Little Sweaters

I finally managed to snap a picture of the two of them in their completed sweaters. They've been done for a few weeks now, but I kept forgetting to get a shot when they were both clean, happy and willing to sit still. So much harder than one would imagine! Anyway, here's the details. Connor's sweater is the Aran Sweater from Knitting for Baby using Woolease. I made it in the 18 months size so that he can wear it through next spring. Reilly's sweater is a basic turtleneck knit with a strand of Woolease and a strand of Rodel's Universal. I should have made his a bit bigger since it fits perfect right now. Reilly was so funny when I finished the sweater and had him try it on. He made the connection that Mommy had made it, just for him. He kept walking around telling everyone what I had done. Aww... In other news, I'm exclusively working on the shawl. I've only a half repeat to go, but am thinking that I may just do one more. There's tons of yarn left and another inch and a half couldn't hurt. So maybe sometime next week it'll be done. I did start another pair of socks using the Trekking I had gotten in the States. To me it seems like a nice masculine color scheme, but Royd thinks it's too feminine. This from the man who keeps buying pink shirts! It'll probably get ripped out and put away until I decide who'll end up with them. There's some other socks I've been wanting to start, but have decided not to until after I start and finish my Friday Harbor socks. I'm just waiting for the yarn to arrive. Have a great weekend!

Progress Update

Two weeks? Jeez, I guess I've been a bit blah lately. I think it started with the weather we've been having this summer. Cold and rainy days on end makes it hard to get out and have some fun. I know poor Reilly has had enough of it. Then Royd was gone all last week at a training seminar. I'd forgotten how hard it can be to be the only parent. Well, I guess I'd better get used to it: looks like he'll be deploying next spring again. Fun. There hasn't been a whole lot of knitting going on here. I think I started about eight projects, with one being on hold and one I'm continuing with. I just wasn't feeling the other ones. I did manage to finish the Irish Hiking Scarf and the Snowdrop Shawl and just need to block them. As far as the Basketweave Pullover goes, I have to undo the seaming I'd done. Royd tried it on and wants it longer. Luckily with the stitch pattern, there's alot of play to block it out a few more inches. I just haven't felt like doing it yet. This is what I have been working on: It's the Leaves and Flowers Shawl using some Knitpicks Color Your Own. When I first saw it I knew I had to make it since I will definetly wear it. I like that it's just lacey enough without being too open and that it's done in a fingering weight yarn instead of laceweight. So far I've been cruising along, but now it's at that point where each row takes about ten minutes and I'm only maybe a third to half-way done!

My Plans For Today

Connor has taken to getting up very early lately. Today it was 4:15. Of course, he couldn't just eat and go back to bed or even play nicely. He spent the next two hours screaming. Nothing was really wrong, he just wanted to be up but was too tired to enjoy himself. Needless to say, I'm exhausted! So I'm taking it easy and putting off the errands until tomorrow. What will I be doing? Well, spending some much needed time with the BasketWeave Pullover and vast amounts of coffee. Yes, the end is in sight. I can't wait to finish this one so that I can start on his next one. He's picked out the Manly Sweater from Stitch N Bitch. We're trying out dark green, charcoal and cream. I'm not sold on the colors yet, but we'll see how it goes. I'll also be trying to decide what to do with this pound of mohair/wool roving I won off Ebay. And this merino tencel blend I bought from this Ebay seller. Oh, there may have been two pounds of merino in the box too.

Finished Objects Alert

First we have the Dublin Bay Socks in Knitpicks Color Your Own. This yarn was a pleasure to work with, very soft. I may have ordered some more to try out with some natural dyeing. This is the Candlelight Scarf I had been working on last week. It's real name is A World Lit Only by Fire, from the Lavish Lace book. I used some Universal from the local Wolle Rodel. I got a bunch of other stuff done this weekend, but will post about it later this week. I've just got to finish up a few tiny little things and then there'll be tons more finished objects. It feels good to get some things off the needles and out of the Finishing Pile. I guess it's time to start planning some new projects. Oh, wait! Already done, I'm just waiting for the yarn to get here in the mail.

A Tisket, A Tasket

A finished FlowerBasket! The color's off in this one. Closeup of edging, which could have been blocked a tad more. The pretty shot. I figured since I have the blocking board set-up, I might as well finish this up. I'm glad I did, I love how it turned out. Too bad it's not for me. It'll be sent out this week to someone in Royd's family since it had originally been intented for his Nanny. I guess I'll just have to make another one.

6 Steps to a Productive Weekend

1. Prepare all of the meals for the weekend on Friday afternoon. A flank steak, hot dogs, wurst, and chicken breasts thrown on the grill makes plenty of food for an entire weekend. A nice potato salad, macaroni salad, deviled eggs and grilled veggies rounds it all out. Three hours spent in the kitchen now, makes for less time later. 2. Spend a few hours on Friday doing all of the housework that has to be done. 3. Frozen coffee drinks make for a nice sipping treat. Caffeine also fuels fast knitting. 4. Give husband his list of chores on Saturday morning and let him run with it. Don't stress too much if he isn't doing it. Nagging only slows you down. 5. Occasionally give husband and children love and attention when needed. When they get completely bored, go for walk and get ice cream and toys. Then quickly come home. 6. When you think you cannot possibly knit another stitch, go get a sponge and cleaning solution. Go to ________ (insert word of choice: bathroom, oven, child's room, fridge drawers) and spend twenty minutes there. You'll quickly find renewed desire to go back to knitting. Following said steps will guarantee a very efficient and goal oriented weekend. In this time you can: Complete an entire child's sweater, Finish a front and back of another child's sweater* Knit about a 1/3 of a scarf** You can also get some much needed blocking done: A Branching Out, A Twelve Little Leaves doily, And a Egeblad doily. * I got about two inches into the vest for Reilly and realized that the yarn was much too busy. So I pulled out some random balls of Woolease in Terracotta and knit them together. I'm very pleased with the resulting color. **Same went for Connor's vest, but did not have another yarn that looked good with it. So, I found this scarf in Lavish Lace for A World Lit Only by Fire. I've renamed it The Candlelight Scarf for simplicity.