October is Almost Gone

And where are in your holiday knitting?
I have 2.8 gifts finished of 5 grandchildren, almost 1/3 of 1 of 5 children, (but he is the only one getting a knitted gift this year, but 1 daughter is getting new scrubs made) So I am not doing too badly.

Caleb's Christmas Sweater has it's back finished, I picked out 4 colors of Cotton Fleece and kinda wish I had a bright red, Christmas red as well, so I may have to go on-line as see what I can find.

If I can find some red, I can make the sleeves different colors, which I would like to do.

Just called Webs and ordered the red, so I can do what I want and cast on a different color for one of the sleeves. Probably the orange.

Then there are the socks for my Uncle's birthday the 19th of November. They have been started. And other than getting the lining made for Sierrra's backpack, and the grommets put in (for the 9th of Nov) The socks are the next to be finished.


If I would stop working on Trip Trap, and Beadwork, I would get gift knitting finished and then I would be able to knit guilt free, but I have made 2 sweaters that fit me and I want 6 or 7 more, it's like crack, I think I am addicted.

It seems that every time I sit down one or the other of TripTrap or Beadwork jumps into my lap and pushes all the 'need to get done' stuff out onto the floor, it is as bad as having cats. (except that they don't catch mice)

Every thing is getting some advancement but it is all going very slowly because I am not sitting down and working on anything consistently. And I need to get the rovings that I dyed out and look at it to see if I just need to spin it or if I need to re- dye any of it.

I wish I knew why it is so hard to get back to something, once I stop for any reason, but especially if I stopped because there was a problem, it seems I start worrying and imagine all sorts of problems, instead of just getting it out and looking at it and deciding if 1. There is actually a problem, and 2. How to fix it if there is, or 2a. Just get on with the project if there actually is not.

Now all my real life friends can say, "Gee, I never thought you had any doubts about anything you do." Well now you know.

Tooth and Sweater Frustrations

This has been a really strange week. On Monday I went back to the dentist to get some more of the root canal done. This time I really felt the pain, so have spent the week in front of the TV watching videos and knitting a lot of stocking stitch. I had sewed in the zipper in Dwaynes Birthday Sweater, and I received the books for his Christmas present. Sierra's backpack is almost finished for her Birthday, and the books are here for her Christmas present. Rayne's Christmas sweater is now finished. And her birthday is in June so I am good there. I need to get the Patterns for Mark and Caleb done and get those sweaters finished.



While taking the pain meds I worked on Trip Trap and got this much of the right front done, until today when I really spread it out against the back and realized that the changes I made in the pattern require me to start with the other color on the top. So this will be ripped out eventually but for right now it is in time out, and I will start the right side again and keep checking it against this on to be sure I get the colors right.
The problem with this sweater is that it looks so simple, just garter stitch, and one double decrease every other row, how hard can that be?

Well if you let you mind wonder it seem that it can get really messed up, really fast!

So after getting thoroughly fed up with Trip Trap. I picked up Beadwork again, and have finished 22 rows and this time it looks like it is going to be OK, and the pattern is getting logical so I may be able to continue with this, we will see.

I ripped it out because I did not like the stitch definition that I was getting, so I went down 2 needle sizes and it is looking much better now.


Off to bed, we are going to Berea tomorrow to see the son in a play.

Grandma Bonus!

Wednesday evening Kelly (my grandson's mother) called and ask if I would like to have Caleb come and stay with me from Thursday night until Sunday. So I have a knitting helper, he loves to turn the ball winder. And he models sweaters, here he is in his cousin Dwayne's birthday sweater: It is much too big since even though Dwayne is a small 12 and Caleb is a big 3 there is still a difference in size.

Yesterday, at work after finishing the zipper in Dwayne's sweater I returned to Rayne's picked up the sleeve and have worked about 40 rows.

This will be the weekend knitting since it is just stockingette and I will certainly be distracted.

Anita: off to find a skein of yarn that needs to become a ball because Caleb likes turning the ballwinder, and wants to know what it is for.

Catsup

Last Saturday morning I got up and found this on my table:

And This in my front yard:



So I knew that in the night the #2 son had arrived home and crept up the stairs and into bed And about 2 in the afternoon my suspicions were confirmed. Chris left for school again this morning. Fall break. We get to see him a little in between RPG and dates with his best friend.

It is sunny here so I can prove that I can dye red:



Yesterday Mom and I took my Step-father up to Columbus, Indiana to the hospital for some tests and while we sat in the waiting room I finished the knitting on this: And bought the zipper for it on the way home.



And when I got home I cast on the back of Beadwork tried to knit but turns out I was too tired to keep track.



So this morning I re-did the charts so they are somewhat more idiot proof:



Now I will try to get something done on it tonight. I also need to pick up the sleeves on Miss Rayne's sweater. So back to work.

Midwest Masters was Wonderful!

As usual.

I took two days of classes with Joan Schrouder, if you get a chance to take a class with her do it. She is knowledgeable, funny, and fun. She is also a slavedriver. The first day we made a sweater. A whole sweater, (well except for the 2nd sleeve).

Then the 2nd day, after we were tired from the banquet, and the fashion show, and the visiting, and the shopping, and the classes, from the day before she made us make 2 shawls, well we did not have to finish the edging on the 2nd one.
But 2 shawls!
Really, I mean David Miles gave us a whole weekend to make the pants and we used the knitting machines.
A Slavedriver I tell you!
Much was learned. I love the collar of the sweater, you leave 2 stitches when you start the decreases of the top and start with the 2 stitches and pick up more stitches as you work back and forth, then do the other side then knit across the back and add one of the side fronts every row it makes a fold line that reminds me of the way a tailored jacket is made. Very neat. And the process of designing a faroese shawl was made very clear. I can't wait to put it to use, I just have to finish these other 7,531,958 other projects first.

BTW (I am just kidding about Joans being a slavedriver, you don't need to yell at me.)

I got a package

My youngest daughter sent me a package and in it were these:




and she wants them turned into these:




So I need to dust off the sewing machine and serger. My mother says she wants to help but I don't know what she can do. We will see.

While I was at Midwest Masters I went to Yarn's By Design and got some merino/silk blend rovings, Lorna's Laces Shepard sport in the Black Watch color way, and Brown Sheep cotton fleece for a sweater for master Caleb. Here is a picture of the rovings.

While I have been dyeing I have not died.

Since I returned from Midwest Masters I have been really tired, so I have been lying in my comfy chair and knitting. While there I modeled the Am Kamin and the FLAKs both mine and Carl's. And the Bloom. Got many complements on them.

Since I have been back (and on the trip up and back) I have been working on Dwayne's spirit sweater. For his birthday Dec 15th.

Right after I got back I finished the saddles for Beadwork, and finally last night felt up to doing the math to figure out the stitch pickup for the back so I can do that today.

I have finished the 3 baby sweaters that I have been playing with off and on. So the 2 that need to be gone can be mailed now. I still need to do one more. Why is the one you have done always the wrong sex? So I can go stash diving to see what other shades of Sunsette I have. Or I can use some of the other stuff There is some baby Ull in there.

I really like this pattern, it zips down the back, so practical.






I have been working on The 3rd FLAK for Chris but the endless (and 22 inches of sleeve really is *endless* believe me) is going slowly. The Bartlett yarn that he picked is beautiful but knitting it tightly is hard on my fingers.

And I have been working on Trip Trap. The back is finished and I have (barely) started the right front.
I am really enjoying working on this, it is not totally mindless and every time I forget that fact it reminds me. But it is not so concentration intensive that I cannot work on it while doing something else.
As usual I am changing the pattern to a modified drop because the drop/dolman design of the pattern does not look well on me, we shall see how this turns out.

And I have begun dyeing again, after a halt while I consulted the company and experienced dyers and thought until my thinker was sore. I finally decided to try soaking the roving in vinegar water, and then placing into the dyepot. And Success! The reds are bright intense and dark. Just what I wanted. Once they are dry I will take some pictures. There is purple in the dyepot today. And I may get the stuff that I dyed earlier and see if I think it needs another trip through the dyepot to get as saturated as the red. I am a happy dyer.