good news/bad news

so, the bad news first ... on Monday night I had the front shaping done on my x-back tank and only a few inches of straps to complete the project. I connected the front straps together with a stitch holder so it resembled a halter top and tried it on ... in the month or so that I have been sporadically working on this project, my running mileage has more than doubled so I have dropped a couple of pounds (most noticably in my cans, unfortunately! and pooch, fortunately! my hips are ample as ever). I also realized that when calculating gague, I did not take into account the amount of give that seed-stitched ribbon yarn has and when I put on the top, it was far too big. My choices are now to rip it all out and start over, or hang onto it until I gain 15 pounds. I am hoping the former never happens, so I will have to rip this project apart and start over. This could be good, since my two other projects I currently have are quite challenging and I would probably welcome the chance to mindlessly seed stitch in front of the television some days. However, it is disheartening to rip out six balls worth of knitting, so I will most likely put this away for a while.
GOOD NEWS: my brown cabled hoodie is going to be sooooo cute. I have knitted up a swatch to figure out my gague (smaller than called for! but I think that's because I am using a blended yarn, instead of 100% wool, so the yarn is a bit thinner) and also to test out knitting cables from a chart, instead of written directions like I had for the blue project. So far, so good. I just need to take some new measurements and make sure I don't make this too big so I look like a bag lady, or too small so I can't lift my arms while wearing it. I don't know if you can tell from the picture (camera phones aren't known for their attention to detail) but there is some nice pink fleck action going on in the swatch too. I have quite a few pink warm-weather tops that I can wear with this hoodie when the weather turns colder. It has been hot in Ventura this week, but Brian mentioned feeling a "fall chill" in the air this morning while surfing.
Tonight Wes is golfing with Matt and Andrew, so I have the apartment to myself to pack for Seattle (leaving tomorrow right from work) and then watch the season finale of House (I missed it in May, but TiVo came through for me last night when it re-ran) while I cast on for the back of this sweater and knit a few rows to start it off. Once I get in my seat on the plane (next to a stranger, most likely ... note to self: charge iPod tonight) I want to be ready to take off knitting right away!

short lunch (and Christmas is coming!)

big plans to knit on the x-back tank at lunch today ... I even drove away from the office and parked by the beach to truly enjoy myself ... however, I didn't read ahead in the pattern while packing up my stuff last night and didn't realize that I would need a cable needle and stitch holders to work on the third row in on the work I planned to do today, and those tools got left at home. So I knit two rows and turned around and came back. But I did read through the rest of the pattern while I was still in the path of ocean breezes and realized that I am just about done with this thing. I have already bound off most of the back (saving just 12 or so stitches live which I will pick back up for the straps, you can see them in that picture on the holder) and the next row in my pattern is where I will split the front to form the v-neck. The rest of the pattern will require me to pay attention at each row to make sure I am getting all the decreases for shaping in the right place, but there isn't a lot of actual knitting left to do.
So now I really am looking ahead to my next projects. If anyone wants knitted Christmas presents, I would like to start on those ASAP. Feel free to browse the links on the right for patterns and let me know if you see anything you like ... also, here are a couple of patterns I would enjoy making if someone would wear them:

• Ballet Camisole - I love knitting in the round and would like to try the gathered bust
• Blossom (for a kid) - almost as cute as Taylor's jumper and things for kids go faster than things for grownups. but I don't know too many kids I want to knit for, so maybe not.
• Fetching - I loved making cables on my blue project, plus these look easier than gloves (not brave enough to try that yet!) but still cute
• Mariah - more cables! and I love hoodies. I will probably make this for myself sometime soon ... but it looks hard!

anyway, remember I can always switch out colors and usually switch out yarn too. If I am going to put in lots of effort knitting something, I want it to be worn! So let me know if anything looks like it would make a good Christmas present :) p.s. Mom - if I make it to Seattle, you aren't getting a Christmas present, but you do have a birthday to plan for too, so I might be able to squeeze you in :)

making new time to knit

My mystery blue project is almost finished! I used most of my lunch breaks last week for knitting. This is good unless someone stops by to chat and then I get distracted and mess up the cable pattern. This happened on Wednesday and I couldn't trace my stitches back to fix it, so I stopped by AFY and Lois ripped out a couple of rows to get me back on track. I can drop one or two stiches at a time to go backwards on a project, but I am not brave enough to pull out a whole row all at once. For that I am grateful to Lois for her help!! The shipments I was waiting for also came in so I was able to pick up a couple more balls of the red ribbon yarn to finish off that cute x-back and I exchanged the skinny green yarn for skinny turquoise yarn that I like much better for the lacy wrap.
I am having to reevaluate my knitting time and figure out a new schedule. I used to just knit all night while Wes was working, which got me through some projects very quickly, but also didn't allow for much sleep! Now that Wes is on day shift and I am running more to prepare for the Nike Run Hit Remix 5-mile, I don't have as much time at night, but I also do not go home for lunch as often. Lunch breaks have now become my main time for knitting. I also grab a few rows here and there in the evenings before Wes gets home on days I do not run, or if there is a ball game on, but we have been watching less television lately. My list of things that I want to knit keeps growing longer ... My priorities now are the blue project and the x-back tank, once those are finished I will concentrate more on the lacy swatch to get the pattern right before I cast on hundreds of stitches for the sweater. I also need to decide what Christmas presents I will be knitting and get started on those. I am going to try and only have two projects going at once (the lacy wrap being one ... since it is so complex, there are lots of places I wouldn't bring it so I need to have something a little easier to carry around to bring to work and other places).
This newfound realization that I probably won't get to make all the projects that I want to make has led me to purchase a few sweaters at the store, instead of making them myself. Also, now that I can knit my own cables, I find I am more attracted to store-bought sweaters with cables.

boring!

Wes took our digital camera with him to record the bachelor party tonight (I think that is against man code? isn't it "what happens at the bachelor party, stays at the bachelor party"? anyway ...) so I can't show off my first twelve-row pattern completion of the cable project! I love love love the color yarn I am using (already have plans to embelish the finished product, but can't go into that now. Let's just say it will also involve some embroidery.) But I think the pattern might be a little off because I made the same mistake in the same place on repeat rows, so I will be running to AFY again on my lunch break to get it figured out before I hit the road tomorrow morning! No word yet on if my extra yarn has arrived, but I did bind-off my swatch for the ribbon x-back tank and used up half of the rest of that ball last night too ... just using all my resources until the shipment comes in!

out of yarn

I used up all my red ribbon yarn ... I'm just waiting now on a call from AFY to say that the new shipment is in. I kept grabbing bits of knitting time all weekend in between activities and eventually used up the yarn. It has been unbearably hot for a coastal city this week in Ventura. Nothing compared to last summer in the valley (blech) but at least there I had A/C. Wes and I keep opening up the windows and blowing all the fans trying to keep cool, but finally yesterday we just went and sat in the pool for a while. Nothing better!!!
The tiny yarn and needles project is still in practice mode. I think that will be something I go to sporadically in between other, easier things. I got a few more rows of pattern done and it is coming out all right. I have never counted stitches for gauge in a lace pattern ... I feel a "help me" trip to Lois coming on ... but it won't happen tonight. Tia is forcing my lazy butt to run in this heat. But after the torture, I have delicious leftover sugar steak (best thing ever) ready to eat in a big green salad. yum yum. I am hungry already!

You stay classy, San Diego

this has been a real busy week! Wes and I drove down to San Diego on Saturday and stayed until Tuesday. I did find an extra ball of the red ribbon yarn in the bottom of my knitting bag, so I was able to make some more progress on the drive home, but not much else has been done on the x-back tank in the past week.
On Thursday I stopped by AFY on my way home from work and picked up ten balls of tiny tiny yarn and size 2 and 3 needles (I must be crazy). I cast on double the suggested stitches for my swatch to give me more practice on the lace pattern. Out of five pattern repeats, I have only done it right twice (the third and fourth times ... don't know what I was thinking about on the fifth one, I thought I had it down!). So I need to practice on the swatch a little more before I cast on for the actual sweater. I haven't even figured out my gauge yet because I haven't done the lace pattern right to figure out accurate stitch count. I think I will need to do some math for this though because the sizes given on the pattern are four inches apart and my ideal size would be right in between two sizes (two inch difference). I worked on the lace pattern swatch a little bit while in SD, but it was so hot and humid there, I didn't really want to touch yarn. The weather is not much cooler right now in Ventura, so haven't been too anxious to pick up the needles since we got back.
Anyway, San Diego was so fun that I didn't really think about knitting for four days. Saturday night we went out to the Gaslamp District and for dinner and drinks Warren suggested Yardhouse. I had (Mac+Cheese)² and Wes had the biggest turkey pot-pie I ever saw. We also sampled some delicious beer ... my favorite was the Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale. Sunday we went to see the Padres get beat up on by the Braves - we had great seats right behind home plate in section 300 at Petco Park and the first row in the shade for most of the game! After the game we took a long walk all along the harbor ... good thing there was a trolley station at the end of our walk! We had to save our energy for Sea World on Monday!
Sea World was awesome ... neither of us had been there since we were kids! There are a couple of changes, including some new rides. It isn't just a zoo for sea animals anymore. We thought the Wild Arctic "helicopter ride" was a cool way to introduce the arctic animals (I love the Beluga Whales!), but thought that Journey to Atlantis was stupid ... especially because it broke down while we were at the top of a drop! The Shamu show was a little cheesy, but still cool to see all the tricks and how those huge 3000-pound whales interact with their trainers. And while we chose not to get drenched on Shipwreck Rapids, we did enjoy watching everyone else go under the waterfall after dinner. Tuesday we just got up and drove home ... made a quick stop at the Carlsbad Outlets for a Crate & Barrel fix and then home at last!!

seed stitch is a bee-yotch!

had time for knitting last night while Wes was working an OT shift and got a couple good hours in between devouring a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (some days nothing else will do). Also sat upstairs and knitted for almost an hour this afternoon on my lunch break and I am not noticing too much progress. I blame this on the fact that seed stitch takes longer than stockinette or garter stitch due to the yarn having to switch sides after each stitch (knit, pass yarn, purl, pass yarn, knit, pass yarn, purl ... etc etc etc). I also blame my slow progress on this job I have to be at for eight hours a day. While I can get away with blogging some days, I think they would notice if I busted out my needles and this bright red yarn. Notice my sad knitting bag sitting among a mess of papers and inter-office mailers on my desk ...
I wouldn't be as anxious about finishing this top, but I am trying to be good about only having one project going at a time. I know this is a little unheard of (my new favorite pattern designer has a list of items - FOUR - she currently has "on the needles" on her blog and I don't know if I could handle that many. I wouldn't know what to work on first). However, just this morning I discovered thegarterbelt.com and fell in love with just about all of Wendy Bernard's patterns. (she of the aforementioned "new favorite pattern designer" with multiple projects going at once.) So now I am anxious to get knitting and knitting some more! I am hoping to find cute things to knit for Christmas presents. I know Mom likes homemade gifts ... I hope other people like them too!

on to the next project!

Friday night before I settled in for the marathon baby jumper, I did finish off the roll collar on the pink sweater, so technically, I have TWO first ever project finished at the same time. How exiting! Mom decided she wants beads, so I have to go by the bead store still ... then I'll send it off to where ever they are (currently Colorado) and have her send in a picture. Until then, the big head will have to do!

With my two projects finished and nothing on the needles, I felt a little lost. Luckily, I had prepared for this and after a long run with Tia on Saturday morning (felt real great since I went to bed after 3am ...) I stopped by Anacapa Fine Yarns with a new pattern in hand to pick out yarn. I decided after making things for other people, it was about time to make something for myself. Something totally impractical that I could never wear to work, but something that will knit up fast and look cute. This sweater is knit out of ribbon yarn on huge needles. It is also knit in the round which means that from the bottom up to the arm and neck shaping, I can just knit and knit without really paying much attention, as I did on Sunday night. Between the movies and Wes watching World Cup, I got a lot of the thing done this weekend! (I have blisters on two of my fingers from the weekend of knitting.) Funny, because we were quite social and went to the beach a lot this weekend too. I guess I need a four-day weekend every week! (I wish.) Anyway, I chose this bright red/pink Deco-Ribbon from Crystal Palace and so far I am really pleased with it. I love the way seed stitch looks with this yarn, and it won't be too hot to wear for the rest of the summer. I am planning to make the body of this top a little longer than the pattern calls for, mostly because my torso is longer than the XS girl who designed this pattern, and also because longer tops are in style now (mom wonders why this wasn't the case when I was 16 ...) so I have about seven inches done and need to add at least that many before I start the shaping. Unfortunately I can't keep going at my previous pace (have this annoying thing called a job), but I should still get this finished in a week or so ... especially because Wes is working all weekend and we can't go see Pirates until Sunday, I will be drowning my sorrows in my new cute x-back tank top.