A Dorm Blanket for My Baby Niece

My baby niece is in college.  I still remember her first smile.  She was so cute.  So I am making a blanket for her dorm room.

The pattern is Alora from Berroco Designs and I'm knitting it in Berroco Comfort.  Here is what I have so far.

It has a 7 inch garter stitch border, which is... boring nice to do while watching t.v.  I don't have to think.  The middle is a very complicated cable pattern, though, that will take some concentration.  I hope I don't screw it up. 

My goal is to give this to Amy when I get moved home and can go see her dorm, etc.  I. will. not. cry.  I promise!

Blog? What blog?

I have a blog?  Who knew?!  Oh ya... I did.  And so did you!  (If you are still here anyway.) 

Yes, I've been knitting.  No, not every day.  Its called morning sickness and it sucks and it makes knitting hard.  I'm just sayin'.  However, I think we're past that stage and I've been knitting up a storm!  Ok, not really, but I'm doing better than I was. 

So I will update the Finished Projects and Current projects on the side in a minute or so.  Most of my yarn is packed up, though.  I am moving home to my parents' for the deployment and yarn that won't get used before the beginning of November has been packed.  (Don't worry.  I can still get to it if necessary.)

Things I have finished...

Matching Suntops for Morgan and Emma.  They turned out super cute!  They sent me a picture of the girls in their tops and they actually fit, too!  I'm getting better at this!  ;) 

On these, I lengthened the back strap and put buttons on the front.  They both needed size 4-5, but I made Morgan's shorter because she's such a peanut!  :)

I also got a lot of bibs and washcloths done.  Not as many as I would have liked, but enough.  :) 

Right now, I'm making a scarf and hat for Sheryl.  It is in Crimson Bernat Satin.  Very pretty.  The Scarf patten is Falling Water Lace. 

The Scarf is done.  The hat is about half way done.  It is from Bernat Satin's Cable Hat, Scarf and Mittens set.  I'm just using the hat, though.  I might try making the mittens another time.  They look cute.  And warm.  :) 

That's all for now.  I'll update more later. 

Dragon Wings Pics

Here are pictures of the Dragon Wings Shawl.  This is a close up shot of the pattern. 

And this is how far along I am.  :)

Its coming along pretty well!  :) 

To Frog or Not to Frog

I am about 7 inches in on Sue's shawl.  Here's the problem, though.  While I LOVE it... I'm thinking it won't be wide enough.  This particular shawl is a wrap type shaw and therefore, is basically nothing more than a large scarf.  Its about 22 inches wide and 65 inches long when complete.  Very large scarf. 

I just think Sue would rather have  triangular shawl like the one I made Peggy.  Soooo... today I am considering frogging it and choosing another pattern.  I will have to ponder this for a while and obssesively look at patterns some more. 

O.k. here's the pic:

So anyway... I'll let you know tomorrow what I decide to do.  Today is my doctor's appointment, so I may not get to worry about it until tonight after bedtime. 

My Blocking Process

The Process of Blocking of Abbie's Cardigan

First, here is a picture of the buttons.  I thought a happy, stress-free picture should be at the beginning.  LOL

Here is a picture of the blocking "tools" needed.  I pinned trash bags to our bed to keep the bed from getting wet and also so that the pieces would dry faster.  In the picture are the T-pins and a water bottle full of distilled water. 

I kept the laptop with the blocking instructions and the pattern instructions nearby just in case!  LOL

This is the first piece all pinned out.  It is the back of the sweater.  I pinned it down and then measured so that the rest of the pieces could be pinned accordingly.  :) 

 Here are all of the pieces pinned out.  I tried to block the sun coming in from the window so the picture would be easier to see.  Not sure it worked well enough, though!

Here are the pieces wet!  Not sure if you can tell the difference from the pictures, though.  LOL 

And now I'm just waiting for it to dry! 

The Husband gets it! I apparently do not!

Yesterday, my husband said 2 different things to me that made me think he gets my obsession.  Now, he knew about it and loved me anyway, but yesterday he proved that he gets it. 

Example A:  I was going to take the Boy to get his hair cut yesterday morning.  However, I started feeling shaky and my eye was getting twitchy, so I decided that I should not drive until it went away.  I asked the husband to drive us to the haircut.  (This haircut has waited way too long so putting it off was not an option.)  He said "I was hoping to clean some while you guys were gone."  Sweet!  He still drove and in the car I apologized for not being better at cleaning the house.  That's kinda my JOB now.  I would have fired me long ago, but he's a saint.

He said... wait for it...  "Its o.k., honey, you were trying to get something done quickly for your friend's baby.  That was important." 

I said "So as long as I'm knitting projects that will be gifts for friends, you'll clean the house?"  Dude... be careful how you answer that, because I have a knitted gifts list a mile long.  He just smiled.  I better not abuse that. 

Example B:  With part of my tax check money (we each got $100 to blow as we saw fit before being responsible with the rest), I ordered a new knitting book off of Amazon.  Its Berroco Comfort's newest Afghan book.  I am SUPER EXCITED about it!  There was 1 specific pattern that I wanted to try and I have Berroco Comfort waiting that my Grandma bought me for Christmas a couple years ago.  I have 10 skeins in a nice green that is supposed to be for a throw blanket for me.

Yes... I am actually planning to knit something for myself for a change.  Shocker!  I get my book and guess what... the much coveted Textured Knots pattern requires 17 skeins.  I only have 10.  The husband says "can't you just buy 7 more?"  (I love that he totally was going to let me buy more yarn.)

Then he says "Oh, wait... I know.  It wouldn't be the same dye lot."  HE GETS IT!! 

And now for the part where I do not get it... I messed up the left front of Abbie's Cardigan.  This is why I was confused about the button holes.  Looking at the side that I had already completed, the button hole placement didn't make sense to me. 

If you look closely... the seed stitch edging up the right side is where I started the armhole.  Ummmm... that's wrong.  I should have put the armhole on the other side.  The seed stitch edging is where the buttons go.  So this piece will be tossed and started over.  I am finishing the Right Front side right now.  Then I will reknit the Left Front.  

Once I figured out that I had done it wrong the first time, the buttonholes and finishing of the Right side made much more sense and I have 2 buttonholes completed!  :) 

Time to go make the husband a lunch for today!  See... I do some domestic duties when I'm not knitting!!  Or blogging about knitting.  Or looking up new patterns/yarn/techniques.  LOL 

Pictures as promised...

Here are pictures of 1 of the bibs and 1 of the wash cloths for Sarah. 

And here are pieces of Abbie's Cardigan. 

And that is where I am right now.  I cast on the last wash cloth for Sarah right before Gabriel woke up from his nap.  I should get it done tonight after bedtime.  Then I will hopefully get it in the mail to her tomorrow.  I haven't heard if Baby Cricket made it into the world safely yet or not.  I'm sure he/she did and I'll hear soon.  :) 

Peggy's Prayer Shawl

Peggy is at the hospital now being prepped for surgery.  So I thought that I would post the pictures of her prayer shawl.  Then I will head back to praying... well, as soon as the Boy stops the blood curdling screaming for no apparent reason.  You just can't concentrate with that noise. 

It was hard to get a really good picture of it.  Its just really big!  Plus, I had to take this quickly before my Mom took it with her to head home to Peggy.  Peggy sent a text and seemed to really like it. 

The tan section has knots in it, which would fulfill my "try something new" for the year.  However, just because I had previous avoided knots in patterns because I am chicken... doesn't mean I couldn't have done it ages ago.  Therefore, knots don't qualify.  Actually putting together Abbie's Cardigan will qualify, I believe. 

I finished the back piece of Abbie's Cardigan last night and am working on the left front.  Knitting the pieces is never a problem and goes quickly.  I'll just have to get with someone who can show me how to finish it.  I'm sure I could do it on my own.  I'm just a chicken and like visual instruction in some areas.  LOL

Anywho... I'll be knitting tonight after the Boy goes to bed depending on how much Beth Moore I get caught up on.  I am 2 weeks behind.  So if Gabriel doesn't throw up again and I don't mess up my meds again... we'll go.  lol  I better get cracking, though.  :)  I will definitely get my 30 minutes of knitting in no matter how much homework I have to play catch up on.  Beth fills my head and I will need the break!  lol 

Owen's Blanket

This is Owen's blanket.  I measured it right after I took the picture and I am at 24 inches.  Well, I was and then I worked on it some more.  Katie has seen it, so this won't spoil anything.  I really like this color and the pattern is really easy!

Here is the pattern.  It is small cables and a shell type pattern in between.  Simple, but nice.  I think this picture is going to go on the sidebar under "current project." 

I went ahead worked on Owen's blanket yesterday because I believe myself to be over the plague and on enough medication to be safe again.  I'm just trying to get rid of the remaining stuffiness and headache!  I generally feel o.k. until I try to do too much.  Then I realize that my body hasn't caught up with the rest of me. 

I have another project after this one that might supersede all other knitting for a while.  My favorite person in the whole wide world has cancer again.  Most of you know Peggy and know that this is her 2nd round with breast cancer.  So I think a prayer shawl is in order.  I should have done it last time, but the yarn and needles were all in storage because of the moving.  This time, however, I will start on one as soon as this blanket is finished.

Pictures! Yay!

As promised... here are pictures of the things that I completed over Christmas.  (Now if I can just get them to upload correctly....  *sigh*)

 

This is an up close shot of Sophia's baby blanket.  I really liked the pattern.  I actually finished it months ago, but needed to weave in the ends.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get together with Cody to give it to Sophia in person, so I just hope that Nina gets it to her soon!  :)

Here is a shot of it folded up.  It is nice and soft.  I really hope that they like it!!

Here is Kira's long awaited scarf!  It is really long and in wool so it should be nice and warm for her! 

And a matching hat!  I believe at some point, I referred to this as "gigantor-hat".  Kira apparently has a large head, so I had to use the men's size version of the pattern.  I think it turned out nice, too.  Jerry wants one and I just happen to have a bunch of wool yarn from when we were dating that never turned into a blanket for him. Hmmmm.... ;) 

So that's all I have in the way of pictures right now.  I'm still working on Owen's baby blanket.  I only got to knit for about a 1/2 yesterday, but that's my goal.  At least a 1/2 hour during the boy's nap every day!  Last night, I was too tired to knit and afraid that I'd make mistakes.  However, I got a pretty good night's sleep last night, so hopefully during tonight's Netflix selection ("Yes Man" with Jim Carrey), I'll get some extra knitting in.  Katie feels like she's dropped, so I better get going.  (She's not due until March.)  I think I'll get it done before Owen makes his appearance, though.  :)

O.k. Have a good day everyone!!