Finally.

Something went awfully, terribly right this time. Straight garter stitch knitting for Tank's blanket for her crate:



As you see, she loves it almost as damn squirrel - who you see she brought to the blanket party...

* * * *
The down and dirty details:

Yarn(s): Muenh BIGbaby, 7 skeins
Colorway(s): white
Purchased: The Yarn Shoppe
Needles: size 13 circs
Time: for me, 12 hours 'cause I'm slow like that - for other knitters, about 5 hours max.

* * * *


Next? Emma's winter sweater out of Galway wool, colorway: candy pink.

Friday the 13th Arrived Early

Wednesday to be exact.

So, I finished the left front and had just finished the right front of the Fluffy Bolero Shrug. I was about to join the two to create the back piece and it hit me:




Let's look closer, shall we?




Do you see what is missing? No little garter edge border on the mirror image, is there?

I put my head down on the table - as this was found out as the SnB evening was winding down. A total of six hours and 12 inches of stockinette gone to waste. I tried to restrain myself, really. I couldn't hold it any longer.

"OOH. Fuck. Me."

To which the remaining chorus of smartass knitters replied: "No thanks!"

The smartass knitters did try to help me figure out a way to fix it without frogging it back, but in the end, they knew I would be pulling it out and redoing it.

The shrug is now in a bag in the studio, so it won't offend my eyes for the next two weeks. I need a break.

At the moment, I'm taking "cleansing knitting break" of a garter stitch blanket for the Tank. BigBaby, all white (she's a white dog) chunky yarn on size 13 Addi circs, and not a pattern to it within miles of my needles.

Back up, it's a knitting resolution!

This year, it was not to purchase any yarns unless it was enough for a project. Damn if I haven't stuck to it all year.

So then I thought, what about 2010?

2010 is the year I knit Aoife.

That's it.

I'm not going to bludgeon myself with resolutions to knit only one or two projects (or three) at a time. We all know that's a joke in itself.

I've purged my stash by 65% this fall. Yes, that's 6 - 5 percent. I went from 7 huge Rubbermaid tubs down to 2 tubs of knitting yarn. And 2 two tubs of projects to 1 tub. (Wait, is that more than 65%? Math is not my strongest skill.) So we won't talk of destashing in 2010.

I'm slowly working on my queue in Ravelry and on this page, so I won't go there about completing projects.

Just knitting that beautiful sweater. It better look damn fine on me.

I was going to post about knitting...

Apparently, there are belly rubs to give, walks to take, and friends to visit!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone...

It's not all red wine, dark chocolate, and naps, you know...

I have been knitting when I can given my work schedule, other activities, and staying on my rigorous napping time chart!

I've finished the left front of the toddler shrug, I'm 50% finished with the right front. Then it's doing the back of it while picking up the stitches from the front pieces, which confuses me - but it doesn't take much to do that lately.

And since I want to get this toddler sweater done before she's a junior in high school, all other projects are at a full stop.

As you see from above, Emma lends her support in my efforts.

Weekend, oh sweet weekend...

I cannot believe how slow this week has dragged by...usually it's Friday before I know it. Now it's time for a fire in the fireplace, hot chocolate and Bailey's, reading and knitting. And Emma time!

Emma has a new chew toy - damn squirrel:




So named because when the squirrels are out in the yard when I take the Tank for a sniff and stroll, they chatter at her - knowing she's tethered and I won't let Emma bite the diseased-ridden rats. So she'll look at me like, "Excuse me?! What about those damn squirrels? You're not going to let me teach them a lesson?" My answer, is no.

So I pulled this toy out, squeaked it once and tossed it - Emma lunged for it and immediately began to shake the everliving shite out of it:





And play with it for hours until it was a soggy damn squirrel:




Hope your weekend is as much fun as the Tank has with damn squirrel!

Shite.

I had purged my stash, bagged up the yarns to give to persons and for the raffle for next week. I resolved not to bring home any yarn from that event.

And this weekend, well, I had steeled myself for the mini-yarn crawl some of us from the SnB went on yesterday. I had no intention of bringing home new yarn for any projects. I was concentrating on patterns and tools only.

Quit laughing.

At the first yarn shop, I didn't purchase that skein of gorgeous Blue Heron rayon yarn ("denim"), mainly because I had nothing in mind to use it for - oh but it was lovely. Then I remembered that bitch, Spanish Dancer colorway in the same yarn, and slowly backed away from the display.

After eating some great falafel and lamb at Oasis, I was less vigilant at the next yarn shop. However, I did stick by my resolution from last fall - "I will not purchase any yarn unless it's enough for a project."

Sock yarns, since I figured out how to do heels from the toe up without a heel flap method:








And I thought, "Wow! I'm so proud of myself! I didn't fall into a bin of Malabrigo and bring it home with me." And we all know that sock yarn doesn't really count. I was so happy, I even bought a "damn squirrel" button for Emma's dog sweater (thanks, Lynn!):




However, I got to the last yarn shop and the evil yarn enabler, Katie, teamed up with the evil yarn shop owner, Edyie, and I fell down very hard:








O. My. Hell. The red is *incredible* and the yarn is so yummy soft... The Cha Cha is exquisite (those bloody Italians and their astounding textile skills are the real cause of my downfall!) as is the Venezia. This will be turned into a lovely scarf!

Upon arriving home, I immediately went back to the stash and chose two more yarns, putting them in the raffle bag for next week's events. I feel better for evening out the yarn scales.

Meanwhile, progress photos... Sock two (Malabrigo sock yarn):




Fluffy Bolero (right side):





Emma's dog sweater:




And gratuitous Emma photo: