Middle of the night musings

I've got a rotten cold. Slept 3 hours and then was wide awake - the pharmacist told me that the Allegra D might have that effect. So I checked my email and read several news related websites. Then I logged onto Ravelry to edit my needles.

What?? Over 350 people were online. At 3 a.m.!!! Well, sure, I know Ravelry is worldwide and it was 9 a.m. UK time and 11 p.m. [yesterday] in Hawaii. But, I was initially surprised to see that many people online in the middle of my night-time!

Many months ago I bought yarn, needles, etc. for DD2 to learn to knit. She found yarn to go with her winter coat and wanted to knit a scarf she found in a knitting magazine [that I bought also.] Since then, she's decided not to knit. So, I'll knit the scarf for her when I finish the Oh-So-Simple [but huge] Cardigan. When I emptied the bag with the yarn, etc. I found a nice cache of needles & other knitting supplies - cable holder, several small stitch holders, stitch markers, and a Susan Bates "Knit-Check" -- with a ruler, stitch gauge, and needle sizer. The happiest find was the "knit-check." My old one, which pre-dates my kids, doesn't have the metric sizes. This new one does! How handy!!

OTN update: I have about 2/3 of the second front completed. I just *might* be able to finish it by Sunday when I leave for an out-of-town conference. I'd love to wear it there. Better get back to my knitting. I'm still increasing for the arm and I'm at a stitch count of about 100 on the needle. Need to get up to 136 sts. Argh. Easy pattern, but don't know that I'd do it again. Progress is slow. Painfully slow.

Actually, I'm starting to get tired. Maybe if I knit for awhile in the recliner I'll fall asleep. Oh, yeah, I've got today off work, so my messed up sleep schedule won't be a problem.

Craziest thing...it's a comp day for Feb. 17th when I was scheduled to work for someone else, but Did NOT work because we were closed due to the weather. We were closed on the 18th & 19th, too. [Originally I was going to take those two afternoons off.] I DID work on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd. My boss said that I technically had a six day work week, so I could take a day off this week. Well, I didn't argue, but I did have to think that one over. I only worked three days last week and I get a day off for the 17th when I didn't work. Works for me :-)

Can't wait till they can shovel snow!

The Grandsons played outdoors while I shoveled the driveway (again.) If I were a crabby old lady grandma I would have gotten after them for climbing all over "Mt Mitch" - the big pile of snow at the corner of the sidewalk/driveway. But, they were having SO much fun -- and staying away from the road. I figured I could reshovel the snow that tumbled down into the driveway when they went back inside.

That's Sport [4.5 yrs] on the left half way up Mt. Mitch, and Buster [2.5 yrs] on the right.

CIC Vest

[OK - I say it every time -- I need to figure out better lighting....]

I've nearly used up all of the Knit Picks Bulky [but not quite.]

Yarn: Knit Picks' Wool of the Andies Bulky in Emerald, Wine, Taupe, and a little Redwood Forest

Needles: US 10.5 [US] dpns ...need to get a 24" circ!

Size: 2 to 3-ish It fits Buster who wears 3T.

Pattern: Countrywool's PocketVest

Modifications: ribbed neck; I thought the neck opening was too large [and I hate cold air on my neck/upper chest]; No pocket

Knit for: CIC January-March 08 Challenge = Sweaters & Vests in sizes 2-4

Snow

Finally a sunny day! AND, I'm working a split shift today - so I was out & about during the daylight. WooHoo!

This view shows the postal path. My neighbors & I keep a path shoveled as directly as possible from house to house so the postperson doesn't have to go down to the road and then back up to the next house.

Grandsons

The boys from a few days ago. Buster [2 1/2 yrs] on the left...trying to get off the chair; and Sport [4 1/2 yrs] on the right.

Annual Superbowl Tradition and OTN update

Well, I guess if it's "annual" it's a tradition by default.

Just a note for now, since I haven't blogged in a week, and then I'm off to set up a card table in the TV room [aka: living room.] Next I'll arrange the four new boxes of Christmas cards and whatever cards are left over from 2007. Then, with Christmas list/address book and pen in hand, I'll start addressing my 2008 Christmas cards. Yep, that's right. 2008.

I enjoy getting cards, but sending them used to be such a chore. Life is SO busy between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas - and trying to do cards during that month was just TOO much. One year I thought: "IF I do the addressing earlier in the year, then just add personal notes when I'm ready to send them, it wouldn't be such an ordeal."

So, the next Superbowl Sunday [which was during a non-crafting time of my life], I was wondering WHAT on earth I could do while "watching" the game. And, I remembered the Christmas cards. Ha!!! What a stroke of genius! It's been a tradition ever since.

And what do I do if someone moves during the year? Well, that's what large Avery labels are for, right? There are some envelopes that I only write the name on...such as my nieces & nephews. You never know when those kids are going to move again. Usually I only have to slap a label over an old address once or twice a year. This past year - not at all.

OH...and the pen I use to sign the cards & address the envelopes, I store with the cards. Then Thanksgiving weekend - or whenever I get around to do those personal notes - I have the same pen. No mis-matched ink for me!

Lest anyone think I use 4 boxes each year. No...I send about 38-40 cards [including all the nieces & nephews.] Its just that I was nearly out of cards, so when I shopped after Christmas I got 4 boxes. So I won't have to get any next year.

Superbowl: may the team with the most points win.

OTN:
1. The Oh-So-Simple Cardigan. Abt 1/3 of one front finished. I've got to get busy on this - I'd like to take with with me [wear it] to a conference I'm attending in early March.

2. A CIC vest with Knit Picks Bulky wool. It's about 1/4 finished

3. Off the needles, but needing seams sewn - a pair of 6 mos. size bootees for the NA Support group [for the Cheyenne River Reservation.]

First 2008 FO and a tag-a-long

I'm really tickled with this one. Easy pattern and the colors - in person - are great. Photo not so great. Specs:
Pattern: Orphans for Orphans Sweater from Knitting for Peace by Betty Christiansen, pp. 106-107
Yarn: Knit Picks' Wool of the Andies Bulky in Wine and Redwood Forest
Needles: US 9 straights, and US 9, 24" circ
Size: 2-ish
Modifications: ribbed neck; I thought the neck opening was too large [and I hate cold air on my neck/upper chest]
Knit for: CIC January-March 08 Challenge = Sweaters & Vests in sizes 2-4

This one was finished last spring. It's been sitting in my closet since, but WILL get posted to CIC by the end of March.

Pattern: What...No Pocket in My Vest (with Optional Sleeves!)
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in Emerald and Taupe; with some leftover Austermann Step Melba sock yarn knit into the taupe band across the upper chest.
Needles: sizes 10.5 and 11 [US]
Size: 4-ish
Modifications: Added the sleeves and made the body a little longer than pattern
Knit for: CIC January-March 08 Challenge = Sweaters & Vests in sizes 2-4

Project Updates

There might be a photo or two later today. But, take my word for it, I've finished the back of my Oh-So-Simple cardigan and have started one of the fronts. I thought about doing Two-fronts at a time, but then decided not to since I complained of the weight of the back by the time I was knitting cuff to cuff.

And, I only have to finish the bottom band and the neck of the Knitting for Peace Orphans for Orphans Sweater. I'm doing K1, P1 for the cuffs and bottom band instead of garter stitch. And instead of doing just a crocheted row or two around the neck edge, I'm going to do some sort of K1, P1 finishing. But the neck is not round, but square, so I'm working that out in my head. I know what I want it to look like. Stay tuned.

Oh, yeah. I *WILL* be able to finish it today. We're closed for the day. Woo Hoo! The roads were awful yesterday. In fact Travel Was Not Recommended in the area. We've had another 7" of snow on top of the 5 inches we had a few days ago. Both storms left fluffy snow - easy to shovel, but drifting badly. So - I can knit...and clean. Maybe I'll do 30 mins. of knitting, then 30 mins. of cleaning, etc. I'm so undisciplined. All I accomplished over my three day weekend was watch the grandsons and knit. Sometimes both at the same time :-) now that Buster usually leaves my knitting alone. [Sounds like I had them all weekend. No, just 3 times over the weekend. While the mama went shopping late yesterday afternoon and Buster napped on my bed, Sport and I took the Christmas tree down. He's a such good little helper!]

KoolAid Fun

Learned a lot doing this. #1 lesson - I need a bigger crockpot. I'm not giving directions here. Just google yarn and KoolAid dyeing. I looked at several different directions I found online & then went to work.
I received 3# of undyed yarn several months ago, and I finally worked with some of it after Christmas. First I rolled the skein into approx. 4 oz. balls.




Then I worked with three balls. With one I tried the cold pour method and used 4 pkgs of Lemon KoolAid and 2 pkgs of Orange KoolAid.

Next I zapped the dyed wool in the microwave using 3 two minute sessions on High, with a 5-10 minute rest in between.

Then a rinse.

And an air dry.

Also tried the crock pot method. I liked this best, but a larger crock pot would work better.

I should have left well enough alone with this Berry Blue and Lemon Lime, but I thought it needed a little yellow. So I added some Tones' Yellow [from the box-of-four colors.]

Also used the crock pot method for this one:

2 pkgs. Strawberry and 2 pkgs. Pink Lemonade.



Now to find a pattern for felted kids slippers.

WIPs

In my scant free time, I've been plodding away on the Oh-So-Simple Cardigan since before Christmas. I have about 1.5" to finish on the back (and back of sleeves.) But, it's getting so heavy, and going from cuff to cuff it takes forever to finish a row.

Pattern: Lion Brand free pattern "Oh-So-Simple Cardigan"
Yarn: Red Heart Worsted in Painted Desert 0303
Needles: US 8, 24" circ
Knit for: Me!

I felt I needed a diversion, even though I am so close to finishing the back of my cardigan. So I started a little kid's pullover for the current CIC challenge.

Durn it - need better light, but you get the idea.

Pattern: "Orphans for Orphans Sweater" from Knitting for Peace by Betty Christiansen, pp. 106-107
Yarn: Knit Picks' Wool of the Andies Bulky in Wine, Taupe, Emerald, and Redwood Forest
Needles: US 9 straights, and US 9, 24" circ
Knit for: CIC Challenge
I'm doing the center panels in the variegated Redwood Forest. The body will be in Wine, and the sleeves will probably have some Taupe & Emerald stripes, probably.

Happy New Year!

Hoping and praying that we ALL have a good 2008!

So far it's been a lazy morning for me. Finished my 1/2 pot of coffee (1/2 the caff.) while online reading blogs, news, etc. It's too darned cold outside - wish I could stay inside till April. Oh, well. One can wish!

A New Year and a new look to my blog layout. I need to find out if I can condense the FO - 2007 list into one link. It should be do-able, but maybe not on blogger.

I'll have photos & description of my first attempts at dyeing wool later (maybe today.)

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!

FO - Mom's Christmas Socks

But I don't have proof. In my rush to get Christmas presents wrapped, I forgot to get a photo of the "Christmas Socks" for my mother. They are completed and have been worn, she says.

Sport's Blankie

Finished the crocheted blankie in plenty of time for Christmas:
Buster needs equal time:

Christmas Decorating

Sport helped me with the tree a few weekends ago. I was a bit apprehensive about that, but he's nearly 4.5 yrs, and he does well when tasks are explained to him. He really was a good help. We got it all finished in one evening!

The first time Buster was here after the tree was up, DD1 found a few small white balls and helped him hang them. He was so proud. They visited a few days ago and Buster worked hard at rearranging the ornaments. He stood back and admired his handiwork with a big smile on his face. So, I've decided to leave them.