A day of knitting. Well, more like a day of starting.

Yesterday I had every intention on finally finishing the now-useless Dark Mark scarf for the husband. (Useless for this year at least, as spring has hit us, and my allergies, with a vengeance.)I knit about four rows, and became sidetracked and instead I cast-on two new projects.

One will be a very long term project. A sock yarn blanket, as made by Shelly Kang. I had seen it before on Ravelry and had read her blog. While I have very little in the way of sock yarn left overs, I do have my share of sock yarn and PLAN on having left-overs. So here it is the start of a very long journey:


The second was an Easter egg from Little Cotton Rabbits. I was afraid it would be too small, and if I stuffed it with fiberfil, it would be lumpy, as many I have seen are. So instead, I stitched the egg around an empty plastic egg. (Having recently been relieved of it's sugary innards) This would make a great cat or small dog toy, if a bell was added to the egg before being sewn in. Or catnip could be added, as many of the new eggs are being made with holes on each end for hanging. Also, if pantyhose were still packaged in eggs, it could be adapted to those, and made into a lovely rattle. I myself had such a rattle, only it was crocheted to look like Humpty Dumpty. Yes it's the same yarn as the blanket squares. The repeats are very short, so only a limited number of unique squares can be made, and I have a decent ball left of the stuff. It is Plymouth Sockotta Fair Isle Effects. I made my first socks out of this as I was just starting to knit and I had just discovered better yarn than at Micheals and was shocked by the prices. This was the cheapest stuff I could find, and is also probably the cheapest yarn I have worked with. It was fine when I knitted it up, but after being washed, the black ran and made the whole sock look dinghy. The yarn had bloomed a bit, which I thought would make them softer, but instead made them itchy. I have worn the socks once, and probably will never again.

Oh, and finally, a picture of the phone cozy mentioned yesterday:

The black thing in the middle is supposed to be the husband's symbol. He has been using it since high school. I didn't do it very will here, but I think it's ok, considering I only had 9 stitches across to work with and I have never really done color work before. (I take that back, I have had two other attempts, one a scarf that was frogged due to uneven tension, and a dishcloth that is passible, but had yarn-overs and I had NO idea how to deal with those.)

In which I feel very accomplished

Almost impossibly it seems, I have finished the Secret of the Stole ii, now known by it's proper name, Savannah. I finished it Friday night, when I also blocked it. This projects has been a lot of firsts for me. It was my first KAL, my first big project, my first real lace project, and the first project I have needed to really block. Before I had knitted lace dishcloths, and og course blocked them, but a little 8 inch square really can't tell you how well you block, or how much blocking is needed for certain projects.

And now, pictures

Before blocking:
While Blocking:
And after blocking:

It seemed to have shrunk a bit after blocking. I was worn, but I'm not sure it t his is normal, or if I blocked it poorly (not wet enough). Not the best picture, I know, but I had hoped to get pictures of me wearing it yesterday, after I had spent hours getting ready, but it just never happened. Maybe later. I did get a picture of it with my favorite piece of furniture in my home.

Pattern: Savannah- Secret of the Stole ii
Yarn: 2 1/3 skeins Knit Picks Shadow in Lost Lake Heather
Needle size: US 2
Started: January 18th
Completed: March 21st

After it was off the needles, I felt compelled to do something with the 2/3 of a skein. A scarf was started and frogged. Then I decided that since we just got new cell phones (something I still feel was a great mistake), I should make something for the husband as he has a tendency to be rough on electronics. Unfortunately, he took it with him this morning, so pictures will have to wait.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

The weekend is over. I did not do everything I had hoped. I am o.k. with it. Saturday was spent going to Placerville with the husband. I knitted much of the time, and was able to complete the 8th clue of my Secret of the Stole by Sunday.
Sunday was spent doing taxes and laundry. I was able to make a stop at a LYS and picked up a few things.
A much-coveted skein of Trekking in colorway 100. I felt a little guilty buying it. No, not because I wanted to keep to a relative yarn diet, I have wanted this yarn for far too long for that. But I had found the small stash of Trekking, and was pulling out a skein of an attractive rose, when I saw it. Tucked upright behind the other 8 or so skeins. I knew, having done it myself, that this was a sure sign of squirreling. A person had hid the skein from others, for a reason known only to themselves, hoping to return at a later time and purchase it. I imagined it was someone who worked in the store, and there is a policy about how much yarn can be bought before the general public is allowed to have at it. This person had already bought their allotment and was hoping to keep it in store for a few days, and then add it to their stash. (Do I need to mention I have an active imagination?)
I was in a moral conundrum. If it had been me, I would have hoped that a nice person would leave it. However, this is consumerism, and in an economic slump, surely I would be remiss in not buying it. Of course, I didn't think that much at the time, but I was a bit torn. My loving mother was there, and she straightened me out with a quick, "What? Of course you're going to buy it."

I also bought a skein of Noro Kureyon, (my first) for a Fake Isle Hat As for knitting, I was able to finish my Mystic Light pulse warmers/ swatch over the past few days. I cast on Sunday, finished the fist on Tuesday, cast on the second and finished that Tuesday night. Maybe I'm not as slow a knitter as I previously believed. Here is the swatch being blocked: And grafted into the wrist warmer:

I don't know if I like it. The yarn is Kraemer Sterling Silk and Silver on US 6. I'm not sure this yarn blocks very well, and if it won't make my shawl look like a teenager's thrift store cover-up from the 80's. (The husband always gives his honest opinion when asked.) If anyone has used this yarn, or has an opinion on the swatch, let me know. I don't have enough of anything else in my stash, so I would have to get something else quickly, if it is deemed necessary.

I knit slow, but dream big.

There has not been much knitting this week. I am trying my hardest to catch up in the Secret of the Stole ii KAL. I have been behind on the clues since I spent a weekend at Dillon Beach. I try to knit at night, but that is not always what happens.
I have a job that I CANNOT knit during. I work from 7:30 to around 5 or 6, whenever I get tired enough and decide I can't get anymore done. I walk the 30 minutes home and I try valiantly to eat dinner and sit down for some serious knitting, but (quite literally) three days out of five, I'm asleep by 9:30. Wednesdays are usually good for knitting, as the husband is off with friends, but this week I had a late meeting, and he stayed home. 2 rows. Fridays are also good, I somehow can stay up later. 20 rows. I am now working on clue 8.
Meanwhile, I haven't even swatched for Dem Fisher, and it's already over. I also need to swatch for Mystic Light, and fully intend to do both this weekend. Of course, this is where I severely overestimate my knitting ability, and the amount of time I won't be cleaning, or going in to work.

In fact, the last time I saw with the group on SOTSii, it was clue 5, and I won a prize.

If I was braver, I might dye it.

"A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word [accomplished]."

I did everything but dance. Though I did that today in the living room while I cleaned.

The gift project is done and delivered. I wish I had gotten some pictures, even thought I was mildly disappointed in it. It was a sand filled mouse with a sun appliqué on the back. WARNING: The next few sentences will be in Gamer-speak. I will translate shortly. The husband is a Game Master and ran an Exalted game. One of his friends had a Mouse of the Sun as a familiar of sorts. Translation: The husband runs a role-playing game. One person had a special mouse as a friend. I own a very colorful mouse, and had pulled it out for a dress up day at work, and the husband spotted it and asked if I could recreate it. His friend was having a birthday, and the husband loves to give thoughtful gifts, though is normally inept at finding what he wants. This ends up leading to less than desirable gifts for me, and my working frantically on his ideas for everyone else. I thought I had until the 20th, so I agreed. A day later, he told me the party was Friday. Two days to party= no knitting time. I did it, though not to my satisfaction. I may make another, as I did like it, though I would make another pattern.

We delivered it last night at the birthday party, where we discovered that the friend's fiancé (also in the husband's gaming group) had given him Rock Band* for his birthday. The rest of the night was filled with the husband complaining of a pained calf from the notorious foot pedal of the drums, and me holding the microphone, wishing I had my voice back and that we were playing "Top 40 Rock Band" so I knew the songs. It made for a pleasant evening , and I would not be sorry to spend another evening in such a fashion. Though, I do wish they would add some Queen to the song list. I actually know those songs.

*A quick explanation of Rock Band, if there are those out there still able to shield themselves from the growing industry of trying to make us a nation of musicians. Rock Band is a video game where, instead of the normal hand held controller with buttons and joysticks, people play with guitars, a drum set, or a microphone. Up to four people can play at a time, thus a wonderful game for parties. There are two guitars, one main and one bass, where you have to press the appropriate colored button, then "strum" by flicking what can be described as a wide light switch. The drums are four circular pads, set into a free standing frame, and looks very similar to a drum set. There is also a foot petal that is kindly called "a pain". The microphone is just that. A button-less microphone where you a given the torture of trying to sing a song (that most people in the room are very familiar with and know perfectly well how much you are butchering it), whilst actually hearing yourself through the TV speakers.

By the by, I actually made a Pride and Prejudice reference in a room of ten twenty-somethings who seem to be fairly typical twenty-something. No one got it. I laughed out loud.

"My ideas flow so rapidly that I have not time to express them;

by which means my letters sometimes convey no ideas at all to my correspondents."

I took yesterday off for an appointment, which did not take up nearly as much of the day as I had anticipated. Much was knitted. I completed clue 6 of Secret of the Stole ii, and have knit about 2 rows of clue 7. I also printed out the swatch for Dem Fisher Sin Fru. I feel this is almost as good as casting on. I also worked on the Dark Mark Scarf while I waited for my appointment, though I got very little done on it.
I currently have a non-knitting project begun as a favor to the husband. I am not proficient in using a sewing machine, but I am by not means deficient and I seem to have an ability to recreate small stuffed animals. I'm not sure how it will turn out, but it has to be done by Saturday.

A quarter past 7 in the..... yea you get the idea

Secret of the Stole II. My current main WIP. Back in November I heard about this KAL and I decided to try it. I had been toying with various clubs, Year of Lace, Blue Moon Rocking Sock club, Simply Socks club, and more recently the Tsock Tsarina's sock club. Well, I am very careful with money (read will squeeze blood from a penny) and I couldn't justify spending $28 to $34 a pair of socks with yarn and patterns I might not want. A KAL seemed to be the perfect solution.

I ordered Knit Picks Shadow and began right on time. I actually have been able to keep up for most of the time. I was kept behind one week I spent with the family at the beach. I am enjoying it very much; in fact, I am now signed up for four other KALs too.

Dem Fisher sin Fru. It actually is almost over, but I haven't even cast on yet. I had one skein, and was lucky enough to find a second matching one four months later,

Mystic Light.
I have the yarn, 2 skeins of Sterling Silk and Silver in black.

Slow Bee and Secret of Bad Nauheim I need yarn for still.

3ish in the Garden of Dishes and Laundry continuing

After the holiday season, I realized that I had spent months knitting gifts, but the poor husband did not receive anything. Now please don't think I have the kind of husband who asks for hand knit things, wears them with pride and has ideas for the next present. No, I have the kind who will go to the yarn store, but only if he has something to occupy his time and I don't ask him for anything more than a "I'm ready to go". I made him a pair of socks, he was gracious enough to pick the yarn, and he rarely wears them- twice, I think. But he is the only one who I know really is impressed with what I make and I MUST force knitted objects on such a person.

My first knitting project was actually a scarf for him, but he even admits he won't wear that. "Too fuzzy." So I had him find a better scarf. He chose the Dark Mark Scarf after 5 minutes on Ravelry. Then the yarn hunting began. The man is hilarious! I love to find excuses to go to new yarn stores. Fibers is relatively local, so it was a perfect opportunity. I ask the ladies there that we need an Aran weight. We are shown a few choices, my husband ignores everything and begins squeezing skeins. Finally he holds up a skein and says "Will this work?" It was blue, probably considered a bulky weight, and it's a novelty yarn. Its fuzzier than a Pomeranian! When I am, of course, gracious enough to mention this, he looks sheepish (pun intended) and replies "But its so soft." I lovingly remind him he does wear the other scarf, which took me two months to find the softest yarn Micheal's had to offer. He concedes and the decision is made that we will choose primarily based on color, as he is very particular about this. I go off, as does he.

I wander over to the Manos wall, and am tempted to start the highly popular My So-called Scarf. The husband had already vetoed it because it seemed to scratchy, so yes, I had become distracted. I see one of the shop ladies move in the direction of the color wall, where the husband is shoving his hand. (I cringe every time he does this, and I just hope he has recently washed his hands.) There is some kind of mumbling, but I hear "What are you making?", "Do you know what size needle you'll be using?" The next thing I know I hear my husband's plaintive call, "Honey, help! They're talking to me!"

In the end, I ordered some Knit Picks Wool of the Andes. I now have the urge to order yarn all the time. Yarn coming to me makes it seem more like the world really IS begging me to knit. Oh, I didn't leave the store empty handed! There was some wonderful blue Colinette Jitterbug and I got a skein of Frog Tree Alpaca in Teal. The Colinette will be socks for me, the Frog Tree... I'm thinking fingerless gloves, probably Knucks.

I had been working on my WIPs for about two weeks, when my first KAL began. Which leads me to...