Still Here

I can't believe I have not blogged since March. I apologize. Not that I have much to blog about. Life has been relatively quiet. We did take our annual trip down to Gulf Shores for Fourth of July. It was a lot of fun. I have been reading quite a bit and knitting a little. It's been very hot this summer in Oklahoma, and it's hard to get excited about knitting when it is so hot. We just had our first cool front come through, so maybe I will be more motivated to knit now. I have plenty of ideas, I just need to work on them.

Gray Days

It has been gray and cold here for the past several days.  No sun and windy, cold air.  Not my favorite, of course when it is 110 this summer, I will probably complain about that, too.

To off set the gloom here, I give you my finished Easter socks.  They are bright and cheerful, almost glaringly so.  They are knit out of Indulgence sock yarn on US size 2 (2.75mm) needles.  It is my usual plain pattern with the exception that I knit them with after-thought heels instead of my usual flap heel.

I tried the after-thought heel for two reasons.  1.-I wanted to try something new.  2.-I did not want to interrupt the stripe pattern on the front of these socks.

The socks came out a little bit long, since I wasn't quite sure how long to make the foot part and I wasn't sure how much space the heel would give me.  If I do this type of heel again, I will know better how long to make the foot.  The heel itself is a bit fiddly to do, but it does give a nice finished look.  The other change I would make is to knit this yarn on an smaller needle.  The fabric of these socks is a little bit loose.

Over all they are OK and I learned something new.

I leave you with a new photo of Oscar.  He got a new bed since we moved, and as you can see, he just hates it.  8-)

Gray Days

It has been gray and cold here for the past several days.  No sun and windy, cold air.  Not my favorite, of course when it is 110 this summer, I will probably complain about that, too.

To off set the gloom here, I give you my finished Easter socks.  They are bright and cheerful, almost glaringly so.  They are knit out of Indulgence sock yarn on US size 2 (2.75mm) needles.  It is my usual plain pattern with the exception that I knit them with after-thought heels instead of my usual flap heel.

I tried the after-thought heel for two reasons.  1.-I wanted to try something new.  2.-I did not want to interrupt the stripe pattern on the front of these socks.

The socks came out a little bit long, since I wasn't quite sure how long to make the foot part and I wasn't sure how much space the heel would give me.  If I do this type of heel again, I will know better how long to make the foot.  The heel itself is a bit fiddly to do, but it does give a nice finished look.  The other change I would make is to knit this yarn on an smaller needle.  The fabric of these socks is a little bit loose.

Over all they are OK and I learned something new.

I leave you with a new photo of Oscar.  He got a new bed since we moved, and as you can see, he just hates it.

New Yarn Shop

Today I went to a yarn shop here in Oklahoma City.  I had called yesterday to see if they had any sit and knit groups.  Turns out they do...Tuesdays and Thursdays.  So I decided to try it.  It's a longer drive than where I go in Spring, but it's not a bad drive.  Nowhere in OKC is really a bad drive compared to Houston.  I got to the yarn store about 10:30; there was no one there except the two people who run the store.  They were very nice and friendly, showed me around the store, told me the food and drink options and rules.  They have two nice sofas and several padded chairs plus several large tables to work at if needed.  So I sat down and knitted and knitted.  Around 11:30 I decided that if no one showed up by 12:00 I would leave.  About 11:45 someone came in and sat down. One of the store personel introduced me and explained that I had just moved to the area.  After that, lots of others came to sit and knit.  I met Jane, Judy, Amy, Kathy, Norma and Karen.  I'm hoping I can keep them all straight for the next time I go.  They were all very nice and welcoming.  And like the Friday group at Twisted Yarns, almost all of them have at least one cat, but most of them have multiple cats/pets.  It sounded very familiar.  I left around 1:00, because I did not want to leave Oscar in his crate too long.  I am going to try to go back next Thursday, but I will go later in the day.  I did get quite a bit done on my second Easter sock.  It's almost finished.  More later.

Now in Oklahoma

Today is my first day living in Oklahoma.  We drove up yesterday from Texas.  It took us about 8 hours, but we stopped for food and doggie breaks.  Oscar, my greyhound, traveled in the van in his crate.  He did really well considering he had never traveled that far before.  Oscar has been getting used to the new house.  He has hit his head twice now on the sliding glass door.  Now he waits for someone to tell him it's OK to go through.  I guess I need to get some decals to place on the glass at Oscar eye level.

On the drive up yesterday I really enjoyed seeing spring making its appearance.  The bluebonnets are starting to bloom on the Texas highways.  I love seeing the bluebonnets.  Most of the oak trees have a pale green halo right now as the new leaves are just starting to come out.  As we got closer to and in Oklahoma there were more and more redbud trees in bloom.  I still don't know why they are called redbud trees, because the blooms are not really red, but more pinkish purple.  Anyway, they are beautiful.  I wish I had one in my yard here.  We may need to do some additional landscaping.

Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to photograph any of these lovely things.  You will just have to take my word that spring is definitely coming.

What's new?

In my last post I said I was playing hooky by knitting wash cloths.  Here are a few that I knit.  I didn't get photos of the ones I made for baby presents.

I am still working on the Icarus shawl.  It is going slowly, but it is going.  I don't have any updated photos.

This past weekend I went to Austin for a wedding.  While there, I got to go to Hill Country Weavers for the first time.  I had heard great things about HCW, and I was not disappointed.  It's a great store.  The colors are fabulous and they have so many different yarns.  Here is what I got while there.

I managed to snag 8 balls of Freia fine handpainted yarn.  It is a sport weight yarn, all wool and made in the USA.  I fell in love with this colorway, Ultraviolet, and picked up all the balls they had.  I have no idea what I will make out of this, but I just had to have it.

Hooky

I have been playing hooky (where did that expression come from?) this week from my big project knitting.  I have not knit on the Icarus shawl or the Leaving sweater.  I have knit some this week though.  I knit some easy cotton wash cloths for Sarah and one of Sarah's friends who recently had a baby.  I did work some on my Easter socks.  Other than that, I've got nothing.

Keeping going

I am still working on the Icarus shawl.  I'm now into the fourth chart.  It's slow going.  I have been working on a few other things, too.  I am knitting the Leaving cardigan by Anne Hanson.  I have the back done and have started the left front. I'm a little bit stalled on the cardigan, because I have been working so much on the shawl.   I am still working on the Easter socks.  I have also been reading some lately to rest the hands and shoulder.

Icarus Shawl update

No photos this time, because it's really hard to see the progress.  I am still working on the Icarus shawl.  I have two more rows to do in chart number 3.  I'm up to 377 stitches in a row, and I am adding 4 stitches every other row.  It takes me almost 30 minutes to do one row.  I figure that at the rate I'm going, it will take me at least another month to finish since I still have all of chart 4 to go.  I have not been able to knit more than 3 or 4 rows at a time, because my right shoulder starts to cramp.  Still, I am progressing.  I have not given up.

Another pair of socks

I finished the Austermann Step socks earlier today.  They came out pretty well.  The stripes don't quite match up, but that is my fault as I did not realize the yarn striped in such a definite way.  I guess I was not paying attention when I started these.  Anyway, they are done and they fit well and are warm.  All good things.

Progress

I have made some progress on the Icarus shawl.  Here is a closeup of the center line.  The white thread is a lifeline that I put in at the end of chart 1.  I have now finished chart 2, so I put in another lifeline which is really difficult to see.  What's left?  Chart 3 (16 rows), chart 4 (24 rows) and 4 rows of finishing and cast off.  That does not seem like much until you see how many stitches there are in each row.  I do feel like I can do this now though.  I just need to keep slogging on.

Here is a photo of the whole shawl.  It does not look too impressive on the needles, but that will change once it's blocked.  Or at least I hope it will.

What else am I working on?  Socks, of course.  I currently have two pairs of socks on the needles.  The first is Austermann Step yarn, knit on US 2 (2.75mm) bamboo needles.  I have finished the first sock and  have turned the heel on the second sock.  These are simple top down socks with a heel flap.

The next pair of socks is Indulgence yarn that I got on sale.  The colors are kind of crazy, but I like them.  I'm going to call these my Easter socks, because the colors are very much like Easter eggs colors.  These socks are knit on US 2 (2.75mm) bamboo needles, too, but I am going to try to do an afterthought heel on these.  I have never done this heel before, but I thought it would be good not to interrupt the sequence of the stripes.  I'll let you know how it goes.

And last but not least, here is Oscar, my retired greyhound.  We had just come in from playing squeaky ball which is his favorite thing to do.  Oscar had run and run in the backyard, so it was time to rest, and resting is what greyhounds do best.

Trying to finish

I have lots of projects on the needles.  Some have been on the needles for a very long time.  Some have been put away in my closet for one reason or another.  They might be boring, they might be headache inducing (I have found some yarns give me headaches if I work with them too long), they might be put away because I don't like how they are looking or the yarn isn't right or, or, or.  Sometimes I just start things because they look interesting, then I lose that interest.

Today I picked up a project that I started in January of 2007.  Yes, four years ago.  I have worked on it off and on in the past four years, but invariably, it ends up put away again.  I took it out again today and then looked at Ravelry to see how other knitters had done this pattern.  I still love the finished design.  I think my main problem with this pattern is I'm at the stage where knitting one row takes the better part of half an hour.  There are a lot of stitches on the needles.  Hundreds, even.  And, the yarn is really more like thread.  It's really fine.  It's easy when there are just a few stitches on the needles, but when there are hundreds and you have to watch and count carefully, it's not quite as much fun.  That being said, I have determined I AM GOING TO FINISH!!!  So there, I have put it in writing.  Now I have to finish it.

If you are wondering what pattern I am working on, it is the Icarus shawl from Interweave Knits Summer 2006 issue.  I fell in love with this shawl the first time I saw it.  I still love it; I just need to finish it.  Here is a really poor photo of how it looks today.  I have also taken a photo of the poor mangled chart that I have been working off of.  You can see it's been abused for quite a while.  There is still one more chart, too, that I have not scanned yet.  I am still knitting on chart 1.  So wish me luck with finishing this project.

I'm Back with Finished Objects

Sorry to be gone so long, but life sometimes gets in the way of blogging. I've been house hunting in Oklahoma, welcoming a new grandson in to the world and getting another house ready to be put on the market. I have been knitting in between these events, so I have actually finished a few things.

First off is the Redhook vest by Jared Flood. I fell in love with this pattern when I first saw Jared's Made in Brooklyn book. The vest is knit out of Katmandu DK yarn. I'm really happy with the way this one turned out. I am finally learning how to alter patterns to fit me.

I also finally finished the Simple Garter vest from Cheryl Oberle's Folk Vests book. I had started it quite a while ago and then put it down for some unknown reason. It's an easy knit and I eventually picked it back up and completed it. It is made out of Crystal Palace Taos. It was a fun yarn to knit with. Again, I am happy with the outcome and the fit. I get many compliments on it whenever I wear it.
And last, but not least, I finished a pair of socks. These are simple cable patterned socks knit out of yarn that I got while on vacation this past summer.

Time Flies

I can't believe I have not posted since July. Where does the time go? I have been working on knitting and fixing up a house to sell. I will try to post knitting photos in the near future. Meanwhile, I am still here. Honest!

Almost Forgot

I almost forgot to mention my yarn adventures while on vacation. I did get some lovely yarn in Alabama. I had checked the internet before going on vacation to see if there were any yarn stores close to Gulf Shores. Turns out there is a lovely little yarn shop in Fairhope, AL called The Yarn Cottage. So one day we took a trip up to Fairhope. There are other really nice shops in Fairhope besides The Yarn Cottage. Lots of antiques and craft stores, plus some really nice clothing stores, too. Anyway, this is what I found at The Yarn Cottage.

Brown Sheep Wildfoote in two different colorways that I had not seen before. Above is Tom Cat. It is a gray/pink tweed. My camera does not capture the color really well. As you can see, I have already started a pair of socks with this yarn.
This is called Symphony. Again, the colors are much brighter than this in aqua, purple, navy, black and burgundy. It's really pretty. I can't wait to see how it knits up.
This is what I truly fell in love with though. Malabrigo sock yarn #474 Caribeno. It is so beautiful. Bright teal, royal blue, cobalt blue and deep royal purple. And...it is sooooo soft. I don't think I will make socks out of this. I am thinking maybe a shawl or scarf if I can find a good pattern that will show off the colors.

Back to routine???

I am back from vacation in Gulf Shores. It was a fun two weeks with family, shopping and books. The last week was better, weather wise, than the first week. We had more sunshine and less rain. There was still oil and tar on the beach, so we did not get to go in the Gulf, but there were two pools where we stayed, so the kids did get lots of swimming in. One day we went looking for a pottery place I had seen advertised. It was out in the middle of nowhere, but the potter had some really nice things. We bought a lamp, a bowl and a teapot with cups. You can see some of his things here. All in all, it was a good trip. Now, I have to get back to routine.

At the Beach

I can't believe it has been almost a whole month since I last posted. So much for trying to post more frequently.

I am currently in Gulf Shores, Alabama for the Fourth of July holiday. We are into our second week here. We are having a good time visiting with family and going to the outlet mall. I don't have many photos this year as we have had a lot of rain. It has rained almost every day since we got here. There has been lots of tropical moisture in the Gulf this year. Still, it is fun. I really enjoy spending time with my relatives.

Corwin and the computer

Yesterday Andrew, Paulina and Corwin came over for dinner. When Corwin comes over he loves to play on my ipod touch or my Macbook. Yesterday while I was helping Sarah with dinner preparations I let Corwin use my Mac with his mother's supervision. He loves to 'write' on the Mac. He types different letters (Corwin knows the names of all the letters) in random sequences most of the time, but he can also type his name, Mommy and Daddy. Corwin also knows that Grandma starts with the letter G. All this from a child who turned 3 in February. I could not resist the chance to take a few photos of Corwin and Paulina with the computer. I was taking these without any flash so they are a little dark. Most of the time Corwin was not paying attention to me. He was very intent on the computer.
However, I did get one photo looking at me.

Ugly Lizard Ridge Square

So...I decided to try doing one square for the Lizard Ridge afghan. Lots of people I know are either making one or have finished one. It looks fun and the colors of the Noro Kureyon are so pretty. I did not have too much trouble knitting the square. I tried doing the short row turns and wraps as in the pattern, but did not like them much. I tried Lynn Anne's method (see May 1 entry) of doing short rows and liked it much better. They look better, too, in my opinion. The problem is the colors in the Kureyon that I chose. They just do not look good to me when knit up in a Lizard Ridge square. I've looked at lots of LR afghans on Ravelry and at my LYS. The squares all look so pretty. Mine just looks ugly. Sigh.

I don't know if I will keep on with this or not. I'll have to think about it for a while.

Trees

I am listening to the sound of chain saws this morning. We live in a very wooded area, and we did have lots of trees on our lot. However, due to construction, drought, hurricanes and who knows what else, we have lost several trees. Right now we have five dead trees that we are having removed. I hate losing trees. We will probably try to plant new ones, but young trees are not the same as older established ones. I guess we will just have to live here long enough for the young trees to get older.