Lost My Mittens

My beautiful Alpaca/Wool mittens! We went to the tree lighting in Portland...C HATED IT! She just freaked out over all the loud noises, people, music etc. And then a huge inflated Quizno's sub cup walked by and she went nuts...crying, clinging to me etc. So I took her into Longfellow's books for a bit (she did not want to leave the bookstore at all and put up quite a fuss when it was time to go). Then we went to Granny's Burritos (we were with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt, Uncle, Cousin). Halfway through dinner I realize my earring is missing. They are one of my favorite pairs. My sis gave them to me years ago and I used to wear them constantly (didn't take them off for a year I think)...so somehow I put them on last night after years of not wearing them and lost one! I was really upset.

After we ate we went to Fuller's for chocolates...yum. I wanted to check Longfellow's to see if by some remote chance the earring was just sitting on the floor waiting for me to find it. We walk up and the owner is locking up! He lets me in and I actually find my earring.

But you're wondering about my mittens. Well...we go back to the car and I ride all the way home with freezing hands because I'm too lazy to try and dig out my mittens from my bag. Little do I know they aren't in my bag. In fact...part of me is thinking...you're not wearing your mittens. You lost them didn't you?

This morning my worst fears are confirmed. They are missing. I have a terrible habit of losing gloves, mittens, hats etc. No one is surprised. I call Longfellow's...no mittens. I call Granny's...no mittens. I call Fuller's...no answer. I drive to Portland prepared to retrace my steps and am hopeful that the mittens will be found in the gutter just waiting for me. Or that I'll see a homeless person wearing them and I'll give him whatever cash I have on me for them.

I retrace my steps and don't see them. I decide to check at Fuller's and there they are. Behind the counter. My mittens. Guess all that chocolate must have distracted me and I dropped them. Bet that happens all the time there :-)

Lots of Updates

Finally made some time to update this suckah...so I hope my audience of 1 (maybe 2) enjoys it.

Also just wanted to share this comic from my favorite lactivist artist
Cow Godess...be discreet!.

Sissy's Scarf

Let me start by saying that I HATE KNITTING SCARVES. I don't know why. They seem to be the ubiquitous first knitting project and I generally only like to knit if I'm learning/doing something new. I made a scarf once and ripped it out. I spend countless hours searching for interesting scarf patterns...but none of them speak to me...well some of them do but I can't seem to find one that's right for my sissy. There's the super easy beginner scarf...fun fur or homespun...garter stitch until you have arthritis. Simple ribbed. Maybe something with a little lace or other open work. But I can never settle! So anyway. Here's a pic of my first attempt.
I like this pattern but I don't think the yarn I'm using is right (really like the yarn used in the pattern pic). The pattern is also a little tedious (all short rows, lots of counting and keeping track). So now I'm curled up with the Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches (so old that Amazon doesn't even have a pic of it) and trying to design my own pattern. For a scarf. I'm pathetic. I also really want to do a ruffle at the edges (I like ruffles) so I ordered Knitting On (also ordered Over) The Edge. I could come up with one on my own but I just needed an excuse for dh to explain why I needed the books.

Knitting Projects

For a moment I was going to try and categorize my knitting by year...then I realized that I only begain knitting in the Fall of 2004 and all but one of my official knitting projects were completed in 2005. The lone project of 2004 (aside from various practice swatches) was a poncho that is now more of a throw with a hole in it. Perhaps I'll post some pics someday but for now I think it's best not to.

Scarf for my sister. Read about the whole saga and get the pattern.

Red Sweater for friend's new baby from a very soft Merino (can't remember name and I'm not getting up to look right now.

Mittens from Blue Sky Alpacas Wool/Alpaca...soooo soft. I redid the tops about 3 times each mitten and I'm still not totally satisfied...too pointy. Pattern if from the
Handy Book of Knitting Patterns. Great book. It's on my Amazon wish list.

Puppers...cute little finger puppets. Made them for the neighboor's 3rd birthday. My favorite is the pig with the button nose.

BIG Hat for husband. So sad. It came out way too big, which I guess is hard to tell from this pic...trust me. It came out 2 inches bigger than the pattern said it would (and yes I did a gauge swatch). Has already been ripped out and will be redone someday soon I hope. Pattern is also from the Handy Book but also partly from this hat calculator.

Most adorable ruffle sleeve top from MinnowKnits I knit for Charlotte in the Spring of 2005. [more...]

Stash

When I first started knitting I would browse the yarn store and buy single skeins of yarn that spoke to me. I had no idea how much yarn I actually needed in order to actually make something. I remember the day the woman at the yarn store helped me calculate how much yarn I would need to knit my first project (a poncho)...it came out to about $80. I was now acutely aware that knitting was not going to save me any money as I once foolishly hoped. I had discovered the same thing when I took up sewing. Sigh. Anyway...I have since learned that when you find a delicious yarn and it's on sale...buy some. Buy a lot.

Old Stash...note random single skeins

New Additions

A Day of Yarn

Today is a day of yarn. C will be hanging with her dada while I head to Freeport to surround myself in fiber. I need to buy yarn for all my holiday projects (I have not given myself much time here) and just sit around and browse pattern books. I am so excited about this outing I can barely sit still. I wish they opened sooner.

Tumbling

Today I took C to open gym at the Maine Academy of Gymnastics. It is perhaps one of the coolest places on earth. The whole time I was there I had to fight my own urges to put on a leotard and start tumbling, jumping, swinging, balancing, climbing, flipping... After some initial shyness she was all over the place. Trampolines were her favorite this time. I hope to go regularly despite the $8 cover charge.

Some of the other mom and daughter pairs frightened me a little. The moms all seemed to be former gymnasts themselves. There was a lot of...ok, now tuck and roll, point your toes, jump up, jump like this, land like that, arms up etc. One of the instructors was trying to get C to tumble a certain way and she was like...ummm, get away from me and let me do my own thing...this is open gym isn't it? At least that's what it looked like she wanted to say if she could talk.

Stopped at the yarn shop on the way home...got some super yummy Berroco Pleasures...Angora, Merino, Nylon blend. I have been wanting to try it and it was on sale. I think it may become legwarmers for my nieces (so their legs don't get cold this winter while they are diaper free. Of course it would make something nice for me too.

Finally finished the sweater for my friend't new baby. I will eventually post pics...I keep saying that but I'm not sure when it will happen.

Also just got my Le Leche League leadership application stuff. The process to become a leader takes about 1 year! Perfect timing...staying at home with a two year old, becoming a LLL leader and possibly getting pregnant. Oh...and I am still considering getting certified to be a personal trainer/fitness instructor (and perhaps nutrition counselor). Should be a fun year.

Rain and Peetzy

I used to love rainy days. Good excuse to sit at home and do nothing, catch up on some put off projects, start a new project, clean, go to the mall, sleep, eat, watch a movie etc. Now I dread rainy days because the bebe is all up in my grill all day! Of course she woke up too early today so we all had less sleep. I think some teeth are coming in too. All she wants are the nees-nees and I just can't take it.

We've been thinking we might start trying for number two. I must be crazy. I can't even count how many irrational things I have said to her today...like no more jelly, absolutely not I'm putting my foot down. I'm putting my foot down? Who the hell do I think I am? Trying to stop her will only make her want more so I should let her eat jelly until she explodes. Then maybe she wouldn't want jelly anymore..right?

In addition to general gloominess I am mourning a failed knitting project. The enormously gigantic hat I knit for dear husband. I will post pics because it's pretty funny. But I will persevere...my mittens ended up looking pretty good and the sweater I'm working on for a friend's new baby looks like it will end up ok after all.

The princess has been sleeping for over 2 hours...we will all survive this rainy day yet. Besides, tonight we're eating peetzy for dinner. Mmmm...peetzy.

Time

How do people find the time to blog? I am having a hard time finding time to write anything. Perhaps I am also struggling with what the hell is even worth publishing out here.

Lace Scarf Long Pattern

Here is the long pattern with the Berocco components.

I have not tested this written out version but overall it really is simple once you get into it. Once I test it I will make corrections. Here's basically how it works. The first lace pattern is only worked for a few rows in the beginning and the end. Then you switch to a combo of the border pattern and the inset lace pattern.


LACE PATTERN 1
Row 1 (RS): K3, *yo, K2, K3tog, K2, yo, K1, rep from * once more, K2
Row 2: K3, P15, K3.
Repeat these rows for Lace Pattern 1

BORDER/EDGE PATTERN
Row 1 (RS): K2, yo, sl1, k1, psso k1 p1 [Row 1 LACE PATTERN 2] p1, k1, k2tog, yo, k2
Row 2: k2, p3, k1 [Row 2 of LACE PATTERN 2] k1, p3, k2
Row 3: Rep Row 1 using Row 3 of LACE PATTERN 2
Row 4: Rep Row 2 using Row 4 of LACE PATTERN 2

INSET LACE PATTERN
Row 1 (RS): P1, yo, sl 1, k1, psso, k1, k2tog, yfrn, p1
Row 2: K1, P5, K1
Row 3: P1, k1, yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo, k1, p1
Row 4: K1, p5, k1

yfrn = yarn over right needle and around so as to purl next stitch

SCARF
CO 21
K 2 rows
Knit the 2 rows of Lace Pattern 1 for 7 rows ending with a WS row.

You will now knit the following row in order to reduce the sts to 19
K2, yo, sl1, k1, psso, k2 tog, p1 [Row 1 INSET LACE PATTERN] p1, k2 tog, k2tog, yo, k2
Work Row 2, 3 and 4 of the Border pattern with the inset lace pattern.
Continue working rows 1-4 of the pattern until you have reached the desired length less about 3 inches.

On your next Row 1/RS row of the Border/Inset pattern knit the following
K2, yo, sl1, k1, psso, inc, p1 [Row 1 INSET LACE PATTERN] p1, inc, k2tog, yo, k2
On the next row
k2, p3, k2 [Row 2 of LACE PATTERN 2] k2, p3, k2

On the next row (will be a RS row) switch back to LACE PATTERN 1
Knit the 2 rows of Lace Pattern 1 for 7 rows ending with a WS row.
k2 rows
BO loosely

RUFFLES
Pick up 21 stitches along bound off edge
knit 1 row
On next row increase by knitting into the front and back of every stitch.
Rep increase row.
BO Loosely.

Tie in ends, block lightly. Enjoy.

Striped Ruffle Sleeve Top

Charlotte hated wearing this. I was able to get it on her in this picture because she had a turtleneck on and couldn't feel it against her skin (I guess she's just used to super soft jersey knits that we usually put her in). I got it on her a couple of other times and always got compliments. It was always a little short in the torso. But I totally loved it. Maybe I'll knit her another. I loved the yarn too...Manos del Uruguay Cotton Stria. Not sure where to get it around here. I originally got it in Boston at A Good Yarn.

No Choo Choos

Just a really boring, bad day. Can't explain it. The weather is unbelievable for November and I haven't gone farther than the screened in porch. Just can't bring myself to get fully dressed...C doesn't seem too interested in "side" anyway.

Just been avoiding everything I should be doing...vacuuming, cleaning, organizing, playing with my child, talking to my child, reading to my child, paying attention to her in general. So to get back at me she took a magic marker (washable thank goodness) and colored the walls, herself and her choo choos. I put the markers away until she's a little better able to understand why coloring anything but paper makes mommy sad. Not the choo choos, Honey. Not the choo choos.

For a minute I thought I might be pregnant. Might explain my complete lack of energy. Maybe we'll take a ride to the supermarket for a test.