We interrupt the previously scheduled knitting content to bring you this important message.Our Little Buddy is 1.
He enjoyed his cake...
...and the sugar buzz.
We can't imagine what life would be like with out his giggles, his inquisitiveness, and his hugs.
Happy Birthday.

...and I am dead...

On Friday, I drove up to Olds To Attend Fibre Potpourri which is sponsored by my local guild. I took the SIP to hopefully finish them and mail them off to the next victim. I thought it was a good idea to take a break and phone home to check on the mail.
Bad idea. Instead of being greeted with "Hello", I heard "You're dead!"
"Did you get the mail?" I asked.
"No, but you're dead."
"How do you know that if you haven't picked up the mail yet?"
"Fex Ex. It was delivered to the house and YOU'RE DEAD!"
So, I quickly packed up the socks I was knitting and ran off to the Post office before it closed.


And these are the instruments of my destruction. The weapons of choice. My final demise.

SOCK WARS III CONTINUE

I received my first SIP and when I opened the envelope, I saw a half knit dark green sock.
There was more sock knit than I thought there was going to be. Then I turned the sock over.


The pattern was only knit on the front of the sock. It was going to have to be ripped back to the ribbing. The yarn was a ball of kinky recycled cotton, not sock yarn. There was a note included.

"Recycled 100% cotton. Sorry about the lack of progress. I'm slow."

Bull Shit!

Since Sock Wars Started, I have be reading blogs, and the Sock Wars forum, and Ravelry pages in an attempt to find out about my fellow warriors. My first victim was a lovely lady who spent the first weekend knitting so she could mail her socks and record her first kill. Unfortunately, when she sent an email to the knitter that is referred to as the Dipstick, he quit knitting. He was bored with knitting socks and the yarn wasn't working out the way he anticipated. Of course not! It's crappy recycled yarn that hasn't been reconditioned properly and it will never be suitable for a pair of socks! NEVER! So he sat back and waited for his new pair of socks to be delivered. When he received them, did he run right out and mail them so that the next Assassin could finish them....eventually, three days later.

....take a deep breath Tink...You are starting to rant...

I am an understanding person. I realise that many times the project we envision doesn't turn out quite the way we planned. What I find so aggravating in reading The dipshits blog and forum posts is that he was bragging about not knitting and instead was waiting for his socks to be delivered. He even had the nerve to complain that his socks were pink and purple and those weren't his favorite colors. Oh boo hoo.

...take another breath..

I am now knitting a new pair of socks out of a lovely sock yarn. I hope my victim appreciates the weapon of her demise and enjoys these socks in her afterlife.

(said in my best imitation of Monty Python)
I'M NOT DEAD YET!
I mailed the socks bright and early on Monday morning and I'm pleased to say that my victim was struck down by the weapon of sockly distruction yesterday. She had already mailed her completed socks off to her victim...someone who reminds me of a kid on the playground. Since he knew the socks had been mailed and that he was soon to be killed off, he quit knitting. A lot of sock can be knit between Monday and Thursday unless you are picking up your ball and leaving the playground.
I will now resume my waiting for the Mailman.

THE SOCKS ARE IN THE MAIL
It was a hectic weekend of knitting in the Rockies.

LET THE WARS BEGIN!

That's right! I signed up for Sock Wars 3 and now I wait. It snowed last night so it is a perfect day to work on my weapon of singular distruction....my socks. I am waiting....for my victim's name. Will it be someone I know? Will my victim be waiting for the fatal blow to be struck? Hopefully the dossier will show up before I hit the send/receive button one time too many and fry the computer! Nothing else to do while waiting. I guess I'll shop on-line.

NOW YOU SEE IT











AND NOW YOU DON'T!



This is one of many projects that were started and then ripped out. Since January, Tuscany, Juno, Lacy Lattice, Mystic Light, Gothic leaves have been started and then ripped out when I decided that I didn't like the yarn for the project, the pattern, or the needles or some other unknown reason.  Secret of the Stole will probably meet the same fate.  I also restarted Waves in the Square but at least I finished that one while the desire to finish it was stronger than the desire to rip.

Socks have been knit and ripped as well. Thistle is back in the closet in a nice neat ball of yarn. Beaudelaire was reduced to a pile of yarn this morning.  Monkey is hanging on by a thread.

I'm beginning to think I have lost my Knitting MoJo.  I haven't lost my need to add to my stash of yarn or patterns but I almost think I could just sit in front of the TV and actually watch it rather than listening to it while knitting.

I don't like feeling this way.  I enjoy knitting and I enjoy finishing projects.  I love the feel of a new pair of socks.  I love unpinning a new lace shawl and seeing the open lace that was a crumpled mess before it was blocked.

The cure might be drastic.  I think I'll go reorganise my yarn and wait until it speaks to me. 

WHERE IS THE SUN???
I'm sick of the snow and cold weather. I'm also fairly sure this is going to be one of those years in which we go from freezing cold temps to blazing hot with no spring in between.
Spring is the perfect season for wearing new shawls....like Phoenex Rising.
I am finished. I had plans to be finished about three weeks earlier but forces (family) conspired against me. Every time I planned to spend the day knitting, DD#1 would show up with the Little Dude and I would have to spend time watching him exploring the house, learning to stand and laughing at his reflection in the mirror. What a hardship!
Year of Lace Project #1
Sivia Harding pattern -Phoenix Rising
Claudia Hand paint silk Lace - Make 1 Colorway
I used smaller beads from my stash.

Since the cold weather is going to be sticking around for another week or longer, it's a good thing I finished D's socks too. He actually had the nerve to complain that the last one's were itchy so these ones knit out of Tofutsies should get lots of wear.

One of those days...
I thought that yesterday would be a normal day, running an errand or two, going to work, sipping on a glass of wine after work....a well planned enjoyable day. Obviously, I did something to screw up my Karma.
In the morning, I loaded my car with all my recycling. There is a depot on the way to work and it has been easy in the past to stop by, unload and then go home to a clean garage. All the big green bins have been moved. It appears as though the depot has become a victim of more construction in Bridgeland. (I'm actually afraid to drive down that road again , just in case it were there and I was driving by too fast to notice)
I phoned a another YOL knitter to help her interpret the edging pattern on the Phoenix Rising shawl. While talking with her, I realised that I had made a mistake in the way I had read the pattern...20 rows back...20 long rows....at least 10 hours of knitting. Everyone, and I mean everyone told me to leave it. A blind man galloping by on a horse wouldn't see it. It was a design change. If I wasn't going to enter it into the Stampede, no one would notice that it was different. It bugged me. I thought about it all day long.
The knitters came for S'nB and Trish had made the run at the Sushi restaurant. I had just started to enjoy a tasty order of Tempura before I had a glass of wine and finished D's socks. The styrofoam container slipped off my lap and landed upside down on the floor. A more prepared blogger would have the camera ready and taken a picture, but I was to busy cursing.
I went home in defeat, with my old newspapers and tin cans still in my car. The wine would have to wait. I had a shawl to rip. By midnight I had all the stitches back on the needle and had re knit the first row. Everyone was right. I should have left it.
Today will be better.

FIGHTING BACK

People in my family are Hockey fans. And they talk about hockey constantly. If they are not going to a game at the Saddledome, they are watching the game on TV. The next day, they will discuss the various goals and bad calls from the refs to death. Play off hopes and rivalries with the team from up North are all topics of conversation.
I have expressed my disinterest with the sport numerous times but with no success. I might have finally come up with a solution. When individuals start talking about hockey, I counter with a discussion about knitting.

D - "Did You see the goal by Phanneuf?"
M - "Isn't this a great shawl? It's a silk yarn and the first project from the Make 1 Year of Lace."
D - "It was a really great goal and Calgary is fighting for a Playoff position."
M - "Look at the pretty colour. I can't wait to start adding the beads."
Various individuals have suggested that I might run out of things to talk about since there is only so much you can say about knitting. They don't know that I've been reading "A History of HandKnitting" The battle has just begun. I even invited D to come with me to Canmore this weekend for my Knitting retreat. He thought about it for at least 30 seconds before he declined the invite

Baudelaire Finished

Now to find someone with a size 81/2 foot and skinny ankles. So I thought that knitting a toe up sock would be an more accurate way of getting a sock to fit. That theory works only if you enjoy knitting and ripping and knitting and ripping the heels. This will be in all probability the last pair ot toe up socks that I knit. Toes take much less time to reknit if the sock is too long.
I'd show you a picture but Blogger has decided that you don't need to see the socks to understand my frustration with all things backwards.
This whole backwards knitting issue may be why I am hating my top down cardigan. On the third go round, I finally got most of the sweater done. I am now on my third attempt with the collar and I am preparing to rip it out again.
I am a Lace knitter! Why can I not knit a stupid simple basic cardigan? I Hate It! Deep breaths...Be Calm.....Step away from the pointy needles....

Just a bit of a problem
I was at the end of the foot on a pair of plain jane socks and ready to finish it. I went looking for dpns to decrease for the toe. All my dpns were in other socks. These weren't the second socks of a few pair, they were all the first socks. I believe it's time to finish a few projects.
Instead, I started this.

It's just a little shawl and should be finished soon.

Waves in the square It was to be the never ending shawl and at times I was doubting my decision to add an extra panel on this shaw. Now that it's done, I like it but I'm thinking that I should have used darker beads.
Do other knitter's question every project that they knit? It seems as though I have have restarted every project because something wasn't quite perfect. This was not the original colour that I picked for this shawl. It was going to be green, but I thought I might run out of yarn. I would have had enough but I will probably get more wear out of a blue jean coloured shawl.

Sivia Harding Pattern
Malibrigo lace weight - 3 skains

These are my Baudelaire socks. I started them in the red but then decided that the toe should have been 12 stitches to start rather than 8. So I started them again in the plum colour. I was past the heel when I tried them on and decided that if I wanted to wear them I would be folding the toe over in my shoes. Ripped them back, and I think they will fit this time. But I really like the other colour better and so I've started it a second time. By my calculations, I will have knit six socks in order to get one pair!
This is the second start to my endpaper mitts. The first colour I tried was the Plum colour that is now in the above sock. The pattern didn't show up enough for my liking and.....rip....and cast on again.
On a positive note, because of all this ripping out and casting on, I now have the figure-8 cast on and the Italian Tubular cast-on figured out.

.....and the two mystery stoles that are hibernating may just have to sit in the "Bad Knitting Basket" for a bit longer until I decide how to change the patterns.

HAVE YOU STARTED YOUR STAMPEDE ENTRY YET????
Yesterday I received my copy of the Creative Arts and Crafts book in the mail. This is the book that has all the information needed so you can enter your knitting, stitching, wood working, etc. into the Calgary Stampede. If you are not on their mailing list, it's all available at www.westernshowcase.com

A MAJOR JANUARY PROJECT
For a long time...not months but years, I have wanted to reorganise and make my sewing room a usable room rather than a giant walk-in closet. It has always been the room where we dumped the stuff that didn't have a home. There was a pathway to the ironing board but other than ironing, it was a room I and everyone else avoided.
I knew this was a massive job which was why I procrastinated. I also was afraid that as soon as I got rid of stuff, I would want it and not be able to find the discontinued patterns, antique buttons, perfect piece of fabric, etc.
After a brief discussion with Doug in which I demonstrated the instability of the current shelves, he agreed that changes needed to be made. I'm not sure if he realised that he was also agreeing to painting.
Early in January, I started. Trip after trip down the stairs I emptied out the shelves. After a full day, the room was empty.

My living room looked like this.
After painting and building new shelves, I still had to deal with piles of stuff. Never junk. Treasures I accumulated over the years. Necessary Stash to create Works of Art.
There were many trips up the stairs with armloads of books. I sorted and filled boxes for charities. I filled bags for the garbage collectors. I had second thoughts and pulled stuff out of the boxes. I filled more boxes. I had more second thoughts and pulled stuff out of the closet and threw it into the charity boxes. I filled more garbage bags. Many more trips up to put threads and yarn in the shelves.


I finally found room for everything I decided to keep. Some things are left on shelves for everyone to see.
Other things are kept neatly out of sight. Even my closet door closes again!

Today I hung some of the pictures. There are still some changes that I want to make but for now, I'm done.
Oh yeah, How long did it take before I was looking for something only to discover that it was gone, never to be seen again? Less than a week.

RESOLUTIONS AND PLANS
In the spirit of the New Year and keeping with tradition, I felt that I should make a number of resolutions to make me a better person. First of all, I thought that I should not procrastinate anymore. Check the date. That one ain't gonna happen!I then thought that maybe would be a better person if if I became more active. That one died on the treadmill on January 5.Okay, maybe I should try for the easy ones. I will Knit more! This the Mystic Waters Shawl that was started in November and finished on January 15. A lovely pattern. I enjoyed knitting it and love that it's a huge shawl...even though at times it felt like I would never finish it.Another hat for LD. It's a size 2-4 so hopefully it will fit him for more than a month.Cables in the square. Why do I always pick large lace patterns. In a moment of weakness, I decided this one should be even bigger and cast on one extra panel to make it a square shawl. The malibrigo yarn I received for Christmas is so soft and squishy and wonderful to knit with that I'm also considering increasing the length of this shawl. As long as I'm resolving to knit more, I might as well fall into the completely crazy level of knitting obsession.The Unst Bridal Shawl. I've wanted to knit this pattern for awhile and decided that 2008 is the year for it. The fact that it's a bridal shawl has nothing to do with my S#1 and his oh so perfect girlfriend coming over and showing us "the Ring". The wedding isn't planned until '09.
My fourth resolution for 2008 is to finish DH's Christmas socks before the end of January. 6 days to go. I think I can do it.

Organization may or may not happen in 2008.

Finally, I will blog more! No more waiting for a month between posts. They will be interesting comments on the state of the world and educating knitting essays. Okay, that's a lie. There might be pictures.

THE PRECEDENT HAS BEEN SET
Calgary is a Hockey town and my family loves the game. While I know who Iggy and Kipper are, I have never been interested in the latest score, trade, or playoff position. I have been invited to attend several if not most of the games, but have maintained that if I couldn't take my knitting, I would rather stay home. My knitting has always been banned from the games with the threat that it would be thrown on the ice if I dared to be so sacrilegious as to knit in the great dome in the shape of a Saddle.
Saturday night - The Flames against the Ducks - I went to the game and the knitting came out! Granted, this picture was taken between the first two periods and those are little guys on the ice, but I knit all throughout the third period.

I do believe that the Flames played their best hockey during the third period and my knitting was probably the reason they won the game!

WE INTERUPT YOUR KNITTING TO BRING YOU THIS...
A welcome break to a busy time of year!
Doug and I headed out to Banff for the weekend. We stayed at Baker Creek Chalets where there are no TV's, no phones, no computers. There are however, paths along the Bow River, Cross country Ski trails and snow shoes! We followed the moose tracks through the clearing under the power lines for about three kilometers which doesn't sound like it was very far. With snowshoes, it was about a two hour hike.

There were a few tumbles in the snow when I stepped on my own snow shoe but it was easier than I thought it would be, It also helped that Doug broke trail for most of the hike!

Next time, we might have to try the Cross Country Skies.

We also found a puzzle in our cabin. We ignored the 1000 piece puzzle for the small 500 piece one. Once we started, we had to finish it. There were 13 missing pieces and the last piece didn't get put in place untill 11:00 - checkout time! It will be a long time before we work on another puzzle.

After we arrived at home, we had company. LD sure does like his carrots.
We will now resume our previously scheduled stressful December. Baking today and Cabbage rolls on Wednesday with Christmas sock knitting thrown in just in case I get bored!

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

It has been cold in Calgary the past couple of weeks. Cold enough to chill the coffee in the short blocks between the local coffee emporium and work. The solution? Coffee sweaters!


Instead of knitting my Christmas gifts or stitching ornaments for the tree, I have been knitting tiny sweaters without sleeves. One ball of Kureyon will make two Vente size sweaters.
If you feel the need to make a coffee sweater, Cast on 40 stitches on 5.5mm needles. join in a round with 10 stitches on each needle.
Purl 3 rounds.
Knit 5 rounds. Increase 1 stitch at the beginning of needle #1 and needle #3.
Knit 8 rounds. Repeat increase round.
Knit 8 rounds. Repeat increase round. (46 stitches)
Knit 5 rounds.
Purl 3 rounds.
Cast off. Finished length is ~6". Felt the sweater and dry on the appropriate size cup. Felted length is ~4".


You also should check your yarn before you start knitting because not all yarns that look like they will felt actually will!

I HATE COMPUTERS!
I have recently taken numerous pictures of finished socks, and a sweater and wonderful new yarn that has been added to my stash but unless you wander over to Ravelry, you will have to use your imagination.

It's enough to drive me to drink!

Tulip Sweater Finished I started this cute little sweater on Wednesday and was finished it by Saturday. What a great pattern and soft squishy yarn! It also helped that Amy and I had an unofficial race. I won!
It was a good thing that I had a couple of productive knitting days because Saturday was the day to help D#2 clean out her room.

There were books! And more books. Notice that there is nothing in these piles of collectibles that resemble clothes. Those are in a different room. I'm amazed that she could ever find her bed !

Back to knitting now! I'm on the second sleeve for my hoodie and the end is in sight!

THIS SWEATER DOES NOT WANT TO BE FINISHED!




Do you see that line where started the new ball of yarn? My family doesn't. So much for a "quick project that I''ll be wearing before the snow flies" This one is very close to having a "time out" in the basket.

THE SWEATER FROM HELL!!

On Sunday, I got the brilliant idea that I should cast on a new sweater. After all, the weather is going to be turning cooler soon and since I had this wonderful Malibrigo yarn that was calling to me and a simple top down Hoodie pattern, I would soon have a new sweater. I quickly knit a gauge swatch and cast on. By Tuesday afternoon, I was at the armholes when my good friend Knitting Grammy suggested that I should put my stitches on a string to check the fit. I protested. I had knit a swatch. My gauge was correct. It would fit. I put my stitches on a string and tried it on. I ripped it and cast on the next largest size.
I now had many more stitches on my needle but I was determined. I would have a new sweater soon. By early this afternoon I was back at the armholes. I was ready to place my sleeve stitches on holders. I paused briefly to admire my work and saw it. The missed decrease. Inches back. In the section that I had so cleverly knit while playing on the computer.
This pile of yarn is now my sweater. This wonderful sweater is quickly loosing it's appeal.

This is a warning!

As I was happily sipping my tea and reading the morning paper I realised that my good mood was about to be changed. Today is National Grouch Day. Today I can be as cranky as I want. I can slam the phone down on the unsuspecting telemarketers. I can impatiently tap my foot while waiting in line at the bank. I can honk my horn at the drivers that cut me off because they don't think the stop signs are meant for them. I can even throw my knitting across the room when I realise that it needs to be ripped. Today I will be Grouchy!
The main problem with being a Grouch today is that everyone else out in the world can be Grouchy too. It might be a good day to hide out at home. See you all tomorrow!

QUILT OF BELONGING

Yesterday, I went to Glenbow Museum to see the Quilt of Belonging. I had heard of this 120 foot long and eleven foot high quilt but was not prepared for the amazing work that I saw. It features 263 blocks of fabric that represent every country in the world and each of Canada's first peoples. Each block was stitched in Canada, by a Canadian about another country in the world that they have a connection with.
If you haven't seen it, Go! Go Now! Turn off your computer, Put your knitting down ( unless you want to knit on the bus downtown) and Go! It's only here until September 30 so you must go now! You won't regret it!
Glenbow Museum

HERE WE GO AGAIN!
MS3 is not complete and I have been feeling the need to cast on for a sweater or two. So why does this appeal to me? Secret of the Stole It's not like I don't already have 2 or more shawls that are started. I also have three other shawls that I have been wanting to start but have not cast on because I could only handle so many WIPs at a time.
I joined. I've checked out my Stash to see which beads would work best with the yarn and I've printed off the General Instructions. Currently there are 1477 members. I can't help but wonder how large this group will become.
First Clue will be posted on October 5.

AT LONG LAST

It seem like forever since I have actually finished something. I have knit socks and ripped out socks. I have planned new sweaters but not actually cast on. I have fretted over the stack of projects in the WIP basket. Today the was success. Today the Estonian Lace Lace was declared finished as it is blocked and the pictures have been taken.
Including the artsy outdoors shot with the breeze blowing.
Designer - Nancy Bush - Lily of the Valley Shawl - with nupps on every lily rather than every second one
Book - Lace Style - Interweave Press
Yarn - Suri Elegance - 100% Suri Alpaca By America's Alpacas

When the knitting is not going well, I can always bake. It's a different recipe but looks just as tasty version of Sticky Toffee Pudding. I think Karen is right. I just like saying "Sticky Toffee Pudding".
When I wonder why I haven't been getting much knitting done, I can find a dozen excuses. The best one is that there's nothing better than a baby's giggles. The knitting will all get done eventually.

Ravelry Conundrum
Today I got my invitation to join Ravelry! I want to spend time setting up my Flckr account and start taking pictures of my WIP. I need to inventory my STASH and figure out how many UFOs I have. My list of future projects is growing as I read other pages and find new and exciting projects to knit. I'm being introduced to many more blogs to read. There are yarn sites where I can sign up for newsletters to find out about new yarns that I have to add to my Stash and then inventory.
But, if I spend all my time on Ravelry, I won't have any time to knit! I'll never have another finished project to post on Ravelry. If I can never post a picture of a finished project, there's no need to set up a Flickr account. If I don't have time to knit, I don't need more yarn and I certainly won't have time to read all the new books that I'm finding out about.
The thought of it all just makes me tired. I knew the computer was my enemy!
If you have discovered the evil that is Ravelry, I'm AuntyTink.

FLAT YORKSHIRE PUDDING
and other weekend projects. After eating in British Pubs for three weeks, I was feeling the need for some calorie heavy goodness this past weekend. This is not what Yorkshire pudding is supposed to look like. This isn't the first time I have ever tried to make them, but it is the first time that they were a flat dismal failure.
This, on the other hand is what Sticky Toffee Pudding should look like. But if you pour a sauce made out of cream, butter and brown sugar over anything, it tastes good. Maybe I should try it over the Yorkshire Pudding.

Mystery Stole 3 Progress and decisions being made.
Clue #4 is done and I am at the halfway mark of the stole. I know there are 7 clues but I have decided to make mine a symetric stole rather than following the last three clues. I looked at the pictures on the Yahoo Groups site and the Bjork look is not for me. I love the first half of the stole and will finish it with a slight modification to the pattern.
Socks were ripped out and restarted
This is Waving Lace pattern out of Favorite Socks. Every once in awhile I come across a pattern that just seems right from the very first stitch. After ripping out several of the last socks that I started and knew I would not enjoy finishing, this one just has been a dream to knit.

WE'RE BACK!
After being away for three weeks, the tomato plants are dead, the Little Dude doesn't remember who we are and there is a mountain of laundry to be done, but it's great to be home. We saw castles and ruins and hills and paintings and more castles. After reaching maximum sensory overload, we are happy to be able to sleep in our own bed and not have to rummage through a suitcase looking for a passibly clean shirt.
While I was gone, My Sockapalooza 4 socks arrived. I don't know what thrilled me the most when I opened the package. My Sock Pal is from Japan. How neat is that? Someone on the other side of the world knit me a pair of socks! They are my favorite color! She knew they would be the perfect shade of green (Fottozey Foo). They are knit out of Socks that Rock. The pattern is perfect. I started knitting the Embossed Leaves socks last year when the pattern was first published in Interweave knits but ripped them apart when I decided I didn't like the fabric I was getting with the size of needles that I was using. I tried again with a different yarn and different needles and ripped it out a second time. When the pattern was republished in Favorite Socks, I thought I should try it again. Now I have my very own pair of Embossed Leaves socks, knit out of STR in green - Perfection! There was an extra surprise in the package. Sock yarn that I haven't seen before. Jaquard superwash. It looks like a self stripping yarn that will be perfect for a plain pair of socks. And chocolate covered almonds. The package was full but we started eating them last night and it's going to take all my will power to not eat the rest of them before Noon!

Airplane knitting

This is how much of a sock you can get done on a flight to Scotland. I don't like the way some of the stitches have stretched out so this is probably the last time you will ever see this sock.
Yes, you can knit lace on an airplane. Some of this lace was knit before we left and the majority of it was knit in quiet evening moments but 1/5 of it was knit on the flight home yesterday. I'm pretty sure that there aren't any mistakes in it and I didn't spill my lunch on it, so it was a good project to take on the plane.
Today is the day I tackle the laundry and watch Y&R. MS3 might come out of the basket while I'm seeing what Nickie and Victor have been up to for the last three weeks and I'm even looking forward to cooking supper. Now that is a scary thought!