Ok, An update and KNITTING content!

First off, Knitting stuff. Life update will be at the end so that those of you who don't want to know, or don't care, don't have to read it.

Biggest fun project just for me this week? Endpaper Mitts! I've never done a full project in fair isle before. I've swatched it, played around with it, but never jumped in and done it. Now I'm wondering why I waited so long. This pattern is beautifully written, and the charts become fairly instinctive. I'm about half way up the thumb increase chart. And I'm loving loving loving the rhythm of two handed color work. This project is so relaxing and rewarding to work on. The cream is an alpaca silk blend. The blue multi color is Trekking Pro-Natura, their bamboo/wool blend. They are working together really nicely and I love the subtle striping I'm getting with the Trekking. I'm not sure you can see it in the photo, but it's really pretty.


Next up, Lillie's sweater. This doesn't fit very well, but it serves it's purpose. We have a no-pull harness for her that's not designed very well. But we're broke, so no new harness until we can afford it. We have a halti that we love for walks around a lot of other people, but for more relaxed walks, we tend to just let her run on her extendable leash or off leash if there's no one else around. Well, we'd been loosing track of her off leash. She's able to blend right in to the shadows underneath the trees and we have to call her and try to coax her back when we can't see her. Hence, the neon green sweater. Also, this stops the rubbing of the harness. So it serves two purposes, when she's off leash, we can keep track of her. When she's on leash, she's not getting rubbed raw by the poorly designed harness.




Lastly... My news. I've been struggling with this for nearly a year. But finally decided to just bite the bullet and get it done.

I put in my two week notice at work on Friday and I start my new job on the 24th of March. I'm not going to go into all my reasonings, but the biggest reason is that I never intended to stay this long.

I didn't want to work retail again when I took this position. I took it to pay the bills until I found something else, something not retail.

And then I fell in love with the shop, with my customers. And I couldn't walk away when it was time. But it's been time to let it go for over a year. So I made it a priority this winter to find something else. And I did.

I went through a whorl wind of an application process last week. It was less than 30 hours between turning in the application and being offered the job. And I gave notice on Friday.

I'm still struggling with leaving my customers. With leaving the shop. I feel guilty for walking away from it.

But I made a decision to do what was best for my family. We want to buy a house. We want to have children. I desperately want to finish my degree. But we can't move forward until we pay off our debts and have a stable, predictable income. And so that's what I chose. I am getting excited about the change. I'm so ready to be out of retail that it's not even funny. And at the end of the day, I'm ready to move forward. I'm so excited about our future. So excited to see what kind of doors this is going to open up for us. I'm not revealing where I'm going. There will only be a few people who know. But it's not retail! It's not my dream job. But it's a good stepping stone.

I've been blog absent for about 2 weeks. And I have a lot to share with you all. But I can't yet. I think I can do a big update this weekend. But I have a lot of changes going on right now. A lot of stuff up in the air. And I'm not sure yet when it all will settle. But it should be by next week. I'm fairly stressed, a little confused, a little excited, and a lot exhausted of it all. Very ready for everything to settle down into a somewhat normal schedule.

Christopher's Angels

My January project has been one of my more challenging projects. Not because it was difficult, not because the techniques were advanced, only because I was dealing with the little tiny pieces intended for preemies. Christopher's Angels has been one of my main focuses this last month. I've done so much knitting for myself over the years. I do give things away to family, but I'd never gotten into the charity knitting scene. It was something I wanted to do, but couldn't figure out how to choose between all the great causes out there. Then one of the ladies on a the KnittyBoard goes through an event that no woman should ever have to endure. When the board members came together to knit preemie clothes to donate in memory of her son, I knew what I needed to work on. I started January first and whenever I had a chance, I crocheted or knit up a little piece to add to the package. The items need to reach the UK by the first of March, so I finished up my last hat today and I'll be sticking it in the mail tomorrow. I'll continue making these pieces, now that I've been exposed to the experience. If they don't send anymore to her hospital, I'll be sending them up to the NICU in Spokane, or possibly talking to one of our local hospitals to see if they have a need. They don't have the ability to deal with the itty-bitty one's here, so I'm not sure how many of these items they go through. So, Christopher William, you will be remembered. Because your mommy loved you so much and because we think your mommy is just amazing. We only wish we'd had a chance to get to know you. I hope these items will help heal the pain of the families that they are destined for.

FO: Koolhaas Hat

Not the quickest knit, but fun! All those cables!
Total time - about 4 days of knitting.
Yarn - Rialto Aran by Debbie Bliss
Needles - US 6 for ribbing, US 8 for main
No real mods, did the women's size. Great pattern, a little unclear about how to change the marker around on row 8, but once I figured it out, it went just fine.

Ribbing, Ribbing, Ribbing

Everywhere I look is ribbing! It's actually fairly fun though. Finished the 1 X 1 in the round, have about an inch to do before finishing the 4 X 2 for the back. Will probably have the main body done by the end of Monday and be able to start the arms. I think I'm going to try to pick up stitches around the arm hole and knit down. I've done this once before with drop sleeves and it worked really nicely.
This is The Fog Sweater by Tiennie. It has so many sizes, and being all rib, it will fit a great variety of people. The smallest size may even fit me. If not, it would be really easy to size down one more size. After making this one, I really want one for myself. It's so squishy! This is the Ebony color way in Cascade Eco-Wool. Second or third time I've worked with this yarn, and I always love it. It still smells of sheep! It does really dry out my hands to work with though. I can't wait to see this one done!

Knitter's Black Hole (or the sweater that never ends)

I've hit a knitter's black hole on DH's sweater. I'm at 15.5 inches of body, I need 16. I've been at 15.5 the last upteen time's I've measured. I swear it feels like I've done 50 rounds since then. But I'm still at 15.5. I'm always amazed at my ability to forget this portion of sweater knitting. It happens on every sweater body that I've done. Sleeves usually don't drop into the black hole, there's lots of increases or decreases to keep things moving along. But bodies? Especially big square bodies for a certain boy? Those stretch onto never never land. And the main stitch pattern? It's 1 X 1 rib. I must love this guy a lot. I love how it's turning out. The pattern is so squishy and soft, I keep threatening that I'm going to keep it for myself. It's a really well written pattern so far, easy to follow and adapt for different gauges. But it's hit the black hole and I'm not sure it will ever come out. 15.5 is haunting my daydreams. But I better get back to it. Unfortunatly, it won't knit itself in my absense. I'm just so ready to get to the break for the sleeves and start the 4 X 2 rib on the chest. It'll be a great break from this!

Stocking update - pattern almost done, chart is inserted, adobe downloaded to convert to PDF. Now all I need is to insert pictures and reword a couple unclear sections. Look for it within the next 2 weeks. I'm planning to offer it as a free PDF download here.

Cheap Glasses

For a while yet, people around the Knittyboard have been singing the praises of Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case! They have some of the cutest glasses, and amazing prices!I think the frames above are so cute, I'd love them in black or pewter coloring. Of course, the threads starting coming up about a month after I paid several hundred for my new frames & lenses. I definitely have plans to order my next pair from Zenni Optical though. I've heard their customer service is fantastic and the glasses arrive quickly. I love it when I can find a great price on something like this! My prescription changes so frequently that even just changing the lenses can get pretty spendy!

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Blogstalk: Favorite Color(s)

These pictures are probably the best representation I can find for my favorite colors. I love rich, deep colors, jewel tones. Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, Emerald Green, Royal Purple. These are the colors I wear the most, and the colors I use the most. I also use/wear a lot of natural tones, tans, chocolate browns, creams, charcoal gray.

Ready for Spring...

It's cold. Very very cold. I'm so ready for this cold spell to break. It hasn't gotten above 25 F all week, our nightly lows have been in the single digits. See my weather girl over there? She hasn't been able to take off her parka in over a week. It's so cold that the INSIDE of my windows is frosted over. I dropped a magazine behind the couch last night and went to pick it up this morning. It is frozen to the window behind the couch. I can't get it off. Even Lillie is cold. She's been very snuggly and curled up in her bed.

I'm so ready for Spring. The icy roads are getting really annoying, mainly because people are determined to either drive extremely slowly (10 - 15 mph) or to drive extremely stupid (turning in front of me and nearly hitting a pedestrian that I was allowing to cross). I'm ready for it to all go back to normal. I love the snow, but not when the snow has a half inch of ice over it.

Ok. I'll stop complaining now and return you to your regularly scheduled blog feeds.

Massage?

I love a good massage. But it is so expensive! If I got a massage as often as I wanted to, I'd forever be in debt. We've tried out massage chairs at various different places, but they never feel like the real thing. Today I read about new Massage Chairs and they sound pretty nice. They aren't cheap in any way, but if you want a massage in the comfort of your own home, these look like the way to go. They are called Human Touch massage chairs and they are supposed to feel just like a professional massage. The chairs can go at several different angles and have a variety of features to give you a custom massage every time. Once we get a larger house, I'm going to have to look up Human Touch Massage Chairs again. Maybe the prices will come down by then!

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New Haircut

Got my hair cut on Saturday. I'm not completely sure that I like it yet. I only get it cut about twice a year, so I really should pay a little more to get haircuts I love, but I always end up deciding at the last minute that I want to get it cut and having to go to one of the cheapo places that accepts walk-ins. It's pretty cute from the front, I'm just not positive I like how short the layers get in the back. You can't really tell how short they get here, but the shortest layer in the back is only a few inches long. Makes it hard to straighten it enough so it doesn't stick up.

And no one's mentioned it yet. I cut off 6 inches of hair and no one notices or mentions it. Makes me wonder if it's just an awful cut and no one knows how to tell me or if I'm just that easy to overlook normally. But DH likes it. And I'm learning to like it. So I guess that's what really matters.

In knitting news, I've started a sweater for the doggie to wear when we go up into the snow. And today I'm starting a sweater for DH. So pictures and details of that to come.

FO: Diagonal Knot Scarf

It's done!
Stats:
US 11 needles
Hand spun, about a bulky weight
70% Merino, 30% Tussah Silk, Plied with 100% silk threaded with glass beads
Diagonal Knot Scarf Pattern
Mods: 13 Stitches wide

This turned out beautifully. I haven't blocked it yet because I was too excited to wear it. I'm going to spin up the rest of the roving to make Nautilus as a matching hat.

The yarn, she's done!

Final stats:

116 yards, base roving was 70 % merino, 30% silk, 2 ply, with a ply of 100% silk sewing thread that was strung with glass size 6 seed beads. I love it. I'm going to be using it to knit The Diagonal Knot Scarf on size 11 needles, over 13 sts. It will be thin and probably not terribly long, but it will be so pretty and soft. I love how this ended up.

Apparently I'm not as indecisive as I thought...

88% Barack Obama
87% Hillary Clinton
86% John Edwards
85% Chris Dodd
83% Bill Richardson
79% Joe Biden
67% Mike Gravel
66% Dennis Kucinich
59% Rudy Giuliani
55% John McCain
41% Mitt Romney
38% Mike Huckabee
30% Tom Tancredo
27% Fred Thompson
23% Ron Paul

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

I have no idea which way I'm voting, but apparently I'm a little clearer on where I stand than I thought I was. I was mildly surprised to see the results. I need to research, research, research before the election comes up.

New Year, New Technique

I'm learning to spin beads into my yarn. You can barely see them in there, but they are the little clear flecks. Only one is really in focus, but one or two more are slightly out of focus at the bottom of the picture. I'm spacing them about ever 12 - 18 inches. I am absolutely loving how this yarn is coming out! This is one of my favorite things that I've worked on. The roving is 70% Merino, 30% Tussah silk, color way Seamist, through Woodland Woolworks. I got a luxurious 8 oz of this stuff! I spun up 2 bobbins, probably about 2/3's of the fiber, so work the beads into. The beads are strung on a chocolate brown 100% silk sewing thread. They are size 10 seed beads. The yarn has a gorgeous texture and is a dream to spin. Love! Depending on how much I get, I think this is going to be a really airy, drapey scarf. Big needles, US 10 or 10.5 and just a little bit of openwork. Something really simple. I'll show you more pictures when this one is done.

In knitting news, I finished my Oblique sweater. It's fantastic! This was such a fun pattern to knit and went relatively quickly, when I was focused on knitting it. The back took about a week, each sleeve probably took 3 days of knitting and each front took 2 - 3 days of knitting. So I could have finished this within 3 weeks. But instead, I ADD knit it and was distracted by 2 pairs of socks, a baby hat, a baby sweater, a crocheted afghan, a knit baby afghan, and 2 shawls. And only 2 of those previous items are actually finished. Oy. I need someone to control me. I need to do a great big update on knitting, but the weather hasn't been cooperating. See: http://www.union-bulletin.com/local_news/
We came through the storm just fine. Lost power for 25 or 26 hours, and lost our car port roof and my greenhouse. But no major damage. Many, many people were not so lucky. It's devastating to drive down the streets in the older parts of town. There are 200 year old trees there that came toppling down with these winds and they did an impressive amount of damage. I've heard reports that individuals with weather stations on their houses clocked wind gusts up to 85 MPH, but the official report is 78 MPH. Of course, that 78 MPH gust took out the power to the official weather station, so we don't know if it got any worse. All in all, Friday was a pretty rough day for many in my county. There are still a few areas without power, but most are back up now.

Anyway, once it clears up and life settles down a bit (hopefully this week) I will be taking many pictures to share. Lots in progress to update you on! And the super secret sock pattern is about half way done. I'm at the directions for the heel now and... Well... I know what type of heel I used, but I don't really know how to write it out so it makes sense. So we'll see what I come up with. I'll figure it out sooner or later!

Have a great night, all!