Mea Culpa - it's worse than I thought

Ok, this branching out is for the birds..... I was moving along rather nicely and then needed to tink tink tink - got to a place I was ready to knit again and started looking rather closely to the pattern I had knitted and found a huge flaw - I tried to capture it with a digital image, but it did not show up, but the big flaw is about half way through me knitting this part of the scarf, somehow I ended up with the wrong side being on the right side and vice versa. Now that was about more than a newly resurrected knitter could take, but having a bit of perseverance left in my tank, I just took the other end of the mohair and began again from the other end of the skein. They twill meet again and slowly I will tink, step by step, inch by inch until it becomes one again.

Knit TINK

The lace scarf was going nicely until something happened.... and I don't know what it was, but all of a sudden, I could tell things were not like they were supposed to be and an extra stitch appeared - slowly I started tinking............and more tinking.... I tinked using dp size 1 needles because I was fighting the mohair and the mohair was winning. I kept counting stitches on the rows and all of them were off by one- I KNOW that I didn't go that long with stitches awry. I have finally stopped at a row where I FINALLY got to a row that somehow geehaws with the number of stitches I have - now I have to figure WHICH ROW I am on - take a number between 1 and 10 - that's where I am, since those are the only choices I have.

So I took a break from the scarf and went back to the baby bedspread blanket that I am praying through. It's going to be a little bigger than anticipated, but it will fit nicely in a crib. Pictures forthcoming when I finish.

Branching out
Yep, I am branching out all right - all of my other projects are so big and long right now, I forced myself into something that was a wee bit smaller. As my husband and I went out on a date last night, I finally went and got some short straight bamboo needles - in lieu of the LONG ones I had at home that was getting in my way and too big for the project.

This pattern came from Knitty online - one of the challenges that I am finding driving me crazy is the k3tog - using this kid mohair is a challenge enough, and this it forcing into frontiers that I have not delved into - I am trying to loosen up the stitch so I can to the k3tog more easily. Any suggestions gladly accepted.

Oh yes, also trying to follow a knitting graph. Reading right to left is a challenge and it is a bit like learning a new alphabet. Stretching and excercising these feeble brain cells.



Daring deception is blooming up a storm in my backyard. I took this picture at dusk and you can see the daylilies are still holding up before their demise in the night.


My garden helper Davis - can you tell he worked hard in my backyard? He was a great helper by helping pick up pine cones. We also got a chance to get a taste of honeysuckle. However, I think his favorite part was the macaroni and cheese and hot dogs that we had for supper. Thank you Davis for helping out in our garden! Oh yes, his mom and sister helped in the garden too - we had lots of fun!

School is ending

It has been a few days since I posted - school is in the planning time days and we should be finished tomorrow.

Now...this prayer blanket - a couple of observations - I made it too wide - so with that you need to have it proportionally long enough for it to look right. So, it is going to take longer than I expected. I will take a picture of it tomorrow to post - so you can see the progress.

So, the faroese shawl is sitting there dormant, waiting for me to pay attention to it and pull it out and get it going - but I know better - I need undivided attention to do that one - and the minute I get started on it is a sure fire way to get the phone to ring, have someone ask me a question, doorbell to ring, dog to want out NOW - you get the picture. It's sort of like Murphy's law.

Plus I really want to get some felting done and that is calling my name too.

Baby Prayer blanket

Baby prayer blanket

Close up of blanket

Occasionally the memory works and out of the cobwebs of the brain, after deeply searching and writing down what I THOUGHT was correct, I came up with the pattern I knitted during my teenage years. I tried to remember it and tried to remember on paper, but it wouldn't do, the fingers had to do the remembering - so this 29 stitch repeating pattern is a project I am working on now - I cast on 145 stitches and am using size 10 1/2 circulars - Plymouth Encore Yarn.
Would you like the pattern? I have no idea if it is officially copyrighted because the last time I saw the pattern was in the 70s - but if you want the pattern, I will be glad to email it to you. The first person to ask for it may need to wait until I get it down on a document, but it is not too difficult and has a nice look to it. You can email me and I will send you the pattern. I won't have a gauge, just the pattern, so the rest you are on your own.

I forgot to add the prayer aspect - through the repetition of 29 stitches (the rows that I don't have to count and k2tog, I am trying to pray the Lord's prayer and have it flow with the 29 stitches. So far I have been only minimally successful in that respect, however, if I have stitches left over, I pray for each family member that will be receiving the prayer blanket for their new addition.

Prayer Blanket

Bess with her soon to be daughter's prayer blanket
Our Episcopal Church Women had a baby shower for Bess - whose baby is due in June. She is holding a prayer blanket, made with the Trinity stitch pattern. The fringe is yarn and satin ribbon combined, giving it a nice little different look at the end. Many prayers have gone into the blanket for the family as they prepare for their new arrival.

A trip to the daylily farm

Wyoming Wildfire daylily
Off we went to Farmhouse Daylily Gardens to check out the acres of daylilies that should be close to peak. However, we have had a unusually cool spring for these parts of south Georgia and peak, which should be just about now, is going to be in about 2 weeks. That's ok, we have plenty of places to visit around here to see daylilies. I did go over my limit as to what I was going to get, but how can I resist those gorgeous lilies? It's a bit contagious and I scratched more off of my list than kept on my list, so that must count for something?????

After that, I went to a baby shower and the baby prayer blanket went to the new baby to be. I should have a picture of thatto post soon - why didn't I take a picture??? Well, Rachael, who is our 7 year old daughter, got a little antsy so I gave her the digital camera at the daylily garden and lo and behold, she took picture after picture - needless to say, I might be computer savvy, but digital camera smarts I am not, so I couldn't figure out how to take off the pictures she took, but she did take some pretty good pictures.

Rachael took this picture of a squirrel

GRRRRRRRRR

I thought I might try knitting a sock - my very first one last night - well frustration set in and I could tell this sock was doomed to being frogged - I got to get some instructions that take me by baby steps. I am using fingerling yarn that is self striping, so was pretty excited. Too many needles, fingers that were fumbling, it all spelled "it was not to be tonight"

So if anyone out there is reading this blog and knows of a good step by step instruction of a plain old fashioned sock - lead me to it please!

Fighting with a shawl

Faroese-Style Shawl
I have fought with this shawl and even had to make a drive to the "LYS" 35 miles away to pick up another pair of circular needles because one of the four legged creatures in our house decided to chew on the bamboo ones. And of course they didn't have the size I needed so I ended up purchasing some plastic ones - which added to the fighting. I have ripped this thing aobut at least 6 times and finally have the pattern down. The circular needles curl enough that I can't get a true picture of it. This is from Cast on Magazine Spring 2004 and I am using Lion Brand Homespun - a purple heathery color (I could get up and go look, but it is past my bed time and I am waiting for the laundry to dry).
In the backdrop is a baby blanket - finally got more of the skeins I needed from Kaleidoscope Yarns - on sale to top it off - It's Plymouth Encore and wonderful to knit with.
A nice little treasure landed in my lap today - my mom brought me a box of old needles- both dp and straight with a couple of circulars that belonged to my grandmother, so the tradition continues.
Now, I would like to find a nice easy sock pattern to try that won't try my patience to badly - any good web sites recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Feast Day

For those of us that follow a liturgical calendar, today is Feast of the Pentecost - the 50th day of Easter and the birthday of the church. For some of us in our local congregation, it is indeed an extra special day as we become members of a religious order in the Episcopal Church - Daughters of the King (for more info - Daughters of the King) - Here's the picture:


Yesterday we had a retreat and went to Tallahassee's Holy Comforter to their labyrinth and then celebrated Eucharist using a Celtic service. After breaking bread together, what better way to top off the morning than to go to a French restaurant - Mon Père et Moi - good food, good friends - what more can you ask for?

Well, one would think that one would nap after a morning like that - topped off with a delicious meal - but knitting did take place - I began another shawl - with a different twist. I used fun fur as the border and I am interspersing the knitting with a row or two of the fun fur combined with the homespun - gives it a nice less traditional look.

Now, I do have a little problem, some animal of mine has decided they like chewing on my bamboo needles - feline or canine - they better watch out - not sure if one of the circular needles is usable now - time will tell on that one. I guess I can't lay/lie my needles down anymore without thought of what might happen if one of the four legged creatures decides to teethe on it.

Musings

I realized I haven't posted in three days, and if I want to be doing this on a regular basis, I need to try to keep this up and current. The end of the school year is filled to the gills with paperwork and the stack on my desk is looking ominous (as in it is going to tip over and spill all over the place) .
On top of it I have a sore big toe, from an ingrown nail and being stepped on so many times by my preschoolers, that I don't believe the toenail is going to survive. It's a toss up - wear closed shoes and make my toe sore that way, or wear my Birks which provide the room it needs to breathe, but risk getting stepped on by little ones. HMMMMMMMMMMMMM. . . . .

I have been knitting prayer shawls and one for an upcoming baby in the church - I made one and I am not happy with its size, so I am starting again. I will save this one for a preemie.

Now to my nemesis.....I have begun a Faroese shawl - I have ripped it out over 5 times - it shouldn't be that difficult to do, but I keep on messing up and having more stitches than I need. I know once I get to a certain point, it will be easy, but it is giving me a run for my money. Pictures forthcoming. I got the pattern from a back issue of Cast on Magazine (Spring 2004 I think). I am using Homespun by Lion brand as it calls for and size 13 needles.

Pesky Strings of yarn and smell of wet wool

PESKY STRINGS OF YARN
I felted the purse that I photographed and posted earlier. Well, lo and behold, the purse felted and when I opened the washing machine and pulled the purse out, I noticed that several pieces of yarn had been hiding and were left undiscovered. Hopefully I can pull them through - I think it can go through one more washing before it is tight as it needs to be.
By the way, I have determined that wet wool smells between a cross of wet dog and the smell of a permanent. Any other thoughts as to what it smells like???

Susan's shawl, which is for her niece who was baptized, had ribbon incorporated into the fringe. She knitted it for her niece who was just baptized. What a joyful shawl for a joyful occasion! Blessed and ready to go!

We blessed at least 6 shawls today!
Eight of us knitted and crocheted today at our Shawl Ministry meeting. Two of our shawls/blankets were for babies, most already knew where they were heading. Sorry for the poor photo, as the photographer couldn't seem to get the flash at the right time.

No camera but finished objects

Well, I finished 2 things today - one was my Advent scarf - I finished it because I wanted to actually say I finished something. Then I felted the red and black purse on this page - once it felted I realized I left 2 strings hanging out - I have to figure out if these little skeechers can be pulled through the felting.

I read somewhere how wet wool smells - well, it sort of smells like the cross between a wet dog and a permanent to me.

My youngest daughter borrowed the digital camera so will post it tomorrow as soon as I get it back.

I completed 3 IEPs today and worked on several more today. There is beginning to be light at the end of the tunnel as the paperwork begins to lessen. Soon as I type this, I am sure I will be deluged with more paperwork to do.

Tomorrow morning is our meeting for prayer shawl ministry - I will post pictures from them if the camera gets back in time.

Sit N Sew

Last evening I was at a friend's house with other folks that were working on the following:

1. One was working on her daughter's prom dress - in a gorgeous royal/sapphire blue.
2. 2 were quilting
3. The rest of us have invaded and are fairly new and knitting with a token crocheter thrown in for the evening.

What did I discover?

I don't even have the sense to be able to k3 p3 at a table of folks who are talking about as many things as there are people. I wanted to hear every bit of it, so I couldn't keep up with the knitting. Next time I bring a project that has a garter stitch and that is it.

Other than that I untangled the awful mess of yarn that had been tangled by the animals.

School is consuming my energy with IEPs being written for the end of the year. If you are a special education teacher, you know what I am speaking of.

Saturday our shawl ministry group will meet and I will try to take pictures to share.

Tangled mess
This is the remnants of what I had to knit with on the buttonhole purse. Animals wreaked havoc with the yarn I had wound nicely. I had one skein so I was using the both ends of the yarn skein to double the yarn while I was knitting (I know there is a term I am supposed to use, but brain has fried from the paperwork I am doing as a special education teacher at school). My purse took much longer to knit because of this tangled web I will blame on the animals. Perhaps I am too trusting of pets around wool. Should I blame the cats or the dogs(or me - sheepish grin, no pun intended)?

Prefelted purse

Swamped and all tangled up
Well this caption wasn't supposed to be here, but the HELLO software is just a little quirky - this is the prefelted button hole purse that I got the pattern from Mason Dixon Knitting - I had placed it on top of the recliner as I finished it off - and couldn't find it this morning - one of the ANIMALS carried it off to place it in their STASH - lo and behold it was found underneath the ottoman - in one piece.

Advent Shawl
Last night I went to Walmart and was purchasing a birthday gift for a friend. My buggy gravitated to the yarn section and I found some LionBrand yarn Purple Mountain Moonlight Mohair - it is a purple plum with metallic glimmerings in it. I took a picture to post, needless to say the picture does not reflect its true colors. I am using size 13 needles (Addi) and a straight garter stitch - I think this is going to be one that I will have at the church bazaar to sell. For the length I want it, it will take between 1-2 skeins (I am using 2nd skein now) Since the bazaar is right before the Advent season, I think someone will want it. If not, I will add it to my ever increasing number of shawls I have collected over the past year.