Hooray!

Honestly, this is the most excited I’ve been about my birthday in some time. Maybe because I’m getting this:

I probably won’t use it to take pictures of knitting though. :O) I imagine we’ll be buying it within the next week. I am so frekaing excited. On top of that, I get to slack off, go out for dinner and my family is bringing me dessert tonight as well. What a good day. :o)

In knitting news, I knit on my poncho on the way to the Mall on Saturday. While waiting in the bank line yesteday I picked it up to knit and realized there was a huge honkin’ hole. I debated on what to do about it. I examined it closely for a dropped stitch and couldn’t figure out ANYTHING. It looked way too ugly to chalk it up as experience and leave it, so I spent an hour last night ripping back stitch by stitch. I cannot imagine how many stitches are on the needles for this thing at this point, but way too many to just pull it off the needles and rip.

The hole problem is fixed. I examined it every round that I ripped, but never did figure out what happened. In any case, it’s fixed now and I can go on knitting. I do have to measure Emily thoughso I know how far to knit it. IT’s really bunched on my needles, so even if I did put it on her, it wouldn’t hang in a manner that would let me see if it were long enough or not.

In other news, I can’t find my sock. The one that I knitted? I’m sure it’s around, but I don’t know where.

A few months ago we signed up for Netflix in preparation for winter. We were members some time ago but cut off our subscription to save some money. Needless to say, we felt we had the extra to spend and signed up again.

Needless to say, Eric and I have been watching movies over the last few weeks. It works out good because we watch them over the weekend, I send them back and have new movies by the next weekend. We’ve seen Love, Actually (didn’t like it, I bet I’m the only one), 13 going on 30 (really liked it), Big Fish (it might have been okay, but it was hard to figure out) and School of Rock, which we’re watching now. I’m not keen on it. I’m trying, but nearly everything is drawing my attention away.

In knitting news, I cast on and started working on the poncho I was ready to chuck out a few weeks ago. It’s knitting up so fast that I’m sure I’ll have it done in a few days. I’m knitting it in the cotton tots as noted before. I adore this yarn. It’s so soft and so perfect for kids knitting. I’ve said that a million times, haven’t I? I knit Haiku in it and it washes up fantastic as well.

However, I’m not sure that a poncho is going to be good preschool clothes, but we’ll find out how comfortable Emily is in it. It’ll look so cute with her little navy cord skirt and a turtle neck.

I put away the sewing machine to scrapbook some. I need some more elastic and thread so I can keep sewing. I have three more items I want sewn before school is in. I’m sure I can finish up in time.

And as soon as I track down the FO I’ll post a picture. I made Em a cute little knitted basket.

I had cast on for this some time ago, figuring I would make her a little drawstring purse or something. As I was knitting, I rather realized that it would be too small to be much of a purse. I kept knitting figuring I could make a barbie sleeping bag or something.

Yesterday I got the idea to put a basket like handle on the top and went with that idea last night. It turned out so cute! I have few issues with neat workmanship, but I may try to make a larger one was well. I am wondering (this is just plain sugar and cream cotton yarn) if I can startch it and make an easter decoration out of it.

I may knit a larger one and try it. It really is cute and I’m oh so fond of baskets.
Emily has already stuffed hers full to the brim, which is good.

I am also thinking about picking up the dreaded poncho again. I may try knitting it with different yarn, though. That’s still TBD. I’ll have to see what’s in my stash…

I put the scrapbook supplies away on Monday and started sewing. Since then I have completed a skirt, two pillows and a pair of pants. After finishing two more pair of pants and possibley a pair of pajamas, the scrapbook stuff and come back out.

I don’t have a picture of the pants. They’re a very simple blue knit. Perfect for preschool (didn’t cost a lot. I figure about $3 including pattern cost)) and comfy. Emily dubbed them soft. :O)

First, the pillows. These all my own making. I had some left over coduroy(sp) from Emily’s skirt that I loved and thought it would be a shame to waste it. The first (small) pillow is the prototype. I cut the cord. before I made the top and it didn’t turn out right. The second pillow (large) I ade the top first and then did the cord. to match it. It turned out good, but Emily dripped cherry juice on it. :o( No biggie. Couch pillows anyhow.

And., Emily modeling the skirt that provided the pillow backing…

She’s such a girlie girl. :o)

I have been crocheting some booties for charity, but knitting is taking a break. I need it, I think.

I did get a couple of knitting books from Amazon for winter knitting. Knit Hats and the sister book knit mittens. I found several patterns I’m going to make for the winter season for Emily and me and maybe some other people too.

since I’ve done a general update on things.

Knitting hasn’t been happening. I think I’ve way too stressed about the mess of the last couple of projects and needed some time off. I may go back to working on kntting up Emily’s little purse pouchie thingie. In thinking about it, I may knit it long enough to hold a doll (perhaps a barbie). She’s so in love with carrying things around. I’ve not given up, my patience is just very low for it right now.

I have been scrapbooking quite a bit and did four or five layouts yesterday (as well as completing another of those mini albums that will be gifts come Christmas time). Just five more to go! (or is it four?). I just counted, it’s five.

I haven’t been sewing at all, but that will change starting today. I have plenty of sewing to do before school and Emily is asking for her other dress updresses. I’l wash material today and get on with it, hopefully. I have two lengths of flannel I bought in previous years that I’m going to measureout to see if I can use them as well.

School starts for Emily in two weeks. I’m looking forwad to it, I confess. Since we moved to MI I literally have no time anymore that’s just to myself. WhenI was in IL, at least I was working and getting that time to take a mental break from the constant goings on of home life. Now I can’t do that anymore or at least haven’t been able to as of yet. I’m totally looking forward to having a little time and space to myself.

Have a time when knitting just working out and no matter what you tried to knit, it was just ugly and suitable only for frogging?

Suffice to say, that’s where I am right now.

I am tried of fighting with the ponco I was working on. Nothing I tried made that work out. In retrospect I think that yarn was just too, too soft for the large needles. They slipped off all over the place. I couldn’t get to the point whre I had enough stitches to transfer to my cric. needles

I would like to go back to it, but honestly? I don’t want to. I am now in hate with it.

SO, I decided to work a bit on my crochet. That was a disastor too.

Urgh.

Scrapbooking is going okay though….

So, I am working on a poncho from Yarn Harlot.

I think this pattern is out to get me.

I decide to use smaller sized needles as I am making this for a 4year old child and not an adult. I size down to size 10.5 needles instead of 13’s that the pattern calls for. I cast on my 64 stitches onto the needles using a really loose cast on. Turns out, it’s too loose. Try casting it on with my rgular old cable cast on. Too few stitches to knit circularly on my circular needles.

Change over to DPN, try the loose cast on again. Still too loose (DUH!!). Rip it out. Cast on again.

And again.

And AGAIN!

Dude.

If I get the cast on to come out right, it all goes to hell by my purl round.

Urgh and double urgh.

I sat and cast on and knit the first round or two this morning. I think it’s coming out better? Who knows. If I wasn’t so darn set on making it, I would have junked the idea by now, but I really love the idea of Emily in a poncho, so I press on.

I think today I will work on my weekly quota of Christmas cards. I only have nine to make this week. I got some new Making Memories Eyelet Charms so I should be able to knock out a few cards pretty quickly. After that, cleaning off the desk for sewing.

I bought some more fabric at Joann’s on Saturday(though am dissppointed that I didn’t find more. I came home with some dark grey fleece for sweat pants, blue cord. for a skirt and pink flannel for pajamas). I need to get going on the school sewing as school will be here soon.

Eric and I actually watched movies this weekend. Shakespeare in Love on Saturday (We both liked it) and Timeline on Sunday (we both liked that one too, but then again we both loved the book). I attempted to watch Bowling for Columbine yesterday. I got about half way through. I won’t be finishing it.

First off, ever since the article came out about Michael Moore mis-using a letter to the Editor from the Bloomington-Normal Pantagraph I have rather found Moore to perhaps not be a reliable narrator in the scheme of things. Knowing that, (and not generally disagreeing him, but KNOWING that) I found it hard to take anything presented in this movie.

I was very distrubed by the footage showing hte inside of Columbine High School during the footage.

Oh, and people’s heads getting blown off.

No thanks.

So, feel free to skip it if you aren’t interested.

First, the knitting. I finished the bottums up bucket hat on Thursday and cast on for a little pouch to match it. Emily loves the color yellow and I don’t, so I’ll use this yarn up on stuff for her. Emily is always looking for little bags to tote her little things around in. I’ll probably knit for a while, make some eyelets and do some eye cord drawstring handles on it. Just something really simple.

I frogged the dishcloth I was making in Eric’s car as I realized I was knitting wrong. I really didn’t like the way the yarn was working into the pattern either and will find another dishcloth pattern to use instead.

And I’ll go back to work on my second sock. I swear I don’t have second sock syndrome. ;o)

And now onto scrapbooking. :o)

Around Christmas time, it was rumored that Wal-mart was carrying little 3×3 albums for just a dollar. I didn’t look for them as I didn’t really care a whole lot about the whole mini album thing.

To make a long story short, they’re back. We had to go to Wal-Mart on Friday anyhow and I found the albums. I picked up 5 of them. Got home, had a brainstorm and went back for five more. 7 or 8 of these will turn into brag book like albums for our distant (and not so distant) relatives. The book has enough pages to do one spread for each month of year plus introduction and conclustion pages. Needless to say, we’ll be shipping these off to Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio and Michigan for Christmas.

I am also thinking of altering some unused, empty paint cans and making some items from Making Memories A Season of Giving book. Anyone have any idea where I can buy Lazertran?

are nearly as bad as returns from vacation. How did three people generate so much laundry? I think the cats were wearing our clothes while we were gone.

I don’t have any knitting news. I did take the bucket hat along with me for knitting, but knit very little. Just a few rows. Everyone was impressed and my aunt walked around all weekend saying I was “Just like Mom!” Both my grandmothers and great grandmothers sewed or quilted or crocheted or did “something”, so I’m like a lot of people.

Latest finished scrapbook project

All from the new Arctic Frog collection.

I am into my third reknitting of the bucket hat. I started this on Tuesday night while watching The Amazing Race. I measured the head of the offspring, but after I started knitting thought it was going to be way too big for her. Did I mention way?

So, I ripped that out and cast on with 30 stitches less. Worked on that up through the crown decreases, tried it on.

WAY too small (it’s like the Three Friggin’ Bears around here).

So, I’m casting on 120 stitches AGAIn for the unfelted, 18 inch hat. Hopefully it will work this time. I had hoped to have a butter yellow bucket hat to show today, but I don’t. I do have 120 stitches cast onto my circs though. ;o)

I may take it with me up north over this weekend. It’s really easy mindless knitting.

Speaking of mindless, I was reading blogs yesteday and noticed that someone (I can’t find your blog! I’m so sorry!) was talking about how she knit wrong. I was reading and thought “well THAt sounds oddly familiar”. I pulled out my knitting books and low and behold, I’m knitting wrong. I’m a right handed knitter and (for now) I knit English style. Instiead of wrapping my yarn around the back of the needle and over the top, I wrap around the top (towards the left) and under. Backwards.

Doesn’t that say something?

I’m correcting it and flirting with the idea of trying some continental knitting. We’ll see.

BUT!

Pictures!

The single sock (and the single child

Child adores having her pictures taken. Mom loves to take them. Took picture of sock. Child said “Mommy, I want to take a picture with your sock too!”. Mommy complies.

I also made my weekly 10 Christmas cards Tuesday and yesterday as well. Here are the favorites.

Snowman of my own design.

Lil Davis bottle cap and organza

Lyrics of “Christmas Waltz”>

I got my current kit from Two Moms Scrapbook. Mama needs to scrap.