.post-title { margin:.25em 0; font:bold 130%/1.4em Georgia,Serif; color:#333; } .post-title a, .post-title strong { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/dots/bg_post_title.gif") no-repeat 0 .25em; display:block; color:#333; text-decoration:none; padding:0 0 1px 45px; } .post-title a:hover { color:#000; } Knittingupastorm: April 2007
 

Knitting Up A Storm!


Monday, April 30, 2007

Knitters Frolic was pretty darn great. I went down with Corrie, bumped into Renee, Sandra, LouLou and Leslie. Spent much of the browsing with Corrie and wound up with this:

A little Latern Moon small project bag:


What is that sticking out of that little nice bag? Some Seacoast superwash merino sock yarn from Pick Up Sticks. to make knee high socks. I've never heard of this company before, but man these socks are going to be super duper soft.

The hedge hog pattern from Fiber Trends. What a cute little toy. I bought it to make it for Julianna, but who the hell knows when I get around to it. Maybe when she asks me where it is, I'll start. Yeah, that is the plan!


The last item? This little Moose sweater (click for a better picture - I am a sucky photographer!)from Affectionknit for my nephew. How cute is this little sweater?


Not a bad day, that is for sure.

posted by Lisa @ 10:59 a.m. 

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Friday, April 27, 2007

Thanks guys for the advice on the closures for the cardigan pictured below. I had no idea what a norweigian stye clasp was and Asa sent me a link to a picture to show me. That is exactly the type of clasp I bought a long time ago. But the one I have is too big and brassy for the cardi. But now that I am on the right track, I'll start searching for some smaller ones. Yeah.

Maybe I might find them at the Knitters Frolic this weekend? Or maybe at the MARYLAND WOOL & SHEEP FESTIVAL next week? Two weekends in a row to be around fibery goodness.

Okay, I'll stop gloating now.

Knit on.

posted by Lisa @ 8:58 a.m. 

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Thursday, April 26, 2007

I need some help with what type of closure to use on this top down cardi:

The black one I have sewn on sucks ass because it keeps coming undone within seconds of closing it. Also, I did not knit any button holes, which is making it a tad more difficult to find some closures.

Can you offer me up some suggestions, PLEASE?

posted by Lisa @ 12:52 p.m. 

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Monday, April 23, 2007

Toronto just experienced our first really warm weekend and it was marvelous! We were outside for most of the day playing baseball, bike riding and a bit of this:
Chris and I have been talking about putting up a net for so long and we finally did it. Well, when I say we, I actually mean him and his father did it, but I was there for moral support. BTW - our Christmas lights stay up pretty much all year, but we don't turn them on at night!

Once the weather is not cold enough to skate, Chris waits for most of the ice to melt and then starts to hack away at it. See:

And the chunks of ice he threw to the side:
These pictures were taken a few weeks ago and the crap you see on the deck behind the ice has all been cleared up and thrown away. We actually got to eat our lunch outside yesterday. What an enjoyable experience.

BTW - Have you seen Bonne Marie's latest pattern Nicole? I bought it. And I have yarn in my stash to make it with - elann.com's Sonata in a rich deep chocolate brown. Yeah.

posted by Lisa @ 10:53 a.m. 

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Friday, April 20, 2007

Lets take a look to see which projects I've finished, frogged or still working on from my March 17th's post:


The blob on the left is a kitty pi bed I made, felted and gifted to Meeko. The socks in the middle are Maddie's and she loves them and the last project on the right, is the start of a pair of end paper mitts by Eunny Jang. I finished one and rippied it because it was a tad too tight, and franky I think fingerless mitts are kind of dumb ass. But I wanted to have a try at two colour knitting.

Okay, on to the next picture, the little lacey number was a Flower Basket Shawl that my fellow SnBer helped me rip a few weeks back. BTW - she seemed a bit too happy to help me out! Right Sandra? The brown sweater hasn't been touched in months, and I don't feel the need to rip it, so I think one day I will get back to it. Ariann, my love - I'm on the 2nd ball and still enjoying knitting this. But how can you not love knitting patterns from Bonne Marie? Just ask me I will tell you.

What else have a cast on and NOT finished?

  • Log Cabin Blanket - my interested has not faded but I need to get my 60" needle from Knitpicks to continue. It is so freaking big, that the 29" needles I'm using do not cut it as my hands freaking kill me everytime I knit a stitch. Not good.
  • Scoop Neck Cami from IK Summer/06 - really just cast on and knit 1/2 of the first row.
  • Ribby Shell, half way finished!
  • Clapotis - Mini - Tess Design Yarns - doubt this will see a lot of love, but one never knows when interest on other projects fade and a new love starts.
  • Orangina - didn't think I would cast on for this until the above were done, but I guess I should never underestimate my impatience of trying to finish something to start something new.
  • Tatimo Kimono - just a cast on is all I have.

I think I like to cast on projects so they are ready for me to easily pick up when I'm excited to work on them. Yeah, that describes my finicky ways.

posted by Lisa @ 2:25 p.m. 

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Thursday, April 19, 2007

Before I get ready to catch my GO Train to work, I gather my lunch, purse and knitting bag. Usually stuff and nothing out of the ordinary happens, but this morning, this is what I encountered:


Pretty shitty, eh? How the hell am I going to get that orange string thing back into a teensy little hole? I need that string thing to be put back in so I can close it. I've had this bag for awhile but just started to use it everyday for 2 weeks, and now it is broken. I also have a small bag, that I can't even close because I think the orange string is too long for the bag. I love these bags, but have too many issues with them. Whats a girl to do I ask?

I think I will email the company to see if they will replace it for me, because I can't use it now!

On a good note, I've finished one ball of the black Cotton Fleece for the Ribby Shell, one down, two to go! Maybe, just maybe I'll get to wear it to MW&SF?

I swatched the Cotton Fine yesterday and the drape it makes on size 3mm needles is not to my liking, and I don't want to knit a t-shirt on 2.5mm needles. So the Hemp KNitting Little Lace Top is out of the question.

So the winner is Orangina, because I can use 3mm needles and get a great top. My first attempt at making Orangina did not work out well and I think for a few good reasons.

  1. I used straight needles. I hate using them, I'm pretty much a circular kind of gal.
  2. I didn't use stitch markers. I have NO attention span, therefore I made whackloads of mistakes, it was pretty frustrating.
  3. I used some varigated sock yarn. You couldn't see the pattern and the sock yarn was not that friendly in lace patterns.

Knit ON!

posted by Lisa @ 9:56 a.m. 

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Went to Romni. Bought more yarn for Orangina or Hemp Knitting, Lacey little top. I have both patterns and now I have to choose which one to make first. Thanks YarnCrawl - why oh why did you tell me what yarn you are using for your Orangina. And why did you bother telling me it is great to knit with, why I ask you?

Like I need to cast on for yet another project!

Knit on my friends, knit on!

posted by Lisa @ 2:49 p.m. 

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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

It appears all my knitting projects are quite large which gives me the impression I haven't finished anything in a long, long time! What will happen is, I will knit, knit and knit some more and then all of a sudden I will have 3-4 FOs to post. I totally look forward to that day. My log cabin blanket is growing my leaps and bounds. I added 8 more strips which is a great feat because the damn strips take longer and longer to finish. With 3000 yards of Patons Decor, this thing might be able to cover my house, not just the bed!

I started another Ribby Shell in the Black Cotton Fleece I bought two weeks ago. I'll have one extra ball left over, but I think I will knit a reversible hat - cotton on the inside for comfort and use black Patons Classic Merino Wool on the outside for warmth.

I have joined a second ball of yarn on Ariann and quite enjoy this project. It is easy to memorize and even though the body takes a while to knit one row, it is nice and zen nevertheless.

What else do I have on my plate? I started another Clapotis using some Tess Design Ribbon Yarn I bought at last year's Maryland Wool & Sheep Festival. I really don't like knitting with this stuff, but want a nice little rectangular shawl for summer. Winding it into a ball took 1.5 hours. What a pain in the ass. Here is it sitting like an easter egg delivered by the easter bunny:

I wish the easter bunny delivered it because my hands were killing me after winding this sucker up! The other two hanks I bought will be given to my friend who traveled to MW&SF with me. She loves shiny yarns, I don't, so instead of it sitting in my stash, I will give it to a better home!

Knit on folks, Knit on!

posted by Lisa @ 10:52 a.m. 

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Monday, April 16, 2007

Does look like the face of one unhappy dog? My little 13 year old toy poodle who was 6.5 pounds and now is a 4.2 pound dog was spayed last Monday. When she was a puppy the vet told me she didn't need to be spay because she was so tiny and I accepted this advice. I was 23 years old, Akasha was my first dog ever, so what the hell did I know? Had the vet let me know the consequences, I would have spade her then. I am sure for those dog owners out there, you would know that unspade dogs eventually will develop an infection, called Pyometra. My poor little dog lost a little over 2 pounds in 2 weeks and was one of the worst cases of this infection the vet has ever seen. I thought she was going through another heat, but nope, the blood tests didn't lie.

She went in for emergency surgery and came out with flying colours. She is a figher that is for sure. She is doing quite well now, but still spends the day at the vets until her stitches come out. I don't want her to be alone and have to hold her pee all day!


(Clearer)


Get better little one!

posted by Lisa @ 10:55 a.m. 

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Miss Meeko is one lucky cat. Here is the finished Kitty Pi bed I made her using some 100% wool I found at the Goodwill store:


(CLEARER)

The sides don't stay up so she can't get into the bed, so she lies her fat ass right on top of it and squishes it down. Pretty funny, eh?

She looks a bit pissed off because I just woke up her to take this picture, but too bad. Everytime I wanted to take a photo she would run out of the bed. I don't think she realized it was hers, and when she saw me she thought she got caught lying on something she wasn't supposed to. Now she knows it is hers.

posted by Lisa @ 11:26 a.m. 

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Monday, April 09, 2007

Last Thursday I finally received my Tatami pattern from Sundara Yarns. It arrived in such a nice thick red envelope. The front:

The back:

And the first page of the pattern:

Nice presentation, but I can do without all the flash and jazz if it meant reducing the amount of the pattern. This is the first time I've spent 12 bucks on ONE pattern and paid 6 bucks for shipping. Not sure what the hell I was thinking. I read through the pattern and it seems clear, but if you ask me, and since this is my blog, I'll tell you - I think it is written okay. I would have preferred to download it after purchasing it, but I can't have everything. I've only cast on, and will most likely work on it here and there because I've been working on this. My progress of the log cabin blanket:



This is what it looked liked like on March 26 2007. Not bad, not bad.

Knit on my friends.

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posted by Lisa @ 11:35 a.m. 

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Sunday, April 08, 2007

I gifted this little guy to my little nephew as part of his Easter gift. It is Sheldon the Turtle:


Isn't he so cute? I should have listened to the pattern a bit more closely when it stated NOT to over stuff the shell, but oh well, who knew? The shell is a bit off center, but a two year old won't know the difference.

Other knitting news? I am totally obsessed with the Log Cabin blanket I'm making. It is mindless knitting and boy does it grow fast. Must remember to take a progress shot for the blog. I seem to be grabbing that more than my other projects, but my love of it might wain once it gets very big. One never knows.

My daughter Julianna now has a hotmail account, and she has spent the better part of 1.5 hours in front of the computer emailing her aunts and uncles. They of course love it that they can email her as much as she loves receiving and replying to their emails. Normally the girls are very active so the few times they want to be on the computer or in front of the TV we don't mind, because it is not a regular thing with them. They both prefer to be active of play games that don't involve technology. Plus it is a pretty new thing, so why not?

Knit on!

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posted by Lisa @ 7:19 p.m. 

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Wednesday, April 04, 2007

On my way to the Beaches SnB last night I stopped in at the Sheep and bought yarn. Yep, four balls of Cotton Fleece in Black to make this. Thought it would work, but the gauge is so way off I don't know what the hell I was thinking! Cotton Fleece is 5 stitches to the inch and the pattern calls for yarn that is 6.25 to the inch. Man, I doubt I could get it to work, unless I make the smaller size to compensate? HMMM....I'll have to do the math and see it if would work!

Brilliant - can you see the light bulb that just showed up over my head? If it doesn't work, then I'll make another Ribby Shell, can't go wrong with that pattern!

Sheldon the Turtle's pieces have all been blocked, dried and ready to be seamed. Aren't I lucky? I don't think it wil be that bad, but one never knows until you start. Actually I look forward to seeing the finished toy!

Knit On!

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posted by Lisa @ 11:28 a.m. 

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

I have no idea why I am on this knitted little toy kick, but they are so much fun to make. However I am not in the mood to seam these little suckers, but I must! I want to give them to the three little kids in my family - my two girls and my SIL's son for Easter gifts. Deadline knitting really lights a fire under my ass, that is for sure. Here they are before I get the energy to seam them:

Sheldon The Turte, er pieces of him anyway:


Hopefully this will turn out into a cute little bunny:

Socks for Julianna made from Regia sock yarn:

My sister in law and her family from France are here for two weeks, so knitting might be put on hold. One never knows. Thankfully they have been here quite a few times, so the treking to all the tourist traps will not be done. Maybe a few because her son's friend came and he might be interested in seeing some. We will see. My father in law recently retired (YEAH George!) and he can take them where ever they want to go! What a lucky man eh? I am so happy he doesn't have to work any more.

Knit on!

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posted by Lisa @ 2:19 p.m. 

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Monday, April 02, 2007

My weekend went by so freaking fast I think I blinked it was over. Wake up call on Saturday morning was 7am - on a weekend! It would suck on most mornings, but Julianna had her last house league game. They were fighting for 3rd or 4th place, and won. The bronze medal is not bad, but they came in 1st for the season, but 3rd in the play offs. Oh well. She had tons of fun this year. It was the best decision we made to put her in an all girls hockey league. The girls she played with this year are so fantastic. She made plenty of friends and have a ball.

Next up, her last game on the select team at 135pm in Vaughan which is about 30 minutes north of my house. The games were before hers were running very late, so we didn't get out of there and home until 4:15pm. The plan was to get home around 3:15pm, but alas we have no control over such things.

I have 30 minutes to get myself together to take Maddie for the Girl Guide sleepover at the Ontario Science Center. Every year the Girl Guides organize this event which is pretty fun until you have to sleep on the floor and wake up at 6:45am after going to bed at 2am. Oh yeah, lots of fun then. I did it with Julianna last year and wanted to do the same for Maddie. It is quite difficult because I was a wreck all day on Sunday. Thankfully the kids were playing really nicely in the afternoon and I got to nap for 90 minutes.

Then it was up and at'em to take Julianna to her select team party at a bowling alley. It was tons of fun but as soon as we arrived at home and the kids were in bed, I followed about 10 minutes later. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. That sums up my weekend, and the end of hockey season for us. I'm sad. I miss it already!

This already seems like a very long post, I'll post again tomorrow with some knitting updates. Hint, hint - two toys and a pair of socks!

Knit on!

posted by Lisa @ 2:06 p.m. 

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