GNEISS IS NICE!

The latest sweater is moving right along but I dont like the worsted weight yarn as much as I enjoyed knitting with the DK weight! 

 The yarn is called Zebra but to me it looks like one of the rocks I am learning about--gneiss looks like this!!

I decided to use one skein to make the two sleeves and then I will have all the yarn I need for length without worrying if there would be enough for sleeves!  And by doing them first, I don't have a whole sweater to haul around as I shoot around the sleeve!

I was knocked flat yesterday with a rogue migraine-the 'lose your sight and have to go to bed with dark and no sound' kinda migraine!  The new meds I take as soon as the vision goes makes me go stone cold for hours and then I get way too hot for hours before I find my normal temperature;  it is really an adventure!  I hope to move around like a normal human today!

 

A BETTER SWEATER STORY!

Might I proudly say--I have knit a sweater that fits!  It is the pattern by Kaitlin Harthold called the Perfect Knit T-Shirt and it certainly is!!!!  I followed the directions exactly even when I thought I knew better and did the I-Cord bind off with a larger needle but it stretched out the sleeves and hem so I ripped out my poor idea and did just as instructed and it is an amazing finish!!!!  (I did make the sleeves a bit longer than the pattern directs cuz  that is more attractive at my age!)

This is the yarn.

 Here are the stats--I will say, I love the way a DKweight yarn feels when knit into a sweater!

KNITTING WOES AND WINS

I had to abandon this t-shirt sweater knit!  When I tried it on, the neckline was too high which is very unncecessary for my climate.  But mainly it was the pattern itself!  It was one of those that said "increase the body stitches every two rows four times and then every third row twentytwo times WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, increase the sleeve stitches every other row for twelve times and then every fourth until ten inches!  I couldn't handle it.  Since I am not a fan of spreadsheets, I tried my own idea and that got complicated and I had had enough when I tried it on and didn't like the neckline its fate was sealed!

Was I discouraged?  Not at all. 

 I searched out more specifically what I wanted and found just the pattern.  (The other one was free, this one was $5) 

 The instructions are very clear and even the sizing was explained very well with the pattern ease included! 

 I just kept knitting until I had used all of the ripped out yarn; 

tried it on and it fits just right! 

 Well, so far! lol

 

A NEW SWEATER!

A new sweater is on the needles!  I am using some Lion Brand yarn I discovered in the recent clean-out that took place on the shelves!  It will be perfect for a short sleeved Tee. 

What about the coral cardigan I had recently finished?! 

 It is in the NAUGHTY BUCKET!!!!! 

 I will eventually rip it out and try again to make a cardigan

 but this one ended up being big enough for a giant.

Sigh.

SOMETIMES YOU WIN!

It worked!  I added the three inches of length to the sweater sleeve plus the waste yarn, picked up and knitted the armhole onto waste yarn and grafted the two pieces together!  Very relaing, very exact and it turned out beautifully much to my deight!  I'm well on my way with sleeve #2 and will use the same technique to attach it.  I consider this idea a huge success!

 

TODAY IS A GIFT!

I do still find some time to do hand knitting!  Two pairs of fingerless mitts are completed;  and it is always a challenge to knit with black yarn! lol  These are knit with the pattern that mimics little leather gloves like bikers wear!

Yesterday I woke up and hit the road for all kinds of errands, then went to Quitling Group and then home, finally. 

 I was pretty tired.  

I did a little sanding on the two woodshop projects

 but have some finished projects today--

I get to stay home today!!!!

 

A SWEATER FOR SUNDAY

I am back on track with the hand knitting!  The sweater looks too wide but the manequin doesn't have shoulders!  I am almost ready to separate the arms and body.

The beginning of November always means we start to see our camellias!  

The white one is always first by a few weeks and it is usually the last to bloom also!

 

LOTS OF FUN

I started a new sweater, a cardigan, called Elmgrove, by Berroco.  Lena was doing an inspection of my stitch count!  I thoroughly enjoyed doing the lace knitting which is how the increases are made on the yoke.

It is a round yoked top-down cardigan. 

 I am using the yarn I brought home from my Mom in August.  

It is more coral than the orange it appears here.

Earlier in the day, I worked on the new red blocks. 

 I will finish the rest of them, 9 more, today.

Bill was at work on the roof trying to repair a leak

 on the solar panels that heat the water for the pool.

  Unfortunately, he had to declare fatalities to 3 of the 7. 

 It's been a hard few days to be on the roof

 because of the aching back, knees, ankles that result!  

 

SOCKS ON SUNDAY

 The hand knitted socks are finished-

these are my first of the new year! 

 I used most of the skein for each sock

 but have just enough for a few squares

 on my sock-scrap-afghan!

SOME YARN AND WATER

The matching Sister sweaters are completed and blocked!  I enjoyed this knitting very much!  

DK yarn on #6 needles;  size 6 and 2 sweaters.

This is what the mystery project was from last week!  I had to wait until the poof pom-pom arrived to show it finished! 

 I made some mitts to go with the hat-

will fit 'tween sized kid would be my goal!

I enjoyed this wet on wet negative space experiment! 

 Painted on a postcard to be sent right out to a friend.

 

SWEATER START

 I've not done well with the sweaters I have started and abandoned for myself lately. 

 I saw this top-down kids sweater and I wanted to make it--so far so good!  That little bit of colorwork is done already

 but I will keep up the pace of this knit; 

 the color is pleasing!

A Cold Snap

Another morning in the 30's isn't one of my favorite things!  

But I did have a good time yesterday when a friend and her daughter came over to play at making some stepping stones!  

We were set up in the garage but it was still very chilly out! 

 That northern wind snatched any warmth from the sunshine!

It took a few hours in front of the fire with some hot cocoa 

to  get the chill from my bones!

But I did finish the second pair of mittens! 

 Now I can send these off to Seattle to grand daughters there

 who are experiencing some colder cold than I am! 

(do you see how little yarn is left from the skein?

It was a close game of yarn chicken but I won this time!)

Jam Packed Day!

So I thought I could make a 'design element' out the the chip in the bowl but I ended up with this!  Note to self-when there is a crack that runs through the whole bowl, let it go straight to the firewood bin!  

Discouraged? No, I learned a good lesson

 and wasn't hit when the bowl half let loose!

The I made a large 8" snowman for my shelf .....but he, too, has a secret!

I learned about green wood...and drying wood, and how cracks grow a lot over a few days.  Discouraged? No, because it adds character to this guy and now I know that wood needs to dry out a month or so

 before turning it into a finished object!

I went into the sewing room 

and finished the border of holly leaves and berries! 

 It was finished in no time

 and now it is waiting for me to put the binding on.

Instead, I pieced the finished star blocks, added them to the top and bottom of the panel, added a very narrow strip to each side to even out the measurements and then loaded it onto the frame.....

only to find out that the backing was too narrow by several inches! 

 I had to pull the backing off the frame and add a strip to one side to make it wide enough and then loaded it on the frame again! 

 In no time, I had it loaded and quilted several rows of the Baptist Fan panto.  I hope to finish it today!

 On the needles is a pair of mittens...one done and the second is on the way!  

I DO...

I've been doing more of the little bells and stockings and even hand sewed a cone-shaped bit of fur to be the 'head' to go under the gnome hat! 

 I still have to add a wooden bead for a nose and a jingle bell and hanger...

all in good time.

Most of our day yesterday was joining with our church family 

to celebrate a marriage ceremony! 

 It was so good to share good food and share their joy!

This is what greeted me as we pulled up our driveway to the garage; 

 Home Sweet Home all lit up!

 

Hugs for Hands

The mitts are finished for my daughter;  

these are knit with fingering weight SilverSpun yarn

 (cotton/silver/lycra blend) on #3 needles.

What a great feeling to have them hug your hands!

And that's it for my crafting 

because I am enjoying a surprise visit from these guys!

 

Progress with a little help from a Friend

It was so hot and humid today it made working in the garage-

which is not air conditioned-a bit of a challenge. 

 I've always been hampered by my lack of physical strength 

which was evidenced today when I couldn't even pick up the grinder out of the box! 

 I called my neighbor, Millie, and she gladly came over to help! 

 I had already removed the old belt sander from the tool stand, 

had cut the board on the table saw

 and only needed to put the grinder up on the stand!  

We had it set in place and bolted in no time! 

 I cleaned up the garage and closed doors just in time for a bit of rain!

I worked on the Pimpellise shawl and have it almost halfway;

at this point, I will do no increases but maintain the width for 12-15"

 and then I will begin to work the decreases.  It is a good knit.

INKTOBER Day 29-SHOES-- and the footwear I live in are my Croc flip-flops!

Oh, and the little girl socks are on the needle! 

 (I've been waiting for a footprint to be mailed to me!)

 

Binding and Bungling!

I started the day with a determination to get the binding on the two finished quilts!  It was a good idea I had to pull this portable table next to me so that it would hold the weight of the quilt and reduce the hauling that sets my neck and shoulders into  fits!

It didn't take long before Lena hopped up to hold the quilt in place for me!  Cats!

The Autumn LeMoyne Stars quilt is ready to be donated--all crinkly soft and waiting to comfort! I love the look of this one-busy but so are leaves are a very blustery day!

The Ohio Star Kitties is also a done deal and it, too, looks good now that I am finished!

The Noah's Ark Hexagon is almost finished-it was a simple one that didn't required much brain power to knock it off.  I'm sure I will finish it today.

Yeah, this was a very sad moment.  I had the sock knitted up past the heel and started the ankle when I thought the area by the zig zags was narrower than when I began!  Oh, no.  Well, the mistake was way back at the toe when I had ripped it out the first time!  I just pulled it off the needles and ripped without stopping to think too much or I would've cried.  I have knit a pair almost already!

INKTOBER DAY 21--SLEEPING  Did I mention that I don't like verbs?  This is my tongue in cheek version of me sleeping in my room at night.....

 

Lifesaver Cactus Blooming!

Isn't it unusual but beautiful?!  The bloom is about 1 1/2" across ; 

 there is no aroma whether sweet or sour!

There are no prickers on this cactus and it is extremely easy to grow!  

A win-win succulent!

See how it stands out from the lobe with a 3/4" stem.

  What an amazing plant!

Look what I am going to make today! 

 It has been too long since I have made a stepping stone!

And since I spent some time being chauffeured to an eye appointment yesterday,

 I was able to knit quite a bit on the Pimpelliese shawl;  

I've only messed up once but it is easy to rip out to the beginning to the last 'tooth' and begin again!