Wooden Needles...

I am beginning to hates them. Circular ones that is. I WILL NOT purchase anymore of them. I tend to snap the smaller varieties, snapped off approximately an inch or so of the tip on a size 4 Ebony circular awhile back. This morning I decided I needed to cast on for the felted bag/purse that I purchased the yarn for last evening... so went through the needle stash to find the appropriate size; 10.5 US. Well, the only set of those I have free at the moment is a bamboo pair of circs. Not my favorite, this pair is blunt and non slippy. But they are workable, (or so I thought).

So I cast on, and proceeded to start work on the bottom of the bag. Have ~80ish stitches on the needle when the needle disconnects from the wire leaving a fair bit of stitches flapping in the breeze, literally as I was outside. Shove the needle back together, give it a bit of a tug, it holds, so I scoop the stitches back on and then try to resume my knitting when the bastard pops off again. Stitches are secured, and I am going to go look in the stash again and see where the other 10.5 needle is. I suspect that it (an Addi -Turbo) is in a half formed felted slipper.... which will shortly be on a yarn holder. I love the addi's as they are slippy but wish they had pointier ends. The lace ones do.. I know, and I will be purchasing more of them in the future as I need more needles. No more Wooden Circs for me!

Growl! This is cutting into my sunshine time.

More Sunshine

Glad that the wonderful weather stuck around for the weekend, better chance to enjoy it, tho it also brings work in the form of weeding and mowing. Ah well. I will manage to sneek some knitting into the day somewhere. Taking a break from the "housework" at the moment. Got the laundry hung outside to dry before 7 am. Took some of my indoor plants out, watered them and put them in an area where they will get lots more light than being inside. Mostly Jade and succlulents. Might take the orchids out for a bit too. Need to finish the vaccumming and then the house will be in order. Oh wait. There are a few dishes left from breakfast, gotta do those too. Then Knitting time for an hour at least! Need to run out to the store and get some crackers and meats and cheeses this morning. My Mom is comming over for a bit today and I don't have any snacky stuff other than pop corn.

Purchased some yarn for a "Lucy Bag" for my brother's girlfriend and I want to cast that on in the worst way. But I also need to work on finishing up some of the other things that are already on needles. Anyone know a sure way to contract a severe case of Finish-itis? :-) I needs it!

Knit Happy!

A bit of excitement.

Knitting at TAP this evening, when the fire alarms started going off. Of course everyone excited the building. We did all grab our yarn as it was obvious that there wasn't any real emergency right where we were. Fire department was called of course, they had to check out the building and reset/shut off the alarm system. There are apartments above the TAP and Subway in this particular building. As far as we know, there wasn't a fire, but the Firemen did take an exhaust(?)fan (that's what it looked like to me) up to the second floor. People on the second floor did have to wait to return to their apartments, but everyone else was allowed to return to the building after stuff was checked out. We were all standing out on the corner waiting and most of us knitting. Wish I would have had the camera. Got to have a "practice knit in public day." You know I Never do That.... :-) hee hee hee.

Worked on the afghan last night, just wasn't in to sleeves. Finished the 3rd square and started on the fourth. This particular pattern is flying right along, and is perfect knitting for reading. I decided to start "Gone" as it is just a single book as opposed to the Anne Rice books.

Well, it is after my bed time and need to get to bed. Yea! Tomorrow's Friday!

Knit Happy!

Reading

Just finished re reading a few books, last read them in Jr. High I think. George Orwell's 1984, finished it this afternoon, and Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I finished up last night. I'm wanting to re read some more of the ones I read umpteen years ago. Not sure what is up next, tbo will probably be Anne Rice's Vampire series (haven't read these yet, but they look good and I do like some of her other books). Just purchased them a few weeks ago but they have been sitting. Also have Gone, by Lisa Gardner to read, it was in a "help yourself" stack at work.

Still working my way down the first sleeve of the Braid's Cardigan.

Had to rip out the other sweater, the one that I started for my niece. You know those instructions that say "join, being careful not to twist"? Yeah. I wasn't careful. Six rows into it I reailzed that it looked a bit funny. Colorful words were said. Grrr. Haven't done that one in awhile! Sweater will basicly be a simple seed stitch with a touch of ribbing at the sides and I'm going to stick a pair of cabled trees in one of the lower front quadrants. (sweater pattern pretty much using EZ's percentage system tho I'm not doing raglan sleeves, and the tree pattern is from Barbara G. Walker's Thrid Treasury of Kniting Designs pg 101) Anyway, have to cast it back on again. Must be done before Dec. Yeah there is plenty of time, but Procrastination seems to be my middle name.

Happy Knitting!

A bit bummed...

There were a few (4) classes that I wanted to take at the Sock Summit, (I had made up my mind to just choose one tho) but the sign up was at 10am PDT today at which time I was at work. And while we do have computers at work, and some of them even have internet access, it was not possible for me to even have the time to think about registering for classes at that time. We are just slammed with clients around the holidays. I just logged on the Sock Summit web site @3:20pm (as I just got home from work) and of course all the classes that I wanted were full, I knew that they would be but of course I had to check. There were only a very few classes that still had openings. Ah well! Maybe one of these days the sign ups will be at the stroke of Midnight. :-) At least then all I would have missed would have been a bit of sleep and I would have at least had a chance. And I am so glad that I didn't reserve a hotel room prior to registration, as I think that they were filling up fast and furious.

Reached virgin yarn on the sweater sleeve around 2pm yesterday. The K3P1 ribbing is working great. The decreases are coming nicely and I need to check for fit today before I pick it back up to work on. Might want to increase the frequency of the decreases. Jessica's hat just needs the button sewed on and one yarn end to weave in. Then I have to contact her granny to get her address.

Garden is doing well, 45 baby corn stalks (the ones from seed) and another 7 that are about 3 weeks ahead (starts). More corn should be coming up the rest of this week. Based on the "pattern" my husband planted by, should be roughly 30 more. Tomato plants are still bitty but there are 5 flowers between the 3 plants. We should have a bumper crop of strawberries. Tons of flowers and baby berries coming on and the plants are quite tall as well, in fact they are almost as tall at the moment as our artichoke plants. Wish that I had a camera here. The strawberries 2 years ago that were in planters,(and still in those planters and doing well) 2 strawberry pots and 2 wooden "flower box" type planters, all sent out runners and now the back section is carpeted in strawberry plants. Blueberry bushes are loaded with flowers and baby berries, we have several different kinds, some early, mid-season and some lates. Potato plants are popping up everywhere. found 4 in the garlic beds and 6 or 7 under the newest cherry trees. I think that we must have had some potatoes in the compost that we added to the garden beds. hmm. Squash, zuccini, eggplant, beans and peas all doing well so far. May need to learn to can. :-) Have already had some lettuce for sandwiches the other day. yummy!

Happy Knitting!

Thank You...

To all our men and women in our Armed Forces that have served and continue to serve, and to all those who have lost their lives in service to and defense of our country. We know that Freedom isn't Free, and we have you to thank for our country's freedom. We will always have you in our thoughts and wishes and prayers.

Yesterday I managed to spend outside, mowed the lawn as soon as I heard one of the other neighbors fire up a lawn mower. Didn't want to be the first to break the silence of a Saturday morning. Finished by 11ish (only had the back yard to do thanks to my neighbor, he mowed my front yard on Thursday) and spent the next several hours parked in a lawn chair knitting.

Almost back to virgin yarn after the sleeve rippage. Much nicer with the additional stitches picked up. Decided to go with a K3P1 ribbing down the sleeves, which is what the base pattern is on the sweater itself. The directions for the sleeve call for a K2P1, but we all know that didn't work out well, tho to be truthful, it might have worked with more stitches to start with. Will have to pull out the directions soon, see what the sleeve decreases are and then go stand in front of the mirror and decide if I do the decreases as specified, or modify them somewhat. Am I even capable of following directions as written? hmmm.

Hubby comes home sooner than he had originally planned. So by mid June he should be back instead of at the end of June. Works for me! I don't mind doing the yard work so much, but it does cut into knitting time.

Spent the morning on the computer looking at photos and such. Need to drag the spinning wheel out of the corner sometime to day and practice. Need to fire up the other computer and print out some stuff. Need to go shopping sometime this morning. Store I need to go to should be open in an hour so better get out of my jammies and take a shower. Need to try on the hat for Jessica and decide if it will fit a nine year old, or do I need to rip and restart.

Need to walk away from the computer now.

Happy Knitting!