A little sailing/a little knitting

Thought I would go back and share some of the photos from last year’s Annapolis adventure along with some of the items I knitted.

Since Jay was working a job in western Maryland and having to do a lot of overnights, we decided to look for a marina in the Annapolis area.  We definitely thought that coming back to sleep (and tinker) on the boat would lower his stress level, not to mention reducing his drive time.

With the help of a Raveler/sailing friend, Brenda, we decided to try Annapolis Landing Marina.  Excellent facility, especially if you don’t HAVE to do major work on your boat.  It is NOT a working marina…no lift, no gravel, and no one sanding near your freshly washed boat.  It’s like a resort marina…beautiful landscaping and great bathrooms.  Maybe the only downside is the parking on the weekends because there is a restaurant on site, but they were working that out with valet parking (for the restaurant, not the marina).

With ALM being located at the mouth of Back Creek, we got a boat parade all day, every day.  It was just icing on the cake!

In April I took a class with Amy Swenson at Vulcan’s Rest Fibers to make the Watershed vest:

There was also a class happening at Frivolous Fibers for Cloud Chaser.  I immediately got started on it and worked on it through much of the spring (including on the boat):

And here is the finished object!

Love it!!

Holiday knitting

So what does 10+ hours in the car get you?

pattern: Tang from Custom Knits (this and all other links will be Ravelry links) by Wendy Bernard
yarn: Twist by Laines du Nord

I am loving this pattern. All the sweaters in this book are done from the top down. Some are yoke/raglan type sleeves and some are set-in sleeves but are done by picking up the stitches at the arm holes and knitting down. That’s right! No seaming!! There are so many beautiful sweaters in this book. Its been a LONG time since I have picked up a book and wanted to knit nearly everything in it NOW!! Tang was not going to be my first knit. This was not because I didn’t eventually want to do it but I was just in love with Ingenue (love the shape!), Jewel (yarn in stash), and Slinky Ribs (just love it!). A KAL was started on the Knit and Tonic Knitters Group so I thought this would be a great way to start knitting from this book.

So, I had casted on and gotten part of the back of the top of the sweater done (too much to try to explain here!). In the 10+ hour drive, I got the back and front finished to the armhole and the sweater joined in the round. I would have gotten more done but it got dark and I didn’t bring my reading/knitting light. I put the stitches on scrap yarn and tried it on. It is going to be a great fit! Since then I am now to the waist…finished the decreases and have chosen to add an extra inch to the waist (I’m a little long waisted). I can’t wait to get to the arms!! I am thinking that this technique that she uses might just work for my Minimalist Cardigan, too.

Also finished over the holidays:

pattern: Eyelet Yoke Cardigan by Lionbrand Yarn
yarn: Jeanne by Plymouth
This is the one for my 2 yo niece. I began another that will be identical except that it is ina 4yo size for my other niece.

I feel very productive!!

Wow, December already, huh?

Where did the month go?  Where did I go?  Well, I might not have met my goal to blog everyday, but I did blog more often which was really my goal!

I hope everyone had a terrific Turkey Day.  I was visiting family and had a fine time.  In my last post I showed you the gifts I finished at the last minute.  Well, here they are with their new owners…

My nephew’s new obsession is the lasso. Well, you can imagine the fun he had when his aunt and uncle handed him 2 gloves connected by a very long cord!

And T seemed to really love her blanket!

I got a good bit of knitting done while traveling. No pics right now but very soon!

I did hear from my SIL that she did get the package with my niece and nephew’s birthday gifts. Then I remembered that I never posted L2′s Wonderful Wallaby.

She said they were wearing them this weekend and really liked them.

And, when I got that picture off of my husband’s camera I was also able to get these:

These were the socks that I knitted for the 4th year I was in the Hogwarts Sock Swap. The pattern is Heather Colorwork Socks #347 by Rebecca Hatcher. I used Trekking Pro Natura. I really enjoyed making them for Angela.

Down to the wire…

But I made it across!! Last night I finished my niece’s blanket.

It was originally suppose to be a birthday present (**whispers** back in February). Oh, well. Its not as large as I had hoped but I think I was also being overambitious. She is only 6, anyway, so it doesn’t have to be huge. If I could wrestle it out from under Bonita I would measure it for you, but I would say it is about 3 1/2′ square. Good enough to throw over you while watching Hanna Montana, or whatever.

Also started and finished my nephew’s mittens.

I was going to do a hat, too, but the yarn shop where I bought this yarn is taking their time mailing me the rest of the yarn and I don’t have enough to do a hat, too. We’ll see what my SIL says and I will decide if I will make the hat then. I have not put the string on it yet.  BTW, I didn’t try to match up the striping on these…it just happened.  Cool, huh?

In situ

Its always the best to get pictures of things you have knitted for another on the person that it is intended for. Let me tell you, the ultimate thank you note that you can give a knitter is a picture of the knitted item on or near your baby/child. Nothing makes me happier!

So here are a couple of my recently finished and gifted items on their recipients:

pattern: Girlfriend Shrug by Wendy Bernard
yarn: Sockotta (forgot the #)
This is a really great pattern. Its always a hit.

I think she likes it!!

And this is the cardi and booties that I made her new baby brother.

Unfortunately, I made it on the small size so I am not sure how long he will be wearing it. He has grown so much!!!

How did I get so lucky?

A little over a week ago I was getting ready for a trip to Vegas (business for J) and I received a package in the mail. My first thought? I must be sleep-buying because I don’t have any memory of what this could be. Inside I found a beautifully handknit pair of socks, a thing called a Furochic (a reusable cloth gift wrap inspired by Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth) and a sock washing bag for a washing machine. Next thought? What sock swap did I forget that I was signed up for? And then I opened the note inside. It was from my Sockapalooza 4 sockpal… Sockergirl! Can you believe that completely out of the blue and out of the kindness of her heart she sent me a pair of socks! What a PAL!

I apologize for the worn look of the socks…I put them on the day we left and haven’t had a chance to wash them yet.

In other news, I have been knitting…just not photographing or blogging.  Ugh!  Here are some of the things I have finished:

Cardigan for Baby Boy

pattern: Tulips by Lindsay Pekny with modifications
yarn: Jeanne by Plymouth
mods: ribbing all the way around (to make it more “masculine” and 4 buttons instead of 5).
I hope to get pics from the mom (hint, hint) soon.

Matching Booties

pattern: Christine’s Stay-On Baby Booties by Christine Bourquin
yarn: Jeanne by Plymouth
no mods

And I finished Bellatrix

Pattern: Bellatrix by Monkeytoes (free download on Ravelry)
yarn: Lang Jawoll Cotton

Monica for my niece

pattern: Monica by Christine Schwender
yarn: Cascade Sierra
no mods

Wonderful Wallaby for niece’s 2nd birthday

pattern: Wonderful Wallaby by Carol A. Anderson
yarn: Cascade Sierra
mods: used seed stitch around hood and pocket

Pictures of WIPs to come.

Newest member of the family

Meet my in-laws’ newest baby…uh, I mean, boat. I am definitely feeling like we need to upsize soon. We look way too small next to them now. We had fun, however, visiting them on their way to Maine. We hope to visit them while they are up there, too!!

I really do intend to continue the “Sweden Experience” and am only waiting to use my husband’s computer to do a few tricks with the pictures. In the meantime….

Its been hot! This is how the day begins…

and a little later…

always one step ahead of the sun…

That’s LK (black and grey–mom to the kittens) and Curly (short for Curlique).

Gosh, I just realized that our back deck looks terrible! That’s not completely true…I’ve realized.  ANYWAY!

Let’s see…what else?

Oh, there has been knitting. Just finished a b-day present for my soon-to-be 4 yo niece.

Monica
Cascade Sierra #3 and #16
4mm and 3.75mm needles.
mods:I did knit it in pieces, which wasn’t terrible but wasn’t necessary. Next time…in the round. I switched to 3.75mm needles for the ruffle and the rest of the top. I made tieable icord instead of the fixed garter stitch straps.
Hope she likes it.

I also lost my mind and started this yesterday…

Sea Urchin by Ilga Leja
Tahki Daphne (FROM STASH!!!)  The color is actually more champagne than the picture shows.
4.5mm needles (did a swatch on 4mm and it was slightly off in gauge so I’m going up to 4.5 without swatching again. Hope that doesn’t bite me in the rear! RIGHT!).

That’s all for now. Hopefully I’ll get to use J’s computer software soon!

Ravelry killing my knitting blog?

ETA: I changed the title of this post because I thought that it might seem a bit too accusatory. And you can see that it really is my fault and in no way Rav’s fault. I really love that site and don’t want it to seem I’m saying anything bad about it.

Maybe that’s a little dramatic, but I feel that is happening to mine, anyway.  Once I get around to getting the info updated on Ravelry I am too lazy to then put it on here.  Ah!  There is the real problem, right?  I’m too lazy!  Must me just me cause I’m amazed at how many others are so good at keeping the knitting content of their knitting blogs up to date.  Oh, well.

With all that said, here are some other things I’ve been working on:

Baby Surprise Jacket using Knit Picks Shine Worsted STASH!! (gasp!)

My “Sensible Socks.” The yarn was given to me by my friend, Nicky, in order for me to make something other than crazy socks. Well…… This is the Ziggy pattern from the latest Knitty. I’m really liking them a lot.

This is the tote basket I made for my mother as a replacement for the sweater I have been meaning to finish for the last 3 years. Hopefully this will serve as a good substitute!

Another pair of finished socks.
Pattern: Show-off Stranded Socks (a free Rav download)
yarn: Salvia Sock Yarn
needles: 2.5mm

FINALLY pulled this off the rigid heddle loom!

And started this the same evening!!

I also started a pair of socks for the Summer of Socks 08 but I will put that in the next post…which promises to be another long one. Better start on it soon!

Rainy, Lazy Day

Its sort of yucky outside but the perfect day to catch up on some things I need to blog about.

First, remember this?  The gorgeous yarn I won for simply leaving a comment on Tiennie’s blog?  Look at what I did with it!!!

Cider Moon Sidewinders
Sidewinders: A PerpenSOCKular Pattern by Nona
9-10M
US 1½ / 2.5 mm
Cider Moon Blizzard
No mods.
LOVE THEM!!!

Non-knitting:

 

Its a Puzzle Gourd…cool, huh?

Oh, gosh, I have other things to show you, too, but I’m just too lazy.  WordPress changed how you can put photos on here and its really just not user friendly anymore.  I hope they find an easier way soon.  Anyway, I will leave you with some more kitty photos.

Bonita being her normal, cheerful self.

Marmalade LOVES his alpaca mouse.

And everything is good in the world….

Not that there aren’t other things to report…

I did want to report that I FINALLY finished and got the HSS3socks in the mail and to their recipient!  And she likes it!  She really likes it!  She is Sally-Anne Skrewt or Twice Knit!  You can link there for the picture of the whole package (cause I forgot to take a picture).   But I did get a picture of the socks:

Pattern: Hiiumaa Mismatched Socks
Yarn: Louet Gems Merino Sport Weight in Ginger and French Blue
Needle: 2.25mm
no mods.

Gotta show you what has been distracting me for the past week:

Starting at the 3 o’clock position: Socks (white feet, ya know!), then at 7 o’clock we have Sophie and then at 10-11 o’clock we have Sassy.  These are some “feral” cats I rescued from a mom in my neighborhood. They were born just before Easter.  They have another brother but he escaped after I caught him.  Anyway, the other 3 are doing great and will be adoptable in about 2 weeks.  Anyone?  More pictures will follow.