Just a quick post tonight to show ya’ll a cute photo of Natalie from her 2 month photos on June 21st. I will post either tomorrow or Saturday to let ya’ll know what has been going on in my life and knitting.
eta: changed photo size to fit page formatting
The trip to Indiana and Michigan was full of adventure of all the wrong sorts, but I don’t really feel like going into detail. Lets just say that I am glad to be back (I have been back since Wednesday which says a lot). The only thing I wish I could change is the fact that Phoenix is now home with his mommy and so is Natalie.
It keeps surprising me how much I love that little girl. I guess it shouldn’t, but I have to say that I have never felt the same instant love that is completely unconditional. I have always been unsure of how I would handle being around a baby because until I held Natalie I had never been around, much less held a baby. I am surprised at how natural it feels to hold her. Dealing with her has made me believe that if I am ever so blessed having a child might not be the disaster I have always thought it would be (due to I have always questioned my skills at handling children).
Well, lets talk about knitting. The 2 projects & 1 pair of sock rule did not work so well over the weekend. I took the 2nd Aurelia Sock and made it to the heel flap on them and then decided I was having to much trouble with them and started a new pair. The new pair is using the sock yarn from my SP10 partner and another pattern from the LYS owner’s daughter called Get to the Point Socks. I managed to get to the heel flap on the 1st sock and then put them away due to being very busy with family. I planned on picking up the Aurelia Sock on the trip home, but was having a lot of trouble concentrating on them due to traffic so put them away and read a book instead. I also received a pattern that my grandmother used to knit for some very simple slippers and made a pair out of STR in the Lucy colorway for Natalie. I still have to re-sew the 2nd one together as I sewed them too tightly the first time.
I am also going to break the rule about starting new projects (besides socks) by starting the Mystery Stole 3 on June 29. I have never knit a project like this, but since I like the designers other designs, including the first 2 mystery stoles I am sure that I will like this one. The worst thing that can happen is that I don’t like it for my personal use and I gift it to someone who will appreciate it. I have decided to use the 2 skeins of KnitPicks Bare lace weight that I have since it is one of the colors recommended (the top 2 colors are white & black) and am still working on bead choices. I have already swatched, using the test pattern, with 3 different shades of Swarvoski Crystal 4mm bicones (Smoked Topaz, Golden Shadow, and regular Crystal), but had not chosen a preferred color. Now I am not sure if I should use them since someone raised the issue of the crystals cutting through the yarn. If I don’t use the crystals I would have to order some seed beads since I cannot find colors close to the crystal colors locally. If anyone has experience in using crystals with lace weight would you share your opinion please?
I am sorry that I don’t have any knitting pictures, but the batteries died on my camera this weekend. I will leave you with a new photos of Natalie though that my mom uploaded to the family’s SmugMug account.
This first one is of her and Phoenix - he has really fallen in love with her. If she makes a noise he is right there making sure she is alright and when she cries he brings her a toy trying to make it alright. He has taken to guarding her to keep her safe which is what we were hoping he would do.
This is Natalie experiencing wet sand for the first time at Lake Michigan in Petoskey, Michigan. Right after this was taken she gave us a big grin, but we were not quick enough to get a photo.
This is a photo that shows the look on Natalie’s face so often. She is such a serious little baby and always looks like she is thinking really deep thoughts.
And the last photo shows her sleeping on her mommy which is her favorite place to sleep.
Well, hopefully the next post will include knitting photos. Catch ya’ll later.
eta: made a few edits due to typos
Sock information is below, even though I still have to finish sock #2, as a way for me to remember this information (I am trying to get more organized about my projects).
Pattern: Aurelia Socks
Yarn: Ellie’s Ewe Hues MemenToes in Razzmatazzleberry
Needles: US#2Bamboo DPNs
Pair Started: June 1, 2007 @ 5 am - 1st sock finished June 3, 2007 @ 8 pm
Modifications: I did only 4 repeats on the leg due to both the change in needle size and the fact that I like shorter socks (learned this from the purple frogged socks). I also changed the toe since one of the biggest issues I had with my first finished pair was that the toe was very floppy around my little toes, but almost snug at the big toe. Even though it means that I have to wear them on the right feet I decided to create customized toes for each foot. The dog was kinda giving me strange looks there for awhile since I was trying the sock on after every round. I am glad I went to the extra work since I think it is more comfortable and eye pleasing.
I have already started the cast on for sock #2 since I am really looking forward to knitting them. Since they have an 8 row repeat I was motivated to keep working on them since they were a little more complicated to do.
I think that this pair of socks has really allowed me to see that it is not that I suffer from SSS, but that I need a more complicated pattern to keep knitting on the sock than plain stockinette. I managed to keep the attention going on the socks for my sister until I realized that they may not fit her. I have also managed to keep my attention on the Monkey socks and Pomatomus socks until I frogged them due to them not working in the yarn I chose for them. This is a large enough field of sock patterns for me to base this decision on. From now on I am not going to do plain stockinette socks. I will use a more complicated pattern so that I can have more sock FOs.
Well, it is a work day tomorrow so will let ya’ll go. Maybe I can post again before I leave on my weekend trip, but no promises.
I am back and even have several photos today. Can you believe that?
We still don’t know what was going on with the photo uploads, but as long as it does not happen again I do not care (yes I just knocked on wood).
First up is the photo of my SP10 Package that I received. I think it is very nice that I got lace weight yarn with pattern recommendation. I sometimes have a hard time figuring out what the yarn wants to be, but this yarn definitely wants to be one of the patterns my SP marked. It is really upset that it has not been started yet, but I am sticking to my guns on not starting a new project (which you may not believe in a few minutes). I have promised it that I will start on it as soon as I get 3 projects completed.
This is the state of my first ever pair of socks.
I know - scary. I finished them and wore them for an hour sitting at the computer, but they were driving me crazy just sitting (I did a really poor job on determining the right length heel flap so they pulled funny) so I knew that it would only be worse in a pair of shoes so to the frog pond they went. Since I really like having a pair of socks on the needles I changed my mind slightly about how I am managing the WIPs. I am allowed 2 projects at a time plus a pair of socks. This means that if I do not have another WIP that is a pair of socks I get to start a new pair even if I have not completed 3 projects.
Since the only other pair of socks I have on the needles can not be worked on until they are tried on by my sister I started a pair of Aurelia Socks which is a pattern by the daughter of the owner of my LYS. I started them using the designer’s own sock yarn as well and learned a new cast on since they use a 3 stitch I-cord cast on. My LYS obviously carries this yarn and I fell in love with some of the colors. It sells out really fast on her website, but I am linking it due to I think her picture shows the color better than mine. I choose the color Razzmatazzleberry for this pair. I also have Skies Over Kansas and am really wanting Clover and Honey and Tuscan Romance, but have just missed getting them every time I go to the LYS.
I am gearing myself up to frog my sweater. I managed to separate the sleeves and tried it on. The modifications I made for sizing would have worked, except that I have lost some weight on Weight Watchers. The weight is not a significant amount, but I have also lost inches and the sweater is going to be too big. What I have decided to do is frog the sweater and put the yarn up until I have found something else to make with it or I get to my goal weight whichever comes first. I have also decided to not knit garments for myself until I am at the weight I want to be. Until then I will knit for others and keep knitting socks & shawls for myself since they will not be affected by my weight loss.
I have more to say, but really need to get my butt in gear since I will be out of town from Thursday afternoon until sometime Monday night. My aunt graduated from high school and is having a graduation party on June 10th, my grandparents (on my mom’s side) have a 50th wedding anniversary coming up at the beginning of July that we are celebrating on the 8th or 9th (not sure of the day) and we have to take the dog back to my sister.
So on Thursday we leave Alabama and head to Indiana to drop off the dog. We will stay at my sister’s that night and then on Friday we head up to Petoskey & Gaylord in Michigan with my sister and Natalie in tow (we are leaving Tommy and Phoenix in Indiana) to spend the weekend celebrating. On Sunday night we head back to Indiana and on Monday I am going to have photos taken with Natalie, my sister and I since I want to have a photo like this for my Natalie scrapbook. Once the photo taking is complete we will head back to Alabama.
I am leaving you with photos of the Peppermint Mocha & Koigu that caused me to fall off the yarn diet and have to climb back on.
