Ravelry Updates

Egad! I've been on the computer for 6 hours: several posts here, blog-browsed (that took about two hours), and I worked on one of the items from my To-Do list mentioned earlier today.

I've added a few books to my Ravelry library and added a bunch of stashed yarn. One of the things, OK the MAIN thing, that kept me from working on my Ravelry pages is that I don't have photos of my stash and didn't want to be bothered doing photos. But, I added the stash without photos, just details. :-)

Another day I'll work on updating projects and wish lists. Hmmm... Maybe that will be on Tuesday, if we Do get that blizzard.

You can find me on Ravelry at jakkimitch.

Best Laid Plans

I had envisioned Lots of Time to Myself after Christmas to work on my genealogy files and on knitting. Hmmm.... Haven't had much time to do anything with genealogy, but because Knitting is so Portable, I Have been making progress there.

My current project is a cardigan for myself. It's been decades since I've done that! I mentioned the yarn in a September post. It's item 3 in the stash list.

I'll confess up front - it's polyester. But, I'm OK with that. Red Heart, worsted, in the 0303 Painted Desert colorway. In the Sept. post, I said the yarn was "tweedy." Let's call it "variegated" instead.

The pattern is from Lion Brand - [for use with Wool-Ease...which I think would be lovely...but I already had enough skeins of RH - Painted Desert.] The Oh-So-Simple Cardigan is all garter-stitched in 3 pieces. Oh, OK, in 5 pieces - I forgot the pocket linings. I wish it would look on me the way it looks on the mannekin in the pattern photo- so slim & sleek. It will look more like a tea-cosy on me. But, the colors are great for me, it's a very easy pattern, and I'm at least 1/3 finished. Photo, and details, to follow when I complete the back. Stay tuned.

My other projects for the remainder of my time off work will be:

1. Try Kool-Aid dyeing -- my first time attempt with dyeing. I have some [undyed] tapestry wool donated for charity knitting. I'll start with that first. I plan to use one color as my test batch. I'll try to leave some undyed bits to give "white" flecks. Then I need to find a good [easy] pattern for felt slippers for children. I'll knit the Kool-Aid dyed yarn doubled. And then felt the finished slippers. Sounds fun!! Hope it works.

I also have a skein of undyed superwash sock yarn that I got last winter [?] I want to dye that and knit into socks -- for my next sock project.

2. Take photos of my stash. Add to Flickr. Add to Ravelry.

3. Add future projects to my Ravelry pages.

4. Review my needles & hooks = I think I found more that aren't listed in my Ravelry chart. They were with my Christmas decorations. Eh?

If I don't make it back here before January 1 -- I wish all y'all a very peaceful and healthy 2008!

I'm Flattered!

I'm still very much a Ravelry newbie. I have to add more photos to Flickr - so I can make more entries on Ravelry. Too bad I can't do it at work :-]

But...I had a very pleasant surprise a few days ago. I had a message from someone wanting to know if they could use one of my photos for a pattern entry. I agreed. I checked the entry this morning and sure enough, the photo of my very first pair of CIC socks is what you see when you look up the "Swirling Confetti Kids' Socks" by Jean Gifford.

Well, I think that is really cool. I liked the pattern a lot and would/will use it again.

In which I wonder

...Why do I have FIVE size "J" crochet hooks? I just figured that out this weekend after entering all of my hooks and needles into my Ravelry notebook. Love that feature! I've printed out the chart & stuck it in my wallet for future reference.

I started entering completed projects. Not finished with this section.

Have yet to start adding my Stash. I don't have all that much - compared to some/most knitters, so it won't be an overwhelming task - just not one I want to do in the evening after work.

See my entries on Ravelry at jakkmitch

OTN Update; Ravelry; and, of course, Grandsons

OTN: True confession time. I have not knit one stitch on the 2nd F@nny sock. Hope to today, tho. Stay tuned! However, I'm on the last round of the blankie for Buster. WooHoo! I'm going to work on the one for Sport yet today, too. I thought I'd do that one in granny squares, but I decided I really don't like sewing all those squares together nor do I care for fiddling with all the loose ends. So, I'm thinking about either: Sewing the current 24 squares into a rectangle and then go round & round that rectangle. Or, a bit of a compromise -- do more rows on the current 4" squares, so I'd end up with 24 bigger squares. [How much bigger? I haven't worked that out yet. I'm on meds for a nasty sinus infection.]

Ravelry: Good grief. They're moving about 500 per day. There are only 1600, plus a few, ahead of me now. Sure, I'll get the invite this week. I'm going to be out of town on TH-FRI and I have to WORK next Sunday. Drats. Unfortunately, I will not be able to develop my Ravelry site whilst at work.

Grandsons: The boys were over for a few hours yesterday. Sport [4 yrs] is getting taller, smarter, and he's SO curious about everything! He's a tech geek, too. :-) Buster [2 yrs] is certainly not a baby anymore. He's got a wicked fast ball. Mind boggling to see him in action. He's a leftie, brings his right knee up, leans his left shoulder back, and hurles the [air-filled, plastic] "baseball." I've caught it between my eyes more than once. And, I'm sure that's where he was aiming! He's just as good with a football, too. His auntie [DD1] and I are going to push for the baseball vocation, though. Oh, and did I say he's a hitter, too? Pitch it to him anywhere close to the strike zone and it's outa there! [That's especially mind boggling for me - who has NO hand-eye coordination and was always the LAST person picked for a side in gym class!]

Here are a few photos from yesterday. Buster on the left & Sport on the right:

Moving up, Move Your F@nny, and More

Now there are only 6023 people ahead of me in the Ravelry queue. When I signed up about 5 weeks ago there were 16850. They seem to be processing about 2000 or so a week - it's going faster than I expected! I might have to take a couple vacation days from work when I get in :-)

In the meanwhile, my OTN projects are:
1) the Move Your F@nny pair of socks for myself. I have the second sock just started [finished row 2 of the cuff a LONG time ago! Oh...it's a good thing I'm blogging all of this. I thought it was Months Ago, but according to that post it was only about 5.5 weeks ago!]

2) the crocheted "blankie" for Buster

So the Goal is to finish BOTH projects before I start another. I admit that might be a bit difficult. I'm not a very disciplined person, as evidenced by my lack of commitment and interest in dieting, exercise, housekeeping, etc. I'm movitated by what interests me - and at the moment I'm interested in knitting. That can't be ALL bad, can it?

I've put all my other yarn way. Out of sight, out of mind, they say. But, before I packed it way, I took a quick inventory -

1) I've got enough "sock" yarn for 5 adult pair.

2) There's also some sport weight yarn [or worsted? I'll have to figure that out] in Christmas colors that I'm planning to use for house socks for someone who will remain nameless for now.

3) Enough [polyester] yarn in a tweedy color combination that features the predominate colors in my work wardrobe [tans, browns, dark foresty greens, cranberry, dark blue, etc.] Maybe, I'll go ahead and knit that sweater this autumn/winter. Maybe.

4) Oh, yeah, more "sock" yarn. Some undyed wool to try KoolAid dyeing!

5) Enough Wool of the Andes Bulky for a child's sweater or a couple vests for CIC.

6) Enough Wool of the Andes Worsted for about a dozen pair of little kids socks -- or a respectable number of pairs for bigger kids.

7) Camo yarn for a "blankie" for Sport.

Whew. Considering that a year ago I only had the yarn listed in item #3 above, my stash has grown!

16850 - 0

I did it. I got on the Ravelry list & I checked immediately to see my status. Ha! 16850 ahead of me and 0 behind. Good Lord.

Oh, well. I'm really hoping I'll get my invite sometime in December when I'll have a couple weeks off work (or is that wishful thinking - to think it will be that soon?)