FO-rogging I Shall Go

Hello there! I have nothing terribly exciting to report, I'm afraid. Remember these socks I've been knitting?

Yeah, I did finish them. And you know what? I'm going to frog them. I finished knitting them, and tried them on, and they are fine, but I don't really like the fit. Just overall, not in one single place I can re-knit and fix. I know if I left them as they are, I would just never wear them. And though I have plenty of yarn left to give these away and knit another pair for myself, I'm not sure who I could give them to, since even if they fit someone else better, I have no one who would take the care to wash them without having them start to shrink almost immediately.

I generally wash my handknit socks in the gentle cycle, and then hang them to dry. I have found that it keeps them from shrinking and/or getting somewhat felted. I used to just put them in the wash and the dryer, but they didn't last very long that way. And after all of the time knitting them, it killed me that they were finished after only a few wears.

So, I'm planning to frog these, and either re-knit them using the frogged yarn at some point, or used the frogged yarn for something down the line and make another pair with the leftover yarn for myself. I like the yarn too much to just toss the one pair and start another. So it will be reclaimed, and all of it put away to knit another day in another way.

I'm disappointed, but not really upset or sad. I think I've finally reached the point in my knitting life when I'm just as happy to start over and have something work better as I am to start something the first time ever. I'll live, and besides, it's only knitting, right??

I hope we all have a good week, full of fresh starts, or happy continuations. Take care.

Starting With a Finish

Hello and Happy First Day of Fall (even if summer weather is still horning in)!  Yes, I am annoyed that the fall weather we had last week turned back into summer weather, BUT - I know that as we go forward, fall will really happen, and the weather and temperatures will be those that make me both comfortable and happier.  (Unlike summer, where I know it will only get hotter before it's time to cool off.)

Anyway, I hope all of you had a good weekend, or at a minimum, not a terrible one.  Mine started out OK, but got derailed yesterday and I never caught up with myself.  At least it was on a Sunday and didn't put the whole weekend out of sync!

The good news is, I have a finish to show you - YAY!  

Project:  Grey Tabby Socks
Pattern:  Heel Toe Do Si Do, from Crazy Sock Lady Designs
Yarn:  Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts 100% Superwash BFL Wool 4-Ply Fingering Sock in the Grey Tabby colorway (part of their Meow Collection)
Needles:  US size 1
Modifications:  I did a normal 2 x 2 rib at the top, rather than the twisted rib indicated in the pattern.
Comments:  This was such a fun knit, the pattern just zooms along!  You can't tell in this photo, but the front of the sock ends up with a chevron-type look, and it's easy enough to remember that after the first few 2-row repeats, you've got it in your head.  I probably could have finished these sooner, but I took some time to [obsessively] finish my counted cross-stitch project.  I've never knit one of the Crazy Sock Lady's patterns before, but if they are as well done/written as this one, she has her sh*t together, I must say.

The yarn is from my stash, which pleases me, and it is has a cozy feel to it as you are knitting.  It moves along well in your hands, and doesn't get tangled on itself along the way.

These will be for me, and now that they are finished, it's time to get started on some gift knitting.  I don't have a lot planned, but I want to get it underway so I'm not doing anything at the very last minute.

Finally, RIP to my Edie sweater, at least for now.  I took it over to Loop yesterday, when they were offering a help session.  Besides the issues that started the whole thing out, the person there pointed out to me that the friend who made a temporary fix (said friend said she had "triaged" it), had actually done something that meant that the sleeve that was the problem had about 20 extra stitches on the needle, so regardless of what could/could not be figured out, the sleeves would not match at all.  I went home and frogged it, which on the one hand was dismaying, but on the other hand was OK because since it's linen, I won't even think of re-knitting it until next spring/early summer, when it will all feel new again.  And at least in theory, since I have already knit the body, it should all go more quickly.  I wouldn't even consider this except that I really want this knit, and it was an enjoyable project.

And that's it for today.  I hope all of you have a good week, and that none of your projects have to be frogged for any reason.  :-)

One and These Will Never Be Done

I hope all of you had a nice July 4th, if you celebrate.  Ours was quiet but nice.  We spent as little time as possible outside, because the humidity made it hard to breathe, but we had a good day nonetheless.

Today I have a HO (Half-finished Object) for you, that will only ever remain in that state.  You may or may not remember these:

I was making a pair of Tracie Millar's Georgia Socks.  Not just because I liked the pattern, but because I have been wanting to make more shortie socks, since I like them in warmer weather.  But so far, I'd only made myself two pairs, which I talked about here and here.  Those socks have gotten a fair amount of wear, and have also held up really well.

Well, on Wednesday, I finished sock #1:

And that, my friends, is the last time you will ever see this project.  Because I'm not knitting a sock #2, for the following reasons:

1.  It turns out I don't enjoy scrappy socks where you change yarns so frequently.  The lighter stripes were just not enjoyable, because you just didn't get to use the yarn enough to really feel like it was working.  As a matter of fact, I changed the toe because I was sick of the tiny stripes.

2.  In the interest of giving afterthought heels another go, and learning something new, I decided to go with the cut in afterthought heel included in the pattern.  And I have decided that afterthought heels are just not for me.  They are too fiddly, and I hated having to still make the heel once the sock knitting was finished.

3.  Having said that, I was ready to soldier on with sock #2, because they looked nice enough.  The clincher to this forever and always being an HO was when I tried them on.  I was knitting the size I usually knit, with the needles I usually use, and after everything else, they were WAY too small, and the heel was incredibly uncomfortable.

So - NOPE.

Yesterday I started a pair of plain vanilla shortie socks.

I'm not saying I would never make this pattern again, as I enjoyed knitting it.  But in the future, I'll make a larger size, with a heel flap and gusset.  And I will either do a colorblock thing, similar to the one other pairs I've made, or just use a solid or self-striping yarn.

On the one hand, it was disappointing and frustrating.  But it was also a good learning experience, and worth it for that reason.  It just means it will take a bit longer until I have another pair of shortie socks.  ;-)

Here's hoping you have a good weekend.  I took the day off work today, and will be meeting a friend for lunch, which should be fun.  We used to work together and teach serials cataloging workshops together, then I left and took another job and she retired.  So occasionally, we get together for lunch and have a lot of laughs.  Other than that, neither myself nor The Tim have any specific plans.  I think it's supposed to be another hot one, so it may not be conducive to doing a whole lot.  But it's still a weekend, so we'll take it.

Keep cool, and I'll see you on Monday with the winner of the first giveaway!

13 Things in 2013

Well, if there are any things I really wanted/needed to do before the end of the year, I'd better get moving!  To be honest, I can't think of anything that falls into this category (other than paying some bills this evening), but it is still almost the end of the year.

A lot of people do end-of-the-year posts about their most popular posts, their accomplishments, or even the worst about the year that is nearly at an end.  I have been giving it some thought, and decided I was going to list 13 Things in 2013, so here you go.

1.  In August, The Tim's oldest sister died unexpectedly.  It was sad, not just because of what it was, but because of how it happened.  And in the end, it seemed that after her husband died last year, she gave up on everything, and kinda died of a broken heart.  They were both sweet people, and were my favorites in his family.  I can only hope now that they are together and in peace.

2.  Shingles.  Enough said about that.

3.  I started going to a new internist this past summer, and so far it has been a real improvement.  My old doctor was someone I'd gone to for years, and though he was very nice, and very responsive, the past couple of times I'd had respiratory issues, I really feel that his hesitancy to give me strong drugs led to having pneumonia twice in two years.  I had a really bad cold a few weeks ago, which was taking the route that had led to pneumonia before, and the new doctor really decided to kick it at the beginning.  It cleared up and even my cough didn't last as long!

4.  I failed to complete two reading challenges I'd signed up to do.  But on the other hand, I read two more books than the goal I had set for myself on Goodreads!

5.  My knitting output was pitiful, but fortunately, I was pleased with what I did complete.

6.  My niece Julie and her husband Keith, who live in Brooklyn, are expecting a baby girl in May, so another great-niece will join the family!

7.  It snowed a couple of times this fall, and even though we didn't have a white Christmas, it was a cold and sunny Christmas day, which meant it felt the way it should, and that we could have a fire in our fireplace.

8.  I didn't manage to clean out/clear out as much stuff around here.  But on the plus side, I have been managing to slowly take the clothes that don't fit me any more but are still in decent shape, and donate them.  I hope they have made someone happy.

9.  Early in the year, I had the chance to meet a friend that I "met" on Facebook through two other real-life friends who knew her.  She was as much fun in person as she is online.  And it was a kick to be around a stranger that I felt like I already knew.

10.  Even though I wasn't as active and didn't exercise as much as I had planned to, I did manage to keep my weight about the same.

11.  In October, The Tim and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary, which counts for saving power if nothing else.

12.  Over the summer, I went with a group of friends to Stitch 'n Pitch.  Cole Hamels pitched, the Phillies won (a real treat this past season!), and it was one of the most fun times ever.

13.  We didn't have the chance for a big vacation, but we had a great trip to Rehoboth Beach in September, staying with my niece Amanda and her husband Pat, who have a house there that is shared in his family.  It was a wonderful weekend.  Dug went with us, and I think he had the best time of all.

So overall, except for the true sadness of losing Sheila, it was a year of more good than bad.  Death is a huge "bad" of course, but the important thing is for the rest of us to go on living our lives since we are still here.  We are all relatively healthy, pretty content, and ready for 2014.

Here's hoping it will be a good year for all of us who have made it through 2013!

Pitiful

The subject line is the description of my knitting output this year.  I only realized it when I went to my pictures folder of "Completed" projects for 2013.  This has been the year of the unfinished and/or frogged project, along with a few bouts of being really sick and also including some plain un-inspiration.

Such is life.  I am disappointed, but will live.  Hopefully I'll be more productive from this point, since I've got lots of things I'm ready to knit in my brain, and God knows, the yarn to knit things!

Remember this post?  Well, the thing I was so close to finishing was my Narragansett sweater.  I was pretty excited.  I managed to get the body knit, and decided to try it all on before starting the sleeves, to be sure that I got the underarm area right.  Well, I put it on, and could have easily fit five of my closest friends in it with me - it was HUGE!  It looked "normal" all the time I was knitting it, so I didn't suspect that it was going to be a problem.  Sigh.  I then decided the following:  1) it was gonna get frogged, 2) the yarn would be put away, and [at least in theory] I would try again next spring,* and, 3) I really did need to finish reading and absorbing the info in Knit to Flatter before I tried another sweater!

Another disappointment, but surprisingly, I wasn't as upset as I would have expected, thinking back on it.  Who knows.  It's in the past now, and in knitting as well as in life, I'm trying to keep moving forward, you know?

Because it's pitiful to be so pitiful.


*Maybe not the same pattern, but I love the color of the yarn, so it needs to be something ...

Labor Day Weekend

Here in the U.S., it's Labor Day weekend.  The Tim has had to work Saturday, Sunday, and then this evening, so we haven't done anything too elaborate.  I made a picnic-y dinner for us last night, and this a.m. we went out to breakfast, so that was our big excitement.

I had big plans for this weekend, and to some extent, I did get things done.  We have a room that was the craft room/office/dump-everything room that we have been fixing up, and I wanted to make some progress on that.  I did, and though it's not in its final version, it's close and you can more easily walk around than you could before.  :-)  That plan = good result.

I also wanted to knit a swatch of a project I have had in my head, thinking that I might actually submit it for publication.  The actual item is knit in the round, and I knitted the swatch according to some directions I found on someone's blog a while back.  It turned out looking like C.R.A.P.  So, no submission there, but down the road, it might become a freebie.   That plan = mixed results.

I was going to mail some of the blogiversary packages.  Got them packed up nicely and ready to go.  However, our local P.O. turned out to be closed on Saturday as well as Sunday and today.  So at the latest, I'll have to try next weekend.  That plan = bad results.

I was hoping to give the house a good clean, since it has been a while and the place is kinda disgusting.  But the entire weekend seemed to be a heat and humidity fest, and without a/c, there was just no way cleaning could happen and I could not make myself sick.  I did however, get the laundry finished.  So, that plan = mixed results.

You can see it's been a mixed bag of a weekend.  At first I was disappointed, but you know what?  I'm not gonna let myself be disappointed.  I got some things accomplished, and that counts!  Plus, it was a holiday weekend, and those are just too few and far between to feel bad about anything.

I hope all of you had a good holiday weekend.  I'm gonna get a few things organized to make the morning simpler tomorrow, and then it's time to read or knit, and relax.

September is here.  :-)

This Time I Am Prepared

I realized one day last week that my blogiversary is coming up - which is pretty amazing, since the last couple of years, I missed it!  It's funny, I used to hear from a lot of people via my blog, but not as much anymore, I think Facebook has replaced blogs for a lot of people.  Not for me, though!  I *love* when people leave comments, but I also write this as much for myself as anyone else.

Anyhoo, we have been fixing up the room in our house where most of my knitting-related books and all of my stash lives.  Which means I've gone through both of those, and have some things that I have decided I'm just not ever gonna use one way or another.  Since this is all happening now, I thought it might be fun to have a blogiversary giveaway with some of those goodies as the prizes.  I'm still pondering how I'll do it, so if you want the chance to get some nice yarn and/or nice books/patterns, stay tuned!

Also, do you remember this sweater that I started long ago, and picked up and put down a number of times:

the pattern is from Knitty, and it's Amelia by Laura Chau.  I've been using some Cascade 220 Heather yarn in the colorway Mallard (which is more of a dark blue-green than the photo shows).   I truly love the yarn, but became less and less fond of the project every time I'd pick it up.  So I decided to deep-six it, and use the yarn for some future project that I just cannot wait to make.  The funny thing is that when I was frogging it yesterday, I realized that it was a good thing I was doing so anyway, since apparently every time I picked it up (and there were some long stretches in between), I had a slightly differing gauge!  If I had soldiered on, and noticed that at the end, it wouldn't have been pretty, let me tell you.  So rather than seeing it as a project that failed, I'm seeing it as a project saved.  :-)

Another good thing (I'm just Little Mary Sunshine today, aren't I?) is that now I only have three active projects: my Emerald Hedgerows ('cause I always like to have a pair of socks on the needles.  I also realize I need an updated photo), my Delaware River Waves Scarf (for which my self-imposed deadline is next spring!), and my Breezy Turquoise, which I am hoping big-time that I will finish no later than the first day of fall, so I can just pull it out and actually wear it next spring.  

Other than that, I have a couple of ideas for things in my head that I want to see if I can figure out how to put them on paper and then translate to needles.  My math skills are non-existent, but I'm thinking that if I have real trouble, I can ask some of my friends who design things regularly for some help.  And if all else fails, I'll get The Tim to assist me ... I mean, he has to be good for something, right????

Enjoy this last day of the weekend, and I'll see you in another couple of days with blogiversary info.

The Story of a Pumpkin Hat

If you have been a reader of my blog for a while, you probably remember my dilemma over what/if to knit something for my newest great-nephew.  His parents are not ones to care about handmade things, so the pressure was only my pressure on myself.  But you see, up to this point, I've made all of my great- nieces and nephews hats when they were born.

Also, they live in San Francisco, so he didn't really need something warm.  At first, I was going to make him an elephant pillow from some fabric I had.  Then I decided that no, I'd knit him a toy.  I thought I would knit Elefante, by Susan B. Anderson.  Checked the pattern, decided that a) it was kinda fiddly, and b) it had some crochet, which I do not know how to do.  Moved on to a Baby Bobbi Bear, and got it all knitted.  Then I went to stuff it, and instead of looking like a cute teddy, it looked like a mangled teddy who was put back together by a blind person.  By this time, it was fall.  Parker was born in May.

So, I had a brilliant idea - I'd knit him a pumpkin hat!  YES!  The pattern is one I've done several times, and I knew it was doable in a short amount of time.  Away I went, knitting it up quite quickly.  I figured I'd be able to mail it on Saturday (yesterday).  Then my sister sent me this picture.

Sigh.  Let's face it, a baby doesn't need two pumpkin hats.  So, new plan.  The nearly completed pumpkin hat that I was making, would be for Doughboy's newest little brother, Paul.  Since I was using Encore, it would be nice and warm for his little baby head in Colorado, where they now live.  And Parker ... well ... I think I will make him the elephant pillow (sewing) that I had originally thought about making.  But, since we are going away at the end of the week, I probably won't even start it until we get back.  Such is life.

On the plus side, it meant that now I had a baby gift done!  This yarn

had become this hat

and it did get sent out to its recipient yesterday.   So all's well that ends well, I guess.  But I am wondering if just buying Parker a gift would have made more sense ... 

Details:

Pattern:  Patrick's Pumpkin Hat (I made the largest size, so it can be used for a couple of years)

Yarn:  Encore Worsted - pattern used roughly .08 ounces of the green yarn, and about a third of a ball of the orange

Needles:  Sizes, 5, 6, and 8US

Modifications:  None, except for the recipient!

Comments:  This is one of my favorite baby hat patterns, and it really is not that difficult.  I managed to make this one in four evenings of watching TV after dinner, and for me, that's pretty amazing.

******

As I mentioned, we are going away later this week, so we'll see how much of anything else I can accomplish ... that's it for now!

Aaargghh!

Sigh.

Remember how I wanted to knit something for my new great-nephew Parker, who was born in May and lives in San Francisco?  Because his parents - wonderful people that they are - do not really appreciate knitted things, I didn't want to go out of my way to create an "heirloom."  So I decided to make a toy.  First, I decided to make Susan B. Anderson's Elefante.  Got all ready to do that, and decided it was too fiddly, and since it involved crochet at the end, and I don't know how to crochet, that was problematic.

But then I remembered - I had this pattern!  Perfect, right?  Well, I grabbed some yarn that would work well for it, and took off.  Then, there was an interruption when my osteoarthritis flared up in my right hand and it was hard for me to knit.  But, then I picked it up again.  Turned out, it was slightly fiddly, but I got it all knit.  Over the weekend, I went to stuff it.  Uh oh.

It looked, in a word, craptastic.  As in, awful.  I had followed the pattern as written, but had somehow managed to get the arms to be too big, and not level with each other, and the legs looked bizarre, as they were long and skinny!  Instead of a cute little teddy bear, it looked like a teddy bear that had been in a terrible accident, and re-created from found random teddy parts.

Aaargghh!!!  I decided to cut my losses, and unraveled it, hoping that someday the yarn can be something else.  And, well, back to the drawing board.

At the moment, I think that I will be knitting two pumpkin hats - one for a new baby (Doughboy's new baby brother), and one for Parker (oh I might as well make three, and send one to James, the "big brother" to the new baby ...).  I've made quite a few pumpkin hats, and they have always turned out.  Let's hope that record stays intact.

If for some reason it doesn't ... it might be time for a store-bought gift and a nice card.

I'll keep you posted ... :-)