Back to "normal"
With my husband "safely" (trust me, that word is way overrated) back in Iraq we are settling into out old summer break routine again, which I'm trying to change over into the back to school routine. The boys have two weeks before they go back to school, one into 5th and the other one into 1st grade. I guess that means I would be free to go back to my job at the commissary again, but I gotta see if I can upgrade that. It's nice going shopping there and people that know me ask when I'm finally coming back and that's not just the coworkers, but also the management. I guess that means I did a good job. Unfortunately I couldn't get a job directly working for the commissary, since I don't have the right citizenship for that. That sucks.
On the knitting front I'm catching up with all my oh so neglected projects, which are really not that many. I got that nifty percentage bar on my sidebar now that helps me keep track and get a little more organized.
My Mystery Stole is slowly catching up. I'm still working on chart D and have until Friday to finish chart F to be with the main crowd, but I guess that is not the important thing. I also don't make any guesses on the theme. I'm just along for the ride and enjoy a free pattern. I love knitting the lace, but I'm not sure when I have an opportunity to actually wear one of my shawls.
I haven't started on the lacy socks yet. They are on the list, as you can see, but I'm trying to get my invitation from interweave for the lace style KAL. For some reason I didn't get a response yet. I'm starting to think it's personal (I hope I'm just kidding). I just don't know what I'm doing wrong about it. I never had that problem before.
My Chevron Scarf is creeping along and growing. Don't ask me how long it is by now. I rolled it up into a jelly roll, since I had to fight with it after turning it over for every row. I'm just going to knit until I run out of either one of the yarns. It's really fuzzy and the color change had a couple of surprises in it.
I also started a girly baby blanket. At least that's what I call it. I have this friend in California that I sent some blankets that me and my sister made before, for her to sell them in her vendors booth in front of a store. She ended up using them for baby shower gift, which ended up being her "trademark" now. She commissioned me for a baby blanket for a girl and another one for a boy in November. So I got right to it. I had that acrylic yarn (naturalists, cover your eyes) that was waiting for it's turn. I tried it last year on my knitting machine, but it turned out to be too thick for it and was as hard as a board, even with the loosest setting. I guess that's how I can make some nice wash cloths or maybe placemats? I just don't want to stress out the machine too much. So handwork it is. I knitted it up at first and came up with this.
Then I ended up ripping it out, because I was way too big and if I would have gone on it would have been and adult afghan, not to mention I have to check for more yarn first and the kid would have probably walked by the time I would have been done. So frogging was in order. Since this was a feather and fan pattern and with the chevron scarf being similar to that, I really wasn't in the mood to do it again. I had this image in my head I saw on Sherie's blog, but knitting it for little baby fingers, which could get caught in those long stitches, was out of the question, so I turned it into a crochet pattern. 
I like it, but it seems to be a little on the hard side. I already went up one hook size, but I think it's the yarn, even though it says "Baby" on the label. Maybe a good conditioner soak afterwards will help with that. I don't know if that has any effect on acrylic. Any input on that, anyone? Oh and no, I didn't move over to the "other" side, I'm just exercising my many talents. Some of you might not know that I'll tackle almost anything that involves a string and a needle in any kind, but I try to keep my hobbies under control or my husband will go nuts with me, not to mention the movers, every time they have to pack up my stuff. That reminds me, maybe it's time to work on that quilt that is looking at me, making me feel guilty. It's not even in closet, so it's really ready to be worked on, but with more than 90 degrees F outside there is no way I'm cuddling up under a blanket to quilt it. They do have a winter here in Georgia, just not a really cold one.
Labels: Crochet, MS3, On The Needles
I'm still here
This entry won't have any pics for you so if picture books is what you read, you don't even need to bother this time. I'm just giving everybody a quick update on what's going on and that I didn't drop off the face of the earth, if I don't blog for a couple of days. Update one: My husband made it into country on Tuesday for his R&R from Iraq, which is the main reason why my knitting and blogging time is cut short for a little while. Update two: I finally got the so long expected yarn from Knit Picks for my second project and wouldn't you know it, I ran into the mailman on the way to picking up my husband at the airport? Another reason why I don't have much time to blog, but my husband is understanding that everywhere I go now the bag with my knitting has to be with me and when I sit in the car, the map and the knitting is in my lap.Update three: Chevron Scarf and Mystery Stole have to sleep for a while. You will get an update on those two once I have a chance to come up for air in between my upcoming very busy two weeks. I won't have a problem to catch up with the stole, since that usually only takes me a day to complete and the scarf looks the same as on the last picture, just a little longer again. I'm knitting it until I run out of yarn. Don't know how long it's going to be at the end. Update four: Totally off the knitting content, we are taking a family trip this weekend and I'm going to take pictures, so expect them next time.Now I gotta go and I'll check in with you all later. Labels: General, On The Needles
Mystery Stole 3 Clue 2 Update
Wow, what an official title that is to this entry. Despite all the sidetracking and all the other things I did since Friday, I did manage to finish clue 2 of the ongoing mystery stole.
It's turning out very nicely, but surely needs some vigorous blocking to show all the details. Maybe I should have used a thicker yarn or a smaller needle size after all, but all will be revealed when it's done, soaked and blocked at the end. Right now I'm ok with it. The pattern emerges quite well, but unlike so many others, that knit this stole, I'm not jumping to any conclusions on what the theme might be. I'm just happily knitting along. You might want to check out the group and see what all "interesting" theme guesses they are coming up with.
My chevron scarf is also growing and growing. Right now, unstretched, it's already measuring a generous 33 inches. Of course that's easy to do since I'm working with fuzzy yarn and 5.5 mm needles, compared to the other KAL knitters who are using STR or any other kind of sock yarn. I'm not cheating, I'm experimenting and altering the scarf to fit my own needs and expectations for the outcome (hale to the big words).
Labels: Lace, MS3, Scarf
Rockin' Girl Blogger
Did you see it? Did ya, huh, huh? Yeeiii. I'm a Rockin' Girl Blogger and so proud of it. It's so nice to see my name on other peoples blog, being in their list of daily reads, getting mentioned because of something I knit, but being nominated and awarded with a button, oh that's the best. Thank you so much Tammy for making me a Rockin' Girl Blogger. Now I get to name a couple, preferably 5 new bloggers for this honor. Hmmmm, who to choose and why. Well how about these ladies:
Knitty Gritty Thoughts - Keri was my help when I first started my blog. She is a great knitter and has done so many things all by herself that she deserves this.
Knittin' Mama - Erica is blogging all the way from Germany, where she is temporarily displaced. She is a multitalented knitter, spinner, dyer and much more I'm sure.
Stranded on Fair Isles... - Marina is the most talented Fair Isle knitter I know. She whips out those intricate sweaters with such easeand she is such an inspiration that even I can do it.
Have you any Wool - Rachel is a great knitter and blogger and has come up with a couple of her own sock patterns. Too cool.
Jewel Tomes - Julie is such a funny knitter/blogger. She always has something in the needles and always an opinion about something that is going on in her crazy NY area. She also thinks life is a joke :)
I don't want anybody feeling left out, but there are too many great knitters out there and if I tag them all, there won't be any left for anybody else to nominate. :)
And best of all, this one is not combined with any memes.
