Christmas Presents

I was going to knit something for everyone on my list this year. I had ideas for everyone and really planned on starting early, but I always seem to understimate how long it will take to make a project. I am a really fast knitter, but I always give my self too much credit when I have more than one project. One I can handle in record time, but a list seems to slow me down quite a bit. The longer the list the slower I am. So I have mostly compleated a bag for my mom and have two FO for my sis that I am not sure I want to give her. I really want to knit a stocking for my son and a pair of slipper socks and they will probably be my next project. Ironically, he is the only person I don't really need presents for since I have bought him a ton already and have zip for anyone else.

What I'm thankful for

I wasn't sure where we were supposed to post our answer to what we are thankful for, but I thought I would put it on my blog anyway. I am thankful that my son has a roof over his head and food to eat and people to spoil and love him. I can't ask for anything more.

SP 13 questions

So sorry I didn't have this up earlier. Must remember to check the blog.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love wool, love multi-colored yarn. I use mostly worsted, but would love some sock yarn. I do not like acrylic or synthetic yarn.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
right now I don't have much storage for my circs or dpns. Really all the storage I have is a roll for my straights.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I have been knitting a little over a year and I am compleatly self-taught through books and online resources. I am intermediate and am always trying to learn more advanced techniques.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have an Amazon and Barnes and Nobel wish list which I will make sure are public.

5. What's your favorite scent?
orange blossom

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Fave candy is sees candy (nuts and chews)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I don't really have other crafty hobbys. I do know how to sew very well, but knitting has kind of taken over.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Wow, hardest question ever! I really love Classic rock, a lot of indie stuff that my sister chooses for me, Brett Dennen ahhhhh!!! I am so bad with the fave questions!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Love coral, plum, terquoise. Don't like neon

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have a two year old and a cat.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves, hats and mittens
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks, bags, baby items
13. What are you knitting right now?
A scarf for my sister, I have a bunch of UFOs right now (very unlike me. I am usually compelled to finished)
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Bamboo or aluminum circs or dpns
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
4 months
18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?
Halloween and Christmas are my faves-I can't choose
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Just yarn
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I have Knit.1
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
More cables and lace
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, I wear a size 7 (us)
23. When is your birthday?
December 5
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
redjpa24

Hello, Blog. I've missed you.

I have sadly neglected my blog. There are no good excuses for this, but life has been busy. I have been a little obsessed with reading books 1-3 of the Twilight saga and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of book four while reading the first 12 chapters of book 5 online. Don't worry Stephanie Myer (I am sure she will be checking my blog) I will be buying the completed version and reading it from cover to cover, but I couldn't wait. I will also be seeing the movie as soon as possible.

I have also been neglecting my knitting. I have been too restless to really look at new patterns and find yarn for them. With my sister leaving and my grandma dieing...well, I just like to be in a good mood when I knit. It is a fun thing for me and I have not felt fun for a couple of weeks. And, because I can't knit hold a book at the same time my aforementioned obsession has set me back (knit wise) as well.
I did send out my books and more swap package today. The dead line is tomorrow. I should also be getting my SP13 pal today! Anyway, all this talk of no knitting makes me want to knit and since I am reading Midnight sun online that should be perfect.

Almost done!

I am amazed at how long one little baby sweater can take. I have really been dragging my feet on the sweater for little Lily but it is almost done. I finished all of the knitting and now all that is left is the making up.
I am excited to say that I did a little shopping for my swap partner and I have gotten a little more info through the online stalking process that swappers engage in. Since this is my first secret swap I was not really up on stalking techniques, but I have learned.
I also just looked at my receipt and the tote bag I bought to put all of the goodies in for my partner was on sale. It was priced at $6.99 and came out to be .74 cents! I had no idea it was on sale just now. The shopping gods have smiled on me once again. I should have bought two.

Pictures will be posted very soon. (You know, for all my fans and followers)

Can yarn fully replace my sister?

No, but I will spend money trying. I have joined two more swaps in the hopes of keeping my mind off of the fact that my sister is moving to Japan. I am very excited about this, but I would be more excited if I knew when she was coming back. One year? Two years? Pick a time line!!! I need an end point in sight! Ah, to be young again. Wait I am young! Why don't I move to Japan or New Zealand or Abu Dhabi? That's right. My little boy. His dad might wonder where he is. No matter. It seems I have moved to the strange and wonderful land of parenthood where there are many mysterious happenings and questions to be answered. Where you find your self saying things like, "Don't put your toothbrush in the toilet!" and "Don't eat rocks!" There are many puzzles to be solved in this place. How do you get crayon off of carpet? Why does my two year old sit on the potty for 10 min, never even thinking about peeing, and then immediatly go on the floor when he gets off? Or why, on the first cold day of fall does he suddenly decide that he is a nudest? It is a magical, mysterious place and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. (But I do want to visit Japan.)

Got my swap bag

I got my big bag swap bag yesterday. It was an exciting day because it was my son's b-day party. My sister came over early and brought in the package and in it was this wonderful bag.

I was so thrilled to find a stuffed elephant for my son and a little cat toy for my cat. It was so thoughtful. Also inside I found a girly little tape measure (despearetly needed), an adorable project bag with birds on it (which I love, perfect for socks) two soaks for fine fibers (which I can't wait to use), mulling spices (and just in time for fall). She spent a wooden book mark made by a friend of hers and chocolate and tea for cozy knitting. And my favorite thing she included: a figurine of a sheep. I don't know what it is about that darn little sheep that I love so much, but I told pheobe it made me feel like a real knitter because until now I didn't have any sheep stuff.



Yesterday I also gave my sister her bag that I made based on the big bag and she loved it. I love it too. Here it is:

busy week

My son turned two this week. His party is tomorrow and I made his cake tonight. I decided on a yogurt cake with lemon filling and butter cream frosting. I think it is going to turn out very nice, but I did make one mistake so far. It is a four layer cake and I think i needed to use dowels in it so it wouldn't fall. Maybe I will try.

knitting lull

I am going through a knitting lull. This has happened once before and I didn't like it. I have lost the will to knit (temporarily).
On the bright side, Fresno state beat UCLA on Sat @ UCLA and I was lucky enough to attend the game. It was extremely hot (even though temps only reached 91) and I got a little sunburned, but it was awesome!

I can't believe my son is going to be two in less than two weeks!!! I think it feels more like a year since I found out I was pregnant, not more than two. What a wonderful person he is. His dad and I can take credit for some of his personality and how smart he is, but most of it comes from within him. He is such a gift.

Anyway, now that the gushing is over (I could go on forever. My son is my favorite subject. Knitting comes in second with many, many other subjects, that I can not choose between, coming in third) I have various projects on the needles. I read about Kate Gillberts

Subbing and knitting.

I started subbing monday. My first job was at Valley teen ranch, a program for boys in juvenial hall. It was not bad. It wasn't as fun as my second job which was subbing for second grade at my old grade school, but the kids were pretty good and didn't give me too hard of a time. I love subbing!
I have started on a sweater for my new second cousin, Lily. My cousin Shaheen had his first child and she is just beautiful! This if my first sweater (or anything) with a stitch pattern and I love it!

For the love of sock yarn!

Swap bag is done. Which sucks, because now the knit along part is over for me. Why do I do this to my self. I do get to shop for fun goodies to send to my partner and I may make another one so that I can still participate with my fellow swappers. I'm sure I won't finish so quickly on the second one. I just get overzealous. I started on my first real pair of socks. Until now I have always used worsted and size 8 needles to make slipper socks. This is the first sock yarn I have ever used and the first time I have used size 2 needles. They are shockingly taking the same amount of time as the slipper socks and I love using the self patterning sock yarn. I can't wait to buy some more sock yarn online. Thanks to knitpicks I have a beautiful selection of quality sock yarn and it is at a way better price than my local stores (which are Joann's and Michael's). Love love love knitpicks.

Let's go bowling...and knitting!

Yea!!! I got my swap partner yesterday and was finally able to order my yarn. I can't wait to start my bag. I wanted to do some Fair Isle on it and I might do something simple, but I am on a deadline and I have never done Fair Isle or felted anything (on purpose) so I don't want to add to many unknowns to it.
I did reach my goal of finishing my slipper socks, which I will photograph and post as soon as I find my charger for my camera. However, due to repeated ripping back of said slipper socks I did not finish my baby blanket. I have decided that I need something I can work on when I am tired and want to watch T.V. so the blanket is not a bad project to have laying around. I probably won't kill myself trying to finish it.
On Sat I went to see my cousin play with "Let's go Bowling", an awesome ska band from Fresno that he has been playing with on and off forever and it was a great time. It was his birthday...Happy B-day Adam!

The play's the thing...

Last night I went to see Shakespeare in the park. I haven't gone since I was in high school and went for a class project. I loved it! The group did Hamlet and it was so much fun. As always (with me) the first few lines were lost on me, but before long I understood everything easily. Its kind of like being in a room of people who are talking about technology. At first you can't really understand what they are saying, but you kind of get assimilated and pretty soon you are thinking to your self, "Crap! I actually understand what they are talking about."
Anyway, it was a good time. The play was three hours long and I was the only one out of my group who stayed for the whole thing. It made me remember how much I loved learning about Shakespeare and that time period and how accessible it is. Not that I am going to attend every ren-fair on the west coast, but I think I will pick up a copy of "The taming of the shrew" or "Henry the III" next time I am at the book store.

My projects are coming along, however I am struggling to finish my second red slipper sock. Because I had to rip it back quite a bit it is beginning to really get on my nerves. So I am putting it down for now. After all, it's 104 outside. I don't need it right now. I am sure I will pick it up soon anyway. I have season 2 of Dexter on its way to me as we speak and I will need some good easy knitting to do while I (obsessively) watch.

Frogging and football

I stayed up super late last night working on my second red slipper sock. I don't know what go into me, but I had this overwhelming desire to finish the sock all in one day. I worked it all the way to the beginning of the toe only to realize that I had picked up too many gusset stitches and, although I decreased the right number of stitches, I still had five extra on my needles (which was significant. I am using size 8 needles with worsted). Anyway, put down the needles and took a breath. Went to bed and this morning at the park, ripped it back (and actually felt pretty good about it.) I used to get so nervous when I had to rip something back for fear that I would not be able to get it back on the needles correctly. I would also be upset about all the knitting time i had wasted. Now I am just thankful that I can rip back four inches and a gusset, and get the yarn back on the needles with out frogging the whole thing. And this time I will do a better job.

I also picked this weeks teams for College Fantasy Football. This is my first year doing it and so far it is pretty fun. My friend Eddie is the biggest Fresno State Fan ever and he invited me to join this group. I can't wait to see how I did. I know nothing about football so it should be interesting. I did take into account point spreads and rankings, but the confidence points were really hard for me to judge. I get the concept, but I really just kind of tried to weigh the odds. I am sure all my picks I ranked high on confidence will loose and the ones that win will be in the single digits. It was still super fun.

Do swatches count?

Well, I have already broken my rule about not casting on any more projects until I finish the ones I have already started. I made a swatch for a pillow I want to make for my friend, Kat and after reading about log cabin knitting in Mason-Dixon knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne I had to start a blanket. I think it is going to be a cozy place for my cat to rest, because I want to use remnants of old balls of yarn and most of my remnants are cheap acrylic that I bought when I was learning to knit and didn't know any better. The colors are fun, but I can't think of one person I would like to torture. The cat will not care and the blanket will be easy to keep clean.

I have been looking on knit picks for yarn to use for my swap bag. I have an idea for a color scheme that I love, but I also have a dilemma. I don't know my swap partner yet and therefor, don't know her color likes and dislikes. However, if I order the yarn now I will have it when the swap starts and can get going on it right away. Actually, the real issue is that I want to make sure that the colors I have selected look as good together as I want them to. The color card is not available until Aug. 31, so that won't help. So, if I order them on the 1st and they get there on the 5th and I don't like them then I have to order more!!! Hum, what to do, what to do?

Best to wait.

Terrible images. The lighting was really bad.


Finished my second baby shrug and ended up putting almost the exact same flower on it (at the request of mom). It really turned out very cute. I think it will be one of my go to gifts for baby showers and such since it only takes a few days to make and it will get more oohs and aahs than a blanket. I have decided to order some yarn and make my self the big sack sweater from Stitch n' Bitch: A knitters handbook so that I will have something warm and cozy for winter. This will be my first adult sized sweater and I am really excited to start on it. I have decided to work it on circs. instead of straights to eliminate some of the dreaded sewing together. I am, however determined to finish up my slipper socks and get at least three quarters of the way done on my blanket before the swap starts. When I am finished with my swap bag, only then will I allow my self to start on the sack sweater. See, rules are good. I respond well to limits.

Oh, yes. All that needs to be done on the tree skirt is–for it to be frogged. I can't in good conscious waste precious knitting time on a lost cause. It's a shame, too. I started it in april, all excited and imagining giving it to my mom after decorating the tree. My down fall, I think was lack of experience making round objects combined with lack of pattern.

Recycled plastic bag bag is still in the works. I am collecting colorful plastic bags.

Work, work, work!!!

I am so excited to say that I am almost done applying to be a substitute teacher. I just have to get fingerprinted and voila! I am a sub. It feels really good to be (almost) working again and even better to have a job that will allow me to take care of my son when he is with me and substitute on the days he is with his dad. This wasn't as easy as it sounded, because his dad is a firefighter with a rotating schedule and every week he is with me different days and his dad different days. Also, he doesn't get picked up until 10am which is well after school starts which will further limit the days that I can work, but I don't care! I am finally able to start working for my baby and our future and I don't have to give up the precious time I have with him. And in a year he will start preschool (tears! I don't want him to grow up–but I do) and I will have more opportunities to sub. Anyway, it just feels good!

Going to pick up my sweet baby from his daddy this afternoon. I always look forward to him coming home. People always say, "well that's nice that you get a break," and I am sure if I didn't get the break I would need it, but I just miss him. It's only one night and I miss him.

Speaking of missing people, my sister, and (hopefully her BF) are going to Japan for a year in Jan and I am going to miss them so much. The good news is they are going in Jan and not Oct. as previously planned. Becca (sis) decided to go in Jan. because the friends of theirs who are there now are going to come home for Christmas and since Frank (BF) can't go in Oct. she would be all alone for Christmas. I am so happy that it worked out this way because it would have been a very lonely Christmas with out her. Last year was the first time she wasn't home for Christmas day, but she was there for Christmas Eve. I can handle not seeing her for a year, but not during the holidays! It would be too sad!
Here's a pic of uncle mike blowing out the candles on his birthday brownies. Happy 47th mike!

In other news...
I finished the second baby shrug and just need to block (both) and add embellishment on the lapel. I don't have very many ideas for embellishments as this is the first time I have done them. I usually like to let the yarn and patterns speak for themselves, but in this case the finished product needed a little something. I like the flower I added to the first one, but I was thinking about buttons or something on the second one. It's always fun to do something a little different and since I used the exact same yarn for the same pattern I could use a little variety at this point. Kind of like one sock syndrome but with baby sweaters.

My UFO's
Below tree skirt, slipper sock (need to cast on for second), baby blanket.

Super excited...

After knitting for a year and constantly searching for patterns on the Internet, I am almost embarrassed to say that yesterday was the first time I had ever heard of a knitalong or swap. In my defense I started knitting when my son turned 1 and have been knitting in my "free time" (which is nap time and for a couple of hours after he goes to be and before I fall asleep.) It is only now that I have had the kind of time to do anything else. So I guess that is my excuse for being uninformed.

Anyway, when I heard of the concept in Larissa and Martin John Brown's awesome book "knitalong" I was immediately interested and after a little searching, found the Big Bag KAL/Swap which I am totally excited to participate in.

I also can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with.

Reach out and knit something

So, I have created this blog in the hopes of making contact with all those other knitters rumored to be out there. My failed attempts to get my friends and family to knit with me have left me feeling a little alone in my obsession and who wants that?

I have been knitting for about a year and while my mom and sister knit (a little) I am craving a
more of a community. This is not so easily found as I live in a YLS free zone, 40 min away from the nearest stitch n' bitch and as I said my friends want nothing to do with yarn.

My latest project is a baby shrug from Debbie Bliss' "Simply Baby". I have made one already for my friend Ally's beautiful baby girl. I added a little I-cord flower on the lapel and I believe it to be adorable. I am in the process of knitting up another one at the request of my mom who wants to give it to a co-worker, and it is turning out even better due to the fact that I made a few mistakes on the first one (that actually added a nice touch to the FO, but made it hard to sew up at the end).

As for my other UFOs I am going to lits them here in an act of self preservation (if I put them out there for the world to see I might finish them some time before my two year old starts junior high).

Yellow and white baby blanket
Ugly tree skirt that was a good idea in theory, but may get frogged
Red slipper sock, one more to go and I am keeping this pair
Recycled plastic bag bag, sister will be leaving for Japan in Jan. Must finish!
I think that is it.