Postscript

Tonight I realized the dearly departed Knitpurlgurl, was the creator of the Walnut Grove shawl.  I now regret now rifting away about how it seemed like she was always pushing that shawl.  In hindsight, I guess I wasn't very nice about complaining about the whole thing, even though I bought the pattern.  I hope that karma isn't going to bite me too hard in the ass about being a witch.

Squirrel!!!!!

Definitely feel like I need the cone of shame today.  I am sooo not concentrating right now!  I really want to finish knitting off all the cotton yarn in granny's dishcloth and get the left dishcloths out to my step-mother before I totally get bored of the pattern.  But I really want to try on knitting on the My Wish shawl by La-La and try something else.  I keep knitting two rows of a dishcloth, dust some, knit two more rows, toss a couple of things into the recycling, knit yet two more, lets clean off the tv stand, vacuum, curse the despotter which doesn't want to despot, knit 3 rows, go to dinner...yeah.  I could have finished this thing about 3 or 4 hours ago.

I am trying to get through a couple of knitting vidcasts.  This is not funny but I have 7.2 days. yes you heard right or read right, over 7 flogging days of vidcasts.  I watch 3 or 4, then the next thing I know, I have 6 more vidcasts.  I know I should just delete some of them but I don't wanna!

Yup, if you have ever seen the film 'Up', you know why I should get the cone of shame!  Or hopefully someone out there will sympathize with me.  Think I will watch vidcasts, watch the Sarah Plain and Tall triology and knit on sometin!

Peace.

PS...Its the 22.5 Degrees pattern that I am working on.  And I figured why I wanted to watch Sarah Plain and Tall.  She likes the colors of the sea, blue, grey, and green.  When I wrote the above I heard Heather of Highland Handmades makes a color variant of the same colors.  Guess it was a subliminal suggestion!

My Heart Is Heavy

Firstly, my heart goes out to the victims families from the Clackamas Mall, in Oregon, and am saddened by the shootings in Newtown, CT.  Makes any knitting success for the week feel totally not a success at all.  Senseless waste. A virtual hug goes out to the whole school.

But on a small note 3 acrylic and 4 cotton dishcloths.  I am going to try to knit more so I can get a bunch more done and sent off to my step mother.  Maybe I can try to make a couple of chenille washcloths out of the same grandma's favorite dishcloth pattern.  (I really would love to get rid of some balls of chenille!)

If I don't post again before the holidays are over, if you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or any holiday this month, I hope they are safe, happy, and spent with family and friends that are close to you. Thank you all for reading my blog. Also have a good New Years.

Yup, I have been sucked in!

I tried the Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth on acrylic yarn, liked it, did another one.  Ended up at Michael's today and bought 5 skeins of sugar 'n cream.Realized what I was thinking was a mistake in the pattern was actually incorrect thinking because the yarn over makes the hole on the end of the row.  DOH!!!! If Sean from His and Hers podcast can attempt it why can't I?  Just have to make at least 5 of the cotton ones and wash them before the cut off to mail them out to Maryland, I will be a happy camper!  Why do I start these projects during finals weeks and too close to Christmas.  I hope that I am not the only one that does this!  Oy vey!

I am sorry to hear about the Knitpurlgurl.  I have heard through various podcasts/vidcasts that she died about two weeks ago.  My sympathy's go out to her family.  Wish I actually knew her in some way or other before she died, she seemed like a very special person.

Well, back to knitting dishcloths.

Wow!

Didn't realize I hadn't posted anything in a bit.  Hadn't been knitting much in this fall semester.  Haven't had the energy to even knit on the bus.  Tried resisting the Granny's Favorite Dishcloth but I think I have to try it.  My only problem is the yarnover in the instructions.  My train of thought is that if there is a yarnover in the beginning of the row, then why not at the end?  Tried doing my own version but got a semi lopsided diamond.  I started a 1 stitch.  kf& b for two rows.  Then kf&b at the ends and knit in the middle.  repeat until you get 50 stitches.  decrease at both ends until you bind off.  the decrease stitches side seems a whole heck of different then the increase side. gotta get something right before Christmas!

Temporary Defeat and a 9 letter word

I frogged the wingspan.  yup, I guess I don't have the patience to try to work on it while school/work is on.  In the last 3 weeks, I am working 24ish hours a week, 6 credits of in class sit time, homework, other life things that go on in my life at least.  3 out of 4 days I am on school campuses, I am out of the house for 12-14 hours a day. I am exhausted, am anal about snoring on the bus, so sleeping is an issue.  Yup, don't want to embarrass myself in a jammed packed city bus that lasts an hour and forty minutes to go from the north  part of Portland to the Southeast part of Portland to go to the northeast part of the city to work.  I am in no shape to really knit something that I have to consciously have to make an effort to remember a pattern to and have no energy when I get home.  Maybe some mindless socks or some fingerless gloves....hmmmm, maybe I should keep the double pointed needles in my locker when I get to work....  Told this one guy that his little sweets was 99cents.  I said its 99.  He told me matter of factly that he's 19.  Yeah, even though its a community college, I always hoped that people have something going on in the grey matter, right?  At least the 'the coffee is too expensive' whiner guy has changed his tune.  Thought I had to pick him up, twirl him around and throw him against the ropes at one point.  Definitely come home tired and feeling like I am lifeless-underappreciated....

That 9 letter word. Rhinebeck.  I am so way behind on knitting podcasts but that word is seeping into the podcasts.  I am about 180 knitting related podcasts and vidcasts behind...I still can't understand why you need to knit a sweater for this blessed holy temple of fiber related arts fair in New York state.  Why?  Can you just be happy with gloves, a shrug, shawl, socks, anything knitted?  Why a bloody tukus sweater?????????  One day I will figure it out, maybe its to showcase that you are the ultimate in the knitting world?  To show that you can knit the most beautiful garmet? 

I guess I am not that gifted in the knitting world to be blessed with that knowledge.  My lot in life, not anyone elses.  But there must be another person out there that might feel like that, who is an adult.  Wouldn't mind looking at the beasties in the barns though.  Well, gotta find a simple pattern to do on the bus to keep me awake and not look like the silly middleaged woman who's snoring at the back of the bus!

Not Accepting Defeat....

Well really not yet.... Wingspan is going on the back burner because I really f-ed up on the instructions because the first triangle bites big time on instructions.  About a month ago, I had posted on Knit1Heart2 ravelry boards asking Wendy a question, to have the post deleted.  Okay, kinda ticked me off but am a little spaztic in asking questions.  I posted on this one Ravelry forum questions on the flogging wingspan, haven't gotten a reply yet and not holding my breath.  So I am going to wait a couple of days before frogging what I did, but I definitely did do the first thing WRONG!  ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!  I really hate instructions that aren't totally clear.  Am I the only one?    I just want a neat shawl that looks good in a test run in acrylic.  But hellz no!  Why am I even fretting about it with the upteen million shawls on Ravelry.  I just need to get a paycheck because I think I have enough Lopi Einband in 3 colors to do a color affection shawl.    I just feel like I need to succeed on a shawl. 

Yup, I'm Back!

I must be sadistic but I just can't give up on the wingspan.  Even though with the acrylic yarn might make it rough and ugly, I can't stop trying to see if it is as easy as everybody claims.  Plus I want to see if I can actually do this bloody thing.  I just want to see if I like the pattern and see if I can do it, so I can buy better yarn to make it normal looking shawl.  I will knit a couple more rows and need to get back to homework.  Can't believe there is a ruddy exam on the third day of class, but I need to pass this course to graduate.  Fun times.

Amen and Pass the Ammunition!

have finished the purple people eater hitchiker.  All I need to do is wash it, cut the loose ends since I am not a 'let's weave in the ends type of gal' and then I will package it up to send to my friend for her birthday.  Of course it is not as big as the picture in the pattern, definitely did not use woolmeise.   Gotta save up my pennies for that stuff or the American version of it. 
Last weekend, my mother and I went to the Oregon Flock and Fiber.  It was nice to wander around the pens, looking at the goats, sheeps (yes I know its sheep but there were multiple different type plus I am a little punchy tonight), alpaca, and llamas.  We had the chance to pet this lovely dark brown/black llama.  O....M...G....!!!! Didn't matter if was the neck area, which wasn't sheered, or the sheered body, he/she was fabulously sooooo soft.  I didn't buy anything but am really jealous of the fiber and yarn.   There have been suggestions of conjoined projects (throat clearing-mother), where I knit and felt things and she sews cloth to them to make something or another....Number 1, good idea.  BUT  I don't know ANYTHING about felting, when I am I going to do these felting project?  On the bus?

Sorry just got a 'squirrel' moment.  Just saw a clip on the local news about Mr. Yuck stickers, I haven't seen those since the '70s.  Yup, old fart.

One thing my mother did bring back from her cruise is a boat load of Lopi yarn.  A lot of it is lace weight.... So guess who's going to learn how to use lace weight????  Yup, moi!  Maybe not right away but soon. Still getting used to work and school and long bus trips between the two.  Yes I do work and go to school at the same place but one of my classes is at the farthest branch away from me (about an hour and a half  bus ride if lucky)  then either a shuttle bus (if they dont leave early-had that happen) or a 40 minute bus ride up to the branch I work at.  Wahoo. 

Other notes....I really have slacked off with knitting videos on itunes.  I have about 2 1/2 days worth.  Am I the only one that seems not to be able to keep up with them on a daily basis because life kind of gets in the way?  Well gotta go to bed....can't stop yawning and that's not a good thing.

Ciao!

Yeah I know

In the summer semester being over till now, I haven't been feeling up to blogging.  My bad. Um....Let me see... the Urbana by Stepben West.  Finished the large one and been there, done that.  I don't know if it was just the yarn I used or what but the final project just didn't float my boat.  It was very helpful in keeping my neck warm during camping but other than that I am not sure if I would do it again.  I think the main drawbacks were the were the slot was with the large instead of the normal size and how, it couild be the yarn again, it seemed like it just wanted to slip out of the slot.  It could just be that I just move too much to have it stay wihtout a pin or something.   The Wingspan, I just am not sure if I can do it or not.  The yarn I am knitting this with just seems like it is very freaking small and I added stitches to it;.  In the last 3 weeks, I have done a row of wingspan and have done all of 10 points on the purple people eater hitchhiker.  I only have about 3 more points to do on it before I cast off.  
I don't know if its because I have not had the incentive to knit or because I have been a little depressed or the lack of things to do but I am looking forward to get out of the house for more courses and work.  Even though I know that for about a month or more I know that my bosses favorite worker is coming back to work.  I know that it's bad for me to think or talk about this but when you are bff with the mother and the worker is pretty much considered a child to the boss, it's a little sad and depressing.  I just have to finish this semester, get my degree, and get a job that I feel respected for what I do and get paid for the things I do for the company.  I am just tired of feeling like the dreg of the workforce and dealing with spoled little children that come through.   
But I have to admit that the little knitting I have been doing does fill the void of the 'fun' of work, school, and life. 
More light heartedness hopefully to come.

Almost there....

Well I am about 20 rows and a bind off on the Urbana, really trying to get it done with this weekend and washed.  Really didn't want to do anything with it yesterday.  Took the two boys to the vet and that was a trial of fire to begin with, ran about the house after one of them.  Both mum and I were bloodied on different parts of the arms.  But after this one is done, I am going to try the Wingspan over camping and see if I can actually do short rows, which makes me a little nervous to begin with since I haven't tried short rows before I don't think.  Wish me luck.  Hopefully I will get some of those 20 rows done with while watching Rosemary and Thyme.

Almost there!

I  am about 2/3rds the way through Stephen Wests Urbana.  Now for 73 more decrease rows and a bind off row.  Might sound a lot of more rows but it's something I would like to get it done and washed before my mum and I go camping in two weeks.  One qualm I have are the 75 add on stitches.  I really ned to find a way to add on stiches like a long tail cast on but without the bloody tail. 
(Bob the cat decided I needed to pay some attention to him instead of the computer)
The addng on stitches from the previous stitch is a pain in my backside.  Gotta learn more cast ons. 

Well need to get a couple of rows done before crawling into bed. 

A Sighing Slump

Definitely in a slump.  I even had a chance to knit while uploading cd's to my mothers itunes yesterday, but all I wanted to do was watch the little orange circles turn green....When I bring knitting to work, all I want to do is jab a needle into this one guy who just wants to complain about the price of coffee, doesn't want to go through the proper channels, go somewhere else or buy a travel mug to get the price he wants. For a middle aged man to harrange the wrong bloody people like he was 6 is just not right.  Would that be justifyable battery?  So the Urbana has gotten a little bit of love and the purple people eater colored Hitchhiker has gotten a couple of teeth.    Just not feeling it but hear them calling. 
Am I bad in feeling that funk of wanting to knit but not wanting to actually pick anything up?

Got to at least the urbana done for camping and for my mother to use on her cruise when she is out on the deck...

Squirrel!!!!!

Sorry, when I logged into blogspot I saw a WEBs picture of the Manos Del Uruguay Silk Blend variegated yarn and started clicking the links.....  It seems like all the vidcasters who are doing the Hitchhiker (want to call it the Traveller), seem larger than mine.  Guess it didn't help that when I washed my ugly acyllic version, it shrunk because I didn't realize that the washer was on hot....  Murphy's Law I guess. 

Decided to knit the Urbana in the red heart oatmeal aran fleck yarn.  I am using a size 4 (3.5 mm) needle instead of the 9, I didn't like how it looked. I like the keyhole but the keyhole is a pain in my tuckus.  It's like thumbholes in fingerless mitts.    /Tried doing the keyhole via a youtube tutorial but did my own caston, guess I wasn't patient enough.  If there are 'gusset' type holes I will just do a little sewing on it.

But  I am doing another hitchhiker out of some thinner nicer mystery yarn.  And yes, it is the purple people eater colorway.  Found three balls of the stuff and I might as well try to get it out of my stash.  Yeah still allergic to purple.  But just want to get it out of my drawer!

First One Down

After having a brain freeze on finishing the Hitchhiker last night, I finished it today.  Even though I did it out of acrylic scrap yarn, I will wash it, take a picture, take care of all the knots before hand, and upload the picture.  I am now trying one in, I think it is, red heart wool ease aran fleck oatmeal color.  The band is totally gone, but the wool feels sooo different than the acrylic.  I know its not the top shelf wool but I am just trying this pattern in different yarns.  But in all the funness of this pattern, my wrists, shoulders, and back are feeling it.  I know this isn't a really hard pattern after you figure out the translation of binding off, I just feel I need to get one more tooth done.

Am listening to the goodies part of Diane of Knitabulls vidcast from stuff of SSK.  Think I need to save my pennies for a couple of years to see if I can do one of these retreats.  I know I am pretty unskilled, self taught knitter but I would sometime see what these are all about. 

Gotta go to bed early tonight....allergies are playing havoc with me.  Damn cottonwood floating out there like summertime flurries. 

Hitchhiker Angst, ps

after much angst on Ravelry, the flap part comes off of the last row bind off.  The repeat wasn't the flogging row 8 but just repeat the bindoff of stitchs. Dear god almighty, I might need to open the german version and do a google translate and see if it confuses me the same way!  Gotta laugh at myself! 

Screaming Hitchhiker!!!!!!!! Argggghhhhhh!!!!!

Am about a tooth and a half to the decreases and I am a bit confused..... I can't tell by the english pattern, if after I knit the 7 rows and decrease on the 8th, if I repeat the whole 8 rows or just the 8th row.  I had posted another question on Dramaticknits asking and I think Steve had said its the whole 8 rows.    But still am unsure.  So I give a shoutout to all 5 people who read this, if you have done the hitchhiker, private message me on ravelry as knitinrosecity.  Any suggestions will be very helpful. I just don't want to screw something up and have to frog back.  I might want to put in a lifeline (have to youtube it since I have never done it before).  Might have to figure it out tomorow because today was a very slow day at work and I feel like I haven't slept a wink in a week (even though I had two naps yesterday).  In advance, if anyone can help me, thank you!

Hitchhiker and some banter (trying not to sound like George Carlin)

Well I am up to 36 teeth.  Still not sure why the hitchhiker has only 41 teeth. Was a wisdom tooth pulled?  (joke)  Not sure about the decrease instructions.  Sort of seems like you do the 7 rows, decrease on the 8th.  But the way the pattern is written (not sure if was translated right or I am not translating the instructions right), it sounds like you knit the 7 and keep on doing the row 8.  But that would look wonky, so I posted on dramatic knits rav page just to make sure its the whole 8 rows.  But I am in no rush since still have a couple of more teeth to take care of.    Might test out a couple of different yarns, since I am doing it in acrylic right now, gonna try the red heart aran flecked yarn next (actually started it and have done 3 teeth already), and some thin yarn (maybe get rid of that martha stewart yarn in the process.

I will be so happy when I get through all the podcasts with the word SSK in it.  I am glad that people got to go but I am soooooTIRED of listening to people who are going, who are there, who wished they could, or those who wished they actually got picked.  But Leslie, Laura, and Carin have been the talk of the town until the whole Ravalympics/Olympics debaucle.  What the heck is up with that???  How can people get confused between people going to London to compete in sports events with people bloody knitting?  Grow up olympics!  Wonder when the Tour de France people will start having a hissy fit about the Tour de Fleece that's going on.  I would rather think that the olympics would be flattered that a bunch of knitters and crocheters are paying a tribute to the ruddy event.  (sorry).

My step mother actually got her cartridge stitch cowl and she loves it.  Actually loves the color and figured out that you can pull it up over the head to keep warm.  She got it and the power went on in the same day....Good thing.  Shame that it is butt hot in the DC area and she can't wear it.  I am so thankfull that we don't get the same heat and humidity out here.  don't miss that a bit!
Well its late and have to start thinking about crawling into bed with my fuzzball.

Can someone give me a whoot whoot?

Firstly, yes it is a stuffed panda modeling the cartridge stitch cowl.  I am not going to subject you to my ugly mug!  Yes,...my dear Watson, it is done 3 mos later, washed, and now I just have to get it to the post office.  It is Martha Stewarts eucalyptus and its a very nice light mint green type of color.  Had gotten some more geranium in of martha yarn but you know....guess what.....

I decided to try something different and decided to plunk down the $3.60 for the Hitchhiker shawl.  I am test driving it on miscelaneous acrylic yarn that I am trying to get rid of.  I am 27 points in and have gone through blue, red, and now on peachy pink.  I thought what the heck.  With looking at other peoples finsihed products, variegated yarn seems to make it look better..... So I can probably get some of my scrap acrylic variegated out of my drawers.  Seems like a fun pattern so far....  Was worried at the beginning that I was never going to get it wide enough but I see now that I am not going to have to sweat it!  Well, ta ta....Want to get to 30 points by the end of the night, not guaranteeing it but gonna try.    If you haven't seen a vidcast or heard it on a podcast, it's the Hitchhiker by Martina Behm and is pretty cheap.  If you go through paypal, it converts the currency so you don't have to worry.  

I am Soooo Over Martha

After breaking down and buying a 4th skein of Martha Stewarts extra soft wool blend green eucalyptus, lady you need to check on the quality control from Lion Brand. The three skeins I had gotten on sale from Michaels, I wound up with all three having knots in the skeins and wound up into two cakes.  Got a 4th through Amazon-think the company was Fabric.com-and it was knotless and made a whole cake.  Now I know not to count on sale skeins of Martha Stewart yarn via Michaels or it was a freak thing.    But 3 skeins of it?  I am now wondering about the two skeins of Martha Stewarts extra soft wool blend gerbera daisy I bought with the eucalyptus.  Hmmm... Will see. Maybe I will get this cowl down before my step mother goes on holiday with my father in Barvaria on the 15th.

UGH, eh, make that a double UGH

I am trying to finish this cartridge stich cowl for my stepmother.  When I bought this Martha Stewart soft wool yarn, I bought 3 100 gram skeins.  Well I need to do 3 purl and 3 knit sections to finish this bloody cowl and I am almost done with the third skein, so Martha, you don't have 100 gram balls.  Because I am using a smaller guage circular needle and the pattern calls for 200 grams... you are sucking more money out of me Martha!    I like the yarn but still your weight is off by a long arm! Come on!

Heather from Highland Handmades Rocks!

Yesterday, Wednesday 4/12, got my spindle... Beechwood, with the chopping block oil version, and a surprise of a little bit of fiber.  I thought it could be a little bit of Old Appliances because it had the avocado green, the blue and the red.  I had emailed to ask because I wanted to post something correct. She had replied stating that it could be "Up To Camp".  It's soft and fluffy!  The spindle is light and is less clunky as the one I got at Oregon Flock and Fiber.  I just want to learn to use a spindle so badly!  Wish me luck as I go into the breech La Foy!  Am going to try to use the old stuff I got last year at the Oregon Flock and Fiber.  Have you ever felt like you had to learn something, even if it kills you?  That's how I feel about spindling!  Is that even a word?  Wish me luck!!!!!  Wahooooooooooooo!!!!!!  Sorry, I am really excited right now!  It might change once I start trying the spindle. 

Happy Passover/Easter

I know that there's another holiday out there but can't remember what it is.   But I hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday.

I know that I should actually be writing down definitions and studying for my business law course but eh....guess what I am not doing....

Plunked Downton Abby in and am knitting on the cowl for my step mom.  Hopefully I can get some more done, gotta get at least a round done or more....Am really determined to get this done in between work and classes.  Am still amazed at how much people can get knitted and have a busy life too.  Guess I can't multitask that well! 

More later!  Gotta do more stitches to get to the end!

Post Script..... Actually bought myself a beechwood spindle from Heather of Highland Handmades yesterday.  Somehow I am determined to learn how to spin fiber.  Hopefully I can handle this spindle better than the one that I got for $5 at the Oregon Flock And Fiber last year.  It was heavy and clunky and I used it more of itching my back.  Keep your fingers crossed.  Heather says that they are easy to handle and I hope I can have more success with this new spindle when it comes.  I know I can't afford a spinning wheel so....

A Whole Lotta Nuttin!

Spring break is almost over and havein't done sqwat.  I have done about 10 rows on my already belated birthday cowl for my step mom.  Stressing out about this next semester at the school I work at.  I had to take at least 6 credits of classes to keep my 20 hour a week job at the school.  As it always is Murphy's Law stepped in and the textbook I need for Monday is somewhere in the pony express/donnor party mail system from VA but I do have the textbook for the Wednesday class already, couldn't keep the book I already had from the dimwhit who taught the class the last time I took it, oh no that's too easy.  From the projection from Amazon, I could get it within three weeks of when I ordered the book. Which means that I could get my textbook two weeks into the term and at this point I am trying my best to copy the text at the school library or smooch off of fellow classmates because the local library doesn't carry it....Wahooo.....  And the Post Office cant figure out why they are losing money?  Think they should do the whole advertising on the side of their delivery vans/cars to see if that brings in some revenue. Don't think I can do much more angry knitting for the night.   Really want to learn how to drop spindle so I have put my name on the highland handmades list for one of their beech chopping block finish spindles.   The spindle I have just blows, feels too bulky and heavy.  And I have been sucked into the Stephen West band wagon.  I bought about four of his patterns.  I wish that the ones I picked were all in one book so I could have probably saved a couple of bucks.  With the promotion of Lisa Dykstra patterns because of her having cancer again, I bought one of her lacey type patterns even though I have no clue how to do lace....Maybe I can try it with some of the blue lobster lace from Highland Handmades.  When I have the chance,  I would probably get as much blue lobster, sea glass, and fiber from Highland Handmades.   Wouldn't mind getting some Bouncing for Brodie too but it seems like she is stressed about that stuff. 

Well gotta do at least two more rows of cowl work and then crawl into bed.  Have two more discs of the final season of West Wing and then its right to the two seasons of Downton Abbey that I bought.  Really just want to watch that but want to get something finished!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Well, hope you guys didn't have too much green beer today!

I wish I could say that my step mom is wearing her cartidge stitch cowl today but.....nope.  As the Stockinette Zombies say, "It's a HO".  Yup just a ho.  Hopefully I can get my fat tukus in gear and get it out to her next week.  Instead of working the heck out of it last week, all I could do is sleep.  When I was home, instead of knitting and looking for a job, all I could do was lay in bed and sleep.  Yup, the Portland rain is getting to me.  Just want to follow the sunshine for a while.  Maybe in June I will get the rainy funk out of my veins. 

Watched the latest Knitabulls vidcast and Diane referenced a new vidcast.  I am on the second vid and not sure about it.  Its called The Fat Squirrel Speaks.  Not sure of it yet.  Another one Diane mentioned was....The Knitting Den...Had to switch over to itunes to check.  So before Diane's video I was down to like 18 hours of knitting vidcasts...(snigger) I am back up to a day two hours worth of video casts...Oy!  Gotta stop getting sucked into searching new knitting itunes things!  I will never get everything listened too!  I am finally down to 1 TheKnitGirllls vidcasts but I have about 2 months of Wolfe Farms and Yarnivore podcasts each.  Seriously!!!!!!  Argggghhhh!!!!

I finally finished the Potter series, just got both seasons of Downton Abbey in the mail today.  So I have to decide to finish the last season of the West Wing or watch Downton Abbey.  Guess which one is actually going into the dvd first????  Have to resist and finish West Wing!  Maybe I can get some knitting done!

Ha! Knitting Angry!

I am making progress on my step mom's cartridge stitch cowl, with the incentive to not get lazy and finish it w/ getting to her on St. Paddy's day.  She deserves it.  The Readers Digest version is that my step moms niece should be charged with elder abuse of her grandfather, who is one of the sweetest people you would ever want to meet and is in his 80s and really feeble.  And had gotten information of what she did to his house and is horrid.  Hope that karma bites her big time.  So I have been making progress on the cowl by knitting angry, just because I am trying to divert anger into something good....  Why does it seem like family drama helps get things done when they have to be?

One thing, the boys, Chuck and Bob from the Humaine Society, are obsessed with me and the ball winder.  They are either both watching the ball on the carpet or one is watching the skein on the floor and the other is watching the winder.   If they are not totally zonked, they are right there watching or trying to get entangled in the yarn.

Just need to keep the knitting angry mojo going for a couple of more days.

Am listening to Knittin in the Fly podcast, give a little good mojo to Katie because she needs it, and give a little extra to her sister.

Peace.

Hmmm...Happy Leap Day!

Snuggle failure!  Still have about 4 inches to finish, so I am definitely not winning anything in the podcasts that are doing a snuggle prize. 
I had a choice between putting the snuggle aside and work on my step moms cartridge stitch cowl for two weeks or be late with my step moms birthday...  Even though I would love to win a prize, had to get my priorities under my belt and do the cowl.  I am not a fast knitter and can't do the epic speed knitting without my carpal tunnel going into the shoulders in trying to do that!  So I figure that I have about two weeks of knitting, washing, maybe blocking, then mail it out to get to her by the 17th.  If I get lucky I can probably do a vanilla pull over the head cowl in the process. 
I have to admit that the Martha Stewart yarn is easy to work with.  Only problem is that I have to keep my hands lotioned up because it tends to snag on my cuticles if I am not paying attention.

Martha Stewart and Bamboo Needles

It could be me and cheap bamboo circulars but Martha's yarn didn't agree. So I had to upsize a needle and switch to metal circulars.  Eghad!  The blend of Martha's yarn and the bamboo/plastic part of the circular just made the damn yarn stick to it.  Oy vey!  Bamboo things are fine but it just seemed like it wasn't going to work. 

I forgot to mention that two out of the three skeins I am using for this cowl have some sort of knot either at the beginning (outside) end or the interior end.  So I am not sure if its just the ones I grabbed or its the whole lot.  Why is it that Martha Stewart hates knitting but has a yarn line?  In ready the fine print on the label, I wish that it was made in the US instead of China but its still soft squishy yarn all the same.

Yippy Skippy

I have about 4 more inches on my snuggle.  Wahoo....  I also stumbled onto some half off Martha Stewart Crafts Yarn at Michaels, 65% acrylic and 35% wool extra soft wool blend in the green eucalyptus colorway.  It's not seafoam but its a nice green for a cartridge stitch cowl for my step mother.  Trick is to finish it and mail it off to my step mother before her birthday on March 17th.  And also to finish the bloody snuggle before the damn contest is over.  Keep your fingers crossed.

A Harry Day

Decided if ABC Family was doing a Harry Potter weekend, I could just play the videos and knit without putting up with the commercials.  Had to take a week off so I didn't rant about Whitney Houston.  I admit she has a great voice but all the coverage just ranks up there with Michael Jacksons death.   But I digress.  So as I am watching my version of the Harry Potter Weekend, I am trying to get through some of my ufo's without losing my mind.  I have had a medium and a small washcloth on needles before Christmas, which I was supposed to finish for my step mother, but guess again.  Plus the snuggle.  And I think I have the beginning of a vanilla shawl that I am going to just cut off the needles and get rid of the evidence, flogging chenille is biting my tukus yet again....Never ever get too much chenille that you don't know what to do with it, don't even think about putting it on a wish list unless you know you can bang a project out of it right away.  Have I mentioned how much I hate chenille lately?
One thing I want to do is to go to my local diner/funky hobby corner and see if they still have some of that peaches and cream stuff left, or it could be some sort of something and cream... Haven't been there in a couple of months, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.  I think I might even frog the damn arm warmers for something else.  The wool I am using for that project I can be using for a cowl or something.

Wow....

Sorry that I have been missing in action.  I have been a bad bad blogger.  I had gotten Death Comes to Pemberly by PD James and I have been a little distracted.  But I have been watching vidcasts for the last couple of hours and decided to drop a line or two.  Still working on the snuggle.  Am at about 8 inches and still going.  After I finish this one, I am thinking of doing one for my boys.  They love sleeping on my dresser in my closet, yes it tends to be a catcave, and am thinking of modifying the pattern to work for the top of my dresser. 

Amd to quote from Robin Williams Hook, I think I have had an apostrophe on those blessed arm warmers that wouldn't work to save my life on decreases.  Instead of k2p2k2, then do the decrease k2 then decrease again every 8 rows., I am going to try the k2p2k2 until I get to the center of the needle decrease and do it every 4 ish rows.  I will let you know if my theory works or not!  Don't know of it's an ocd problem but I just don't want this pattern to whip me.

I Dunno

Even though I hadn't worked today, it's been a long day.  Not sure what I did at work yesterday but definitely threw my back out somehow, probably carpal tunnul between the shoulder blades.  10 hours as a cashier when its busy can do that!  Took a nap and started looking for another part time job or a full time job....  But started knitting the snuggle tonight between Ghost Hunters and Dog the Bounty Hunter, plus trying to listen to podcasts at the same time.  I am about 5-6 inches in on the snuggle.  All the odd ball verigated yarn actually looks kind of neat!  Plus colorful to say the least. 

I wonder how people who do the podcasts out there do multiple projects and have the same amount of  finished objects and be working and do everything else they are doing.  I wanna know what they are taking and how many hours in the day they have!  Sometimes I just don't have the motivation at all to knit a row!  But tomorrow I think I am going to take my snuggle with me because I might be taking a different bus to work plus I am already taking the different bus going home.  Am getting tired with the students and the people,  who are bigger than I am, sit next to me and pretty much take over the two seats.  But hopefully with the different bus I can start knitting on the bus again!  Whoot whoot!

Oh Flog a Duck!

Okay, ah yeah, I really flogging screwed up!!!!!!!!  Just was watching Knitting in Circles and Froggie Monkey just made a point where I looked at my snuggle and went oh crud....It didn't dawn on me that it should be doubled, knitted in the round, then the top and bottom seamed.  After 3 inches in and wondering what to do with a curly edge.  Ah yeah...yet again, I am tearing back and restarting.  At least with all my scraps and ends it wil look more like a funky cat cowl instead of a cat washcloth.  So tearing and casting on 150 stitches.  Found that 72 stiches, don't know why but I want to call the stitches inches today, equals the 14 inches for my thin acryllic.  Onto a bottle of Rose and having fun casting back on to work the 3 inches over again!.  It makes sense to actually knit it in the round.  Hope there is a whoot whoot out there to encourage me to not loose my mind!

Snuggles

Wolfe Farms has a podcast out too for these pet blankets.  Haven't seen the vidcast yet so I am not sure if the ladies are giving out something or not.  But since I haven't gotten an email from the Oregon Humane Society or the Oregonian offshoot of the Snuggles Project, I am casting on with all the small odd ball acryllic yarn that I have.  They might not be the prettiest but they will be functional.  I cast on 90 stitches and it looks like its going to be a 15 x 15 instead of a 14 x 14 (inches).  So I should just go for 80 stitches next time.  Am going for my own pattern... just started it and think I am going to go for 5 knitted rows, then knit 5 purl until the last 5 and knit.  Then knit the next row, then the knit purl knit row until it is almost done, then do the last 5 rows as knit.  Probably look like a very large, abused washcloth or dishcloth.  But think it will work.  ( whew, thought that I just deleted most of this post!)  I know that with my cats will sleep on pretty much anything that feels good. Plus this was a good excuse to stop playing farmville of facebook for a bit, been a little obsessive about the game-sort of want to catch up to my aunt but gotta do some knitting and try to catch up on the 28 knitting videocasts that I have on my itunes playlist!

I am Getting Sucked In

I am not sure if I am going to get a lot of these done and I emailed the website for information because I like things that state cast on x amount or what type of yarn but...I can't resist.  Yarnivore, Knit1HeartTwo, DramaticKnits, and I believe Knitabulls are all doing knit-a-longs for snuggles.  I did ask if I could use cotton chenille, hey if I can do more than just wash cloths with them I will do it.  Want it out of my sight more than the acrylic scraps I have.  Want the stuff I have in the house in some sort of project and out of the way before I get some good stuff.  You can do the snuggles and post then on the ravelry boards in the podcasters links, possibly get a prize.  With my lot, eh, don't think so but I can try to win something, get rid of some my stash, and give it to a good cause.  I found that the Oregon Humane Society on Columbia BLVD in Portland Oregon takes them. My mom and I got our two boys about 14 months ago from there, even  though we were told that they were dewormed (one wasn't totally-yeah fun times) and both were healthy in their check up (yeah, the other one has a hole is his heart)....Sorry got side tracked.  But its a great place and have the sweetest animals. 

But here's the link:
Snuggles Project

Have a good night guys.  It's late and should be heading off to bed, gotta figure a space on the bed though, got two cats on the bed!

I Have Been Sucked Into The Madness!

Three words : Walnut Grove Shawl......I bloody bought the pattern.  After everyone talking about this pattern, I went into Ravelry, looked at the patern~which is very pretty and I will take foreve trying this~I bought the flogging pattern.  Wish it was...nope, trying to turn over a new leaf and trying to be nice.  So KnitPurlGurl, slow down gurl, you got half the knitting pod/vidcasters talking about the pattern, so RELAX!