I realize I'm the only one of the three who has absolutely no excuse for not blogging. Brandy off in the wilds of Texas, Abby fighting it out with crazy landlords, understandably no blogging...but me, woman of leisure, teaching one measly class, attempting to look like she's trying to keep up with the literature in her field when really she's just knitting with a book open in front of her, yeah, no excuse!! So here I offer ONE of the things I'm working on. To follow up on the bathmat for Rhonda's house, I'm also making lace curtains, LACE CURTAINS?!?!, what was I on when I promised that!!! Anyway here are the test swatches for the main part and the edging up the center...
I was terribly displeased at first. The lace seemed so chucky. It's Euroflax which is sport weight or smaller but it still ain't lace weight. I toyed with breaking down and using lace weight for about two seconds before I realize that it would take the next ten months of my life. I do intend to knit real lace one of these days...but not today. I've grown to like the boldness of doing lace in this weight...I hope Rhonda sees it that way too!!! Here's a picture of the knobbly, wobbly stuff as it grows from my needle into a curtain. I can't believe how much wet blocking does for lace. I mean you can see how uninspiring the stuff is before blocking just by looking at Max' face...can't get much more unenthused than that. Of course it could also have to do with the fact that he was taking a lovely nap on the bed and I skootched him out of the way to use the bedspread for the photos. Spoiled spoiled spoiled!!!
For those astute viewers, you do realize that I have to figure out how I'm going to make the lovely edge pattern reverse so it will look the same going up the center of the other curtain...yeah I'm choosing to ignore it...
no excuse
I've been busy!
I've had lots of time to knit now that school is out. My goal was to finish the scarf before starting the baby blanket. I finished it today! Here it is:
and, here it is being modeled by a pregnant lady after a nap (no snickers please):
It really took me longer than I expected it but I like the way it turned out. Anyway, after I finished admiring it I promptly put it away with the other winter scarves. I can't wait for a chilly day to show it off!
Having finished the scarf, I could now start the baby blanket. Here's the cast-on with the first three knitted rows. This way when I see Jen tomorrow we can get started right away on learning the color change. (I already checked and Elizabeth Zimmerman doesn't tell us how.)
Finally, am I allowed some small baby talk on this blog? They say that babies move most at night because during the day our movements rock the baby to sleep. That seems strange to me, but it seems true. It is also true that Jen's tea and tiramisu tend to make the baby very active -- can't imagine why! Anyway, the baby seems very still while I knit. I guess it is enough movement to put it to sleep. Or maybe the baby is already learning to be quiet when mommy is counting rows? One can always hope right?
a flower by any other name...
Isn't it pretty?! Now what is it, right? It's a graph of our blog!! There is a neat program at http://www.aharef.info/static/htmlgraph/ where you can turn any webpage into a graph. It explains what the colors mean but the really cool part is watching the flower happen because it bursts and grows! Go check it out and let me know what you think!!
Hot summer weather got you down? Make an alpaca sweater...
That is the provisional cast on for my sleeve after two botched attempts at getting both the provisional part right and the number of cast on stitches right. Usually, when I have a pattern I try to do things the way they say. In this case, I went with their provisional cast on instead of one that I find to be easier, a crocheted cast on. Obviously, I should have just stuck with good ol' crochet. Here's the beginning of the sleeve after I reverted to the crocheted cast on:
In other happy news, my mom tells me that there is a farm just a few miles from here that sells alpaca yarn. I haven't made it over there yet, but it's definitely on my to-do list. I'll post results from that shopping spree when I have them. Also, I don't think I told you that I got a car! It's a 2003 Jetta, black with leather interior and sunroof. A very nice car, way nicer than I ever imagined I would get but it only has 32,000 miles on it and has like 3 years of factory warranty left. My parents were willing to pay more for the added peace of mind since I'm living so far away. It's a wonderful car, I really love it. Pictures will be posted probably at the same time as my new apartment pics. Ok, one last thing. I'll be in Balto on June 30 and maybe even the 29th if you guys are going to be around. I'm moving on the 1st so the days before it I'm just going to close up my bank accounts and make sure everything is packed and ready to go. That's it for now - I've been planting flowers and painting all day and I am BEAT. Time for a shower and bed!
Does God knit?
Jen asked for a copy of this cartoon a long time ago. I'm posting it here so you can both have a copy if you like. For the record, it is from the October 24,2005 New Yorker.
Jen, I was hoping to meet up at Hometown Girl for a treat today but so far I am stuck near the phone so I can send Caleb documents if necessary.
Pie crust promises...
...they're easily made and easily broken. So I spent my time finishing this bathmat instead of figuring out the scanner! Oh well, I'll do it sometime. I wanted this done because it is for my Aunt Rhonda's newly restored 1800's farm house and I will hopefully see her and the house again this Sunday. The bath is fantastic, complete with an old tub and great tile. This mat should go nicely. I'll take a picture of it "installed" so you can see how it looks.
Doesn't that just look yummy?! Can't you just feel your wet warm toes wiggling in that after a hot bath! Made from 100% pure cotton - absorbent absorbent absorbent! So thirsty just looking at it makes me want a drink...ok I'm sounding like an ad executive so I'm going to quit.
Hey Max, off the bathmat already!!!
Who me?!
does this count?!
Don't know why I feel the need to post these two projects; I've had them done for several months now. I might have even showed you both the little purple one; it's been done since January. I'm afraid it looks rather gray in the picture. But I was really proud to get it off the needles because I had started it when we still lived in the Hawthorne house. It's Debbie Bliss and it's Baby Cashmerino which I have a deep and abiding love for that cannot be spoken.
The little sleeveless top was for my cousin Terry and his wife Sonya. I had it done at Easter and even took it home to leave for Mom to take to Sonya's shower but then had this idea that I wanted a book or a cute pair of tights or panties to go with it and brought it home. The shower was the same week's as my brother's wife's (Loree's) shower but did I remember to take it then? Did I remember to mail it as soon as I got back here? Did the baby come and I still hadn't given them the present that had been finished for months? Only one of those three questions has an affirmative answer...I'll let ya' figure it out.
I have pictures from Loree's shower with the knitted gifts. I'd like to post the one of the little dog because when I showed it to you guys it didn't look much like the finished pup! I'm going to try to learn how our scanner works and see if I can scan in the picture and post it. Making this blog declaration will pressure me to do it!
I'm here!
Hey Abby!
Thanks for setting this up. Jen threw her invite away because she didn't know it was from you. You'll have to send her another one. Shame on her!
I am still working on the scarf and have made a lot of progress. I got slowed down week before last because I started getting carpal tunnel in one of my knuckles (a pregnancy thing). More later...
Edited to update: ACK! I didn't see all the new posts until now. You gals are already going full steam! Sorry it took me so long. It's been kinda nuts with closing up my room and everything, but I am totally finished teaching now. I'm not sure what to think about that!
The pressure is completely on for me to finish something and post a picture, but of course Caleb has the camera in Colorado right now so that buys me a little time.
By the way, what's with the multiple deleted comments further down the page?
Felted Bag
So, here is the felted bag that I've been craving for so long. I bought the yarn and pattern at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in early May, 2006. It is probably one of the easiest projects I've ever done, it knitted up fast and as it became more bag-like I didn't even have to carry my knitting tote...I just stored everything in the bag itself!
I did make one change (on purpose) to the pattern - I added an interior pocket for my cell phone, pens, and wallet. I plan on using it to carry notebooks and books for classes next semester.
I'm still hanging out in Ohio. I'll be moving to DE on July 1, so maybe we'll stop in for church that Sunday...it depends on how the moving process goes. Plus, my parents will probably want to go to the new church in DE with me to check it out.
Oh, here's the yarn Angela brought back from South America:
the power of the blog
Oh yeah baby!! This blog thing is going to be good for me. Look at that! Three, count 'em, three FOs (finished objects:-) in just one day. I could feel the pressure of the blog already and it's only been one day since I got on! Of course we won't discuss how many UFO I have around here OR how long I've been working on some of them. Why would we want to spoil such a success with the facts!
These scarves are dead fast to knit up though and I have been working on the pink one since Tuesday and the multicolored one since yesterday. You can't see the pink one very well. It was made with various pink scraps I had (can you tell I have a niece that loves pink?!), knitted longways in stripes. Each time I changed color I left long ends for fringe and added more fringe later. I also used some of that ribbon yarn I had left over from the *crochet* wrap I made (*am I allowed to use that word on the "knitting tracker", come on Abby you know you want to show us your crochet stuff too!!). The other two are from Lion Brand Homespun of the Cookie Monster Pants fame. I taught a lady at work to knit and she gave me a gift card to Michael's which I finally used. You have got to love that...actually getting rewarded for corrupting people into knitting!! Anyway all three of the scarves, and hopefully more, are going to Zimbabwe with Robin. She's planned a rather spur of the moment ttrip to see her family because she hasn't been in nearly 3 years. I wanted to send some knitted things because it's winter there. She leaves nearly right away so I have to finish these soon. (i.e. don't get use to this rate of FOs!!)
I leave you with the one on the way. Hopefully I'll have it done before bed! 
p.s. I found the spell check but was too lazy/excited to post to use it!!
suh-weet!!
This is going to be extremely cool!! Of course, I did throw the invite away when I got it because I didn't realize burab was you!! Brandy had to tell me! What will I do when you're both out of town:-( Oh well, up and running now!! (Doesn't this thing have a spell check...I'm doomed.)
This is the beginning of something beautiful...
Hello ladies!
I'm hoping we'll be able to at least keep track of each other's projects through this blog. Maybe that will also keep us in touch with everything else that's going on...
I'll have a project to post in a couple of days...once it's dry!