Sheepless Nights

My little girl has a blog of her own -- see her here: http://4joylove.blogspot.com/. I'm guessing this means I'll have to start up again, just to have a place for her to comment (it's only fair, if I get to bombard the Smidgereen's place with comments, she'll need something to comment on here as well, hmm?).

Lots has happened since I've last written, life changes, major adjustments; it's mind-boggling to me when I think about it, and I'm working on making some more big changes even still. I'm thinking that maybe it'll be better to add them in slowly and play catch up gradually. At any rate, nutshell version, Smidge and the Boy live elsewhere now and are heartily and heartbreakingly missed (until the summer, they come back for the summer!), I live elsewhere as well, with a wonderful elseone (a perfect knight for sheepy nights and days as well?) and am learning a lot about basilisks and stuff you might not expected to be relatively related. Are you confuzzled yet?

Oh, and it's March. March is full of mind-blowingly important dates, a Smidgen birthday and two related anniversaries. And a rush to complete a pair of socks, March's Madness lives through socks in these parts, and the first heat is up to just past the second heel. Must be finished by Friday. More to come, dates and data and dabbles, oh my...

You'd Think...

That having a collection of FO’s would offer sweet incentive to write a chattily witty post declaring them. You’d think… I’m not totally sure about the chatty (ask me again at the end of the post), but I’m pretty sure you’ll have to forego any inspired wittiness. There is a post – that’s one of the factors at least, right?

In no particular order:

Tall Tibetan Socks ala Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways For Sock Knitters -- second sock complete (finally!) Sadly, they still need blocking, so I’ve plugged the photos of sock 1 in for my FO shot (I promise, the second sock looks nearly identical to the first, with the exception that the spiral spirals in the opposite direction):

Kureyon Kozies: I wanted to make Knitty’s Kureyon Kozy for my MIL, but she keeps her house fairly cool and was concerned that the open spout would let her tea cool too quickly. We both agreed, though, that the sleeker Knitty cozy was quite the thing (doesn’t it sound more like I’m describing a racecar – really, when did I decide that a teapot cozy needed to be sleek?) and so compromised (Compromise? Waitaminit here…). I give you the Kureyon Kozy and the accompanying Kozy Cap. (For all my kvetching – MIL loves knit gifts, but has yet to accept one that she didn’t first redesign – the cozies were pleasantly quick and easy knits, quite enjoyed, and MIL is hip-hip-happy with them)



FlickaDot’s birthday socks – Lykkefanten’s Go Gryffindor Socks. They’ve been done for a while, but I was afraid to post them earlier as Dumpling still drops in here occasionally. Her birthday party was last Sunday (how many girls can boast that the Easter bunny visited them especially, for their birthday, and that their main party game was an Easter egg hunt?) and she’s already got them, so no secrecy needed anymore. And, yes, she loves them, and I believe she was saving them to wear to school today (hope she didn’t forget)…

Lykkefanten has also just released the Such A Slytherin version, yarn for which I’m currently hunting. I’d love Slytherin/Snape stuff even if only to hear how vehemently Flicka shrieks “But Maaaahm, how can you – he’s mean to Harry!” Boys are still icky, it’s not quite a Potteresque crush yet, but close – after all she’s a totally grown up nine years old now!...

Plain old no pattern traveling rib black scarf. I’m always griping about short scarves, so I finally got myself in gear and fixed the problem… It aimed to be 6’ long, grew a little more, and wraps and drapes and ties, you name it, all happily at the same time. And winter even hung around long enough for me to actually use it this year!


‘Nother plain old no pattern basic boy mittens. He needed them in a hurry, and there was some bulky handspun, but it was white. White for a little boy’s mitten set – I don’t think so. Carry along a strand of thin brownish stuff and voila!


One other… My first “Baby Surprise Jacket”. Teaser picture only as it’s a gift for a friend that stops in here sometimes and though it’s not a surprise, I’d like her to see it in her own hands first… Picture to follow eventually…


That’s all for now… The wait is on for Sock Madness 2 Round 2 and I’m having difficulty focusing on other things (I know, I did say it wouldn’t be all-consuming this year, and it totally isn’t, honest, truly!... Just, well, I need to swatch for the lace pattern, and I’m thinking about yarn, and I can’t wait to see the pattern for next round to pick the best match, and… Is it Tuesday yet? Should I start checking my In-Box?).

TTFN………………………………..

Z is for Z-Z-Z-Z-Zombie!

Sock Madness has begun again, so you’ll maybe understand and forgive any upcoming fits of babbling incoherence. I’ve promised myself I’d take it easier this year and knit for fun rather than for the sake of franticness, but, hmm… It feels much like we’ve picked up right where things paused last year (a lot of the same folks came back for more of the punishment… er… comeraderie… that is…) and I can already feel the adrenalin rush (even though the first round has been much more relaxed than what I remember from later on…)

Anyway, here are my Zombie Socks (a fab design, quite a fun knit) by blogless Emm1e (Ravelry link) as of March 14th bedtime:


And here they are at noon, March 17th:


Made it through Round 1 – phew!!!

Zombie also works for my other semi-along. 5 Element Knitter is hosting an Alphabet Soup Challenge, after proving on her own blog that it can be done... The goal is to title blog entries successively from A-Z without any miscellaneous in-between entries. She’s got prizes and all for the first to finish, but mainly I figure it’ll be a good way to get myself blogging regularly again, having the next letter as a challenge to figure in.

Me being me, inside out, left to right, and backwards, I’m starting from Z and working to A instead. I was debating doing it this way, just because, when the Zombie pattern was announced and “Z for Zombie” clinched ti. Not sure if my wrong-way-ed-ness will put me out of the contest, but it’ll be a fun challenge even if it does…

TTFN and TTTL…

Out of Hiding

I can’t quite figure how it’s been since August since I last posted. Ravelry happened (hey, it’s me, Sheepspyjamas there too), but I haven’t been all that active there either. There are a few projects and all, but I haven’t been writing here, there, anywhere. Burnout or some such – I love having posts to blog, but the writing isn’t as easy as it seems like it ought to be and I do have difficulty starting things that appear like they might be involved or discouraging of late (as anyone who has seen the state of my house and housework, or lack of, can totally attest to…)

Anyway, here’s another bit of ketchup (watch out, don’t get any on your clothes), and I’ll try to do better, promise:

Recently finished:

(Honestly, I did finish this for true, just needs a photo, but since Boy has already borrowed them from me, well...)



In the Works:



(I’m working my way through Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways for Sock Knitters, aiming to complete at least one of each “type”).



(Stalled Knitty's Hey Mickey... This will probably surface again when the dash to knit keep me warm stuff gives way to short skirt weather again...)


(His and hers, both semi-stalled...)


(All but finished, blog later...)

And, pictureless, a simple ribbed black scarf for me, mindless project, in between the mad dash to mitten the kids.


Time, also for a little virtual housecleaning; I suspect I’ve broken many of my previous links/pictures. Please bear with me as I revamp the sidebar and do some “darning” in previous posts…

‘Nuff blather… it’s good to be back!

Ketchup

Updates from yesterday...

Socks, completed version:

Forgotten bag, completed version:

The bag works out to be the perfect size to hold a ball of yarn while wandering -- I'm so pleased with it!
Pattern: Mine Own
Yarn: My Handspun
I plan to have the pattern ready to offer soon -- as with the socks, I want to try it out one more time, just because...

Forgotten project, in forgotten bag:
Knitty's Hey Mickey! child's skirt (not that you can tell much about it from the pictures)...


And, not leastly, Knitty's Prickly Girl child's tank, now all but completed:

Is it me, or are armholes longer than the overall garment length perhaps a tad excessive? Has anyone else read this pattern and interpreted it differently than I? I ended up with 15" straps on the front and 15" straps on the back that were supposed to be grafted together to complete the armhole. I'll be tying them together to accommodate a somewhat shorter length. I'm also waiting for a girly try-on before I "frill" the neckline and bottom edge a bit, just in case I need to firm up any gapping or somesuch. Almost fini... And even with my armhole concerns, I adore how it's worked out so far...

More later, I'm off to write a prize email I managed to neglect last night.

Second Wind

What happened? Work happened (expanded job, learning curve, less downtime). Fish happened (sick seahorses, water changes, constant water testing = no evening me time). Hunny happened (his seahorses). Knit happened (I've been swatching, planning, ekeing out what little knitting time I can). Blog sorta got gypped along the way -- I'm sorry.

So I'm badgering Hunny for a notebook (I never knit in bed, but I sure could blog before bed) -- everybody say it winsomely together: "Hunny, a notebook for PJ, please?!". And I've been trying to figure out how to put a little more me time into the mix before the kids come back from camp and make all of this even more complicated. Me time is healthy, they tell me, right?

In the meantime (ha! Me time in the meantime...), here's what I have been doing, at least:

Green Socks:
Somehow I managed not to have the pictures I know I took of these on the sock blockers. They're done, but all I have to show for it is pictures from the past:

Take my word, though, they are among the "what little I've finished" set, and I'll manage pictures soon, promise. I even have another actual WIP version going, since I figured to offer the pattern to the BlogGods and wanted to make sure it actually worked first.

The "This Bag Was Made For Walking" [and knitting] Bag, made from the same handspun green as the socks. I managed to forget both the bag and the next project in line at home this morning, so they're both pictureless as well.

Knitty's Hey Mickey! skirt for Flicka-Dot. In progress, again, picture forthcoming.

Knitty's Prickly Girl tank, also for Flicka-Dot (first day of school, maybe?), blocked and ready to be joined to itself.


And a mystery shawl (no, not the mystery stole, a mystery shawl), to be discussed in more detail another day.

I've given up on Knews for now -- I just didn't find enough time, info, links (mostly time), and I'd rather not stress about whether or not I have something to offer today (online performance anxiety?), vicious cycle and all that. I do want to thank #1 Roving Reporter (get it? get it? Roving reporter?! Tee!) Golden Purl who singlehandedly came up with most of the links that did show. Bet she didn't even consider it a contest along the way, but there you have it. (Jean, I'll email you tonight and we'll see if I just perhaps can aid in your stash enhancement.) And, by the way, if you haven't already, hop on over to Golden Purl's blog -- she's having a contest of her own!

Ta for now, as I'd actually, finally, like to get this posted. Geez Loueeze, I missed you!...

On Your Marks...

Get set...


Waitaminnit... This feels dejavu-ish, somehow...

Today begins another pair -- Socktopia Clementine socks for one last sock-sprint, Knit Off Competition (@wave, @cheer to all the other Team Koigu members). I seem to recall promising myself no more sock races for a ...looong... time, yet somehow.....