Wednesday, August 29, 2007

A quickie.....my organic knitting project

Well I was going to work on the baby blanket during my travels this holiday.....but realized I was using non-carry on needles for this particular project.....
So instead going to work on a x-mas present for a family friend. Couple years ago I knitted her a pink lacey scarf complete with beaded fringe. Well according to mom, last winter its gettin a little ratty lookin so going to knit her a new and different pink lacey scarf which will have fringe and perhaps beads as well.....
Its an interesting pattern....actually I am knitting a lace pattern til its long enough to be a scarf. Pattern is from The Harmony Guides 450 Knitting Stitches: Volume 2. I'm using Volume 1 to figure out all those different yarn over techniques....didn't realize there were so many.....keep kniting and tinking, knitting and tinking.....
The pattern is shown to the left--its called Large Lattice Lace. We shall see how it and my scarf compares.....Its about the right width. Using size 15 US (10mm) bamboo needles. Using two yarns together--both are 'bout sport wieght yarns. Really when I do scarfs--I just cast on enough stitches til it looks like it will be wide enough and use what ever size needles are easy for me to knit with and give a nice pattern.....And I have no issue of frogging the thing until I have the right width and the right needles--this time I lucked out.....Although on this one I may be frogging anyway cause know I figured out what the pattern is telling me I would like to do the beginning of the pattern correctly. But I have plenty of time coming up. I leave for Vegas this afternoon and will arrive in the evening but my flight is in the morning. Yep just frogged it....It will bother me that two of the first rows were not correct....

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Sooooo overdue......

Okay should have posted a long time ago....but I have a LOT going on....and well I do get lazy over some things.....
I got braces (something that I've need for a long time but I now can take care of especially now that I have a step 2nd cousin that is an orthodontist and has been helping me find good people to take care of my mouth). Have had them almost a month, used to them for the most part but eating can be soooo annoying!
Then there is my social life....honestly I don't have much of one but it has been busy for me....and I am in entirely new territory (a guy....). So there has been a bit more stress in that regards.....
In relation to my social life, I started working out with my friend/boss after work a few times a week. We want to be fit and trim ladies but neither of us is good on the whole working out unless we have someone to work out with. She is more into strength training than I am but with her doing it, I'll do it. I'll even do the sit ups.....I do like our pre-warm up on the bike. Get a fair amt of reading done.....
And with my reading--I started the Harry Potter books. I have read the first 4 this past month actually.....I want to buy the 5th (and of course 6th and last...) but haven't seen it. Could order but want now.....Anyway quite enjoying the series
And of course there are the kittens.....They are doing quite well and here are some very current pictures. Cute Blondie (one of two girls) with Tiger. She is the perfect kitten-playful sweet and cute. Felix is opposite in a quiet moment....In past posts he has been called Baby Boy but the name Felix popped in my head one morning (he's the one I'm keeping). He and Touble are the two trouble makers.... Normal Toes is below, the other girl. She is the shyest besides Tiger but is so sweet. She did stay long enough to have her picture taken then ran off and hid. And lastly Mr Explorer and Touble....
Went to the vet this morning to get health certificates for Touble and Tiger who are flying to WI with me next Thurs. (that was another big aspect going on lately that D-fly and I have been trying to figure out--she has noted some on her blog but all should work out! So both of us and Mom are quite relieved-almost had a panic attack over this--silly I know but have you looked at my month so far?! And of course I'm not that fond of traveling anyway.....'sigh')
And yes I have been knitting....been working on that shrug for the most part and I finished it! Not all that exciting--really just a rectangle but hey it will be nice and cozy come those cold desert nights.....Right now I am finishing up an afghan square but the next big project I will be working on is a baby blanket. I started it for someone else but well there was some issues that arose b/t me and the mom to be.....it happened a few years ago and well the blanket got stowed away cause if I continued to knit it it would absorb bad vibes and a baby blanket doesn't need that but now there is someone else that I like well enough that I feel she deserves a hand knit item so I plan on finishing it for her. It s called Patchwork Pleasure and I have a pic below from the book (Our Best Knit Baby Afghans by Leisure Arts). Have about a third of it done when I put it away. I do know that it did go pretty quick once I got the rhythm of it goin. Its in a very pretty sage green-nice neutral baby color without being to babyish....It is acrylic but its a nicer softer acrylic. If I was going to do one from the beginning I would use soy or bamboo...but hey I already started this one so oh well....Have a close up of the pattern stitch just for kicks.....


Okay I think that is all ...... That should get all of you up to speed and hopefully I will be a bit better next month.....

Goldstone

Goldstone
Picture of the environment I worked at for my last job (that is a NASA satellite in the background)