Happy Pumpkin Carving Day

Well, we had not a single trick or treater. Boo hoo hoo.

But we did get to watch the show Pushing Up Daisies on ABC that I like while carving a pumpkin.

And I mean "we" as really "I". Hahaha. Joint pumpkin caving goes like this.

Me: What kind of eyes should we make?
H: Round
Me: What kind of Nose?
H: Trapezoid
Me: What kind of mouth?
H: He should have Vampire fangs
Me: I really want to make a mustache too.
H: Okay.

hahaha - so enjoy our mustached Vampire, and happy Halloween Everyone! I better go roast some seeds!

Happy Hallo-Weekend!

Well our weekend plans did not pan out according to plan. We were supposed to go visit H's sister this weekend in NJ, but because of the nasty nasty rain we bailed (haha, no pun intended) on her and decided to stay home. We'll have to go another week.

So what do you do when it is cold and rainy outside but don't want to watch any of the movies in your DVD collection?

You make your Hubby bake sugar cookies with you. Hahaha.
He was pretty game (something different than the usual weekend night activities) and we had lots of fun.

The co-chef:

The Rollout:

The Result:


Also I bought some more yarn to start on some Holiday Gifties.

And the Knitpicks podcasts have sucked me in (also the constant internet praise for EZ) and I finally decided to buy a copy of an Elizabeth Zimmerman book. I decided to go with the Knitter's Almanac. I haven't read it through yet but I like her style of writing to you like you were sitting there next to her. I can see why her books are such Classics. I like the December project alot (the Hurry-up Last Minute Sweater) and someday I may make one. Kristina over at Yarnsticks said she would help me through my first sweater in January (the Hourglass Sweater), so I am really excited and can hardly wait. I have been daydreaming about what color to make it. That is the hardest part sometimes. The cotton sweater I started this summer is on hold. I don't like the yarn - it is very hard to work with. But I have not given up on it yet. It's just on hold.

Also in knitting news I made a little gift for Harland's sister. I'll take it with me next time I see her, they are the Armwarmers from Last minute gifts.

Okay Ignore the last post's question!

Hahaha, I got some advice via e-mail, I slept a good nights sleep (for once) and I decided that the mitten was just not working out the way I intended and it would drive me crazy with the two yarns creating different tensions (the blue yarn was so much more stretchy!).

So I decided to make my Mom this instead - I got the download this morning so tonight I cast on! Gansey Socks! They look challenging so I will (for sure) not be bored.

If you click on the link to see what it is, click on "more pictures" and then click on the tab that says "on model". I don't know why they chose a white background behind white yarn, you can't see the stitches at all!

This blog has totally been about knitting. I need to start hiking soon. Maybe in the next few weeks.
Gotta run to work!

Knitting Advice Needed

Help!!

Okay, Dad you can not print this one out for mom, just pretend it never happened.

So the yarn Mom gave me says that it is DK, and I believe it is, but it isn't exactly compatible with the other yarn I bought as a contrast. So I need some knitters help.

Look at this. See the straight line on the left and there should be a straight diagonal on the right but this is the part that looks like I have messed up even though my tension is the same and everyhting - it is just the yarns are so different!!

So the advice I need is...

1. Should I rip out and try again?
2. Should I keep chugging along?
3. Should I just simply start a different project and then later buy yarn in a compatible shade with the blue and make the mittens then, like say maybe for a birthday present or for next year.

I am seriously considering three. I'm a little frustrated with amazing difference between these yarns. I am sure I can think of something else to make with 5 skeins of DK.

But I need advice.
So advise me!

One Down, 300,000 to go

Finished the Stocking's toe last night. I started to duplicate stitch on H's name, but it looked so weird and bulky so I am going to read up a little on sewing techniques before I try again to put his name on it.


So one project down. it seems like I have 300,000 waiting in the wings for me. Christmas and Hanukkah are coming up soon (and really soon for the later!) and I have exactly 0 presents knit. Oh. My. Goodness!! Last year I swore I would start earlier! Where has all the time gone!

So today I cast on for the 1st project, something for my Dear sweet Mom. I'm going to knit her these. See, Dad prints out what I post for her to read, so since I linked that there she will still have no idea what I am making, but all of you will. Muh-haha-ha (evil laugh). I'm going to use a dark blue as the 2nd color.



I haven't knit anything for my mom yet, other than a few dishcloths (that I think are in "museum mode" and she doesn't use them). Last year I was in scarf phase and I didn't get much farther than that for the Holidays, and since she does not like scarves I didn't make her one. And she is pretty set in her likes and dislikes, and so I didn't want to make her anything that she wouldn't like or use.

So I think these will work since they will keep her warm. The mauve yarn she already knows about since it was from an old knitting project of hers from some time ago. She specifically asked me to knit her something with this yarn for her present. Since I have 5 skeins it is going to go a long way, and I have plans for the other skeins (of course once I am finished these and all my other Holiday projects). The needles are also new since I don't work with DK weight yarn often... it's usually worsted or sock yarn for me... aren't they pretty? A Knit picks purchase. I am pretty much in love with them, they are so smooth. I don't have any other wood needles, all my needles are either metal or bamboo. So they have a new feel to them, so that is pretty fun on its own. But the color - so neat and different!

I feel like I don't have enough time to knit!! Probably I'll never run out of things to knit!

In other knitting news, I have started to listen to Knit Picks' Podcasts. I was worried that they would be just and advertisement for their products, but not at all! They are quite fun with interviews and book reviews and it is just nice listening to other people's projects and interests. Kelly also has a nice soothing NPR style voice. I have been listening on the commute and while I have been knitting (which wasn't that much this week, I gotta get into overdrive!).

I never really got into podcasts but this one I love so far (I'm only up to number 14).

If you have a favorite Podcast (knitting or otherwise) share it with me! I will probably be looking for new ones soon. Also maybe I should start listening to books on tape. I have such a long commute and they would also be good for while I am knitting. Recommendations for these would also be welcome!

Well, that was an overly wordy post.

Rounding the bend

Well I will tell you what...
I haven't been sleeping all that well lately...

Which if you know me means I am a complete Grumpy Gus. I can't help it. Everything annoys me when I have more than one bad night's worth of sleep. And now I am working on several. Ugh. This is why (Susan, Tyler, Amy) I haven't called anyone back in days. I'm just no fun right this minute. I have a strategy for sleeping tonight, hopefully it will work.

Anyway - this is a factor in the knitting. I get mad at the knitting easier, faster than normal. In fact when I am not tired I rarely get mad at knitting even when I screw things up royally.

But this weekend I was testy as I made this short row heel. Plus there was one extra YO in the pattern that shouldn't be there (well, I am pretty sure it shouldn't) and so it took a while and three complete frogs of all green heel yarn but I finished the heel tonight. Finally.


Someone asked how big the Stocking is. It is about 6 inches across (as I pictured here for you) and 14 inches length wise right now. A decent sized stocking, although mine when I was a kid was much bigger. On the the other hand this one stretches if you want it too. ;) And it can stretch quite a bit, and I bet if you are not an extremely tight knitter as myself, it would be wider.

So tomorrow begins the beginning of the home stretch. It will probably take me a while, but once I am finished I'll post the totally FO. I imagine a bunch of in progress pictures would be rather boring.

Oh and question for you continental knitters, I'm trying to teach myself how to knit but I keep losing the tension of the yarn when it is in my left hand. This may be due to the fact that my left hand is about as dexterous as my feet (or maybe even less so as I can pick up coins with my toes off the floor, hee hee). But it may be that I am doing something "not quite right".

Any suggestions??

As for me I am off to bed!

What's New Here....

I wish I could say a lot is new here, but I have been busy this week making up the time I took off last week for the Dr. Apt. As for the Dr., if you are following that saga, I still don't know much. They took more blood and I have another apt. in early November. Of course, even with all the tests they are doing this round... there might be more tests in my future. We'll see. Pesky abundance of Platelets!

Anyway, In knitting news... I have to admit I just bought a subscription to Interweave Knits. The 1st issue to arrive will be the winter one, so I am excited about that.

Last weekend I knit some new dishcloths since the ones I made more than a year a go were finally starting to fall apart. Well, that isn't actually a fair statement - Only one was falling apart - which was due to a run in with a knife in the bad part of the sink. Another one I could mend, so it has this cute little orange stitch of repair on it. Perfectionists would probably shudder, but I think it is cute.

Anyway - here is a striped one and another one in the round that I tried to make like a beach ball. I know it is kinda silly - but I have a lot of a little bit of each color yarn so why be plain? It isn't like they will make dish washing any less fun by being funky, right?



It finally actually feels fall-ish out - this week started out crazy with 93 degree weather and ended today with 60 degree weather. You never can tell what it will be like. Maybe I'll knit up some armwarmers for myself from my yarn I bought in the Netherlands.

In other knitting news I have started to knit Harland a stocking. I bought a kit (yarn + full color charts + pattern) from this site I just found online. The yarn smells a little funky (perhaps from the dye) but I love love the pattern so far.

Here is me swifting my red yarn into a ball with the swift my Dear Daddy made (thanks again Dad!).


And here is what I have so far. I'm not terribly far in, but it has been a very busy last two weeks and with the pattern reading and the color changing... I have to pay attention. This doesn't go on the bus commuting with me... this is strict knitting only time knitting.

In the white stripe will go Harland's name once I am done. I wish he had a shorter name.


Here is the website if you are interested in making your own stocking for someone, they have a few patterns with animals and houses and snowmen!
Click here for Annie's Woolens
I'm making the Holly one. They also just have the pattern if you are interested in using your own yarn. I do love the colors of the yarn, they are Christmas-sy without the bright, neonesque Christmas colors you often see in the stores. Anyway the turn around from order to my mailbox was really quick and so far all I have are happy good things to say about all aspects of this order.

29, 3, Leif

Okay so I don't want to spend a lot of time posting - because it is a very celebration filled day for us here.

1. It is My dear Hubby's 29th Birthday!!! Wish him a happy birthday if you get the chance! It must be so nice to still be in one's 20's, that youngster!!

2. It is our third wedding anniversary - I can't believe it! While on one hand it feels like I have known this fantastic man my whole life, on the other hand a 3rd wedding anniversary sounds like a long time!! Although I really think it should be our 4.5th wedding anniversary (not that I even knew him 4.5 years ago) because I think the 1.5 years we spent apart when he was Over In Korea should count double. :)

3. It is officially Leif Erikson Day (click here for the official memo).

Okay, that last one might not be so exciting, but I thought it was a fun fact. I sure wish I'd get Leif Erikson day off, then I'd get to spend the whole day with my wonderful Hubster.