Posts from — May 2007

First of all, I want to thank everyone that has commented for the contest. The deadline is midnight (eastern daylight time) tonight so if you and your friends haven’t joined yet make sure you do!  Many of the comments are somewhat similar and I agree with most of them. I struggle with that seems to be one of the most important aspects of a good knit blog (maybe any blog)…personal content. I often stick to mostly knitting and pets…mainly because my life is B-O-R-I-N-G. I’ve often thought to myself how being in a happy, low stress life practically devoid of trauma (some might say two surgeries in two years and a husband with a heart condition is some trauma, but I’m VERY laid back) is detrimental to the blog. Plus in real life I am a very private person so being a little private here is a natural extension of that. I’ll really try to do better (but not today…today I have knitting)!

Most of the time I was in Arizona, I was too busy to knit (which is a good thing if other activities in which one is engaged in are equally enjoyable). I tend to do a lot of my knitting in front of the television in the evening and with all the late night partying (ahem, we were in bed by 9 most nights…that’s what happens when you go from east to west coast and keep early hours to avoid the heat) most nights we were not at home watching tv. However, a shuttle ride followed by a plane ride allows for a lot of knitting…which is what I did practically all day on Tuesday.

I started a sock trying out Maia’s heel for the first time. It’s a method for knitting a toe up heel that looks like a top down gusseted heel. It was fun to try something new, but I’m not sure I’m totally sold on it yet since short row heels are mindless and what I am use to. It does make an very cool “v” shape…stuff like that in knitting just makes me happy. Opal feelings 1701 also makes me happy. I may be a little simple (I am also easily amused by other little things non-knitting related…hmmm….lots of parenthesis today?!) For some reason the side with the slipped knit stitch was perfect and the side with the slipped purl stitch was not (see how the blue stitches look loose on the second picture) . I always pick up both legs of the slipped stitch. I did this on both but ended up switching to one leg on the slipped purl stitches.
I’m not really sure if it helped but after a couple of tries tired and on the plane I decided it looked good enough. Maybe I just need to pull a little tighter on the slipped purl stitch when knitting the flap? I’ll try that on the next one.

The Forest Path Stole is still coming along. It is just over 60″ long now and I just started tier 20. I see no reason at this point to do the full 23 tiers…it will be plenty long enough after it’s blocked so I’ll be starting the border after tier 21 (actually an option in the pattern to do 19 or 21 instead of 23). Total hours: 99.5

I have lots to post about, but until I can get my work caught up and my act together I give you: The Loki Show, Episode 1

Two years ago today, I made my first post.   To celebrate there will be lots of yarn given away…and the more people that play the more yarn I am likely to give!  I meant to take a picture of the contest yarn before I left to entice you but I ran out of time.  There will be a bag of Kureyon and at least one other full bag of something great.  Maybe some sock yarn too. 

To enter, just leave a comment to this post and tell me what you think makes a good knit blog.  What brings you back to your favorite blogs?  Is it nice design? Pictures? Funny stories?  Interesting projects?  If you have a knit blog, consider linking to this post so that your friends will have a chance to win yarn too! 

Edit:  I forgot to add a deadline!  :doh:  You have until May 31st EDT at midnight to post your comment.  I’ll do the random draw as soon as I can after that.

We are enjoying our little anniversary trip in the Arizona sun.  Sunday we hiked to Elephant Mountain and saw a dangerous looking snake.  There are actually lots more non-venomous snakes in Arizona than venomous, but I don’t plan to ever get close enough to identify one.  Unfortunately Jim had the camera when I ran across this snake so I didn’t get a picture.  Having a good zoom lens is really useful in this situation!  There is only one venomous lizard in AZ so getting near this one was no problem (it was in our front courtyard…you don’t have to hike to see lots of nature here).

Dear Jim,

Well, how do you like this for a PDA?  I can’t believe it was 12 years ago today that we got married.  In so many ways, it seems like yesterday.  I never dreamed how many wonderful experiences we would have together in this short period of time.  I can only hope the next 12 and beyond are half as good.  

I love you!

SP 

P.S.  For those who have no idea what “mahwidge” is, watch this:

We are leaving town tomorrow and instead of getting prepared to leave I am…well…doing anything but what I am supposed to.  This post brought to you by Procrastination Inc. and is sponsored by Slackers R Us.  For Ali’s contest (Go join!  She’s giving away a great pattern and yarn.  Make sure to tell her I sent you so I can get an extra entry or two ) I need to post about my knitting goals for this summer.  This is a bit difficult for me since I don’t normally make knitting “goals”.  However, it does seem like a good way to add some direction to one’s knitting so I’ll give it a shot.

1.  Submit another design to knitty (this is a bit of a cheat because I’m already working on it)

2.  Knit more socks.  I got off of the socks for a while…I have no clue why.  Since I’m now participating in “Summer of Socks” that needs to change. I don’t really want to set a specific number, but I’ll say more than 3 pair.  Oh…and at least one of them has to have a heel flap instead of a short row heel (since I knit toe up socks, I ALWAYS do short row heel.  Maia has a new tutorial up though so I’m going to get out of my rut.)

3.  Rip or finish at least one of my UFO’s (yes, I have quite a few that have never made an appearance on the blog)

FPS Totals:  Just started tier 18…90 hours.

 P.S.  Can anyone tell me why my computer suddenly has a hand all the time instead of a cursor and won’t let me select text?  Quite annoying as you can imagine.  Stupid gnomes!

Plodding along on the FPS last night, I again had a serious bonehead mistake. This far along in the project I was starting to think I was immune to the pitfalls that can befall one working on the FPS but I was so wrong.  After working the right side triangle for tier 17, I picked up for the first diamond as usual.  When it came to joining it with diamond top from the previous row I instead joined it with the right side triangle :doh:.  Of course, I didn’t notice this until I completed the whole diamond (and it was a Lily of the Valley section :doh:)  As far as bonehead mistakes go for this project, this is about the least damaging.  Had I joined with the wrong patterned diamond I would have had to un-knit the whole thing or be faced with certain doom.  Instead, since it was a seed stitch triangle I was able to rip and pick up the edge stitches from the triangle without too much cursing and crying.  Every time I do something like this, I worry about one little free stitch hiding out until I block it where it runs and ruins the whole thing.  With all the SSK and P2T at the edges of the diamonds this is a very real possibility.  Drop one of those silly stitches and the whole edge runs quicker than Nicole Richie from a cheeseburger.  You wouldn’t believe how scary it is to see all those tiny free stitches (ask me how I know).

Using my mad geeky skills (ok just the excel random number generator) I picked the winner of the t-shirt.  Go congratulate Meredith  on the new addition to her wardrobe.  Don’t be sad you didn’t win…you’ll have another chance.  My two year blogiversary is coming up and in honor of the occasion I will be giving away copious amounts of yarn.  Please tell all of your knitting and spinning friends because the more people that participate the more fiber I am likely to give away.  Look for details in an uncoming post.

Random:

I’m not going to comment on it, but go look at the picture in the top left corner of this post.  Interesting, no?

A cute knitting/spinning video.

FPS:  I’m on tier 16.  Hours and picture update tomorrow!

The monotony of the FPS was broken up yesterday by two intervening knits.  One I can’t really show you (it’s for a submission) and one quickie Mother’s day knit for my dear mother in law, Jane.  She will be the thrilled recipient of a Key Chain Sock.  Jim is driving up to Kent tomorrow while I keep the dogs.  It is POSSIBLE to travel with two largish dogs but not easy so I usually just stay here with them when Jim goes home.  Hmmm…husband gone for at least 24 hours…I see lots of knitting in my future! The submission knit is under the little sock…cream GGH Soft Kid.  Love the yarn!  It’s making a nice gooshy fabric.

I had a few birthday bucks leftover so I decided to get that cute yarny t-shirt everyone has been talking about.  Either it runs small or I have again grossly underestimated the weight I gained pre/post surgery.  If it ever makes it into the dryer (a forgone conclusion in my house…no matter how many things in a load need to be hung up while still wet, I always forget the dryer is running)  I’ll never get it on again.  Anyway, my optimism is your gain.  If you can wear a medium and you want this shirt leave a comment here.  I’ll take comments until Monday at 9 a.m. EST and then draw a name randomly from those who want it.  Check your email Monday morning to see if you won…if you do I’ll need your snail mail address!