SPARKLY

Thursday, February 14, 2008

So I still have no real pictures to show. The only pictures I took were of my Tendril Embrace socks and I can't show you those. Not yet anyway. I still have the thumb to finish on the baby mitten. I'm not in a rush because Chad doesn't see Sean often. I will finish it soon though because I need the needles for my gloves. I still haven't ripped the start of the first one out yet. It's too pretty! I don't want to rip it until I know I'm starting it again, and I can't start it over until I finish the baby mitten. Maybe I'll do that tonight.

I've been working on other things though. Melissa and I have been planning to do the Charlotte's Web shawl, and I asked her when she wanted to start it. Her answer was that we should each finish off three WIP's first. And my baby mittens don't count lol. So I set to work on my Forest Canopy and finished it yesterday! I was further than I thought. I was at 10 repeats and was thinking I had to do 15, but I only needed to do 11. So I did that and then on to the border. I have to block it still which means cleaning out the kids play area, since that's the only place I can pin it out. I usually have to block overnight as well, since I obviously can't have them in there while the shawl is, and with all of those pins.

But that's finished. So I'm pretty happy about that. It's my second shawl knit from handspun. Speaking of handspun and this is a tangent real quick...I soaked my superwash bfl that I spun for socks, remember it? Well some of the dye came out and now the white parts of the yarn are dingy. I'm a little disturbed about that. I almost don't even want to knit with it because it looks different...but it smells SO good now since I used soak on it and it's even softer than it was before. It fluffed up a TON and it's still pretty. Just weird that it did that...

Ok back to the shawls thing. So after that one was off the needles I dug out the shawl I'm doing for the knitters project. It's that spring things shawl in sage zephyr. I really don't know why I haven't been knitting it, because I love the pattern and the yarn. I think it's the tags. I like writing them, but they weigh the shawl down and tangle the yarn and are in the way. I'd like to finish it though because it will need to be sent off soon. I can't wait to get to the part when I can put the beads on.

So that is my plan, and it should be the second thing I will finish of the three I have to do before I can knit the other shawl. Then I need to finish one more thing and it will probably be a pair of socks. I don't care which ones, I just want a pair done.

Besides that stuff I plan to dig out my mystery shawl and work on that. I'm close to being halfway. I need to finish it. It's so pretty anyway, I'd love to have it done. That and I have like five more shawls I want to knit...Clapotis...well I'm counting that as a scarf since that's how I wear mine. There's the Juno Regina I'm spinning for. There are so many others as well. I think I finally picked a shawl to knit with my Melon seasilk. And there are countless others I need to buy yarn for. I just realized that I have almost NO lace yarn. And tons of shawls that I want to knit, which need more than the 600 yard balls of several colors of zephyr I have. So I plan to start stocking up on the lace, now that I have PLENTY of sock yarn.

Ok well for not much going on I sure do have a lot to say...I think sometimes I use this blog as a substitute for a journal. I used to write in a journal everyday for years. I don't anymore and I do miss it. It's just that Chad is nosy and wants to read everything I'm writing. And it's not like I'm writing anything major but it's like having someone reading your mind you know? It's personal. And I just like it to stay that way. I used to write when he wasn't home, I might have to start that again lol. It would help me keep track of things I think. I used to refer to my journals a lot about events that had happened.

Nicholas goes for surgery Monday to fix his teeth. I'm a bit nervous since they have to put him under to do it. Chad took the day off to go and I think I'm going to let my mother in law go with them and I will stay home with Alexis. It's not that I don't want to go, but I have a hard time watching them do things to my kids. They will have to run an iv and put a tube down his throat, and I can't handle that. I get sick when they do that stuff to me. I'm a wreck when I think about it. Gayleen my MIL worked at the hospital years ago before her injury and knows what they will be doing and handles it better. Plus I think she wants to go for some reason. I will wait home with Alexis and worry and take care of him when he comes home. Monday is going to be a long day...

Since there are no good pictures I'll leave you with a sparkly. I took my wedding ring set in to size it down half a size and it doesn't seem like they did anything, they are still too loose. BUT they cleaned them and did an acid bath and they are looking brand new. They had a yellowish tint to them from wear before. I can't stop looking at them now! Just like when he first gave them to me...(Man I sure know how to ramble on...)

An unexpected visitor...

Monday, February 11, 2008

drops in. Unexpected and most UNWELCOME. So last night, I'm sitting here at the computer and knitting on this:
It's the second toddler mitten if you remember. Chad's buddy Sean and his wife Sadie have a son that just turned one. I made them a hat for him ages ago and I guess they loved it to pieces but it no longer fits. They want another, and that made me think of these mittens. So I'm knitting the second one now. They should fit Syler perfectly.

Anywho, back to my story. I'm knitting along and it's almost time for bed, so I'm trying to relax and feel sleepy since I have to be up in FIVE hours. Suddenly I feel something graze my skin. Now, my hair sheds a lot, so I usually assume that's what it is. And I'm wearing a v-neck, so it's entirely possible that it's a hair tickling me. So I lift up the bottom of my shirt and find this:
I know it's hard to see but look in the bottom of the bottle. See that black spider? Yeah. THAT'S what was IN MY SHIRT. I was screaming and freaking out, and Chad's looking at me like WTF? Anyway he did find it on the floor where I had brushed it off me and he caught it in the bottle. FRIGGEN GROSS. I'm assuming it dropped from the ceiling but who knows. Sheesh. I'm still disgusted and my skin crawls when I think about it.

The only ONLY good thing is it is just a little black house spider. OMG if it'd been a Hobo spider, I would have really freaked out. They are at LEAST two or three times that size, and if they bite you get big holes where the skin gets nasty and just like, dies.

So that was really relaxing...NOT.

Either way there hasn't been much other progress. I discovered on my mitten for me, the brown and mint one from the last post, I'm using the wrong size needles and it's too big. So I need to rip and redo in the right size. That's ok though, I didn't get too far, so I'd rather realize it now. I have been knitting on all the other things too at different times. I should finish the mitten tonight, and then I will probably work on the carolina sock. I decided the pair will be for my sister. I owe her big time. And have repeatedly promised socks. They are totally her colors, so they will be hers. I will probably rip out the mitten too since I haven't done that, and rewind the balls or something.

Ok well that's it for my meager update. More when I get something done!

Stalemate?

Friday, February 08, 2008

I have slowed down a bit on my blogging. Mostly because most of my projects I'm working on are at the point where they don't look any different than they did last time I showed them. I do finally have some progress shots though, so here ya go.

First up is my forest canopy which has grown immensely since my last shot of it. I really like how it's going and it's sooooo easy to knit. I've got a few more repeats of the body to go before I hit the border.
Next we have my Marilinda sock. After a day of knitting I finished the heel and it's gorgeous. I apologize for the cruddy pic but Chad took it and it was night...
Then I have two new projects to show off. First up is my sock that I'm knitting for the Sock Stash Elimination Campaign. This months "orders" were to knit a sock that was designed by Mama Monkey, in honor of her passing. Anyone who knits a pair of her socks will be put in a drawing and I've donated some roving for the prize. It's not yet dyed so I can't show you, but I'll be doing that soon and it will be up on that blog.

Anyway, this is the Carolina sock, but I've made a few modifications. It didn't look good in the self striping yarn and the purl rows, so I omitted those and did a knit row in it's place. I also changed the knit-3-together to a slip 2 as if to knit-knit 1- pass 2 slipped stitches over. It's neater, since in the original version, the k3tog was hidden a bit by the purl row. I really like how this one is coming out, it's super easy to knit, so it's good knitting when you can't concentrate much. Sorry the picture came out so dark...not sure what happened there.
Lastly I started another pair of Selbuvotter mittens. I couldn't help myself after I picked up a few more colors of the Baby Ull. This is mitten pair NHM #7, but I'm using the cuff, and probably the thumb of NHM #9. I think it's going well so far and I love the colors. I also got more black and a baby blue to match my coat, well both coats actually. I still have the red and white too. Oh, and what's that plastic thing you ask? Why that my dears is a NeedleKeep. I got two of them in sizes 6 and 7 inches from Marelle on etsy. I love them to pieces. I was always too afraid to take my socks or things on dpn's with me anywhere since they could break. These are made from PVC pipe so they are really sturdy and I don't have to worry anymore! Now I can take things and throw them in my sock bag, and they are good to go. I definitely recommend getting them if you are worried about that like I was. One cap is fixed on there permanently and the other cap is attached to it with elastic, and that's what keeps it on the end. The removable end has a charm on it so you know which one to pull on. You can't see it in my pic, but I have a kitty on the right side. Either way, now I want the other sizes, since I also have dpns that are 5 and 8 inches. So I'll be buying two more of them eventually.

I'm spinning still, some lace from bfl. I'm hoping to get a good amount to use for the Juno Regina shawl/stole on Knitty.com. That's the main stuff right now. So I'm off to go feed the kids lunch now. And me, I'm craving some salad with chicken and shredded cheese...yum!

Some stuff.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Couldn't think of a better title.

Annnnyway. I haven't posted in a few so thought I should. I haven't been up to a whole awful lot but I have a few things to share.

I went to knitting group on Saturday, and it was the first time in ten days LITERALLY that I got out of the house. I DID manage to remember to bring my camera. But forgot to take any pictures. Sigh. Maybe next time. It was a blast though. I stayed much longer than I planned and there were so many of us this time! Food, knitting, spinning, and fun conversation. The next one is in two weeks and I cannot wait.

While there I finished spinning the second bobbin of the superwash bfl. Then last night I plied it. I think this is by far my favorite skein of yarn I've spun. It's soft and gorgeous and I'm so in love with it. This is also the thickest I've been able to spin! I thought I'd be stuck spinning lace-weight forever. There are 330 something yards and I'm going to make some socks with it.I've been knitting on other stuff. Mostly socks and my forest canopy. No real visible progress so no other knitting pics.

I will leave you with this picture. I saw these at wally world and thought Nick would loooove them. I got them out and said "Here momma got you some bunny ears, put them on!" and he goes "No, I no put on bunny ears." So I got Alexis to put them on. Love the funny face she's making. And you know of course, now he likes them, since SHE had them on. Lol.

Poetry

Saturday, February 02, 2008

I used to be really big on poetry. I read it constantly and wrote it often. I'm hard pressed to find any of my old stuff these days. It must all be packed up somewhere.

Either way, in participation of the Third Annual Silent Poetry Reading, I leave you with this poem. It was my favorite growing up and I used to have it completely memorized.

Daffodils by William Wordsworth

I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of the bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in a sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed --- and gazed --- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.