Baby Sweater on Two Needles (AKA - February Baby Sweater)

Yippee! It's done and I'm happy with it. (My photo taking skills are another matter.)

Pattern: Elizabeth Z.'s

Yarn: Louet Gems Topaz in Eggplant
Needles: 7 [US] / 4.5 mm
Knit for: Baby B (due in mid August) - that is, IF Baby B is a girl. Parents to be are friends of DD1 and live just down the street.

On The Needles Update:

1. I'm about 75% finished with the The Vest.

2. I've started a pair of socks (generic ribbed pattern) for me - using Steinbach Wolle Sockenwolle in "brown" (think tan) and a green/gray/brown twist#180. Not enough of either for a pair, so I'm doing stripes. Not pretty. But, this pair will keep my feet warm. (And that's why I knit socks for myself - to have warm feet!)

I bought wool today for a February Lady Sweater for me! I went to Knots & Bolts with a deep red/burgundy color in mind. But, I decided to live on the edge and came home with Purple! Actually, it's Cascade 220 - #7811 Purple Jewel Heather. Can't find any photo online that show's the true color. They're all much too dark. I'm going to try to finish the vest before I start the FLS. Try.

Major Time Suck

I've just spent the past 3 hours updating my projects on Ravelry. Egad! But I'm caught up (as much as I care to be....)

Wish I could say the same for my genealogy projects. ;-}

On Ravelry as: jakkimitch

OTN Update

Busy times at the Mitch Manor. Little time for the computer and only a little more time for knitting. But, I do have two projects in the works:

1.) The Vest - started in January, the back is completed and I'm about half through one front panel. It's on hold as I work on:

2) A February Baby Sweater. For DD1's friends' baby due in August or Sept. (They know the date, I can't remember....) Details in a future post.

As my DS who lives down hill from The Rock (see photo at top of blog) says: I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.

March 09 Socks

Kirschnered the toes on these yesterday. I started them in January, but finished other projects first. Yummy soft and toasty warm these are :-)

Pattern: Started out with Priscilla's Dream Socks from Favorite Socks. But strayed (see "Project 2" in the January 24, 2009 OTN Update post.)

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish (DK) in Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Needles: US 3 [3.25 mm] on the upper legs, and US 2 [2.75mm] for the rest

Knit for: Me!!

Tea Contest entry

Not *MY* contest, tho.

Over at the Mason-Dixon Knitting blog, Kay is running a contest. I just logged on a few hours after she posted (and was something like the 346th comment!) The "contest" includes telling what your favorite tea is. Kay's is Yorkshire.

AND -- mine is Yorkshire!!! My current box came from my dear friend from over the pond. So, as proof... just in case anyone anywhere wants it... I photographed my box in front of the MDK blog and my comment box. As seen here :-)

Click on flashless photo to enlarge.

CIC Socks Feb 09

I *was* going to title this post: "The older I get...the faster time goes." But, that would only describe my current state of mind and not the actual content I want to post.

CIC socks - All I need is a big padded envelope and these will be ready to send. I've blogged the particulars previously. Here, here, here, here, and hmmm, must not have had a post about those blue ones.

We had a few inches of snow overnight, but the winds are howling [really] from the north. So I think the snow flying by my window probably fell in Minnesota. :-\

I have to work tomorrow [noon to 8 p.m.], so today is my whole weekend. Should I get busy and clean the house - or - get out my knitting and listen to a book on cd??

Actually, I'm going to try to do both. 30 mins of housecleaning and then 30 mins of knitting/audio book. When I'm done with my list of chores - it will be all knitting!! The local Salvation Army is having a craft day. I'd like to go. We'll see how my day goes.

Sunday Charity Knitting

Don't know how much knitting I'll do today. I actually finished a pair of socks for CIC yesterday. These were started two weeks ago and also based on the Magic 28 formula. Look HERE for details on the previous pair. The difference was in the needles.

Yarn: Patons' Classic Wool in Winter White + left over sock yarn: On-Line Supersocke 100/Sierra Color #896
Needles: size 6 US dpns
Knit for: CIC

I'd used size 4 dpns for the previous pair and size 6 for this pair, but decided size 5 would probably work out best. The only problem was that I only had one set of 4 dpns in size 5 and I prefer using five dpns for socks (or 2 circs). Enter Friday's road trip and a visit to Home Ec in Iowa City. I resisted the temptation to buy more yarn - although I squeezed nearly every ball and skein in the place. I purchased a set of five size 5 [US] dpns - bamboo by Crystal Palace.

Today's Sunday Knitting for Charity goal is to wind up (by hand) the yarn I Kool Aid dyed last week. Orange & Grape. The Orange is nice (for orange) and the grape is lovely in the right light.

But it looks a bit gray in my bedroom.... ??

Felted Slippers for CRR

I mailed these off several days ago to The Main - Youth Project at Cheyenne River Res. Kool Aid Dyed last year, finally finishing that batch. These are basic, cuffless, felted slippers.

The yellow ones are not as "done" as the others, but still felty-fluffy and thick-ish.

Portraits by Buster

I don't think there is a picture of me on this blog...until now. Buster, age 3 1/2, made this portrait of me a few days ago. I'm not sure if that's arms coming out of the side of my head, or the bows of my glasses.

He also drew one of himself: "That's me with my Rock Star hair," he said.

Grandsons are so much fun!

Breaking Tradition On Superbowl Sunday and CK

It's Superbowl Sunday! But, I'm not going to be participating in my annual Superbowl Event. Instead, I'm taking DD2, Sport & Buster to the 4 p.m. Bob the Builder (live) performance. After the show, the mama is going to the belated Christmas Party at her work and I'll bring the boys back here -- and hope I can see the last half of the game.

Usually my sentiment for the Superbowl is "May the team with the most points win." However, gosh, the Steelers are my third favorite team (after the Broncos and the Bears.) So I *would* be cheering for the Steelers today if it weren't for Kurt Warner. Sigh. Gotta go with Kurt Warner. Go Cardinals!! (Or... Steelers!)

If it's Sunday, I must be knitting for Charity. Today I'm working on another pair of kids' socks for CIC - similar to last week's pair. This one, using Patons' Classic Wool in Winter White along with left over On-Line Supersocke 100/Sierra Color #896 used for this pair of socks.

Sunday (& Monday) Charity Knitting

I started these socks for the current CIC project Sunday morning and would have finished them yesterday morning, if I hadn't had to go to work. But, Hey, I still have a job, so I can't complain!

They were finished last night - finished the 2nd heel flap and got half way through that foot at SnB. And then completed it later at home.

Yarn: One strand Patons Classic Wool in Winter White (worsted weight) and one strand of left over OPAL Petticoat #1295.
Needles: Size 4 [US] dpns
Pattern: based on the Magic 28 pattern found at NowNormaKnits. The leg has a top K1, P1 rib for 6 rows and then I switched to K3, P1. The foot is StSt.
Knit for: CIC

OTN Update

I keep trying to be a project monogamist, but I have a wandering eye and lust after yarn and patterns and FOs. [Sigh]

Project 1: I was given a lovely, dark green, velour top that goes beautifully with a pair of dark green slacks. The only problem is that the top has a wide (and deep) V neckline. I don't feel comfortable with so much of my skin exposed, so I decided it needed a scarf.

Until that point I didn't think I'd ever want to knit lace. Just don't have a need for a shawl - at least a lacy one full of "holes" for cold air to attack through. But, hmmm... didn't want a silk, or silky type scarf. It needed to provide some warmth to my neck and chest. Wool. But, it needed to be light weight to wear all day at work. Lace?

I also wanted a quick knit. No fiddly pattern. I searched blogs, and dang if I can remember where I found the pattern, I found one that works! I had in mind [dangerous, I know] a lace weight yarn of a lovely tweedy mixture of greens, browns, and muted golds. Does anyone produce anything like that? And what would it cost? The project was on hold while I contempted searching the Internet for the perfect yarn. Meanwhile, while on a stash dive, I found the remains of yarn I'd used for a pair of kids socks last year [Reynolds Swizzle.] The ball felt like it had enough yardage for The Scarf. The green is a near perfect match. It has funky yellow, blue, and pink stripes to add "interest" or maybe just "contrast." OK, then. The original pattern is wider, but I CO 23 stitches on a size 10 [6mm] 16" Addi Turbo. One row pattern! I have about 15" completed. I'm hoping for a 48" total. Should have weighed the ball before I started.

Project 2: I *was* going to use the extra Knit Picks Swish (DK) to make a pair of Knucks for myself. But, I wasn't sure if I'd really have enough, I ordered a contrasting color of the yarn. When I got the two together, Nutmeg and Cinnamon, I thought SOCKS - for ME. [I still want Knucks, but I'll have to buy more yarn.]

I looked for a pattern for DK weight socks. Requirement: not an online pattern, but one from my collection of knitting books. I settled on Priscilla's Dream Socks from Favorite Socks. I read through the pattern and decided that I don't want to fiddle with short row heels. Actually, I don't think they fit as well as heel flap heels. I have a high instep and need some extra stitches to start the foot - which I get by picking up 2 or 3 extra stitches on each side of the flap. So modification 1 will be the heel. I haven't committed to the toes, yet. I have knit "quite a few" [it's all relative, I know] socks with the leg entirely in ribbing, but have not previously used this pattern's method of switching from a larger needle [US 3 / 3.25 mm] to a smaller one [US 2 / 2.75mm] half way down the leg.

I could only find one [24"] size 2 circ, so I switched to dpns that are US2/2.75mm. A few days ago I found the other size 2 circ and this morning decided to move the stitches over to the circs. But, WAIT. This doesn't feel right. The circs are larger. Sure enough I could not get the circ through the size 2 /2.75mm hole in my needle gauge. I looked on the package and, naughty word, they are "Size 2/ 3.00mm" Drats. I'll keep using the dpns because I want a firmer fabric for the foot. These will be my February Socks for SAM7.

ETA: Yes, I did use the CO the pattern calls for - "Old Norwegian" - I love it!!

Project 3: The Vest. I have 9" completed on the back.

There and Back Again

After work last evening I drove five hours (round trip) to pick up my DD1 at an airport. (...I just deleted a paragraph ranting about the traffic. The important point is that I got there & we got back safely.)

And, she got THERE and back safely! She went to the Inauguration!! I heard a lot about it on the drive back - I'll hear more in the days to come, I'm sure. Good trip. Awesome experience. She has the day off work today. Good thing as her ankle (the one with the plate and 6 screws) was very swollen last night.

She knew a slew of (young) people who were going. And amazingly, in that sea of people, DD1 and her friend SA were found by a friend from NC. I asked if someone in both groups had GPS on their phones, and she said No - it was just a coincidence - or providential. Amazing!

I personally know at least 7 people who went and I know OF a dozen or so others that people I know know. If there were 2 million people and there are about 300 million Americans, then 1 out of every 150 people were in DC. Amazing.

Snow, the 2009 version

About eleven months ago I posted THIS photo. The new photo here was taken farther back from the front door, but from a similar angle. Click this one for a larger view. So far this winter we've had 10" more snow than we'd had by Jan. 15th last winter. And last winter set a record for total snowfall.

Darned cold here, too. This a.m. the morning local tv weather guy said: "Do the math -- it's -23 F. outside. Add the indoor temp at your house to 23 to see why it's such a shock to go outdoors!"

OK. It was 67 deg. F inside - 67+23= 90 degree difference.

Then he said, "But the windchill is -45 F, so figure out the 'feels like' difference."

67+45= 112 degrees. No wonder I've been saying a lot of naughty words when I go from the house to the car and from the car to my office.

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.