Time Flies

What a disappointing day: I woke up sick. Probably started about 5am, reached medication stage at 10am. I showered at 11am, still hoping to make my 'date' with fellow knitter on the coast. Just wasn't meant to be today. At noonish, I called to cancel, much to DH's relief. I think he thought I would push myself to go and regret it. He's right. I took my lead from him (for once), and from the pains in my stomach. Unfortunately, by 5pm I was still too puny to go to dance class -- last thing you need to do is belly rolls when you've had pains all day. However, by 7pm I was feeling much better and hungry. I am full, but feeling even better since I ate. And relaxed for the first time today. I can't believe I haven't posted in a full week -- but I have ripped and frogged so much this week I was just too frustrated to write. I forgot the second set of bind-off rows at the underarms of the Shapely Tank Top I'm modifying for a cropped top (for dance class). Now, it is all back on, the front is complete up to the should bind-off row, and I'm almost to the neckline bind-off rows on the back. Isn't it a mess? LOL I am determined not to pick up anything else to knit until this is finished. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that I am not happy at all with the wimple/smoke-ring/snood/hood I've been making for #2SD. I'm about ready to set it aside, grab the Cha-Cha and a fine carrying thread and make something for her from the Paton's Fabulous Fur booklet of patterns! And then ponder what to do with three balls of Paton's Divine! Something in me wants to make it lacey... is that crazy?? Monday's almost over; a whole week ahead of us all. Make the most of it! LC

Copy Cats: by the dawn's early light

See what happens when you need to rest your fingers from knitting and have had too much tea to drink so you aren't sleepy, little squirrel? More than you will ever need to know! At least I got #2Son up for his eight o'clock class. Another diddie for your amusement: The things you find in the shop windows of the French Quarter! LC

Real Friends Share

their yarn!! I have this pretty impressive friend who surprised me last Saturday with a bag of yarn from her stash. See my new pretties? The blue, pink, and varigated balls are cotton blends. Will probably hold onto it until I know whether my neices unborn child is a boy or girl; then whatever is left will probably be used in charity knitting. The varigated is so much prettier than the photo shows! I'm thinking of a cropped-top for dance class (will ask on knitlist for pattern ideas). I know the very pink ball is LB Homespun; not sure about the green boucle. I'm not usually much of a green person, but this is a surprisingly lovely shade. I did have to begin my stepdaughter's smoke-ring again. It was twice as wide as necessary. I didn't bother to frog it, just started with a new skein. Always one to try to 'make lemonade' I did a three-needle cast-off with the active edge -- first time to try that. It's long and thin, and I'm thinking of putting my new buckwheat hull pillow in it and seaming up the other side, then using it in the living room. Maybe I'll think of something else. On the new start, I used a cable cast-on (second time for that) instead of my usual long-tail cast on. Haven't touched the socks, though. Determined to get this last Christmas present done before I do anything else. Spent a lot of time last night reading other knitting blogs, setting up some more links in my sidebar from those I like to read. Am not through my list yet though! LC

Heels or Froggin'?

Been spending way more time reading about knitting than doing it, I guess, because I don't seem to have much to show for the past five days. I've finished two balls of Bernat's Divine working on my youngest step-daughter's smoke-ring/wimple -- I'm afraid it is too big around. The piece is 10 inches deep so far. I finished the second ball on Saturday night, but I've put off starting the third ball. I guess the best thing to do is take a piece of scrap yarn, thread it through the loops and try on the piece. I'm working on circulars, so that's the only way I can figure to see just what it is looking like as a whole. I do love the way it feels and looks. Very soft. Kind of chunky & bumpy. I'm almost ready to do the heel on the kids sock! Since I don't have a knitting or beading photo to upload tonight, I'll add a picture of my 'bestest' sweetheart. The four-legged one, anyway. LC

Hat's Done...

but I'm not happy with it. I guess it is just that it is too big. The bottom is too loose and I don't know how to tighten it. So much for 'cast on loosely' (which is NO reflection on the pattern, just me). I sort of used the London Beanie instructions, but I also followed the decreasing instructions in Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears. Anyway, it ended up looking more like a woman's hat than a man's. So, off in the mail it goes tomorrow, along with the scarf of same thread (both for my NIL); a LB Fun Fur scarf & Bernat Boa hat for DN... Veggie Tales stuffed animals and some fleece pants for little precious one of theirs, and other assorted goodies. Off to find some other thing to not knit correctly. LC

Unbelievable!

I don't know which is more unbelievable: the trouble I've had with a 'simple' beanie hat or the fact that it is 28 degrees outside right now! LC

Hurrah!

Mark's scarf is finally finished! I only had 12 rows left when I went to bed at 3am this morning, but no telling how many times I would have had to 'tink' it if I'd tried to finish it then. Today I decided it was sort of wide, so I seamed it down the edge and gathered the ends tightly together. Now I'm casting on to see if I can get a beanie out of the remaining yarn; if not, I'll just it away for 'kid' knitting. Did I mention it has been in the mid-70's here since New Year's Eve? I've had my windows open. January and I'm wearing sandals without socks. But, I'm not gloating or anything. No, of course, not. LC

Hello to 2 0 0 4 ! ! !

Tradition (or, some may say, superstition) in my home growing up was that New Year's Day should be a snapshot of the whole year to come. In other words, do all the things on that day that you hope/need to do that year. Mom always made sure to do a little of those 'have-to' things, as well as the 'want-to' things. I've always pretty much followed her way. So, each New Year's Day, I try to cook a little, clean a little, and definitely stitch a lot! I put a few more rows on the socks. The DPs still feel awkward, and twice I've grabbed the wrong needle to 'work' the next portion. Yikes! Fortunately, the stitches stayed put. We ran to Ryan's to eat -- I just didn't feel like cooking New Year's dinner. I'd forgotten to get groceries for it on Wednesday anyway, then we stayed up until 3am this morning, so it was easier just to go out. Fine with me, of course!! Took care of those Southern New Year's eating traditions: pork, cabbage, & black-eyed peas. Bad news is that it looks like I'll be tinking this year too. Last night at a friend's house, I missed a row of the pattern in the scarf I took to work on. Had to rip out all those rows today. boo-hoo Well, back to the scarf. I can't believe something so simple is taking so long. It would be twice as long (and therefore finished ) if I didn't keep having to tink. Once it gets long enough, I think I will work from the other end of the ball and see if I can get a beanie out of the remaining yarn. ... enjoying the scent of bayberry candle (another family NY tradition) LC