Beadwork Is Finished!

Beadwork was started in October 2006. Designed by Jade Starmore, published in A Collectors Item, as a childs sweater. Using the charts in the book I adapted for me. Used Knitpicks Merino DK, in tidepool. Used size 1 American needles. 3 broken needles in the process.

I worked Beadwork top down, FLAK style. in the round, but not steeked. Since the twisted crosses are the same as worked on Am Kamin.

This sweater is bulletproof, and will join the FLAK from last year(June 26) as the winter coat, since I hate coats and tend to use a sweater for that purpose.

If I were to do this again I would add more cables to the sleeves since that is the place that I bogged down, more than any other.

Once I got past the sleeves the rows of body took 1 hour for every 2 rows, and after 4 rows I would lose focus so 6 rows a day were the most I accomplished.

I am glad that I have finished it was a long job, and I am just as glad to have it over. It took longer than Am Kamin (Sept. 13), because I hated knitting the sleeves, and the rows took longer, (Am Kamin was worked in pieces) so I
felt that I was not accomplishing anything.

Any way it is done and I have grand children's sweaters, Trip Trap, and The Cuff to Cuff based
loosely on Sue Essers pattern to finish so that will take care of the rest of the year, surely.

Now to look for knitting for the new year.

2nd Sock (for Carl)

Carl's 2nd socks are finished, I used the black yarn for the toes, but still had enough for the heels, even though I was sure that I would not. I am beginning to think that there are people who use a bit out of a ball of yarn and then return it to the store as an unused ball. I am sure that they think they are doing something good (for them) but I have several times (in 50+ years of knitting) gotten yarn that I know was short, (compared to another ball of the same stuff) and I begin to see why maybe yarn shops, (and especially the big box craft stores) should have a no return policy unless they have a scale on site to weigh the returns to check for
shortages.

Any way I have a red colorway selected for the next pair and then I think he can go on the back burner for awhile.

The first pair are in the wash today, so this evening I will get them back to undo the bindoff and add some length to the tops.

On the 2nd pair I added 1 stitch in the purl 2's all the way around, to make k2, p3, at the very top so that they would not bind at the top of the socks, and since I have heard not a word about it I guess he likes it. So that pattern is checked out and goes into the mindless sock knitting archive.

Another thing I did was to write down the sock lengths for every one in the family, in my daytimer, so that I don't have to look up and remember, what size everyone in the family is.

Now to go watch the shows I taped last night and do 2-4 rows on Beadwork.

Sock Yarn

It always fasinates me how rovings look so much different than the singles or the plied yarn. This is what the Red White, and Blue roving spins up to if the roving is simply drafted as it comes. I am looking forward to plying it to see the final product. It will just be 2 plied because there are no longer color runs.

Off to spin the other 2 ounces.

Still Socks

More socks for Carl since making more is the only way to get him to wear a different pair. Absolutely I have created a monster.

I have both of the 2nd pair past the waste yarn for the heel. So these should be finished by tomorrow.

Also working on Sierra's birthday socks which is above the waste yarn on the first sock but the 2nd only has it's toe done, and I need to go back to the 2nd and get it up to the heel.


The pattern that Sierra picked is kinda/sorta Feather and Fan and very easy, but the On Line yarn that I am using is fine fingering yarn, so is being knit on 00 needles, and is taking a while, but I have until the first of November. So no worries.
I have started washing sweaters, and have re-blocked Christopher's FLAK which is now long enough and is still plenty big. So he is much happier. I guess I zoned when I was blocking it the first time and blocked it short and wide instead of tall and thin, which was not good.

Not to self: I am short and wide every one else is
tall and thin, must remember this!

I am still working on beadwork and am knitting the last repeat so finished soon.

Almost A Sweater

Look you can see that Beadwork is actually going to be a sweater! I have enough length that the shape is getting to the proportions that make it recognizable as a sweater. I need to do one more repeat of the C chart, 32 rows, and then the 10 rows of the diamond, and I think 4 rows of garter.

Then there will be the neckline, and since I don't like the depth of the neckline, I think I shall pick up and knit the 10 rows of diamond, and then cast on 10 stitches and do the small cable around the neck. At least that is the plan at the moment, all subject to change at a moments
notice.

I think that I am really going to enjoy wearing this sweater, the Knitpicks Merino DK has knit up wonderfully and has done no pilling at all during the knitting process.

It is still not a speedy process because it does take a lot of concentration, so 4 rows average per day, sometimes 6 if I am feeling wide awake but more than that and I have to do a fair amount of fixing on the first row the next day, so pushing is not really worth it, since it increases mistakes.

So what is next? Well there is a worsted/bulky project the Cuff to Cuff that I am doing Cuff to Middle, Cuff to middle, Join. That I started last winter and got both sleeves finished so I need to cast on the front and back and knit to the Middle. Since this is such fat yarn, it should go really quickly.

The other sweater is the Trip Trap that needs 2 more stripes on the right front and the sleeves. garter stitch so fast because mindless.

I am looking forward to the mindless knitting, Beadword has been fun, but it follows Am Kamin and The FLAKs and mindless is looking pretty good at this time.

June said…

Looks wonderful! It looks like you did this from the top down, might I ask did you follow the Flak directions (well, you know what I mean don't you?) to do this?

Thanks very much.
Yes I know what you mean and yes I did. Cast on the small cable knit 4 inches, pick up knit down the back and front to bottom of armholes, knit sleeves, back to body and knit down.
thanks for asking.

And thanks for the comments to you as well Junie.

I May Have Created a Monster

Back story: Years ago, when I got back into sock knitting, and was measuring everyone's feet, Carl(husband) told me NOT to make any socks for him. I have taken him at his word ever since.

But lately he has looked somewhat poutily at the socks for Christopher and Bob, (Son and step-father) every time I finish a pair, so I broke down and made a pair for him, (he did not know it but I already have yarn balled and put together for 2 more pair, depending on his reaction to the first pair).

So the other night I handed him his new socks. He said, "Should I hand these to Christopher?" I said, " Well you can if you don't want them, but I made them for you."
Christopher said, "Yes, hand them to me!" The discussion ensued about how Christopher had lots of socks and he shouldn't be selfish, and Christopher asserting how he did not have enough and did not expect to... and on and on.

Carl started to do his usual thing with gifts, lay it on the table and leave it there for an unspecified amount of time. I mentioned that I needed to know if they fit. Whereupon he tried them on, and is still wearing them, so I need to finish the next pair quickly.

So are Christopher and Carl going to start fighting over socks? The rest of them all wear very different size socks so they won't be involved but Carl and Christopher have the same size feet.

I may have created a/another sock monster. We shall see.

They are too short by about 2.5-3 inches, but I knit until I was running out of yarn, Carl said I could use another color, suggested green, orange, yellow or fuchsia (nobody gets any fuchsia but ME!!!) So I guess after I finish the next pair, I will go back and add a contrasting cuff, probably blue, black or red. I swear the man is colorblind! (He wears boots so the color of the socks really don't matter).

5 day weekends? It could happen

I have figured it out, give me a 5 day weekend and I just might be ready to go to work. There may be some logistical problems here but I'll worry about that later.

So what did I do this weekend? Finished the I Love Ganseys from the Six Sox knitalong. They had to be worked with the chart in front of me every row, so no good for classroom knitting, therefore they had to go.
I did work on Beadwork, got 2 whole rows done the entire time. It is just too hot to have on my lap.

Started the Christmas sweater for Caleb. Worked on getting the intarsia done on the Lizard Sweater for Mark, and found that I need to rip it back for the 2nd time. Once I get the pattern started it will be fine, but for some reason I seem to have trouble counting. This time I will work from center like I should have been doing all along. This is not classroom work either, but once the lizard is finished, I can do the rest at school.

I am thinking about getting some of the sew on googley eyes from Hobby Lobby for the Lizard and the dog sweaters, I think that would be fun.

So what did I spend my time on? I divided and wound up 4 pair of socks worth of balls of yarn for Sierra's birthday socks, and 3 pair for Carl (at least that is the plan, his reaction to the first pair will determine if he gets any more).

That did not take all weekend you say? Well you are right, This is what took the most time:


I took everything out of the closet, piled it on the couch. And then sorted, washed what needed washing, (so wrinkled that it was easier to wash),
ironed what needed ironing, put outfits together, found the shell that I have been hunting, (in the floor where it had fallen) and put everything back into the closet.

I still have to hem 2 skirts and a jumper but I have to have someone pin them first.

So since this is the 5th day if I get the lizard straightened out I will be ready to go to work tomorrow, if anyone calls. (I need to figure out how to do a sick dance, not real sick, just so people want to stay home, it's been 3 weeks, the rug rats should be sharing germs by now)
I'm awful! I am getting off of here now before you learn just how awful!

Labor Day Weekend

Caution this is not an uplifting post you have been warned!

I took my Mom to town yesterday, and learned several things. 1) she is getting to be a really bad driver, (accelerating up a hill that cannot be seen over, in the center of the road) she has for some time made me uncomfortable by either constant accelerating or breaking, no coasting, and abrupt transitions. But her driving is getting worse, and I know for sure that telling her that she shouldn't drive will cause an uproar, so I just need to be as available to drive as I possibly can be. (BTW, Mom doesn't read this, and I don't think anyone else in my family does either, but if you do tell me. And don't tell her!)

2) My knitting in public is having results, one of the waiters, (not waiting on us) saw me working on these: ( Six Sox Knitalong I Love Gansys)
And was absolutely fascinated, came over and watched for a while, then had to go take care of his customers, came back and we had gotten our lunch, and was disappointed that I had put them away. I told him about the sign up sheet for knitting lessons, and he said he would go after work. Nice young man.

3) I don't like shopping for clothes, I see things for other people but I don't see anything I like for me.

4) The colors that were prevalent are colors that I don't like and that do not look good on me.

4) My library card has expired. (I actually did not learn this until I got home and went online to reserve a book)

5) I really hate it when a ball game is shown on TV on the only channel that I wanted to watch all week.

Reading this over I realize that I am somewhat grumpy this morning. I need to start getting out clothes and arranging them for the change over from summer to winter clothes, which seems like a silly thing to be doing because it is still in the high 80's and will be for a while, so I can't put the summer clothes away, and there is not room to have both in the closet down here, so what to do? I guess I could get out 6 outfits of fall clothes, and 6 outfits of summer clothes and take everything else out of the closet down here. Then about Thanksgiving move the summer stuff out, and bring extra fall, and some winter stuff. Then at Christmas move the Fall stuff out and make it all winter, until March. Or so.

Mom has decided that I am going to go to Hawaii with her (in January) because she cannot go alone, and needs someone to help. When we were in Virginia she went and got a bunch of new clothes, because she wants to get new clothes every year and any excuse will do, and I guess going to Hawaii is better than most.

And now she wants me to get new clothes also and I don't want to. I have more clothes than will fit in the closet, and there is nothing I can think of that I might need. Or want. Except maybe bras, which she will not find exciting to shop for, since it involves sitting down at the computer, clicking maybe 5 buttons and typing in a credit card number.

I need to get some work done on Beadwork, really work on the intarsia lizard for Mark's sweater and cast on Caleb's so I have some mindless knitting, I have the (probably silly) idea that if I get classroom knitting ready that the schools will start calling me to come work. But not until after Tuesday because the school systems have the last/first rule for holiday pay, (one must work the last day before and the first day after in order to get paid for the holiday), so they don't need subs until Wednesday.

So here I sit the 2ND day of what for me is essentially a 5 day weekend and I can't figure out what to do first, and where to go after. Typical!