A Little Yarn On The Side

Ramona has asked me to test knit a pattern she has written as a way to help raise money for a good friend. I'd like to think I would have agreed to help with such a great cause even if it didn't give me a whopping good excuse to avoid the swoopies for a few days, but let's just say that it might have helped her cause a bit . In Knitting Land (unlike the Real World), good deeds are generally rewarded. Not only do I get to help someone who is helping a friend, getting a pair of great socks, getting away from the swoopies, I learned a fabulous new cast on for toe-up socks. Look at this: OK, it might be really hard to see this, but you can't see the cast on AT ALL. I generally only make toe-up socks, but the pattern I have been using leaves a really rough line across the toe. I love this cast on! There is a video of it here , though I will admit that I cannot make it through the entire video. I am not really a "cutesy" person, so when Cat pretends that the...

I still haven't found where I stashed the in-progress top to Andy's Christmas pjs that I tucked away in November because I ran out of material. I think I might be able to piece together sleeves--after all, it isn't like he's going out in public in the things--but I don't know where I hid it! Normally, I am the one who has the really good memory and the organizational skills, so this is doubly embarrassing. I have even cleaned the sewing room! (By cleaned I don't mean to imply that you can actually see much of the floor yet, but it is better .) Who gives someone half a pair of pajamas????? There are only 2 places I would have hidden something from Andy--my clothes closet or the sewing room. The former he wouldn't really ever have a reason to be in and the latter he'd be too afraid to. So that narrows down the options considerably and yet, here we are 7 months later still without a pajama top. If I can ever figure out what it is, that is a darn goo...

I think I've had a swoopy overdose--I've started dreaming of mohair. So today was declared Sewing Saturday. I had planned to make some summer clothes for Andy, but got waylaid by some very lovely flannel for pajamas for Andy. Which would be so appropriate right now as it was over 90 degrees today. Theo was his normal overly-excited self: and I am very proud to say that I caught this mistake before I actually cut out the material: Note to self : Stacking pieces of material right-side up enables you to cut out exact duplicates of pattern pieces--not mirror images. At least if I can't stop myself from making mistakes, I am learning to double-check myself. Tonight we have: Finished pajama bottoms! And even more exciting: this time I have enough material to finish a matching top!!! Now if I just don't stash this away & forget where I put it, all will be good! (Full story her e)

Last night the Stealth Project got all the attention, largely because the skein was so close to the end that I was able to post the 57th ball used from the stash late last night. I was going to wait until morning, but I was so excited that I finally got out of bed to update the tally! Obviously, not buying yarn for extended periods of time is bad for one's sanity. I spent a little time with the Lady's Circular Cape, but didn't make it very far on swoopy number 9 before I was just too exhausted to stay up any longer. It turns out that it might not be the swoopies themselves that cause a problem. I caught Theo playing with the mohair, and a few seconds later I was not aware that mohair was powerful sleep aid. That could explain some of the problems with the shawl. Either that or the edging just goes on forever...

That should make me feel better--like I'm not being singled out by life--but it doesn't. Even when I can't knit, I like to know that knitting in general is going on, even if I can't be part of it. Like it's some big cosmic merino thing. I have decided--we don't need a Knit In Public Day (June 14). We need a world-wide knitting holiday!!!! Start recruiting folks. We need voters!!!

Nothing. Zip. Nadda. Nothing. Got off work late, did the grocery run as we are less willing to live on soup when it's 90 degrees out, unpacked groceries, had dinner, put the dishes away and WHAMMO! It's already 9:00! That pesky work thing is SO getting in the way of my knitting. Too bad I need it to actually finance the knitting. Life is so unfair sometimes.......

4 more swoopies to go!!! And then of course, two corners, the side, and the back of the neck, but it will FEEL like it's done after the mind-numbing-bottomless-pit charmingly consistent edging on the bottom of the lovely shawl. (soothing herbal teas are doing so much for my outlook....) The true love of my life lately is Sitcom Chic This lovely work of art is knit on size 8 needles and worsted weight yarn that comes in skeins of a delightful 82 yards . I have now used up my third skein and will be joining the fourth after some, er, " quality time" with the Fluff Monster--formerly known as the Lady's Circular Cape.