Dishcloth Square Blocks

Meet Dishcloth Square Blocks. Or at least, that's what I'm calling him. He's #2 in what seems to be a weekly series of dishcloth patterns, being designed by Anne. He's done in Lion Cotton Red, with #7 straight needles, in my very Continental method. You can find the pattern here, but be sure to note the contest rules for both cloths.



And don't worry. He's not going to live on the tree. The Knight has already claimed him as his own, and I suspect that before the sun sets, DSB will have been called into action.



I was impressed with the Lion Cotton. It was soft! I'll have to see if I can't find some more, since I don't recall where I picked up this ball, but I do remember that it was the only color they offered...



Now, what next?? You're not going to get to see Amanda's socks while she's on vacation. That just doesn't feel right. If she was here to taunt - er, make that see them herself - that might be different, but since she's out in the middle of the ocean enjoying some alone time with her beloved, I think the socks will just quietly head north on Monday, and you can pop over to her blog for a shot of the finished pair. I *NEED* to start on my Sock it to Me pal's socks, but her yarn won't be here until next week. I am going to send my pal a little package next week too, but the socks obviously won't be included. I guess that forces me to figure out what I'm going to knit for my tea swap pal, huh?

Anne's First Pattern

Anne has designed her first pattern, and she's having a contest! Here's my cloth, or rather, the cloth I knitted from the pattern. The Knight has already claimed it as his own, quite pleased that Anne made it large enough for a man-sized washcloth. I don't know what the colorway is, but the remainder of the Sugar & Cream ball will be used to make baby booties! If you want the pattern and/or you want to enter the contest, head over and get the pattern, and then post a photo of your finished cloth. There are other instructions, but you'll see 'em on Anne's blog. It was a quick, fun pattern!

The details: Yarn - Sugar 'n Cream. Needles - #7 straights. Method: Continental, all the way.





Also, does a single finished sock constitute a finished object? I'm just curious, because technically, the socks are a pair... At any rate, the first of Amanda's socks is complete. It's a cute little pattern, and it also knits up very quickly. I'm so glad she offered to take in the little fella', saving it from an uncertain future.

My first efforts at two socks on two circs died before the first round was complete. I'm just not coordinated enough for that challenge right now. I'm casting on with Tofutsies for the Summer Daze toe-up pattern, just because it is a little different. The fun, quick little pinky will be my travel project next week, and if it is anything like my trip to Chicago, I'll have it done before I get home. This time, I fly out of my local airport with a friend, but I fly home alone, so delays will mean I have no one to talk to and plenty of time to knit.

Back to socks now!

Red and Read

It's really a true red, but that's indoor photography for you. The boys - Mugsy, Fred and the Knitter's Knight - are all sound asleep, so it doesn't seem right to go out to snap a picture for my blog. (Mugsy would pop up and follow me, which would cause Fred to cry, which would wake KK, which would make us all grumpy!) Sorry. ;) I can tell you that I've found a cotton albeit blend to be gushy about, and Cascade Cotton Rich is it. It's about triple the price of a similar quantity of whatever and cream brands, but it's also triple the pleasure to knit with. All those patterns I've seen for clothing made of "dishcloth cotton"? I'd make 'em with this stuff. My pal will have to let us know how it washes and holds up, but it's pure knitter's joy on the needles.

Obviously, it's for my KVVS pal. I'm happy to announce that my pal's package, along with my Dog Days package, which should still make its way on time, will ship out on Monday. I have to give a shout-out to Willis (the owner) and the gals at the Charlottesville branch of The Virginia Store for the big assist in shopping for my VVS pal and more. (I've purchase my first Christmas gift!) You know I love good service, and that store never fails me. I hope my pal likes her virtual vacation too. (Hint - note that I did NOT venture to Monticello's gift shop for museum type gifts.) The lady waiting on me was very curious about knitting and swaps, so maybe next time I go in, she'll be knitting!

The same sales lady recommended the Debbie Macomber books. Sadly, my lame-0 Barnes and Noble doesn't carry them in stock, so that helped me just spend my gift card and NOT renew my membership thingee there, which I never really earn back, because of Amazon and Borders. So, I'll be leaving here and going to trusty Amazon and my prime shipping, and I'll have the book for less, probably before I'm ready to read it anyway. Now, please scoot on over to Debbie's site. There's a free pattern, which will change on August 18th, and Mary, this one is for crocheters! She has a blog too, which lacks photos, but does mention a new knitter in the family.

I'm more of a non-fiction type of girl, but I do enjoy a good what my family calls a "beach" read, so if you've read the Knitting Series, let me know what you think, but no spoilers, okay? There's also content on the site I linked above for Debbie's new inspirational book, which I did buy at B&N, along with another sock book, Vogue Knitting Socks Two. I love those little books, although I've yet to actually knit anything from one. Sigh. So many books, yarns and patterns, and so little time!

I also hit It's a Stitch for some personal and swap stuff. Sigh. The lady I like best wasn't working. I want to love that store and say great things about it, but instead, I'll tell you that I very nearly paid for two Addi circs. I already own, because the sales lady wasn't listening. She sold me 2 - US #1/2.5mm circs., when I very clearly explained that I have those and NEED the 2.25mm size for my socks. BIG SIGH. She says Addi doesn't make them, but I bet they do. However, since I'm having trouble finding them, good ol' Knitpicks (books in stock, 40% off through August 17th) will get my order, because I *KNOW* they have the 2.25 mm size, and their website always seems to "listen."

THEN, the same lady insisted she'd never heard of a sock pattern calling for two different sized needles. Now, I know I'm no expert, but I'm positive I've seen other patterns that do indeed call for different sized needles for the same sock! Hello? Am I wrong? Then, she told me to just knit the whole thing on the #2s called for in the bulk of the pattern... And what does one do when the said professional tries to tell her she's wrong? I can tell you what I do. I decide that if I can't make a mini road trip to Carodan or Limerick Fibers (no website yet, but oh, I hope it will be up in time for Christmas!), I'll just order online. I hate that, I really do, because as part of a local small business, I *WANT* to shop locally and support small businesses, but geeze folks, can you meet me half way and provide a modicum of customer service?!

Whew. I think some tea and stick therapy is in order. Why is it so hard to run a decent yarn shop?

Still Green

Friends, I think I'm in a rut. It's a lovely cloth in a cotton-linen blend, but it's a sage green. Green. It's all I seem to be able to reach for these days, but that will change. It must! I'm going to knit a little something for my KVVS pal, so unless she's really into green, there will be a different colored finished object soon enough. I love this pattern. It's in a booklet the awesome Anne gave me, and it's called "Soft Texture." Indeed. I think Mark wants it for his own, but no dice. I also must announce that I care not the least to knit with linen or linen blends. Ick, yuck, and almost yuck yarn worthy. Scratchy. I will do a linen face cloth for Mark (and let's all hope he doesn't adore it and want more), and mostly likely, he'll get a twin to this one too, just because I've got the yarn, and it's good to keep the Knitter's Knight happy.

I did find the link for the Petal Dishcloth (pictured a couple of posts before this). In a true gooblette moment, when I unfolded the page, which was merely folded in half, there was the link, across the bottom of the page. Imagine...

I also shoved the Sockza socks on blockers. Follow the link to note that you've knitted your socks, sent your socks (tomorrow, for me!) and again when you receive your socks. Maybe all of y'all knew to do that, but I needed my dear Devon to point that out, so I'm returning the favor. I really do love that pattern, but there are so many others I want to do that it will probably be a while before I knit the same pattern twice again. I'm pretty sure the June Tofutsies Sock Club is next for the needles, and yes folks, that will be a return to the two circs. method. I like dpns a lot, but they wore out their welcome (snapping, poking in the palm, etc.) with that last effort. The yoga socks in Wick remain on the needles in a fancy Ziploc bag, but when Mugsy isn't sleeping on said bag, I am picking them up once in a while, because I love the Wick.

Thanks for all the Fred good wishes. He's better, but not much, so I'll call Dr. Nancy in the morning, and either tomorrow or Tuesday, the big boy will go see her. It's heartbreaking, but I still have hope...

There's still time to sign up for the tea swap. We're rounding up some nice prizes, and the first contest isn't far off, so don't wait until the last minute to sign up or to post your questionnaire!

Green Goodness

The knitterly goodness coming my way is remarkable. I truly have been richly blessed by the friends I've made in our online knitting/crocheting community. This treasure is now mine, merely because I openly coveted it when Mary posted it on her blog as a finished object! Not only did the bag arrive, but wrapped inside it was Knitting for Peace (thanks, Amazon, for the link). I have picked that book up a few times, and now can't wait to get started on a hat for Amy's charity project for her hometown. Right now, hats are my favorite charity project, and Amy's Warm Up Winchester is definitely my go-to giving spot right now. (Note: I have yet to get a hat done, but I am going to correct that in the next few days! Will you do the same?) Many, MANY thanks, dear Mary, for the perfect gifts. I'm taking the bag along next time I go shopping, to leave a few of those plastic thingees I recycle behind.

Next, I'm going to break from my usual habits and post my Sockza socks. They're done, and they certainly count for the Summer of Socks, as one was knitted entirely on vacation! The photo could be better, but it's threatening to storm, so you get the idea. I hope my sweet pal will like them! They were done in the Knit Socks! pattern featured earlier in the blog, but this time, I used fingering weight yarn, Misty Mountain Farm's Blue Ridge Yarn Jubilee. The colorway is called Evergreen, but I am excited about this yarn because the farm is in an area near and dear to my heart. It's also a soft, yummy yarn, and a dream to knit up! (I hope they fit...) Of course, if you've been reading my blog, you probably know the yarn is available at The Loopy Ewe.

Last, but not least, I present my first non-square dishcloth. It was done in the Bernat Handicrafter Shades of Green my first swap spoiler sent me. I have found THE pattern for my variegated yarns. It was fun, quick and easy, and I wish I could remember where I found it. (In a link on one of your blogs, I'm sure.) At any rate, thanks whomever, because I adore this pattern! The yarn? Eh, not so much. It was less splitty than the Sugar 'n Cream I usually use, but it somehow felt bulkier while knitting. Less flexible, perhaps? But, I wanted to try it, and now, I have, so there's that to cross of the list. Mark should be happy; only a few yards remain, so it was a stash buster too!

Healing Drool

Fred here. I'm the beautiful basset hound she mentions once in a while. Before the Harry Potter forum, which was before the knitting obsession, she had the basset hound forum. When one of the other bassets or their people had a problem, we sent healing drool. So, that's what our house is sending to Michelle, Chewy and their household - boxes and all. Please stop in and offer them support, prayers, good karma, hugs, kisses, or whatever nice thing you are into.

While I'm at it, Mommy failed to make a deadline for her little 100th contest. So, let's say you have until midnight EDT on July 1 to leave a comment, okay? Then, she can pick a winner on Monday, and I bet she won't let me drool on the prize.

And Auntie Anne? Thanks for naming the dishcloth swap after us. Ahroooo!!

Good Karma

Fate? Whatever you choose to call it, today was a good day. But first, a finished object from Friday. It's the camper cloth, the last of my mother inlaw's Mother's Day gifts. Well, that and the Crocs clogs that I was shocked she wanted, but she is fun-lovin' woman! Having that behind me left me free to cast on for Sock #1's mate. It's moving along, especially considering today was much longer than anticipated, so I had much less time to knit.

Did anyone notice that I learned how to doctor my photos? That's a rather accurate color, but it didn't start out that way. Look at the cute little pattern. Wee! This blogging to inspire techno-learning is working.

However, my knitting disorder continues. Hubby had to be out and about by 7am, and I found myself killing time after Fred awakened me around 5am for a quick trip outside. I finally settled on a pattern for my pal in the Spring Felted Bag Exchange (no, I'm not tellin'!), so the next step was the yarn. I remembered Anne telling me about a sale at Webs, so before my dear, sleep-groggy husband was down the drive, I was ordering. Soon enough, I stopped by It's a Stitch to pick up SOME of the special order yarn for Mark's afghan, and wouldn't you know it?! Some sock yarn hopped up on the counter and I accidentally purchased it. (YOU believe me, don't you? My husband sure didn't. He pointed out that this yarn thing is getting out of hand. Whatever. The largest allocation in my stash is for his personally demanded project. That makes it all okay.)

While checking out, the debate began. I explained that my first sock was Magic Looped and that I was going to try dpns next. I love yarn shops. A woman I'd never seen before appeared at my elbow and assured me that dpns are much easier. The lady behind the counter insisted that two circular needles is the only way to go, and asked me to please stop in sometime and have Ann (??) the resident sock expert, show me how to do THAT method. The lady at my elbow shook her head emphatically, and told me that if I wasn't fond of Magic Loop, there was no need. The lady making the sale held her position, and pointed to the Addi Turbos behind her, and insisted that I must invest in them and give the two circular needled method a try. I smiled, and noted how nice it was to be leaving the shop with much more yarn than the debit card had just paid for, as all the special order yarn had been paid for up front. As I signed the receipt and slipped away, the debate continued at the register...

Knitters are passionate people. And that's a good thing.

As for karma, well, the package I shipped to Anne about ten days ago, Priority Mail, FINALLY found its way to her today. Turns out, despite the frustration it caused when I finally confessed that she should have received a little surprise something from me, the timing was perfect. (Must have been the Tai Chi DVD enclosed, although dark chocolate is medicinal, right?) My day was much longer than expected, and I ended up listening to the Derby on my trusty XM radio, but I met four delightful ladies, ate some good food, and what else really matters? I even got to the pharmacy one minute - literally! - before closing, to be waited upon by the best pharmacy assistant in the world. Life is good.

Ask me what I'm going to do tomorrow, if I don't meet friends at Graves Mountain Lodge for lunch. Mugsy and I are going to hit the other LYS, and another, about 30 minutes away from town. My sock may or may not get finished this weekend, but I'm lining up yarn for many more socks to come.

Happy Birthday, Hooey

If you stick around, you'll discover I call my dogs all sorts of names. Today, the dog the AKC calls Tackhammer Fred, and Amanda more fittingly named Fred Aloisius is 11 years old. This post is brought to you because the birthday boy didn't want to be put in the bed - our bed - when the humans and Mugsy went to bed. No, 1:47 am suited him better, but at 2:03, Mugsy decided the three of us needed to get up. So, Mugsy, the birthday boy and I are up. They are now ready to go back to bed, but my body isn't, so... Here we are.

Here's the finished KAL dishcloth. The color isn't so orange; it's a lush, lovely terracotta, but at 2am, I'm not editing the photo for you. I loved Lion Brand's Cotton Ease, and the stitch definition is just fine. Thanks, Rachel for great designs and my first knit along. I can't wait to do the "housework sucks" pattern!

As I always want Anne happy, here's the sock that has occupied my free time of late, and Anne's time, and Devon's time too. Heck, even Sue has a few emails invested in this sock, as does The Pro, Anne's sister. Talk about a group project.It's not a great picture, but it was taken at 2:15 am, so admire what you can and hope that this evening will bring a finished product and a better photo or two. I have a cute pose with the birthday boy in mind, but we'll see what the rest of the day brings. After all, I'm missing my beauty rest now, so who knows how the post-work hours will pan out? Do note the tiny amount of yarn left. Maybe I will need all three skeins after all. Stay tuned, because I really intend to finish this bugger tonight.

Now, I believe I'll go wake up the dogs and we'll all go back to bed, except for the sock. It lives on the coffee table. Mugsy is at my side BEGGING to return to bed. That's one smart dog.

Get Your Trivia...

I completely forgot that we're supposed to be answering trivia questions for House Points. So, if my prefect is looking, the answer is Voldemort and Dumbledore. That's a nice, Ravenclawish blue there, to help her find it! I still can't believe that I get to combine two passions - knitting and Harry Potter - not once, but twice! There are the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap and Charmed Knits, one for rather selfish fun, and the other for a great cause. I plan to start my first Charmed knit probably next week. I have that KAL dishcloth to finish, and the first sock to hopefully polish off this weekend, and that will allow me to whip out one last dishcloth for my mother inlaw's Mothers Day assortment. The first hat comes after that. My husband's blanket's yarn is now back ordered (just the yellow, but then two other colors I'd selected were from an outdated color chart), so we'll be well into May before I can start that. I'm not happy, but such is life. I can say I'll be ordering most of my yarn online from now on.

Oh yeah. There are the baby blankets too. Both will be in non-gender-specific colors, but they're not due until July. The blankets, that is. The babies aren't due until August and September. Lots of knitting will be happening here!

My First KAL

Here's a lovely sneak-peak of Rachel's first dishcloth KAL, which happens to be my first KAL ever. Can you see the hint of the design showing up, along the bottom and progressing up from there? The color is accurate on the left, but the photo on the right MIGHT help you see the emerging design. Maybe. Anyway, I'm having fun, rushing home, printing the day's 10 rows, and knitting away. I'm guessing we're not quite halfway, as all three of Rachel's patterns I've done thus far had more than 60 rows.

However, my sock-loyal hubby did ask this evening, "Why aren't you knitting on the sock?" Poor sock. Hardly! It is not being neglected. See?

Moving right along. However, it is interesting to contrast that with Anne's sock. Same pattern, same size needles, both using worsted weight yarn, but she casted on loosely, which is beyond me, as I know I tend to knit tightly. The sock does fit so far, but I do have smallish feet. (Swatch? What swatch? I figured sockie was all about adventure, and that I could frog if I had to...)

Now, back to the sock, my husband, the dogs, and the 408th viewing (okay, not QUITE that many!) of White Men Can't Jump. My dear hubby is one of the ten men in America who actually appreciates that TV Land others show the same dang movie over and over and over and...

Froggy Socks

I was cruising right along on my first pair of socks, when I realized I'd somehow gotten off-kilter with the pattern. Frogged back to the start, because figured the practice wouldn't hurt. HA! Now, I can't make the first row happen. First, I twisted the join. Then, I don't know what I did, but the last stitch was a trainwreck. So, I'm casting on again, after I take a little break here.



This is the Mothers Day cloth I did for my mother inlaw. It's actually in a rather vivid blue, but with my great photography skills, you could either have the pattern OR the correct color, and I decided you wanted the pattern. I'm certain Rachel would rather I show her pattern in all its glory than the right color!




Using my new "hey, you can see the pattern!" skills, here's the nurse's hat. It's the old fashioned, stand-up on the top of the head cap my grandmother favored, so I hope my mother enjoys it. My mother did some nursing in the cap, but her last few years were without it. My grandmother never did get used to nurses in scrubs and doctors without ties, but the world moves on.


Now, a big sigh, and back the sock I go. It really was going well. Magic loop, pretty colors... What more could I ask? Oh yeah. To be able to replicate the process.

A few minutes later... We have a sock. Again. Mugsy is sleeping through the success, which is too bad, because he was trying to make me feel better when I frogged my cast-on for the xth time.

Learning Curves

I'm learning. Patterned dishcloths are best done on solid colors, especially if the pattern is an OBJECT. The first photo is a nurse's hat, as my mother was a nurse (and so was HER mother), and the second is a Mothers Day tic-tac-toe board. Sigh. Live and learn. I bought lots of solid colors today.

I also bought the yarn for my husband's summer/cotton blanket, which won't likely be done for THIS summer. It's a Lion Brand Pattern. If you search under "fireman" you'll find it. (It is of the for sale variety, so there are no good pictures, really.) The pattern says to "cross stitch" the designs over the finished sections, but I've decided I don't think that will look right, nor will it stand up to a man who likes to have his dogs sit with him. So, I'm going to attempt to turn it into my first intarsia work. Joy! I also had to order the yellow, the black, the grey and the taupe I'm using instead of the second grey, because fire hoses aren't really grey, except right after a fire. My husband also wants the engine to be green and white, because our station's fleet is indeed green with a white top, and he wants the helmet to be white, because he's a battalion chief. We'll see about that one; I wear black, he's worn black, red, yellow and white, so he'll get whatever helmet I feel like giving him. The white might not happen simply because I'm not buying skein # 18 just so he can have a white helmet. If the dalmation doesn't use up all the white, he'll get a white helmet. I'm using Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece.

I also need to do the dishcoths for my mother inlaw's Mothers Day gift, but I had the yarn for that. It's just flecked with color, so I hope it will work out okay. I bought some Lions Brand Cotton Ease in terracotta to try, because it felt great. I also bought a linen cotton blend to try, because another customer in the LYS whispered that she liked that best. Same customer also recommended Knitter's Stash, which I then rushed to my local bookstore to buy, as the LYS was sold out. I grabbed three knitting magazines while I was there, and one of them will go to my secret pal, so I can't tell you about them, or about the other goodies I picked up today. I plan to ship out on Monday, so maybe by the end of next week, I won't be anonymous anymore.

Since Michael's is next door to my bookstore of choice, I had to go in. I picked up a book there too, on felted bags, but I'm not even saying which one, because there's a chance I'll make one out of there for THAT pal, when the time comes! I picked up some Wool Ease there, in Ravenclaw (book) and Slytherin colors for my Charmed Knits projects. I'm generally not much on shopping, but I had to shop for my pal, and I had to buy that yarn to start hubby's blankie, so it's not my fault the other things found their way home with me. The LYS owner even agreed that the yarn bought for hubby shouldn't count as part of my yarn purchases, because he asked for it!

So, not much excitement here, but there will be a few FOs this week and next, and since blankie is done in sections, progress reports are possible too. I'm also kinda' waiting patiently to begin the socks TBL, The Pro and I are going to start in due time. I have enough yarn to keep me out of trouble for a while.

Did I mention it is finally spring here??

Third Time's the Charm?

How many posts can I put up in one day? (Keep in mind I edited the first one to add that I wasn't flying away after all...)

I'm a bad friend. Not really, but my mind just isn't in the game today. No trip to Boston, my own state is now a terrible record-holder with the largest mass shooting in US history (obviously, the battlefields don't count?), and I still don't know about the students I know at VA Tech. That's enough to make anyone forget a few things, but I shouldn't have forgotten to sign up for another exchange! Check it out - The Bag Lady is also hosting a "Spring Into Summer" Dishcloth Exchange. I've fixed that, and now for penitence, I'm trying (in vain, thus far) to create a button for the cause.

Evidently, I've also committed a handicrafter's faux pas; mea culpa. My creations in the previous post were a dishcloth and a face cloth. Rags are not blessed with the expense of yarn or cotton, nor are they rendered with tender loving care. I stand corrected.

So, I've moved on to the mother inlaw's little felted bag, and the yarn worries me. I picked it before I'd even made my first felted bag, and I fear it will felt into a blob of ick, when really, I picked it because my mother inlaw loves purple and mauve. Will those colors even show up after felting? (Note to any of my exchange spoilers: *I* do NOT like purple or mauve very much at all, thanks much.)

That's the little 16 stiches by 20 rows for the bottom of the bag. Don't confuse the purple Knitpicks Options cord on the righ with the yarn, although it blends in nicely.

That's the yarn. It's call Himalaya, Queensland Collection, 100% wool. I found it in a basket on the floor at my LYS, and figured there was enough mauve and purple in it for my mother inlaw, but enough brown, creamy yellow and green for me not to get sick while knitting.

And there's the color change frequency. It's every couple of inches or so, since you can't really tell. Unless I get told it will be a muddy mess, I'll try it anyway. It shouldn't take long to do, and I have a dependable skein of Cascade 220 on hand in a nice blue, which I bought with me in mind, but I'd hand it over to my mother inlaw, since we are talking Mothers Day here.

I'm thinking this will be my last post for today, unless I do indeed figure out how to build a button for the exchange.

My Peace

Thank goodness for blogging, knitting and Harry Potter. What a crazy day.




First, here's the dishrag I did for my mother, my first dishrag! I hope you can kinda' see the butterflies (four, two high, two low). I haven't washed and blocked the rag, because it seems silly to do, but if it would make it look better (keep in mind it still has to get shipped with another rag or two), I would. It was a great pattern, and I can't say enough about Rachel, the designer. My hubby paid by Paypal for me, and the email with the patterns ended up in his spam folder, and nice Rachel followed up with a second email, because he/we hadn't confirmed that we'd gotten the patterns. Great customer service!





Then, there's the train wreck that is the chenille rag. See the really flat cast-on on the lower left corner? What's up with that!? Note the uneven stitches. Ick. I'm tempted to frog it before my husband gets home, but he actually likes the thing, just because it's soft and I made it for him. It is soft. I can't take that away from the yarn, but that and the color are the nicest things about it. I am just not meant to knit with chenille. I can't imagine what would make me try again. There are too many other soft cottons out there.



Last, but hardly least, is the button!

I'll Fly Away - NOT

I'm supposed to be headed to Boston tonight. We're flying (or not) Jet Blue, so between that and the weather, I'm not at all sure I won't be right here in VA tomorrow after all.



I made the dishcloth for my mother Saturday, and whipped out the chenille one for my hubby yesterday. I have pictures, but they may not get posted until I get back from wherever I go. I got as far as uploading them on my home desktop last night, but there they sit, and I'm here at work. I can now confirm without a doubt that I HATE chenille. I just can't knit evenly with it, and wore a spot on my middle finger from where I had to really dig in to K2tog, TWICE on every decrease row, which was exactly half of the total work. No more chenille for me. I thought maybe I just disliked acrylic chenille, but the cotton was no better.



So, with some billing behind me, I continued on my joiner binge. I knew I'd missed the Hogwarts Sock Exchange (or whatever the "proper" name for it is), but my enabler The Bag Lady found something else that is right up our alley. She's casting on her first sock, and I hope to be doing the same later this week. Of course, if Boston is a bust, I just might make a trip to my LYS tomorrow and drown my sorrows in my own first sock.



See, I was a Harry Potter addict/fan/nut before I became tied up in my knitting. My friends here have been somewhat neglected as I've become more obsessed with knitting! I'm routinely surprised that I come up as a Ravenclaw, but I do, without fail. As I like those colors best, I'll happily hitch my horse to that wagon for the swap. (Huh. Button creation will have to happen at home. This odd, old computer at work has major issues...)




Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to see if my flight has been canceled yet.

It was. So, I'll be able to go home, fix the button (hooray!), take Mugsy for a long walk, and start a new knitting project. Socks, maybe? I'd need to run to town and purchase some sock yarn, if that's the case, but it could happen...

And my heart goes out to everyone else touched by the VA Tech shooting. I'm holding back tears and trying to talk around the lump in my throat, praying that the folks I know down there are safe, and as untouched by this awful mess as is possible. I know three young men in the engineering program down there, and I want to hear that they are alive and well.

Just in Time

Blankie #2 was finished just in the nick of time. I needed to hand it over for delivery at the Stampin' Up! party at 7pm last night, and I finished up around 6:52. Luckily, I live all of five miles from the party location, so I wasn't but a minute or two late. (The sister inlaw knows it hasn't been washed, and will hopefully whisper so in the recipient's ear.) It got rave reviews from the other ladies at the party, although they were my friends and family, so it's not like they were knitting critics. I doubt I'll ever do another one like it, so it is truly one of a kind and a big ol' labor of love.

Blankie #3 won't be given today after all. I have an upset tummy, and I don't want to risk it. It's all wrapped and was ready for the big presentation, but I don't play around with germs and pregnant women.

Here's the scrumptious cotton chenille (Crystal Palace color 2214) I picked up yesterday for the hubby's special facecloth. I still need to choose a pattern, because as soon as I finish the dishrag I'm doing now, I'm casting on for that and will finish it up tomorrow so he can think of me - and remember that honey do list I'm leaving - while I'm in Boston. Forgive the shadows, but I had a terrible time finding a background that did justice to the color, and then you got stuck with the shadow from my arm. (Look, I can't learn to knit, blog AND master digital photography all at the same time, and TBL has priorities!)

There's the work in progress, the butterfly lace dishcloth from here.

That's all the cotton for the stuff for my mother (she doesn't know about this blog, and I'm pretty sure she won't stumble across it) for her May birthday and Mothers Day. I must admit, it is GREAT to have the almost instant gratification of a small project, and I love that this pattern changes every single row! I needed that after Blankie #2, my first slog along project. I'm also liking this cotton more than I thought I would. It's softer knitting than I thought it would be, based on what the ball feels like just handling it. It's not soft, but it's not offensively rough as I feared. The varigated stuff does have some blue in it, but again, blame the shoddy photographer! Maybe once I master blogging, I'll take a photography class. My aunt and uncle took a digital class together a few Saturday mornings, and both of them loved it. Quality time with the husband, maybe?

And last, but hardly least, in this post of photos, we have the colors for my sweet mother inlaw's dishrags. She's so dang supportive, and she hasn't been gifted with anything since the scarf bonaza I went on during the winter, whilst I was reminding myself how to knit. It's time. I even found a cute camper pattern for their camper (duh?), but as I found, printed it, and left it at work (or in the car?), I can't tell you where to find it. Sorry. Maybe when I announce it as a work in progress or an FO, or... The ball on the left is for her house kitchen, and I hope I remember the colors correctly for her new camper, but whether I do or not, the right is for her camper rags. I anticipate making several of the camper rags, for my mother inlaw's best friend (also like a mother to me - I live in the same community where I was raised for the first 11 years of my life), my sister, and probably a few other mutal friends who camp.

I'm thinking of working on the art of blogging a bit, now that the taxes are done (State and Federal, thanks so much). I thought I had an FO list, so I actually had a bit of difficulty last night, showing a friend blankie #3. She thinks that's what she's getting (she's in the due in August-September batch), but since I've watched her grow up and she's the closest thing to a little sister I have, she's getting a blankie I'll have to seam together. Yeah, I love her and her hubby THAT MUCH. (And my apologies to those who don't get seamed blankies, but I also know they'll love it no matter how badly I botch it. There's also an advantage to getting blankie #4 or 5+, because I'm still on a rather steep learning curve.) Which reminds me, I need to pick yarn and pattern for hubby's summer afghan. Ugh.

More joining, more learning... I'm trying to figure out how to add a button without TBL. I said I wasn't joining THIS, but after knitting with the cotton, I changed my mind. I sometimes can't wear wool directly against my skin, so this is something I should explore! Stay tuned for the can she make a button without TBL!