3.07.2007

What's a matter babe, are you feelin' sick?

Ick. I've been pretending not to be sick since about Friday, but it finally caught up with me on Monday afternoon. I've been out sick for two days now and, let me tell you, daytime tv is highly overrated. On the plus side, this sore throat/general ickiness has allowed me some knitting time.

Well, Johanna asked for it, so you can blame her when you are suddenly overwhelmed by the number of active projects I've got going right now.



Here you see a few items resued from the UFO list. At the top, we have the Union Square Market Pullover from Interweave Knits Fall 2005. And that's about when I started it and almost finished it. It popped out of the drawer a few weeks ago to FINALLY get sewn up, when I realized that one of the sleeves had a problem, so now I'm reknitting the shoulder part of the left sleeve. One day it will be done. Oh yes, it will be done. (Channeling Mike Myers there - quick, what movie was that from?)

The pretty purple number seen above is the Frieda sweater, which I don't think ever literally made it onto the UFO list, but which has spent a few months in the drawer of knitting death. I did the body and neck, then got scared to mess up the sleeves. The original pattern continues with the cable along the sleeves, but it makes for poofy shoulders, and I'm just not into that. Plain jane stockinette for this knitter! I have finally started the first sleeve. It's about half way done at this point. Hopefully it will be a success, because I'm not sure this sweater will survive another trip to the drawer of death.

Finally, you may have spotted a pair of Jaywalkers in the pile up there. These are Lorna's Laces in Denim. I love them, but I think I just got tired of the pattern. Now, a year (or maybe 2) later and my gauge is totally different so the striping looks different. I've ripped and reknit the beginning of the second sock three times in the past month. Now that I've finally gotten as close as I'm going to get on matching the gauge of the first sock, I'm no longer interested. Probably because it requires DPNs and I've long outgrown that phase of my sock-knitting career. Eventually I'll finish them, but the race is on as to which of the three knitted items in the photo above will be finished first. It's anybody's guess at this point. Care to make a wager on it?

What's that? Three WIPs not quite enough for you? Here's one more:




I've started Crumpets for my "niece." Well, she's not really my niece, but I'm her Auntie Rachel, so she gets to be called by niece, at least for now. I love the look of it, but a baby dress on size 1 needles is no picnic and I can't work that long on it before my wrists protest. I've changed up the pattern a bit, which is causing the problem. I love the look of the dress, but I hate that it calls for a thick yarn. It's just not right for a summer dress for a baby. So I've substituted Dalegarn's Stork for Lion Brand Cotton Ease. I'm following the pattern for the biggest size in order to actually get a size for a 6 month old. It's really an adorable dress!

And yes, there is actually a fifth item on my needles. I couldn't help it and I knit the toe of my first Rockin' Sock Club sock, but now I need new needles for the rest. It calls for size 0s for the foot part, and given the way I manhandled my needles to do the toe on size 1s, I just don't think I want to subject my wooden size 0s to that kind of abuse. They would never survive that beating. No pics of this one since it's just not far enough along for a photoshoot.

I'm also a part of Sock Madness (details coming soon). The first round of this March Madness knit-athon starts this weekend, so I guess that'll make a sixth item on my needles. Of course, I'm away for a wedding this weekend, so I'll be starting about 48 hours behind the other knitters. Wish me luck in surviving this one!



Previous title: Say Anything, "Wow, I Can Be Sexual Too"

3.05.2007

Know that you'll be my downfall

I've been stalking the mailbox again. Lurking around the corner, just waiting for that package to arrive . . .

Okay, so I do have more of a life than literally standing at the mailbox, waiting. But I have been just DYING for this package to come. Well all I can say is, it was worth it! My Rockin' Sock Club kit finally arrived. I hate to spoil the fun for anyone wanting to be surprised, so if you want to see the kit, just click here. I know, I know, I'm making you work for it today.

Let me just tell you that I am totally in love with Socks that Rock yarn and it is so hard not to go online and order some more right this second with my new 10% off coupon (thank goodness for silly bank errors). It's also so hard to continue with all of the other projects that I have on the needles. I just want to rip into my new skein of sock yarn and get going (no worries, I will rip gently into it). I really swore that I was going to finish at least one project before starting this new one, but I can't stop myself. Socks that Rock is clearly my downfall.

Oh yeah, and thanks for all of the sweet words about Harvard. It still hasn't really sunk in yet, but it's getting there. I'm planning to move to Harvard Square over the summer, and I'm just beginning to think about that change, so clearly I'm not yet quite able to wrap my head around being a student again and doing it at this school in particular.



Previous title: Counting Crows, "Hangin' Around"

3.01.2007

I been bummin' around this old town too long

Apparently someone else thinks so too, because guess where I'm going in September! I am so beside myself right now I can't even handle it. I don't think I'll sleep for a week from all the excitement!

Can you believe it?

HARVARD!



More knitting content when my hands stop shaking.



Previous Title: Eurythmics, "Sweet Dreams"