Mutants!

DNA Progress: At the one foot mark

Not much knitting was done over the weekend since my little sister visited. I did manage to put in a repeat and a half in the DNA scarf though. As I've gotten more comfortable with the pattern, I'm noticing a few goofs earlier in the cable pattern. I'm calling these natural mutations and letting them be :)

I think I have found the perfect yarn for knitting around pets who shed white, brown, and black hairs, Knitpicks heathered Mystery color. Can't tell if its a nice heathery bit of alpaca yarn or a piece of dog fur. I need a nice coat out of this stuff!

As you can see in the planned projects section, the pattern for the baby blanket has FINALLY came into the local yarn store. Only took 6 weeks *grumbles* I also have sock yarn on the way for two pairs of socks for Hubs and myself. I'll also be knitting a set of fingerless mittens with a thumb gusset for my mom. I finally got around to giving her the set of Irish Hiking fingerless gloves this weekend. She loved the design, and they helped keep heat in for arthritis joint pain.


Mommy, there's an extra base pair on that

DNA & More

One pattern repeat on the DNA scarf

*sigh* I really wish the DNA scarf was more photogenic; however, being in a dark heathered yarn and cabled, its destined to photograph weirdly. Just trust me, the cable in the middle looks like a double helix. :) At least, it better after making my hands feel like Jello from a few hours of knitting on it.

This is my first project using a knit chart. I was a bit intimidated at first. I have to remember my left from my right - how scary! Seriously, I have a very hard time with left and right since I was switched at a young age from being a leftie to a rightie. After some Google searching, I had some very detailed drawings of how to follow the chart and was off. Once I got used to reading the pattern from the left to right on even rows and right to left on odd rows, it was much easier. Luckily, it didn't feel much different from reading music with a picture telling my hands what to do. I'll probably drag out my music stand the next time I sit down to knit on this one.


Close-up

DNA Scarf stats: Yarn is Knitpicks Andean Treasure in Mystery using US#4 Crystal Palace bamboo needles and cheap-o cable needle.

Since I seem to be searching more difficult patterns, I think I may tackle a sweater soon. What sealed the deal for me? This little pattern from Oat Couture:


Baby Polo Sweater from Oat Couture

Why this pattern? I can't help but feel that it would be very appropriate as a sweater for Marcus and Jackie's upcoming munchkin. Polo shirts are the official Knotts family uniform after all! Just kidding, Jackie :)

Have a wonderful weekend, all!!

Olympic Gold!

Finished Socks!!

Olympic victory is mine; I finished my first pair of knitted socks tonight. I can't wait to wear them to work tomorrow!! Overall, I was really surprised that knitting socks wasn't that hard for me. Except for the kitchener stitch. I wouldn't be surprised if Hubs could kitchener stitch the toe seam after overhearing me listening to the tutorial on knittinghelp.com many, many times.

I think I'm going to be hooked on sock knitting for awhile. Tuesday night, I put in an order with Knitpicks for more sock yarn :)

Next projects to be worked on will be the DNA scarf, and I'll be pulling Cozy out from the bottom of my knitting bag. Oh, and socks for Hubs when I get that Knitpicks order :D


Bandit checking out his mama's handiwork...don't even think of eating those dog!

Sock Stats: Lorna's Lace Shepherd Sock yarn in the Aslan colorway. Knit on Crystal Palace size 2 bamboo needles over 12 days. Pattern is from Sensational Knitted Socks in a garter rib stitch. Overall, I loved the yarn, directions, and needles.

Heard on CSI

The ending of one of tonight's episodes of CSI (hush, I only watched 4 straight hours of it!) closed with a conversation between Lt. Brass and a female cop on the LAPD discussing the implications of going after a high profile suspect. After realizing that she'd be forced out of her 23 year long career, the cop said "What would I do then...knit?"

To which I had to yell at the screen, after putting down my sock in progress, "Hell yes I would!"

Olympic Socks: Gettin' There!

First finished sock of the pair

After knitting throughout our regular DnD session on Friday night, I finished up the first sock of the pair Saturday morning. I finally figured out how to do the kitchener stitch decently enough to not have huge lumps at the final seam at the toes. Yeah, I was pretty relieved at that one after knitting on this sock for a week.

I sat down Saturday afternoon and started the second of the pair. After knitting on it a bit on Sunday, I've gotten to the heel flap. I can't wait to finish it up and wear the set!


Pair coming along

Now, you may ask, "What's happened to your Cozy knitting?". Well...um...its at the bottom of my knitting bag at the moment. No further progress since the last time I blogged about it. Sock knitting is much more enjoyable for me than lace knitting right now. Maybe its because its been cold as hell outside lately, and I just want to pile as much wool on me as possible :)

Oh, and why no word on the baby blanket progress? Yeah, that's vapor knitting still. I ordered a pattern from Oat Couture through one of the local yarn stores around four weeks ago, and it still hasn't arrived. *grumble*

And now on a happier note...more sock!


The second sock is a bit more stand off-ish from Bandit

Knitting Olympics: First Sock Progress

With Valentine's Day yesterday, I did absolutely no knitting. Tonight was my TV vegetation night - 4 hours straight of CSI and Lost, so I was able to catch up. I've turned the heel Monday night and did the gusset decreases tonight. I found turning the heel on this sock to be a bit trickier than the class sock just due to less specific pattern directions. After ripping the heel out twice, I realized that I was accidentally leaving off 2 stitches on the first row. >.< Looking good now though :)

Sock enjoys living on the edge by cuddling with the sock devouring dog, gutsy little sock!

Olympic Knitting: The Beginning

2p.m. Friday afternoon, I joined in with literally thousands of knitters across the globe and cast-on my Olympic knitting project. I chose to try my first pair of socks. Being a selfish, icy footed knitter, they'll be mine :) I'm doing a simple garter rib stitch pattern following (very closely!!) the instructions given in Sensational Knitted Socks. Now, I've always heard of the wonderful portability of sock projects and have seen knitters with their socks in far flung, wonderous locales. Well, I don't really go out too much, so instead, you'll be seeing sock doing what I do around the house.

Sock and I taking over Middle Earth in the game War of the Ring..we kicked Hubs' butt!

So far, I'm loving how the Lorna's Lace Shepherd Sock yarn is knitting up. Granted, its a heck of a lot thinner weight than any yarn I've ever used before. With US#2 DPNs, I feel like I'm knitting on dental floss with toothpicks. Really pretty wooly floss. I think I'm hooked on sock knitting; I can say that until I get to the gusset. :)


Sock and I watching CSI reruns on Spike. Lookie...there's a heel! Knitted objects may appear wavier than they are.

In the planned objects realm, I'll be working on a pair of socks for Hubs, too. Unfortunately, the pattern for the baby blanket has been on backorder for three weeks. *groan* So much for getting a jumpstart!

First Sock

Awww...I'm so happy and pleased.

My first finished sock!

I worked on this over this evening and the past two nights over some CSI reruns. Really I had to rip out only a few times. Only part I didn't quite grasp was using the kitchener stitch to seam the toe. I consulted two knitting books and a knitting how to website, and each told me to do it differently. Ack!

I worked this tutorial sock out of some light purple splitty-as-hell acrylic I had laying around the house. Never again will that yarn be knitted by me.


Sock that stands up on its own, that ain't right!! Just overlook the ugly toe here folks...

And just to prove that it was kind of shaped like a human foot...


Me modelling the funny little sock. Please excuse my blindingly pale legs. I'm red-headed and can't tan folks :)

I have my Lorna's Lace all wound and swatched up ready to go for the start of the Knitting Olympics tomorrow. Can't wait!!

Hu-zah.

Voila, a turned heel!

I overcame my genetics (see post about Sock DNA) and turned a heel tonight. Surprisingly enough for me, turning the heel was pretty easy. I was able to follow doing the shortrow knitting. The biggest pain was the picking up stitches for the gusset and working the decreases on the gusset. Still, its an easier knit than Cozy :)

Overall, I think I'll be ready for the Knitting Olympics on Friday afternoon. I'm off work for the day, and only have to wind and work a swatch of the sock yarn I bought a few weeks ago.


"When's the sock going to be big enough for me to EAT it?? Smells yummy!" - Crazy Dog, Bandit

Back to the Show!

Please excuse my short absence, I'd been forced into a mini-vacation (purgatory???) from knitting the past few days with a thumpin' migraine. Glad to report that I'm feeling much better and have picked up the needles again.

Saturday, I sat down to knit on Cozy for a bit. Somehow, I wound up two stitches short after the 5th row on a repeat and went to rip out that row. To my horror, I saw that I had neglected to put in a new lifeline for that day's knitting. What should have been a 5 minute fix with a lifeline lead to an hour and a half of me cursing and threatening to burn Cozy. Luckily, I got it all sorted out and was able to make a bit more progress. Its a slow knit for me, very...slow...knit.

Weekend's progress on Cozy, note the threaded lifeline and ghetto straw stitch markers

I also picked up a new book Saturday evening to help coach me for the Knitting Olympics that start on Friday. I got Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch and poured over the text through the Super Bowl. I really like the way the book is set up as it has more formulas for sizing socks rather than hard and fast patterns. I like the idea of having to buy less patterns to knit for a range of foot sizes. :)

On that note, here's my big "TA-DA" for the past week...you ready???


Class Sock from Sensational Knitted Socks..with cuff and a HEEL

I'm just about bursting my buttons with pride over this little tutorial sock. Tonight, I learned a longtail cast-on method, how to knit on double pointed needles in the round, and how to work a heel stitch. This has me very optimistic for my Knitting Olympics sock project.

Just to show how nasty I was feeling yesterday, I received my latest shipment from Knitpicks.com yesterday evening, and didn't even open it! Enough Merino Style in Hollyberry and Harvest for me to knit myself a Gryffindor scarf and some absolutely yummy Andean Treasure (100% baby alpaca here folks!!) in Mystery.


I should have enough yarn to last me for a bit :)

oh, oh, pick Mememememememe!

First off, I finished up the set of Irish Hiking wrist warmers for my mom. No pictures were taken as they look exactly the same as the set I made for Chelsea except not seamed yet :) Instead of sharing knitterly goodness, here's a meme that's been going around that I've gotten a kick out of reading on others' blogs.

Four jobs I’ve had

1. Evening and weekend front office worker in my college dorm
2. Grader for three courses in Purdue's undergrad Computer Technology program
3. IT summer intern
4. Data Analyst


Four movies I can watch over and over

1. Harry Potter movies, even the one with the stupid mouthy shrunken head *grumbles something about sticking to the canon*
2. Eurotrip
3. Lord of the Rings movies
4. Star Wars, pretty much all of 'em

Four places I have lived

1. Peru, Indiana
2. West Lafayette, Indiana
3. Lebanon, Indiana...sensing a pattern here???
4. Indianapolis, Indiana

Four TV shows I love

1. CSI
2. Lost
3. Battlestar Galactica
4. The Simpsons, been watching reruns on Fox 59 every night for YEARS!

Four places I’ve vacationed

1. Pennsylvania
2. Gatlinburg, Tennessee
3. Rochester, Indiana - home to Lake Manitou, my online moniker
4. Dallas, Texas

Four of my favorite foods
1. Pasta
2. Rice
3. Chocolate
4. Chili's salsa and chips

Four sites I visit daily

1. Yahoo!
2. CNN
3. Indystar.com
4. Countless blogs, I'm a blog stalker.

G'night!!