A-Movin'

This Is Going To Be Hard

Yesterday was a very long day full of baby frustration, so when Ben got home I decided to get out of the house for a little while. I think it was the lack of sun more than anything else, but either way I needed some fresh air. I wanted to go to Goodwill and the 99 cent store and I had an idea that I needed curtains for.

My trips to Goodwill and "99", as I've dubbed it, were very successful. I will share about those later on Little Bit of Life. But then I went to Big Lots, which is in the same parking lot. I was there for awhile, looking around on the right side of store until I found the curtain section. I found what I wanted and went to the front to check out.

Then I turned around. And saw a whole unit full of acrylic yarn. I've never heard of the brand and I can't remember what it was now, but it was a soft yarn. And it was $1.27 a ball. $1.27!! I got so excited. And then I remembered that I'm not buying yarn this year.

My addiction is a hard one to break.

New Year... Same Knitting?!

The other day Ben's mom made a comment about how I haven't updated in awhile. I know when it gets to the point that she says something then I've really been slacking. Heh. So here is what I've been working on now that Christmas is over.

Yep. The Christmas tree skirt. Exciting huh? It's been a little more fun to work on it now that I don't HAVE to. I have a whole 'nother year now!

I've figured out that in order to reach a total number of 94 stitches in each section I need to do 140 more rows... Or something like that. So I'm about half way finished.

I seem to have lost my mojo in creating anything other than this tree skirt. I realized that I don't have any current projects other than this skirt. I have one or two things stashed away in the closet that I haven't worked on in awhile, but as far as things that I'm actually working on at the moment.... Nothing!

Although I did get a knitting calendar for Christmas. I haven't looked through it because I don't want to ruin the mystery of it. But there do seem to be some fairly small projects in it from the pictures on the front. So hopefully that is what I can do with my stash this year. Work through those. I am also hoping to crank out a few shawls this year. Maybe I can find a few more mystery patterns.

I think another reason I haven't done anything else is that I've been wrapped up with my food/frugal living blog (which you can find here). I've had a ton of fun with it, and I feel more accomplished working on that one since I have things to post on a regular basis. Not just "Yeah, knitting the same thing I've been knitting for the past 4 months..." So if you want some kind of update from me head over there!

The Almost Disaster

While watching Legend of the Seeker last night on Hulu I was working on the Christmas Tree Skirt. Now, as you all have read many times, this skirt is giving me fits. For one reason or another it gets ripped out and restarted, and I have slowly lost my faith in ever finishing the dumb thing. Well last night I was happily knitting away when this happened:

"What am I looking at? All I see is knitting." You might be thinking. My dear reader, what you are seeing... Is a broken circular needle! The stupid cable popped right out of the needle and traveled half way through my project in about 2 seconds. Those ruffled stitches at the top? Those are LOOSE STITCHES! I sat last night so shocked that all I could get out of my mouth was "Uuuuuuhhhhnnn" and "Aaaaaaiiiiii", as well as some tearless sobbing and a few moments of shallow breathing. Poor Ben just sat there and looked at me with what I will pretend was understanding and fear for my project. (Which is a lie - he was sort of laughing at me.) I just about gave up on the Tree Skirt, thinking that this project was just doomed no matter what.

Luckily though, this yarn is cheap craft yarn which means it sticks together like Velcro on a kitten. And I have an extra set of size 8 circs. So I very very carefully inserted the new needle into the free stitches while taking the existing needle out. I then threw it on the desk and blew raspberries at it. Crisis averted!

And then I found that I miss-crossed a cable section 3 rows back.

Christmas Knitting

I am very happy to say that I am almost done with Christmas knitting! I am working on my last project right now and will hopefully be done by the end of the weekend/beginning of next week. To prove that I have been working and that this is still a blog worth reading, here are a few close up glimpses:

 

My hope is that I will finish this last present and then can frantically work on the Christmas tree skirt. But if I don't get it done, that's ok.

This year so far we are illness free with three beautiful healthy babies and lots of family around. And that's the part of Christmas that I love.

Avoiding Injury While Knitting For Christmas

If you're anything like me, you might tend to get a wee bit frantic when you're on a deadline. I have just under three weeks til Christmas and I'm very far behind. (I do have back up plans so it's not that big of a deal, but still).

My current project is on very tiny needles. Size US 2/2.75 mm to be exact. That's small. It's about the size of a fat toothpick. It is the only project I have been working on for 2 weeks now. And last night I noticed that my fingers were starting to hurt really bad. So in light of that, here a few tips to avoid seriously hurting yourself while you knit for the holidays - or any time!

- Take frequent breaks. I usually knit while we're watching shows on Hulu so I try to put my knitting down and take a break for a few minutes about half way through the show if I can. Also if you have been sitting for a long period of time, get up and walk around. You'll feel better.

- Switch between projects with different size yarn and needles frequently. This is one I need to do myself. By having a change of size every once in a while you will be less likely to cramp up because your fingers won't be stuck the same positions for so long.

- Sit comfortably. Many people think that any problems will involve just your hands, but you can also find problems in your back and legs as well. Try to sit comfortably, with good support.

- Try a different method. I'm finding that, for me, small needles and the English method are not going well together. I have been trying out the Lever, or Cottage style knitting and my hands are much happier that way. Or try continental. Switch it up. You don't always have to use the same style of knitting. Practice tension on swatches. Plus knowing different techniques will only make you a better knitter.

- If you are starting to feel pain: STOP. Don't keep going. You could risk seriously injuring yourself. Put down the knitting and leave it alone for a day. If you come back tomorrow and are still hurting, leave it for longer and give your limbs time to heal. No Christmas present is worth the possibility of never being able to knit again because you were just too stubborn. Avoid taking pain medication - you'll still be doing damage, you just won't feel it.

With these tips in mind, I'm going to work on some other projects for awhile. With big fat needles. My plan for one project a week didn't work. But that's ok. I think my hands will be happier this way.

Merry Knitting!

Alrighty Here It Is:

Well, I started the blog I had the idea for: Little Bit of Life. You can find it here - http://lbofl.blogspot.com/. Not much there right now, but I'll be filling it in the next few days (hopefully). I'm still going to be doing my crafty thing here, so no worries.

I would give you a knitting update... but I have none. Just a wee bit further on week one's project and I'm almost at the end of week two. I always seem to have the best plans and they always seem to not work. Oh well. I have back up plans so it's all good! :D

Just A Teensy Bit Behind...

I was going to show you a close up pic of what I'm working on, but my camera died and I'm out of AA batteries. Use your imagination! It's very tiny knitting (tiny as in 9 stitches an inch, not tiny object).

Well my plan for one project a week is already failing. I am 2 days past my week 1 and I still have half of this present left. Although to be honest I was making AWESOME time, and then I realized that what I had was NOT going to work at all, so I had to rip back the first half and start over. And then the 2 days of stuffing my face meant lots of being lazy, rather than lots of knitting. Hehe. It was good though.

I think I'll still be ok. The other projects won't take a week each (one might, but the others won't) so I can squeeze out extra time there. And I did allow myself that extra week before Christmas for catch up and finishing so we should be good!

In preparation for the New Year and coming resolutions I have decided that I will not acquire a single gram of yarn in 2010 with money from our bank account. This way it leaves it open to gift cards or gifts of yarn for those that like to get me those things for birthday and such. This is for a couple of reasons: One, I have a TON of yarn that I need to use up. I know this because I rearranged the yarn today and the whole time I was going "Holy crap there is a lot of yarn here." I probably have over a year's worth. And two, well. Because things are getting a wee bit tight and the money I would spend on yarn could be going to much better things.

On that note, I am thinking about starting a second blog dedicated to being frugal, filled with tips and tricks, recipes, grocery deals for around the area, etc. But I can't think of a good name for it to save my life. Any got an idea? Or better yet... is it even worth it? Would you care to read it or should I save my finger-breath?

FO: Grandpa's Blanket

I did actually finish Grandpa's blanket, with 2 days to spare! It was getting a little iffy there because I was so, soooo tired of seaming. But I made it and delivered it to him at the family meet-up. He seemed to like it, but it's hard to tell because he's getting older and starting to lose it. Which makes me sad. It's hard to watch my grandparents go down hill so quickly.

Pattern: Garter Stitch Blanket by Elizabeth Zimmerman

Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun (100% acrylic) in "Pearls" and "Fawn" (I think, threw away the wrappers prematurely.)

Needles: US 10.5/ 6.5mm straight

Variations: The only variation that I did was using two different colors. Although I'm not sure it can be considered a variation because it was suggested in the book. I also did a 30 st pattern rather than 24. But again, it was suggested in the book to just change the number of stitches to obtain a different size blanket. EZ makes things so easy and I love how shes leaves the details up to you.

All in all it wasn't a bad project. I loved working the corners with short rows. But as you've all heard before, I HATE seaming. And there's a lot in this one. So I probably won't be making another unless I really want to, or I figure out how to join as I go. In the end though, I was happy with it and I'm glad I was able to give Grandpa something to keep him warm.

Something To Look At

Secret Christmas knitting makes for crappy blog posts. So to distract you from that...

Tada! Ben put them up Tuesday. Yes today is just barely Thanksgiving. But we're so excited to have Christmas in our very own house this year. He even put the tree up last night! Haha.

I just realized that I totally forgot to post about Grandpa's blanket. I have pictures and will try to get an FO post up in the next few days if I don't die from over eating.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Really Good Plan

Today is November 18th, which means there are just over 5 weeks until Christmas. No, I am not done with my Christmas knitting yet. (I have, however, started shopping for those I'm not knitting for. Go me!)

In an effort to make my life run a little smoother in the next 5 weeks (read: because I'm anal), I have come up with a schedule which goes as follows:

Devote one whole week to one project only. It just so happens that I have 4 projects left, to complete in 5 weeks. So, if the kids behave and the house doesn't decide to spew it's contents all over the place, then this plan should work. I have 2.5 days to finish the blanket for Grandpa (no... not done. About half way sewn up.) Then from Sunday to Saturday will be my time period for gifts. Which will leave the 4 days before Christmas open for finishing up, adding embellishments, wrapping, etc.

With that schedule it looks like the Christmas Tree Skirt won't get done this year either... Oh man I think that's 3 years ongoing now... But! If I finish a project early then maybe I can squeeze it in. There are two projects that I think I can crank out in a few days if I really push.

Now if I'm realistic then I'll remember that I still have to do housework during this time sooooo.... Wish me luck!

Succesful Fiber Friday

Good news! Today I cast off Grandpa's blanket. Now I just have a TON of sewing up to do. Will try to get pictures up by the end of the weekend.

Once I'm done with this I can get back to Christmas presents!

To Do List

Well, boys and girls, it's November 11th and I decided it was time to see how I was doing on Christmas knitting. This might not make sense because I obviously can't name what I'm doing, but just go with it.

CP1 - Done!
CP2 - Done! (with the exception of trim)
CP2 - Half way
CP3 - Not started
CP4 - Not started
CP5 - Cast on
CTS (tree skirt) - About... oh I'd say 1/8th done.

Well... not as good as I thought I was doing! Oh well I still have time. Since the house is pretty much clean and I can keep it that way with a general tidying up this means more time for knitting! Being a neat freak is so convenient sometimes. I'm going to be kicking it into overdrive for the next month or so in order to get things done. Shouldn't be too bad.

Work on Grandpa's blanket is almost done. I have one section left which means I have 7/8ths done. I am hoping I will get a lot done at Mom's this afternoon. I'm pretty excited. Today I will be teaching my sister in law (and probably Mom) how to knit. My plan to take over the world with knitters is coming along quite nicely. Soon everyone will have low blood pressure, nicely knitted things, and a massive yarn stash. MUAHAHAHA.

Then tonight we're off to Mum's for dinner and I get my book she ordered me as a thank you for letting Josh hang out here on Thursdays. Nancy Wiseman's Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques. Getting knitting books is almost as good as getting new yarn!

FO: Project Pink

I finished the hat for the niece of Rachel's boyfriend. I made it (I hope) a little large so it will last her a little while. She's just two months, and it just about fit duder -don't tell him - and all my kids have big heads. So it should be just fine.

Pattern: Basic Ribbed Beanie

Yarn: Ella Rae Baby Cotton in "Peony" and "White" - I have no idea how much of each. Not much pink and a smidge of white.

Needles: US 4/3.5 mm straight

I crocheted the flower from a pattern I found on the Lion Brand website, adding a button for the middle.

Fiber Friday!

Well boys and girls, after that excited post about doing half the blanket in a week.... I stopped working on the blanket. I switched my attention to a baby hat and got TOTALLY off course. So today shall be blanket day. (No the hat isn't done either, but it doesn't have a deadline.)

I guess I've been kind of busy this week without realizing it. Cleaning, baking, going to mom's, Josh coming over, wrangling children - hog ties and all (kidding) - didn't get a lot of knitting done. But today is my day!

Ok, little man is trying to pull wires out of my computer. Gotta go!

Randomness

Part 2 of Grandpa's blanket has commenced and is going along nicely (can garter stitch go badly?). Might possibly finish this piece today if I'm allowed to sit. Have some other things to do though, which I'll get to in a bit. I've also cast on a little hat for the baby mentioned earlier. Sounds like she's going to be ok. The fracture is minor and should heal in a few months, and the bleeding is mostly on the outside. They kept her over night for monitoring and hopefully she is going home today. Mum and I thought she needed a hat because she had a boo-boo. It's pink!

I have been reading up on groceries on a budget and have totally started getting into coupons and sales. They're out there, why not use them? I went to Beverly's last night to get some stuff (yeah, it's not groceries, but go with me here) and I was able to use all three coupons from the circular and saved $12.07. It was awesome! I got some fabric to make my own nursing pads which should save me a ton since they're $10-$30 a box depending on the quantity. Now I will just be able to wash and reuse.

I have 4 Christmas presents left and just under 2 months to finish them. I think I'll be good. I have the stuff for all but one, which I will probably order today. I'm and SO FREAKING excited about Christmas I can't wait. I told Ben last night that I couldn't wait to put up Christmas lights on the house and he said he had been thinking about at least putting the hooks up now so it will be all ready. Having a house has made the idea of Christmas super exciting. I can't wait to put our tree up!

Today (hopefully) I'm going to inventory the freezer and see what we have that needs to be eaten, then plan a menu off of that. I still have a week and a half worth of menu (I plan for one month at a time) so it will start after that. But I do know we have things like muffins and cookies that could be eaten now. I also have pumpkins that I need to use... Oh! Someone stole one of the little pumpkins from Mom on Halloween and smashed it on the sidewalk in front of the grumpy guy's house up the street. It made me sad. And then it made me think "Well, maybe he shouldn't be so horribly rude then." But I still have the big one and other little one left to do things with. Maybe I'll can them.

Tease

Time left until Grandpa's Birthday: 19 Days

Amount of Blanket done: Half

Dude, totally going to make it. It took me a week to finish half the blanket, which leaves me 3 weeks to finish the other half. I should be good. This is a picture of how the brown pieces will lay out. Confused yet? It's a teaser. You'll see the rest when it's done!

More Important Things: Prayer Request

My sister's boyfriend has a 2 mo. old niece. Last night around 7pm she was sitting in a baby chair on the counter that vibrated off and fell to the floor. What they originally thought was a goose bump turned out to be a skull fracture and internal bleeding. She was rushed to Valley Children's last night, but I sent a text to the boyfriend this morning and he said they're still waiting for the neurosurgeon. Last night my sister said she was still crying, so there is the good sign that she is responsive.

Please pray for this little one. And pray for the parents. I know from experience how incredibly scary and how lost you feel when a baby is in a situation like this. The best we can do is ask that God keeps them in His hands.

Finished!

And just in time too.

I sewed my last seam around 5:30 last night. Which gave just enough to get ready to head out for the Grandma's houses. Yar pirates!

Despite the look on Duder's face, they kept their costumes on almost the whole time. They did want to take off their hats at Grandma A's, but put them back on when we were leaving. And Duder didn't fuss at all about his hat.  It was a very successful costume night.

Next year though, I'm thinking we'll just throw stuff together with what we have.

Another Reason Why Sewing is Stupid

That is my finger. Do you see it? Take a closer look. Those two little red dots?

Those are entry and exit points. The one on the top right is where the DAMN NEEDLE went INTO my finger. The one on the bottom left is where the DAMN NEEDLE went OUT of my finger.

I was attempting to move the thread under the presser foot and out the back of the machine when my foot slipped. My finger was under the needle at the time. Let's just say my kids learned a few new words. As soon as I knew what happened I moved my foot, only to realize that my finger was stuck. So I had to manually move the DAMN NEEDLE up and slowly pull my finger off of it.

I didn't actually know it had gone all the way through (happened rather fast and the blinding pain was blurring my sense of reality) - just thought it had stuck me - until I turned my finger and the exit wound was there, oozing as much blood as the top.

Yeah. Totally done for the night. I'm getting a glass of wine after the kids go to bed.