After the Fall

I have been defeated - partially by time & partially by my pattern. As I did not complete my entry in time, I have lost the gold medal. It's a sad day in my [knitting] world. In my defense, I did not lose in the spirit of Bode Miller, but rather in the method of Lindsay Kildow, by falling twice. Twice I was forced to frog my heirloom christening blanket and begin again.
All that said, I plan to press on. I think that, if a silver medal was available, it would still be in my grasp. My WIP is so very close to being a FO....

Oops! I did it again.

So, this time it was on the second row that I came upon that blasted extra stitch. I thought all was lost and I'd never attain my dream of Olympic GOLD. But, as any true athlete knows, sometimes you have to go back to the fundamentals to correct your mistake. Patiently, I went back to the pattern and re-read the directions: "CO 161 sts. Work one purl row." WAIT! "CO 161 sts." 161 sts! (I had 166 sts.) With dogged determination, I CO the correct number of sts., worked one purl row and completed 3 rounds of the 4 row pattern. Then I went to bed.............. thinking about 161 sts.

The Choking Kind

It was my first Knitting Olympics event and I choked. I started off strong getting all 166 stiches cast on in under 10 minutes while hiding in my office at 2pm yesterday. I even got the first row done before someone came knocking at my door and I had to stash it in my desk drawer. Later in the game, I resumed knitting. I'm not sure what went wrong, but suddenly, at the end of the 3rd row, there is was - an extra stitch! I got back up and tried to salvage the project, but it was too late (with all the YFs & sl 1s). So, I've frogged it and am anxious to get back in it tonight. I really think I can still pull out a GOLD.

Olympic Call

Well, I've answered the Olympic Call and signed up for the Knitting Olympics. I'm making the "Heirloom Silk Shawl" from Knitting for 2 by Erika Knight (aka Baby Bloom) as a Christening Blanket for my best friend's baby due in June. I've got to close my office door and CO in approx. 15 minutes now. It's thrilling to think of 4000 knitters casting on at the same time. I'll post pictures at the end - me with my blanket flying over the podium.

Blanket of Love

I was thrilled to recently receive a picture of one of my first projects - a bubblegum pink hooded baby blanket . I was even more thrilled to hear that the baby uses the blanket on a daily basis. I love the idea of making something that becomes part of someone else's everyday life.

What a Girl Wants

Yesterday I was super excited to get my shipment from Amazon. I got Debbie Bliss' Special Knits: 22 Gorgeous Handknits for Babies and Toddlers and Erika Knight's Simple Knits for Little Cherubs. And GORGEOUS and SIMPLE they are. I've already picked the "Picot Dress" for a friend's baby who's due in March - can't wait to get started.

I Saw Red: My First Sweater

I think that the way to make a sweater is to make a small one - all the others take too long. My cousin's baby needed a warm, red sweater and I aim to please.

Baby Love: Take Two

When Moma's friend wanted to make the Traditional Mabel Dress for her granddaughter, but thought it might be beyond her skill, my mother, being the helpful person she is, told her friend I'd made the dress for someone else with no problem. It then became a fabulous idea to have me make it.
Actually, I really enjoyed seeing how the dress made up in another yarn and another size. These pictures and the small gift I got for making it made it worth the work.

Right From Wrong

I'd planned to make a really beautiful silk[blend] camisole for my very small best friend's birthday. Due to my distaste for, my nemisis - the gauge swatch - it didn't come out so small. I found someone on Craftster who'd had a similar problem and a solution. So, I planned to fix it when I got a chance. Shortly thereafter, my best friend dropped the news of her pregancy. (Yay!!!!)
Stay tuned to see if she'll EVER where the silk[blend] camisole.

Bag Lady

Maybe it was the hint of spring. Maybe it was the plethora of good patterns. Maybe it was because I couldn't afford a Louis Vitton. In March 2005, I got obsessed with bags and 2 friends were very willing recipients. [Chinese Charm Bag, Stitch & Bitch] (top left) [Funky Purse, Hollywood Knits] (right)

Baby Love

One of my best friends had a baby in December 2005 and I couldn't wait to knit beautiful baby clothes for her. That's when the baby fever started. Baby clothes are fabulous because they're beautiful & impressive, but they're small so they don't take forever. Although the straight stitch got a little monotonous in the middle, this was the most satisfying project I'd completed thus far...I was so proud. (Traditional Mabel Dress from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies.)

Hand in Glove: Could you make me...and the [not so] fingerless gloves

So, my brother lives with me and lived with me knitting for a few months before asking the inevitable question..."could you make me..." Actually, it was my pleasure to use him as a guinea pig and make my first [not so] fingerless gloves. After trying them on several times and saying "can they be just a bit longer" several times, guess what my brother said when I finished them...."they're too long".... Like the good brother he is, he wears them anyway.

You Complete Me I: Scarves

I started out making a capelet and some baby hats because I didn't just want to make some scarves...then I learned the beauty of scarves-- NO GAUGE SWATCH. I quickly learned how cool it was to see how the same stitch varies in different yarns.

Here's Rowan's Pia Scarf from Big Just Got Bigger (left) & Purl Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts (right)

Welcome to My World

After attempting to create a blog for months, I've finally figured it out. Yea me! Welcome to my [knitting] world.