Full of updatey goodness!

For some reason I am in a really great mood. It might have something to do with the fact that my kids are off with the babysitter. :)

I've gotten a ton done today, most of it not knitting. I cleaned a bunch. We had a nice play date and lunch with a friend. I remembered that I should give my son a birthday present and found the Right Thing at Target for much less than I had planned to spend. I cast-on a winter hat. Yes, I know, it's 84 degrees F out there, but whatever! It's the Artyarns Hat P51, in the Artyarns Supermerino, colorway 109. You know, while this yarn is so soft and lovely, I am realizing that I don't LOVE the way they variegate (is that a verb?) their yarns. They have sort of a main color and then some very small bits of other colors interspersed (like 2 stitches) and I think I prefer longer...what would the word be? Slower transitions? It's still very pretty, but I think once I knit up what I've got, I'll probably not use their yarns again. There are so many lovely yarns out there, anyway!

I also finished two NICU hats. One was just about done, it just needed two little leaves added. I can't find the yarn that goes with the hat, so now I've got an apple hat with the red body in Samoa, the brown stem in Sugar'n'Cream, and the green leaves in Tahki Cotton Classsic. Somehow I don't think the babies will care. :) I also started a little lemon hat on Sunday and finished it last night, also in Tahki Cotton. I just used standard Ann Norling Fruit Hat Pattern, from memory. This was knit on Knit Picks Options size 4, Magic Loop and is quite cute. I now have several hats to take into the unit (though I may just send them this time). I haven't taken anything in to them in months, so I'm glad to get back into it. I really appreciate the reminder of perspective this knitting gives me. I feel so grateful for my life, and how full and rich and just plain wonderful it is, most of the time. Most of our crap is little stuff, you know? It's good to remember that.

FO and some planning...

I finished some things AND managed to take pictures, so let's see what they look like!
Okay, so the picture isn't too great, but you can get a sense of the stitch pattern at least. This is the Bee Stitch cloth. I tried this cloth earlier in the Crystal Palace cotton chenille, and it didn't work at all (who knows why!), but it was great in this yarn (Sugar'n'Cream). It's a super easy pattern, and I love the texture that the stitch creates! It shows of the variegated yarn wonderfully too!

The rest of the FOs are NICU hats. First, the Lemon hat. Quite cute! I'm trying to make my hats a little longer because I think I make them too short. I also did the Raspberry hat. I think it's adorable, though the texture stitch was a bit of a pain in the ass. Both of these are done with Magic Loop, in Tahki Cotton Classic, size 4 needles. The next hat is the Raspberry hat. Also adorable, but the texture stitch was a bit of a pain in the ass. The last picture is two hats: one I knit a while ago, next to another hat that was supposed to be a gift for a friend but I never got my act together to send it so I've got to do something else for them. It's the same yarn, Plymouth Fantasy Naturale, but just different number of stitches. I sort of like the patchy one, it makes me think of easter egg camo!
I also have one more big project that I finished, and it's really pretty, but it's a gift, so I need to send it off (this one I really do have to send off) before I can post the pictures. It's one of the bigger things I've done, and while it was a simple knit, it's really pretty and I'm happy with how it turned out !

On to the next projects! I just pulled out a baby blanket that I'm doing, also out of Crystal Palace Cotton chenille, but in the Painted Iris colorway. Oh. My. God. This is so beautiful! But, the person it was originally intended for is having a boy, so I may have to finish it and keep it for the next girl baby that comes along. I have enough of the yarn to do some washcloths for myself, so I'll be able to keep some of the beauty for myself! Perhaps I'll do one for this friend in the Baby Blue or the Seascape colorway (or maybe the fruit salad, that would be fun!). I love this yarn for baby blankets! Given my issues with color consistency in the Lion Suede, I'm not sure about doing more big projects with it. Which is a bummer because it's perfect for baby blankets! At least for northern babies! It's so soft and warm! Anyway, enough about baby blankets.

So, that leaves on the needles...Jaywalkers. *sigh* I am afraid that they're going to be too small and I'm just stalled on them! I really *want* to be knitting socks...I just don't love the tiny needles! I somehow managed to bring home a skein of Tofutsies, and I'm actually *gasp* trying to swatch it up! I am going to do a non-short-row-toe up, heel flap and gusset heel, with this. I think I need a scale to make sure I don't do one sock too long! I am also planning on getting some of these, so I can do lace socks more easily...What do you think, go ahead and order 1, 2 and 3s? Or just get the 1s and assume that I won't need the bigger ones? That'd certainly be cheaper! But it's almost a new month and a new allowance!

I just need to finish the leaves for one of the other NICU hats I've done (an apple, so cute!), and then I'll take them over and drop them off (or send them in). It's funny, I don't remember being excited to knit last summer, but I'm going strong this summer!!

Where did it go?

I had a post half-written but it apparently got eaten during the whole kerfuffle of jury duty, which is DONE! No one seemed happy, everyone got spanked (metaphorically), so I guess we did a good job. All jury members took it very seriously, which was cool. So, that's my second trial as a juror. So inconvenient, but I am glad I got to do it.

I scrapped the sock. I made yet ANOTHER error and couldn't live with it. I guess that answers my questions...THREE major issues is one too many.

I started another NICU hat in consolation and I'm gonna need some help on another project because I can't decide how to end it. The yarn is bumming me out. Ah well.

I think I may need to learn to spin and dye my own yarn. Or do you dye first then spin?

The Joy of Knitting

Yesterday I ran into two ex-friends of mine. They have obviously remained close, while both rejecting me. This happened some time ago (coming up on a year), and while it's still painful, seeing them was actually helpful to make me remember that the action of friends is NOT to be mean, petty, and nasty in a high school of way. Therefore, these women are no friends of mine anymore. There is obviously much more to the story, but frankly, I'm bored with the emotions and ready to let it go (FINALLY!). It's related to knitting in that when I started knitting again 2.5 years ago, I got the two of them really excited about it as well, and we would talk knitting. One of them (the one I really considered a true friend, not just a mommy friend) actually gave me a "knitting kit" for Christmas one year, which I still use every single time I knit.

After running into them, I felt shaky and unsettled. I'm a very conflict-avoidant person, and even just seeing them (and refusing to be sucked into the "let's make nicey-nice" that they were doing) felt like confrontation. But then the universe, as it is wont to do, gave me a perspective moment: an encounter a small child, dying of cancer. This powerful reminder of what's really important is also helping me set aside the feelings related to my ex-friends. It's not that those feelings aren't real, or don't really matter, but rather, there's a lot more going on than that, and it's good to be reminded of that. It's good to get outside my head.

Today, my older son was at school for his long day, and my younger son (universe be praised) actually took a great nap. As soon as I could tell DS2 was actually going to go to sleep, I cast-on a NICU hat. I needed to do this today. I needed to reconnect to my better self, the part of me that delights in creating and takes solace in giving. The part of me that is healed by my willingness to be connected to others. I always try to knit the NICU hats in a spirit of joy and offering of strength, hope and compassion, but I felt truly...filled by it today. This is what came out of it:

Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic in Orange for the body, Sugar'n'Cream Brown for the stem, and Tahki Cotton Classic in green for the vines (crocheted with a size F hook, I think).
Needles: Addi Turbos, size 3
Pattern: my own creation (with some help on the vines)
New skills: none

I am thrilled with how this came out. I just think it's adorable, and I love the idea that some little baby in the NICU will have this to help in the fight!

This isn't a good thing to know.

That Yarnmarket has my credit card on file, so I don't even need to have it handy to order!! Uh oh!!

I ended up returning the Berrocco Plush (and being berated by the sales woman for daring to make a credit card return), and I just ordered a bunch of cotton chenille from Yarnmarket. Yay! I made a washcloth out of the sample ball I bought, and it's lovely! It also claims to be handwash, but I put it through the washer and dryer, and it looks great, didn't shrink at all, held it's shape, etc. It's so nice to work with! I'm not sure why some folks are so down on cotton chenille!!

I finished a hat that will be a NICU hat since it's too small for a full-term baby. I didn't actually swatch (BAD), so I figured it would either work for a friend, or for the NICU. It felt really nice to start a new collection of those hats - it's a good perspective-builder for me when I start moping. So yeah, maybe some stuff has happened that's not been great, but DUDE, you don't have a kid in Childrens' Hospital. Come on. :)

Drop Off #2

DS1 and I went over to Children's yesterday morning before we headed out of town, to drop of the next round of hats. Like last time, it was a hard visit. Unlike last time, I didn't spend time thinking about our (brief) stay there, but rather this time, I was struck by the fact that at 9:00 am on the Saturday before Christmas, we had to park on the 5th floor of the Children's lot because it was so full. I am thankful that a place like Children's exists, but it just made me sad, and so, so thankful for my own healthy kids. I don't know about others, but I need (and appreciate) the reminders for gratitude about all my blessings. It's so easy to get caught up in the little hassles of life. It's good to take a moment to remember how FINE everything really is.

Anyway, we're now out in the Berkshires, and I'm about to take off for some ALONE time, to go to Webs!! The website claims they're open on Sundays for the holiday season. I'll have about an hour or so to play there before I have to head back, which I think should be enough. :) I'm needing more Addis in small sizes, and SOCK yarn. I've been utterly converted to short-row, toe up socks. I like counting better than doing increases. I've got DH's on the needles, toes done (finally!!) correctly. I just pulled out the ones I'm doing for me and I'll redo them with a short-row toe.

For all who celebrate, have a merry, merry Christmas, and to all, blessings of the season on you. :)

Time sure flies!

I've been meaning to post an update all week, but just haven't had a chance to gather my thoughts. It was my birthday last week (30-mumble) and I received, from my lovely husband, the gift of these which I am LOVING. They are really great, MUCH better than my Denise kit for the kind of knitting I'm doing these days! The join with the tips and the cable is super-smooth, and feels much more secure than the Denise needles. These are nice, solid needles, and the cord is narrow and has very little memory, so it makes the Magic Loop technique much easier. I just with they came in the small sizes, or that Knit Picks regular needles came in a longer cord, but ah well, I guess I can manage with Addis! Since I also received a gift from my parents that "has" to be spent on yarn and yarn-accessories, I think I can get my needle library complete.

Let's see. I talked to the NICU folks, and it turns out they had a slightly different vision of the hat project than I did. I was assuming that each hat would be given to a specific baby, and sent home with that baby, while they seem to be thinking of these as the NICU's. She explained to me that "sometimes the patients take them home" which is what I wanted! Oh well, they can do whatever they think is best. She said they were very appreciative and would take anything else I had to offer. I'm going to try and send a batch off on Monday. The sizes were all great, and I think they really like the whimsical hats. I was just glad to (finally) have someone call me back and give me some feedback on what worked!

I'm having great fun with my dishcloths/washcloths as well! I love the cotton, and I'm really enjoying all the different patterns. I don't quite have the energy to take and post pictures right now, but soon.

My new obsession is knitting socks! I'm not sure why this is, as knitting with fine yarn doesn't appeal to me all that much, but a friend turned me on to this yarn and I must, MUST I TELL YOU, must have some. I actually have some sock yarn, so I pulled it out and taught myself the figure 8 cast on today, in anticipation of figuring out how to knit two socks (toe up) on one needle at the same time. I think this will be a good thing for me, so I don't end up with one sock for many months, which is what happened with the last socks I did. If this works, I'll take pictures! I think the sock thing is generated by the fact that all my socks are old and getting worn out, and I can't find anything I like at any of my usual stores (err, Target mainly 'cuz I'm classy like that) in colors that I wear. Come to think of it, I couldn't find any shirts in colors that I like this year, so I guess the colors I like are just out. I am crushed, as being a fashion icon is really, really important to me. :)

In non-knitting news, I've completed all the reading for Module 1 of the CBE program, and now just need to complete the written work and experiential pieces for it. That shouldn't be too hard. The reading was really interesting, and I can feel the rusty cogs of my brain slowly starting to reengage and perhaps even turn. I am excited about this. One of the books is called "Birth as An American Rite of Passage", and it's a feminist, anthropological analysis of birth rituals in the US. Some of it seems a bit out of date to me, but much of it is spot-on, and *really* interesting and thought-provoking. She's more radical than I am, but has an interesting way of framing different belief systems. It was very interesting to see where I agreed with her, and then where I disagreed - which showed me some of my own blind spots, which is always a useful thing. I'll need to go back and reread this, as it's fairly academic. I really enjoyed it!