OK, I know super secret projects are no fun to read about, but...
Hey Mom! I finished your thing! Whoohoo! Now to just bind off the 345 stitches.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sorry, Mom
I'm sorry Mom. I had to do it. I know that 15 months ago I presented to you a partially finished scarf (I despise myself for doing that) for your birthday and promised (duh) that I would complete it asap and get it to you. Instead, last weekend, I completely frogged the scarf. I couldn't bear to knit another row. The scarf was looking good, but I hated every minute I worked on it. And do I really want to gift you something knit with so much hate? No. After 2 mistakes in as many rows, the scarf had won. It had beat me down. So, after cursing under my breath (kids were in the room), I took a farewell picture and started to unwind it.
The scarf had one last jab. I did not know (at the time) that the yarn I used, Malabrigo Lace, was so grippy. It took me at least a couple of hours to rip the scarf back, because every row I pulled was desperate to hold on to the row below. I did eventually finish the job and knew immediately what the yarn was to become. I've started it and love it. Love knit into a gift is so much better, right?
But, Mom, I'm not telling you this time. Know that it's not what it was. And it's a triangle. Any ideas?
The scarf had one last jab. I did not know (at the time) that the yarn I used, Malabrigo Lace, was so grippy. It took me at least a couple of hours to rip the scarf back, because every row I pulled was desperate to hold on to the row below. I did eventually finish the job and knew immediately what the yarn was to become. I've started it and love it. Love knit into a gift is so much better, right?
But, Mom, I'm not telling you this time. Know that it's not what it was. And it's a triangle. Any ideas?
Friday, November 13, 2009
Where Have I Been?
Sorry for the long lapse in posts. Life has been absolutely crazy at the Weberhaus. Even more than usual. And blogging just isn't a priority when so much of the day to day is in turmoil. Most importantly, Emmett, Leon, Ryan and myself (plus Georgia too) are all healthy and together. More than that I'm not ready to say, beyond that I want you all to go and hug your families, friends, pets, etc, and take a moment to appreciate your home, your job, groceries in the kitchen. It is so easy to lose any one of those things.
Life has been stressful as you might suspect. And my go to stress relief is knitting, knitting, knitting. I still don't have a ton of time to do it, but I seem to be moving through the projects, none the less. Of course I haven't taken photos of most of these things to show you, but I will. Let me show you the one I have photographed and then I'll list the rest:
FO #1: Emmett's spiral ribbed tube sock.
I know tube socks are not the best fitting choice, but when it comes to a 5 year old with feet that are growing a mile a minute, I felt a tube sock would be the best way to get some longevity out of the pair. As his feet grow the leg shortens, which is fine with him. Also, his heel is in a different place every time he wears them (I did a whirlpool increase on the toe to help with this as well), so maybe no holes in the heel. We'll see. They're worn almost as soon as they hit the sock drawer, so they are getting a ton of use. I let you know how long they last.
Some detail shots:
(As is typical, it is now Saturday and I'm still trying to finish this post!)
The rest of what I've finished:
-Jaywalker socks in BMFA lightweight called "Hurdy Gurdy." For me.
-Felted Witch Hat in Lamb's Pride "Onyx" (black of course). I knit this up in a crazy couple of days leading up to Halloween. And then everyone in the house besides myself came down with the flu. So the only exposure the hat got on the holiday was to Costco to pick up a couple of dvds for the sickos to watch while curled up on the couch. I plan on wearing it for most of next October because of this. :)
-Old Fashioned Potholders in Tahki Cotton. After seeing all of the gorgeous potholders that came out of the swap back in the spring, I've been wanting to work up a few sets of these for last minute holiday gifts. So far I've finished one pair and have started on a second. Easy, quick, and I really like how they are turning out. Not too fuddy-duddy, but hand made. I like that.
And the list of WIPs? Embarrassingly long. I don't feel good about having this many projects going at once, but it is holiday knitting season, right?
- Yarrow ribbed socks in Wool Candy Marzipan Merino "Caramel." For manly gift exchange.
- 14-27 Jacket from Drops Design using Baby Cashmirino. For Leon.
-Mom's never-ending Lace Ribbon Scarf. Only 15 months late.
-Fish Hats in Cascade 220 for Emmett and his cousin Wil, for xmas.
Finally, there is the list of knits for the nieces & nephews, which of course isn't finalized and I haven't started with anyway. Wish me luck!
I'm determined to post more frequently again and will get the projects photographed soon. In the meantime, I'll throw in some recent photos of the little men because they are so darn cute. No, I'm not biased! :)
Life has been stressful as you might suspect. And my go to stress relief is knitting, knitting, knitting. I still don't have a ton of time to do it, but I seem to be moving through the projects, none the less. Of course I haven't taken photos of most of these things to show you, but I will. Let me show you the one I have photographed and then I'll list the rest:
FO #1: Emmett's spiral ribbed tube sock.
I know tube socks are not the best fitting choice, but when it comes to a 5 year old with feet that are growing a mile a minute, I felt a tube sock would be the best way to get some longevity out of the pair. As his feet grow the leg shortens, which is fine with him. Also, his heel is in a different place every time he wears them (I did a whirlpool increase on the toe to help with this as well), so maybe no holes in the heel. We'll see. They're worn almost as soon as they hit the sock drawer, so they are getting a ton of use. I let you know how long they last.
Some detail shots:
(As is typical, it is now Saturday and I'm still trying to finish this post!)
The rest of what I've finished:
-Jaywalker socks in BMFA lightweight called "Hurdy Gurdy." For me.
-Felted Witch Hat in Lamb's Pride "Onyx" (black of course). I knit this up in a crazy couple of days leading up to Halloween. And then everyone in the house besides myself came down with the flu. So the only exposure the hat got on the holiday was to Costco to pick up a couple of dvds for the sickos to watch while curled up on the couch. I plan on wearing it for most of next October because of this. :)
-Old Fashioned Potholders in Tahki Cotton. After seeing all of the gorgeous potholders that came out of the swap back in the spring, I've been wanting to work up a few sets of these for last minute holiday gifts. So far I've finished one pair and have started on a second. Easy, quick, and I really like how they are turning out. Not too fuddy-duddy, but hand made. I like that.
And the list of WIPs? Embarrassingly long. I don't feel good about having this many projects going at once, but it is holiday knitting season, right?
- Yarrow ribbed socks in Wool Candy Marzipan Merino "Caramel." For manly gift exchange.
- 14-27 Jacket from Drops Design using Baby Cashmirino. For Leon.
-Mom's never-ending Lace Ribbon Scarf. Only 15 months late.
-Fish Hats in Cascade 220 for Emmett and his cousin Wil, for xmas.
Finally, there is the list of knits for the nieces & nephews, which of course isn't finalized and I haven't started with anyway. Wish me luck!
I'm determined to post more frequently again and will get the projects photographed soon. In the meantime, I'll throw in some recent photos of the little men because they are so darn cute. No, I'm not biased! :)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Kindergarten
Emmett started school today. And it seems time moves too fast, because I swear that he was just a little spud not so long ago.
This is when I really noticed the movement of time, when he was just a baby. Because in what was, I swear, a blink of an eye, he's sitting up, eating solid food and smiling at his momma.
Then it seems, first he crawls, then walks, then runs and jumps, in just one day. But no, a year has passed. And now he's talking and loving and wondering at life.
And this boy has no end to the joy and wonder for life and adventure. Because next he's hiking and climbing trees and making smores and I look at the time... another year has somehow happened. Excuse me? How can this be?
So we camp and garden and watch birds and go to pre-school. And he soaks it up and always wants more. Always with a big smile and big questions. And then (seriously?) it's August again and Emmett turns four.
And BOOM! time makes a big leap forward again. Because Emmett becomes a big brother and he dives into it with all of the passion he has for everything. He loves his baby brother, cares for him, grieves when the baby hurts, and supports his parents more than we would ever think possible. And with that blinding flash, Emmett turns five.
At that we're looking at letters for school supplies and teacher assignments. We're getting backpacks and lunchboxes and new jeans in even bigger sizes. Because it's time, RIGHT NOW, for Emmett to start kindergarten. And we're all so excited. But I wonder where the time went. How did this gorgeous kid make time move so quickly?
I'm so proud of you Emmett.
Love you,
Mommy
This is when I really noticed the movement of time, when he was just a baby. Because in what was, I swear, a blink of an eye, he's sitting up, eating solid food and smiling at his momma.
Then it seems, first he crawls, then walks, then runs and jumps, in just one day. But no, a year has passed. And now he's talking and loving and wondering at life.
And this boy has no end to the joy and wonder for life and adventure. Because next he's hiking and climbing trees and making smores and I look at the time... another year has somehow happened. Excuse me? How can this be?
So we camp and garden and watch birds and go to pre-school. And he soaks it up and always wants more. Always with a big smile and big questions. And then (seriously?) it's August again and Emmett turns four.
And BOOM! time makes a big leap forward again. Because Emmett becomes a big brother and he dives into it with all of the passion he has for everything. He loves his baby brother, cares for him, grieves when the baby hurts, and supports his parents more than we would ever think possible. And with that blinding flash, Emmett turns five.
At that we're looking at letters for school supplies and teacher assignments. We're getting backpacks and lunchboxes and new jeans in even bigger sizes. Because it's time, RIGHT NOW, for Emmett to start kindergarten. And we're all so excited. But I wonder where the time went. How did this gorgeous kid make time move so quickly?
I'm so proud of you Emmett.
Love you,
Mommy
Thursday, August 6, 2009
What happened to July?
Sorry it's been so long. July turned out to be a crazy month. I filled in at the Hutch in my old group for vacationers. It took a couple of years to really understand how much employer paid benefits mean to a family budget. I still have every intention to pursue my landscape design work, but I'm hoping to get back at my old job at half-time so that I can get those beni-s again. Of course they are in a hiring freeze right now so I'm waiting; in the meantime I'm doing on call hours. Working basically full time and juggling the day-care stuff meant very little time devoted to blog/knitting/gardening, etc. Especially since every waking moment was spent getting our trailer ready for it's first trip.
We had made reservations last November to go to our favorite Washington coast spot, Grayland Beach State Park. That put a time crunch to get the Airstream ready to go! (If you don't know the backstory, please go to the trailer link...) We were up into the wee hours the week before the trip doing everything we could to get the place ship shape.
And then we got to do this:
Needless to say we had a great time!
And now? I've finished my Leyburn socks. So yummy. A little big, but totally wearable. I haven't taken photos of them because they're packed in my suitcase. I'm heading down to Portland tonight for Sock Summit! I'm taking a class from the Yarn Harlot, so maybe she'll take a picture of my socks when I show them to her on Saturday. I'll fill you in on all of it when I get back.
We had made reservations last November to go to our favorite Washington coast spot, Grayland Beach State Park. That put a time crunch to get the Airstream ready to go! (If you don't know the backstory, please go to the trailer link...) We were up into the wee hours the week before the trip doing everything we could to get the place ship shape.
And then we got to do this:
Needless to say we had a great time!
And now? I've finished my Leyburn socks. So yummy. A little big, but totally wearable. I haven't taken photos of them because they're packed in my suitcase. I'm heading down to Portland tonight for Sock Summit! I'm taking a class from the Yarn Harlot, so maybe she'll take a picture of my socks when I show them to her on Saturday. I'll fill you in on all of it when I get back.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Ginseng Socks and Veggie Progress
I'm eager to tell all 3 of you ;) about my latest project. I'm knitting a pair of Leyburns by Mintyfresh.
As you might assess, I'm flying through these. (Remember that I like knitting my socks 2 at a time, so there is a second one this far along as well!) The gauge is slightly bigger than the "mansocks," so that helps, but I think too the craziness of the yarn and the supercool pattern are keeping my interest super high.
This is my first toe-up sock pattern, as well as my first short-row toes and heels. Luckily, I've got some experience with short rows (remember Calorimetry?) or I would have been seriously frustrated as I had to knit multiple toes and heels to get these just right. It's a testament to my love that I'm still passionate for these guys! Maybe I'll finish these by the weekend.
Stats:
Pattern: Leyburn socks by Mintyfresh
Yarn: Madelinetosh sock in "Ginseng"
Needles: size 1, 40" addi turbo
Mods: Knit a 27 stitch short-row toe, increased the instep to 37 stitches for a total of 64 stitches to accommodate my size 9s. Did no further instep increases at the heel. Leg is 72 stitches as written.
Summer is in full swing around here. During Leon's nap this morning, Emmett and I headed into the back yard for some shenanigans with his tennis racket. While we were out there, we picked and ate more snap peas straight off the vine (love that!) and thinned more of the yellow onions growing amongst the corn. Then we had to check out all that was growing:
The broccoli is starting to flower. Hopefully we can harvest some decent sized florets before any heat makes them bolt.
Our Red Zebra tomato. Looking good. The Cherokee Purple also has a fruit growing, and the Princepe is recovering, though I'm not sure it will ever have any fruit.
All of the green cabbage is forming heads now. Good, because they need to get out of the way of the peppers.
And finally for today, an out-of-focus Emmett standing next to the brussel sprouts. (I forgot to turn off the macro setting on the camera.) I wanted to give some scale to these beasts. They're taller than the corn! Anyone out there with experience with brussel sprouts? Do I need to remove any leaves for the little babies to grow?
And what do you think of my dandelion bouquet? Emmett is too much.
As you might assess, I'm flying through these. (Remember that I like knitting my socks 2 at a time, so there is a second one this far along as well!) The gauge is slightly bigger than the "mansocks," so that helps, but I think too the craziness of the yarn and the supercool pattern are keeping my interest super high.
This is my first toe-up sock pattern, as well as my first short-row toes and heels. Luckily, I've got some experience with short rows (remember Calorimetry?) or I would have been seriously frustrated as I had to knit multiple toes and heels to get these just right. It's a testament to my love that I'm still passionate for these guys! Maybe I'll finish these by the weekend.
Stats:
Pattern: Leyburn socks by Mintyfresh
Yarn: Madelinetosh sock in "Ginseng"
Needles: size 1, 40" addi turbo
Mods: Knit a 27 stitch short-row toe, increased the instep to 37 stitches for a total of 64 stitches to accommodate my size 9s. Did no further instep increases at the heel. Leg is 72 stitches as written.
Summer is in full swing around here. During Leon's nap this morning, Emmett and I headed into the back yard for some shenanigans with his tennis racket. While we were out there, we picked and ate more snap peas straight off the vine (love that!) and thinned more of the yellow onions growing amongst the corn. Then we had to check out all that was growing:
The broccoli is starting to flower. Hopefully we can harvest some decent sized florets before any heat makes them bolt.
Our Red Zebra tomato. Looking good. The Cherokee Purple also has a fruit growing, and the Princepe is recovering, though I'm not sure it will ever have any fruit.
All of the green cabbage is forming heads now. Good, because they need to get out of the way of the peppers.
And finally for today, an out-of-focus Emmett standing next to the brussel sprouts. (I forgot to turn off the macro setting on the camera.) I wanted to give some scale to these beasts. They're taller than the corn! Anyone out there with experience with brussel sprouts? Do I need to remove any leaves for the little babies to grow?
And what do you think of my dandelion bouquet? Emmett is too much.
Monday, June 22, 2009
FO: Ryan's Socks
I am a lazy blogger. I must be getting into it, though, because I'm thinking more and more about what to blog. Hopefully, I'll put the knitting down or get out of the garden long enough to more frequently post about my thoughts.
The main reason why I've not blogged is that I have finished Ryan's socks (!) and have moved on to more exciting knits. Knits that I can't wait to work on. But back to the man socks. What a slog. They are done and finished. Thank you, thank you, thank you. They also fit and Ryan says he likes them, though has yet to wear them. He claims to be afraid to ruin them. How do I convince him that the greatest compliment is not to coddle them but to wear them out? He also makes for a very reluctant sock model, hence the odd photos to follow.
Trust me when I say these look good.
Pattern: Classic Socks by Melissa Morgan Oakes in Two-at-a-Time Socks
Yarn: Cascade Heritage Sock in some blue color (Can you tell I'm OVER these?)
Needles: size 0 40" addi turbo lace
Start and Finish: 12/20/08 - 6/11/09 ie, WAY TOO LONG!
Mods: The pattern called for 9.5 stitches/inch and I got 8.5, so I knit the men's size small to make a men's medium. Worked great.
Ryan doesn't know it, but I did think of these as a father's day/anniversary gift. Turns out that this year, father's day and our 12th (!) wedding anniversary fell on the same day. Love you lots, big guy.
I've got to send word out to my dad as well. Read an e.e. cummings poem on the Mason-Dixon knitblog this morning and couldn't not link to it. Go. Read it. And then hug and kiss your dad if you can.
I love you, Dad!
Dad and I on my wedding day, June 21, 1997.
Dad with both of his kids, May 2009. Happy Father's day to my brother as well!
I'll be back soon (I really will try, I swear.) with more veggie garden photos and in progress shots of more sock knitting!
The main reason why I've not blogged is that I have finished Ryan's socks (!) and have moved on to more exciting knits. Knits that I can't wait to work on. But back to the man socks. What a slog. They are done and finished. Thank you, thank you, thank you. They also fit and Ryan says he likes them, though has yet to wear them. He claims to be afraid to ruin them. How do I convince him that the greatest compliment is not to coddle them but to wear them out? He also makes for a very reluctant sock model, hence the odd photos to follow.
Trust me when I say these look good.
Pattern: Classic Socks by Melissa Morgan Oakes in Two-at-a-Time Socks
Yarn: Cascade Heritage Sock in some blue color (Can you tell I'm OVER these?)
Needles: size 0 40" addi turbo lace
Start and Finish: 12/20/08 - 6/11/09 ie, WAY TOO LONG!
Mods: The pattern called for 9.5 stitches/inch and I got 8.5, so I knit the men's size small to make a men's medium. Worked great.
Ryan doesn't know it, but I did think of these as a father's day/anniversary gift. Turns out that this year, father's day and our 12th (!) wedding anniversary fell on the same day. Love you lots, big guy.
I've got to send word out to my dad as well. Read an e.e. cummings poem on the Mason-Dixon knitblog this morning and couldn't not link to it. Go. Read it. And then hug and kiss your dad if you can.
I love you, Dad!
Dad and I on my wedding day, June 21, 1997.
Dad with both of his kids, May 2009. Happy Father's day to my brother as well!
I'll be back soon (I really will try, I swear.) with more veggie garden photos and in progress shots of more sock knitting!
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