Lazy Knits and Purls

A Little of This; A Little of That

2010-03-08T20:42:00.003-06:00

Hello All,

I thought I'd share a few o' the projects on the needles (All of which, by the way, are messin' with my mojo 'cause I'm not super stoked about any of them.)

Behold the Apple Leaf Cloth. In the picture it doesn't really look so bad, but I'm not real happy with it in real life. I should have used a smoother cotton. Bernat Cotton Tots has a little nubbiness to it that I'm not liking. The pattern calls for a fingering weight, but it seems fine with worsted...as long as it is smooth. I also think I need to work on my M1s (is there a way to increase so it's a purl stitch?) It is just a dishcloth so I guess the work is passable.

This is my take on the Top Down Raglan Baby Sweater. I love the pattern. I love the yarn. I should have started with smaller needles for the neck and then switched to larger, but like the dishcloth, it's passable knitting.

One of the reasons I'm not a big fan of lacy knits is that they look so crappy on the needles. This is going to be nice when it's blocked, but until then, I have to keep telling myself that everything is ok. This is the Brandywine Shawl aka March Goal. I'm using Dream in Color Smooshy in Ruby River (which I did not photograph well...no surprise there, huh?)

I'm just plugging away on them.

Fraturday Fill-In 3/6/10

2010-03-06T07:54:00.002-06:00

1. Why are you making all that noise?
2. I want you to take me to the movies....Alice in Wonderland, please.
3. If I'm going to make a sweater then it will be on my terms.
4. Piss me off and and see what happens.
5. I could use a few days by myself with no one asking me to do anything.
6.I got up early to chaperone a lock in at school and then got there and no one was there. They canceled it and failed to tell me.
7. And as for the weekend, last night I looked forward to spending time with Hubadub and Offspring, today my plans include movies and knitting and Sunday, I want to knit!

Some Philosophical Knitting Questions

2010-03-06T07:46:00.003-06:00

When I started knitting in earnest back in 2005 I was unable to frog back to a mistake, put the stitches back on the needle and begin again. Depending how far into the project I was, I either had to start over or abandon the project. Well, today I am able to frog and get the stitches back on the needle like it's no big deal. Yet I wonder, can I say I am a better knitter because I can fix mistakes? Or am I no better a knitter because I still make mistakes?
Are all perfectionists drawn to knitting? Or does knitting make you a perfectionist?
If a knitter drops a stitch and no one is around to hear her, does she still curse and scream?

Discuss.

Whiny Wednesday-The Birthday Edition

2010-03-03T05:40:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday. Let the whining commence (but I don't want to be a downer so I'll find the silver lining.)

It's the big 4-0.
But Hubadub says I look great, so forty is ok. Besides, now I can be "wise."
It was rainy.
But I didn't have to be out in it.
It was cold.
But we have a new heater.
Rain + cold = dreary.
I can't really think of anything to offset this negative...
The day began with cat puke.
But ended with cat snorgling.

Hubadub also took me to my favorite Thai restaurant then we came home and watched some TV. Not super exciting, but just my speed. After Hubadub went to bed, I cast on for the Brandywine Shawl. I finished the first chart so I went to be feeling very productive. The sun isn't up yet, so I don't have a picture. I'll try to get one this afternoon.

March Goals

2010-03-01T20:03:00.001-06:00

Three. Just three.

Mail February Dancing Dishcloth.
Mail March Dancing Dishcloth on time.
Brandywine Shawl-start it, work on it.

Surely I can manage this?

Monthly Report-February

2010-02-28T12:30:00.002-06:00

Leftover goals

~~Finish~~ and mail SIL shawl It's still sitting on the dining room table.
~~Finish Ophelia~~ But I frogged her.
Finish Granny Shawl Somehow the hook got separated from the project and I found two different sizes nearby. For the life of me I can't remember which one I was using.
Start one pair of socks Let's ignore this "failed two months in a row" goal, shall we?

Knitting/Crocheting goals

~~Make dishcloths~~ (it helped not using hard and fast numbers.)
~~Make baby booties~~ But I'm not real happy with them.
Start a granny afghan Nope
~~Return to Knit Nite~~ I was away too long!
~~Erm, mail January package to 12 Dancing Dishcloths partner~~
Mail February dishcloth package on time Let's move along and not judge, ok?

Health Goals

Floss Daily (which is technically a leftover goal) Cough cough. I'm sorry, was I saying something?
~~Only eat out once a week~~ (Going out of town. This isn't going to work.) I was right. Ate like a pig and enjoyed every minute of it.
Cut sugar consumption (When cooking half the amount called for in a recipe) This would have worked if it weren't for Disney...and the fact that I didn't bake at all this month. And some jackass kept leaving doughnuts in the teacher's lounge.

Organizing Goals

I can't face a goal like this this month so I won't make one. Good thing, too.

Self Improvement- I sucked on all of these. Wonder if at least thinking about it counts for anything...

Go to at least one Torah study
Attend at least one Saturday service
Read 4 books
Count to 10 before responding to something that makes me mad
Try to speak only when what I say improves upon the silence (which might be kind of hard for a teacher.)

First Goal for March: Come up with monthly goals I can really acheive, but I don't think "Sit on my ass" is technically a goal.

Blasphemy (Or PMDKD*)

2010-02-26T05:41:00.003-06:00

Sometimes knitting ~~aggravates the shit out of me~~ is a challenge.

When it's freezing, you can't get your hands warm and the robe you are wearing interferes with your movements and your needles keep getting hung up in the sleeve. Not to mention 3 cats that suddenly want to snuggle...one for each side and one for your lap.
When, 5 minutes later, it's hotter than the eternal fires of hell and you have to disrupt the cats and take off the robe.
When the cats start screeching at/blaming each other for making mommy mad.
When your hair gets in your way and you have to get up and to get a clip to get it off your neck and out of your eyes (note to self: make hair appointment.)
When you realize the circular you are using is going to be too short when all the increases are done and you get up (again) to find a longer one and discover that out of the 4,213 size 7s that you own, none of them are over 24" long.
When you have to frog back several rows because of one damn YO you missed.
When a cat decides the mound of frogged yarn next to you would make a wonderful nest.
When your husband starts to pout because you aren't paying enough attention to him.
When you check your progress before turning in for the night and realize you are no further along than when you started 6 hours earlier.

Knitting is awesome.

*Premenstrual Dysphoric Knit Disorder

Alas, Poor Ophelia

2010-02-24T22:27:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow I am supposed to give a final exam to two classes.

I should be sleeping in my bed.

Instead, I am frogging Ophelia.

I finished her tonight. I bound off her shoulders and tried her on.

She looked ok except for the Joan Crawford shoulders. I am crushed. I was hoping for Ravelympics victory and a nice looking sweater to boot.

I can't let this get me down. I can't let the mojo escape.

I have to decide what to do next and push forward.

ETA: A Little More Info

2010-02-24T07:20:00.002-06:00

Perhaps I should have let you know that the pattern La La's Simple Shawl and that I used Lion Brand Homespun (which I'll never use again*) in the Gothic colorway.

But maybe I have already mentioned that information before.

*Well, maybe again since I still have some in my stash.

A Ravelympics Finish!

2010-02-24T05:47:00.004-06:00

Sadly, it's not Ophelia (but she is still in the running. I only have 20 rows, two bind-offs and a blocking to finish her.)

No, my finish is the shawl I started for my SIL back in late November/early December. It's been languishing since January.

And that's about all I have to report. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to report another finish this week. Let's see if life will cooperate.

God Bless the Ravelympics

2010-02-21T07:22:00.002-06:00

I know I said it earlier, but this time I think the return of the mojo is fo' realz. Thanks to my competitive nature, the Ravelympics (I'm on Team Stashdown) and my love of couch potatoing I've picked up the Ophelia for the WIPs Dancing event and made amazing progress in the last week:

This photo was taken yesterday morning. Even more progress has been made since then!

(I decided to make mine a seamless vest. I've seen several on ravelry and preferred the look of them.)

I picked up the Shawl for my SIL and started weaving in ends...also for the WIPs Dancing event.

On Friday I cast on a Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf for the Super G event:

The colors are a little to "Springy" for me, but I've got about 17 balls of the SWS (don't ask) and I need to do something with them.

I also cast on a baby sweater Wednesday and I'm debating entering it in the Charity event, but I'm not sure.

(An aside: It is difficult to write lively, entertaining and interesting WIP reports. I apologize for the dull nature of this post.)

Friday Fill-In 2/19/10

2010-02-19T05:46:00.002-06:00

1. Johnny Weir is very talented and he should let his talent shine, not over the top costuming.
2. I am addicted to watching the 2010 Olympics.
3. And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was to hard too take, so I remained shut off and unable to open up.
4. Dance a jig if you get an urge.
5. Having sweet dreams is nice.
6. What does it take to get ahead (not that I'm so worried about getting ahead, it's just what popped into my mind.)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Olympics and knitting, tomorrow my plans include chillin' and knittin' (oh, and a trip to the post office) and Sunday, I want to knit!

Discloths To The Rescue!

2010-02-17T16:41:00.002-06:00

Please forgive the craptastic photography. I just wanted to finally report some finishes.

My three attempts at the multidirectional dishcloth. I was most pleased with the one on the far right.

And here's the circle cloth...which really feels more like a hot pad. Due to a high lazy quotient I decided to do this one in one color.

I'll sign off with some Mish Mash

I cast on a baby sweater this morning.
Very little progress has been made on my February goals list.
I managed to get to knit nite last night.

Word Verification Mish Mash

2010-02-15T06:46:00.000-06:00

Hylersi: Heresy with a sense of humor

and the rare real word Word Verification: Hydras.

A Mish Mash

2010-02-15T06:15:00.003-06:00

It's been a while, hasn't it?

Hubadub and I returned from Disney World on Friday. We had a great time, but now I have PDWD (Post Disney World Depresion)
We got about 2" of snow here in the Deep South. I did not take pictures. Please accept my apologies. Another inch was predicted for this AM, but it's been downgraded to rain. (I'm really beginning to wish for drought conditions. This is one of the wettest winters I can remember.)
The knitting "mehs" have returned. I did a bit o' knitting in Florida and finished a couple of dishcloths, but I'm back to having no desire to knit.
The Big Boss canceled the trip to the Shrine up north due to inclement weather. We now have a day to work in our rooms and catch up. Prayers do get answered!
Yet again, I have gotten sucked into following the Olympics. I never seem to care about the Summer games, but every four years I'm glued to the TV for the Winter events.
The "n" key on my keyboard is starting to give me iffy performance. Sometimes I hit it and it works, sometimes not.

I finished book #s 6, 7, and 8 in my 50 book challenge:

6. Spain for the Sovereigns by Jean Plaidy
Offspring and I do not agree about this author. She is a Phillippa Gregory fan (I've never read her) and says she just can't get into Jean, but I love her. This is book number 2 of the Ferdinand and Isabella trilogy.
7. Daughters of Spain by Jean Plaidy
Book 3. Also enjoyed this one, though the ending didn't have much closure for me. I want to know more about Juana and Catalina... which I think she does cover in Katherine of Aragon. As a whole the series is a good one. There were times that I was a little bored and wondered if I should just forget reading it, but the story grabbed me enough that I really wanted to find out what was going to happen (which lets you know how little I know about history.)
8. Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
After all the "heavy" reading and since I was traveling in Central Florida, I decided to read this. It was good, but sometimes when you are reading a children's book as an adult you can't tell if it's good, but simple writing or just bad (I learn toward "good, but simple" because this book is still around 50+ years later.) I also began to wonder if, thanks to the popularity of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, historical/pioneer fiction was the "genre du jour" in the 1930's and 1940's. Strawberry girl had a slight feeling of "copy cat." (But I admit I am cynical. I feel the same way about all the books today that have to do with a down on his luck child discovering he has magical/mythical powers a la Harry Potter.)

I'm currently reading book #9: The Yearling and unfortunately I discovered that it does not end well, but I can't stop reading it now.

February Goals

2010-02-06T07:02:00.003-06:00

So I gave it some thought and decided to make some new goals. As an experiment, I'm going to just add leftover goals all year and see what I'm left with in December. That should be fun and degrading at the same time.

Leftover goals

Finish and mail SIL shawl
Finish Ophelia (52 in 52, 6 sweaters, 2010 feet per month)
Finish Granny Shawl (52 in 52, 2010 feet per month)
Start one pair of socks (6 pairs of socks, 2010 per month)

Knitting/Crocheting goals

Make dishcloths (please note I haven't used any hard and fast numbers)
Make baby booties (see note above)
Start a granny afghan
Return to Knit Nite
Erm, mail January package to 12 Dancing Dishcloths partner
Mail February dishcloth package on time

Health Goals

Floss Daily (which is technically a leftover goal)
~~Only eat out once a week~~ (Going out of town. This isn't going to work.)
Cut sugar consumption (When cooking half the amount called for in a recipe)

Organizing Goals

I can't face a goal like this this month so I won't make one.

Self Improvement

Go to at least one Torah study
Attend at least one Saturday service
Read 4 books
Count to 10 before responding to something that makes me mad
Try to speak only when what I say improves upon the silence (which might be kind of hard for a teacher.)

This list should do nicely. Long lists of goals are what I do best.

Not.

Monthly Report (5+ Days Late)

2010-02-06T06:56:00.003-06:00

Leftover goals

Finish and mail SIL shawl Ends still need weaving.

Knitting/Crocheting goals

Finish Ophelia (52 in 52, 6 sweaters, 2010 feet per month) Nope
Finish Granny Shawl (52 in 52, 2010 feet per month) Nope
Make 4 potholders for Offspring (52 in 52, 2010 per month) 1/2 done
Start one pair of socks (6 pairs of socks, 2010 per month) Nope

Health Goals

Floss Daily Nope
Only eat out once a week Nope
Phase out meat analogs Yes
decrease processed food consumption Nope

Organizing Goals

Ravelry tags (I'm not sure what I mean by this yet, all I know is I have to streamline my tagging system for favorites) Nope and note to self: Don't make goals that even you don't know what you mean.

Self Improvement

Buy Less (I already mentioned my book problem, plus I think I'll be a lurky participant of the Eat From the Pantry Challenge. My twist will be a mega grocery trip today and then see where it goes from there. We use a lot of fresh produce, so I'm not sure I can avoid the store for more than a week.) Maybe?
Read 4 books Yes.

So there's the wrap up and now it's time to make another set of monthly goals. Part of me thinks I should just keep these, but I doubt I'll be anymore inspired to meet these goals than I was in January. Let me go work on this. I'll get back with you within the hour...

In Alternative Spelling Scrabble*

2010-02-05T23:56:00.001-06:00

My latest word verification: syncear

*Alternative Spelling Scrabble is not officially sanctioned by the National Scrabble Association.

Maybe I'm Beginning to Shake This Malaise

2010-02-05T18:34:00.003-06:00

It might be premature to say it, but I am going to keep saying it and maybe it will come to pass. I have managed a few posts in the last couple of days and I managed to snap a few pics of an FO.

Here's a link to the Ravelry project page.

Hubadub and I are headed for Orlando tomorrow. We'll be spending a week in Disney World and I hope to find my knitting/reading mojo while I'm there. I'm thinking a dishcloth or a pair of baby booties for charity.

Friday Fill-In 2/5/10

2010-02-05T05:51:00.002-06:00

1. I know I shouldn't complain about my job because I'm lucky to have a job in this economy, but really, sometimes I hate my job.
2. I can't decide if January or May is the longest month.
3. You can't help but sigh and moan on a rainy day.
4. One week off from work; bring it on!
5. Where have you looked for guidance?
6. Fairy dust is now available.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing Offspring, tomorrow my plans include driving to Ocala, FL and Sunday, I want to get to Disney World early!

Thoughts? Comments?

2010-02-04T20:33:00.002-06:00

February 15th is President's day. Most teachers in Alabama will be going to inservice meetings to be Professionally developed (wink.) I won't be.

I'll be traveling by school bus to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Our activities will include a spiritual talk, adoration, a healing(?) and mass.

Now, I have the utmost respect for my employer and how devout she is to the faith, but my hackles are raised by a few things. (And maybe "raised hackles" is inaccurate. More like that thing a dog does when it tilts it's head 'cause he thinks you're crazy. In my head it's usually accompanied by that sound of confusion that Scooby Doo makes.)

Not one of the day's activities will count for the professional development hours I am required to accumulate to renew my teaching certificate. (I do admit there will be plenty of other opportunities before my certificate expires.)
The big boss has stated that the only way to be excused from the day is to have a medical excuse written by a doctor. She will not allow anyone to use their personal days (we are only given 2 per year.)
One of my colleagues will have her pay docked because she won't be there because she committed to being someone's bridesmaid LAST YEAR BEFORE SHE EVEN TOOK THIS JOB. (And, by the way, she hasn't used any of her personal days this year.)

I'm going either way, but legally what control does an employer have over personal day use? I'm not trying to be snippy, I'm just wondering.

It all just strikes me as weird. Am I just being a disgruntled employee?

Nothing New

2010-02-03T05:57:00.001-06:00

Just popping in to let everyone know I am still here. I haven't knit a lick and I seem to be falling asleep every night at 8. Would like to have some energy, or motivation or something. I'm not depressed, just sluggish.

meh.

Can't Get Enough Word Verification Fun

2010-01-30T15:47:00.001-06:00

exerr-that boyfriend/girlfriend you are embarrassed to admit you dated.

"Oh man he was a big exerr."

Friday Fill-In 1/29/10

2010-01-29T05:28:00.003-06:00

1. Wouldn't it be easy if everyone just did the right thing because it was the right thing to do?
2. Right now I don't feel like anything is better than ever!
3. I love the taste of cinnamon dolce soy lattes on a Friday after a long work-week.
4. I do almost all of my knitting and computer surfing in the living room.
5. The first thing we're going to do is ignore this fill-in since I can't think of anything.
6. My faucet used to go drip, drip, drip; but a kind friend fixed it for me.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sitting on my ass, tomorrow my plans include attending the Freshman pancake breakfast fundraiser and Sunday, I want to watch football but the season is over...Woe is me!

In my last post I mentioned that I might take pictures of some completed projects and report on them. Photos have yet to be taken, but maybe I'll give it a try again today. Rain is in the forecast (enough with the stuff already!), so natural lighting will be difficult to find.

Last Published on January 17, 2010 (and Book #6)

2010-01-24T08:29:00.003-06:00

I feel like I'm letting folks down by not posting very often...which is quite egotistical since deep down I know very few people are at home saying "Hey, I hope Sara is ok. She hasn't posted lately." And I don't mean to imply that no one cares, it's just that aside from some of the big names, most of us bloggers have other lives and we totally understand when our blog buddies go awhile without posting.

I honestly don't know what has happened to my motivation. I've done nothing since late December. Nothing I work on gives me any pleasure. I start a project, decide I don't like it and frog it. Or I look for something to make, and nothing appeals to me. Let me add to this sad little list the fact that football is winding down for the season and it makes me a little sad.

I have managed to read. Apparently, I have three hobbies: crafting, reading and blogging and I can only focus on one of them at a time. So while I'm reading, the other two hobbies suffer.

Anyhoo...

Book #6
Spain for the Sovereigns (Book #2 of the Isabella and Ferdinand series) by Jean Plaidy.
I'm really no good at book reviews. I liked this book. Good escape while still learning a little history.

Hopefully today I'll manage to get some pictures of a few of the things I've made this month. I have to warn you, the odds are not in my favor.