Wasted Time

I hate it when I have to pull a project out because of the precious time wasted on it. The anklet socks did not work. When I was halfway down the foot I tried them on Tessa and I couldn't even get them on. They were too stiff. I thought because they were so thick that they would be extra cuddily warm, but they were so tight that they stood alone. I had to get her to help me rewind the balls because the mohair stuck to the wool. I like the pattern, and will do them again when I have leftover worsted weight.

So with the leftover Brigge & Little Regal Forest Brown, and the leftover Galway Paint from my Propello Hat I am making the Sea Star from Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh. I know that I have enough yarn for this. Between last night and this morning I have completed two arms. I am not sure if I should be slipping all my stitches knitwise or purlwise, but it seems to look better when I slip them knitwise. I checked in the Ravelry forums to see if anyone else had the same question with no luck.

It is a wet and chilly Halloween day, but by tonight I hope it drys up a bit.

Brave New Knits

I just finished reading Brave New Knits by Julie Turjoman. I loved reading the bio's of the designers, and they inspired me to start my own blog. There are many patterns I would love to knit - the Tulip Peasnat Blouse by Connie Chang Chinchio, the Global Cable Coat by Jennifer Hagan, the Seaweed Vest by Angela Hahn, the Krookus Cardigan by Mari Muinonen, the Silke Jacket by Shannon Okey, the Koukla Cardigan by Hilary Smith Callis, the Origami Shrug by Melissa Wehrle, the Lace Flower Pin, by Kat Coyle, the Woodsmoke Scarf by Jared Flood, the Chutes and Ladders Socks by Chrissy Gardiner, the Sprouting Cloche by Norah Gaughan, the Hydrangea Neckwarmer by Anne Hanson, the Lenina Cap by Woolly Wormhead, the Floxgloves by Clara Parkes, the Working all the Angles Blanket, the Orchid Thief Shawlette by Ysolda Teague, and the Lubov Scarf by Kathy Veeza. I took this book out of the Library, but now after seeing all the patterns I want to do I must buy it. The patterns are very timeless, and the photography is beautiful (by the way Jared Flood was the photographer).

My ring finger on my left hand is red from forcing needles through yarn that is too thick for them. I finished my last Forest Brown square for my afghan so decided to use up the leftover yarn. Tessa ( oh by the way my blog is named after my two girls Tessa & Ella) is having problems with her feet again - her toes are purple agin and her feet will not stay warm (we see a specialist next month I hope that it is not a circulatory problem) so I decided to make her another pair of slipper socks. She doesn't like wearing anything with Briggs & Little yarn because she finds it too rough so I decided to add some mohair yarn I picked up at a secondhand store, in a cone, to make it softer. I am making the Worsted Anklet socks by JoAnne Turcotte from Kraemas Yarns. It calls for worsted weight yarn and 3.75mm needles. The two yarns held together make it too thick for the needles so I really have to force it. I almost pulled it out last night, but I kind of like the affect. I am not sure if I have enough yarn so used some leftover Seafoam Regal I had for my Tilted Duster Sweater for the cuff. I also have some Galway Paint yarn leftover from my Propeller Hat that I am going to try after these. Again I am not sure if I have enough of this. I am terrible at judging if I have enough yarn for a project, but one of my other goals this year was to use up yarn I had hanging around from finished projects. That is why I picked this pattern because it wouldn't take much yarn. Of course the last thing I needed to do this week was cast on for another project, but at least they are quick knits. I am going to rest my hands for a bit and take my dogs for a walk, and then bring my girls Halloween costumes up to the school for their Halloween party. They need help getting dressed. Ella is a vampire, and Tessa is a female Grimm Reaper. We had found a christening gown at Frenchies that we tried to die black, but the only part of it the took the dye was the stitches. Now it is a dingy white. She is also wearing a pair of lace up leather boots that were my great grandmothers. Of course they look very cute.

Perpendicular Squares Afghan

2008 Knitting 064
Originally uploaded by kmoroziuk

I have not had a chance to knit all day, but tonight I will be going to my weekly knitting group. I will have to be working on my afghan square. It is seven different colors - Lilac, Green Heather, Forest Brown, Light Brown, Grey Heather, Copper, and Brown Heather, with six squares per color. I am on my last Forest Brown square - which will complete three colorways. I am using Briggs & Little Regal.

Time

There is not enough time in the day, or years left in my life to knit as much as I want to. In the past, I would not let myself knit during the day, because then I would get nothing done. Lately that is all I have been doing when the girls are in school. the housework is really suffering around here. I do not think that I am a fast knitter, and enjoy the process too much to want to speed up. I find knitting very relaxing, almost medatative in nature. This time of year I enjoy knitting in the kitchen and listening to books on tape. Today I finished Philippa's Gregory's The Boleyn Inheritance, which I would never have picked up to read, but enjoyed listening to it. In the evening, after the girls go to bed, and I can finally sit down, I knit while watching TV until midnight. I prefer not to knit with larger than 4mm needles. At the moment I have a pair of gloves (my first time making gloves), a pair of socks, an afghan, a cowl, a toy, mini socks for Christmas, and a scarf on the needles. This year I have tried to finish projects I have started - some years ago, and not to have so many projects on the go. I have been pretty successful, but I know that all these projects will not be finished before 2011. The afghan has been a real chore, and I am now forcing myself to finish a square a week, and then I can work on something I really want to. That is all for now because my eldest is due home on the bus.