Progress on the Sweater

Here's the sweater as far as I've gotten. I'm getting to the part that has to reversible because it will be a lapel.

I didn't pin this out, so you can't see the pattern too well.

Here is another view.

Here is a closer view of the upturned edge so you can see both sides.

Holiday Hodge Podge

Well, everyone finally got out of the hospital, so we had our holiday celebration. We skyped with Texas, so this is  what we got to see during the ceremony.

I got some totally cool gifts and one of my absolute favorites is this fireplace set. I didn't realize the shadows would be so bad, but the stand has this gorgeous wrought iron twist. I've already used the poker and find it very useful. Tomorrow I will sweep ashes and use the little broom and pan!

Aimee approves too!

And of course, I've been working on my knitting too! I finally finished the first clue of my Panama Shawl knit along. We've gotten four so far, but I think we get a rest until the 31st - so maybe I'll catch up by then! Here is how it looks so far!

New Project

Okay, I know I'm losing my mind - I really needed to start a new knitting project, but Monika Eckert has this great Lace Shawl Knit-Along called the Panama Shawl going and I just could not resist! So every day we have to knit as much as we can and I am two days behind already.

This is what I have so far!

Our family finally got healthy enough (with everyone out of the hospital) to have the celebration we had planned for Solstice. What fun! It was Aimee's first time through this and she really liked opening presents! Look how tired she got!

Have you ever seen a bigger smile? Children just love the holidays!

Deutscher Stadtfinder

O'Keefe Meets Minnesota

Okay, that is a bit over-blown, but sometimes the artist works with what is at hand.

Aimee didn't quit get it, but it was fun anyway!

30 inches on the Sweater

I've reached about 30 inches in diameter and have two more patterns to do. Then it will be on to the sleeves! When I pinned it out I pulled the stitches off of my needles so I guess I'll be fixing dropped stitches for a while first! I have to have reversible patterns for this part since the outer part of the circle needs to fold over as a lapel. I'm not sure how to weave in ends for this part!

You can see how I extended the pattern on the right (below) to try and make the sweater longer at the bottom.

The new reversible edging pattern is not really too visible but I am using Barbara Walker's Jack in the Pulpit for a couple of rounds and will end with Seagrass and then garter stitch.

I wrote this for a Social Networking Site (Public Spectacle https://www.public-spectacle.com/) but I figured I might as well put it up on the blog too. It's not that I really feel this way - but I wanted to vent about the pressures of the season and do so tongue in check! I love my family and love being with them for Christmas (and I don't even take any anti-depressants - what a boring person, nonetheless I offer a poem to Christmas tensions!):

Holiday season

Tense with due reason.

Family rivets

on hospital visits.

Pneumonia and breathing

and stomachs aren't easing.

This excessive tension

goes without mention.

Ongoing eating

to prep for our meeting.

I know my best trick

for feeling much less sick

about Christmas anguish

is simply to vanish.

I'd take one pill less

if there were less real stress,

But since we won't blow off

the gath'ring there's zoloft.

What have I got to give?

I need a sedative.

Guess I'll go shopping

On benzodiazepine.

But shopping mall Muzac

Is better with prozac.

And I know I won't falter

if I just have cymbalta

and nobody panics

when armored with xanax.

But since there's no chance I'll

Be able to cancel

Please fill your satchel,

Dear Santa, with paxil.

I'll sit quite content

'Til Christmas has went!

I won't deck the hall,

but I won't care at all!

Good will can cease,

If I just get some peace!

Picture from Sunday Mercury.net

Das Gift

My sister has promised us the best holiday gifts ever! (She's so proud of them she felt she didn't have to label them!)

So now we are worried that she has joined some underground fundamentalist world change group. I think its a Global Warming Taroist group.

Anyway, we are prepared.

Happy Solstice Everyone!

Sweater Update

So I've done a 24 inch diameter (of a 40 inch diameter necessary for completion).

I pinned it out on the bed to see if I had problems with the petals "bagging". So far so good. The blue section is where the sleeves will go. (You can see the sleeve place on the left but not the one on the right.) Click on the image to enlarge and you can see some of the lace pattern in the beige sections.

State of the Sweater

Just thought I'd post some update photos. Here is the state of the sweater.

Aimee finally pooped out after a busy day of playing.

A Few Odd Family Pictures

Just a couple of shots of a few of the local residents.

Get Well, Mom

Just a wish that you get out of the hospital and lick that pneumonia soon!

There's an air hockey tournament on hold 'til your recuperation and release!!

My puppy has this! Waaah!

Went in to have her allergies checked and they found demodex instead. Its not a bad case, but still very disappointing.

Free Form Lace Scarf

I finally got around to blocking my freeform lace scarf (well most of it).

It isn't quite dry yet.

Did this doodle today too!

Sweater Back

Well the medallion part of the back of the sweater is almost finished and now I'll have to do some major figuring to know how to proceed! I can't figure out if I like this or not!!

New Knitting Project

I think this is going to be the back of a sweater.

This is a soy wool blend called Waves (by Lighthouse). It will probably pill like crazy, but it is fun working in a big not too tightly spun yarn for a change. (It is going so much faster than my tiny needle lace projects!!

Sweater Finished

So, I finally got that last sleeve done on the doggie sweater - and here it is.

And modelling it - Aimee.

It's a new experience, but she wore it outside this evening for the last potty break.

So far so good!

Gussets

My sister was having a hard time understanding how the gussets for the bull dog sweater worked, so I decided to put up a couple of pictures. Here is the sweater lying on the kitchen table.

You can see that the sleeve sticks straight up instead of pointing out to the side. The gusset is highlighted in a pinkish color and is a diamond under the arm. The next image is a closer view of the gusset (this time highlighted in white). Click on images to enlarge.

I didn't know if this will give the dog greater maneuverability in the underarm, but I decided to see if it would help. My husband laughed at the fact that I put "racing stripes" on our dog's sweater.

Thanksgiving Dinner

So here's what we had this year: Leg of Lamb roasted with garlic and lemon, baked potatoes and gravy, asparagus with butter lemon dressing, brussel sprouts with enoki mushrooms in a shaoshing sauce, mixed green salad and pumpkin cheese cake.

It was accompanied with a lovely Daiginko Onikoroshi sake - Wakatake. A bit sweet but very mellow.

I also worked on the sweater. It now has one sleeve.

One more to go!

Dog Sweater

I'm knitting a sweater for my puppy. I don't have a pattern and I haven't done the sleeves, but...

She doesn't really like it , but she'll need it in a few days!

Aimee Update

A few shots taken by Don of Aimee!

Here's another one!