pink monkey knits

OK. But now I want a green or blue monkey.
Something in jewel tones, right?
http://pinkmonkeyknits.blogspot.com/

I didn't wanna do it, I didn't wanna do it....

You made me mod you...
So I'm getting, for lack of a better word, "Blog_Spam" in my comments box... *SIGH*
So now you'll have to verify you're a person, not a borg, in order to post comments in this blog.

ANYhoo.

As you can probably guess by lack of self-congratulatory photos and gratuitous whoo-hoo-ing, I have yet to finish the Cardi.
I'm actually stumped by a phase of finishing- The back of the neck. The instructions say knit 2 and a half inches past a certain point, but that would leave a gap at the back of the neck; we have large-circumference necks. Should I add on or move on?
Any suggestions appreciated.

Roaring towards the finish line with Cardi.

So I'm nearly done with Dad's Cardi (stop booing, I know I have said it before, but this time, it's true.) The last major things to do are to obtain some nice buttons for it and to piece it together.

I hope it will be nice- I know he'll like it even if it's not perfect. I think I'm glad for it to be done, but I've got those omnipresent Finish Jitters.
I wish I knew someone nearby that actually LIKES finishing, as having a cheerleader would help, you know?
Hee.
Finish, Finish, Rah Rah Rah!
Project's done
We find no flaw!
Whoo! Go knitter! Whoo!

Intentionally Left Blank

Intentionally Left Blank
Hey! It's the Kindra-kin!
And she's still writing; which is more than I can say for me.

Good on her, then.

Work progresseth.

Illness proceedeth.
I've been knocked down by an undefined illness of an infectious type, and I've basically SLEPT through the past few days or so.

The sweater would have been useful last week for Dad. Gawd, I am such a procrastinator. WHY can't I finish the blamed thing?!?!?

It will be done. Even if I have to get a flock of ducks to nibble at me until I scream.
In my world, that last sentence made sense.

Get Friendstered. Though, you know? There's got to be a spoof site of that called Fiendster, for your World Domination Connectivity Needs.

I just split a seam in my kimono arm pocket on the arm of this chair. *sigh*

I wonder if anyone has thought of knitting a kimono, even though that would be a non-kimono.
A knit-mono, if you will.
Hmm.
Hang on a bit.
Well, HUH.
And ooooooooooohhhhhhhhso kawaii!
But nothing full length- I think this is wise, given how much firggin yarn you'd have to use and the sheer weight of the thing.

I typed "firggin" instead of friggin. Hee. Firggin.

More blue gift for Jaclyn

Got another couple of inches added to Jaclyn's Wedding/Birthday/Samhain/Yule(?) present.

There was sometime this past week for me to sit and knit- not fun knitting, but that tense, "must knit or I will lose my mind from outside stressors" knitting. It was not a fun time.

Got into Friendster online through Justin's exhortations and the chance stumbling-into Brandon and have located a few knitty people that are 2nd degree'd away from me through actors, of all people.

And Allison is on there, too.
I wonder if she knits anymore? We all learned to knit together in Girl Scouts- it was a badge project and we all knit slippers.

Librarians' Index to the Internet

There are some new links from the LII about knitting and other Crafty things.

Try them. You might like them. and THIS one solves the "Fly with Knitting Needles?" question once and for all. At least as of October 12th.

And just because.

The Knit and Sip at the Library has restarted at another branch since the Pontchartrain Branch was totalled by Katrina. My presence will be limited due to the time issues with my current job. Maybe I'll get to a point where I can do a weekend extracurricular knit, but for now, I'll be solo knitting again.

I have no words

...to describe how NOT Normal life is these days.
Everything familiar about my routine is scrambled about.

We were lucky in that we didn't lose our home or family; but the mental strain has been so tough for everyone in the area.

The streets, once clogged with storm debris, are now clogged with traffic from "Away," that is, out-of-town contractors. I'm living in a Federal Disaster Area. The trees think it is Spring- all their leaves were ripped away from the fierce winds; they have begun to blossom and leaf out to regain some energy savings for winter.

The Cardigan was put away for a long time. I may pick it up again and finish it in time for my Father's birthday. But what use is a Cardigan in the sizzling heat and humidity of a post-hurricane landscape?

It's the promise of winter here that keeps us - at least keeps me- going.
Winter, when the temperatures drop into the 50s, the grass is _supposed_ to be brown and dead, instead of the strange out-of-time deadness it has now from being trapped two months under tons of downed trees and power line poles and sopping wet carpet and refrigerators and wet drywall and the destroyed pictures and clothes and high school yearbooks and wedding scrapbooks and library books and sheet metal and dead fish from the bayous and dead animals from the toxic sludge pumped out of the streets of New Orleans.

I'm weeping now- not just for the stupid, senseless loss. I weep because it is not something I can turn away from. It is all around me and I can't get away from it. Even when you clean up your little homestead, you turn a corner or run into someone and the whole thing knocks you down again.
Nature doesn't give you a time-out here.

Erm,,,,,

Well, I knitted while I was evacuated from my home in South Louisiana... does that count?

Back at home now; while the surrounding treescape has definitely changed, the structure of our home was unaffected.
Water, power, phone are all back up and running.

Cleanup around here has been greatly sped up with the assistance of Marines. A group from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina raked our yard free of debris in under two hours- a job that would have taken Dad and me more than four days!

I did find out while in Maitland, FL, that the Sip and Knit store (a LYS there) has moved from its previous location to a new one on East Horatio Ave near the new Publix. I didn't have an opportunity to visit it, but it will be easier to reach the next time I vacation there.

Blue, blue; this gift is blue...

So- here are some pictures, via KnitCam, of the present that I am working on (and highly delinquent on!) for Jaclyn. Above is said giftie on the circular needles I bought especially for this project!

Below is a (fuzzy) picture taken to show the YO bits that create loops for the drawstring.

Since we're probably going to be socked in due to Hurricane Katrina, I may be able to finish this giftie soon.

Oh- and I have a temp job as a receptionist- OK pay (it'll pay bills) and I like the work. Plus, as an added bonus, Otis S'myer cookies on certain days. I have good phone manners and am going to try like heck to keep this job and make them keep me a while. Wish me luck. Or wish me pay. Whichever.

And please, if you're in the Katrina path, batten down the hatches or GET OUT of her way.

So much for an 8-5...

Earlier in the blog, I was kvetching about lack of knit-time.
Well, the stupid universe took me seriously, and I have too much time on my hands.

My employer of less than 4 weeks decided they didn't need clerical help as much as something else, and let me go with only 20 minutes notice. *sigh*

So it's back to the Temp Agency (as well as other job-hunting tools).

So- maybe I'll get J's present done sooner than later.

Though with the weather being so very hot and humid, I just haven't had the yen to knit lately. I need to get back with the 'Knit&Sip'ers again. I'll email Fran this weekend.

One of these pix is NOT like the others...

OK, oddness has occurred with the KnitCam. I swapped out batteries- but even with brand-new ones, it claimed it was low on battery power.
I may have to wrestle with this cam a bit.

Anyway- here are some new pix from this week. Color's not fab, but- like I said- I'm still getting into this.

This is the Right arm and Right Side of the Cardigan- unjoined.

The center/Main Body section, also unjoined.

And, for contrast, the Left Arm and Side of the Cardigan...unjoined.

And for color:

a scarf.

KnitCam ate all its batteries... sniff...

I have to buy new batteries for the Cam, since it eats batteries like a billygoatgruff.

I haven't worked on anything this past week, since I am still trying to figure out how to balance knitting and my new job. I should bring something to work to knit on, but I don't think it would go over well.
Maybe I'll bring J's present tomorrow and work some on that.
Anybody have an 8-5 job and still find time to knit? Suggestions on how to balance are welcome.

I'm looking into purchasing rechargeable batteries for the KCam. That would be good in the long run, I think.
Also getting the Finishing Blues with the Cardi- Putting together is almost all that's left; makes me nervous, thinking about being DONE with it. Maybe I don't want it to be over? The hard part is always finishing, innit...

Tired, cranky, not settled into routine yet. I'm just not a 8-5 person, I think. I miss my pre-job routine.

LOOK! Photos from the KnitCam!

And heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's knitting!

This is the Right front panel of Dad's Cardi- The strip on the inside is where the buttons will be attached. A similar strip will be knit with buttonholes for the Left Front Panel.

I'm so excited. EEeeeeeeee!

On the right side of this photo you will also notice the lovely black shoes and distincitvely stripey socks of Raggedy Ann. Mom made her for me when I was a young'un- she's been with me ever since.

On the left upper corner is my oh-so-very-cool hard-sided knitting needle case for the two sets of Birch needles I own (Sizes 6 and 7) so that I don't accidentally sit on them and snap them. That would be A Bad Thing.

More KnitPix soon- this is so much fun. New Toy! New Toy!

Thank you, my Aunt. (She sent me this camera- see earlier entries about it.)

LOOKIT! How kawaii!

http://www.livejournal.com/community/hp_knitting/138332.html

I want to do a Snitch Scarf, too!!


No Knit mtg today for me- I have to work. :(
But I will soon have the KnitCam working to take pix.
Maybe Tonight!

Camera?

I may be receiving a digicam soon! My Knitting Aunt has sent me her previous cam, as she is getting a new one soon. SO I will be able to photograph my WIP as well as my Finished Projects. YAAAAYYY!

This will give me more impetus to finish things.

Like the Cardi. It's so close to done you can feel the crisp...ish weather.

Right front band

I've begun work on the bands for the buttons and buttonholes.
It's going rapidly, despite being on smaller needles, since it's only 8 sts across.
YAY!

JOB! I'VE GOT ONE!

After nearly two years of unemployment, I have gotten a Full-Time job!
/runs off dancing
The only negative quality (yet) is that I will no longer be able to attend the Knit & Sip and hang out with my friends on Thursday afternoons anymore. Maybe I can convince some of them to do a night-time knit once a month or something like that.

I will miss the camraderie and their ability to keep me going on a tough project, but... I like being able to pay my bills, too.

In other news, worrying about this Hurricane has kept me from working on the buttonhole section of The Cardigan. I'll do sometonight, since the bad weather is mostly over with now.

According to these "scienticians"...

Check it out, yo. thelittleknittinkitten inspired me.

The SLEEVES are DONE!!!!

Muahahahahaaaaaa!
I worked for three hours straight today, to the urgent drumbeats of hip-hop, Van Halen, and DIVA 92.3 FM.
Sleeves are done, man, solid DONE.

So now all's that's left to do is to finish the 1x1 ribbed band, make pockets if there's any yarn leftover, and piece the cardi together. All before the 8th. Swear. Pinky-swear.

As for Jaclyn's present, I think I need to buy a smaller cable; maybe at Hobby Lobby? J and I are s'posed to go do lunch and Star Wars tomorrow (Tropical Storm willing, that is) and maybe we'll scoot by JoAnn's and/or Hancock's to see if they have them there, also.

I want to make a knit monkey.
And a knit rooster.
Maybe I'll make all the Lunar Characters.
Sweet.
TA!

Sleeves- lengthening!

So I spent this afternoon knitting; both home and at the K&S did I knit, I did.
While at home, I put on the "Who Let the Dogs In?" audio CD, narrated by its author and my 2nd favorite Texas chick, Molly Ivins. (Number One being tied between Mel.W and Sheri Morrison!)
It is Pure-D FUN to knit and cackle at politicians.
So I managed to double in length the sleeves-in-progress. More tonight and heading for the homestretch this weekend.
JULY 8TH being the due date on this pup.

Top of the WORLD, Ma! Top of the WORLD!

Dancey, dancey, dancey!

I got my email telling me that I've been audited and APPROVED for the Knitting Bloggers Webring!

OH, HAPPY DAY!

LOOK! Down at the bottom of the blog!!
It's a gif!
It's a button!
No, it's VALIDATION!

Weekend Update with Not Tina Fey.

WsIP: Dad’s Cardigan, J’s wedding gift.
Dad’s Cardigan is 3/4ths done- the sleeves are still clicking along; I worked some during last Thursday’s K&S at Pontchartrain.
We have a new member at the K&S: Betty was just browsing at the branch, and heard us… well, giggling is a good term… and saw that we were knitting and needleworking. She came into the meeting room and we gave her the lowdown on what it was about. She was so pleased by the concept that she went home (only a minute’s drive) and promptly returned with her project! Now we’re all interested in her current WsIP- The Gift of Love sweaters for Oxfam.
These are simple ¾ sleeve sweaters sent to areas Oxfam serves for the children to wear at night.
Well, you could have knocked us all over with a ball of mohair. This is not only a grand idea for us to work on, but they’re also stash-busters for the compulsive buyers among us!

J’s wedding gift is coming along slowly- I may transfer it to the circular needles now that it’s gaining in length- maybe it won’t torque as badly. The book in which the pattern resides was due back at the library, so a photocopy is now in my project binder.

Completed Project: Ball With Bell.
I received a Thank You note from Johnelle and her family yesterday- she was pleased to get the gift for her new baby! The baby is fascinated with the bell inside and is learning to use her hands by squeezing the ball. The household dog, too, loves the new toy- though the dog is not allowed to play with it. Maybe one made of nylon cord for the dog? Hmm… I might have to use the size 50 needles...

Caterpillar Bleus...

Sigh.
Chenille- bad choice of yarn.
Not-very-flexible- bad choice of circulars.
Project Wedding Gift is becalmed right now.

Bah.

but chenille soooo preeeeetty....

Still working on the Cardi

*sigh*

I'm just not fast enough, I guess.
Dad's cardi, needless to say, was not finished in time for Father's Day.
But since I mostly knit out in the living room, he knows I'm working on it constantly- so I made him a peanut butter chocolate cake instead. Just as good for a gift, I think.

The sleeves are at matching lengths (had to tie blue cotton yarn at one's end to differentiate!) and they are going to have to be lengthened to match Dad's arm length. No problem. I can make things lengthier! Very close to completion. Really. I promise!

Best friend in entire universe is getting married today. ACK! So I'm making a knit bag from Lion Brand Chenille in a lovely dark teal color. The circular needle SAGA has drive me batty, though.
Step one. buy needles.
Wal-Mart had ONE set of size sixes. BUT. They weren't really size sixes. They were size ten and a halfs in a bag that SAID they were sixes.
Return needles.
Buy modular sixes (screw-on-able ones) at Hobby Lobby.
Now the cable is too long.
Find out about MAGIC LOOP through Google. (Another "Knit Wit" site!) Hee...
Hopefully make this project before ceremony tonight at 7. Otherwise, make it this week and present to her later.

SIGH.

I just wish I had more speed on my knit style, yo.

Hee.

Pinched Ulnar Nerve

You know what is not fun for a knitter?
A pinched Ulnar Nerve and a painful shoulder.
I was laid up all last week with this nasty thing. Couldn't lift the arm without pain, couldn't turn head without pain, couldn't lie down or get back up again without pain; even swallowing used the affected muscles.
Bleah.

BUT! The baby ball was mailed out before the Pinching of the Nerve, so YAY!

I've managed to churn out the Left Front panel of the Cardigan, and am two inches shy of completing the Right front panel. I worked like a nut Monday and again today (missing my K&S meeting for the second week in a row) and if I really push tonight and tomorrow, I'll get the sleeves done.
Hope this works out- I think it will.

The place for Knitting Blogs!

Blog site for Knitting Blog Webring.
OpenOpenOpenOpenOpen....

Ball Project Status

COMPLETE! Muahahahah!
Mom helped me out with sewing up the ends as I was at a complete loss. Duh me.
She used button thread and used the "sock darning method" to draw the holes closed.
Stuffed, belled.
Now all that has to happen is for J's sister to have the baby.
I'm going to call J up right after I publish this. I want to send it off!

Still plugging away on the cardigan for Dad- I'm doing the V-shaping for the neck, and am just about to start the decreases for the arm-holes. Yaaaaaaaaaaay!
Father's Day is JUNE 19TH. FINISH IT!!!!!!!!!

And I've apparently inheirited the Jack Inappropriate Sleep Schedule; napping and falling asleep during the day over the computer, knitting, books... yawning my head off until the VERY MOMENT my head hits the pillow abd the light snaps off- then I'm totally awake, yawn-free, and wired like a ferret.

I dunno.
Off to call J.
****Later:
Called J- She's back, and the baby has been successfully born. YAY!

I Stalk Knitters

I Stalk Knitters

Oh, she's cool. I found her through My Best Friend's a Dork, another awesome knitblog. I WANNA JOIN THE RING! Mid-June, baby, mid-June. Breathe.

Bring in da seam, bring in da funk..iness

OK. I finished all 6 of the orange-peel-looking sections last week, but the torment of The Joining nearly drove me frizzy.

I'm not the best when it comes to finishing; I tend to get wide-eyed and freaky... But after days of curling up in Child Pose and rocking back and forth when I couldn't ken how to join the pieces together, I went to the Knit & Sip. They couldn't think of any other ways to do it, so I just sat there and hacked away at it. VOILA! It turns out that if you pretend to do the Mattress Stitch and just plow through the curves, it gets joined up pretty tidily.

So I'm almost done joining up (have to pick out one of them, due to sloppiness) and will probably stuff with polyfill and the bell and wait until J's sister has her baby to mail it off. Everyone at the K&S thought it was very cute and I had done a good job. A few of them are getting together this afternoon to knit braclets and chokers, and I may just bring my stuff and join in the conversation.

Ball With Bell

So- since J's sister's baby is due any day now, and I know she doesn't read my blog, here's the skinny in my recent non-Cardi project!

It's from a book called Knitted Toys by Fiona McTague.

Ball With Bell
Measurements: Height of ball approximately 5in
Materials: Small amounts of Rowan Handknit DK Cotton in 6 colors
Pair of size 3 needles; 1 toy bell; Washable toy stuffing

Gauge
24 sts and 32 rows to 4 in measured over stockinette stitch using 3 needles

Sections:
Using 3 needles and color A, cast on 1 st
Knit into back and front of this st => 2 sts
Cont in A, work in st st, starting with a P row:
P: Inc into first and last st => 4 sts
K: Inc into first and last st => 6 sts
P: purl 6 sts
K: Inc into first and last st => 8 sts
P: purl 8 sts
K: Inc into first and last st => 10 sts
P: purl 10 sts
K: knit 10 sts
P: Inc into first and last st => 12 sts
K: knit 12 sts
P: purl 12 sts
K: Inc into first and last st => 14 sts
P: purl 14 sts
K: knit 14 sts
P: knit 14 sts
K: Inc into first and last st => 16 sts
Work 16 rows even (pkpk/pkpk/pkpk/pkpk)
P: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 14 sts
Work 5 rows even (kpkpk)
P: purl 14 sts
K: knit 14 sts
P: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 12 sts
K: knit 12 sts
P: purl 12 sts
K: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 10 sts
Work 3 rows even (pkp)
K: knit 10 sts
P: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 8 sts
K: knit 8 sts
P: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 6 sts
K: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 4 sts
P: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 2 sts
P 1 row. K2tog, and fasten off

Join sections neatly, leaving a small opening. Insert stuffing and bell and sew up the opening.

I'm nearly done with section #5! Yaaaaaaaaaay!

Sugar'n Cream... and Peaches & Creme

So I'm working on a little side project- no serious details until it is finished and sent off, but suffice to say that I have learned some interesting lessons from the toils of this project.

1. Sugar'n Cream is made in Canada by Lily. Peaches & Creme is made in North Carolina by Elmore Pisgah. Wow. Just think of it. "Pisgah."
2. Nothing helps you understand a difficult stitch like PICTURES, people.
3. You don't have to buy the chic-chic expensive Rowan yarns. Or six different colors of the less expensive 4-ply cotton yarn. Especially if you haven't worked full-time since October 2003.

I can finish one of these panels in an hour, so I think I can complete this and get back to Dad's Cardi soon.

Have spread the worldwide knit in public day meme to the Knit&Sip group leader for another library branch- she likes the idea and hopefully may spread it on herself. I'm thinking of making a different-type flyer for Library Posting. Although, now that I've just seen Kelly K's new flyer, that might do.

Frustration!

I am getting frustrated with a side project I thought would be a piece of cake. It's turning into a stressy piece of cake. I'm trying to not have to buy the fancy pooh-bah handknit Rowan yarn as I am not cash-flowy lately. But the only equivalent yarn I can find doesn't want to be knit with size 3 needles. HAIR PULL.

Cardigan- still waiting for the yarn to seize up. Father's Day is fast approaching and I better have it done by then or my name will be "Delinquent Deb."

Bleah. Maybe I'll just knit it REALLY loosely and see wot happens.

sigh. I'd rather just veg out and watch all the Star Wars flicks.

WorldWide Knit In Public Day!

Hee- reading the Knitters' Review Forum today in search of errata for a specific project (more later), I discovered that there is groundswell for a unofficial Knit in Public day on June 111th, 2005.
Here's a button from the "official" blog :




Join ussssss....

STASHED!

OOH OOOOH OOOOH!
My Aunt L has stashed me!
I received a Hammermill box in the mail yesterday... inside was a ecclectic set of gorgeous skeins of different colors, styles, and "feels" of wool; there were also a few hand-knit projects that she has decided I should have. One is a beauuuuuuutiful fisherman sweater that she had done herself in lovely style. *gasp* It walks in beauty, honestly. It's infinitesimally tight on my linebacker-shoulders, but a wash and gentle block will remedy! Another is an orange knit with an alligator that any UF fan would sport with pride. I'll bet it goes fab with navy pants or even a navy T-neck in the winter.
I'm like a kid at Christmas, going through this stuff. There's even some pretty baby-fine yarn that I'm practicing on Mom's size 3 needles.

I may bring some, triumphantly, to the Knit & Sip tomorrow.

Wondering if a wash and block would fix the gauge problem mentioned last week.

Knitting Blog webring should open up again soon. Wish me luck!

Odd problems cropping up...

I've discovered a flaw in my otherwise solid idea about dual-knitting the cardi left/right panels: The non-pre-knitted-yarn (straight out of the skein) is knitting flatter and with a tighter gauge than the pre-knit yarn! ARGH!
I guess I'll have to knit it up, let it sit in locked position for a while, unknit it, and see what happens when I re-knit it. I just am floored. I never thought of this problem.

There's a yarn of the month club. Me want in.

BOW to Theresa.

I have been puzzling over how to do my center-pull yarnballs without the aid of the $40 winder...... and finally, after perusing the knitting forums, I had come to several conclusions:

1. There is a way.
   
2. It involves a cardboard tube (paper towel, toilet tissue, map tube, lint roller tube).
3. The secret will never be clear enough for me to understand.

And then along came Theresa. (Cue the celestial choir.)
With pictures, no less! I now can do this without whining about how I really ought to get the winder.

Cardi-wise:
I've decided to begin the left panel before I get too far with the right panel, so that I can match size. Mom, God bless her, has an extra size 11 needle so that this can be accomplished. She really ought to pick out a pattern so that I can repay her knitting materials generosity.

Thing I've been wondering about: Does the Boyfriend Sweater Curse extend to any knit/crocheted project- like a hat or mittens- or does it only invoke on a certain complexity level? 'cause I'd love to knit a hat for Vin Diesel...
*snerk*

Who lets a little ignorance stop them?

Not me!
I'm done with the required 7 1/2 inches of the stockinette for Right Panel, but it doesn't seem long enough for Dad, so I'll be adding another inch to inch and a half. But I was right, since it wasn't 92 sts cast on, the work on Right Panel has gone rapidly.
I'm getting a bit conscious of my freewheeling style of "to heck with the proscibed pattern" ways, but if I bluster on I ought to bluff my way through this thing.

As for the Knit/Sip: due to errand-running problems, I was an hour late to the sitting, but they're perfectly content to hang there until the Library staff boots them out, so I got in an hour of knit-time. They haven't begun the child's sweater yet, so I'm still in the running to have a concurrent project! Yay!
The Knitters there are such a GRAND bunch. They are pleased that I've come so far in my project- it helps to have positive feedback!
I'm actually off to email a few of them- I'm trying to get a list organized, so people can stay connected and maybe take field trips to Bette Bornside or even Quarter Stitch someday.

Next on the Cardi:
Decreasing so as to create the V of the neck. Eeeeee!

For those of you playing along at home:

the secret word of the day is "procrastinate."

OK. Here's what I've accomplished so far.
From the knitting-crochet.com website.

These directions are for small size (36-38).
Changes for medium size (40-42) and large size (44-46) are in parentheses.
MATERIALS
Worsted weight yarn
(2 oz. skeins)- 14 (15-16),
1 pair each straight knitting needles Nos. 4 and 9 OR ANY SIZE NEEDLES WHICH WILL GIVE THE STITCH GAUGE GIVEN BELOW
1 steel
crochet hook No. 2
4 buttons
GAUGE: 4 sts = 1 inch 6 rows -- 1 inch
BACK: Using No. 4 needles, cast on 76 (84-92) sts
K 1, P 1 in ribbing for 1 inch.
Change to No. 9 needles and work even in stockinette st until piece measures 16(16 ½, 16 ½ ) inches:
SHAPE ARMHOLES: At the beg of each of the next 2 rows bind off 4 (5 6) sts. Dec 1 st each end of needle every other row 2 (3-4) times. Work even on 64 (68-72) sts until armholes measure 8 ½ (9-9 ½ ) inches.
SHAPE SHOULDERS: At the beg of each of the next 4 rows bind off 7 (7-8) sts. At the beg of each of the next 2 rows bind off 6 (8-8) sts. Bind off remaining 24 sts.

So I've managed to accomplish all of that bit. Huzzah!
Then I was a procrastinator and took time off to read a gob of books, catch up on Battlestar Galactica, CSI, West Wing, et alia.
But last night, I took up needle and wool again, and have begun the Right Front Panel; instructions following here:

RIGHT FRONT: Using No. 4 needles, cast on 44(48-52) sts. K 1, P 1 in ribbing for 1 inch. Change to No. 9 needles. P 36 (40-44) sts and sl remaining 8 sts onto a holder to be worked later for front band. Work even on 36 (40-44) sts until piece measures 7 (7 ½, 7 ½ ) inches.

I've gotten the ribbed inch along the bottom done, slipped the 8 sts onto a wee precious stitch holder of Mom's, and am proceding apace with the stockinette stitch.

Today is also another Knit & Sip Thursday at the Library; I must needs go out for other errands, too.

Barnes and Noble are having a crafts sale this week, if I had cash, I'd get a few books at up to 50% off.

The Knitter/Sippers are going to be starting a child sweater pattern; since I missed last week, I may have missed out on getting a project kit or instructions or what have they.

Wish me luck - 7 1/2 inches should go like billy-ho.

Hee....

Went to Knitty and the free pattern for Very Tall Socks caught my eye. Once I finish Dad's Cardi and "UnNamed Mom Project," I think I'll make some of the for myself. Then I'll have an excuse to buy a cool garter belt...

Going to the Knit and Sip tomorrow, I hope. Health has not been of the good lately and I have had to pace myself. Can't blame Easter Chocolate, as this began pre-bunny.

I plan to cast on for the Cardi front panels tonight- taping West Wing as I still have not watched last week's ep.

Regarding Cardi.....

It fits very well, thank you. Now, off to begin the side panels! Muahahaha.

Back finished!

After a Deb-Delinquent-Delay of TWO WEEKS, I bound off the final stitches on the back half of the cardigan. I ended up having to add an extra inch and a half of length due to Dad having a long torso.

I will fit it against him again tonight to make dead cert that the lovely thing fits JUST IN CASE.

Then it's off to the races with the front left and front right panels. These will be fun, since it is much less straightforward that the cast on 92 and stockinette forever that the back was.

But I can do it, I SWEAR.

In other news:
The Slidell Knit & Sip has moved to the Pontchartrain Branch and is now every Thursday at 2PM. I'm hoping to start an email list that may enable us to plan a group trip to Bette Bornside's in the Faubourg Marigny. I hope that they all think this is a good idea.

Also- this blog, though short, has been up for just a week shy of a month. I will soon apply for membership in the Knitting Blog ring, and hopefully they will admit me! The next time Application Open Season begins after my one-month anniversary, I'll be submitting. Wish me luck.

Just a sec'... DO'H!
Rule number 2: Your blog must show regular postings (once a week) for the last month.

Dagnabit. See, laziness will get'cha in the end. Now I gotta wait a while, all the time adding lovely bloggy bits to gain my entry fee. I knew this was too good to be true. *sigh*

I can't let the 84-degree weather here deter me from my Knitting Duties! Onward, Purl!

Day Eleven; Singing Hedwig, Knitting Cardis

Update: The Cardigan

After another Enlightening session with The Ladies Who Knit at the Knit & Sip, I figured out what I was doing wrong and how to fix it when it happens again. So after a few days of work, I got the required 17 plus inches of stockinette stitch done, measured against Dad's back, and am off and running again.

I am WHIPPING through this thing, I tell you. After a few false starts, I'm just flying.

Working on shaping the armhole part:
Bind off 6 stitches at the beginning of each of the next two rows
Decrease 1 stitch at each end of every other row four times. (In my case, until I'm left with 72 stitches on the needle.)
Then work even stockinette until armholes measure 9 1/2 inches. Unless Dad needs more room and we'll figure out what to do from then.

I've been playing KnitTruant lately, though. I am reading a suspense/romance series about Navy SEALs. Very cool. But I can't read and knit simultaneously, so...

I also can't knit and watch my beloved CSI... I get so focused on the forensics, I don't want to distract myself by knitting! Eeek!

One of the things that takes me a while is rolling the hanks into center-pull wheels. There's this very swell invention that does it for you (even more rapidly if you own a swift, also muy caro) but it is costly. So there I am with the hank around my bent knee, winding it slowly into center-pull balls.

Up next: Shoulder Shaping!

Ack.

Bleah.
I had to rip out the WHOLE frelling project.
Dropped stitch plus turned around loop plus something funky that happened while I was waiting for a cake to bake...

I tried to fix it, really I did. I managed to rework the dropped stitch, but it turned out that I had not only dropped it, but had knitted it when I was suposed to have purled it and then rewound the yarn in the opposite direction and.............

So I just said "Oh, to heck with it" and ripped the whole thing out and cast on again.

Le sigh. I guess I will just have to concentrate harder and FOCUS more intently.

I am on *K1 P1* row ONE.
How... enlightening.

Last Day of February, First Day of Project Cardigan

On Kneedles:
Dad's Cardigan.

Current section: Back.

Cast on 92 stitches on size 6 Brittany Birch.
Took three or four tries to get right amount of tail yarn.
Time number one, too little, time number two, way too much.
Time number three WAY too little.
Time number four, just right. *SIGH*
*K1P1* rib for 1 inch.
Then switch to size 11 metal needles (for speed! WHEE!)
and stockinette stitch until piece measures 16 1/2 inches length.

I am just at about 4 inches total.

I am going to bed now since my hands are tired from swatching (and baking chocolate chip cookies!) and then casting on FOREVER and Jay Leno should have Headlines tonight.

I've been wearing my headphones and switching from The DIVA to local Lite station. Music helps.

And now, for something completely knittish...

I felt as if it was time I yawned and stretched and tried to come alive.
So my knit-work commentary will split off from my usual tragicomic ramblings and be living here instead. This will ensure that, when I join a Knitting Ring, the members who take a gander won't be horrified by the histrionics that have come to play a large part of my CROAK blog.

So.
Last finished project:
Crocheted a tube potholder in Peaches & Creme "Shades of Green" for Mom. I'm getting good at these.

Project in Planning Stages:
Dad's Cardigan.
From a Red Cross pattern circa 1958; it will utilize the Inherited Stash of British and American Shetland-type Wools from my Grandmother.
This ought to be an interesting project. The pattern will have to be fudged slightly at arm length and armhole girth due to the fact that my Dad has wider shoulders and longer arms than the average circa-1958 male. I'm not worried (maybe I ought to be!) about it- I have faith that my blind blithe merry ways will concoct a Cardi that works.

I'm working up a swatch on Size 5s instead of the recommended 4s since I tend towards a tight gauge. I will have to purchase longer size 5s than the ones I have now because even I know that I can't cast on 92 stitches with those shorties.

The wools I'm working with are

1. "Britania, A Shetland Type Yarn" as quoted from the label. 100% Wool, Walnut Brown.
   
2. "Brunswick's Heatherblend Sport for the Shetland Look" from Brunswick Worsted Mills in South Carolina. 80% DuPont Orlon Ardina, 20% Virgin Wool in Bisque Heather.

Reading "Hollywood Knits" by Suss Cousins. She's designed many things for many projects, including Neo's sweater in The Matrix Reloaded. Oh, by the way, y'all Fake Shemp fans: "In the year 2525, three women keep hope alive" and one of them shops at Suss' store. Go, GINA TORRES! Whoo!