Just Bragging A Little

I wanted to add this picture as encouragement for myself that I am destashing. I used 50gms of the yellow cotton to knit the eyelet beannie.

Also, tonight when I got home, after dinner, I knit instead of getting on the computer to talk about knitting. Finished the heel flap on one Mad Weave sock. I'll get working on the other one tomorrow.

That's all the news I have, nothing new cast on yet. However, if it keeps raining there won't be anything else to do, but knit.

Revisiting My Summer Knitting Goals

An excerpt from my previous knitting goals:

"My knitting goals for the summer are to make 3 squares for Greensburg KS, 9 or 10 chemo caps for cancer patients all from my stash yarn, to finish my CTH Mad Weave socks and to finish the brown and black short socks I've yet to start. It kind of sounds like a lot, but summer is 3 months."

I've done two hats and made good progress on my Mad Weave Socks. I've done no more blocks and I'm not sure where the yarn is for the brown and black short socks. They seemed like an easy target at the time. Now, they've moved to the bottom of the pile.

New Summer Goals:
Finish Mad Weave Socks - doable
Finish three more hats - more reasonable (that would make 5, how about 10 for the year?)
Finish three Greensburg squares - doable and such a good cause
Finish - FINISH - golf club covers for Jeff
Knit Marshall's clogs (after the golf club covers without him knowing he had to wait)
Cast on (at least) socks using Loden CTH - I'm thinking the clover rib pattern
I think I'll be traveling (flying) a couple of times in July. Hats, squares and socks make great plane projects so I think that increases my chances for finishing the top three.

Goals for the year (includes above):
Cinder's Fairy Godmother beaded scarf - should be a quick, fun knit just need to make the time.
Cast on and enjoy knitting linen beaded shawl.
Knit a few more hats - they are for a good cause.
Knit the loksins sock pattern probably with co-op sock yarn.
Knit at least 15 minutes a day, not because there is pressure to knit, but because I'm worth it. This may mean keeping a project in the bathroom, but hey, that is "my" time. Was that sharing too much?
Spend less time on the computer talking about knitting and more time knitting.
Really, stop buying yarn. I don't need another thing.
That's 13 goals total, but I'm not superstitious.

I'm terribly behind in my updates. First, I've been so busy at work. In fact, I was so busy I didn't really take care of myself and I got really sick. Antibiotics and all. That was Tuesday and Wednesday. I had vacation scheduled for Thursday and Friday. I was taking pictures at a wedding for sister's friend Nikki. I had to be well enough to do that. It was tough. I made the wedding and I managed to finish another hat.

I decided to add eyelets for interest. I found out how difficult cotton yarn can be to work with. It was not the most pleasant experience. I have more cotton hats to knit and I will go with straight stockinette.

I made needle holder for my sister for her birthday. Her's differed from mine in that she has mostly straight needles and some of them very large. Check out that 35 in the lower left hand pocket. It all worked out fine and I even worked in a couple of horizontal pockets for circs.
Not knitting related, but I think these Blackfoot Daisies are looking lovely. They are blooming in a pot in my backyard.
It's a fuzzy picture, but I thought it was funny. Raisins and grapes are very bad for your dog, but apples are OK. Good thing because Baby Girl loves them. We always have to share when we have one. Summer of Socks is in full swing. I got nothin'. A couple of ideas, but nothing on the needles. I don't really enjoy speed knitting. I'm in it for the group support.

Actually I'm still working on Mad Weave but I can't count it toward SoS. I'm at the heel flap and did three of nine repeats on one sock today. 15 more to go if you count both socks. Oh well, it's
only a four row repeat.

Time to walk the dog and maybe do a couple more repeats on the sock.

First FO for June 2007

I hope this is the first of many FOs for June. It's a hat I plan to donate to a hospital for cancer patients or really anyone who is losing their hair as a result of chemotherapy.

It is also my first contribution to the knit for charity challenge for my Yarn DAL group. The hat weighs in a 45 grams. Which means I have 5gms left. I figure that little bit will will make a stripe in a future hat. Regardless of whether I use it to make a stripe or I throw it away. I do consider it stash busted.

I use the http://tiajudy.com/simplestcap.htm pattern. Even though I'm knitting with worsted weight yarn I use the pattern for the bulky. A couple of reasons. First, my gauge is wack. Second, the folks wearing these caps don't have hair so their heads are a bit smaller. It's better the hats run a tad on the small side.


That was fun and it only took a couple of evenings. Good news I found my long cables and connectors, they are in a golf club cover prototype at work. I finished the hat tonight on double points. I forgot that dp are a little like trying to knit with an octopus. Arms flying everywhere as you try to knit. I'm a huge fan of magic loop. But it's good to practice with dp every once in a while.

Knitting at the Drive-In

There aren't many drive-in movies left in the US, but we have one an hour from us in Ennis TX. To kick of the boys summer stay, we went Saturday night to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 and Wild Hogs. Now I'm going to admit two movies in a row is a bit much for me. I don't really like to sit still that long. However, at the drive-in I wasn't too self-conscious about taking my knitting along. It was a bit of a challenge to knit in the dark. Thank goodness I can knit continental. That really helped. I would occasionally use the light from the projection booth to check progress. Fortunately, in the light of day, I hadn't dropped any stitches.

If I'd had my Denise connector with me I would have finished. I'm down to the decreases and I got stuck with my short circs. I still can't find my long cord and connector so I may have to use double points to finish the hat. Not a big deal, but a tad frustrating. I'm pretty sure I saw it the other day and just can't remember where.

While we watched the Sopranos tonight I knit a fourth repeat on one of the Mad Weave socks.

This picture was taken this afternoon with three repeats done on each sock. I've probably said this already, but I'm really enjoying this pattern. It's just interesting enough to keep me entertained without being brain surgery.

I'm destashing more fabric to make my sister a needle organizer for her birthday. Her's will be a bit different from mine because she has predominantly straight and double point needles. I plan to make the pockets much deeper. I've pulled these fabric pieces together so I can start laying everything out. As you may have guessed her favorite color is purple.

I'd actually planned to get started on the needle organizer this weekend. But we didn't get home from the movie until after 3am. Of course they have to wait until it gets dark, then the first movie didn't finish up until midnight and then we had to get through the next one. Then it was an hour home. It was a long night.

Let the Charity Knitting Begin

And my first project is a hat. Since I have so many hats on the list, I thought I'd intersperse the squares every couple of hats.
So I'm going to get off the computer and start knitting. Pics tomorrow.