Sunday, May 21, 2006

Mountain Laurel Blanket... continues

So here is where I am as of now:


Damn near finished. (with the exception of the border). The last unattached row was where I was planning on stopping. But then I realized a small yet tedious problem with the opposite corners.

Corner one (finished side):



Corner Two (most recent, unassembled side):


At first I shrugged my shoulders "Meh". However, after more thought I realized that sewing the border over a sharp edge will probably turn out crappy. *sigh* One more row of 4 Full Hexagons! I can do it. I think I can, I think I can...

How happy was I when I finished what I thought was my last! Full! Hexagon!

But what's worth doing is worth doing right. The only thing I had planned for today was heading outside for a short run and watching a few episodes of Last Exile. But it's raining like a MOFO and my time might be better spent elsewhere. I can bust out a full hexie in 2 hours flat (I timed myself earlier this week). I have 8 hours worth of hexagons ahead. Who wants to bet I can get 3 done today?? Anyone?

lol, the blanket's looking pretty good so far, though.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Hedera Socks! for Mom's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all. I'm happy to say that I was able to finish the Hedera Socks and mailed them Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, Mater has yet to receive them. There's something about her P.O. that tees me off. It's the fact that I pay more for Priority Shipping but it doesn't seem like they treat it like it's a priority. But she can send something to me parcel post and I get it in like 3 days. Anyways... pretend these are my mom's feet:

Pattern: Hedera Socks featured in the Spring '06 Knitty
Needles: Size 1 dpns
Yarn: Knitpicks "Palette" in "Sky" 100% Peruvian Wool, about 1.3 skeins
Woulda-Shoulda: Well, if I wasn't working towards a deadline I would have actually stopped and corrected some of my lace mistakes. The lace is somewhat forgiving, it also helps that this particular garment is worn on the feet. So unless my mom hang's around people with insane foot fetishes the mistakes will probably go unnoticed. So I'm not worried. Other than that, the lace is VERY easy and the socks can really soar especially if you're knitting like a bat out of hell! My only criticism of the design would be the really tall heel. I'm not sure if that's because my row gauge was off or if it's designed like that. It looks a little funky, but not too funky that I would trouble myself with modifications. I highly recommend. But I would definately look into a cotton or cotton blend yarn if you want to wear these in the summer. They're quite toasty in wool, even with all those holes.

Now, all my attention is focused on the Mountain Laurel Blanket, which I am confident I can finish before June 2. I can bust out a full hexagon in an evening so I can be pretty productive even during the week. On that note... gotta go complete my daily quota :-)

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

BABEH!

Just when I feeling burnt out on deadline knits, a knitting-fairy comes along to sprinkle some motivational-fairy dust on my head (or rather, my step-mom emails me pictures of this weekend’s happenings)!

Say hello to my new niece!



She was born Friday night. There were no complications and she’s perfectly healthy. She’s actually a good size baby, too! I’ll be seeing her the first weekend in June, and I’ll be waiting anxiously to give those cheeks a proper squishing. And also play with her feet. So now I have some extra motivation to get crackin’ on the Mountatin Laurel Blanket which I will be picking up again right after I finish my Mom’s Hedera Socks (which maybe tonight *crossing fingers*).

I doctored the pic a little bit to crop out my SIL. Not that I mind her being in the picture, but she’s in hospital swag and she probably wouldn’t like me posting pics of her on the internet in her post-birthing condition. Anyway, everyone is ecstatic, my brother especially. From what he tells me Zoe’s already “daddy’s little girl”.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Just call me the “Stressed Knitter”!

Holy Crap! I must limit myself to ONE deadline knit at a time. I have TWO deadline knits: one due my mid-next week (to be shipped for Mother’s Day) and the Mountain Laurel Blanket for my niece (expected any day now) which is due the first weekend in June for my visit back home.

Forgive me for whining, but I really want to knit a cute summer top! WAHHHH!!! I do this to myself all the time. Even with things non-knitting related. I tend to over-extend myself with lofty goals, which means I normally loose perspective on the bigger picture. *sigh* I’ll never learn. Not that I regret knitting for other people…

I guess I’m just a selfish knitter at heart.

The Hedera Socks are trucking along although I find that I need to be conscious of my pace when knitting these socks. I find that the lace tends to slow me down, and it doesn’t help that I end my day knitting (which means I then morph into the mistake-prone “Pre-Comatose Knitter”). I’m hoping I can finish sock #1 tonight so that SHOULD give enough time to knit sock#2 and have them sent out in time for Mother’s Day. They’re turning out lovely so far. I’ll be sure to have pics for you this weekend.

Jaywalkers have been completed and worn and washed! I love those socks…

I wish I had pictures for you, because pics always liven up a blogpost. No pictures for you. BUT! I do have a pointless, distracting, and mildly fun quiz :

You Are 42% Evil

You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side.
Fear not though - you are on your way to world domination.