Baby Blanket Bingo. Knitters: Chime in, please!

I've been perusing Ravelry, and while I love all the sorting and sifting capabilities of the site to narrow down what I'm looking for, the choices still seem to overwhelm.  I'm getting ready to start some new projects, and a baby blanket is among them.  I'm not looking for anything too elaborate; just something cuddly and warm that will keep my interest.

I'd love to hear from my knitting friends what your favorite baby blanket pattern is, and why.  Please post a comment if you have one to share.  I'll owe you one.  Thanks!

Pork products and a promise kept.

For a very long time, DH has wanted to attend the Best in the West Rib Cook-off held each year at the Nugget Hotel in Sparks, Nevada.  He's a huge rib fan--and so am I--so we took off last Thursday and drove what ended up being uncomfortably close to 8 hours to meet up with some family, friends, and pig.  It took no time to realize we weren't the only ones with this great idea...when they claim that about a half-million people attend over the course of the 5-day event, I don't think they're over-estimating.  This is an Event.  With a capital "E".  Not for the faint of heart, or for the vegetarian. 

We went during the "less busy" times of Friday and Saturday late morning/early afternoon.  Even then, it was a sea of people floating through a gajillion pounds of meat and almost that much BBQ sauce prepared by 24 different rib cookers from all over the country.   Hog Heaven.  If you're ever in Euless, TX, check out North Main BBQ...they won my vote!

As impressed as I was with some of the ribs we sampled (not a lot of photos of those; my hands were too messy by then...), I was really struck by the elaborateness and sheer size of some of the booths these people haul all over the country (for extra credit, see if you can spot the table-full of trophies...they were at EVERY booth):

 

 Yes, this is a smoker in the shape of an armadillo.  He's 24 years old.  They're very proud of him.

My favorite oxymoronic sign of the day?

Now, for the promised knitting update:  I've done it.  And it didn't even take a week.  Just a day, really, to select the pattern and find some suitable yarn from the stash. 

Granted, it's just a scarf...but I think it's going to be a pretty pattern that will keep my interest.  Plus, I realized while I was looking at past projects that I've given away each of the previous six scarves I've made.  I might actually keep this one.  It's an 8-row repeat with every other row being mindless purling.  I found the pattern on Ravelry (Naturally. Silly question.).  It's called the Best Friend Scarf in case you're interested.  The yarn is Rowan's Wool Cotton in Riviera. Amazing what a little self-imposed pressure combined with a desire to knit can accomplish!

I miss knitting.

It hit me this week that it's time to start knitting again.  Must be the fall bite in the air (which, btw, is quite annoying since it's still August and we didn't even get the true feel of summer here until practically July.  But I'm not bitter.).  I can't really say I don't have anything on my needles, because I do.  It's been hanging out in my knitting bag for months now, and I can't seem to get through more than two rows before I start yawning from boredom.  I think it could be because it's a re-run---I've knit one already and liked it so much I decided to cast on another.  And this one's red; a really, really beautiful red.  Lamb's Pride Blue Blood Red.  Apparently, that's still not enough to lure me back.  For now, I've lost interest.  Maybe I have K(nitting)ADD?

Whatever the reason, I'm not inspired by what I have going, and yet I'm really in the mood to knit.  So, it's time to pick a new project and cast on.  I've found myself poking around on Ravelry the past few days, looking for something I just have to make.   Even if it's just a scarf.  Heck, it's been so many months since I've been serious about knitting, it probably should be just a scarf.   We'll see.

I'm posting about this to keep myself honest.  I will cast on a new project within the week.  And I will post about it.

There.  No pressure.

I really don't know what to say.

It all started innocently enough about three weeks ago.  I found this lovely pattern for a little bolero shrug, and thought it would be perfect for an upcoming island trip in mid-June.

So I picked up some Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Taupe (because I figured Taupe will go with pretty much everything, and I presently have no clue what I'm going to wear under it), and with instructions at the ready I cast on and went merrily on my way.   The three inches of k2 p2 rib was just the right amount to avoid getting bored.  Time for the lace pattern!

This pattern is short and sweet, concisely written, and the lace pattern is easy to memorize.  Pretty, isn't it?

It would probably be even prettier if I had followed instructions.  

I am now 15.5 inches into this project...three weeks later...about two evenings a week of relaxing repetition...without adult beverages, I might add...and it's time to revert back to k2 p2 rib to complete the top.  Or bottom.  I'm not sure which.  It's basically a rectangle before you seam it, so it probably doesn't matter.  What matters is this:

Do you see it?  Do you see that part that says "Switch to size 8 needles now..."?  Well, I saw it.  And I dug into my handy dandy interchangeable needle kit to switch back to my size 8 needles, only to discover that I had only one size 8 needle in my handy dandy interchangeable needle kit.  My other size 8 needle was missing!  Where could it be?  Who had been pilfering my handy dandy interchangeable needle kit?  My knit-up friends aren't the pilfering type, so it certainly couldn't be them.  My husband doesn't knit.  Neither does the dog.  I don't have any other projects going right now with the exception of socks, and we all know those don't use size 8 needles, now don't we?

And then I discovered it.  My other size 8 needle wasn't missing at all.

It was on the end of my cable. Opposite my size 10.5 needle.  The one that was supposed to have a matching 10.5 needle on the other end of the cable, but whose matching 10.5 needle was tucked snugly in my handy dandy interchangeable needle kit.

One of these things is not like the other.

No wonder that one row seemed a little tight on the needle.  And maybe that explains why the lace pattern seems to slant to the right.  Heck, I don't know.  I seriously don't know what to say about it all (she says, despite the fact that she's been rambling for several paragraphs...).  I'm still sitting here wondering how I went three weeks without noticing I was knitting with needles of two (noticeably) different sizes.

Obviously, the lack of adult beverages was NO help at all.  Hmph.

I didn't medal. Not even close. But I'm still happy!

I thought this year I'd play along with Ravelry's "Ravelympics", attempting to complete a project during the 16 days of the Winter Olympics.  Deciding to challenge myself with socks for the first time, I ordered some pretty red Stroll kettle-dyed fingering weight from Knitpicks, and dove in to the Monkey Sock pattern from Cookie A...about three days into the games.  That should've been my first clue that this was not going to happen.  But hey...I've never claimed to be a genius.  And, I had a lot going on with sewing orders.  I also had two other knitting projects in the works that, due to various reasons, did not qualify to enter Ravelympics.

So, here's where the sock stands as of closing ceremonies.  The bad news:  one sock, not close to finished...

 The good news:  I've learned to turn a heel and work the gusset, and it's not nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be (unless, of course, I'm doing something very, very wrong...).  I'm really enjoying the lace work in this pattern...easy to follow and pretty when it's on.

Now, about those other two projects I mentioned above.  I've alluded to one of them for several weeks months now, and am happy to report that it's complete before its first birthday (according to my Ravelry page, I started this on 3/18/2009.  Another reason I like Ravelry:  it keeps you honest!).  Here it is...the Cables and O's Cardigan by Brooke Snow:

I cannot begin to tell you how good it feels to have this done.  It's a great pattern, well written and not difficult to follow, but I'd let it languish for so long that I was becoming very bored with everything about it...the color, the yarn, the pattern, all of it.  Poor thing...it really didn't deserve it.   Thankfully, now that it's done, my excitement has returned and I'm looking forward to wearing it all spring!

And speaking of excitement, here's a project that was the antithesis of Cables and O's...

This is Talia, from Sweaterbabe.  I...the sloooooow knitter...finished this in just over a week (granted, I had a lot of road time to spend knitting that particular week).  Love, love, love the pattern.  Super fun!  So much so that I'll be making it again.  Soon.  In red.

So...no medals for me, but two F.O.'s and a lesson in socks.  I think I can live with that.

Status: Sleeveless

It's the last day of April, and my goal of finishing Cables and Os hasn't quite come to fruition. I've made steady progress, but some company over last weekend and some sewing projects I allowed to distract me put a dent in my knitting time this month. So, here it stands:

I'm now aiming for mid-May. At least I can take comfort in the fact that we're back in winter here and this probably wouldn't keep me warm enough if I did have it completed.

I wasn't going to whine about the weather.

Honest, I wasn't. But after two straight days of this, I can't stand it. Look at the calendar, will you, please! Then, look at these:


And then tell me (insert deep breath here) how I'm supposed to feel like running (which I'm supposed to be doing in about an hour but it's still snowing out and I have this issue where my fingers and toes go numb when I'm out in the cold for very long and I have this personal requirement about running only when it's above 45 and I could come up with a million other excuses but the truth is I just don't want to deal with it), or planning my garden (let alone planting it), or doing much of anything outside that involves more than opening the door to let the dog out and back in (exhale what's left of breath here).

So, I think I'll go knit instead. Indoors. At Dudley's. Where they have great coffee. And it's warm.

Or, maybe I'll succumb to the guilt of knowing that all my running friends will be there and I should just suck it up and act like a true Bendite and stop wimping out because after all it is only for an hour. And someone told me once that there is no bad weather, only bad clothes. And I can stand anything for an hour. Right?

They missed the memo

Back from our road trip to Idaho/Wyoming/Montana, where it appears--as evidenced here--word has not yet reached them that Spring has begun. We traveled some absolutely gorgeous country, from Jackson, Wyoming through West Yellowstone and Bozeman, Montana. If you've never been to that part of the world, I highly recommend putting it on your list. And if you're not a winter person, I highly recommend it sometime June through October.

A small fraction of the elk currently on the National Elk Refuge at Jackson, Wyoming.

Along the Gros Ventre River, just outside Jackson.

Limited visibility (no kidding!) on our way through Island Park, Idaho. Consequently, I have no idea what Island Park looks like...

Rolling clouds along the rolling hills in Northeastern Idaho, during our one day of blue sky. Loved this shot.

Lucky for me, I have a husband who likes to drive so I was able to spend the better part of 2,00o miles doing this:

Beginning stages of the Cables and O's Cardigan.

I wish I were a faster knitter, but I have to sacrifice speed for accuracy at this point. My goal is to get this done by end of April...I'll keep you posted.

Waste not, want not...or not

From Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's "Never Not Knitting" Page-a-Day calendar.

Another of my March resolutions: de-stash. How is it possible, you wonder, that a person who has only been knitting for little more than a year could even have a stash? Well, it's like this: As a fledgling knitter, I bought stuff that wouldn't break the bank so that I wouldn't feel guilty if it didn't turn into what it was supposed to turn into. The now-more-mature, one-year-old knitter realizes this was a silly idea. I've become fairly proficient at tinking and frogging (more than I care to admit), so have been able to scrap patterns and start on new ones with the same yarn. And, I've learned what a joy it is to work with good yarn.

Noro Kureyon, colorway 95

Then, there's the yarn that my Mom bestowed on me after a massive closet cleaning, overjoyed at the fact that her baby had taken up knitting. She was a crocheter (before her eyes succumbed to macular degeneration)...a frugal crocheter, raised during the depression. While she made beautiful baby blankets, sweaters and wedding afghans, she made nearly all of them from 100% acrylic. Of course, back in the 70's and 80's there wasn't the mind-boggling array of fiber that we enjoy today, so I have to cut her some slack. Thinking I could put it to good use on some charity items (baby hats to hospitals, etc.), I took the stuff. Another silly idea. Oh, I still plan to use a bit of it for baby hats, but for the last year most of it has done nothing more than take up space in my closet. Obviously, when it came time to start a new project, the budding yarn aficionado in me would reach for something else. So, most of it will see charity in a different way...as a donation of yarn.

So this month, I've put a moratorium on buying any new yarn, requiring myself to knit what I have. Except for that little bit of Dream in Color Classy in Beach Fog I picked up on ebay last weekend. Using gift credit doesn't really count as buying, does it?

In stitches

It's been a fabric-and-fiber-filled couple of weeks, and I've been stitching like a madwoman. My knitting group is making a blanket to donate to charity, so I bought a skein of Cascade 220 Heathers (in colorway Kansas) and went to town on some squares.

Our daughter's friend had their first child...last November. How embarrassingly late can I be with a gift? At least she's not walking yet. Thank goodness. This is her Sweet Dreams Pillow.

And lastly, my nephew/godson and his wife are expecting their first baby in May, and the shower is next weekend. They're expecting a girl. No, seriously.

I'm still scrubbing the rust off where sewing is concerned, but I'm getting back into the groove and it feels good.

Back in the S(e)wing

I was blessed with the world's best Home Ec teacher in high school, who taught me a love of sewing (and a great affection for seam rippers...possibly the more valuable trait, since I do a lot of it) that I've carried with me ever since. I can lose hours in a fabric store, poring over the fabrics, envisioning what I can make, and knowing that whatever it is it will be uniquely mine. I think for me, that is the beauty of sewing, knitting, and other art/craft forms...the individuality. The knowledge that no one will ever put colors, fabrics, or fiber together in quite the same way.

While years have gone by with me only occasionally feeding my sewing habit, I've always known it was there for me, just waiting to be brought back out, dusted off, and put to creative use. In high school, most of my projects were clothing. I made most of my own clothes and yes, I actually wore them. These days, however, I have an affinity for home decor and accessories.

I've been carrying around a pattern for months for a knitting tote, and finally ventured into it yesterday. I was immediately absorbed, lost in the process. As used to be the case, I forgot to eat until 3:00 p.m., and would have probably skipped dinner entirely if it hadn't been for DH asking at 7:30 if I was going to come downstairs at all that night.

It was a very good day.

I never thought I'd be one of "those" knitters

Those who know me know that I'm a fairly methodical person. I tend to do things in a linear fashion, I'm organized (just ask my friend J about my sock drawer...), I see things through. So, how on earth did this happen to me?

When I began knitting a year ago (thanks to M), I would start a project, finish it, and then move on to the next. No buying new yarn for me until the last project was completed, or very near to it. No sirree. I would come home from knit night marveling at all the different projects some of the group had going at once. Did they all have some type of Knitting A.D.D.? A fear of commitment? More needles than they knew what to do with? Was loving a knitting project like loving a good read, where you don't want the book to end? I just couldn't really understand the whole thing.

Then, gradually, I began thinking that it was helpful to have two projects going at once, to vary the stitch patterns that my hands were doing and thereby avoid some type of repetitive motion injury (nice logic, huh?). Yes, two projects was just the right amount. Or so I thought. It was, instead, the beginning of the end.


Now, it appears I've succumbed. Projects are breeding like rabbits in my knitting bag, the majority incomplete, some needing to be frogged, some waiting to begin. I have no logical explanation for this phenomenon. And I don't know whether to be embarrassed, or proud.