Jo Knits!

Pink eye, pink book.

What an ironic way to finish the 1st month of project Spectrum but with having a pink eye. After getting a sinus cold a few weeks back, all the junk made my eyes sore. Now I woke up this morning with half an eye swollen shut, let's just say I am not a pretty sight. Good thing I am not going to work, I'd scare people in the subway. Carl's off today so we will just hang around the house and get some groceries. I really hope my eye gets better throughout the day, it's pretty uncomfortable. If it's like this tomorrow, I'll go to Carl's work place and have his boss look at my eye. See there are plus sides to working in the eyeware business.

Have you ever tried a day with not reading, no tv, internet or knitting!? Since I am trying to not strain my eyes too much, I have put knitting aside and started reading The Opinionated Knitter. I had to choose the lesser of evils and went with reading for short periods. I just love getting to peek inside Elizabeth Zimmemann's personal diary. There's a camping trip she took to Canada while writting one of her books, it's so nice to read. Anyways, me being the complete no-headaches knitter, I think I should knit a few of EZ's pattern for a while. I only picked up knitting years after her passing but still I hope that some day I will get to meet some of her knits at a summer knitting camp. I dream of going and meeting people that had met her and learning from her wise daughter, let's just say it won't be this summer but some day. ;) Until then, there's always the new DVD's that have been released of EZ and Meg. These will show me more tricks than I can think of, now just have to find a way to include these learning tools into my budget. For now they are on my birthday wish list. teehee! ;)

For the last two evenings, we have watched movies and not knitting while checking the tv is really tough. I am just so used to knitting while sitting on the couch, I have been pacing around the house when I don't knit for a few days. LOL! It's like I need to pick up the needles or else I feel useless. ;) So the two movies we've seen are: Meet the Fockers and Memoirs of a Geisha. Both were very enjoyable for totally different reasons, for one I can't stop saying a$$-hØle. LOL! Meet the Fockers was a light comedy, the kind that is even funnier if you are tired. LOL! I really just jumped into the storyline without knowing what to expect at all. Usually I'll watch a movie's trailer online before, to have an idea of the movie. I was happy to have seen this movie, we laughed out loud many times. Memoirs of a Geisha was far from being a comedy but it did have a few tenders moments. I've had the book, actually even have two of them for a few years now and never started to read it. The book is a brick, a BIG brick. LOL! Now that I've seen the movie, I am tempted to read it though. My favorite scenes were of Geisha school, the dances with fans are so pretty. :)

Have a nice day, spring has sprung and finally all the snow has melted. Feels great to see the earth get alive again. :)

Sunday, sundays

Here's proof that I have knitted and completed half of something. Zoe's first clog went super quick and well. The clog took every single each of the 1st ball of yarn, so much so that some seams were knitting single strand. The second went bonkers, I started the short row shaping at the wrong place and it all went down from there. It's in a corner until I have the will to rip and remake. So, I did what I do best...

Started yet another project, big surprise! LOL! Wednesday Carl and I went for a wonderful walk at Westmount Park. We stopped by the library and I finally got my hands on The Baby Knits Book from Debbie Bliss (be sure to check the erratas). I started the Alphabet blanket right away, this is for Carl's boss and they are expecting in May, I really want to finish this prior to the birth of the baby. They are having a surprise baby and painted the room yellow so I am using the soft yellow colorway in honor of their favorite color. There's a beautiful sweater called Cable and rib sweater with hood in the book and I hope to knit it for Lucas. The pattern goes up to 4years, Lucas is 5 but not on the big size. I think it would suit him really good too, perhaps knit in a cotton blend so he could wear it on chilly summer nights. :)

As you can see, sunday cartoons are much more interesting when you can cozy up too daddy. Today Carl starts work later so we make this big sunday breakfast. Sundays are special that way, we always look forward to an enjoyable meal together. :)

hugs,

Something old, something new.

You will see these new sock yarns in the following weeks. Elann has done it again, offer great yarn at 50% off, it might not have been in the budget, sadly I can not offer to pass up such good deals either. These sock yarns have cotton in them, so I guess I'll be knitting socks throughout the summer. LOL! I also ordered my first set of Brittany needles, I can't wait to try them out.

It's silly how I obsess about knitting notions. Especially the ones I have never encountered in local yarn stores. On my last trip to Toronto, I brought back a Chiby needle set, I ordered the Kacha Kacha counter online, I did find coilless pins locally in a craft store though. Now my current obsession are Clover Locking Stitch Markers, I think those markers are SO neat, love the locking part. LOL! Now in the up coming weeks I might have the possibility to travel to the West Coast and hopefully there will be some notions to be found. ;) Note to self: I want a yarn cutter, blocking wires (who knows I may actually block something someday...), blocking pins are needed too I am guessing. Oh yeah are a darning egg, yeah I want, I mean.... need one of those. LOL! You need the right tools to knit correctly, no? teehee! No need to answer, I'm looking for reasons to spend, don't mind me too much. ;)

I'm having a huge case of let's start 10 projects and finish none these days, so I cast one 2 official projects and all the others have seen no knitting action. This is my 1st time knitting the ever so popular flower basket shawl. I am using up some oh-so-soft alpaca yarn that was intended for another shawl a long time ago. The start of a shawl you see in the picture is no more, I've ripped it out and started again using smaller needles. The yarn is so lovely to work with that I don't mind reading a chart to knit with it. ;) The second project I did was a black wool hat that used up every single inch of the yarn, love when that happens.

Well Carl's off today so we need to go get groceries, how I dream of having a car and not have to carry groceries home. Sigh...

What about pink?

I've been having a hard time coming up with knitting something pink, you'd think it was easy living with pink lovin' Zoe but my yarn stash is pretty bare of her favorite color. Zoe's school bag is also pink, BRIGHT pink, it's a great way to find her easily when she enters the school yard. LOL! Then her skating backpack is also pink, sadly I wonder... how is it that I don't have more pink yarns?

Luckily I do have two balls of my beloved Lamb's Pride in RPM Pink for Miss Zoe. This is the last of my favorite yarn in the house, I indeed bought it with my big girl in mind and to knit her some felted clogs. She's been begging for some ever since I knitted mine a long time ago (aka I don't remember when). I started knitting the first last night and was almost done by the time I went to bed. Let me tell you, the mohair sheds like crazy but man, how I LOVE working with Lamb's Pride. I'd knit only with this yarn if I could actually get my hands on it in the province but you know Quebec... not Lamb's Pride friendly. :( Next time I go out-of-province you can bet I'll buy getting more of it though. I need to buy it in bulk or something. LOL! Wonder if anyone ever knitted a sweater in this yarn, I just adore Lamb's Pride!!!

Now back to reality, I also like Regia yarns. I started on these right before a little knitting gathering on sunday, it's funny to see that on 10 knitters, more than half are knitting socks. We did decide that it is the perfect meeting project, mindless knitting is the best when chatting with others about yarns, patterns, blogs. It was a lot of fun and it's a great way to hear everyone's opinions on new books coming out or what online yarn shops are good to order from.

Now do I or don't I order a baby book that only has one pattern I am looking to knit. Argh! For the last 3 weeks I have been going to the big library to borrow the Baby Knits book by Debbie Bliss, which is said to be in said library, sadly no one can actually puts their hands on it. I really want to knit the Alphabet blanket for Carl's boss but the book doesn't seem to want to be found in Montreal.

On a last note, I've been watching SЄx and the City reruns, I never really watched the show before it ended. The reruns aren't in order so a day I'll watch Miranda with her son in arms, the next day she and Steve are talking about having a baby and Miranda says no. LOL! It's pretty weird to try and grasp if a show was before or after another one. Then there's Big, he keeps coming back and I never know what's happening with that. Shoot! I wish I had watched the shows at least, I'd understand more but still it's a great way to end my evenings.

hugs,

They call him Sherman,

Well here is proof that someone can overcome a short rows fear. After posting the last entry I saw Deborah's entry about another sort of heel I had yet to try. Isn't it spooky that she posted about this heel the exact same day I was ranting about short row heels? Well, it WORKS and it is a no wrap (except for 2sts), no yarn over heel. I have made it twice now and plan on making a solid color sock soon using this method for toes also. On printed socks I prefer a toe that ends like a regular toe, I just don't like the way a short row toe looks with self-striping yarn.

The sock recipe this time is: Regia Canadian color #4730 (aka Montreal colorway) 68sts, 3mm dpns, one sock has a 2X2 cuff, the other 1X1... (will fix that and lenghten the legs), sherman heel and star toe. No kitchener in the end and I really like the roundness of the star toe. Someday I'll write up a sock pattern that incorperates all my favorite things, like this time I realised that I really like not having to deal with a gusset. It's just plain knitting to heel then plain knitting to toe or, the other way around. The sherman heel can be done toe up or not, all to what you prefer. Love that! :) So from now on, plain simple stockinette socks for non-solid yarn and go wild... or not with solid color yarns.

The sherman heel, ain't it sweet? I just like it, it's easy peasy, I've done the 1st while the kids were away and the 2nd while they were running around. I'd say it's the only part you might need some concentration while knitting a plain sock. I hope it wears well although I might try adding some reinforcing thread another time out of pure paranoia from me part. ;) I believe that a short row heel uses less yarn so I get to make the leg longer which is great for me, I wear size 10US shoes so there's always a great fear of missing yarn at the end of the 2nd sock. Since I am packrat, it's easier for me too use up all the yarn for socks than to hold onto small leftovers that just keep on gathering dust. I can't bring myself to throw away yarn. ACK!

Yesterday, Carl went on a business trip for one-day only, he was in Toronto for work. It is so neat that he left home like usual and came back for supper like nothing happened, although he took the plane twice in that day. Anyway, he brought back to greatest thing.... the Toronto Star newspaper!!! LOL! I am a newspaper freak, I love to read news! Each morning I check the front pages of my local papers and some of other cities to see what's the top newsline of the day. Then I hop onto the 24heures and Metro where I can download weekday papers for free. Last I check Canoe throughout the day to see if anything big has happen, also they usually will have the top stories from the printed papers online. I have always had a fascination with news, when I was younger I used to read the classifieds for fun too. Not sure what it means, there's just something about getting your hands dirty while learning about the world. LOL! Nowadays we barely buy newspapers since I get most of what's being printed for free online. I rarely watch to news on television though as I find there are often too graphic for me and with the kids around.

Well enough writting for today, off to see what I shall cast on next. :)

I love Montreal... socks!

I started this sock as Zoe was working! (I get such a kick saying that!) Now I am at the heel and I am stuck trying to decide if I should attempt to knit a short row heel or knit a flippin' flap heel. I have spent more time searching heels than knitting this sock, why oh why is this such a hard thing to decide? Perhaps it's simply because I really want to love short row heels although I prefer flap heels, perhaps it's more that I want to fit in and have what everyone else is knitting. I want to want a short row heel, all the cool kids are doing it too. Yeah I am a follower, never the leader.

For me knitting is a mindless and calm activity, that is why I am the blind follower most books warn you about. Over the very few years I have been knitting, I have stressed out over insignificant stuff, just like SHORT ROWS!!! LOL! It aggravates me so much too, I get mad that I can't grasp this concept although most seem to do so well with it. That's why I rant and rant and never learn new stuff in knitting 'cause it's easier when it's easy, you know? The Knitting Olympics made me realise that I can push myself and do more. Sure I went the safe route knitting two sweaters from the top but still I did complete them in 16 days which I think is pretty neat.

Sweaters for me are a strange concept, how can I knit these big projects without learning how to sew seams. LOL! Yeah, see.... making a sweater that involves multiples pieces would mean I need to learn something new. We all know that new can be scary and scary means hard, right? Sigh... back to socks, short rows are scary, ok, I-have- finally-said- it. Now what to do about it...? Anyone feels like holding my hand for a few rows? LOL!

hugs,

Me VS short rows

Isn't this little sock the cutest!? I used the better-than-booties baby socks pattern from Interweave (the pattern was featured in issue Summer 2005 and online also). I thought of using this pattern for three reasons, first being simply to use up some left over yarn, second to practice short rows once again. I first started with the PGR short-row as written in the pattern, I don't know why but I find it makes holes. Then I tried another short row method offered online but ripped it out. Lastly I went with the "un-japanese" way, I call it that as I didn't use the markers like suggested so I'm not sure I picked up the right stitches. LOL! By the time I was done with the toe, I was not ripping out. The funniest thing is that the Bittersweet from Lorna's Laces yarn, pooled when I knitted myself socks and again pooled in these tiny sized socks.

Now last reason why I wanted to knit this yarn up was to make it my first item for Project Sprectrum. When I saw the group started knitting pink and red this month, I had to join in. I could finish two pink sweaters, start a new pair of socks that has pink in it's colorway, perhaps knit a red something. Actually I don't know what I'll do but at least I started with a little sock. LOL!

I do need to find a short row way that I like to knit and how it looks. I have one pair of socks with short rows but they just don't look as nice to me as do flap heel socks do. Man, I wish I could take on eof those knitting classes on short rows and many, many other subjects but NO those are not offered around here, even if I call yarn stores. Montreal, I don't know why, is not knitting friendly in the learning area, sure you can learn to knit but after that you are left on your own. Oh well, I've always learned on my own anyways when it comes to knitting but sometimes it's just easier to see it with your own eyes, you know?

hugs,

Babies for spring, summer and fall

Today I have learned that a third friend is pregnant! WOW! In less than a month I have learn about all these new babies cookin'. Two of my best online friends are pregnant with a 4th child. The third person is Carl's boss and his wife, they are expecting their 1st child. Now I really want to knit for each baby but as at least one person knows, I have great intentions, following through is my main problem... Still she likes me as I am.

So on the Team Canada blog, someone knitted the blanket featured above (from Baby Knits by Debbie Bliss) in 16 days or less. I really like that blanket and thought it would make a nice gift for expecting parents, especially parents keeping baby's gender a surprise. I am on the hunt for a very easy to care and nice to knit with yarn (psst! I am also on a budget!) to use for this blanket. The gauge is 25st/4" I'm guessing it's in stockinette, I hoped that Elann would have something for me but I really don't know what would be a good substitution for baby cashmerino. The book is already on reservation at the library, let's hope I can start soon.

For those interested, Family Circle's Easy Knitting is still being published, also both Knitty and MagKnits have new patterns up, for Knitty they are surprises not a whole new issue yet.

hugs,