Fearlessness

The email from Knitting Daily today is about fearless knitting, so I'm thinking about my abilities and plans. Am I fearless? Well, yes, actually. When I look at all of the gorgeous work out there, I don't think "I'll never do that" or "I can't do that", but "I'll try that technique out after I finish this upcoming project." For example, this year I will master socks, both cuff down and toe up, make some sweaters, learn cables, and knit a couple of lace projects. Oh, yeah, I'll be crocheting some stuff, too, like another sweater and a pair or two of socks. (have I mentioned that I love socks?) I don't believe in "I can't". My kids are being taught that, too. (I'm not blinded by optimism, though - I will never be a ballerina or a public speaker. I know my limits.)
I spent my day obsessed with an idea for a sock honoring Miss Luna Lovegood. The idea won't leave my head. Where's my notebook when I need it? Maybe if I ever cleaned the house I could find my things faster.

made a sock!

Check it out! It's my first sock. Jenny told me how to get started and gave me links to all the info I'd need. It's just a basic, 64 stitch stockinette sock, but I'm so happy. I love socks. I wear them all year - doubled when it's cold out. The colors are brighter in person, but it's hard to get a good picture of your own leg. The yarn is Regia Jacquard. I don't know the color name.

Speaking of jacquard, I ordered a jacquard acid dye set from Knit Picks and some yarn and Jenny and I had a little dying party. It's alot of fun. She made some Gryffindor red and yellow. I used black, blue, and dark red. It turned out great. I think I'll make a pair of Bellatrix socks with it.

My sweater is coming along well. I'm working on the ribbing along the bottom right now. I wanted to try it on this morning, so I took off one needle to attach more lengths of cable and the needle end fell down the crack in the couch. I think my heart stopped for a second or two. Then came the fun of crawling around on the floor with a flashlight trying to find it. There's alot of crap under the couch. I found my needle, though - happy ending.

It's so cold out again. This weather is too much - warm cold warm cold. It's so hard to get the kids ready in the morning. I'm easy - always cold anyway, hence the love of socks!

Thunderstorms and sick kids

Last week it was single-digit temps, ice and snow everywhere, extra layers of clothes and a heater under my desk at work. Last night I drove home in an awful lightning storm, there was thunder all night, and it rained almost all day. It's crazy! Now supposedly it's going to get cold and snow tonite. Crazy.

Yesterday both kids had fevers when we got home but didn't act like they felt icky. This morning they're icky - still feverish, tummyaches, general feel-like-crap type symptoms. It's probably related to the spastic weather.

On the yarn front, I'm almost done with the you snag glovettes. They're really neat. I had to frog the sweater. It was way too small when I tried it on. I'm making $5 in Paris instead. It's coming along great. I got almost the whole yoke done while watching Order of the Phoenix again. (It's Luna in the cardi I desire. The scene where she's looking for her stuff at the end.) I've made a couple of new dishcloths, too.

I really like the alien. I messed up a few stitches on Snoopy but he looks okay. They're both fast patterns. I have a bunch of cloths in my ravelry queue. I should really get to work on them. Unfortunately I spend too much time on ravelry to get as much knitting done as I'd like. I've found tons of things to make.

Since I was home today I watched the first three Harry Potter movies and really checked out the knitwear. I love the sweater Oliver Wood is wearing in the scene where he's teaching Harry about quiddich. It looks like a wide rib or something. I also noticed that Molly wears alot of fun crochet pieces. She has on a pinwheel-type poncho in Chamber - the flue powder scene. In Prisoner she has some great purple crochet cuffs when she's running to the train to give Ron his rat. I really hope there will be more Charmed Knits books. Maybe someday I'll be good enough to contribute! That would be great.

Happy Birthday to me

I had a pretty great birthday. My Jenny had a cake for me - chocolate with a ball of icing yarn on top. It's so cute! And tasty, I must say. And she got me a book called Natural Dyeing. It's about dyeing yarn using plants and roots and such - very cool. I have some ideas brewing, that's for sure.
My Eric got me speakers for my ipod. Yay! Now I can listen to podcasts and music in the kitchen and not worry about dropping it in the food or dishwater. (yes, I have a dishwasher, but I kind of enjoy washing by hand. It's somehow relaxing.)
I watched Order of the Phoenix again and noticed that the house sweaters are black. (I'm slow sometimes) I think it's Cho who wears a black house cardi. I'm aching to make one - black, cardi, Ravenclaw - it's so me! I need to find a pattern and get to work.
I did get some blue and grey yarn, too. I have enough for two sweaters. One is blue with a grey stripe in Red Heart, and the other will be the opposite, grey with a blue stripe, in Simply Soft. So, yes, I'll be having another WIP.
Mom ordered me some yarn as a gift. It's the Patternworks house brand with alpaca. It's not in yet, though. She ordered me a bag of purple - it was on sale really cheap. I'll have a bunch of purple sweaters.
Craftster has been kind of same-old lately, but I was looking at the crochet section and found a great cowl-neck sweater. The poster got the pattern from Lion Brand's website. I printed it out because it's really cute and I love the ribbed look. I'm going to have a huge sweater wardrobe soon. I think it's so cool that we knitters and crocheters can conceivably make everything we wear. If I was a better sewer I'd never have to buy anything but raw materials. Wouldn't that be great?

Knit-tastic Christmas!

I have to share all of the goodies I got this year. First, my mom gave me a ball winder. As Kerry shows, I had alot of fun making yarn cakes. That's just two evenings. I have much more yarn to cake up, but I'm afraid Eric might get annoyed if he sees how much yarn there really is.

Speaking of Eric, he got me the gorgeous and coveted Knit Picks Harmony dpn set. They are so smooth and light - I was knitting like a whirling dervish with them. I love them so much. He asked me if they're what are used to make socks. I said yes, and he wants some socks. Yay! My honey wants something made by me. I thought this day would never come.

This luscious merino yummyness is what my bestest friend Jenny gave me. It looks good enough to eat, and it's so soft and snuggly. There's 440 yards here - alot of yarn for one skein. I'm not looking for a project for it (one will come) and I'm not going to cake it. I can't cuddle with it if I cake it. It's made by Heavenly Hands Yarn Company. I'll be checking them out.

I finished one of the You Snag glovettes. It's a funny story. I had it finished and screwed it up, so I started it again. When I unwrapped my new dpn's I quickly went to switch them with the ones I was using. The pattern calls for a size 2 and the needles I was using said 2. Well, it turns out they are 2 mm! No wonder it was taking so long. I'll have to finish this pair on the small needles and make the next pair on the right size. I will be making another pair - they're very cool. I will also be making some Bellatrix Mitts, a pattern based on the Bellatrix socks that are so awesome (I'll be making them, too!). Actually, the to-do list just keeps growing every time I set my eyes on Ravelry.

I decided not to make military dishcloths for my friend at work. Why? Well, I hate to sound superstitious, but it just feels like I shouldn't, like if I do something will happen. The middle east is a scary place right now. I'll find something else for her.

I've been spending alot of time on etsy lately. Talk about great stuff. I've found all kinds of goodies. I try to tell people about it but they apparently don't hear me. Fine. I'll keep the finds to myself. I like to support my community anyway, and it's a great site for that.

My birthday is in two days! Maybe I'll get more knitting goodies!

General Ramblings and Harry Potter

Eric bought me the latest Harry Potter movie as an early Christmas present on Saturday. I've watched it three times so far. I love so much about the world of HP. Right now I'm absolutely loving Molly. She's so wonderful. She leads her family so well. Yes, the twins are, um, something else, but they're good boys (and the actors are so good looking, aren't they?). I think that when you walk into her presence you would feel like you're home, whether at the Burrow or Order HQ. I adore the simple, family-oriented Christmas that the Weasleys have. Food, handmade gifts, family everywhere, what else is there, really? I would be so thrilled to get a gift from Molly's hands.
When I was at the Deathly Hallows book release I bought Charmed Knits on a whim. I'm so glad that I did. I'll be making one of the fab Weasley sweaters soon. I have some Fisherman's Wool that is the right gauge, I think. I love the house sweaters and the quiddich sweater, too. I'm a Ravenclaw, so I checked out Luna's house sweater closely to see how the stripes look. Now to find the right yarn. I'd so love a quiddich sweater but all the ribbing might make me crazy. (No comments! I know I'm already there!) If I find some good yarn for one I'll make it a long-term kinda project - not something I'll finish in the next month. I'm planning on making an Invisibility shawl, too. The yarn I have is purple, so I'd be quite visible in it unless I splurge on some pretty alpaca/silk from WEBS. Maybe black or dark gray would be nice - oohhh...the luscious Raven yarns! Perfect!
I messed up my dpn project. The bind-off went bad - too tight. I'll use a lifeline this time so I can undo it if necessary. Yes, I started all over. I'm still working on how to unknit. Besides, I could always use more practice.
It's one week until Christmas. I've done no shopping. I didn't get all of the dishcloths done. I don't even have any ideas. Oh, well. Eric and I will hit some stores this weekend and see what we can do. Better luck next year.
My sweater is going pretty good so far. I thought it was a hoodie, because the picture is rather unclear. Thank goodness it's not. I have alot of hair, and a hood underneath it would make me look like a hunchback. After working with so much cotton the wool feels funny. It looks good, though. It's an increase that I've never used before, so I get to learn a new trick. There's some nice cotton blend in my stash for the $5 in Paris sweater. I'll work on that while I make the Weasley sweater and start on one of the lace patterns accumulating on the couch. There's just not enough time to do everything! I need more hands or a housekeeper or something.
Are there any patterns besides dishcloths that incorporate the Sirius Black tattoo design? Does anyone know?
Well, it's late and these kids need to get to bed. Talk to you soon, all!

I did it

I've cast on a sweater. I'm so nervous - don't ask why, though. I've crocheted several sweaters without stress, and if I mess it up I can frog it. It's just time, though. My pattern collection is getting pretty big. I need to get busy using up my stash, too. I'm making the cover sweater of the new Creative Knitting, the Knit it Down sweater. I'm making it in some purple peruvian wool from elann. I think the yarn-pattern combo will look nice together. Heck, it's just yarn, it's not brain surgery. I was listening to knitherapy's podcast and she mentioned enjoying knitting. I need to remember that I love to knit. I can do it. Yeah.
I joined a dishcloth knitalong club yesterday. After spending many (too many) hours browsing the dishcloths on ravelry I noticed that the yahoo club has great patterns. So I joined. I've been pondering whether I should join the Punk Rock Knitters for almost two weeks, but there wasn't any thought about this. Maybe my subconscious knows that the practical, dishcloth me is much more dominant than the punky, rebellious me. Time sure flies. I guess it's time to get pierced again.
There's no school again today. We were supposed to get a big ice storm, but it's just rain. The roads are bad, though, so school cancelled. Kerry was already up when I found out, but Khloe slept until nine. Of course, she won't want to go to sleep tonite. I need to set up her mp3 player so she can listen to music in bed. If she cleans her room, she could find all of her cd's to put on it.
I've really gotten interested in living more naturally lately. Both of the kids have mild allergies and I'd like to help control it if possible. I also want to better by the earth, which led me to the whole world of dishcloths and reusable swiffer covers. ( I need to make more of those.) I would love to make my own beauty products. That would just be cool. I tend to get obsessed with things, so I need to take it easy and just do a few things at a time, like make up some floor cleaner from http://www.care2.com. It's a neat, informative site. Check it out.
Anna's contest this week is hard for me. What's my favorite Christmas memory? My strongest memory is my baby boy in the hospital getting help for his breathing. Not happy.Not festive. It was scary and nerve-wracking. I'm not going to enter this week. I'm sure she'll understand.
Well, back to my sweater.