Mariah is FINISHED. FINISHED! April 25, 2005

My first sweater, finished. I finished my first sweater. I finished knitting it on Saturday night, stayed up till 2 AM seaming (which wasn’t half as awful than expected!)Then Sunday I ran out and bought a zipper (which needed to be replaced cause it was too short) and then rushed home and sewed it in. With a Machine. WITHOUT ANY CLUE WHAT I WAS DOING.

Yes, I know I look like a dork in this picture. What can I say, I’m a dork. 

DORK! 
So… here is the close up of the awful mistake. Where I ruined it. (ok, so not ruined, but I have to rip out the zipper and redo it!)

Can you spot the awful mistake? 

I absolutely LOVE this sweater. I love the cables, love the fit. Would LOVE it even more if the zipper wasn’t so screwed up. I know I shouldn’t beat myself up about it, since it is my first sweater and all, but what can I say? I’m an over achieving perfectionist! I did wear it today, and got a billion compliments from my patients on it. (of course had to point out the mistake to everyone.. yes, I’m a glutton for punishment.) I went to my LYS afterward to hang with my girls, and thankfully Amanda one of the awesome girls I play with on sundays offered to help if I can’t master sewing it in my self. We’ll see. Maybe I’ll buck up and try again. We’ll see. Even tho it needs to be ripped out, I plan on wearing it as much as possible before I either rip it, or give it to my friend to fix.

Now I’m working on my mom’s bday shawl. It’s the Cobweb shawl. I learned this weekend that I dont’like working with laceweight yarn all by itself. It’s pure hell. I was using Kidsilk Haze, as lovely and soft as it is, it slips, it snags, it stinks. (no, it doesn’t stink but all alone, it’s just not for me!) So some genius at my LYS showed me something she was making with Kidsilk Haze and Elsbeth Lavold silky wool… and let me till you, I was sold! It’s beautiful! Gorgeous! Lovely! and easy to work with! I should be finished with it before the end of the week, post pix then.

The other day, when I posted that it seemed that all my knitting was sucking, Froggy said it would be better this week. Guess what? She was right.

I should only knit socks when sick. April 21, 2005

I tried to work on my MIL’s sweater. Finished the back and half of one front. Then looked at the back and realized that (although i was following the pattern to a T) that it’s only 18 inches long. She isn’t a midget. That will be way too short. She’s not into ‘belly sweaters’.. so Rip rip rip. Most of the back and half of the front will have to be re- knit.
So i left it alone. I can’t work on my mom’s shawl, my MIL sweater, no stuffing for monkey, shouldn’t start anything new… so what’s a girl to do?
Get back to Mariah! Hopefully I won’t screw her up either.

I just can’t learn! April 20, 2005

Didn’t I say yesterday that I shouldn’t attempt to knit lace while sick? yeah. Well, even tho I wrote it, apparently I can’t read and understand it. :/ I decided to knit the Cobweb, cause Steph’s was so so pretty. I got maybe 15 rows in, and realized I’d screwed up royally. ROYALLY! So it was frogged… and I finished these sweet socks for my friends mom who is in the hospital again.

Joan’s socklets 
They are done with Bernat Cotton Tots, using the lou lou comfort sox pattern. It’s such a quick easy pattern! I started the second one at 10 and was done just after midnight. (yeah yeah yeah, I should have gone to bed early since I’m sick, but I couldn’t sleep with all the green snot coming out of my sinuses!)
Today is a day that I’m glad I only work part time. After a completely booked morning, I’m ready to spend the rest of the day lying on the couch knitting. (something EASY – probably my MIL sweater).
Off to cough!

Decisions, decisions… April 19, 2005

So… I decided to start my Mom’s bday pressie last night.. and realized that one should never attempt to knit lace when sick. I was planning on making Branching Out but making it 3x wider, so it would be a wrap, not a scarf. I got about 5 rows in, and realized I had made several fatal mistakes. So into the trash bin it went with what seems like an entire box of tissues.

Tissues and lace 

So now I’m wondering if I should attempt this or if I should try something else. I have 3 skeins of Kidsilk Haze.. and could easily make a Cobweb Shawl just like Steph…
What do you think?

Sick, yet productive April 18, 2005

So, although I’ve been lying on the couch moaning from the fever, chills and aches, and blowing my nose about 3 billion times.. I was still able to finish my little sister’s birthday present. I used the Meadow Flowers shawl pattern from Knitters Stash, although I didn’t add the lacey border… cause I thought it looked pretty complete without it. My sis is a little bit bigger than I am, so I hope it fits her. I think I’ll look for a lovely pin to hold it together in front.. kind of like these. It’s lovely! It’s her fave color, buttery yellow (it’s knit in a cotton slub I got at the yarn swap – Tessan Cotton Carole)

Keli’s shawl 

Another look at Keli’s shawl 

I finished my jellybean striped socks this weekend. They’re pretty cute. I didn’t try to get the stripes to match, but they do, almost perfectly! Once I’m back on my feet, I’ll wear them to work!

Finished Jelly bean socks! 

Now I think I’m going to start my mom’s birthday present… Branching out in Kidsilk Haze. Her birthday is May 1… and I’d like to have it done by then! My MIL’s birthday is the same as my little sister (April 27th) but I’m pretty sure I’ll just give her gift to her when I see her mid May.
Oh, and I finished knitting the monkey for Heve. however, I’m too sick to go buy stuffing, so He won’t get finished till next weekend! Should go in the mail next week at the latest!

Sickity sick sick April 17, 2005

Everyone around me has been sick. My receptionist, my massage therapist, several patients ( I’m a chiropractor, for those readers who don’t know), several friends, several friends kids… and I wasn’t getting it. Then thursday I woke up feeling a little hayfever-ish. It passed. Friday, felt fine, Sat, felt fine. This morning at 6 am, woke up with a kick butt sore throat. We had friends spending the weekend, so I was a trooper through breakfast (amazing crepes made by my equally amazing husband) then when they left at 11:30, I hit the couch. I took a shower to clear my sinuses(didn’t help.) Had some spicy pinto bean soup to clear my sinuses (didn’t help). Took some OTC cold meds (didn’t help). Called my receptionist and asked her to cancel all my patients for tomorrow. I have knit a total of one row on my sister’s b-day shawl. I watched Harry Potter, but didn’t even enjoy it. Bah. I hate being sick. Fortunately everyone else was only sick for a day or two, so hopefully by Tuesday I’ll be back at it. I even missed my SnB with my girls! Joi and Adina . Tomorrow morning we were going to check out Knit Picks, as we just realized that the store is only 15 mins away from us in Vancouver, WA. (How freaking cool is that!) But.. looks like I’ll be lying on my couch tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll be able to knit a little bit, as I’d really like to get my sister’s birthday present to her sometime around her birthday on the 27th.
If I’m feeling better tomorrow, I’ll post pix of the progress on the shawl. It’s lovely. Oh, I finished my jellybean socks. They rock!

Must. Not. Start. New. Projects. April 14, 2005

It’s so dangerous having crafty ADD. I really really really love finished objects. But I really really really love starting new ones too! After sewing my knitting needle roll, I have an amazing urge to sew. And what I want to sew.. are bags, purses, totes. Craftster is a dangerous place for someone like me. So… Maybe some of my upcoming gifts will not be knitted. *gasp!*

In knitting news, the cotton Meadow Flower shawl is coming along, but I set it aside for a bit last night to work on monkey. This new monkey’s mama has been reading this blog, so I thought I best get back to him. I think his name may be Clive. But… not sure. Any thoughts? Not sure if he’s as gay as my sweet Elwood just yet… I don’t think that will become apparent until he’s all put together. hope to finish all the pieces tonight so I can sew him up this weekend, and ship him off next week! He’ll be going to live in a foreign country! An exotic place! CANADA!

Then it’s back to the salt mines working on the yellow shawl, and then my mom’s pressie…. and my MIL pressie. Man, i really want to get back to Mariah soon, but doubt it will happen. sigh. such is the life of a girl stricken with craft ADD. (yeah, I get it from my mom!)

Bid on these lovely socks to help fight Breast Cancer!! April 11, 2005

Are you a fiber arts avenger? Do you have a crafty super power? well… If you have feet that get cold, you can be. Check this out

Overloaded? Over Achiever? dumb as a post… April 11, 2005

Once again, I’ve taken on too many projects. once again, I’m going to be knitting till the cows come home. And then some.
Here is the list.. Some on the needles, some not
1. Monkey for Heveasoul’s baby Marcus
2. Yellow Shawl for sisters bday on April 27.
3. Sweater for my MIL bday on April 27 (but I’ll probably give it to her at the wedding in May.
4. Branching Out from the new knitty in Kidsilk Haze for my mama’s bday on May 1.
5. Mariah still. not. done.
6. Stripey socks. Almost done, but not compeletly.
7. Sweater for R. Although it’s gonna be too warm soon so it doesn’t need to be done till fall.
8. Socks for Lyn’s Mama in the hospital. (I’d like to get these done soon…)

And then a whole host of things I have desires for. yes, I’m crazy… Please, tell me to stop!

Oh, I ordered the Swift and ball winder I’m a happy happy girl!

Danger Will Robinson!! April 4, 2005

It has come to my attention that joann.com has their yarn swifts on sale. They also have a 40% off coupon. That bring it down to $38 with shipping.
The plot thickens as A finds a ball winder on joann.com. If I place two separate orders, then I can use the 40% off coupon, it brings the ball winder to $38 with shipping.
This is a very dangerous situation, folks. Very very dangerous! tell me it’s a bad idea to spend $80!
Then again, it’s SUCH a good deal!