Gray Wednesday

The last few days have been rainy so I've actually had a bit of time to knit and read. Sorry the pics are so drab, my socks as well as the weather are gray. I'm embarrassed to admit that gray is actually one of my favorite colors. What can you expect from a former accountant turned librarian?! These are my first pair of socks worked on circular needles, and aside from a few glitches I think that I am a circular needle convert.

I used two circulars rather than the magic loop. I'm still intimidated by that whole loopy thing, and think that the whole business looks rather awkward. I was reluctant to abandon my double points - there's something about them that makes me feel connected to the past. Maybe it's all of the lovely artwork out there that depicts women working so industriously on their socks. (Though I must admit this young lassie doesn't look all too excited about the task at hand. Is that a dreamy far off look - or a bitter 'when in the hell will I ever be done with this freaking sock look' ?)

That said, cables are wonderful because you never lose them, as I'm always losing those tiny double points, and you don't lose stitches when you put your work down because you can slide the stitches safely down onto the cable. My only trouble was that against the advice of the yarn shop owner I insisted on purchasing the bamboo needles rather than the Addi Turbo's. Don't get me wrong I love Addi's, and in retrospect I should have bought the Addi's, but I fell in love with those cute little bamboo needles and the elegant gold join, that would later prove to be the bane of my existence. You see the stitches are essentially divided in half between the two cables. Work half the stitches, then slide the stitches down onto the cable, drop the needle and pick up the other cable needle working the remaining stitches. Note that the stitches need to slide onto and off of the cable after working the stitches on each needle - here was my problem, that pretty little golden join was not smooth at all - and even after loosening up my stitches a bit to accomodate the join - the last two stitches were always a bit tighter and very tricky to slide back onto needle.


This became rather annoying as you can imagine with the zillions of tiny stitches that go into the making of a sock. So live and learn I guess, or save yourself some time and go straight for the Addi's.

By the way April 1865 is a very interesting book for any of you Civil War buffs out there. I felt very apropros knitting a gray sock while reading it even if I am a Northern girl. By the way I can't actually read and knit simultaneously - that's just a dream of mine, I have to take turns.

I Am a Terrible Mother

Caroline's birthday was in November, we had her little girl party in June. Enough said. The party is done and it was lots of fun, so better late than never I guess. Caroline wanted a Chinese princess party. We have two nieces adopted from China, so my girls just love anything Chinese. Rather than favors, each girl got one of these cute little dresses to wear home.

The weekend was crazy busy. I worked frantically in my gardens and cleaning my house so that all the moms bringing their little girls to the party wouldn't think poorly of me. Peer pressure is a wonderful motivator. Frankly if it weren't for the fear of company coming I wouldn't get anything done, and since we live in the country people don't just pop in too often. I would rather spend my time with my husband and kids, or reading, knitting or running, but I also hate to get caught with my house in disarray...I am a complete fraud. I often wonder when I read some of these blogs where everything looks so perfect, is it really that way? Beautiful crafting, fabulous children, lovely homes, lofty reading... is there really a huge mess lurking just outside the range of the camera lens? Anyhow I didn't knit at all last weekend - so of course today rather than cleaning, I'm blogging and knitting. Blogger has been really wonky this morning and it's taking me forever to get this post done...so now I'm done!

While My Computer Was Sleeping...

I've been working, watching many, many soccer games, not cleaning my house, not getting into my garden enough, and knitting a little. The Fingerless Mitts were completed just in time for summer (she said sarcastically). But my Alissa loves them and thinks they are very cool to wear while she's playing her drums. These were very easy to knit up - can be done in an evening or two and used just one ball of Noro Kureyon. I tried to throw caution to the wind and knit the mitts including that strange section of rust colored yarn, but in the end I just had to chop out the whole rusty chunk - it just did not seem to belong there.

I've also squeaked in some reading, movies, and further progress on the PBSJ. The yoke and sleeves are done, and I'm started on the back - which I think I need to make a bit longer than the pattern calls for, but I'm daunted by the task of figuring out how to do it properly with that pleated back and diamond pattern.

Anyhoo - loved the Movie as well as the book (Geisha that is) it's beautifully filmed - but sad, sad, sad. The Country Life I'm not lovin' so much. It's about a woman who abandons her life in London, in order to go live in the country and care for a young disabled man. Three-quarters of the way through it's just been a series of silly situations she gets herself into, and is just FINALLY beginning to explain why she bagged everything in her previous city life. I'm hoping that maybe it will somehow redeem itself in the end.

Guess that's all for now - I feel there's so much I want to say after being away so long, but I don't want to bore everyone to death.

Computer Woes

Well this has certainly been an unplanned hiatus. A variety of circumstances have prevented me from blogging in ages. My computer has some sort of major illness that even Paul couldn't repair, so no pictures I'm afraid. But I have been knitting - I completed the fingerless mitts for Alissa, I've finished the yoke and 1 1/2 sleeves on the Pearl Buck swing, and working alternately on my May socks, and a scarf for my car and soccer knitting. Soccer by the way has taken over my life - pretty much four nights a week. I love watching the girls play, it's loads of fun to see the 4 and 5 year olds run back and forth across the field in this tight little bundle of chubby arms and legs, and Alissa's youth league is now really beginning to look like real soccer with lots of action - but it makes the evenings crazy busy - I miss our sit down dinners!

I also have a new job!! In my former life before kids, I was an accountant. While I was at home with the girls I earned my master's degree in library science, but my last daughter was born just as I finished my degree, so I've never used it, aside from some spotty freelance work. Well five years have passed, and Caroline went off to school, but I felt as though no one would hire me after so long with no experience. Suddenly two weeks ago an opportunity pretty much fell in my lap. Now I have this great job in the library at a cute little rural school, with a fabulous new library. The job is just two days a week with school hours and vacations, so it's a great way to get my feet wet. I'm just so pleased to be working in my field, yet still have time for the girls. It's funny how your priorities change so much. I've had the power job and at one point in my life was so driven by my work, I could have never imagined that I would one day see things so differently.

So things are now a little more busy, but it's all good and I'm thankful. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures soon. I think I chose this Cezanne still life because I'm wishing for a bit more stillness in my life right now.

A Fairy Nice Day

So what is a mom with three girls at home for the week to do? Why make wee fairies of course!

Fairies are a big deal in this house. We read books about fairies, watch movies about fairies, play games about fairies, and on and on. About a year ago we bought the book Felt Wee Folk by Salley Mavor and started making little flower fairies. This book is really wonderful with beautiful pictures and clear step by step instructions.

We have kind of developed our own style - a little less fidgety than those in the book. The book was worth every last penny as the little fairies we have made have produced hours and hours of play time, both creating the fairies and in imaginative play. These dolls are about 2 1/2" high, and are inexpensive to make - a few dollars worth of supplies will make many fairies.

PBSJ Yarn

At long last I've bought my yarn for the PBSJ! I like this yarn well enough as long as I don't look at it side by side with the Jo Sharp DK in Glade that I really wanted to buy. At almost half the price I decided that the Dalegarn Hauk was a suitable alternative. After swatching with the needles called for in the pattern I'm realizing that I need to buy some needles the next size down. Did you ever notice that no matter how many needles you have in a multitude of sizes, you never have the right size for a new project?

Priorities

My friend Corey's recent posts have made me think about what it is that's most important. "The only thing that remains is what you have left behind...did you give it your best?" I hope that as I journey through this life what I leave behind are children who grow into kind, responsible and happy adults with fond memories of their childhoods. At least I'm giving it my best. Oh, and I hope that they knit as well!

Happy Easter

It's been a busy time, decorating for Easter. This is the first year that we have made an egg tree. We used a Marble Swirls egg decorating kit which was a big departure for us as we always use the classic PAAS. You can't tell from the picture but the "swirled" eggs look marbelized and just slightly glittery. They're very pretty, and were easy to do with children.




Emily, Alissa and Caroline have been very busy girls drawing these pretty Easter pictures.

What the?

So I had this great idea to make these very cool Fingerless Mitts for Alissa. I had this ball of Noro Kureyon with what appeared to be lovely shades of olive and purple.

When I began to pull from the center of the skein I found miles and miles of this dull-as-dirt brown. Not exactly the color to get a 10 year old girl excited.

Then suddenly this bright rust appears. Now I've knit with Kureon before, and never had this experience where it appears as though the skein is made up of two completely different color lots. I think that if I knit this up the mitts won't even look like a pair. Maybe I should by another ball and knit 2 pair - hmm...how to proceed here.

This whole tangle reminds me of this crazy glass sculpture we saw while visiting the Corning Museum of Glass over Winter Break.

Happy Feet

Caroline's rainbow sherbet socks are finally done. These were supposed to be my March socks for the sock-a-month KAL, oh well now I can get an early start for my May socks. I'm pleased with how they came out - this is the first time I've knit a picot edge. I used this wonderful tutorial from Booga J. I really prefer how the socks look using straight stockinette, rather than ribbing, but I was concerned they wouldn't stay up using a simple stockinette.

Caroline is pretty pleased with them as well - she picked the yarn out to match with her pink, pink shoes (She is my girly girl). I didn't have to do any convincing to get her to model on the kitchen table - she watches far too much of the Style Channel. Caroline immediately put on her best Zoolanderesque Super Model persona.

I used Elizabeth Zimmerman's basic sock pattern from Knitting Without Tears, using 48 stitches on size 2 dpns. The yarn is Sockotta from the Plymouth Italian Collection 45% cotton, 40% superwash wool, 15% nylon. I'm a little worried that they feel a bit scratchy, hopefully they'll soften up with washing.

As long as I'm talking socks I was wondering about the Magic Loop, or knitting on two circulars. I really like knitting on dpns, but I'm forever misplacing and losing those little needles, so I do find the idea of a circular kind of appealing - any opinions out there?
Update: I've just found this 'magic cast-on for toe up socks' in the new issue of Knitty - looks interesting, a possibility for May.

I've Been A Very Good Girl

Taxes - done. House - Clean. Ran - 4 miles.

I've earned this...

Happy Friday

 

Happy Spring

While busily avoiding my spring cleaning and taxes - I found some new places to visit. The little picture above is from Brown Betty. Molly Chicken has some other great links to Japanese cuteness. Who knew the Japanese made such cute, cute things? I could just shoot myself for not knowing this while my brother and sister in-law were living in Japan. I'm also a fan of Netherlands cute like this little spring daff at De Witte Engel.

Tongue in Cheek is a beautiful blog by an American woman living in France, married to a French man. She has gorgeous pictures, writes insightful posts, and shares her life in France, and her passion for French flea market finds. We also found this link at Tongue in Cheek, and although spring has arrived the girls have been busy making loads of snowflakes.

Some knitting sites My Dog Ate My Mittens and Two Left Needles

Cool places Shelterrific - "where obsessive homebodies hang" found via wee wonderfuls

Just plain weird: Do it yourself animals at eatliver.com (found this one via blackbird)...freaky.

The Incredible Stretching Sweater

I finished up the Hourglass as planned Tuesday night. I tried it on and it fit perfectly - sleeves perfect, neckline perfect, length perfect. Everything perfectemundo. So I gave it a nice little bath and layed it out gently on a soft towel, smoothed it and went to bed feeling rather superior. You see I read the Hourglass KAL page - I knew all the pitfalls - I had an extra skein of yarn, I made 3 extra sets of neck decreases to avoid the too big neck, yes I was pretty pleased with myself. I may have even gone so far as to say aloud to my husband that I have perfect guage. Well can you see where I'm going here? Wednesday AM, my sweater still looks lovely, in fact the stitches are now looking dare I say it? - perfect. Wednesday afternoon - feeling almost breathless - I try on the Hourglass, and what the ??? The sleeves are now at least 3 inches longer dragging on my knuckles, the neckline - bra straps sticking out WIDE, and the length now hitting at the widest part of my hips....huhh?? My cute little Hourglass is now a tunic.



OK this mirror shot stinks - it is really hard to take a picture of yourself in the mirror - I kept getting all mixed up trying to center myself with everything being opposite in this really weird way. Anyhow this shot doesn't really show the length problems, but look at that droopy armpit!

Paul finally took pity on me and took this picture which shows the crazy-long sleeves.


I've never had this happen before, was it the silk content in the Noro Cash Iroha? (as an aside - it does drape nicely though)

So what do I do now? I'm wondering can I rip back the bottom of the sleeves and re-hem them? I think I could live with it if the sleeves were at least the right length. Maybe run a length of elastic through the neckline to help keep it in place? Re-block it and try to squish it all back in place? Any thoughts out there??? Please.

On the knitting front

Here's some evidence that I do actually knit once in a while. I'm so ashamed that I'm still working on my Olympic sweater, but finally the 'Hourglass' is off the needles! Unfortunately loads of hemming to do.




I'm starting to feel a little panicked about completing my March sock for 'Sock a Month' club. This little picot edged cutie is for Caroline. I haven't allowed myself to work on it until the Hourglass is complete - I am vowing to finish it today. Then it will be a mad dash to finish the socks, then...I'm committed to the Pearl Buck Swing. Yikes the pressure!



How do some of you find all the time to get so much knitting done? There's Iris who seems to whip off a pair of socks on a daily basis, while homeschooling her children and living the most idyllic life I think I've seen. And Jane - who knits, sews, embroiders, reads, bakes, takes incredible photos, loves her children like mad, and writes some of the most intelligent posts. And Jeanne who also seems incredibly smart, well read, insightful, as well as an accomplished knitter. Christine - who knits, raises her children, attends classes - (really hard sounding classes) - as well as doing a knitting podcast in her spare time. Francois knits fabulous projects, and comes up with the most wonderuful collection of knit related artwork for her blog. Oh I could go on and on. These bloggers are all so inspiring to me, not just for my knitting - but how I think, and how I live and raise my children. So even though I feel a little inadequate at times, that's OK because I just love everything I learn from the little glimpses into these other lives. Thank you bloggers.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Having a bad time of it - decorating for St. Patrick's day that is. I do love the holiday, just not the color. I just can't get into that kelly green. It's lovely on grass, a tree, perhaps a mossy rock - but clothing, or home decor...no. Now sage or olive, that's another story - I'm not anti-green or anything.

Trying to weasle an invitation for our family to my mother in-law's for St. Patrick's dinner. She's a proper Irish girl, who can cook a proper Irish dinner. Goodness know I've tried, but this German/French girl just can't get it down, and I don't understand why - you pretty much just throw everything into a pot and boil the '@#$%' out of it. Maybe it's genetic.

Anyhoo - I highly recommend this CD for your St. Patrick's day listening enjoyment.

Ahh...The English Seaside

Uhh...it's gray and snowing, freezing, and hurricane windy. I want to go here -

Stunning beach house in Whitstable built in 1884 for use by the British Army. Fantastic interior and interesting props. Private beach and decked seating area. Large pretty cottage garden. (What was the British Army doing at this fabulous beach house? Sign me up.)

I found these gorgeous pictures at jujulovespolkadots. Now that would be a dream vacation - to be in that cottage by the sea, taking classes taught by Julie. She just seems so clever and funny. It's fun to dream anyhow.

As long as we're dreaming, check out the other country estates pictured at the Oak Management web site - can you imagine?! I think I'd enjoy 'The Woodland House' in Bath while on my Jane Austen tour. They even have a category for 'Quirky' properties. Can you tell I'm really avoiding the housework today?

nothin' could be finer than to knit with Caroliner

Today's a half day at school. Alissa went to a friend's house, and Emily has a full day (poor girl), so I have Caroline all to myself. Guess what she asked to do?.....she actually asked to knit with me - oh my heart goes pitter-pat!

March is Red and Pink

I'm not officially participating in Project Spectrum - but I thought I'd make something red just for the fun of it. I love the color red, but for some reason, I don't ever wear it, decorate my home with it, or craft with it - hmm... So this little word cloud was about all I could pull off.

Now pink is another story. In a home with three little girls we have loads of pink, and I mean that literally. I am amazed that I can do two full loads pink (or pinkish) clothes each week.

As I finish this post I've realized that I overlooked some red that is literally staring me in the face - this groovy 3-D poppy that Alissa made hangs above my computer.

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