want to be famouz--grin). I was a mite disappointed only 67 showed--with this big state of knitters you would have though there were more knitters that weren't camera shy. I think there we many like me that just could not arrange it with their schedules. I WAS able to go to Austin 13 days later and see the art work Franklin left on the walls of The Knitting Nest.
Last night (Saturday) we had our monthly Knitting potluck. However, I was too out of it to take pictures...we even had two new gals come! Our hostess also had scheduled a birthday party for her two sons earlier in the afternoon, so not only was it a very long (but fun day), I had the kids with me.
I've been super busy this week--hence why this post is dated for Sunday the 22nd but being posted on the 27. And I haven't made much progress on any knitting that I can actually show you.
On top of that I think I am coming down with something, me, Micci and Lori. It's been a little over a week since the kids had their annual physical: so we're on schedule for some sort of sickness!! Ask me why I hadn't taken the kids to the sick in two years... because I was fed up catching the latest disease from the office. Argh. I haven't been able to sleep because of the sore throat and Lori cried herself to sleep last night because she was in pain (wouldn't touch the sore throat drops).
