I'm officially in love with Colinette. The pallette pack showed up yesterday and i LOVE it. Ten skeins, all different kinds of yarn in many different colors (all blue-based, per my request). So much deliciousness I had to cast on for Connor's blanket. I've decided to use all the Encore he picked out, plus the five skeins of Colinette that most closely coordinate with it. In addition, I'm throwing in hints of Lion Brand Chenille Sensations in Paris Print. This blanket will be hell to care for, but quite spectacular. I suppose it's kind of silly to make something so decadent for a four-year-old (ok, so he's three, but i'm figuring he'll be four by the time he gets the blanket), but I just can't resist. I think he will love it. I'm just glad my Mom is there to care for the blanket because I just can't see Adam (Connor's dad) having the time, energy, or inclination to tenderly handwash and air dry a blanket. But Gramma? No problem there!
So yes, I'm sneaking in a few rows here and there because I cannot resist the Siren call of the Colinette. I tried to take some pictures but I was too annoyed with my camera's failure to truly render the colors to post them. Once the blanket is halfway done (so that all the yarns are represented) I'll have the neighbors help me get some good pictures outside.
The socks for Afghanistan are going well. I'm over halfway done with the first and have the second one going. I'll have them shipped off in time for the August 1 deadline, no problem.
Don't ask about Makayla's blanket; I feel too guilty.
Today I dropped all other projects and am devoting my attention solely (hee hee) to a pair of socks! Ah, socks, my eternal favorite: the delicious instantaneous gratification of the knitting world! I had bought a skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Icehouse colorway off ebay and it arrived today. I'm using it to make a pair of children's socks for Afghanistan. Here is the first sock so far. I'm doing a basic spiral tube sock so that whichever child gets it will be able to wear it longer (there's no fitted heel). Next time I'll take the picture in natural light so the colors show up better. It's a very pretty blend of turquoise, blue, and deep green.
Here are one and two pictures of Makayla's blanket so far. Once again, the colors don't show up very well. I've really got to do natural light from now on. This blanket is actually a modified combination of patterns. I think if I do it again I'll do a panel of three trees up the middle, rather than just the one patch. It would be really cute this way with a patchwork nursery theme, though. I have no idea what pattern my sister-in-law is using, just the colors (pink and purple). Also, Plymouth makes Dreambaby DK in a Mint Multi colorway and I think that would look really neat with this pattern.
In closing:
Matt finds my stash
Yarn is fun, Momma! You don't mind knitting with piles instead of skeins, do you?
(That rug he's playing on is Persian...Spence sent it to me.)
As soon as I get the rest of the Colinette for the new home afghan, I'll take pictures of all of it together :) Judging by the four skeins I have so far, it's going to be beautiful.
I bought the yarn for Makayla's and Connor's blankets from a yarn store in Chattanooga while I was there. Connor actually picked his out, which was fun. Once I was back in Hawaii and started on Makayla's blanket I realized I had bought half the Plymouth Dreambaby DK skeins in Pink multi (pink/lavender/yellow), which I wanted, and half the skeins in Unisex multi (pink/blue/yellow), which I did NOT want. I had also bought more than I needed. Well, exchanging yarn with a store that's 6000 miles away is too much of a pain, so I just ordered a few more skeins of pink multi from Patternworks. And by huge coincidence (or what I have long suspected is a huge scam), the dye lots match.
Now I'm almost through one skein of Connor's yarn and am finding the six skeins recommended by the girl in the yarn shop to be utterly laughable. I'm not even making that big of a blanket (it's for a four-year-old!) and it's going to take me more like 16-18 skeins. Extremely annoying. A blanket that I thought was costing me $30 is actually going to cost me close to $100. Don't get me wrong, Connor's totally worth it, but I specifically asked for something reasonably priced that would be good for a blanket. If I'm spending close to $100 I could've bought better yarn. This stuff is only 25% wool (Plymouth Encore). I can't change yarns now, though, because Connor picked this out himself. It would ruin the whole point if I selected something else.
I ordered some yarn from the Colinette Millshop, which I highly recommend. I haven't received the yarn yet, but 1 kg of COlinette yarn for only $50 is pretty darn good. I got the Blues palette pack, and now I'm toying with the idea of making Connor's blanket out of that and using this yarn for a sweater or something for him instead. I think he'd enjoy the Colinette blanket more because it would be softer and the colors would be fun. I think I'll decide after I get the Colinette yarn.
Feel free to make suggestions!
Spence called me this morning (as usual :) and he got the socks I sent him! He said they fit perfectly and he loves them. All I can say is, I really love him for wearing socks I made for him even though they are made of wool and it's 120 degrees where he is. HA!
Also, I started on Connor's blanket. I was too excited about the pattern I put together. I'm almost halfway done with Makayla's blanket, too. Just wait until my Colinette yarn shows up...it's going to be really hard to resist that temptation! At least I have all this knitting to distract me...
And we're halfway done with the deployment! It's all downhill from here. We still miss each other more every day, and even MORE every time we talk. The day he comes home is going to be incredible. Hopefully the anticipation won't cause us to spontaneously combust when the boat is pulling into the harbor.
Configurable graph paper for knitting
Thanks to my mom for this link!
Here's a site where you can type in whatever word or phrase you're wanting to put into your work and it will automatically generate a chart for you! It's made for cross-stitch but will work just as well for any craft. I'm using it to produce a chart so I can personalize the blanket I'm making for Connor (which I'm going to knit after I finish Makayla's blanket). The lettering has a Celtic theme, but not at all overdone. It makes a great all-purpose alphabet.
Celtic Alphabet Chart Generator
Looking for a different kind of lettering?
Alphabets
It's Father's Day, but Matt's daddy isn't here. He had to give him kisses and love over the phone. I feel really badly because Spence is taking being away pretty hard. It's his first Father's Day and he's missing it. He's just so sad whenever we talk. I've never known him to be so melancholy for so long. He just wants to come home. What makes it worse is that if things on the boat were fair, he *would* be coming home now. A bunch of people are getting home for the second half because they have too many people...but it's the guys that don't do their job that get rewarded by going home. Spence does his job so he has to stay there the whole six months. It's just not right.
Well, there's nothing we can do about it, unfortunately. Three more months of torture. I just hope that as time winds down it gets easier on him. It breaks my heart to hear so much sadness in his voice and not be able to fix it.
On another note, I did a bit of a splurge and bought some hand-dyed Colinette yarn. Well, I guess it's not that much of a splurge, since I bought it on eBay for less than half what it would cost retail. I want to make an afghan to give to Spence as a housewarming gift for the house we're going to buy in NY...our first home together.
And it looks like we'll be transferring even earlier than we originally thought: November. We'll know for sure once we get the orders, which we've been told will happen in the next couple of weeks.
Rainbow, with pewter yarn/knitting needles charm
just swarovski crystals and sterling silver beads on this one
Mahogany, with pewter "Do Not Disturb" charm
Cloud, with pewter "Persistance" rune (good FO karma!)
Cotton Candy, with pewter cat in basket charm
Mist, with pewter dragon charm
Meadow, with pewter good luck (horseshoe/four-leaf clover) charm
aventurine, peridot, and sterling silver beads
I think I'm finally ready to add these to my gift shop.
I've created two more markers:
Ocean, with pewter lighthouse charm
Forest, with pewter sheep charm
They're constructed from the same materials as previous designs. I've included a dime in the picture to show scale.
I'm also working on some custom earrings for my mom. I've completed one and am waiting for her approval before making the second.
Well, as you can see from my counter, there are 97 days until my sweetie comes home. We're almost halfway. Depends on how you're counting of course. I've got another week until the counter reaches 90 days, but Monday will be the 13 weeks down/13 weeks to go point. Tuesday will be the 3 months down, 3 months to go point. However you look at it, it's way too long until we're together again.
On the bright side, we talked for an hour this morning. Yesterday was the first call, and we talked an hour then, too. We're trying to limit ourselves to one hour per day because that's a $20 phone card each time. It's hard, though. We really are best friends and could sit on the phone all day if money allowed. They'll be in port for a longer time period this time (last time it was only like 4 days), so we're going to get spoiled.
While we're talking it's like everything is right with the world again, but when we have to hang up we feel even worse than usual. It's so hard to say good-bye so many times. We just want him home.
He especially misses Matt. I'd sent him a care package that he got when they pulled in and included a photo album of recent pictures. It made him cry. He said Matt doesn't even look the same anymore...he was only 4 months old when Spence left.
Oh, well. Once we hit halfway it's downhill from there, and soon after he returns we transfer to shore duty. We try to keep that in mind, but it's difficult. We'd never been apart longer than 6 weeks before this. The one time they were underway for 8 weeks, I flew out to San Diego to be with him for the weekend in the middle of it. Heck, I miss him when he has duty and is just gone overnight! Even then he always calls and we sit and talk as long as the watch schedule allows.
I can tell you one thing, we're building some excellent communication. He said 6 letters are on their way to me that he wrote during the time they weren't sending emails. I'm glad we do so much writing, especially him since it's unusual for guys. It really helps us stay connected. The divorce rate in the Navy may be 90%, but I bet the marriages that make it through deployments with the spouses still feeling connected are some of the strongest marriages anywhere on the planet.
I'm just wondering what goodies I'm going to get this time :) Last time he sent a box of pictures, a persian rug, a stuffed camel for Matt, a handwoven basket, and a pottery shard. It was very cool. He's already bought my anniversary present and he said it's extra-nice since he'll be missing it. Again. We have yet to actually be together for a wedding anniversary. He's going to give it to me when he gets back.
Ok, I'm going to go use the rest of Matt's nap to knit.
Well, it was a trip to the frog pond for me today. I just didn't like the way the Dreambaby DK was knitting up on the size 7 needles. The gauge was too loose. So I've started over on size 6 needles and I'm really glad I did. It's turning out much nicer. The pattern of the lace edging is much more visible the stockinette is nice and dense.
I have another project in progress, too. I've started making stitch markers. Eventually, I'll put them in my store. I've developed them to cater to my preferences and I think others might share my past frustrations. I typically need to mark horizontal rows as opposed to vertical stitches, so I like something I can attach to my knitting, rather than leave on the needle. Also, I don't want something that merely hooks into it because it falls out so easily. I've used safety pins, but the sharp areas of the head always snag my yarn and fray it up. It makes the knitting look messy. I also thought something decorative would be nice after seeing how pretty it looked when my mom used her earring to mark her knitting.
I'm making these markers out of sterling silver hoops with various kinds of beads and pewter charms. They are removable, and a nut covers the exposed edge so that nothing will snag the yarn.
Here's what I've made so far:
(these pictures are larger than actual size...they're 3/4" hoops)
Storm, with pewter feet charm
austrian swarovski crystal beads in blue and black, sterling silver beads, glass-based pearls in silver
My tribute to sock makers!
Sunrise, with rose quartz bead
glass-based pearls in ivory and lavender, austrian swarovski crystals in dark rose and sunshine yellow, sterling silver beads
Patriotic, with pewter "Grandma" heart charm
austrian swarovski crystals in deep red, lapis lazuli beads, quartz rock crystal chips, sterling silver beads
I plan to center the patterns around color schemes, available with a choice of charms. They'll be sold by the pair ($8 with no charm, $10 with charm), complete with a small brocade pouch for storage. The Patriotic and Storm markers as shown above would be $10/each pair; the Sunrise marker as shown would be $8.
Anyone have ideas for color schemes, and/or charms? Leave a comment :) And if you'd like to commission a pair, let me know. As long as I can make it from materials on hand, there's no extra fee for customizing.
A bag dispenser!!! For anyone who re-uses those plastic grocery bags, this thing is perfect! Finally, no more piles of those bags everywhere. I just got mine today and I love it.
SIDE NOTE: If the link doesn't work for you, go to http://www.currentfun.com, click on "Start Shopping Now", click on "Handy Helpers/Organizers", and scroll down to "Household Bag Dispenser".
Also, this is a charity website. Half of the money you spend goes directly to whichever charity you select when you check out, so have fun helping out the charity of your choice!
Thank you!!!
This is a tip I showed my mom and she wanted me to put it in here :) If you're using m1 increases in your knitting and finding it hard to knit the next row, just twist the m1 increase to the opposite direction from what you've been doing.
When knitting short row heels in socks, you always wind up with a hole at the end of the diagonal line on each side. I've developed a little technique to fix that. Tons of other people have probably already done this, but I'll post it here anyway, just in case it will help someone.
I do the short row heel as normal, to the point where there are no wrapped stitches left on the needles and I'm ready to start knitting in the round again. When you knit across and get to the first stitch (the one that was never wrapped), you can clearly see the gap. With the stitch still on the left needle, I pick up a stitch with my right needle from the twisted yarn beneath the stitches and put it on the needle. Then I pass the stitch that was on the needle over the stitch I just created, to keep the overall number of stitches the same; I don't want to increase. I do this on both sides.
This is definitely something to play with. It doesn't work the same way each time, as far as which strand of yarn I lift up to make the stich, and which row(s) I do this on. Sometimes I have to do it on two rows before there is no more hole. You basically have to look at the piece as you knit. If you wind up with a hole, just tink back to where the hole was, going one stitch past the hole (so that there's no more hole). Then lift yarn from the bottom of what became a hole when you knit plain, make it into a stitch, and pass the other stitch over it, and continue knitting. It really turns out very smooth and nice.
Close-up:
Sock heel
Feel free to comment on this technique, or ways to improve it! The next time I have a heel to turn, I'll try to get step-by-step pictures of the process.
I finished the socks for Spence!
After turning the heel, I finished with a cuff of 55 rows. The first 5 in stockinette, the next 45 in 2x2 ribbing, and the last 5 in 1x1 ribbing. I used the grafted cast off technique from Denise Powell that's taught in a cyber class on the Socknitter's website. The second sock turned out better than the first, as I had refined the technique somewhat. I think maybe the cuff's should be longer. I'll see what Spence, thinks, though. He might prefer the shorter cuff. I figured it would be better to make them shorter since he's not here to fit the sock to, and I don't want the top of the cuff too tight.
So here are the two socks (yes, he has big feet!):
two socks
You can see how the top of the cuff on the bottom sock doesn't flare as much. This is the second one I did, and I definitely prefer it. The socks will look identical when they're worn, though, so it's not such a big deal.
And here is a better picture where you can really see the short row heel, ribbed cuff, bind off, and the pretty pattern of the yarn (Regia Short Color in Graphit 5461):
one sock
Now I need to work on Makayla's blanket and Devon's socks. I'm thinking about joining a Sock of the Month Club, but maybe I'll wait until I have completed a few more of my WIPs. And I'm toying with the idea of joining a sock swap...
Oh, if only my house would clean itself!!!
You know, some might think being a sahm would give you a lot more time for crafting. I mean, I'm home all day! AND my husband is on deployment, so I must have all kinds of free time! Would that were true.
It seems like I never have enough time for anything. There's only me to take care of Matthew, and all the household chores, and all the outside chores. If I could just sit and knit, two measly socks would take very little time. Alas, it will probably take me weeks to finish Spence's socks. And his foot isn't here, so I'm worried that they won't fit when he DOES get them.
Oh, well...frustrations come with the territory, and I wouldn't give it up for anything. Speaking of which, Matt is calling me...
