Ugh!!! Can't believed I have done it . ..

No not that you dirty dirty people!! I mean knit lately! I was a 2-3 hour a day knitter until a week or so ago. I think it has to do with the failed sweater for Laney. Yes, it was a total bust!!! I had the sleeves all ready to go, so I put the sweater on S to just see how it fit. He looked so pretty in the pink sweater!! Here's the problem, THE SLEEVES ARE TOO SHORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

S looked like he had on a short sleeved shirt!! I measured those sleeves about 5 times before binding off, just to make sure. I was sure. They matched the pattern EXACTLY!! Nowhere in the pattern did it say that is was a 3/4 length or short sleeved sweater. So Laney's getting something from Gymboree, about a month late!!!

I think that is why I haven't knit in a while. I'm just bummed that I failed. I guess it's just the control freak in me b/c I can't figure out why it went bad..

So here's a toast to you, little pink sweater, that never will be. Maybe I'll use you to make some socks for Laney's sister Kelsey . . . she loves pink!!!


Next for me is http://www.yarns-and.com/LAGbabykidshawl.htm. It's GORGEOUS. The BabyKid yarn from Lana Grossa is fantastic. I can't believe how soft AND durable. I can't break it just by pulling it. The shawl is for R's cousin SP in Cinncinnati. I think she'll love it. I'm using a dark gray. It's coming along easily, but I'm not used to the weight yet. Of course, it's been days since I worked on it . . . . I have a few more weeks until my date to have it done! We have SnB on the 24th so I'm hoping to have the body of the shawl done. I need L's help to finish the shawl. I've never picked up stitches before!! The ruffle is wonderful so I need to make sure I have everything just right!!!

So I have a few things left for the year. My mind changes constantly so I hate to blog what I want to do today, because it'll be different tomorrow.

We're back!!!

What a fun weekend!!! What a crazy debaucherous weekend!!! I didn't drink b/c of TTC so I LOVED watching my friends drink and joke. I haven't laughed that hard in a LONG time. I can't believe 2 things: 1. How close we all are without the petty girl stuff and 2. How much we all longed to stay just another day or so. I think everyone was actually sad to leave. This is definitely a repeat activity!! I think it might have to be a different gathering than STITCHES! next year.

L did a great job planning the whole thing. The condo was GORGEOUS!!! The restaurant was divine!!! There wasn't one thing about the weekend that was sub-par. It was all more than I expected, even The Devil Wears Prada on Pay-Per-View!

The amount of alcohol that was consumed rivals a fraternity party!! I'd put my SAHM friends up against any frat boy in a drinking contest!! We'd win and still be able to whip up pancakes the next morning for that wussy and his frat brothers!!! ROFL!!! Notice the variety of alcohol involved in a "knitting" retreat!!!!!



I actually got a TON of R's blanket done. I'm so glad I picked that to take instead of S's sweater. I would have NEVER gotten it done!! The colors are just fantastic and masculine. I'm so happy that I went with the Homespun instead of the Shetland Chunky!!!



S has been getting under the blanket when I'm knitting. He says it feels "off" (soft) and loves to pet it like the cats!! Too cute. My heart breaks whenever he does something that cute!! I just keep realizing he's growing up!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane . . .

Okay, not really, just a car with Jodi!! It's the 1st Annual Milwaukee Knit Weekend!!! WOOHOO!! I can't tell you how friggin' excited I am to have a whole weekend of knitting. Just knitting. I don't have to do shit if I don't want to!! R is a trooper and hasn't complained once about being with S all weekend!! What a guy! No wondered I married him!

There are 7 of us going. We have a 4 bedroom condo up north and we just are bringing food. We never have to leave! The weather is supposed to be rainy, but that is OK with me! Better to nap and knit in!!

I'm packed and ready to go!! Notice the contents of my overnight bag!!!!

My project is R's Afghan. It's a basic garter StSt pattern from Patons on Size 19 needles. I decided to do something easy so I can talk to the girls. We have a few non knitters coming with us! I hope they can offer entertainment. E and K are funny people so I'm sure I'll be laughing too!

I'm using Patons Divine in Soft Earth and Dark Earth in the throw. The main yarn was Shetland Chunky (Patons), but I didn't like the colorways they offered, so I found a Lion Brand Homespun that I LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! I've casted on and I know this is going to ROCK!! The colors are unbelievable together!!

I can't wait to see this finished!! I can't wait to share our weekend with everyone!!!

Vacation and Sweater knitting

My question . . . What the hell is a placket???? I have a pattern on how to do one, but I have NO idea what a placket is!! It should make itself apparent as I knit both pieces, but who the hell knows!! How sad it that!!!

The vacation was fantastic. S had a wonderful time!! I couldn't get over his love of the beach and ocean. My Florida blood runs deep in him!!!! LOL.

While on vacation I began to knit Laney's sweater. I realized however as I was 1/2 done the front that the gauge is off!! I did a swatch and it was just 1 stitch off. This off stitch SHOULD have made the sweater too big (which would have been fine!), BUT, the sweater isn't going to be as wide as the Size 4 it's suppposed to be!! WTF is up with that! I've called Laura to get me measurements for Laney but I don't know. Looks like Ks oldest will be getting a sweater for Christmas or her birthday!!

Here are some pictures of the sweater. I got to knit about 9 hours total during S's naps and then at night.

Sweater on September 3

September 4

September 7

Back is finished!!!

Example of slip stitch pattern

A realization of my life!!!

Well, actually, I've taken on a more stand back and see attitude with my scheduled knitting. Just last week, I posted monthly schedules of what I need to do. Of course, I'd look back on this liast on New Year's Eve and realize there would be a bunch of coulda, shoulda, woulda's about projects I didn't finish. I decided to just try to complete a few projects this year (see new sidebar) and if I have time, great, I'll choose something else off of my monthly schedule!

The weather is slowly turning in SE Wisconsin. Fall and Winter are so close. I need to savor and enjoy the rest of the summer right now and knitting will have to take a back seat! That's hard to admit, but time goes by too fast. I feel that S shouldn't hear, "Just one more row, baby" when he so desperately wants to go outside to savor the last few weeks of summer. He needs mommy to play with him not knit. Did I just say that????????

Beach Project

Well, we leave for the beach next Saturday and I just needed light weight project to take with me. I decided to do Laney's Birthday sweater. I chose to use a Vogue Pattern. It's a slip stitch pullover. The pattern calls for Cotton Fizz by Naturally, which is discontinued so I had to find a replacement. Now, I do believe in VERY good yarn for things, but I know a 3 year old in preschool is not going to take care of the sweater and spot treat it. AND I know Laura, mother of 3 doesn't have time to delicate wash things. So I decided on Lion Brand Baby Soft. It's acrylic which I'm not a fan, but for the wearability and value, it is a good choice.

I'm going to put some Fun Fur around the sleeves and botton for a little "princess" flair!!! Laney's a diva so she'll love the fur!! Here are the colors I'm using

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Felted purse DONE!!

I'M DONE MY PURSE!! I'm so excited!! I finished sewing it last night at Stitch'n'Bitch. It was HUGE and looked strange, but I gave it a shot anyways. L got a call this afternoon from a panicked virgin felter. "I don't think the water is hot enough" "How do I shape and dry it" "Are the jeans enough to agitate it?" On and on. After few tips, I hussled my way to the washer and opened up the pillow bag I felt in . . . Saw this!

It's bigger than it was before. I knew, it wouldn't work. I had every urge to call L back, ask her why the knitting gods were looking poorly on me today, why is this my fate.

Well, then I stood up and figured that women had been felting items since the beginning of time and I had at my disposal, a fancy dancy washing machine. This is something that I HAD to do.


So back in the washer it went!


20 minutes later, I had this. Nice, still too big, but it was shrinking and the "tweeding" that was happening was FANTASTIC!!!

So in it went for another 10 . .okay it ended up being 20! I had DVRed Everybody Hates Chris and HAD to watch it all!! Funny show by the way!!





I took it out of the washer and rung it out. It was fantastic. Loved the color. The shape, well I needed to take care of that one. I went searching for the perfect drying/shaping item. Well, here is the result of my felting!!


Now it's a wait and see game. Not sure how I like the "legs" but the pattern called for them and I'll trust Berroco's pattern makers on this one!! I think once it's dry, I'll add a little stitching to the handle and opening . . maybe in cream?? Not sure. That'll be a group decision with my S'n'B friends!