I've about 8.5" knit on the body of the Bunny Hop sweater. At 14.5" it goes on to a holder, while the sleeves are knitted. Started on Thursday, after swatching earlier in the week, it looks super -- my gauge is consistent, spot on for row gauge albeit a little off on stitch gauge. Somehow, it's wound up being about 34" wide, which is about what the pattern calls for (35" when buttonbands are added). I did do some other swatching, for a coworker's gift of "muffatees". But I really need to measure her hands!
*** Above was written Tuesday, which was the day I went back to work after a mini-staycation. I think I may have suffered a knitting injury, or more accurately, a knitting-or-reading-a-big-book-all-in-one-go injury. My left shoulder is killink me; I could not sleep at all Tuesday night. It's abated a little bit, but I'm taking a break from holding big books and from knitting for a couple of days. Only, I really need to get the sweater done. I have knit (on Tuesday) another inch on the body, and will try limiting my time with it starting this weekend (it's currently in time-out).
Oh BTW -- the staycation was basically about giving DiscoDame a good launch into "spinsterhood". We did a few chores & birthday shopping Thursday & Friday, then took her to a movie (Star Trek: Into Darkness -- a must-see for us fans!!), and dinner at one of her favorite eateries: the Waffle House! I kid you not, she had a waffle for dinner. I had the Official Old Lady Kit wrapped up for her, with all the wacky junk I'd been buying. The reading glasses are way too strong, so we're thinking we'll give them to Goodwill. No one in the house has dentures, but the denture crème is stored in the bathroom.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
I got pictures!
Ok, I failed to take pictures of my nieces in their new made-by-me handknits. And I really wanted pics of the Leaves of Grass fingerless mitts I'd made for Miss A. So...I knit another pair, for me! Check these:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/AnnBan/elegant-alpaca-fingerless-gloves
And this weekend, after much swatching, I've started knitting a Bunny Hop sweater for the Princess. This is in Spud & Chloe Sweater yarn, in colors Grass (more like green apple), Midnight (a dark teal) and Popsicle (either a deep rosy pink or a raspberry-like pink). I'm chugging along on it too; making the largest size for Herself as she's tall for her age and very athletic. Hey, Miss A got a sweater from Auntie Anna, so the Peerless Princess needs one too. The best part? Both the pattern and the yarn were a giveaway prize from Yarn On The House! I am just thrilled to have it all, and will probably be sending pictures everywhere (to V, to the designer, to Spud & Chloe...you want a copy?)
Today we're celebrating DiscoDame's 30th birthday. I gave her an Official Old Lady Kit, with prunes & Milk of Magnesia, denture paste & wrinkle cream, a tube of BenGay, some reading glasses, some adult diapers (!!!boy did I get some grief over that!!!), and a muu-muu type housecoat with pictures of cats pinned all over it. That's her Official Crazy Cat Lady uniform. I took pictures, but I'd better not put them here; she knows where I live (since she lives there too....). The Plaidman found a Plano tackle box in the size she wanted, for a lot less than the price at the outdoor store. It's huge, and she's going to put all her beading gear in it. By the time she gets it filled, she won't be able to lift it. Anyway, part of the celebration is a visit to the library, so here we are.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/AnnBan/elegant-alpaca-fingerless-gloves
And this weekend, after much swatching, I've started knitting a Bunny Hop sweater for the Princess. This is in Spud & Chloe Sweater yarn, in colors Grass (more like green apple), Midnight (a dark teal) and Popsicle (either a deep rosy pink or a raspberry-like pink). I'm chugging along on it too; making the largest size for Herself as she's tall for her age and very athletic. Hey, Miss A got a sweater from Auntie Anna, so the Peerless Princess needs one too. The best part? Both the pattern and the yarn were a giveaway prize from Yarn On The House! I am just thrilled to have it all, and will probably be sending pictures everywhere (to V, to the designer, to Spud & Chloe...you want a copy?)
Today we're celebrating DiscoDame's 30th birthday. I gave her an Official Old Lady Kit, with prunes & Milk of Magnesia, denture paste & wrinkle cream, a tube of BenGay, some reading glasses, some adult diapers (!!!boy did I get some grief over that!!!), and a muu-muu type housecoat with pictures of cats pinned all over it. That's her Official Crazy Cat Lady uniform. I took pictures, but I'd better not put them here; she knows where I live (since she lives there too....). The Plaidman found a Plano tackle box in the size she wanted, for a lot less than the price at the outdoor store. It's huge, and she's going to put all her beading gear in it. By the time she gets it filled, she won't be able to lift it. Anyway, part of the celebration is a visit to the library, so here we are.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
It's getting silly...
When I got home last night, I had a package with a Royal Mail stamp on it. The silk noil lace yarn has arrived, from Colourmart. Good golly, but it's so very thin! It looks more like sewing thread than yarn. I may wind off a couple of cakes and try double stranding a swatch.
I've bound off the distal end of the 2nd Leaves of Grass mitt in my pair -- this is what I'm calling my mod of the pattern. And I picked up the thumb gusset stitches & knit the first round. I should work two or three more rounds in stockinette, then four rows of k1p1 ribbing & bind off. Weave in the ends, and have a pair I can photo & wear at my desk in the meat locker.
I've bound off the distal end of the 2nd Leaves of Grass mitt in my pair -- this is what I'm calling my mod of the pattern. And I picked up the thumb gusset stitches & knit the first round. I should work two or three more rounds in stockinette, then four rows of k1p1 ribbing & bind off. Weave in the ends, and have a pair I can photo & wear at my desk in the meat locker.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Excitement unending
Wow, was I surprised when my Knit Picks order came in! I'd ordered the same yarn like, six or eight months ago -- and got to thinking it might not be enough. So I ordered more, knowing I'd probably have to alternate between the first batch & second due to them being different dye lots. This is not going to be the case, because the second order is from the same dye lot!! How cool is that! I've already sent hugs to the Customer Service folks at Knit Picks; they are my heroes. I got in some more books from ThriftBooks, very inexpensive and hey, these aren't meant to be "coffee table" books so I don't mind if the dust jacket has a piece missing, or if the spine is a little worn.
Come to think of it, I've never shared all the goodies that came with me from Texas. I did in fact make purchases at The Yarnivore the day Pup & I visited: some sock yarn (doesn't count, right?), a shawl pin in dark wood, and a pack of Clover cable needles, just like the other 2 (or 3?) I had at home, but which I forgot to pack even though I was working on a cabled project. The Monday before I came home (aka Tax Day!) I stopped at Hill Country Weavers in Austin, which is way too much fun. I bought some gorgeous alpaca lace yarn pour moi, and two skeins of a Berocco yarn for MeMaw's scarf -- which should probably be a cowl, and needs to be very smooth and light, something she can use to keep scratchy collars off her neck. I have since reconsidered the yarn, and bought something else. I also picked up several Mission Falls booklets, which were "free to good home". But I'm getting things out of order -- Sis & I went to the Half Price Bookstore at one point, and I got three terrific and BRAND NEW books for a song. One is Reversible Knitting, full of curious ideas about ways to wear their knits. It's not so much that the knits can be turned inside-out, but that they might be turned topsy-turvy or sideways. Rather an adjusstment to the viewpoint, than to the patterns.
I got another terrific surprise, and yes it involves yarn (what doesn't?!?!). I'd commented on an interview in Yarn On The House, for a giveaway that I thought would be a pattern and three skeins of yarn. The pattern's in my Ravelry library, and I was waiting on the yarn -- and thought I'd likely have to buy six more skeins (Spud & Chloe Sweater) for the size sweater I wanted for the Princess. The giveaway yarn arrived in the mail, and it's all NINE SKEINS needed for her size!! I am floored, just gobsmacked I tell ya. And I love the colors -- I did pick them out, but hadn't seen them "in person" before the box hit the mailbox. Now I need to get it in gear so she can have this sweater before she outgrows the largest size. The Princess isn't going to be a small gal, but will likely not have an extra ounce of fat on her. She's very athletic! I guess she takes after her mama's "gymnast" side; Miss A has her mama's musical gift. Hmm, just had a thought: the Princess collects American Girl dolls (actually both girls do); wouldn't it be too cool if I could make a sweater for her dolls too? I will have to look for patterns.
Come to think of it, I've never shared all the goodies that came with me from Texas. I did in fact make purchases at The Yarnivore the day Pup & I visited: some sock yarn (doesn't count, right?), a shawl pin in dark wood, and a pack of Clover cable needles, just like the other 2 (or 3?) I had at home, but which I forgot to pack even though I was working on a cabled project. The Monday before I came home (aka Tax Day!) I stopped at Hill Country Weavers in Austin, which is way too much fun. I bought some gorgeous alpaca lace yarn pour moi, and two skeins of a Berocco yarn for MeMaw's scarf -- which should probably be a cowl, and needs to be very smooth and light, something she can use to keep scratchy collars off her neck. I have since reconsidered the yarn, and bought something else. I also picked up several Mission Falls booklets, which were "free to good home". But I'm getting things out of order -- Sis & I went to the Half Price Bookstore at one point, and I got three terrific and BRAND NEW books for a song. One is Reversible Knitting, full of curious ideas about ways to wear their knits. It's not so much that the knits can be turned inside-out, but that they might be turned topsy-turvy or sideways. Rather an adjusstment to the viewpoint, than to the patterns.
I got another terrific surprise, and yes it involves yarn (what doesn't?!?!). I'd commented on an interview in Yarn On The House, for a giveaway that I thought would be a pattern and three skeins of yarn. The pattern's in my Ravelry library, and I was waiting on the yarn -- and thought I'd likely have to buy six more skeins (Spud & Chloe Sweater) for the size sweater I wanted for the Princess. The giveaway yarn arrived in the mail, and it's all NINE SKEINS needed for her size!! I am floored, just gobsmacked I tell ya. And I love the colors -- I did pick them out, but hadn't seen them "in person" before the box hit the mailbox. Now I need to get it in gear so she can have this sweater before she outgrows the largest size. The Princess isn't going to be a small gal, but will likely not have an extra ounce of fat on her. She's very athletic! I guess she takes after her mama's "gymnast" side; Miss A has her mama's musical gift. Hmm, just had a thought: the Princess collects American Girl dolls (actually both girls do); wouldn't it be too cool if I could make a sweater for her dolls too? I will have to look for patterns.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Blogger fail
Well, I've searched & dug through all the photos I've taken lately -- without finding any of the lovely fingerless mitts I made for Miss A. But it's not all bad news: courtesy of a fellow Raveler, I have 3 more skeins of the Stitch Nation Alpaca Love in Dusk colorway! Two are one dye lot, and the third is another. I figure about I can get legwarmers from the matching two, and at least 3 more pairs of mitts from the other.
I have gone crazy for new yarn; could it be due to Spring finally starting to show up here? I bought some yarn to make Betty A a scarf, but then decided it was too heavy for her. So I've ordered from Colourmart, a lovely lace weight silk noil that looks tweedy(!) medium brown. The flecks are NOT neutral, but all kinds of color. Can't wait to see it!
I was re-reading the latest post on The Panopticon, and thought about part of my recent trip to Texas. While in The Yarnivore in San Antonio, I got to see some remarkable artifacts. The store owner had a silk (?we think) camisole, possibly cut down from a slip, that had some fabulous lace trim & lace straps -- and it looked to be from the early 20th century, likely 90 years old. Then she reached under the counter and pulled out three darling little caps, one done in tatting, one in bobbin lace, and the third looked to be crocheted. All very old & somewhat yellowed, and showing some minor damage -- but what lovely work! I sure do wish the camera hadn't done a big fail that day.
I bought some more yarn from Knit Picks, and just got an email letting me know it'd been shipped. So now I've got yarn coming in the mail from three sources -- I really gotta get a grip on the stash acquisition. I don't know what made me think I could knit the Plaidman a sweater with 10 balls of aran weight yarn; I'll soon have another 10 of the same stuff (different dye lots, I'm sure -- not a prob, I'll alternate rows between the two dye lots). As to the third source: I won a giveaway on Yarn On The House! I'm so tickled! FREE yarn, what could be better.
I have gone crazy for new yarn; could it be due to Spring finally starting to show up here? I bought some yarn to make Betty A a scarf, but then decided it was too heavy for her. So I've ordered from Colourmart, a lovely lace weight silk noil that looks tweedy(!) medium brown. The flecks are NOT neutral, but all kinds of color. Can't wait to see it!
I was re-reading the latest post on The Panopticon, and thought about part of my recent trip to Texas. While in The Yarnivore in San Antonio, I got to see some remarkable artifacts. The store owner had a silk (?we think) camisole, possibly cut down from a slip, that had some fabulous lace trim & lace straps -- and it looked to be from the early 20th century, likely 90 years old. Then she reached under the counter and pulled out three darling little caps, one done in tatting, one in bobbin lace, and the third looked to be crocheted. All very old & somewhat yellowed, and showing some minor damage -- but what lovely work! I sure do wish the camera hadn't done a big fail that day.
I bought some more yarn from Knit Picks, and just got an email letting me know it'd been shipped. So now I've got yarn coming in the mail from three sources -- I really gotta get a grip on the stash acquisition. I don't know what made me think I could knit the Plaidman a sweater with 10 balls of aran weight yarn; I'll soon have another 10 of the same stuff (different dye lots, I'm sure -- not a prob, I'll alternate rows between the two dye lots). As to the third source: I won a giveaway on Yarn On The House! I'm so tickled! FREE yarn, what could be better.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Home life
Yep, I'm back in middle Tennessee, with the Plaid Patrol up to our usual tricks. How quickly my roomies revert to type; I don't think they cooked or cleaned in the kitchen the ENTIRE week I was gone. Yesterday was my first day back at work, really hard to get in gear -- and I did not have dinner waiting when I got home. Sigh! Even the cats seemed a bit underwhelmed by my return.
After picking me up at the airport, Pup drove to The Olive Garden Restaurant -- one of his "usual" haunts! Pup doesn't cook for himself, so he's been eating two meals a day at restaurants. After lunch, we swung by The Yarnivore, just off NW Military Hwy and only about 3 or 4 miles from Pup's house!), and I picked up some (more) cable needles -- and why did I pack a cabled project without the cable needles? I did my packing Tuesday evening and was up way past my bedtime getting it done, so I guess I'm lucky I had a toothbrush! The brain had gotten a bit frazzled by the time I put my head on the pillow... Pup & I then went to his house and relaxed until dinnertime, when he took us to the Black-eyed Pea restaurant. I ate just the most tender, flavorful pork chop I've ever encountered. I checked yesterday, and glory glory there's one in Hendersonville! I can't wait to take Plaidman there; he's crazy about a good chop.
Thursday the two of us cruised over to the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, had lunch in their recently refurbished cafe, and strolled around a while. The orchid enclosure is not to be missed. I took pictures (of course), but didn't get Pup to take mine as he'd already told me I looked like a Greek orphan. I guess it was the navy "short pants" and sweater? Whatever.... We made plans for Friday, Witte Museum in the a.m. followed by lunch, then hitting the road for Austin. But it didn't quite work that way. We left for Austin about noon, and stopped for lunch at Jim's (Pup had another pork chop!), arriving at Sis' about 1:30 or so. Bro-in-law was there to let us in, but Sis & the nieces hadn't gotten home yet. Pup decided not to stay the night, and left before the ladies got home. O..K... Friday was the Princess' birthday, and we were all supposed to help her celebrate. There was a bit of another hitch: Miss A was away at a competition, and wouldn't be getting back until about when the Princess should be going to bed, but wanted us to wait on her arrival before we went to dinner. I think Sis turned the Escalade around 3 times before we got it sorted, and Bro agreed to go pick up Miss A after the rest of were seated. I think it was worth the trouble. Miss A's orchestra won the State competition! and she got a Level 1 (tops!) for her solo!! So we had lots to celebrate. There was a lot of laughing, and we all decided the Princess' birthday should just continue all weekend (not quite what my Mom would call a "Polish birthday", but sort of mini-version of such). More plans were laid: we'd all go to see Jurassic Park 3-D on Saturday! (Insert maniacal laughter here.) Nothing's more fun than scaring the snot out of an eight-year-old! Sis threw popcorn at me; I threw it back--the usual family shenigans. We wouldn't be our parents' kids otherwise.
During the two days I spent with Pup, he told me quite a few interesting stories, some about his service in the Army Air Corps, some dog stories. When I get done writing down all I can remember of what he said, I'll have to do some research -- the wartime stories are particularly interesting.
Well, I was hoping to put pics of Miss A's mitts here & on Ravelry, but they're not on my flashdrive...and I'm at the library. I've gotta go soon; Disco is across the street at the convention ctr, volunteering at the booth shared by Susan G. Komen Foundation & St Thomas Health. And I haven't had any lunch yet, so I hope some of the vendors are giving away snacks....
After picking me up at the airport, Pup drove to The Olive Garden Restaurant -- one of his "usual" haunts! Pup doesn't cook for himself, so he's been eating two meals a day at restaurants. After lunch, we swung by The Yarnivore, just off NW Military Hwy and only about 3 or 4 miles from Pup's house!), and I picked up some (more) cable needles -- and why did I pack a cabled project without the cable needles? I did my packing Tuesday evening and was up way past my bedtime getting it done, so I guess I'm lucky I had a toothbrush! The brain had gotten a bit frazzled by the time I put my head on the pillow... Pup & I then went to his house and relaxed until dinnertime, when he took us to the Black-eyed Pea restaurant. I ate just the most tender, flavorful pork chop I've ever encountered. I checked yesterday, and glory glory there's one in Hendersonville! I can't wait to take Plaidman there; he's crazy about a good chop.
Thursday the two of us cruised over to the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, had lunch in their recently refurbished cafe, and strolled around a while. The orchid enclosure is not to be missed. I took pictures (of course), but didn't get Pup to take mine as he'd already told me I looked like a Greek orphan. I guess it was the navy "short pants" and sweater? Whatever.... We made plans for Friday, Witte Museum in the a.m. followed by lunch, then hitting the road for Austin. But it didn't quite work that way. We left for Austin about noon, and stopped for lunch at Jim's (Pup had another pork chop!), arriving at Sis' about 1:30 or so. Bro-in-law was there to let us in, but Sis & the nieces hadn't gotten home yet. Pup decided not to stay the night, and left before the ladies got home. O..K... Friday was the Princess' birthday, and we were all supposed to help her celebrate. There was a bit of another hitch: Miss A was away at a competition, and wouldn't be getting back until about when the Princess should be going to bed, but wanted us to wait on her arrival before we went to dinner. I think Sis turned the Escalade around 3 times before we got it sorted, and Bro agreed to go pick up Miss A after the rest of were seated. I think it was worth the trouble. Miss A's orchestra won the State competition! and she got a Level 1 (tops!) for her solo!! So we had lots to celebrate. There was a lot of laughing, and we all decided the Princess' birthday should just continue all weekend (not quite what my Mom would call a "Polish birthday", but sort of mini-version of such). More plans were laid: we'd all go to see Jurassic Park 3-D on Saturday! (Insert maniacal laughter here.) Nothing's more fun than scaring the snot out of an eight-year-old! Sis threw popcorn at me; I threw it back--the usual family shenigans. We wouldn't be our parents' kids otherwise.
During the two days I spent with Pup, he told me quite a few interesting stories, some about his service in the Army Air Corps, some dog stories. When I get done writing down all I can remember of what he said, I'll have to do some research -- the wartime stories are particularly interesting.
Well, I was hoping to put pics of Miss A's mitts here & on Ravelry, but they're not on my flashdrive...and I'm at the library. I've gotta go soon; Disco is across the street at the convention ctr, volunteering at the booth shared by Susan G. Komen Foundation & St Thomas Health. And I haven't had any lunch yet, so I hope some of the vendors are giving away snacks....
Friday, April 12, 2013
from foreign lands
Dearhearts,
I have been visiting with the family in South Texas, and I'm having a terrific time. Wednesday was arrival in San Antonio, which is a lovely town. Dear Ol' Pup carried me to a shop called The Yarnivore, only a few miles from his house. The folks there were lovely, and I really wanted to take some pictures of them. I took out the camera, and it opened the lens, but then the batteries went dead. So no pictures -- and I have their business card with the names of all their folk, but it's in another room. Thursday Pup & I strolled through the San Antonio Botanical Garden, gorgeousness everywhere we looked. I have pictures, and will be uploading them tomorrow. But TODAY is the Princess' birthday! and we're going out to celebrate in about 10 minutes! She's eight today, and so much more mature than the last time I saw her, and so wonderful. Happy Birthday, Princess Peerless!
I have been visiting with the family in South Texas, and I'm having a terrific time. Wednesday was arrival in San Antonio, which is a lovely town. Dear Ol' Pup carried me to a shop called The Yarnivore, only a few miles from his house. The folks there were lovely, and I really wanted to take some pictures of them. I took out the camera, and it opened the lens, but then the batteries went dead. So no pictures -- and I have their business card with the names of all their folk, but it's in another room. Thursday Pup & I strolled through the San Antonio Botanical Garden, gorgeousness everywhere we looked. I have pictures, and will be uploading them tomorrow. But TODAY is the Princess' birthday! and we're going out to celebrate in about 10 minutes! She's eight today, and so much more mature than the last time I saw her, and so wonderful. Happy Birthday, Princess Peerless!
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