A Bitter Pill

These photos are of my most recent project. It's (or was going to be) Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Sweater. I'm making it for Ann Spellman's new baby. I've already frogged it twice - just the yoke. NOW, I've really jacked it up. I had to call Biddy to have her regurgitate some of the same advice I constantly spew about how you MUST rip out and redo so that when you're done you're not focused on the mistakes that are left, but on the finished project at hand. Okay, it was a bitter pill to take, but swallowing hard, I took it out. It will be worth it. It will be worth it - my new mantra.

At Biddy's suggestion, I'm going to concentrate on something else - at least in a physical sense - and work on the never ending spiderman blanket or some newly requested ISU sweaters. Either one will be worked on with the EZFS on my mind.

As far as FOs go, here's my mint-chip Jaywalker socks. I love them.



p.s. the spiderman blanket is huge - it takes 20 minutes to do one round. Should have those last 15 rounds done sometime in 2010.

I Must Digress

I just finished RUNNING for 31 min. on the treadmill. I had some random thoughts while running today, which, by the way is only the second time I've ever ran that long. I'm used to walking for up to an hour but running is somehow mentally different. Okay, so my thoughts . . .
running for runners (which i will probably never categorize myself as) is like knitting to knitters. it's mentally and physically taxing. while I was running i thought how exciting it is to finish at a particular time or distance. It's fun to talk about it to other people who run. I wanted to get off that treadmill and call someone. I want to do the same thing when I acquire new yarn/patterns/technique. my sisters (each for different reasons are the ones i want to call). this lead my to another random thought, cece has no sisters - who will she call?
i'm going to keep running on that treadmill thanks to the howards and i'm going to keep having random thoughts. i actually thought about running outside and it makes me a little nervous. that's my next hurdle, like cables, intarsia, or 2-handed knitting, you must learn something with every project.
since January? but surely since February i've learned that i can move more and eat less, i can find the time to both walk/run and knit. sarah and johanna thanks for the encouragement, biddy thanks for being able to share knitting (my FAVORITE OBSESSION) with me. i'm rambling and tearing up, maybe that's what those endorphins do to ya'.
but i digress...

Thanks To The Wannings

Just a short note. Wanted to give a great big, Lounsberry, shout out to all of the Wannings that visited. I know it's hard to travel such a long distance and we're sure glad they did!
a few pics...more later to include knitting for the Wannings.
Thanks for coming! We love you and miss you already.

March Madness

All I have to say about the NCAA tournament is GO DRAKE! My dad used to follow Drake back in the day, and who doesn't remember Dolph Polliam from 1-2-3! ... that's how elementary it's 'gonna be...
I've finished a few things lately. The weather is getting better and this might be my last push before the knitting mojo is gone.

These are a nice cotton-y socks for Kristin - I hope they fit. They seem a little small,as I suppose they should be, for my size 10ish foot. They're super soft and made from Comfort - a yarn I now love. They're a basic, top down, 3x1 ribbed sock with nothing fancy. That toe up sock was too much for me. I did use a size 3, 11" circular needle - it was fantastic.
Okay, project number 2 is a baby Giacomo hat for Sarah's friend's brother's baby boy (poor grammar, I'm sure). It was knit up in one night using some left over Falk yarn and a few odd skeins from KnitPicks, Wool of the Andes. It's cute and was simple. I may try a larger version and some baby, thumb-less mittens to match.

Next up a photo of the Inga hat that I finished. I love the colors the pattern and the process (which I'm much better at now having watched a tut on knitting with 2 hands).

Anyway, the only thing I don't like is the fact that the hat is too long, too tall. Next time I'm going to take a few rounds off the bottom for a shorter, better fitting hat. I loved the braid and used it on the very next hat, the Center Square hat from Knitty Winter 2006.

It was a joy, made with double strands of a worsted weight yarn, nothing note worthy. I made it while the rest of the family watched an incredibly long, Pirates of the Caribbean. It's for Cece but unfortunately, it too is a little small. Next time I must remember to add some extra room for that ponytail! Here it is, I incorporated the braid from the Inga hat. It was even shorter before I picked up the cast on stitches and made a short ribbing. I think it needs a pom-pom/pon? but Cece says no.
Next up? More ISU sweaters, but with a different top-down pattern that must be perfected. After that, (in no particular order) Kristin's Pumpkin Sweater,White Witch Mittens, felted clogs/slippers,more hats, those unpaired socks x 2, Christmas stockings x 2, and the Must Have Cardigan. Wow that seems like a tall order - good thing I love to knit.
Thanks for taking the time to check this blog out.
Best
Amy
p.s. after adding that photo of Dolph, I thought, wow - how does Dolph Polliam end up on a mostly-knitting blog. 'Ya never know.

Prell Girl

Here's a better photo of the olive green cardigan that I made for Sarah. Shout out to Jen for the perfect photo!

WIP that Inga hat is so freakin' cool. Anyone need a brown and pink hat. Funny that I sometimes knit something that I love in colors that I love and have absolutely no idea who I'm making it for...hence the offer...anyone need a pink and brown hat?

peace

This N' That

just wanted to share a few photos of FOs. Some from a long time ago, and some fairly new. NO words - just photos, here ya' go.

Knit-Out 2008

I started out on Friday afternoon at Knitted Together in Des Moines, and found a few skeins. Then off to pick up Kristin and my sister Biddy a newer knitter and a great spender! We headed north on Saturday morning in great weather and got to the MALL at about 11:15. We got rock star parking and headed in. We ran into Jenifer and found Susan B. Anderson of Itty Bitty Hat fame all within about 2 minutes. We by-passed the huge lines of people waiting for free fun fur and other wonderful swag. I was more than impressed with how nice, not to mention humble, Susan B. Anderson was. She was just so darn cute. She signed my book, took a photo with me and allowed us to walk with her to another one of the Knit-Out venues. I felt like I was stalking her, I watched for her everywhere that day. She gets my, 'you made my day award'. (once again, a BAD photo of me - next time I'll dress as if I might get the chance to take my picture with Susan (?) SBA (?)) To my defence, I was sort of shaking on the inside, but I could have at least smiled.
Okay, now that I've come down from cloud nine, I'll give my humble review of the Knit-Out. Let's just say it doesn't get the 'you made my day award'. People stood in line for hours to get free, well, with no better word to describe it, CRAP. Save the authors and designers it was not a great gig. It was not what we were looking forward to, we were looking for the hand dyed, hand spun yarn. All we wanted was a chance to spend some money on yarn. We did eventually find that opportunity to spend at a few of the LYSs in MPLS. Our motto was leave your money in the Cities, and we did.
The weather took a turn for the worse and we had to make an over-night stop in Mason City due to the ice and blowing snow. It gave us time to knit and to have a few adult cocktails.
Here's what I purchased over the weekend and what was waiting for me when I got home.I got this sock started during the 25 mph drive home. I love the yarn and I love my new 11" Balene Needles even more. Socks will be for Kristin. A great travel pal - no complaining or foot tapping while we shopped endlessly for more yarn we didn't need.

I got this Pumpkin color for a sweater for Kristin - those who travel with the knitters will get something knitted for them.
These skeins are for the Inga Hat, a free pattern from eweniquefiber.com.

These skeins are for the White Witch Mitts, a free mitten pattern on Knittingdaily from Interweave Press.

I got these two skeins in Des Moines. Both are sort of Neopolitan - browns,pinks,tans. I can't wait to make some socks from these. They're Opal and Sockina Cotton.

This is what was waiting for me when I got home. Three skeins of LionBrand Cotton Ease in pineapple for more ISU sweaters. I bought it on Ravelry (my newest obsession).

This is the longest blog ever - so thanks for hanging in there. By the way, don't the photos look better? Amazing what a piece of white poster board will do for the photos.
One of the best things about the Knit-Out was the opportunity to meet people who just plain love to knit. We met Anna and Lou from California and they were great. I hope they read this blog and we become long-distance knitter-friends.

all my best
amy